The blink of an eye was all it took, from the moment the woman in white robes drifted behind him until she opened her mouth to strike. Wang Hai barely had time to react before a searing pain erupted from his back shoulder. The woman had bitten down hard on his flesh, tearing away with a rip that sounded like a sharp hiss, pulling off a bloody chunk of skin and meat along with his clothing.

"Ah..." Wang Hai shrieked, the pain immediate, and without a second thought for analysis, his body instinctively lunged forward.

Zhang Xiaohui had pushed the window open earlier while they were admiring the night view, but now it had become Wang Hai’s gateway to oblivion. This was the top floor, and most residents had installed safety railings outside their windows recently. He and Zhang Xiaohui had both decided against them, thinking the railings looked too much like prison bars, a decision they now regretted too late.

Wang Hai felt himself surge forward, tumbling out of the wide-open window. He instinctively reached out wildly, but his hand grasped only empty air ahead of him.

Fortunately, his other arm had been dangling by his side, and now that his body was half outside, that hand instinctively shot out, clawing for purchase and finding a grip on the window ledge. Just as he felt a spot to leverage his weight, before he could pull himself back, a tremendous force slammed into him from behind. The woman, after tearing his flesh, had snatched hold of his raised legs and lunged, sinking her teeth into his thigh.

Wang Hai felt a sickening pressure around his thigh, as if something had clamped down with considerable force. He knew the only thing that could be holding him was that terrifying woman in white robes. His reaction was primal, thrashing like a live fish on a cutting board, channeling nearly all his strength into escape.

This desperate effort managed to wrench his leg free from the woman's grip, but the sheer force also propelled the rest of his lower body, still inside the room, outward as well.

Wang Hai’s mind was utterly blank; there were no thoughts, just nothingness. His entire body was nearly outside, and the arm clinging to the sill could no longer hold on, given the awkward angle, especially since the ledge was narrow to begin with.

Seeing that the situation was now irreversible, certain that Wang Hai was about to fall to his death, it seemed inevitable.

Just then, a rope suddenly dropped down from the window opening. As the rope descended, a silhouette slid down along it. This figure’s descent was timed precisely a fraction of a second before Wang Hai was completely clear of the window, and that tiny margin was what saved his life.

The figure gripped the rope with one hand and reached out with the other, swinging in a wide arc towards the window. Just as Wang Hai completely flipped out, his hand slipped from the ledge, waving upward in a final, futile gesture, as if bidding farewell to the world.

The figure swinging from the rope swung right up to him, grabbing Wang Hai’s outstretched hand. As his body arced in front of the wide window, the figure suddenly shot his legs inward, darting into Wang Hai’s apartment with extraordinary agility. He never let go of Wang Hai’s hand; the moment his feet touched the floor, he jerked down sharply, applying a dead weight that stabilized his posture and forced Wang Hai’s hand to re-grip the window ledge.

Immediately, the figure released the hand holding the rope and leaned forward, grasping Wang Hai’s arm, pulling backward with all his strength.

Having spun several times on the edge of the abyss, with one foot already in the void, Wang Hai was now being hauled back inside. He was completely paralyzed by shock.

But the person who entered the room didn't stop there. He turned his head and spat a mouthful of tongue-tip blood toward the white-robed woman still lingering by the window. Using both hands, he pulled Wang Hai nearly halfway back inside before releasing one hand. With a sharp flick and retraction, he pulled a string of prayer beads from his wrist into his palm. Turning his back to the window and facing inward, he brought his left hand, gripping the beads, around in a swift arc, smashing them directly against the head of the white-robed woman.

Wang Hai, meanwhile, managed to scramble back inside, utilizing the leverage from the person’s other, still-clenched hand. He collapsed weakly on the floor, forcing his head up just enough to glimpse his savior. As his blurred vision cleared, he recognized the figure and whispered softly, "Kuang Feifan..."

The one who had slid down the rope to save Wang Hai and safely entered his apartment was indeed Kuang Feifan. It was only because of him that Wang Hai could possibly have been rescued from such a situation, given Kuang Feifan’s rigorous physical conditioning, which allowed him to execute maneuvers bordering on stunt work.

When the prayer beads struck the white-robed woman’s head, Kuang Feifan instantly felt the point of contact heat up dramatically, nearly forcing him to pull his hand away. He clenched his teeth hard to maintain the pressure.

Thankfully, he held firm. Immediately, blue-green smoke began to rise from where he pressed against her head, as if the surface were being iron-seared. Accompanied by a sizzling sound, it began to resemble the sound of frying raw meat in hot oil.

Kuang Feifan watched as the white-robed woman convulsed within the billowing smoke, her terrifying, wide mouth opened as if issuing silent roars, but he could hear nothing. He merely strained his arm, keeping the beads pressed firmly against her head. He could even feel the point of contact churning and bubbling like molten mud.

The dense smoke thickened until he could barely see the woman’s form through the haze. Only the tactile sensation in his hand confirmed she was still there. He maintained the pressure for an indeterminate time, feeling her size diminish as if she were melting away, until she finally dissolved. When the smoke gradually cleared, Kuang Feifan saw only a pool of foul, viscous liquid where the woman had floated.

Only then did Kuang Feifan have the presence of mind to look over at Wang Hai. Though Wang Hai was able to sit up, he was clearly deeply traumatized, appearing vacant, weak, and almost stupefied.

However, Kuang Feifan could see that Wang Hai was not in mortal danger. He then glanced toward Zhang Xiaohui, who was lying on the sofa in the living room. Though separated by some distance, he could sense that she still possessed vitality.

Kuang Feifan didn't know what had transpired inside the apartment before he arrived, but seeing both of them with disheveled clothing, especially Zhang Xiaohui sprawled on the sofa nearly naked, made it clear that an interaction had occurred between them.

Feeling uneasy, he moved to the sofa and carefully examined Zhang Xiaohui. He saw no apparent external injuries, but her breathing was faint and irregular, shallow enough to suggest she was barely clinging to life. Kuang Feifan’s concern intensified.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. He wiped his prayer beads and gently placed them on Zhang Xiaohui’s forehead.

The action seemed to take effect. Gradually, he noticed Zhang Xiaohui’s breathing beginning to stabilize. He let out a quiet sigh of relief, then turned to pull the still-dazed Wang Hai up and move him onto the sofa as well.

Seeing that both seemed out of immediate mortal danger, Kuang Feifan could finally relax slightly. He raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his face and turned to look for water.

It was at that precise moment that Zhang Xiaohui, who had kept her eyes tightly shut, suddenly snapped them open. She stared blankly at Kuang Feifan’s turned back, slowly raising her hand and leaning forward to reach out for him.