I thought for a moment and decided to employ a psychological tactic, replying arrogantly, "Lu Shun is the territory of our Bai Ze demon tribe, so we don't worry about sneak attacks."
Unexpectedly, Sima Xingkong immediately saw through my trick, asking, "Then why do you keep changing your appearance?"
It seemed she had been watching me closely lately, knowing even this detail. If I could disguise myself, she could observe energy, rendering my efforts useless.
I could only reply, "To prevent being swarmed by rabid fans and causing unnecessary chaos."
That was partly true. Now, not only the Shan Hai demon tribe was looking for me, but many Bai Ze demon tribe members were too, with several having gone to Shabia's place. I wasn't like some celebrities who desperately wanted to be recognized by fans, saying they didn't want fans to pick them up, but always releasing their travel arrangements in advance to deliberately attract crowds, then putting on a show with a large entourage of bodyguards to fend them off, as a display of popularity.
It wouldn't matter if they were just entertaining themselves, but they shouldn't disrupt ordinary people. Seeing a mob surrounding someone might make others think some serious social incident had occurred, causing them anxiety.
Sima Xingkong didn't reply further. I kept my Qi observation technique active, constantly monitoring for any abnormal energies within my vision, to see if she would come alone or bring others.
However, it was already half-past ten and Sima Xingkong still hadn't appeared. I couldn't help but ask, "When are you arriving?"
Sima Xingkong replied, "Didn't we say twelve o'clock? What's the hurry?"
Fine, it was indeed me who was in a hurry, mainly due to guilt. The guilt wasn't about losing, but about cheating at chess.
She was an expert in Qi observation; would she be able to see through me?
"Why don't you go get some sleep and recharge?" Diana suggested.
I had slept reasonably well last night, or rather, this morning. I wasn't sleepy, but I still went back to the bedroom and lay down. I idly turned on the TV, flipping through channels, and stumbled upon a local sports channel discussing a match in the Xiangjia League. I tossed the remote aside and half-reclined on the bed, watching. Practice makes perfect, even if it's last-minute.
The program ended at eleven-thirty. My head felt a bit hot from watching; chess was too CPU-intensive. I went to the bathroom. A shower seemed too time-consuming, so I just washed my hair to freshen up and cool down. I saw a razor on the sink. Looking in the mirror, I realized I hadn't shaved in a long time. A thick layer of stubble covered my chin and jawline. No wonder they all thought I looked old!
I re-washed my face, lathering up with soap. Once the beard roots had softened, I started shaving. The new blade was very sharp, and I was clean-shaven in one go. Afterward, the skin where I had stubble was lighter than the rest of my face, likely due to the beard's UV-blocking effect.
Recently, due to practicing Qi observation, I often went out in the sun at noon. I should have applied sunscreen. Now, shaved, I looked even worse than unshaven.
But I couldn't reattach my beard, so I had to wash my face again, using the whitening effect of the facial cleanser to minimize the color difference.
I finished up and came out at eleven fifty. Activating my Qi observation, I finally detected Sima Xingkong's blue energy, three kilometers away, approaching at an unhurried pace. It didn't feel like a car; it was slower than a car but faster than walking. Could it be that this top rider from the Shan Hai demon tribe was arriving by bicycle?
"She's here?" Diana noticed the change in my "demonic energy."
"Yes, about five li away," I said, pointing in the direction Sima Xingkong was coming from.
"Alone?"
"Alone."
Diana went to the balcony and looked out. From our balcony, we could see the coastal road on the flank. It happened to be a small bay that curved inward. If Sima Xingkong had taken the coastal road, she would have appeared in our view much earlier.
Eleven fifty-five.
"I see her," Diana said.
I also walked to the railing and followed Diana's gaze. On the non-motorized vehicle lane, a woman in a white trench coat was leisurely cycling toward us. She seemed to be riding a shared bike. This time, she wasn't wearing a hat; her hair was tied in a high ponytail, which fanned out below, fluttering in the sea breeze, looking quite elegant.