Chapter 77: Abundant Experience

The villa's main gate was thoroughly locked, and Chu Ning had even reinforced it. Manipulating the black mist, he sent it seeping through the cracks into the villa, using it like an adhesive to seal the gaps around the door.

The white insects required time to consume the black mist, which afforded them a precious opportunity—just enough time for Chu Ning to distance them from the villa. Without hesitation, he seized Tanya by the arm and pulled her away.

“One, two, three... boom!”

With a thunderous explosion, the villa shattered apart, a raging inferno shooting into the sky. The surrounding black mist, when met by the flames, made the fire burn even fiercer. Chu Ning was well aware of the nature of the black mist—it was indeed vulnerable to fire.

Whenever fire met the black mist, it was unstoppable, often triggering an even more powerful burst. The black mist acted as an accelerant, intensifying the blaze and hastening its spread.

As for the saying that real men never look back at explosions—Chu Ning and Tanya abided by it admirably. After all, they were far too busy running for their lives to admire the destructive spectacle. With death looming, who had time for such things?

Remaining calm in the face of danger was a lie, Tanya thought. Her heart pounded violently, her metabolism surged, and the adrenaline coursed through her veins at such a thrilling scene.

“What a spectacle!” Tanya screamed, exhilarated, barely able to contain her excitement. Never had she imagined that scenes she’d only witnessed in films would play out before her eyes—and that she herself would be at the center of it all.

Well, the leading lady, to be exact. She stole a glance at Chu Ning, who was calm and unruffled. At this moment, he truly seemed the archetypal villain, especially with that contemptuous smirk curling his lips—a scorn so palpable it was impossible to mistake his mood.

Tanya would bet anything that this was Chu Ning’s handiwork. After all, inside the villa had been only them and a swarm of mindless insects. The culprit was obvious to anyone with sense.

“The white insects are utterly destroyed. There's no way they could escape that inferno!”

As if to prove Chu Ning’s words, a burning monster staggered upright within the sea of flames. Black fire clung to its form like maggots to a corpse. The creature clawed madly at its chest, pulling out endless black flames from within. Gradually, its body shrank, until at last it vanished completely within the blaze.

“That was your doing, wasn’t it?” Tanya gaped at the scene, stunned. Chu Ning was exactly as she remembered—unchanged in the slightest.

Chu Ning curled his lip. Tanya’s choice of words was, to his mind, utterly inelegant. He had orchestrated everything with precision, laying a trap that ensnared the enemy. Yet put like that, he sounded like some lecherous schemer lurking in the shadows.

“Of course not. It was just a coincidence, nothing more. Don’t overthink it,” Chu Ning denied shamelessly. Always cunning and sly, he would never admit to anything.

“Oh, what a coincidence,” Tanya retorted with icy sarcasm. She refused to believe the villa had simply exploded after their departure—it clearly bore Chu Ning’s handiwork from the time he’d vanished.

Chu Ning watched the burning villa with satisfaction. At least he had prevented the bizarre insects from escaping into the world, or the consequences would have been dire. As for the villa itself, sacrifices had to be made; it had never truly belonged to him. If it burned, so be it.

“Hmph, my black mist isn’t so easily devoured!” Chu Ning was proud of his plan, especially having sent the black mist into the insects’ bodies. Before leaving, he’d cut the villa’s gas line, relying on the flames to destroy the monsters completely.

He stopped Tanya, who was anxious to flee the scene. The firefighters would soon arrive, and lingering would be unwise. From her panicked behavior, it was clear Tanya had no experience running from trouble.

They had to maintain composure—after all, who knew how many cameras might be watching? Once they were far enough from the villa, frantic running would only draw attention. They’d look deeply suspicious, and with modern technology, would quickly become suspects.

Chu Ning, seasoned and calm, knew this was the moment to slow their pace, feigning nonchalance. Even if authorities questioned them, they could simply report the distant fire, with nothing to fear from routine inquiries. Chu Ning earnestly explained the essentials of escape, sharing his knowledge with Tanya in detail.

Tanya squeezed his hand, discreetly signaling for him to pay attention—something was happening ahead.

Chu Ning didn’t mistake her gesture for flirtation; he too had noticed the uniformed figure up ahead, whose behavior was decidedly suspicious.

“Let’s go ask for directions,” Chu Ning declared, dragging Tanya toward the policeman, wearing a confident smile.

“Are you out of your mind? Going to the police now is like handing ourselves over!” Tanya protested, struggling against him, her voice barely above a whisper for fear of being overheard.

By the time they neared the officer, Tanya had given up resisting, hoping only that Chu Ning wouldn’t abandon her if they had to run. She lowered her head and half-hid behind him, clutching his arm tightly.

Chu Ning feigned panic as he addressed the officer: “Officer, there’s been an explosion ahead—please, go check it out!” He pointed in the direction of the villa, eyes wide with pleading urgency.

The officer’s cap was pulled low, obscuring his eyes. He was not particularly burly, of average build, and gave off a quiet, almost reserved air. His uniform was impeccably neat, yet somehow seemed to constrain him.

The contradictions gathered in this one person intrigued Chu Ning. Under his scrutiny, the young officer grew visibly more tense.

“I understand. Find somewhere safe to take cover, so you won’t be caught by the blast,” the officer replied kindly, then hurried toward the burning villa.

“Understood! We’ll get out of here—be careful yourself!”

Once the officer had disappeared from sight, Tanya sagged against Chu Ning, relief washing over her. The ordeal was finally over. Just now, Chu Ning’s reckless decision to approach the police had nearly scared her out of her wits.

“Are you insane? Why did you go looking for trouble with the police? Have you forgotten what you’ve done? One day, your arrogance will be the death of you.”

She scolded him, truly exasperated. Chu Ning hadn’t considered the consequences of exposure, acting purely on his own whims.