At this moment.
The mist outside the main hall suddenly churned violently, and everyone tensed up.
"Something's coming!"
Liu Ziming performed a carp leap from the bar counter and flipped down.
Feng Jue had already silently moved to the shadow of a pillar.
Su Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly, drawing the twin blades he had retrieved earlier from behind his waist, ready at any moment.
A white halo slowly emerged from within the mist.
"It's spiritual energy!"
Xu Hao pressed down on Liu Ziming's shoulder: "Wait! This fluctuation..."
"Teacher?!"
Xie Xi was the first to exclaim in surprise.
Wang Mingyuan still wore his gold-rimmed glasses, his demeanor scholarly and elegant.
The spiritual energy flowing around him resembled liquid mercury.
Wang Mingyuan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses as the spiritual energy halo gradually receded: "Is everyone uninjured?"
"I'm perfectly fine!"
Liu Ziming patted his chest, then winced as he pulled on a wound: "Hiss—just some scraped skin!"
Xie Xi said while crossing her arms: "Three claw marks on the right shoulder, torn muscle on the left leg."
"What's the big deal?"
Liu Ziming laughed: "We awakeners, minor injuries like this heal within days."
Xu Hao spoke up now: "I'm fine too."
Feng Jue leaned against the pillar and said succinctly: "Minor injuries."
Su Zhan shook his head: "No issues."
"Go to medical immediately after returning, get comprehensive checkups."
Wang Mingyuan's gaze swept over everyone: "How long has the mist persisted now?"
Feng Jue displayed the mechanical watch on his wrist: "46 hours, 37 minutes."
"Almost two days, yet only about 10 seconds passed since I entered. This time flow rate..."
Wang Mingyuan frowned, about to say more.
Suddenly.
A surprised cry came from among the survivors: "Wait! That's Professor Wang from Vermilion Bird Academy!"
A young female staff member in hotel uniform pointed at Wang Mingyuan, shouting excitedly: "Our hotel manager told me about him!"
"Vermilion Bird Academy!? The Vermilion Bird Academy, one of Daxia's five top-tier awakener institutions!?"
"We're saved!"
The survivors became agitated.
The crowd that had been huddled in corners surged forward like a tidal wave.
"Professor Wang! Please take us out of here!"
A middle-aged man rushed to the front: "My daughter is only five years old, she's still waiting for me at home!"
"Everyone, please calm down."
Wang Mingyuan raised his hand in a placating gesture: "Return to your positions. With me here, nothing will happen."
Su Zhan silently watched the agitated crowd.
He sighed inwardly.
At this moment of despair, with such a savior appearing, each person must be extremely excited inside.
He didn't think Wang Mingyuan was boasting either.
The current realm of mist creatures in this mist incident was still relatively low. With Wang Mingyuan's strength, dealing with them wouldn't be like crushing ants, but at least like cutting through melons and vegetables.
"Hey hey hey, stop making noise!"
Liu Ziming blocked the front of Wang Mingyuan, waving his arms: "Can't you see our teacher is busy? Everyone go back, go back, don't cause trouble here."
"How dare you speak like that!"
A portly middle-aged woman complained loudly: "Our taxpayer money supports you awakeners. Isn't protecting ordinary people your responsibility?"
"Exactly!"
Someone echoed: "You receive special government allowances..."
Xu Hao stood awkwardly in the middle trying to mediate: "Everyone, don't get excited, we will definitely..."
"Everyone shut up!"
Xie Xi coldly shouted.
The crowd didn't quiet down; instead, their emotions became more intense.
"You awakeners think you're so great? What gives you the right to shout at us!"
"Exactly! We pay so much tax to support you, and this is your attitude when something happens?"
"Where's your sense of responsibility?"
Some even began pushing and shoving forward.
A beer bottle shattered with a "crack" at Xie Xi's feet.
The situation instantly became tense.
Su Zhan raised his eyebrows, drawing the twin blades he had just sheathed.
These survivors trembled and fled in panic when facing mist creatures.
Yet now they dared to bare their fangs and show their claws toward the awakeners.
Because they knew all too well.
The awakeners wouldn't dare to kill them.
So they could vent their emotions recklessly, could righteously accuse and curse, could even casually throw bottles.
Xie Xi's delicate brows tightened.
She had only told these people to be quiet, not that she would abandon them.
Yet they turned around and morally blackmailed her.
Her fists clenched tightly, already planning that whoever dared to attack her first would get infant-like sleep.
"Alright, alright, now listen to me."
Wang Mingyuan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, looking around at everyone: "Everyone quiet down. Making noise like this will only attract mist creatures. If too many come, I won't be able to fully protect everyone."
Upon hearing this, everyone instantly quieted down.
Su Zhan silently sheathed his twin blades.
He analyzed this scene clearly in his mind.
Xie Xi had the same attitude on the plane, but at that time, she was saving people. Everyone on the plane owed her favors, needed her rescue, so she could speak however she wanted.
But now...
Xie Xi hadn't saved anyone.
Yet she scolded everyone with a condescending attitude, which precisely pricked the most sensitive nerves of ordinary people.
Even worse than Liu Ziming's impatient attitude earlier.
When the words "shut up" came from her mouth, nameless anger rose in everyone's hearts.
Why can awakeners order us around?
Why are you awakeners naturally superior?
Aren't you awakeners just lucky with fate?
In this world, an innate chasm exists between awakeners and ordinary people.
It's an abyss that no amount of acquired effort can cross.
It's an abyss that no amount of acquired effort can cross.
And Wang Mingyuan understood human nature deeply.
He didn't put on an awakener's airs, just calmly stated the facts: noise attracts monsters, monsters kill people.
He returned the choice to the people themselves.
They could make noise if they wanted, but the price might be their lives.
This unyielding yet respectful attitude instead inspired belief, because he wasn't commanding, but reminding.
Both clarifying the stakes and maintaining an attitude of equal respect.
Making these frightened birds willingly quiet down after weighing the pros and cons.
Wang Mingyuan's image rose another level in Su Zhan's heart.
He looked at Xie Xi.
Actually, another important reason for the survivors' different attitudes toward the two was...
Wang Mingyuan possessed formidable strength and was everyone's lifeline.
This point combined with the previous approach formed the most perfect way of handling situations.
The survivors' attitudes gradually softened.
The hotel assistant manager squeezed through: "Professor Wang, I'm the assistant manager here, most familiar with the hotel structure. The underground shelter is usable—spacious terrain, food supplies, completely sufficient for all of us."
"Excellent."
Wang Mingyuan nodded: "You take charge of organization."
"Professor Wang!"
A young bespectacled girl timidly raised her hand: "I'm a medical school student, can help treat the injured."
"I'm also a doctor, I can save people too."
Within moments, two or three doctors raised their hands as well.
"Thank you for your selflessness."
Wang Mingyuan smiled at her, then looked at Xu Hao: "Xu Hao, assist them in establishing a temporary medical point."