Out the door, the scene was completely different from when she'd searched for the archive during the day. There were no overgrown plants or obstacles blocking the view.
The courtyard, paved with ancient blue stone bricks, had no other facilities. It was empty and clean. Ahead, there was only a towering ancient tree.
Huangfu Jun was stunned. Her college-level literary refinement had regressed to just one word—"so tall."
The tree trunk was incredibly thick; even a dozen young men joining hands couldn't encircle it. The trunk wasn't straight; it coiled upward like a python standing at the center of the earth, spiraling toward the sky.
Countless round leaves layered upon each other, stretching toward the moon, holding up the soft moonlight and casting a huge shadow on the ground.
The night wind swept by, filling heaven and earth with a desolate scene. Trembling leaves hummed low, and falling leaves sighed softly. It was like a chant through time, every sound entering the ear, every drop touching the heart.
She had never seen such a huge tree. She was simply awestruck. Scenes that were both weathered and full of vitality were rare.
This enduring shock made her soul tremble until a falling leaf drifted down and landed on her forehead, snapping her back to reality.
As magnificent as the tree was, where were the Monster Bureau employee dorms?
Confused, Huangfu Jun unfolded the map, using the light from the office building behind her to find the dorm location. The architectural plan showed only one path to the dormitory building. Ahead of the courtyard was a row of single-story houses labeled "Dormitory."
Huangfu Jun looked up again, bewildered. Aside from the awe-inspiring tree, there was no sign of any bungalow.
This was the Monster Bureau; it wasn't to be understood by common sense. Countless novels and xianxia dramas told us that the non-human world had both illusion spells and barriers. Maybe it was like the archive before; perhaps if she walked up to the tree, a door would open for her.
Since they were all monsters, she had to think big and step big. She put away the plan, took out the key and card Guiche Jun had given her, and, like Lady White Snake casting a spell, held the key in one hand and the card in the other, tentatively approaching the ancient tree.
But even when she reached the trunk, nothing happened—not even a breeze.
She gestured at the trunk, but it was useless.
Helpless, she lowered her hand and touched the trunk.
Surprisingly, the bark was tenderer than she'd imagined, not dry at all. It felt like a little force could leave a mark.
Still nothing changed.
Completely at a loss, Huangfu Jun scratched the bark, then swiped the key and card across the trunk, mentally adding a sound effect: *Ding—useless card.*
Then a magical scene unfolded before her eyes.
The scratched area glowed for a moment, then a door opened inward, spilling out bright, warm light.
Stunned, Huangfu Jun squinted as the light dazzled her. The key and meal card in her palm felt a little rough. After this twist of fate, she tentatively stepped through the door.
The moment she stepped into the light, her vision rippled like water, and then a magnificent, bright, and luxurious hall appeared before her.
This dormitory lobby had a ceiling height of at least ten meters. A huge crystal chandelier, like a waterfall, hung in the center.
The surrounding walls were made of enormous crystal caves in various colors—amethyst, citrine, pink crystal. Every tiny crystal reflected brilliant light from different angles.
Even the floor seemed to be made of neatly cut thousand-year ice, laid piece by piece. The highly transparent ice looked deep under the light, exuding a slight chill but not cold at all—only an extremely comfortable coolness.
For a moment, Huangfu Jun didn't even know which foot to step forward.
Was this ice? Would it be slippery? Was it solid enough?
Hesitating, a strange figure suddenly appeared and slowly walked toward her.
The newcomer wore a lake-blue ancient robe. He looked around twenty years old, tall and straight, with a blue jade crown. His skin was pale, his brows thick, his eyes bright, and a small blue tear mole under his right eye gave him a delicate, gentle appearance.
But beneath his wide robe, the scene was terrifyingly different.
The man had no legs. Every step forward relied on eight flexible octopus tentacles that slid and pushed across the ice.
Huangfu Jun couldn't help stepping back half a step, intimidated by his icy aura, but she instinctively raised a hand in greeting.
The newcomer smiled slightly, clasped his hands in front of his chest, and bowed gracefully. "Miss Huangfu, good evening."
Before Huangfu Jun could reply, surprised exclamations came from behind the door.
Huangfu Jun turned to see Shan Yang, Ying Wu, Jin Ji, and Guiche Jun all crowded at the door, eyes wide, staring inside.
Especially Ying Wu, who covered her mouth and cried out in disbelief, "Oh my god? The irritable Director Zhang actually has a human form?!"