With a heavy heart, Liu Lei returned home in silence, not uttering a word. His parents, observing his gloomy demeanor, exchanged a glance. His father shook his head, while his mother sighed inwardly. Neither spoke. After washing up, Liu Lei retreated to his room, collapsing into bed—he understood his parents' concern, yet he found himself at a loss as to how to face them, so he took refuge in his solitude.
That night, Liu Lei did not practice his martial arts. His mind churned endlessly, yet he remained uncertain about what course to take. The following morning, upon seeing the weary expressions of his parents, a pang of guilt pierced his heart. Silently, he resolved, "It seems I need another girlfriend." Though unsure of what the future held after his encounter with Qin Yunyi, he found himself cherishing the familial bond more than ever, especially seeing the concern etched on his parents' faces. This made him feel profoundly sorrowful.
His parents, too, had spent a restless night. In the past, Liu Lei had always been an enigma to them—aloof, isolated, and distant, with few friends and even less connection to them. After graduating from university, he had moved out to live alone. But since returning from his five years in the wilderness, he had become more open, more considerate, and far more filial, which had warmed their hearts. Although they knew that his experiences in the wilderness were not as simple as he had claimed—what kind of job would keep someone away for five years, without a single visit to their family?—they did not press him. As long as their son was happy, they respected his silence. Yet, this recent blow had caused them great concern. To their knowledge, Liu Lei had never been in a serious relationship, never had to endure the pain of love lost. They feared this might break him.
After breakfast, Liu Lei left the house, heading to "work" at the old lord's villa. There, he settled into a traditional redwood lounge chair, closing his eyes to meditate. Where could he find another "girlfriend"? The thought gave him a headache. Stretching lazily, his spiritual awareness expanded like water, blanketing the entire Qinling Mountain range. As he felt the joy of life flourishing in the mountains, his mood lifted—was there anything more invigorating than the rhythmic pulse of life itself? Liu Lei lay there, savoring this rare moment of peace in the past two days.
But just as the tranquility seemed unbroken, an overwhelming aura of hostility shattered the stillness like a stone cast into a calm lake. Anger stirred in his chest, and his mind raced toward the source. On the mountain path, a girl ran in panic, pursued by three burly men. The men were swift, closing in on her with every step, and it seemed inevitable that she would be caught. But they had disturbed Liu Lei. With a swift flip of his body, he flapped his wings and flew out of the window.
Arriving at the mountain, he saw the girl lying on the ground, surrounded by the three men. Liu Lei silently hovered above, unnoticed by the group below. One of the men, dressed in a black suit, appeared to be the leader. He was interrogating the girl, "Where is it? Hand it over and we'll let you go."
The girl suddenly raised her head, glaring at him with fiery contempt, and spat at him, "Dream on!" In that instant, Liu Lei saw her eyes—eyes filled with hatred and resentment, utterly devoid of any spark of life. What kind of life had turned a young girl's eyes from clear to filled with such burning malice?
Liu Lei's heart stirred, recalling an ancient bloodline custom, and he considered that she might be an ideal candidate. Without further hesitation, he descended slowly to the ground. The three men were taken aback by his sudden appearance. They were just thugs; they had never encountered such a supernatural being. Without acknowledging their shock, Liu Lei coldly stated, "Three minutes. Leave, now."
The men recovered quickly, exchanging nervous glances before drawing their guns. "Sorry," the leader said, "this woman is very important to our organization. If you don't explain yourself, we'll have to deal with you." They were seasoned criminals, but having witnessed Liu Lei's display of power, they knew they were no match for him. However, their reluctance to flee stemmed from the girl's importance.
Liu Lei said nothing as he walked toward them. Simultaneously, all three fired their weapons. The bullets struck Liu Lei but did no harm, and he watched as the wounds on his body healed slowly. The three men fired furiously, but Liu Lei remained unfazed. With a calm and decisive motion, he disarmed them, snapping their guns in two. "Leave. My patience is limited."
At this point, the girl screamed, "Kill them! Help me kill them, and I will do anything you ask!" Liu Lei turned, meeting her gaze—her eyes were filled with bitterness and fury.
Ignoring her pleas, Liu Lei released the three men and carried the girl back to the villa. To his surprise, the girl showed no amazement at his abilities. Instead, she incessantly asked, "Why didn't you kill them? Why didn't you kill them?"
Liu Lei did not answer her. He walked to the chair behind the desk and seated himself with an air of dignified calm. "I can help fulfill your wish," he said slowly, "but the price you will pay will be steep. Think carefully."
"No need to think," she replied urgently. "I'll agree to anything."
Liu Lei appraised her with a measured gaze. Despite the fury in her eyes, she was quite pleasing in appearance. She would certainly be to his mother's liking.
"You don't even want to know what the conditions are before agreeing?" Liu Lei asked.
"No need to ask. I'll accept any conditions," she replied, determined.
Liu Lei paused, then spoke gravely, "Very well. I hope you won't regret this. Now tell me—what happened, and what is it that you want me to do?"
The girl's eyes suddenly became calm, and in a tone devoid of emotion, she said, "My entire family is dead—my parents, my little sister, all gone. The one behind it was Wang Fei, the head of our city's underworld. He wanted to buy an antique passed down from my great-grandfather, but my father refused to sell. So, they killed my mother, then my sister, and finally my father. I was away at school, so I survived. I reported it to the police, but Wang Fei and our deputy mayor, Yang Tian, colluded to cover it up. They even tried to kill me. I just want you to kill Wang Fei and Yang Tian."
Liu Lei sensed that the girl's calm demeanor masked a seething, volcanic rage beneath the surface. Her words, though spoken softly, belied a deep, anguished history—one that would haunt her for a lifetime. He chose not to ask further; some wounds were too painful to revisit.
"Which city?" he asked.
"S City."