Reception Room
The conversation continued.
Xiao Mengyu pondered briefly before asking,
“You’re a disciple of the Shen family. Have you ever had conflicts with other family heirs in the past?”
“No,” Shen Ye replied firmly.
“I know your parents have distanced themselves from the Shen family’s core power, and I understand you rarely return. But in those few occasions when you spent time there, like during the New Year, did you offend anyone?”
Xiao Mengyu pressed on.
“I’ve never been one to fight over things, so I’m sure I didn’t offend anyone. Every time I went back, I got along with everyone,” Shen Ye said.
Then he suddenly sighed.
“What’s with the sigh? Did something occur to you?” Xiao Mengyu, ever perceptive, immediately asked.
“Qian Rushan once told me something—‘Beware of those harboring ill intent; they’re far more dangerous than monsters.’
“So, I was thinking, maybe I feel like I haven’t had conflicts with anyone, but that doesn’t mean others feel the same.”
Shen Ye shared his thoughts openly.
Xiao Mengyu thought for a moment and nodded.
She noticed Shen Ye’s tension and glanced at the bartender watching them from afar.
—It seemed she had inadvertently released a bit of killing intent.
Recognizing her misstep, Xiao Mengyu relaxed her faintly arched brows, removed her hand from her sword’s hilt, and lightly folded her hands in front of her. Her tone softened,
“Apologies, I got a little too emotional.”
The killing intent dissipated completely.
“What you said makes sense.”
“Upon reflection, ordinary people wouldn’t be able to place a hit on the assassin guild’s commission platform.”
“I’ll investigate those you’ve interacted with at the Shen family.”
“If you learn anything, please contact me immediately.”
“Understood,” Shen Ye replied.
Xiao Mengyu took out her phone, and they exchanged contact information.
The conversation concluded.
Shen Ye stood and escorted Xiao Mengyu to the elevator.
Suddenly, she stopped as if remembering something and said,
“Oh, one more thing.”
“Please go ahead,” Shen Ye responded.
“If you discover who’s behind this, don’t give up just because they’re powerful or have vast influence.”
“You can always rely on me.”
With a flick of her sword, it emitted a resonant “clang” before being sheathed again.
Shen Ye blinked, unable to grasp what had just happened.
Ding!
The elevator arrived.
“Let’s stay in touch,” Xiao Mengyu said with a slight bow.
“Ah, of course,” Shen Ye replied.
The elevator doors closed, and she was gone.
—But what exactly did she just cut?
Shen Ye turned back to the reception room.
Unbeknownst to him, the once-empty space was now crowded with people.
Where had they all been hiding earlier?
Everyone stood tightly packed near the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing upward.
What were they looking at?
Curious, Shen Ye followed their gaze.
In the brilliant blue sky above the city, a blurry sword shadow, stretching hundreds of meters long, had appeared.
—Was that her doing?
This was…
“Terrifying,” someone behind him muttered.
Shen Ye turned to see Qian Rushan standing there, arms crossed, a look of both envy and awe on his face.
…
Minutes later.
The professionals in the reception room had dispersed.
“When she arrived, I specifically asked her something.”
Qian Rushan sat across the table, speaking in the tone of a leader.
“What did you ask?” Shen Ye inquired.
“Whether she’d target you,” Qian Rushan replied.
“What was her answer?”
“She said that since her brother entrusted you with the code, it’s clear he wanted you to live. She intends to honor his wishes.”
Qian Rushan shrugged. “She also said you’re a victim in this and wouldn’t make things difficult for you.”
“Well, that’s reasonable,” Shen Ye sighed with relief.
“She’s the most outstanding heir of the Luo family’s generation. Even among the major families, she’s considered exceptional,” Qian Rushan added.
“Is she still studying? Or is she already working?” Shen Ye asked.
Qian Rushan’s expression turned odd.
“She’s in high school, same grade as you, actually.”
“What?” Shen Ye exclaimed, stunned.
“Yep. Family heirs often receive secret training from an early age, making their comprehension and resonance levels far beyond ordinary peers.
“As for her, she just graduated middle school and is entering her first year of high school—same as you.”
After finishing, Qian Rushan sneaked a glance at Shen Ye.
The girl was simply too extraordinary.
The disparity between people was staggering. Seeing that giant sword shadow had shaken even him, so he couldn’t imagine how Shen Ye, her peer, must feel.
“Don’t get discouraged. There’s an inherent gap between heirs of prominent families and regular students,” Qian Rushan comforted.
“I’m more relieved than anything,” Shen Ye shrugged. “With her on my side, if I uncover the mastermind, she’ll be a tremendous help.”
“That’s true,” Qian Rushan agreed.
“I didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll catch up on rest—talk later.” Shen Ye stretched and stood.
“Go ahead. Tomorrow, I’ll arrange for some teachers to go over exam tips with you.”
“Thanks.”
Shen Ye returned to his dorm.
He truly slept, waking only at midday.
A cold shower washed away the exhaustion and fatigue of the sleepless night.
Refreshed, Shen Ye sat on the sofa, focusing his mind to analyze the recent events.
Xiao Mengyu’s arrival signaled that the situation had reached its most dangerous point.
If the enemy was indeed a family heir—
Shen Ye fully understood how lethal that would be.
The noble families.
This is the highest rank of human civilization.
With a casual gesture, they can throw out enough money to hire someone from the Assassin’s League to take my life with ease.
Who could it be?
Could it really be someone I met when I was a kid?
That’s just too far-fetched.
But I still need to be cautious and investigate.
Shen Ye closed his eyes, immersing himself in his memories, meticulously going through every event and person he had encountered over the past ten years.
Unfortunately, there were no leads.
The memories of childhood were vague.
Looking back now, all he could recall was spending time at his grandfather’s house during Lunar New Year, playing with peers his age.
The original Shen Ye was someone who was considerate of others’ feelings.
He probably didn’t offend anyone, right?
As for recent events, is there something I missed?
That day, when I went to visit Chen Haoyu at the hospital, he was undergoing treatment, so I waited in his room.
With the high school entrance exams approaching, I took out a book to review while waiting.
The room suddenly dimmed.
At the time, I thought it was a power outage or that Chen Haoyu’s treatment had ended, so I instinctively looked toward the door.
The door opened.
An empty hospital bed was gliding down the hallway.
And that eerie woman with long hair crawled out from beneath the bed.
Strange—
When the curse activated, wasn’t there anyone else around?
In such a large hospital, surely someone should have been on duty in the inpatient ward.
Shen Ye suddenly opened his eyes.
…Wait!
In my memory, there was clearly a terrified scream echoing down the hallway!
Who saw that scene?
Over the past few days, I didn’t give it much thought because I was new to this world, unfamiliar with everything, physically weak, and the police were already investigating.
But now, re-examining everything—
That scream meant there was a witness.
What does the witness know?
Luo Feichuan is already dead, and the murderer has been brought to justice. The case has been officially closed.
So no one else would investigate the witness, right?
Shen Ye slowly stood up.
No.
This concerns my safety. I must investigate it myself.
But on what grounds can I investigate?
Even someone as brilliant as Luo Feichuan is dead.
I haven’t even graduated middle school and can’t fully execute the “Moonlit Deer Step” movement technique of the elven soldiers.
I don’t have any offensive skills.
All I have is a gun.
Am I supposed to engage in a shootout?
Sorry, but I haven’t learned marksmanship either.
Shen Ye slowly sat back down, regaining his composure.
He picked up his phone, found Xiao Mengyu’s contact, and explained the situation regarding the witness.
Xiao Mengyu quickly replied:
“I’ll investigate immediately. Wait for my update.”
—That’s more like it.
Why risk my own neck when I can rely on a master swordswoman?
But I do need to learn some offensive techniques as soon as possible.
After all, I can’t always count on someone else to handle the fighting.
In the end, people must rely on themselves!
“Hey, Big Skeleton, do you have any more Nightmare Crystals—ones with skills?” Shen Ye asked.
Sometimes, you can also rely on the undead!
“I only have undead skills. You’re not an undead and don’t possess Soul Fire, so you can’t use them,” the Big Skeleton replied.
“Didn’t you give me a ‘Moonlit Deer Walk’ before?”
“That was something I stumbled upon by chance.”
Shenye fell into thought.
Do I really have to wait until I enter high school to learn offensive techniques?
I can’t afford to wait.
—I can’t keep running every time there’s an assassination attempt.
In that case, I’ll have to venture into the Nightmare World to find some Nightmare Crystals.
Nightmare World…
Today, I’ve already received a trait, but I can still open the door and enter again.
—Entering again on the same day won’t earn me any new traits, but I can accomplish other tasks.
Like searching for Nightmare Crystals.
Alright, let’s go again!
Shen Ye made his decision.
