Inside a room at the Jiangyo Hotel, by the closed window... a mysterious, dark shadow crept beneath the sill and slipped into the pitch-black room.
Xing Xi had arrived exactly as planned, right on time. Now, all that remained was to vanish.
Amidst the darkness clinging to the walls, he peered through his mask with eyes surgically refined for murder, scouting for the perfect concealment. Instantly, his body sank, dissolving once more into a shadow. He slithered through the utter gloom and hid behind the wall clock.
He was now completely invisible, lurking and waiting.
At that same moment, Morse and Ni Ni Layan were bidding farewell to the workers at the printing house, smiling and greeting everyone before stepping out into the dark of the night. The streets were brightly lit, and the atmosphere was exquisite—it felt as though they were in a parallel world, a truly beautiful place.
The two walked side by side, conversing warmly, knowing these moments of tranquility never lasted long. But as they walked, Ni Ni Layan posed a question to Morse.
"I won't lie to you... there are many enmities that fill the heavens and the earth, but I have never seen brothers who hate each other as you two do."
Morse had already told Ni Ni Layan about all of Bing's actions since childhood—how selfishly he behaved and how despicable he had been since he was a boy.
"And you never will... Bing harbors a profound hatred toward my mother. He was always compared to me growing up, and he was constantly marginalized for having almost no talent in cultivation."
Ni Ni Layan chuckled. Morse felt a flicker of surprise but didn't show it; this girl had no idea that, in the original novel, she was the one destined to kill Bing.
"But... come to think of it," she mused, "there are people who have endured far worse circumstances yet didn't turn out like your brother."
Morse returned the smile as he answered her question.
"There's a difference. Bing is fully aware that his end will be a miserable one... so why not be the worst he can be? Even though he isn't exceptional, he is despicable to a terrifyingly deep degree. He is so wretched that when he dies, he will be satisfied with the death of someone like him."
What kind of thinking is this? Ni Ni Layan wondered. Throughout her life, she had encountered countless evil people, but the common thread among them was that they usually had strong internal justifications for their actions.
But Bing... he derived his very identity from being despicable. To be so vile that you become "distinguished" by your readiness to do the most heinous things at any time, in any place, without so much as a blink.
"You know what? I read a quote once that reminds me of him," Morse added. "'I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me.' Simply put, he knows he won't be shown mercy, so he chooses to be a villain."
A villain indeed. His distinction lay in crossing every boundary that even other evil men wouldn't dare to touch.
At the reception of the hotel, the clerk welcomed them, and the two entered the spiritual elevator, ascending to the third floor. They headed to their room—Room 21. Morse unlocked the door and flipped the switch, illuminating the room. Everything was exactly as they had left it.
Upon entering, Morse looked at the wall clock, checking the time. "Oh, truly... time passes so quickly."
When Ni Ni Layan stepped inside, she felt something strange. Her pupils contracted, and her instincts flared with a sensation she knew all too well: a killing intent, very close, right inside the room. But she couldn't pinpoint the exact location; her cultivation level was still too low.
Panic began to rise within her as she watched Morse staring at the clock. At that moment, the assassin heard Morse's words and felt his gaze on the clock. Impossible... he thought. He was at the advanced stage of the Soul Palace realm, a master of concealment. It should be impossible to notice him. Yet, he felt a flicker of confusion. Should I strike now or wait? What if he's baited me into a trap? He prayed he hadn't truly been discovered.
Meanwhile, Morse was taking off his shoes while Ni Ni Layan grew increasingly anxious. Is he under the bed? Behind the wardrobe? She didn't want to start searching, fearing the assassin would realize they knew he was there. She remained silent, but sweat betrayed her calm. She was terrified of leaving Morse's side or making a move that the assassin might exploit.
Damn it, I'm too weak... no one will get near him! To her, Morse was the key to her freedom from her heart's demon. If he died now, everything was for nothing. But there was another reason: he didn't deserve to die. Surely, Bing Xuan was the one who sent this killer.
She had to get him out of here. "Morse... Morse... I have a sharp pain in my stomach. I think it's my period. Can you go buy some medicine for me?"
Morse looked at Ni Ni Layan, who was clutching her stomach. He smiled.
"Your period? How is that possible? You aren't even a human female... and besides, you're thousands of years old. How could you still be having cycles?"
Ni Ni Layan's expression darkened. He was blabbing her secrets while an assassin waited in the shadows! She couldn't justify herself without revealing the secret of her reincarnation, which the assassin might report back to Bing Xuan.
"But..."
"Oh, don't worry," Morse interrupted. "I know this body is still a virgin from the reincarnation process, but this is the first time I've heard that Phoenixes have periods..."
He had exposed everything. Now, the danger would only increase if he left. Ni Ni Layan forced a smile. "Fine, I feel better now. Don't go."
What a fool, she thought, sitting down in disappointment. Morse went and brought her hot water.
"I heard from my mother that when a woman has her period, she needs something hot to drink."
He sat in front of her. "I'm sorry, I know I was rude. Tell me what medicine you need... actually, I happen to have some."
As he talked, he glanced at the system screen beside him, scrolling through results for menstrual pain. He clicked on a medication:
[Kunlian Pill for Menstrual Pain (Instant Effect): 20 Points]
The pill appeared in his hand, and he gave it to her immediately. She was stunned. "Where did you get this?"
"Well... my mother had some, so I brought them with her belongings."
Ni Ni Layan looked at the pill in her hand, her nerves frayed. She had no more excuses. "Fine... I feel a bit better now. I'll take it later."
Morse's smile widened. "Don't worry, I have plenty more. You can consume them as you wish."
Realizing there was no way out, Ni Ni Layan swallowed the pill. It dissolved instantly in her mouth, but she immediately shattered the spiritual energy heading toward her womb, neutralizing it.
"Right... why did your mother have such a massive supply of period pain pills?" she asked. Morse thought about lying, but then he decided to tell her the truth.
"In fact, my mother kept a large reserve of medicines. Medicines that lost most of their spiritual potency over time were usually discarded, but my mother knew they still held some use. So, she would collect them and give them to anyone in need."
Wait... but this pill was at full potency, Ni Ni Layan thought. "Truly? Was your mother such a great woman?"
Morse's expression darkened as he looked at her, letting out a long sigh. "My mother always said... that right remains right and wrong remains wrong. Even if the entire world agrees on evil, the truth of goodness will never change. Goodness is the true measure of strength. He who possesses power but always chooses to do what is right—he is the truly strong one."
She stared at him. He was delivering a lecture on morality while an assassin was lurking in the shadows. How blissful is the ignorance of the unaware, she thought.
"When my mother was a teenager, she was exceptionally sharp... she was granted the chance to join the best sect in the Southern Region. Yet, she chose to stay with my father. What 'brilliant wisdom' that was..."
Damn it, Morse, don't lower your guard and start opening your heart to me now! she screamed internally, though she kept a forced smile. Recalling his father's behavior, she echoed, "What brilliant wisdom, indeed."
"You don't understand, Ni Ni... despite everything, she helped that lecherous man become the head of the family, only for him to marry dozens of concubines. What 'brilliant wisdom'..." Morse's voice dripped with bitter irony. Ni Ni Layan's despair deepened. "What brilliant wisdom..."
At that moment, the assassin realized that Morse truly had no idea he was there. He prepared to strike. But then, Morse's emotions finally broke through.
"But she died... she died! Why must everything good in this world perish while everything vile thrives?"
A surge of furious Yang energy began to radiate from him, his eyes glowing with a faint red light. He was truly enraged. "Her only sin was bringing me into this world. Had I not been here, she would have surely left. But she stayed. Now, I am nameless and exiled, and she... she is dead, surely restless. And what about them? They sleep with women as if it were their last day on earth!"
Ni Ni Layan tried to signal him to calm down, but she couldn't. His Yang energy was so intense it was beginning to arouse her—how could he release such a concentrated amount while his "brother" was dormant?
"Do you know how she died? She went out looking for me in the forest, unguarded. She was attacked by a beast that killed her, leaving nothing behind but a hand... a single hand. They lied, Ni Ni. It was them who killed her."
The assassin watched this scene, trembling under a hidden pressure that felt like it was crushing him. "My mother... the noble Lady Myung Lee, died... and only five people attended her funeral."
Upon hearing that name, the assassin froze. He remembered a mission he had once received to kill a lady by that very name—a mission he had refused because she was the purest person he had ever heard of. Later, he had heard of her accidental death.
Xing Xi realized then that what he was doing was wrong. This was not the way to save his granddaughter. These people were demons; they had no honor.
Suddenly, the assassin stepped out from his concealment, standing right behind Morse, who sat with his head in his hands, weeping. Ni Ni Layan tried to stand, but she was so overwhelmed by the Yang energy that she couldn't find her footing.
The assassin approached Morse, sighing as he spoke.
"Boy... you do not deserve to die. Every single person in your family is the one who deserves death."