The middle-aged man sitting in the car turned pale with fright, tumbling out of the vehicle in a panic. As soon as he got out, he saw a pair of feet in front of him. Looking up along those feet, he met the smiling face of the assassin known as Midnight. In Midnight's gloved hands, a delicate dagger spun lightly as his eyes locked on the man.
The middle-aged man dropped to his knees, kowtowing frantically as tears streamed down his face. "Please, please don't kill me! I can give you all my money—everything! I'm begging you!" As he spoke, a warm stream trickled down his pants, quickly soaking a large patch of the ground beneath him. Suddenly, he felt a chill in his chest—a dagger had been driven in to the hilt. He collapsed instantly, dead where he knelt.
Calmly, Midnight retrieved a can of gasoline from the back of the car and poured it over the three corpses, dousing the vehicle as well. Moments later, flames engulfed everything, and he vanished into the night.
"Miss Ma, the job is done. Transfer the remaining payment to my account tomorrow," came a smooth, magnetic female voice over the phone.
"Really? My husband is… really dead?" The voice on the other end trembled with suspicion.
The young woman making the call sounded annoyed. "If I say he's dead, he's dead. Check the newspaper tomorrow if you don't believe me. I don't care whether the target was your husband or not—my job is to report the facts."
"…Fine. I understand." The call ended abruptly.
The employer was indeed the wife of the middle-aged man, Miss Ma. She was still young and had married him purely for his wealth and social standing. Her husband was lecherous, often away all night, and stingy to the bone. After a year of lonely nights, she quickly found herself a lover. Together, the pair devised a plan to get rid of her husband. But afraid of leaving clues that the police could trace, they instead had her lover reach out through various channels to contact a killer organization. A huge sum was offered to lure in the best, and in the end, the job landed in the hands of Midnight through his agent. The task was completed precisely within the agreed time frame.
"Midnight, are you okay?" his female agent asked gently over the phone.
"I'm fine. But don't take such boring jobs for me again," Midnight said coldly.
"The pay was high, so I…" The agent sounded a little aggrieved.
"Enough. You know I'm not in this for the money—I want challenge. Don't make me start disliking you," he warned, his tone suddenly sharp.
"…I understand. Can I see you?" she asked pleadingly.
"You know the rules. Assassins and agents should meet as little as possible to avoid suspicion. I'm planning to take a trip to Australia for a couple of days. Arrange it for me," Midnight replied impatiently.
"I got it," she said, sounding disappointed.
"Wait—come with me," Midnight's voice softened.
"Alright, I'll take care of it right away," she answered happily.
Midnight hung up, shaking his head. Alone on the rooftop, he sipped his drink and toyed with the delicate dagger in his hand, occasionally sending it flying into a nearby target—each throw landing dead center.
Shi Aotian once again began his solitary wandering, running south aimlessly.
After catching up with her boyfriend, Bai Xue found that no matter how much she tried to explain, it was useless. Heartbroken, she returned home, only to find that Shi Aotian had vanished without a trace, which made her even more distressed.
A few days later, Yang Zihua, captain of the criminal investigation unit at the public security bureau, followed leads and tracked down Sunshine Hospital. He questioned every staff member there. Bai Xue's nervous demeanor caught the police's attention, and after a thorough interrogation, they finally uncovered new information.
Bai Xue was detained and questioned at the public security bureau for twenty-four hours. She recounted what had happened that night, merely explaining that she had fainted and, upon waking, found herself beside a garbage pile on the street. As for Shi Aotian's appearance, she didn't mention a single word. After investigation, the police confirmed that her account was true and did not make things difficult for her.
For a time, the incident became the talk of the hospital. Unable to withstand the mounting pressure, Bai Xue resigned. She left the city in sorrow, burdened by the loss of both her job and her boyfriend. The case was ultimately classified as a cold case and remained unsolved—until Yang Zihua, during an unrelated business trip, stumbled upon a new lead. But that is a story for later.
By some strange twist of fate, Shi Aotian kept running for three days straight, eventually arriving in Z City, G Province.
Three years earlier, after returning from Shennongjia, Dongfang Qing and her companions had graduated from a university in this very city. By now, all of them had moved on to their respective careers.
After graduation, Dongfang Qing had been admitted to a graduate program, so she applied to stay on at the university, serving as a homeroom teacher while pursuing her studies. Now in her third year of graduate school, she was nearing graduation.
Xu Feng had always been deeply in love with Dongfang Qing. Since he failed to gain admission to graduate school, he applied to remain at the university as an archivist in the records office. For the past three years, he had pursued her tirelessly but without success—though he never gave up.
At twenty-five, Dongfang Qing was still single. Compared to three years ago, she was even more beautiful, now with the allure of a mature woman—graceful and shapely (though not overweight), exuding a sensual charm. Apart from Xu Feng, many teachers and students also courted her. Sometimes Xu Feng would grit his teeth in frustration, but he took comfort in the fact that Dongfang Qing politely and smilingly rejected all suitors.
However, those suitors didn't give up. On the contrary, their numbers kept growing, forming a kind of feverish "pursuit craze." Some of the rejected admirers even gave her the nickname "Iceberg Beauty" and stirred things up by claiming that anyone who managed to win her heart would be rewarded with 10,000 yuan. As more and more people failed, the prize pool grew into an informal betting fund. When it reached 100,000 yuan, even men who already had girlfriends were tempted to try their luck.
Faced with this situation, Dongfang Qing barely dared to leave her home. Whenever she did, a veritable platoon of men would be waiting to present her with flowers—some out of genuine affection, some for the money, and others simply for the novelty of it. Among them, students made up the largest group.
To escape these bothersome pursuers, she secretly rented an apartment off campus and often scaled the wall to leave, going to her own place where she could study in peace and enjoy some quiet.
On campus, Dongfang Qing—already something of a celebrity—was constantly feeling worn out and secretly wished she could graduate early to leave this troublesome place behind.
After graduation, Li Na, true to her outgoing personality, became a tour guide, happily leading groups on trips every day. Her boyfriend was working hard to earn money so they could buy a house.
Since their trip to Shennongjia, Fang Ya and Yun Hai had developed sparks between them and become an inseparable couple. Yun Hai took Fang Ya back to his hometown to settle down and help his father manage the family business. Rumor had it that next month, he would be marrying Fang Ya, and he had even informed his old classmates to join the wedding celebration.
Li Jingjing, with her quiet temperament, became a middle school teacher, living a calm and steady life. Yao Qian worked as a secretary to the manager in a large company.
Zhang Yuanming was still single because he had always secretly loved Li Na.
Jiang Zhongming worked at a software development company and was doing reasonably well. Jin Zhong was still as overweight as ever, and with his wealthy background, he had gone abroad for further studies. Zhou Jun, after a breakup, never entered another relationship; instead, he poured himself into writing novels and became an online author, scraping by on modest royalties.
No one had expected such dramatic changes in just three years. Shi Kai had changed as well—oh, correction—before avenging himself, he would never again be called Shi Kai.
Shi Kai—who had been the wild "mountain man" in the deep forests that first stirred Dongfang Qing's emotions—was now twenty-two years old and had taken the alias Shi Aotian. He had left the primitive forests of Shennongjia, something Dongfang Qing never imagined would happen, let alone that she would meet him again. The emotions she had sealed away for three years now surged back like a blazing fire.
That night, the moon was full and bright. Dongfang Qing studied for a while, then, feeling tired, stepped outside for a walk. Under the soft glow of the moonlight, she felt a deep sense of comfort.
At a certain hotel, dozens of people were leaving, shaking hands before splitting into two groups and heading off in different directions.
"Alright, you can make your move now. Remember—kill them all, and take whatever goods they're carrying," one man said into his phone as he watched one group walk away.
"Got it. At midnight, send someone to the location to get what you want," came the cold voice on the other end before hanging up.
These were two groups engaged in a drug deal at the hotel. One group planned to double-cross the other, putting out a Blacklist contract worth four million to wipe them out. The ones who took the job were killers on par with the infamous "Midnight"—a gang led by a ruthless broker.
"Boss, how much do you think we can sell this stuff for?" a young man in a black T-shirt asked eagerly.
"Enough talking. We'll discuss it back at the base," the boss replied, opening the car door.
Once everyone was inside, four vehicles drove off and stopped in front of a villa. Sixteen people got out and went inside.
"Boss, this deal went real smooth," the man in the black T-shirt said, opening a case and grinning at the sight of the drugs.
"I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about this… Can't put my finger on it," the so-called boss muttered, lighting a cigarette.
"Boss, you're overthinking it. We made it back, didn't we? This is our turf—who'd dare come and take it from us?" one of the men said cheerfully.
The boss took a wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to the man in black.
"The brothers have worked hard. Split this money among them. Tomorrow, process these drugs for me and sell them off in batches. I estimate we can make over ten million."
When the group heard "ten million," their eyes lit up.
"I still feel something's not right. Tonight, stay downstairs and keep watch. I don't want any accidents," the boss said worriedly.
They acknowledged the order and withdrew, spending the night downstairs playing cards.
The boss had just fallen asleep when a wave of hot air woke him. He sat up abruptly, thinking, Why is it so hot? Huh? Why is the air conditioner blowing hot air? I clearly set it to cold.
He quickly got up to check the air conditioner and reset it to cooling mode. Still puzzled—The AC isn't broken… what's going on?—he opened the door and shouted downstairs, "Has anyone been in here?"
No one answered. The boss sensed something was wrong and hurried back, reaching under his pillow to find—his heart sank—the gun is gone!
"Looking for this?"
A masked figure, his face hidden above the mouth, spoke slowly from behind him.
The boss turned and saw the man holding his missing gun. He gasped.
"Who are you? Why do you have my gun? You—" He couldn't finish.
Because the masked man casually squeezed the pistol in his hand until it was nothing but a twisted lump of scrap metal.
"Don't bother shouting. Your men have already been…" The killer paused, making a tight fist. The sound of knuckles cracking filled the air.
Cold sweat streamed down the boss's face. The air conditioner could have been an icebox and it wouldn't have helped—fear had taken over.
"You're… an assassin?" he stammered.
"Yes," the killer replied coldly. "Unfortunately for you, you must die before ten o'clock tonight." He stepped toward the boss.
The boss's face turned ashen. Without his pistol—his "umbrella"—he could only back away, retreating until he reached the window. Forgetting it was the second floor of the villa, he climbed up and jumped, knowing it was his only chance at survival.
The assassin wasn't the least bit anxious. A faint smile curled on his lips as he, too, leapt down—landing steadily on the ground.
The boss landed in a pathetic heap. Waves of bone-deep pain from a fractured foot shot through him. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead—not from pain alone, but from pure fear, fear so great it overflowed.
The assassin, smiling, pulled on black gloves and advanced step by step. The boss could only painfully drag himself away.
"Keep going. Come on, it's not ten yet—I can let you crawl a bit longer," the killer said icily.
The boss cried for help while dragging himself forward. The assassin simply reached out and squeezed his neck, cutting off his voice—but not his life. He could still crawl. Panic surged in the boss's heart, and he clawed forward with all his strength.
"Yes, that's it. Faster. You have three minutes left—make the most of it," the killer's voice rang out again.
Hearing this, the boss's will broke. He stopped moving and gave a bitter smile.
"Only three minutes left… I never thought that after all my wicked deeds, I'd die like this. Tell me—who hired you?"
"You don't need to know. But I can tell you my name—it's Hengxing," the assassin replied coldly, standing before the boss. "Time's up."
With that, Hengxing twisted the man's head sharply. The sound of snapping vertebrae cracked through the air. The boss's eyes bulged wide as life left his body.
Hengxing raised his fist and smashed down. The boss's head flew off instantly, blood gushing from the neck as it landed dozens of meters away.
Nearby, Dongfang Qing was out for a walk. Passing by, he saw something round flying through the darkness. With a thump, it landed on the ground.
Strange, Dongfang Qing thought. Who's playing soccer so late? And kicking it all the way onto the road?
Curious, she walked over to take a closer look. When she got near and saw clearly, she instantly burst into tears and screamed, a piercing "Ah!" splitting the night air.
The scream alerted two of the most dangerous people nearby—one was Hengxing, not far away, and the other was Shi Aotian, whose hearing could pick up any sound within a two-kilometer radius.
Dongfang Qing looked at the severed head on the ground, her fear beyond words. Trembling, she quickly pulled out her phone and began to dial.
With a sharp smack, the phone was knocked from her hand. An icy voice said, "Miss, you're very unlucky—and far too fond of meddling in things you shouldn't." Hengxing had rushed over the moment he heard the scream and, seeing her about to call the police, knocked her phone away.
Reacting instantly, Dongfang Qing saw a man in a black trench coat and a mask appear right in front of her. She stumbled backward, forgetting entirely about the phone on the ground.
Hengxing walked over to the head, grabbed it by the hair, and lifted it to take a look. "Miss, you've seen something you shouldn't have. So tonight… you must die." Each word from Hengxing's mouth was spoken with chilling calm.
Dongfang Qing stared in terror at the man holding a severed head and speaking so casually. Her fear surged; she turned and bolted toward the busier part of the city.
But after only a few steps, Hengxing appeared in front of her. She changed direction—same result. No matter which way she ran, whenever she turned around, she saw Hengxing blocking her path.
"Game over. I don't have time to play with you," Hengxing said, flexing his fist before rushing toward her. Dongfang Qing was so frightened she collapsed to the ground, cold sweat pouring down her face, her mind screaming: It's over. I'm done for. Why did I have to see this?
Just as Hengxing's fist was about to smash into her forehead, the target suddenly vanished. Hengxing froze in alertness, scanning his surroundings. Three meters away stood a tall man, holding his intended victim in his arms.
That man was Shi Aotian. The moment he heard the scream, he had rushed over. Seeing a woman's life in danger, he had no choice but to use his body-shifting technique to snatch her away and retreat.
"Who are you?" Hengxing demanded, realizing that anyone who could disappear in front of him was no ordinary person.
"Who are you?" Shi Aotian shot back coldly.
Still shaken from the ordeal, Dongfang Qing realized she was still alive and immediately burst into tears. "He's the bad guy!" she cried.
Shi Aotian, not recognizing her, tossed her to the ground. The freshly rescued Dongfang Qing yelped in pain as she landed.
"I advise you to stay out of this," Hengxing warned, unsure of his opponent's capabilities and unwilling to act rashly.
Shi Aotian strode forward coldly. "You're a bad person… and bad people must die." His master's words kept echoing in his mind.