Evening.
Inside a convenience store in Jianghai City.
"Hey, Yulan,"
the middle-aged shop owner asked curiously as she watched Wang Yulan restocking the shelves.
"Did something good happen today?"
Wang Yulan had been working here for half a year now.
The owner liked her—kind, diligent, never complained.
Over time, she'd also learned about Wang Yulan's family situation.
Even though the girl always tried to look optimistic, the exhaustion and sorrow in her eyes would slip out unconsciously.
But today…
Something was different.
The heaviness was gone.
In its place—
hope.
When Wang Yulan heard the question, she smiled while arranging the goods.
"Hehe, you noticed?"
"Yes," she said softly. "A lot happened today."
She turned around, and for the first time in a long while, a genuine smile appeared on her face.
"I see."
The shop owner didn't pry. She was simply happy that this poor girl finally had something to smile about.
"Then how about this," she said kindly.
"You can get off work early today."
She sat back in her chair, her tone gentle.
"Go see your mother earlier."
"My own daughter is about your age," she added quietly.
"But she's been away for work and hasn't come home in ages."
"When I see you, it feels like I'm looking at my own child."
Wang Yulan froze for a moment.
Warmth surged in her chest.
"Thank you, Manager!" she said sincerely.
---
Outside the convenience store—
Inside a van parked across the street, several men were silently watching through the tinted windows.
Ding dong—
"Goodbye, Manager!"
Wang Yulan waved cheerfully and stepped out.
Then, humming lightly, she headed toward the hospital.
"Hehe…"
The men inside the van exchanged glances.
In unison, they pulled cloth masks over the lower halves of their faces.
Vroom.
The van started up quietly and followed behind her.
Unnoticed.
---
Time passed.
The sky darkened.
Wang Yulan walked along the familiar path she'd taken countless times before.
"To think… not only did Mom's student come to visit her today…"
"And someone even paid off all our medical bills…"
Her steps were light, her mood relaxed.
When her mother woke up, she had to find that benefactor and repay them—no matter what.
"…Huh?"
Suddenly, Wang Yulan slowed down.
This path ran through a small park leading to Jianghai Hospital.
Normally, there were plenty of pedestrians at night.
But today—
It was eerily quiet.
Too quiet.
"…I'm overthinking it."
She shook her head, tightened her coat, and quickened her pace.
Then—
Crunch.
Several figures stepped out from behind a large tree.
Under the dim streetlights, Wang Yulan saw black cloth covering the lower halves of their faces.
Masked… men?
Her expression changed.
Unease crept into her heart.
Still, she forced herself not to panic.
This was a society ruled by law.
She hadn't offended anyone.
Maybe… they weren't here for her.
With that thought, she stopped and turned to leave—
Only to freeze.
There were masked men behind her, too.
Her face drained of color.
…They were here for her.
She tried to steady her breathing and asked cautiously,
"You… who are you?"
"What do you want?"
The man in front let out a cold laugh.
"What do we want?"
"That guy who was with you that day broke my brothers' ribs!"
"They're still lying in the ICU!"
"What do you think we want?!"
As he spoke, he pulled a fruit knife from his waist.
The blade glinted under the streetlight.
Wang Yulan's heart plunged.
She immediately remembered—
That day.
The gang harassment.
Xiao Lin stepping in to help.
She never imagined they'd come back so fast.
Only two days later.
Especially not with a knife.
"T-that day, it was your people who harassed me first!" she said tremblingly.
"Xiao Lin was just doing the right thing—"
"Shut up!" the man roared.
"I don't care!"
Fear swallowed her words.
"You… you're not afraid of the police?" she forced out.
"Do you know what kind of punishment you'll face for this?!"
The man sneered.
"This park is full of trees."
"Even if we kill you and dump the body, no one will ever find it."
"Get her."
That was it.
Wang Yulan didn't know where the courage came from—
She turned and ran straight into the woods.
No.
I can't die.
Her face was deathly pale as she fled.
She knew it—
They had masks. They chose the night.
They were serious.
And before killing her…
She didn't even want to imagine what they might do.
"Why… why is this happening…"
Her throat burned, a metallic taste rising as she ran.
Years of exhaustion and malnutrition had already pushed her body to the limit.
She was nearly collapsing.
But she kept running.
As long as she hid—
As long as she found somewhere concealed—
She could call the police.
She'd be safe.
Yes.
She'd be safe.
---
At the park entrance—
Staff members were apologizing to passersby.
"Sorry, sorry, the park is temporarily closed tonight for equipment replacement."
"It'll reopen tomorrow. Please understand."
"Also, please don't go near the area. Power needs to be shut down, and nearby signal stations are temporarily offline."
People were puzzled but understanding.
Then someone pointed curiously.
"Hey—why can that person go in?"
The staff glanced over and laughed awkwardly.
"Oh… him?"
"He's the park's builder."
As if.
That was the eldest son of the Gu family.
This park was built with his money.
It was technically Gu family property—just opened to the public.
And tonight's closure?
Requested personally by the Gu family's young master.
Who would dare say anything?
---
Behind a tree deep in the woods—
Wang Yulan crouched, gasping.
She peeked out.
No one.
"…Did I lose them?"
She exhaled shakily and pulled out her phone.
"I need to call the police…"
[No signal in your area]
Buzz.
Her mind went blank.
Emergency numbers could be dialed even without service.
If it didn't work—
There were no signal towers nearby.
She was completely isolated.
"H-how… how could this…"
Her voice shook with terror.
Then—
BANG!
A knife slammed into the tree beside her face.
"I found you."
Her blood ran cold.
Her phone was useless.
And the people trying to kill her—
Had found her.
"Aaaaah!!!"
She screamed.
She tried to run—
But a hand grabbed her arm.
"Trying to escape?"
"Let go! Let go of me!"
"Don't kill me!"
Tears streamed down her face.
My mother is still in the hospital.
I can't die.
I can't die now!
She struggled desperately.
But more masked men closed in.
They forced her down.
"Running fast won't save you."
The leader pulled the knife from the tree and pressed its tip against her face.
Looking at the blade inches from her eyes, despair consumed her.
"Please… don't kill me…"
"Be smarter in your next life," the man mocked.
"Don't provoke people you shouldn't."
He raised the knife.
"AH—!"
Wang Yulan squeezed her eyes shut.
Is this it?
Am I really going to die like this?
What about my mother?
I haven't done anything wrong…
Why… why now, when life was finally getting better…
Then—
A cold, furious voice cut through the darkness.
"Let her go."
Chaos erupted.
Curses. Struggles.
Less than a minute later—
"You'll regret this!"
The masked men fled.
Silence.
Wang Yulan trembled.
…Was she alive?
She felt no pain.
"…Sister Yulan?"
A familiar, worried voice reached her ears.
She opened her eyes.
Gu Yan was crouching in front of her, concern written all over his face.
"Gu… Gu Yan?"
"Why are you here?"
"It's me," he said softly.
"I heard a scream while passing by after visiting Teacher Wang."
"Did you… drive them away?"
"Yes. I've practiced a bit."
"I can handle a few lowlifes."
Her legs finally gave out.
Tears flooded her eyes as she threw herself into his arms.
"I was so scared…"
"So scared…"
"Things were finally getting better…"
"It's okay," Gu Yan said gently, holding her.
"It's okay."
Then, as if suddenly remembering—
He asked calmly,
"Who were they? Why did they target you?"
After hearing her story, Gu Yan's face darkened.
"This is outrageous."
"Sister Yulan, don't worry. I'll call the police."
"We'll catch them."
She nodded weakly.
"Thank you, Gu Yan."
---
Later—
After visiting her mother again, Gu Yan offered to take Wang Yulan home.
Still shaken, she agreed.
Sitting in the back seat of the luxury car, she felt awkward.
She'd never ridden in such an expensive car before.
An unfamiliar sense of inferiority crept in.
Gu Yan noticed and smiled gently.
"Don't be nervous."
"You're Teacher Wang's daughter. You're my sister."
"If you ever need help, come to me."
"Get some rest. I'll wake you when we arrive."
Her tension eased.
"…Okay."
Exhaustion overtook her, and she soon fell asleep.
Gu Yan glanced at her closed eyes.
The worry on his face faded.
A dangerous curve appeared at the corner of his lips.
Haha.
The plan… is going perfectly.
Chapter 33: The First Bargain
Gu Yan showed no panic. He merely glanced at the dagger pressed against his neck from the corner of his eye.
The dagger was pitch-black, its surface etched with a strange plum blossom pattern.
In the original novel, the weapons used by members of the Night organization were all black daggers—and the patterns engraved on them were their codenames.
Realizing this, Gu Yan calmly tilted his head slightly and said leisurely,
"Is there something wrong, Miss?"
"I don't seem to remember provoking you~"
At his words—
Mei Xue stared coldly at the man before her, someone who could be killed with a single flick of her wrist.
There was no trace of cultivation aura on him. He was clearly just an ordinary person.
And yet…
Why was he so calm?
An act?
She sneered inwardly. She had seen countless people pretend to be calm before death.
When the dagger pierced their flesh, every one of them broke down, crying and begging.
Useless.
What does Master see in a man like this?
In Mei Xue's mind, Gu Yan was already categorized as another corpse.
She applied a little pressure, letting him clearly feel the cold sting at his neck.
"Stop talking nonsense," she said icily.
"I just don't like you. So I came to kill you."
"You can only blame your bad luck."
A sharp pain spread across Gu Yan's skin—but his expression didn't change.
Instead, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
"Ah… is that so?" he said regretfully.
"I thought Miss Mei Xue came to ask about her brother's whereabouts~~~"
The instant those words fell—
Buzz!
Mei Xue's mind exploded.
Swish!
The dagger dissolved into black smoke and vanished.
"You—what did you say?!"
"You know where my brother is?!"
She grabbed Gu Yan by the collar and yanked him close, forcing him face to face with her.
Now Gu Yan could clearly see her—the right-hand woman of Leng Qingqiu in the original story.
Just as described.
A crimson robe, elegant and sharp. Long hair like a waterfall falling to her waist. Snow-pale skin, a slender figure.
And eyes—
Pitch-black, bottomless.
For the first time, panic and excitement flickered across her beautiful face.
In the original novel, before becoming Mei Xue of Night, she had a younger brother—her only remaining family.
When Leng Qingqiu summoned her, she had already been searching for him.
She never found him.
And fate was cruel.
Gu Yan, having read the original novel, naturally knew where her brother was.
Seeing her shaken expression, he didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled faintly.
"Miss Mei Xue is truly beautiful," he said softly.
"Your brother often talks about you…"
He sighed lightly.
"You disappeared for so long… and even took on a name like Mei Xue."
Hope ignited instantly in Mei Xue's heart.
---
She and her brother had once lived together—poor, but happy.
Then one day, a mysterious figure appeared, claiming she had outstanding talent, dragging her into the ancient martial world.
She was brainwashed again and again.
Taught that she could only serve the Night King.
Years passed.
Only one thing never changed—
Her brother.
She swore that once she found him, she would ensure he lived a peaceful life—marriage, children, stability.
Then, and only then, would she devote herself fully to the Night King.
So now, her voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Tell me," she demanded,
"Where is my brother?!"
The thought of killing Gu Yan vanished completely from her mind.
Watching her, Gu Yan smiled calmly—
But inside, his heart was cold.
In the original story, Mei Xue was an unstable variable.
The brother she searched for… was part of the protagonist's group.
And the protagonists' mouth-cannon was terrifying.
She was swayed. Torn between blood ties and loyalty.
She betrayed Leng Qingqiu.
All of Qingqiu's intelligence was leaked.
Only after Leng Qingqiu personally ordered her brother's death did Mei Xue collapse completely, becoming a hollow killing tool—
And in the end, she was still killed by the protagonists.
A tragic pawn.
Gu Yan shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Miss Mei," he said calmly.
"I can't tell you anything about your brother right now."
"…?!"
"Believe it or not, I'll kill you!" Mei Xue snarled, grabbing his throat.
Gu Yan frowned slightly—but showed no fear.
"Your brother is still of school age," he said evenly.
"And your hands… are soaked in blood."
"Do you really think it's appropriate for you to appear before him now?"
"Would he recognize a sister like that?"
"Miss Mei… not now."
Her heart jolted.
She looked at her own hand gripping his neck.
Then at his sincere expression.
Slowly, she loosened her grip.
Her heartbeat thundered in her chest.
He's right…
She had become a murderer.
If she appeared before her brother like this, she would only terrify him.
Silence stretched.
Finally, Mei Xue lifted her head and stared at Gu Yan.
"How do you know me?"
"I've never appeared before you."
Gu Yan smiled faintly and touched his neck.
"Does it matter how I know you?"
"I know far more than you think."
He was fearless because he held what she wanted most.
Her brother.
And because of that, she would never dare expose him to Leng Qingqiu.
Mei Xue stared at him intensely.
An ordinary man.
Yet impossibly dangerous.
Master would never reveal our information… so how does he know?
Her fingers twitched.
Killing him here would eliminate future trouble—
"Oh?" Gu Yan suddenly spoke, exaggerating slightly.
"You're thinking… this man is dangerous, why not kill him now?"
Her fists clenched.
Then he leaned closer and whispered with a chuckle:
"But don't."
"Because…"
"You want to know where your brother is."
"…Damn it."
Her teeth clenched hard.
This man was terrifying.
Finally, she asked in a low voice,
"When will you tell me?"
Gu Yan shook his head.
"Let me think."
Then he smiled and raised five fingers.
"How about this—do five things for me."
"I'll tell you where your brother is."
"Don't worry. I won't ask you to harm the organization behind you."
Mei Xue fell silent.
Five things…
Did he want to use her strength?
She suddenly recalled her master's order—to remove unfavorable factors in the Gu family.
Before she could investigate, Gu Yan had already found her.
After a moment, she nodded coldly.
"Fine. I hope you keep your word."
Gu Yan's eyes flashed with a faint chill.
On the surface, he smiled warmly.
"Of course."
Just like the original story…
Able to betray Qingqiu for her brother.
But this time—
I'll make Mei Xue loyal.