+12 Affection with Yanyu+1 Intelligence Point EarnedSkill Unlocked: Tactical Perception Lv.1"The more they lie… the clearer the truth becomes to you."
Li Tian didn't speak as he stepped over the shattered remains of the living room table, blood trailing from the corners of his shirt like ink on rice paper. The bodies were already cooling. Fox was dragging one by the collar, checking for tattoos—Jinlong's calling card.
"Third squad," Fox muttered. "Same as last time. Silent entry. No exit plan. They came to die."
Yanyu sat on the stairs, clutching the railing. Her face had long since lost its color, but her eyes—damn her eyes—still watched him like he was both her salvation and her curse.
He met her gaze briefly. Just long enough to see it: not fear. Not even hate. But something far worse.
Doubt.
Later that night…
Li Tian sat in the master bedroom alone, gun dismantled on the table in front of him. His fingers worked in perfect rhythm, eyes barely blinking as lines of system code hovered faintly in his vision.
[Skill Tree Update: Tactical Perception Branch Available.] ▸ Enemy Aura Recognition – Locked ▸ Weak Point Tracking – Locked ▸ Political Instinct – Locked ▸ Body Language Analyzer – Unlocked
"Analyzing recent targets... compiling." [Wu Gang - Suspicion Index: 87%] [Captain Zhan - Suspicion Index: 34%]
His brow twitched.
"Zhan, you bastard…"
Elsewhere in Hu City…
The office reeked of cigar smoke and secrets.
Wu Gang poured himself a drink, the ice clinking louder than it should in the tense silence.
"You failed again," came the low, cultured voice from across the room.
The man in the dark silk suit didn't rise. He simply swirled his wine and stared out the tinted windows overlooking the city.
"I didn't expect Li Tian to be... this evolved," Wu Gang said through clenched teeth. "He was supposed to be broken. A shell. That's what the reports said."
The man finally turned. Zhao Lang, the real boss of the Jinlong Group. Cold eyes, older than his age, and a scar that ran from his ear to his jaw like a surgical strike.
"You relied on reports. I rely on instincts. And my instinct says—" He stepped forward, voice turning deadly soft. "—he remembers."
Wu Gang stiffened.
Zhao Lang leaned close. "You understand what that means?"
Wu Gang nodded. "If he remembers the Southern Siege…"
"We're all dead."
Back at the Wu residence…
Li Tian was in the basement. It wasn't a gym anymore—not for him. Not with his system interface glowing against the darkened walls.
He was training. Not just physically.
He was remembering.
The Southern Siege.
He saw fire. Blood. Children screaming. His comrades falling. His own hands—burnt, bruised, breaking necks in the shadows. And a child… crying under a pile of rubble.
"System Reminder: Memory Suppression Seal at 32% Decay." "Full Memory Recovery Imminent in: 7 Days."
He clenched his fists.
Seven days… and he'd remember who had betrayed him during the Siege. And who had tried to kill him under the guise of a friendly command.
Upstairs…
Yanyu couldn't sleep. She kept hearing the click-click of metal in the floorboards below her.
She remembered the way he moved earlier. No hesitation. Like he'd done it all before. Like death was just a language he spoke fluently.
And yet... when he looked at her—truly looked—he seemed almost human again.
She walked down the stairs, barefoot, silent.
When she reached the basement door, she paused. Heard him muttering.
"...Zhao Lang... I will burn everything you've built."
Her heart dropped.
Zhao Lang?
She knew that name. Everyone did. The Silk Devil of Hu City. The man even generals bowed to.
What the hell has my husband gotten himself into?
The next morning…
Captain Zhan showed up at the gate.
Fox was already there, hand on his weapon.
Zhan smiled, easy. Too easy.
"Just here to check on the lady of the house," he said smoothly.
Li Tian stepped out behind Fox.
"You came alone?"
Zhan shrugged. "Should I have brought backup? You're just a civilian."
The tension cracked.
Li Tian stepped close, close enough for his voice to slice through Zhan's fake smile.
"I know who's backing Wu Gang," he said coldly. "And I know you're not just a 'concerned captain.' Next time you knock on my door uninvited—"
His eyes flicked to the security camera.
"—I'll put a bullet between yours before the doorbell finishes ringing."
Zhan's smile finally slipped. Just a fraction.
"Is that a threat, Li Tian?"
Li Tian's grin was sharp as a blade.
"No. That's a promise."
System Alert +1 Reputation in Underworld: "Ghost of the Southern Siege" New Title Unlocked: The Sleeper ShadowAchievement: Made a Devil Flinch