Ye Chen's old house lay deep within Bluestone Alley—a two-story red-brick building from the 1960s, its exterior walls choked with withered vines. The courtyard was cramped and overrun with weeds. The ancient locust tree still stood, but its leaves had long since fallen; its bare branches clawed at the night like ghostly hands.
Lu Chen vaulted the wall instead of using the front entrance—the door was locked, and likely had already been searched by the Association.
He circled to the backyard, where a rear kitchen window sat shattered and crudely boarded up. He pried away the planks and slipped inside.
A stench of mildew filled the kitchen. Foul water stagnated in the sink; unwashed dishes lay piled on the counter, already furred with mold. Since Ye Chen's death, no one had set foot here.
Lu Chen crossed into the living room.
The furnishings were sparse: a worn sofa, a wooden table, several chairs. On the wall hung black-and-white portraits of Ye Chen's parents, their smiles gentle and unguarded. A few textbooks and notebooks lay scattered on the table; the topmost volume lay open to the chapter titled Principles of Mechanics.
Time had congealed in this place.
Lu Chen spared it no sentiment. What mattered now was tending his wounds. He checked every room: the living room, kitchen, and bathroom downstairs; two bedrooms and a small study upstairs.
The study held a folding military cot and a modest bookshelf, most of the volumes devoted to mechanical engineering and basic martial theory. Cardboard boxes were stacked in the corner, filled with Ye Chen's old clothes and daily necessities.
This would do.
Lu Chen set down his pack and began treating his injuries.
He first cleaned, staunched, and dressed the wounds with a first-aid kit taken from an Association operative. His fractured ribs had been set, but needed immobilization; he tore a wooden slat from the cot and bound it tightly across his chest with bandages.
Then he swallowed a healing pill taken from Chen Tieshan's storage pouch. The quality was excellent—melting instantly upon contact, its warm medicinal essence seeping inward to mend his organs.
When finished, he sat cross-legged and began circulating the Basic Body-Refinement Art.
Energy coursed through his meridians, harmonizing with the pill's effects. His injuries improved at a pace visible to the naked eye—this was the martial cultivator's advantage: so long as one was not truly dead, recovery was always possible.
An hour later, he opened his eyes.
Internal damage had healed by roughly thirty percent; the fractures had begun knitting together. He still could not exert himself, but at least blood would no longer spill from his lips without warning.
[Injury Recovery Progress: 41%]
[Estimated Full Recovery Time: 48 hours (resting state)]
[Recommendation: Avoid high-intensity combat during this period to prevent permanent damage]
Lu Chen rose and went to the window, lifting the curtain slightly to peer outside.
The alley lay silent, washed in the dim amber glow of distant streetlamps. No suspicious figures appeared—but caution was still warranted.
He returned to the cot and began tallying his gains.
Five fragments of the Demon-Suppressing Stele, one Demon-Slaying Blade, a bronze seal, a small pouch of Divine General bone powder—and items taken from the Association operatives: three energy pistols, twelve energy magazines, two encrypted communicators, some cash, and identification documents.
And most importantly—the pills inside Chen Tieshan's storage pouch.
He inspected them one by one.
[Foundation-Stabilizing Pill]×3: Consolidates cultivation base and accelerates energy accumulation. Suitable for level 20–30.
[Bone-Tempering Pill]×2: Strengthens skeletal structure and enhances impact resistance. Side effect: severe bone pain for six hours after ingestion.
[Rejuvenation Powder]×1: Rapidly heals internal and external injuries; three times more effective than gene-repair agents.
[Antidote Pill]×1: Neutralizes most common toxins.
All excellent items.
Lu Chen picked up a bottle of Foundation-Stabilizing Pills and poured one into his palm. The pill was milky white, veined with cloud-like patterns, exuding a faint herbal fragrance.
He swallowed it and resumed cultivation.
The medicinal force dissolved, accelerating the condensation of energy within his dantian. What had grown scattered due to injury now reconverged—denser, purer than before.
Two hours later, he opened his eyes again.
His strength had recovered to the peak of level 24, on the verge of breaking through to level 25. His foundation was firmer, and his control over energy markedly sharper.
[Foundation-Stabilizing Pill Consumed]
[Martial Foundation Further Consolidated]
[Current Strength: Level 24 (Peak)]
[Energy Required to Break Through to Level 25: 87%]
Soon.
He glanced at the time—four in the morning.
Lu Chen lay back on the cot, intending to rest briefly. The moment his eyes closed, a system notification chimed:
[Detected: Host is at the "Death Site of a Chosen One"][
[Environmental Analysis: Residual Fate Energy detected; harvestable]
[Initiate Fate Harvest?]
Fate harvest?
[System, explain in detail.]
[After a Chosen One's death, portions of their fate may linger at places they frequented—especially locations tied to strong obsessions at the moment of death. The Host may use the system function "Fate Reaping" to absorb this residual fate, converting it into personal Fate Value or system points.]
So such a function existed.
"Proceed."
[Initiating Fate Harvest…]
[Scanning environment…]
[Three residual fate nodes detected:]
[1. Beneath the old locust tree (site where Ye Chen obtained the ancient ring)]
[2. Study desk (where Ye Chen wrote his final diary entry)]
[3. In front of his parents' portraits (where Ye Chen prayed nightly)]
[Please make contact sequentially to complete the harvest]
Lu Chen rose and went first to the study desk.
The open notebook was the very one Ye Chen had last written in. He reached out and touched it.
[Fate Node Contacted (2/3)]
[Absorbing…]
[Obtained: Fragment of Ye Chen's "Unyielding Will" (Purified)]
[Effect: Slightly enhances mental resistance and fortitude under adversity]
[Absorb?]
"Absorb."
A cool sensation flowed into his mind, like a mouthful of iced water on a summer day. His thoughts sharpened; the irritation born of injury and exhaustion eased.
Next, he went downstairs and stood before Ye Chen's parents' portraits.
In the photographs, the couple smiled gently. Yet Lu Chen could sense an emotion congealed upon the frames—the longing and guilt Ye Chen had poured into his nightly rituals.
He reached out and lightly touched the frame.
[Fate Node Contacted (3/3)]
[Absorbing…]
[Obtained: Fragment of Ye Chen's "Familial Obsession" (Converted)]
[Effect: Can be consumed to temporarily simulate another person's aura (limited to blood relatives or deep emotional bonds), duration: 10 minutes]
[Convert to points?]
Aura simulation?
This was useful.
"Retain."
Finally, he stepped into the courtyard, beneath the old locust tree.
A shallow pit marred the ground—the remnant of Huangmao's men digging for the iron box, still unfilled.
Lu Chen crouched and pressed his palm into the soil at its edge.
[Fate Node Contacted (1/3)]
[Absorbing…]
[Obtained: Fragment of Ye Chen's "Initial Opportunity"][
[Effect: Contains faint traces of a "Fated Trajectory." Upon use, initiates a one-time "Opportunity Guidance," randomly marking the location of an undiscovered valuable item within a five-kilometer radius]
[Use now?]
"Use."
[Opportunity Guidance activated…]
[Scanning five-kilometer radius…]
[Three valuable items detected:]
[1. Bluestone Alley No. 137 courtyard (current location): five meters beneath the locust tree roots lies an iron box (Ye Chen's grandfather's relic, unopened)]
[2. Jiangcheng University Library, underground level three—sealed ancient text: Annotations on the Basic Body-Refinement Art (Mystic-tier, low-grade)]
[3. Southern Old Market, stall of "Old Zhang"—beneath the bed's hidden compartment lies a piece of Starfall Iron (Earth-tier, low-grade forging material)]
The first lay directly beneath his feet.
Lu Chen fetched a shovel and began digging.
Five meters was deep; it took him half an hour to reach the bottom. As expected, he struck an iron box—larger than the previous one, more heavily corroded, yet perfectly sealed.
He pried it open.
Inside lay three items.
A yellowed genealogy book titled Ye Clan Lineage.
A black jade pendant carved in the shape of a dragon, warm and smooth to the touch.
And a letter, its envelope inscribed: To my grandson Ye Chen—final words of your grandfather, Ye Qingshan.
Lu Chen opened it.
The paper had yellowed with age; the handwriting was vigorous and forceful:
"Chen'er, by the time you read this, your grandfather will already be gone. There were matters I intended to tell you in a few years, but the world is unpredictable—thus I leave them here in writing.
"Our Ye family was not always mundane. Three centuries ago, our ancestor Ye Lingyun was an outer disciple of the Demon-Suppressing Sect. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he left the sect and concealed his identity in Jiangcheng. This jade pendant is his relic, named the Dragon-Pattern Pendant, and serves as the key to a hidden chamber of the Demon-Suppressing Sect.
"After the sect's destruction, our ancestor returned to its ruins and retrieved an item, which he concealed somewhere in Jiangcheng. Its exact location can be sensed through the Dragon-Pattern Pendant—it will guide you to it. That object is the key to whether the Ye family may rise again.
"Remember: innocence invites no crime, but possession of treasure invites calamity. Until you reach level 40, never expose this pendant, nor seek that object lightly. Cultivate in peace; act only when your strength suffices.
"Your grandfather was powerless and failed to protect you. But remember this—the blood of the Ye family has never bowed to fate."
The letter ended there.
It was dated fifteen years ago.
Which meant Ye Chen's grandfather had died fifteen years prior, leaving behind the letter and pendant—yet Ye Chen had never discovered them, likely because his father died early and no one told him of what lay beneath the locust tree.
Lu Chen lifted the Dragon-Pattern Pendant.
It was warm to the touch, as though liquid flowed within. When he infused energy into it, the pendant glowed faintly, revealing a blurred map—Jiangcheng's layout, with a single red point blinking in the Yunling Mountains.
The same location resonated with the Demon-Suppressing Stele fragments.
So the item hidden by the Ye ancestor lay within that secret realm.
And it was almost certainly tied to the Demon-Suppressing Sect.
Lu Chen stowed the pendant and the letter. The genealogy was of little immediate use, but might serve a purpose someday.
[Key Item Acquired: Dragon-Pattern Pendant (Demon-Suppressing Sect Chamber Key)]
[Ye Family Secret Uncovered—Hidden Quest Triggered: Ye Family Relic]
[Objective: Travel to the Yunling Mountains secret realm and retrieve the item hidden by the Ye ancestor]
[Reward: Unknown (dependent on item value)]
[Accept quest?]
"Accept."
One more task could do no harm.
By the time he finished, dawn had begun to pale the sky.
Lu Chen returned indoors, preparing to rest. The moment he lay down, the sound of car engines drifted in from the alley.
More than one.
He rose at once and peered out through the curtain.
Two black SUVs were parked at the alley's mouth. Six people disembarked, all in civilian clothes, yet their movements betrayed unmistakable martial auras—Association operatives, or members of the Chen family.
They went door to door, knocking, clearly conducting a search.
Damn it—had they narrowed it down this quickly?
Lu Chen packed swiftly, slung on his bag, and gripped the Demon-Slaying Blade.
A direct confrontation was impossible. At his current state, he could muster at most seventy percent of his strength—barely enough to handle a single level 30 opponent. Six at once would mean certain death.
He needed an escape.
He glanced toward the backyard wall—two meters high, leading into another alley.
But the rear alley might already be covered.
As he hesitated, a knock sounded at the front door.
"Anyone home? Community safety inspection. Please open up."
The voice was polite, yet carried an unmistakable note of authority.
Lu Chen remained silent, slipping soundlessly to the back door and opening it a crack.
Two figures stood in the rear alley as well—one at each end.
Front and back were sealed.
What now?
A forced breakout? Or—
His thoughts snapped to the "Familial Obsession" fragment he had just acquired.
Aura simulation. Ten minutes.
Simulate whom?
Ye Chen was dead—useless.
His parents were also dead, and unknown to these people.
Then there was only—
Lu Chen drew a deep breath, retrieved Chen Tieshan's storage pouch, and grasped the fragment. In his mind, he focused: Simulate Chen Tieshan's aura.
['Familial Obsession' Fragment Consumed]
[Analyzing target…]
[Target: Chen Tieshan (Deceased)]
[Aura Simulation Initiated]
[Duration: 9 minutes 58 seconds]
A foreign energy surged forth, cloaking his body. His aura shifted—heavy, domineering, bearing the dense, iron-hard quality unique to Chen Tieshan's horizontal cultivation.
Even his perceived build seemed to swell—not in reality, but in the senses of others.
He strode to the front door, drew a steady breath, and yanked it open.
Two Association operatives stood outside. At the sight of him, they froze.
"E–Elder Chen?" one stammered, recognizing the aura. He bowed hastily. "Why are you here?"
"Investigating a case," Lu Chen rasped, perfectly mimicking Chen Tieshan's hoarse voice. "The Chen family is also searching for Lin Xiao. Your Association moves too slowly—Young Master Chen sent me personally."
"But… we've already searched this place…"
"Searched?" Lu Chen snorted. "Then why do I sense no residual aura from you? Did you search with your eyes—or with perception?"
The two exchanged glances, speechless.
"Out of the way. I'll check it myself."
He brushed past them, swaggered through the courtyard, made a show of inspecting the house, then emerged again.
"No one here," he declared. "Move on to the next."
"Yes, Elder Chen."
They withdrew.
Lu Chen watched their retreating backs, just beginning to exhale—when another voice rang out from the alley's mouth:
"Tieshan? What are you doing here?"
Lu Chen's heart clenched.
He turned.
A middle-aged man stood there, around fifty, dressed in a gray long robe. His features were refined, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's.
Chen Zhenghao.
Why was he here?!
Worse still—two others flanked him: an elderly man around level 40, and a middle-aged woman at level 35.
Three experts.
Lu Chen clenched his fists, face composed. "Young Master, I'm here to track down Lin Xiao."
Chen Zhenghao approached, scrutinizing him. "Your injuries have healed? Li Zhengguo's punch yesterday wasn't light."
"I used the family's secret medicine. I'm fine now."
"Good." Chen Zhenghao nodded, though a flicker of doubt crossed his gaze. "But… your aura seems unstable?"
He saw through it.
A simulation was still a simulation—it could never be flawless. Chen Zhenghao had known Chen Tieshan for decades.
"Residual internal injuries," Lu Chen replied evenly.
Chen Zhenghao studied him for several seconds, then smiled. "That makes sense. Carry on, then. I'll check elsewhere."
He turned to leave.
Lu Chen released a silent breath.
Then Chen Zhenghao stopped after three steps and said without turning around:
"By the way, Tieshan—do you remember the last thing I said to you yesterday at the docks?"
Lu Chen's heart stopped.
He had no idea.
What had Chen Zhenghao said to Chen Tieshan before his death?
"I…" Lu Chen began to improvise.
Too late.
Chen Zhenghao turned, eyes icy. "You're not Tieshan. Who are you?"
Before the words fully fell, the old man and the woman moved—left and right—sealing every path of retreat.
"Young Master?" the elder asked.
"Tieshan was injured by Li Zhengguo before he ever met me at the docks," Chen Zhenghao said coldly. "I never spoke a word to him. And—" his gaze sharpened "—Tieshan never called me 'Young Master.' He called me 'Zhenghao.'"
Exposed.
Lu Chen dropped the disguise; his aura snapped back to its true form.
"Lin Xiao?" Chen Zhenghao narrowed his eyes. "So it is you. A disguise technique? Or some kind of illusion? Interesting."
He stepped forward. "Hand over the Demon-Suppressing Stele fragments, and I'll grant you a clean death."
Lu Chen said nothing.
He calculated swiftly: Chen Zhenghao at level 45; the elder at level 40; the woman at level 35. He himself—level 24, grievously wounded.
Zero chance.
Escape?
All exits were sealed.
Then there was only one option—
Seize the leader first.
He moved.
Not fleeing—but charging straight at Chen Zhenghao.
His speed exploded to its limit. The Demon-Slaying Blade flashed from its sheath, a streak of light slashing for Chen Zhenghao's throat.
"Suicide!" the elder roared, striking at Lu Chen's back.
The woman attacked from the flank.
Lu Chen did not evade. Every ounce of power went into that single strike.
Trade injury for life.
Kill Chen Zhenghao, throw the Chen family into chaos, force the others to hesitate—only then would escape be possible.
But he had underestimated level 45.
Chen Zhenghao lifted his hand casually and caught the blade between two fingers.
Clang!
The blade shuddered, halted utterly.
"Fine blade," Chen Zhenghao remarked calmly. "A pity its wielder is too weak."
His fingers tightened.
Crack.
Fractures spiderwebbed across the blade.
Lu Chen's pupils constricted. He abandoned the weapon and leapt back.
Too late.
The elder's palm slammed squarely into his back.
Pfft—
Blood sprayed as Lu Chen flew like a severed kite, smashing through the courtyard wall and crashing into the neighboring yard.
His consciousness blurred.
Yet survival instinct forced him up. Staggering, he fled.
"Pursue," Chen Zhenghao ordered coldly.
The elder and the woman gave chase.
Lu Chen burst out into the rear alley and onto the main street. At five in the morning, the road was empty—save for a few early buses.
One bus was pulling into a stop.
He lunged toward it.
"Stop him!" a shout rang behind.
Lu Chen leapt aboard. The driver jolted. "Hey—"
"Drive! Now!" Lu Chen flung a wad of cash forward.
The driver saw the money—and the two ferocious figures closing in—and slammed the doors shut, flooring the accelerator.
The bus surged ahead.
The pursuers chased a short distance, then halted. They could not unleash their full power on a public street without drawing attention.
"Seal off the area," Chen Zhenghao arrived, his face dark. "He's gravely injured. He won't get far."
"Yes."
On the bus, Lu Chen collapsed into the rear seat, gasping.
That single palm strike had nearly shattered his organs. Without the Demon-Slaying Blade's partial deflection—and the Demon-Suppressing Stele fragments cushioning him in his pack—he would already be dead.
Even so, he could not hold on much longer.
Blood seeped endlessly from the corner of his mouth; his vision dimmed.
He took out the last vial of Rejuvenation Powder and swallowed it all.
The medicinal force spread, barely propping up his fading breath.
He could not stop. He had to keep moving.
After three stops, Lu Chen disembarked near an old residential complex.
He staggered inside, found a parking garage entrance, and slipped underground.
The garage was dim, housing several battered private vehicles. He crawled beneath a van at the far end and curled up.
[Warning: Vital signs continuing to decline]
[Internal organ damage: 68%]
[Spinal fractures detected]
[Recommendation: Immediate deep treatment required; risk of paralysis otherwise]
Lu Chen gave a bitter smile.
Treatment? He could barely move.
All he could do was wait.
Wait for his condition to stabilize—wait for the pursuers to pass.
He closed his eyes and circulated the Basic Body-Refinement Art, inch by inch repairing his body with the Rejuvenation Powder's aid.
Every second felt like walking along a blade's edge.
Then he heard footsteps.
Someone had entered the garage.
More than one.
"Split up. Check every corner."
"Young Master Chen said—alive or dead, he must be found."
"He's badly hurt. He can't be far."
Chen family men.
They were closing in.
Lu Chen clenched his fists, but his body no longer obeyed.
Was this where he would die?
Just as he steeled himself for a final stand, a voice echoed from deeper in the garage:
"There's blood over here!"
Footsteps rushed that way.
So the trail he'd left had drawn them off—leading them to where he'd passed through, not where he hid.
For the moment, he was safe.
Relief flooded him—then tightened instantly.
Blood trails could be followed.
They would find him sooner or later.
He had to leave.
Gritting his teeth, Lu Chen crawled out from beneath the car and hauled himself upright against the wall.
Every step felt like grinding broken glass beneath his feet.
But he could not stop.
By the time he reached the garage exit, daylight had fully broken. The complex stirred with life—elderly residents exercising, young workers heading to their jobs.
He merged into the crowd, head lowered, drawing no attention.
Outside the complex, he flagged down a taxi.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
Lu Chen considered, then gave an address. "East City. Pearl Hotel."
It was a suspected outpost of the Ghost Organization.
With the Association and the Chen family hunting him, the most dangerous place might be the safest.
And—he needed treatment.
If the Ghost Organization possessed gene enhancers, they might also have superior medical technology.
It was a gamble.
But it was his only one.