「So much for the Century Hotel being a safe haven.」
A shadow of grimness crossed Sun Qian's face as he watched the scene unfold in the simulator.
He'd thought that with layers of protection in place, his safety would be all but guaranteed.
But reality had dealt him a harsh slap in the face.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
He could guess why the scenario in the simulator had played out this way—most likely because his defenses had been too perfect. Combined with the Li Family Ancestor's crippling injuries, the Shadow Assassin had been unable to make a move, leaving the mission stuck in a deadlock.
In the end, this had forced the mastermind's forces to go all-in, gathering a horde of powerhouses to launch a full-scale assault. They'd completely leveled the Century Hotel and kidnapped Su Meng, mistaking him for Sun Qian himself.
Though shocked by the secret realm's distorted time flow, your top priority right now was understanding the current state of affairs—and finding out what had happened to Sun Zhong and the others.
You'd only been away from Magic City for nine days, venturing into the secret realm, yet so much had changed in that short time. You'd narrowly escaped disaster by sheer luck.
If you hadn't left Magic City when you did, you would've almost certainly been abducted a week ago—and your fate would've been far from pleasant.
It might've even ended the simulation prematurely.
You silently thanked your foresight for not telling Sun Zhong or the others where you were going. Otherwise, they would've hunted you down in the secret realm and trapped you like a rat in a cage.
「There are some suspicious figures lurking around the Century Hotel ruins… they seem to be searching for something.」
Your eyes swept the area discreetly, spotting several shadowy figures lingering near the rubble, keeping a close watch on anyone who approached.
The passersby chatting earlier, along with anyone else who drew near the hotel ruins, were already being targeted—with the figures closing in on them silently.
「Could these be agents of the mastermind's forces? Lurking here specifically to catch me—the one that got away?」
You suspected that Su Meng was already as good as dead after being captured. The mastermind's forces would never let slip any chance to track you down.
Disguised as an innocent bystander, you relied on your red-tier talent You Can't See Me to slip past their notice undetected.
You slipped into an alleyway on a nearby street corner, pulled out the Sun Family's communication device, and sent several messages, desperate to get in touch with Sun Zhong…
But there was no reply.
Your heart sank. You knew Sun Zhong must've run into trouble—something was seriously wrong. You immediately tried contacting your eldest brother back in the Imperial Capital to request backup, but strangely enough, you received no response from him either.
「It's not just Magic City—something's wrong in the Imperial Capital too!」
「Or could someone have jammed our bloodline-linked communications?」
Your expression turned ashen, your hands curling into tight fists.
Under normal circumstances, your eldest brother Sun Shou back in the Imperial Capital Sun Family would've replied to your message right away…
This silence was a clear sign that something catastrophic had happened to the Imperial Capital Sun Family.
Your top priority now was finding Qi Wei—the only person who'd been there that night and was still alive—to get the full story.
You made up your mind quickly.
Deputy Director Qi Wei lived in a villa in Dragon Ascension District, Magic City.
From the gossip you'd overheard from passersby, you learned that Qi Wei hadn't returned to the Administration since being injured. He'd been recovering at home this entire time.
You used the Shadow Devil Art to restore your original face, donned the Mist Ghost Cloak, and pulled on a mask. You scouted the villa complex thoroughly, confirming there were no ambushes waiting for you.
Then you slipped into Qi Wei's house silently. Inside, you found only him and an elderly servant.
Qi Wei was lying in bed, his aura unstable, his face pale—his injuries clearly hadn't fully healed yet.
「Who's there?!」
Qi Wei suddenly sensed your presence, his eyes snapping open as he stared at you, the masked figure cloaked in shadow.
But the next moment, the vigilance in his eyes was replaced by stunned disbelief as he caught sight of the cloak draped over your shoulders.
He clearly recognized it—the very same cloak the Zhao Family Ancestor had given you just a few days earlier, one that should've been in your possession.
「It's me.」
You removed your mask in front of Qi Wei, revealing your face.
「Young Master Sun?! It's you! But weren't you kidnapped… wait a minute—you're an impostor!」
Qi Wei's initial excitement quickly turned to wariness, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
「The one who was kidnapped from the Century Hotel was my double.」
You explained your trip to the secret realm, omitting a few details, then pulled out your Sun Family scion token to prove your identity.
「So that's it! No wonder when I saw 'Young Master Sun' the day after the attack, he seemed so… off.」
Qi Wei suddenly realized, the wariness fading from his face as he finally believed your story.
「Deputy Director Qi, let's skip the pleasantries. I need to know exactly what happened that night.」
You were desperate to hear the full details of the attack.
「Young Master Sun, it happened a week ago. That night, a horde of Eerie Aliens attacked ordinary civilians near Magic City Harbor. The Magic City Administration headquarters suddenly issued an order, transferring most of the men I'd stationed at the hotel away.」
「My men had barely left when the attack began. Wave after wave of fearless assassins descended on the hotel. Among them were two Saint Realm powerhouses…」
「The entire Century Hotel descended into chaos in an instant. We were caught completely off guard, forced to retreat step by step…」
「That's when Ye Fan showed up. He roared, 'Sun Qian is my target! Only I get to kill him—all of you, get lost!' Then he charged the assassins head-on, even defeating one of the Saint Realm killers single-handedly…」
Listening to Qi Wei's account, a strange look crossed your face. You'd never expected that in your hour of need, it would be Ye Fan—the Child of Destiny himself—who'd come to your rescue…
Truly, the power of hatred was a formidable thing.
The grudge over his severed arm, coupled with the humiliation of having his "wife" taken—Ye Fan hated you to the core. He'd never allow anyone else to kill "Sun Qian" before he could settle his score.
「But just as the assassins were on the verge of being routed… a mysterious figure in a cloak and bamboo hat appeared. With a single strike, he reduced the entire Century Hotel to rubble…」
Qi Wei paused, gathering his composure before continuing the harrowing tale.
「At that moment, Senior Sun Zhong merely looked at him—and collapsed on the spot, unconscious, bleeding from all seven orifices, his body convulsing uncontrollably…」
「Even Ye Fan was defeated by that cloaked stranger with a single blow. Gravely injured, he fled for his life, terrified of being killed by the mysterious figure…」
「In the end, Young Master Sun… no, your double… was captured by that cloaked stranger and taken away.」