The second day of 2016 dawned beneath clear skies, with a gentle breeze brushing past.
Gu Xingjian, dressed casually, stood atop Tianming Mountain with one hand in his pocket and a cup of hot tea in the other.
A harmless smile always rested on his ordinary face. His easygoing air made people overlook how the ground beneath his feet stood above the masses.
His long, narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly against the wind at the summit, making him look particularly relaxed.
Standing alone atop the mountain, he muttered to himself.
"Brother, we're almost there. Just one step away."
"Once I'm qualified to sit at the gambling table and see it with my own eyes, you'll understand that your death was worth it."
"Heh heh, everyone dies eventually. I heard Mom and Dad have already deregistered both of us. Now, we belong only to Tianhai Hotel."
As Gu Xingjian spoke, subtle changes appeared in his features, especially around his left eye.
The calm eye there suddenly became deep and dark, as though it had turned into a black hole that swallowed all light.
It was not just the light. Gu Xingjian's entire left eyeball began to vanish, and his whole face twisted into something abnormal.
A moment later, a figure slowly emerged from his body and stopped directly in front of him, blocking the city below.
As the figure left his body, Gu Xingjian's face returned to normal. He held a straw between his lips, took half a step back, and shook his head slightly.
"The body made from that skull still can't fully merge with me. Even my brother's corpse is incompatible."
After taking a large gulp of hot tea, he slowly walked up to the figure and stopped a fist's distance away, studying it carefully.
The corpse before him