The former head of the Xiaowalu Family, who had also been the former Lord of Frost White City, had been obsessed with women and left behind quite a few love debts.
Xiaowaluwen was one of his illegitimate children, born to a countrywoman during one of his pleasure trips.
But the former head had treated the affair as a casual diversion. Afterward, he'd turned his back on her and had no intention of taking responsibility. So from the moment Xiaowaluwen was born, he could only follow his mother and live the humble life of a poor farming family.
However, when Xiaowalus, the Lord's heir, heard about this after coming of age, he immediately paid a visit to this half-brother he'd never met before, full of interest.
To his shock, Xiaowalus discovered that his younger brother, like him, had experienced some kind of bizarre nightmare.
But unlike Xiaowalus's Innate Spirit Art, which used his voice to hypnotize another person's mind, his younger brother's Innate Spirit Art used his skin as a medium and granted him the power of Invisibility, allowing him to blend into the surrounding scenery.
After learning of this, Xiaowalus accepted his younger brother into the family without hesitation. He also won their father's approval to have his brother officially take the name Xiaowaluwen.
From then on, Xiaowaluwen and his mother escaped poverty for good and entered the upper echelons of noble society.
Xiaowalus's gesture had left Xiaowaluwen overwhelmed and deeply moved. He already regarded his brother as his savior, and was willing to go through fire and water and serve him faithfully to repay the man who had saved him.
So Xiaowalus made Xiaowaluwen his shadow guard and kept his identity under extremely tight wraps. As a result, only a few relatives and servants in the household, along with the Elite Guard, knew he existed.
Xiaowaluwen's job was to serve as Xiaowalus's strongest bodyguard and deadliest assassin, using his Invisibility to deal with any sudden attacks against Xiaowalus or eliminate anyone who might threaten his rule.
Not long ago, a prisoner with immense strength had supposedly been subdued by the guards through sheer numbers. In reality, Xiaowaluwen had ambushed him in secret and knocked him down.
Xiaowaluwen was, in short, Xiaowalus's most loyal and formidable blade, able to eliminate any threat and ensure the Xiaowalu Family's fortunes continued to prosper.
And so the brothers worked together: one used hypnosis to control the people's hearts, while the other used Invisibility to eliminate trouble. Together, they ruled Frost White City with ease.
Even when their chance encounter with the Abyss at the border during a hunting trip several years ago drastically changed both their personalities, it did nothing to sour their relationship. Instead, they became equally obsessed with and devoted to the Abyss.
The Xiaowalu brothers divided the work between them. Xiaowalus researched the ritual needed to summon the Abyss itself, while Xiaowaluwen gathered samples of Abyss Matter from the cliffs of Boundary Mountain and began studying their properties and functions.
Then, one day, everything changed when Ye Chen, who claimed to be an envoy of the Abyss, appeared before the brothers.
At first, Xiaowaluwen had been deeply suspicious of Ye Chen's identity. But after his elder brother tested Ye Chen and was seen through, and Ye Chen went on to prove that he was a person from the outside world, Xiaowaluwen could no longer rein in his brother's enthusiasm. He could only watch Ye Chen's every move in secret, remaining on guard.
In fact, from the moment Ye Chen stepped into the mansion, Xiaowaluwen had stayed invisible and followed wherever he went.
During the several hours Ye Chen rested in the study, Xiaowaluwen stood in a shadowy corner the entire time, barely taking his eyes off him.
At the same time, without Xiaowalus's knowledge, he secretly summoned all thirty members of the Elite Guard and told them the Lord's orders had changed. They no longer needed to go outside the city; instead, they were to hide in the mansion's basement and, at the first sign of trouble, rush to the Lord's study and be ready to rescue Xiaowalus.
But Xiaowaluwen never imagined that after keeping watch all night, something would go wrong at the very last moment.
When the candle Ye Chen placed on the magic circle sent Xiaowalus into raptures and brought him to tears of joy, Xiaowaluwen was deeply moved by the sight of his brother finally achieving something after years of hard work. He was just raising a hand to wipe away his own tears.
Who could have guessed that Ye Chen, standing beside Xiaowaluwen, would draw his gleaming revolver in the blink of an eye and blow his beloved elder brother's head apart with a single shot?
Watching Xiaowalus, the man he'd followed for half his life, collapse helplessly over the desk, Xiaowaluwen's heart shattered. Despair overwhelmed him, then gave way to a boundless rage that swept him into a frenzy of hatred.
"I can't let that scum get away!"
"Kill him!"
"I have to kill him!"
Xiaowaluwen pulled himself out of his memories and back into the cruel present. He stared at his brother's mangled corpse with resentful eyes, biting his lower lip until drops of blood welled up. A thick aura of killing intent radiated from him.
He drew a deep breath, then walked to a corner of the study and took a beautifully crafted long box from a drawer. Carrying it over to the Elite Guard, he slowly opened it.
The box had three tiers, each dotted with countless little indentations holding dozens of neatly arranged black bullets.
But the bullets' surfaces weren't smooth. Instead, they were coated in a viscous, mud-like substance that seemed to crawl and wriggle. It continuously emitted a string of low murmurs like the buzzing of flies, making everyone's skin crawl.
"What is this...?"
The Elite Guard swallowed, then stammered out the question as they stared at the bizarre sight.
"This is the chief result of my painstaking research over the past few years: 'Abyss Bullets,' refined from Abyss Matter."
Xiaowaluwen held the long box as he explained in a grim voice.
"The man who murdered Lord Xiaowalus has powers no weaker than mine. Ordinary bullets pose no threat to him. That's why the dozens of you couldn't stop him with your gunfire earlier today."
"But if you use these 'Abyss Bullets,' things will be completely different. I guarantee that against these, the bastard won't be much different from an ordinary person. Even if he can take a few shots, damn it, he'll still die!"
"So these 'Abyss Bullets' are your chance to kill the murderer and clear your names and Lord Xiaowalus's!"
"There are one hundred and eighty Abyss Bullets in this box. There are thirty of you, so take five each. I'll keep the other thirty."
"I've set up Abyss Sentries all around the estate, so I know that bastard hasn't escaped yet. He's still hiding somewhere in this mansion."
As he spoke, a vicious glint appeared in Xiaowaluwen's eyes. He was already imagining Ye Chen being riddled with bullets.
"I'll do what I always do and work alone. The rest of you, split into groups and search for him. The moment you hear gunfire inside the mansion, head straight for the source. Try not to get separated, or that scum might take advantage of it!"
"Yes!"
The Elite Guard loudly acknowledged Xiaowaluwen's orders, each taking five Abyss Bullets in an orderly fashion. Then they split into three groups of ten and hurried in different directions through the mansion, searching for Ye Chen's trail with all their might.
Xiaowaluwen walked back alone to his brother's corpse and bent down to kiss his pale hand.
"Lord Xiaowalus, when I return, I'll arrange the grandest funeral for you. Please wait just a little longer."
With that, Xiaowaluwen tucked the box of bullets into his coat, slung a heavy sniper rifle over his back, and gripped a sharp black dagger. He leaped from the balcony outside the study's French doors and followed the trail of blood Ye Chen had left behind, cautiously making his way forward.
Before you continue