Family Members

No one can survive a sniper bullet through the neck.

Even an A-level expert wouldn't be able to do it.

Qing Chen walked through the passageway. When he passed the tritium lamps, his face was illuminated by the light, but as he walked further, he entered darkness again.

At this moment, he even put away his Black Sniper, "Conquer by Virtue," because he was confident that there was absolutely no other living person in this passageway besides himself.

The Puppet Master on his wrist danced, and wherever Qing Chen passed, corpses and bloodstains disappeared.

When Qing Chen sacrificed the last B-Class expert's corpse, the Puppet Master strings stained red from absorbing blood, began to grow at a visible rate.

The second thread grew fifteen meters in one go.

Qing Chen pondered, if a B-Class can increase the length by fifteen meters, then what about an A-grade thread? Could it directly allow the second thread to fully form?

However, A-level enemies are not so easy to kill.

Tonight, he had the advantage of being in a good position to kill a B-Class enemy, which was already extremely lucky. To imagine killing an A-level enemy would be too unrealistic.

Moreover, without the Heartless Bronze Bell, he wouldn't have been able to time the battle so perfectly...

Qing Chen recalled the Heartless Bronze Bell that had been hanging on the eaves of his house. With his memory, he knew that it was not the same one that had been hanging on the eaves before.

Even the way the knots are tied is different now.

Perhaps someone secretly changed into it while he was keeping the old man company by Longhu Lake.

It seems that the other party only wanted to play a small joke on me and didn't want me to actually be played to death.

Since that's the case, I won't complain about the old man tomorrow.

After much deliberation, Qing Chen concluded that since all the B-Class had died here, whether they were from the Shindai faction or the Kashima faction, the other side would likely think this was a trap.

No one else will likely come.

So, it's time to deal with Luo Wanyai's matter.

Qing Chen didn't save Luo Wanyai before because he wanted to see the capabilities of that local tyrant, Mr. Luo, and let things play out for a while.

To be honest, he himself didn't expect that the bullet would take three days to travel; that's a really long time...

I wonder if this Mr. Luo can withstand it.

However, even if Luo Wanyai needs to be saved, it can't be today. He has already exhausted his strongest state today.

Qing Chen needs to conserve his energy and build up his strength.

He turned around and walked back into the passageway.

When Qing Chen returned to the Autumn Leaf Villa from the passageway, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

There was someone else in the room at some point.

Li Changqing, with his long black hair, was sleeping on Qing Chen's bed, wearing a black leather jacket. He looked tired and no longer as radiant as usual.

The woman's eyelashes trembled slightly; she was clearly pretending to be asleep.

Qing Chen looked at the table and saw his plaque with the words "No Guests Allowed" engraved on it, which Li Changqing had thrown there.

He was both amused and exasperated. This strong woman was utterly unreasonable. The rules he had painstakingly established for the Li family were completely useless in front of Li Changqing.

At this moment, Li Changqing heard the noise and slowly opened his eyes.

She glanced at Qing Chen not far away and chuckled softly, "You're back?"

"Hmm," Qing Chen nodded, then asked casually, "Are you asleep?"

Li Changqing nodded, "Your bed smells wonderful, I fall asleep the moment I touch it. I've been having really bad insomnia lately, how about I stay here from now on?"

Qing Chen said calmly, "If you like the smell, you can take the blanket with you. I'll have Li Ke send over a new set tomorrow."

"How boring," Li Changqing lay sprawled on the bed, propping her head up with her arm. She looked at Qing Chen curiously. "I vaguely heard gunshots just now. You must have killed someone in the secret passage, right? But how come you seem unaffected? Are assassins that weak?"

"Did you know about the existence of this secret passage?" Qing Chen asked, without mentioning that there were B-Class assassins among them.

"I just found out today," Li Changqing chuckled. "The old man told me to keep watch outside the Microcosm World residential area and see if there's a chance to follow the clues and find some more people. But don't worry, although my men are guarding outside the Microcosm World residential area, they don't know there's a secret passage inside. By the way, are all the assassins in the secret passage dead? I wanted to keep some for interrogation."

Qing Chen frowned. "If you had told me earlier, I could have spared some of them."

"It's alright," Li Changqing said with a smile as he got up, sat cross-legged on Qing Chen's bed, and said, "Whether they're alive or not isn't important, as long as you're alright."

Qing Chen suddenly realized that the woman's visit to the Autumn Leaf Villa late at night was not accidental, nor was it to seek treatment for her insomnia.

The other party knew that the assassin might act tonight, so they came to the Autumn Leaf Villa specifically to protect him!

However, seeing that Qing Chen was not in danger, he did not make a move!

It has to be said that Li Changqing was indeed very good to him, sending him gene serums and protecting him in the middle of the night. Although Qing Chen didn't say it, he remembered it in his heart.

However, Qing Chen pointed to the wooden sign on the table that read "No Guests Allowed": "You can read those two characters, right?"

Li Changqing feigned anger, saying, "Hey, I'm the one who brought you into the Banshan Manor, and I've been so good to you. Can't you have a little special treatment? Don't you have any conscience? Do you even know that I personally tied the Heartless Bronze Bell on your eaves?"

Qing Chen was taken aback; now he understood.

"Of course you have special privileges," Qing Chen sighed, "But you should at least put the 'No Visitors' sign back on the door. What if someone else comes to visit?"

"What, are you worried that others will see me here?" Li Changqing put away his anger and asked with a smile, "What are you afraid of? If you're upright, you have nothing to fear... Okay, okay, don't be angry. I'll hang up the 'No Visitors' sign properly next time."

"I'm not angry," Qing Chen shook his head. "If you do find it easier to fall asleep lying here, I don't mind. I can rest on the lounge chair outside."

Li Changqing thought about it carefully and realized that she was lying. There was no special smell on the bed, just the dry smell of it being washed and aired out frequently.

But when she lay on that bed, she did indeed feel a strange sense of security.

This sense of security wasn't just an unreal illusion; it seemed to have been there when Qing Chen pulled her into the building as if her life depended on it during the attack.

Li Changqing smiled and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you. I'll come here every time I have insomnia."

"You look very tired. Has a lot happened in City No. 18 recently?" Qing Chen asked.

"Hmm," Li Changqing said, "Kamidai and Kashima aren't exactly honest. Even the Shadow Candidate of the Qing clan are getting involved. I reckon a few of them will die in the next few days. City No. 18 is now a city of spies. Everyone wants to gain something from the power transition within the Li clan. Yesterday, even that shadow of the Qing clan showed up."

Qing Chen asked curiously, "Who exactly is the Qing Clan's Shadow, and what's his name?"

Li Changqing shook his head. "I don't know."

Qing Chen didn't know how to describe his feelings. He knew that the shadow of the Qing family hadn't just arrived in the city yesterday; the other party had been here for a long time.

Moreover, the other party might be having tea on the 132nd floor of the Luoshen Building right now.

"What is the purpose of this Qing family shadow coming to City No. 18?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled.

"That's the strangest thing. You know he came here with a purpose, but you can't guess what it is," Li Changqing frowned. "He's like an observer, not participating in anything, just observing. But you don't know what he's observing."

Qing Chen asked, "How much longer will you be busy?"

Li Changqing thought for a moment, "Soon, perhaps soon we won't have to be so busy anymore."

Qing Chen felt a chill run down his spine; the dark clouds hanging over City No. 18 seemed to be finally about to fall.

This means that the Time Walker in the Outer World who are controlled by the gods and Kashima should also take action.

Li Changqing didn't want to talk about this anymore. She looked at Qing Chen with a half-smile, "Don't make me talk about work here. Tell me, what's the Joyful Sect all about? The old man entrusted so many of the Li family's best young talents to you, and you teach them this kind of thing?"

Qing Chen: "..."

He knew that Li Changqing would definitely ask about this matter when he came over tonight.

My damn reputation!

"Alright, I won't joke with you anymore. I know you're a decent person," Li Changqing said with a smile, sitting on the bed. "But you're quite good at hiding things, actually lying to me that you're a gene warrior."

Qing Chen patiently explained, "That cultivation method was secretly given to me by the old man a few days ago, and I just received it. Moreover, it is truly a legitimate cultivation method; even I didn't expect such a turn of events."

"Huh?" Li Changqing asked curiously, "Why is the old man so good to you?"

"Then you'll have to ask him," Qing Chen said.

"If you were his illegitimate child, you should have told me sooner," Li Changqing said.

Qing Chen changed the subject, saying, "You look very tired; you should also take some rest."

"I can't rest," Li Changqing sighed. "With my status, I have to maintain a certain air wherever I go. It's not that I want to, but people in my position need to maintain that air, to command respect from subordinates and fear from enemies. Over the years, my convoy has been watched as soon as it leaves the Banshan Manor. I haven't even had a chance to properly observe the changes in this City No. 18. Unless one day I'm no longer a member of the Li family, then perhaps I can be more carefree."

"You've worked hard," Qing Chen said sincerely.

Suddenly, Li Changqing's eyes lit up. "Tomorrow night, will you take me out of this passage and let's go play in City No. 18?"

Qing Chen quickly said, "No, no, it's too dangerous in City No. 18 right now. I can't let you do such a reckless thing."

To be honest, Qing Chen felt that Li Changqing was quite pitiful in this respect. Even when he went out for a stroll, he was watched and his every move was over-interpreted.

"Heartless," Li Changqing curled his lip. "I can cover myself up completely. As long as I don't leave through the main gate of the Banshan Manor, who would know I'm Li Changqing? I just want to go for a stroll in City No. 18 as an ordinary person. Consider it a thank you for all the kindness I've shown you these past few days!"

Qing Chen thought for a moment and finally sighed, "Okay."

Li Changqing's eyes lit up. She jumped off the bed and walked up to Qing Chen: "It's a promise! I'll come find you tomorrow night, pinky swear!"

As she spoke, the woman extended her slender little finger.

Qing Chen hesitated and didn't reach out, but Li Changqing grabbed his arm and forcibly hooked his little finger around it. "You can't go back on your word now."

After saying that, Li Changqing walked outside with renewed vigor, as if all his fatigue had vanished. "Don't hide from me tomorrow, I'll follow you wherever you go."

She opened the small door of the Autumn Leaf Villa, where Xiao Ying and the others were waiting silently. Old Nine, who had been injured and recuperating, had also returned to the team.

At this moment, the Xiao Ying looked at Qing Chen with a newfound, inexplicable admiration.

Qing Chen thought to himself that this look must be from some strange rumors. Now, Xiao Ying probably wants to join Daylight even more...

Li Changqing turned around and said, "There might be an internal meeting of the family's senior members tomorrow morning. All Li family members who are qualified to enter the ancestral hall must attend. Let's sit together then."

Qing Chen was taken aback. "You want me to attend a meeting of the family's top leaders?"

"Of course," Li Changqing laughed, "Your status and position are very high now. Alright, let's go."

The woman left as soon as she finished speaking, decisively and efficiently.

However, Qing Chen suddenly started thinking about a question.

Li Changqing didn't really care where she went; she just wanted to temporarily escape the identity of the "Li family" and enjoy some time when no one was watching her all the time.

Well, I wonder if the other party would mind going to rescue Luo Wanyai?

Qing Chen was a little worried that there might be experts among those who had imprisoned Luo Wanyai, and that he might not be able to handle it alone.

Now that we have a master like Li Changqing, everything should be fine...

Autumn Leaf Villa fell silent again, but a faint, intermittent fragrance lingered in the courtyard, seemingly the scent of Li Changqing's perfume.

Jiang Yichen, with dark circles under his eyes, secretly peeked through the peephole from room 102.

He waited from midnight until 3 a. m., but the assassins never came out again.

Including the four who had gone in earlier, these sixteen assassins disappeared without a trace after entering the house, as if they had been devoured by a terrifying creature.

Jiang Yichen was unaware of the secret passage inside the house, nor did he know who was inside. He only felt that the location of his new home was particularly terrifying.

What does this feel like? It's like finally buying a house, only to find out after just two days that it's a haunted house, with the previous three owners all committing suicide by hanging.

Right now, Jiang Yichen felt like he was living in a haunted house, and he was terrified.

At this moment, Luo Wanyai lay quietly on the floor of a small house, with six other Time Walker trapped beside him.

He didn't sleep.

I can't sleep either.

Luo Wanyai roughly calculated the time; since he became Time Walker, he had been under house arrest for more than a month.

For more than a month, these Time Walker did nothing but eat and sleep, and every day they were brainwashed by specially arranged people to extract their true information about the Outer World.

The windows of the hut were all nailed shut, so there was no way to see the outside world.

The stuffy, damp atmosphere in the room made people particularly irritable.

Before this time travel, Luo Wanyai was full of confidence. After all, Bai Zhou had a record of saving Zhang Chengze before, so he seemed to be more powerful than the previous Time Walker.

Moreover, the other party accepted the two cars he sent.

However, three days have passed, and Luo Wanyai hasn't even seen a single person during the day.

Is he like other Time Walker, unable to find the place where he is under house arrest?

Or is it that their fighting strength is insufficient, and they dare not come to rescue me?

This made him worry and he tossed and turned all night.

"Old Luo, can you stop tossing and turning?" one of the Time Walker complained. "With your physique, every time you turn over it's like an earthquake. Don't you let anyone else get any sleep?"

Luo Wanyai did not respond, nor did he ever tell these people that he had asked someone to rescue him.

Having been in the underworld for so many years, his deepest lesson was not to easily trust anyone. Who knew if any of the Time Walker had already betrayed him?

He wasn't brainwashed, but some people have.

Just then, two men dressed in black combat uniforms walked in from outside. One of them, beaming, said, "Family, how was your rest today? Is there anything you'd like to improve on the food?"

Another person laughed and said, "Didn't everyone keep asking when we'd be free again? Our answer has always been immediately. Some of you might be wondering why we insist you stay here. Well, we have our reasons. City No. 18 is too dangerous right now. The Li and Qing families are conducting a massive manhunt for Time Walker. It would be very dangerous for you to go out."

Luo Wanyai quickly turned over, looking utterly loyal, and asked, "Sir, I understand your predicament completely."

The guard was very satisfied. Their most successful brainwashing case in recent times was Luo Wanyai. Not only was he very cooperative, but he even helped brainwash others.

However, he was unaware of how much Luo Wanyai despised their brainwashing techniques.

At this moment, a guardian said with a smile, "Family members, we have been assigned a task. Our family members in the Outer World urgently need funds for operations. Would you like to make a donation? This is a very rare opportunity. The higher-ups said that only those who actively donate can integrate into the larger family and have more opportunities for promotion within the organization..."

Luo Wanyai said excitedly, "I'll donate! Family members, don't try to take it from me. I have plenty of cash, hidden under the bed. Where do you need me to deliver it?"

The man unfolded a small piece of paper, glanced at it, and said, "The night after your return, under the Wangcheng Bridge, someone will naturally contact you when you get there."

Luo Wanyai felt a surge of excitement. Could this mean he could finally capture these spies in the Outer World?

However, he hasn't regained his personal freedom yet. If he causes any trouble in the Outer World, he might die when he comes back.

The man glanced at Luo Wanyai, then smiled and said to the others, "Family members, look at Luo Wanyai's awareness! This is the attitude a family should have! Is there anyone else who wants to contribute to the organization?"

Under Luo Wanyai's leadership, his family members enthusiastically donated.

"Alright, go to sleep," the man said, waving his hand contentedly as he finished collecting the funds for the operation. "Tomorrow, you won't have to sleep on the ground anymore. I'll take your families to another place tonight; it'll be safer and more comfortable there."

The "family members" looked at each other, their faces beaming with joy.

Luo Wanyai inwardly cried out in alarm. The place where he was being held under house arrest was already difficult to find. What if the people during the day had just found a clue, only to be moved by him? Wouldn't that be a complete waste of effort?

This time, Luo Wanyai was really anxious!

Where are you guys during the day?

There's a 5,000-word chapter, and another one will be released at 11 PM tonight. Please vote with your monthly tickets.