Must Kill

The tenth year of the Dahua Republic, Yinshan County.

Twilight, thick as ink, slowly stained the horizon.

The air was a mixture of choking coal dust and the hearth smoke of ordinary households.

Yet, it was also laced with a faint, sweet scent of gardenias.

It formed a strange contrast.

At the entrance of Shen's Tailor Shop, diagonally across the street.

That old Phonograph was crooning a soft, mellow Shen Opera.

The melody drifted and wavered in the deepening night.

A female student wearing a faded Indanthrene cloth cheongsam.

Was walking hurriedly along the bluestone path with her head bowed.

Perhaps drawn by the singing, or sensing movement ahead, she instinctively looked up.

A group of people was walking toward her.

At the lead was an eye-catching young man.

He wore a well-tailored custom suit.

Even the buttons glinted with a noble golden light under the remaining daylight.

It accentuated his tall, upright frame and a face so handsome it was almost exquisite.

The female student's gaze was instantly glued to him.

Two blushes quietly flew to her cheeks, and her pace slowed down unconsciously.

However, when her eyes touched the two squads of armed Security Officer in uniform flanking the man.

That budding girlish sentiment was instantly replaced by terror.

Like a startled fawn, she abruptly lowered her head.

Clutching the straps of her schoolbag, she stumbled to the side, nearly tripping over the uneven stone slabs.

After running a few steps away, she still couldn't help herself.

She looked back at the young nobleman in a panic.

Her eyes were a mix of lingering awe and clear fear.

Lu Jing'an took in the female student's reaction.

There was no ripple in his heart.

He only felt that this Republic, romanticized or mythologized by countless future generations.

Now that he was in it himself, it was nothing more than this.

As far as the eye could see, the tones were dull, mostly black, white, and gray; it was rare to see bright colors.

Even that female student was too thin.

It wasn't the slenderness favored by some in this era.

It was the gaunt, haggard look of someone who hadn't eaten a full meal in a long time.

She had long since lost the plump beauty that youth should possess.

This was normal, though.

In this day and age, with the North and South in confrontation and warlords fighting, government decrees couldn't even travel a hundred miles.

Rumors were rampant among the people—tales of mountain spirits, wild monsters, and demons.

Various cults were also taking the opportunity to stir up trouble and bewitch the masses.

In such chaotic times, just staying alive was difficult enough, and those who could eat their fill were few.

This background made Lu Jing'an, who had transmigrated here, truly dissatisfied.

The world line here differed too much from his understanding.

The "prophetic" knowledge he had prepared for "transmigration."

Was almost useless here.

This place looked like the Republic, but inside, it was bizarre and defied imagination.

The cities here.

Were more like a refuge barely carved out.

Amidst boundless absurdity and danger.

However, Lu Jing'an was very satisfied with his current identity.

The only son of the Bureau Chief of the Yinshan County Security Office.

In an era where the flags on the city walls changed like a revolving lantern, the county magistrate might be replaced as frequently as a merry-go-round.

Yet his father, the Bureau Chief, held real power with an iron grip, as steady as a rock.

Every incoming county magistrate would personally pay a visit to their home.

All relying on the assistance of the Lu Family.

As the only heir, Lu Jing'an was pampered to the heavens, the true "Crown Prince" of Yinshan County.

Yet it was this very Crown Prince who, half a month ago, had nearly met his end.

A meticulously planned assassination had almost sent him to see the King of Hell.

The entire Peacekeeping Bureau had mobilized, digging three feet into the earth.

Every gang, large or small, scrambled to clear their names.

Merchants throughout the city trembled in fear, cooperating fully with the searches.

Even the county magistrate had personally brought Lamp Cultivator experts from the Peacekeeping Bureau to summon his soul and heal his wounds.

Fortunately, Lu Jing'an had managed to claw his way back from the brink.

Otherwise, Yinshan County would surely have been turned upside down.

"Young Master, that Lamp Cultivator's residence is just ahead."

A Security Officer carrying a Hanyang Rifle beside him stopped in his tracks.

He pointed toward a courtyard ahead and reported respectfully.

Lu Jing'an looked up at the sound.

What met his eyes was a ring of grey-blue walls, each over a man's height.

Judging by the scale, it appeared to be a three-section residence, quite grand for this area.

The most eye-catching features were the pair of enormous lanterns hanging before the gate.

They were over two meters in diameter.

The light within the lanterns was exceptionally bright, fueled by some unknown, special substance.

It illuminated the area for a dozen meters in front of the gate as if it were broad daylight.

Even the patterns on the floor tiles were clearly visible.

There wasn't a single shadow to be found.

Lu Jing'an knew this was the work of a Lamp Cultivator.

When he had been critically wounded, it was said that this Lamp Cultivator had simply shone a light on him.

His body had turned semi-transparent.

The internal bruising and the bullet fragments lodged in his joints had become clearly visible, allowing the doctors to perform precise surgery.

Although he had been unconscious and hadn't witnessed it himself, he had been curious ever since hearing the tale.

Seeing these miraculous lanterns now, he was already seven or eight parts convinced.

"Let's go." Lu Jing'an withdrew his gaze and commanded indifferently.

As soon as he spoke, the two squads of Security Officers tightened their formation.

They shielded him closely in the center.

Their eyes scanned both sides of the street sharply, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The assassination from half a month ago had left these Security Officers unable to afford the slightest negligence.

Pedestrians on the street had long since cleared to the sides, silent as cicadas in winter.

Lu Jing'an was accustomed to such a display.

After all, he was the one who had been assassinated.

One could never be too careful.

Besides, he had always been a flamboyant person by nature.

The closer they drew to the courtyard, the more the light from the lanterns made one feel as though they had nowhere to hide.

Just then.

An old man in a navy-blue long gown, who had been following silently behind Lu Jing'an, suddenly stepped forward, shielding Lu Jing'an with a calm and composed movement.

"There's the smell of blood!"

Lu Jing'an's pupils constricted sharply, his nerves instantly tightening.

Chen Xuan had already completely shielded Lu Jing'an behind him.

Though his figure appeared motionless, he had already entered a state of peak vigilance.

His gaze was like lightning, sweeping rapidly across the perimeter of the courtyard as he issued clear and swift commands:

"Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, the two of you, scale the wall from the side and scout carefully.

Da Lin, Xiao Li, hurry to the back gate and hold it; do not allow anyone to enter or leave.

Zhang He, take your rifle to the roof opposite, occupy the high ground, and monitor the entire courtyard..."

The group acted according to his orders, dispersing silently into the night.

Time ticked away in the oppressive silence.

About a quarter of an hour later, the tightly shut vermilion gate was pulled open from the inside with a creak, revealing a narrow gap.

Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu poked their heads out, their expressions grave, and whispered to those outside:

"They're dead. It looks like poison.

They haven't been dead long.

Both their hands were severed at the wrists.

The cuts are as smooth as mirrors, and there is blood everywhere.

There isn't a single living soul left in the courtyard; they've all been silenced."

As Lu Jing'an listened, he felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

This wasn't just killing people; this was a killing meant for him, Lu Jing'an, to see!

It was a blatant warning to anyone who dared to help him.

This is the end that awaits them!

Who on earth could it be?

What deep, irreconcilable hatred do they have for me?

Why must they be so determined to see me dead?

Lu Jing'an frantically searched the original owner's memories.

While he had certainly acted like a playboy and committed his fair share of bullying, he couldn't immediately think of anyone with a life-or-death grudge deep enough to warrant such slaughter.

News of his assassination attempt had spread.

While there wasn't much sympathy among the common folk, it hadn't reached the point of public celebration either.

He felt a strong urge to go inside and see for himself.

Perhaps, with his modern mindset and observational skills, he could discover clues that people of this era might easily overlook.

If he didn't drag the person hiding in the shadows out into the light, he would never be able to sleep soundly.

Lu Jing'an subconsciously took a step forward.

"Young Master."

Chen Xuan's arm blocked his path with steady resolve.

Lu Jing'an snapped back to reality, realizing his own impulsiveness.

He took a deep breath and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Uncle Xuan.

It was thoughtless of me.

The situation inside is unclear; I shouldn't have risked it."

A flicker of imperceptible surprise crossed Chen Xuan's eyes.

But he said nothing more, merely giving a slight nod.

Having faced life and death, people always tend to change.

He immediately continued to instruct his men to conduct a more detailed search.

And, while ensuring the scene remained undisturbed, he ordered them to bring out the primary corpses for examination.

Soon, the body of the Lamp Cultivator who had once saved Lu Jing'an's life was carried out and placed under the halo of light in front of the gate.

This was the first time Lu Jing'an had seen a dead person from such close proximity.

And a corpse in such a wretched state at that.

His stomach churned violently, and his face turned slightly pale.

"Young Master, why don't you return to the manor to rest? I can handle things here," Chen Xuan suggested once more.

Lu Jing'an suppressed his discomfort and shook his head, his voice tight. "Uncle Xuan, we must hurry with the inspection. If we delay too long, some clues might vanish."

Chen Xuan stopped trying to persuade him, stepped forward, crouched down, and began to examine the corpse carefully.

Lu Jing'an's gaze fell upon the body again, forcing himself to look.

He did not understand the signs of poisoning.

But the hands, severed cleanly at the wrists with an eerily smooth cut, were visually shocking.

This was certainly not the work of ordinary weapons or human strength.

Just as he prepared to look away to steady his nerves, a sudden change occurred.

A translucent interface, resembling a game Attribute Panel, appeared before his eyes without warning:

[Name: Lu Jing'an]

[Attack: 1]

[Defense: 1]

[Agility: 1]

[Spirit: 1]

[Cultivation Method: None]

[Affix: None]

[Collectable Affix discovered. Proceed with collection?]

Below the panel, there was also a phantom image of an ancient-looking Eight-Trigrams Furnace.

This was something that had appeared in his consciousness the day Lu Jing'an woke up.

He had not expected it to react to the corpse before him today!

"Collect!"

With a thought from Lu Jing'an, he collected his first Affix.

Clear as Fire!