By the time they parted that afternoon, the two had grown quite close.
Kirsty tentatively asked Wu Heng, "I'm having a party at my place at seven tonight. Would you like to come?"
She looked at Wu Heng expectantly. She hadn't wanted to attend the party in the first place. It was for her father's colleagues who had moved here with the company, along with some neighbors. More importantly, her stepmother, Julia, would be there.
"I'd be delighted. I'll bring a gift tonight."
Wu Heng wasn't about to pass up a chance to get closer to Kirsty.
"See you tonight."
Kirsty stepped forward and gave Wu Heng a quick hug, murmured a few words, then headed for the place she was renting.
Wu Heng watched Kirsty walk away. The sunlight stretched her shadow long and thin, while the autumn breeze ruffled her curls. She walked with a light step, radiating happiness.
As if sensing his gaze, Kirsty turned around and saw Wu Heng still standing there, watching her in silence. Blushing, she hurriedly turned away and unconsciously quickened her pace.
For a moment, Wu Heng wanted to change her fate, but the thought vanished just as quickly. He was still an insignificant ant. He couldn't try to stop a cart with his bare hands.
Kirsty had a unique potential. In the story, she was the puzzle-box opener chosen by the Hermit, Nailhead's intermediary.
She was destined to cross paths with Hell. Changing things recklessly might only make matters worse.
The Cenobites, Leviathan, and the many demons and monsters of this world's Hell loomed before him like towering mountains. They were beyond Wu Heng's power to move.
At least Wu Heng knew what lay ahead for Kirsty.
But he knew little about his own future, the Lighthouse, or the Deep Blue Star. He had no idea where the road ahead would lead, and a trace of confusion suddenly washed over him.
He clenched his fist, feeling the strength in his palm. Now that he was here, he had no choice.
Then he would climb, step by step, grow stronger, and shatter everything with absolute power.
When that time came, he would have the right to choose.
That evening, Wu Heng carried a gift box to the building where Kirsty lived.
In Hatton, the streets near the town center were lined with small buildings, interspersed with a few detached wooden houses. The farther out one went, the more detached houses there were.
Kirsty rented an apartment near the edge of Hatton's First Avenue. Many of the homes in the area were empty, since Hatton didn't have much foot traffic.
"You're here! Come on, I'll take you to my dad's."
Kirsty came downstairs, greeted Wu Heng with a hug, then led him east along First Avenue.
"Kirsty, I remember you said you got a job to pay your rent. My place on Second Avenue has four units, and three are vacant. You could move into one and treat it as staff housing. It's not very safe around here."
Wu Heng had seen the conditions in the neighborhood. Kirsty hadn't run into trouble in the story, but there were homeless people lurking on many corners in the alleys.
"I just paid the rent here. I'll ask my landlord tomorrow if I can get out of the lease."
Kirsty didn't refuse. She'd already accepted such a high salary, so what was wrong with accepting a place to stay too?
They chatted as they made their way to the housewarming party.
During the party, Kirsty's father, Larry, recognized the famous Dean Miranda and invited Wu Heng to drink quite a bit.
But Wu Heng was already a Cursed Disciple. No matter how much he drank, he didn't feel the slightest bit drunk.
The party ended at ten that night.
The streets outside were already deserted.
The two strolled slowly back through the residential alleys.
"Dean, do you know why I moved out and started renting my own place?"
"Because you don't like your stepmother!"
Wu Heng answered without hesitation.
"Right. You really get me!"
"I just don't like Julia. I feel like that woman is up to no good."
Kirsty had drunk a little at the party, but she wasn't drunk. She spoke in a distant, quiet voice.
Wu Heng knew her instincts were right.
Her stepmother had cheated on her father with her uncle, Frank, just days after marrying him. While they were packing up the wooden house for the move, she'd kept reminiscing about her passionate days with Frank.
"You're right about her. But aren't we going the wrong way? This road leads to Second Avenue."
Wu Heng said it casually. At the party, he'd noticed Julia's wandering gaze on him, but he wasn't interested in middle-aged women.
Kirsty stopped and gazed at Wu Heng, her eyes shimmering.
"We're not going the wrong way. Didn't you say I could move into your place?"
Kirsty's upbringing meant she wasn't the shy, reserved type. Once she acknowledged what she wanted, she went after it without hesitation.
Hearing such frank words from her, Wu Heng gazed at her beautiful face and eyes that seemed to speak.
The two drew closer...
The next morning,
700 kilometers away, at Miranda Manor,
a few people had gathered in the manor's backyard, talking. At their head was the butler, Markel.
The scene was a wreck.
More than half the wooden house had collapsed, and the plants outside had been uprooted.
On the ground lay a pair of legs missing from the knees down, surrounded by bullet holes.
From the patches of skin and scraps of clothing still intact, they could tell it had been a homeless man.
Butler Markel was directing the workers as they cleared the scene.
The street police who arrived after hearing the commotion were stopped at the gate and easily turned away with a casual excuse.
The million pounds donated to the police station was still paying dividends.
Wu Heng received word at the same time. It seemed the trap he'd laid had sent the Ice Crystal Ball's Hell Mediator to Hell.
He told Markel to keep the area under strict guard once the cleanup was done and not let anyone from the manor near the backyard.
Then Wu Heng bought breakfast and left it in his room before heading to the pet shop.
The three girls who worked part-time had gone back to school after their break.
Wu Heng had to clean up the pet shop by himself again.
As for Kirsty, who was supposed to start work officially that day, she was still asleep in Wu Heng's room.
In a country like the British Empire, things just moved that fast. As long as two people clicked, it was the quickest way to bring them together.
But the physical strength of a Cursed Disciple was far too much for an ordinary girl.
Wu Heng was currently scooping poop for a Samoyed named "Alisa."
The dog had been named "Alisa" by the girl of the same name among the three who'd visited the shop two days earlier.
Wu Heng didn't understand why she'd given a dog the same name as herself, but that was what they called her now.
A black Dersen sedan stopped in front of the pet shop, and its door opened.
"Sir."
A muscular middle-aged man in a suit and sunglasses, carrying a black briefcase, walked up to Wu Heng.
"Did you bring everything?"
Wu Heng asked calmly.
"I did. It's all in the case."
"Good. Leave it here and go. Oh, and leave the car."
The man in the suit put down the case and turned to get in the car. At Wu Heng's words, he pulled his foot back and prepared to leave on foot.
"Never mind. Since you're already here, stay and help me look after the pets. I have something to do."
Without waiting for him to agree, Wu Heng handed the muscular middle-aged man the shovel in his hand.
Then he took the case into the break room and opened it to check.
Duct tape, a collapsible bag, a burlap sack, a shotgun, remote-controlled explosives. Nothing was missing.
The middle-aged man stood dumbly in the shop, staring at the dog poop on the shovel in his hand.
The pets in the shop were barking and carrying on. He was on the verge of tears. He'd never done this kind of work before. If he'd known, he wouldn't have volunteered to impress anyone. He should've let Number 17 handle it.
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