Chapter Three: Who Are You?

“Hurry up, let’s get back! Who knows how the battle outside the city is going? If Mu Ningxue returns and catches us, we’ll all be finished!” the middle-aged leader urged the other three.

“Heh, boss, no need to worry. The warden said there are plenty of beasts outside the city. Mu Ningxue won’t have time to bother with this kid right now!” replied the leering second-in-command. Despite his words, his movements were swift, tying up Nangong Yuchen with a rope, then working with the third and fourth to gather the weapons scattered in the living room.

They quickly finished their task, then together lifted Nangong Yuchen and headed for the doorway.

The burly, bald third man, wounded, was in charge of lighting with his phone. As they moved, he asked, “Boss, why do you think our city of Ruxia was suddenly attacked by beasts? It’s been years since this happened. And the warden said there are more beasts than ever—could they actually break in?”

“Third, I think that kid bit you stupid! A mere pack of beasts from the outskirts couldn’t possibly breach Ruxia’s crystal walls. Besides, the last line of defense in Suyang is still intact. If the main beast army can’t enter Gravya, our city will never be threatened!” This time, the short fourth man spoke, stopping and turning with a hint of disdain. “Third, honestly, you’re a trained physical cultivator. How could you suddenly become as timid as ordinary city folk?”

“Timid? You’re the one who’s timid!” The bald man was offended. He retorted, “Hmph, I’m just curious why the beast packs suddenly attacked our city!”

“Shut up, all of you!” the middle-aged leader snapped irritably.

At his command, the three fell silent, hastily lifting Nangong Yuchen and following their boss.

As they reached the living room door, the light from the bald man’s phone suddenly flickered out.

The entire room plunged into darkness.

“What the hell are you doing, Third?”

“Damn it, hurry up and turn your phone back on!”

…

The bald man was utterly baffled. His phone still had plenty of battery, and he hadn’t touched it. Why had it suddenly gone dark?

His brothers’ urgings made him anxious. No matter what he tried in the darkness, the screen remained dead. He was out of options.

“Third, you useless fool! You two, get your phones out!” the leader barked, already fumbling for his own device. After pressing it for a while with no response, he assumed it was out of charge and urged the others.

“Mine seems dead…”

“Mine’s dead too… but that can’t be, it was half full just a moment ago, so why—”

Just then, a cold wind swept in from the living room window, lifting the curtains and blowing inside.

Whoosh—

All four felt an icy chill, as if plunged into a frozen lake, and shivered in unison.

“Boss… I feel like…” The bald third, walking at the rear and closest to the window, felt the cold even more keenly than the others.

“You feel nothing! Hurry up and open the door!”

…

The bald man swallowed his annoyance and groped blindly for the door handle.

Bang!

Crash—

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass came from the window!

Gulp—

All four were terrified, their bodies rigid, and they turned to look at the window.

“Ah! A ghost!”

They stared in horror at the figure suddenly appearing on the windowsill, their faces pale and souls lost. Second and fourth dropped to their knees in fright.

Though the room was pitch-black, they could see her clearly, for she radiated a faint blue light.

She was a strange girl, exquisitely beautiful to the point of perfection.

Her long purple hair billowed in the wind, half veiling her flawless, crystalline features. Her delicate face was adorned with eyes like blue gemstones, shining brightly in the darkness. Her ears were pointed, not human, but strangely beautiful. The light blue gown she wore fluttered with the breeze, outlining her graceful and delicate figure.

As she tiptoed and leapt, a pair of ethereal blue butterfly wings unfurled behind her, lifting her into the air as she floated into the room. Her gaze was cold as she regarded the four men.

“Cold as glaciers, O ice element from the farthest reaches of the frozen lands, by the will of the elemental envoy, seal away the ugliness of this world—let the shattered crystal flower bloom!”

Her voice rang out, crisp and chilling, as though pronouncing their doom.

The four felt themselves pinned in place, unable to move, and the leader cried out in terror, “You… you’re not human…”

But her only answer was a cold, contemptuous glare.

Crack, crack, crack!

The temperature in the room plummeted. Blue lights began to gather, and before their eyes, ice spread swiftly from their feet upward. In moments, the four were frozen solid, terror etched on their faces.

They had no time to comprehend what was happening before thick ice sealed them completely.

As for Nangong Yuchen, though he was spared from the freezing, the strange transformation beginning within him was abruptly halted by the girl’s presence. The biting chill stilled his blood’s turmoil, causing the black markings covering his body to fade and finally vanish.

The strange girl spoke again, gazing at the four crystalline statues, murmuring to herself, “Pitiful humans. If the beasts outside truly break through the crystal wall, would you still live in such ugly comfort?”

“Let it wither!”

Crack, crack, crash!

The lifelike statues began to fracture. As cracks multiplied, they shattered with a thunderous crash, like glass smashed to the floor, scattering fragments everywhere, dissolving into countless points of light that faded and disappeared.

It was as if the four had never existed, leaving no trace behind.

Her work complete, the girl folded her wings and landed quietly. She approached Nangong Yuchen, still lying on the floor, and looked at him in silence.

Nangong Yuchen, too, stared at her quietly. Oddly, he felt no fear. The girl seemed strangely familiar, though he couldn’t recall why.

“Who are you?” he asked.

The strange girl did not answer, but her gaze was complicated as she said, “Learn to hate, to rage, to resent. That is the swiftest path to your awakening.”

With that, she swept her arm, and Nangong Yuchen lost consciousness.

In the darkness, her clear, cold voice sounded once more.

“Is there still a heartbeat?”