A Fateful Encounter

A forceful blow landed.

The punch landed squarely.

The mucous membrane in her nasal cavity ruptured, and Li Longkang felt the slick, coppery scent of blood trickle down her nose, nearly bringing tears to her eyes from the sharp sting.

Yet, overriding her instinctive anger was a profound sense of bewilderment and utter incomprehension.

Clutching her throbbing nose, she looked up at the girl standing outside the door, the one who had so abruptly assaulted her.

This girl was a member of the student council at Tianyi High, the very school Li Longkang attended.

“Hiss, are you out of your damn mind?!”

Not only was Li Longkang taken aback by the punch, but the shorter girl beside the assailant also stared at her companion in stunned disbelief.

After a moment, she frantically cried out, “Mo Linyu! Are you—are you insane? Why would you hit someone the moment the door opened? We don’t even know who she is!”

‘Mo Linyu,’ Li Longkang thought. ‘Was that the madwoman’s name?’

Li Longkang’s gaze settled once more on the girl audacious enough to lay a hand on her.

Though the first impression was undeniably terrible, Li Longkang had to admit the girl possessed striking looks.

Her tall stature and curvaceous, model-like figure seemed utterly unlike that of a high schooler.

Her features were exquisitely refined, and her long, black-and-purple ombre hair looked vaguely familiar.

Yet, despite racking her memory, Li Longkang couldn’t recall ever seeing this madwoman before.

“Speak up! Who are you people?” Mo Linyu demanded, her voice cutting through the air.

“I—I apologize, classmate…” the shorter girl stammered. “My name is Han Xiaoyu, and I’m the student council president of Tianyuan First High.

This is Mo Linyu, also from the student council!

Is—is this Li Longkang’s home, please? We’re here to persuade him to return to school…”

‘The student council even works during summer break,’ Li Longkang mused inwardly.

Li Longkang pointed to her own nosebleed, her voice sharp with accusation. “Persuading someone to go to school? Then what was *that* supposed to mean?!”

Meanwhile, Mo Linyu, the perpetrator, stood by with her arms crossed, observing Li Longkang with an air of profound superiority, her gaze as dismissive as if she were looking at an ant.

Han Xiaoyu, feeling the weight of the situation, could only brace herself and offer an explanation.

“Sh-she probably mistook you for Li Longkang and decided to preemptively strike,” Han Xiaoyu explained, her voice trembling.

‘I *am* Li Longkang, true,’ she thought, ‘but…’

“And what exactly does ‘preemptively strike’ mean in this context?” Li Longkang pressed.

Li Longkang wiped away the blood, dabbed her hand on a tissue, and then plugged her bleeding nostril.

Upon seeing the blood, Han Xiaoyu, the student council president, visibly flinched, hunching her shoulders in a timid posture.

Li Longkang could even discern the crown of her scalp through her hair.

With her head bowed, avoiding eye contact, Han Xiaoyu continued, “A-according to the records, Li Longkang is a delinquent who often gets into fights.

For us two girls to come here to persuade *him* to return to school, it c-could be dangerous…”

Perhaps realizing the absurdity of their actions, Han Xiaoyu had been stuttering through her explanations ever since the incident began.

“What? Anyone who gets inexplicably punched would only feel rage… If I really *were* Li Longkang, wouldn’t you two be in even greater danger?”

Under Han Xiaoyu’s incessant, pleading glances, Mo Linyu finally spoke.

“Xiaoyu, you should go first.”

Mo Linyu’s words stunned Han Xiaoyu.

Not only did she refuse to apologize, but she was trying to send her away instead?!

“You just hit someone! Of course I have to stay and watch you!”

“It was a misunderstanding. I’ll stay and apologize to her.”

As Mo Linyu spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Li Longkang.

The true reason for her earlier punch was clearly different from Han Xiaoyu’s explanation, and her demeanor certainly didn’t suggest an apology was forthcoming.

Li Longkang, sensing something amiss, pressed on. “The person you’re looking for no longer lives here.

I’m the current tenant of this apartment.

If you understand, then leave quickly, or I’ll call the police!”

Despite Li Longkang’s clear attempt to drive them away, the petite yet responsible student council president inquired,

“Wait! Classmate, what is your name?”

‘My name?’

‘It’s clearly not the time to give my real name,’ she decided.

As Li Longkang pondered a suitable alias, Mo Linyu subtly bent down, leaning close to Li Longkang’s ear and speaking in a voice too low for Han Xiaoyu to hear.

“Hero Moon… I never imagined I’d see you here.”

Being addressed by that name sent a shiver down Li Longkang’s spine.

“…Who are you?”

“I told you, you couldn’t escape that woman’s grasp… nor could I.

Our meeting here, perhaps it’s what they call destiny?”

‘The Demon Lord,’ Li Longkang realized.

Mo Linyu’s words yanked Li Longkang’s memories back to the Demon Lord’s castle a month prior.

“Impossible…” Li Longkang murmured, disbelief lacing her voice.

Mo Linyu, still close to her ear, continued, “And is this not, too, the pull of destiny?”

‘My sudden reversion to the Hero’s form,’ Li Longkang mused, ‘must be inextricably linked to the Demon Lord’s appearance.’

Han Xiaoyu, standing nearby, piped up, “What are you two whispering about—?”

Before Han Xiaoyu could finish her sentence, she suddenly stiffened, her eyes rolling back in a truly unsettling manner, much like a scene from a horror film depicting demonic possession.

“E-e-e… zzzzt—”

She emitted sounds impossible for human vocal cords, akin to a radio struggling to find a frequency, while simultaneously, a soft, holy light enveloped her form, illuminating the poorly lit stairwell.

Ultimately, her feet lifted from the ground, and she began to float, radiating an indescribable sense of higher authority.

Though unseen, it was clear some foreign entity had invaded her body.

‘This is… demonic possession?’

No, Li Longkang was all too familiar with this crudely manufactured, industrial holy light.

“…The Goddess?” she inquired, seeking confirmation.

“Indeed. As expected of my Hero.”

Han Xiaoyu, still possessed, nodded slightly at Li Longkang, her eyes remaining closed.

“This child appears to be an impediment to your conversation.

It’s fitting, then, for me to borrow her body and explain the situation to you… However, this will be a singular instance; I find it inconvenient to interfere too much with this world.”

However, Li Longkang had a far more pressing question than the current bizarre circumstances.

“Where’s my mother?”

She lunged forward, seizing the Goddess by her collar.

“She vanished right after I returned.

You’d better have an explanation for me.”

The disappearance of Li Longkang’s mother, Madam Li Changli, was far too suspicious.

She was home alone, and surveillance cameras hadn’t captured her leaving, yet she had simply vanished from the house into thin air.

To the police, it was an insoluble mystery, but Li Longkang, having just returned from an otherworldly journey, naturally suspected the Goddess.

“Oh? An explanation?”

Yet the Goddess merely replied, “I’m not privy to such information, nor do I handle missing persons cases… Why not try reporting it to the police?”

Her words were imbued with an indifferent detachment, making it impossible to discern whether she was truly ignorant or merely feigning ignorance.

At this, Li Longkang tightened her grip, increasing the force of her pull until their noses were almost touching, making it impossible for either to avoid the other’s gaze.

“The police? If they were any use, why would I be asking *you*?!”

“My Hero, you would do well to calm yourself.”

Despite Li Longkang’s agitated state, the Goddess’s face remained serene, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Should this young girl’s body be harmed, it would not affect me in the slightest.”

“You—”

The three had argued for too long and too loudly in the stairwell, prompting other residents on the same floor to peek out, curious.

With a quick, decisive move, Li Longkang, acting on instinct, yanked the Goddess—still inhabiting Han Xiaoyu’s body—into the apartment’s entryway by her collar.

Mo Linyu followed them inside, her gaze sweeping over the cluttered interior, a frown creasing her brow.

“Why have my memories suddenly returned?” Mo Linyu asked, her voice sharp.

“Demon Lord, your reincarnation was an accident, or perhaps, a lapse on my part.”

The Goddess walked directly into the room without removing her shoes, yet neither Mo Linyu nor Li Longkang reacted beyond simply watching her.

“The teleportation array that sent the Hero back to Earth also brought you and a number of other souls along.

However, souls from other worlds are unregistered entities on Earth, lacking any anchoring identity.

Thus, they deviated during transit, scattering across decades—some ten, some even twenty or more years ago—and completed their reincarnation.”

“How can that be called an accident?” Mo Linyu countered, arms still crossed. “Since souls are inherently meant for reincarnation after death, what difference does it make which world they reincarnate into?”

“I just stated that you are unregistered entities, not permitted to exist in this world… However, all that’s required is to find them, and register their presence with me.”

“What happens if they don’t register?”

“They will die.”

Maintaining her serene smile, the Goddess pointed to Mo Linyu’s chest.

“Should they not all be found within three months, this wound will claim your life.”

‘A wound?’

Guided by the Goddess’s finger, Li Longkang’s gaze also fell upon Mo Linyu’s chest.

Mo Linyu, without hesitation, unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt, pulling the collar open to either side.

The intense summer heat had left her skin faintly damp with sweat, and Li Longkang felt as though she could almost perceive the subtle scent emanating from beneath the fabric.

Yet, more startling than her impressive figure or sophisticated lingerie was something else entirely.

“This is…”

A scar.

A scar the size of a rice bowl.

It was precisely the size for a baseball-bat-shaped Holy Sword to pierce through.