A Glimmer of Hope in Darkness

After an indeterminate amount of time, Investigator Liao finally stirred from his unconsciousness.

The moment he regained awareness, a sharp gasp of pain escaped his lips.

“—That—that Goblin! It really hit hard…!”

Even now, a throbbing pain resonated between Investigator Liao’s legs. When he attempted to stand, his body still struggled to straighten.

“This persistent ache… surely I haven’t been damaged, have I?”

A cold sweat broke out on Investigator Liao’s forehead at the thought, a wave of apprehension washing over him.

‘Alas… it wouldn’t make a difference now anyway. My wife hasn’t let me touch her in ages…’

‘Once this mission is over, I’ll ask the Hospital Knights to treat me.’

‘With Godfather’s support, I won’t be short on gold coins for a while.’

The stark reality of collaborating with the underworld cast a fleeting shadow over Investigator Liao’s face, but he quickly rallied.

‘…From now on, I should dedicate more time to my wife and children!’

‘Then, perhaps my wife will be willing to have another son for Xinyi!’

These fanciful notions, while sounding like a setup for future misfortune, were merely Investigator Liao’s way of diverting his attention from the pain. His steps, though limping, never faltered as he tracked Liuxia’s vanishing trail.

As a Bronze-tier individual now, he could push the effectiveness of even a Black Iron-tier tracking Authority beyond its usual limits.

Losing Liuxia’s trail, as he had once before, was now an absolute impossibility.

As Investigator Liao gradually acclimated to the persistent pain, his pace quickened. He could feel himself drawing ever closer to his quarry!

****

Meanwhile, Li Chunsheng and Liao Xinyi had already met.

They were currently strolling along the scenic riverbank of a secluded park within the city, their conversation flowing pleasantly.

It proved true that when a girl was interested, she would willingly engage, no matter how uninteresting the topic.

Indeed, Li Chunsheng, a ‘three-lifetime virgin’ with no romantic experience, was so absorbed in their discussion that he felt utterly at ease, even developing a rather unrealistic delusion.

[‘Could I actually be a hidden Casanova genius?’]

[‘Or perhaps living with Senior Sister has made me accustomed to girls, awakening some kind of scoundrel talent?’]

[‘It seems the chances of swindling money have greatly increased!’]

Liao Xinyi, observing Li Chunsheng’s uncontrollable smile, curved her lips into a subtle, almost imperceptible grin. She mused that her online ‘fishing’ experience had honed her conversational skills, proving effective even on a young master from the upper echelons.

[‘Hehe, I wonder if this Young Master Li will shower me with gifts on this date?’]

[‘Surely, whatever he gives won’t be worse than what those online paupers offer?’]

Thus, the two of them harbored their own schemes, each plotting their mischievous intentions.

Then, Liuxia appeared.

“Chun… Chunsheng, ha… ha… I finally found you!”

Liuxia was utterly breathless, having never run so hard since her transformation into a girl.

To arrive quickly, Liuxia had even splurged a considerable sum (relative to her current financial standing) on a taxi.

Liao Xinyi’s expression shifted, her gaze narrowing disapprovingly at the unexpectedly gorgeous girl who had just arrived.

“Ah… Senior… uh, Liuxia, what are you doing here? I’m on a date with Miss Liao right now.”

Li Chunsheng was utterly surprised by Liuxia’s sudden appearance. Given he was ostensibly on a date, her arrival created an incredibly awkward atmosphere, naturally sparking a hint of resentment towards Senior Sister in his heart.

Yet, his resentment vanished without a trace almost immediately.

“Wait… what happened to your legs?” Li Chunsheng instantly pulled away from Liao Xinyi, rushing to Liuxia’s side.

Liuxia’s pale legs were now streaked with blood. The girl had departed in such haste that she hadn’t had time to clean them.

“Oh my… did Miss Liuxia run out despite her menstrual cycle?” Liao Xinyi interjected, feigning concern as she covered her mouth.

At her words, even Li Chunsheng’s expression instantly turned peculiar.

“Eh? Men… menstrual cycle?” Liuxia gasped in surprise, her face flushing crimson.

“No, no, no, it’s not that! This isn’t my menstrual cycle at all!”

Flustered and embarrassed, the girl knew this was no time for explanations. She quickly grasped Li Chunsheng’s arm.

“Chunsheng, there’s no time to explain! Come with me, quickly!”

“Wait!” Liao Xinyi panicked. How could she possibly stand by and watch her date be dragged away by another woman right before her eyes?

This was an undeniable affront to her female pride!

She rushed forward, seizing Li Chunsheng’s other arm and glaring defiantly at Liuxia.

“Miss Liao! Something highly dangerous is approaching! Please, you must seek shelter immediately!” Liuxia snapped, her pretty face etched with anger as she gritted her teeth.

“Oh? I don’t believe it~” Liao Xinyi scoffed, dismissing the warning outright.

In her eyes, this was nothing more than a blatant lie, an excuse conjured by another woman unwilling to see her lover stolen away.

Caught between the two women, Li Chunsheng found himself in a difficult predicament. If he offended Liao Xinyi, his entire scheme to swindle money would be ruined.

However, Li Chunsheng trusted Liuxia more. Something must certainly be happening!

[‘Forget it, if persuasion doesn’t work, maybe I’ll have to consider a harder approach later? Like robbing her under the cover of darkness? Though that’s a bit risky…’]

“Miss Liao, please let go… If there’s a chance, we can always reschedule our date.” Li Chunsheng tried to soothe Liao Xinyi with the gentlest tone he could muster.

A look of humiliation contorted Liao Xinyi’s face, her eyes filled with both grievance and fury as she stared at Li Chunsheng.

[‘It’s over. It seems there won’t be another chance to swindle money from her.’]

Just then, a mocking voice drifted from nearby.

“Xinyi, release Young Master Li. His companion isn’t wrong… there truly is danger now.”

“And dangerous Goblins, at that.” It was Investigator Liao who had arrived, now gazing meaningfully at Liuxia and Li Chunsheng.

“Eh? Father…?” Her father, whom she’d constantly complained about never seeing, had suddenly appeared. For a moment, Liao Xinyi even forgot to call him ‘old geezer.’ “…Goblins? What on earth is going on?”

“Xinyi… come over here first.”

It had to be said, despite Liao Xinyi calling her father an ‘old geezer’ on the phone, now face-to-face, the bewildered girl instinctively obeyed her father’s words.

A hint of reluctance on her face, she walked towards her father, casting a fierce glare at both Liuxia and Li Chunsheng.

By now, Liuxia’s face had turned pale. The moment Li Chunsheng saw Investigator Liao, he understood what was happening, his fists subtly clenching as he prepared for battle.

Suddenly!

Halfway to Investigator Liao, Liao Xinyi’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground.

In that very instant, an alarm bell suddenly rang out in both Liuxia’s and Li Chunsheng’s hearts.

However, their vigilance proved useless. Liao Xinyi’s collapse acted as a signal, instantly draining all color from the world.

Only boundless darkness remained.

Black. A darkness akin to death.

It was as if the Holy Light had yet to manifest, before the very dawn of creation.

Yet, sound was not swallowed by this gloom; instead, it amplified the frantic, accelerating beats of Li Chunsheng’s and Liuxia’s hearts.

Liuxia’s palm, clasped around Li Chunsheng’s, was already slick with cold sweat. She knew this phenomenon all too well; she had fallen victim to this very technique before.

“Be careful, that person has some kind of invisible attack that can penetrate flesh!”

“God said, ‘Let there be light!'” In the pervasive darkness, Investigator Liao softly recited a scripture from the Holy Temple’s sacred texts.

The next moment, blinding light erupted in both Liuxia’s and Li Chunsheng’s eyes.

‘Is it dawn?’

No, it was a dazzling ray, hurtling towards them at an alarming speed!