The cafe owner had never been a fan of any celebrity and couldn’t understand the feeling of being so excited upon seeing one’s idol that one could faint. But at this moment, she was indeed having trouble breathing, her mind was blank, and she vaguely felt like she was about to pass out and collapse.
“…” Chu He looked at her, thinking he hadn’t made himself clear. He smiled and repeated, “Excuse me, would five minutes of your time be alright?”
—The Phoenix Wisdom King had completely forgotten the last time he had smiled before the lotus throne, causing eighteen golden-bodied Arhats to faint on the spot, and even the Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King had fumbled and dropped his battle-axe on his own leg.
The owner’s eyes stared at him without moving. She seemed to want to say something but couldn’t make a sound. After a long moment, she swayed a few times and fell to the floor with a thud, motionless.
The Phoenix Wisdom King: “…”
In the completely frozen scene, Zhou Hui rose from his seat, walked across the dead-silent cafe, took Chu He’s hand, pulled him back to his seat, and casually grabbed a hat from a young girl at the next table to put on his head.
“You lose,” he said with a smile.
Chu He didn’t say a word, sitting there with a blank expression, refusing to communicate with the outside world.
Zhou Hui understood the principle of not pursuing a desperate enemy and didn’t press him at this moment. He just smiled, turned around, and snapped his fingers. With a snap, the entire cafe was as if a switch had been flipped on. Everyone woke up as if from a dream, looking around in a daze, not knowing what had just happened.
Zhou Hui pulled the brim of Chu He’s hat down a little more before turning to walk to the counter. The way he walked was like a wild leopard strolling through the jungle—leisurely, agile, and powerful. Although it attracted many gazes, it wasn’t as exaggerated as the descent of the Phoenix Wisdom King’s true form.
When he reached the counter, the owner was just getting up from the floor, looking utterly confused as to how she had just fallen.
Zhou Hui reached out to help her up, his smile seeming to have crushed the most brilliant summer sunlight. The rich scent of hormones made her blush and her heart pound. Even his voice was magnetic when he spoke. “Hello—”
The owner, blushing furiously, tucked her hair. In that instant, she rediscovered the feeling of her eighteen-year-old self. “H-hello, how can I help you?”
“Yes, I’d like to ask you about someone.” Zhou Hui took out the photo to show her, saying politely, “These are two of my friends. Can we talk in the kitchen in the back?”
As he turned, Zhou Hui made a victory sign behind his back. Chu He turned his face away, pretending not to see.
At the same time, on the top floor of the office building above the cafe, Liao Liang sat in a luxurious office with floor-to-ceiling windows and a viewing platform, staring motionlessly at the photo frame.
The photo was old, the tear mark curved and slightly wrinkled, showing how carefully it had been torn back then, for fear of damaging even a corner of that person’s clothes. He caressed the cold glass of the frame. The hot tears that had once fallen on this photo were long gone, yet he could still remember that late night, driving his car to the top of the mountain and sitting alone for the entire night, the pain and despair that chilled him to the bone with the night wind.
There is a kind of pain that does not fade with time. It stays with you, rooted deep in your soul, growing endlessly as time goes by.
“You should go down,” a cold female voice suddenly sounded in the empty office.
Liao Liang looked up numbly. A small mirror stood abruptly on the edge of his desk, reflecting a woman’s face.
She was a very beautiful woman with a full head of long silver hair, her features rich with charm. Even with a frosty expression, it couldn’t diminish her allure. However, Liao Liang’s gaze didn’t change as he looked at her. He only said hoarsely, “Do I have to go?”
“You’ve collected too little soul and yang energy these past few days. If you drag this on any longer, Lu Xiaochen’s body will decay. The corpse preservation technology in the human realm still has many limitations.”
Liao Liang hesitated slightly. “But I heard that Team Leader Feng Si was once a Wisdom King of the Heavenly Dao, and his power is very strong…”
“Precisely because of that, his soul and yang energy are enough for what you need.” The woman paused, then switched to a seductive tone. “Don’t worry, there are differences among the Wisdom Kings of the Heavenly Dao. Although the Phoenix is an ancient divine bird, he was granted the title of Wisdom King because he was raised by the Buddha. His combat power is not as domineering as that of the five great esoteric Wisdom Kings. Plus, his divine bird true form has been destroyed. He is now at his weakest in thousands of years, not as difficult to deal with as you imagine.”
“But if he gets angry…”
“You just need to separate a wisp of soul from his mortal body, not kill him. What’s so difficult about that? Besides, I’ll be here to help you if anything happens. If you still hesitate, we’ll run out of time.”
A struggling expression appeared on Liao Liang’s face. “But last time, that MB from the bar turned into a jumping corpse and even alerted that legendary Team Leader Zhou—”
At the mention of Zhou Hui, the woman suddenly fell silent, a complex light flickering in her eyes.
After a long moment, she said coldly, “There are always accidents when extracting a soul. I’m only helping you out of shared misery, but if you’re timid about everything, then don’t do anything at all.”
Liao Liang gritted his teeth for a moment, seemingly engaged in a fierce mental struggle. After a long while, his gaze fell on the photo frame in his hand. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently. The pain and longing of unrequited love finally forced him to make a decision.
“I’ll go.” He stood up straight. “It’s already started, it can’t end… I’ll go.”
In the cafe’s back kitchen, the owner sat across from Zhou Hui, her face glowing, her voice at least three times softer than usual. “These two? I remember them. You know there’s a Liao’s Risk Assessment company in this building, right? The boss is said to have a strong background, a ‘red third-generation’ or a military family descendant or something? Every time he comes to buy coffee, the young girls here rush to serve him. Then one day, Boss Liao came over with these two people from the photo, and they actually got into a fight…”
Zhou Hui was surprised. “How did they start fighting?”
“I don’t know. The three of them were sitting in the back talking, and they all looked upset, like they were about to argue. We didn’t dare go over to listen. Then halfway through, these two young men stood up to leave, and Boss Liao grabbed this one—” The owner pointed to Lu Xiaochen in the photo. “After he grabbed this one, the other one turned around and punched Boss Liao in the face, and then they started fighting.”
She looked around to see if anyone was listening, then leaned in to gossip. “From what I see, these two young men are a couple. They were holding hands when they came in. As for that guy Liao, he probably really likes one of them, but couldn’t hold on to him and got hit by the other one instead. Oh my, they knocked over tables and chairs all over the place that day, even the police came…”
“Did they take everyone away?” Zhou Hui asked.
“How could they? That Boss Liao is a ‘red third-generation’.” The owner pointed to Bo Chao in the photo. “They only took away this one who started the fight. The police were very polite to the guy surnamed Liao.”
Zhou Hui grunted, pointing at Lu Xiaochen. “Then what about this one? Did he leave with the guy surnamed Liao?”
“No, after the police left, he punched the guy surnamed Liao and then rushed out.”
The owner seemed to be savoring the gossip about the same-sex love triangle, not even caring much about the tables and chairs that were damaged that day. She just kept pressing Zhou Hui, “Are these two really your friends? What happened later? Did that guy Liao break them up?”
Zhou Hui looked at the photo in silence. In it, the two young men smiled at each other, carefree. They should have had a bright future and a happy life.
“No, they’re both dead.” He sighed and murmured, “Some lovers can’t be broken apart.”
He reached out and snapped his fingers in front of the owner’s face. She blinked, her gaze then becoming dazed, her mind groggy. She slowly slumped onto the table and began to breathe evenly.
Zhou Hui stood up and walked out. Suddenly, his phone rang in his pocket. He looked at the number, answered, and asked, “Hou San?”
“Deputy Chief Yu and his team found the warehouse Feng Si calculated. It’s indeed not far from the Liao’s house. I was just wandering around inside,” Situ Yingzhi’s voice came from the other end of the line, full of clicks of his tongue. “Damn, you should really come see this—there’s blood all over the floor and walls. How could two people bleed that much?”
“—Two people?”
“Yeah, not only did that Lu Xiaochen you were investigating die here, but they just found Bo Chao’s body in the concrete wall. It’s almost completely decomposed, probably been dead for two months. Tsk tsk, so pitiful… I don’t know much about this, but the police Deputy Chief Yu called in said this warehouse was the primary crime scene for Bo Chao’s murder. As for Lu Xiaochen, they’re not sure.”
Zhou Hui frowned. “Why not sure?”
“There’s no body. Only Bo Chao was in the concrete wall, not Lu Xiaochen. What a pair of tragic lovers…”
Zhou Hui was thoughtful, remembering that Bo Chao was murdered two months ago, while Lu Xiaochen died a month ago. Coincidentally, the location of death was the same. He seemed to have figured something out.
“Lu Xiaochen’s body was probably taken away by that guy Liao for some dark magic.” He paused, then said in a deep voice, “Randomly pick two sharp young men from Team One and have them investigate Liao Liang’s whereabouts for the past month. I suspect that besides that jumping corpse, he has killed more people.”
In the cafe booth, Chu He looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Mr. Liao?”
Liao Liang was dressed in a well-tailored, crisp suit, looking much more presentable than the restless figure at the Liao residence the other day. It seemed the saying “fine feathers make fine birds” was true. However, even the best attire couldn’t hide his haggard complexion. Perhaps due to sleepless nights, there were even heavy dark circles under his eyes.
“Team Leader Feng Si,” he smiled a bit unnaturally. “What are you doing here? My office is just upstairs. I came down for a cup of coffee. What a coincidence.”
Chu He put down his phone, leaned back gently in his chair, and scrutinized the man in front of him for a long moment before asking, “How did you recognize me?”
—The true appearance of the Phoenix Wisdom King was truly stunning, but with beauty came a cold, oppressive aura.
Liao Liang’s pinky finger twitched reflexively. He then seemingly nonchalantly pressed his hand on the table and smiled. “A few years ago, before you left the Special Affairs Department, we met once from a distance at the Military Commission. I was fortunate enough to witness your true form. But I was just a student back then, and I look very different now. It’s normal that you don’t remember.”
He took the menu clipped to the side of the table. “What would you like to order? My treat.”
Chu He said, “No need.”
Liao Liang ordered a mocha for himself, returned the menu to the waiter, and then said, “Actually, I’ve been wanting to treat you to a meal to express my gratitude. If it weren’t for you that day, I would have been… by the jumping corpse. I even caused you to get injured. How is your hand now?”
“It’s fine,” Chu He said casually. “You paid two million, you don’t need to treat me again.”
“No, no, that’s different. It’s not like I can just let you get hurt because I paid…”
Liao Liang suddenly fumbled for words.
Normally, one shouldn’t use a formal address here. Whether trying to get closer or intentionally seducing, using “you” in the formal sense made the whole atmosphere awkward.
However, Liao Liang was too rich and powerful. He only ever had to lift a finger, and a large number of beautiful men and women would actively crawl over to flirt with him, so he wasn’t actually very skilled at hitting on people. Moreover, even in Chu He’s weakened state, his entire presence was superior to his. He couldn’t bring himself to address him as an equal.
Liao Liang hesitated slightly. The cold little mirror in his pocket moved, as if urging him on.
“I… once invested in a French restaurant in Wangfujing. The red wine and seafood there are quite good.” Liao Liang steeled himself and forced a smile. “This weekend, how about it? Do you have time?”
Chu He stared at him, adjusting to a more comfortable sitting position, as if he was just now finding this a little interesting.
“I don’t have time,” he said slowly, then interrupted Liao Liang just as he was about to speak eagerly. “Mr. Liao, forgive me for being blunt, but the way you are now…”
He paused, then said with great interest, “Are you trying to seduce me?”
The waiter came over to deliver the mocha, placing the cup in front of Liao Liang. He didn’t react, just stared at Chu He in astonishment.
From any angle, Chu He did not seem like a person who was sensitive to emotions.
Whether in his human form or his true form, his naturally cold expression came from the bottom of his heart. He should be the type who was very closed off, too lazy to care about his surroundings. Even if admirers knelt at his feet in worship, he shouldn’t have paid them any attention.
“How could you…” Liao Liang said, embarrassed.
“You probably have some misunderstanding about me,” Chu He looked at him, seeming to find it very amusing. “I’ve seen many people like you. Most of them are more powerful and influential than you, and you are at most a clumsy imitator… No need to blush. I’ll forget about it in a couple of days. It’s fine.”
Liao Liang was at a loss, subconsciously covering his pocket.
The icy temperature of the mirror sent a jolt through him, and the cold helped him regain a sliver of composure. He then remembered the yellowed old photo in his office upstairs.
—Indeed, he and that person had never had a photo alone. The only photo they had together was a collage created after tearing Bo Chao out from the middle.
This sad fact suddenly gave rise to a desperate courage from his predicament.
“…Actually, I wanted to ask you out alone for another matter…” Liao Liang said slowly, swallowing hard.
“Someone who helped me asked me to give you a message.”
He grabbed the mirror, took it out of his pocket, and held it out to Chu He.
This simple action seemed somewhat strange because the hand holding the mirror was trembling slightly. Due to the excessive force, the tips of his nails had even turned white.
Chu He looked down at the surface of the mirror.
In that instant, Liao Liang was almost prepared for this legendary Phoenix Wisdom King to rise in fury and, like a master in a martial arts novel, slap him to death in broad daylight. He knew that the mysterious goddess in the mirror was strong, but whether she could handle the Phoenix Wisdom King was something only God knew.
Liao Liang’s face was very strange due to his stiffness. However, Chu He then looked up, his expression as usual. “—I’ve seen Zhou Hui’s naked body, and the female lead is also an acquaintance, but shouldn’t this kind of bed photo be used to blackmail Zhou Hui?”
He pointed to the entangled man and woman on the mirror’s surface. “What are you showing it to me for?”
Liao Liang didn’t fully understand the mirror’s mystery. He looked down in astonishment, but the mirror’s surface suddenly changed, becoming a beautiful goddess with long silver hair.
Her impression on Liao Liang had always been very cold, not the kind of indifference Chu He had where he wasn’t interested in anything and was therefore easygoing about everything, but a true, piercing cold, as if she were constantly wrapped in an aura of wind and snow.
But now, her gaze towards Chu He had something different in it. A strong aversion and hatred seemed to overflow from the coldness, making the light flickering in her eyes even more chilling. “This mirror can show people the most hidden fears in their hearts.” She gave a strange smile. “Long time no see, Phoenix Wisdom King. So what did you just see?”
Chu He met her gaze. For a few seconds, neither of them moved. Then, he suddenly struck, thrusting fiercely at the throat of the goddess in the mirror!
However, the Snow Mountain Goddess was faster. The mirror instantly shattered into countless fragments, and from the flying pieces, a fair hand shot out, brushing past Chu He’s fingertips like lightning.
—It was truly a very, very slight, almost imperceptible touch.
But the next second, a wisp of halo, as red as blood, was drawn out from Chu He’s body at his fingertip, and in an instant, it disappeared into the mirror fragments.
“Shakti—!” Chu He rose in fury. Everyone in the cafe turned to look in astonishment. The next second, Zhou Hui pressed down on his shoulder from behind and, with a single palm strike, turned all the mirror fragments in mid-air to dust!
—Boom!
A howling hurricane rose from the ground, instantly shaking the entire building. In the violent turmoil, everyone screamed and fell to the ground. A blizzard swept up the dumbfounded Liao Liang and, in the nick of time, slammed through the wall, disappearing into the street out of thin air!
Chu He took two steps in pursuit, then stopped at the edge of the collapsed wall.
On the street, car alarms blared. Pedestrians stopped in terror, and countless cars honked their horns piercingly. Inside the cafe, everyone was hiding under the tables, trembling and afraid to move.
“Liao Liang wants to revive his lover who committed suicide, so the Snow Mountain Goddess, Shakti, offered to help him, using him to get close to you and take the opportunity to steal a wisp of your true fire from your soul.” Zhou Hui came up from behind Chu He, forcefully patting the dust off his clothes, and said coldly, “They must have gone to the Liao’s house. Damn it, that unlucky first love’s body must be hidden there.”
Chu He panted slightly and asked, “Did you see that mirror?”
“I saw it,” Zhou Hui said lightly. “It wasn’t… what you imagined. What about you?”
Chu He didn’t answer immediately.
He was silent for a moment before saying, “…It wasn’t what I thought it would be either.”
