NOVPUBLiu Yin pressed a hand to her neck, then looked down at the blood staining her palm, her mind blank. She was just an ordinary person—how could she have experienced anything like this? When someone yanked her backward with brute force, her instincts kicked in, and she clutched her terrified, sobbing son to her chest.
Just moments ago, she had nearly been slit across the throat. At the critical moment, a group of people suddenly appeared and pulled her away. The attacker, seeing his strike had missed, didn’t linger—he turned and fled.
The room was too cramped for a fight, so only two men stayed behind to guard Liu Yin and her son while the rest gave chase.
"Your house has been ransacked."
As Liu Yin stood frozen, clutching her bleeding neck, a figure stepped inside.
Black hair, green eyes, dressed in a cropped top and high-waisted wide-leg pants, the silver chain at her waist swaying with every movement—her appearance was utterly out of place in the shabby room.
Ji Nian walked in, holding something in her hand. She crouched in front of Liu Yin, gesturing for her to move her hand away from the wound, then sprayed a fine mist over the cut.
It stung, but only for a second.
Seeing Ji Nian, Liu Yin finally snapped back to reality. Trembling uncontrollably, her teeth chattering so hard she nearly bit her tongue, she stammered, "H-He… came to kill me… the thing—"
Her words were a jumbled mess, but Ji Nian understood.
"Yes. He was after it."
"Our earlier conversation must have been overheard."
Liu Yin’s eyes widened in horror. "Why… why? Why?!"
What had Wang Zhiping done to bring such danger upon them?
"Take it… just take it!"
Tears streamed down Liu Yin’s face, a mix of grief over her husband’s death and sheer terror pushing her to the brink of hysteria. She knew Ji Nian had come for the same reason—maybe tonight’s attack had even been staged to scare her. But none of that mattered anymore.
The lingering sting on her neck was a stark reminder: she had almost died.
Now fully aware of the danger, she no longer cared about the consequences. For her and her son’s sake, she had to get rid of this cursed thing.
Ji Nian finished treating the wound, her expression unreadable. She merely glanced at one of the bodyguards, signaling him to retrieve the item from where Liu Yin had indicated.
Through her tears, Liu Yin caught a glimpse of Ji Nian’s profile—unnervingly composed for someone so young. A fresh wave of fear gripped her.
It suddenly struck her: this girl had never introduced herself or explained who she was. And despite the horrifying scene, she remained as calm as if nothing had happened.
What kind of person could command a group of burly men at such a young age?
What kind of family raised a child like this?
These were questions far beyond the understanding of an ordinary woman like her.
Liu Yin lowered her gaze, tightening her arms around her exhausted son, who had cried himself to sleep, and fell silent.
"Nothing there."
The man returned empty-handed, reporting to Ji Nian.
Before Ji Nian could react, Liu Yin gasped, "Im… impossible!"
Setting her son down on the bed, she stumbled toward the other room. The house was in complete disarray, as if ransacked by thieves—yet she hadn’t heard a thing.
"I… I hid it right here!"
She stared at the space beneath the cabinet, now exposed. A wooden plank that had once concealed the spot had been pried away, revealing an empty hole that seemed to mock her.
Ji Nian stepped closer, her gaze darkening.
Someone had beaten them to it.
Leaving two men to protect Liu Yin and her son, Ji Nian went to find You Er.
"Dead."
What You Er had caught was a corpse.
Ji Nian sat on a small stool. "He had accomplices. They took it."
You Er glanced in a certain direction.
"I’ll send men after them."
He had a rough idea of which way they’d gone.
"Ask Liu Yin what exactly Sun Xiao left behind."
"And where’s the body?"
You Er hesitated, then caught himself. No matter her age, this fourteen-year-old girl was his superior for this mission.
"Take the young lady there," he instructed one of his subordinates before heading back inside.
In this weather, the corpse couldn’t be preserved or transported. They’d have to call the police to retrieve it later.
To avoid alarming the villagers, the body had been left where it fell—in a patch of overgrown weeds, swarming with insects. Even with lanterns, the area was pitch-black, the ground nearly impassable. The subordinate eyed the rough terrain and asked if Ji Nian needed to be carried.
She waved him off, stepping forward and brushing aside the tall grass with her legs. When a bug flew at her, she smacked it away without hesitation. The petite girl moved steadily through the mess, not a single complaint.
The area around the body had been cleared slightly for her arrival.
Kneeling beside the corpse, Ji Nian took a flashlight from one of the men and gestured.
The surrounding guards immediately formed a perimeter, turning their backs.
She examined the dead man’s face—purple and contorted, foam at the corners of his mouth. Poison. Suicide.
[Just like in the movies.]
Ji Nian shrugged, pulling a syringe from the pouch at her waist and drawing a vial of blood.
[Remind me to have this sent back immediately.]
The system acknowledged with a hum.
A shame they hadn’t gotten the item.
Now, their only hope was that You Er’s men could intercept the thieves—or that Liu Yin would reveal exactly what they were after.
...
Clutching the metal box, the thief darted through the shadows, narrowly avoiding detection multiple times. His flexible body twisted into impossible shapes, allowing him to slip through tight spaces.
The main road out of the village was too risky—it had to be guarded.
So he chose another path, smugly congratulating himself. Truly, he was born for this. The organization was lucky to have him.
Maybe they’d reward him with an extra bottle of nutrients when he got back.
After an exhausting journey, he finally reached the rendezvous point at dawn, panting as he handed over the box.
"Got it."
The contact didn’t ask why he was alone.
"You’ve done well. I’ll report your success."
With that, he pried open the tin cookie box to inspect the contents.
The lid came off with a few twists. Both men leaned in eagerly—
Only to find a smeared, mushy lump of feces, its foul traces coating the entire interior from the rough journey.
The two men: "…………………………"
