They arrived at Xiao Mei's house as dusk approached. It was a simple, small house with wooden walls that had darkened with age, a neat thatched roof, and a small vegetable garden beside it. A faint oil lamp glowed inside, creating a warm feeling that made Han Lie nostalgic for his childhood with his parents.
"Xiao Mei! Thank goodness you're safe!"
A middle-aged man with a worried face ran out, his expression instantly changing to one of immense relief. His face was rough and weathered from the sun, his hands calloused—the mark of a hard-working farmer. He hugged his daughter tightly, as if he couldn't believe his child had returned safely.
"Father! I'm fine! It's all thanks to Brother Han Lie!" Xiao Mei pointed at Han Lie, her eyes sparkling with pride. "He saved me from a terrifying wolf!"
Xiao Mei's father turned to Han Lie, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You... you saved my daughter?"
Han Lie nodded with a genuine smile. "I just happened to be passing by when she was in danger."
"It wasn't a coincidence!" Xiao Mei exclaimed. "Brother Han Lie is a true hero! He easily defeated an iron wolf!"
The man fell silent for a moment, then suddenly knelt before Han Lie. "Young Master, thank you! How can I ever repay this kindness? Xiao Mei is the only one I have left after my wife fell ill..."
"Father, don't kneel!" Han Lie quickly helped the man to his feet. "I don't need any repayment. This is my duty as... as a cultivator."
The word 'cultivator' felt foreign on his tongue, but it also gave him a sense of pride he had never felt before.
"At least, please come inside for a moment. My wife will surely want to thank our daughter's savior."
Han Lie wanted to refuse, but the pleading eyes of the father and daughter made him unable to do so. "Alright, but only for a moment."
Their house was simple but clean. The wooden furniture was old but well-maintained, the dirt floor was neatly swept, and the aroma of vegetable soup was comforting. In the corner of the room, a thin woman lay on a straw mat, her face pale but her eyes still warm.
"Mother, look! This is Brother Han Lie who saved me!" Xiao Mei ran to her mother excitedly.
The woman smiled weakly. "Thank you, young master. I don't know how I can ever repay your kindness..."
"No repayment is necessary, Auntie. I'm just glad I could help."
Han Lie sat for a moment, making light conversation with the small family. They talked about their simple lives—the father who worked hard in the fields, the mother who was sick but still cheerful, and Xiao Mei who dreamed of one day going to the big city.
"Brother Han Lie must be from a respectable cultivator family, right?" Xiao Mei asked innocently.
Han Lie fell silent. How could he explain that he was actually 'Han Lie the Trash' despised by the entire village?
"I... I'm just an ordinary cultivator," he answered softly.
"But you're so strong! And most importantly, you have a good heart!"
The conversation continued in a warmth that made Han Lie feel like he had a family again. It had been so long since he had felt this kind of acceptance and warmth.
[YOUR REWARD HAS ARRIVED]
The system's voice suddenly appeared in his head, making Han Lie flinch slightly.
[HOWEVER... THERE IS A SLIGHTLY... INTERESTING COMPLICATION]
"I'm sorry, I have to go," Han Lie stood up with a forced smile. "It's getting too late."
"Brother, when can we see you again?" Xiao Mei asked with eyes full of hope.
"There will surely be an opportunity," Han Lie lovingly ruffled the little girl's hair. "Take good care of your mother."
After saying his goodbyes, Han Lie walked away from the house with a warm feeling in his chest. But the system's voice from earlier made him uneasy.
"What complication?" he asked inwardly, once he was sure he was far enough away.
[THE MISSION YOU COMPLETED...]
[NEVER EXISTED]
Han Lie stopped walking. "What do you mean?"
[THE GIRL WAS NEVER IN ANY REAL DANGER]
[THAT WOLF WAS AN ILLUSION I CREATED]
[JUST TO... TEST YOU]
Han Lie's blood seemed to freeze. "An illusion? But... but I clearly saw and touched the wolf!"
[MY ILLUSIONS ARE VERY... REALISTIC]
[BUT THAT'S NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART]
[THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS...]
Suddenly, a heartbreaking scream echoed from the direction of Xiao Mei's family's house.
"NO! XIAO MEI!"
Han Lie ran back in a panic, his heart pounding. The sight that greeted him made his world seem to collapse.
Xiao Mei lay on the ground with her eyes wide and empty, black foam coming from her mouth. Her small body convulsed, then went still forever.
"XIAO MEI!" Han Lie knelt beside the little girl, shaking her cold body. "Wake up! This can't be!"
"MY CHILD! MY DAUGHTER!" Xiao Mei's father cried hysterically, hugging his lifeless child's body. "WHAT HAPPENED?! SHE WAS FINE A MOMENT AGO!"
Her sick mother fell from the bed, crawling towards her daughter, crying in despair. "Xiao Mei... my baby... why..."
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST]
The system's voice echoed with a satisfied and chilling tone.
[YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE MISSION WITH... PERFECT SUCCESS]
"SUCCESS?!" Han Lie screamed hysterically, tears streaming down his face. "THIS LITTLE GIRL IS DEAD! THIS IS NOT SUCCESS!"
[THAT IS THE PRICE OF THE POWER YOU USED]
[NOTHING IS FREE IN THIS WORLD, NAIVE HOST]
[EVERY TIME YOU USE QI FROM THE SYSTEM...]
[THE NEAREST SOUL PAYS THE PRICE]
Han Lie felt his entire world shatter. "No... it can't be... I... I killed her?"
[NOT KILLED]
[MORE ACCURATELY... SACRIFICED]
[A SACRIFICE FOR YOUR POWER]
"YOU MONSTER!" Han Lie screamed, hitting the ground with his fists. "YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME FROM THE START!"
[AND RUIN THE SURPRISE? THAT WOULDN'T BE FUN]
[BESIDES... YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CHOSE THIS]
[YOU SAID YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING TO BECOME STRONG]
"NOT THIS WAY!"
Han Lie hugged Xiao Mei's cold body, his chest so tight he could barely breathe. The little girl who had just smiled sweetly at him, who called him a hero, who dreamed of becoming a good cultivator... was now dead because of his actions.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered to the lifeless body. "I'm sorry, Xiao Mei..."
[DON'T BE SAD, HOST]
[THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING]
[THERE ARE STILL MANY MORE... SACRIFICES... AWAITING]
The system's terrifying laughter echoed in his head, while the desperate cries of Xiao Mei's parents filled the dark night.
Han Lie realized he had just sold his soul to something far more evil than he could have ever imagined. And most terrifying of all...
He could no longer go back.
[THE NEXT MISSION WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY]
[PREPARE YOURSELF FOR... A DEEPER... LESSON]