Han Lie's hand trembled violently, just inches from Xiao Mei's father's neck. Time seemed to stop—he could hear his own heart pounding like a death drum, smell the lingering incense from Xiao Mei's small altar, and feel the warmth of the old man's body so close to him.
"Young Master..." Xiao Mei's father whispered in a gentle voice, his eyes filled with concern, not fear. "You're sweating. Do you have a fever?"
The man's kindness was like a knife slicing into Han Lie's heart. Even when facing a threat, this man was still thinking about his well-being.
He doesn't deserve to die, Han Lie's small heart screamed in despair. He's a good, hardworking father, he never hurt anyone...
[BUT HE WILL LIVE IN SUFFERING FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE]
[SEEING HIS CHILD DIE EVERY DAY IN HIS DREAMS]
[IS THAT MORE HUMANE?]
[6 HOURS 45 MINUTES REMAIN]
The system's qi flowed more intensely through Han Lie's body, forcing his muscles to move. But there was something strange—this time, Han Lie felt a different sensation. Not just power, but also... a cold tranquility.
The voices screaming in his head began to weaken. The guilt that was gripping his chest slowly faded. Everything started to feel... unimportant.
Maybe the system is right, the foreign thought infiltrated his brain. Maybe death is a mercy. After all, I already killed his daughter. What difference does it make to kill her father too?
"NO!" Han Lie screamed at himself, trying to fight against these dark thoughts. "This isn't me thinking this!"
[THIS ISN'T THE OLD YOU]
[THIS IS THE NEW YOU]
[THE MORE... REALISTIC YOU]
Suddenly, Han Lie felt something terrifying. The emotional pain that had been gripping his chest—the regret, the guilt, the sadness—all of it slowly disappeared. Replaced by a cold emptiness.
"What are you doing to me?" he whispered in a panic.
[I AM FREEING YOU FROM THE BURDEN OF UNNECESSARY EMOTIONS]
[ISN'T THIS MORE COMFORTABLE?]
And it was true. Han Lie felt a tranquility he had never experienced before. There was no more pain tearing at his chest. No more crying in his heart for Xiao Mei. There was just... a peaceful emptiness.
"Young Master?" Xiao Mei's father called again, his voice a little worried now that Han Lie had been silent for too long.
Han Lie raised his head and looked at the old man. Strangely, he no longer saw a grieving father. He only saw... a target.
A target that must be eliminated to avoid punishment.
The thought came naturally, as if it were a logical and reasonable thing.
"I'm sorry," Han Lie said in a voice that was suddenly flat and cold. "I'm not doing well."
"Then you should rest here tonight. I will—"
Han Lie moved.
With a speed he had never possessed before, his hand shot forward and grabbed Xiao Mei's father's neck. His grip was strong—strong enough to restrict airflow but not to kill instantly.
"Wha... what..." the old man's eyes widened in shock.
"Ssh," Han Lie said in a strangely soft voice. "This won't hurt for long."
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Xiao Mei's mother, who was still lying weakly on the floor, too sick and shocked to react quickly.
[GOOD, HOST]
[FEEL HOW EASY IT IS WHEN EMOTIONS DON'T GET IN THE WAY]
And it was true. Without the emotional burden, everything felt so simple. Like solving a math problem—there's a problem, there's a solution, you just have to execute.
Xiao Mei's father tried to struggle, his hands clawing at Han Lie's arm, but his strength was no match for the qi flowing through Han Lie's body.
"Why..." his voice was choked. "Why... you..."
"Because I have to," Han Lie answered in a tone as if he were explaining the weather. "There's no other choice."
The old man's eyes began to well up with tears, but not from lack of oxygen. The tears flowed from the betrayal he felt.
"I... I trusted... you..." he whispered with great difficulty.
For a moment, something twitched in Han Lie's chest. A hint of guilt trying to resurface.
[DON'T LET EMOTIONS WEAKEN YOU]
[FINISH THIS]
Han Lie tightened his grip. But instead of feeling nauseous or crying like he should have, he felt... a strange satisfaction. Satisfaction from efficiently completing a task.
This is wrong, a small voice in his head whispered. This is so wrong...
But the voice sounded very distant, like an echo from a different world.
"Father!" his mother's weak voice came from the floor. The woman was trying to crawl toward her husband with the last of her strength.
Han Lie turned to her with an empty gaze. "You will be joining him soon."
The words came out of his mouth naturally, as if he were simply stating that it was going to rain.
Xiao Mei's mother looked at him with eyes full of terror. "Who... who are you, really?"
"Me?" Han Lie considered the question while continuing to choke the woman's husband. "I am Han Lie. The cultivator who will become strong."
[5 HOURS 12 MINUTES REMAIN]
[MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME]
Xiao Mei's father began to go limp. His resistance weakened, his hands that were clawing before now hung limply.
"Just a little longer," Han Lie said in an almost soothing voice. "Soon the pain will be over."
And at that moment, Han Lie realized something terrifying.
He felt nothing.
No nausea. No trembling. No tears.
Just a cold void.
I have become a monster, the thought came with frightening clarity. And I don't care.
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST]
[YOU HAVE PASSED THE FIRST TRIAL]
[WELCOME TO A WORLD WITHOUT COMPASSION]
With one final motion, Han Lie completely cut off the airflow.
Xiao Mei's father took his last breath with his eyes still on Han Lie—not with hatred, but with deep sadness.
Sadness for a young man who had lost his soul.
[MISSION SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED]
[REWARD IS BEING PROCESSED...]
Han Lie released his grip and let the old man's body fall to the floor with a dull thud. He looked at his own hand—the hand that had just taken an innocent life—and felt nothing.
Only satisfaction that the task was done.
[NOW THE MOTHER]
[TO COMPLETE THE SET]
Han Lie turned to Xiao Mei's mother, who was still looking at him with eyes full of terror.
"Now it's your turn," he said in an icy tone.
And for the first time since this night began...
Han Lie smiled.