Han Lie walked casually along the deserted village road, his hands in his pockets, a faint smile still on his face. The firelight in the distance cast dancing shadows on his face, creating a chilling silhouette in the dark night.
Behind him, a commotion began to arise. Villagers awakened by the sight of the fire started running with buckets of water, shouting in panic about the sudden blaze.
"Fire! Fire at the Zhou family's house!"
"Quick! Bring as much water as you can!"
"I hope they're safe..."
Han Lie heard the shouts without turning back. His expression was flat, as if the commotion had nothing to do with him.
[HOW DO YOU FEEL, HOST?]
[HEARING THE PANIC OF THOSE WHO ARE UNAWARE?]
"Amusing," Han Lie replied in a light tone. "Like watching a play with bad acting."
[EXCELLENT]
[YOU ARE... EVOLVING]
Han Lie reached his dilapidated shack just as dawn was breaking. The small house that once made him feel ashamed now seemed... irrelevant. Just a temporary transit point before he got something more suitable.
He pushed the creaking door and entered. Everything looked the same—the hard straw mat, the leaky walls, the uneven dirt floor. But Han Lie himself had changed completely.
[NOW IS THE TIME FOR... A SMALL REFLECTION]
The status panel reappeared, showing the progress he had made:
[PROGRESS TONIGHT:]
[- CULTIVATION: LAYER 1 → LAYER 3]
[- PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 1 → 25]
[- KILLS: 0 → 2]
[- SANITY: 100 → 45]
[- NEW ABILITIES: DEATH SENSE, PERFECT LIE]
Han Lie read the statistics while sitting on his straw mat. The numbers felt like a score in a very interesting game.
"Impressive progress for one night," he commented, admiring his own hand which now flowed with qi smoothly.
[AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING]
[BUT NOW... IT'S TIME TO FACE THE FIRST CONSEQUENCE]
Han Lie frowned. "Consequence?"
[YOU DIDN'T THINK A TRIPLE MURDER COULD GO UNNOTICED... DID YOU?]
As if answering the system's question, the sound of heavy footsteps approached from outside. Many people, moving in an orderly formation.
"Han Lie!" a loud voice thundered from outside. "Come out now!"
Han Lie peeked through a crack in the window. Outside his shack, about ten people had gathered—including the village chief, several local cultivators, and most notably... a tall man wearing a blue robe with a Phoenix Sect emblem.
An investigator from a major sect, Han Lie identified with his new ability. He could sense the man's power—Foundation Establishment Realm Layer 7. Much stronger than him.
But strangely, Han Lie felt no fear. Only... interest.
[INTERESTING]
[THEY CAME FASTER THAN EXPECTED]
[THIS WILL BE... THE FIRST TEST OF YOUR NEW ABILITIES]
Han Lie opened the door with a perfectly crafted confused expression. "Village Chief Chen? What is all this?"
The village chief—a plump man in his fifties—looked at Han Lie with suspicious eyes. "Han Lie, where were you last night?"
"Here, sleeping," Han Lie answered, rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up. "Why? What's going on?"
"The Zhou family was killed in a fire last night," the investigator from the Phoenix Sect said in a cold voice. "And a witness saw someone walking from the direction of their house just before the fire started."
Han Lie made a convincing expression of shock. "What?! Xiao Mei's family?! That can't be!"
[PERFECT LIE ACTIVATED]
[YOUR PERFORMANCE IS VERY... CONVINCING]
The new ability worked perfectly. Every gesture, every change in expression, even his heartbeat and breathing were adjusted to give the impression of genuine shock and sadness.
"They were good people," Han Lie continued in a trembling voice—a perfectly calculated tremble. "I just helped Xiao Mei from a beast attack yesterday. How could this..."
Some people in the crowd began to look convinced. After all, what could weak 'Han Lie the Trash' do against an entire family?
But the Phoenix Sect investigator was not easily fooled. His sharp eyes continued to observe Han Lie closely.
"You said you were here last night. Can anyone prove it?"
Han Lie fell silent for a moment, giving the impression of deep thought. "No one... I'm alone here. But I really didn't go anywhere. See, my clothes are still the same as yesterday..."
He showed his clothes, which were indeed the same—because he only had one set of clothes.
"Investigator Feng," the village chief interjected. "This Han Lie... he's the weakest cultivator in our village. Qi Condensation Layer 1, and even that is blocked. There's no way he could have defeated Zhou, who was Layer 4."
Investigator Feng—the man from the Phoenix Sect—frowned. "Show me your cultivation."
This is the moment, Han Lie thought.
[YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO]
Han Lie moved his qi, but very carefully. He suppressed his new power, making it appear to still be the weak, blocked Layer 1.
A dim qi light appeared in his hand—weak, flickering, looking pathetic.
"Layer 1," Investigator Feng mumbled, disappointment clear in his voice. "Even weaker than what was reported."
[MASTERFUL]
[YOU LEARN VERY QUICKLY]
"I apologize for the false accusation, Han Lie," the village chief said with a somewhat regretful tone. "We just... the situation is very suspicious. Three people died in one night, the house burned down..."
"I understand," Han Lie replied, nodding with understanding. "I would be suspicious too if I were in your shoes. But I genuinely know nothing about the fire."
Investigator Feng still looked dissatisfied, but he had no evidence. "Alright. But don't go anywhere in the next few days. The investigation is not over yet."
"Of course, Investigator."
The crowd began to disperse, but Investigator Feng remained standing, staring at Han Lie with unblinking eyes.
"There's something different about you," he said softly, only for Han Lie to hear. "I don't know what, but there's something... different."
Han Lie put on an innocent, confused expression. "Different how, Investigator?"
"Your eyes," Feng said, narrowing his gaze. "Last night they were the eyes of a desperate man. Now... they are the eyes of someone who has found something."
Perceptive, Han Lie admitted inwardly. But he was too far gone to turn back now.
"Maybe it's because I've just realized how dangerous this world is," Han Lie answered with a slight tremor in his voice. "Losing good people like the Zhou family made me realize... I have to become stronger."
Investigator Feng stared deeply at him for a few seconds that felt like an eternity.
Then he turned and left without another word.
Han Lie waited until everyone was truly out of sight before closing his door.
Only then did he allow a genuine smile to appear on his face.
[BRAVO]
[A PERFECT PERFORMANCE]
[YOU NOT ONLY ESCAPED THE INVESTIGATION...]
[BUT ALSO GAINED A STRONG ALIBI]
"It was easy," Han Lie said as he walked to his mat. "Humans are very easy to manipulate when you know what they want to hear."
[AND NOW...]
[IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR EVOLUTION]
Han Lie lay on his hard straw mat, staring at the leaky ceiling of the shack. But this time, he didn't see poverty or despair.
He saw... possibilities.
[WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE, HAN LIE]
[THE LIFE OF A TRUE PREDATOR]
And for the first time in years, Han Lie fell asleep feeling satisfied.
Tomorrow would be an interesting day.