2 a.m. Han Lie moved like a shadow between the silent village houses. The knife in his hand glinted, catching the light of the crescent moon. His target, Chen Wu, was on his routine patrol on the north side of the village—alone, complacent, perfect.
Han Lie had spent hours observing Chen Wu's patrol patterns. The man always stopped near the old well to drink water, with his back to the forest for 3-4 minutes. A perfect window of opportunity.
[TARGET IDENTIFIED]
[CHEN WU - QI CONDENSATION LAYER 7]
[CHANCE OF SUCCESS: 87%]
Han Lie smiled coldly as he began to approach. Chen Wu was standing with his back to him, drinking water from a wooden ladle. The exposed neck, no protection, death sense showing the exact spot for an instant kill.
Too easy, Han Lie thought, raising his knife.
One more step...
Half a step...
SNAP!
A dry twig under his foot broke with a deafening sound in the silence of the night.
Chen Wu immediately turned around, his alert eyes locking onto Han Lie, who was still holding the knife in an attacking position.
"HAN LIE?!" Chen Wu shouted in surprise, backing away quickly. "What are you doing?!"
Shit. Han Lie instantly realized he had made a fatal rookie mistake.
"Chen Wu, this isn't what you think—"
"ENEMY! INTRUDER!" Chen Wu yelled loudly, drawing his sword. "HELP!"
The shout echoed throughout the village. Lights began to turn on in nearby houses.
[MISSION FAILED]
[STEALTH COMPROMISED]
[THE SITUATION HAS BECOME... DESPERATE]
Han Lie felt panic for the first time since his transformation. This was not according to plan. Not at all.
Chen Wu attacked with a sword that gleamed with qi. Han Lie managed to dodge, but the blade left a deep gash on his arm.
"ARGH!" Han Lie screamed in pain. Fresh blood flowed, and what was worse—he could hear the sound of running footsteps approaching.
[YOUR QI IS TOO WEAK FOR A DIRECT FIGHT]
[YOU MUST RUN... OR DIE]
Chen Wu attacked again, this time seriously. Han Lie tried to counter-attack but his strength was far below this experienced guard's.
SLASH!
Chen Wu's sword hit Han Lie's stomach, creating a deep, torn wound. Han Lie fell to his knees, his blood soaking the dry ground.
"You... you're the one who killed the Zhou family!" Chen Wu realized, pointing his sword at Han Lie's neck. "The village chief must know this!"
"Please..." Han Lie whispered weakly, blood coming from his mouth. "I... I didn't..."
"SILENCE!" Chen Wu shouted angrily. "You damn murderer!"
The sound of footsteps grew closer. Han Lie could see the light of torches approaching from all directions.
[YOU ARE IN EXTREME DANGER]
[IF CAUGHT...]
[PUBLIC EXECUTION AWAITS]
In his desperation, Han Lie activated his Perfect Lie with all his remaining strength.
"Chen Wu... please..." his voice changed to that of a frightened child. "There's... there's something controlling me... I'm not conscious... please save me..."
Chen Wu was silent for a moment, confusion appearing on his face. "What?"
"There's a voice in my head..." Han Lie continued with a convincingly desperate act. "Telling me... telling me to do horrible things... I'm scared... I don't want to be a monster..."
[PERFORMANCE... ACCEPTABLE]
[BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR THIS SITUATION]
Chen Wu did hesitate for a moment, but the hesitation disappeared when he saw the bloody knife in Han Lie's hand.
"A lie," he said coldly. "You're a murderer, Han Lie. And murderers must die."
He raised his sword for an execution strike.
"WAIT!"
Investigator Feng's voice thundered from the darkness. The man appeared with his three juniors and the other guards, all holding weapons.
"Don't kill him yet," Feng said, approaching with eyes that gleamed dangerously. "I want to... interrogate him first."
Han Lie felt a chill more terrifying than physical pain. Investigator Feng's eyes were not the eyes of someone who would show mercy.
[THE SITUATION HAS GONE FROM BAD TO... A NIGHTMARE]
[FENG'S INTERROGATION IS KNOWN TO BE VERY... THOROUGH]
Chen Wu lowered his sword but remained alert. "Investigator, he's the one. I saw him trying to kill me with a knife."
"I know," Feng replied, kneeling before the badly wounded Han Lie. "The question is... why?"
Feng's eyes looked deeply into Han Lie's, and for the first time, Han Lie felt that someone could see through his facade.
"Yesterday you said you wanted to become stronger," Feng said softly. "It turns out your way is... by killing innocent people."
"No..." Han Lie shook his head weakly. "I... I didn't..."
SLAP!
Feng's hard slap sent Han Lie's head flying to the side. Fresh blood came from his nose and mouth.
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Feng shouted with terrifying fury. "The Zhou family were good people! They didn't deserve to die for your twisted ambition!"
[PERFECT LIE DOESN'T WORK ON SOMEONE WHO IS 100% CONVINCED]
[YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE]
Han Lie tried to speak but Feng was already holding his neck with a choking grip.
"Do you know what I'm going to do to you?" Feng whispered in a voice cold as ice. "I'll take you to the Phoenix Sect. There, we have... special methods for dealing with murderers like you."
Han Lie's eyes widened in horror. He had heard about the Phoenix Sect's "special methods"—torture that could make someone scream for days without dying.
"Then," Feng continued, "after you confess all your crimes and give your reasons... we will execute you in front of the entire village. Let them see what happens to a monster like you."
[SANITY: 45 → 30]
[LEVEL OF SUFFERING: 35 → 60]
[STATUS: PANIC, DESPAIR, PHYSICAL TRAUMA]
Han Lie felt the control he had built begin to collapse. The physical pain, the psychological terror, and worst of all—the realization that he was trapped with no escape route.
"No..." he whispered in despair. "Please... I can still change... I..."
"Change?" Feng laughed—a terrible, merciless sound. "Monsters like you can't change. You only know how to kill and destroy."
Feng signaled to the others. "Tie him up. We'll leave for the Phoenix Sect at dawn. I want him alive for... our questioning session."
As the ropes began to bind Han Lie's injured body, he realized something with a terrible clarity:
He was not an apex predator.
He was still prey.
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST]
[YOU HAVE JUST LEARNED A CRITICAL LESSON]
[REALITY IS ALWAYS MORE CRUEL THAN FANTASY]
And for the first time since the night of his transformation, Han Lie cried.
Not because of the physical pain.
But because he realized... maybe he truly deserved to suffer.