The silence in the Li household was deceptive.
Not a creak. Not a whisper. Not a sigh of wind disturbed the evening calm.
And yet, Li Tian could feel it—the tension pressing down like a loaded trigger. Something was about to snap.
His [Hunter Instincts] screamed. The system's faint hum in his mind buzzed with unease.
[Passive Alert: You are being watched.][Threat Detected – Probability of Hostile Encounter: 89%][Engage: Y/N?]
Y.
He moved instantly, sliding a throwing dagger from the sheath under his wrist as he ducked behind the wall separating the kitchen from the hallway.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted a glint. Scope lens.
Sniper.
Sh*t.
His hand shot out, dagger flying—clean arc, silent path, and then—
[Headshot! Instant Kill Bonus: +500 XP][Skill Upgrade: Silent Precision – Level 2]
The rooftop across the alley went still.
He didn't wait for the next shot. He was already moving.
Back Inside"Where's Tian?" Yanyu asked, emerging from the living room.
Fox blinked. "He said he'd only be a minute—"
A loud crash echoed from upstairs. Then silence.
Yanyu's heart jumped. "Li Tian!"
She bolted up the stairs, only for Fox to grab her wrist mid-run. "Stay back."
"No—he could be hurt!"
Another crash. And then—
A groan.
But it wasn't Li Tian.
It was someone else.
Third Floor: Master BedroomLi Tian slammed a boot into the attacker's jaw, sending the masked intruder spiraling into the wardrobe.
The man had tried to stab Yanyu's closet with some sort of hexed dagger. Poisoned tip. Aimed right at her old uniforms.
If he'd gotten to it—
[Secondary Alert: Magical Interference Detected – Memory Implant Trap Neutralized.]
Li Tian narrowed his eyes.
Memory traps?
Someone had been trying to rewrite his wife's memories.
That wasn't just assassination anymore. That was deep-tech, black-grade level warfare.
He approached the broken attacker, kneeling beside the groaning man.
"You're not a mercenary," Li Tian said coldly. "Too well-trained. Who sent you?"
The man gritted his teeth. "You're already dead, Ghost."
Li Tian's eyes narrowed.
So they knew.
They knew who he was.
He plunged a needle into the attacker's neck.
[Skill Activated: Neural Extraction – Lv. 1] ▸ Reading short-term memory… ▸ Compiling data…
The system flashed a series of fractured images.
A white lotus seal. A golden dragon medallion. Wu Gang's face. And then—a man Li Tian hadn't seen in over a decade.
General Lei Jun.
His former commanding officer.
His betrayer.
Later That NightYanyu paced the garden, wrapped in a silk robe. Her thoughts raced.
Why were more people after him? Why was there always blood? Why was her house no longer her home?
Li Tian stepped into view, silent as a ghost, his clothes bloodied but face calm.
She turned sharply. "Was that another assassin?"
He didn't lie. "Yes."
"Why?" Her voice cracked. "What the hell have you gotten me involved in?"
He walked to her, stopping just a foot away. "I'm sorry, Yanyu. This was never supposed to touch you."
"But it has!" she shouted. "And now I can't sleep without wondering if I'll wake up with a knife at my throat!"
He didn't flinch. "I'll protect you."
She looked up at him. "Why? You hated me. You never touched me. You barely spoke to me."
Li Tian was silent for a moment, eyes unreadable. Then softly:
"I stayed away because I didn't want to ruin you."
Yanyu's breath caught.
"I was broken when we married. And I thought you deserved someone whole." He looked down. "But now… I realize staying away only made things worse."
Silence stretched between them.
Then she stepped closer, heart thudding. "Are you still broken?"
Li Tian looked at her — really looked — for the first time in years.
"I'm still dangerous," he said. "But not broken."
She didn't move away.
Back Inside: Fox's ReportFox placed a tablet on the table. "We've confirmed the symbol you saw. It's from the Lotus Council."
Li Tian's eyes narrowed. "I thought they were disbanded."
"They reformed. Underground. After the Eastern Collapse."
Fox swiped to the next file.
"And this…" he hesitated. "This is where it gets worse."
A surveillance photo appeared.
It showed General Lei Jun shaking hands with someone wearing a red dragon ring — the Jinlong patriarch.
Li Tian's jaw clenched. "He's aligning with criminal networks."
Fox nodded grimly. "And they want you dead. For what you know. For what you used to be."
Yanyu stood near the doorway, listening quietly.
When she stepped in, both men turned.
"Then you have no choice," she said softly. "You have to fight."
Li Tian raised an eyebrow. "You're not telling me to run?"
She stepped beside him, voice quiet but steel-edged. "I didn't marry a coward."
System Update[Side Quest Unlocked: "Erase the Mark"] ▸ You are now Death Marked by the Lotus Council ▸ Survive the next 7 days ▸ Uncover the traitor in the military ▸ Reward: [Full System Upgrade], +10 to all stats, [Memory Core Key]
[Timer Activated – 6 Days, 23 Hours Remaining]
Li Tian exhaled slowly.
The war had begun.
And this time, he wasn't fighting alone.