This entry is suspicious.

Qinghe City experienced a damp, rainy day.

The sky was overcast, with heavy, leaden clouds pressing down on the city. The rain was light, but the sticky, persistent rain was irritating.

In a law firm.

"Mr. Guo, these types of loan companies usually have professional legal teams and are extremely skilled at handling post-event legal action. Moreover, your son signed a voluntary agreement, it's all in black and white, and the whole process was recorded on video..."

The lawyer paused, then sighed softly, "Forgive my bluntness, but the chances of winning this case are not optimistic. Even if you go to court, fighting against a company's systematic legal resources on your own will put you at a long-term disadvantage in terms of time, energy, and financial costs. So my advice is... to stop here."

The dull-witted middle-aged man's eyes dimmed. He had visited more than ten law firms in the past few days, but the answers he received were all the same.

He won't win the case.

Not only would he not win the case, but it would also be advised against him going to court, because it would be very time-consuming. The other party has a professional legal team and has plenty of time and energy to wear him down.

He was just an ordinary factory worker who had no income if he didn't work every day. Lawsuits often dragged on for two or three years, and the back-and-forth trips to court were enough to ruin his life, not to mention the various expenses.

The rain pattered softly outside the window. Guo Changhe remained silent for two or three minutes before uttering four hoarse words: "I understand."

He reached out his rough hands, tidied up the documents on the table, carefully put them into a waterproof document bag, stood up, bowed slightly to the lawyer, and then turned to leave.

After the man left the office, several lawyers curiously gathered around: "What did that person want to do?"

The lawyer who received them lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke from his nostrils: "His son borrowed money to cultivate himself behind his family's back, but he couldn't repay the money and was taken away as cannon fodder... It was that incident at the Pearl Hotel a while ago, his son died inside, his name was Guo Xiaofan."

"Another round of loan-based cultivation... When will these students ever understand that for ordinary people without talent, cultivating immortality is like jumping into a fire pit? Is it something ordinary people can afford?"

"What do students know? It's all the parents' fault. They hope to raise a powerful cultivator to bring glory to their ancestors. They're desperate to send their children to high schools specializing in immortal cultivation, without even considering their own capabilities or their children's abilities."

"Indeed, normal students don't take out loans. Either their families didn't teach them well from a young age, or their parents have too high expectations and put too much pressure on them, forcing them to borrow money to buy medicine to improve their grades."

"Alright, the person is dead, let's say less."

On the street, Guo Changhe braved the rain to return to his dilapidated van and took out his phone to call his wife.

"How is it?" his wife asked.

"I asked, and the lawyer gave the same old answer."

He hesitated for a moment, then said with difficulty, "How about we just give up? We can't win this case."

"..."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then the call was disconnected.

Guo Changhe slumped in his seat as if all his energy had been drained, the raindrops pounding against the windshield like dull knives cutting into his nerves.

He stared blankly out the window, the rain blurring the world and his consciousness, until a loud horn sounded from the intersection ahead, pulling him out of his chaotic thoughts.

He inserted the key, turned the ignition, started the car engine, and drove towards the funeral home.

Guo Xiaofan died in a bizarre attack at the Mingzhu Hotel. To prevent his body from being infected by the strange power, it had to be cremated as soon as possible. However, the authorities still showed some humanity and left the decision of when to cremate the body to the family, without forcing immediate cremation.

However, for each additional day the body is kept in the morgue, a storage fee must be paid.

Time is money, and death is money. Those who are alive are destined to make an absurd choice between tears and bills.

So many days have passed, and the body storage fee has already accumulated to several thousand yuan. For a family with a tight income, this is already a considerable expense. Guo Changhe knew that he could not delay any longer, and he decided to end it all today.

Inside the funeral home.

The lights were stark white, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and an indescribable chill.

Guo Changhe took one last look at his son before pushing the pale body into the incinerator.

The scorching flames rose up, engulfing everything. The orange-red flames reflected on his expressionless face as he watched his son slowly turn to ashes in the intense heat, a great sorrow rising in his heart.

All those words were ultimately reduced to just four.

"It's Dad's fault for being useless."

Guo Changhe left the funeral home with a lingering expression.

It was raining heavily.

……

Back in the apartment complex, Guo Changhe smoked two cigarettes in his car before going upstairs, bracing himself for his wife's scolding.

The sky was overcast and dark, the room was dim, and an unsettling, oppressive silence filled the air.

Guo Changhe walked towards the bedroom. The door was ajar, and the lights were off.

He pushed open the door and found his wife fast asleep in bed, but then he noticed a water glass and a bottle of sleeping pills on the bedside table.

Guo Changhe's heart sank, and an inexplicable fear surged into his mind. He quickly stepped forward, shook his wife's shoulders, and called her name, but received no response.

He trembled as he extended his finger and placed it under his wife's nose.

He has stopped breathing.

Outside the window, the rain is still falling.

Rainwater streamed down the glass, like tears, or perhaps like a never-ending lament.

Two days later, at the cemetery.

Another rain, another tombstone.

The gray stone tablets stand side by side, one for Guo Xiaofan and the other for his mother, Li Qin.

Guo Changhe stood between two tombstones, without an umbrella, letting the rain wash over his weary body and his grief-stricken soul.

Suddenly, a black umbrella was held over his head.

Guo Changhe turned his head and saw a man in a black suit, who looked to be in his thirties. His long hair was curly and messy like seaweed. He had a cold temperament and an unremarkable appearance, with no memorable features.

"Thank you," Guo Changhe said hoarsely, assuming it was a kind passerby.

"You're welcome."

The man's gaze lingered on the two tombstones for a moment before he slowly spoke: "You are enveloped in a tremendous sorrow, but deep within that sorrow lies an rage, unbeknownst to yourself, powerful enough to consume everything."

"What?" Guo Changhe was stunned, not understanding what this stranger meant.

The man looked at him calmly: "Do you want revenge?"

Guo Changhe was at a loss for words. His mind was in a mess, and his lips moved a couple of times, but he couldn't say anything.

"I can help you."

The man continued, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was talking about the loan companies and private law firms that caused your son's death, the chemical plant manager who paralyzed your wife, the debt collectors who took your son away, the colleagues who mocked you, the managers who exploited and bullied you, the classmates who bullied your son, the teachers who turned a blind eye, the education bureau that condoned all of this, and even the corrupt government system...

"I can help you take revenge on all the culprits who caused your misfortune."

Guo Changhe's mind exploded with shock as he stared at the other person in horror. In his mind, only one type of person would utter such a statement: "You are a demon!"

"Perhaps. But do you think what those people did can be called 'righteous'? To you, they are the true demons."

The man did not deny it and handed a USB drive to Guo Changhe.

"Everything you need is here."

"no I do not……"

Guo Changhe tried to put the USB drive back, but the next instant, his head was suddenly empty, and a torrential downpour began to pour down without warning, pelting him once again.

The man in the suit with the seaweed-like hair simply vanished into thin air, as if he had never existed.

Only the cold metal USB drive in my hand proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

In extreme fear and panic, Guo Changhe considered throwing the USB drive away several times. The demonic path was an absolute taboo, and getting involved with demonic terrorists was tantamount to suicide. The system of collective punishment would also cause all relatives and friends to suffer.

But in that instant, another thought burst forth uncontrollably from my mind, growing wildly like weeds.

He has no close relatives left, and he has nothing left to lose, so what is he still afraid of?

Rumble!

A series of muffled claps of thunder rolled through the gloomy clouds, followed by a deafening, violent clap of thunder that seemed to shatter the entire sky.

The sound of rain suddenly seemed very distant, as if it were blocked by something.

All Guo Changhe could hear was his own heartbeat and that thought that burned ever brighter, like a flame.

He has nothing left, so what is he still afraid of?

In the rain.

Guo Changhe suddenly gripped the USB drive tightly, staring for a long time at the two cold tombstones in front of him.

I've been afraid my whole life—afraid of trouble, afraid of losing my job, afraid of offending people… I've been afraid my whole life, and in the end, I have nothing left.

He didn't want to be afraid anymore.

It seems they've made up their minds.

Guo Changhe took a deep breath, put the USB drive in his pocket, took one last look at the face of his loved one in the portrait, and turned to walk into the torrential rain.

……

arrive home.

Guo Changhe closed the doors and windows tightly, drew the curtains, unplugged the network cable, and inserted the USB drive into the computer.

What was presented to him next completely shocked this honest and unassuming man who had lived his entire life.

The densely packed folders lined up one after another, filling the entire screen.

Each folder is named with a number followed by a name. When you open it, you'll find the corresponding person's photo, cultivation level, home address, workplace, social relationships, and even their usual locations and times.

Guo Changhe opened several folders with familiar names to check. The information matched perfectly. He couldn't help but swallow hard. What that demonic element said was true. With such power, he could indeed help him take revenge.

After spending three hours going through all the folders.

At the bottom of the last folder, Guo Changhe found the time and place for the next rendezvous.

As for the demonic faction to which the other party belonged, the document did not specify, but he did not care at all.

Two days later.

Inside a fast food restaurant in the southern district of Qinghe City.

Guo Changhe arrived at the meeting place as agreed. The man in the suit with the seaweed-like hair was sitting in a corner of the restaurant, seemingly having been waiting there for a long time.

"I've seen everything you gave me. I'm willing to join you, but I'm just an ordinary person. I don't understand how you're going to help me get my revenge."

Perhaps it was the confidence that came from having nothing that made Guo Changhe feel no fear, even though he knew that the other party was a dangerous demonic terrorist who could easily kill everyone on the street.

"When necessary, I will give you the power to carry out your revenge, but the time is not right now. I need you to lie low." The man in the suit said in a deep voice.

"How long will it take?"

"It could take three to five months, or as long as one to two years."

"One or two years... that's too slow, I can't wait."

"The most important thing for revenge is patience."

"...What should I do during the incubation period?"

"You don't need to do anything. I will contact you unilaterally if necessary."

"What's your name?"

"Qin Ran. This is the only thing I can tell you. That's all. You can go now. Remember, you must stay hidden and not be exposed, otherwise you will never be able to avenge your family."

Guo Changhe remained silent for a few seconds, nodded, and got up to leave.

The man in the suit tore open the ketchup packet, squeezed out the bright red sauce, dipped a fries in it, and began to eat slowly and deliberately.

A few minutes later, another person sat down. This person looked like a high school student of seventeen or eighteen years old, but what he said was enough to sound the alarm for the counter-terrorism department.

"The number of people who carry out suicide terrorist attacks is still too small; we need to find more as soon as possible."

"I'm working on it." The man in the suit rolled the fries in ketchup again. "How's your preparation going?"

"It went fairly smoothly."

"How much difference?"

"Soon." The boy did not give a definite answer.

"The counter-terrorism department and the response bureau are both in action and have already found some clues. We must hurry, otherwise all our previous efforts may be in vain."

"Heh..." The boy's lips curled slightly, as if he were excited. "They're taking action, and so are we. Let's see who's faster."

As members of the demonic path, the two could clearly sense that a raging storm was brewing in Qinghe City.

As for where the storm came from... don't ask.

……

……

Evening, at Xiandao No.1 Middle School.

Zhou Ran hummed a little tune as he walked out of the school. He had been having a blast these past few days, earning millions a day tutoring others, and his life runes and cultivation level were also steadily increasing.

If he continues to develop steadily like this, it's only a matter of time before he gets into one of the top ten universities.

No... by then, all ten top universities will be vying to admit him!

Good days are finally here for him!

But as soon as Zhou Ran stepped out of the school gate, he saw a guy dressed in all black standing by the roadside. He was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, a hood, and a mask. At first glance, he looked like a purebred Jiahao, but upon closer inspection...

Fang Beichen, Level 4 Qi Refining...

My hair!

What's Fang Beichen doing here?

Amid Zhou Ran's astonished and dazed gaze, Fang Beichen also noticed him and immediately strode towards him.