“Help! Somebody help!”

“Young Master has been kidnapped!”

Liu Li’s cry, full of tears and panic, echoed through the silent night.

The Mi residence, which had already fallen into slumber, instantly became a flurry of activity. The sudden flare of yellow candlelight pierced through the thick darkness of the night.

Hurried footsteps approached from all directions.

In no time, the courtyard where Mi Lu lived was surrounded by the guards, with not even a gap to slip through.

Gu Qiu arrived right behind the guards. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Liu Li frantically running in circles in the small square, while Fei Cui stood there with a grim expression.

Gu Qiu’s face darkened, and she asked in a stern voice, “What’s going on? Where’s Liu Liu?”

“Madam!” Liu Li cried, collapsing to her knees with a thud.

Seeing this, Fei Cui quickly knelt down as well.

“The Young Master was taken by a young boy I’ve never seen before. He escaped through the window in the Young Master’s room and fled directly towards the northwest,” Liu Li sobbed. “It’s all my fault! I couldn’t save him.”

“My Liu Liu…” Gu Qiu gasped, her legs nearly giving way beneath her.

Luckily, the maid at her side quickly held her up.

Even though Mi Lu knew that, as the protagonist, Liu Liu in the book wouldn’t easily meet his end, he couldn’t deny that at this moment, his heart was gripped with anxiety.

Mi Lu stretched out his finger and checked Hulü Yan’s breathing.

Not a single breath.

The stillness was terrifying.

Mi Lu’s hand trembled involuntarily, and his sun-kissed face paled a few shades.

He had no choice but to move closer, pressing his fingertip hard against Hulü Yan’s philtrum, but still, he felt no breath.

“Hulü Yan?” Mi Lu’s expression drastically changed. With a mix of fear and panic, he pressed his face close to Hulü Yan’s, pleading, “Wake up!”

Mi Lu began to shake Hulü Yan’s shoulders, more and more vigorously.

But despite Mi Lu’s increasing force, Hulü Yan didn’t even bat an eyelid.

Despair crept into Mi Lu’s heart.

This can’t be happening.

He had only just reincarnated a few days ago, and now the protagonist was dead? How was the story supposed to progress? Would he have to start the twelfth cycle again?

Mi Lu stood there, stunned.

However, he quickly snapped out of it, shaking his head vigorously.

No! He had to act before the world descended into chaos!

After all, he had plenty of high-level magical tools and healing pills in his Qiankun Bag, not to mention an endless supply of advanced spirit stones. Trying something was better than doing nothing.

Mi Lu forced himself to calm down and was about to create some distance between him and Hulü Yan to retrieve the Qiankun Bag when he suddenly noticed a slight twitch in Hulü Yan’s brow.

It was a very subtle movement, but Mi Lu, being so close, caught it perfectly.

Mi Lu froze.

In the next instant, an expression of joy spread across his face like a rising tide. He even forgot that Hulü Yan couldn’t hear him and shouted excitedly, “Hulü Yan! Are you awake?”

It was as if Hulü Yan sensed his call. Slowly, Hulü Yan lifted his eyelids, revealing his empty eye sockets.

Even though Hulü Yan had lost his eyeballs and couldn’t see anything, he still instinctively opened his eyes, staring at Mi Lu with those hollow sockets.

Just like he was doing now.

For a brief moment, Mi Lu felt as though they were making eye contact.

The emotional rollercoaster Mi Lu had been on almost made his heart leap out of his chest. He reached out to touch Hulü Yan’s face, still trembling from the fear moments before. “Thank goodness. I thought you were really gone. You scared me to death. It’s great that you’re still alive!”

Hulü Yan slowly raised his hands and, mimicking Mi Lu, carefully placed them on Mi Lu’s cheeks.

The comforting smile on Mi Lu’s face hadn’t even faded yet. He stared at Hulü Yan in confusion.

Hulü Yan remained as quiet as ever, like a well-behaved child—an inquisitive one. His cold fingertips traced Mi Lu’s features with meticulous care.

When his fingers touched the wetness at the corner of Mi Lu’s eyes, they paused.

That was the tear he had shed out of fear earlier.

Hulü Yan tilted his head slightly, his fingers lingering on that tear before he leaned closer and tightly wrapped his arms around Mi Lu’s neck.

This time, it took Mi Lu a while to realize what had happened—

Was Hulü Yan… comforting him?

This man, who had long been stripped of emotion and who would soon be a ruthless killer, capable only of bloodshed and violence, was… comforting him?!

Tears welled up even more at the corners of Mi Lu’s eyes—tears of being deeply moved.

It was true!

Humans weren’t born with only darkness in their hearts. Who doesn’t long for light? Who doesn’t yearn for kindness and beauty?

Even someone who, in the future, would become brutal, heartless, and murder countless people, could, in his youth, occasionally show warmth and dependence on others.

It seemed he wasn’t wrong after all.

The protagonist could be changed!

Mi Lu, moved to tears, couldn’t wait to hug Hulü Yan back.

But just as his arms touched Hulü Yan, the hands around his neck tightened suddenly. With almost suffocating strength, Hulü Yan trapped him in an unbreakable grip.

“Hu…lü…” Mi Lu could only manage to force out these two words.

At the same time, a large amount of spiritual energy began to drain from Mi Lu’s body, even more exaggerated than the previous two times, surging eagerly into Hulü Yan’s body.

A faint golden aura even started to envelop Hulü Yan.

Mi Lu, on the other hand, felt like a deflated balloon, watching helplessly as his spiritual energy drained away, powerless to stop it.

In that moment, it finally dawned on him—

Hulü Yan hadn’t been comforting him earlier; he’d been preparing to drain his spiritual energy!

To Hulü Yan, he was nothing more than a walking blood bag, ready to be drained whenever Hulü Yan needed to recharge. Why would anyone feel anything for a mere blood bag?

He’d been way too naive.

As her vision spun and her mind reeled, Gu Qiu barely managed to steady herself. Her face had turned completely pale, and she pressed a hand to her temple, taking a deep breath before asking again, “Have we sent people to chase after them?”

Liu Li, choking on her sobs, replied, “Yes, Madam, Zhang the guard has already led a group after them.”

Gu Qiu closed her eyes for a moment, then called out a name.

Soon, a shadowy figure appeared silently before her, dressed entirely in black, kneeling on one knee. “Madam,” the person responded in a low voice.

Gu Qiu threw a token to the figure and ordered, “Take this to General Lin immediately. Tell him to seal off the city gates and search every household!”

“Yes.”

“Even if you have to dig up the entire city, bring my Liu Liu back.”

“Yes.”

“And that vile thief who dared to kidnap Liu Liu,” Gu Qiu said through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with venom as she glared towards the northwest night sky. “I want him alive.”

“Yes.”

With a swoosh, the shadow vanished into the darkness.

##

Mi Lu was slung over Hulü Yan’s shoulder, his stomach pressed against Hulü Yan’s bony frame. Hulü Yan was so thin that his sharp bones dug painfully into Mi Lu’s abdomen.

But that wasn’t even the worst part.

The worst part was that Hulü Yan had drained so much of Mi Lu’s spiritual energy just moments ago that Mi Lu couldn’t recover in time. His head spun, and wave after wave of dizziness crashed over his brain.

He had no idea where Hulü Yan was taking him, only that Hulü Yan at that moment resembled a crazed and excited bull in a bullring, charging relentlessly toward some unseen red flag.

Hulü Yan just kept charging forward.

His steps never stopped charging forward.

Recklessly charging forward.

Charging, charging, charging.

Only knowing how to charge.

They dashed through houses, bamboo groves, and narrow alleys.

Wherever they passed, the sound of falling roof tiles and rustling branches followed, along with startled exclamations from those around.

Mi Lu’s vision filled with spinning stars, and his mind was a jumble of “ahhhhh” screams.

He couldn’t take it anymore!

If this continued, he was going to throw up!

He wanted to tell Hulü Yan to stop, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the rushing wind immediately filled it, making it impossible for him to utter a single word or even think straight.

Just as Mi Lu was about to reach his limit, Hulü Yan’s foot suddenly missed a step, and his body tilted unexpectedly.

Before Mi Lu realized what was happening, he and Hulü Yan tumbled forward together.

“Ahhhhhh—” Mi Lu finally screamed, but it was already too late to do anything.

Ahead was a steep slope.

The two of them rolled down together, entangled in each other.

Sharp rocks tore through their clothes, and jagged grass blades cut into their skin as they tumbled down. Pain and nausea followed them the entire way down.

Mi Lu felt like his internal organs were being crushed to pieces.

His breathing became heavier, and his limbs felt as though they were weighed down by heavy stones.

Their rolling slowed.

And then—

They crashed into a tree with a loud thud.

Mi Lu’s vision went dark, and he lost consciousness on the spot.

##

Before Mi Lu even opened his eyes, he felt the burning heat of sunlight on his eyelids.

He let out a groan, seemingly disoriented for a moment before remembering to open his eyes.

The next second, he was immediately blinded by the glaring golden sunlight and squinted instinctively.

His reflexes kicked in, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes.

After a long moment, he finally steadied himself. Once his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, he turned his head to survey his surroundings.

All he could see was grass.

Lush green grass, almost half a person’s height, layered so densely that it completely blocked the view of the outside.

Mi Lu looked around for quite a while but couldn’t figure out where he was. He propped himself up on his elbows, trying to sit up.

But as soon as he moved, he suddenly realized something and froze mid-action.

It was as if an invisible hand had sealed his acupuncture points.

Stiff and motionless for a moment, his gaze shifted from the green grass in front of him to the hard sensation beneath him.

No—

It wasn’t something beneath him.

It was someone.

Taking a closer look—

Wasn’t it Hulü Yan?!

Why was Hulü Yan lying beneath him like a blanket?!

Mi Lu recalled how Hulü Yan’s body was missing limbs, was nothing but skin and bones, and how, in the future, this protagonist, who would dominate the world, was known for holding grudges and seeking revenge. Terrified, Mi Lu instantly leapt up from Hulü Yan.

He turned to look.

Hulü Yan lay motionless on the ground, his thin eyelids covering his hollow eye sockets. Clearly, the protagonist had no idea what had just happened.

Mi Lu breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness!

Thank goodness Hulü Yan hadn’t woken up, or else he’d definitely hold this against him!

But just as Mi Lu began to relax, he suddenly remembered something—

Wait a minute.

He was at least eighteen, a sturdy young man, definitely not as light as paper. How had Hulü Yan not woken up after being squashed under him?

Could it be…

Had he accidentally crushed Hulü Yan to death?!

At that thought, the breath that had been stuck in his chest now rushed up to his throat. Mi Lu panicked and quickly scrambled over to check.

Under the sunlight, Hulü Yan’s skin was so pale it was nearly transparent, and Mi Lu could even see the faint blue veins beneath his skin.

Hulü Yan’s thin lips were slightly parted, his face tilted in Mi Lu’s direction. Sunlight gently flowed along the sharp contours of his face, illuminating the tiny hairs on his cheeks.

He was completely silent, so quiet it seemed as though he wasn’t even breathing.