The Focus of a Killer

Within just a dozen minutes of This Demon Cultivator Isn’t So Cold being released,

countless cultivators flooded into the illusionary realm.

After watching the opening scene and receiving the first mission prompt, the Righteous Path Cultivators immediately erupted in uproar.

“What the hell? They want us to play as demonic cultivators!?”

“Our actions must align with demonic standards, or we’ll lose points?? Not acting like a demonic cultivator could even lead to failure???”

“Old Demon Lu… is he really trying to become a true demon now??”

“Outrageous! Tomorrow, the Execution Platform might just have one more spot open!!”

“Hah, what if I don’t comply? Today, I’m definitely going against this so-called Li Ang!”

“They want me to be a demonic cultivator? Then I’ll go and cultivate Righteous Path techniques instead!”

……

……

Lingxiao Sect, Reflection Valley.

Zhong Yi, who was also immersed in the illusionary realm, was startled by the bold setting.

“Playing as a demonic cultivator? Could it be…”

Suddenly, Zhong Yi recalled the demonic youth whom the young girl had referred to as “Qing-ye.” He dismissed the mission prompt hovering before him.

Just then, other guests entered the tavern. The slightly plump man, likely the tavern owner, stood up with a practiced smile to greet them.

“Excuse me—”

Zhong Yi had barely spoken, intending to ask the tavern owner for more details,

when the man acted as if he hadn’t heard, deliberately ignoring him to attend to other customers.

At the same time, the behavior score in the upper-right corner of his vision dropped from 100 to 90.

[Behavior score -5 (As a skilled demonic assassin, Li Ang would never reveal even the slightest hint of familiarity with his employer in front of others.)]

[Behavior score -5 (Li Ang dislikes socializing and remains taciturn to maintain absolute focus.)]

Zhong Yi’s eyes widened slightly, and he promptly shut his mouth.

“Behavior score? Interesting…”

He muttered to himself, marveling at how Lu Ze’s illusionary realms never failed to surprise him.

Closing his eyes, he entered the character system interface—a staple feature of Lu Ze’s illusions.

[Character Info], [Missions], [Equipment], [Skills], [Map], [Inventory]…

A myriad of options appeared before him.

Curious, Zhong Yi tapped into [Character Info], where Li Ang’s background was recorded in text and fragmented memories.

From the moment he could remember, Li Ang had been a demonic cultivator.

Forced by a group of bloodthirsty, wicked demonic cultivators to learn their dark arts.

According to his own investigations, he had been turned into a demonic experiment as an infant, part of some sinister plan.

In the demonic sect’s secret base, he and other test subjects—young boys and girls—were pitted against each other in a brutal survival game.

Li Ang grew weary of this life, despising his identity as a “demonic cultivator.”

Then, one day,

he seized an opportunity, carving a path of blood to escape the base…

Eventually, he arrived at a remote town in another continent,

making a living by taking assassination contracts.

Li Ang had one principle: he would only accept contracts on the guilty.

And he refused to kill women or children.

……

After browsing several memory fragments, Zhong Yi gained a clearer understanding of the character named “Li Ang.”

He couldn’t help but associate Li Ang with the demonic youth he had captured earlier.

“Junior Brother Lu, are you trying to change people’s perceptions of him through this illusion?”

Zhong Yi’s breathing deepened momentarily.

Then, with a bitter chuckle, he murmured to himself,

“Junior Brother Lu… that’s no easy feat…”

Even so, he couldn’t help but look forward to Lu Ze accomplishing what he himself had been powerless to do.

Now that he had a basic grasp of Li Ang’s character, Zhong Yi felt less resistant to the role.

“Loves drinking goat milk, enjoys listening to opera at teahouses, always wears sunglasses and keeps to himself… Hah, quite the character.”

Closing the [Character Info] interface, Zhong Yi clicked his tongue in amusement.

With these details, Li Ang felt almost alive—a strangely captivating presence.

Just then, another system message appeared:

[Channel spiritual energy into your eyes to enter ‘Assassin’s Focus’ and uncover additional information.]

Following the prompt, Zhong Yi turned his gaze back to the tavern owner.

As he infused a trickle of spiritual energy, he noticed special markers appearing above the tavern owner and his customer.

[Li Youqian (Tavern Owner): An old friend who lent you a helping hand during your lowest moments. Usually acts as your mission handler for assassination contracts—a somewhat trustworthy fellow.]

[Sun Yu (Customer): A regular at the tavern. Fresh scratch marks on his cheek suggest a recent spat with his wife. Here to drown his sorrows in liquor.]

……

“Damn! Impressive!”

Zhong Yi couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

Once again, Lu Ze’s illusionary realm had delivered an unprecedented experience.

Li Ang was an assassin with keen observational skills.

The [Assassin’s Focus] state provided players with insights Li Ang himself could deduce, greatly enhancing immersion.

Moreover, for certain key characters, players could even access Li Ang’s personal memories of them.

This deepened Zhong Yi’s sense of being part of the illusionary world.

Stepping out of the tavern, Zhong Yi surveyed his surroundings with curiosity.

The town was fairly bustling,

its streets crowded with people and filled with the clamor of vendors.

As he activated [Assassin’s Focus] to analyze various characters, he followed the mission’s guidance toward his destination.

The assassination target, Zhang San, resided in a luxurious estate.

Guarded by soldiers and surrounded by defensive barriers, it was clearly no easy task.

Zhong Yi retrieved the portrait given by the tavern owner, committing Zhang San’s appearance to memory.

As he stepped into the mission zone, a more detailed prompt appeared:

[Mission: Assassinate Zhang San]

[The target is a local crime boss from a neighboring county, notorious for trafficking women and children to demonic sects. Dissatisfied with his current territory’s profits, he has begun encroaching on this region, drawing the ire of your employer…]

[Requirement 1: Confirm the target’s death.]

[Requirement 2: Keep the operation as discreet as possible to avoid alerting reinforcements.]

[Hidden Requirement: Locate the hidden ledger (Black Snake Gang’s accounts) within the estate.]