The Homeless Girl

"Master? Teach her to kill?"

Zhong Yi's expression darkened. His first reaction was refusal.

As a true disciple of a renowned orthodox sect, how could he corrupt a young girl?

Meanwhile, Su Di'er continued speaking eagerly.

"I can work for you. Don’t underestimate me—I’m very capable..."

"I can wash clothes, clean rooms, and... um, cook..."

"Anyway, I’ll take care of everything as payment for your teachings. How about it?"

Seeing the hopeful glimmer in the girl’s eyes, Zhong Yi shook his head.

"No."

The firmness of his rejection even caused his "Behavior Score" to spike sharply.

Su Di'er froze mid-sentence, swallowing back the words she had been about to say.

The light in her eyes dimmed by half.

"Then..."

Her brows furrowed slightly, lips trembling with sorrow.

"What should I do? I... I have no home left..."

Faced with such a pitiful sight, Zhong Yi was at a loss.

Truthfully, he wanted to help Su Di'er—to slaughter those beasts from the Demon-Suppression Division himself.

Even if it meant tackling an impossibly difficult dungeon, dying a hundred or a thousand times, Zhong Yi would find a way.

But "Li Ang" wouldn’t allow it.

Any attempt to answer in a way that deviated from the role would be blocked by the "Behavior Roleplay System."

Players controlled the character "Li Ang," not themselves.

Only this lonely, soft-hearted yet bloodstained contradiction of a man could weave a story that left players with lingering sorrow.

Lu Ze’s Behavior Roleplay System ensured players had some freedom while preserving the story’s intended direction.

Otherwise, most players would choose to teach Su Di'er’s father a lesson on the first day, stop the Demon-Suppression Division from harming her on the second, and storm their headquarters by the third...

At key moments, the system would nudge players back onto the narrative path.

Through this tug-of-war, players would immerse themselves deeper into Li Ang’s role.

For instance, earlier, Zhong Yi had wanted to open the door, but the system prevented him.

At first, it deducted 10 points, then gradually reduced it to 3, then 1...

This reflected the inner turmoil of a solitary assassin.

"You just narrowly escaped death... Go rest. We’ll talk tomorrow."

Zhong Yi sighed, opting to delay the matter.

Watching Su Di'er nod obediently, his pity for her grew heavier.

From a dusty wooden cabinet, he pulled out a grayish-blue quilt and clumsily draped it over her.

Su Di'er, still recovering from her ordeal, looked pale and exhausted, her eyelids drooping weakly.

"You’re so kind to me, Li Ang."

She gazed at him intently, speaking each word deliberately.

"And it won’t stop here."

Then, from beneath the covers, she extended a small hand, gently grasping Li Ang’s rough fingers.

"Goodnight."

Her eyes closed, and soon her breathing steadied into sleep.

Zhong Yi stood frozen for a long time.

Only when the Behavior Score in the upper-right corner began dropping did he snap out of it, carefully withdrawing his fingers from her grasp.

Tiptoeing, he blew out the candle and watched the sleeping girl, emotions churning inside him.

The live chat erupted in outrage.

[How can you tolerate this? You HAVE to avenge her!!]

[You think the streamer doesn’t want to? It’s that damned Lu Ze’s system stopping him!]

[Technically, it’s Li Ang refusing.]

[We can’t let her fall into the demonic path...]

[I get it, but... she held my hand and said "You’re so kind"...]

Just then, Zhong Yi’s quest updated.

[Main Quest: Sit quietly on the chair by the greenery.]

Following the prompt, Li Ang took a seat.

The room was pitch-black, save for moonlight spilling over the potted plant on the windowsill.

Suddenly, Zhong Yi felt his body move against his will—

Or rather, control was returned to its rightful owner: "Li Ang."

Li Ang stood abruptly, swiftly retrieving a dagger from his assassination toolkit.

He strode to Su Di'er’s bedside.

Shing.

The blade slid free, its edge gleaming cold silver in the dark, runes faintly pulsing.

The tip hovered inches above the girl’s forehead.

The sight terrified Zhong Yi—and the thousands watching.

The chat exploded.

[???]

[NO!]

[Zhong Yi, what are you doing!?]

[Wait, it’s not Zhong Yi—it’s the character’s true self!]

[Ugh, demonic cultivators! Not a single decent one among them!]

[If Su Di'er dies, I’m smashing this Illusion Crystal!]

[Wait... Look! Li Ang seems conflicted too!]

The dagger remained suspended, unmoving.

After a long pause, Li Ang exhaled sharply and sheathed the blade, turning away.

"Damn, that scared me... I thought I messed up..."

Regaining control, Zhong Yi patted his chest in relief.

Then came the familiar "flashback" segment—a god’s-eye retelling of events, presented like a film.

Despite knowing the story, Zhong Yi and his audience never tired of rewatching.

The cinematography, framing, and emotional beats were masterful.

Especially the scene where Su Di'er, tears streaming, knocked desperately on Li Ang’s door—

Then, as a sliver of light fell across her face, the composition was breathtaking.

Several high-profile viewers immediately showered Zhong Yi’s stream with lavish gifts.

Later, when Li Ang wrestled with his inner demons before lowering the dagger, everyone held their breath.

Morning arrived.

Still immersed in the flashback, Zhong Yi enjoyed the moment—

Until he saw Su Di'er wake up, her hair a tangled mess, and chuckled.

But his amusement vanished quickly.

Because Li Ang still intended to send her away.

"After this meal, you leave."

"Go where?"

"Anywhere. It’s none of my concern."

Watching Su Di'er’s lips droop in disappointment, Zhong Yi’s heart ached.

A moment later, she handed Li Ang a note she’d prepared earlier.

Li Ang couldn’t read, but Zhong Yi could.

In a child’s scrawl, it said:

"I want to become a killer like Li Ang."

In that instant, Zhong Yi's resolve wavered, and he even considered taking her as his disciple.

But Li Ang in the story suddenly flared up with anger.

"You want to be an assassin? Fine, take these."

He grabbed a few talismans inscribed with eerie patterns and slammed them onto the table in front of Su Di'er.

"Bite your finger, smear them with blood, and you can kill. Go on—kill them. Consider this my farewell gift."

"But don’t follow me anymore. I prefer to walk alone."