The Death of Leng Xing'an

That night

Jianghai City.

In an ordinary residential community.

Leng Xing'an, the current head of the Leng Family, made it his priority to return home to his wife and daughter after a long day of work.

"Daddy, when can we go play with Ling'er sister?"

A little girl giggled joyfully as Leng Xing'an lifted her high above his head.

Leng Ling'er... Well, she's a grandmaster now.

Our ordinary family shouldn't bother her.

Leng Qingqiu, my eldest niece, entrusted the company to me, and I must manage it well.

After muttering these thoughts to himself, Leng Xing'an nodded with a smile. "How about we visit the Leng Family during New Year's to see Ling'er and Qingqiu? And Gu Yan too—your Qingqiu sister's husband. You haven't met him yet, right?"

"Mm! Yes!"

Just then, an elegant woman walked out of the kitchen, having removed her apron. She watched the heartwarming interaction between Leng Xing'an and their daughter with delight.

"Xing'an, you've worked all day. Why don't you rest with Yuan Yuan and watch some TV?" she said gently.

"No need. Playing with Yuan Yuan makes me feel years younger!"

Leng Xing'an set his daughter down and scratched the back of his head with a chuckle.

He was one of only three survivors from the Leng Family massacre years ago.

The rest had been slaughtered in the old Leng residence that night—a memory he could never forget.

That was why he understood the immense burden Leng Qingqiu had carried.

And why he was determined to manage the Leng Family's business well.

Now that she had Gu Yan by her side, he could finally rest easy.

He was just an ordinary man who wanted nothing more than to live a peaceful life with his wife and child.

Before this, he had never introduced his family to Gu Yan or Leng Qingqiu.

But this New Year... maybe it was time.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Leng Xing'an looked up at his wife with a smile. "Oh, tomorrow night, let's go out for—"

Thud!

Before he could finish, a chilling sensation pierced his chest.

His expression froze.

Looking down in shock, he saw a long blade embedded in his torso.

Numbness spread through him.

What... is happening?

Stiffly, he turned his head—only to find several black-robed figures standing behind him.

Who...?

He couldn't comprehend it. He couldn't think anymore.

Cries and curses erupted, but they were futile.

Within moments, Leng Xing'an and his family of three were slaughtered by the assassins.

Three death warriors stood over the bodies. One gestured with a wave, and the other two swiftly began cleaning up the scene.

They tossed a vial of liquid onto the corpses, and the wounds instantly healed.

Then, they turned on the gas stove.

The three bodies lay motionless in the living room—now perfectly staged as victims of gas poisoning.

......

......

The next morning, news of Leng Xing'an's death reached Leng Qingqiu.

When her subordinate finished reporting, she lifted her head slowly, her icy-white eyes locking onto him.

"You're saying... it was gas poisoning?"

"Y-yes. Both forensic and martial physicians confirmed it..."

The subordinate swallowed hard, not daring to move.

Shangguan Miaoyin signaled for him to leave.

Click.

Once the door closed, only Leng Qingqiu and Shangguan Miaoyin remained in the office.

An oppressive silence filled the room.

Shangguan Miaoyin stepped forward, her voice grave. "Master, this was undoubtedly the work of the Three Great Families."

"Because we killed their assassins."

"This is their warning—their provocation."

Leng Qingqiu already knew.

Killing intent surged within her.

Leng Xing'an had been her uncle—one of the few remaining family she had left.

And yet...

The Three Great Families had murdered him.

And disguised it as an accident.

Such an absurd farce...

"Three Great Families..."

Leng Qingqiu whispered the name, forcing herself to suppress her rage.

No. In the past, she could have acted without hesitation.

But not now.

Everyone knew Leng Ling'er was her sister, and Gu Yan of the Gu Family was her beloved.

Without her Night Force, her only means of attack was her psychic abilities.

No matter how discreet she was, traces would be found.

If she acted recklessly, she would only drag Ling'er and the Gu Family into the mess.

The Three Great Families had covered their tracks flawlessly.

She had no justification to strike.

Damn it... damn it... damn it...

She longed for the days when she still wielded the Night Force—when she could have disguised herself as the Night King and slaughtered them all.

But reality reminded her—she couldn't.

She needed a legitimate reason. The Demon Weapon experiments were her justification.

But that alone wasn't enough. She had to wait until the Three Great Families deployed those weapons.

Only then... could she catch them red-handed and wipe them all out!

"Master, shall we act?" Shangguan Miaoyin asked cautiously.

Leng Qingqiu took a deep breath, her fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

"Wait for the right moment."

She massaged her temples and sighed. "First, I'll arrange the funeral for Leng Xing'an and his family."

Then, as if remembering something, she looked up at Shangguan Miaoyin. "Assign guards to protect Ling'er."

"If we've guessed this was the Three Great Families' doing, we must take precautions."

That was right—Leng Ling'er might very well be their next target!

"Understood!"

Shangguan Miaoyin bowed and left.

Alone, Leng Qingqiu covered her face, struggling to steady her breathing.

Three Great Families... I will make sure you perish.

From now on, she would monitor Ling'er's surroundings closely. At the first sign of danger, she would teleport to her side.

And the Gu Family—she had to keep watch over them too, just in case.

Meanwhile, at the Martial Alliance training grounds...

Leng Ling'er remained unaware of her uncle's death.

Lin Yinyin had pulled her aside, whispering excitedly about something.

"What? You're saying we should visit the neighboring city next week?"

Leng Ling'er's eyes sparkled with interest.

Huh, that actually sounded fun.

Lin Yinyin grinned. "Yeah, Ling'er! I heard Linhai City is a famous tourist spot—tons of cool stuff to do!"

"So, you in?"

Just as Leng Ling'er was about to agree—

"Miss Ling'er."

Shangguan Miaoyin approached.

Leng Ling'er turned, beaming. "Sister Shangguan!"

"Miss Ling'er, there's something I need to tell you."

Shangguan Miaoyin glanced at Lin Yinyin before leading Leng Ling'er aside.

In a hushed voice, she spoke.

Moments later, Leng Ling'er's cheerful expression twisted into disbelief.

"Leng Xing'an, Uncle and his whole family... are dead?"

"How could this be..."

In an instant, her previously joyful mood dissipated completely.

With a heavy heart, she turned to Lin Yinyin and said, "I'm sorry, Yinyin. I might not be able to go next week."

After speaking, she took Shangguan Miaoyin's hand and hurried toward Leng Qingqiu's office. "Sister Shangguan, I need to ask my sister what exactly happened!"

Their figures soon disappeared down the hallway.

Meanwhile, Lin Yinyin's eyes gradually grew hollow, her gaze empty and distant.