You Want Me... to Become a Hero

That night.

Within the three great families, the agonized screams of their clansmen echoed through the night sky.

In a single evening, the three patriarchs slaughtered every last one of their traitorous kin.

Long Tianyun, Situ Yun, and the eldest son of the Yu Family—all were executed.

None of them had ever dreamed that so many would betray them!

But with this done, they could now focus their efforts entirely on the experiments with the demonic weapons.

The family traitors had been purged, and those who remained, even if they harbored rebellious thoughts, would be too terrified by the night’s massacre to ever dare oppose them again.

As for Leng Qingqiu and the Gu Family...

Heh. Once the divine lord descends... you’ll all die.

......

......

The next day.

Inside the leader’s office of the Alliance headquarters.

Leng Qingqiu listened to her subordinate’s report, her brows furrowing slightly.

What was going on?

Half of the three great families’ clansmen had been wiped out in a single night?

And it was the three patriarchs themselves who carried out the slaughter.

Was there... really a traitor among them?

But how had Gu Yan managed to sway so many to his side?

This time, aside from Shangguan Miaoyin, Bai Lian—who had been absent for a long time—also came to report.

Thanks to her innate seductive physique, she had risen swiftly within the ranks of the [Spirit] organization.

She was here to deliver an important message. Though her heart swelled with excitement at seeing Leng Qingqiu again, she maintained a composed demeanor. "Master, you may not know this yet," she said.

"Among those killed by the three families weren’t just ordinary clansmen."

"Even the publicly recognized family heads and eldest sons were executed."

"That includes Long Tianyun, the head of the Long Family—his name was also on the death list!"

Long Tianyun?

He was killed too?

Leng Qingqiu’s expression shifted. Something wasn’t right.

If Long Tianyun was executed as a traitor, his betrayal must have been tied to the Gu Family.

Did that mean... Long Tianyun had also struck some kind of deal with Gu Yan?!

If that were true, then... did Gu Yan know about the demonic weapon experiments as well?

This didn’t sit right with her at all.

Had Long Tianyun survived, Leng Qingqiu might not have made the connection.

But now that he was dead...

A sense of foreboding settled over her.

Gu Yan had been absent for a long time. If Long Tianyun’s betrayal was indeed linked to him...

Then she refused to believe Gu Yan was unaware of the demonic weapons.

Given his methods...

Leng Qingqiu’s heart grew heavy. Who, then, was truly behind the demonic weapon experiments?

The three great families... or Gu Yan?

Suddenly, a thought struck her.

She looked up at Shangguan Miaoyin, who stood silently nearby, and asked, "The evidence you previously gathered on the three families’ crimes—where was it stored?"

Shangguan Miaoyin hesitated.

"It... was in Long Tianyun’s office," she replied cautiously.

The moment those words left her lips, Leng Qingqiu’s suspicions solidified. She clenched her fists tightly.

Now it made sense.

She had always found it strange how easily she had obtained the evidence of the three families colluding with others to develop demonic weapons.

But with Long Tianyun dead, combined with the Gu Family’s involvement... and her knowledge of Gu Yan’s true nature...

The truth was becoming painfully clear.

Gu Yan... was orchestrating everything behind the scenes!

Leng Qingqiu took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "You may leave now."

"But—"

"Dismissed."

Shangguan Miaoyin wanted to say more but ultimately pulled the reluctant Bai Lian out of the room.

Left alone, Leng Qingqiu’s mind was anything but calm.

If Gu Yan was the one pulling the strings...

Then he must have known the Long Family planned to target Leng Xing'an’s family.

Yet... he knew, and did nothing to stop it.

He didn’t even warn her.

The evidence against the three families fell into her hands effortlessly, but when it came to the attack on Leng Xing'an’s family, he remained silent.

Why?

Her thoughts churned until, at last, she understood Gu Yan’s intentions.

"......"

The evidence gave her a legitimate reason to move against the three families.

The slaughter of Leng Xing'an’s family deepened her hatred for them.

So what was the next step...?

The next step...

Her expression darkened. If her guess was correct,

the next step would be something that left her no choice but to act immediately.

Step by step, she felt as though she were walking straight into a script Gu Yan had written for her.

Every move she made followed the path he had laid out.

Why? Why was Gu Yan doing this?

And why... had he let Leng Xing'an’s family die without lifting a finger...?

Just then,

as if hearing her inner turmoil,

Xiao Leng—who had been silent for so long—suddenly spoke up.

[Other me, haven’t you realized it yet?]

"Xiao Leng?!"

Leng Qingqiu’s heart jolted. Ever since that day she met Gu Yan and he left after saying those cryptic words,

she hadn’t heard Xiao Leng’s voice again.

More importantly, Xiao Leng seemed to know something she didn’t.

[Don’t be so surprised, other me. I’ve always been here.]

"What do you mean by ‘realized’?"

"Xiao Leng, you know something, don’t you?"

"Why is Gu Yan doing all this?"

Leng Qingqiu pressed urgently, afraid that if she didn’t ask now, Xiao Leng might disappear again.

[Other me, I can’t reveal too much. It would interfere with Gu Yan’s plans.]

"Plans?"

Her face paled. Xiao Leng did know about Gu Yan’s schemes!

[Yes. All you need to understand is that what Gu Yan is doing now... is to make you...]

[The hero of humanity.]

"The hero... of humanity?"

Leng Qingqiu was stunned. A hero? Humanity’s hero?

What did that even mean?

[Haven’t you noticed? From joining the Martial Arts Department, to becoming the head of the Sword Holding Department, to now leading the Alliance... every step has been pushing you toward becoming humanity’s hero.]

[And after this...]

[The three great families and all those involved in the demonic weapon experiments will be eradicated by you. Their crimes will be exposed to the world.]

[Everyone will cheer for you.]

[Following this path, you’ll amass immeasurable prestige—all according to Gu Yan’s design.]

Buzz—

Xiao Leng’s words sent her mind reeling.

It was true.

Her dagger had been taken, her power lost, and then, on Xiao Leng’s advice, she cultivated her spiritual strength.

She joined the department...

And step by step, without realizing it, she had gained immense influence.

But all of it... had been arranged by Gu Yan?

The demonic creatures in the city, the ones that destroyed the Alliance...

Had Gu Yan orchestrated it all just to elevate her status? To make her... a hero?

But at what cost? So many lives lost...

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Xiao Leng’s next words sent a chill down her spine.

"But this still isn't enough."

"Still... not enough?"

"Indeed, the effort falls short. You need something far more significant to truly become... a real hero."

"That thing is... killing the Night King."

"And after that, you will receive the answers you seek."

At these words,

Leng Qingqiu abruptly stood up.

Her expression froze, a storm of panic and chaos surging within her: "Kill... the Night King?"

Wasn’t the Night King none other than Gu Yan?

She was supposed to kill him... to become a hero?

What kind of joke was this?!

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"

"Other me... do you really think this is something you can avoid just by refusing?"

"Gu Yan will make sure you kill him. And when the time comes... you will have no choice but to do it."

As the words faded,

Leng Qingqiu’s expression stiffened in shock.

No choice... but to kill Gu Yan...

How could something like that ever happen?