Tu Ning's Objective

"Think carefully. You're a C-rank, and you're a D-rank. Sister Orchid here, if I recall correctly, is B-rank."

Dongfeng demonstrated a flexible bottom line, hoisted Liu Lang onto his shoulder, and leaped onto the roof of a low building. "Without a gun, you're at most just a C-rank."

"Good brother, hurry up and let me catch a glimpse of the crown prince's majestic style!"

Liu Lang nodded. "It only takes one roasted duck from Tianjing to unlock all the crown prince's precious video footage."

The two men held hands as they vaulted across various rooftops, quickly vanishing into the city skyline.

"Get back here, you scoundrel! This lady will buy you two roasted ducks!"

At a certain roast duck restaurant, Liu Lang obediently gnawed on duck meat, while Dongfeng, with dark circles under his eyes like a giant panda, sipped his tea in resignation.

"Why did only I get beaten?"

"Because Xiaorong gave me a jade talisman and told me to crush it directly if I ever encountered mortal danger." Liu Lang's mouth was stuffed with duck meat.

Dongfeng took a silent sip of tea. "Even the crown prince has his moments of backing down."

Orchid glared with wide eyes, resembling a fierce tiger ready to devour someone. "Why aren't you eating? I bought two whole ducks!"

"It's too greasy, I can't eat that much." Dongfeng continued drinking his tea. "Why aren't you eating?"

"I'll get fat." Orchid glanced at the ravenous Liu Lang and noticed a trace of crystalline moisture at the corners of his eyes. "Why aren't you eating the spring rolls?"

Liu Lang swallowed the meat with great effort. "Xiaobao said she wanted to eat roast duck every single day, but she didn't like spring rolls."

Dongfeng and Orchid fell silent.

At the next table, Tong Qiubai's beautiful eyes were veiled in a faint mist, as if ten thousand steel needles were piercing her throat.

Half a roast duck sat in front of her, with no spring rolls in sight.

"And now you two are telling me not to meddle. I can only eat a few extra bites of roast duck on her behalf... I've wanted a little sister ever since I was a child..." Liu Lang could no longer hold it in and burst into muffled sobs.

Orchid pulled him into an embrace, her own eyes turning red.

Dongfeng let out a helpless sigh, picked up a piece of meat, and took a bite. "The Dragon Team is determined to secure Song Lili. They won't allow anyone else to interfere."

"But we can go investigate Tu Ning."

"Tu Ning?" Liu Lang asked, wiping his eyes.

"That's right. Tu Ning operates in Min Province. Although the Fusang forces have surrendered and retreated, there are definitely some operatives who went underground. There's a high probability Tu Ning is lying low, and Song Lili was just a lower-tier recruit she developed."

"Song Lili was subjected to domestic abuse for a long time, especially severely in the dozen days or so before the incident. But no matter how unhinged an ordinary man is, why would he want to dismember his own wife and children for no reason?"

Dongfeng took a bite of meat followed by a gulp of water. It really was rather greasy.

"You mean... the cultivation of the Slit-Mouthed Woman requires a woman with a miserable background, and Tu Ning added fuel to the fire for Song Lili?" Orchid grabbed a piece of meat, chewing as she spoke.

"Why would she develop Song Lili? What was she planning to do after recruiting her?" Liu Lang struck upon the crucial point.

Tong Qiubai had also thought of this. Tu Ning had never revealed her ultimate purpose; after helping her capture ten young women, Tu Ning had become completely unreachable.

"From the perspective of Xiaobao's departure, Song Lili was a victim too. But if we truly want to avenge Xiaobao, Tu Ning is the real enemy!"

After the roast duck session concluded, Liu Lang declined Orchid's offer for a ride and walked home alone.

Unable to figure out Tu Ning's objective, and feeling heavy-hearted, he transformed his palm into a blade and practiced the Heavenly Saber technique.

Tong Qiubai followed him from a distance.

"Who's there!" Realizing someone was tailing him, Liu Lang drew a dagger, holding it in his hand as it gleamed with a cold light.

Tong Qiubai was quite surprised and intended to reveal herself, but then she heard another voice ring out: "Hee hee hee, you found me."

Fluttering snowflakes drifted down, dancing beneath the dim yellow streetlights.

Liu Fei'er descended into Liu Lang's arms amidst the dazzling snow. Barefoot, she hooked her arms around his neck and looked at him with a mischievous smile.

"Did you miss me?"

"I miss you every day."

"Do you miss me right now?"

"I do."

Liu Lang cradled Liu Fei'er and sought out a deserted alleyway, deliberately avoiding surveillance cameras, and spent two intimate hours together.

"Annoying, it's uncomfortable here, I want to go to a bed!" Liu Fei'er pouted coquettishly.

Liu Lang patted her bottom. "Then we'll just have to get a hotel room. I'm living with my parents right now; I don't have a room of my own."

"You dummy, you might not, but I do!" Liu Fei'er pinched his earlobe. "I came here in a car, let's go to the vehicle!"

Liu Lang nodded and agreed hastily, though he asked with curiosity: "How do you have a car, and what kind of experiments are you guys doing?"

"Dai Li is helping a junior female schoolmate of his, searching for some criminal nearby. I was bored so I tagged along."

"As for the experiment, originally it was just digesting the power gained from the ninja's blood. Later on, Dai Li captured a heinous dark magic criminal from Europe, refined him into blood for me to drink, and now I can use magic."

Searching for a criminal—Tong Qiubai grew suspicious. At that moment, her cheeks were slightly flushed; it had been a very long time since she had experienced such intimacy, as prolonged domestic abuse had entirely stripped away such thoughts for her.

Yet this new body was brimming with youthful vitality