The once noisy and chaotic plaza had fallen into an eerie silence.
A teenage boy in a black hooded jacket was kneeling on one knee on the ground, protecting a frail little girl in his arms. In one hand he held a pitch-black Tang blade, steadily blocking a man’s punch.
The loose hood covered half his face. His slightly messy hair hid his eyes, leaving only his tightly pressed lips visible.
The man who had attacked still hadn’t recovered from the sudden appearance of Lian Qiguang. He remained frozen in his striking posture, staring blankly.
“Se-second brother?” Lian Xiaozhu, held in his arms, was stunned.
“You’re weaker than I thought.” Lian Qiguang looked at her expressionlessly, his tone flat like still water. “Trash. Should just be crushed.”
“Hey! You brat! Where did you come from?” The man snapped out of it and quickly stepped back, panic creeping into his voice.
“Ants should know their place.” Lian Qiguang supported Lian Xiaozhu to stand and slowly turned.
His lips parted, carrying a chilling intent.
He raised the Tang blade horizontally. Slowly lifting his head, his dark eyes peered through his hair at the man, as if looking at a dead person.
“Either struggle to survive… or die.”
“You…!” The man trembled under that gaze and retreated again, unwilling to lose face.
“Do you know who I am?! Believe it or not, I can make sure you have no place in the Third District!!”
A cold scoff.
Lian Qiguang moved.
In an instant, the man couldn’t even see him anymore.
“Trash. Accept your fate.”
A voice, devoid of emotion, came from behind.
The man turned in shock.
A sharp pain exploded in his abdomen.
He was sent flying several meters, crashing heavily to the ground, blood spraying from his mouth before he went completely still.
“Ahhh!! Murder!!”
A scream erupted. The plaza instantly descended into chaos.
Strange-looking men with colorful tattoos surged in from all directions, surrounding Lian Qiguang.
Footsteps, screams, panic.
But Lian Qiguang stood in the center, unmoving.
The surroundings blurred.
Everything faded.
Only memories remained.
So familiar.
Like when the city had fallen.
When millions of zombies flooded in.
When humans were torn apart, infected, turned.
The endless screams.
The collapsing streets.
He had stood alone among it all.
Watching everything die.
Until only he remained.
Everyone was gone.
Only him…
“Second brother!! Behind you!!”
Lian Qiguang snapped back.
A blade was already swinging toward his face.
His eyes sharpened.
He tightened his grip—
A flash of lightning tore through the air.
The blade turned to ash mid-air.
An ability?!
Lian Qiguang’s gaze narrowed sharply, scanning instantly—but saw nothing except fleeing crowds.
“Behind you!” Lian Xiaozhu cried again.
Without drawing his blade, Lian Qiguang struck first.
A kick slammed into a man’s face.
Another fell.
A sweeping leg strike.
A palm slammed a head into the ground.
A kick sent another flying.
No fancy moves.
Only lethal efficiency.
Every strike aimed at fatal points.
Hidden nearby—
“Holy crap… this is way too violent.”
A young man stared wide-eyed from the shadows.
“Not even using his blade… just hand-to-hand and he’s taking down nearly a hundred people. Is this even human?”
Beside him, a man remained silent, eyes fixed on Lian Qiguang.
A faint shift passed through his gaze.
…It’s him.
——Scene break——
(Police Station)
Lian Qiguang stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning lazily against the wall, calmly counting the characters on it.
Lian Xiaozhu curled up beside him, tightly gripping his sleeve.
Across from them, two police officers sat in chairs, barely holding back their anger.
They had been interrogating him for three hours.
He hadn’t even spared them a glance.
“Since you’re here, explain everything clearly, or don’t blame us for using force!” one officer slammed the table.
Lian Qiguang glanced at it.
A reinforced special table. Probably bulletproof-grade.
Hurt your hand, didn’t it?
He looked at the officer again. Expressionless.
The officer suddenly felt a chill and swallowed his anger.
The door opened.
A junior officer whispered something into their ears.
The two officers exchanged looks and left.
“Second brother…” Lian Xiaozhu tugged his sleeve. “I’m scared.”
“I’m scared too.” Lian Qiguang replied flatly.
“……”
“Then why didn’t you call big brother?”
“Running away without permission. He’d scold us.”
He calmly sat down and poured her water.
“Come sit.”
“……”
Before long, the door opened again.
Lian Xiaozhu jumped in fright and grabbed his arm.
The officers returned.
One tried to smile—but froze when he saw the scene.
Lian Qiguang leaned back, calmly sipping tea.
“Here. Tea’s gone. Refill it.”
“Are you messing with me?!” one officer roared.
“Don’t be impulsive!! He’s got backing!!”
After a struggle, they refilled the water.
“Those people today are a violent gang, already wanted in the Third District. Thanks to you, the case is closed.”
“So?” Lian Qiguang said calmly.
“So you can leave now.”
“I understand.”
He stood, picked up his Tang blade, and walked out.
“Goodbye.”
“Goodbye!! Never come back!!” the officer ground his teeth.
In the monitoring room, the man who had been watching the footage narrowed his eyes slightly.
A dark glint passed through them.