Chapter 502: Breakfast

The tavern remained silent.

The breathing of the more than ten assassins, from all corners of the world, grew involuntarily heavy. It wasn't just the smell of blood on Nie Yu, an odor suggesting countless lives taken, but also his eyes—cold, yet intensely oppressive, like those of a wolf king roaming the wilderness, soaked in blood and radiating murderous intent.

After an unknown period, the bartender behind the counter slowly spoke: "...I don't know."

Hearing the reply, Nie Yu's eyes unconsciously narrowed. With his shotgun slung over his back, he walked to the bar amidst creaking floorboards and spoke in a deep voice: "Vulture, where are the people I told you to send to watch her?"

The bartender remained silent, opening his phone. A news article popped up on the screen before Nie Yu.

"At 3 PM this afternoon, a major traffic accident occurred on the Loujiang Expressway. An electric vehicle and a fuel car collided at high speed, igniting and falling off the expressway, with no survivors. Another car's body was completely shattered, suspected to have suffered an extremely powerful impact, resulting in the two occupants being crushed to death. A third vehicle, parked by the roadside with its hazard lights flashing, contained two male bodies with gunshot wounds...

According to police investigations, all surveillance cameras along that section of the road were simultaneously damaged, and no footage from the time of the incident was found. Efforts are currently underway to reconstruct the scene...

At the same time, the police revealed that most of the victims were wanted fugitives, so they do not rule out the possibility of a revenge killing... Our reporter will continue to bring you updates..."

As Vulture locked the screen, only Nie Yu's cold face remained reflected on the dark display, his brows tightly furrowed.

"...It's that man in brown," Nie Yu said, as if recalling something, anger rising in his eyes. "He can affect surrounding electronic devices. It must be him! He's definitely after Su Zhiwei too!"

"He, like you, probably possesses extraordinary abilities," Vulture said slowly, placing a wiped glass on the bar and pouring whiskey into it. "If that's the case, no number of assassins can stop him... only you can deal with him personally."

"Of course, I'll kill him myself."

"But now we don't even know where they're hiding..."

Nie Yu sneered, downed the whiskey in his glass, and slammed it heavily onto the bar, the terrifying force crushing the glass into shards scattered across the counter.

Under the gazes of the others, who were so tense they could barely breathe, he picked up his shotgun and calmly walked out of the tavern.

"Send me the accident location... My prey never escapes."

***

Morning.

Chen Ling slowly opened his eyes on the museum roof.

"Is it dawn...?" Chen Ling stood up, his gaze sweeping the distant horizon. After confirming no unusual objects were approaching within his sight, he lightly leaped from the rooftop like a butterfly.

Chen Ling wasn't tired to begin with, and due to the feeling of being watched, he hadn't stepped inside the museum last night. Although he wasn't as wary of Xiao Chunping, he certainly didn't trust her, and resting unprotected on someone else's territory was naturally out of the question. Staying on the roof not only eliminated the feeling of being watched but also allowed him to constantly observe his surroundings, preventing a night raid by Nie Yu. It was, in essence, Chen Ling's best option.

Meanwhile.

In the corridor, a spirited young man was meticulously adjusting his fringe in his reflection on the window, seemingly never satisfied, as if he wished he could weld each strand onto his head. The next moment, he saw a blur: a brown-clad figure, like a gust of wind, swept past the window and silently landed in the corridor.

"Holy crap!!"

The sudden appearance startled Yao Qing, who instinctively took half a step back. When he realized it was Chen Ling, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Seriously, are you playing Spiderman this early in the morning? Where did you come from?!"

"The roof," Chen Ling replied calmly.

"...We prepared a bed for you, and you didn't use it. Why were you on the roof?"

"The roof offers a good view, making it easy for me to constantly monitor my surroundings for approaching enemies."

Yao Qing suddenly fell silent. After a moment, he silently bowed to Chen Ling. "You've worked hard, I was rude."

As Yao Qing's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn, Chen Ling's eyebrows slightly raised... Looking at the young man, who corrected his mistake and could be called "earnest," Chen Ling couldn't help but recall his own youth, feeling a touch of nostalgia.

Chen Ling's gaze fell to the side, where a carefully prepared breakfast was steaming on the windowsill in the corridor. Not only did it include soy milk, fried eggs, sausages, and toast—a fusion of Eastern and Western breakfast items—but the toast also had a cute smiley face drawn with ketchup. Just as Chen Ling was about to look away, he suddenly let out a soft "hmm," his "fiery eyes" locking onto a corner of the plate...

On the rim of the soy milk bowl, in a spot almost no one would notice, there was a faint heart drawn in pencil. The lines of this heart were so faint, like a boy's innocent and budding crush, wanting to hide it yet unwilling, able only to quietly leave his affection in an inconspicuous corner, hoping one day "she" would discover it.

Chen Ling's gaze became increasingly subtle. Yao Qing gasped and quickly cradled the breakfast tray in his arms, afraid Chen Ling would just eat it.

"This... this isn't for you!"

"..." Chen Ling said helplessly, "I didn't say I was going to eat it, did I?"

Yao Qing still glared at him, his eyes full of vigilance, but then, remembering that Chen Ling had guarded them all night, his expression wavered... "If you want to eat... um... I'll make you some later, but this portion isn't for you!"

Chen Ling didn't bother to argue further and waved his hand. "Go on, go on."

Yao Qing walked towards Su Zhiwei's room, clutching the tray. After a short distance, he couldn't help but stop again, adjusted his hair in the window's reflection, and then continued.

"You're going the wrong way," Chen Ling couldn't help but point out when he saw this.

"What?"

"Your Sister Zhiwei woke up before dawn, an hour earlier than you," Chen Ling pointed towards the courtyard. "She's practicing there."

Yao Qing froze for a moment, then, still holding the tray, hurried towards the courtyard. After pushing open the central glass door, a figure beneath a willow tree came into view.

In the courtyard, full of spring vibrancy, Su Zhiwei, dressed in a white training uniform, stood gracefully before the swaying willow branches. Her hands moved like gently flowing stream water, sweeping together in front of her, as if embracing a semicircle. Her steps were steady yet light, sometimes striking with an open palm, sometimes clenching into a fist. Her tied-up black hair swayed gently in the wind with the tender willows, embodying both strength and grace.

Su Zhiwei was completely engrossed in her martial arts form, not noticing Yao Qing's arrival at all. Beads of sweat trickled from her temples. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and as her hands stirred, gusts of gentle wind swirled up from beneath her...