Chapter 43: Back to the Starting Point

“Go, go, go! Leave everything behind, even the tents!” Old Mo shouted as he sped away. Chen Jiawang hurried after him.

“Ziran, you ride the Lightning Leopard and go ahead! Don’t wait for me!” Tang Ziran nodded, summoned the Lightning Leopard, and dashed off without looking back. She knew she’d only be a burden if she stayed.

Shen Xin ran even faster. He had just swallowed a Holy Spirit Fruit, and now the effects were surging through him, making him feel as though he might explode. He kept activating his eye technique, burning through the violent energy within him.

He also realized that every time he used his eye technique, the distance he teleported increased—far beyond a hundred meters, though he couldn’t measure it exactly. He teleported himself all the way to the outskirts of Martial City before exhaustion forced him to stop. The aftereffects of his repeated teleportations left his whole body aching, and the explosive energy inside made him feel as if he were being torn apart.

After more than a hundred consecutive teleports, he was already soaked in blood, and with the raging energy within, blood streamed from his seven orifices—he was like a man made of blood.

Fortunately, his vampire powers granted him exceptional regeneration, and the Holy Spirit Fruit’s effects were slowly being absorbed. As long as he could rest for a few hours, he would fully recover.

He gazed at Martial City, now so close, but chose not to enter. In his current state, entering the city would only put him in greater danger.

He found a dense thicket and collapsed into it. He was filled with regret—if only he hadn’t taken the Holy Spirit Fruit, he wouldn’t have ended up in this sorry state. All of this because of greed!

Suddenly, a wild, arrogant laughter exploded beside his ear.

“Haha! Shen Xin, who would have thought we’d meet again?” Shen Xin struggled to open his eyes—barely managing to see through a thin slit. Through the haze, he saw He Xuantong standing before him with three others.

One of them was actually Yu Yanan!

“Yanan? Why are you here?” Shen Xin was completely baffled. He couldn’t understand why Yu Yanan would be standing with He Xuantong.

“Shen Xin, I’m sorry. A higher-ranking vampire has absolute control over a lower-ranked one. I didn’t want to come, but I couldn’t disobey!” Yu Yanan trembled as she spoke, her voice full of sorrow.

He Xuantong burst out laughing. “Shen Xin, you fool! You know nothing! Since you’re so clueless, you deserve this. Yu Yanan, go ahead and drink his blood—drink your fill, and then we’ll have our turn. Such delicious blood—truly intoxicating!”

Yu Yanan hesitated for a moment, then slowly bent down and bit into Shen Xin’s shoulder, drinking deeply.

After several mouthfuls, she forced a bitter smile. “You must live on, Shen Xin. I love you.”

Then she turned to face He Xuantong and his companions, baring her fangs. “Anyone who wants to hurt my man will have to step over my dead body!”

Shen Xin, barely able to speak, cried out, “Idiot! Yu Yanan, you fool, go! Go now!”

Yu Yanan shook her head resolutely, still with that bitter smile. “I won’t go. As I am now—neither human nor ghost—I’d rather die fighting. Let’s renew our fate in the next life!”

He Xuantong didn’t interrupt them, watching with the amused detachment of a bystander. After several minutes, he finally spoke. “Finished with your performance?”

“What?”

“If you’re done, it’s time to exit the stage, idiot. Next time we meet, try not to be such a fool.”

With that, his figure flickered and he appeared before Yu Yanan in an instant, his hands clamping around her neck.

No matter how Yu Yanan struggled, she couldn’t break free. The difference in their strength was simply too vast.

“Shen Xin, do you see? Do you hate me? It doesn’t matter, because you’re too weak—you’re not even fit to carry my shoes! Now I’ll let you watch your beloved woman die before your very eyes.”

“No, no! Xuantong, we were classmates! Don’t do this, please!” Shen Xin begged in agony, but He Xuantong paid him no heed. With a twist, he snapped Yu Yanan’s neck, then smashed her head with a punch.

“Ahh! He Xuantong, even as a ghost I won’t forgive you!” Shen Xin watched the woman he loved perish, his heart and soul shattering. Blood streamed from his crimson eyes.

“Distortion!” Shen Xin screamed, nearly hysterical.

A great vortex formed around He Xuantong, instantly crushing the high-ranking vampires at his side into puddles of blood. But He Xuantong remained entirely unaffected, mocking, “Even your deadliest blow is weak and powerless. Pitiful, Shen Xin, you’re just too feeble—not worthy to be my opponent.”

With that, he stretched out a deathly pale hand, searched Shen Xin, and took the Holy Spirit Fruit, then strode away, laughing.

“He Xuantong, remember this—next time we meet, I’ll tear you to pieces!”

He Xuantong ignored him and vanished without a trace.

No one knows how much time passed—it might have been moments, or much longer—before Shen Xin sensed a group of people running toward him. Before he could react, someone leaped before him and knocked him out with a single punch. In that fading moment, he thought he glimpsed a woman riding a tiger.

…First reset…

“Huh? Was it all a dream just now?”

Shen Xin quickly wiped the drool from his mouth and glanced at the phone mounted on his electric scooter’s dashboard.

Time: 12:01 a.m.
Location: University Town, Xuefu Street.

A notification chimed—new order received, please process promptly.

By reflex, Shen Xin snatched up the order, mind still foggy. It felt as though he’d just awoken from a dream that lasted an eternity.

He took a few deep breaths and headed to Hualong Grand Hotel to pick up the food.

While waiting for the meal, the sense of déjà vu grew stronger. Everything seemed so familiar, as if he’d lived through it before.

“Ugh, my head hurts!” The harder Shen Xin tried to recall, the more his head throbbed. He finally gave up and dutifully set out to deliver the meal. When he arrived at the compound and saw Sister Dan, Chen Jiawang, and Old Mo, he suddenly realized—it hadn’t been a dream. He’d returned to the beginning.

Excited, he handed the food box to Chen Jiawang and asked, “You look a lot like a friend of mine. His name is Chen Jiaxing.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. My name is Chen Jiawang. Who knows where your friend is? Maybe he’s my long-lost half-brother from another father.” Chen Jiawang chuckled, just as fond of joking as ever.

Old Mo scrutinized Shen Xin, his gaze wary—he was certain this delivery boy had lied just now.

Sister Dan stared at Shen Xin and said, “Come here.”

“Okay!” Shen Xin trotted over eagerly. Last time, Sister Dan had said he had superpowers.

Again, Sister Dan placed her hand on his shoulder. Shen Xin felt a current of energy enter him, circle through his body, and then flow out again—a sensation he hadn’t noticed before, but now felt clearly.

“Let’s exchange contact information.”

“Sure.” Shen Xin gave his number readily. After they exchanged numbers, he introduced himself: “My name is Shen Xin. Until we meet again!” With that, he turned and left.

Once Shen Xin was gone, Old Mo said, “That kid is hiding something.”

Sister Dan just smiled, unconcerned. “He’s a superhuman—having some secrets is only natural.”