Chapter 91: Time Reversal

The number of pregnant women genuinely shocked Shen Xin.

He had once delivered takeout for more than a year, and even in a residential compound with over a thousand households, it would be hard to find fifty pregnant women.

Of course, Shen Xin would never make a move against pregnant women. He found a medical worker who was patrolling, slipped up quietly, and knocked the man unconscious with a single blow.

Only after he had carried the man to a desolate stretch of wilderness did he wake him again.

The man came to in a daze, saw Shen Xin wearing a fully enclosed helmet, and screamed in terror.

Shen Xin drew his throwing dagger and pressed it against the man’s throat, saying coldly, “Shh. Say another word and I’ll cut out your tongue.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t scream. Spare me, sir! I’m just a regular working stiff, I don’t have much money.”

“Tell the truth. What are you doing with so many pregnant women? Say one lie, and I’ll stab you to death.”

“I’ll talk, don’t kill me! Sir, the pregnant women weren’t captured by us. They’re surrogate mothers who took the job for money. I’m just a temporary doctor assigned to look after them. I really haven’t done anything bad.”

“Still lying.”

With one slash, Shen Xin cut off an ear.

“Aaah! I’m telling the truth!”

Shen Xin yanked out the man’s tongue, rested the blade against it, and said indifferently, “If you dare lie again, I’ll cut your tongue out.”

Then he let go of the tongue.

The man trembled in silence for a moment, then wailed miserably, “I can’t say it. If I do, I’m dead for sure.”

“If you don’t say it, you die right now. Choose.”

“Kill me. I won’t say.”

This time Shen Xin was the one taken aback. He had already guessed the surrogate operation was no simple matter, but he hadn’t expected it to be this serious—so serious that a medical worker would rather die than keep the secret.

“So you want to die? Not that easy.”

Shen Xin knocked the man out again, flashed away several times, and dumped him by the river. Only then did he teleport back home.

He had never intended to kill anyone in the first place; he had only wanted to frighten the man a little.

The next day, he found that villa remained perfectly normal. Everything was still as quiet as ever, without the slightest sign of disorder.

Shen Xin stroked his chin. “Interesting. Let’s see how long you can hold out.”

That night he used the same trick again, snatched another person, and interrogated him further. The result was the same: nothing. In the end, he could only knock the man out and throw him by the river once more.

For three straight days, he went every night to seize people and cause trouble. Yet strangely enough, the medical staff always remained at five—no more, no less. As for the people he had previously taken away, none of them ever came back.

Shen Xin’s stubborn temper flared up. He refused to believe they truly had so many medical workers.

This time, just as he was about to enter the villa to grab someone, a figure blocked his path.

“Friend, you’ve come to make trouble time and again. What exactly is your purpose?”

It was an old man with white hair and a goatee.

Shen Xin smiled. “I was just about to ask you what you’re trying to do.”

The old man studied him for a long while before saying, “I can tell you, but after you hear it, you won’t live through tonight. If you know when to stop and promise never to come back, I can spare your life. Live or die—choose for yourself.”

“Haha. Then tell me your purpose. I’m genuinely curious.”

The old man sighed. “Curiosity can kill a man sometimes. Since you’re determined to die, I’ll let you die informed. This place is an experimental base for creating mutants.”

“Creating mutants? Is that really necessary? More and more people are awakening supernatural powers these days.”

The old man shook his head with a bitter smile. “Naturally awakened powers are mostly useless. I’ve said my piece. Prepare to die. I only hope that in your next life, your curiosity won’t be so strong. Time acceleration!”

Shen Xin froze, thinking, What use is time acceleration? Is he trying to age me to death?

But very soon he sensed something was wrong. His heart was pounding so violently it felt as though it might burst from his chest, beating perhaps a dozen times in a single second.

Fortunately, his body was strong enough; otherwise his heart might have been ruined.

He hurriedly swallowed a calming pill and teleported away. Before he had gone far, his vision blurred, and he was back in front of the old man again.

“What the hell is going on?”

The old man laughed. “Time reversal. You can’t get away.”

“If I can’t run, then I’ll deal with you first—Twist!”

With a shout from Shen Xin, the old man’s body instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist, scattering in all directions.

Without hesitation, Shen Xin continued teleporting away. This time he used his teleportation technique repeatedly, but once again his vision blurred, and he returned to the old man’s side.

The old man smiled smugly. “You can’t kill me.”

Shen Xin asked curiously, “Old man, is that your supernatural power, or a technique you cultivate?”

“My supernatural power.”

Shen Xin sneered. “Then go die, old man. Twist!”

This time he did not run. Instead, he took out a bronze bell and began to ring it, while chanting the scripture for guiding wandering spirits.

Soon he saw a translucent white shadow slowly drift upward into the sky.

“Ah, friend, stop now! If you kill me, things will become even more troublesome.”

After thinking for a moment, Shen Xin stopped chanting. He truly hated trouble; if he struck down the young, the old would come after him, and it would never end. Before long, his vision blurred again, and he was back where he had started, while the old man stood before him completely unharmed.

The old man took a few deep breaths and said in disbelief, “Friend, what skill! I wonder if you might be interested in joining us?”

Shen Xin asked, “Are you an evil organization?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Then that’s fine. I can let you off this once.”

The old man was stunned, but he did not lose heart and continued to persuade him. “Friend, if you join us, there are many benefits...”

“No need to say more. I’m not interested.”

After a moment of thought, the old man tried again, testing the waters. “Friend, could we hire you? The price is negotiable.”

Shen Xin still shook his head. “I’m not short of money.”

The old man smiled. “Of course. With your abilities, you naturally wouldn’t lack money. But this reward isn’t money—it’s a chance to become a god!”

Shen Xin almost laughed out loud and asked, “Do I look like an idiot to you?”

“No, no. I’m telling the truth. We discovered a hidden realm. After several investigations, we can be certain it contains a method to become a god. Of course, the god I mean is not the kind you imagine.”

Shen Xin’s interest was piqued. “Go on.”

The old man cleared his throat and continued, “You surely know this much: extraordinary ability users more or less grasp a sliver of the laws of heaven and earth. For example, I have only a tiny grasp of the law of time, while you have grasped a little bit of the law of space. The god I speak of is one who has mastered one or more of the laws of heaven and earth—completely mastered them.”

“Oh, that kind of god. That’s more believable. Tell me the time and place, and I’ll consider whether to go.”

The old man’s face lit up with delight. “I am Shi Qian. Half a month from now, let us meet at Heaven’s Heart Tower without fail.”

“Half a month from now, Heaven’s Heart Tower.”

Shen Xin gave a definite answer. He truly wanted to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Even if he continued cultivating his qi-training art now, at best he could only reach the peak of the Condensed Qi stage, which was of little real use.

As for his supernatural abilities, their progress was also exceedingly slow.

He would have to seek out more opportunities, or in ten years’ time, things would still be much the same. Even in Ox City, he probably would not count as truly invincible.