Chapter 62: Crisis

Chapter 62: Crisis

Though he and his younger sister had never been particularly close growing up, she was still one of his dearest family members.

Now that someone had dared to target her, how could he possibly remain indifferent?

Chen Shouyi suppressed his fury, forcing himself to think calmly before speaking quickly.

"Your appearance has been exposed, and you're the only eyewitness. Some of them probably hold high positions in Dongning City—they’ll definitely come searching for you. For the next few days, it’s best if you don’t leave the house!"

Then, a thought struck him, and his expression darkened. He hurriedly asked, "Wait—when you reported it at the police station, you didn’t give them your personal information, did you?"

"I… I registered it!" Chen Xingyue realized the gravity of the situation, her composure crumbling.

Though she had always been clever, she was still just a sheltered fifteen-year-old girl. Overwhelmed by fear and panic at the time, she hadn’t considered the consequences.

"Brother… what do we do? Should we grab Mom and Dad and run? Let’s leave Dongning City right now!"

Unconsciously, Chen Xingyue had begun to rely on her brother—someone she had once looked down on. But in this life-or-death situation, his steady and composed demeanor had become her anchor.

"Calm down. Panicking will only make things worse," Chen Shouyi said firmly.

He strode to the balcony, carefully parting the curtains just enough to peer outside.

It didn’t take long for him to spot two sinister-looking young men loitering across the street. They smoked casually, exchanging idle chatter while their eyes repeatedly flicked toward the restaurant opposite their home.

"They’re here already?" he muttered to himself.

Chen Shouyi had never studied counter-surveillance techniques, but their brazen behavior made them easy to identify.

Perhaps they assumed this family was defenseless—easy prey.

He let the curtain fall back into place, his expression darkening as murderous intent surged within him.

By the time he turned around, his face was calm again.

"Too many eyes during the day. We’ll leave at night. And for now, don’t tell Mom and Dad—if they panic, we might tip off our enemies. Stay in your room, and don’t open the curtains."

Chen Shouyi couldn’t guarantee whether their pursuers would resort to firearms. Some people, to avoid exposure, were capable of anything.

Chen Xingyue didn’t speak, wiping away her tears before nodding firmly. In the face of such danger, she was utterly lost.

He watched as she trudged heavily into her room.

Then, Chen Shouyi entered his own bedroom.

Setting down his briefcase, he sat in his chair and closed his eyes, lost in thought.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He grabbed a porcelain pen holder from the desk and crushed it in his grip, pens and all.

"Damn it, they’re really pushing their luck."

A violent rage and killing intent burned inside him like wildfire. He wanted nothing more than to charge outside and smash the skulls of those two watchers.

But he knew—now wasn’t the time.

If he continued to feign ignorance, these people might wait until late at night to act in order to minimize social impact and avoid exposure. If he killed the two now, it would be tantamount to alerting the enemy. Moreover, in broad daylight, disposing of the bodies would be difficult.

As for reporting it to the authorities, he had considered it. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Even if the police believed him and dispatched officers to provide 24-hour protection, how much risk would that entail? And to cooperate with any potential police operation to lure out the perpetrators, his family would be unable to leave in the short term, remaining in constant danger.

What was even more chilling was how his family’s information had been exposed in the first place. He could disregard his own safety, but he couldn’t ignore the security of his parents and younger sister. The best course of action was to leave Dongning City under cover of night. Even if he were later wanted for murder, given the current blackout and severed communication networks, once he was out of Dongning City, the matter would likely be dropped.

As for the spatial gateway, under these circumstances, he had no choice but to abandon it for now. Chen Shouyi planned to report it once he had left Dongning City and settled everything.

The barbarians had long been terrified of him after his killings, so they shouldn’t pose any immediate problems.

Chen Shouyi took a deep breath and threw the porcelain powder and broken pen into the trash. Right now, the most important thing was to retrieve his weapons. Even if it meant exposing himself in front of his parents and sister, he couldn’t afford to hesitate.

He opened the window, glanced left and right at the alley below, and when no one was looking, he leaped down.

Walking down the street, he shot a sidelong glance at the two men, his fists clenching briefly before relaxing. Then he quickened his pace and left.

The young man under surveillance would never have imagined that, just moments ago, his life had teetered on the brink of hell.

---

Night had fallen on the island in the Otherworld, the sky pitch black and oppressive.

An eerie aura permeated the air.

Wispy tendrils of mist slithered across the ground like living things, dancing with a sinister grace.

After all he had been through, Chen Shouyi no longer felt the same fear he once had toward these weak natural spirits.

Without hesitation, he approached the rock cave, pulled out the mountaineering backpack, and dumped all the food and camouflage clothing onto the ground. Then he stuffed in the components of the war bow and the arrows.

The backpack was about 80 cm tall, and the long bow limbs barely fit inside. The sword case, however, was too long, forcing Chen Shouyi to carry it in his hand.

Next, he took all the gold and swiftly left the gateway.

Once on the street, he hesitated for a moment before abruptly changing direction.

About ten minutes later, he arrived at the residential complex where Zhang Xiaoyue lived.

---

Spotting an elderly man idly sitting in the pavilion, Chen Shouyi immediately approached him.

"Elderly man, do you know Zhang Xiaoyue? A girl about my age."

"Zhang what?"

"Zhang Xiaoyue. Do you know her?"

"Zhang Xiao what?"

"Never mind. I won’t trouble you further. I’ll ask someone else," Chen Shouyi said helplessly.

He stopped every person he encountered on the road, but none recognized the name. Soon, Chen Shouyi gave up on this futile questioning.

In the city nowadays, neighborly relations are indifferent. Many people have lived in the same place for over a decade without even knowing how many residents are in the opposite household.

But the only comfort for Chen Shouyi was that nothing had happened here yet. There were no reports of deaths or unidentified corpses. Otherwise, such a major incident would have already spread like wildfire throughout the neighborhood.

He didn’t linger long and hurried home.

Seeing Chen Mu bent over the restaurant’s cash register, calculating the accounts, Chen Shouyi let out a sigh of relief.

Without delay, he briskly walked past the restaurant entrance, turned into a narrow alley, and reached the window of his bedroom.

After waiting for a few passersby to leave, Chen Shouyi took a few steps back. With a short run-up, he leaped fiercely, his body soaring three to four meters high. Grabbing the windowsill, he flipped inside and landed in his bedroom.

Sitting at his desk, he took out the longsword from the sword case and picked up a piece of silk. Carefully, he polished the blade until it gleamed coldly before sliding it back into its scabbard.

Next, he retrieved the components of the bow from his backpack and assembled them one by one, adjusting as needed.

Staring at these two weapons, long stained with blood, Chen Shouyi gradually calmed his mind.

Killing—he had never done it before. Nor had he ever imagined that one day, he would kill.