There was a sharp ringing in Wenzhi’s head. He wasn’t sure if it came from the explosion in the kitchen, but it was loud enough to disrupt his focus. Even after snapping the assailant’s neck, his vision blurred for a moment before slowly stabilizing.

Then he noticed it. An insignia on the man’s shoulder.

Wenzhi crouched, brushing aside the fabric to get a clearer look. His brows lifted in surprise.

"This looks familiar...?"

A single drop of blood.

"...Old Blood faction."

Oh no.

The words were barely out before Xinyuan stepped in. When he caught sight of the insignia, his look changed. It was a small shift, but he was clearly rattled.

Rapid footsteps echoed beyond the door, closing the distance quickly.

The gunshot had drawn them in.

Xinyuan’s eyes snapped toward the noise. "We need to leave. Now."

Wenzhi rose to his feet, already moving. He pushed the door shut and locked it, tightening his grip around the gun in his hand. It was heavier than standard issue, more advanced. This wasn’t something ordinary personnel carried.

This could kill an Esper. Cleanly, if aimed right.

If there were this many inside, then.... There were more outside.

"No," Wenzhi said in a low voice. "We’re staying. We need to see what they’re after, otherwise they’ll just keep chasing us."

Xinyuan frowned, clearly not on board. His gaze dropped briefly to the corpse at their feet before lifting again. "I don’t think that’s a very good idea,"

Wenzhi turned, lifting the gun. He pointed it straight at Xinyuan’s forehead. "Uh huh."

For a split second, they both stood still. Xinyuan didn’t miss the look on Wenzhi’s face. The intent to shoot was right there. It stung more than he expected.

A violent blast suddenly slammed against the door. The frame shattered, sending wood and metal flying. Through the wreckage, a man stepped inside—tall, broad, and entirely in control.

A scar cut beneath his eye, his expression calm in a way that set him apart immediately from the masked men behind him, all of whom had their guns raised.

Wenzhi narrowed his eyes.

An Esper.

He shifted his aim instantly, firing straight at the Esper’s head.

The man tilted his head.

The bullet missed him cleanly and tore into one of the men behind him.

In the next second, he was suddenly in front of Wenzhi, grabbing the gun and ripping it from his grip.

"You’re Lin Wenzhi," He spoke, a hint of amusement coloring his voice. "You look even better in person. I couldn’t stop staring at you earlier... when I was pretending to be your friend, Duan Ze."

Wenzhi’s heart skipped. His fingers trembled as something cold slid down his spine.

"...Don’t worry," The man went on, his tone airy and light as if they were merely sharing a casual conversation. "He’s alive. I just borrowed his skin and memories for a while."

Wenzhi’s expression tightened.

So that was it. This was the fake Duan Ze. A high ranked Esper who could take identities.

It meant the Duan Ze in the boardroom had been real, and every word the fake one spoken was the truth. Wei Kang had sold him to the government and then declared him dead. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The sheer power these people held caused a flicker of fear to surface before he could suppress it.

The Esper saw it, his lips curling into a satisfied smile.

Then, he was gone.

An invisible force slammed into him, sending his body crashing hard into the garage wall. The impact cracked the surface behind him.

Wenzhi exhaled sharply and turned.

Xinyuan stood there, unmoving.

The air around him had shifted.

More footsteps rushed in.

The remaining assailants flooded the space, surrounding them, guns raised.

They were members of the Old Blood faction. All of them.

"Don’t shoot," the Esper groaned from where he’d fallen. "We’re not here to kill anyone. Kind of."

He let out a strained breath. "...Shao Xinyuan, I think you broke my spine."

Dark mist began to pour from Xinyuan’s body, thick and heavy, stretching outward like something alive.

The Esper tried to rise, failed, and stopped, his expression turning serious.

"Calm down," he said. "We’re not here to kill anyone."

Xinyuan didn’t respond.

The mist rolled and split mercilessly. Three bodies hit the floor. One was struck through the chest, another through the stomach. The third was decapitated before he could even blink.

Xinyuan’s gaze hardened. "That’s for almost killing my guide."

The Esper’s eyes darkened, but he exhaled slowly. "Drop your weapons."

The remaining men hesitated, then obeyed.

He looked back at Xinyuan. Then at Wenzhi.

"We’re here to talk," he said. "The explosion was... excessive. I’ll admit that."

A faint smile tugged at his lips despite the situation. "But we come in peace, truly. The Old Blood faction merely needs to borrow Lin Wenzhi for a short while."

His gaze settled fully on Xinyuan. "He’ll be back before you know it."

Wenzhi didn’t like where this was going. "What does the Old Blood faction want with me?"

Xinyuan shot him a look, like the question itself was ridiculous.

In the novel, the Old Blood faction wasn’t just powerful, it was ancient. Aristocratic families that had risen after the Great Fall, rebuilding the world with overwhelming resources and influence. They operated outside the CEA, with their own laws, their own governance.

But their goal had always been the same.

Control... Control over Espers. Control over Xinyuan.

They had been one of the forces that pushed Xinyuan into madness, into the eventual destruction of everything.

The problem was... They weren’t supposed to appear this early. Not like this.

"Personally, I don’t want any part of this. Violence is so... messy," the Esper said, shrugging. "But our faction head is eager to meet you."

That might have sounded reasonable. But it wasn’t true.

Wenzhi had heard him earlier. He was supposed to be delivered to the research facility.

Which meant one thing.

Experimentation.

"I’m not interested," Wenzhi said flatly. "Tell your faction head that."

The Esper’s expression darkened.

Around them, the masked men raised their guns again, aiming at both him and Xinyuan.

Wenzhi stepped back instinctively, stopping just short of Xinyuan.

"Alright," the Esper sighed, pushing himself to his feet with visible strain, one hand pressed against his back. "I lied."

His tone lost its earlier ease. "That explosion was supposed to end you. Since you won’t cooperate, I’m bringing you back regardless. Dead or alive."