Yama Reborn

Brother Lei sure had it tough.

Originally relying on his sharp eyes and ability to handle affairs, plus a shiny bald head that stood out, he could have become one of Chen Yanluo's top sycophants.

But who would have thought Zhang Linsheng would come along, shamelessly cozying up to Chen Nuo twice, and with a mix of charm and aggression, almost set his sights on the leading lady.

Brother Lei had been squeezed to the side, not having shown his face for a long time.

Darn it! I, Bald Lei, am also qualified to form a CP! Let me think of a name for our CP first!

Just then, Chen Nuo called in the middle of the night, saying he had someone to deal with.

And they had to hit a KPI of precisely four thousand yuan.

Poor Brother Lei was worried sick.

After a few more calls, he found a few of the most experienced fighters around to take action.

Before beating up Gu Kang, he had even casually taken a young woman under his wing.

It was a close shave; Gu Kang didn't have health insurance!

That was a close one!

If he had had health insurance, the reimbursed amount wouldn't count towards the KPI. That four thousand yuan in medical expenses could have left Gu Kang half-paralyzed!

After the beating was over, they watched Gu Kang limp alone to the hospital early in the morning.

Upon inquiring about the costs—CT scans, outpatient services, medication, plaster, and whatnot—it all came to four thousand and six yuan, no small sum.

After assigning a subordinate to keep watch at the hospital, Brother Lei, having been busy for a whole day and night, was truly tired and went home to sleep.

「 」

Zhang Linsheng visited Jinling City's Danfeng Street mobile phone market that afternoon. After wandering around for two laps, he chose a second-hand Nokia. The stall owner asked for four hundred, but he bit the bullet and bargained it down to three hundred and fifty.

The phone was probably stolen, with no receipt or packaging. Some buttons weren't working too well, but it was still usable.

With a SIM card inserted, Zhang Linsheng was somewhat excited.

After all, this was his first mobile phone. Though second-hand, with the corners of the casing worn and discolored, he held it dearly in his hand as if it were a treasure.

For a month, he had been working stealthily, claiming to have night classes at school, while actually stocking shelves in a supermarket warehouse by night. Sometimes he even had to get up early the next day to learn boxing from Old Jiang.

It was actually quite hard on him.

The cash he earned, now exchanged for the little box in his hand, Zhang Linsheng immediately dialed the number he knew best.

The phone rang seven or eight times, but Zhang Linsheng was not in the slightest hurry.

After a while, the call connected.

"...Hello... Who is this?" came a voice, listless and half-asleep.

Qu Xiaoling was obviously not yet awake—due to the nature of her job, she basically operated nocturnally. Returning home after work each night well past midnight, and with all the washing up and dawdling, she usually didn't sleep until dawn.

Now, at over three in the afternoon, this woman still hadn't gotten out of bed.

Zhang Linsheng was a bit nervous. He glanced at the time and cautiously said, "It's me. Uh, you're still not awake, right? Did I disturb you?"

Qu Xiaoling instantly sat up in bed. Holding the phone, she said with an enthusiastic smile, "Brother Haonan, you've finally called me, eh? Hey? This is a mobile number calling... is this your mobile number?"

"Yeah, oh, yes, this is my mobile number."

After more than a month, Zhang Linsheng finally said with full confidence the words he had longed to say, "Uh, you should save my number. If there's anything in the future, just call this number to find me."

Qu Xiaoling happily chirped an "Okay!" and then added, "Brother Haonan, are you busy later?"

"Uh, not really."

"Then let's have dinner together tonight; I'm off work this evening."

"Ah? Dinner, huh." Zhang Linsheng was excited and a bit uneasy. "You're not working tonight?"

"I've had a stomachache these past two days, dummy. I can't drink, so I took the night off," Qu Xiaoling laughed on the other end of the phone.

Zhang Linsheng responded "Oh," and then said, "Alright, what do you want to eat tonight?"

"Hot pot."

Alright then. After hanging up the phone, the youngster actually felt a tiny bit disappointed.

Yeah, you know how it is.

He put the phone in his pocket and walked towards the curb to get his bicycle. Along the way, someone bumped into him, but Brother Haonan, thinking about his evening date, didn't pay it any mind.

However, when he reached into his pocket for the bike key...

Disaster struck!

The phone was gone!

Zhang Linsheng was instantly drenched in sweat, rage boiling within him!

Lost? Did it slide out because my pockets are too shallow? Impossible!

Right, someone just bumped into me!

Zhang Linsheng immediately turned and ran back the way he came. After a few strides, he saw the guy who had bumped into him heading toward the corner, with two accomplices joining up with him.

Zhang Linsheng's blood rushed to his head, and he felt his chest fill with fury.

An entire month of hard work and staying up late for this phone! Just so that Qu Xiaoling wouldn't look down on him for not having a phone! This past month, I even intentionally cut back on contacting Qu Xiaoling, just to avoid her asking for my number...

And now that I've finally reached this long-anticipated day of relief...

You bloody bastards actually stole from me!!!

The fury that erupted in the teenager couldn't be suppressed, and it rushed straight to his head.

He chased after them with large strides and quickly caught up to the thief, reaching out to grab the guy's arm in a flash.

"Give me back my phone!"

SMACK!

Yanking too hard, the man in front, who had his hands in his pockets, had his arm pulled out abruptly. As he was dragged along, a phone flew out of his hand and soared into the air.

"My Nokia!"

Zhang Linsheng didn't care about the man anymore and dashed over to catch it. The hard, rectangular feel of the phone in his hands instantly reassured him.

"Kid, are you looking for death?"

Curses followed from behind as a fist whistled towards him.

Zhang Linsheng instinctively sidestepped. His footwork seemed unhurried yet smoothly rotating, and the punch just grazed past Brother Haonan's shoulder.

Zhang Linsheng's mind was not on the fight, still fixated on the phone in his hand. Yet, in this distracted state, his body naturally moved according to the breathing rhythm he had been practicing night and day, along with the muscle memory from the daily stances he had practiced.

His body responded automatically!

Shift side, inhale, a touch, a slight exhale, lean in, inhale, the shoulder rose slightly, a long exhale.

The rhythm of his breathing synchronized with his movements.

Then suddenly... BANG!!

On this not-so-wide street, a figure flew up straight as an arrow—as if hit by an uppercut, their feet lifted at least twenty to thirty centimeters off the ground before crashing down hard!

He collided with bicycles parked by the roadside, and a large section of them toppled over with a loud CLATTER.

Zhang Linsheng came back to his senses, staring dumbfounded at the scene.

Did I... do that?

The other two were dumbstruck too!

After exchanging glances and hesitating for a moment, they still put on a ferocious look and advanced, attacking Zhang Linsheng from both sides.

One of them even flashed a blade between their fingers!

Zhang Linsheng was actually quite nervous.

Fighting was one thing, but he had never been in a scuffle involving blades.

He dodged repeatedly until, in a moment of carelessness, his clothes were sliced open by the blade.

Fuck!

That was my new Giordano! I just bought it last month!

Enraged and grieving for his clothes, Zhang Linsheng's body acted on its own once more.

Lower the shoulder, step forward, advance.

Avoiding the assailant's arm, he closed in, pressing his shoulder against the attacker's, freeing his right hand to deliver a punch right into the gut!

BANG!

A figure tumbled backward, landing and rolling twice more on the ground before finally crashing against the wall of a house by the road.

Zhang Linsheng blankly looked at his own fist.

I... am I this strong now?

Ah, it hurts!

Upon closer inspection, his arm bore a cut from the blade. He hadn't noticed in the heat of the moment, but now blood was flowing freely.

Zhang Linsheng watched as the last man blew a whistle, and several more people turned the corner.

The young man didn't dare linger. He hurried to his bike, hopped on, and pedaled away furiously!

After riding through two streets without being pursued, Zhang Linsheng finally stopped by the roadside, wincing as he clutched his injured arm.

Damn it, thieves these days are getting too bold.

But... did I really do that just now?

Two men, two grown men, and I sent each of them flying with a single blow?

Have I... have I suddenly become this strong?

Could it be... the boxing Old Jiang taught me is actually a powerful martial art?

With his head full of wild thoughts, Zhang Linsheng cycled away.

「 」

The boxing taught by Old Jiang was genuine, but it was just a beginner's form, after all. The Inner Breath he had learned was also just a basic technique for regulating his breathing. Moreover, Old Jiang had never taught him the real methods of fighting.

Brother Haonan becoming suddenly fierce was entirely Chen Yanluo's doing.

Even with just beginner-level breathing techniques, Chen Nuo had forcefully guided Zhang Linsheng's Inner Breath through countless cycles using Telekinesis that night. This imprinted the flow into Zhang Linsheng's very being, creating a powerful muscle memory. As a result, whenever Zhang Linsheng engaged in even slightly strenuous activity, his body would automatically follow this breathing rhythm.

Furthermore, Zhang Linsheng went from performing like a rusty mechanical doll to a natural talent with smoothly flowing energy overnight.

That was because that night, Chen Nuo had used Telekinesis to guide the breath and forcefully open all of Brother Haonan's meridians!

To put it in the old terms of martial arts novels, the Ren and Du meridians were cleared!

And then?

Then he was a goddamn Flying Dragon, soaring high in the heavens!

Chen Nuo was logging into Octopus Monster's website, using the account "Jack."

The thirty-day deadline for the assassination mission on Jiang Yingzi was fast approaching.

Chen Nuo had not been idle. He had recently attempted twice to send private messages to the client using this account, trying to fish for information about them.

He had even prepared some strategies.

But there was an unexpected turn.

For many days, this client simply did not reply! Not a single message in reply.

It was as if this person never logged into the account at all.

Could it be that they've seen through me?

Although Chen Xiaoguo was full of tricks, there was nowhere to apply his strength if the other party didn't take the bait.

Could I have really been found out?

Well, never mind.

Chen Nuo decided not to think about it anymore.

If that's the case, then I'll just have to try again in a couple of days!

What if the client hires someone else to assassinate Jiang Yingzi...

I could earn some income again? The thought is quite amusing, isn't it?

Right, I could even hire Old Jiang to act as a decoy again.

It's not like I have to trick him this time.

He glanced at the status of the mission again; it was still "unfinished."

Hmm...

If the other party had detected me, they should have canceled the mission and posted a new one.

Could it be that they've noticed but are intentionally dragging this out with me?

Unlikely.

「 」

In a top-tier hotel in Jinling City.

In a luxurious suite on the top floor.

Located among the tallest buildings in the city center, the top-floor luxury suite was famous for its unbeatable view.

In the distance, the Yangtze River and, within the city, Xuanwu Lake, were all in full view.

Especially at night, looking down at the river of cars in the city... It almost felt like having the whole city under one's feet.

A slim figure stood in front of the window, seemingly staring blankly outside for a long time.

She was wrapped in a bathrobe, her beautiful oval face partially hidden behind thick, black-framed glasses.

Under the bathrobe, voluptuous and exaggerated curves undulated like an overripe peach.

Finally...

A phone on the table in the room began to ring.

The woman walked over and grabbed it, her face still showing three parts grogginess, as if she hadn't yet snapped out of her previous daze.

"My dear disciple."

As soon as the call connected, the woman pouted with a playful smile, "Your master isn't home. Have you snuck some of the ice cream I left in the fridge? Little kids shouldn't eat too many sweets; you're still losing your baby teeth, aren't you?"

"..." There was silence on the other end for a while, followed by a crisp voice, "Teacher, you might have forgotten, but on the last night before you left, you finished off all the snacks in the fridge—along with all the alcohol in the house."

"Ah? Really?"

"Yes! If I hadn't stopped you, you would have almost ended up gnawing on our chopsticks."

"..." The woman paused, then burst out laughing and waved her hand dismissively. "Let's not dwell on such boring topics. Do you have any new information for me?"

"'They've agreed to my asking price,' the voice on the line said with a hint of pride, 'This time, I managed to extort their entire family fortune.'"

"So… we can make a big profit from this?"

"Teacher, the premise is that you have to complete this commission properly, without any more unexpected incidents."

The woman, as if ignoring that comment completely, had eyes sparkling with the light of an old miser behind her black-framed glasses. "So much money!! I can buy lots of alcohol!"

With a blissful expression, the woman hugged the phone tightly, laughing heartily, her laughter slightly foolish. "Little Candy, once we make money this time, I'll take you to Las Vegas to have some fun for a few days! We can go gambling, and we can see lots and lots of beautiful girls pole dancing!"

"Teacher, is it really appropriate for you to say such strange things to a 9-year-old minor?"

"Huh?" The woman paused, then laughed. "Hahaha, I often forget your age."

"Please don't talk like that anymore! Teacher! The psychology books I've read tell me that children my age are still developing their worldviews! You are my teacher, yet you always say strange things to me. It will affect the normal development of my personality! I really don't want to grow up to have a personality like yours!"

The woman, also known as the Star Sky Empress, hemmed and hawed for a few moments before laughing. "Little Candy, don't say that. I myself was already secretly drinking when I was nine… Hey? Speaking of which, on your last birthday, I secretly mixed a little rum into your birthday cake. Weren't you eating it very happily?"

"..." There was silence on the other end for a while, then Yu Naitang's voice suddenly erupted, fierce and indignant!

"Lu Xixi!!!!!!!!"

The Star Sky Empress quickly pulled the receiver a bit further away from her ear.

But the little girl's furious shouts still came through.

"This is my last warning to you! If you dare do that again, I won't be your disciple anymore! I'd rather go find that Wizard and become his disciple!!! I'm telling you, that Wizard promised that if I'm willing to call him 'Teacher,' he'll give me all the books in his Cultivator Association's collection!"

The Star Sky Empress sounded somewhat deflated. "But… you're my smartest disciple."

"No matter how smart I am, I'm still only nine years old!! You secretly giving me alcohol will affect my intellectual development!! Lu Xixi, you crazy old hag!!"

SMACK!

The phone was rudely hung up!

Staring at the phone in her hand, the Star Sky Empress muttered to herself, Is this a tantrum? Oh dear, this is troublesome. Little Candy is angry. What should I use to coax her? Should I go steal the unpublished manuscript of Harry Potter and give it to her to read?

At that moment, the phone rang again.

The Star Sky Empress picked it up, her eyes instantly crinkling with a smile as she answered, "Little Candy, I knew you wouldn't really stay mad at me. You're my smartest disciple, after all."

"...I am *so* angry! Hanging up on you once wasn't enough! I had to call back to hang up on you again!"

BAM!

The line was cut again.

The Star Sky Empress stared at the phone, crestfallen.

"Ah, this is a bit worrisome," the Star Sky Empress sighed, collapsing onto the bed. She lay there spread-eagled, completely unconcerned that her loose robe had shifted, revealing quite a bit of the scenery beneath.

I'd better finish up here and head home fast. I hope that kid in Jinling won't disappoint me... if this new apprentice is smart enough… then maybe I can just sell Little Candy straight to that Wizard? I want those books in his Cultivator Association too... Uh, but then again, I can't bear to part with her. Little Candy is so cute, and she smells so sweet when I hold her. I can't bear to let her go…

「 」

The Star Sky Empress.

Real name unknown. Age unknown. Abilities unknown.

Power level: Controller.

There wasn't a soul in the entire Underground World who didn't know this name.

What made this woman most famous was not her series of dazzlingly impressive achievements. Nor was it the fact that she had single-handedly taken on an entire Level A organization—and more than once.

But rather...

"This old lady's mind is seriously messed up!"

—According to the timeline of the previous life, several years later, the notorious Chen Yanluo would publicly DISS the Star Sky Empress on Octopus Monster's website. (No one knew how their feud started, or why Lord Yanluo would publicly DISS the Empress.)

Then, regarding the public DISS from Chen Yanluo, a top-tier powerhouse of the same level.

The Star Sky Empress's response at the time was quite shocking:

"Jerk. Too small and can't get it up, yet you still have the nerve to talk about me!"

WOAH!

SHIT!

In his previous life, when Chen Yanluo saw this woman leave such a public reply on the website, he was completely dumbfounded!!

What the hell kind of outrageous stunt is this!!!

This fricking crazy woman!

This is a mutual destruction tactic! She's willing to self-destruct just to take me down with her!!

This is mutual destruction, isn't it?!

I'm plenty big, thank you very much!

I'm very strong, thank you very much!!

This woman is spouting nonsense just to ruin me!!

People of the Underground World, don't believe this lunatic's bullshit!!

I freaking never slept with this woman at all!!!!

She's making up lies to slander me!!!!

However…

It was useless.

When a top-tier powerhouse, especially a woman, publicly leaks this kind of information with an ambiguous undertone...

The content of her exposure naturally gains the credibility boost of a "top-tier powerhouse"!

Even if it was a rumor, people believed it!

So... in his previous life, until Chen Yanluo finally died and was reborn...

The Underground World had always circulated the legend that [Lord Yanluo was the Star Sky Empress's ex-boyfriend, and he was small and soft]...

Therefore, this was one of the reasons Chen Nuo harbored countless grievances whenever this woman was mentioned.