Pushing aside his thoughts, Li Chengyi turned to the attendant again.
“I’d also like to visit your Wisteria Corridor. I’ve heard it’s the best-known attraction in Suiyang. Since I’m already here, could I have the honor of taking a look?”
His polite tone, paired with his status as a VIP client, made the attendant smile warmly.
“You’re too kind. Please, follow ,” she said, taking the lead and guiding him down another path.
Li Chengyi followed closely behind. He was determined to make the most out of this visit, squeezing every benefit he could.
By the ti he left the Imperial Garden Florist around six o’clock, he had managed to have an employee al there as well. Despite his shalessness, he strolled out of the flagship store with satisfaction.
His **Wisteria Armor’s secondary evolution** had progressed from 0% to 15%. Most of the flowers he encountered were repeats of existing varieties, so he couldn’t extract much new energy. Still, his haul wasn’t insignificant.
---
By evening, light rain began to fall, wetting the ground and casting reflections that glimred under the streetlights.
Pedestrians moved quickly, so shielding themselves with umbrellas while others rode bicycles or scooters, speeding up to avoid the increasing rain.
Shops along the street displayed complintary umbrellas for their custors, and the gentle drizzle added a hazy charm to the colorful advertisents flickering on distant high-rises.
Li Chengyi didn’t call for a taxi imdiately after leaving the florist. Instead, he strolled along the sidewalk, using the ti to digest his al and ponder the best strategies for harvesting dark thoughts.
His earlier experints with petty criminals had shown that those with weak wills generated fleeting, low-quality dark thoughts. Such thoughts dissipated quickly, often yielding only single-digit quantities.
However, encountering a resolute villain could result in a massive harvest in one encounter.
“So, the best material for dark thoughts would be soone with a strong will,” Li Chengyi concluded internally.
The next challenge was figuring out how to ensure a steady supply of such high-quality sources. Since strong-willed individuals were rare, the ideal solution would involve repeated, sustainable extraction without exhausting the source entirely.
---
As these thoughts occupied his mind, Li Chengyi walked leisurely, wearing his large trench coat with its waterproof hood up. The outfit doubled as a makeshift raincoat. Many others on the street were dressed similarly, blending into the urban backdrop.
Li Chengyi felt slightly self-conscious about his attire. Though he had bought what he thought was a good suit for his earlier eting with Xu Zhongsheng, he now realized it was nothing more than a modest upgrade to standard business attire. Looking around, he spotted several people in similar outfits.
It was a bit embarrassing to realize how uninford he had been about luxury fashion while presenting himself confidently in front of Xu Zhongsheng.
---
Following the sidewalk, Li Chengyi reached a slope where the road next to him was jamd with honking cars. The noise irritated him, prompting him to quicken his pace to escape the commotion.
As he passed a dark alleyway, he heard voices shouting angrily.
“Beat her up! You think you can just run away?”
“Don’t want to pay your debts? Are you asking to die?”
“Listen, paying what you owe is only right! You’re not leaving here today until you cough up at least part of what you owe!”
The alley was dimly lit, with broken security caras and malfunctioning lights. Inside, three burly n wielded rubber batons and extendable clubs, surrounding a dark figure slumped against the wall.
Li Chengyi quickened his steps, avoiding the alley without giving it much thought. Though the n were yelling loudly enough to attract attention, their tone sounded deliberately exaggerated, almost theatrical.
Like most ordinary citizens, Li Chengyi didn’t want to get involved in other people’s business, especially not sothing as ssy as this. He kept walking.
But just as he passed the alley, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of sothing—an intense stare.
Through the gaps between the n, he saw a pair of black-and-white eyes filled with raw hatred. The gaze wasn’t directed at him but at the three n. Yet, it chilled Li Chengyi to the bone.
Those eyes were unblinking, cold, and bloodshot, their hatred so palpable it seed almost alive. Even as a bystander, the sheer malice made him shiver.
Though the mont lasted only a second, it left a deep impression.
---
Li Chengyi walked another ten ters, but the mory of those eyes lingered.
"The owner of those eyes must have endured unimaginable suffering to beco like that..." he muttered, stepping over a puddle and descending the slope. Near the bottom, he couldn’t resist glancing back at the alley one more ti.
With a sigh of regret, he turned away and walked on.
---
In the alley, Zheng Qingrong curled into herself, enduring the relentless blows of the three n.
The rubber batons struck her body over and over. Even through her clothes, the pain reached her bones. Yet, as excruciating as it was, it couldn’t compare to the tornt in her heart.
Her sister was dead.
Violated, strangled, and almost cremated before she had the chance to see her one last ti. If not for a classmate’s warning, she wouldn’t have even known about her sister’s death.
The sa day she found her sister’s body, her parents died in a supposed gas explosion. While rushing ho, she was ambushed, beaten, and left with no way to fight back. She barely managed to escape, her classmate’s cryptic warnings her only clue.
The birthday party her sister attended had been hosted by Zheng Jiayu, the heir of the Iron Peak Corporation. Everything pointed to the Zheng family.
Zheng Qingrong’s thoughts were interrupted as she lay on the wet, freezing ground. The icy surface numbed her pain slightly.
“What now? Take her back?” one of the n asked.
“Captain says to get rid of her. Too many caras in the city. Drive her out to the countryside and dump her in a river,” another replied.
“Turn on the signal jamr. We don’t want soone recording this. You two, move faster.”
“Yes, sir...”
Their voices faded as Zheng Qingrong’s vision blurred, her mind slipping into unconsciousness.
---
As the n prepared to load her into a sack and transport her out of the city, they turned to leave—and froze.
At the alley’s entrance stood a shadowy figure. The man’s head was lowered, his face obscured.
The three enforcers exchanged uneasy glances. They hadn’t noticed anyone approaching, which was strange given the alley’s size.
“Who are you?” the leader demanded, stepping forward.
“This is a private matter—debt collection. Move along and mind your business.”
“I heard you say you’d dump her in a river,” the figure replied in a low, steady voice.
The n prepared to retort, but as the figure raised his head, they instinctively stepped back.
He wasn’t wearing a normal face—it was a mask, crafted from intricate purple-black tal adorned with detailed wisteria patterns.
---
“Friend, this has nothing to do with you. Why not save yourself the trouble and walk away? Go ho, have a nice shower, drink so milk, watch a movie—sounds much better, doesn’t it?” The leader’s voice faltered as unease crept in.
“Oh, I think taking care of you won’t take long—about the sa ti as drinking that milk,” Li Chengyi said as he stepped forward.
“Of course, if you tell what I want to know, I might go easy on you.”
The n exchanged nervous glances. Unlike common thugs, they had seen enough during their ti with the Iron Peak Corporation to recognize the danger before them. Resistance would be futile.
---
A few muffled grunts echoed from the alley monts later. The three n stumbled out, clutching broken arms, and scrambled into a black van, speeding away.
Li Chengyi hoisted the unconscious Zheng Qingrong over his shoulder and quickly left the alley, hailing a cab to take them to the outskirts. The city’s surveillance made further actions inconvenient, but the countryside was another matter.
Not long after he left, a passerby entered the alley, observing the traces of the altercation before leaving without a word.
---
About a hundred ters away, the passerby adjusted a button on their collar, activating a hidden communicator.
“Boss, the three n are gone. Zheng Qingrong was taken away by Li Chengyi.”
“Well done. Assign soone to monitor the scene and observe the Zheng family’s reaction. Did he call the police?”
“No.”
“Interesting. Seems like he has his own plans. Let’s see how this unfolds. For now, let the dogs fight it out. Whatever happens, it won’t involve us. Sit back and enjoy the show,” Xu Zhongsheng’s voice crackled through the communicator.
“Understood.”
The passerby tipped their hat, disappearing into the crowd like any other pedestrian.
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