Chapter 1: Explosion

Under the dark night, the starlight was brilliant.

A black figure blended into the darkness, tiptoeing into a villa. The villa was brightly lit, and guards held pistols, patrolling inside and out through multiple layers of iron gates under the cover of night. Yet, despite all this, they failed to prevent the black figure from infiltrating.

Yu Mei let out a cold snort. Lurking upon a pillar as white as jade, her sharp eyes swept across the infrared light waves within the villa. She couldn't help but sneer; someone who did so many unscrupulous things would even turn their own home into a labyrinth of traps.

"Mmm~ Ah~ President Wu, don't, ah~"

The faint sounds of a woman's heavy breathing drifted in, sometimes near and sometimes far. Yu Mei felt a wave of revulsion, but she played it off in her mind. It seemed the mechanisms in this villa weren't just physical; there were also things meant to disturb one's hearing. It appeared the intelligence was correct: this Wu Jing was indeed extremely suspicious and highly guarded.

A small figure was hidden in the darkness, her distinctive silhouette faintly visible—exquisite features and a curvaceous, enchanting body... Yu Mei tossed her bangs aside, performed a handsome somersault to dodge the infrared beams, and landed inside the hall.

*These little tricks aren't even enough for your grandma to warm up.* Yu Mei held all of this in contempt, not taking any of it seriously. Just as she was about to follow the sound, her footsteps involuntarily drifted toward a corner... She frowned, a question mark rising in her mind, yet her steps did not stop... Such a strange feeling... It was as if something was calling to her, an urgent summons, a feeling so intimate and familiar...

"What is this?"

Jade. A piece of jade that was blood-red throughout. The jade was clearly translucent, yet it was as dark red as if dyed with fresh blood. Carved upon the jade was a young maiden dancing gracefully. The girl's eyes were filled with smiles and countless charms; her expression was lazy yet incredibly sharp. Silk ribbons were wrapped around her wrists, fluttering gently, her movements incredibly soft...

What kind of jade was this? The person who carved it must have possessed extraordinary skill. This jade was extraordinarily exquisite; the figure upon it seemed endowed with life, vivid and lifelike. The girl was like a demoness, capable of tugging at one's heart with a single glance or a single smile. Yu Mei gripped the jade tightly in her hand, feeling a burning heat spreading through her palm.

"Are you calling me?" Yu Mei spoke softly. For some reason, the coldness in her heart slowly melted upon seeing this jade. Her heart was enveloped by a warm current. How many years had it been? How many years had it been since she felt this way? Oh, jade, why does the feeling you give me feel so familiar, as familiar as a loved one...

Yu Mei sniffed, her face returning to a cold expression as she tucked the jade into her clothes. She was an assassin; even in a situation like this, she could not allow such emotions to delay her business or cause her to miss her timing. If she did, it would be her own life on the line...

"To come here and actually have such a harvest. This idiot actually has such a treasure in his home. Since you're dying soon anyway, I, Yu Mei, will keep this treasure safe for you." With a curled smile, she turned, preparing to continue searching for Wu Jing's location, when suddenly, a massive explosion erupted by her ear...

*Boom—*

*Beep-beep, beep-beep—*

Yu Mei's eyes widened, her small face turning deathly pale with disbelief. She felt her body being torn apart by a massive force, being ripped into pieces. However, she felt no pain at all. Her lips curled into a subconscious smile as she reached for that blood-red jade, gripping it tightly in her hand. Then, her consciousness gradually faded...

Just as she fell completely unconscious, at that same moment, the villa was surrounded by raging flames. The fire soared into the sky, illuminating half the city... And at that very instant, another red light, even more vivid than the flames, burst through the heavy fire, pointing straight toward the bright moon in the sky... Like a blood-red celestial river, it bridged the distance between the raging fire and the bright moon...