Su Long stepped out of the carriage when he saw Shen Yue standing quietly by the roadside. A warm smile formed on his face as he greeted, "Young Master Shen, we've arrived."
Shen Yue turned his head, nodding politely. "Young Master Su Long, it seems this is where we part ways."
Su Long's expression faltered slightly. "Wait, Young Master Shen. Why don't you come with me? I haven't even properly thanked you. It would be ungrateful of me to let you leave like this."
To an outsider, Su Long's words seemed filled with sincerity. He appeared to be extending goodwill. But Shen Yue knew better. Su Long was not someone who acted without purpose. Sharp-minded and calculating, he chose every word and gesture carefully. Offering a gesture of kindness like this wasn't just politeness—it was a strategic move to build connections and subtly probe for more information.
Still, Shen Yue didn't mind. It wasn't a completely bad thing.
He thought calmly, *Having one more friend is always better than gaining an enemy.*
With a soft smile, Shen Yue replied, "Young Master Su, I'm eager to reunite with my family. If not for that, I would certainly accept your gracious offer."
Su Long sighed, a hint of disappointment in his eyes, but also understanding. He could tell Shen Yue had seen through his intent. Yet the fact that Shen Yue still responded with politeness—rather than rejection—meant the door to friendship wasn't closed.
This was already more than Su Long had anticipated.
He reached inside his robe and pulled out a small, silver token etched with the character **'Su – Third'**.
Seeing it, even the hidden shadow guard inside the carriage stiffened in shock.
This was no ordinary object—it was a **Su Family Token of Friendship**. A symbol of deep affiliation, this token was rarely handed out. Those who possessed it had access to privileges across the Su family's vast network.
Su Long handed the token to Shen Yue. "This is a friendship token. With it, you'll receive a 20% discount at all our commercial establishments, gain VIP access to the Tianbao Building auctions without invitation, and enjoy all the privileges reserved for our inner circle. Only three tokens can be gifted to a single person in our clan's name. And I'm giving one of them to you, Young Master Shen."
Shen Yue's eyes widened. He hadn't expected this level of generosity.
His clone, silent until now, spoke telepathically to him: *He's really giving you that token. That's a very good thing for us.*
Shen Yue nodded inwardly and smiled faintly. He took the token, examined it briefly, then stored it securely in his spatial space.
Su Long smiled back. "Then this is where we part. But don't forget to visit our humble home sometime, Young Master Shen."
"I won't," Shen Yue said calmly, then nodded. They turned and walked away in different directions.
Once Shen Yue had gone, the shadow guard appeared beside Su Long. "Master, why give him such a valuable token?"
Su Long's smile deepened. "Because he deserves it. He saw through everything I tried, yet responded without arrogance. He's sharper than me—I don't want to admit it, but it's true. That kind of mind... is rare. Dangerous, but fascinating."
The shadow guard was stunned. For Su Long to acknowledge another's intelligence as greater than his own was unprecedented.
But what they didn't know was that everything they said... was already heard by Shen Yue.
He simply smiled, eyes calm.
He thought, *My literacy and knowledge... they've sharpened my perception more than any sword ever could.*
He followed a familiar route now etched in his heart, the memories of his gentle sister and caring mother lighting his steps.
Eventually, he stopped before a worn gate.
With a composed breath, Shen Yue knocked.
A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing a maid. Her face was unfamiliar.
Shen Yue frowned. *I don't remember her.*
Stepping forward, he asked, "Is this the Shen family's residence?"
The maid, flustered by his presence—his elegant attire and noble bearing unmistakable—bowed quickly.
"Apologies, Young Master. This mansion now belongs to Inspector Jiang. The previous residents, the Shen family, were unable to continue rent payments. They were forced to vacate."
Shen Yue's clone stepped up beside him. "Do you know where they went?"
The maid thought for a moment. "They were last seen heading toward the outer slums."
Hearing this, Shen Yue's heart clenched. Pain shot through his chest.
He turned silently and left.
His clone bowed lightly to the maid in thanks before catching up.
"Where to, Master?" the clone asked.
"Where else? We're going to the slums."
Shen Yue's mood had turned grim.
"I'll share my memory with you," he added, transferring a portion telepathically. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. When you find them, send me a signal."
The slums were roughly 20 kilometers away. But with **Raging Wind Wolf Steps**, they could arrive in under twenty minutes.
Both figures blurred into motion and disappeared.
The slum district stretched endlessly, a web of despair and desperation. Shen Yue and his clone activated their **hypersense**, scanning every corner for traces of his family.
Soon, Shen Yue felt a disturbance—a crowd gathered in a narrow alley. He approached swiftly.
There, surrounded by jeering men, stood a woman—a **7th Realm Blood Qi cultivator**—brandishing a whip. On the ground before her lay a girl, no more than 14. Her clothes were in tatters. Blood soaked her skin. Yet, not a single tear left her eyes.
Shen Yue's breath stopped.
His heart froze.
His mind, usually calm and analytical, blanked.
At that moment, his clone also sensed something was wrong and began heading toward his direction.
Shen Yue's gaze locked on the girl.
*That's... Ning'er.*
A terrifying aura surged around him—dark, oppressive, filled with demonic energy. The temperature dropped. The air cracked with pressure.
The woman paused, suddenly sensing something terrible. Her heart began to race.
Before she could turn, the men surrounding her collapsed like puppets cut from strings. Bystanders in the distance fell to their knees, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure.
And then, he stepped forward.
Shen Yue's foot landed on one of the unconscious men—and his body **exploded** into blood mist. Not a trace remained.
Each step Shen Yue took shattered the ground. Blood evaporated into steam. The earth split beneath him.
He approached the woman, voice deathly quiet.
"Why did you do this to her?"
She tried to speak—but when her eyes met his, her mind shattered. He looked like a **demon god incarnate**.
Terror overtook her. But she didn't even have the chance to scream.
With a flick of his hand, Shen Yue lifted her into the air and **ripped her body apart**, top to bottom.
A fountain of blood sprayed the alley. The watching crowd retched violently. Many collapsed, fainting or vomiting.
The clone arrived, instantly understanding the situation.
His eyes softened as he saw Shen Ning trembling, her lips pale, hands stained with blood.
He stepped forward and shielded her.
She looked up in panic, but her eyes widened when she saw the Shen yue face.
That face... she remembered.
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Brother...?"
Shen Yue didn't respond.
"Brother!" she screamed this time, sobbing.
The word pierced through Shen Yue's fury.
He turned, rushing to her. Kneeling beside her gently, he embraced her like she was made of glass.
"I'm here, Ning'er... don't be afraid. I'm here now."
For the first time since his reincarnation, **tears rolled down Shen Yue's cheeks**.
Shen Ning clutched his robes tightly, crying into his chest.
"Brother, please... please save Mother..."
Those words snapped something in him.
He activated hypersense again.
Then, his body froze.
What he saw brought him to his knees.
His voice trembled.
"Who did this...?"
His tone was no longer calm. It was **commanding**, **lethal**, and filled with **boundless wrath**.
The earth trembled.
A storm was coming.
The birth of the **Demon God** had begun.