Chapter Six: The Beautiful Lady and the Little Beauty

It was absolutely impossible for him not to feel disappointed. As an orphan, he had always dreamed of living a more lavish life, so he worked tirelessly toward that goal. Even as a privileged heir, he found it hard to accept losing his carefree lifestyle. Yet, the combination of these two personalities granted him remarkable control over gain and loss. Sports cars, beautiful women, fine wine—what man wouldn’t desire these things? Qin Yang was no exception. But he firmly believed that, thanks to his supernatural abilities, he could obtain all these pleasures—and even more.

Of course, these were mere fantasies, things that needed time to be proven. For now, his most urgent task was to find a place to live in Haitian City. He certainly couldn’t return to Jianghai City; if he did, the old man would seize the opportunity to hold something against him, and any demands he made would only backfire. Trusting his instincts absolutely on such matters, he chose to rely on his own efforts. Besides, there was still Gao Xiaolan in Haitian City, someone who lingered in his thoughts.

He first went to a bank to get a new card and transferred all the money from Wang Zhibing’s card into his own.

“One hundred thousand, plus this ten thousand makes a total of one hundred and ten thousand,” he thought to himself, excitement stirring. In the orphan’s memories, his funds had never surpassed five digits. After securing the money, he kept three thousand in cash, then headed to a nearby mall. Under the barrage of the sales clerk, he bought a phone for nine hundred and ninety-nine and got a SIM card. Next, he went to an internet café to search for rental listings in the city.

He was quite familiar with this process, having often done it as an orphan. He didn’t ask for much from a place to live—so long as it was clean and not too chaotic. He’d learned the hard way before, renting in areas crowded with laborers. It wasn’t that he looked down on them; in fact, he often tried to be understanding. But those fellows made a racket every night, seriously affecting his rest.

After selecting a location, he dialed the number listed.

A woman answered, her voice soft and gentle, likely over thirty, carrying the warmth of an intelligent mother.

“Hello, is this Mrs. Tao? I saw your rental listing online and wanted to inquire,” Qin Hua asked quickly.

“Oh, the apartment hasn’t been rented yet. Come over,” Mrs. Tao replied softly.

After hanging up, Qin Hua hurried out of the internet café. He had barely walked a short distance when he saw several thugs approaching. Their demeanor was menacing, and his heart skipped a beat—had he offended someone? Both of Qin Yang’s identities had no ties in Haitian City, he was a stranger here. Yet the way these men looked at him was as if they’d spotted an easy target.

“Kid, someone wants us to teach you a lesson,” the lead thug sneered, his hair a garish mess of colors, instantly repulsive. The three behind him lounged carelessly, cigarettes dangling from their lips.

Qin Yang frowned, then suddenly realized and chuckled, “It must be Liu the Fatty from Golden Sail Shipyard who sent you, right? That was fast.”

“Liu the Fatty?” The thug’s eyes flickered with confusion but quickly masked it, refusing to admit anything. He clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles ominously.

Four thugs, though unarmed, shouldn’t be underestimated. The internet café was tucked away in a somewhat secluded spot, and with the snow freshly fallen, not a single patrol officer in sight. It was the kind of place where if you got beaten up, no one would intervene. Qin Yang didn’t dare let his guard down, keeping his eyes fixed on the four. He knew these men weren’t the type to back off after a few words.

But just then, Qin Yang was seized by a peculiar sensation: these thugs seemed as fragile as clay figures, utterly vulnerable. It was as though a powerful self-confidence had awakened within him. His pupils grew deeper; while most people’s eyes were a rich brown, his were pure black, like ink—so dark they seemed to have no pupils, resembling a mysterious black gemstone, unfathomable and enigmatic.

At the same time, he felt a surge of black light erupt from the palace within that strange space in his mind. His physical strength heightened yet again.

After recovering at the hospital, he’d already felt himself much stronger. Now, he’d ascended another level. A confident smile crept to his lips, and the threat posed by the thugs plummeted to insignificance. Seeing the lone youth still smiling, the four felt humiliated. The leader lashed out with a kick, but Qin Yang reacted instantly, grabbing his ankle and kicking his left leg with his right foot. The snowy ground was slippery, and the thug ended up in an awkward split, his agonized scream sending a chill down anyone’s spine.

Qin Yang snorted coldly and tossed him aside, dodging another’s attack before landing a fierce punch in the man’s armpit. The thug cried out, collapsing to the ground in pain. The other two were dealt with swiftly, barely costing him any effort. Once all four lay on the ground, Qin Yang sensed the mysterious power dissipate, returning to the palace deep within his consciousness.

“Tell me, was it Liu the Fatty?”

Qin Yang crouched nearby, fishing a pack of cigarettes from one of the thugs and lighting one for himself, pocketing the rest.

“Yes, yes,” the thug stammered, ultimately just a petty hoodlum, with no strength to resist. After a bit of suffering, he immediately betrayed his employer. Qin Yang smiled happily, but his expression soon turned icy cold. “Go back and tell Liu the Fatty that I’ll settle accounts with him slowly. If he dares to bother me again, I’ll make him wish he was dead.”

With that, he turned and left, leaving the thugs shivering and pale on the ground.

“How does it feel? The initial benefit is merely the increase in your physical strength. As the level of souls in Hell rises, and Hell itself ascends, your power will grow even stronger,” the steward said.

“Fantastic!” Qin Yang laughed.

He arrived at Emerald Estate.

Qin Yang was puzzled. The estate was considered a mid-tier development in Haitian City and was located downtown. In such an economically prosperous city, the rent for a one-bedroom, three-living-room apartment like Mrs. Tao’s would easily run three or four thousand at least. Why was it only fifteen hundred online? Was it a scam? He pondered but nonetheless followed the directions from the listing.

The apartment was on the top floor, directly opposite Mrs. Tao’s own place.

He knocked on the door, and soon someone answered. Huh? No one? Had he run into a ghost? But I’m the one who specializes in catching ghosts.

“Big brother.”

He heard a voice, looked down, and scratched his head.

A little girl, exquisitely pretty, about ten years old, with bright, lively eyes and an adorable face that made one want to kiss her.

“Big brother, who are you looking for?” The girl was very well-behaved, her voice sweet and pure.

“I’m looking for Mrs. Tao,” Qin Yang crouched down and said, “I’m here about the apartment.”

“Mom, someone’s here for the rental,” the girl called out, then blinked her big eyes at Qin Yang, seeming to find his gemstone-like black eyes especially familiar.

Just then, a beautiful woman in loungewear stepped out from inside. Her long hair draped over her shoulders, her skin fair and lovely, matching the image Qin Yang had formed from her voice. Her whole being radiated mature charm; despite her thirty-something years, there was no trace of age on her, only a grace that young girls could never imitate. Standing next to her daughter, she was the picture of a fully ripened red apple beside a just-budding one.

Suppressing any inappropriate thoughts, Qin Yang said, “I’m Qin Yang, here for the rental.”

Mrs. Tao nodded in understanding and took a set of keys from inside. “Let me show you the apartment.”