The rooftop air carried the district's neon glow as Rayen stretched out with a yawn. "Hey," he said in that flat tone of his, "never caught your name."
Lin Xiaolu flinched like he'd shouted. "I-I'm Lin Xiaolu!" She practically folded in half with another bow, her black hair tumbling over her face.
Rayen stared. First this world had zero Chinese names. Now they're popping up like damn weeds.
"Who's your boyfriend? We'll need details to find him," Rayen said, circling her with his hands in his pockets, his gaze never leaving her. "And why come to me? I could've been just like those pigs chasing you. What if I'd decided to harass you too?"
Lin Xiaolu kept her head slightly lowered as she answered. "I...I panicked when they started chasing me. The whole area was nothing but brothels—I didn't know who might help." She hesitated, then continued. "Then I saw you...dressed in clothes unlike anything I've ever seen. At first I worried you might be dangerous too, but..." Her hands clenched into fists. "Your presence felt different. Calm. Untouched by all this. Your eyes...they didn't have that same hungry look all the other men had."
"But I honestly didn't expect to bump into you," she continued. "I was so focused on those guys that I accidentally ran into you." Lin Xiaolu sank to the ground, covering her face with her hands. A tear slipped through her fingers and splashed onto the dirt. "Sorry for bothering you. Thank you for saving me, but you can go now. I'll find him myself."
Rayen looked up at the sky. Oh lord. Where the hell have you dragged me? I need to get home—if Grandpa senses me here, who knows what he'll do... But I can't just leave a girl like her alone. Ugh, I'm so conflicted!
Lin Xiaolu suddenly felt a warm hand patting her head. She looked up slightly to see Rayen now sitting in front of her, smiling as he comforted her. "Stop crying now. I'm not leaving you alone in this place. Don't care whether you like it or not."
Rayen then lifts her in both arms and begins floating in the air. Lin Xiaolu looks shocked, unable to form any words. Please grandpa, try to understand your grandson's pitiful situation, Rayen thinks as he carries her toward the center of the district.
---
On the other hand, a portal opens on the outskirts of City of Mira. The old man steps out with an angry expression. Did he not understand what a Cultivator should do? A Cultivator can marry, have kids, but can't do something this low. This is pathetic. I didn't teach him anything like that. Today I will teach him a good lesson.
He starts moving toward the slums, hitting his cane on the ground with each step he takes.
---
Somewhere in the City of Mira, in a rich mansion's noble living room:
The walls are covered with paintings, their colors radiating luxury. In the center of the room stand four lavish sofas surrounding an expensive table. Every object in the room exudes opulence.
A man sits on one sofa, wearing shiny noble clothes—white with golden stripes—and vintage golden glasses. His blonde beard and hair are neatly groomed. He had been drinking tea moments earlier. Two maids stand behind the sofa, ready to receive his commands.
Suddenly, the living room door slams open as the three ugly fat guys who were harassing Lin Xiaolu burst in. One speaks between heavy breaths, "Bo-boss...ther-there was a IA—"
The man on the sofa—the Boss—raises a hand, silencing the fat man. He sets his cup down and looks at them with regal bearing. "First compose yourselves, then tell me what happened."
He signals to a maid, who goes to the kitchen and returns with water for the men. After drinking, the most composed one explains, "Boss, there's an IAR officer in your district!"
The Boss raises an eyebrow. "IAR? In my entertainment district? How dare he enter after I restricted all IAR officers? Tell me his name—I'll have him fired."
The man answers, "He showed us his card. His name was...Omi...Omiosen Rayen."
The Boss's expression turns to confusion—he doesn't remember any IAR officer by that name in the kingdom. "There is no IAR officer with that name. Even if he came from another kingdom, why did you run here? You know this is my district—you should have just told him my name!"
They panic, "Bo-boss, we thought it was...a...a raid arranged by the King! We're sorry, boss!" They kneel down.
The Boss sighs and waves off their apologies. "Shut up. I know you ran here so you wouldn't have to touch a woman. You're my new messengers, and giving you women for the night is how I welcome you." He thinks for a moment, then looks at the two maids behind him.
"You can take these two and have fun tonight. I'll handle my enemies myself."
The maids look terrified at the men's creepy smiles. One whispers in the Boss's ear, "But we're married—she has two kids and I have three. Please, Master, think of us."
He stares at her coldly. "If you want to keep supporting your husbands financially, then spend your days and nights however they want. Unless you wish to lose your jobs. Now go please them with your bodies."
The maids can't respond—their families would fall into poverty without these high-paying jobs that let them eat properly.
---
Back in the red-light district, Rayen flew through the air with Lin Xiaolu in his arms. "What was his name again? I forgot," he said, glancing down at her.
Lin Xiaolu averted her gaze, unable to meet his eyes. "I... I haven't told you yet. His name is Chen Hao. He has black hair. If he's walking around outside, we should spot him easily since he's... much more handsome than any of the men down there."
Rayen scanned the district below. If this guy's so good-looking, why's he wandering through brothels when he's got a girlfriend like her? Definitely a shithead.
They flew around the district but found nothing. Then Rayen remembered something. He landed on a rooftop and set Lin Xiaolu down.
"Why did we stop?" she asked, confused.
Rayen sat cross-legged in a meditation pose. "There's an easier way to find him - by sensing his spirit." In the game, this was the simplest method to locate hidden bosses—they could mask their presence but never their spirit's true form. I just need to concentrate. Sensing normal human presence would be useless since they all feel similar, but spirits are different. A person's spirit reflects their physical appearance. If I focus on finding a spirit matching Lin Xiaolu's description...
His body remained perfectly still as his senses expanded across the district. He could feel every presence—every soul. Then, suddenly, he detected it. A spirit whose form matched the description exactly. It was 100 meters away, in a room with two female-shaped spirits.
Rayen's eyes snapped open. "Found your boyfriend!"
Lin Xiaolu's face lit up with hope. "Really? Where—"
"About a hundred meters that way," Rayen pointed left, "in a room with two women."
Her smile shattered. The color drained from her face as her lips began trembling, eyes glistening with impending tears.
"Whoa—not now!" Rayen panicked, scooping her up before the waterworks could start. He blasted forward at full speed, the wind whipping past them. Just dump her with that bastard and bolt home before—
His blood froze.
Shit! Old man's already in the slums, I'm dead now!