Seconds stretched into an eternity, and Ke Dong's third son had still not dispatched anyone into the surrounding cordon of white mist.

This was the Ke Dong family's main base, and given the recent riot, they had heavily fortified the area with security forces, precisely to guard against a recurrence of such events.

In just these few minutes, reinforcements streamed in continuously, the security contingent now exceeding one thousand, all fully armed and highly disciplined. These were the elite who had survived the previous bloody uprising, possessing formidable combat capabilities—perhaps not far inferior to regular army units.

Accompanying them was a shipment of powerful heavy weaponry.

The Third Elder ordered these weapons positioned, awaiting his command to fire simultaneously.

Since mecha were prohibited within the city limits, the Ke Dong family's private mecha squadron was stationed outside the suburbs. Even with the family's high standing, obtaining the necessary permits took a considerable amount of time. Otherwise, this situation would not have been so troublesome.

Without mecha support, assembling these heavy weapons relied entirely on manpower.

The security guards immediately set to work, busy with assembly.

At this moment, Wei Wei walked over. Seeing that Wen Zhu had been gone for so long without returning, she grew anxious and decided to check on her. Little did she expect to see corpses lining the path, which gave her a terrible fright; she initially suspected the rioters had breached the compound again.

As soon as she stepped out the door, she saw Wen Zhu standing to the side, being supported by a female guard. Wei Wei hurried over and anxiously asked, "Zhu, are you alright? What happened to all those bodies inside?"

Wen Xiu's face was ashen, her eyes vacant, as if she had been paralyzed by shock. She didn't seem to hear Wei Wei's questions at all.

"What is going on? What's wrong with Zhu?" Wei Wei's anxiety intensified. She turned to the female guard supporting Wen Xiu.

The guard, naturally assigned to protect the family dependents like them, recognized Wei Wei. Hearing her inquiry, she quickly replied, "Eldest Miss is fine, just a bit shaken. She was likely startled."

Wei Wei let out a slight sigh of relief, then turned her gaze toward the mass of white mist and the tense security personnel surrounding it, asking, "What is happening over there?"

"A thief broke in and triggered the 'Ultimate Alarm,' killing many people," the guard said, her expression turning grim. The fallen guards were her comrades, those she worked alongside daily, and their brutal deaths naturally caused her great pain.

"That thief fought his way all the way here before Elder Sang and the others managed to surround him. Then he threw a smoke grenade, trying to slip away in the confusion, but he failed. He's trapped there now."

She declared with cold menace, "Don't worry, Miss Wei Wei. They are installing heavy weaponry now. As soon as it’s ready, we can blast that thief into dust."

Wei Wei nodded. Since the thief had killed so many, the Ke Dong family would certainly not spare him. With the situation seemingly under control, she had little left to worry about. Her attention shifted back to Zhu.

"Zhu, let me take you back to rest."

"Wei Wei…" Just then, Zeng Chenyu approached with a gentle smile. "You're here."

"You are too," Wei Wei murmured softly, and looking at his face—a face capable of mesmerizing any woman—her heart began to flutter chaotically.

He was indeed a man of immense charm, compounded by an unparalleled lineage and singular talent. He was confident, mysterious, noble... no exaggerated compliment applied to him would be excessive.

He was more handsome, more perfect than she had imagined. Originally, he and she were supposed to be the perfect match.

But then Zhong Yun appeared. Was this truly fate? She had always believed that Zeng Chenyu was the one with whom she shared a deep, predestined bond.

Yet…

She only felt her mind had become a tangled mess, impossible to unravel.

"I imagine you’d be quite interested to know who that thief is," Zeng Chenyu said, looking at her with a peculiar smile playing on his lips.

Seeing his smile, Wei Wei felt a sudden, ominous premonition, and she stammered, "Who?"

"Don't tell him," Wen Zhu suddenly shrieked, breaking free from the guard's grasp and lunging toward Zeng Chenyu, trying to stop him.

But it was too late. Zeng Chenyu's mouth curved slightly, and he uttered two words: "Zhong Yun."

Hearing that name, Wei Wei felt as if struck by lightning, freezing entirely in place.

At that precise moment, the security team finished assembling the heavy weaponry. The leading officer signaled the Third Elder that they were prepared.

The Third Elder nodded, raising his hand, mentally chanting, Die, "Prepare…"

In Wei Wei's world, time seemed to halt. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind; she felt as though she remembered everything, yet remembered nothing at all.

An unprecedented emptiness welled up inside her, like an attractive force from an endless abyss, sucking her into a vortex, deeper and deeper, until she could not pull free.

Zhong Yun is going to die. Zhong Yun is going to die. Zhong Yun is going to die…

A voice roared in her mind, growing louder and louder. That sense of sinking emptiness transformed into terror—a primal fear stemming from the depths of her soul.

"No—!"

A cry echoed across the heavens and earth.

Zeng Chenyu, who had been observing her, suddenly looked extremely displeased. He clenched his hands so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

The instant she screamed that sound, an invisible pressure radiated from Wei Wei, instantly enveloping everyone present. She levitated into the air. "You cannot kill him."

Feeling the immense pressure upon them, the Third Elder acted decisively, sweeping his hand downward to issue the firing command.

The operators next to two of the nearby energy cannons suddenly collapsed. Wei Wei pushed her ability to its maximum, crushing them with the force.

But that was all she could manage. The other cannons roared to life. Amidst the deathly whistle, the remaining eight energy cannons fired simultaneously, streaking across the night sky in brief, dazzling lines of light as they plunged into the white mist.

"No—!" Wei Wei's heart felt as if it were being torn out; she shrieked in despair.

"Rumble…" The entire area engulfed by the white mist was battered by artillery fire. The relentless explosions demolished the courtyard and simultaneously shattered Wei Wei's heart.

Wei Wei’s vision went black, a metallic taste filled her throat, and all strength vanished from her body. She dropped straight down from mid-air.

"Xiao Wei—!" Wen Zhu, nearby, witnessed the scene and her eyes turned bloodshot with rage. But it was too late to rush to her rescue.

Just as Wei Wei was about to crash into the ground, a golden membrane materialized beneath her falling body. It was as if she had landed on a spring mattress; she dipped slightly, then bounced back up.

Her body bounced a few times before finally settling, held aloft by the golden film, which slowly lowered her to the ground.

Wen Zhu had already rushed forward, clutching Wei Wei's frame. "Xiao Wei, what's wrong? Please don't scare me…" Her voice was laced with tears.

Nearby, Zeng Chenyu's chest heaved violently. Illuminated by the fires of the explosions, he gazed at Wei Wei’s tightly closed eyes. Her face was so pale, like fragile, easily shattered porcelain.

He had just saved Wei Wei. In that instant, how desperately he had wished she would fall to her death, but in the end, he still saved her.

Even though this woman had inflicted upon him a sense of supreme humiliation he had never before experienced.

From the moment of his birth, Zeng Chenyu had been a favored son of heaven, positioned above the common masses. The Zeng family, a seldom-mentioned entity possessing immense power capable of overturning nations, meant that in the Kingdom of Mins, no one could defy the will of the Zeng family—not even the President.

All this was due to the presence of an Elder in the family who had achieved the rank of Grandmaster and held a peerage in the Ge'an Empire.

As the eldest grandson, Zeng Chenyu was destined from birth to be the family heir.

Furthermore, his innate talent eclipsed all his peers; by the age of ten, his physical cultivation had already reached Level Ten, a feat unmatched in history.

A Level Twenty powerhouse at twenty-one—even in the Ge'an Empire, he would be hailed as a genius.

He was so outstanding that from birth until this day, he had never lost to anyone. Failure was a word absent from his vocabulary.

But today, for the first time, he tasted the bitterness of defeat, a pain like being skewered by an awl through the heart, a torment from which he could not escape.

All of this was because of the woman to whom he was engaged—she had fallen in love with another man, sacrificing everything for him without hesitation.

The moment she uttered that first "No," he knew he had lost, utterly and completely. His confidence, his pride, was mercilessly trampled at that instant.

Why did I save her, this wretch?

Zeng Chenyu roared inwardly, boundless fury brewing within him, with no outlet for release.

"It's over," the Third Elder murmured to himself, listening to the deafening artillery barrage. Under such intense bombardment, even a Grandmaster could not survive.

"Xiao Wei, Xiao Wei…" Wen Zhu patted Wei Wei’s cheek, repeatedly calling her name.

Finally, Wei Wei slowly woke up, opening her eyes.

"Thank heavens, you're finally awake. I thought you…" Wen Zhu wept with relief, embracing her friend tightly.

Wei Wei's expression was slightly dazed. Sensing Wen Zhu’s emotion, her eyes slowly shifted to Wen Zhu's face, regaining a sliver of clarity.

"Xiao Wei…" Seeing her state, Wen Zhu began to cry again. "Don't be like this. He's dead."

"He’s dead?" Wei Wei repeated the sentence. "He's dead?"

"Yes, he's dead. He deceived you, he deceived all of us. Don't grieve for him; you must pull yourself together…" As she spoke, her own eyes blurred. She didn't know why she was crying, but the tears flowed uncontrollably.

"He's dead," Wei Wei could no longer hear the rest. She kept repeating the phrase, her eyes growing brighter. "He's dead, so why am I still alive?"

P: One more chapter to come. Please continue to vote!