Blue Star, Huaxia Country, Donghai City.
On a stormy night, a young woman in pajamas, barefoot, stood nervously in front of an orphanage, looking around before placing a baby on the porch. She left a note that said, "Please take good care of him," and quietly departed, her eyes filled with reluctance and helplessness.
After she left, a man in a modern suit walked by the orphanage. He had a handsome face, with a faint sun symbol between his eyebrows, making him look slightly different from ordinary people. His appearance seemed accidental, yet he carried an elusive aura of mystery.
The man approached, gently picking up the baby, feeling his weak breathing and fragile warmth. His deep eyes looked through the baby's slightly pale face, as if seeing a special destiny.
He took a golden ring from his pocket, engraved with ancient runes. He lightly pressed the ring to the baby's forehead, a golden light flashed, and a drop of blood from the ring dripped from his fingertip onto the baby's skin.
The blood immediately merged into the baby's body, and the baby gradually regained vitality, his breathing becoming steady and strong, and his face slowly turning rosy.
"Waah!" the baby cried out.
Eighteen years later...
The sunlight pierced through thin clouds, casting a warm glow on the ground, and the air was filled with the freshness of early summer. After the last exam, Jiang Ming walked out of the exam hall, the sunlight on his face bringing a long-lost sense of relaxation.
Jiang Ming wore a simple white T-shirt and black shorts, looking fresh and clean. His delicate features exuded a scholarly aura. Though only eighteen, he stood over six feet tall, making him appear particularly upright.
Outside the exam hall, his parents, Jiang Zhengyun and Lin Huiling, had been waiting for a long time. Seeing their son come out, Jiang Zhengyun's face showed a satisfied smile, while Lin Huiling rushed forward excitedly.
"Ming'er, how did the exam go?" Jiang Zhengyun patted Jiang Ming's shoulder, his voice filled with concern.
"It went well, should be no problem." Jiang Ming replied with a faint smile, his face displaying a touch of confidence.
"Good, good!" Lin Huiling said joyfully, "Now that it's over, let's go eat hotpot and celebrate!"
Jiang Ming nodded, feeling a warm glow in his heart.
Sitting in the car, watching his classmates laughing and chatting at the school gate, he felt a sense of inexplicable reluctance.
"My high school years have come to an end."
Jiang Ming's parents took him to a luxurious hotpot restaurant, the decor elegant and the lighting soft, the tables laden with fresh fruits.
They chose a table by the window, where they could see the bustling traffic and pedestrians outside.
"Jiang Ming, just relax today," his father Jiang Zhengyun said with a smile, but his brows were slightly furrowed, as if something was on his mind.
His mother Lin Huiling looked a bit tense but forced a smile, "Yes, son, order whatever you want."
Sensing the unusual atmosphere from his parents, Jiang Ming didn't think much of it, just wanting to enjoy the hotpot after the pressure of the exams.
The hotpot steam rose, the beef, vegetables, and fish balls bubbling in the pot, filling the air with a delicious aroma. Jiang Ming ate happily, while his parents seemed somewhat absent-minded. Finally, after finishing the hotpot, Jiang Zhengyun handed Jiang Ming a piece of paper.
"Ming'er, take a look at this." Jiang Zhengyun's voice trembled, as if suppressing some emotion.
Jiang Ming took the paper, his heart suddenly tightening. He thought it was a divorce agreement from his parents, feeling a surge of sadness and anger. However, when he opened the paper, he found it was an adoption certificate.
"What... what does this mean?" Jiang Ming's voice trembled, his face turning pale.
"Ming'er, we are not your biological parents, we adopted you," Lin Huiling's eyes were filled with complex emotions, guilt, heartache, and an indescribable helplessness.
Jiang Ming felt his mind go blank, unable to accept this fact. The shock and anger inside him mingled into an indescribable pain. He stood up, the chair screeching against the floor.
"No... this can't be true!" Jiang Ming shouted, turning and running out of the hotpot restaurant.
The night outside was deep, neon lights flashing, people still bustling on the streets. Jiang Ming walked alone on the brightly lit street, the emptiness and confusion inside him like a huge black hole swallowing him. He could still hear his parents' explanations in his ears, but he couldn't take anything in.
Walking aimlessly, Jiang Ming heard a cat's meow. Following the sound, he unknowingly walked into a dark alley. The alley was dimly lit, with only a few faint streetlights.
The cat's meow became clearer, low and eerie, carrying a hint of chill.
"Meow—" A small black cat emerged from the shadows, its eyes shining coldly in the night. Jiang Ming stopped, staring at the cat, feeling an inexplicable fear.
Suddenly, the small cat began to grow, its body expanding rapidly into a giant demon cat, opening its blood-red mouth, revealing sharp fangs, ready to swallow Jiang Ming whole.
"Ah!" Jiang Ming screamed, turning to run. He heard the demon cat's roar behind him, the sound terrifying and piercing.
The demon cat leapt, its claws slicing through the air, Jiang Ming narrowly dodging, his heart pounding, his mind blank.
The demon cat lunged again, and Jiang Ming grabbed a wooden stick from the ground, swinging it hard at the demon cat. But the demon cat easily broke the stick with its paw.
Jiang Ming ran desperately, trying to reach a crowded place.
"Help! Help!" Jiang Ming kept shouting, but no one responded.
People on the street seemed to see nothing, only seeing Jiang Ming running frantically, his face filled with fear.
"Damn it... why is this happening to me today?" Jiang Ming gritted his teeth, continuing to run desperately. The buildings around him seemed particularly desolate in the night, only the demon cat's roars and his rapid breathing echoing in the air.
He ran into a construction area surrounded by iron plates, quickly climbing the stairs, heading for the rooftop. The demon cat's sound approached from behind, filling Jiang Ming's heart with fear and despair.
On the rooftop, the wind was strong. Jiang Ming stopped, holding a rusty steel rod tightly.
"I won't be eaten so easily!" Jiang Ming shouted, his voice filled with unyielding will. He tried to drive the demon cat away with the steel rod, but the demon cat's claws easily cut the rod, causing Jiang Ming to lose balance and fall heavily to the ground.
The demon cat slowly approached, its mouth wide open, revealing sharp fangs. Jiang Ming looked at the demon cat, filled with helplessness and fear, unable to move, his body seemingly bound by some force.
The demon cat's paw pressed on Jiang Ming's chest, its claws deeply embedded in his flesh. Jiang Ming felt himself on the brink of death, his blood boiling, his eyes gradually turning red.
The demon cat paused for a few seconds, seeing Jiang Ming's red eyes. At that moment, a silver light flashed, and a mysterious girl appeared, holding a curved knife, her gaze as sharp as lightning, staring at the demon cat.
The girl had a bun hairstyle, wearing a JK uniform skirt, the hem gently swaying in the wind. Her legs were long and straight, her figure slender, but she exuded an undeniable confidence and coldness.
"Let him go!" the girl said coldly, her voice carrying an irresistible authority.
The demon cat roared angrily, lunging at the girl. The girl moved swiftly, her curved knife drawing a graceful arc, slashing at the demon cat. The demon cat let out a miserable cry, retreating a few steps, transforming into a human figure.
It was a pale-faced man, his eyes filled with hatred. "Do you think you can stop me?" he sneered, a sharp dagger suddenly appearing in his hand, stabbing at the girl.
The girl remained calm, her curved knife skillfully blocking the dagger, then counterattacked, knocking the dagger from the man's hand. Knowing he was no match, the man turned to escape.
"What's your name?" the girl turned to Jiang Ming, her gaze softening.
"I... I'm Jiang Ming." Jiang Ming answered, still terrified but managing to respond.
The girl nodded, chasing after the demon cat. "Jiang Ming, remember my name, I'm Liu Yiyi. We'll meet again." Her voice echoed in the night wind.
Jiang Ming sat on the ground, watching the girl's figure gradually disappear into the night, filled with confusion and fear. He didn't know why this was happening to him or who the girl named Liu Yiyi was.
But he knew from this moment, his life would no longer be peaceful. A new world was opening its doors to him, a world filled with mystery and danger.