The morning sun bathed Xu Que in its warm glow as he sat cross-legged before the floor-to-ceiling window, silently channeling spiritual energy. Though this minuscule amount of energy amounted to less than a fraction of one percent compared to that in the interdimensional space, it was better than nothing.
He picked up the **Greedy Crystal** and inspected it, only to find it had condensed a mere fifteen percent of its energy, leaving him somewhat disappointed.
Just as he stowed the crystal away, the screech of a car's sudden halt echoed from outside.
A smirk curled at the corner of Xu Que's lips as he stepped out to meet the source of the noise.
Liu Ruoyan stood before him in casual athletic wear, her hair now drastically shortened, exuding a more formidable aura than before—a stark contrast to the delicate, effeminate figure she once was, bearing an almost familiar air from a past life.
She glanced at the spacious flat before her, her thoughts drifting. *Xu Que truly knows how to pick a place. Had the disaster not struck, she doubted she could ever afford something like this in her lifetime.*
Lost in fantasies about moving in with Ji Bodan in a few days, she suddenly spotted Xu Que's figure approaching.
"Such a buzzkill," Liu Ruoyan muttered as she walked toward him.
"You've really managed to get this all figured out, huh? Well, I'm in a good mood today, so I won't berate you," she remarked.
Xu Que remained silent, his gaze fixed on the woman he had once loathed.
Liu Ruoyan furrowed her brows. "Why aren't you saying anything? Where are my parents?"
With a faint smile, Xu Que gestured upward before stepping aside to make way for her.
"Madman," Liu Ruoyan hissed under her breath before stepping inside.
As she entered the elevator, Xu Que moved to follow, but Liu Ruoyan shot him a look of disdain. "No need to come up. Stay down here and guard the door."
With that, she pressed the elevator button, the doors closing swiftly.
Xu Que's smile faded into coldness, his pace quickening as he moved to stand before Liu Ruoyan.
Without a word, he grabbed her by the throat in one swift motion.
Liu Ruoyan gasped in shock. How could she have imagined that the obedient Xu Que would do something like this? She struggled desperately, but it was useless.
She had always believed that her two-star strength was enough to crush any ordinary person, but now, faced with Xu Que's unyielding grip, she realized just how misguided her sense of power was.
"February 19, 2051, Yuejing Hotel, Magic City, expenditure: 31,242 yuan."
Xu Que's deep voice whispered in her ear, his words sending a chill through her spine. At first, Liu Ruoyan couldn't comprehend their meaning, but her struggles grew more desperate with each word.
"April 1, 2051, Rotating Hotel, Magic City, expenditure: 25,219 yuan."
Ignoring her attempts to break free, Xu Que continued, unperturbed.
"May 20, 2051, Kelly Hotel, Magic City, expenditure: 38,522 yuan."
The realization hit Liu Ruoyan like a thunderbolt. *These were the hotel records from her and Ji Bodan's trysts!*
"August 19, 2051, under the guise of a business trip, you met with Ji Bodan, spending 56,780 yuan."
Fear surged in her eyes. She longed to explain, to beg for mercy, but Xu Que's grip on her throat left no room for escape.
As Xu Que read through the records of her infidelity with Ji Bodan, the elevator doors dinged open.
She had hoped that her parents might come to her rescue, but to her utter horror, the sight before her shattered any hope.
Xu Que dragged her out of the elevator, guiding her to the room he had prepared for her.
As she entered the room, the sight before her made her collapse in despair.
Her father lay lifeless, pale, his limbs dangling as if dead for a long time. Her mother and younger brother were chained together, their lives hanging by a thread.
A storm of despair, regret, confusion, anger, and bitterness raged within Liu Ruoyan's heart.
Xu Que slowly loosened one of his fingers and reached into her coat pocket, retrieving her phone.
Liu Ruoyan, seeing this, struggled again, terrified that Xu Que would dig through her phone.
Without hesitation, Xu Que stepped on her delicate fingers, causing a sharp, agonizing crack.
With a grim smile, he unlocked her phone with the fingerprint lock.
The screen revealed a conversation with Ji Bodan, the last message sent on the day of the apocalypse.
*"How was it yesterday? Wasn't the bathroom thrilling?"*
*"Stop it, we almost got caught."*
*"Don't worry, even if they find out, it doesn't matter. By the way, did you get him to sign the insurance?"*
*"Not yet. I'll handle it in a couple of days. We just need to find the right driver, then I'll coax him into it."*
*"Good. Once we get the payout, we'll go to M Country. I'll show you a different kind of experience ;)"*
The icy smile on Xu Que's lips deepened as he scrolled through more of their messages, each one a testament to their treachery.
He then opened a chat from an unknown number.
*"This is a picture of the guy. Make sure to do the job cleanly."*
Xu Que's brow furrowed when he saw his own photo.
*"Don't worry, we're professionals. We'll make sure it looks just like an accident."*
*"Mm, after the final payment, we'll meet at 7 PM on Red Moon Road."*
*"Got it!"*
The laughter that followed was bone-chilling.
Xu Que's eyes hardened, his left hand tightening further on Liu Ruoyan's throat. He raised his foot and kicked her in the abdomen.
"Ah!" Liu Ruoyan cried out in pain.
"Xu… Xu Que, I…"
Before she could finish, Xu Que yanked her up, eyes gleaming with malice.
"You want to apologize now?" Xu Que asked mockingly.
Liu Ruoyan, barely able to hold back the pain, nodded.
"It's too late."
With those words, Xu Que plunged a dagger into her thigh.
Liu Ruoyan's screams echoed through the room as Xu Que twisted the knife, not pausing for even a second.
He methodically and relentlessly struck every vital pressure point on her body.
As her cries eventually turned to sobs, Xu Que stood back, his eyes cold and unfeeling.
Ten years of sacrifice in the past life—only to end in death.
As Liu Ruoyan's half-lidded eyes finally blinked open, she saw the most terrifying sight of all: Xu Que, bathed in starlight, his power radiating like a force from another realm.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion tore through the apartment, reducing Liu Ruoyan's body to a mist of blood, her head rolling lifelessly to the floor.
Even in her final moments, she could never understand how Xu Que knew all her secrets.
Xu Que glanced at Liu Bodan and Xie Xiaoyun.
At this moment, they were nothing but breaths left in their bodies, and even if they were rushed to the hospital, it would be futile.
Xu Que raised the **Cloud Spirit Demon Cutter** and cleaved it down upon them.
Heads rolled.
Exhaling a long breath, Xu Que gazed quietly out the window, having completed the first act of vengeance in his reborn life.
Now, it was time to deal with Ji Bodan and the others.
Taking out a cigarette, he lit it leisurely before tossing the lighter onto the sofa.
The flames slowly engulfed the couch.
By the time Xu Que left, the entire apartment was consumed by fire.