Zhang Yong returned to the hideout and scanned the place with his spiritual sense.
He descended quietly toward the door and moved to the kitchen silently, where he prepared a warm cup of milk.
Zhang Yong stopped in front of Mine's door, the warm cup of milk in his hand emitting a faint wisp of steam.
The faint sound of suppressed sobs penetrated the wooden door, like a child trying to stifle their cries into a pillow.
Zhang Yong knocked gently on the door.
Moments later, an angry voice came from inside. "Go away! I don't want to see anyone right now."
Hearing this, Zhang Yong didn't hesitate and slowly opened the door. "Hello," he said, then extended his hand, revealing the cup of milk.
When Mine raised her head, she immediately wiped her tears. "What do you want? I said I want to be alone."
Zhang Yong looked at her condition, and Sheele's last words echoed in his mind.
Zhang Yong sighed. The thing he was worst at was consolation, but if there was something he was good at, it would be playing with people's emotions.
He entered quietly and placed the cup of milk on the table beside the bed. "I know how hard it is to lose someone you love… but perhaps I don't have the right to say this since I haven't been here for a long time."
Mine looked at the ground, her expression still sad. "You're just saying that. You haven't even been here to know what it's like to lose someone."
"That's true," Zhang Yong said with a peaceful expression.
Then she looked at Zhang Yong with anger. "Then you shouldn't tell me you know how I feel. You don't know!"
Zhang Yong looked at her expression. It was similar to his own expression during the Heart Path.
"Saying you understand someone is a filthy lie. You haven't lived what they lived, and you haven't seen what they saw."
These were Zhang Yong's own words. Yes, it's hard to understand someone without talking, but you can always talk about similar situations.
People who had been through similar circumstances always felt a familiarity with each other.
Zhang Yong smiled calmly. "Are you interested in hearing my story?"
Mine looked at Zhang Yong with annoyance. "Your story? What does that have to do with what I'm going through?"
Zhang Yong took a deep breath and began. "I was living happily in a village. I had everything—a happy family, a brother, friends. But one day… I accidentally insulted a noble, and that was my greatest regret. He killed the entire village—my family, my brother, my friends. I lost everything overnight. I was treated like a lab rat, thrown into a battlefield every day, fighting to survive. Until I escaped, and here I am with you all."
Hearing his story, Mine's expression changed from anger to sadness. "I… I didn't know about this. I'm sorry."
Zhang Yong slowly shook his head. "Don't be. I'm not telling you this for your sympathy, but to tell you to stay strong. Sheele certainly wouldn't be happy if she knew you were this sad. After all, how can you be our genius sniper if your eyes are full of tears?" Zhang Yong winked at her.
Mine wiped her tears. "I know, but it's hard."
Zhang Yong looked at her with a smile. "That's the hard part when someone you love dies. It's never been easy for anyone."
"Easier said than done, but you're right. I shouldn't stay depressed. Sheele wouldn't want that."
Zhang Yong nodded. "Exactly. So you need to get back on your feet, genius sniper."
Mine finally smiled. "Thank you. That was unexpectedly kind of you. You don't seem like the type who cares much about others. I think you're just socially awkward."
Zhang Yong scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Alright, was I acting like a jerk?"
Mine showed a cheeky smile. "Yes, you were a bit. But it's okay. I now understand why you are the way you are."
Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow in surprise. "And why is that?"
Her cheeky smile disappeared, and a sympathetic look appeared on her face. "You're just broken inside from what happened to you. That's why you treat others that way, and you only show your other side after you get used to their presence."
Zhang Yong's eyes widened slightly. This girl had hit the nail right on the head. Unfortunately, neither she nor anyone else in this world could be treated as comrades, because in the end, he might have to kill them with his own hands to extract their spirits. If he developed feelings of trust toward them and considered them close comrades, those feelings would stand in his way.
"Alright then," Zhang Yong turned around. "Drink the milk and try to get some rest."
Mine took a sip from the cup and smiled quietly. "I will. Thanks for the talk."
"I've caused some trouble since I appeared. I should thank everyone for their patience with me," Zhang Yong said, trying not to reveal his true intentions.
"And Zhang Yong… if possible, I have a request." Mine looked at him with determination.
Zhang Yong turned around with a dull look. "What is it?"
"I want you to train me," she said with a tone of insistence.
Zhang Yong stopped at the threshold, his eyes widening slightly. "Train you? And why would I do something like that?"
Mine looked at him with resolve, her pink eyes holding a spark he had never seen before. "Yes. Even if i hate this, you're the strongest among us after Bulat. I want to become strong enough to kill the one who took Sheele from me. Besides, my eyes don't deceive me. My pumpkin uses spiritual energy to function, and I can sense that you have many times more than I do."
Zhang Yong stopped at the threshold, his purple eyes examining Mine carefully. The determination in her eyes was unmistakable. This stubborn girl would not back down.
But Zhang Yong didn't want to change the story's course too drastically. He calmly held his forehead.
Path of Wisdom – Library of Mysteries
Nevertheless, when Zhang Yong calculated it, Mine wasn't supposed to die in the original story anyway, and increasing her strength wouldn't prevent any future events. And because of knowing her face, she wouldn't leave the base in the morning.
'Should I try that training technique? Or… no, I already have five thousand years of cursed experiential memories. Just one decision won't affect me,' Zhang Yong thought before sighing. "Let's leave that for later. Focus on healing first before training, unless you want your injury to become untreatable?"
Mine looked at her broken arm and sighed. "That…"
Zhang Yong smiled sympathetically. "I know what you're thinking. Wait and take your time. Then we'll start training." He then turned and closed the door behind him.
Zhang Yong walked away
He didn't have any reason to come here , even without his interfere she will come back on her own , so it was pointless
The onky reason he did was to gain kinship , obviously out of all the members of the night raid , the most that would likely to explode at any moment was her
He couldn't let her destroy his plans by interfering so he have to control her
In the few days following Sheele's death, the Night Raid gradually regained its balance.
Mine, who had been devastated at first, began to show signs of recovery, especially after her conversation with Zhang Yong.
A week later, Zhang Yong returned to Doctor Stylish's territory to claim his demands.
Zhang Yong stormed into the facility without permission, finding Doctor Stylish engrossed in injecting a prisoner with a strange serum.
"Must you act with this habit? You can stop now," Zhang Yong's voice sounded as he smiled faintly.
"Welcome back!" the doctor said joyfully, tossing the corpse aside. "I've brought what you asked for… with some additions."
He pointed to a large metal box in the corner. Upon opening it, Zhang Yong found several vials filled with dark blood.
"The blood of a thousand prisoners, as you requested," the doctor said proudly.
Zhang Yong nodded, placing the box into his storage. "Excellent. What about the Shingu?"
Doctor Stylish smiled sinisterly. "This is the neat part."
He opened an iron safe, revealing a red muscular sphere pulsing like a heart. "The Dragon Heart Shingu, a failed copy of an attempt to produce a Shingu resembling the Demon Extract teigu It increases physical strength, but its power is lethal to the human body."
Zhang Yong looked at the heart and frowned. The Shingu was created for the purpose of surpassing the Teigu, but it was a failed experiment. As a result, all the Shingu that were produced were sealed away because the Emperor felt ashamed of creating them.
It was such a failed product that a person had to train for years to withstand its side effects, unlike the Teigu
Zhang Yong grabbed the heart and immediately smiled. "This is fine. I don't mind."
Zhang Yong opened his mouth and swallowed the heart whole.
He immediately felt an intense heat spread through his body, as if he had swallowed a burning coal.
His veins bulged and turned dark red, while his muscles began to tear and heal simultaneously.
'The heart… it's in my chest… Damn, is it connecting to my blood vessels?!' Zhang Yong cursed, feeling the tearing sensation.
"Guh… ah!" Zhang Yong doubled over onto his knees, his hands pressing against his chest.
An indescribable pain exploded in Zhang Yong's chest, as if a hot knife were being driven between his ribs. His veins bulged and turned black.
Dark, pitch-black blood flowed from Zhang Yong's mouth and nose. He felt as if his heart were being crushed between the jaws of a beast, while the Shingu took over the right side of his chest and connected to his blood vessels, forming itself into a new heart.
The new heart pulsed with a strange power on the right side of his chest.
Zhang Yong suddenly rose, his eyes radiating a dark red light.
He felt an unprecedented power flowing through his veins, as if blood made of fire were coursing through him.
Zhang Yong closed his eyes, listening to the beats of the two hearts in his chest. The left one beat steadily, while the right one pounded like war drums, as if always preparing for battle.
He sighed quietly and looked at the doctor. "Alright, I'm done here. I'm leaving." Immediately, Zhang Yong used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and left the place, moving quickly to the mountains and finding a spot in a cave.
He took the blood and began pouring it onto the ground in a circle, then started drawing inscriptions around it, covering the cave walls with inscriptions and the ground with the blood circle.
Then he began to dance around the circle.
"Climb the mountain peaks, deepen in the seas, cast away desires, and ascend above the sky. Devour lives and nourish the veins. Return to the origin and destroy glory. Kilopan Zikulo."
The blood of the thousand prisoners began to boil within the drawn circle. The symbols on the walls ignited with a dark red color, and the entire cave shook as if the earth itself trembled in fear.
Suddenly, pillars of blood rose from the circle, sticking to the ceiling, then the ground beneath the circle split open, and flames rose.
Path of Curses – Demon Brand
Flames rose from the hole, and a shadow appeared in the midst of those flames.
Then the shadow emerged from the flames, taking the form of a demon, with red skin, black eyes, two horns on its head, and a sharp tail behind it.
"Oh, lucky me. A human hasn't summoned me in a long time. What do you desire? Power, money, fame, women? Ask, but you must pay the price in return," the demon laughed viciously and cunningly.
Zhang Yong looked with sarcasm and disappointment. "So with my level, I can only summon this low-level scoundrel?"
"What did you say, human? How dare you act so condescending—" the demon began, clearly annoyed.
But Zhang Yong cut him off and slap him in the face "Shut up. Is Asmodeus still your superior? Bring that scoundrel here."
A heavy silence filled the cave after Zhang Yong's words and slap
The little red demon stared at him with wide eyes, his mouth full of sharp teeth opening slightly, then closing.
"A-Asmodeus?" the demon whispered in a trembling voice. "You… who are you to know the great lord's name?"
Zhang Yong smiled coldly, his blue eyes glowing in the darkness. "I am a contractor of that cursed scoundrel. Now hurry up and bring that mf here before I tear your soul apart."
The little demon trembled as if an icy wind had passed through his body. "R-right away! Just don't hurt me!"
Suddenly, a pillar of black flames erupted in the middle of the cave, the tongues of flame forming into the shape of a massive hellish gate.
From within emerged a demon three times taller than the previous one, with pitch-black skin and golden eyes radiating cunning intelligence.
"Who dares to summon the great Asmodeus?" the demon shouted in a voice like grinding metal.
Then his eyes fell on Zhang Yong, and his eyes widened. "That soul?! You're that scoundrel ! Impossible! You died during the Blood Stone development!"
Zhang Yong snorted coldly. "You're speaking to a reincarnation, you fool. I'm not that same person , call me Zhang Yong"
Asmodeus laughed in a hoarse voice as black flames coiled around his massive body. "Zhang Yong… how long has it been since I last saw you?"
Zhang Yong didn't seem bothered. "Long enough for you to forget who you're speaking to. I have an offer for you."
Asmodeus raised his golden eyebrow. "An offer? From you? This is new. Usually, you only call me to ask for guidance. What is it?"
Zhang Yong crossed his arms. "Alright, I want to unlock my battle spirits. Normally, that would be easy, but I don't have enough resources in this world."
"Oh," Asmodeus grabbed his chin. "I can see that. But you want that? Rather than strengthening yourself or dealing with that 'bomb' inside you? I have an offer for you. Make a new contract with me, and I'll—"
"Shut up for a moment," Zhang Yong looked with annoyance. "As if I don't know what you're plotting, you vile scoundrel. In return, I want to sell the old contract between us."
A heavy silence filled the cave after Zhang Yong's words. Even Asmodeus seemed surprised for a moment.
"Sell… the contract?" Asmodeus whispered, his golden eyes flickering fiercely. "You know that's impossible. Your soul is bound to the contract even after death!"
Zhang Yong rolled his eyes. "I don't care, you scoundrel. You made me do certain tasks in that life for you, like killing other king servants. Don't tell me you want me to tell Lucifer about this? Hehe, it would be funny watching you suffer."
The atmosphere in the cave became extremely heavy after Zhang Yong's threat.
Even the little demon he had summoned at first trembled and shrank into the corner, afraid of becoming a victim of Asmodeus's wrath.
As for Asmodeus himself, he didn't seem as angry as Zhang Yong had expected. Instead, he began to laugh. A deep, frightening laugh that shook the entire cave.
"Hehehe… ah, Zhang Yong, you never change! But I can't believe you decided to serve the Gods of this universe!" Asmodeus said as the black flames around him diminished slightly. "Alright, let's be practical. What exactly do you want?"
Zhang Yong looked at the black demon with eyes that reflected no fear. "I want to unlock my battle spirits."
Asmodeus stroked his beard calmly. "Oh, that would be enough to repay your years of service. But that is beyond my capabilities. If you want that, you need that scoundrel Belial."
Zhang Yong didn't seem bothered by Asmodeus's words.
"Belial? That arrogant scoundrel?" Zhang Yong laughed sarcastically. "Fine, if he's the one to finalize this deal, then bring him here."
Asmodeus nodded slowly, then raised his hand with its black claws. Suddenly, another gate opened from crimson flames in the middle of the cave, this time even wider and more intimidating.
From within the flames emerged a demon twice as tall as Asmodeus, with pale white skin and emerald eyes radiating ancient cunning.
"Who dares to summon me?" Belial said in his soft voice, but his killing intent was clear.
Then his eyes fell on Zhang Yong, and a cold smile formed on his lips. "Ah…it's you , I didn't expect to see you again."
"Damn both of you," Zhang Yong sighed and didn't waste time. "Belial, I have an offer for you."
Belial raised his white eyebrow. "An offer? From you? This is interesting. Usually, your requests are as annoying as that time you asked about the corners of hell and those things."
"Enough reminiscing about nonsense. I want to unlock my battle spirits," Zhang Yong said frankly. "And I'm willing to pay the price."
Belial struck his chest with his white hand, laughing. "Unlock battle spirits? That's not something given easily, even to someone like you. And with the constraints of this world and you possessing three, I can only unlock one."
He paused, then approached Zhang Yong with slow steps. "But that is only if you're willing to give up something of value… then we might be able to reach an agreement."
"What exactly do you want?" asked Zhang Yong, his eyes glowing in the darkness.
Belial smiled, revealing sharp teeth. "Your soul, of course. But not in the way you think. I want… the right of privilege over it. You didn't possess the structure of life and death before, but now I desire it. Work for me."
A heavy silence filled the cave after Belial's words. Even Asmodeus seemed surprised by the audacity of the offer.
Zhang Yong didn't hesitate. "My soul? You know I would never agree to that."
Belial smiled, his emerald eyes flickering with cunning. "Not entirely, of course. Just… the right of guardianship over it after your death. I will be the guardian of your soul in hell."
Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow. "Meaning you want to become my lord in the underworld? That's ridiculous."
"Not a lord… a partner," Belial whispered. "I will unlock your first battle spirit, and I will guarantee you protection in the underworld when your time comes. But in return, you will allow me to take a look through that method that allowed you to see your lives."
Zhang Yong thought for a moment. The battle spirit was essential for his plan, but Belial was not an ordinary demon. He was one of the seven princes of hell.
He was also greedy. He had a great thirst for knowledge, and Zhang Yong's technique was perfect for satisfying his passion.
"And what prevents you from deceiving me? You know I don't trust you."
Belial laughed. "Because we will sign a contract with the soul. You know that even demons cannot break contracts signed with their primordial souls."
Zhang Yong nodded quietly. Under normal circumstances, no demon would sign a contract with their primordial soul, but Belial seemed very satisfied.
"Tsk, an arrogant scoundrel claiming knowledge," Asmodeus rolled his eyes in annoyance while the blood froze in the lesser demon's veins.
"Let's begin. Since I can only unlock one, I will unlock my foundational battle spirit—the Tree of Life," Zhang Yong said quickly.
The blood circle in the cave exploded with a dark crimson light. Belial raised his hands, and ancient words flowed from his mouth in the demon language.
Crimson flames surrounded Zhang Yong, seeping into his body through wounds and pores. He felt as if he were being submerged in lava.
Suddenly, every energy path in his body opened. He raised his palm, where a golden-green glow appeared, and the millennium-old Tree of Life rose in his hand.
Belial and Asmodeus stared at the tree with clear amazement. Even these ancient demons had never seen such power before.
"This is not just an ordinary battle spirit," Belial said in a hushed voice. "It looks like the World Tree."
Zhang Yong smiled and released his spiritual rings, but only his hundred-year and thousand-year rings appeared. "No problem, no problem."
Then he turned toward the two demons. "Alright, your task is done. You may leave."
"Nonsense!" Asmodeus jumped and appeared on Zhang Yong's right shoulder in a small form. "I want to watch. Now that you're back, I can feel excitement again."
Belial approached and sighed. "You're acting like a child, Asmodeus." Then he stood on Zhang Yong's left shoulder and smiled sarcastically. "I will stay as well, to watch."
"You're both scoundrels to the end," Zhang Yong laughed sarcastically and began walking outside.