Chapter 3: Side Quest

The Wheel of Heroes

Zheng Yan, the senior, had become enchanted by him—a troubling development for Li Mingxing. Though Zheng Yan didn’t appear particularly formidable, she was notorious for her violent temperament. She was generous in spirit, but when it came to physical altercations, she never held back. Her criteria for choosing a boyfriend were equally infamous: in her freshman year, it was anyone who could defeat her in a fight; by graduation, it shifted to anyone who could at least withstand her attacks. Recently, rumor had it that the standard had changed again—now, anyone who could take three punches from her would suffice.

But Li Mingxing knew Zheng Yan well enough to understand that “three punches” wasn’t meant literally—it was three punches a day. If she latched onto him, life would become far from pleasant.

Yet, as fate would have it, the very thing Li Mingxing feared most was happening. The confusion in Zheng Yan’s eyes faded, replaced by a determined expression. Alarmed, Li Mingxing thought to himself, “This is bad,” and before Zheng Yan could make a move, he dashed for his room, slamming the door shut.

With the door closed, Zheng Yan’s influence on him waned significantly. She returned to sit on his bed, muttering under her breath, “What’s wrong with me? Why am I interested in this brat? It makes no sense. And the worst part is that he dared to run away. Next time I see him, I’ll give him a good beating.”

Meanwhile, Li Mingxing leaned against the wall by the door, gasping for breath. The escape and door slam hadn’t taxed him physically, but Zheng Yan’s demeanor had triggered an intense reaction from his Dragon Lust constitution. If he hadn’t fled immediately, he might not have been able to suppress the surge it provoked.

After calming himself for a while, Li Mingxing finally managed to quell the urge brought on by his peculiar constitution. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

He entered the room with his head lowered, not yet speaking, when Zheng Yan, having regained her composure, hurriedly said, “Alright, my dear brother, I’ll let it go this time. But tomorrow, you must come to the company where I work. I’ve spoken to my boss, so you’d better not be late.”

With that, she brushed past him toward the doorway. Suddenly, as if remembering something, her cheeks flushed, she quickly kissed him, and ran off without looking back.

After Zheng Yan had been gone for a while, Li Mingxing smiled wryly and picked up the note on his desk with the company address and meeting time, shaking his head as he slipped it into his wallet.

He then began to pack up a few personal items in preparation for moving out. The bed and other furnishings belonged to the landlord and couldn’t be taken. Once everything was packed, Li Mingxing realized he hadn’t told Zheng Yan about his plan to move. If she came looking for him, it could spell trouble.

Just as he was about to call Zheng Yan, a man emerged from the neighboring room. Li Mingxing, using his Sinister Eye, instantly saw that the man was shrouded in heavy resentment.

Ordinary auras wouldn’t have interested Li Mingxing, but this resentment was precisely what he needed. Besides his castle-building quest, Li Mingxing had accepted three tasks: the creation of resentment slaves—planting a seed in the heart of those filled with hatred and retrieving the slave three hours later to serve in the inner world, needing ten in total, with fifteen seeds on hand, and a reward of one hundred fifty soul coins and three slaves of equal rank.

There was a special note: if the slave wasn’t retrieved within three hours, the resentment would seize their mind, turning them into a monster. If he didn’t want to attract the attention of light-aligned individuals, caution was advised.

The second task was to collect fifty souls of the recently deceased, within three hours of death, for a reward of one hundred fifty soul coins and five units of medium-quality building materials.

The third was to gather thirty-five units of flesh from the recently deceased, preferably human, otherwise from wild beasts, for a reward of one hundred fifty soul coins and a second-rank subordinate warrior (breeding-type troop).

These tasks were said to be issued by a hero of the death domain, and the resentment was needed for the first task. With the Sinister Eye, Li Mingxing could spot those harboring hatred, plant a seed, and return in three hours to collect his reward.

Encountering such a resentful person upon his return was incredibly lucky. Without hesitation, he took out the mission item—a green, translucent bottle containing fifteen capsule-sized seeds.

Following the instructions, Li Mingxing selected one seed and tossed it at the man. After the seed was planted, the bottle’s cap displayed a miniature map; a glowing dot moved away from Li Mingxing.

He knew he was halfway to success; the rest depended on whether he could reach within fifty meters of the man three hours later.

After dropping his luggage at Yin Haitao’s place and preparing to search for a suitable location for his castle, the bottle in his pocket suddenly grew warm. Examining it, Li Mingxing saw the map flashing red. Consulting the instructions engraved on the bottle, he realized someone had provoked the man he’d seeded; the resentment had not only matured but was on the verge of further transformation.

This made Li Mingxing anxious—would the seed still be recoverable after such a transformation?

Not daring to waste time, he rushed outside and flagged down a taxi. “Driver, to 133 Dongqun Road, as fast as you can!”

The driver didn’t start the car immediately; instead, his voice trembled as he asked, “Young man, why are you so eager to get to the securities company? Did you hear something? Can you let me in on it? My family’s whole fortune is invested there.”

Li Mingxing was momentarily stunned, and his hesitation only convinced the driver more that something was up with the stock market. As he sped away, the driver pleaded, “I promise to get you there as fast as possible, but please, just give me a tip—any insider news?”

As the car roared down the street, Li Mingxing snapped out of it and explained, “You’ve got it all wrong, sir. I’m rushing there because my cousin heard his girlfriend is with another man. He’s already there. You don’t know how impulsive he is—if no one stops him, there could be serious trouble.”

The driver gave a couple of noncommittal grunts, but from the rearview mirror, it was clear he didn’t believe a word.

Soon, the taxi screeched to a halt at Dongqun Road. The driver’s doubts began to fade, slowing the car and even leaning out the window to ask, “So, which one up there is your cousin?”

Li Mingxing looked up and saw two men on the rooftop of the 17-story securities company at 133 Dongqun Road, grappling with each other.

One was the man he’d seeded with resentment; the other was a stranger, but his aura was equally eerie—though tinged with pink.

Li Mingxing hadn’t mastered the Sinister Eye for long; he could discern auras, but their colors were still mysterious to him. He made a note of the man’s appearance, certain he’d need him someday.

As Li Mingxing’s gaze moved from the rooftop, his heart pounded—he saw the entire securities building enveloped in a dense black mist, thick with the scent of conspiracy and calculation. Within the fog, there were traces of death and madness, not exactly what he craved most, but more than enough for his castle construction.

All other concerns vanished from Li Mingxing’s mind. Now, he focused solely on two things: how to stay here long-term, and how to begin building his castle.

Lost in these thoughts, he couldn’t recall paying the fare or even noticing the two men on the rooftop.

As he pondered, five or six police officers finally arrived, ascending to the rooftop. They spoke quietly, urging the men to resolve their issues peacefully and leave the dangerous place.

Just as their efforts began to yield results, something happened to the seeded man—his resentment abruptly vanished, his eyes turned a deep green, and with a furious roar, he hurled the police officers and the other man off the rooftop.

He then leapt down himself, dying instantly before Li Mingxing’s eyes.

Stunned by the spectacle, Li Mingxing quickly composed himself. Having seen bloodshed in the inner world, he swiftly took out the mission tools for the other tasks and began the process of absorption.