He was tall and somewhat familiar, at first glance resembling Guo Feirong. But upon closer inspection, he was someone else. The man’s figure was imposing, hands in his pockets, his mere presence commanding an aura that Guo Feirong never possessed.

When Yin Feng saw the man’s features, they were still handsome, especially those deep-set eyes. Time hadn’t left many marks on his face, but compared to the young man in Yin Feng’s memory, his features had become more defined, heavier, more three-dimensional, and his temperament much more reserved.

Thirteen years!

Thirteen years ago, Yin Feng had been a high school graduate who had just been admitted to Peking University with high scores. Yin Chen wasn’t yet thirty then. Yin Feng only knew he was in Beijing running his own small company, had long ceased contact with their parents, but would occasionally call his brother and sometimes meet him.

Back then, Yin Feng, in his adolescent rebellion and arrogance, had a strained relationship with his parents and vaguely sensed his inner self was different from others. Yet even then, Yin Feng was too proud and deep-thinking – those confusions, those vaguely visible suppressed impulses, he told no one, including Yin Chen.

Though they only met once or twice a year, Yin Feng still felt close to this half-brother, his father’s son from a previous marriage. Back then, Yin Feng didn’t understand psychology yet, though he had already set it as his study goal. He just vaguely felt his brother possessed certain qualities that attracted him. For instance, though a businessman, his brow would unconsciously reveal cruel intentions; often, his brother seemed indifferent to everything in the world – a bone-deep world-weariness and decadence toward others, money, and himself. His brother was different from the mundane masses living their blind lives.

Yin Chen’s quiet, lonely, mysterious air drew Yin Feng. He even felt that his brother might have answers to his confusion. After all, they shared similar blood.

Yin Feng had planned to gradually approach and understand this brother who had left home early after he started university in Beijing.

But soon after came news of Yin Chen’s death.

When Yin Chen died, he didn’t notify his family. By the time Yin Feng got the news, the ashes were already in the cemetery. Their parents, that couple who had never much liked Yin Chen since childhood and often stayed abroad, didn’t even return to take a look.

At that time, Yin Feng hadn’t felt particularly grieved – after all, the brothers had never been very close. He just stood at Yin Chen’s grave for a long time, thinking somewhat bewilderedly that there was one less person like him in this world. How he should live his future life, how he should face his inner demons – no one would tell him now.

He could only continue being that excellent, arrogant genius in others’ eyes.

Continue quietly gazing into that pitch-black abyss. Perhaps one day, he would take the plunge.

…

So, it had been a fake death?

Yin Chen had finally taken the plunge before him.

That older brother – abandoned and abused by their parents since childhood, less excellent than him in everything, seemingly living a careless life while hiding wisdom incomprehensible to others – had finally taken a path of no return.

At this moment, Yin Feng felt surprisingly calm. Everything seemed natural, destined. Looking at the brother he hadn’t seen for over a decade, he felt neither joy nor sorrow, neither fear nor shame. He noticed that even revealing his true face, there was still some resemblance to Guo Feirong’s features. But before, looking at Guo Feirong’s completely different temperament, no one would have associated him with the utterly unrelated Yin Chen.

So Yin Feng, like You Mingxu, immediately understood how he had hidden himself and operated all these years.

At this point, Yin Feng and the others didn’t know about the old grudge between Yin Chen and Xing Jifu, but given Xing Jifu’s position in the criminal world, it made sense for Yin Chen to strike now, reaping the benefits as a Punisher by hunting Hunan’s biggest crime boss.

…

With the truth laid bare before him, Yin Feng instead smiled and called out clearly: “Big brother.”

Yin Chen stepped out from behind You Mingxu.

Though the brothers were more than ten years apart, face to face now, their builds, dress style, and even their whole bearing were very similar. Black clothes, black pants, face cold as snow.

Yin Chen looked at his brother and slowly smiled: “Yin Feng.”

Suddenly, Yin Feng’s head throbbed with flashing, fragmented images—

He saw himself lying in a pool of blood, naked, someone holding something, doing something to his back while he shook uncontrollably. Pain, endless pain. Trembling, his soul finally succumbing to fearful trembling. Yet there was still some emotion wanting to explode, echoing in his chest.

Such pain… such torment and torture…

Even now just remembering, Yin Feng’s back was unconsciously covered in cold sweat.

And in those shaking, blurry images, he saw a pair of eyes, deep and familiar eyes – belonging to the man standing not far away, softly laughing at him.

He had caressed his blood-covered body, like caressing a trapped beast, a pet, a little wolf with clipped claws, whispering in his ear: “Yin Feng, does it feel good? Do you hate it? Want revenge? Want to punish others to soothe your pain?”

“They all deserve to die… you and I are the same because we are… the same kind of person!”

“Come to brother’s side, kill others with me, only then can you find redemption… We’re brothers, you’re most like me…”

“Don’t you find yourself ridiculous? Enduring, living each day like a walking corpse. I know you’re suffering, repressed, lonely. You can’t feel any joy at all.”

“You’ve tamed those people, actually having them follow you, planting flowers and grass, cooking and driving, thinking this will set them on the right path? Do you believe there’s such a thing as peaceful goodness in this world? Do you think they can find inner satisfaction? You’re wrong, you disappoint me so much. Blocking is inferior to channeling – such simple wisdom from our ancestors, and you, a great genius, don’t understand? Only evil can control evil, only by releasing our true nature can we both satisfy people like us and protect true justice and fairness. That’s what I’ve sought all my life.”

…

Perhaps it was because it hurt too much then, too helpless, too frightening. That’s why he had become a complete fool, knowing nothing about the world afterward, forgetting everything about his own heart.

And Yin Chen had probably grown tired of playing, or perhaps wanted to continue observing whether his brother had truly been broken by his games, so he had thrown him out, coldly watching how he would face the world again.

…

The others beside him, Chen Feng and the rest, hadn’t noticed that as Yin Feng recalled that period, his fingertips trembled uncontrollably, his face as white as paper.

Seeing his state, Yin Chen seemed to perceive something, slowly smiled, and said: “Good boy, you remember now?”

—

*Author’s Notes:*

1. The author hasn’t secretly deleted content thinking the story has gone off track – it pains me to see such comments in the review section. About a dozen chapters were blocked by the system; I’ll contact the editor quickly to modify and restore them.

2. Luo Yu’s identity was planned from the beginning, not a forced twist. Otherwise, his deliberately approaching the female lead, pretending to be boyfriend/girlfriend, living together, and other such behaviors wouldn’t make sense. There were many earlier hints foreshadowing this; you can go back and check. His character is set up to have illegal activities but never truly crosses the bottom line. Regarding rumors about him, true and false, refer to Guo Xing.

3. Jing Ping and the 50 police officers all wore bulletproof vests. In the text, others “saw” several people sacrifice themselves. After the criminals left, the remaining police stayed for Luo Yu to handle, and Luo Yu immediately called for help. Honestly, neither the Yunnan nor Xiangtan people would dare kill these 50 people – who would dare? I understand some details clearly in my mind, but couldn’t cover everything in the book due to my insufficient skill. Some logical details aren’t perfect; I’ll keep working hard.

4. Tomorrow will be the main story, and the day after will be Luo Yu’s extra chapter. Please subscribe according to your needs.