A thunderous explosion rocked Yin Feng’s mind as the scene before him merged with memory fragments, memories of Guizhou suddenly flooding back like a tidal wave.

It was a snowy day. The lakeside was covered in thick snow. He parked by the road stepped out, and breathed in the bone-chilling air—a sensation that felt like yesterday.

In an instant, he descended the stairs into that cold basement.

He saw Su Ziyi standing at the table in a black silk dress that revealed her slender white arms, arranging some manuscripts. She turned, giving him a sweet smile.

Then he turned to see someone lying on the ground. The person wore only underwear, their body covered in wounds, and thin chains binding their ankles.

Suddenly, all those recurring memories and sensations surged forward at once. Yin Chen’s torture, his light laughter, the whipping, the flesh-cutting. The trembling and confusion in the dark, the pain, and fear—all branded into his heart with iron clarity.

Now, Yin Feng thought, this must be who the Punishers had tortured.

That person seemed to sense something and slowly, ever so, raised their head.

Yin Feng saw the figure almost identical to his own in build and outline, but the face—handsome and refined—was unmistakably Li Mingdi’s. Just as before, upon seeing Yin Feng, he showed that same terrified, anguished expression, as if this imprisonment and torture would never end.

Something Yin Feng had believed in for so long shattered at the sight of that upturned face.

He had always thought that in his memories of Guizhou, he was the one imprisoned and tortured.

But he wasn’t.

It was Li Mingdi.

Then who had imprisoned and tortured Li Mingdi?

Yin Feng suddenly couldn’t bear to think of the answer.

Another scene flooded his vision.

He saw that person again.

Sitting at a desk, wearing only a white shirt and black pants, his face cold and clean. He was reading newly written manuscripts. Some pages were still stained with fresh blood. Li Mingdi’s blood. After reading, that person removed his plain glasses and placed them on the desk.

Then Yin Feng saw Yin Chen standing behind that person, saying something, laughing as he patted his shoulder. Yin Feng heard that person’s familiar voice—more familiar than any other voice in the world.

That person said: “…while I’m sleeping, teach him a good lesson… isn’t it laughable to completely forget what you’ve done and think yourself a righteous hero resisting inner desires… I’ve been part of this all along…”

He saw again what he’d seen as You Yingjun—a hand, that person’s hand, holding a pen, marking crosses on paper, saying: “They shouldn’t exist in this world. Including you, including me, Yin Feng. Because we are all…”

Yin Chen laughed heartily behind him as the brothers turned their heads, both faces visible.

…

Yin Feng felt his head exploding with pain, reality blurring around him. He collapsed to the floor, hearing Chen Feng’s shocked voice: “Teacher Yin! Teacher Yin! What’s wrong!” Chen Feng tried to support him with one hand while keeping his gun trained on Li Mingdi, preventing any movement.

But Chen Feng watched as Yin Feng slowly got up from the floor, head down, expression hidden.

Chen Feng’s heart sank, filled with an inexplicable sense of doom.

Then Yin Feng stood up, steadying himself against the bed. When he raised his head, his eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down his face. He stared at Li Mingdi, his expression suddenly twisting grotesquely. He shoved Chen Feng aside and lunged forward, hands clamping around Li Mingdi’s throat. Already weak and shocked, Li Mingdi couldn’t resist, his legs thrashing uselessly on the bed as he desperately tried to pry away Yin Feng’s hands. But Yin Feng’s face was contorted, deathly pale, his eyes fixed on Li Mingdi yet seeming to look through him at something else. He appeared blind and deaf to everything, his hands only tightening their grip.

Only Li Mingdi could hear Yin Feng’s barely audible, confused mumbling: “I’m not… not! It can’t be true! It can’t be real! No one can destroy me, not even myself!”

Chen Feng, thrown to the floor by Yin Feng’s violent push, watched in shock as he strangled Li Mingdi. Seeing Li Mingdi struggling for breath, Chen Feng snapped to action like he’d been stabbed with a needle. He rushed forward, grabbing Yin Feng’s waist, trying to pull him back: “Teacher Yin, you can’t do this yourself! Not here!” But Yin Feng had lost control—he kicked Chen Feng away and resumed his death grip on Li Mingdi’s throat.

As Chen Feng hit the ground and struggled to rise, the door suddenly crashed open. He turned in horror to see Xu Mengshan and You Mingxu in the doorway, staring at Yin Feng in shock. Chen Feng’s heart shattered; he couldn’t even stand. Behind them stood several others—Graffiti, Champion, and Xiao Yan.

Had they noticed him and Yin Feng leaving one after another and followed?

Yet they had to witness this!

Chen Feng’s mind was in chaos, but Xu Mengshan stared in disbelief. He wondered if he was dreaming—seeing Yin Feng killing Li Mingdi with his own eyes!

Xu Mengshan had been on duty tonight with a colleague, guarding Li Mingdi’s door. He’d just gone to the bathroom when he ran into You Mingxu rushing over, followed by Yin Feng’s people. Sensing something was wrong but refusing to believe his suspicions, he hurried back only to find this scene…

Xu Mengshan felt a stabbing pain in his eyes, his heart thundering, mind blank. What he did next was pure instinct. He drew his gun, aimed at Yin Feng, and shouted: “Yin Feng! Stop! Release Li Mingdi now! Or I’ll shoot!”

Finally, Yin Feng’s body froze.

You Mingxu watched the scene as if in a dream.

Not long ago, she’d awakened with a dry throat to find herself alone. Uneasy, she got up to search and discovered Yin Feng’s clothes from earlier were gone—he’d left in the middle of the night.

You Mingxu immediately woke everyone, only to find Chen Feng also missing. Champion reported two handguns and a tranquilizer gun missing from the house.

What were Yin Feng and Chen Feng planning?

You Mingxu called both immediately, but neither answered. Her unease grew. She wondered if something had happened to Yin Feng, or if he was setting up something like when they caught Wei Lan. But then she realized—they’d agreed to act together, so why would he move alone without a word?