Pinghai City is a small county town with a population of less than half a million, bordering the international metropolis, Magic City.

Ye Fan's parents were once workers at the Pinghai Steel Refinery. Unfortunately, they met their untimely death in a major safety accident at the refinery, leaving Ye Fan and his younger sister on their own.

Fortunately, their uncle and aunt treated them as their own, and generously provided for their education and needs.

After five years of absence, the once bustling steel refinery is long out of business, with big chains locking its doors.

The workers' dormitory building a hundred meters away is deserted, with its peeling walls covered in moss, looking exceptionally derelict.

Aunt Zhang downstairs and Uncle Li next door have moved away; only the shoe rack of Ye Fan's family remains in the entire two-story building.

Ye Fan was torn between feeling grateful that his home was still there, and heartache that his sister still lived here.

The door was locked.

Ye Fan lifted the shoe rack, and sure enough, he found a familiar key in the corner.

As he entered the house, the smell of home, the arrangement of furniture, the certificates and photographs on the wall had never changed.

Everything was so familiar as if it were the summer when he had just finished his college entrance examination.

He lit an incense stick for his parents' memorial tablet.

With a strange sour feeling in his nose, Ye Fan said, "Dad, Mom, I'm home."

"Get lost! If you follow me again, I'm calling the police!"

Suddenly, a girl's disdainful voice came from downstairs. The tone of the voice made Ye Fan's face darken—it was his sister, Ye Lin's voice.

Ye Fan jumped down from the balcony on the second floor, took a turn, and witnessed a rage-inducing scene.

Three little hooligans, each brandishing a machete, had cornered a thin, pretty girl against the wall. One of them was even tapping her face with his blade.

"Bloody woman, when are you planning on repaying Brother Dao's money? Trying to avoid paying, aren't you?"

"I've already paid back! I borrowed twenty thousand and repaid thirty thousand, what more do you guys want?"

"Talking nonsense! The thirty thousand you paid is just the interest, you haven't refunded the principal of twenty thousand yet. Either cough up the money today or we will sell you to some old bachelor to be his wife."

"You guys are shameless!"

Ye Lin was scared to the point her face turned pale.

Blondie threatened, "Oh Ye Lin, Brother Dao cares for you. He said that as long as you agree to be his woman, you can live a life of luxury, not to mention he will cover the medical expenses for your aunt. If you continue to be unappreciative just like before, don't blame us for being ruthless."

"Brother?"

"Hahahaha."

Blondie and his two underlings laughed heartily, the girl was giving just the right reaction.

Just as he was about to touch her innocent yet attractive face, his hand uncontrollably fell off.

Blondie suddenly froze, it wasn't until blood spurted from the clean-cut wrist stump that he screamed in terror.

"My hand...my hand!"

The two underlings, scared, shuffled back, completely clueless about what had just transpired.

"You're not worthy of touching my sister," Ye Fan said with an icy tone.

"Brother, is that you...? "

Ye Lin stared blankly at Ye Fan. Although his appearance had changed a bit, and he was wearing a strange white Taoist robe, Ye Lin was sure that it was her brother, Ye Fan.

"Little Lin, it's me."

"Brother!"

Tears welled up in Ye Lin's beautiful eyes. She rushed into Ye Fan's arms and burst into tears, hitting Ye Fan's back as she cried.

"Brother, where have you been for the past five years? I missed you so much...”

"I am to blame, for causing you distress these years."

The words were like a knife to Ye Fan's heart. He gently replied, "Little Lin, go home first. I'll take care of things here."

Only then did Ye Lin finally notice the severed hand on the ground, her small face turned paler. But she obediently went upstairs, frequently looking back, as if worried that Ye Fan would disappear once she turned her back.

Hearing the closing of the door from upstairs.

The smile gradually vanished from Ye Fan's face, his voice freezing to the bone, "If there's nothing left to be said, you're free to meet your next life."

"Get him!"

The punk with the yellow hair yelled angrily, two of his buddies' faces turned grim, raising their knives to strike at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan's fingers moved like a sword, the invisible sword aura condensed by his spirit slicing their bodies into two at the waist. This scene caused the yellow-haired punk's soul to escape out of fright.

Huang Mao was quite cunning. The moment his minions rushed forward, he turned tail and ran, and when he looked back to see his gang members die gruesomely, he sped up even faster.

But it was unfortunate that he was facing Ye Fan.

With a slight tip of his toe, Ye Fan's figure appeared like a ghost behind Huang Mao, gripping his neck and lifting him up single-handedly.

Goosebumps spread all over Huang Mao.

This terrifying strength and spooky, unpredictable method of killing were unheard of.

He begged, "Don't kill me. I'm Brother Dao's minion. He is the one who asked me to kidnap Ye Lin."

"Where is Brother Dao?"

"At the Platinum Nightclub."

"Oh."

With a casual flick of Ye Fan's finger, a massive amount of blood sprayed from Huang Mao's neck. His eyes gradually lost their vitality, and his body slumped to the ground lifelessly.

Not wanting to scare his sister, Ye Fan disposed of all the bodies, then washed his hands clean under the tap downstairs before leisurely ascending the stairs.

"Brother, come in quickly."

Ye Lin opened the door a crack, pulled Ye Fan inside, and quickly bolted the door behind.

Looking worried, Ye Lin said, "Brother, murder is against the law. You must run quickly. Go back to our old home in the countryside. Here is all the money we have."

While saying this, she handed him a pink piggy bank.

A warmth filled Ye Fan's heart.

He ruffled his sister's hair with a smirk, "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm a model student and law-abiding citizen. The certificates on the wall at home are all mine. I can't even dare to kill a chicken, how could I possibly murder someone?"

Upon hearing her brother had not killed someone, the huge weight in Ye Lin's heart dropped. Had she misheard earlier?

Quickly, she refuted, "There are several certificates that are mine, too!"

"Hahaha."

After Ye Fan finished laughing, he asked seriously, "Lin Lin, what happened in the last five years when I was not around? Why are there debt collectors at home?"

"Brother, after you disappeared, Aunt was so worried she had a car accident on the way to the police station and suffered brain stem bleeding. Uncle had to sell everything from the house to the car to afford her treatment. We managed to save her, but she ended up in a vegetative state."

“In those years, I wanted to drop school to take care of Aunt, but Uncle disagreed. He worked construction in the day and cared for Aunt at night. But the follow-up treatment was very expensive and the hospital urged for payment two days ago. Uncle turned white from worry and had to borrow two thousand with high interest..."

Tears flowed down Ye Lin’s cheeks, "Debt collectors came after me, and my best friend borrowed thirty thousand from her father to repay my debt. But that Zhang Dao insisted on having me attached to him. I refused, so he sent people to harass me, even threatening to kill Uncle and Aunt."

"Brother, let's call the police. Zhang Dao won't let us off."

Suppressing his murderous intent, Ye Fan gently patted his sister, "Don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything. How much more is needed for the medical bills? How much does Uncle owe in a total?"

"We are short of fifty thousand for medical expenses. Uncle borrowed quite a sum from relatives and friends over the recent years. I did not calculate the exact amount, but approximately it's one million."

"Alright, I will bring the money back tonight."

"… Brother, are you planning to rob a bank? You'll be imprisoned if you get caught!" Ye Lin said anxiously.

"Your brother has learned a lot of skills. Robbing a bank lacks technique; it doesn't interest me."

"Bro, you're boasting again."

Finally, Ye Lin burst into laughter. She then hugged Ye Fan tightly, choking back tears, "Bro, don't suddenly disappear this time. We can't get by without you at home."

"Okay."

Ye Fan nodded heavily.

After a moment of silence, he asked softly, "Lin, after my disappearance... did anyone... come looking for me?"

"A lot, there was a sister named Liu Yingying who often came by. She would sit in your room all day, leaving with red eyes. Also, she even helped to look after our second aunt when she was in the hospital."

Pause.

Ye Lin added, "There was a kind person who covered a lot of our second aunt's medical fees. I suspect it was Sister Yingying."

There was a sharp pain in Ye Fan's heart.

Curiously, Ye Lin asked, "Brother, is she your girlfriend?"

"She used to be, now..."

Ye Fan's eyes dulled for a moment, then he quickly grinned, "Alright, don't ask too many questions as a kid. Stay home with the doors locked and wait for me."

"Yes!"