March 23rd, 7:27 PM
Mansion Basement, Gu Tianhao's Compound
John Wang POV
——
The world smelled like rust and sweat.
My fists still throbbed from the last blow, but it wasn't painful, just a pulse, echoing through the new body the system gifted me. Hair clung to my jaw, damp with blood that wasn't all mine. My eyes adjusted fast, neon blue cutting through the gloom.
The door burst open behind me. I spun, teeth bared.
I expected another wave of Tianhao's dogs. Instead, I saw Tang Wei leading a battered, beautiful mob: Roulan, Zhou Xue, Liang Mei, and then—Mu Qinglan, sword gripped, blood dripping from her shirt, grinning at me like the world was ending and she wanted to be the one who ended it.
I almost laughed.
She looked feral, hair wild, eyes burning. Roulan stood beside her, one arm streaked red, but her face sharp and proud.
Tang Wei said nothing—her eyes swept over me, checked for wounds, checked for weakness. Then she nodded once. "You look like shit, John."
