Chapter 74: Holy Light!

“Don’t touch that armor. Ordinary mortals like you cannot handle it,” Katerina warned him kindly.

But Hu paid her warning no mind, striding determinedly toward the suit of armor.

“Oh no, we’ve all been fooled by him!”

“He never intended to give us the armor. He brought us here just to use that calamity to get rid of us!” Witnessing this, Chang Yu suddenly understood everything.

“Hahaha! Only realizing it now? Too late!” Taking advantage of everyone’s distraction, Hu grabbed the suit of armor in the corner, laughing maniacally.

A murky black light rose from the armor, quickly crawling up Hu’s arm and enveloping his entire body.

In the blink of an eye, the armor automatically fastened itself to him, faster than any superhero transformation. An overwhelming aura radiated from him, commanding as a mountain, heavy as waves.

In an instant, the fraud who could barely walk straight was once again the imposing “First Emperor.”

“You think you rabble can catch me? Dream on!” Hu pressed the remote in his hand, and the garage door slammed shut, trapping everyone inside.

“I’ve welded the doors shut. None of you are getting out—no exceptions!” His voice brimmed with smug satisfaction.

“If you’re afraid, just hand over your little stashes and call me daddy. Maybe I’ll consider sparing you.” Buoyed by the armor, Hu was more arrogant than ever.

Who would’ve thought—after all these years, I… Hu, am still a clever little fox.

“Huh? Why aren’t any of you afraid?”

After cackling alone for ages, Hu noticed no one was reacting, which left him quite unsettled.

He had expected to see fear, worry, or dread on Chang Yu and the others’ faces once they grasped the situation. Yet, to his surprise, not only were they unconcerned, but each regarded him as one might a fool.

What did that mean? Wasn’t that just underestimating him?

“Sigh! You really are a fool, you know that?” Shi Chengjin regarded Hu with pity.

“Don’t you see? We asked you to surrender the armor not to harm you, but to save you.”

“Haven’t you noticed you’ve wasted away to skin and bones?”

“That’s because the calamity has been draining your life force, leaving your body frail.”

“You could have been saved. Eat some chives and eggs, regain your vitality.”

“Even if… certain functions never return, at least you’d be alive…”

“But now, you’ve put on the armor again—condemning yourself to be the calamity’s food once more.”

“We can probably handle the calamity, but I’m afraid you’re beyond saving now. At this rate, your days are numbered.”

“And by the way, welding the doors shut was just plain stupid. Someone like you is hardly a match for us.”

“You’re just locking yourself in with the hounds—shutting your own door to beat your own dogs.”

“Look at you, so full of yourself!” Shi Chengjin’s words clearly infuriated Hu.

He let out a furious roar. The black haze on the armor thickened, and needle-like tendrils emerged, stabbing into his skin.

Blood was greedily drawn up, swelling into little lumps that pulsed along the tendrils into the armor.

As more and more blood drained, Hu visibly withered, growing gaunt and hunched, aging before their eyes.

If he had retained any human semblance before, now he was little more than a skeleton. Only a thin stretch of skin remained on his face; one might easily believe he was a demon reborn.

Conversely, the armor he wore grew darker and more sinister, its gleam increasingly bizarre.

By feeding on Hu’s essence, the calamity bound to the armor was rapidly gaining strength, its growing aura making that all too clear.

They could not stand by any longer!

Chang Yu clenched his fists, ready to rush forward and interrupt the calamity’s feast—when suddenly, someone else acted first.

Bang!

A nearly inaudible gunshot rang out, passing above Hu’s head and lodging in the concrete wall.

A ghostly blue flame silently ignited atop the swirling black mist above Hu, spreading as if to envelop the entire calamity.

A shrill, piercing wail radiated in an invisible shockwave from above Hu’s head, echoing in Chang Yu and the others’ minds.

For a moment, Chang Yu’s head felt like it would split open, as if someone was hammering an iron wedge into his skull.

Before his eyes, a cascade of images appeared—of the old dean, of Master Hao Er, of Katerina—fragments from his life with each of them, now manifesting as visions before him.

...

In an elegant Western restaurant, Chang Yu dined with a delicately featured girl.

“I’ve always had a dream,” he confessed.

“I want to own my own estate, the sort with a castle.”

“Every morning, I’d ride my favorite thoroughbred across the grounds.”

He sliced his steak as he spoke, sharing his aspirations.

“If possible, I’d eat freshly fried dough sticks and drink freshly ground soy milk while riding.”

“I can’t stand hunger—maybe a remnant from my tough childhood,” he admitted. “If I go hungry, I get low blood sugar, so I take my meals seriously.”

Chang Yu was a man of dreams; whenever he spoke of them, a faint smile would play on his lips.

He imagined greeting the sunrise atop his horse, dough stick between his teeth, soy milk in hand, galloping through the estate, youth and vigor in every stride.

What an image of youth that was!

“Wow, Brother Chang Yu, you’re amazing!” The girl’s smile was sweet, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

“I really like men with dreams. They always seem so reliable!”

She watched him closely, encouraged by the earnestness in his eyes.

“Oh, I hardly deserve such praise.” Chang Yu smiled modestly, much like the gallant heroes of old dramas.

“If you really lived in a castle, you could enjoy refined pastries and a cup of Ceylon tea.”

“Wouldn’t eating dough sticks and soy milk seem a bit out of place for someone so noble?” The girl winked playfully.

“Those foreign pastries may be elegant, but I genuinely can’t get used to them. Dough sticks and soy milk suit me better.” Chang Yu forked a slice of steak into his mouth.

“Why do you want to live in a castle? Wouldn’t it feel too empty?” the girl asked, lips pursed expectantly.

“I have this quirk—I can’t stand noisy neighbors.”

“So I thought, if I could live in a country estate, far from the bustle of the world, that’d be perfect.”

“Living alone in such a vast estate, I’d never have to worry about being disturbed,” he answered calmly.

“Then…” the girl’s eyes shone with hope, “could I live in your estate with you?”

“Absolutely not!” Chang Yu refused without hesitation. “You’re not anyone special to me, so why would I let you live in my estate?”

A clear rejection. The girl’s face turned pale; a mist of tears formed in her eyes.

“I’ve been hinting for ages—you deserve to be single forever. Are you truly clueless, or just pretending?”

“I want to marry you! Have your children! Do you think I’m not pretty enough?” she protested, a bashful blush coloring her face, her long lashes fluttering.

Chang Yu sighed, looking at her with a touch of exasperation.

“When someone shines too brightly, even buried under a mound of earth, they’ll still get noticed.”

“I know I’m outstanding—many girls secretly like me, you included.”

“It’s my fault you fell for me. I never should have… appeared before you.”

“But we’re not right for each other. You don’t know—I’m poor, I can’t provide for you.”

“Money doesn’t matter,” the girl said quickly. “We can work hard together. Wealth will come.”

“I’m not handsome enough for you,” Chang Yu mused, resting his chin on his hand.

“That’s fine. Being plain makes me feel secure,” she replied, a sly smile on her lips.

“Marriage is about stability, after all. Besides, it means fewer pretty girls will chase you.”

“I have no house, no car, nothing to offer you,” Chang Yu continued.

“No problem. My parents can provide those. If you’ll marry me, you’ll have everything,” she coaxed.

“My dream of a castle is just talk—I couldn’t afford one in three hundred years,” Chang Yu sighed deeply.

“No matter. We’ll raise our children well, and let them buy it for us someday,” she pleaded.

“How many times do I have to say it before you understand?” Chang Yu felt an old knot in his heart begin to loosen.

“A white swan like me—you’re just a toad, destined only to look and never to touch.”

“I know you women too well. You all act so pure, but in the end, you just want to climb into my bed.”

“Let me tell you—never! Don’t even think about it! I’m the one man you can never have!”

“You… You…” The girl was speechless, disbelief etched on her face.

“What? Don’t think just because you’re a figment of my mind that I wouldn’t say it to your face if you were real,” Chang Yu retorted.

“How did you know?” The girl bristled like a cat with its tail stepped on, her beautiful almond eyes now cold and sharp.

“That’s easy,” Chang Yu arched an eyebrow. “You don’t care that I’m poor, don’t want a house or car, don’t mind my looks. All you want is to marry me and have my children. Where would I find such a perfect girl in real life? Even a lie should have its limits, or it’s too easy to see through!”

“I just don’t get it—how did that kid Feng Sanpao ever fall for you with such a basic trick?”

“Since you’ve seen through me, I’ll just have to kill you,” the girl sneered, black mist billowing from her body.

“I was going to let you die in a beautiful dream—wouldn’t that be sweet? But since you’re so ungrateful, I’ll finish you here. No matter. If you die in the dream, you’ll die in reality too.”

With that, she lunged, claws extended, her nails growing long and hard as iron.

“Don’t you know, my family’s greatest skill is fighting in dreams?” Chang Yu faced her calmly.

“When it comes to dreaming, we’re professionals!”

With that, Chang Yu raised his hand, and a suit of red-and-gold armor descended from the horizon, merging with him instantly.

This armor, the exclusive weapon of Tony Stark in the Iron Man films, was beloved by fans for its power and dazzling design.

Now, that coveted suit was Chang Yu’s for the taking.

“Holy light! The evil before me is worth the fight!” Chang Yu raised his palm, repulsor aimed at the girl, white light gathering steadily in his hand.