Slaying God: I, the insane and witty god

The murderous intent was so intense it was almost tangible, yet it vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed.

Dean Liu's body swayed violently, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He stared intently at Lin Qiye, his cloudy eyes bloodshot, his lips trembling for a long time before he managed to squeeze out a few hoarse words.

"Qingzhu... what happened to her?"

The voice no longer contained any of its previous violence; only a deep-seated fear and panic remained.

Lin Qiye's heart sank.

This reaction is wrong.

When normal family members hear the word "comrade-in-arms," ​​they should feel surprise, pride, or even confusion.

But it's definitely not the kind of terror that comes from hearing news of someone's death.

"She's alright," Lin Qiye said quickly, his voice steady and strong.

"We came here to bring her some things and to check on her 'family' on her behalf."

He emphasized the word "family".

Dean Liu seemed not to have heard the second half of the sentence, repeatedly uttering the words "she's fine."

His tense body slowly relaxed, and he let out a long breath, feeling completely exhausted.

He bent down and shakily picked up the wooden stick from the ground, this time not to use it as a weapon.

Instead, it was used as a crutch to support its shaky body.

“…Come in.” He stepped aside, clearing the doorway.

"It's going to rain outside."

The iron gate was pulled open completely, and a mixture of disinfectant, food aromas, and musty old wood wafted out.

The yard wasn't big, but it was very clean, and a few pieces of children's clothes hung out to dry swayed gently in the gloomy sky.

A dozen or so children were peering curiously out of the windows of the old two-story building.

The little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket with pigtails from earlier is now hiding behind Dean Liu.

Her little hands gripped his clothes tightly, and her big eyes were still wary.

"Go inside, it's windy outside!" Dean Liu shouted back, and the children scattered like birds.

The group followed Dean Liu into his office on the first floor.

The room was small, containing a peeling desk and a few metal filing cabinets.

The walls are covered with children's doodles and certificates, and in the most prominent position hangs a group photo.

The photo is yellowed with age; the background is this orphanage. The younger director, Liu, stands in the center, surrounded by a group of children.

One of the boys, with a buzz cut, a stubborn look in his eyes, and standing ramrod straight, was Shen Qingzhu in his youth.

"Please sit down, it's small, so please make yourselves comfortable." Dean Liu poured them several cups of hot water.

"Are you... Qingzhu's superiors in the military?"

“We are her teammates, and also her brothers.”

Wu Hen spoke, taking the bank card out of his pocket and placing it on the table. "Qingzhu asked us to bring this to you."

Dean Liu's gaze fell on the bank card, his brows furrowing tightly, but he did not reach out to take it.

"This child..." He sighed, his voice filled with both helplessness and pride.

“She’s been stubborn since she was little, always reporting good news and never bad. When she left…”

“She told me that once she makes a name for herself outside, she will come back and rebuild this courtyard.”

“I told her that my old bones wouldn’t live to see that day, and that she shouldn’t be so reckless. I told her to just do her job well in the army and not embarrass me.”

He looked up at Lin Qiye and Wu Hen, his cloudy eyes gleaming.

"She's in the army... How is she? Has she caused you any trouble?"

“She’s not a problem, she’s the tip of our ‘dagger’.”

Cao Yuan said in a deep voice, his tone full of pride, "In the whole team, she is the most hardworking and the most capable."

"That's fine, that's fine..."

Dean Liu seemed to have received the greatest comfort; the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

"This child has endured hardship since he was little, and he's never given up. I remember when he first came here,"

"He was only seven or eight years old, and as skinny as a monkey. When he was bullied by older children, he didn't cry. Instead, he would pick up a brick and hit the bully on the head."

“I was scared by her ruthlessness. Later I told her that she should use her strength for good and protect the weak, that’s what real skill is.”

Dean Liu became lost in memories, recounting Shen Qingzhu's past in a rambling manner.

From how she led the children to climb over walls and raid bird nests, to how she shared her lunch with her younger sister.

Their words were full of the elders' love and concern for the younger generation.

Lin Qiye listened quietly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his knees.

Wu Hen held a water glass, seemingly drinking water, but his gaze never left Dean Liu's face.

“Dean Liu,” Wu Hen suddenly spoke, interrupting Dean Liu’s recollection.

"When we came here, we saw that many houses outside had been demolished. Is this place going to be demolished soon too?"

Dean Liu's smile froze instantly.

He picked up his water glass and took a sip, as if trying to hide something.

His voice became a little dry: "Yes... that's true."

"The developers have their eyes on this land."

"What about the children in the yard?" Baili Pangpang couldn't help but ask.

"Has everything been arranged?"

"The government... will make arrangements."

Dean Liu's eyes darted around somewhat. He put down his water glass and changed the subject.

"lets change a topic."

"You've come all this way, haven't you eaten yet? I'll go ask the kitchen to make you some noodles."

As he spoke, he was about to get up.

"Not urgent."

Lin Qiye pressed down on his arm, a faint smile still on his face, but his eyes sharpened.

"Dean Liu, we are Qingzhu's brothers."

"Her home is our home."

"We can't ignore things that have happened at home."

Wu Hen added, "Before we arrived, Qingzhu had just completed a very dangerous mission and made a great contribution."

“Logically, she should be on vacation now, but she gave up her vacation and volunteered to go to the border for rotation.”

"We feel that she is hiding something."

The two men spoke in unison, their words creating an atmosphere of tension that instantly made the small office feel more strained.

Dean Liu's face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.

Lin Qiye and Wu Hen exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.

Wu Hen winked at Baili Pangpang.

"Ouch, my stomach!" Baili Pangpang immediately stood up, clutching his stomach.

"No, no, I probably drank too much soy milk this morning, I need to go to the toilet! Dean Liu, where is the toilet?"

"Go out... turn left after you go out."

"okay!"

Baili Pangpang dashed out in a flash; he didn't go to the toilet.

Instead, he went around to a corner of the yard, took out his encrypted phone, and dialed a number.

A light rain began to fall from the sky, and the cold raindrops pattered against his face.

"Hello, is this Secretary Sun? It's me."

He lowered his voice, but his eyes were fixed on the muddy alleyway outside the orphanage.

"Please provide me with all the information about 'Hongsheng Real Estate' in Linjiang City,"

"I need to see the demolition area, especially the one in Dongtan Lane, within ten minutes."

He paused, his voice becoming even more serious.

"Also, send two brothers over to guard the alley entrance. I feel... something's not right."

Deep in the alley, through the rain, a figure holding a black umbrella flashed by, so fast it was almost an illusion.

The atmosphere in the office remained tense.

Seeing Dean Liu's troubled expression, Cao Yuan felt sorry for him and stood up to go out for some fresh air.

"I...I'll go check on the children."

He went outside and saw several children leaning on the railing of the second-floor corridor, pointing and gesturing at him.

Cao Yuan forced what he thought was a friendly smile. He was tall and imposing.

He has a faint scar on his face. His smile seems kind and friendly to him, but to the children, it is more frightening than a demon.

"Wow--"

The children screamed and vanished in an instant.

Only a little boy in old gray clothes remained standing there, coldly watching him.

Cao Yuan's smile froze on his face, and he scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.

In his life, he had faced countless dangers, fought hand-to-hand with the most vicious criminals, yet he was helpless against a few children.

A strange sense of loss welled up inside me.

"Ignore them, they're a bunch of cowards."

A gentle voice sounded from the side, and An Qingyu appeared out of nowhere, holding several candies as if by magic.

He waved the candy in his hand towards the second floor and shouted with a smile, "Whoever comes over and says something to big brother, this candy is for them!"

A few seconds later, several small heads peeked out from behind the door.

"really?"

"I'm not lying to you."

Soon, An Qingyu was surrounded by a group of children.

He dispelled the children's fear with just a few words and even made them laugh with a few corny jokes.

The cheerful laughter contrasted sharply with the desolation on Cao Yuan's side.

Cao Yuan chuckled self-deprecatingly, turned to go back inside, but his gaze inadvertently met that of the silent boy in gray in the corner.

The boy looked no more than seven or eight years old, but his eyes were not those of a child; they were calm, sharp, like a bottomless ancient well.

When Cao Yuan looked over, the boy's lips curled up slightly, revealing an extremely eerie smile.

Cao Yuan frowned, feeling uneasy about the smile.

Just then, he saw the boy's lips move silently.

No sound was uttered, but Cao Yuan clearly read the sentence through lip reading.

The next second, the boy turned around and disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

A bolt of lightning ripped through the dark clouds in the sky.

"Boom——"

Thunder roared, and large raindrops pelted down, instantly blurring the entire world.

Cao Yuan stood frozen in place, the cold rain hitting his face, but he felt no chill at all.

A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head.

What the boy just said to him was—

"You...can't escape either."