Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

"Your father didn't commit suicide out of fear of punishment. Do you know what the records say about your father? It says he fled out of fear of punishment, which means your father is still alive."

Pei Du was taken aback: "...What?"

Since his parents passed away, Pei Du had been living in their former villa. His father left him a large inheritance, enough to ensure Pei Du's financial security for several generations.

Pei Du only learned of the news outside after he was released from the military headquarters.

The result I told him at that time was that both his parents were dead.

They burned his father's remains to ashes and placed them in a small box before handing it to Pei Du. As for his mother's remains, they were even harder to find, and in the end, the military sent him a handful of ashes.

But after all these years, his father is still alive?

"That's what the records say, but nobody knows the specifics," Lu Xun said, squinting through the swirling smoke. "However, I do have some doubts."

Pei Du didn't speak. Lu Xun paused for a few seconds before continuing to speak.

"The patrolman who killed your mother was no ordinary man. He was the deputy commander back then, I think his name was Yan Xuwen."

"This guy is a typical radical who has always advocated for the extermination of all mutants. Your mother was unlucky; she just happened to run into him when she went out and got shot in the head."

Pei Du remained calm; he had heard this story dozens of times before, and hearing it from Lu Xun's mouth wouldn't cause any ripples.

"But to be honest, your old man is quite capable. Yan Xuwen is a deputy army commander and is skilled in various disguises and voice changes, yet your old man managed to knock him out and take him away."

"I guess he wants to avenge your mother. Anyway, in that file, your father used a lot of cruel methods to torture Yan Xuwen. It is said that he even used sulfuric acid."

"Yan Xuwen hated mutants the most. Your father even injected him with a mutant virus that could grow a pig's tail. He watched Yan Xuwen mutate and grow larger, and finally burned them all to death in the warehouse."

Pei Du wasn't particularly moved by what he heard. Yan Xuwen and his father were both buried in the warehouse fire. Pei Du didn't get to see their bodies; all he got were their ashes.

"Then what did you mean by fleeing to avoid punishment?" Pei Du asked.

“That’s the key point.” Lu Xun glanced at Pei Du and continued, “The reports from back then said that both of them burned to death in the warehouse, but when the military arrived, they only found a charred corpse inside.”

"Next to the body was a partially burned military overcoat, and half of the pig's tail was burned off. The military identified it as Yan Xuwen's body. As for your father... he fled to avoid punishment."

Pei Du frowned and asked, "Have the specific details of the body been examined?"

Lu Xun was surprised that Pei Du would pay attention to these things. He sighed and said, "Back then, the technology was not advanced, and the things that could be detected were very few. Most of the time, the identity of the corpse was determined by the pig's tail."

Pei Du remained silent. Lu Xun glanced at him, his tone shifting slightly, "However, I still dug out the autopsy report. Although it's incomplete, it's still somewhat legible."

Pei Du's thoughts sank. He recalled the rose-red words splattered on his wall earlier, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "That corpse is not Yan Xuwen."

It belongs to his father.

Lu Xun smiled but remained silent. He looked up, seemingly not expecting things to turn out this way.

“I compared the autopsy report. Although there was a pig's tail next to the body, the actual muscles and bones looked like those of an ordinary person, and his body had not undergone any mutations.”

"Moreover... the person in charge of this case back then was a full-fledged army commander from the military, and he and Yan Xuwen were good brothers who had gone through thick and thin together."

Pei Du's eyes were dry. He stood there, his fingertips growing cold from the absence of warmth.

Yan Xuwen killed his mother, and was later captured by his father in revenge, but he actually killed his father in return.

The military treats all mutants equally, either arresting and imprisoning them or shooting them on the spot. To evade the military's search, Yan Xuwen cut off his own pig tail and escaped, disguising himself as dead.

The army commander in charge of the case back then had a close relationship with Yan Xuwen. After learning the truth, he chose to play along and cover up all traces of Yan Xuwen.

And now... Yan Xuwen wants to kill Pei Du.

It's ridiculous.

Pei Du gave a self-deprecating laugh, a chill suddenly rising within him. He looked up and saw that the guest room door was slightly ajar.

Sheng Shixian only showed half of his clothes outside the door, the rest hidden behind it. He kept a perfect distance, not easily noticed, but Pei Du knew at a glance that he was eavesdropping.

Pei Du curled his fingers a few times, lowered his eyes, and felt the temperature in his heart slowly rise again.

"You said before that Yan Xuwen is good at voice disguise and alteration, what exactly did you mean?" Pei Du quickly adjusted his mindset and followed the clues, asking, "Can he change faces?"

Lu Xun frowned upon hearing this. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I don't know, but he does know some plastic surgery techniques."

Pei Du understood. He didn't ask any further questions and simply thanked Lu Xun. "Commander, thank you for telling me all this. I will deliver the things I promised you in batches once Sheng Shixian officially joins the army."

Lu Xun snorted coldly, then nodded.

During their short time together, Pei Du had gained a general understanding of Lu Xun's personality. Although Lu Xun was vengeful, he wasn't the kind of person who would secretly sabotage others.

Sheng Shixian may need Lu Xun's support to join the army in the future.

Pei Du did not intend to interfere in these matters. Sheng Shixian was to walk the path he had chosen himself, and Pei Du could only pave the way for him.

As for what to do next, Sheng Shixian will make his own decision.

Lu Xun did not stay here for long. His trip was a secret operation, and after finishing the transaction, he prepared to pack his things and leave for the military.

Lin Xuqiu followed behind Lu Xun. As he left, he turned and looked at Pei Du for several seconds before smiling and saying, "I heard you're not in good health. You should take better care of yourself."

Pei Du: "...?"

Sheng Shixian stood beside Pei Du, his eyes swirling with emotion. He stepped forward and grasped Pei Du's hand: "You don't need to worry about that."

Lin Xuqiu raised an eyebrow, as if deliberately trying to provoke Sheng Shixian, and said, "Little brother, you are really possessive of your food."

Sheng Shixian's expression darkened slightly. Seeing this, Pei Du squeezed Sheng Shixian's hand tightly and said, "Lin Xuqiu, the commander is still waiting for you. You should go."

"Alright." Lin Xuqiu shrugged helplessly. He gave Pei Du another deep look, then turned and walked into the woods.

Sheng Shixian didn't look away until they were far away. His face was gloomy, and the cold light in his eyes flashed for a few seconds before he stared at Pei Du's face again.