Chapter 023: The Assassin Who Knows the Art of Bone-Shrinking! You've Seen It All Anyway

There were no footprints of the murderer in the room.
The doors and windows were all securely shut, showing no signs of tampering.
Song Kai glanced into the utility room. There was a high ventilation window in there, barely large enough for a head to fit through.
But, if the perpetrator was skilled in bone-shrinking techniques, that small space would be sufficient.
Song Kai quickly pieced the scenario together.
Lu Cheng must have realized he might be in danger, so he planned to use his secret to trade for two hundred thousand in cash in hopes of escaping. While waiting for Xu Ling, Lu Cheng remained extremely vigilant, closing all the doors and windows tightly!
However, he hadn’t anticipated that the other party could slip in through such a tiny ventilation window.
Upon hearing a noise from the utility room, Lu Cheng went to check and discovered the assassin with bone-shrinking skills. As he tried to cry out, the assailant threw a willow-leaf dagger, killing Lu Cheng in an instant.
The master then leapt down from the window, never touching the ground. Utilizing lightness skills, he braced himself against the walls with his hands and landed on a wooden plank in the room.
Lu Cheng always kept a dagger hidden in his chest for self-defense.
The expert used that very dagger to slice Lu Cheng’s throat, staging the scene as a suicide. Then, with effortless agility, he vaulted back up to the window and departed without a trace…
All of this flashed through Song Kai’s mind as if replayed in a film.
He walked over, inspecting the wall. Sure enough, there was a patch that had clearly been wiped clean. The wall was otherwise filthy, and the killer had left a palm print here, then deliberately wiped it to remove any fingerprints.
“What are you looking at?” Wu Hongying asked, puzzled.
Song Kai instantly reverted to his innocent high-schooler persona, shaking his head. “Nothing, just got a bit of grit in my eye, so I’m tilting my head up to let the tears drain back.”
“I don’t see you looking all that upset,” Wu Hongying shrugged.
Song Kai wiped away imaginary tears and said, “Well… I’ll head home now, you keep busy.”
Wu Hongying grunted in acknowledgment.
Song Kai left the scene and got into Xu Ling’s car. “Take me home. Now.”
Xu Ling frowned but reversed and drove off.
“What happened?” she asked on the way.
Song Kai glanced at her, choosing not to hide anything. “Xu Ling, Lu Cheng was murdered. And not just by anyone—a true master did it.”
“What kind of master? Lu Cheng was just a regular accountant, wasn’t he? Why would someone that skilled need to be involved?”
“That’s what I’m most worried about,” Song Kai sighed, leaning back. “If Lu Cheng really was just a minor figure, then the only reason for his death must be connected to my parents’ disappearance. He called you this morning, said he had evidence, and now he’s dead—killed by a flying-dagger expert. This proves things are far from simple. The culprits don’t want anyone investigating. Xu Ling, you must promise me: do not get involved in my parents’ case! Until I can protect you, neither of us can afford to meddle in this.”
Xu Ling drove on, suddenly struck by a strange feeling. At that moment, she realized that she was the high schooler, while Song Kai beside her seemed more like a calm, mature adult.
She shook her head. “Alright. I don’t really get what you’re rambling on about, but I promise not to interfere. Don’t stress, just focus on your college entrance exams for now.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Song Kai smiled at her.
When they reached Black Horse Gym, Song Kai got out and went straight to work out.

Xu Ling watched him go, exasperated that instead of studying, he was off to the gym. She shrugged, thinking, Looks like he’s given up on the exams altogether.
…
Wu Hongying stood by the corpse, frowning.
Several forensic investigators approached, preparing to move the body.
“Wait.”
Wu Hongying stopped them, then bent down, mimicking Song Kai’s earlier action, and carefully examined the wound on the victim’s neck.
“Nothing unusual here, just a normal cut. What did that kid think he saw?” Wu Hongying’s pretty brows knitted together. Waving her hand, she said, “Take it away.”
Still dissatisfied, she walked to the utility room and, just like Song Kai, scrutinized the wall.
“Huh? That’s odd!”
A shiver ran through Wu Hongying. Facing the sunlight, she looked at the wall again—there were clear signs it had been wiped.
She hurried out, fetched some fluorescent powder and a UV lamp, dusted the wall, and shone the light. Messy palm prints instantly glowed under the beam!
She quickly checked the vent, climbing up to inspect it. This time, her brow furrowed deeply.
“A killer skilled in bone-shrinking techniques?” Wu Hongying pondered swiftly. “A martial arts expert killing a completely ordinary accountant? And Song Kai, that little rascal—what’s his story? How did he instantly deduce this was a homicide? And if he knew, why didn’t he tell me?”
Wu Hongying jumped down, a rare smile breaking through her usually aloof expression. “So, kid, you’re full of secrets… We’ll see. Living under the same roof, do you think I won’t uncover your background?”
At that moment, a police officer approached. “Hongying, what do you want to eat later? My treat.”
Wu Hongying pursed her lips. “Is the case closed?”
“Of course. It’s a clear-cut suicide, nothing left to do. Let’s go.” Zhou Chao grinned. “Hongying, I showed your photo to my mom—she absolutely adores you. How about we give dating a try?”
Wu Hongying had been about to mention her discovery, but on seeing Zhou Chao’s face, she lost interest. “Go eat by yourself, take your mom along, have some crayfish. I have to report back to Chief Yan.”
…
Song Kai was sweating profusely on the treadmill.
Too hot in all those clothes, he simply stripped off his shirt.
Lu Cheng’s death had left Song Kai with a lingering sense of danger.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
It was a message from Liu Miaoyu.
“Can we video chat now? I don’t know where to put the talisman,” Liu Miaoyu asked.
Song Kai, still running, answered the video call.
Liu Miaoyu appeared on screen in a pink nightgown, holding a talisman in her hand.
“Ah! You pervert! Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Liu Miaoyu shrieked upon seeing him.

Song Kai propped his phone on the treadmill’s stand, smirking. “You’ve seen it before, what’s there to be shy about? Besides, I’m wearing pants.”
“You’re running?” Liu Miaoyu wrinkled her cute little nose. “The exam’s the day after tomorrow and you’re still working out? You’re really something! I heard from Zhou Ran that you always come in dead last—are you so hopeless you feel no pressure at all?”
“Nonsense. Just wait and see. That nightgown is pretty sexy, by the way. Looks like you’re not wearing a bra,” Song Kai teased, wiping sweat from his brow.
Liu Miaoyu’s cheeks flushed. “Stop looking! You jerk.”
She quickly grabbed some clothes to cover her chest. She’d just showered and, indeed, wasn’t wearing a bra.
Pointing to her massive solid wood bed, Liu Miaoyu asked, “Should I put the talisman on the headboard or under the bed?”
“Slide it under your blanket, on top of the mattress. That’s enough.” Song Kai replied, all the while taking in the details of her bedroom through the camera, muttering, “Wow, Miaoyu, your family really is loaded. That rosewood bed must be worth over a hundred thousand. And all that rosewood furniture, crystal chandelier, treadmill, wait… you have a claw machine in your room too? Is your dad a corrupt official or—”
Before he could finish, the video call was cut off.
“Pfft.”
Song Kai ignored it and went back to his workout.
Lu Cheng’s death and the sudden appearance of the assassin filled him with unease.
He stayed at the gym until closing before heading home, showering, and retreating to his room to practice his breathing exercises.
Wu Hongying lingered at his bedroom door, watching for a moment, but noticed nothing amiss. Frowning, she changed and went to bed herself.
Inhale, exhale, a continuous cycle.
Though the Nine Thunder inner energy was fierce and mysterious, the initial breathing techniques were much like any Daoist practice.
Suddenly, there was a soft click—the door to his room was gently pushed open.
Song Kai’s ears twitched. He snapped his eyes open, frowning. “It’s not Wu Hongying or Tang Ying. A thief? Or an assassin?”
Not daring to be careless, Song Kai stood up at once, grabbed the iron rod by his bedside, and crept to the door, peering through the peephole.
In the darkness, a figure dressed in black stood motionless in the living room, scanning the area as if deciding which bedroom to enter.
Soon, the intruder moved toward Tang Ying’s room.
Song Kai realized she was in danger. Without hesitation, he burst from his room, rolled twice across the floor, and flicked on the living room lights.
At that instant, a blade as thin as a cicada’s wing streaked toward him—a willow-leaf flying dagger.
Song Kai swung his rod in a backhanded arc, knocking the dagger aside, then ducked behind the sofa.
“Hm?” The intruder, now illuminated, didn’t panic, but uttered a sound of surprise.
Clutching his rod, Song Kai stayed hidden and called out, “Who are you? Why have you broken into my home at night? Why are you trying to kill me?!”