Volume 1 Chapter 15 Hidden Murderous Intent

A cramped room, scattered furniture, and a blood-stained floor.

Looking at this room, Qi Fengling could hardly believe that such a squalid dwelling existed within a skyscraper in the heart of Cloud City. Could it be that real estate developers also had their eyes on the meager savings of ordinary people?

Indeed, Qi Fengling had reached the twenty-third floor, and the room he now stood in belonged to none other than Liu Qiang. Qi Fengling’s original intention was that since he had to go downstairs anyway, he might as well follow them, see what there was to see, and perhaps scrounge up some food without disrupting his own plans.

However, the scene before him was truly difficult for Qi Fengling to take seriously. The furnishings of this room clearly marked it as that of a poverty-stricken resident of the skyscraper; how could one possibly find any food here?

"Uh..."
"Hmm?"
"Wow!!!"

Just as Qi Fengling was about to decline and leave, Liu Qiang walked behind a dilapidated bookshelf. Under Qi Fengling’s puzzled gaze, he seemed to press a button. Following the activation of this switch, the wall, which had appeared perfectly solid, began to shift. In less than ten seconds, a room with extremely luxurious decor appeared before Qi Fengling.

Pah!

Seeing this, Qi Fengling slapped himself for his own ignorance. It made perfect sense. How could there be any poor people living in a skyscraper? And those real estate tycoons would never care for the crumbs in the hands of the destitute. The outer room was merely a facade to deceive others. If anyone came begging for money, the moment they stepped inside, they would likely be too embarrassed to even open their mouths.

"Uh, brother, I still don't know your name?" After showing off his room, Liu Qiang asked for Qi Fengling's name with a sycophantic tone.

"Qi Fengling!" He did not hide his name; after all, he was a man destined to become the Lord of Cloud City.

"Oh! So it's Brother Fengling! This is my home, please make yourself at home. I'll go get you something to eat and drink." Upon learning his name, Liu Qiang became even more courteous, heading toward the inner rooms as he spoke.

It must be said, Liu Qiang’s home was truly top-tier luxury; calling it magnificent would be an understatement. Unfortunately, following the arrival of the apocalypse, electrical appliances were gradually failing. Things Qi Fengling had only seen on the internet in the past were now unusable.

"Oh! Brother Fengling, come have a drink of water!"

"Why call him Brother Fengling? Look how young and handsome he is! Wouldn't it be better to call him 'Little Brother'?"

On the sofa, Qi Fengling was not met by Liu Qiang, but by two women dressed in a highly alluring manner. They wore heavy makeup and provocative, flamboyant clothing, swaying their hips and batting their eyes like succubi. These two women were likely the ones Liu Qiang had mentioned. Before the apocalypse, these were women who would never have spared a glance at someone like Qi Fengling.

The apocalypse had truly changed so much!

As for women, he would not turn them away. It wasn't that Qi Fengling was desperate, but he wanted to see exactly what Liu Qiang was up to. While he hadn't noticed anything outside, the moment he entered this room, he smelled an unmistakable scent of blood. As someone who had survived for nearly a decade in the apocalypse, Qi Fengling was all too familiar with the smell of blood, especially human blood. Even though Liu Qiang had deliberately sprayed a large amount of expensive perfume, it couldn't mask the scent. Furthermore, Qi Fengling noted that one of the four people who had initially entered had vanished for no apparent reason.

To be able to survive after the outbreak, live so comfortably, and have the audacity to hunt for Awakening Orbs on the top floors—this Liu Qiang was certainly no simple character. Qi Fengling was curious to see what they intended to do to him.

Seeing that Qi Fengling did not resist, the two women surrounded him with practiced coordination. One grabbed his hand, while the other sat directly on his lap, beginning their seductions. To be honest, having reached the Epic tier in his past life, Qi Fengling had seen all kinds of women; he had even withstood the temptations of succubus-class Awakened, let alone these two.

"Hahaha, Brother Fengling, I have the food ready..."

"You two, get down! Brother Fengling is my honored guest," Liu Qiang said, feigning anger as he saw one of the women mount Qi Fengling.

"Sigh! Brother Qiang! This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Qi Fengling didn't want to play guessing games and cut straight to the point.

"Er, Brother Fengling, what are you saying? How would I dare to guess your thoughts? Come, let’s eat! It’ll get cold otherwise." Liu Qiang’s face was filled with awkwardness, but he managed to recover his composure.

Although he had obtained an SSS-grade inheritance, his level was still too low. From yesterday until now, Qi Fengling was indeed quite hungry. Guided by the two women, he soon arrived at their dining room. The decor was so lavish that Qi Fengling lacked the vocabulary to describe it. On the plate before him lay a meat steak garnished with sauce, and beside it, a glass of blood-red wine.

Some starve to death, while others feast to excess! Even without the apocalypse, many people would never have been able to enjoy such a delicacy.

"Brother Fengling, what's wrong? Is the food not to your taste?" Seeing that Qi Fengling hadn't taken a bite for a long time, Liu Qiang asked tentatively.

Having been hungry for a day, Qi Fengling would normally not bother with airs, but this meat stirred a murderous intent within him. In his past life, Qi Fengling and his demon-hunting squad had once raided an underground meat processing plant in Cloud City. He still remembered how the poor were strung up with iron hooks, arranged in rows, before their flesh was carved off for cooking and sale. The color and scent of that meat were exactly like what sat before him now.

It seemed his suspicions were correct; Liu Qiang was indeed a villain. No wonder they hadn't starved and were living so well—they were truly "eating people."

"That's not it, I just recalled something sad," Qi Fengling said, feigning grief as he picked up the red wine.

Although he held the glass and his gaze appeared unfocused, he remained hyper-aware of the changes around him.

Killing intent!

It wasn't just Liu Qiang; it included the two women beside him and those hiding in the shadows. When Qi Fengling picked up the wine, the corners of Liu Qiang’s mouth clearly turned upward. It seemed the trick lay in the wine.

But who was he? A dignified First-tier mid-stage Awakened with an SSS inheritance—did he have anything to fear from them?

"As they say, fine wine helps one remember! Brother Fengling, why not have a taste? This is a '83 Lafite!" Liu Qiang was not only good at reading people but also quite glib.

"Is that so? An '83 vintage? Then I won't stand on ceremony!" Qi Fengling feigned astonishment and downed the wine in one gulp.

"This is no damn '83 wine; the smell of blood is impossible to mask. Do you think I can't taste it?" Qi Fengling didn't say this out loud, but he had tasted it the moment it touched his tongue.

As the wine entered his stomach, Qi Fengling felt a force rushing to his head; a thick, heavy sensation began to erode his consciousness. In other words, he had been drugged with a potent sedative.