Chapter Twenty-Six: Temptation and Immortality?

Lin Lei needed a channel to infiltrate other extraordinary factions. If Long Wentian had not been so deeply compromised, Lin Lei might not have chosen to kill him. However, after learning so much, Lin Lei felt a coldness toward Long Wentian’s actions, and he knew the man could not be left alive.

Hearing Lin Lei’s whisper, Long Wentian’s expression shifted abruptly. He raised a hand weakly and pleaded, "Don't..."

Ignoring him, Lin Lei stepped forward, dragged him into the bathroom, and clamped his hand firmly around his throat. For an ordinary person, strangling someone to death would take significant effort, waiting for the slow process of asphyxiation. But with Lin Lei’s terrifying strength, it was an effortless task.

*Snap!*

In an instant, the crisp sound of bone cracking echoed from Long Wentian’s neck. His face turned a deep, bruised purple, and a large amount of blood gushed from his mouth. A moment later, Lin Lei tossed the blood-soaked body onto the floor. His throat artery had been severed, and blood sprayed like a fountain. Yet, at that very moment, Lin Lei sensed an even more intense surge of source energy fluctuating within him.

"Don't tell me this guy can't die?"

Lin Lei raised an eyebrow. The man’s face remained purple, and his windpipe was shattered; he was still in a state of asphyxiation. Lin Lei waited for a while, only to notice the flow of blood from the throat gradually slowing. For anyone else, all their blood would have been drained by now, not to mention the prolonged lack of oxygen—no source user should have been able to survive that. Yet, the source energy fluctuations emanating from Long Wentian remained potent.

"How is this possible? After so long without air and such blood loss, he still won't die?" Lin Lei’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Lin Lei raised an eyebrow, rose, washed up, left the bathroom, and changed into Long Wentian’s pajamas. His form distorted and shifted until he perfectly mimicked Long Wentian’s appearance. Whether he wanted to deal with Lei Siguang later or use the Purple Dragon Gang’s channels to contact "The Deathbird," Lin Lei intended to keep "Long Wentian" as his persona.

He opened the door directly.

"Brother Tian, are you alright? I heard an assassin hurt you?" A young woman in a black qipao rushed in, sobbing. She carried what looked like a medical kit. She pulled Lin Lei toward the sofa.

Lin Lei disguised his voice, "It was just a scratch, I'm fine!"

The woman checked him over, and once she confirmed he was truly uninjured, she put down the kit and threw herself into his arms, weeping. Lin Lei glanced at her delicate face and her long, pale legs revealed by the high slit of her form-fitting qipao. He cleared his throat but did not push her away. After all, he was currently playing the role of Long Wentian, and it wouldn't do to appear too distant toward "his" woman. It was definitely not for any other reason. He even reached out to embrace her.

The woman stiffened, looked up at him with a dazed expression, and whispered, "Brother Tian, you’ve never been like this before..."

Lin Lei smacked his lips, feeling somewhat awkward. The woman had thrown herself into his arms, and yet his simple gesture of returning the hug had elicited such a reaction. He didn't know how to respond. She lowered her head and pressed her body tightly against him. Feeling her graceful, soft curves, Lin Lei cleared his throat again, his demeanor becoming strained. He was a red-blooded man, and his emotions had been unstable lately... With her pressed so close, it was inevitable he would have a reaction.

The woman’s body trembled. She looked up at him with watery eyes, her face flushed red: "Brother, you really are alright... I can feel it, you're quite spirited." Her cool, small hands moved across his back, circled around, and suddenly dipped downward.

"Hiss." Lin Lei froze.

The woman looked up, her tears replaced by a smile, and she batted her eyelashes at him, her hands not stopping. Her movements were remarkably inexperienced, yet they carried a strange, intoxicating comfort. However, the thought suddenly crossed Lin Lei’s mind that this was Long Wentian’s woman. Feeling her passion and initiative, he felt a wave of repulsion, and everything instantly lost its appeal.

The smile on her face faltered. She looked up at him with a strange, complex expression: "No wonder you never touched me, never let me get close, never even allowed me to hold your hand or hug you. So that’s why..." A flash of sadness crossed her face, but then she shook her head. "Don't worry, Brother Tian, even if that's the case... I will always be yours!"

Lin Lei was stunned. His expression shifted: "Huh?" He had assumed she was a loose woman given her forwardness, but it seemed she was actually quite naive. No wonder her touch had been so clumsy. He frowned. She was so proactive toward Long Wentian, yet he had remained restrained, refusing even the most basic intimacy. Either Long Wentian had different sexual preferences, or there was something else at play.

Lin Lei’s mind returned to the "Candidate" mentioned by Long Wentian. Could this woman be a "Candidate" that Long Wentian himself had scouted? Because of her special status, he couldn't touch her? Thinking about it, it was highly probable. Long Wentian was not unattractive, and as the third-in-command of the Purple Dragon Gang, it would be effortless for him to woo or deceive such a young girl.

Knowing there had been no intimacy between them, the repulsion in Lin Lei’s heart vanished. Feeling the heat of the girl’s body once more, he cleared his throat. The woman, sensing the change, looked up with joy. "Brother, you really are quite capable after all."

Just then, a rustling sound came from the bathroom. It was very faint—a normal person would never have heard it, but it could not escape Lin Lei’s ears. He stood up decisively, ignoring whether his behavior seemed abnormal, and firmly ushered the woman in the qipao toward the door: "You go out first!"

The woman was startled, her face showing vulnerability and pity. She pouted, "Brother Tian, I was wrong. I know you don't like me like this... I just..."

Lin Lei cleared his throat: "It’s not that... just go out, I want to get some rest."

The woman was undoubtedly beautiful and had a figure that was a temptation, but Lin Lei was not a man who lost his sense of place or was easily ruled by desire. He pushed her out of the suite regardless of her protests.

*Click!*

He locked the door. When he returned to the bathroom, he found that Long Wentian was standing up, bare-chested and stumbling. His injuries had not fully healed; his head seemed clouded, his eyes unfocused, and his gait was unsteady. Seeing another version of himself walk in, a dazed look crossed his face: "Am I... dreaming?" His voice was incredibly weak.

Lin Lei frowned deeply. The man’s throat was still a gory mess, but aside from the skin, the flesh and muscle had already knit back together. Having been deprived of oxygen for so long and lost so much blood—even for Lin Lei, such injuries would have been fatal.

His eyes glinted: "This guy’s ability shouldn't just be simple self-healing. Could it be... immortality?"