Chapter 4: Hell Is Too Cold

As the wine flowed freely and the guests began to feel its effects, a middle-aged man in a suit stepped into the center of the hall, raising his glass and calling out in a loud voice, “Everyone, please quiet down and listen to me for a moment.”

The lively banquet instantly fell silent, all eyes turning toward the man. He seemed quite pleased to be the focus of attention. Clearing his throat, he feigned sorrow as he spoke: “Our Gu family and the Zhao family have been close for three generations. When the head of the Zhao family met with misfortune, as his deputy, I was truly heartbroken. I wanted to do everything I could to support his only daughter and help the Zhao family regain its strength. But fate is cruel. Tragedy struck even sooner than I expected, and the heavens, in their unkindness, have now taken the last of the Zhao bloodline as well!”

He paused, dabbing at his eyes with a forced expression of grief. “Perhaps... Elder Brother Zhao in heaven longed too much to be reunited with his family.” Squeezing out a few crocodile tears, he continued, “I, Gu, am but an ordinary man. I lack the power to change fate. All I could do after these events was to shoulder my responsibility, take charge of the Zhao family, and prevent it from being swallowed up by those with ill intentions. I hope that in the days to come, you, my friends and partners in business, will continue to support us.”

With that, he raised his glass and toasted each of the other family heads present, his smile wide and unrestrained. The other family heads matched his smile with equal sincerity, but in their hearts, each was cursing with envy at his good fortune.

Who among the family heads of the capital did not secretly envy the Gu family? They had started as a mere branch of the Zhao clan, but with the main Zhao family wiped out and the branch left in charge, they had stumbled into fortune, rising overnight from a third-rate house to one of the capital’s most powerful families. It was enough to make those who had labored all their lives and never managed to join the ranks of the great houses green with jealousy.

Gu Zhongming, the greatest winner of the day, was radiant with joy. He had lost count of how many glasses of champagne he’d downed, his eyes glazed with drunkenness. Just then, a clear, youthful voice rang out in the hall, cutting through the air, “Uncle Gu, are you throwing a party at my house today? Why is it so lively, and why didn’t you invite me?”

All the nobles who heard the voice instinctively turned to look, their eyes widening in disbelief as they saw a young girl running toward them. Covered in mud and blood, Zhao Xu ran up to Gu Zhongming, grinning sweetly at her so-called Uncle Gu, and with a mischievous swipe, wiped some of the mud from her hands onto his expensive, tailored suit.

His custom suit was now stained, but at that moment, Gu Zhongming couldn’t care less. He stood frozen, staring in shock at the girl before him.

How could this little fool be back? Hadn’t the assassins said she was dead in Z? Then who—or what—was standing before him now? Could it really be possible for the dead to return to life?

Thinking of the many dark rumors about Z, Gu Zhongming’s prosperous frame shuddered. His voice trembled as he ventured, “Xiao Si, why didn’t you tell Uncle you were coming back? I—I thought... I thought...”

“You thought I was dead, didn’t you?” Zhao Xu spun around, her voice sweet as honey. “Uncle Gu, I really did die, you know. Look, there’s a big hole right here.” She pulled at her bloodied wound, then continued with an innocent expression, “Just like you said, Uncle Gu—my father wanted the family to be together, so he called me to join him. But when I got there, Dad said hell was too cold and told me to come back and fetch something to keep us warm.”

She pouted, looking genuinely aggrieved, as if she had been sent back from hell against her will.

The situation had taken a bizarre turn. Gu Zhongming, convinced he was seeing a ghost, was utterly at a loss. Hearing that she had come back just to fetch something for warmth, he quickly stammered, “Warmth? That’s easy! Whatever your father needs—heaters, air conditioners, hot water boilers—I’ll send them all down immediately! If that’s not enough, I’ll even buy a hot spring for you, so you can all be nice and warm down there!”

“No, no, Uncle Gu, you’re mistaken,” Zhao Xu shook her head, then suddenly gave him a strange look, her tone turning chilling as she reached for his neck. “In hell, nothing compares to the human world. Only the blood of the living is warm. Since you were always so loyal to my father, why don’t you offer your own blood as a tribute to our family?”

—If the memories she had inherited were correct, this so-called loyal Uncle Gu was in fact the one who had orchestrated the original Zhao Xu’s demise. She was simply claiming a bit of interest.

She drew a fingernail across the vein in Gu Zhongming’s neck. Instantly, a line of blood appeared, followed by a sudden spray of crimson that stained the floor.

Gu Zhongming had one fatal flaw: he couldn’t stand the sight of blood. Seeing his own blood pooling beneath him, he swayed, his eyes rolling back, and collapsed in a dead faint.

His fall was disastrous: fresh blood splattered onto the dresses and trouser legs of the nearest nobles.

“Ahhh! A ghost! Get out of my way, let me out!”

“Screw you, I’m going first!”

“Move it, all of you! Let me through!”

Just moments ago, the man had been alive; now he lay dead at their feet. The assembled scions of noble houses froze for a second before erupting into shrill screams, shoving each other in a mad scramble for the doors.

In an instant, the grand hall was deserted, left only with the chaos of shattered champagne glasses and Gu Zhongming’s motionless body sprawled in the blood.

And as for those who had supported Gu Zhongming, not one of them spared him a thought in their flight. Some, in fact, even stepped on him as they rushed for the exit.

[H-Host, how could you kill someone? I’m telling you, if you do things like this, you’ll be banned!] The fluffy creature, who also fainted at the sight of blood, was so shocked it could barely speak, its teeth chattering.

In its panic, it forgot to wonder how this pitiful Zhao Xu could remain so calm while taking someone down.

With a glance at the ashen little creature, Zhao Xu waved the object in her hand. “Relax, he’s not dead. There are people watching. I only nicked him with a razor blade I picked up. The blood looks dramatic, but I was careful—he won’t die.”

She only had the memories of the original Zhao Si, and did not know how the other members of the Zhao family had disappeared. She needed to keep Gu Zhongming alive for questioning.