Chapter 834: The Mysterious Safe

Slowly, his trembling hand reached out as Lu Xin gently caressed the safe.

At a glance, it appeared to be an ordinary safe.

It was even slightly rusty, standing just over a meter tall and about fifty centimeters wide.

Although clearly aged, it exuded a subtle aura of sealed security.

The row of combination locks on top resembled a beast’s double set of fangs, locked together tightly like a sealed zipper.

This safe had been left by Mom in advance.

Such a mysterious item was, of course, the cornerstone of her meticulous setup.

So enigmatic that only after she had exerted every ounce of effort could it be delivered directly into one’s hands.

……

……

His heart pounded in rapid beats.

Lu Xin slowly bent down, grasping the safe with the intent to carry it upstairs and then…

…he couldn’t lift it.

It was surprisingly heavy; that thick metal casing must weigh several hundred pounds.

Lu Xin stood up quietly and scanned his surroundings.

Just then, the sound of a holstered gun reached his ears as a member of the nanny team, clad in a light protective suit, approached. She shot him an inquisitive glance, and after receiving his acknowledgment, she swung her gun over her shoulder and wrapped her arms around the safe.

Then, with an upbeat ‘hey!’, she hoisted it.

“Huh?”

Lu Xin, standing behind her, watched with a flushed face.

A bit embarrassed, he followed the nanny team member into the villa, ascending the stairs. Amid the curious stares, they reached Lu Xin’s room where he gently set the safe at the center, straightened up, and clapped his hands.

He seemed unfazed, as if it were a trivial matter.

But looking at the nanny team member—who appeared a head taller than him—Lu Xin felt a surge of dejection.

It seemed that besides the ability to destroy the world, he was good for nothing…

……

……

At that moment, several members of the nanny team, driven by curiosity, had already gathered at the room’s doorway.

This is one of the traits that set the doll’s nanny team apart from other armed squads—curiosity ran a bit stronger here.

But when they saw Lu Xin preparing to open the safe, they immediately reacted.

Including the team member who had helped him lift it, they all stepped back.

Their professionalism was remarkably intact.

Inside the room, only the doll lingered by the window, curiously craning her neck, showing no sign of leaving.

Her professional demeanor, however, was noticeably lacking.

Lu Xin thought for a moment, then opened the window to let her in before drawing the curtains.

In the room’s dim light, the safe stood silently on the floor, radiating a tense, mysterious aura.

Lu Xin had already been certified by the Moon Eclipse Research Institute as having top-notch world-destroying ability.

Yet, he couldn’t shake off a hint of nervousness.

Glancing at the doll, who was also curiously staring, he nodded and slowly extended his hand.

The moment his fingertip touched the strange lock, a subtle ripple of mental power diffused, and a ring of energy seemed to ripple through the air, causing the locks to contract inward simultaneously.

“Squeak…”

The safe’s door showed a hint of nimble loosening.

At that moment, a faint breeze swept through the sealed room.

Lu Xin could clearly sense a mysterious mental force gently spreading throughout the space.

His own mental power stirred in quiet response.

It was as if severed strands were reconnecting in an instant.

Everything fell perfectly back into place.

Just then, a flicker of movement caught his eye—a white silhouette appeared on the ceiling in the room’s corner.

The figure’s body was slightly contorted, hanging in an awkward position from the corner of the ceiling.

Clad in a dirty white skirt, barefoot, and carrying a small backpack, she made quite the unusual sight.

Her black hair cascaded down, and beneath it, her eyes darted around nervously with a vigilant gleam.

“Sister…”

In that moment, his heart felt as if struck by a powerful blow, and a rush of warmth surged from deep within him.

Unable to contain his emotion, he quickly moved towards his sister.

“Brother?”

“Brother!”

Almost simultaneously, his sister, after a brief hesitation, confirmed it was truly Lu Xin before her.

Then, with a clear, resounding cry, she leaped from the ceiling straight into his arms.

Though her body was cold and lifeless, the embrace filled Lu Xin with indescribable warmth. As he cradled her, it was as if a hot spring burst open inside him, and his eyes welled with tears.

He held her tightly and whispered, “Sister, our home is gone…”

“……”

His little sister trembled softly, whether from fear or sorrow it was hard to tell.

Lu Xin could distinctly feel her small head brushing against his cheek—a touch both real and achingly familiar.

“Brother, I understand…”

Her voice, quivering with hiccups, asked, “Will she come back?”

That single question unleashed a flood of long-suppressed grief in Lu Xin’s heart.

Yet, hearing her question, he suddenly recalled his responsibilities.

After all, their home was shattered and the pain was shared—not only by him, but by her as well.

And as her brother, it was his duty to console her.

So he stifled his sorrow, steadying his emotions, and nodded firmly:

“She will.”

“I’ve restored her Mind Palace—she will return…”

“……”

“……”

“Brother, when she gets back, scold her for me…”

“Back then, she suddenly sent me to that place. It was truly terrifying…”

“I thought I’d never see you again. I thought you had really abandoned me…”

“……”

The quiver of fear in her usually playful voice was unmistakable.

Lu Xin, at a loss for words, could only hold her even tighter.

As her brother, he shared the same feelings that weighed on her.

“Oh, by the way…”

In the midst of her sobbing, his sister suddenly recalled something, breaking free from his embrace.

Wiping her tears, she said, “Brother, Nineteen is here…”

Following her gaze, Lu Xin spotted a timid little girl.

Like his sister, she wore a white skirt, but her body bore rough, obvious stitches.

At that moment, she crouched carefully in the corner by the wall, hugging her knees and clutching a gleaming dining knife.

She silently observed Lu Xin and her sister together, looking a bit envious yet too timid to approach.

“Little Nineteen…”

A wave of joy surged within Lu Xin as he hurriedly wiped his eyes and beckoned Little Nineteen:

“Come here.”

“……”

Little Nineteen hesitated before slowly standing up.

Still clutching the gleaming dining knife as if unwilling to let it go, she cautiously inched closer.

“Little Nineteen, after Water Buffalo City, where did you go?”

Lu Xin gently pulled her close, cradling her in his arms.

In a soft tone he said, “I was always worried about you.”

As Lu Xin embraced her warmly, the dining knife clattered to the floor.

She slowly nestled her little head in the crook of his arm.

True to her quiet nature, after a moment she murmured, “Big Monster…”

Lu Xin suddenly burst into laughter.

He felt his eyes burning with a mix of joy and bittersweet emotion.

After reuniting with his sister and seeing Little Nineteen again,

he was overjoyed to hear her call him ‘Big Monster’—it was simply wonderful.

……

……

“Hehehehehe…”

Just as Lu Xin held his sister and Little Nineteen close, feeling his heart warm gradually, the doll—standing aside and not interfering—began to shed silent tears, when suddenly a bizarre laugh rang out.

The laugh was unsettlingly strange and abrupt, yet unmistakably clear.

When it filled the room, the temperature seemed to drop by several dozen degrees, and the walls almost frosted over.

The room’s lights flickered erratically, and goosebumps rose all over.

“The once ruthless Tyrant, who killed without a blink, now cries like a little girl?”

“……”

“……”

“Hm?”

Lu Xin paused, quickly turning his head toward the source of the voice.

“Whoosh!”

At the same moment, the doll reacted, sensing the sudden danger.

In an instant, she raised her umbrella—the motion almost reflexive—and aimed it at the safe.

Layers of mental energy began to coalesce on the umbrella, ready to fire clusters of psychic bullets.

Behind her, faintly visible, were white chains lightly swaying.

After completing all her preparations, she turned to look at Lu Xin, waiting for his signal.

Lu Xin waved his hand gently, urging her not to rush and instead to focus on the safe at the center of the room.

That very voice was coming from within the safe.

In his excitement over reuniting with his sister and Little Nineteen, Lu Xin had even forgotten to inspect the safe further.

To his surprise, there was actually another person inside.

Even more unexpectedly, the safe concealed something so terrifying that it sent a shiver through him.

In that instant, he fixed his gaze on the safe, his eyes trembling as tiny black particles began to dance within.

The air around him grew oppressively heavy, like a ticking time bomb.

After a long moment, as Lu Xin’s body swayed and dense ripples of mental energy surged toward the safe,

there came a soft, ‘Eek!’ from inside the safe.

Then, a chubby, meaty figure tumbled out, shrieking:

“Jiu Ge…”

“Don’t get your eyes in a twist, it’s me…”

“Just kidding—don’t actually lay a hand on me…”