Chapter 133: Qian Zihao's Ring

Su Mu picked up the ring and examined it briefly. "Is this... Qian Zihao's ring?"

His observation skills had always been sharp, so he naturally recognized the ring Qian Zihao had worn.

Nangong Mengli nodded. "That's right. It's a Silver Rank 1 Artifact, the Energy-Devouring Spirit Ring. I snatched it off him after I killed him. It took a lot of effort to take him down, after all, so I wasn't about to leave empty-handed."

Su Mu glanced at Nangong Mengli's pale face, wholeheartedly agreeing with her flawless logic. He carefully wiped the ring clean with a white handkerchief before slipping it onto his finger.

The silver ring had a very simple design, completely devoid of any patterns, looking like a perfectly ordinary piece of jewelry. But the moment he put it on and his mental energy surged into it, he immediately understood the function of the Energy-Devouring Spirit Ring.

It could directly convert physical or mental energy into attack power. For example, if an adult man could throw a full-force punch with 200 jin of force, the Energy-Devouring Spirit Ring could absorb the energy stored within his body and unleash it all at once, allowing him to strike with 1,000 jin of force.

The price, however, was being reduced to a desiccated husk, as the body's stored energy would be completely drained.

This conversion also applied to mental energy, transforming it directly into physical strength. Few people would ever do this, though, because recovering mental energy was ten times harder than recovering physical stamina. Physical exhaustion could be remedied simply by eating and drinking, but there were very few ways to replenish mental energy; usually, one could only rely on time to slowly recover.

Furthermore, overdrawing mental energy carried the risk of turning the user into an idiot.

Su Mu, however, had no such worries. He felt that this ring suited him perfectly. He had more than enough mental energy to spare, and the ring could convert it into genuine, usable combat power.

He also roughly understood why Qian Zihao had eaten himself to such an obese state. He must have been stockpiling physical energy. If he ever encountered danger, the Energy-Devouring Spirit Ring would allow him to unleash a terrifying burst of power that rivaled a Transcendent.

"This ring doesn't count as a reward," Nangong Mengli said, leaning weakly against the back of the car seat, her eyelids drooping heavily. "I told you, I will definitely repay you. Anything I have, I can give to you."

"Do you know I've waited so, so long for this day? I will never forget the day my mother died. She gripped my hand and told me to let go of the hatred, to abandon any thoughts of revenge.

"But I really couldn't forget. The need to avenge the Nangong Family, to avenge my mother... it was constantly reminding me. Actually, I've felt lost before. I've read plenty of books urging people toward goodness, saying that a person shouldn't live for hatred alone. That you should let go, that you should cherish those still living.

"But where are those living people? I'm the only one left. Out of the entire Nangong Family, it's just me! If I don't avenge them, who will?

"Whenever I think about the people who murdered my family, still living happily in this world, I hate them! I hate them! Why did we have to die? Why?!"

Nangong Mengli wasn't so much speaking to Su Mu as she was speaking to herself—the raw confession of an avenger.

Her head grew heavier by the second. Her eyelids fluttered and dropped more than once, and her voice steadily faded.

In her daze, she caught a trace of a floral fragrance. A refreshing scent drifted into her nose, tickling her slightly.

Where was the fragrance coming from?

She opened her eyes with a bit of effort. Entering her vision was a battered rose, looking as though it had been thrown onto the ground and stomped on a few times. It was ugly... so very ugly...

Su Mu's voice sounded from beside her. "I know it's a bit inappropriate right now, but it's almost midnight. So... happy birthday."

Nangong Mengli stared blankly at the rose. In that moment, she seemed to completely forget her hatred and her exhaustion.

"Where did you... get a flower?"

"Found it on Qian Zihao. Just like you said, it took a lot of effort to kill him, so we couldn't just leave empty-handed, right?"

Pfft.

Nangong Mengli let out a light chuckle, her eyes—previously brimming with hatred—softening considerably. She carefully accepted the battered rose, brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and gently inhaled its scent.

Her eyes curved into beautiful little crescents. Reflected in those bright pupils were the neon lights flashing past the car window, along with Su Mu and the rose.

"Thank you, Su Mu."

Su Mu kept his eyes on the road as he drove. The shifting neon lights continuously danced across his angular face.

"Don't mention it. Wishing someone well on their birthday is only natural."

After speaking, Su Mu suddenly felt a trace of moisture on his lips. He was absolutely certain he hadn't licked them, causing him to frown slightly. The humidity inside the car definitely shouldn't have been that high.

Unless...

He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Nangong Mengli, only to find that she had already fallen fast asleep, clutching the rose tightly. Evidently, she had completely exhausted herself from overusing her abilities.

...

...

A day later, the entirety of Star City was placed under an unprecedented state of martial law. Throngs of law enforcers in standard uniforms, guns holstered at their waists, appeared in every corner of the city to conduct a carpet-style sweep.

Star City was swept up in a state of sheer panic, and the streets were practically devoid of pedestrians. The most pitiable victims of all this were the tuxedo shops. Several stores were abruptly shut down because the tailcoats they sold looked a bit too similar to the one worn by the Head of the Seven Deadly Sins, Pride, and the owners were dragged in for severe interrogation.

Overnight, the name of the Seven Deadly Sins' Pride seemed to echo throughout all of Star City. To be precise, it wasn't just Star City—neighboring cities and even the entire Chiyan Empire had been thoroughly alarmed.

The assassination of an imperial noble was akin to the sky falling in the Chiyan Empire. It was important to note that even during wars with other nations, nobles held the right of immunity. Even if a noble was captured, they would still receive preferential treatment from the enemy state while waiting for their family to ransom them back with a massive sum of gold.

If that was the case during wartime, it was doubly so in times of peace. The news of Murong Zhuo's assassination was truly an event where one stone stirs up a thousand ripples, instantly dominating the front pages of every major news outlet.

Word spread through the noble circles of Star City that the Royal Family was absolutely furious. They had directly dispatched a Gold-tier powerhouse into Star City, fiercely determined to capture the Seven Deadly Sins' Pride!

The nonexistent organization known as the Seven Deadly Sins successfully climbed to the very top of the Chiyan Empire's most-wanted list, its infamy momentarily overshadowing even the Revolutionary Army.

This was because not even the Revolutionary Army had dared to assassinate a noble. Rumor had it that they had only ever captured nobles, keeping them alive to exchange for massive amounts of resources.

"Did you hear about that massive fire at the Boli Hotel yesterday? Word on the street is that a noble died in there."

"I heard it was more than just a noble. A bunch of celebrities and big bosses died too, even Star City's wealthiest man, Qian Zihao."