Chapter 714: Accusation

Lu Mi, wearing a wide-brimmed round hat and a black wool overcoat, stood beside the side of Morlan Avini's villa, gazing at the garden with withered branches and sparse leaves, and said to Fulanka:

"Keep your distance when we move."

As he spoke, Lu Mi's eyes turned again to silver-black as he observed the fate streams tied to Fulanka 's future.

The faintly blackened stream had nothing to do with the upcoming infiltration—meaning, under current conditions, sneaking into Morlan Avini's villa and leaving a "mirror imprint" on the full-length mirror in his study carried no high risk of death.

Of course, Lu Mi dared not grow careless; after multiple uses of the "Eye of Disaster," he had learned that a single blackened fate stream at present did not mean only one hidden death calamity existed.

In Fulanka 's words, many "death calamities" lay deeper within the fate streams, still too vague for Lu Mi to see or distinguish.

That meant, though only one fate stream of forcibly entering Morlan Avini's villa was faintly blackened now, once Fulanka made her choice and attempted infiltration—turning the originally harmless stream into the main branch—some subsequent offshoots might still carry black, symbolizing death-related disaster.

Lu Mi's most profound understanding of this was:

The future's fate held countless possibilities and variations.

Of course, some elements were fixed—like death, destined to come for the vast majority of humans.

"Don't worry—I'm no rookie," Fulanka said, utterly experienced in infiltration.

Assassin's first lesson: Infiltrate!

Lu Mi said no more, withdrew his gaze, activated the mark, and transformed into a shadow creature, merging into the shadows cast by the garden's plants.

Fulanka stepped forward and vanished beside the swaying shadows stirred by the wind.

The two quickly infiltrated to the villa's side.

At this moment, Morlan Avini was attending a ministerial meeting; his lady had gone to an art salon with her maids, leaving only a few male servants, female maids, gardeners, and cooks inside the villa.

The Avini family did not reside here—only the minister's direct blood relatives were permitted to live long-term in the government-provided villa, and Morlan Avini's three children had either married and moved out or were still studying at the Memorial District University, returning only on weekends.

For Lu Mi and Fulanka, this was the time of weakest security at the target location—after all, the most important person was Morlan Avini himself, and covert protection forces would surely accompany him away.

Lu Mi emerged from the shadow in the corner and said to Fulanka:

"Stay here and guard against surprises."

"Understood!" Fulanka made no protest or argument.

Lu Mi studied the fate streams of this "Joyful Witch" for several more seconds, then transformed once more into a shadow creature and silently entered Morlan Avini's villa.

He could not see his own future fate—not even through mirrors—only infer his own by observing his companion's.

Fulanka remained hidden in the shadows, patiently waiting.

Soon, Lu Mi reached Morlan Avini's study as easily as if it were his own home—he had observed multiple times that Morlan Avini used this full-length mirror to enter the mirror world.

His familiarity with the environment stemmed from the detailed security map provided by "007."

The winter afternoon's light, past four o'clock, was dim; the study was bathed in alternating light and shadow, thick with twilight, its silence a long-standing melody.

Lu Mi carefully and cautiously moved through every shadow in the study, finding no traps and no hidden figures.

Only then did he revert to human form, step out of the shadow, and appear before the full-length mirror.

As the black mark activated, Lu Mi extended his right palm and pressed it against the cold, hard glass surface.

A blood-red handprint immediately appeared—but inverted, top-to-bottom and left-to-right, as if belonging to another person.

The inverted, sinister blood handprint rapidly faded, merging into the mirror and vanishing.

Lu Mi was about to withdraw his right hand and leave when suddenly a hand reached out from within the mirror, gripping his wrist.

The hand was a healthy white, fingers long and strong.

It pulled hard—Lu Mi, caught off guard, was yanked toward the glass mirror.

The surface had, at some point, become void, losing all solidity; Lu Mi's vision darkened, then brightened, revealing a vast network of dark, winding tunnels shaped like spiderwebs.

In the region of the mirror corresponding to this space, a man of average height and unremarkable appearance stood at the edge, raising a brass revolver and aiming at Lu Mi, pulling the trigger.

He wore a dark wool suit, a half-high silk top hat, a glass-like button on his cuff, and wore a faint smile—as if mocking Lu Mi for never considering Morlan Avini might have a bodyguard hidden inside the mirror.

Bang!

A bullet glowing with eerie green light shot forth, hurtling toward Lu Mi.

Lu Mi's figure vanished instantly; the bullet struck the afterimage he left behind and flew into one of the dark, void tunnels.

The next instant, Lu Mi's form materialized behind the ambushers, and without hesitation, he "hummed."

Two beams of white light shot from his nostrils and landed on the ambushers.

The ambushers closed their eyes and collapsed to the ground.

As he fell halfway, his eyeballs darted rapidly—he awoke again.

Thud! He Shunshi fell fully, turning his body into a patch of shadow.

The shadow split into multiple fragments, drifting in all directions, entering different dark tunnels.

Immediately after, the ambushers appeared stealthily within a certain void tunnel, his body faint and blurred, as if veiled in pale white mist.

In his misty eyes, Lu Mi's figure was reflected—and before Lu Mi could sense anything and turn his head, the ambushers spoke in a strange language that stirred natural forces:

"You are guilty!"

Lu Mi had never encountered this language before, yet he understood its meaning clearly—his body froze instantly, as if bound by invisible restraints.

The ambushers opened his mouth again:

"You desecrate the divine!"

Instantly, the entire mirror world froze—all the dim, insubstantial tunnels became like insects trapped in amber.

Lu Mi heard again that terrifying voice, seemingly from infinite distance.

Faintly, he "saw" three figures.

All three sat cross-legged—one facing left, one facing forward, one facing right, each with different hand gestures.

One was heavy, one was real, one was ethereal—each in a different state, circling a silver-white center, constantly shifting, changing, exchanging positions.

A vast, thunderous voice echoed—Lu Mi's mind went numb, thoughts shattered.

Amidst vague, sharp pain and dazed confusion, Lu Mi felt a familiar heat in his left chest, and his right palm alternated between scorching heat and icy cold.

He used this sensation to slowly regain his sense of self.

In a frozen dark tunnel, the ambushers saw Lu Mi's body erupting with silver-black, fleshy growths, covered in viscous, sinister patterns, while an icy, unnatural wind had begun to howl—deep within the tunnels, darkness writhed, as if something monstrous were crawling out.

The ambushers stiffened, his body losing solidity, faint white mist flickering within him.

After what felt like an eternity, the man finally endured the most dangerous moment—he regained sensation in his body, and restored sight and hearing.

Gazing at Lu Mi, whose growths and patterns had faded, the ambushers instinctively, with profound dread, flashed a few thoughts:

"How exactly did he desecrate the divine?"

"Which deity did he offend?"

"Why didn't he lose control outright?"

"I've never encountered anything like this before!"

The ambushers possessed a supernatural ability that allowed him to perceive the specific sins a target had committed, then "accuse" them with corresponding charges—each level of sin inflicted different harm and effects, unpredictable beforehand, only guessable based on the ambushers' prior "case" experience.

This was the first time he had ever encountered a sinner whose divine punishment after desecration spilled over so violently that it nearly overwhelmed him!

Fortunately, he recovered before the target did.

The ambushers raised his brass revolver again, aiming at Lu Mi, who was bent over, writhing in pain.

Just as he pulled the trigger, Lu Mi snapped his head up, face twisted, eyes fierce and cruel.

Bang!

A bullet shimmering with starlight shot from the barrel, locking onto the target's body.

Simultaneously, Lu Mi's shadow came alive, flipping upward.

Splash!

The black shadow shattered like a mirror, and with starlight, collapsed inward, vanishing completely.

After a brief disappearance, Lu Mi's form materialized behind the ambushers, and he "hummed" again.

Just now, he had timely activated "Shadow Activation," and his shadow had triggered Fulanka 's "Mirror Substitute"!

This was why Lu Mi had insisted Fulanka infiltrate with him and wait outside the villa—"Mirror Substitute" required proximity.

The proof: his shadow could also share "Mirror Substitute"!

Two beams of white light shot out, causing the ambushers to close his eyes again.

This time, Lu Mi gave the enemy no chance to awaken quickly—he extended his right foot, blocking the fall so the man didn't collapse outright.

Simultaneously, he drew his own revolver and pressed it against the target's forehead.

The ambushers' eyes rolled open—he felt the terrifying pressure of the gun muzzle.

He forced a smile, offering his revolver, whispering:

"Take this. Let me go, okay?"

Lu Mi's thoughts shifted—he took the revolver and nodded.

"Fine."

He immediately withdrew his pistol.

The ambushers kept his humble, pleading smile, turned, and walked toward the depths of the dark tunnel.

Suddenly, Lu Mi heard the grand, layered voice of Thelmiopolos:

"You'd better not let him go."

Uh… Lu Mi's gaze sharpened—he instantly sensed something wrong.

Why did I just agree to that deal?

Why did I let him go?

(End of Chapter)