READER DISCRETION ADVISED
*This is an 18+ story featuring a morally ambiguous protagonist.*
Content Note: The main character is not a hero—he’s an antihero, deliberately written to challenge conventional morality. His actions, choices, and the story’s themes are dark, complex, and unapologetically gritty.
You’ve been warned. Proceed at your own risk.
***
Volume 1: The Incubus Descends
This is a world ruled by the rich and powerful, an era overflowing with materialism! The masses drift aimlessly, all chasing fame and fortune. To save them, the Lord sent an angel to the mortal realm.
The angel said to the ignorant masses, “Believe in me, and you shall have eternal life.”
But the masses did not believe. They sought to nail the angel to a cross and burn her.
And so, the angel shed her white wings and descended as a demon.
The demon tempted the masses, “Offer me your souls in exchange, and you shall have eternal life.”
And the masses flocked to him in droves.
This is the story of how a fallen angel “saves” the world…
Chapter 1: Purgatory Coffee
In 1860, James Watt’s invention of the steam engine raised the curtain on the Steam Age.
In the 1870s, with the invention of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, humanity entered the Electrical Age.
On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers successfully flew their self-made aircraft on the shores of Kitty Hawk, USA, and human civilization soared into the Aviation Age.
On July 16, 1945, the successful detonation of the first atomic bomb in the Alamogordo desert of New Mexico heralded the dawn of the Nuclear Age.
In the aftermath of World War II, human civilization advanced at a geometric rate. The Space Age, the Electronic Age, the Computer Age, and the Internet Age arrived in quick succession. In the span of a few short decades, a rapidly developing civilization broke through into one new frontier after another.
Finally, they began to approach the most forbidden domain in Christian doctrine: the artificial interference and manipulation of the creation of life itself.
In 1983, the world’s first genetically modified crop—a strain of tobacco resistant to herbicides—was successfully cultivated in the United States.
In 1997, a cloned sheep named Dolly was born in the United Kingdom. Her existence signified that humanity had plucked the forbidden fruit of biology, usurping a patent that belonged to God.
From that moment on, genetically modified foods and engineered organisms began to proliferate. The Genetic Age had descended upon the world…
In 2020, the mapping of the human genome was completed. In the same year, the European Union and China entered into a secret collaboration, implementing “Project Naraku,” with the goal of creating the perfect human.
In 2045, a rapidly advancing human civilization once again trespassed upon the domain of God…
Our story begins in a place called Dragon City, on the southeastern coast of China.
…
“Let praises fly like the wind, across the sky and the boundless sea. Let them crash like waves upon the shore. Sing of glory above all creation, limitless and divine, all belonging to my Lord, the noble Jesus…”
Waves of clear, sonorous hymns flowed from Dragon City’s largest Catholic cathedral, drifting into the ears of passersby.
It was eight o’clock on a Sunday evening, and the choir was holding its service. On the solemn pulpit, more than twenty singers sang praises, filling the entire church with an atmosphere of reverence and dignity.
After the hymns, the most influential local priest, Father Luo, held the Bible in both hands and began to lead the congregation in prayer.
“Oh Lord, the universe you created is infinite and vast, the life you created is so wondrous… You are omnipotent, you are eternal. You are my father and my mother, you are my everything! Amen!”
With every line Father Luo recited, the faithful repeated it, their voices resonating within and beyond the church walls.
Fang Qiang was among the congregation, praying with unparalleled piety, his face a mask of adoration and reverence for the Lord. This was no act; the worship radiated from the very depths of his soul.
Twenty-five years old this year, Fang Qiang had been orphaned at a young age. He was currently a researcher at the Dragon City Scientific Research Institute and a loyal follower of the local Catholic church.
He was not conventionally handsome, but he possessed a smile like sunshine, and his eyes always shone with a pure and passionate light, giving others a glimpse into the rich and beautiful world within him.
After the prayers, the Sunday service concluded, and the congregation began to file out of the cathedral.
Only Fang Qiang remained, standing in his place.
“My child, do you seek the Lord’s guidance today?”
Father Luo greeted Fang Qiang with a warm smile. He had always been fond of this young man. In his eyes, Fang Qiang was the most faithful kind of believer, one destined to make great contributions to spreading the gospel and promoting Catholicism.
Fang Qiang had never disappointed him. He not only held fast to his own faith but also performed numerous acts of charity and kindness. Next month, he was scheduled to be officially baptized and become a glorious member of the clergy.
“Yes, Father. I need the Lord’s teachings… and your help,” Fang Qiang stammered. A shadow of melancholy crossed his bright face as a thought came to him.
“Are you still troubled by matters of love?” Father Luo asked.
Fang Qiang nodded, embarrassed.
Father Luo made the sign of the cross and said kindly, “Trust me, my child. No matter what difficulties you face, the Lord will not abandon you. He will surely bless you with peace and happiness.”
Fang Qiang mulled over the priest’s words, and his confidence was suddenly restored. He smiled and replied loudly, “Yes, Father! I believe the Lord will be with me, always!”
With a bow and a “good night,” Fang Qiang strode out of the cathedral, his spirits renewed.
He believed with all his heart that love, like the Lord, would never abandon him.
After leaving the church, Fang Qiang ran to the station and hopped onto a bus.
He had a date with his girlfriend tonight.
The thought of his girlfriend, Ye Ling, filled Fang Qiang’s heart with warmth. She was a beautiful and lovely girl. A bit willful at times, but when she was behaving, she could be incredibly gentle.
Ha, I’ll give her a surprise when I see her!
Fang Qiang smiled, lost in a reverie of happiness.
Half an hour later, the bus pulled into his stop.
He got off and hurried toward their meeting place—a coffee bar in the city center called “Purgatory Angel.”
From a distance, he could already see his girlfriend sitting by the window, waiting for him.
Fang Qiang waved his arm excitedly and quickened his pace. Just as he reached the entrance of the coffee bar, he noticed a filthy old woman ahead of him, leaning on a cane, shuffling unsteadily as she felt her way along the pavement.
She was a blind beggar.
A wave of sympathy washed over him. Fang Qiang quickly went to the old woman’s side and took her by the arm.
“Ma’am, are you trying to cross the street? Please be careful… Here, let me help you.”
“Thank you, thank you…” The old woman nodded gratefully, clutching Fang Qiang’s hand tightly as she shuffled forward with great effort.
Deciding it would be faster, Fang Qiang simply lifted her onto his back and strode toward the opposite side of the street.
He didn’t see the disapproving glare that shot out from the coffee bar, aimed squarely at his back.
…
At that very same moment, at Dragon City International Airport.
A large passenger jet from the capital was touching down.
Once the plane came to a stop, passengers disembarked in an orderly line, collected their luggage, and streamed toward the exit.
Outside, the arrivals hall was packed with people waiting to greet them.
Gao Tianlin stood at the very front, craning his neck, anxiously scanning the emerging crowd.
He was the Section Chief of the Dragon City Security Department’s Operations Division. Highly trusted, he wielded significant power within the department.
Tonight, however, Gao Tianlin’s heart was pounding with anxiety. Because he had decided to defect.
American agents had begun planning his recruitment two years ago. Through meticulous arrangements and an onslaught of money and women, they had finally breached the defenses of the Operations Chief, making him a willing traitor.
His official defection was set for tomorrow morning.
Before leaving work this evening, Gao Tianlin had made all the necessary preparations, including secretly removing the hard drives from two computers containing internal departmental data and smuggling them home.
At 7 a.m. tomorrow, his contacts would meet him and spirit him out of the country through a clandestine channel. The theft of the hard drives wouldn’t be discovered until 9 a.m. at the earliest, when his colleagues arrived for work.
By then, it would be too late to catch him.
If he could just get through the next few hours without raising suspicion, the dazzling world he had always dreamed of would be waiting for him.
But then, there was a sudden change of plans.
After work, Gao Tianlin received a message: a top-level female agent from the National Security Headquarters in the capital was unexpectedly flying to Dragon City overnight.
No one in his department knew she was coming, nor did they know the nature of her mission.
Gao Tianlin grew tense. He decided to go to the airport personally to greet the agent and ascertain her purpose. If the situation looked bad, he would find a way to eliminate her immediately and remove the threat.
“There she is!”
Gao Tianlin’s eyes lit up as he spotted his target.
Among the stream of people, a tall, uniformed beauty stood out like a crane among chickens, drawing everyone’s gaze.
She had to be at least 176 centimeters tall. Her exquisite, curvaceous figure was wrapped in a standard olive-drab military uniform that made her look exceptionally fit, upright, and full of vigor. The only word to describe her figure was “demonic.”
Her face, however, was as dignified as an angel’s. Her eyes were sharp and filled with a righteous aura, creating a sense of inviolable distance.
“Chief Yu Lan, over here…” Gao Tianlin waved, plastering a smile on his face as he walked over to greet her.
The uniformed beauty saw him, and her fine eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she approached nonetheless.
She wasn’t wearing high heels, yet she already seemed taller than most men. The standard military gait with which she walked, her polished black leather shoes striking the ground with light yet firm steps, exuded an unhurried, commanding presence that made others feel inadequate by comparison.
Any man standing before her would feel diminished, not just in height, but psychologically as well.
Gao Tianlin, with his guilty conscience, felt an intense pressure bearing down on him, and his smile seemed to stiffen.
This was not going to be an easy opponent.
The woman before him was Yu Lan, the renowned female intelligence chief from the Central Special Committee, the agent known as “Zhongnanhai’s Number One Female Bodyguard.”
She was only twenty-three, but she had already risked life and limb for her country countless times, earning innumerable merits. At her young age, she had already been awarded the rank of Major. When she was on a mission, it was guaranteed to be completed with clean, decisive efficiency.
“Section Chief Gao, what are you doing here? Didn’t I say there was no need to send a car?” Yu Lan said calmly, extending a hand to shake his.
Her fair hand was smooth and soft to the touch. Her fingers were a little cold, but they were long and firm, and he could feel the astonishing strength they held.
“Ah, Chief Yu Lan, you’re too kind. It’s no trouble at all to send a car, really…” Gao Tianlin was all smiles. He introduced his subordinate, Xiao Ma, who was standing behind him, and told him to take Yu Lan’s suitcase. But she politely yet firmly refused.
The three of them exited the airport and went to the parking lot, where a Mercedes-Benz was waiting.
Yu Lan placed her luggage in the trunk and sat in the back seat.
Gao Tianlin took the front passenger seat.
Xiao Ma turned the key, stepped on the gas, and the Mercedes drove off.
…
Sitting in the “Purgatory Angel” coffee bar, Ye Ling was torn between amusement and annoyance.
Her boyfriend, Fang Qiang, was outside, carrying that blind old woman across the street.
Their date was for 8:30. He was already late, yet he still had the mind to go do good deeds. What can I do? Oh, well. Let him be.
Ye Ling shook her head helplessly, raised her cup, and took a sip of the warm coffee.
This coffee bar was quiet and elegant, full of atmosphere. It used to be called simply “Angel,” and its clientele consisted mostly of well-paid white-collar professionals.
Then one day, a young couple broke up in the bar. In a fit of passion, the man took a knife and killed himself on the spot, his blood pooling on the floor.
The incident was sensationalized by the media and caused a city-wide stir. “Angel” became famous because of it.
For some reason, many couples on the verge of breaking up began choosing this coffee bar as the place to end things. They would drink one last cup of coffee, amicably or not, and go their separate ways.
And so, the owner added a word to the name, changing it to “Purgatory Angel.” The decor and color scheme became darker, more somber, even tinged with a hint of melancholy.
Ye Ling pursed her lips, set down her cup, and took a small mirror and lipstick from her handbag to touch up her makeup.
She wanted to leave him with the best possible image of her today.
Reflected in the mirror was a delicate, innocent face like a porcelain doll’s, with picturesque features, neat bangs, and two small dimples that appeared when she smiled.
Ever since she was a child, everyone had praised her beauty, saying she could rival any celebrity. Any man lucky enough to have her as a girlfriend was the envy of all his peers.
Ye Ling deeply believed this to be true. At the very least, she felt that her accepting Fang Qiang’s advances was a blessing he must have earned in a past life.
What she couldn’t stand was that the idiot didn’t seem to cherish this blessing.
Putting away her mirror and lipstick, Ye Ling recalled how she and Fang Qiang had met. A little over a year ago, she had been misdiagnosed by a hospital as a carrier of Hepatitis B. The swarm of suitors who had once buzzed around her immediately beat a hasty retreat, avoiding her like the plague.
It was when Ye Ling was at her most heartbroken and desperate that Fang Qiang, a volunteer at her church, walked into her life.
It was he who, without a second thought, cared for her, looked after her, and counseled her. His sunny smile and passion finally infected her, lifting her spirits and giving her the courage to face life again.
And just like that, two young hearts grew close.
Later, a follow-up visit to the hospital revealed it had been a misdiagnosis. Ye Ling was ecstatic. That night, she and Fang Qiang opened a bottle of champagne and celebrated with a feast.
It was in that romantic moment that the two shared their first kiss and officially became a couple.
Truth be told, what had attracted Ye Ling to Fang Qiang back then was his genuinely kind, helpful, and pure-hearted nature.
But after spending more time together, she discovered just how incompatible their personalities were—he was too helpful, too kind, too pure-hearted.
Fanaticism is also a cardinal sin, Ye Ling thought resentfully.
“Sorry, sorry, I’m late…”
With an apology, Fang Qiang rushed to her table, panting and scratching his head in embarrassment.
“I left the church just after eight, but there was a traffic jam… Please don’t be angry. I promise it won’t happen again!”
“I’m not angry. Sit down,” Ye Ling said with a faint smile, waving over a waiter to bring a fresh pot of coffee.
“Good, as long as you’re not angry.”
Fang Qiang stuck his tongue out and drained his cup as if to quench a great thirst. He found it a bit strange. In the past, whenever he was late, Ye Ling would throw a little tantrum. Today, she was acting as if nothing had happened.
Ye Ling silently refilled his cup.
“Ah Ling, I have a gift for you,” Fang Qiang said with a mysterious smile, placing a small, bright red box on the table.
Ye Ling glanced at it but made no move to take it.
Slightly awkward, Fang Qiang opened the box himself.
Inside was a 24-karat gold ring.
“Marry me, Ah Ling… Today marks exactly 500 days since we met. I love you… I’m asking you to marry me…” Fang Qiang was clearly overcome with emotion, his words tumbling out in a jumble.
The gleaming gold ring caused the couples at the neighboring tables to look over, their mouths agape in surprise.
But Ye Ling remained unmoved, her expression cold.
“Thank you, Qiang… but I can’t accept it.”
“Why?”
Fang Qiang’s eyes instantly filled with disappointment.
“Have another cup of coffee,” Ye Ling said, ignoring his question. “Taste it carefully. Don’t you recognize the flavor?”
Fang Qiang blankly picked up his cup and took another sip.
The coffee was bitter, extremely so. But after swallowing, a faint, sour tang lingered at the back of his tongue.
“Ah, this taste!” Fang Qiang’s face changed dramatically. He blurted out, “This is ‘Purgatory’ coffee?”
It was a special blend created by the coffee bar, mixed with a unique sour-flavored milkshake. Legend had it that this was the same coffee the suicidal man had drunk with his girlfriend before they parted ways. The owner had named it “Purgatory,” and it, along with the bar, had become famous. Ever since, it was tradition for couples on the verge of breaking up to come here and order a cup of “Purgatory” for each other.
“Ah Ling, you… you’re joking, right? Don’t scare me…” Fang Qiang said, horrified.
Ye Ling looked at him with pity and shook her head, gently but firmly.
“I’m not joking. Qiang, our time is up. Forcing ourselves to stay together won’t bring happiness.”
Fang Qiang’s heart felt as if it had been viciously stabbed, the pain flooding his entire body.
“Why? Is it because… I’m always late for our dates?” Tears welled up in his eyes.
“That’s just one reason. The main reason is, I just don’t have feelings for you anymore,” Ye Ling said coolly.
“I don’t believe you!” Fang Qiang cried out, his voice trembling. He grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly as if afraid of losing the most important thing in his life.
But Ye Ling irritably pulled her hand away.
“Calm down and face reality. Yes, you’re a good person, and you’re very kind. But I don’t need a nice guy who helps everyone. I need a strong man, someone who can take care of me for the rest of my life.”
“I can take care of you! I can!” Fang Qiang choked out.
“No, you can’t. You can barely support yourself,” Ye Ling said mockingly, each word a sharp needle piercing his aching heart.
Fang Qiang’s face flushed crimson, his pride shattered.
“So… you think I’m poor…”
Ye Ling’s innocent, pretty face had become unfamiliar and cruel.
“Let’s break up!”
These three words didn’t come from the pale purple lips in front of him, but from a nearby table. There, another young couple was seated, and the woman had also ordered a cup of “Purgatory” for the man.
The woman, wearing a red slip dress, leaned forward with her hands on the table, thrusting her chest out. Her once-beautiful face now looked somewhat ferocious. She was like a tigress, looking down upon the man who was about to be branded her “ex-boyfriend.”
“No house, no car. If we want to build our ‘love nest,’ we’ll have to take out a loan! Even if we pool all our assets, we’re still two hundred thousand short for a hundred-square-meter apartment!”
“Two hundred thousand! With interest, that’s a mortgage payment of seventeen hundred a month for fifteen years! And our combined monthly income is less than three thousand!”
“That means for the next fifteen years, we’ll have to scrape by on less than thirteen hundred a month! And that’s not even counting renovation costs, appliances, or the monthly property management and utility fees!”
“How are we supposed to live like that!”
“Anyway, I’ve had enough of this life! What’s so bad about Lin Ke? He has a house, a car, a yacht…”
At this, the woman seemed to realize she was being too loud, and that the men around her were casting scornful glances her way. She quickly shut her mouth.
“That’s it. We’re breaking up! It’s on me today!”
The woman in red tossed two bills onto the table and sauntered away with the swagger of a cat, leaving her pathetic “ex-boyfriend”—a gentle-looking man with glasses—to slump back in his leather chair, dazed and bewildered.
After silently watching this drama unfold, Ye Ling turned her gaze back to Fang Qiang. “Being poor isn’t the scary part,” she said coldly. “Plenty of rich people started out with nothing. But with you, I don’t see any of that drive to succeed! All you think about day in and day out is charity, the gospel, the Lord… all this useless stuff. You’ve disappointed me deeply.”
“Don’t say that, Ah Ling!” Fang Qiang quickly interrupted, pleading earnestly. “By believing in the Lord, our souls can find peace. The Lord will grant us all the happiness we need…”
“Oh, really? Then why don’t you pray to your Lord and ask him to grant you a wife? Bye-bye!”
Ye Ling let out a cold laugh, gathered the hem of her dress, and walked out without a backward glance.
“Ah Ling, Ah Ling…”
Fang Qiang scrambled to follow her. He took two steps, then ran back to grab the box with the gold ring from the table before chasing after his girlfriend.
He burst out the door, only to freeze in his tracks.
Parked outside the coffee bar was an ultra-luxurious Mercedes sports car. Leaning against it was a slick, pretty-boy type who looked like a rich kid with more money than he knew what to do with.
This rich kid had a bouquet of flowers in one hand and his other arm wrapped around Ye Ling’s slender waist, holding her close. He shot Fang Qiang a smug grin.
“You must be Mr. Fang. Ling has decided to be with me, so you should stop pestering her.”
With that, he pulled out a signed check and tossed it on the ground with the contempt of someone giving alms to a beggar.
“Here’s a hundred thousand. Consider it compensation for your emotional distress.”
All the blood in Fang Qiang’s body rushed to his head. “Who wants your money?” he yelled. “I want Ah Ling!”
“You want Ah Ling? What right do you have? That pathetic little ring?” The rich kid laughed scornfully and produced a beautifully decorated box of his own, which he opened.
Inside was a dazzling diamond ring, set with a large, perfectly clear emerald.
Fang Qiang’s gold ring was instantly eclipsed.
His hand went limp, and the box containing the ring fell to the ground.
Through blurry, tear-filled eyes, he saw a smile blossom on Ye Ling’s face. She gave the rich kid a sweet kiss, her eyes sparkling with the light of the diamond.
The rich kid looked at Fang Qiang triumphantly. In a gesture of pure provocation, he took the diamond ring and slid it onto Ye Ling’s delicate finger.
Ye Ling’s smile grew even sweeter, her face a picture of bliss.
The rich kid became even more smug. His hand, which had been on her waist, slid down to her pert, rounded bottom. Through the fabric of her dress, he began to knead her full flesh in a blatant display of ownership.
Ye Ling didn’t resist at all. Instead, her eyes turned sultry, her expression one of willing pleasure.
Fang Qiang’s mind went blank. In the year they had been dating, he had only ever held her hand and kissed her lips. She had always fiercely guarded her “forbidden zones.” He never imagined that today, she would so readily submit to another man’s touch.
“Let her go!” Fang Qiang roared, lunging forward to push the rich kid’s hand away. But he was tripped and sent sprawling, landing face-first on the pavement in a humiliating heap.
“Let’s go, Ah Ling. Ignore this loser!” the rich kid said, gloating. He stepped on the gold ring on the ground as he walked past, put his arm around Ye Ling, and helped her into the car.
The engine roared to life, and the luxury sports car sped away, carrying the woman he loved, disappearing from his sight forever.
Fang Qiang scrambled to his feet. He stared at the crushed gold ring, his heart twisting in agony. The tears he had been holding back finally burst forth, and he began to sob uncontrollably.
A warm hand settled on his shoulder. He turned to see the man with glasses, the one who had also just been dumped.
“We’re fellow sufferers in this cruel world, brother,” the man said sadly. “Let’s go get a drink. Then we’ll get some sleep, and when we wake up tomorrow, we can forget all about this.”
