Feng Na ran frantically into the depths of the forest, her legs pumping relentlessly, her high heels kicking up sand and grit. Her desperate gasps made her chest heave unevenly.
Once caught, there was no doubt death awaited her.
“Death?”
A trace of a bitter smile flickered across Feng Na’s stunning face.
In truth, death had long been an expected outcome for Feng Na. She did not fear it. In the past, when she mistakenly believed Brother Sijin had betrayed her, she had even stabbed him in the chest with a cleaver. If death was a kind of retribution, she would gladly accept it, letting her filthy, blood-soaked body face its judgment.
However, in this lifetime, that other “her” absolutely had to fulfill her long-cherished wish. Before dying, these eyes had to see more—only then would her death hold any worth.
Just moments ago, Ishida Ryuichi, the leader of the Taoka Group, had been wiped out by the Law Enforcement Department like some worthless small fry. The “Time Management Agent Code of Conduct” explicitly states that when agents cross into other timelines, killing or injuring anyone without authorization is an illegal act.
The Law Enforcement Department accused Feng Na of breaking the law, but wasn’t their killing of Ishida Ryuichi also illegal? Sometimes, the death of a minor character could trigger a butterfly effect, let alone a major figure like Ishida Ryuichi.
Perhaps the Time Management Bureau was not as clean as it appeared. That seemingly impartial Law Enforcement Department might actually be serving some individual, or acting as retainers for some financial conglomerate.
That individual was very likely Tsukiyuki Rio and the Tsukiyuki Family.
Originally, Feng Na had thought Tsukiyuki Rio was the prey, only to belatedly realize that the one setting the rules of the game was none other than Tsukiyuki Rio herself.
How utterly pathetic.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat…
A dense burst of gunfire erupted behind Feng Na, followed by one agonized scream after another.
She did not look back to see how the Yakuza members were fighting. Whether they lived or died had absolutely nothing to do with her. Aside from her immediate family, she would not waste any excess emotion on any person or creature.
“You lot, keep up! Keep holding back the enemy!”
Feng Na reached the second line of defense. The Yakuza leader in front, clutching a submachine gun, demanded,
“What the hell happened up ahead?”
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t! Get up there, now!”
So the senior cadre led the remaining men and charged into the woods. They still had no idea that from this day forward, the title of Tokyo Godmother would vanish from history forever. Soon after that group plunged into the battlefield, horrifying screams rang out once more.
Feng Na knew perfectly well that before the Law Enforcement Department of the Time Management Bureau, guns were utterly meaningless—no different from a slingshot. Neither could pierce a defense field.
“The rest of you, don’t just stand there! Move it!” Even those treated as cannon fodder—the biker gangs and debt collectors—were thrown into the fray. Feng Na pulled a thick stack of cash from inside her qipao. “As long as you fight bravely, I, Feng Na, will never treat you poorly!”
Even if she had to use human flesh to clog their advance, she would block them.
Gradually, the sounds of pursuit behind her grew fainter. Yet Feng Na did not believe the Yakuza could truly stop the agents from the Law Enforcement Department. On the contrary, she kept her guard up even higher.
She ran and ran, until it was noon.
The scorching sun overhead beat down on her smooth, silky golden hair. Combined with her soft, graceful facial features, she looked like an Elf from some fantasy tale. Only, this forest elf was now disheveled to the extreme, her willow-leaf brows tightly furrowed, daring not to relax for an instant.
Soon she would be able to descend the mountain.
Feng Na closed her eyes. Her phone began vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID—it was her own elder sister, Feng Xiaohe.
“Tch, why at a time like this?”
But on reflection, her sister’s call actually came at the perfect moment.
This way, she could spare her sister any worry.
“Hey, Sister Xiaohe.”
“Na, I had a nightmare a few days ago,” Feng Xiaohe’s anxious voice came from the other end. “I dreamed you sank to the bottom of the sea.”
“Sister Xiaohe, don’t call me again. Actually, I’ve never told you—I’ve always hated you.” Feng Na’s voice dripped with venom. “For money, you betrayed Sijin. On your lips you were always ‘Little Ai, Little Ai,’ but didn’t you still take the money? Money is wonderful. With money, you can betray love. Sister Xiaohe, you really sold Sijin for a fine price, didn’t you.”
Feng Na clenched her fist.
She had a premonition that after today, the existence known as “Feng Na” would simply cease to be.
In that case, let her sister hate “Feng Na” instead.
I’m sorry, Sister…
Feng Xiaohe was clearly choked by Feng Na’s sudden vicious words, and for a long moment she could not speak.
“Sister Xiaohe, drop the hypocrisy. If you were truly worried about me, why didn’t you come to Tokyo to find me and bring me back? Or are you just using the call as an excuse to ask about Sijin’s whereabouts? If that’s what you’re after, I’ll tell you straight out—Sijin and I did it. I think Sijin will never like you again, not in this life.”
“…”
Feng Xiaohe seemed to be mumbling something. It was easy to picture her elder sister’s heartbroken, speechless expression.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. I’m changing my number after this, so you won’t have to keep calling me. Nagging and babbling—it’s just irritating to death.”
“I’m sorry,” Feng Xiaohe said softly.
After ending the call, Feng Na pressed a hand to her heart, a stabbing pain surging through her:
“The one who should be sorry is me, Sister Xiaohe. This is the end. Let us say goodbye here.”
She kissed the phone screen, then destroyed the phone completely.
A gunshot rang out from the forest—Bang! Feng Na instinctively moved, her twin blades deflecting a bullet aimed at her leg.
She swept her gaze around. Unbeknownst to her, men in camouflage uniforms had already surrounded her from all sides.
“Drop your weapons!”
The man in the lead bellowed in Japanese.
“Hahahaha.”
Feng Na laughed a tragic laugh.
The scene before her felt somewhat surreal. Feng Na held only her twin blades, while her enemies used modern rifles. Yet she did not retreat; instead she advanced. Her qipao blazed like a red bolt of lightning, her exquisite face flooded with bone-deep killing intent and madness.
She was less a beauty than a monster wrapped in a beauty’s skin. She roared:
“You worthless small fry dare to stand in the way of my happiness with Brother Sijin?! Die, die, die!!!”
Gun barrels aimed at Feng Na one after another, triggers pulled, bullets raining toward her like a downpour. At the same moment, Feng Na yanked the pin of a flashbang and swallowed an unknown drug. As the flashbang detonated, the camouflage-clad men hastily shielded their eyes.
One unlucky man who caught sight of the blast immediately clutched his eyes, rolling on the ground and wailing in agony. The flashbang Feng Na used did not belong to this era; it was enough to blind him.
When the men opened their eyes again, only five headless corpses remained. Feng Na, who had been holding those twin blades just moments ago, was long gone without a trace.
