Haoren quietly sneaked downstairs as he felt he needed to prepare himself mentally before facing the intruder.

While he knew he was strong, he wasn't sure how strong he was comparatively. Who knows if the intruder was stronger than him?

'Not an assassin... Maybe?'

The intruder did not attempt to find a person, but instead entered all the rooms, scouring for something.

'A thief? Well, hopefully, this guy just leaves after taking whatever they want...'

Alas, hopes and dreams do often perish and the intruder climbed down the stairs to where Haoren was.

'This isn't good! What do I do?! Let's calm down... Let's just try to negotiate and ask why they are here!'

"Which mutt has wandered into my home this late?"

'Ah, crap! Noo!!'

This was yet another weakness that Haoren had discovered—He had an innate arrogance. It was likely the residue of whoever was the real Haoren before him...

The intruder threw something like a small bag with some kind of powder inside of it towards Haoren. Thankfully, the shadows around him swept it away from him.

However, Haoren couldn't help but appreciate the convenience of these shadows for long as he saw the intruder turn to flee.

"Stop right there!"

The shadows once again moved and imprisoned the intruder easily.

Funnily enough, the shadows could help him with his vision by feeling around the area... the shadows that once claimed his vision had now become his vision.

This was different from his other way of perception which, while truly useful and discreet, could be unreliable as it was affected by other's emotions.

This was also the reason why Haoren often appeared as an esoteric demonic being as people who knew him knew him as a being who was powerful but never revealed anything about himself.

Haoren stepped towards the intruder and took off their mask! After all, he had to know the person's face so that they weren't able to sneak attack him later on.

*Grumble...!

The intruder had turned out to be a girl with short black hair and brown eyes...

Her face reddened, perhaps from her stomach making such a noise. She was definitely really cute. However, Haoren had "seen" the girl before...

Haoren's perception worked through the residual emotions and memories of other beings.

If someone saw a place, there would be residual emotions or memories left regarding the place which Haoren could use to create a picture within his mind.

Of course, these could be warped due to a person's own perception of something, but it was great for finding out the origins of a thing.

So, as he stopped using his shadows to "look" at the world and instead used the more "annoying" perception, he realized the girl was the same as the one to whom he had given the "life-saving" soul-mending elixir...

'How? Wait a minute... I know this from somewhere!'

Indeed, Haoren could somewhat remember reading and listening to certain stories where a character would go from a cripple to a genius in a few days.

'Formerly weak, check. Gained power within a short span, check. Has the skills of a professional, check! Assassin, check(?)!!'

All the shadows clouding his existence dissipated as Haoren looked at the person before him.

Face reddened(?) from anger, a frown creasing her brows, gaze turned downward in shame and her teeth gritted in frustration...

'She's basically the reincarnated assassin who rules the world!!'

This was a novel he had listened to in the hospital, a story about a world-renowned assassin who had been betrayed and then died, only to be reborn in a world of swords and magic.

The girl before him had reddened from rage, frowned with frustration, lowered her gaze in shame, and gritted her teeth in anguish...

'Ah... So this is the end... It was a rather short new life...'

Haoren held no hope of winning against the protagonist of the world itself! 'I must have lost the soul-mending elixir because of me being a villain too! It's always like this, the villain gets weaker and then the MC uses the opportunity to kill them! Even if I tried to kill her, her soul or something would escape and kill me later on!! What do I do? What do I do? what do I-!'

Breaking him out of his mental breakdown, a rather interesting detail made itself apparent to him. His usual perception of himself shifted from a monstrous demonic deity to a handsome young man with deep dark eyes and long silver hair... A bit too handsome in fact, with a slightly evil-esque look, he even had a beauty mark under his eye!

'Wait a minute! Maybe...' Yet, another delusional thought passed through Haoren's head, '...Am I one of the "boy toys"?'

All reincarnated female assassins have a few conveniently placed boy toys, such as the prince, the demon lord, the merchant who's hiding a secret, and a monster hiding in plain sight. All of these exist for the female MC who'll be able to easily rise in power through their influence.

'I'm a lot like a demon lord guy or a monster in hiding! Urghh... But I don't wanna ruin my peaceful life!! Let's just try and negotiate for real!'

...

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...

From Li Feng's side, the silence of the "beautiful" man before her was one that brought hope as well as fear— In case the man tried to get rid of her, she had to prepare her last-ditch efforts.

She wasn't the world's greatest assassin for no reason— she knew how to and when to escape.

Finally, the man broke his silence and turned away, stepping away from her.

'Wait, Is this bastard gonna leave me like this?'

Thankfully, that didn't happen as the man halted after about six steps and turned towards her. With one fluid motion, he lowered his body as the shadows gathered behind him, and he was now seated upon a throne of shadows.

"Hm..." With a single dismissive motion from the man, the shadows around Li Feng dissipated as she fell from their hold. She was able to land quietly on her feet, but her gaze remained glued to Haoren. She had even forgotten her plans to act cute or flee. She had but one desire.

'I want it...' One of the reasons why Li Feng was so feared as an assassin was that unlike others she'd often leave behind a mess, dismembered limbs and other signs of her little "games," 'That power!'

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Obsessed with the idea of power, she'd often take apart her opponents and use her various arts to learn her opponent's secrets— From body modifications to energy vein flows, she learned everything with her skilful eyes. This was also how she became who she was.

And now she wished for the strength in front of her, the idea of controlling shadows like one's limbs to overpower any opponent, if she could develop such a power til she reached her prime abilities she would become the strongest even in this world!

Meanwhile, Haoren also kept looking into her eyes, 'As expected of a protagonist, never willing to lower her head!' Now that he had created some distance and his opponent no longer seemed as "displeased," Haoren finally had the time to admire the protagonist in front of him.

After all, to him who had seen the world through stories, such an event was honestly quite exciting.

Now, he just had to dissolve the situation by talking his way out of this, but... 'How do I begin the talk? Urgh... Do I just get straight to the point or do I say hello? No, saying that at this point would just seem sarcastic... Let's just do some pleasantries.'

"Sure is a wonderful night for a night walk, isn't it?" His words came out to have a slightly sarcastic tone to them— However, something surprised Haoren so much that he didn't pay any attention to his terrible speech-craft skills.

'The words aren't being warped by the previous Haoren's pride...'

Usually, whenever someone was aware that they were talking to "Haoren," Haoren's words would change to fit "his" arrogant self.

"..."

Seeing that the girl remained silent, Haoren knew his inexperience in socializing had messed him over. But he had to continue despite his embarrassment, "Well, mind telling me the reason for your visit this late?"

Li Feng had made up her mind— Others might consider her crazy, but she knew what she wanted and how to get it. "My name is Li Feng,"

Haoren's eyes widened as he heard this— this was something he most definitely did not expect, and Li Feng was satisfied with this reaction of his.

"I-I came here to retrieve my late mother's memento that was taken from me!" Li Feng decided to put some effort into her act— Otherwise, she might come off as a suspicious individual.

"And why does that bring you to me?" Haoren was stupefied— He had no memory of such an event where he stole something. From as far as he could remember, there was no one else who lived here, and he was not in possession of any kind of keepsake. 'But there was that other room upstairs maybe...'

"I-It was the lady who visited this place today!" Li Feng answered calmly, trying to appraise the man's expression.

"Ah..." Haoren recalled the girl who had waited for him at his place and almost gave him a heart attack due to her "surprise visit". 'I believe it was Xia Fen...'

The girl who was the city lord's daughter had "known" Haoren since childhood and had even seen his face. Of course, like most others, she too only gets to see his masked self now. However, she had seen his face when they were younger.

As such, her perception of Haoren was based on his younger self... That was also how he found out that she had known him for a long ago. Anyway, she annoyed him a lot as she waited for him in his house to return and scared him when he entered his house leisurely, only to find that someone had invaded his safe place.

"...Haa..." Haoren sighed and then gestured with his right hand, and shadows grabbed a small box and brought it to him, "Is this your mother's keepsake?"

The tendrils-like shadow then pried the box open to reveal a jade pendant that he had received from Xia Fen.

"Y-yes!"

Li Feng's answer came out louder than she had expected, perhaps because of her body's influence, but she truly felt relieved at seeing the pendant.

'She seems a bit too nervous to be an assassin queen... Was I just overthinking it? That's embarrassing... No No! I have to confirm first!'

"Did you... harm someone while entering this place?"

There was no way a normal girl who had "somehow" gained power instantly wouldn't feel some form of guilt upon taking a life!

"I did not harm anyone on my way."

"Huh?" The answer from Li Feng left him baffled, "What about the two outside?"

"About that..." Li Feng began, explaining her rather simple commute till now, causing Haoren to facepalm himself...

"Ha...." He sighed while clutching his forehead.

"..." Li Feng remained silent, however... 'Cute...'

She found his actions to be rather adorable.

"You can take the pendant with you..."

Li Feng stepped forward to take the relic— However, as she stepped forward, it receded backwards. Frowning from this trickery, Li Feng looked towards Haoren, demanding an explanation.

"You can take it with you, but I'd like you to give up on harming the one who stole it from you."

Li Feng's face crumpled for a moment as she felt actually annoyed by this. She was someone who paid back her debts tenfold no matter what.

Seeing this, Haoren sighed. While his body seemed to dislike Xia Fen, at the same time also seemed to care for her as if she was his little sister... Moreover, he didn't want to let harm happen to a child like that.

}'I'll take care of my brother as I have till now!'{

The memories that he could vaguely remember from the hospital were ones that he found to be difficult to understand. But, he could tell that he looked up to the person who cared for him. Even though, he didn't remember who that person was... He wanted to be like that person...

"I'll be sure to make her understand her wrong, so please forgive her!"

Haoren planned to lower his head yet, his body stopped him from doing so, this ended up becoming a half-hearted gesture.

Li Feng didn't like the fact that she might have to let go of this matter, but she also realised it wasn't like her to be so fixated on such a thing.

'Let's just relax, even if she's dark-hearted... She's just a child. Instead...'

Thinking this Li Feng turned her gaze to the man in front of her,

'...let's have him make it up to me!'

"I will give up on revenge but," Li Feng made sure to keep her eye on the man's expression as she might need to change her approach if needed, "Can I ask for something from you?"

The man's brows furrowed as he heard this, "I'll consider it."

'Tch! How stingy! But he does seem to be an arrogant man... I can use this!' Even though, her thoughts were like this Li Feng kept her composure and asked in a voice that seemed to be one filled with admiration, "Can you teach me how to use those shadows like you do!"

Hearing this the man fell silent, with his hand upon his chin as he mulled over Li Feng's request. As for his thoughts on the matter...

'How do I even do that?'

He had no clue, rather than a true technique his shadows were like a part of his body. He controls them just like a limb.

"The shadows are an innate ability of mine," He spoke whatever came to his mind, "It is not something I can teach you."

"Is that so..." Li Feng's head drooped as she heard him, it was really sad that she couldn't learn this ability. Moreover, since the man was so powerful, she couldn't even try to open up his body to learn his secrets.

Seeing this reaction, Haoren who did not know of Li Feng's inner thoughts felt relieved. 'There's no way such an adorable child can be a ruthless protagonist!' Haoren felt like he understood Li Feng. After all, he himself also found the idea of a special ability to be cool as hell! Although he didn't know how it worked, it was still really cool.

He decided to help the girl just a bit...

"Anyways, now that-"

However, his words were cut short as a thunderous noise resounded!

*GRUMBLE!!!

It was Li Feng's stomach that had made that sound that resembled the cries of a dying dragon... Li Feng's initial reaction to this was... 'Damn, I really need some food...'

However, that soon changed as she heard a mocking sound, "Pfft..."

It was Haoren, who was barely holding in his laughter.

'F*ck you!' Li Feng basically glared at him, now that she knew that she couldn't learn anything from him and she felt like her life was out of danger her façade was somewhat slipping away.

Although it was mostly due to her immature body's influence, it was still quite unthinkable for the former world-renowned assassin to act in such a manner.

"Here." To such a Li Feng, Haoren tossed something wrapped in a packaging of leaves towards her or rather he was about to but, then as if remembering something decided to use the shadows to deliver it to Li Feng properly.

'Can't be disrespectful to food!'

This was one of the many things that Haoren did not let go of. He never disrespected food no matter what! Especially the tasty food!

However, unknown to him, Haoren's actions came out as rather clumsy and...

'Cute?' Li Feng seriously wondered what was the deal with the man before her.

He had an aura of superiority yet, he acted clumsily and did really silly things!

Anyways, Li Feng took the thing that the shadows handed to her and it was two dumplings.

"Thanks?" Li Feng thanked the man who despite his rather arrogant way of speaking seemed to be someone who cared(?) about others.

"Go ahead and eat."

As Li Feng ate the dumplings, Haoren wondered what to do next. He should probably introduce himself to the girl or rather he should've done that long ago but he felt a bit intimidated by the fact that she might be a protagonist-like being.

But, not introducing himself is unacceptable! One has to always introduce himself properly, it's basic manners! But giving her his real name was a bit...

To begin with, everyone here only knew him as "lord Gongsun"...

'Maybe, Gongsun Ran? or Ranli?'

Making up his mind, Haoren nervously opened his mouth, "My name is..." As he began, Li Feng raised her head looking away from the dumplings as she looked toward him quizically, "...Gongsun Haoren!"

He declared proudly, 'Why now?!' Yet, in his mind, he screamed at his prideful "self".

"Anyways..." His mind began to run at extreme speeds as he attempted to look as natural as possible, "You should take your leave..."

Looking at the girl in front of him, he realised yet another problem. 'Does she even have a place to stay at?'

To begin with, this girl was not a protagonist from some poorly written web novel but just a normal girl with some skills.

So surely she had made plans to flee from this place after she had attempted her theft.

'She probably doesn't...,'

Haoren felt convinced as he saw that she didn't turn to leave after he asked her to leave.

What he didn't know was that the girl or rather the former assassin was formulating plans to steal his secrets one way or another.

Instead, he began to feel pity for the "poor" girl...

"...I hardly believe you have a decent place to stay! So, just stay here for now and leave tomorrow morning."

...

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