An hour later...
A car smoothly pulled into the airport’s arrivals lane.
The afternoon sun reflected off the glass terminal as travelers streamed through the automatic doors with rolling suitcases and eager family members waiting outside.
Shen Tian parked and glanced at the arrivals board.
"Right on time."
Xu Ning appeared in the passenger seat as a hologram.
[Host, her flight landed twelve minutes ago.]
"Knowing her..."
Shen Tian smiled.
"...she’s probably already waiting."
He stepped out of the SUV.
Inside the terminal...
Passengers continued filing through the arrival gate.
Businessmen.
Families.
Tourists.
Then...
A noticeable silence spread through the nearby crowd.
A tall young woman walked through the doors.
She had long white hair that reached her waist.
Her green eyes calmly swept across the terminal.
She wore a fitted black coat over dark tactical clothing, giving off the unmistakable aura of someone accustomed to combat rather than airports.
A single duffel bag rested over one shoulder.
Her expression...
Was ice cold.
Several men instinctively stepped aside.
A businessman accidentally made eye contact.
She looked at him for less than a second.
He immediately looked away, suddenly feeling as though he’d offended someone without knowing why.
A little girl whispered to her mother,
"Mom... That lady looks scary..."
The woman quickly nodded.
"Don’t stare."
Shen Yan paid none of them any attention.
To her...
Everyone else was simply background noise.
Shen Yan’s eyes found someone standing near the exit.
Shen Tian.
The coldness vanished instantly.
Her entire face brightened.
"Little Tian!"
Without the slightest hesitation...
She hurried over.
"Big Sis."
Before Shen Tian could even finish speaking...
She wrapped both arms around him.
"Little Tian... I missed you so much."
She rested her cheek against his shoulder.
"You’ve gotten taller from your recent photos."
Shen Tian laughed.
"Really?"
"I know you have. I measured."
"...You measured?"
"Last time."
She nodded matter-of-factly.
"Three centimeters."
Shen Tian could only chuckle.
"It’s good to see you too."
Shen Yan finally let go...
Only to immediately begin checking him over.
She gently held his face.
"Any injured?"
"No."
She looked at his arms.
"Bruises?"
"No."
"Anyone bothering you?"
"No."
"Anyone threatening you?"
Shen Tian smiled helplessly.
"I’m fine, Big Sis."
She stared at him for another few seconds.
Satisfied...
She finally nodded.
"Good."
A nearby airport employee approached politely.
"Miss, I believe this is your lugga—"
Shen Yan slowly turned her head.
Her warm smile disappeared.
Her eyes became emotionless.
The employee instantly froze.
"I... I was just trying to— I can carry my own luggage."
Her voice was flat.
Sharp.
The employee swallowed.
"O-Of course..."
He quickly walked away.
The moment Shen Tian looked back toward her...
Her gentle smile instantly returned.
"Little Tian."
"Hm?"
"Let’s go home!"
"Sure."
She naturally took his arm as they walked toward the parking lot.
Behind them...
Two young men quietly watched.
"She’s gorgeous. Dude... Should I ask for her number?"
"You can try."
The first man took a deep breath.
He hurried over.
"Excuse me, Miss?"
Shen Tian happened to be unlocking the the car and wasn’t paying attention.
Shen Yan slowly looked toward the stranger.
"...Hi."
"I just thought you were really beau—"
Her gaze alone stopped him.
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t annoyance.
It was complete, absolute disgust.
As though she were looking at something she’d scraped off the bottom of her shoe.
"You exist."
The young man blinked.
"What?"
"You’ve wasted three seconds of my brother’s time."
"I suggest you leave."
He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Without another word...
He backed away.
"...S-Sorry."
He nearly tripped over himself leaving.
The second man had already disappeared.
"Little Tian?"
Shen Yan’s voice instantly became soft again.
Shen Tian looked over.
"What is it?"
"Can I sit in the front?"
He laughed.
"When have I ever told you no?"
She smiled brightly.
"I knew you wouldn’t."
Inside the car.
Shen Tian started the engine.
"So... How was your training?"
Shen Yan fastened her seatbelt.
"It was boring."
"Boring?"
"I finished early."
"You finished quite fast."
"It was boring."
Shen Tian laughed.
"I’ll take that as it went well."
She nodded.
"I’ve learned everything they could teach me."
She turned toward him.
"So... What have you been doing?"
Shen Tian smiled.
"A little business. A little cultivation. A little trouble."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...Trouble?"
"Nothing serious."
"Who?"
"Hm?"
"Who caused the trouble?"
"No one worth mentioning."
She quietly stared at him.
Xu Ning appeared invisibly beside Shen Tian, where only he could see her.
[Host...]
[I think she means she’d like names.]
Shen Tian mentally sighed.
’I know. But I’m not going to tell her...’
Shen Yan relaxed.
"Good. If anyone ever hurts you..."
Her smile remained gentle.
"I’ll handle the rest."
As the car merged onto the highway...
Shen Tian focused on driving.
He never noticed...
For a brief moment...
Shen Yan looked out the passenger window.
The warmth disappeared from her face.
Her green eyes became cold and unreadable.
She watched the passing traffic with complete indifference.
Pathetic.
Noisy.
Useless.
To her...
Everyone outside the vehicle was equally insignificant.
Her gaze briefly settled on another car that happened to pull alongside them.
The driver glanced over at the expensive car.
Shen Yan met his eyes.
He immediately looked back at the road, feeling inexplicably unsettled.
She turned away without another thought.
Then Shen Tian spoke.
"So... I was thinking of introducing you to everyone when we get home."
Instantly...
The warmth returned to her expression.
She smiled at him.
"I’d love that."
There was genuine happiness in her eyes.
As far as Shen Yan was concerned...
There was only one person in the world who truly mattered.
Her little brother.
Everyone else...
Barely registered.
Shen Tian rested one hand on the steering wheel.
"So... You’ve really been gone for so many years."
Shen Yan nodded.
"Too long. I told them I’d completed everything. They wanted me to stay. I declined."
Shen Tian smiled.
"You really wanted to come back that badly?"
She looked at him as though the answer were obvious.
"My place is beside you."
Shen Tian laughed.
"You haven’t changed."
"Why would I?"
Several hundred meters behind them...
A huge tuck maintained a constant distance.
Inside...
Four men watched the car.
The driver tightened his grip on the wheel.
"The target has been confirmed."
The passenger checked a photograph.
"Shen Tian. The Shen Family heir."
Another man spoke into a secure radio.
"Our employer’s orders remain the same. Make it look like an accident. No survivors. The Shen Patriarch is still overseas. This will be the perfect opportunity to strike the them."
The driver nodded.
"Understood."
He slammed the accelerator.
Back inside Shen Tian’s vehicle...
Xu Ning suddenly appeared beside him.
[Host.]
’Hm?’
[Incoming.]
Shen Tian’s smile disappeared.
"What?"
BOOOOOOM!!
The large truck violently slammed into the driver’s side of the car.
The impact echoed across the highway.
Metal screamed.
Glass exploded outward.
The car spun violently across three lanes.
SCREEECH!
Tires howled against the asphalt.
The vehicle smashed through a guardrail before finally grinding to a halt sideways across the shoulder.
Smoke drifted into the air.
Car alarms erupted all around them.
Nearby drivers slammed on their brakes.
"What happened?!"
"Call 911!"
"There was a crash!"
Inside the wrecked car...
The airbags had deployed.
Smoke filled the cabin.
Shen Tian slowly opened his eyes.
"Did I get isekai’d? Kidding..."
He immediately checked himself.
No injuries.
Not even a scratch.
His cultivation had absorbed almost everything that might have harmed him.
He pushed the airbag aside and got out of the car.
"Little Tian!"
Shen Yan’s voice trembled as she got out and ran to him.
She grabbed both of his shoulders.
"Little Tian! Look at me! Are you hurt?!"
"I’m alright."
She frantically checked his arms.
His neck.
His chest.
His face.
"Where?! Tell me!"
"I’m fine."
"No. There has to be something."
She lifted his sleeve.
"No cuts..."
She checked the other arm.
"No bruises..."
She cupped his face with both hands.
"Your head?"
"It didn’t hit anything."
"Little Tian..."
Her breathing became uneven.
She searched him again.
Over and over.
As though refusing to believe he could truly be unharmed.
"You’re really okay?"
Shen Tian gently smiled.
"I promise. Though I’m kind of shocked you’re fine..."
Only after hearing those words...
Did she finally stop shaking.
For exactly one second.
The large truck’s driver staggered out of his own vehicle.
Blood trickled down his forehead.
He reached beneath his jacket.
A handgun.
His eyes locked onto the damaged Suburban.
"Finish—"
He never completed the sentence.
A murderous pressure engulfed him.
His entire body froze.
Slowly...
He looked up.
Shen Yan was standing several meters away.
The warm, affectionate sister from moments earlier...
Was gone.
Her eyes contained nothing.
Only absolute, icy killing intent.
The air itself seemed colder around her.
The man instinctively stepped backward.
"...W-Wait—"
"You..."
Shen Yan’s voice was almost a whisper.
"...Tried..."
Another step.
"...To hurt..."
Another.
"...My little brother."
The assassin raised his weapon.
She disappeared.
His pupils shrank.
"Where—"
A blur.
Then...
CRACK.
His wrist snapped before he could fire.
The handgun clattered onto the pavement.
He screamed.
"AAAAAAH!"
Shen Yan didn’t even acknowledge the sound.
Her movements were precise.
Merciless.
A single strike to his ribs.
Another to his shoulder.
He collapsed onto one knee.
"You..."
He coughed blood.
"...Monster..."
She looked down at him without the slightest trace of emotion.
"You endangered my Little Tian."
"Nothing else matters."
He desperately reached for a hidden knife.
Too slow.
She caught his arm.
There was a sickening crack as the weapon fell from his limp fingers.
The assassin looked up in terror.
"P-Please—"
"For my little Tian’s sake... I’ll make this quick."
With one decisive motion, she struck him in a way that left him motionless on the pavement.
Silence returned.
The remaining occupants of the attackers’ truck, dazed from the collision, saw what had happened and fled on foot into the chaos of the stopped traffic rather than face her.
Several startled motorists watched from a distance.
"Did you see that?"
"She disarmed him..."
"Call the police!"
"Stay back!"
A few moments later...
The murderous aura vanished.
Shen Yan turned around.
The terrifying expression disappeared as though it had never existed.
"Little Tian!"
She hurried back to him.
"You shouldn’t be standing."
"I’m really alright."
"No. You need to sit."
She guided him toward the guardrail despite his protests.
"You might have a concussion."
"I don’t."
"Internal injuries."
"I don’t have those either."
She looked unconvinced.
She checked his pulse.
Then his breathing.
Then his pupils.
Xu Ning floated beside Shen Tian, observing silently.
[Host...]
[She’s scanned you more thoroughly than most hospitals.]
Shen Tian sighed inwardly.
’That’s my sister for you.’
Shen Yan finally exhaled.
"Good."
She lowered her head.
For the first time...
Her voice became very quiet.
"I almost... Lost you."
Shen Tian gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You didn’t. I’m here."
She closed her eyes briefly before nodding.
"Yes."
Then her gaze drifted toward the wrecked vehicles.
Her expression cooled once more.
"This wasn’t random."
Shen Tian nodded.
"No. It was planned."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Someone wanted me dead... or wanted to send a message to father."
Xu Ning spoke:
[Host.]
[I have already begun tracing the attackers.]
Shen Tian looked at the smoking wreckage.
"Jeez, who could want little old me dead?"
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!

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