My Ares Son-in-Law

It was like a giant that had been asleep for thousands of years, awakened from its long dream by Xiao Chen's gentle push.

The door hinges had accumulated dirt and rust for countless years, which were forcibly squeezed and collapsed during the movement of the iron door.

The mud and rust, like black snowflakes, fell in a flurry, scattering on the ground with a soft rustling sound.

The iron gate was pushed open, leaving only a gap wide enough for one person to pass through. The gap was like a crack leading to an unknown world, exuding a mysterious and dangerous aura.

A stench of decay, dampness, and coldness, a hundred times stronger than that outside, mixed with dust and some indescribable, stale, metallic smell, like the stench of corpses erupting from a tomb, suddenly surged out from the crack in the door.

The odor hit you, carrying a pungent, sour smell that made you instinctively cover your mouth and nose.

It slapped against Xiao Chen's face, as if countless cold hands were caressing him, but he remained motionless, his expression unchanged.

Inside the door was an even deeper darkness, almost swallowing all light, like the open throat of a giant beast waiting to devour its prey.

The darkness was as thick as ink, making it impossible to see what was hidden within.

In the dim light, one could hear some strange sounds, like someone crying softly, or something wriggling in the darkness.

Xiao Chen did not hesitate at all. His eyes were firm and resolute, as if no danger ahead could stop him.

He stepped inside, and his figure was instantly swallowed up by the darkness behind the door, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, disappearing without a trace.

"boom."

With a muffled thud, the heavy iron door slowly closed behind him.

The voice was deep and heavy, as if it were the world bidding him farewell.

The moment the door closed, only a few freshly melted marks remained on the door frame, shimmering with an eerie and cold light in the dim daylight.

The faint light was like a pair of evil eyes, peering into everything around them from the darkness.

The wild grass swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if countless whispers were whispering among themselves.

They are like a group of mysterious elves, telling the story of this abandoned factory area.

But soon, the sound quickly subsided, and the surroundings fell into a deathly silence once again.

This forgotten abandoned factory area has returned to its timeless stillness, as if the scene of molten iron opening the door had never happened.

It all felt like a dream, and when I woke up, everything was back to square one.

Only a faint, lingering fluctuation of strange energy in the air testifies to the intrusion of an uninvited guest.

The energy fluctuations spread slowly through the air like ripples, like a pebble thrown into a stagnant pool, quietly breaking the long-standing stillness and spacetime of this place.

The gears of fate, hidden in the shadows where no one knows, once again emitted a heavy and cold grinding sound.

The sound was like a pronouncement of fate, foreshadowing an unknown storm that was about to break, and Xiao Chen was at the center of that storm.

...On the edge of that city, eroded by both time and sin, lies a forgotten corner—98 Kushu Road, a long-abandoned factory, like the remains of a giant beast abandoned by the times, quietly lurking in the shadows.

This place is not only a symbol of urban decay, but also the most filthy and secretive artery of the city. The infamous Black Phoenix Organization is the most malignant tumor in this artery, and every pulsation of it seems to announce its existence and arrogance to the outside world.

The entrance to this den of evil is hidden deep within a complex, spiderweb-like alleyway, a dead end in the city's labyrinth, designed to devour lost or thrill-seeking souls.

Several dilapidated neon tubes swayed gracefully on the damp and slippery brick wall, casting ghostly shadows that added an eerie and terrifying atmosphere to this dark place.

The air was thick with the smells of sweat, cheap tobacco, blood, and despair. These smells mingled together, pressing heavily on the lungs of everyone who entered, making it almost suffocating.

Zhou Hongyan, this agile and meticulous female agent, was like a deep shadow blending into the wall, clinging tightly to the cold and rough bricks, moving slowly.

She was dressed in a military green combat uniform, an outfit that seemed to devour all the surrounding light, making her almost invisible in the darkness.

Only those eyes, gleaming with a sharp, knife-like light in the shadows, silently sliced ​​through every inch of the entrance to the boxing ring, searching for the best opportunity to break through the defenses.

At the entrance, two guards, as if cast in iron, stood imposingly on either side of the rusty iron gate. Their bulging muscles seemed about to burst through their tight vests, displaying a primal and wild power.

Their gazes were murky and fierce as they aimlessly scanned the empty, abandoned factory, as if ready to confront any enemy who dared to challenge their authority.

Their bulging waists and the fierce aura they exuded silently spoke of the deadly danger of this place.

Zhou Hongyan took a deep breath, held it, and lowered her body even further, almost blending into the damp, cold moss on the ground.

She waited quietly, like a cheetah lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

In the brief moment when the two guards' eyes met and then looked away, she moved.

Without a sound or warning, only a blurry black shadow streaked across the darkness, drawing a perfect arc, faster than the limits of retinal perception.

Her slender body seemed weightless; like a ghost, she slid silently through the narrow gap above the door frame.

At that moment, she seemed to merge with the darkness, becoming a part of this gloomy place.

The darkness inside the door, like thick ink, instantly swallowed her up, leaving no trace.

The two guards outside the door, however, were completely oblivious to this, still yawning and talking about the screams of an enemy who had his ribs broken the night before, as if none of this concerned them.

"Ah!"

Zhou Hongyan's lips twitched slightly in the shadows, a cold self-mockery rolling through her mind, a self-mockery like a sharp ice blade piercing straight into the depths of her heart.

She thought to herself, "No wonder the previous operations against the Black Phoenix organization were like punching cotton, weak and ineffective."

"It turns out that the cunning snake's den was actually lurking in this hidden and complicated place."

She lowered her head slightly, gently pressed her hand against her chest, and her fingertips touched the outline of the hard Yama Palace emblem through the fabric.

This badge is an honor bestowed upon her by the organization, but even more so, it carries a heavy responsibility and mission. (End of Chapter)