The engine roared like a furious dragon, shaking the heavens. This fiery Lamborghini weaved through traffic like a nimble serpent. Thanks to its special license plate, no cop dared pull it over for speeding.

Lin Mi in the passenger seat looked slightly pale. The rock music blaring from the car stereo eased her tension a little. She glanced at the speedometer—150 km/h and still climbing slowly.

At first, Cold Night Feather drove cautiously at 60 km/h, her skills rusty. She nearly hit pedestrians several times. But she quickly grew confident. Soon, she slammed the accelerator, darting through the sea of cars.

This was possible thanks to Cold Night Feather’s monstrous reflexes. When she focused, the world seemed to slow down before her eyes, even without her powers.

The navigation showed Lin Mi’s neighborhood approaching. Cold Night Feather eased off the gas. Moments later, a brilliantly lit white complex appeared.

It was a Western-style villa community. Each modest villa had a well-landscaped yard. A white road, wide enough for two cars, wound past every gate. Its branches converged at a central plaza. There stood a fountain and several benches. Middle-aged women swayed to melodies, their waists no longer youthful. Men played chess or chatted at small tables. Children scampered like noisy sparrows. The whole plaza radiated peace.

“Nice vibe here,” Cold Night Feather remarked, eyebrow raised. She waited as the guard opened the gate. The Lamborghini’s engine rumbled low, like a beast awaiting the hunt. “They seem genuinely happy.”

Lin Mi nodded. “Yeah, I know. I know them all.”

“Still, this villa doesn’t look like a deputy director’s home. It’s more like where small-time businessmen live. Or a retirement spot for rich old folks.”

“Doesn’t matter. Dad’s nostalgic. He met Mom here. He bought this place right after they married, when he first joined the Execution Department. Later, Mom died giving birth to me. We’ve lived here ever since.”

“Maybe I should comfort you? Tell you not to grieve, to look forward. But I know you know I won’t do that. We haven’t known each other long.”

“It’s fine. I’ve moved on. It’s Dad who’s stuck in the past.”

Cold Night Feather said nothing, driving silently into the community. The mood turned heavy. Only the car stereo played, its wild melody echoing inside.

“Hmm, I think I’m falling for speeding,” Cold Night Feather blurted out. After forty years of solitude, she’d become chatty. “Flying is faster, but this thrill is addictive.”

Lin Mi just rolled her eyes. During the earlier speeding, she’d felt like she’d burst into beautiful fireworks with the car any second.

Following Lin Mi’s directions, Cold Night Feather parked before a villa identical to others. The only difference: roses filled its yard. Pink-white blooms glowed like sprites under the lights.

“Mom loved roses,” Lin Mi said, lost in thought. Cold Night Feather stayed silent. Having never had a mother, she couldn’t grasp loss. After a moment, Lin Mi got out, walked to the gate, and entered the passcode.

The Lamborghini rolled slowly into the villa. Cold Night Feather parked it right in the yard. The garage already held Lin Mi’s father’s car.

Cold Night Feather followed Bai Xin, pushing open the pure white, carved door. They entered the villa.

A tower-like middle-aged man sat on the sofa. His muscular frame stretched his black trench coat. His hair was a steel-needle buzz cut. He’d been reading a newspaper, but now his eagle-sharp eyes locked onto Cold Night Feather.

Cold Night Feather met his gaze calmly. A silent clash of wills filled the air. The intangible “aura” seemed tangible, colliding. Lin Mi felt the temperature drop.

“Dad, this is my—” Lin Mi sensed the tension, trying to ease it. But the man cut her off.

“Mi, go to your room. I need to talk with your friend.”

Lin Mi sighed, heading upstairs to her room. She glanced back worriedly at Cold Night Feather.

Cold Night Feather thought, *I’m not here to fight your dad. Just to talk. Why that look like blessing a soldier off to war?* But she nodded at Bai Xin.

After Lin Mi closed her door, the man stood up. His two-meter height made him look like a giant bear, or an immortal Throne. “Follow me,” he told Cold Night Feather.

Without looking at her, he opened a door behind him and walked in. Cold Night Feather stayed silent. She’d wanted to check the house decor, but since he didn’t want his daughter to hear, she complied. After all, she was here to take his precious daughter away.

Cold Night Feather closed the door behind her. Honestly, she had zero feminine awareness—alone with a bear-like man she’d just met. Well, ignoring that she used to be male, and was basically a human dragon. Plus, the man was a devoted widower.

As she entered, Cold Night Feather quickly scanned the room. It looked like an ordinary couple’s bedroom. Who’d think it belonged to the deputy director of the Execution Department?

In the center, a double bed held a thin blanket folded like a tofu block. Two pillows leaned on the headboard; one clearly unused. Above the bed hung a photo in a white-gold frame. A burly man in a white suit embraced a beautiful woman in a pure white wedding gown. Both smiled radiantly. The woman had sun-like golden hair and emerald-green eyes. Her features resembled Lin Mi’s closely—undoubtedly her late mother. The man was unmistakably Lin Mi’s father, now with a few more gray hairs.

The rest of the room was unremarkable. It looked like a marital bedroom from years ago. The furniture seemed aged.

“Hello, Miss Cold Night Feather,” the man said from a table in the corner. He gestured to the chair opposite. “I assume you’re here about Mi?”

Cold Night Feather sat, arms crossed. “Yes. I’m here for your daughter.”

Cold Night Feather wasn’t surprised he knew her. As deputy director of the Execution Department, a national agency for supernatural phenomena, not knowing her would be odd.

“You want to take her away?” The man seemed to age years in seconds. “Take her away.”

Cold Night Feather blinked, utterly unprepared for such ease.

The man pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Cold Night Feather frowned. “How did you know?”

“Mi has an eagle in her heart… like I did young. So I’ve always been strict, hoping she’d give up. That way, she’d avoid the murky waters of the hidden world. Isn’t being ordinary happiness? Ignorance is bliss.”

“I must disagree. People like me prefer a blazing death to a quiet life. Like a moth to the flame, I’d burn to ashes without regret.”

“Yes, Mi is like you. But I can’t let go,” the man exhaled deeply. “Because I’m her father. When you have children, you’ll understand.”

Cold Night Feather fell silent. His words, “I am her father,” weighed on her like a mountain.

“But you just told me to take her away?”

“I’m old. I wanted Mi to live ordinary—for her sake and mine. As deputy director of the Execution Department, I have countless enemies. I lost Ling-er; I won’t lose Mi. I stay in Dawn Harbor not just for Ling-er, but for Mi’s safety. But can a child with an eagle’s heart be caged?” He looked at Cold Night Feather.

“But now you’re here. I’ve read your file. Mysterious origins, but immense power. Mi rarely bonds deeply. Motherless, she’s like a stray cat, wary of everyone. Like a hedgehog, armed with sharp spines. But I saw worry for you in her eyes. That’s enough. Whoever—or whatever—you are, I entrust Mi to you. I beg you!”

As he spoke, he started to kneel. Cold Night Feather rushed forward, holding him up.

Their eyes met. Cold Night Feather saw a glint in the tower-like man’s eyes, and the resolve of one marching to death. After a pause, she spoke:

“You… what’s wrong?”

“I’m going to avenge Ling-er,” the man said. “After hiding in the Execution Department all these years, I’ve finally found their trail. With you caring for Mi, I can go all out. Please don’t get involved in my feud. This is a man’s duty!”

Cold Night Feather finally understood her unease. This man lived only on hatred and guilt over Lin Mi. His heart had died long ago. She sighed deeply. “Alright. Why do I always meet such stubborn people… Anyway, I hope you return alive. You are Lin Mi’s father. Oh, I don’t even know your name.”

The man stood, pulling a large black metal case from under the bed. He stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it. “Lin Tian!”

Cold Night Feather nodded. “I’ll remember your name.”