Deviant: No Longer Human

"Oi, you crawling out on your own, or should I call an ambulance to scrape your sorry ass off the ground?"

Wang Xiao's voice was calm, but the way he said it hit harder than a slap from a pissed-off ex. His eyes locked onto Ma Ziang, who lay there twitching like a cockroach sprayed with pesticide. For a moment, Ma Ziang's eyes flickered with fear... then he puffed up.

"Humph."

The idiot stood, dusting himself off like a diva at a cheap party. Chest out, head high, like he wasn't just tossed around like a sack of rotten potatoes. But Wang Xiao's eyes narrowed... no bruises. Not even a scratch. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

The scene cut.

Outside, Ma Ziang stumbled onto the street, muttering curses like a drunk uncle.

"Cover the area," Someone barked, his tone flat, but it carried that do it or regret it vibe.

Sirens screamed louder than a karaoke night gone wrong. Black SUVs screeched in, lights flashing like it was a discount rave. Officers poured out, moving fast, guns drawn, surrounding the scene like ants on spilled sugar.

"What the hell is this? Where's my driver?!" Ma Ziang squawked, sounding more like a whiny kid than a man.

And then...

WHIRRRRR!

A sleek black helicopter descended from the sky, blades slicing through the air like they had beef with gravity. He froze. The doors opened. Out stepped a figure clad in black combat gear, visor gleaming so bright it mirrored Ma Ziang's pale, sweaty face back at him.

"You're under arrest."

The voice was colder than your ex's wedding invitation. No warmth. No hesitation.

Before Ma Ziang could even process it—

THUD!

An officer yanked him by the collar and slammed him against his own car so hard it left a dent bigger than his ego.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Ma Ziang shrieked, flailing like a chicken about to hit the pot.

Wan Yang smirked, leaning in close enough to make Ma Ziang sweat. "Unregistered mage, huh? Thought you'd slide under the radar? Humph!"

Ma Ziang's brain short-circuited. How the hell had they found him? He'd been careful—paranoid careful. Years of sneaky magic use, gone up in smoke.

His hands trembled. Then glowed. Frost spread along his cuffs as he hissed, "I'm not going down like this..."

But—

CRACK!

The ice shattered like his last shred of hope. A shadow emerged. Slow... methodical... terrifying. Runes glowed on their helmet, each step louder than Ma Ziang's heart pounding in his chest.

"You're done."

The figure grabbed Ma Ziang's glowing fists. No hesitation. Just a single, brutal squeeze.

CRUNCH.

"AAAGHHH!"

Ma Ziang dropped, screaming louder than a banshee. His hands hung limp, twisted like pretzels.

The officers closed in, their weapons gleaming under the bright sunlight. Silence fell, broken only by Ma Ziang's pathetic whimpers.

______

Inside the building, Wang Xiao leaned against the window, arms crossed, watching the circus outside. That faint smile on his lips? Yeah, the kind that said, 'This is better than TV.'

"Well, look at that," he muttered. "The government's actually got their act together for once."

Xinyue Zhilan's eyes were glued to the mess outside. Her voice quivered with disbelief. "The Qing Dynasty's been ruthless since the Great Resist... Open war on rogue mages and warriors. Unregistered practitioners like him... they're the first to go..."

Her words slowed, the realization slapping her harder than life itself. Ma Ziang? A mage? She blinked in shock. How had she never noticed?

Her gaze shifted to Wang Xiao. Calm. Smiling. Unbothered. And then it hit her. Wait… didn't he just do something weird?That supernatural strength wasn't exactly, well... natural.

Her face paled. "You... Go hide! Now!"

Wang Xiao's eyebrow twitched. Hide? Him? She couldn't be serious.

Fu Yuxin, meanwhile, scrambled like a headless chicken. She peeked behind the couch, under the table—hell, she even glanced at the fridge. What's next, the laundry basket? Wang Xiao's eyebrow twitched as he watched her. Do I look like a damn cat to hide in your furniture?

He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. Could they just let him pretend to be a mysterious badass for five damn minutes? Why the hell should he hide?

_____@@novelbin@@

Outside, Ma Ziang was losing it. His mind scrambled to make sense of the disaster. His wrists burned from the cuffs, but his pride? That was what really stung.

Who? he thought bitterly. Who betrayed me?

His gaze flicked toward the building. Toward Wang Xiao. Standing there at the window, arms crossed like he owned the scene.

It hit Ma Ziang like a brick.

"Him…" he hissed, his voice a mix of rage and disbelief.

But Wang Xiao? He didn't even blink. Didn't look at him. Ma Ziang might as well have been a stray dog barking at a passing car.

Instead, Wang Xiao crouched beside his daughter, Zhenxi, who was tugging on his sleeve.

"Daddy," Zhenxi whispered, her little finger pointing outside. "Are they gonna arrest you?"

Wang Xiao ruffled her hair, his chuckle soft but laced with amusement. "Only if they've got a death wish."

"Hmph~"

She smiled, but Wang Xiao caught it—the faint shadow of fear in her eyes. Not for him, of course. No, it was that ingrained habit of humans... the state above all.

Wang Xiao laughed under his breath. The state above people? Sure. But above the state were immortals. And above immortals… was him.

_____

"Xiao Wang! Where are you going?! Come back right now!"

Xinyue Zhilan's voice cracked as Wang Xiao moved toward the door. She tried to stop him, but he didn't even glance back.

Whoosh!

The door swung open, and Wang Xiao stepped into the limelight. Officers were shoving Ma Ziang into a reinforced vehicle, their heads snapping toward him as he walked out like he was on a red carpet.

The officers paused. Ma Ziang froze.

And Wang Xiao? He just smiled.

His eyes lazily roamed over the seventeen officers. Sixteen of them masked up like ninjas at a discount cosplay party. Why the hell was only one brave enough to show his face?

Ah, Wan Yang.

Wang Xiao knew this guy. Their paths had crossed enough times for him to remember. First time? When he'd strolled into the Qing Dynasty like he owned the place. Second time? When Anran caught Wan Yang spying on him—poor bastard didn't even last a day before clearing out those housing officials sent to demolish Wang Xiao's house. Not that Wang Xiao cared. The garrison he flattened afterward? That was just a warm-up.

And the third? At the Foreign Minister's office, where Wan Yang stood stiff as a stick while Wang Xiao had a "chat" with Renji and the rest. Guy was reliable, sure, but Wang Xiao always wondered if he slept in that uniform.

Hell, Wang Xiao even texted Wan Yang to come deal with Ma Ziang. Quick response. Too quick, honestly. Was the guy sitting by his phone waiting for me to call?

"You—got a lighter?"

Wang Xiao's gaze shifted to the guard who'd just snapped Ma Ziang's hands like they were twigs.

"Me?"

"Who else?" Before she could process, Wang Xiao grabbed her shoulder and yanked her to the side. "Come on, let's talk about the weather. Real important stuff."

"..."

Wan Yang watched, pinching the bridge of his nose like a disappointed parent at a parent-teacher meeting. His top agent, Black Lotus, was being dragged away like some lost kitten, and she let it happen. Why do I even bother?

"Alright, you brain-dead idiots, quit standing there like mannequins!" Wan Yang barked, the irritation dripping from his voice. "Get inside! Sweep the place. If you find anything useful, great. If not, grab something random and pretend it matters!"

"!!"

At his command, the frozen officers snapped into motion like someone had kicked their brains back into gear. Wan Yang, meanwhile, took a deep breath. Time to head inside and figure out how to explain this mess.