Human Race Delegation
November 18, the eighth day of the census, four hours before the citywide curfew.
After days of suppression, Qiongfang City's lower-class residents finally mustered the courage to vent a sliver of their anger.
The first protest march made up of civilians and vagrants broke out.
But it was clearly meaningless. After all, actual troops were stationed in the city.
The protest was branded a rebellion, and the few demons who had mustered their courage were all rounded up in one fell swoop.
Afterward, the whole of Qiongfang City sank into an eerie calm.
Not until the morning of the 21st, when a large number of convoys poured into the city, did the deathly silent streets regain a little life.
"Is this Qiongfang City? It's so deserted compared to Chen City."
The girl's clear voice came from the carriage, only to be drowned out by the rumble of wheels.
A closer look at the carriage revealed the Human Race's emblem on its side, with the words "Human Race Delegation" engraved beside it.
"It is deserted. Apparently, Qiongfang City is under martial law, and people have been urged to go out less. That's why it ended up like this."
"All right, we're almost there. Keep quiet."
The convoy pulled over at the side of the road. This was Qiongfang City's middle district, where a luxurious mansion for receiving foreign guests stood.
Shisui crouched in the shadows beneath a distant roof's eaves, watching the members of the Human Race Delegation file out.
Then they shook hands one by one with the Demon Race personnel receiving them.
Time to gather some intelligence on the Human Race. Hopefully the experts guarding them in secret won't be too perceptive.
Shisui's Ukaku quivered slightly, and he swiftly vanished from the spot.
The guards who had sensed the faint sound of wind were left utterly baffled.
Ye Luo stood outside the foreign guest mansion with a small Recording Device in her hands.
The scenery here was beautiful, and the tightly packed houses below were clearly visible.
Her rare talent had earned her a job as a reporter accompanying the group, giving her the opportunity to take part in the Three-Race Conference.
"Bzz, bzz."
A faint hiss of air sounded, and a moment later, the Recording Device in her hands spat out a photo of the street scenery.
Ye Luo checked how much Psychic Energy the device had consumed and got a rough idea.
"Everyone! Let's take a group photo first!"
Just as she did at the usual off-campus activities, Ye Luo began calling people over for a commemorative photo.
Not far from her, the teachers and students attending the conference had gathered in twos and threes, each little group clearly separate from the others.
They simply went on talking among themselves, and no one even looked up at Ye Luo.
In a situation like this, even the most cheerful, outgoing person would probably shrink back.
For a moment, Ye Luo was left in an awkward situation that made her feel embarrassed.
Only when the middle-aged man leading the group finished inspecting the sprawling mansion and called everyone inside did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ye Luo, this isn't school. I suggest you talk less and stop doing unnecessary things."
A faint, detached voice reached her ears. A moment later, Ye Luo looked up.
She remembered him. He seemed to be the school's chosen representative for the entry-level competition, Song Haomiao.
"Ah, um, thanks for the reminder."
"Hey, is there any need to be so rude to a girl? Your manners really leave a lot to be desired!"
Ye Luo watched an unfamiliar male student approach. She had a feeling she was about to get dragged into someone else's dispute.
"I'm fine. Song didn't..."
"Just because you're fine doesn't mean he doesn't have to apologize."
"I don't have time for your nonsense, Tan Anqing."
Song Haomiao had initially wanted to say that interrupting someone was even ruder.
But on second thought, rather than waste his breath probing just how low the moral standards of a scion of a prominent family could be, it would save time and effort to leave.
Ignoring Tan Anqing, who still intended to antagonize him, he turned and walked away.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You dare ignore me?"
"Wait, calm down! This is the guest mansion. You can't fight here!"
"Why don't I take a picture of you at the mansion entrance as a keepsake?"
"Bzz, bzz."
Song Haomiao heard the faint sound of a photo being taken behind him and marveled that the girl really hadn't taken a word in.
She had joined a delegation that, though small, could be said to be full of factions, yet she didn't even know to keep a lower profile.
Forget it. I'm already exhausted just trying to establish myself in the Reformist Faction. Why should I worry about anyone else?
Song Haomiao shook his head, put the unnecessary thoughts aside, and went to check in.
Meanwhile, Ye Luo unhappily discovered that the young master of Mao City's Tan Family had latched onto her.
Holding the Recording Device, she aimed it at the mansion's main entrance while directing Tan Anqing's pose.
She had fooled this young master, who didn't look very bright, and stopped a dispute by promising him a place in the newspaper—a promise she couldn't guarantee.
Actually, it wasn't entirely an empty promise. After all, the delegation members' names would appear in the newspaper too.
And as the price for speaking up, she was forced to waste time here.
"Hm?"
Just as Ye Luo's thoughts wandered, she saw a flash of black sweep across the eaves through the lens.
She drew on the Psychic Energy in her body, and the memory replayed in her mind as she tried to catch a clear look at the phantom.
As that part of the memory replayed over and over, she slowed the playback speed more and more.
Finally, with Ye Luo's Psychic Energy almost depleted, the playback speed reached its lowest setting.
"So familiar... I think I've seen that somewhere before?"
The girl caught a glimpse of the phantom. It was a tall figure wearing a hood, running toward the lower district.
Her curiosity piqued, the amateur reporter sprang into action, leaving Tan Anqing behind and racing in the direction the figure had gone.
"Fuck! Why did she run off halfway through the photo?"
Tan Anqing's temper, which had only just cooled, flared up again. He chased after Ye Luo into the lower district.
"Hm? She followed me?"
Interesting. This Third-Realm Peak cultivator actually spotted me.
The one who had left from the eaves around the mansion's outer perimeter was Shisui, who had just scattered a round of Radiant Feathers and Blade Scales.
To avoid alerting the leader, who was close to the Heaven Realm, he hadn't used Psychic Energy. Instead, he had relied purely on his physical strength to sneak in and leave.
No one inside the mansion had noticed that he had come and gone. That alone showed how powerful a Ghoul's physique was.
But the one with the lowest cultivation still spotted me. That means her talent rating should be quite high.
Shisui deliberately slowed down, keeping his distance as he led Ye Luo toward a place where few people ventured.
He wanted to see if he could lure her into using her talent along the way.
Sure enough, because of the considerable distance between them, Ye Luo used Psychic Energy again, afraid she would lose him.
A Kakugan lit up in the shadows, its crimson pupil watching the flow of Psychic Energy in the air.
First, it gathered in her brain, then concentrated further in the area responsible for memory. Finally, some of it split off to strengthen her eyes.
Probing memories. What a great talent!
Tsk! It's too early to turn her into a puppet. I need to let her grow and develop her talent's potential first.
An exceptional talent drew on Psychic Energy, and at the same time caused the user's own Psychic Energy to leak out.
Shisui caught the sweet scent of someone with a high-grade talent. Her fresh, soft Psychic Energy made Ye Luo seem like a grapefruit cake on the run.
Saliva began to flow uncontrollably, and Rc Cells began to boil. Crimson lines spread from the corner of his eye and split open.
Fuck! I need a late-night snack. I'll take the one following behind.