He frowned, bent down, and rummaged through a drawer cabinet for a stack of records concerning Guixu.
He brushed away the thin layer of dust on top, revealing a name.
Xia Baoguo. That was his name.
Xia Baoguo placed a finger on the line recording the number of participants and moved it downward, his eyes following.
Once he had finished checking that page, he turned to the next.
The farther he read, the deeper his frown grew.
Every recorded instance of Guixu had required at least three people to participate.
For now, only one person was known to have returned, so there was no way to be certain how many had died in there.
"What do you think?" the man opposite Xia Baoguo asked, his brows knitted just as tightly.
"We can't give them an answer." Xia Baoguo exhaled through his nose and gave a dissatisfied snort. "We can't conclude he did it just because he was the only one who came back."
As soon as he said that, Xia Baoguo reconsidered and changed his tune. "We should investigate this kid after all, and send someone over."
"Why the sudden change of mind?" the man opposite Xia Baoguo asked, puzzled.
"Change my ass. The investigation is just for show, to give those guys something to look at. And the person we send over won't be there to watch him, but to protect him. Protect him."
The man opposite him understood.
Edward Parker had been one of the people they had focused on nurturing. Now that something like this had happened in China, they had grievances to vent.
If they couldn't force the authorities' hand, they would go after the person they suspected most.
If they made their position clear in advance, the other side would be less likely to act rashly.
Xia Baoguo took a sip of tea and leaned back in his chair. "Then I'll leave this matter to you."
The man opposite readily took the assignment and nodded. "Let's send that kid Dui Lake."
Hearing that title, Xia Baoguo sprayed out a mouthful of tea and coughed as it went down the wrong way.
His voice was a little unsteady, and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, are you out of your mind? Are you sure?"
"Dui Lake is about the same age. We can arrange for him to take the college entrance exam with them."
After a string of such twisted reasoning, Xia Baoguo's mouth twitched, but he finally agreed.
It was Fan Daoyi's second day at school.
With the college entrance exam approaching, there was practically no time to rest.
Yet at this critical time, a transfer student arrived in the classroom.
Fan Daoyi, who had been dozing with his eyes closed, lifted his gaze slightly and looked at the new student.
The young man kept his head down and looked utterly lifeless.
The transfer student introduced himself, sounding somewhat as though he had lost all hope in life. "Hello, everyone. My name is He Piaojian. For the next, uh... few days, let's go through the college entrance exam together."
The introduction was stiff, as though he had memorized it by rote.
He wrote his name on the blackboard. His words flowed much more smoothly now, and he even tapped the board for emphasis. "Look closely. This character is wēng, not zhēn. I'm not He Zhenjian."
The resignation in his voice suggested he had been through a lot.
Fan Daoyi sensed the circulation of life energy inside the transfer student, and his Origin Source was within it.
He was certain this guy had participated in the game, and no fewer than five times.
Ordinary high school students generally participated in the game for the first time during the college entrance exam.
It seemed this transfer student had come with a purpose.
What could it be?
Using He Piaojian's name, he had Xuan Miao look him up, and unexpectedly, the search actually turned something up.
He seemed to be an honest person.
Those two dazzling lines of golden text showed the abilities he had obtained.
He was a lucky one, too.
Abilities were randomly drawn based on the player.
Most players acquired common, ordinary abilities like enhanced eyesight or enhanced legs.
Yet he possessed two unique golden legendary abilities like these.
One was One Heart of the Sword, and the other was... Water Too Clear Has No Fish, a Shameless Man Is Invincible?
Fan Daoyi still couldn't fully grasp what it meant.
But he soon found out.
During the brief lunch break, Fan Daoyi sensed killing intent directed at him.
He left the classroom, found a deserted corner, and instantly flashed to a spot above the rooftop.
There was a good vantage point on the rooftop, screened by a stone wall and difficult for anyone to spot.
Peering out from there, he saw several figures in black robes racing across roofs and walls, about to land on this rooftop.
Just then, the rooftop door opened, and Fan Daoyi caught a pungent stench.
He turned to look down and saw He Piaojian come onto the rooftop with a mop and a bucket of murky water, gazing into the distance at the figures.
The figures landed on the rooftop and saw He Piaojian as well.
He Piaojian picked up the mop and drew a line across the ground, then stood upright and looked straight at them. "Everyone, this road is closed."
Surprised to find He Piaojian there, they pulled their black robes lower to keep their faces hidden.
"What are you covering up for? So many of you came into the school full of killing intent, and yet you're this shy?"
The black-robed figures didn't hesitate. They turned and moved to jump off the rooftop.
"I said this road is closed. Naturally, the other ways are closed too. I'm afraid none of you can leave this rooftop." He Piaojian raised the mop in one hand and thrust it at one of their faces. "I'd like to treat you all to a feast."
He wielded the mop with such ease that the group could hardly fend off his attacks.
Oh, mainly for mental and psychological reasons.
After all, they couldn't accept a mop smeared with shit.
Liquid flew everywhere, scattering with his movements like a heavenly maiden strewing flowers.
Such a disgusting tactic—was this bastard really with the authorities!?
The black-robed figures were stunned and couldn't help cursing aloud.
Their broken Chinese exposed them completely. He Piaojian knocked one of them down and pressed the mop head against his neck.
"There's no place for you to run wild in China."
His tone was cool, but the scene around him did nothing to set it off.
A drop of golden liquid fell beside the man's lips, and he could no longer suppress the overwhelming nausea.
Blargh—
The sound of vomiting rang out across the rooftop.
Fan Daoyi took it all in.
He had actually managed to wield a shit-smeared mop like a sword. Did the two golden abilities work together that well?
He Piaojian's outrageous moves didn't stop there.
He already knew who they were, yet he played dumb and extorted the group of black-robed figures.
"So many of you snuck onto campus and even landed on the senior-year teaching building. The college entrance exam is at a critical juncture. Could it be that you intend to harm the foundation of our nation?"
"I now have serious reason to suspect that you've violated regulations by carrying dangerous items in the city. Hand over the good stu... ahem, weapons, or I'll take coercive measures."
Fan Daoyi added a new label to his impression of him.
Bandit.
Dressed as they were, they naturally didn't want the authorities to learn their identities, so they could only swallow their losses.
But when handing over their weapons, they first pretended to take them out, bending down and gripping them tightly as they placed them on the ground. While He Piaojian's attention was on the weapons, they sprang up and struck at his vital points.
How could He Piaojian have failed to guard against them? The mop was the sword in his hand. He retreated a few steps and dipped it in the golden water in the bucket. He swung his sword, leaving a trail in its wake as it swept the weapons from their hands.
"Tsk, tsk. I only wanted to rob you... confiscate a few weapons. Why did you have to be so tactless?"
"Maliciously attacking a public official is no small charge."
Damn it!
They had failed to silence him and had instead been saddled with a new charge.
They hadn't expected the authorities to send someone this powerful to protect a mere ordinary person, either.
Nothing they said would help now. This was not the time to sour relations with China. To avoid bringing trouble to their own country, the guy before them had to die, whatever it took!
Seeing them all use their abilities, He Piaojian stopped holding back as well.
"Hey, you're the ones who made the first move. As for me, I'm going to act in self-defense."