Mask

Ji Minghuan asked, "Why did the director turn himself in?"

Instructor said, "Either that girl was already close to death and urgently needed medical treatment, so your old director panicked... or he suddenly turned back from the brink, felt guilty about what he'd done over the years, and hanged himself. Or perhaps both were true."

Ji Minghuan fell silent for a moment. "Xu Keyin was my childhood friend. Back then, everyone said she'd gone missing. I asked the director countless times where she had gone, but every time, he barely paid me any attention. Later, everyone forgot about her, and I couldn't bring myself to bring her up again."

After a pause, his tone turned cold. "I used to think the director was just stupid, not evil. But now I know I was wrong... He was nothing but an animal."

"What a shame..." Instructor looked at Ji Minghuan's expression and said quietly, "When we went to the Welfare Home to find you, we somehow failed to notice this. Otherwise, we would certainly have saved that girl and spared her more than a month of suffering."

"How laughable. How could you have noticed anything? From the very beginning, I was the only one you ever cared about."

"That's true."

Unexpectedly, Instructor did not refute him.

"Forget it... I'm not interested in any of this. It has nothing to do with me even if that old bastard director dies a thousand or ten thousand times."

As he spoke, Ji Minghuan got out of bed and sat across from Instructor. "...Let's talk about Exorcists instead. Didn't you say you'd tell me about them?"

Instructor took a sip of tea from his thermos, caught his breath, then screwed the lid back on.

For the next while, he discussed matters such as the definitions of "Heavenly Drives" and "Exorcists" with Ji Minghuan. Ji Minghuan had long known all of this, so he had no choice but to pretend he understood only vaguely. Resting his chin on his hand, he feigned curiosity while letting the words go in one ear and out the other.

"How come I've never seen a demon in all my life?" Ji Minghuan asked. "I've never even heard any related news."

Instructor explained unhurriedly, "China has an Exorcist team widely recognized as the strongest in the world. They are called—Lake Hunt. This team is powerful to an unimaginable extent. Even the demons throughout the country fear their existence, so they retreat into the deep mountains and forests instead of entering the human world."

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Yes, it is exactly that exaggerated. Every generation of Lake Hunt consists of four people. Behind each of them stands a family with a long history and immense foundations... Every member of this team is the strongest Exorcist selected by the heads of the four great families from among their current generation of descendants."

"Then who is in the current Lake Hunt?"

"The captain of this generation's Lake Hunt is Lin Xingshi. He comes from the Hubei Lion Dancer Family, and his codename among Exorcists is also Lion Dancer. It is a title passed down through the generations."

"Doesn't that make him the world's number one Exorcist?"

"That's right. At least on the surface."

"What is his Heavenly Drive?"

"His Heavenly Drive is the Southern Sea Fire Kirin Head. It is said to be a lion head forged from the dragon keel of a sunken ship in the South Sea and volcanic glass, containing seventy-two fire-washing cloth talismans."

"That already sounds classier than Heavenly Drives like 'glasses' and 'cameras.' Heavenly Drives come in different ranks too. No wonder he's the leader of the world's strongest Exorcist team." Ji Minghuan said, "So who else is in Lake Hunt?"

Instructor smiled. "There's another rather famous one. He is a descendant of the Zhuge Family—Zhuge Hui. His codename in the Exorcist world is Heavenly Secret Taoist. The Zhuge Family has been a powerful family of Exorcists since ancient times, and their exorcism arts have been passed down to this day."

Ji Minghuan raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me Zhuge Liang from history was actually an Exorcist too?"

"In ancient times, Exorcists were not yet called 'Exorcists,'" Instructor said slowly. "However, the historical Zhuge Liang was indeed once the holder of a Heavenly Drive. His Heavenly Drive was the Seven Stars Lamp, which is well known to the public... It is worth mentioning that, unlike ability users, Exorcists do not appear openly in the world. They conceal their abilities and remain apart from worldly disputes. They only act against demons that appear in the human world, or punish Exorcists who break the rules. This has been an unchanging rule among them for countless generations."

"So China has no trace of demons because its local Exorcist families are too powerful and their influence is too extensive?"

"That's right." Instructor nodded. "If Anecdote Envoys and ability users still have room for dispute as categories of Superhuman Species, then China is unquestionably number one in the world in the field of Exorcists."

Ji Minghuan thought for a moment. "Actually, I'm a little curious. In theory, among Exorcists, ability users, and Anecdote Envoys, which Superhuman Species has the greatest potential?"

Without hesitation, Instructor said, "In the past, our answer would have been Anecdote Envoys."

He interlaced his fingers. "Because theoretically speaking, if an Anecdote Envoy were fortunate enough to be chosen by a Mythic-Grade Anecdote, they would possess part of a deity's power... That is an upper limit the other two Superhuman Species could never hope to match."

"And now?" Ji Minghuan asked.

"Now... because of your existence, the answer to that question has become unclear." Instructor said, "If you are an Exorcist, then Exorcists are the Superhuman Species with the highest upper limit among humanity. If you are an Anecdote Envoy, then Anecdote Envoys have the highest upper limit. By the same logic... if you are an ability user, as the prophecy says, then ability users become the Superhuman Species with the highest upper limit to date."

He adjusted his glasses. "Simply put... your existence directly defines what the strongest Superhuman Species in the world looks like."

"You think far too highly of me."

Ji Minghuan lowered his head as if on the verge of tears, but inwardly thought, But I'm an ability user and an Exorcist, and I can also be an Anecdote Envoy. Once you find out, how exactly are you going to define me?

Instructor took a sip of bitter tea.

"If I really am an Exorcist, then what might my Heavenly Drive be?" Ji Minghuan asked.

"I told you before that the form of a Heavenly Drive is determined by the shape of an Exorcist's inner self... Take Lin Xingshi, the current world's number one Exorcist, whom I mentioned before. Since childhood, he studied China's lion dance arts alongside the elders of his family. That day-after-day, year-after-year focus, with nothing else in his eyes, naturally caused the embryonic form of his Heavenly Drive to become a lion head. Because in his subconscious... once he puts on the lion head, he becomes himself."

"Then what is my Heavenly Drive?" Ji Minghuan tilted his head. "A dog head?"

"A mask."

Ji Minghuan felt as though he had been mocked, but had no proof, so he silently stared at him.

"A person who has known how to disguise himself since childhood will, over time, have an inner self shaped like a mask."

"Do you think you're very funny?"

Instructor smiled as he screwed on the thermos lid. "That's enough for today. In a couple of days, I'll arrange for you to meet Kong Youling and the other children."

"Really?"

"Really."

Key intelligence regarding the Exorcist worldview has been acquired.

Current development progress for the Exorcist branch of the worldview has changed: 30% → 55%

Worldview development reward acquired: 1 Split Point (current progress toward splitting a new character: 3 Split Points / 9 Split Points)

Developing the worldview can earn me Split Points too. I'll have to find opportunities to learn more about the remaining parts, Ji Minghuan thought.

"Sleep well." With that, Instructor rose from the table, turned, and left.

The lights went out one by one, and the Imprisonment Room was once again swallowed by darkness.

Unfazed, he lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes. His consciousness instantly transcended the cold Imprisonment Room.

At the same time, Gu Yi Mai District, Li Jing, China.

Ji Minghuan opened his eyes and glanced at the time on the wall. It was half past three in the afternoon, and the heavy rain had already stopped.

When he went out this morning, Gu Qiye had said in the family group chat that he would come home to make lunch today. Yet there was still no sign of him at this hour. Comrade Blue Arc was probably still busy dealing with the aftermath of the Welfare Home incident.

After all, the director had been considered "highly respected" in the area. The impact of this matter was naturally no small thing.

Ji Minghuan fished his phone out from beside his pillow, turned it on, and a WeChat message popped up on the lock screen.

Li Qingping: Want to come out and have fun? What's wrong with you these past few days? All you do is neglect your best bro.

"What perfect timing. I was just thinking of seeing what kind of demon or monster you are."

Ji Minghuan murmured to himself as he pulled up the main quest panel for a look.

Main Quest 4: Investigate the secret hidden by your best friend, Li Qingping.

There will be two more updates tonight at midnight. Please vote!