I'm Afraid My Father Will Kill You

When You Li returned to his base in the Fifth District, the land beneath his feet felt strangely unfamiliar.

He didn't know where this feeling came from. Although as the captain of the Devil Squad, he rarely returned to the base and spent most of his time in the Contaminated Land directing the work, he did occasionally not return at all. He had never had this feeling before when he returned.

Now, when he was finally able to take off his mask and breathe fresh air, he found that the air was filled with a sticky smell that was very unfamiliar to him, as if it were mixed with blood.

This feeling is very unpleasant.

"You've really worked hard, Captain You Li." Huo Ge Ni also removed his mask and stood beside You Li with a half-smile. "You and your men can finally get some rest and relax."

"Can we really get some rest now?" You Li turned around and looked at the large chunks of contaminated, rotting flesh behind him. "With all this stuff here, I don't think it's going to be easy for me to relax."

"Don't worry," Huo Ge Ni shrugged. "We'll handle it tonight."

"Tonight?" You Li frowned slightly, then looked at Huo Ge Ni. "You guys?"

"Yes, Captain You Li," Huo Ge Ni said. "Your mission is complete. Now you can leave the rest to us."

"What are you going to do?" You Li became wary.

"Hehe, you know, of course we're taking those two things with us," Huo Ge Ni said with a laugh. "We'll move them overnight."

"... Is it really necessary to be in such a hurry?"

"Of course," Huo Ge Ni said. "You should know that Bishop Ao Li Wei has returned. He needs those two things, and tomorrow he will give the people of Lyra a new explanation."

"What explanation?"

"Naturally..." Huo Ge Ni smiled, "A brand new future."

You Li's brow furrowed even deeper.

He didn't know if Huo Ge Ni was deliberately trying to mislead the Riddler or if Lyra had indeed undergone too many changes during this time, and he knew nothing about it, which was why he couldn't understand.

But no matter what, this feeling made him very uncomfortable.

You Li wanted to get Huo Ge Ni to explain things clearly, but he knew he didn't have that right.

Because the Devil is not the Night Star. Since the incident ten years ago, the Evening Star Corps was disbanded and the Devil Squad was established.

The two Pioneer Force not only have different names, but their status is also vastly different. Back then, the Night Stars could directly participate in all affairs of Lyra, but now the Demons can only work in the Contamination Zone and are not allowed to interfere in Lyra's decision-making. Even the Fifth District has been separated, and the Knight of the Devil Squad cannot leave the Fifth District without application.

They even added Emergency Device around their necks to prevent the Devil Squad from one day going out of control like the Night Star of the Decade.

This feeling of sacrificing oneself for Lyra, yet simultaneously being guarded against and watched by the entire Lyra, has always lingered in the hearts of every Devil Knight.

This has led many Devil Knights to try every means to leave this place.

That so-called New Pursuit Society, and that guy named Yong Xin, is one of their methods.

... It seems I'm thinking too far ahead.

You Li suddenly realized that his thoughts had wandered too far, so he brought his attention back to Huo Ge Ni.

"Is there anything else we need to do?" You Li asked.

"As I said, you just need to get some rest with your team," Huo Ge Ni said, still smiling. "Leave the rest to us; we'll take care of the debris."

You Li nodded.

He understood what Huo Ge Ni said.

This doesn't mean giving them a rest in the literal sense, but rather letting them leave temporarily.

They didn't let the Devil Squad know what Huo Ge Ni was going to do next, nor when they would leave.

In this way, their whereabouts became a "secret".

That way, they can transport those two items back without anyone noticing, to the greatest extent possible.

Although Yuri had guessed Huo Ge Ni's plan, You Li still didn't quite understand it.

Even though they've already returned to Lyra, even if they don't trust the Devil Squad, what about the Skeleton Corps?

Why not just have the Skeleton Corps escort them?

Lyra isn't some chaotic place, and the other party is just one person. Is it really necessary to be this cautious?

And...

You Li narrowed his eyes and looked again at the people behind Huo Ge Ni.

Even now, these people have not taken off their masks and are still fully armed.

Logically speaking, Lyra only has two armed forces: one responsible for external forces, namely the Devil Squad dealing with the Contaminated Land, and the other responsible for internal forces, namely the Skeleton Corps.

The group that Huo Ge Ni brought was clearly not from the Skeleton Corps, so who were they?

If it belongs to Bishop Ao Li Wei, then why would Bishop Ao Li Wei establish a new armed force? In name only, the skeletons and the devil should be under his command.

Is this part of the "new future" that Bishop Ao Li Wei spoke of?

Even though she had only been gone for a few months, Lyra suddenly became incomprehensible.

You Li remained silent for a while, but ultimately did not offer any opinion on the matter. He simply said to Huo Ge Ni, "Remember to handle it properly and don't let those things leak out."

He was referring, of course, to the remnants of those pollutants.

The body parts and the Purification Source Crystal were unrelated to him, but the pollutant residue was still related to him. You Li decided to focus on doing his job well.

"Of course." Huo Ge Ni clearly understood You Li's meaning and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, we will handle it cleanly and won't make things difficult for you, Captain You Li. Thank you for your cooperation."

You Li didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

Of course, he didn't do nothing. He summoned several Devil Knights on guard outside Huo Ge Ni's sight and had them stand guard on the perimeter.

Even if we ignore what Huo Ge Ni is doing, we absolutely cannot allow the pollutants to leak out. If we discover any signs of that, we must issue an immediate warning.

Only after several Devil Knight gave their promises was You Li able to leave with peace of mind.

After walking through several streets, You Li's expression gradually relaxed, and his brows, which had been tense for months, gradually calmed down.

But he quickened his pace.

Because the row of low houses at the end of the street had already come into his view.

The Fifth District, where the Devil Squad were stationed, was not a military fortress.

As its name suggests, it is just a partition.

Ten years ago, it also had many ordinary residents. It wasn't until the Night Star Incident ten years ago that those ordinary residents living in the Fifth District gradually withdrew, leaving only the newly established Devil Squad and their families.

In a sense, Fifth District is the former Rim Station, the village of heroes of the Night Star.

However, it has long lost its heroic reputation and is now more of a feared and avoided entity.

Although it still provides housing and all the basic necessities for the Devil Knight and his family, no one considers it a normal district anymore.

Few Devil Knight are willing to bring their families to live here.

Only about one or two out of ten Devil Knights would do this, which resulted in very few people in the family quarters of the Fifth District.

However, You Li, as the team captain, still brought his wife and daughter over.

Although he rarely sees his wife and daughters due to his busy work schedule, it is still the place he values most.

His wife, too, though she knew he would be home very rarely, would still light a lamp at the door every night, just to illuminate his way home.

Now, You Li saw the lamp, which instantly softened his steely heart, and he wanted to quicken his pace.

But then he suddenly remembered his conversation with Huo Ge Ni, and he stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked in the other direction.

Not far away, a Tower of Babel, stood majestically under the moonlight.

That's a branch tower in the Fifth District.

The one in charge is Bishop Wei Sen of the Fifth District.

Bishop Wei Sen, too, has not made an appearance for ten years.

What exactly happened?

What exactly is the "new future" that the returning Bishop Ao Li Wei spoke of?

You Li had been telling himself not to worry about things outside of his job, but now, standing in front of the lamp that just illuminated the path beneath his feet, he found it hard to convince himself not to think about these things.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them.

You Li raised an eyebrow, but didn't turn around. He simply asked calmly, "Have you been waiting for me, Ina?"

From the darkness, a tall woman emerged; it was Ina.

"Yes, You Li." Ina nodded slightly.

"It's been a few days since we last met, so I should give you a proper greeting."

You Li slowly turned around and looked at Ina standing behind him. His gaze then moved from bottom to top, finally settling on the Blazing Fire Sword at Ina's waist.

Even though the sword was still in its sheath, one could already vaguely see the heat and fire emanating from it.

You Li knew that the sword had been set ablaze.

"What exactly happened?" You Li asked calmly. "Haven't we seen each other for a few days, and you've already turned against me?"

"A lot has happened, You Li," Ina said softly. "I wanted to have a good talk with you, but... there's no time."

"...Is it that time is no longer available? I feel like everyone has been reminding me of the time these past few days." You Li tapped the Emergency Device on his neck, which had stopped working, with his finger. "It's like someone put one of these things in my head, but none of you are willing to tell me what's going on."

"Sorry, You Li."

"... Can I take this to mean that you have sided with your father?"

Ina did not deny it. "Yes."

"...It seems some people's concerns about your father were justified," You Li said. "It seems he has already amassed a large following?"

"No," Ina said, "It's just me."

You Li looked into Ina's eyes again, wondering if Ina had been influenced or controlled.

But none of that happened; Ina's eyes remained unchanged, just as they had when she faced those pollutants.

She was not contaminated.

You Li sighed. "You should at least tell me what's going on."

"It's complicated," Ina said, "But it can be summarized simply—you brought back things you shouldn't have brought back from the Contaminated Land."

Is that really the reason?

You Li wasn't particularly affected, and simply said slowly, "Since you're already here, that means your father has arrived as well, right?"

He looked around and didn't sense the presence of anyone else.

"It seems your father has already headed over there," You Li said. "Leaving aside whether he succeeds, you've come here... to stop me? Using my family?"

"No," Ina said, "I'm just here to stop you, and..."

She paused.

"A lot will happen tonight, and I don't want your family to get hurt."

"So you're still here to protect my family?" You Li said with a smile. "That's very much like you, Ina."

"Don't move, You Li." Ina stared at You Li's hand and said seriously, "I know your swordsmanship, so I preheated the sword. If you make any move... I don't want An Qi to lose her father."

An Qi is You Li's daughter.

"So you want me to just watch?"

"I can tell you everything after tonight," Ina said, "But not now. I don't have that much time, and you wouldn't believe me anyway."

"Is that so?" You Li nodded slightly, as if he was understanding. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he looked into Ina's eyes and said, "Speaking of which, a few days ago I Abyss Land a... um, ghost? I wanted to ask if you know him."

"Don't try to distract me," Ina said coldly. "I'll be completely focused on you."

"I do want to know, because I promised him something," You Li said. "He was wearing the Night Star uniform and said he had forgotten a lot of things, Lyra, but he only remembered one thing very vaguely."

He paused for a moment, then looked into Ina's eyes and spoke softly.

"He said he owed something to a woman, and that thing was... Music Box."

Ina's pupils narrowed slightly.

In an instant.

The two swords were drawn at the same time, one red and one black.

The red blade is ablaze with fire, as if it were about to cleave the silent night, while the black blade is hidden in the darkness. When it is swung, no shadow of the sword can be seen; only the sharp whistling sound of it cutting through the air can be heard.

Clang!

The red and black swords clashed and nearly broke the black one due to the intense heat of the red blade.

But the black sword withstood the attack, and simultaneously used the crimson flames on the red blade to heat itself up.

The two quickly stepped back, but now they were on equal footing.

"It seems you do know that person," You Li said.

"Yes," Ina did not deny it. "Many years ago, I called him uncle."

"Then that woman?"

"She is his wife."

"How is it?"

"They've gone mad."

You Li fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, "He is a hero, I saw it with my own eyes."

Ina was somewhat surprised.

"Step aside, Ina," You Li said. "I assure you, I will not harm your father, and I will do my best to bring the truth to light."

Ina shook her head. "I'm not afraid that you will hurt my father."

"What is that?"

"I'm afraid my father might accidentally kill you."

You Li was taken aback.

The next second, a shrill scream echoed through the sky.