"By the way, we were just talking about your little sister..."
After settling the details of the plan, Le Yu prepared to leave, but Yin Yinyin suddenly called out to him.
"You only have three years left to live, what are you thinking?" Le Yu watched Yin Yinyin warily. "If you work for what you eat, three years will pass quickly."
"...You're the first person who's made me want to turn off the lights." Yin Yinyin tugged at the corner of his mouth and said coldly, "'Stargazer' may be dead, but his application to the organization has already been approved."
"What does that have to do with my sister?"
"'Stargazer' requested that White Night use its connections to transfer your sister somewhere safe so she could continue her studies." Yin Yinyin put on his hood. "The organization has already made arrangements. Your sister can continue her studies at Yan Jing Royal Academy. Someone there has already been assigned to look after her."
Le Yu's spirits lifted. "Wonderful! When is someone coming to take her away?"
Yin Yinyin was silent for quite a while. "...Your attitude doesn't seem like you're trying to protect your sister. It's more like you're sending away a plague god."
Le Yu curled his lips, but did not deny it.
After all, aside from masochists, who would enjoy coming home every day to clash with his little sister in the mid lane?
"Don't get your hopes up. No one will come to pick up your sister. What do you think White Night is? A charitable educational aid institution?" Yin Yinyin mocked him. "White Night is only providing your sister with various conveniences. She still has to take the initiative to go to Yan Jing to study."
Le Yu asked in confusion, "What do you mean? Not only will no one pick up the package, but it has to mail itself there?"
It took Yin Yinyin several seconds to understand what Le Yu meant. "Yes. Your family has no connection to Yan Jing, and any proactive interference could attract unwanted attention—especially since you're an agent of the Statistics Department. Too much attention would only harm your sister."
"The entrance examination for Yan Jing Royal Academy will be held in twenty days. As long as your sister takes the exam, White Night will help her avoid all difficulties." Yin Yinyin paused. "I've heard your sister gets excellent grades, but... that isn't a place you can enter just by having good grades."
Yan Jing was the capital of the Radiant Court, as well as the safest place in the world. Although the Skyline District had fallen and the other administrative districts were on high alert, no one suspected that Yan Jing would suffer the ravages of war. In two thousand years, Yan Jing had never fallen.
There had been political struggles, and even usurpations and changes of government, but no army had ever conquered Yan Jing. Even if countless people believed that the Radiant Court was about to decline, they likewise believed that Yan Jing would stand upon the earth forever.
Yan Jing Royal Academy, known in ancient times as the Imperial Academy, was the Radiant Court's highest institution of learning and education. It was a sacred place for all students, and its influence extended throughout the Radiant Court. Li Shijie had graduated from Yan Jing Royal Academy. The fact that he had been able to beat up the mighty and valiant Deputy Director Kui Zhao at the age of twenty already said a great deal—Kui Zhao was at least a dozen years older than Li Shijie!
Time had a tremendous effect on the Awakened. Kui Zhao, in his thirties, was at the peak of his life, with his body cultivation, mental cultivation, and combat arts all at their best. Li Shijie's physical and mental cultivation were inevitably weaker than Kui Zhao's, as could be seen from how he had mainly evaded and maneuvered around Kui Zhao's attacks during their battle.
Yet despite such a disparity, Li Shijie had relied solely on his combat arts to beat Kui Zhao until he was crippled and defeated like a collapsing mountain. This was enough to prove how high the teaching standards at Yan Jing Royal Academy were.
The threshold for Yan Jing Royal Academy was naturally extremely high. The entrance examination was only one hurdle, and perhaps the least important one at that—this world had no shortage of talented geniuses with powerful backgrounds who also worked hard.
"So I'm supposed to advise her to take the train to Yan Jing..." Le Yu said softly.
The Radiant Court's railway network was fairly well developed. Basically, every administrative district was connected by rail, and the trains were not powered solely by steam engines or internal combustion engines. In fact, internal combustion engines played only an auxiliary role. The true primary energy source was Radiant Stone solar power.
The railways could still operate for now, but it was hard to say what things would be like in a few years. For example, the railway system in the Skyline District had already become a "local network"—the armies from the outer districts could forget about rapidly transporting troops into the Skyline District by rail.
"You don't need to deliberately guide her," Yin Yinyin said. "The Star Engraving National Middle School will hold a graduation assessment in two days. At that time, the teachers will recommend that students with good grades go to Yan Jing to take the examination. You only need to give her the money and permit her to go to Yan Jing. Once she arrives, everything will go smoothly... unless your sister likes you so much that she can't bear to leave Star Engraving Prefecture."
"Perhaps that is possible." Le Yu nodded gravely.
"That's all there is to it." Yin Yinyin could not be bothered with Le Yu's bad joke. "Although you may not feel reassured by what I've said, Yan Jing is an unfamiliar place to you siblings... But believe me, as long as your sister reaches Yan Jing, White Night won't let her encounter any difficulties."
Le Yu felt that something was off.
After all, White Night was a revolutionary organization whose main goal was to overthrow the Radiant Court—in other words, a professional organization for rebellion.
And Yan Jing Royal Academy was the Radiant Court's Imperial Academy. Simply put, all the students there were disciples of the Son of Heaven.
Yet not only was Li Shijie of Yan Jing Royal Academy a White Night Walker, White Night could now even manipulate the academy's admissions and guarantee that Qian Yuya, who had no significant background, would enter comfortably...
What kind of people did you have in this Yan Jing Royal Academy? Did they teach dragon-slaying arts and ideological education in class? How had it become a massive training center for undercover traitors?
After they finished discussing the matter, Le Yu prepared to return the way he had come, but Yin Yinyin stopped him. "Go up from here. From now on, come directly when you're looking for me. Don't use that route—the escape route can't be used too often. That's common sense."
"Is that all right?" Le Yu was rather surprised. "Aren't you afraid people will discover our shameful relationship?"
Yin Yinyin ignored him and went straight down the stairs to the first floor. Le Yu followed him up and found what seemed to be a clinic above: reclining chairs, mirrors, white lights, and an indescribable smell. It was not the smell of disinfectant, but it was just as pungent and unpleasant.
Medicine in this world was extremely peculiar. It mainly used mental combat arts as a treatment method, supplemented by herbal preparations to regulate the body, while also researching surgical operations. It was a pragmatic technology that mixed sorcery with science.
"I see... So even if I leave from here, people will only think I'm your patient?" Le Yu suddenly understood. "I didn't expect you to be a quack doctor in Eighteen Streets."
The legitimate doctors in this world all belonged to the Medical Officer Department, which was essentially a public hospital. Ordinary people received no discounts when seeking treatment there; it was simply established by the state. The official doctors of the Medical Officer Department had varying incomes, but all shared one characteristic: they were busy enough to go bald.
After all, every patient in the entire city could only go to the Medical Officer Department. Even if more than half of them could not afford treatment and never went, the remaining minority was enough to keep the department open year-round.
Some doctors who wanted higher pay and disliked working long hours would open clinics elsewhere. These were quack doctors. Their skill levels varied, they had no professional certification, and they could easily cause medical accidents. Yin Yinyin was a perfect example: spy as his main profession, doctor as his side job. Who knew whether he used house calls as an excuse to assassinate people everywhere?
"If you ever need treatment, you can come to me," Yin Yinyin said flatly.
"What do you mainly treat?"
"Toothaches and hemorrhoids. I also know ordinary surgery."
Le Yu's expression froze. "People in Eighteen Streets actually seek treatment for those two things?"
"Many people can endure the pain of chills, fever, severed limbs, and so on, but absolutely no one can endure a toothache." Yin Yinyin said calmly, "Hemorrhoids are very common here. Nine out of ten men have them, and the food sources in Eighteen Streets aren't very clean. For example, that Boss Lei you beat up just now is a regular here..."
"Stop! I don't want to hear your story about that bald man's asshole!"
"Have a safe trip. No need to see you out."
Le Yu strode out of the clinic. When he looked back, he found himself in an unfamiliar district. Xiangle Gambling House was not far away, and the Flower Street was farther on. The clinic's ghastly white light slanted out through its glazed windows, illuminating several words:
"Toothaches, Hemorrhoids, Bone Setting"
What a concise and clear sign... Le Yu found the Radiant Bell Tower shining in the distance. He first headed toward it to leave Eighteen Streets, then followed the main road home.
He carefully unlocked the door, pulled open the crossbar, and then opened the inner door.
The house was completely silent. Le Yu tiptoed upstairs and was just about to return to his bedroom when the door of the room beside him opened.
Only the two siblings of the Qian Family lived in this house. Naturally, the person opening the door was not the dead Qian Yuliu, back for revenge, but Qian Yuya, whose face was cold and expressionless.
She picked up a lantern and illuminated the sneaky Le Yu. Her eyes swept over him nonstop like X-rays.
Le Yu struck first. "Why are you still awake so late?"
"I had to use the bathroom. What were you doing out so late?"
"Mind your own business, kid. Adults have things to do." Le Yu put on the dignity of an older brother. "Go finish your business and get back to bed!"
Qian Yuya was furious. After a moment of silence, she said, "The Needle-Hiding Grass stuck to your clothes contains mildly poisonous herbs. In Star Engraving Prefecture, it only grows in Eighteen Streets. It's been cleared out everywhere else... What were you doing in Eighteen Streets?"
Damn, was this the observational ability of a medical officer candidate? Or did Qian Yuya have the potential to become a famous detective?
"Don't meddle in adult affairs," Le Yu scolded.
Qian Yuya refused to back down. "If you don't tell me, I'll investigate it myself! I'll go to Eighteen Streets after school, and I won't come home until I find out what you did!"
That wouldn't do. If she didn't come home, who would cook?
Was this a woman's intuition? She had accidentally hit my weak spot!
Le Yu clicked his tongue inwardly and wondered what excuse he could use to fob her off.
Went to Eighteen Streets to treat a toothache? No, that would expose Yin Yinyin's existence.
Went to spend money on Flower Street? No, I'd take the blame for something I hadn't even done. What a loss.
Clearly, Le Yu had only one choice left. "I went gambling. Here, I won tonight. Take it to buy vegetables."
Le Yu took out the money pouch the Youth had given him. He had not expected the reward for doing a good deed to come in handy here—he really had not brought any money when he went out.
Qian Yuya took the pouch and looked at it. "You never used to gamble."
"Someone just wanted to curry favor with me and insisted on stuffing it into my hands." Le Yu lectured her, "Gambling ruins lives. Don't you touch it. I was only entertaining them. The people in Eighteen Streets were simply too enthusiastic and insisted on giving me money."
"I would never touch it!" Qian Yuya said viciously, handing the pouch back. "I don't want your dirty money. Take it back!"
Le Yu said with great seriousness, "Fine, then I'll use my own money to buy vegetables. As long as I'm wearing my Statistics Department uniform, I'll definitely get extra when I buy vegetables—"
"You... stop causing trouble everywhere!" Hearing Le Yu's "threat," Qian Yuya could only reluctantly take the money pouch back before slamming the door shut with a bang.
Le Yu blinked. He figured this would basically guarantee that Qian Yuya would obediently go buy vegetables and cook. There might even be extra dishes at dinner. It was killing two birds with one stone.
However, he had one small question.
Hadn't Qian Yuya just said she needed to use the bathroom...?
Before you continue