Many years later, when Xia Lingo returned to the lecture square in Star Engraving Prefecture, he could still clearly recall the afternoon he first met Qian Yuliu.
It had been the graduation ceremony of Star Engraving Military Academy. Xia Lingo had been a first-year freshman standing below the stage. Back then, he regarded everyone around him as radishes—and in fact, he still saw them that way. He had no interest in the ceremony's tiresome formalities, though he did not dislike them. He simply found them utterly meaningless and tedious.
But when the student representative stepped onto the stage, Xia Lingo's gaze was immediately drawn to the young man.
"Respected teachers and dear fellow students, good afternoon. It is my great honor to speak here as the student representative. I am Qian Yuliu, from the Investigation and Special Operations Command Department."
From the very first word that came out of that man's mouth, Xia Lingo knew that he and Qian Yuliu belonged to the same species. No matter how grandiloquently he spoke, there was no emotion in his words, no respect in his eyes, and his voice revealed a ruthlessness like raw iron—this man had no humanity at all.
People like them were born without knowing why they lived, and died without fearing why they died.
They were like rain falling from the sky, born only to plunge into the earth, drifting aimlessly with the wind.
Thus, Xia Lingo investigated Qian Yuliu's actions. After learning that Qian Yuliu had entered White Night through Lin Jinyao, he approached Lin Jinyao as well, retracing Qian Yuliu's old path. There was no other reason. In this world, the only person who could arouse Xia Lingo's curiosity was his fellow kind, Qian Yuliu.
However, he did not copy Qian Yuliu's methods completely. Qian Yuliu liked to wear a mask of outward coldness and inner warmth when dealing with people, but Xia Lingo had no interest in that. The mask he wore was "transparent."
If Qian Yuliu was an idol putting on a performance for the occasion, Xia Lingo was a spectator standing by with folded arms.
When Qian Yuliu joined the Statistics Department, Xia Lingo did not follow suit—because he had not graduated yet. Besides, he had no need to join, since Qian Yuliu stood on the same side as him.
Yes, Xia Lingo did not believe the rumors outside at all. He was certain that Qian Yuliu had been sent to the Statistics Department by Lin Jinyao as a spy, because Qian Yuliu had no reason whatsoever to be attracted to the Statistics Department. Prospects, honor, power—none of these things held any meaning for people like them.
Only amusement was the sole nourishment of their lives, just as Qian Yuliu was to Xia Lingo, just as... Qian Yuya was to Qian Yuliu.
Xia Lingo quietly remained by Lin Jinyao's side, observing Qian Yuliu in secret the entire time. Whether Qian Yuliu was promoted to captain of the Statistics Department or gradually gained a foul reputation, Xia Lingo continued to watch him.
The change came on that rainy night a few days ago.
When Qian Yuliu entered Lin Jinyao's residence, Xia Lingo keenly sensed that this person was not Qian Yuliu—or at least, not the Qian Yuliu he knew. Especially when Qian Yuliu shot Lin Jinyao, the trembling finger pressing the trigger and the reluctance revealed in his eyes left Xia Lingo utterly baffled.
How should he put it? Even if Qian Yuliu had changed sex, it would not have been more shocking than this.
People changed; Xia Lingo knew that. But that applied to ordinary people. For cold-blooded people like them, only their masks changed, like the patterns on a sword's blade. No matter how ornate or plain, they could not alter the fact that it was a weapon for killing.
But now... this aloof sword, Qian Yuliu, had actually acquired a scabbard.
And because he could not let go of his confusion, when Zuo Shiwen—the headmaster of Star Engraving Military Academy, Lin Jinyao's ally and friend—secretly conveyed White Night's "request" to them in Lin Jinyao's memorial hall, Xia Lingo took the initiative to volunteer for this revenge challenge.
There had been some twists and turns along the way. After all, quite a few people wanted to participate in a revenge challenge to beat Qian Yuliu senseless. Xia Lingo was an unremarkable man whose words never startled anyone, so he naturally faced plenty of competition. In the end, he beat several of them senseless and finally secured a spot.
Joining White Night and avenging Lin Jinyao had nothing to do with Xia Lingo. He merely wanted to use this opportunity to have a deeper physical exchange with Qian Yuliu.
For people who wore masks like them, language was the most feeble form of communication. Not a single word or punctuation mark Qian Yuliu spoke was worth believing. Only the collision of fists and flesh could allow Xia Lingo to pursue the secret behind Qian Yuliu's transformation.
Moreover, Xia Lingo truly believed he could defeat the current Qian Yuliu. A sword still in its scabbard—what could it possibly cut?
The result...
"Cough!"
Other students helped Xia Lingo to his feet. He coughed twice, feeling numb with pain in all four limbs. Qian Yuliu's Biting Combat Arts had not been for show. Although Xia Lingo had won several exchanges, this was the real world, where blocking did not mean suffering no damage. Force acted equally in both directions.
So when Xia Lingo watched Qian Yuliu turn around and demand that the next revenge challenge begin at once, he suddenly understood.
This was no sword with a scabbard.
He was simply wielding the blade like a mace.
Otherwise, there was no explaining how he could still be energetic enough to continue fighting. Qian Yuliu's injuries could only be more severe than Xia Lingo's. The moment Xia Lingo left the battle, pain had already made him unable to stand, yet Qian Yuliu could still keep fighting!
What did that mean?
It meant that Qian Yuliu had reached a higher realm, a superhuman realm beyond Xia Lingo's comprehension!
The mask he wore could even deceive the senses and sever the connection to pain!
Everyone else had only seen the first layer of Qian Yuliu's outrageous conduct. Xia Lingo had seen the second layer, Qian Yuliu's drastic change in temperament. He had never expected Qian Yuliu to be on the fifth layer—far from becoming as shallow as ordinary people, he had instead grown even more unfathomable!
Qian Yuliu had already become an existence even less human than him!
"Qian Yuliu, I will keep watching you until we both plunge into the earth," Xia Lingo said between breaths.
Upon hearing this, Le Yu paused.
What does that mean? Is he announcing his death? Is he looking for a chance to jump off a building with me and die together?
Ugh. There aren't even many tall buildings in Star Engraving Prefecture. I should avoid tall-building construction from now on.
Sigh, Qian Yuliu, you really are a sinful man... Le Yu sighed and looked toward the final revenge challenger.
All he wanted now was to finish things here as quickly as possible, then go to the Medical Officer Department and find some strong old medical officer to massage him. He was not in pain at the moment, but he felt so sore and limp that it was terribly unpleasant, as if someone had beaten him up—which, in fact, someone had.
But the world clearly would not go according to Le Yu's wishes. He had to be fully alert to face this final revenge challenger.
Lin Jinyao's daughter, Lin Xue.
"After this battle, the Lin Family will sever all ties of gratitude and enmity with you and will never cause trouble again." Lin Xue cupped her fists, her expression indifferent. "If I win, I ask only that Captain Qian kneel and bow his head toward the north. If I lose, the Lin Family ancestral residence will belong to you."
As soon as she said this, the onlookers erupted in uproar.
"Xue'er!" Gao Jin, who had just regained consciousness, was shocked when he heard this. "That's the teacher's—"
"I have made up my mind. Please do not disturb my revenge challenge." Lin Xue gazed calmly at Le Yu. "With the Patrol Guards as witnesses, my verbal promise is valid. Uncle, please forgive Xue'er for being willful."
The worried middle-aged man, Lin Xue'en, sighed. He drew the sword at his waist, lightly sliced his palm, and let the blood drip down.
"Since my elder brother entrusted everything to you, I, Lin Xue'en, have no objections whatsoever to how you dispose of the Lin Family ancestral residence. If I go back on my word afterward, may this sword pierce my heart."
Le Yu raised his brows slightly. One particularly unfair aspect of the revenge-challenge system was that the avenger merely had to expend one legitimate revenge opportunity and otherwise paid no price at all. Even if they lost, they suffered no losses. But if the revenge challenger lost, they had to apologize at the least and pay compensation at worst. No matter what, they came out disadvantaged.
Thus, some more gentlemanly avengers would not only state what the revenge challenger had to do upon losing, but would also offer what they themselves would pay if they lost. This type was relatively uncommon. After all, there truly were not many people who could maintain their etiquette and integrity after losing their parents or close friends.
Of course, some avengers would keep offering increasingly steep stakes to trick revenge challengers into refusing to surrender. This sort of baiting was recognized by law. After all, one was willing to fight and the other was willing to take it.
There was another possibility, however: the avenger's offered price far exceeded the compensation owed by the revenge challenger. In most cases, there was only one explanation for this: making a promise to show one's resolve.
I promise that if I lose, I'll do this and that—but I absolutely will not lose!
As Lin Jinyao's only legitimate daughter, Lin Xue naturally had the authority to dispose of the Lin Family ancestral residence, whose value far exceeded the price of a single resounding bow from Qian Yuliu.
In fact, if not for the mission, Le Yu would have wanted to kneel and bow right then and there to swindle a house. He would be bowing to Lin Jinyao anyway; he could just treat it as observing his seventh-day memorial.
Looking at Lin Xue, Le Yu was momentarily dazed.
According to his plan with Yin Yinyin, if there truly was a mole among the Lin Family disciples, then that person would definitely participate in the revenge challenges to compete for the qualification to establish White Night's branch.
Of the three avengers, Gao Jin was a complete good-for-nothing, while Xia Lingo was strong but merely Qian Yuliu's exclusive lovesick fanatic. Neither had anything to do with the mole.
And now, Lin Xue had offered the Lin Family ancestral residence, clearly believing that she could not lose!
Could the true mole actually be... Lin Xue?
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