"Then do you think you vaporized your opponent with one sword strike, or wounded him and let him escape?" Yu Lian asked again.
This time, Gongsun Qing replied with absolute certainty. "I wounded him, but didn't kill him. I'm sure of it."
"The Coastal Security Bureau even kept the surrounding waters under surveillance around the clock, but they found nothing else. Experts from both the Supernatural Affairs Administration and the Adventurers' Association were at the scene. If there'd been any blood left behind, they should have found it."
"He wasn't bleeding. Otherwise, I would've smelled it right there." Gongsun Qing gave her elegant nose another twitch.
Are you a police dog?
...Well, supposedly, the "Mithril Bones" strengthened more than just a person's health. They heightened the senses, too. Maybe it had all gone straight to her nose.
"So, what exactly is this?" Gongsun Qing opened her notebook, held it up to cover half her face, and showed Yu Lian the string of characters.
"Numbers in the long-lost language of the Seramite giants," Yu Lian said. "Put together, they make 2389774584."
"And what does that number mean?"
"No idea." Yu Lian said with an air of pride, "I haven't the faintest clue."
"Then what are you so pleased about?" Gongsun Qing was so annoyed she wanted to stamp her foot.
"But I did manage to decipher it. Isn't that worth being proud of?" Yu Lian chuckled, then picked up the drawing board by his feet. The image on it had a neat outer ring divided into three layers, while straight lines and elegant curves were arranged in an orderly pattern within. Together, they formed a design with a pleasingly minimalist geometric beauty.
"This is what I saw earlier. See? I got it all down."
Gongsun Qing studied the curious design suspiciously,