The mastermind

"What problem?"

Xu Ye stood behind a pillar, watching the thick smoke billow before him. Alice emerged from the dust with a grave expression. It was the first time he had ever seen her look so solemn.

"I'll share the images with you first."

Xu Ye hesitated, then nodded.

The next second, his mind swelled as though something enormous had been stuffed inside it. His head felt heavy and dull as memories that weren't his forced their way in.

These were Wu Xiuxiu's memories, presented to Xu Ye from a first-person perspective, as though he had experienced them himself.

Xu Ye saw a series of scenes.

"Mom, I'm off to school." Her son, Wang Yong, wore his backpack as he brought Wu Xiuxiu some boiled water and slightly moldy toast.

"Go on. Be careful on the way, and study hard." Wu Xiuxiu stood in the doorway, watching Wang Yong disappear into the distance. She returned to the cramped, shabby, dark rental room, took a sip of water, and broke off a small piece of bread to put in her mouth.

As the toast melted in her mouth with a faint hint of cream, a thought welled up in Wu Xiuxiu's mind.

If only I had some milk.

Unfortunately, she hadn't had milk in a long time.

Moldy toast, meanwhile, was even cheaper.

The taste of moldy toast filled Xu Ye's mouth as well. It was unpleasant.

His view shifted with Wu Xiuxiu's gaze.

The drafty window needed fixing. The cobwebs by the table leg needed clearing away. She also had to repay the money she owed Old Wang next door, or the few yuan in daily interest would make life even harder for her and her son.

Her son's tuition and living expenses for next semester...

Although the school covered more than half, what remained was still expensive.

Wu Xiuxiu's chest felt tight, and she thumped it.

To her, life was a pool of stagnant water.

She was like a little fish struggling in that stagnant water, flopping about, one misstep away from death.

Maybe I should sell my organs?

She had heard organs fetched a good price on the black market.

The family next door had once been even worse off than she was, but after their daughter sold her organs a few times, they had even bought a home in the city.

But her face fell again.

The black market only wanted young people's organs now. At her age, and with the amount of radiation in her body, probably no one would want hers.

"..."

The scene changed.

In the pitch-black night, rain poured down.

"Ptui!"

"Old hag, you should feel honored that I wanted you, and you have the nerve to ask me for money?"

Zhang Xuliang appeared, speeding away in his vehicle.

Wu Xiuxiu had been kicked out of the car and landed in a drainage ditch. The downpour soaked her long hair and clothes.

She had hoped to get closer to Zhang Xuliang and obtain the compensation owed for her husband's death. She hadn't expected...

Again and again, she pounded the ground.

The skin between her thumb and forefinger tore, and blood flowed out, mingling with the rain.

Overwhelming sorrow and despair surged through her. In that instant, Xu Ye felt the same emotions, and he heaved a deep sigh inwardly.

"..."

The scene changed again.

A figure stood before Wu Xiuxiu, holding an oil-paper umbrella.

The voice was gentle.

Some of the memories had become muddled, and Xu Ye couldn't clearly hear what the person was saying.

Only scattered fragments reached him.

"As long as you join us..."

"I can guarantee that your son will have a good life from now on."

"Money, power... you'll have it all."

"Drink this, and no one will ever bully you or your son again. You can take your revenge without fear..."

A vial of black, bubbling liquid was placed before Wu Xiuxiu.

"What will happen if I drink it?" Wu Xiuxiu asked, trembling.

She barely managed to lift her eyelids and saw the person's upper body.

It seemed to be a girl.

Amid the dark thunderstorm, however, her figure stood out with striking clarity.

In that moment, Wu Xiuxiu felt as though she had seen a god!

That overwhelming impact branded itself directly into her mind, even into the depths of her soul, making her tremble and feel compelled to worship.

"You'll become powerful."

"You'll lose your humanity."

"But we'll do our best to help you keep it under control. You might remain normal for the rest of your life, or you might go mad and lose control tomorrow."

Wu Xiuxiu hesitated, her rain-soaked hair plastered to her cheeks in the downpour.

Yet the girl's voice reached her ears with perfect clarity.

It rang like a temple bell.

"You have no choice."

"Your life is already as bad as it can get. Whichever direction you take a step in, the only way is up."

"Or do you want your son to keep living the way you do?"

"I don't... but what do I have to give?"

"Loyalty... even... your life..."

The girl laughed softly.

"We must use madness to fight distortion."

"This world is beyond saving."

"You and I both know that... so don't meekly remain in every patch of darkness. Use blood..."

"You keep saying 'we.' Who are you?" Wu Xiuxiu asked.

"From depravity we rise; through destruction we endure eternally."

"We come from the Eternal Church."

"Welcome to our ranks."

Rumble!

A massive bolt of lightning split the sky, where darkness churned like ink.

Wu Xiuxiu barely managed to raise her head. Her eyes widened as she saw a face that was young, even fresh and innocent.

She knew this person.

"Qin Yingying!"

The images shattered.

The entire world began to collapse, then pieced itself together again.

Xu Ye's vision returned to the school.

Unable to contain his shock, he sucked in a sharp breath. Dust and smoke irritated his windpipe, sending him into a violent coughing fit.

"Qin Yingying? How could it be her?"

Alice nodded repeatedly. "Right? Right? We actually ran into someone from the Eternal Church, and it's your dear Class Monitor Qin, no less. I told you that girl was bad news the moment I saw her. She gave this cat a very dangerous feeling."

"Xu Ye, I just know there's more to this Eternal Church business. It's not something we can get involved in. Let's report it right away and get out of here."

Xu Ye ignored Alice's hindsight.

He raised his head stiffly and watched Wang Yong rush over, cradle the ruined half of Wu Xiuxiu's body, and sob silently.

He hadn't expected this Pollution Incident to have been caused by the Eternal Church from ten years ago.

Then he thought of Li Kang last time.

Everything felt like a vast whirlpool, dragging him into its depths.

"Heart Simulation showed Night Spirit City blowing up in six months. Could that have something to do with the Eternal Church?"

"A church of lunatics, using extreme methods to recruit believers, then causing horrific Pollution Incidents, and finally even blowing up Night Spirit City?"

This really was... a headache.

"Little Ye, are you all right?" He Li walked over calmly with a cannon on her shoulder, her impressive figure drawing stares.

"For someone who's only just become an Awakened, you've done remarkably well to get this far. You should know that most beginners can't even handle an Aberrant with 50 energy units."

Xu Ye took a deep breath and interrupted her solemnly. "Sister Li, we still haven't dealt with the mastermind."