Three of Spades

Inside the school's infirmary.

Dawn Blade personnel came and went, getting the students settled, screening them, then erasing their memories and escorting them off campus.

Oppression, tears, discontent, suspicion... the students' complaints filled the room.

But when they saw the guns in every staff member's hands, they shrank back and fell quiet.

Before long, everyone had been processed.

The entire school stood empty, with only a handful of figures remaining.

Qin Yingying stood in a corner of the infirmary. The staff moved back and forth in front of her, then, once everything was cleared away, walked straight out as though she did not exist.

When a thunderous explosion sounded outside, Qin Yingying, her hair tied in a long ponytail, gave a sardonic smile.

"The wind's picking up."

She took off her glasses, revealing dark, fathomless eyes that gleamed like obsidian.

She turned around.

Then she headed toward the infirmary's back door.

Suddenly, a footstep sounded behind her.

Qin Yingying frowned and put her thick glasses back on, giving a startled jump that conveyed surprise and a hint of fear. Only when she saw that it was Xu Ye did her brow relax a little.

Every detail of her performance was perfectly judged.

"Xu Ye, what happened? Why was there an explosion? I want to go home!"

"Sun Tao died. He died right in front of me..."

Qin Yingying lowered her head, two trails of tears sliding from her eyes. She looked utterly pitiful.

Xu Ye stood silently where he was, watching her for a long time before saying flatly, "You caused Sun Tao's death."

Qin Yingying looked astonished.

Just then, Xu Ye raised his hand and, without hesitation, aimed at Qin Yingying's forehead and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Three bullets tore through the air in succession, leaving a scorched smell behind them. The air that had been flowing a moment ago seemed to freeze.

Qin Yingying lowered her head. With that simple movement, she effortlessly dodged all three bullets.

Wisps of smoke rose from the wall behind her.

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself? An ordinary person couldn't possibly dodge bullets." Holding the [Final Sigh], Xu Ye watched her warily.

"Interesting... how did you discover me? It doesn't make sense. We've been classmates for over two years, and I thought my disguise was pretty good. Though I never realized you were with the Dawn Blade."

Qin Yingying took off her glasses, the corners of her mouth curving into a hooked crescent.

Though she still wore her school uniform, she now carried an air of cold, aloof pride.

"Before I answer that, I want to know why the Dawn Blade personnel didn't notice you. Once they took you outside and screened you with the specialized equipment, they'd detect the spiritual energy fluctuations in your body."

"You're an Awakened."

Xu Ye's expression remained unchanged. He did not directly reveal her identity as a member of the Eternal Church.

"I am an Awakened." Qin Yingying leaned against a desk, her hands resting casually behind her back. Curiosity filled her face, but she offered an explanation. "Naturally, no one noticed me because of my Sequence Talent."

"9-030 [Presence]."

"This talent has two functions. One is to reduce my presence. Unless you know me and specifically come looking for me, most people will overlook my existence."

"The other is to increase my presence. It can even intimidate people."

Presence?

A high-ranking Sequence.

Xu Ye was inwardly startled.

He recalled Qin Yingying standing beneath the downpour in Wu Xiuxiu's memories, looking like a deity. She had probably used her Sequence Talent to make people submit.

"You still haven't given me your explanation." Qin Yingying shrugged.

"First, my spiritual sensitivity is very high, high enough to pick up on almost imperceptible fluctuations. Unless you never use your ability, I'll detect it," Xu Ye lied.

For now, he did not want to reveal [Soul-Seizing], a Divine Sequence with limitless potential.

Qin Yingying looked a little surprised.

"Second, when I came to class yesterday, you actually wanted to write down my name for being late. And when I skipped class, you deliberately tried to stop me, probably to make sure that woman left the school quickly."

"But did you forget? I come first in our year on every exam. I've always had special privileges."

Qin Yingying's eyes flickered.

"Could it be that after you became an Awakened, your primary and secondary personalities kept switching, disrupting your memories?" Xu Ye guessed.

But he had hit the nail on the head.

Qin Yingying pursed her lips. "But that's still not enough. It doesn't add up. At most, it makes me a little unusual. None of that should have led you to suspect me. Besides, why would I do this?"

"There are very few Awakened, and almost no unaffiliated ones among ordinary civilians. Here in Night Spirit City, if you aren't an Awakened from another major faction, you're probably with the Eternal Church. As it happens, I've recently encountered some of their members."

"This is very similar to the methods they used over a decade ago, creating chaos through Pollution Incidents," Xu Ye said, mixing truth with falsehood.

Qin Yingying looked a little dazed. She lowered her head to look at her legs, then finally raised it again with a frown. "Just from that?"

Xu Ye smiled, keeping his gun trained on her. "Observe carefully, theorize boldly, verify logically..."

"I was once obsessed with archaeology and reached an earth-shattering conclusion. No archaeologist in the world has ever dug a plastic bag out of an ancient tomb, so I deduced that people in ancient times had already invented biodegradable plastic bags."

"Another example: I once saw a case on television about a missing eight-year-old girl. I cleverly deduced that the culprit was a jar of face cream, because the girl had used the cream her mother bought, which claimed to make you ten years younger."

"?"

You're such a smart-ass.

Qin Yingying stared, dumbfounded, then shook her head with a laugh. "Forget it. You top students always think a little differently."

"Still, there's no point trying to defend myself now. I imagine the Dawn Blade has this place surrounded already."

Xu Ye sounded apologetic. "Even though we're classmates, I can't let you go. You can explain yourself at the Dawn Blade. If you give us the names of all the Eternal Church members, you might receive leniency."

"You mean the Eternal Holy Book..." Qin Yingying said frankly. "Actually, I really don't know. Members of the Eternal Church don't know one another's identities. Only the Ace of Spades knows some of the members."

"The Ace of Spades?" Xu Ye asked in surprise.

"The Ace of Spades is our bishop. It's just a code name. Mine, for example, is the Three of Spades."

As she spoke, Qin Yingying took out a three of spades playing card.

Then, before Xu Ye's shocked eyes, she drew it across her own throat.

Blood spurted out.

Qin Yingying's body collapsed to the floor.

The swift, decisive suicide left both Xu Ye and Alice stunned.

"Alice, Soul-Seizing!"

Alice darted forward, golden ripples swirling in her feline eyes.

"It's no use, Xu Ye. I can't find her soul."

"Either her soul was affected by a high-ranking Taboo Object, or [Soul-Seizing] was disrupted by another Divine Sequence." Alice helplessly spread her paws.