Yelan

In truth, anyone who could successfully extract chakra was fairly talented. Even the most mediocre ninja could easily become a Chunin given enough time; with a little effort, becoming a Special Jōnin with a narrow specialty was not too difficult either. With enough luck to survive the baptism of war, becoming a Jōnin would be no problem.

It was just that being a ninja was far too dangerous. Four Shinobi World Wars had broken out in just a few decades, with countless minor clashes in between. Many talented ninja died young before they ever had time to grow. The average age at death for ninja was probably only in the early twenties; in some ninja villages, it was not even twenty.

Yucheng could actually feel it. Sixteen was generally the age when people went through their final period of physical growth, and their cells metabolized vigorously. At a time like this, even if he did not train, the amount of chakra in his body would slowly increase on its own. But doing so would mean squandering the golden period for increasing his strength.

Chakra at this stage was highly active, readily malleable, and quick to generate. It was precisely because of these characteristics that all sorts of strange, wildly imaginative ninjutsu had been developed. Some became laughingstocks and were gradually discarded, while others withstood the test of time and were passed down as their families' exclusive secret techniques.

The Nara Clan's Shadow Technique, the Aburame Clan's Insect Technique, the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch Technique, and so on-none of these abilities required a kekkei genkai to master. Anyone who knew the learning method could learn them. Unfortunately, clan secret techniques were never taught to outsiders.

Once he reached adulthood, any further rapid leaps in his strength would be impossible without outside help.

During this time, Yucheng exhausted all the chakra in his body every night before resting, then meditated through the night. When he opened his eyes, that feeling of boundless energy and strength filling his body was addictive.

During this time, Yucheng behaved himself and caused no trouble whatsoever. Life was supposed to be this plain and uneventful. How could there be schemes, plots, and people deceiving one another everywhere, as the game portrayed?

But just as Yucheng began to think this way, trouble came knocking of its own accord.

One evening, as Yucheng left the city to return to his cave dwelling on Mt. Tianheng, a ghostlike figure followed him under cover of darkness.

There was no denying the stalker's first-rate skills. Mt. Tianheng's mountain paths were narrow and steep, but the stalker moved along them as though on level ground, without making a sound.

Once Yucheng entered the stalker's hunting range, the stalker moved, bursting forward with astonishing speed. Yucheng only felt something flash past his side. Before he could react, his body toppled forward involuntarily.

Only then did he discover that fine threads had somehow wound tightly around his body. They were extraordinarily tough and sharp. With only a slight struggle, he felt them cut into his skin. Pain instantly swept through his entire body, making his scalp prickle.

"Reel in!"

The stalker appeared in front of him. Lying face down on the ground, Yucheng struggled to look up, but all he could see were legs. A pair of long, fair legs, each a meter in length, made him forget to resist.

"Ah, and here I thought you'd be a difficult one. Is this really all you've got? Ningguang made far too much of this." A languid voice rang out, with even a trace of disappointment in its tone.

That voice, that tone, and those unmistakable threads-even without seeing her face, Yucheng had already guessed his attacker's identity: Ningguang's special intelligence officer, Yelan.

"Yelan, sis, just what crime have I committed to warrant you coming to arrest me in person?"

"Oh? What a sweet talker. And you recognized me at a glance. It seems your background really isn't simple. You must be hiding quite a few secrets. Little brother, I hope you'll tell me everything honestly, or you'll be in for quite a bit of suffering."

"Uh, Yelan, sis, how about letting me go first? These threads of yours are awfully sharp. They're cutting into me, and it really hurts. Ask whatever you like. I'll tell you everything I know."

"Oh my, you seem quite cooperative, too. I do like prisoners who are willing to cooperate. But I can't untie you just yet. As long as you don't struggle, the Lifeline Thread won't hurt you. Bear with it for now."

Although Yelan said all this with a smile, Yucheng could not sense the slightest amusement on her face. So this was what they called a smile that never reached the eyes.

"Name?"

"Uchiha Yucheng."

"Where are you from?"

"A place in Inazuma called Konoha."

"Occupation?"

"Ninja."

"A ninja? Then who's your master?"

"No one is my master now. I'm completely free."

Seeing Yucheng answer so cooperatively made Yelan frown instead. This differed greatly from her impression of ninja. Based on her extensive interrogation experience, situations like this generally meant either a spineless wretch without a shred of integrity or a tough customer feeding her false intelligence.

Which kind was the boy before her?

Yelan could not say for certain. As an intelligence operative, what she actually loathed most were spineless spies like Yucheng. Her first reaction to any intelligence obtained without severe interrogation was to distrust it.

Besides, she had always believed that informants gathering intelligence ought to have some backbone of their own. Even if they were unfortunate enough to be captured, they should buy their superiors or subordinates time to evacuate before revealing real intelligence.

"All right, little brother Uchiha Yucheng from Inazuma. Could you explain what you've come to Liyue to do?"

"Nothing in particular. I was just escaping Inazuma."

"Oh? That sounds like a legitimate reason. I heard you were badly wounded when Qiqi from Bubu Pharmacy found you. You certainly sound like someone who narrowly escaped Inazuma with his life. But could you explain why Qiqi found you on a mountaintop in Chaiqiao Valley? That's a long way from the coast."

!!!

Although he had already made up a seemingly plausible excuse for his origins, Yelan's question lay completely outside anything Yucheng had considered. He had never expected Yelan to know even where Qiqi had rescued him. She truly lived up to her reputation as Liyue's foremost intelligence officer.

Indeed, according to Yucheng's account, he could only have escaped Inazuma by sea. But in that case, even if someone had rescued him, he should have been found along the coast. How could he have ended up in Chaiqiao Valley, in Liyue's interior?

Watching the minute changes in Yucheng's expression, Yelan understood that her question had stumped him. This was the hole in his story. All she needed to do now was keep digging along this line.

"If I said I don't know why I appeared in Chaiqiao Valley either, would you believe me?" Yucheng tried answering Yelan in a conciliatory tone, hoping to bluff his way past the question.

"Mr. Uchiha, it seems you're not being entirely honest." The smile on Yelan's face now made Yucheng's hair stand on end.