A night talk

The emotions Liu Qingfeng had just worked up, along with the thousand-word speech he had drafted in his head, were suddenly shattered by Yu Sheng's words.

It took him a long time to gather his thoughts again.

Killing at five.

And someone from Sin City, at that.

If Sin City really was anything like the information Yu Sheng had inadvertently let slip, everyone in it had to be ruthless.

It was hard to imagine just how the five-year-old Yu Sheng had managed it.

Liu Qingfeng looked at Yu Sheng's earnest, solemn expression, his gaze complicated, sympathetic, pitying, and somewhat... wary.

"Were you scared the first time you killed someone?"

Liu Qingfeng instinctively wanted to light himself a cigarette, only to suddenly remember...

He seemed to have quit smoking after becoming a teacher.

Yu Sheng scratched his head. "I don't think so. There wasn't any time to be scared."

Liu Qingfeng fell silent again.

Thinking back over the months since Yu Sheng had enrolled, he had actually been very honest, even if there was something slightly wrong with the things he said.

Even when he said things others found inconceivable, Yu Sheng's expression was earnest.

Even his acting in front of the camera today had been extremely clumsy.

Perhaps... he really was honest?

"To tell you the truth, you're the most outstanding person I've met in all these years."

"As long as there's nothing wrong with your Awakening Object, I can foresee you standing out very soon, even becoming one of the greatest talents of your generation."

"And a talent who can stay alive, at that."

Liu Qingfeng's tone gradually grew serious. He turned and looked earnestly into Yu Sheng's eyes.

"As an objective observer, I think you're absolutely right."

"Put your own survival first in everything."

"Don't make meaningless sacrifices."

"That's the only way to live a long life."

"As your elder, I would even tell you that no matter what happens, all I want is for you to stay alive."

"Even if you desert in the face of danger."

Yu Sheng's eyes were as clear as a boy's, yet beneath that clear exterior lay the weariness of his own experiences.

He said nothing.

Instead, he remained silent and listened as Liu Qingfeng continued.

"But... I'm a teacher."

"A teacher of the human race."

A bitter smile appeared on Liu Qingfeng's lips. "A teacher's duty is to tell you that the human race... is still suffering terribly."

"Countless people are still heading for the human race's Four Great Passes, one after another, building walls for the human race with their blood and their lives."

"So..."

"Every stroke that writes 'human race' carries integrity; every line forms its backbone."

"We must use our generation's hot blood and the spirit of the human race to wipe out the Demon Clan completely, restore a world of light to the human race, and leave an age of peace and prosperity for our descendants."

"Perhaps that's unfair to you."

"But... it is my duty."

Taking a deep breath, Liu Qingfeng continued, "Just like today. Perhaps... you killed the Dog Demon and eliminated the cult, but in a teacher's eyes..."

"You fell short of Du Xu and Zhao Zicheng."

"Because they knew they were no match, yet still firmly took a step forward."

"While you hid in the darkness."

"Perhaps you saw through this setup, but... no matter what, when danger comes, you need to stand beside your teammates. Only then can they trust you with their backs."

"Luo Datou, give me a damn cigarette!"

Liu Qingfeng suddenly muttered a curse, tugged at his collar, and shouted into the distance.

A cigarette pack traced a graceful arc through the darkness, and Liu Qingfeng caught it securely.

"You mother-"

"Could I trouble you for a light?"

Liu Qingfeng forcibly swallowed his curse. Before Luo Yun could throw anything else from the shadows, Yu Sheng silently took out a lighter and handed it to Liu Qingfeng.

"You smoke?"

Liu Qingfeng frowned deeply.

Yu Sheng shook his head. "No. I'm just used to carrying one."

Liu Qingfeng took the lighter, lit a cigarette, and drew hard on it, then suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. "That's damn... harsh."

"Don't tell someone to be kind when you haven't suffered what they have. I understand that."

"I don't know your past, and I have no right to judge it, much less demand that you do anything."

"But..."

"As a passerby, I wish you glory in the eyes of others."

"As your elder, I wish you safety."

"As your teacher, I wish you... kindness."

"I know you're actually someone with a mind of your own, so all I hope is..."

"Never turn your weapons against the human race, all right?"

"And if you can do it without getting hurt yourself, try to save a few people."

"If only for those heroic souls at Demon-Suppressing Pass who died for the human race..."

As he spoke, Liu Qingfeng talked very slowly but smoked very quickly, his gaze sincere.

Yu Sheng calmly looked at this teacher he had known for only a few months. He did not answer, but pondered something instead.

Only after half a minute...

"I'll try."

Yu Sheng looked at Liu Qingfeng as he spoke.

Although he had given no definite answer, nor thumped his chest and sworn a solemn promise, for some reason, those few words from Yu Sheng were particularly reassuring.

"But..."

"What I did today still counts as a brave deed. The Ink Pavilion has to pay the reward!"

Yu Sheng added those two remarks.

With particular solemnity.

Liu Qingfeng smiled. "All right. From now on, if you save someone and the Ink Pavilion won't pay you, I will!"

"I'll sell my house and car if I have to!"

"Of course, something like today doesn't count."

In front of that dilapidated factory, beneath the moonlight, Liu Qingfeng and Yu Sheng, who was still just a boy, made their agreement.

For some reason, the gloom in Liu Qingfeng's heart suddenly lifted. He even felt an urge to let loose a few curses to vent.

Until...

"Sir, my lighter..."

"You put it in your pocket."

Yu Sheng spoke quietly, giving Liu Qingfeng an odd look, as though questioning whether a man who would pocket even a lighter could really keep his promise.

"Ahem. Force of habit."

Even someone as aloof as Liu Qingfeng could not help feeling a little embarrassed at that moment. He took a lighter from his pocket and handed it to Yu Sheng.

Only then did Yu Sheng look satisfied.

A lighter could start a fire, save his life, and even destroy a body and erase the evidence. If he lost it just like that, he would have to buy another. What a waste that would be.

Under Liu Qingfeng's gaze, Yu Sheng silently took out a dagger, turned, and walked toward the factory.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

Startled, Liu Qingfeng hurriedly asked.

Yu Sheng stopped, looking somewhat bewildered. "Aren't demon beasts worth a lot of money? I'm going to butcher it and sell the parts when I get back."

"One that's only just undergone demonization like this isn't worth anything."

"The meat's bitter, too."

"Don't waste your time."

Liu Qingfeng spoke wearily.

"Oh." Yu Sheng put away the dagger with some disappointment, looking thoroughly unhappy.

For a moment, Liu Qingfeng felt rather helpless.

When it came to murder and arson, Yu Sheng had already reached the level of a grandmaster.

Yet when it came to certain other things, he was a complete novice.

It seemed he would have to put in some extra effort over the next two months.