Ke Li and Lao Liu's actions made everyone freeze.
"What are you two doing?" Wu Yan'er sprang up, about to draw his blade, only to discover that someone had already locked onto his aura.
"Keep calm," Lao Liu said mildly. "We're almost back at the martial academy. Anyone object to a Weird qi test?"
The wounded instructor gave a bitter laugh. "Me too?"
He wasn't seeking special treatment. The problem was... I'm fucking wounded this badly. You think I'm putting on a pitiful act?
"Brother, you go first," Lao Liu said solemnly. "Then we'll maintain order together."
"All right." The wounded Knight reached toward his waist. "Check my Weird-Repelling Jue first..."
Before he could finish, a gunshot rang out. Wu Youren shot him in the body.
Amid a skyful of red light, the Knight's body merely swayed slightly, but at the same time, a faint wail rang out.
"Fuck!" Ke Li lunged forward, bringing his two-handed greatsword down in a vicious slash. "It really is the fucking Weird Race!"
The sudden turn of events left the other Knight Apprentices dumbstruck. Even the wounded stopped groaning.
"Die!" Wu Yan'er also raised his hand in an instant. With a series of soft clicks, more than ten sleeve arrows shot toward the wounded instructor!
"Interesting." The Knight chuckled. "Looks like I still underestimated the human race..."
The next moment, a dense barrage of attacks struck him, and he vanished like smoke.
With a soft clink, a battered piece of iron fell to the ground, roughly half a palm in size.
"Careful, it might induce hallucinations!" Ke Li barked.
The next instant, his figure flashed, and he appeared five hundred meters away, turning the piece of iron over in his hand. "Good stuff!"
"Motherfucker." Wu Yan'er's face darkened. "Ke Li, are you looking for trouble?"
"Is it my fault you're stupid?" Ke Li gave him a cold look. "Did I fucking save your life for nothing?"
"Ke Li, you..." Lao Liu was also somewhat speechless. "Can't we discuss things first?"
Ke Li glanced at him too. "You had a Weird right beside you. Didn't I save you?"
"All right, all right." Lao Liu knew there was no point arguing now, so he turned to Wu Youren.
"Young fellow, take another look. Does anyone else seem off?"
This young man must have seen through what had happened just now. Otherwise, there was no reason for a student to attack an instructor on his own initiative.
But in that case, the young fellow's talent deserved some consideration-he might be an awakened Ability User!
So he needed to speak a little more politely.
Yet Wu Youren stood frozen there, maintaining his shooting stance without moving, as if he had been scared witless.
"Are your fucking ears..." Wu Yan'er glared, about to berate the youngster.
The boy had indeed rooted out a hidden threat, but he disliked students who showed no respect for their elders. Did he think he had rendered some enormous service?
"Shut up!" Ke Li gave him a cold look and cut him off. His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally icy and stern.
Wu Yan'er jumped in fright. He truly hadn't expected his colleague to show him so little respect.
Lao Liu, however, knew Ke Li's temperament. He shot Wu Yan'er a fierce glare, then waved a hand slightly: Fucking behave yourself!
Wu Yan'er immediately shut his mouth, though his eyes bulged with anger.
Only after a dozen seconds did Wu Youren come back to himself. He shook his head. "Instructor, don't you have a way to test them?"
Ke Li answered impatiently, "I'm asking you... Hmm, what happened just now?"
He was growing increasingly curious about this young man. That decisive shot alone warranted his attention.
Wu Youren considered for a moment before replying, "I just felt that this hallucination Weird died a little too easily."
"It wasn't a hallucination Weird." Lao Liu shook his head. "It should have been a substitute Weird..."
"Hold on, Lao Liu." Ke Li's expression turned grave as he asked again, "You feel it isn't dead?"
That was a little inconceivable. Even its Weird item had dropped, and he was saying it wasn't dead?
"Well... I'm not sure either." Wu Youren spread his hands helplessly. He couldn't exactly say that the experience points were far too low!
Yet the vaguer he was, the less Ke Li dared take it lightly. "Lao Liu, go test the others!"
Lao Liu seemed to realize something. Without another word, he first took out his own Weird-Repelling Jue and showed it to everyone.
It was made of jade, but it was somewhat old, and even looked possibly... damaged?
Yet he displayed it quite openly. "This is my second one. There's nothing wrong with it so far."
The mission he had accepted this time was no easy one, so he had brought a spare Weird-Repelling Jue. The first had already been lost.
Ke Li nodded. As a Knight, he had that much discernment. "It can be used for testing."
"Then we need to test you three first." Lao Liu stood on no ceremony. "Even if we're the ones being rescued."
"I have one," Ke Li answered distractedly, casually showing his Weird-Repelling Jue.
More of his attention was on sensing the surroundings.
Qigeli also displayed his Weird-Repelling Jue, likewise made of ironwood.
Wu Youren hesitated a little before showing his own Weird-Repelling Jue.
At the sight of the jade jue, a trace of surprise flashed through Wu Yan'er's eyes. "This Weird-Repelling Jue... who made it?"
"Why ask so many questions?" Ke Li still looked somewhat unconcerned.
In truth, he understood that Wu Youren's Weird-Repelling Jue was not only exquisite, but its design also carried something of Jin's style.
He found nothing strange about it, but it was no surprise that others might notice something unusual.
Next, Lao Liu tested the others.
When he reached one of the three badly wounded people, that person suddenly straightened and lunged at him.
"Fuck..." Although Lao Liu had been prepared, it happened too abruptly. He struck out with a palm at full strength, failing to control the force.
But that couldn't be helped. Not drawing his greatsword and striking the man with it already counted as holding back.
The man had already been badly wounded, and his whole body instantly flew seven or eight meters backward.
While still in midair, he spat out a mouthful of dark red blood.
Almost simultaneously, a faint howl sounded, accompanied by a slight sound of something cutting through the air.
A barely perceptible wisp of gray mist instantly emerged from the man's body and shot away like lightning at incredible speed.
Ke Li raised his hand and fired three consecutive shots, yet failed to hit the gray mist.
He froze for a moment before muttering, "This fucking... would take a Great Knight, wouldn't it?"
Then, seemingly casually, he looked toward the Jin youth again, sending him a questioning glance.
But since Wu Youren saw that he hadn't asked aloud, he firmly kept his mouth shut.
Trouble came from speaking too much; worries came from insisting on taking the lead.
Immediately afterward, Lao Liu spoke with difficulty. "No need for a Great Knight. We killed three much like it... He's still breathing."
The Knight Apprentice he had just struck away had actually not died and was still struggling for his life.
Then they still had to take him back to the martial academy. Whether he could be treated was another matter; at the very least, they could study the Weird qi on him.
Then Wu Yan'er spoke up, also fixing his eyes on the Jin youth. "Everything's fine now, right?"
"I... don't know." Wu Youren spread both hands, his face full of helplessness.
"Aren't you going to call for help yet?" An inexplicable unease rose in Ke Li's heart.
He also knew the young fellow wanted to conceal his abilities. That was understandable-he was here as a hostage, after all.
But this might affect his own safety, and he didn't want to wait any longer.
Seeing his expression, Lao Liu finally understood. He sighed. "Let's go. We'll call for help while we travel!"
Sometimes, people still had to trust their instincts.
After they had driven for over twenty minutes, a martial academy vehicle approached from the opposite direction. It was indeed a nearby patrol, which had rushed to help at the first opportunity.
This was no small incident. Besides multiple student casualties, an instructor had also died. The martial academy could not possibly forgo a thorough investigation.
Ke Li had thought he would only need to cooperate briefly, never expecting to be detained outright.
Moreover, they weren't taken back to the martial academy, but kept at an investigation station outside it.
There had always been some buildings around the martial academy. With the Weird situation tense lately, several had been temporarily put into use for investigations as well as quarantine and observation.
Fortunately, Ke Li's group of three were the rescuers, and had returned just after setting out, so they weren't under much suspicion.
Lao Liu and the others could also testify to Oliwen's death. They had even been the ones to kill him.
Lao Liu's group had fought bitterly for two days. Not only were they under heavy suspicion, but they could also provide plenty of firsthand intelligence.
Ke Li and the other two could only obediently settle into the quarantine area. Thankfully, the accommodations here weren't too bad.
They weren't the investigation's main targets. Only the instructor himself was called in and asked about the general circumstances.
Ke Li did not emphasize the unusual abilities Wu Youren had shown, and did not even identify him.
Aside from taking the Life and Death Knot's attitude into account, there might also be hidden benefits to be found in the Jin youth. Why should he let outsiders know?
As for whether others might talk, that was their business. At least it had nothing to do with him.
Interestingly, the investigators actually paid little attention to Wu Youren and Qigeli, merely asking a few general questions.
In the martial academy's eyes, less than a day had passed, and the two Knight Apprentices had played bit parts throughout. What was there to ask?
The investigation lasted one day, followed by another two days in quarantine.
On the fourth day, Ke Li received notice-the three of them could leave.
However, the martial academy's people also expressed the hope that the three would continue participating in operations to kill Weirds.
Quite a few Red Pine instructors and students had already become involved, but the vast majority still had nothing to do with this matter.
The martial academy's people believed that, whatever else might be said, these three had personally experienced combat with the Weird Race and could count as practiced hands.
Moreover, martial artists who had killed members of the Weird Race would carry certain auras, making them more likely to attract the Weird Race.
In the Red Pine people's understanding, since they already couldn't escape it anyway, what harm was there in joining in?
But Ke Li had some ideas of his own. "Can the three of us still operate alone?"
"That would be too unsafe," the other party stated bluntly. "The main reconnaissance missions now require teams of at least five Knights."
"Then this amounts to a compulsory mission." Ke Li immediately caught the scent of what lay behind it. "There's too little freedom!"
Lao Liu's team had consisted of five Knights plus a number of students. Hadn't he still needed to rescue them in the end?
The key was that with five instructors together, he wouldn't have absolute authority, nor would it be convenient for the Jin youth to put his special talents to use!