The Creatures that We Are

For a prolonged moment, no one in the meeting room said anything. Chen Ying felt like a lamb under the careless gaze of a lazy wolf, and suddenly, the wolf’s stomach growled to signal its hunger, and its eyes narrowed slightly.

Fear climbed up her spine to the top of her head, making it hard for her to breathe. The others didn’t fare that much better than she did.

“It’s a careless remark, everyone.” Yan Liang picked up his cup of tea and displaced some of the liquid. “Even if you refuse to merge with us, we won’t make a move against you. It’s pointless.”

“The Qilin Guild’s enemy isn’t the Hundred Rivers Union or the Twelve Zodiac Signs. It’s not even the Nine Scions or the Godbearer Cult.”

“We only ever have one enemy, and that’s the hourglass of doomsday.”

“When there’s so little sand in the hourglass that Qilin must open the Gates,” Yan Liang smiled faintly, “Oho, Qilin will be willing to sacrifice everything, including himself. Then you’ll still have to make a choice.”

“Might as well work with us now, yes? We’ll fight for humanity’s survival together and open the Gates of Closure as soon as possible, forging new history for all humans.”

Yan Liang’s tone turned icy. “Or you can choose to work against the greater good like the Nine Scions and choose destruction, and you’ll forever be pinned down as a contributor to human civilization’s doom.”

His words pinned everyone down on their seat.

He stood up and put his hands behind his hunched back, slowly walking toward the door.

After opening the door, he stopped like he had remembered something, keeping his back to them. “Ah, Miss Chen Ying. We’ve long noticed that you’ve been watering flowers on your balcony every night rather than once a week recently.”

“And Liu Qingying sold us the S-class intel that Nine Frost had comprehended Telepathy.”

Chen Ying froze, breaking into a cold sweat with a pounding heart. Although Yan Liang had his back to her, she still did her best to maintain a poker face lest her expression betrayed her panic.

Yang Liang never turned around. “The Nine Scions is an enemy to the Qilin Guild, while Dust is an enemy to all of us. The fact that the Nine Scions have sacrificed Dust as a pawn to gain your trust isn’t a bad thing in terms of the result.”

“Erasing all spies from the Godbearer Cult helps humans come together.”

“Thus, we won’t do anything to the Union for what happened this time, but there better not be a next time.”

“Is that the case, Chen Ying?” Surnamed Li asked in a composed voice without showing any emotions.

Chen Ying shot to her feet, pretending to be worked up. She raised her voice as she defended herself, “Madam Li! I have nothing to do with the Nine Scions! That’s a false accusation! I found Dust by following the clues Green Tea left for us. He has Mindreading and long noticed something wrong with Goldthread. He simply hadn’t confirmed his suspicion!”

“Yan Liang’s twisting the truth to plant suspicion among us. Please make the right judgment!”

Yan Liang chuckled hoarsely. “It seems I’ve allowed my imagination to run wild and misunderstood you. I hope you don’t take offense, Miss Chen Ying.”

He opened the door. “I’ll visit another time. I look forward to the Union’s response.”

Click. Bam.

The door closed.

The meeting room was silent for a good moment.

Zhong He turned to Surnamed Li with uncertainty. “Madam Li, it’s all posturing from the old man, right? While Qilin and Azure Dragon are strong, they can’t be that strong…”

“I don’t know about Qilin, but Azure Dragon’s destructive power…”

Colorless remembered what Azure Dragon could do with A Serious Punch back in the church basement in Aurora Town in Snow Nation—he had only used fifty percent of his power.

Then she remembered her experience having Vermilion Bird tripled her power in the sunflower garden on the last night of the Crimson Tide.

Azure Dragon’s Limitless Evolution and Vermilion Bird’s Equivalent Exchange had been level 6. If Azure Dragon’s Talent reached level 7, with the cheat-like growing ability and Vermilion Bird buffing him by three…even four times, and if Azure Dragon was allowed to charge for sufficient time before making an all-out attack…

Colorless sighed pessimistically and rubbed her temple, “I’d say there’s little exaggeration to the claim.”

Zhong He’s shoulders sagged. He slumped in his chair and felt a deep sense of defeat. The top twelve Talents were in a different league of their own.

“Madam Li.” Colorless turned to Surnamed Li, too. “What we’ve been worried about happened. What now?”

Surnamed Li smiled faintly, never breaking her composure. “Nothing.”

Zhong He didn’t understand. “The fire’s right in our neighborhood, Madam Li. We can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

“Enough, Zhong He.” Colorless trusted Surnamed Li. The woman was more capable and decisive than her calm temperament would suggest.

She hadn’t led the Hundred Rivers Union to where it was today by being mild-mannered and sitting around in a wheelchair.

“It’s late. Go back and rest. Tomorrow, the sun will still come up.” Surnamed Li controlled the wheelchair to the door of the meeting room. “Chen Ying, please take me home.”

“Madam Li.” Colorless shot Chen Ying a strange look. “I’ll drive you.”

“Do you suspect me too, Colorless?” Chen Ying pretended to be hurt.

“Didn’t you suspect me of being Dust, too?” Colorless said openly. “I didn’t object then.”

Chen Ying didn’t have a comeback for that, and she fell silent.

“It’s fine.” Surnamed Li smiled. “Let Chen Ying drive me. She’s a good drive, and I’m used to it.”

“Of course.” Colorless didn’t insist.

…

At midnight, Chen Ying drove Surnamed Li home. Little Tian sat in the passenger seat while scanning their surroundings for threats.

In the back, Surnamed Li kept her eyes closed, and she didn’t say anything.

Chen Ying purposefully drove slowly, waiting.

After about twenty minutes, Surnamed Li opened her eyes, her calm gaze flickering. She glanced at Little Tian through the rearview mirror.

Without missing a beat, Chen Ying took out a pair of wireless earphones and handed it to Little Tian. “Put on songs you like, Little Tian.”

“Okay.” Little Tian obediently put the earphones on and closed his eyes. Chen Ying increased the volume for him.

Surnamed Li took out a smaller jammer from her glasses case at a deliberate pace, turning it on. Instantly, the whole car was protected from wiretapping through any method.

“Madam Li!” Chen Ying had long made up her mind. “Don’t worry. If the Qilin Guild gets enough evidence, hand me to them. I’ll bear the consequences.”

“Silly girl.” Surnamed Li shook her head in resignation. “Yan Liang isn’t after your life or my life, or even the Hundred Rivers Union.”

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