The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 737: Lost the Way

Yan Liang pondered for two seconds. “Our casualties.”

“Core East, Nagging Mister, and Black Fish were dead. The first two died at Gao Yang’s hands with the resurrection pills rendered useless. Black Fish was killed by Lithe Snake’s self detonation and didn’t manage to escape the explosion, leaving only pieces of his body.”

“Veggie, Chaos Reflection, and Forest Crane were seriously injured.”

“Forest Crane had protected himself with wood elements and thus escaped death.”

“Veggie was shot by a sniper rifle, then died from exposure to the freezing poisonous mist after blacking out. She came back alive with the resurrection pill.”

“Chaos Reflection hid in a reflective surface and escaped the explosion.”

“None of the three are in danger of dying now. They have been injected with Medicine C. We’ll have to wait for Elder Vermilion Bird’s return for further treatment.”

“Elder Azure Dragon, Succubus, and Xiao Xin have lost consciousness after using the buffing medicine. Six Rime took them back to base.”

“Small Luo and Old Lion aren’t hurt much. They’re now looking for Rune Circuits...”

Growl.

Their conversation stopped when a wild-looking man riding a lion quickly stopped beside Yan Liang and Correcting Sickle.

“Found a Rune Circuit, Elder Yan Liang.”

Old Lion threw the Life Rune Circuit to Yan Liang. “It was thrown under a manhole in an attempt to hide it, it seemed, but my friends found it.”

Yan Liang took the Rune Circuit and closely inspected it. It was the real deal.

He pocketed it and nodded slightly. “Good work. Keep looking for the other Rune Circuits.”

Old Lion shrugged. “My friends have looked everywhere. This is the only one spotted. They can look again, but better not get our hopes up.”

“Look again,” said Yan Liang.

“Understood.” Old Lion rode the lion away. The lion growled once more to make orders to the mammals in the area.

“Let’s return.”

Yan Liang turned around. Correcting Sickle followed.

Yan Liang stayed silent the whole way back, dissatisfied with the results.

He had mobilized half of the Guild members with a perfect ambush and assault strategy all planned out and well-prepared. Still, they failed to kill Gao Yang. They didn’t even manage to strike a heavy blow on the core members of the Nine Scions. Moreover, they recovered only one Rune Circuit.

While Yan Liang didn’t lose this battle, he didn’t win, either.

Gao Yang would only get stronger after this. They would have a harder time in future fights.

Ha. Yan Liang laughed bitterly inside. The Divine Scion is blessed by God for certain.

...

Surnamed Li’s place, Sea View Tower, three o’clock in the morning.

Bam!

Colorless barged through the door to Surnamed Li’s bedroom. Surnamed Li was awake, sitting in her wheelchair with a blanket on her lap. She seemed lost in the night view outside the window wall.

She had kept the door unlocked on purpose. She knew Colorless would seek her out.

“Madam Li!” Colorless was furious and anxious. “Correcting Sickle called. He said that you agreed to the merger with the Qilin Guild. Is that true?”

“It is.” Surnamed Li slowly turned her wheelchair around, looking calm and composed.

“Why?” Colorless didn’t understand.

“I have my reasons,” said Surnamed Li.

“Fine. Let’s put that aside for now.” Colorless needed an answer now. “Do you know about the Starcatching Pavilion?”

“I do.”

Colorless paused. “Do you...know the details?”

“Yan Liang told me.”

Colorless started. A chill suddenly spread through her body. She took a step back in disbelief. “Madam Li, you couldn’t have...”

“I was involved in the planning of it,” Surnamed Li admitted.

Colorless was stunned for two seconds. Then she huffed out a laugh. “You must be joking, right? How could it...”

“I’m not.” Surnamed Li’s expression was still impassive. “I planned to kill Gao Yang from the very beginning.”

“Why?” That further compounded Colorless’ confusion.

“The Nine Scions contacted Chen Ying secretly, offering to root out Dust for us. I told Chen Ying to work with them to find the spy and to have Chen Ying earn their trust.”

“Then I told Chen Ying to join the Nine Scions with our Rune Circuits and become an official member so that I could track the Nine Scions through her. The idea was for the Qilin Guild to wipe them all out while they weren’t strong enough.”

Colorless was so shocked that she forgot how to breathe. It took her a long moment to organize her words. “Did Chen Ying...know all that?”

“She knew nothing.”

Colorless lost it then. She raged, “What are you doing?! Are you out of your mind?! Losing your brain to your old age?!”

“Colorless.” Surnamed Li’s gaze was determined. “Gao Yang must die.”

“Why?” Colorless stopped mincing words. “In my opinion, Qilin deserves death more. If I have to pick between Gao Yang and Qilin, I’d rather...”

“Gao Yang is the Malediction,” Surnamed Li cut her off coldly.

Colorless paused. “What...did you say?”

“Gao Yang is the Malediction,” Surnamed Li repeated.

“How did you know... Did you...dream it?”

“I did. It was a clear dream. Gao Yang is the real Malediction. He kills all humans, monsters, and living beings of the Mist World...”

“That, that can’t be! The Malediction is dead...”

“The Divine Scion and the Malediction are but two sides of the same coin. A thought can turn him into a saint or the devil. That’s how I interpret it.”

“Can it be that your dream is wrong...”

“I hope it is more than anyone.” Surnamed Li turned to Colorless. “But my dreams have never been wrong.”

“Perhaps your dream is incomplete...” Colorless still couldn’t accept it. “Just like the Crimson Tide. Your dream did turn out true, but it wasn’t the full picture. The end wasn’t included...”

“Gao Yang kills everyone. Does the ending matter to humans, then?”

Colorless had nothing to say to that.

“I can’t just sit around and do nothing, Colorless. I have to try to change fate, even if there’s only a one-in-a-billion chance for me to succeed. Otherwise, we’ll all be dead sooner or later.”

Colorless clenched her fists. She scoffed, still unable to accept her reasoning. “So you sold Chen Ying out just like that? The one who saw you as a mother?”

“She said that she would give everything for her goal,” said Surnamed Li.

“Her goal is to protect Little Tian!” Colorless could no longer contain herself. “Little Tian’s dead! Dead, you hear me?!”

“Just because of your dream, almost all members of the third team are dead! They are our companions! What did you say in the past? You said that all weak ones had the right to live, to choose freedom, dignity, and hope! We can become the sea! We can...”

Colorless couldn’t continue. Her eyes were red with fury. “You liar! Hypocrite! Wretched woman!”

“I choose humanity.” Surnamed Li’s gaze turned determined. “Little Tian’s dead, but more human children may have the chance to live yet.”

“You are the devil.” Colorless stared at her icily.

Surnamed Li broke into a smile. It was tired and bleak. “What are you waiting for? Do it. Do what you must.”

“Don’t think I won’t.” Colorless’ eyes glinted red dangerously. She could turn Surnamed Li into a stone statue in two seconds.

Surnamed Li let out a long sigh. “The devil will give you some advice before my passing.”

“Qilin’s a cruel man of ambition, but he may just be humanity’s only hope. Dragon’s a mad man. He doesn’t care about humanity or even the world. He’s a slave to freedom.”

“And Gao Yang is the Malediction.”

“I’ve made my choice. You’ll make yours. I hope neither of us regrets our decisions.” Surnamed Li closed her eyes and faced her death with open arms.

Colorless stared at her. Surnamed Li’s eyelashes were turning into stone and falling off, but that was the end of the psychic damage she inflicted.

Silence followed and lingered.

The anger and red light in Colorless’ eyes slowly dimmed.

Her shoulders sagged. “I won’t kill you. I’m in no place to judge you.”

Surnamed Li opened her eyes and looked at Colorless. “What is your choice?”

“I’ll stay in the Hundred Rivers Union. If Gao Yang really is the Malediction, I’ll do what I can in my way.”

“From now on, I’ll have no respect or goodwill for you. I’ll forever look down on and despise you, until my death or the end of time.”

Surnamed Li didn’t say or show anything on her face.

Slowly, she turned her wheelchair back to the window and the sparkling city outside.

A few seconds later, Colorless left without closing the door.

The room was silent again. Surnamed Li closed her eyes slowly. Ringing in her mind was a voice from a distant past. It refused to leave her alone.

“How about the fireflies? Will the fireflies that have lost their lights go home too?”

“Of course. Fireflies don’t lose their way at night.”