The Creatures that We Are

“I know this is a dick move, Wang Zikai, but please.” Gao Yang didn’t waste his breath trying to reason with Wang Zikai, but instead appealed to him emotionally with a pitiful act.

And the method turned out to be effective in dousing Wang Zikai’s ire. “But you can’t deal with him on your own, bro.”

“No, but I’m going to call the Guild in,” Gao Yang said. “I promise you that I’ll be alright.”

Wang Zikai still didn’t get it. “Why complicate things when I can deal with the bastard myself?”

“Would you be able to catch up with him if he runs?”

Wang Zikai fell silent. He was confident that he could defeat Ghost Horse, but if Ghost Horse ran, he couldn’t catch up with someone with Teleportation.

“Leave it to the Guild,” Gao Yang said. “It’s to ensure the success of the mission.”

“Then I’ll stay with you!”

“No,” Gao Yang said firmly.

“Your true power should be kept a secret from the other organizations. Besides, you haven’t yet reached your full potential. The tallest tree is always the first to be struck down, isn’t it?”

Gao Yang committed to the act like it was a once-in-a-lifetime role and placed his hands on Wang Zikai’s shoulders. “Remember, my friend, you’re meant to be the savior god of the world. You must do what is right in the long term.”

“But…”

“No but,” Gao Yang said. “Leave it to the Guild, and everything will be alright. I’ll be able to take the entrance exams tomorrow in peace as well.”

“Fine, fine!” Wang Zikai was still frustrated, but he had been convinced. “Fuck, only this once! You’re not doing this again! You’re gonna bring me to your next fight!”

“I promise! There won’t be a next time!”

Gao Yang sighed in relief. Finally, he had convinced Wang Zikai.

Wang Zikai reluctantly crawled out of the concrete pipe and glanced at Gao Yang. “I’m leaving then?”

Gao Yang followed after him. “I’ll walk you out.”

They soon returned to the road on the edge of the Apple Island. Wang Zikai got onto his motorcycle and repeated, “I’m leaving for real then?”

“Go.”

Gao Yang patted him on the shoulder and took out his phone at the same time. “I’ll call the Guild now.”

Wang Zikai shook his head and rode away.

Seeing him disappear into the knight on the motorcycle, Gao Yang stood there for a long while until he said softly, “Thank you.”

…

In less than half an hour, Black Tortoise’s luxurious sedan showed up on the road and parked by Gao Yang.

The door slid open, and Black Tortoise got off, dressed in black casual clothes.

“What the hell!” The manager seemed irritated. “This boy isn’t really your bastard son, is he?”

“Drop it. Just stay here and wait for me. I’ll be back in an hour.” Black Tortoise didn’t even turn around. He gave Gao Yang a pointed look.

The two of them walked across the road to the empty clearing. Gao Yang could still hear the manager trying to bargain behind them, “I’ll wait 45 minutes! Not a minute longer! Do you hear me, Yang Feng…”

Once Gao Yang and Black Tortoise had gotten far enough away, Gao Yang asked, “Is it just you, sir?”

“Azure Dragon is on his way with the first team. I arrived earlier because I happened to be shooting nearby.” Black Tortoise took the binoculars from Gao Yang and looked at the chemical plant in the distance.

“Are you sure Ghost Horse is hiding inside?”

“It’s likely to be him.” Gao Yang didn’t give him a definite answer.

“Ghost Horse has Teleportation and Telepathy.” Black Tortoise thought for a moment with a slight frown. Then he made the decision, “Follow me, Seven Shadow.”

“Just us?” Gao Yang said with some surprise.

Black Tortoise answered coolly, “I don’t actually need any help. You should just watch yourself.”

Gao Yang didn’t say anything. As expected of an awakener of his caliber. He sure was confident.

As they walked, Black Tortoise added, “I know you have personal grievances with Ghost Horse, Seven Shadow, which is why you’re still looking into the matter secretly.”

“I do,” Gao Yang admitted.

“I’m going to capture him alive rather than kill him. Don’t let your grudges get to you.”

“I understand.” Gao Yang nodded.

They quickened their pace and quickly arrived at the chemical plant. Entering through the front door, Black Tortoise led the way confidently, not holding any weapon. Gao Yang, on the other hand, wasn’t as assured. He followed the man with a handgun and a dagger.

They made it across a clearing and entered a shop floor. Gao Yang looked up and saw a maze of crisscrossing pipes and a large blue reactor, where he had seen Ghost Horse standing.

He gave Black Tortoise a look and made a gesture. He’s in there.

Black Tortoise responded with two hand gestures, telling Gao Yang to stay put and wait for his signal while he checked out the shop floor.

Gao Yang nodded and made an OK gesture.

Black Tortoise was the seventh-ranking awakener in terms of fighting power. It stood to reason that Gao Yang should trust him.

Black Tortoise made it to the door and gingerly opened it, turning sideways and diving into the shop floor.

Holding his gun with both hands, Gao Yang remained on high alert.

About thirty seconds passed. The place was completely silent, which fueled Gao Yang’s anxiety. The shop floor wasn’t big. It shouldn’t have taken Black Tortoise that long to search through the place whether Ghost Horse was there or not.

Clang.

Suddenly, noises came from above Gao Yang’s head. He looked up suddenly to see a black figure on the blue reactor.

Pew, pew, pew.

Gao Yang fired his gun.

Only after he had made the shots did he see that the black figure was merely a piece of rag.

At the same time, a dagger pierced through his chest from his back.

The sharp pain overwhelmed all his other senses. He didn’t even manage to make a sound as his pupils dilated.

His face seemed to be asking what was happening, what he had done wrong.

Two seconds later, Gao Yang collapsed to the floor.

Strength and warmth seemed to be draining quickly from his body. Gradually, his heartbeat grew faint, and darkness came over him.

As he held onto his life, he forced his eyes open and saw Ghost Horse towering over him.

Face dark, the man said, “I told you, Dark Horse, that you make a terrible spy.”

It seemed that Ghost Horse had revealed himself on purpose to lure him here. It was a trap.

Gao Yang was going to say something, but he didn’t have the strength to.

It was neither an illusion or a dream, and there was no save point in reality. There was no second chance.

If he died, he only had his hubris to blame.

…

“Is he dead?” Black Tortoise had been standing on the blue reactor at some point. It turned out that he was the one responsible for distracting Gao Yang with a rag.

“He’s dead,” Ghost Horse said concisely.

Black Tortoise leaped off and walked up to Gao Yang’s body.

He lay on the floor in his own pool of blood, unmoving and with a dagger buried in his back. His eyes remained widened even now, brimming with denial of his untimely demise.

Ghost Horse stood before Gao Yang’s body with a deferential look on his face. “Greetings, Archbishop.”

“Hm.” Black Tortoise stared at Gao Yang’s body with an impassive expression.

“You didn’t have to get involved, Archbishop. I could’ve dealt with him myself.”

“No, it’s time for you to learn my identity. I have more missions for you.”

Ghost Horse put a fist to his chest. “It is my greatest honor to have earned your trust, Archbishop.”

“You seem to have a question.” Black Tortoise gave him a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re wondering why I went through the trouble to have you kill him rather than taking care of him myself.”

Ghost Horse lowered his head. “I wouldn’t dare question your decision.”

“I can tell you. It’s for the best. You should take care not to leave clues in the future.” Black Tortoise’s eyes darkened. “Vermilion Bird of the Qilin Guild is capable of restoring and questioning a dead body. That’s why I cannot kill Seven Shadow myself, or he would be able to tell Vermilion Bird about me after his death.”

“I can make the body disappear,” Ghost Horse said.

Black Tortoise shook his head. “That’d attract more suspicion. We can have his body make a false statement for us, which will be more beneficial.”

“Your brilliance shines through, Archbishop.”

Black Tortoise checked his watch. “Azure Dragon will be arriving soon. We’ll leave some traces to prove that we’ve fought. Then you’ll leave at once.”

After a pause, he continued, “Seven Shadow found your hideout, but it turned out to be a trap laid down by you. Having walked into the trap, Seven Shadow got killed in an ambush, while I injured you but failed to keep you here.”

“A perfect plan.” Ghost Horse smirked.

“Hm.” Black Tortoise nodded.

“You’re mistaken, Archbishop.”

Ghost Horse’s eyes glinted with hidden murderous intent.

“I wasn’t talking about your plan.”

Houseau3's Thoughts

Ayyyyy a man turned out to be a traitor and a traitor turned out to not be it.

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