The Price of Devastation and a Traitor’s Home

To use someone’s parents against them was truly despicable.

Robin glared at Yao Jing before pulling Xiu Lan into her embrace, gently patting the girl’s back as she recalled her own mother’s care, attempting to soothe Xiu Lan’s low spirits.

“…….”

Struck by that fierce gaze, Yao Jing awkwardly endured the chilly air. Xiu Lan had suddenly retreated into herself, and he was inexplicably seen as scum by the junior. Had he not merely mentioned the child’s mother?

Could it truly cause such profound sadness?

Unless… Vanguard and this child had a difficult relationship?

If that were the case, the final piece of the puzzle had indeed fallen into place. Her escape to the outer territories, beyond the Association’s jurisdiction, offered a perfect refuge from hero patrols. It was, for her, an ideal sanctuary.

Yet…

Though he had sensed hints of it for a while, their relationship seemed unusually close for two girls.

It had only been a few days.

A shiver ran through him. Based on his years of experience, even the development of ‘that kind’ of relationship wasn’t out of the question.

If so, Old Wu wouldn’t stand a chance. Although Xiu Lan remained oblivious, a detail Old Wu had let slip during a past reminiscence revealed that Wu Liyun had fixed his eyes on her the moment that photograph was taken.

He had staged chance encounters, cultivated her favor, befriended her, and even attempted to ‘groom’ her (TL Note: A term from gaming, meaning to ‘cultivate’ or ‘raise’ a character, often implying grooming or developing them for a relationship.). Alas, the Blood Clan incident had ruined his plans in an instant. Yet, it now seemed even maxing out her favorability would have been useless, for this child’s sexual orientation was very likely female; she simply had no interest in men.

Yao Jing felt on the verge of bursting into laughter. He eagerly anticipated Old Wu’s expression upon discovering this cruel truth.

Would he release her in sorrow, or rise to the challenge? Whatever his choice, it would undoubtedly be the greatest amusement he’d had in years.

Truly, it was something to look forward to.

“Hey, hey, hey…”

For the first time, Captain Wang felt his presence was utterly lacking. While he couldn’t claim to be exceptionally handsome, his features were certainly well-defined. In the past, whether on patrol or guard duty, people’s attention invariably gravitated towards him the moment he appeared.

But now.

Beside him, Yao Jing stood lost in thought, occasionally letting out chilling chuckles.

Across from him were two black-clad figures, embracing, their gender ambiguous—they resembled sisters, yet also a pair of lovers.

Further away, the culprit responsible for all the chaos was still caressing a rat…

It seemed he was the only one with nothing to do.

‘I cannot continue like this. I’m not here to slack off.’

He turned to Yao Jing, posing a crucial question: “How will the Disaster Management Department handle this?”

The Disaster Management Department, operating under the Resolution Council, was primarily responsible for estimating the scope of disasters and managing post-disaster reconstruction. Their relationship with the Order Maintenance Team, though not intimately close, was certainly inseparable.

One side specialized in destruction, the other in aftermath.

However, the devastation this time was simply too extreme. Not a single building over two stories remained on this entire street. Such extensive damage suggested at least a Black-Blooded species invasion.

“I have no money.”

As one of the culprits, Xiu Lan quickly grasped the implication of Captain Wang’s words.

After a brief moment of panic, she swiftly found an opening. Without hesitation, she pushed away Robin, who was still clinging to her, and declared with righteous indignation:

“I am a minor. Please direct all compensation matters to my legal guardian, thank you.

‘You’re f***ing underage?’

Captain Wang wasn’t the only one trembling; Robin, who had just been pushed away, also shuddered. She vaguely recalled Xiu Lan’s student ID clearly stating her as an adult. Regardless of its veracity, her usual childish behavior suggested a significantly younger psychological age.

More importantly…

‘Child exploitation (TL Note: A derogatory slang term used as a pun for ‘loli-con’ or ‘child exploitation,’ literally meaning ‘refining copper’.) is a serious crime in any era.’

Snapping out of the shock Xiu Lan had caused, Captain Wang gravely looked at Yao Jing, certain that his meaning was clear.

Regardless of the disaster’s scale, the Disaster Management Department still had to take responsibility. At most, their small team would be labeled as having been ‘overzealous in their mission.’

Of course, obtaining the necessary funds for this would require a complete and thorough report of the incident. This meant the child with such incredible power would inevitably enter the purview of the Supervisory Bureau and the Resolution Council.

The Supervisory Bureau might be manageable.

But those council members, who were always seeking to undermine the Supervisory Bureau, were unpredictable.

Judging by Yao Jing’s earlier attitude, he clearly did not wish for this child to be exposed. While it might be a case of using power for personal gain, his friend’s stance would determine his subsequent actions.

“I understand.”

Understanding Captain Wang’s concerns, Yao Jing searched his memory for someone who could resolve the situation. Xiu Lan’s identity was overly sensitive; setting aside her own issues, her face, identical to Vanguard’s, could easily stir up enormous trouble.

It wasn’t that he distrusted the Supervisory Bureau, but the outer territories were not united. If someone with ulterior motives were to exploit this child’s identity…

Perhaps he could approach the councilor they had met today.

With a temporary direction set, Yao Jing spoke: “Captain Wang, I’ll give you an answer tonight. I’ll need you to stall for a bit.”

“Don’t worry, Brother Yao. This incident’s impact is too significant to resolve quickly. I’ll be staking out this area for the next few days.”

“Thank you for your trouble, then.”

Having arranged matters there, Yao Jing, with a helpless expression, waved at the two troublemakers lounging on the sofa. “Let’s go. What are you still doing here? Come to my place; we need to talk.”

‘Talk about what? Debt problems?’

Xiu Lan wanted to flee, but Robin held her so tightly that she couldn’t break free. With a face full of reluctance, she could only follow Yao Jing’s footsteps.

“Still a useless waste, I see.”

The lurking presence mocked the scene.

“When I heard there was activity here, I wondered who it might be. Never thought it’d be that good-for-nothing who hadn’t accomplished a single worthwhile thing in years.”

“But I didn’t expect the man who caused our downfall to be here as well… Hmph, karma is a b*tch. Just you wait; the revenge I’ve prepared will make you feel true despair.”

“As for Vanderlin, that old rat, we were colleagues once. After I complete my grand scheme of revenge, I’ll consider pulling you out to be an assistant. Wait with gratitude.”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

“Uncle, Uncle, stop laughing foolishly over there. Come help lift this.”

“Coming, coming! Oh my, why is it so heavy?”

“You’re just out of shape, Uncle. You need to exercise more.”

The setting sun cast its glow upon the high-rise rooftop as two figures moved heavy objects down towards the ground floor.

****

“We’re here. Get out of the car.”

After a series of strange events, Xiu Lan and her companions finally reached their destination.

Pushing open the car door, she curiously surveyed her surroundings, trying to locate the hunter’s residence amidst the cluster of buildings. Alas, the sheer multitude of people startled her, causing her to immediately retreat back into the car.

‘Too many people…’

This area was close to the renowned Prosperous Star Academy. As East River’s top institution, Prosperous Star far surpassed Xiu Yang, Xiu Lan’s former school, in both teaching quality and campus size. The difference between them was akin to that between a world-class and a regional-level institution.

Because of this prestigious school, the pedestrian traffic in this area was among the highest in all of East River.

And for Yao Jing, a graduate of Xu Yang, to reside near Prosperous Star meant…

“So you’re a traitor, a rare sight indeed.”

Xiu Lan’s sarcastic remark caught Yao Jing off guard. By the time he realized she was insulting him, she had already hidden behind Robin.

‘Don’t bother with children, don’t bother with children.’

Suppressing the irritation in his chest, Yao Jing pointed to a restaurant. “To the right of that restaurant, there’s a staircase. Go up to the third floor, and you’ll be there. Old Wu is still home, so remember to knock. Don’t you dare break my door down. I’m going to find a parking spot… Hey, I wasn’t finished!”

Xiu Lan, having only registered the address, ignored the rest of Yao Jing’s instructions. She grabbed Robin’s hand and sprinted, stopping breathlessly at the foot of the stairs.

‘Your stamina isn’t very good, is it?’

Robin, who had already figured out part of Xiu Lan’s personality, wouldn’t say it directly. She tactfully offered, “Do you need me to carry you up?”

“……..”

Even through the black mist, Robin could feel someone’s murderous glare.

“Get the f*** out of here… Hey, hey, what are you doing? Let go of me, quick!”

Amidst Xiu Lan’s startled cries, Robin scooped her up in a bridal carry. Her struggles, without the use of shadow powers, were as delicate and powerless as a kitten’s playful antics.

‘She’s so light. Is this truly a normal person’s body?’

Doubts arose in Robin’s heart.

“Don’t just stand there, hurry up!”

Because the position was too embarrassing, Xiu Lan urgently urged Robin up the stairs. She couldn’t bear the thought of passersby seeing them in such a compromising state.

Temporarily setting aside the questions in her mind, Robin, cradling the girl in her arms, slowly began to ascend the stairs.