Ye Jingqiu was stunned for a moment before blurting out in confusion, “But didn’t Big Sis Ning Wan say that instincts can’t touch laws involving spacetime or life and death?”
“Mm. So that can only mean one thing—she’s grown so powerful that she’s surpassed the laws themselves and touched the origin of the world,” Shi Zui nodded. “Remember the Celestial Stem Bronze Sword in the Trapping Dragon Array? Loteria suspected it might be this senior’s dragon-slaying weapon.”
“So Word Manifestation has such a ridiculous upper limit,” Ye Jingqiu remarked with a click of her tongue. She casually conjured a tiny flame at her fingertip, her tone light and joking. “Poor little Instinct, you suffer so much following me around.”
Shi Zui turned her head at the sound, only to see her little teammate grinning playfully at the flickering flame.
The sky stretched clear and cloudless, the starry night endless. A crescent moon hung high, bathing the world in silvery light. Fine grains of sand stirred faintly across the desert, scraping against the Black Stone with a whisper like vibrating harp strings.
It wasn’t the deliberate obedience from their first meeting, nor the polite reserve of early acquaintance. This was unbridled naturalness, utterly unmasked—the bright curve of the moon reflected so clearly in those sparkling eyes.
“Captain, is there something on my face?” Ye Jingqiu suddenly met Shi Zui’s intent gaze and asked without thinking.
“…Nothing.” Shi Zui snapped back to herself and instinctively averted her eyes. She lowered her gaze as if to hide, suddenly realizing she had been staring at her little teammate for far too long.
It was a lapse she hadn’t even controlled.
Ye Jingqiu let out a long, drawn-out “Ooooh,” her tone teasing, as if she’d uncovered some great secret. She dragged it out like a winding mountain road, on the verge of spilling whatever it was at any moment.
Shi Zui’s heart tightened unconsciously. She didn’t dare look back, suddenly unsure what exactly she was dodging.
“Aether!”
Ye Jingqiu called out abruptly.
Word Manifestation took effect, and the distant Will Ring stirred without wind. Aether was yanked over to the two of them. The little golden cat shook its plump, round body and huffed a few times.
“Hmph, Xiao Qiu, you hatefully dragged meow here without even asking meow’s opinion!”
Ye Jingqiu smiled down at it, her crow-feather lashes fluttering lightly as she leaned in closer to the little cat. “Oh? Then who was it that just deliberately wagged its tail at me?”
Shi Zui let out a sudden breath of relief, realizing that Ye Jingqiu’s “ooooh” had been aimed at Aether after all.
“Aether was wagging its tail at A Shi,” the little cat declared proudly and seriously. “Meow isn’t the kind that abandons the old for the new!”
“Uh-huh, got it,” Ye Jingqiu brushed off, swiftly revealing her real intent. “So, Aether, why do you call the captain ‘A Shi’?”
“That’s the program A Shi set for meow! And hey, Xiao Qiu, haven’t you noticed how much nicer meow’s voice sounds today?”
“Did the captain set that too?”
“Yeah, yeah! A Shi specially kept meow’s original voice line. She said it fits meow’s image better. Isn’t A Shi so thoughtful? She even brings Aether out to play all the time. I suggest you learn from the captain, Xiao Qiu!”
“Oh? Does the captain bring you out here every night in the middle of the night?”
“About two or three times a week? Let meow check the logs… Everything’s backed up.”
“…”
Smug as could be, Aether soon spilled every last detail of Shi Zui’s secrets. Captain Shi couldn’t help turning her head away, propping her forehead with her right hand as she sighed deeply to herself.
The first-generation little cat was just too naive.
Feeling the heat building in her right hand, Captain Shi closed her eyes, trying to calm her emotions.
The feelings from that day outside the Outer Beijing Jingtang Suburbs welled up in Shi Zui’s heart once more.
If the Will Ring were still in her hands right now, the little cat would surely be yowling warnings at the ever-calm Captain Shi—alerting her to elevated sympathetic nervous system activity, accelerated blood flow, spiking stress hormone levels.
A little cat was just a little cat, after all, and artificial intelligence was just that. Aether could detect human bodily states clearly and promptly, but it would never understand what those rising metrics really signified—
They meant shyness.
Ye Jingqiu and Aether had already delved deep into “A Shi’s Hundred Teasing Techniques for Cats.” Shi Zui hesitated, wanting to interrupt the interrogation but reluctant to draw the fire onto herself. If she didn’t stop the little cat from spilling the family secrets, though, Shi Zui wasn’t sure whether she or Yinghuo would end up running hotter right now.
Her hidden side from days past was thoroughly exposed to her little teammate by Aether. Captain Shi exhaled a heavy breath of stale air, feeling the late-winter night breeze grow oppressively warm.
If she circulated her Water Instinct to cool down now, would Xiao Qiu notice?
Unaware that her prolonged silence had already exposed her to Ye Jingqiu and the little cat’s view, Shi Zui kept her face turned away. The human and cat exchanged a glance, then smiled in unison.
The little cat wagged its tail with a sigh. “The sun’s so high and hot! Meow’s gonna melt!”
Ye Jingqiu chimed in right away. “Even the winter sun is this intense. Poor Aether, suffering like this.”
The little cat puffed up bravely. “No worries! We can’t let A Shi suffer no matter what!”
Ye Jingqiu nodded solemnly. “Exactly! We can’t let the captain get sunburned!”
Shi Zui finally couldn’t take it. She turned back, puzzled. “What sun? It’s clearly not even…”
It was nighttime.
Meeting Ye Jingqiu and Aether’s bizarre, knowing smiles, Captain Shi swallowed the rest of her words.
Ye Jingqiu tilted her head and pointed at the fiery red creeping up behind Shi Zui’s ears, her tone loaded with meaning. “The sun’s pretty big, Captain. You’ve got a bit of sunburn already.”
Shi Zui: “…”
Ye Jingqiu lied straight-faced. “Does it hurt, Captain? Want me to grab some sunburn cream from the Medical Room?”
Shi Zui: “…”
Growing even bolder, Ye Jingqiu put on an exaggerated show of concern. “Captain, are you really okay? It looks even redder now.”
Shi Zui: “…”
Captain Shi expressionlessly undid her hair tie with one hand. In an instant, her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, completely covering her burning, flushed ears.
Deprived of her teasing target, Ye Jingqiu panicked. “Hey, hey, hey—Captain, why would you…”
Shi Zui’s expression darkened. “Ye Jingqiu.”
“Here!”
Ye Jingqiu jolted in surprise, sensing that things had spiraled out of control. She immediately shouted at the top of her lungs, her emotions swinging like a rollercoaster as she poured heartfelt remorse into every syllable, rising and falling with dramatic inflection. “Captain, I was wrong!”
Shi Zui let out a cold laugh. “Wrong how?”
Ye Jingqiu lowered her gaze meekly. “Wrong for catching a glimpse of the captain blushing.”
Shi Zui: “…”
She realized her little teammate was growing more and more unfiltered in her presence—unfiltered to the point of outright audacity.
Whatever.
The word surfaced in her mind for the second time. After all, Ye Jingqiu’s talent for nonsense was improving by the day. If she kept tangling with her like this, Shi Zui would probably end up on the losing side.
But why was she bickering over this with an “adult” who had only turned eighteen three months ago?
Brushing aside her own childish impulses, Shi Zui simply rose to her feet, her gaze calm and detached. “I remember you have a practical training session scheduled for the day after tomorrow.”
Ye Jingqiu’s heart skipped a beat. She shot to her feet and straightened her back. “Yes, Captain! My dear Sister Zhouzhou is willing to help me fine-tune my moves.”
“Very well. Let Zhouzhou rest for a day.” Shi Zui nodded and rotated her wrist. “I’ll train with you.”
Ye Jingqiu was dumbfounded. “Wait, Captain, aren’t you just retaliating against me?”
The captain’s fighting style was far more ferocious than Zhou Xianhui’s—by orders of magnitude. If Shi Zui took the field personally, a sore back and aching muscles would be the least of her worries. She might not even be able to sleep from the pain.
Shi Zui’s eyes were as deep and dark as ink spots, her tone light as a feather. “Retaliating? Is that how you define me?”
“I wouldn’t dare. How could I presume to define you like that?” Ye Jingqiu replied in a small voice, on the verge of tears. “It’s my honor across three lifetimes to have you as my sparring partner.”
Shi Zui was satisfied. “Good. Then we’ll meet in the Training Room at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
Ye Jingqiu agreed with a mournful expression. When she looked up again, she saw the captain half-reclining against the rock wall. Her hands, ungloved for combat, were clasped together, and her fair, slender index finger tapped idly against her wrist bone. One long leg was slightly bent, propping up her posture—a far cry from the ruthlessly efficient agent who dominated every battlefield.
Her long hair rippled in the night breeze, and her eyes, bright as cold stars, were half-lidded, accentuating the woman’s aloof, moonlit elegance. Yet at this moment, Captain Shi also revealed a rare hint of relaxation.
Ye Jingqiu stared, entranced, until she blinked back to reality. She thought to herself that the captain was the one who truly resembled Aether.
A tsundere big cat through and through—one that bristled at the slightest touch but calmed just as quickly.
No wonder the captain liked Aether. Like attracted like, after all.
Just like that, Ye Jingqiu wasn’t upset anymore. Trading a grueling day of training for this glimpse of the captain was a bargain, all things considered. Even A-Xie, who had been her teammate for five whole years, still believed the captain disliked the little cat.
“Speaking of which, why hasn’t A-Xie come back yet? Did she fall into some spider’s lair and get stuck?” Ye Jingqiu frowned.
Shi Zui shot a glance at her scatterbrained teammate. “Still craving more booze?”
Ye Jingqiu pointed at the sky and then the moon, striking a profound pose. “The ancients said, ‘Raise a cup to invite the bright moon, and with my shadow, we make three.’ How could we waste our ancestors’ wisdom without a sip of fine brew on a night like this? Oh, right—and nights like this are perfect for fireworks… The base doesn’t have a ban on them, does it?”
“Alcohol causes irreversible damage to the brain. Cut it out with A-Xie’s nonsense.” Shi Zui paused. “As for fireworks, didn’t we just have them for New Year’s a few days ago?”
“Sigh, doesn’t launching fireworks violate some cosmic law of creation?” Ye Jingqiu gazed wistfully at the stars and shook her head. “Oh, my dear Instinct, when are you going to treat me to a few fireworks of your own?”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a massive boom erupted from the distant base. A black cannon shell rocketed into the sky like a missile and detonated in a thunderous explosion amid the night!
But what bloomed from the shell was no dazzling display of fireworks, as Ye Jingqiu had hoped. Instead, a gigantic silver-white skull materialized in the darkness, leering down at them with mocking glee.
Ye Jingqiu gaped. “Huh? I didn’t order the horror fireworks combo!”
The moment Shi Zui spotted the skull emblem, her expression shifted dramatically. In the next instant, her Rampage Value spiked, and Hurricane Blade unfurled its domain.
“It’s those lunatics calling themselves the Savior.” Shi Zui’s voice was grave as she sprang to her feet.
“An enemy attack?” Ye Jingqiu froze in place. “But only base members with a Will Ring can enter this place!”
As if to prove her wrong, the base erupted into chaos in the distance. Gunfire crackled densely in the next heartbeat, and waves of elemental Instinct auras rippled outward through the enveloping night.
“Yes,” Shi Zui confirmed grimly. “Entry to the Heterodimensional Space requires credentials. Do you remember the Instinct on Xu Xianyue that evaded detection?”
“You mean… there’s a traitor?”
“Exactly. And Aether hasn’t raised any alarms, which means the base’s internal systems are already compromised. That person’s position is higher than I imagined.” Shi Zui swiftly snatched up her nearby combat jacket and turned to Ye Jingqiu. “The base’s security is unknown right now, but the enemies won’t find this spot. Stay here and don’t move.”
“Got it.” Ye Jingqiu nodded, her heart pounding amid the rising and falling gunfire.
Shi Zui fastened her windproof buckles and handed Ye Jingqiu the compact pistol she always carried. With one final glance back, she instructed, “These enemies aren’t Exotic Beasts—they’re Awakeners. They’re armed, and you can’t stop bullets yet. Protect yourself.”
With no more words to spare, Ye Jingqiu watched as Shi Zui activated Hurricane Blade and sped toward the base. She then glanced down at the unfamiliar gun in her hand.
“A traitor, huh…” she murmured to herself, her gaze drifting to the Augusta parked beneath a nearby outcrop.
The pinnacle of street cars worldwide: 208 horsepower, top speed of 300 kilometers per hour, zero-to-hundred acceleration in just 2.3 seconds. No line of sight could track this cheetah in motion.
Suddenly, she had an idea.
