Ye Jingqiu put nearly all her strength into that slash. The cold blade pierced straight through the man’s shoulder blade, and with a long ripping sound, the knife bit deep into the floorboards, pinning him firmly in place.
The stench of blood instantly filled the entire dining hall. After confirming the man had passed out from the pain, Ye Jingqiu finally released the hilt and turned at once to support Jiang Zhinan, who stood frozen in shock nearby.
“Sister Nan-Nan, are you all right? Did he hurt you anywhere?”
Jiang Zhinan’s hair was a tangled mess, faint dried tear tracks lingering at the corners of her eyes. She stood rooted to the spot for several seconds, until the man’s spreading blood reached her hand. Only then did she turn her head in a stiff, puppet-like motion, staring blankly at Ye Jingqiu.
Somewhat worried, Ye Jingqiu shook her hand and raised her voice a little. “Sister Nan-Nan? Sister Nan-Nan?”
Jiang Zhinan snapped awake as if from a dream. Her eyes reddened at the sight of Ye Jingqiu, and two streams of clear tears came spilling down her cheeks. Ye Jingqiu floundered, unsure whether to speak or stay silent, and simply offered her a clean piece of gauze. Her gaze inadvertently drifted past Jiang Zhinan’s ear.
Nothing.
She had slipped into the dining hall almost silently. Without surveillance cameras or listening devices, it would have been utterly impossible for a non-Awakener like Jiang Zhinan—who couldn’t detect elemental fluctuations at all—to know when she’d arrived.
What was more, the man had attacked with near-lethal force. To put on an act that extreme was practically asking for death. This effectively cleared Jiang Zhinan of any suspicion.
She had come to help them in earnest.
Ye Jingqiu let out a long breath, a pang of guilt pricking her for having doubted the other woman, and gently helped the sobbing Jiang Zhinan to her feet from the floor.
It took Jiang Zhinan a good while to compose herself even a little. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and murmured in embarrassment, “Thank you… thank you, Xiao Qiu. I’m so sorry—you had to see that.”
“No, no! If it weren’t for us, you never would’ve gotten tangled up in this mess, Sister Nan-Nan.”
Jiang Zhinan gave a bitter smile. “Hiding people was just the spark. These guys have had their eyes on us for ages. I’ve only lasted this long because I picked up a few skills.”
Ye Jingqiu had heard tales of the brutality of Northern Myanmar’s drug lords and scammers, but one word still jumped out at her, sharp as a blade.
Us.
She hesitated. “Sister Nan-Nan, that ‘us’ you mentioned… who do you mean?”
“There are so many of them. Big Boss rounded up crowds of people to work as slaves. If you tend the flowers well, you get to stick around a bit longer. Do poorly, and they sell you off to the plantations. The ones who really won’t behave? They drain them dry and ship them to Thailand. That’s how A-Yu’s sister vanished,” Jiang Zhinan said, stemming her tears and speaking in a hushed tone. When she continued, confusion and anguish laced her words. “I don’t even know if I’ll ever get a chance to go home.”
Jiang Zhinan’s voice was soft, but Ye Jingqiu shivered despite herself. Her eyes flicked to the man stirring slowly beside them. Killing him wouldn’t be any injustice at all!
The agony of a shoulder blade run clean through was enough to jolt anyone awake. Wu Hong’s eyes fluttered open in a daze—and the first thing they landed on was Ye Jingqiu’s smiling face.
“…???”
Wu Hong’s eyes bulged in horror. The crushing force that had slammed into his back was still fresh in his mind. This innocent-looking student packed a vicious punch. Trembling, he tried to scramble backward, only for the searing pain in his shoulder to lock him in place.
Ever the committed villain, Ye Jingqiu beamed at him and patted his cheek. “Come clean, and I’ll let you live.”
Wu Hong nodded vigorously, though he sneered inwardly. Sure, he was just a low-level boss, but he had to check in with Second Brother on schedule. Once the deadline passed without word, Second Brother would know something was wrong and send men to sweep the place. No matter how tough this girl was, she’d eat lead in the end.
Ye Jingqiu dangled his phone in front of him. “Unlock it. Send Big Boss the all-clear from East District.”
“……”
Wu Hong forced a couple of grins, unlocked the device, and tapped out a quick message: East District all clear.
Before he could lock it again, Ye Jingqiu snatched the phone away. A quick inspection revealed only specific messaging apps worked—no calls, no texts. No way to track down Aether with it.
That flicker of hope snuffed out. Ye Jingqiu sighed, her mood souring further. She simply reached out with her right hand, gripped the hilt, and gave it a little twist amid Wu Hong’s wide-eyed terror.
“Wh-wh-what are you—Aaah! We can talk this out! No knife, please, I beg you!”
The scene was grisly enough already. Mindful of Jiang Zhinan’s limits, Ye Jingqiu held back. She glanced over—only to find Sister Nan-Nan had dried her tears, her eyes glittering eagerly at the knife hilt.
Catching Ye Jingqiu’s look, she blinked in faint confusion, then leaned in and whispered, “Why’d you stop pressing?”
“……”
All right, then. The guy had it coming.
Ye Jingqiu wasted no more time. Noon was upon them, and the banquet Wu Hong had mentioned was just hours away. She grabbed him by the collar and demanded, “A few questions. No lies.”
“First: who are Big Boss and Second Brother hosting tonight? Where? How many guards? How many packing heat?”
Wu Hong’s eyes darted slyly as he flashed a fawning smile. “The guests? Total mystery to me. But they show up every year around now to ‘renew’ Big Boss and Second Brother. Banquet’s at the Villa tonight—starts at nine. Guards? Not many! Just fourteen guys under Second Brother. Seven or eight have weapons, but they’re all homemade popguns.”
Ye Jingqiu frowned. “Renew?”
“Y’know, ‘renewal.’ Nothing mystical about it. They bring some medicine for Big Boss. Folks say it extends your life, speeds up wound healing too. Last time Second Brother had a knife slash on his hand, it was good as new by morning.”
That effect… it sounded just like the Captain’s Regeneration.
Ye Jingqiu’s heart lurched. Perhaps Big Boss’s position wasn’t mere luck after all. Keeping her expression neutral, she pressed on with a steady stream of questions.
Wu Hong talked until his mouth went dry. Having lost so much blood, dizziness clouded his brain inevitably. Just as he was about to beg Ye Jingqiu to spare him, she fired off another rapid question:
“How many people with guns will be at the villa tonight?!”
“Thirty—fourteen! Fourteen!” The fabricated answer tumbled out of his mouth, but Wu Hong snapped awake at the last second, nearly screaming his throat raw.
Ye Jingqiu sneered. “Didn’t you just say ten?”
Wu Hong shook his head frantically, like pounding garlic. “No, no, no—I misspoke! There are fourteen guards, but only about ten with guns!”
“You people can’t utter a single truthful word.” Ye Jingqiu scoffed and thrust her right hand down again, yanking the knife handle viciously. The blade sliced instantly through Wu Hong’s shoulder, blood spurting out in a gush.
Ignoring the agonized howls right in front of her, Ye Jingqiu dangled his phone in front of him. “You’re reporting to someone named Miao Lun. That means you’re at best a third-rate underling in this organization. For a banquet this important tonight, do you really think the Big Boss would let you know the exact defensive numbers? Thirty or fourteen—it’s all lies anyway.”
She tossed the phone aside and drew the long knife without hesitation. A cold gleam flashed past as the blade pressed straight against his artery.
Ye Jingqiu stared into the terrified eyes of Wu Hong, enunciating each word slowly. “Start over. If I catch you lying again, you can test with your life just how sharp this blade is.”
~~~
The wet, squelching sounds of knife plunging into flesh continued without pause. Ye Jingqiu lounged askew at the edge of the table, piecing together her thoughts while deliberately tuning out the screams behind her.
Sister Nan-Nan seemed so gentle and softhearted. She probably hadn’t so much as killed a chicken before being tricked into coming here. For her to grit her teeth and stab a man to death spoke volumes about how much hatred Wu Hong had racked up over the years.
At last, the screams fell silent. Jiang Zhinan lowered her head and wiped the bloodstained long knife clean before handing it back to Ye Jingqiu.
“Thank you, Xiao Qiu. I can’t thank you enough. A-Yu’s sister was killed by his vile tricks. I never imagined the day would come when I’d kill him with my own hands.”
Ye Jingqiu sheathed the knife, her face lighting up with a smile utterly different from moments before. “I told you, it’s my sister and I who should be thanking you. No need to be so formal with me.”
Jiang Zhinan nodded and poured Ye Jingqiu a cup of hot water. Only then did she ask hesitantly, “Xiao Qiu, if I may be so bold—are you and your sister here on a mission for the police or the military? You didn’t seem… very scared just now.”
Scared?
Ye Jingqiu paused for a beat.
Of course, scared. She’d only ever killed exotic beasts before. Blood from enemies so utterly different from her wouldn’t faze her much. But Wu Hong was different. That Project Y operative from the night before had been different too. They were living, breathing humans.
What had Xie Pingzhi told her? If she accidentally killed one of Messiah’s people, no need to panic. They were vile criminals who deserved death. Above all, don’t let the disgust of taking a life throw her off her game.
But here was the thing: when she’d slit that awakener’s throat, she hadn’t felt any disgust. No nausea from her first human kill.
Had she… already grown numb to this sort of thing in the past?
Ye Jingqiu drew a deep breath, shoving the thought aside. She met the worried gaze of Jiang Zhinan and forced a smile. “It’s not convenient to get into details right now, but Sister Nan-Nan, you have my word. We’ll do everything we can to get you out of here—as our thanks.”
Jiang Zhinan murmured softly, “I really appreciate that. But the Big Boss and Second Brother both have guns. Are you sure you can break in and steal a car?”
“Leave that to me. I could handle it alone, and with my sister back on her feet by evening? Piece of cake.” Ye Jingqiu gave her an assuring nod. “Wu Hong only sent a message about coming back late. If we don’t move tonight, they’ll come sniffing around eventually anyway.”
Jiang Zhinan took a steadying breath. “I understand. Then Xiao Qiu, let me come with you. I’ve been to that villa before. I might be able to help.”
Tonight could get dangerous, but knowledge of the villa’s layout would be invaluable to Ye Jingqiu. Even at half strength, the captain could handle these small-time thugs with ease.
Ye Jingqiu considered it for a moment, then nodded. “All right. Any other questions, Sister Nan-Nan? If not, I need to get back to my sister and prep some things.”
Leaving the captain alone like that gnawed at her. With things wrapped up here, Ye Jingqiu felt an urgent pull to return—like an arrow longing for home. Especially after seeing that gruesome, bloody gash on the captain’s back when she’d dug out the bullet fragment. The thought fueled an impatient rush to hurry back.
It was strange. The captain had left her alone on missions plenty of times before, and she’d never fretted this much.
Ye Jingqiu muttered under her breath. Jiang Zhinan finally mustered her courage. “It’s like this, Xiao Qiu. You seem to know a bit about medicine. Could you… take a look at A-Yu for me?”
~~~
Myanmar’s nights fell a touch later than usual, but by now the heavy darkness had unfurled like thick felt, as if to smother the only light left in the world.
Shi Zui gently touched A-Yu’s head and opened her mouth to speak—only to erupt into a violent coughing fit, as if her very organs were about to shake loose. Her face drained of color in an instant, her dark eyes misting over.
Ye Jingqiu nearly jumped out of her skin and rushed over with the prepared hot water. “Cap—Sister, take it easy! No rush!”
Shi Zui turned her head to take a sip, a faint blush creeping behind her ear. She forced a calm tone. “It’s nothing. Just a sudden discomfort.”
Why did Xiao Qiu call her “sister” so effortlessly? Jiang Zhinan was trustworthy now—why switch from “captain” to “sister”?
Captain Shi sighed inwardly. She truly couldn’t stomach such intimate nicknames as “sister.” Putting up with Aether calling her A-Shi was already the absolute limit for their super cold, utterly ruthless captain.
Jiang Zhinan grew a little anxious off to the side. Just as she opened her mouth to ask, Ye Jingqiu took A-Yu’s hand and said softly, “A-Yu, the sisters need to talk about some things. Why don’t we step out for a bit?”
A-Yu was a five- or six-year-old girl, as delicate and pretty as a porcelain doll. She nodded obediently and took Ye Jingqiu’s hand, leading the way out.
“The condition is very serious,” Shi Zui said slowly once the pair had vanished through the door. “At this stage, there are no drugs that can ease it, as far as I know. I’m not well-versed in medicine myself, but a family member of a friend had the exact same illness. She held on for about three years before she passed.”
Jiang Zhinan’s eyes dimmed. She had sworn to A-Yu’s big sister that she would take good care of the girl, and this outcome was impossible for her to accept.
“Is there really no way at all? Even something to extend her life would work! It’s only been two years since A-Yu got sick.”
“There’s a research institute in Beijing developing an experimental targeted drug, but the results so far aren’t promising. For this child…” Shi Zui paused, then continued tactfully, “To reduce her suffering—I know of a drug here in Myanmar that’s supposed to work pretty well.”
Jiang Zhinan exhaled a long breath, fighting back tears as she nodded to Shi Zui and bowed deeply. “Thank you. Just knowing this much means the world to me. Thank you.”
Shi Zui shook her head. “Don’t mention it.”
A brief silence settled over the room. Ye Jingqiu, having heard the conversation wrap up, poked her head back in with A-Yu. She didn’t dare press Jiang Zhinan about the sorrow etched on her face and simply murmured, “Time’s up. We should go.”
Jiang Zhinan nodded. She turned back to give A-Yu a few more instructions, straightened her clothes, and then headed out with Ye Jingqiu and Shi Zui.
The villa was still some distance away, and to avoid attracting notice, the three set off on foot. Besides, even though Captain Shi could unleash Yinghuo in an instant to disarm foes, her wound was still healing—it never hurt to be extra cautious.
The thick underbrush offered natural cover as they made their slow way toward the villa. At that moment, a motorcycle roared past. Ye Jingqiu ducked low, but in the split second it sped by, she caught several familiar words.
“Why does Big Boss still trust that bunch so much? Word is, they’ve stocked up a ton of jadeite this time.”
“Keep your voice down. That Project Y was a big deal back in the day—supposedly had real effects. They’re picking some people tonight to head to Bangkok for more tests!”
“Tch, total con artists…”
The final words trailed off into the wind, but Ye Jingqiu froze in place, shock and uncertainty churning in her heart.
Project Y?
How was this tied to that thing again?
