When Guang Rui rushed into the meeting room, eager to share his major discovery, he suddenly remembered that he had sneaked off to see the young man while Zuo Xiu was away from the base.
However, he had secured a massive lead today! Even if he were reprimanded, his contribution should be enough to make up for his transgression and clear his record.
While waiting for the call to connect, he realized belatedly that Liang Guang, who had been following him, was nowhere to be found.
*Strange...*
Guang Rui sat in his chair, scratching his head in confusion.
*He’s the one who wants to gain some kind of ability the most, and he’s the one who constantly pesters me by treating novels as reality. Why is he so unenthusiastic now that something real has actually appeared?*
*Could he be holding a grudge because I scolded him the other day?*
Guang Rui found it utterly baffling.
*It’s one thing to mess around usually, but he was saying baseless things during official business. There shouldn't be a problem with giving him a piece of my mind, right? Besides, I’ve brought him along for all the investigations since then. He seemed happy enough; I didn't see him nursing any resentment.*
Just as he thought this, the connection went through, and Zuo Xiu’s voice came over the line.
*Well... I’m probably overthinking it. Maybe he just has something else to do.* He decisively abandoned the attempt to parse these complex interpersonal relationships and excitedly shared his findings with Zuo Xiu.
***
The information revealed by the young man, combined with the intel they had gathered from Mu Ran a few days prior, further narrowed the scope of the investigation.
Zuo Xiu immediately called Bai Yu to accompany him back to the previous scene for a re-examination.
“The judgment of instruments.” Zuo Xiu chewed on those five words, which had been laced with the young man’s mockery. He teased Bai Yu, “How does it feel to have the cutting-edge tools your family produced called into question?”
Bai Yu’s expression remained unchanged. She simply tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and said helplessly, “Stop making fun of me. My grandfather was furious when he heard that. If my brother hadn't stopped him, he would have flown back immediately to study the scene himself.”
The two arrived at the familiar commercial street.
Zuo Xiu, who had been silent since his last remark, gazed at the seemingly ordinary street. He suddenly turned to his partner and said in a low voice, “You know as well as I do. Our current spiritual energy system only officially stabilized after Dean Bai invented those tools.”
“It’s only been stable for sixty or seventy years.”
“Every bit of our current research, every arrangement, and every organization is built upon this known ‘stability.’”
“All relevant researchers believe it is impossible for new types of heterodox abilities to emerge.”
Bai Yu looked at him quietly, naturally picking up his train of thought. “And what we might uncover today will be an ‘earthquake.’”
“Maybe it’ll just be a minor tremor,” Zuo Xiu replied, choosing not to delve deeper into the heavy topic. He deftly shifted the subject. “Alright, time to work.”
“Since he told us not to trust the instruments, we’ll just have to personally inspect every single corner.”
“I hope we find something.”
***
Mu Ran looked up. Sitting beside him, Xu Qing heard the scratching of the pen stop. He put down his newspaper and asked warmly, “Are you tired? Take a break if you are.”
“Mm,” Mu Ran responded softly.
Ever since Xu Qing and Bai Yu told him about the “evaluation,” the boy had been incredibly well-behaved.
Previously, when Xu Qing had directly promised to be his guardian, the boy’s surprise had been followed by suspicion, uncertainty, and a sense of unease. He was like a small animal that had been hit by a falling meat pie; he circled it suspiciously, not daring to take a bite, unsure if it was a trap or a gift.
But when they tricked him by saying he needed to pass a “test,” he actually felt reassured by the process, as if he were accustomed to it.
It seemed his previous caretaker often gave him such “tests.” At the thought of what kind of “tests” that young man might devise, Xu Qing felt a massive headache coming on. After all, he had read the transcript of the conversation Bai Yu had recorded between the two.
Fortunately, the boy hadn't turned out twisted under that kind of upbringing... Though he had some psychological trauma, his heart was still kind.
“Have they gone to work?”
Just as Xu Qing was about to answer, he heard the boy add in a small voice, “Can I help?”
Out of concern for the boy’s psychological stability, Xu Qing had intended to refuse. Then he thought of the small-scale shockwaves caused by the prisoner’s words... If they could get some information here, it might significantly speed up the process.
However...
“Maybe you can.” Xu Qing smiled gently. Seeing the boy suddenly brighten up, he didn't forget to remind him, “If you feel uncomfortable, stop immediately, okay?”
***
Seeing the familiar red pattern he had personally added just a few days ago, Mu Ran deliberately paused for a moment.
This hesitation was caught by Xu Qing. He took note of the image without showing it, observing Mu Ran’s reaction while asking softly, “Do you recognize this?” To prevent the boy from losing emotional control, he unconsciously activated his ability.
“Mm...”
Mu Ran blinked indecisively, his eyes darting back and forth, revealing his inner struggle.
Xu Qing maintained a waiting posture, watching him with patient, gentle eyes.
After a few breaths, Mu Ran lowered his gaze and spoke calmly. “This is an array.”
“This is the street from that day, right?” He recognized the location just from this picture of a corner.
“The other person had me draw this with him.”
His voice was light and low.
His hands, hanging quietly at his sides, unconsciously gripped the hem of his shirt, as if only then could he find the courage to speak.
“But he was caught by you, so it wasn't handled properly this time...”
“This time”? That meant there were many other times they didn't know about? Xu Qing kept his face neutral, but a storm was brewing in his heart.
Among those events that looked like “accidents,” those cases classified as ordinary because there were no traces of Specials—how many of them were the result of handiwork like this?
Mu Ran didn't know that his casual choice of words had inadvertently caused a massive misunderstanding. He waited and waited, but Xu Qing didn't press him. He grew anxious inwardly.
*Why aren't you asking more! If I just keep talking to myself for ages, what if they think this intel was too easy to get and don't believe me?*
He couldn't help but steal a glance at Xu Qing.
That glance brought Xu Qing back to his senses. Shaking off the terrifying thoughts in his mind, he asked softly, “This array... what is it used for?”
The question made the boy suddenly tighten his grip on his shirt. This time, he paused for an even longer duration before speaking. “...To kill.”
“People inside can't notice the one who set the array... usually.” Seeming to remember the exceptions like Zuo Xiu, Bai Yu, and that unknown man in the suit, he pursed his lips and added guiltily.
“When the timing is right, the one who set the array can strike.” His voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “I can forget these things immediately... please don't be afraid of me, and don't hate me.”
Days of psychological therapy had finally given the boy the courage to tentatively reveal a glimpse of his true self. He even voiced a plea.
“Of course not. Everyone will be grateful for what you’ve told us.” Xu Qing was never stingy with physical encouragement and warmth.
He reached out and gently pulled the boy toward him. Sensing no resistance in the boy’s body language, he broadened the gesture into a soft, warm hug, even rubbing his chin against the top of the boy’s head. “If anything, the fact that you’re willing to tell me this makes me very happy. I’m grateful for your trust.”
The slightly tense body in his arms gradually softened, and then the boy’s hands slowly returned the embrace.
“Can I just keep talking like this?” Just as Xu Qing felt it was about time to let go, he heard the boy’s somewhat muffled voice.
Xu Qing stopped his movement to pull away, gently stroking the boy’s hair and agreeing warmly.
He thought the boy might be feeling shy, or perhaps craving the sense of security a hug provided.
But in reality...
*Mu Ran’s Inner Monologue: Hiss... talking like this means I don't have to worry about my facial expressions!*
*Let’s hug a bit longer! Let me finish spinning this lore for you!*
***
“There should be a way to remove these traces, but I don't know the method...”
“It only appears a day or two after it hasn't been processed. Maybe it just looks like ordinary ink right now...?”
“My name? ...I saw a certain pattern he drew and liked it very much, so I remembered it... I don't think I have a name...”
“If I were locked up, without tools, it seems I wouldn't be able to do anything.”
“I never saw him write anything down... He said he didn't want to leave any traces.”
“I seem to... know nothing. I’m sorry.”
“...Draw that array? Mm, okay, I’ll try.”
...
By the time Zuo Xiu and Bai Yu returned to the villa, it felt as though they hadn't been gone for an afternoon, but for a century.
“So... we sent the photos to you. The two of us ran around every department in the base for half the day, and our gains were basically zero.”
“Then you sit here chatting with the kid and find out this much instantly.”
Zuo Xiu felt even more depressed when he thought of the sight upon entering: the boy, who had always been quiet and melancholy, was now circling Xu Qing with curious excitement.
“And his favorability toward you even went up,” Bai Yu added from the side.
Facing the “accusations” of his two friends, Xu Qing simply shrugged with a smile. “Maybe this is the delightful surprise of raising a child?”
The words were normal, but the boastful tone seemed ready to overflow.
Zuo Xiu’s teeth itched with irritation. “...Fine.”
“Alright, stop messing around. Let’s look at what we know now.” Bai Yu, who had been watching the show, decided it was enough.
“Right.” Zuo Xiu quickly snapped into professional mode, combining the boy’s intel with his own observations of the scene. “At the time, I did notice there was one other person who hadn't been bewitched by that guy.”
“Seems like that guy’s ability is actually quite mediocre,” he didn't forget to throw in a jab.
Bai Yu, however, overturned her previous view. “Before, I thought he had the ability to escape, since he could kill so silently. But if we explain it with the ‘array’ logic...”
“You mean he wasn't caught on purpose, but actually lacked the ability to escape?” Zuo Xiu mused.
He recalled the young man’s behavior during the arrest.
The unruffled depths of the man’s eyes had left a deep impression on him. If the man truly had no power to resist, where did that calm confidence come from?
“Arrays.” Xu Qing savored the word. “The idea that an array master has no strength once separated from their setup... it feels hard to believe.” He wasn't doubting the boy’s words, of course; it was just that what the boy knew might not be the whole truth.
“Like an ordinary person who can only rely on tools infused with spiritual energy.” Zuo Xiu gave a short laugh. “If it were that kind of case, we wouldn't have had to follow it for so many days.”
“Well, it seems that former guardian wasn't entirely sincere with A-Ran. Then again, we can't expect a sociopath like that to raise a child well.”
Bai Yu sighed, tracing the lines of the array the boy had drawn. She marveled, “It feels so incredible... To think that besides innate spiritual energy, other types of heterodox abilities actually exist.”
Her family’s long-standing influence made her dive into deeper thought. “How exactly are they produced? It’s clearly just ordinary ink after analysis. What exactly drives it to function? Can ordinary people do it too?”
The thought of such a silent, invisible method of killing being used by the general public...
“Relax. Think about the ‘geniuses’ and ‘outliers’ that guy was bragging about. It probably won't happen,” Zuo Xiu replied.
Standing to the side, Xu Qing suddenly said, “Not necessarily.”
“Those words are very likely just rhetoric he used to alienate Xiao Ran from others.” He analyzed as objectively and calmly as possible. “Besides, our current standard for defining an ‘ordinary person’ is based on our existing energy system. Didn't you also initially think he was an ordinary person, Zuo Xiu?”
“...”
Silence.
“Tsk.”
“It seems...” Bai Yu said with a smile, “we’ll have to rely on A-Ran to learn a bit more.”
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 阵 (Zhèn) | Array | A pattern or formation used to channel energy for specific effects. |
| 灵能体系 (Língnéng tǐxì) | Spiritual Energy System | The established framework of understanding and using supernatural powers. |
| 阵法 (Zhènfǎ) | Array Arts / Array Logic | The methodology or logic behind creating and using arrays. |
| 阿冉 (Ā-Rǎn) | A-Ran | An affectionate nickname for Mu Ran. |
| 小冉 (Xiǎo Rǎn) | Xiao Ran | A familiar/affectionate way to address Mu Ran. |
