Chapter 123 - The Unexpected

The mood became awkward as everyone in the room slowly turned to look at Han Qingyu with expressions of either amusement or resignation.

They weren’t surprised that Han Qingyu hadn’t returned them. It was the fact that none of them noticed he hadn’t that caught them off guard.

“I really did forget, though. I wasn’t pretending,” Han Qingyu said calmly under everyone’s stare.

It had actually just come down to a single passing thought. At the time, he had considered this as collecting a fee in advance. Girl, you should be happy about this, you know. The way things stand, it means I’ve decided to protect you once we’re inside. That’s going to cost source energy, so this is a reasonable charge. If I don’t collect first, I might hesitate two extra seconds before I swing, unable to stop myself from grieving over the waste. You’d end up dead.

“That’s not it,” Yin Caixin insisted, stubbornly shaking her head before gesturing toward He Tangtang. “When he opened up his device to give my core back, you glanced over. How could you not have been reminded?”

Low laughter went around.

Meanwhile, Yin Caixin kept her gaze fixed firmly on Han Qingyu’s face. The corner of her mouth lifted at his embarrassed, helpless expression. Watching him fumble for an argument made her feel much lighter.

In truth, Little Caixin’s own teammates had no idea she was here. After going back to their room, the group tried to talk her around. She then told them she was going to speak to the reception staff and call her grandfather, but that was difficult in a place like this, so the call never went through.

That caused her to realize that she could only rely on herself out here. Forcing herself to stay calm, she mulled it over on her way back and eventually found a thread.

Her grandfather’s words about Han Qingyu’s reputation and record in the Oriental Republic Army Group came to mind, and a strange piece of logic emerged.

With that man’s strength, if he’s greedy for a few energy cores at a time like this, it probably means he has no intention of hurting me. If he kept them on purpose, it means he isn’t planning to take the whole pot with me in it.

According to her grandfather, “take the whole pot” was a phrase he used to hear from comrades on the Oriental Republic battlefields, meaning roughly to walk off with everything.

Little Caixin tilted her head back a little, working through her thoughts. A trace of relief and delight slipped out as her pale blue eyes gazed up at the high wall and the ceiling.

That seems right. I think I’m right about this.It’s wonderful to be able to trust someone this impressive. But do I bring up Luca’s suggestion or not? Ugh, this is hard.

She couldn’t completely shake the dissenting voice, however, so she could not say she completely trusted Han Qingyu.

“Caixin, you look like you’re hesitating over something. It’s fine. Just say it,” Shen Yixiu encouraged her kindly.

Yin Caixin looked at her and hesitated anyway.

“Your teammates tried to talk you out of working with us, didn’t they?” Wen Jifei cut in, steering the topic away from Little Qing.

Yin Caixin’s head whipped around. “How did you know?”

“I guessed as much.” Wen Jifei sounded relaxed yet serious. “Did you forget? I’m an expert in the Book of Changes and eight trigrams.”

“Amazing! Then you—”

“I also calculated that you didn’t agree.”

Yin Caixin’s eyes went wide, and she nodded quickly before saying in a rush, “Mn, we’re scared too. Put your lives in our shoes, and think about it. You’re all so strong...”

He Tangtang was baffled. “What do you mean, put your lives in our shoes?”[1]

“She probably meant put ourselves in their shoes,” Liu Shiheng said,

“Mn, put—put... Anyway, we’re just a bit intimidated.” Yin Caixin hesitated, then seemed to throw caution aside. “Luca suggested we exchange hostages with you.”

The room went quiet for a moment.

“Hostages?” Wen Jifei asked, curious.

“Mn. Luca suggested that from among those staying outside, we’ll have one person join your side without a device, and you... you send one over to us too.”

Han Qingyu straightened in his seat.

Yin Caixin didn’t notice the change in the air and tentatively continued, “J-just your weakest one is fine. Luca said we might not be able to hold on to him otherwise.”

Her eyes wandered to Liu Shiheng and Wen Jifei.

Wen Jifei tried to dodge her gaze but failed. It left him somewhat annoyed.

“Listen, I’m warning you. When you say weakest, stop looking at me. Being a researcher doesn’t mean I can’t fight.” Wen Jifei mimed drawing a blade out of thin air. “Careful, or I’ll cut you down and show you what an A-ranker looks like—what a double-A team is.”

“S-so you’re an A-ranker too?” Yin Caixin was thoroughly shocked.

“Of course,” Wen Jifei replied calmly. This wasn’t technically a lie. He was an A-ranker... who happened to be a B-ranker, as well as a C-, D-, E-, and F-ranker, all at once.

“Then, then why aren’t you coming in with us?”

“Because I’m a Book of Changes and eight trigrams researcher.”

“Oh.” Yin Caixin nodded.

Surprisingly, Liu Shiheng spoke up with a smile. “Actually, I think it’s not a bad idea. I don’t mind going over as the hostage. Who were you planning to send to our side?”

“Baudouin.” Yin Caixin gestured as she said it. “The one with dark, curly hair and a beard. He fought your Tangtang for the last slot.”

“Oh, then...” Liu Shiheng said, about to turn toHan Qingyu for his opinion.

“I don’t agree.” Han Qingyu cut the exchange off, his tone a little cold.

Yin Caixin glanced at him. “Why—”

“I don’t do things like that,” Han Qingyu said simply.

The mood dropped to freezing. Yin Caixin thought it over and roughly understood the situation. This was their team leader’s principle and decision.

Feeling awkward, she apologized. “I’m sorry... We didn’t mean any harm. Luca isn’t a bad person either. He’s the most trustworthy and dependable one on my side. The most careful too. He even sleeps with his device here.”

Luca mattered. As the strongest fighter on Yin Caixin’s team, he was their backbone, and apart from Yin Caixin herself, he was the only one from her side selected to go in.

Given the situation, Luca had made a suggestion after going back. He hoped the two sides could exchange hostages and had chosen Baudouin as his side’s candidate.

Baudouin was the same man Han Qingyu and He Tangtang had both had doubts about.

These three things weren’t connected yet, so no hackles were raised. Han Qingyu was too busy being displeased with the idea of a hostage exchange itself.

***

Elsewhere, Baudouin approached Luca with a bitter smile and slumped shoulders.

“Can we talk again, Luca?”

“What is it? Still unwilling to go over for the exchange?” Luca stood up with the device on his back and smiled apologetically as he comforted Baudouin. “It really is unfair to you, Baudouin, but it’s the best option we have. They value one another. I can see it. You’ll be safe.”

They had already had this conversation twice. This was the third. Out of consideration for Baudouin’s fear and doubt, though, Luca patiently repeated himself.

“I still believe we shouldn’t be mixed up with those people. They’re jackals. No, they’re evil. There’s no way we can win anything with them by our sides. I’m afraid something may happen to you and to Miss Adjani,” Baudouin said worriedly, walking toward the window.

Luca followed without thinking. “This...”

“She still isn’t back yet? I’m a little worried—Wait, who’s there?” Baudouin cried out and backed away.

Two dark shapes lunged at Baudouin from outside the window.

Luca charged in at once and blocked the enemy blades.

Then came the slick sound of a combat blade entering a body. It came from behind Luca. The pain registered soon after.

Baudouin’s blade had pierced through Luca from behind.

A violent sweep and a resonant clang echoed as Luca fought his way back to the corner. He stood leaning against the wall, staring in shock at his childhood playmate turned teammate. “Baudouin...”

“That’s right. I was once your sidekick, the dirt beneath your glory, but later, I became a child chosen by God,” Baudouin said with a cold smile.

A child chosen by God. That was what the Wipers in the western world called themselves. Luca finally grasped the situation.

It was too late.

As a Wiper plant, Baudouin absolutely had to get inside. It had seemed easy enough at first, but the rule limiting entry to five people and the arrival of Han Qingyu’s group had ruined his plans.

In the final round of the selection, Baudouin gave everything he had, but still lost to He Tangtang, losing his chance. After returning from the sparring ground, he had even attempted to persuade Yin Caixin to drop the cooperation with the Oriental Republic people.

Luca’s approval didn’t help the matter. Worse still, he suggested using Baudouin as the hostage in the exchange.

Baudouin had tried and failed to talk Luca out of the idea twice.

That left him no other option but to take a desperate risk. He ended up contacting the Wipers hidden inside the hotel, and they chose to move on Luca.

“Sorry, Luca. We have to do this, and fast. We’ll push your death onto that valuable Oriental Republic boy. It’s believable. After all, you look like the only obstacle in their way. Once that seed of doubt is sown, we’ll eventually convince Miss Adjani to refuse their help and take us in instead. I’ll be the only one she can lean on once you’re gone.”

The other two Wipers closed in as well.

“Hurry. Kill him,” Baudouin urged.

All three moved at once.

“Don’t even think about it...” Luca raised his blade and met them head-on.

The wall behind him was already painted with his blood. That first cut had come close to killing him, and his resistance was feeble.

He caught two of the blades, but the third was headed for his heart.

He was going to die. Miss Adjani would be deceived.

Neither Luca nor Baudouin knew that Adjani, known to Han Qingyu’s group as Yin Caixin, had met up with the Oriental Republic group that night. They were thus also unaware that she had brought someone back with her.

“Die, Luca. I’ll weep for you in front of Miss Adjani and plead your case.”

The third blade came sweeping in.

Bang! Clang!

The two sounds came in quick succession as a suit of iron armor burst through the door and cut to the front of Luca like lightning, blocking the killing blow.

Only after that did Shen Yixiu draw her blade.

As agreed, she had gone with Yin Caixin to her room to sleep that night, which was in a corner of another building connected to the hotel. When they drew near, they heard faint sounds of fighting.

Shen Yixiu charged in, broke through the door, and drew her blade.

Baudouin was aware of this armor’s capabilities from the spar and shouted for his companions to fall back.

Shen Yixiu wasn’t about to let them run.

As she made to press forward, however, Luca’s eyes darted to the doorway, and he forced out, “Don’t—Miss Adjani.”

The Wipers had someone waiting outside the front door.

It had happened when Shen Yixiu charged into the room.

Yin Caixin, wearing no armor, had no time to react before a blade was pointed at her back, tip right over her heart.

Shen Yixiu could only stop and watch the Wipers retreat.

Yin Caixin was forced to follow.

The Wipers were waiting for Han Qingyu.

1. The original idiom is 设身处地 (shè shēn chǔ dì), which means to put yourself in someone’s shoes, but Caixin says 舍身取义 (shě shēng qǔ yì), which means to sacrifice one’s life for the greater good. ☜