Chapter 100: The White-Haired Man

“Are you alright?”

A cold, detached male voice drifted down from above, cutting through the haze of Chen’s stumble.

He blinked, his vision clearing, and slowly tilted his head up. The person supporting him was a young man, his grip firm but chillingly cool on Chen’s arm. Long, silver-white hair cascaded over his shoulders, a few errant strands brushing against a profile so sharp and severe it looked as if it were carved from winter frost.

His eyes—or where they should have been—were covered by a strip of black cloth, yet Chen felt an unnerving sense of being watched as the man looked down at him. Just by standing there, he seemed to create a pocket of absolute stillness, isolating himself from the clamor and light of the bustling street. He radiated an aura of deep detachment, a silent warning for all to keep their distance.

‘Jingliu,’ the name flashed through Chen’s mind, a jolt of pure, unadulterated shock. He immediately suppressed it, forcing his features to scrunch up into the kind of flustered expression a child like Hook would make.

“I-I’m fine! Thank you, big brother!” he chirped, quickly scrambling to his feet. He puffed out his small chest and patted it with a flourish, flashing a bright, gap-toothed smile that was pure Hook. “Thanks for catching me! If it weren’t for you, the great Lord Hook would have taken a nasty fall!”

The man, Jingliu, offered no response to his thanks. His blindfolded gaze simply lingered on Chen’s face for a heartbeat longer than was comfortable. Then, his head tilted slightly, his attention shifting to Bailu, who had just scurried over, his small hands nervously clutching the hem of Hook’s coat.

When Jingliu’s unseen eyes settled on the pair of small, exquisite dragon horns nestled in Bailu’s hair, his rigid posture seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second.

Caught in that intense, silent scrutiny, Bailu instinctively flinched, shrinking his neck and trying to hide behind Chen’s small frame. He could feel a strange, unsettling familiarity emanating from this imposing stranger—a feeling his instincts screamed at him to fear.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Jingliu spoke again, his voice as flat and cold as a winter lake. His attention had returned to Hook.

“To… to find something delicious!” Chen blurted out, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the role of a reckless, fun-loving little girl. “Lord Hook knows a secret food street! I’m taking my new friend on an adventure!”

As he spoke, he gave Bailu’s hand a subtle, reassuring squeeze, a silent signal not to be so nervous.

“Mm.”

It was a simple, noncommittal sound from Jingliu. His gaze swept down to their joined hands, then flickered back up to Bailu’s shock of light purple hair.

An unnerving silence descended upon the trio, stretching for several long seconds. Jingliu showed no sign of wanting to continue the conversation, nor did he seem inclined to stop them. He simply took a single step to the side, clearing the path. The gesture was minimal, yet it clearly communicated: You may go.

Chen felt as if he’d been granted a royal pardon. He quickly tugged Bailu along, forcing another hurried bow in Jingliu’s direction.

“Thank you, big brother! W-We’ll be going now! Goodbye!”

Without daring to steal another glance at Jingliu’s expressionless face, he turned and dragged the still-dazed Bailu away, breaking into a near run in the direction they had originally been headed. He didn’t look back, not once.

It wasn’t until they had rounded the next corner, putting a solid wall of buildings between them and the unnerving swordsman, that the two children finally sagged in unison, their frantic pace slowing to a walk.

“Hook…” Bailu murmured, his voice small. A trace of fear still lingered in his wide eyes. “That big brother just now… he felt so scary. The way he looked at me… it was a little strange.”

Chen, of course, knew exactly why. ‘He must have recognized you’re a Vidyadhara,’ he thought grimly. But he couldn’t very well say that. He had to play the part of the oblivious, boisterous Hook.

“Scary? Nah!” he declared, forcing a dismissive wave. “I think he just looks a bit cold, but he’s a good person! He did catch me, after all. Maybe… maybe he just doesn’t like to talk!”

He abruptly changed the subject, giving the hand he held with Bailu a playful shake. “Don’t worry about him! Our adventure and our feast haven’t even started yet! C’mon, hurry! It’s just up ahead!”

Distracted by his energetic display, Bailu’s attention was successfully diverted. The anticipation for secret delicacies rekindled in his eyes, and he nodded, allowing himself to be led onward by Captain Hook.

Far behind them, Jingliu remained rooted to the spot, his silver hair stirring gently in the street’s cross-breeze. He stood motionless, his blindfolded face turned towards the corner where the two children had disappeared, lost in thought for a long, long time.

Chen kept a brisk pace, pulling Bailu along for another block until he was absolutely certain they were far away from the street where they’d encountered Jingliu. Only then did he allow himself to truly relax, his shoulders slumping as he slowed to a more reasonable stroll.

“That was a close call…” he muttered under his breath, placing a hand over his rapidly beating heart. This time, it wasn’t an act. He had been genuinely terrified.

Still, an unexpected thrill shot through him. He had successfully unlocked Jingliu’s icon. That was a massive, wholly unexpected prize. But facing the former Sword Champion of the Luofu head-on, even this gender-swapped version, was an exercise in pure pressure.

Those eyes, hidden behind that strip of black cloth, had felt as though they could see right through him. Even with the fabric as a barrier, being watched by him gave Chen the chilling illusion of having nowhere to hide, of having every one of his thoughts laid bare.

“Hook, what’s wrong? Are you still thinking about that big brother?” Bailu’s concerned voice pulled him from his thoughts. The small boy was looking up at him, his face a mask of worry.

Even though Bailu himself had been frightened, it was more the primal fear of being intimidated by a powerful aura. Seeing how brave Hook had acted, he was now more worried about his new friend’s sudden quietness.

“Ah? No, nothing!” Chen immediately straightened up, plastering another bright, Hook-style smile onto his face. “Lord Hook isn’t afraid of anything! I was just… I was just thinking about how to get to our secret food street. I think… I might have forgotten the exact location.”

“You forgot?” Bailu’s attention was instantly captured. A flicker of disappointment crossed his small face, but it was quickly replaced by determination. “It’s okay, we can find it together! I don’t get to come out on the Luofu often, but I still know the general directions!”

Chen felt a wave of helplessness. He couldn’t just admit the whole thing was a lie he’d made up on the spot. Besides, his mind was already racing, buzzing with the need to find a quiet place. He was dying to try out his new transformation.

‘I need to find a chance to become Jingliu and see what it’s like!’ he thought, a thrill of anticipation overriding his lingering fear.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]