Chapter 32: Showing Weakness

“I just remembered I have something to take care of. I’ll be going now.”

Liu Ming forced a strained smile. Without giving Du Shui time to react, he turned and bolted.

Du Shui stood there with her hand still extended in mid-air, looking confused. Is my new Spiritual Body really that terrifying?

Liu Ming was quite familiar with the Izayoi Family’s coastal defense vessels; after all, knowledge of the various districts was a requirement for any heir. He cut across the main body of the ship from the deck and circled around to the aft freeboard. Only after confirming he had completely lost those guys did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Still as annoying as ever…”

Liu Ming frowned. The moment that electric ray appeared, his body had instinctively begun to tremble. The little snake that served as his Spiritual Body had gone completely rigid against the side of his neck, and even he was severely affected.

He leaned cautiously against the railing, took the little snake from his neck, and began to soothe it gently. He stroked its cold, fine scales repeatedly with his fingertips, trying to dispel the fear that had seeped into its very soul.

“It’s okay, don’t be afraid. We’re far away from that electric ray now… following the protagonist group these past few days… you’ve really suffered.”

Liu Ming showed a rare moment of tenderness. He stroked the little snake softly, letting his Spiritual Body continue to shiver under his hand. Right now, the bullet chat’s perspective was focused on the protagonist group, so he could temporarily drop his disguise and take a breath.

The little snake was still trembling. His Spiritual Body wasn’t a physical entity, yet it was more sensitive than any physical creature to the absolute suppression engraved deep within its bloodline—the pressure from the top of the food chain.

It just so happened that Du Shui’s evolved Spiritual Body included snakes as a primary part of its diet. To Liu Ming’s Spiritual Body, this was no different from facing a natural predator. It was an irresistible terror rooted in the very instinct of existence.

Almost the instant she released her Spiritual Body, Liu Ming felt as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart. His blood nearly froze, and the composure he had been struggling to maintain threatened to shatter instantly. That was why he had hurried to find an excuse to flee.

He was indeed a standout among mental-type Guides. His threads were the most perfect medium for repairing a Mental Landscape, capable of performing feats that Sentinels would find nearly supernatural.

He could even promise that those invisible mental threads were currently the most perfect repair medium among all Guides. They could weave illusions, provide guided soothing, and even forcibly suture someone’s collapsing mental barriers.

But everything in this world came with a price. Such a powerful Guide ability was bound to have a fatal limitation. Because his pride-and-joy threads were overly sensitive, they couldn’t block out the primal, predatory pressure originating from the source of a Spiritual Body the way others could. It was more like suppression on the level of fundamental rules rather than a simple clash of power.

This was the price. As a sensitive Guide and a mental-type Corrector, while his ability’s sensitivity was maxed out, the “food chain sensitivity”—known as the greatest drawback of a Corrector—was also pushed to the extreme. The Spiritual Bodies of normal Guides and Sentinels would never feel such overwhelming terror toward every natural predator of the snake family as he did.

“Sigh… recover quickly. This weakness of yours… it can’t be discovered by anyone.”

Liu Ming sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, as if that could suppress the lingering waves of fear and exhaustion surging in his heart.

After all, he was the heir of the Liu Family. The heir of the Liu Family could never show a single flaw—

“Who’s there?!”

Liu Ming snapped his head up, sending the little snake back onto his shoulder. In the brief moment he had been fully focused on soothing the snake and had let his guard down, an incredibly aggressive aura suddenly surged from behind him.

“Tch. If it isn’t our noble Young Master Liu? Hiding here to coax your little pet?”

A voice rang out, laced with obvious mockery and a tone much deeper and raspier than usual.

Liu Ming’s body tensed instantly. He spun around, his pupils shrinking.

He watched as Yun Zhou’s expression shifted rapidly from initial concern to mockery.

It was Yun Zhou.

But it wasn’t the Yun Zhou he knew.

Liu Ming took a deep breath and gave a cold laugh, leaning back against the railing with his arms crossed. “You haven’t left yet?”

The golden wolf-like eyes of the youth before him burned with a cold, intrigued light. The aura radiating from him was no longer that slightly foolish, sunny vibe, but rather like a blade drawn from its sheath, sharp and exposed.

Behind “Yun Zhou,” a massive gray wolf paced forward slowly. It lowered its body, a deep, threatening growl vibrating in its throat. Its golden eyes were locked onto the little snake in Liu Ming’s hand, as if staring at a prey already within its grasp.

Liu Ming’s pupils constricted, and his face grew even paler.

A black, water-like mist spread from beneath Yun Zhou’s feet, extending in wisps toward Liu Ming and lightly brushing against the hem of his clothes.

It was the King of Anomalies occupying Yun Zhou’s body.

Liu Ming frowned. “This is our second meeting; we’re practically acquaintances. Have you really not considered meeting me with your real name? Always occupying someone else’s skin and name doesn’t exactly suit a King of Anomalies.”

“Haha—reverse psychology doesn’t work on me. However, since your half-dead appearance has entertained me quite well, I’m willing to tell you my true name.”

Whatever words had struck a chord with “Yun Zhou,” the King of Anomalies suddenly broke into an exaggerated smile. His voice sounded like flowing black mist, eerily scratching at the listener’s eardrums.

“You can just call me… The Exile.”

…A pseudonym.

Liu Ming frowned. This person was being evasive again, throwing out a title. The sequence list compiled by The Tower recorded everything clearly; among the top ten Kings of Anomalies, where was there ever an “Exile”?

He gave a cold snort. “I originally thought you were Y007—The Phantom of the Earth, Hela. After all, that bastard has the same ability to possess others as you do. But now it seems you’re not even as good as Hela. At least she’s honest enough to give her own name.”

The Exile arched an eyebrow. “Honest? That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone describe Hela that way. Don’t be ridiculous. That malicious psychopath only does it to see the terror on your faces. It gives her a sense of accomplishment in her disguise. Sooner or later, I’m going to…”

The Exile clearly wasn’t the brightest spark either. Or rather, one couldn’t expect much intelligence from someone who chose Yun Zhou as a Vessel. Seeing that Liu Ming’s smile was becoming impossible to hide as he spoke, The Exile suddenly realized he had run his mouth again. His expression darkened. “Young Master Liu, you really are quite amusing. I thought so back on the deck, too.”

Attempting to regain the upper hand, The Exile tilted his head and approached step by step. His gaze swept over Liu Ming’s pale face and the trembling little snake at his neck. “Your Spiritual Body… it was so terrified of that electric ray earlier that it almost shriveled into an earthworm, didn’t it? How interesting. Bloodline suppression? But why is it so severe? Let me guess-“

Liu Ming’s eyes turned cold. He forcibly suppressed the surging discomfort and shielded his Spiritual Body with one hand. “It has nothing to do with you,” he said icily. “Stay away from me.”

“Heh, nothing to do with me?” The Exile sneered, stopping a few paces away. “It’s even more amusing seeing you try to act calm. You’re clearly at your limit. Aren’t you tired, Great Young Master Liu? Pushing yourself to this extent… what exactly are you and the Liu Family trying to do? It’s truly hard to guess.”

The Exile took another step forward. The massive gray wolf behind him stared fixedly at Liu Ming, making the latter feel as if his heart were being crushed by something heavy. Shards of broken memories from a childhood he had forcibly forgotten began to surface. Liu Ming’s pupils constricted, turning into narrow, serpentine slits.

“Don’t come any closer!”

His reaction was violent. Almost instinctively, he slumped against the railing and fell to the floor, raising a hand to block whatever might rush at him.

But that was obviously impossible.

“…Fine, I won’t. Why such a huge reaction…”

The Exile was startled by the sheer intensity of the response. Whether out of surprise or some other reason, he actually stopped moving, muttering under his breath.

“Is this weakness actually real? Logically, a member of the Liu Family shouldn’t have such a vulnerability… how strange…”

The Exile ruffled his hair, a gesture and aura rarely seen that looked remarkably like Yun Zhou. He watched Liu Ming, who was huddled in the corner shivering and coughing uncontrollably, and for a moment, he fell into a state of bewildered helplessness.

This wasn’t right! He had only come here to fish for information on what the Liu Family was up to. How did it end up like this?

Utterly perplexed, The Exile tried to snap Liu Ming out of it. “Don’t just collapse there! That wolf didn’t even get near you. Don’t try to frame me for this!”

The Exile stepped forward, looking like he was on the verge of tears as he tried to pull Liu Ming up. To his surprise, Liu Ming’s coughing grew even more violent upon seeing him. Blood even began to trickle from the corner of his mouth – clearly, the backlash he had suppressed earlier while forcibly connecting everyone had finally caught up to him.

“Holy crap, what’s wrong with you?!”

Seeing Liu Ming coughing blood made The Exile even more panicked. He waved a hand, and the massive gray wolf Spiritual Body vanished instantly, replaced by wolf ears and a tail on Yun Zhou’s body. He crouched down, and a wisp of black smoke tentatively poked Liu Ming. “Hey, don’t scare me. Are you okay?”

Liu Ming’s voice was intermittent and clearly weak, yet he still didn’t let The Exile off the hook. “Weren’t you… cough… trying to kill me before? Why… put on this act now?”

Liu Ming struggled to look up, giving The Exile a sharp glare before coughing even harder.

The Exile rubbed his wolf ears in frustration. “Please, back then I thought you… who knew you’d actually help deal with the King of Anomalies and fulfill the duties of the Savior Squad? It’s too weird, okay? You’re questioning me now, but I want to ask you – what are you trying to achieve by helping Yun Zhou and the others at such a high cost?”

At this point, The Exile grew even more irritable. “If Yun Zhou didn’t exist, I could just replace him directly, and none of these annoying things would have happened-“

Liu Ming’s coughing intensified.

The Exile’s hands moved so fast they left afterimages. “…Fine, I won’t make him not exist! Just don’t die!”

If you die, who’s going to help me kill the King of Anomalies later! The Exile thought, wanting to cry.

Liu Ming didn’t even raise his head. “Then return Yun Zhou’s body to him right now.”

The Exile gritted his teeth. “…So that was your play. What if I don’t?”

Liu Ming was blunt. “Then I’ll self-destruct and take you with me. You’ll never finish what you want to do.”

He was serious.

The Exile: …I’m being threatened with death.

He hadn’t quite believed this guy before, but after what happened in the Third District, he was starting to.

After all, who knew what terrifying trump cards the Liu Family was hiding? They weren’t the rulers of the First District for nothing.

Feeling aggrieved, The Exile departed.

Yun Zhou’s entire being was in a daze, his consciousness not yet fully clear. However, the moment The Exile left, the eyes of Liu Ming, who was sitting on the floor, instantly became sharp and clear.

He straightened up as if the previous agony had been a mere illusion. Bracing himself against the railing, he stood and slowly wiped the blood from his lip with a fingertip.

The blood was real, but the state he’d just been in was a performance – a silent probe.

Sometimes he felt truly baffled by how a display of weakness, something almost cowardly, could make someone like Yun Zhou willingly give up benefits that were right within their grasp.

His eyes darkened. If he had been The Exile just now, he would have thought it was a perfect opportunity to immediately seize control of Liu Ming as a bargaining chip.

Though he had long sensed a faint connection between The Exile and Yun Zhou, he hadn’t expected The Exile’s reaction to be… even softer than he had imagined.

“Who would have thought… the dignified King of Anomalies actually can’t stand to see others suffer, just like Yun Zhou. It’s too bizarre. I never thought I’d live to use the words ‘bleeding heart’ to describe a King of Anomalies.”

Liu Ming shrugged. He seemed to be talking to his Spiritual Body, or perhaps… guiding something in the void.

“You think so too, don’t you? They’re a bit too much alike.”

Liu Ming lowered his gaze to look at Yun Zhou, a flicker of imperceptible danger flashing within his blood-red eyes.

“The Exile… just who are you?”

【Wait, what? I was actually genuinely worried about Young Master Liu just now! What is the meaning of this?】

【Two words: top-tier acting.】

【Holy crap, Young Master Liu’s acting is too good. I was feeling so bad for him a second ago! As expected of a member of the Liu Family, he starts performing anytime, anywhere!】

【I’m honestly not sure if Young Master Liu is a good person or a bad person anymore.】

【I think he’s just a pure pragmatist. While you couldn’t call him a ‘good’ person, someone like that is incredibly reassuring to have as an ally.】

【By the way, did any of you notice… what did he mean by that sentence? Why did he say The Exile and Yun Zhou are too similar? Who was he asking? Was he asking the Spiritual Body, or… was he asking us?】

【Damn it, don’t scare me like that, I’m getting goosebumps. But of course The Exile and Yun Zhou look alike. After all, the former is the latter’s ‘cheat code’—】

…

A cheat code… If Yun Zhou’s cheat code was The Exile, then the fact that Yun Zhou could have prophetic dreams about the future must also be because of The Exile’s existence.

Liu Ming’s eyes darkened. …What kind of Anomaly can bring back information from the future?

Though he didn’t know The Exile’s true nature, he could roughly deduce that the other party must be a being that had traversed multiple cycles. If he wanted to know more detailed information about other cycles, he now had another path besides the bullet chat: The Exile.

Furthermore… if there really were people who would yield benefits just because someone showed weakness, perhaps he could try to make those three from the Savior Squad less of a headache for him…

“Yun Zhou! Liu Ming?”

Du Shui and Ying Huo’s slightly anxious voices drifted over from the other end. Their figures soon appeared around the corner of the gunwale, running toward them in a hurry. Because Du Shui couldn’t find the two of them, she had even forgotten to retract her Spiritual Body. A translucent blue electric ray was flying wildly through the air, almost looking like a phantom jellyfish.

“…Ugh, Liu Ming? Huh? Why am I here?”

Yun Zhou, sitting on the ground, woke up in a daze. As soon as he looked up, he met Liu Ming’s downward gaze.

Liu Ming was kneeling beside him, looking at him with an inscrutable expression. Strands of his slightly long, silver-blue hair flowed through his fingertips, cleaner and more transparent than the clearest seawater.

“Shouldn’t you be asking yourself that?”

Liu Ming let out a mischievous smirk, and then, with perfect timing, coughed up another mouthful of blood. “I practically put my life on the line for the three of you, spitting out blood like it costs nothing…”

He nonchalantly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, lifting his slightly upturned phoenix eyes hidden behind silver-rimmed glasses, his gaze carrying an ambiguous meaning.

The backlash from using the ultimate capacity of those spiritual threads caused the blood to surge uncontrollably, but he didn’t bother to hide it now. Instead, he simply leaned back against the railing.

“How are you doing?” “Liu Ming! Tell me where it hurts, I’ll treat you—” “Don’t scare me like that!”

Greetings from the three of them, each in their own distinct style, tore through the air the moment Liu Ming finished speaking. Their voices were sharp and panicked. Du Shui dropped her umbrella, and flames instantly erupted from Ying Huo’s hands as he tried to press them against Liu Ming without a second thought. Fortunately, Yun Zhou didn’t see the fire; he simply lunged forward, grabbing Liu Ming’s shoulders and shaking him, shouting with genuine concern, “Liu Ming! What’s wrong with you?!”

Liu Ming: …Even if I were fine, you’d shake me into an early grave, kid.

“Where does it hurt? Just tell me, a quick burn will fix it right up!”

Ying Huo’s words sounded less and less like human speech, even though the expression on his face was entirely sincere. He was truly worried about Liu Ming.

“First… first let go of me.”

Liu Ming’s body was already weak from overexertion. Yun Zhou’s shaking made his vision go dark, and it took him a long while to recover. He forcefully pried Yun Zhou’s hands off his shoulders, his glare sharp enough to tear the other man in half. “What I mean is, please retract your Spiritual Bodies, alright?”

Liu Ming looked at the three bewildered people. They didn’t understand how retracting their Spiritual Bodies would help him. Liu Ming could only let out a long sigh. “Just put them away, and I’ll feel fifty percent better.”

“Huh? Since when did my Spiritual Body—”

Only then did Yun Zhou realize. He turned his head and saw his Spiritual Body—the massive gray wolf was sitting leisurely not far away, leaning against the railing and wagging its huge tail at him.

Though he didn’t know when his Spiritual Body had slipped out, seeing Liu Ming’s furrowed brows and pale face—looking truly miserable—he didn’t hesitate. Almost the moment he saw the wolf, he pulled the Spiritual Body back into his Mental Landscape.

Even the wolf’s face showed a look of being caught off guard.

“And you, Miss Du Shui, please.”

Liu Ming reached out with a gesturing hand. Du Shui also dazedly retracted her Spiritual Body. That poor electric ray had only just been born and hadn’t even played outside for long before being pulled back into the Mental Landscape by its owner without mercy.

The moment the two Spiritual Bodies disappeared, Liu Ming seemed to breathe a sudden sigh of relief, as if a mountain pressing down on him had been leveled. He regained some strength and stood up with difficulty, supporting himself against the railing.

Yun Zhou tried to help him from the side but was waved off. But who was Yun Zhou? In the end, he shamelessly grabbed Liu Ming’s arm anyway to give him a bit of support.

Confusion was written all over everyone’s faces, but no one spoke. They all waited for Liu Ming’s condition to stabilize a bit. The silver-blue-haired young master leaned against the railing and coughed for a long time before finally finding his voice, though it sounded slightly raspy.

He brushed off Yun Zhou’s hand as if this were all just a minor incident. “I’ll take my lea—”

Before the final word could leave his throat, it was blocked by Ying Huo’s puzzled question.

“…Can I ask? Why do you… dislike our Spiritual Bodies so much?”

Ying Huo tried to choose his words carefully, so as not to blunt the young master’s pride too abruptly.

Liu Ming paused. He didn’t leave immediately, sparking a flicker of hope in Ying Huo that perhaps this proud Young Master Liu truly intended to treat them as friends and confide in them. A flash of bewilderment and vacancy crossed Liu Ming’s face—emotions that should never appear on a member of the Liu Family. The hope in Ying Huo’s heart swelled, but it was short-lived. Soon, Liu Ming’s expression settled back into that same annoying, mocking sneer.

“Huh? Why on earth should I tell you? Don’t you think you’re being a bit too poor at handling interpersonal boundaries?”

Ying Huo clenched his fists. …It was still the same Young Master Liu. He might as well have just flat-out said Ying Huo lacked a sense of boundaries.

He didn’t bother being polite anymore. “If you don’t give us a reason, why should we put away our Spiritual Bodies? If you don’t give us a proper explanation today, don’t even think about leaving.”

With that, he took a step forward, accurately blocking Liu Ming’s path.

Liu Ming: …??? Shouldn’t my part in this scene be over by now?

He clearly should have made his point and left. Why were these guys not following the script? How did they actually have the nerve to try and get to the bottom of this with him?

For once, Liu Ming began to reflect on himself: Did he usually come across as that much of a pushover?

Du Shui sighed from the side. “Student Liu, I thought we could already be considered life-and-death friends.”

Yun Zhou nodded deeply. Being the most unreasonable of the bunch, he simply lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Liu Ming’s waist. “I don’t care! Your attitude toward our Spiritual Bodies is too strange. You’re not leaving today until you give us an explanation!”

“Yun Zhou, are you crazy? Let go of me!”

Caught off guard by Yun Zhou’s hug, Liu Ming struggled to pry the other man’s hands off. A flush rose to his pale face; though it was born of anger, it made him look far more energetic than he had moments ago.

“I’m not letting go. As soon as I let go, you’ll just slip away like a snake again.”

Yun Zhou curled his lip. He prided himself on never misjudging people, but Liu Ming’s sudden defection to the Great Elder’s side had truly startled him. He couldn’t stand it when someone he considered a friend and had brought into his inner circle kept jumping out and then walking back in, always maintaining a sense of detachment as if they might vanish at any moment.

But they had clearly been through so much together.

“Are you two just going to watch your captain make a fool of himself here?”

Liu Ming was nearly laughing from sheer frustration. As a Guide, he couldn’t break Yun Zhou’s grip, so he looked toward Ying Huo and Du Shui. One was looking at the sky and the other was staring at the sea; neither would look at him or Yun Zhou.

“Fine, fine, fine! I’ll tell you, alright?”

Liu Ming was at his wits’ end. He knew Yun Zhou was stubborn, and he truly didn’t have time to waste here with the Savior.

“I’m saying, haven’t you realized it at all?”

Three pairs of eyes stared intently at Liu Ming, making his head ache even more.

“Your Spiritual Bodies—the gray wolf, the electric ray, the gyrfalcon¹… to a certain extent, they are all natural predators or counters to my Spiritual Body. Didn’t you learn about bloodline suppression at Tree Tower Academy?”

The expressions of the three in front of him suddenly turned serious. They truly hadn’t considered this before.

Even though Liu Ming was annoyed, seeing their faces told him what he needed to know: these three wouldn’t manifest their Spiritual Bodies in front of him unless it was absolutely necessary.

Though he had achieved his goal, Liu Ming felt inexplicably irritated. Furthermore, a frightening realization had been confirmed.

It was strange… these three… were all the same.

They were easily deceived by the vulnerability of others, and the extent to which they were affected was deeper than he had imagined.

Aren’t they a bit too easy to trick?

Translator’s Notes