Chapter 37 - Role Playing the Dark Horse Character

Chapter 37: Indeed, It Was All Premeditated An Heyu's initial thought was how impossible this all seemed. He was S-rank, while the other was A-rank. Why, then, in his domain, did he overlook such a vital life force? Yet here was the reality: when he thought Hei Ge had taken the bait and was caught, Hei Ge appeared right inside his house. It felt like a harsh slap in the face. "More sugar," Hei Ge said slowly and leisurely. An Heyu was lost in astonishment, and by the time he snapped out of it, he had already prepared and served the milk tea. 'This is my house, aren't I the noble here?!' The thought suddenly sprang to his mind. A noble serving tea to a commoner? Where would his noble dignity go if this got out! However, the black-haired man sitting across from him took his time lifting the teacup, sipping it leisurely, and then praised, "Not bad at all." "Of course," An Heyu replied instinctively. As those words slipped out, he wished for a time machine to rush back and undo them, but unfortunately, his ability didn't include time travel. Outside the window, frost crept up the treetops while inside, the fire in the fireplace flickered, casting a warm orange glow across the room. Two cups of milk tea released steam, and the scene before his eyes seemed veiled by a layer of mist. An Heyu felt his brain was in a haze, intertwined with truth and lies, his speculations, the other party's motives—all these thoughts piling up instantly, leaving his head overwhelmed. How much of his guess was true? Was Hei Ge really the bounty hunter named Li Baige? Why was Hei Ge here? Was the one fighting Yue Qing merely an illusion? And Was he truly A-rank? When the man across from him put down the teacup, An Heyu, with a somewhat stiff voice, finally voiced the question weighing on him most: "What is your objective?" "Just having fun, or..." He straightened his posture, spine erect, resuming his usual noble demeanor, "Seeking revenge against this empire?" A question straight to the point. If Hei Ge was indeed the remnant of the former Ability Guild, he might take the bait, answering 'revenge,' then fall into An Heyu's steps, listening to the enticing offers he would propose, waver or decisively choose cooperation or not. An Heyu didn't believe Hei Ge merely sought amusement as he portrayed; what he valued was the outcome. The outcome was the death of Qing Yuchen, who once betrayed the former Ability Guild to become a noble pawn. The outcome was Yue Qing being targeted by Hei Ge, nearly getting his throat slit. Hei Ge's goals surely weren't just for fun. Yet, the person he questioned wasn't inclined to follow his dialogue lead. Hei Ge propped up his chin, silver mask glinting as if coated with a golden rim under the warm light. "Me? Revenge?" He first echoed with ambiguous tone, then replied, "The one seeking revenge is you, noble sir." An Heyu's pupils dilated suddenly. The speaking man stood up, his boots tapping on the marble tiles. The hand, clad in fingerless black gloves, lightly traced the back of An Heyu’s chair, his voice coming from behind. "Your entire clan, closest kin, all perished overnight; the sole survivor, you, and your younger brother left the Floating City, arriving at Four-Way, not quite a central city." The voice, unhurried, matched the tapping of his finger on the back of the chair, carrying a peculiar rhythm. Behind An Heyu, Hei Ge bent down, whispering by his ear, “Who are you hiding from?” The words hadn't even settled before An Heyu involuntarily leaned forward, seemingly dodging. But he quickly realized all this could be discovered from his innocent little brother. Indeed, he was hiding, hiding from the ones who took his family away from him and his brother. However, this was no time for him to reflect on his own motivations. He suppressed his instinctive reactions, slowly articulating the information he discerned from those words: "You are Li Baige." "I am," Hei Ge confirmed swiftly, or perhaps he never intended to conceal it. The realization that Hei Ge's identity didn't pose a threat to him dawned on An Heyu. This illusionist could abandon his identity anytime, transforming into another. In the sprawling Four-Way City, there were countless bounty hunters with no legal identity. Replacing someone was relatively effortless. In this light, An Heyu ended up constrained instead, unable to disclose this information due to An Huyu being the closest to Li Baige! He wanted to excuse himself for both withholding information and providing hints, but Hei Ge didn't need to do anything. Ultimately, those accused of colluding with the former Ability Guild would only be himself and An Huyu! Hei Ge had the ability to leave his domain, An Heyu was sure of this. As long as Hei Ge camouflaged his life energy as when he came, finding him—even within his own domain—became impossible. An Heyu always assumed himself as the high and mighty initiator, expecting Hei Ge would come seeking him for something. He was the noble, possessing information channels unknown to Hei Ge and a charming enough visage to connect to the empire's core. He was S-rank, high-tier, initially meant to suppress this mere A-rank commoner in every regard. But now, the roles reversed unexpectedly. He found himself passive, needing Hei Ge for something, while the opposite revealed no vulnerabilities! An Heyu couldn't even claim he was setting a trap to capture Hei Ge by temporarily deferring, forsaking his previous plan to continue as an Ability Guild executive. Because he simply couldn't catch him! "Don't be anxious." Despite being alone in a noble’s domain, Hei Ge, on the contrary, offered a symbolic reassurance. Within the domain, golden glimmers vibrated, and An Heyu realized his own loss of composure. Just a failed plan, he reassured himself. He needed to remain calm, steady himself to find a chance to turn the tables. However, the person before him wasn't inclined to provide that reflective pause. "I prefer those who are straightforward," Hei Ge’s voice carried a smile. "Of course, don't make my visit in vain." His words felt as though spoken right by his ear: “Noble sir, do you need anything else?” An Heyu wanted to speak, but the words caught in his throat, unable to emerge immediately. He hesitated. If he laid everything out now, he’d only end up in a passive state, utilized by Hei Ge. That wasn’t the outcome he wanted. Yet, he had no means of striking, Hei Ge could vanish from his domain at any moment, making any attempt vain. And Hei Ge was urging him, a hint of temptation in his tone: "Did you go through all this trouble to converse, just to let me taste a cup of milk tea?" Of course not, An Heyu knew. He bore the betrayal from within the empire, his family, the Ans, were a discarded clan. As those people spoke words of false regret with their masked faces, he clenched his fists, letting his nails dig deep into his skin. Weren't those hypocritically sorrowful nobles the murderers of his clan? "This could be your only chance to turn the tables. Among the nobility of the empire, there is no companion for you, the choice is yours." The voice, unhurried, seemed like a black hole gradually approaching him. Or more like a devil's whisper from the abyss, not persuading, but luring him in. Luring him into the abyss. “Take the gamble to return the blood and tears of the past. Or continue to pretend that nothing happened, enduring the suffocation in this marginal city.” Luring the chess piece onto its designated square, into his grasp. “You knew all along.” When the words spilled from his lips, An Heyu realized the rawness in his throat and that trembling, “Li Baige, was this identity solely to approach me?” Behind him, Hei Ge chuckled softly, his form seemingly enveloping this former noble young master, pinning him to the chair, unable to escape. He’s setting me up, he targeted me all along, An Heyu thought. He had woven a web with ease, enveloping him effortlessly. “To seek news about that person, you could only lean on the nobility in the Floating City, the core of this empire. So, you targeted me long ago.” The more An Heyu spoke, the more alarmed he became, “That day wasn't coincidental; you deliberately approached Huyu.” “No, perhaps even earlier.” He murmured, "Able to converse with the deceased, with ties to the Yue family, the only one Yue Qing invited to investigate Yue Lan’s death could only be me!" “Qing Yuchen probed into ‘Li’ through Le Shan but did not inform the nobles, which you must have foreseen too.” “As soon as I had selfish thoughts, attempting to conceal key information from Yue Qing, I’d fallen into your snare.” At the end, his face turned ashen: “I thought I discovered you first, but in reality…” He let out a desolate laugh. In reality, he himself was the prey! At some point, Hei Ge had silently returned to his chair, resting his face in his hand, watching An Heyu with a hint of interest. It was as if he regarded An Heyu like a caged bird, no matter how it flung itself against the bars, inevitably hurting itself and unable to escape. “My target is the three noble houses—I want them to pay for their blood debts with blood.” An Heyu closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “They were equally culpable in the downfall of the former Ability Guild. We can collaborate, Hei Ge. The An family wasn't involved with the old guild, we have aligned interests.” “Huyu doesn’t need to know about this. I’m S-rank—I can achieve much with my ability. I can interrogate spirits or make them serve you.” “Are you pleading with me?” Hei Ge asked. “Yes, I am,” An Heyu said, pressing his lips together. A long silence followed. Hei Ge stared at him; under the amber light, those crimson eyes bore no warmth. And just when An Heyu felt suffocated, Hei Ge spoke. “Wise choice, noble sir,” Hei Ge said. An Heyu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know if his choice was right, only that he had made a tremendous gamble. "By tomorrow, provide me with all the information on Le Shan.” Hei Ge slowly rose, snapping his fingers. A piece of paper with a string of numbers appeared on the coffee table. Just like magic. He walked towards the open floor-to-ceiling window, the wind lifting his coat, the world outside shrouded in frost. “Oh, and next time we meet, remember to prepare the milk tea.” He turned back abruptly before leaving. A cold wind blew through the room, dispersing the warmth. An Heyu instinctively squinted his eyes. By the time he could see clearly again, the mysterious illusionist had vanished from his domain once more. "Dong” A deep sound rang from the clock, and An Heyu looked up. It was midnight. ... [Portal opening for you... Welcome back to reality.] Back in reality, Li Li’s first reaction was to take a deep breath, followed by another. She got up and swiftly walked to the sink, scooping up cold water and splashing it on her face. “S-rank domain...” She exhaled slowly, staring at the mirror by the dormitory sink, “Such a cheat!” Throughout the whole experience, she felt as though she was being watched, like eyes were glued to her at every moment. Everything within the domain could potentially be monitored by its owner, though some might not manage this—but An Heyu’s ability clearly sensed life within the domain. The thought of possibly sharing a space with a ghost was even more terrifying! “Thankfully, both An Heyu and his brother have such peculiar ways of thinking.” She sighed; there was no need for her to fill in the gaps for herself. Inquiries were intentional; it was like fishing, specifically fishing for An Heyu. Ingenious. Her roommate was already snoring away, while Li Li was pondering what to do next. "Qing Yuchen informed Le Shan about the name ‘Li,’ despite the convolutions. It still aligns with the main plot." She didn't mind; though she would delay things until An Heyu provided her with the information. Li Li tapped her fingers on the table, glancing at the time. An Heyu and An Huyu were polar opposites as brothers. An Huyu was far more outgoing, treating improbable plans like treasures, never once believing he might lose. Conversely, An Heyu was indecisive, despite his speculations. He cautiously offered olive branches and didn’t straightforwardly invite Li Baige. She'd been observing An Heyu for three days, and today seemed to coincide with a comic update. Yet, Li Li didn’t think this update concerned her. Neither she nor the artist would reveal her alter ego in the comic too hastily. If she wasn't appearing, there was no rush to read. After reviewing the current situation, she tidied up and went to sleep. It wasn’t until the next day that she learned from her roommate what the comic update entailed. Her roommate, after class, burst into the room exclaiming, “Whoa! Lily! The little corgi is going to be dissected!” Li Li, who was organizing her class notes, turned her head, slowly typing a question mark. Li Li: ...? While she was busy tricking people, how was the little corgi also getting duped? Yi Ming, dear brother, how did you manage to mess up so much in just a few days? Author's Note: Hugging my head, absolutely 6,000 words before midnight on Thursday, absolutely! This counts as a make-up, not additional content, still owe 12 chapters QAQ No bug here; in the last chapter, Li Li and her roommate were walking, but she spent three days stalking An Heyu, meaning there’s a three-day gap from the haunted house event.