Chapter 49 - Role Playing the Dark Horse Character

Chapter 49: Wait Here, I'll Go Get an Orange On the day Li Li returned to reality, she and her roommate spent an entire day in the library. With finals approaching and deadlines piling up, even finding a seat in the library became a competition. To Li Li, securing a library spot felt more challenging than dealing with the characters in the comic world. Perhaps it was due to her courteous nature, unlike Hei Ge, who could act without reason. Oh, to be like Hei Ge, she sighed. When she grew tired of studying, she pulled out a notebook and casually jotted down a few lines. Former Ability Guild: The elders led by Hua Yizhi, who adhered to the seer's prophecy. The newcomers represented by Rao Yue, eager to find a leader to rebel. Li Li mused that if she had accepted Rao Yue's proposition last night, Rao Yue might have immediately taken up the cause against the Yue clan. They seemed impatient, as if they'd waited a long time. Yet, given the six years since the last Ability Guild incident, it truly had been a long wait. Her pen hovered above the notebook, then she flamboyantly inscribed the words "Ability Guild" before pausing. Resting her chin on her hand, she gazed at these words, realizing she needed a good chat with An Heyu; her current information was insufficient. Six years ago, Four-Way City fell under the aristocratic Yue clan's jurisdiction, with Yue Qing as the sole S-rank among them. In the empire, S-ranks were rare: those reaching high ranks were either ennobled or, like the Desolate Dragon city lord, chose not to cooperate but were left undisturbed. The Yue clan's territory included Four-Way City and four northern cities. Yue Qing had come to Four-Way City because the local Ability Guild division head, Yue Lan, had died. Meanwhile, the An Clan sought refuge here. They were outsiders, and while An Heyu managed to establish himself, their status in Four-Way City remained low. Otherwise, An Heyu wouldn't have been dispatched to Desolate Dragon to collect Yue Lan's A-rank corpse. Li Li shook her head, feeling pity for An Heyu—an S-rank nobility reduced to this state. In her mind, if she were in his position, she'd never leave Floating City. She'd find a way to secure An Guyu's safety, perhaps send him away or force him to fend for himself, using methods inspired by a small corgi. Then, she'd single-handedly ruffle the three noble families, unfazed because she had nothing to lose. Lost in thought, her roommate nudged her arm. When she looked over, her roommate pointed toward the staircase. "Eating?" her roommate mouthed silently. Li Li nodded in agreement: "Eating." ... Upon returning to the comic world, it was daylight when Li Li sought out An Heyu. She arrived at a rather inopportune moment. "An Heyu, I told you I don't need your concern! Why won't you let me go out?" "Before, I didn't mind where you went, but now it's different. Four-Way City isn't safe lately!" Activating her ability, Li Li turned herself illusory and transparent, then casually sat on the chair she used last time, propping her chin on her hand, watching the quarrel between the brothers with keen interest. "You always have an excuse. You just want to control me," An Guyu glared at his brother, "Do you know how annoying you are? You're insufferable!" "I—" An Heyu was visibly hurt, but as he paused at a loss for words, An Guyu turned away, pushed past him, and stormed out. The door slammed shut with a bang. Watching the door, An Heyu's usually proud face showed a rare expression of dejection. "Am I incapable of being a good guardian?" he murmured. As a bystander, Li Li couldn't help but voice her opinion, dispelling her ability with a leisurely demeanor: "Judging by your efforts, it's quite obvious you aren't." "!!!" An Heyu's golden eyes widened slightly, whipping his head around. He saw Hei Ge in navy casual wear with a hoodie and sunglasses, smiling at him. Who knows how much he had witnessed. Initially, An Heyu breathed a subtle sigh of relief, then instinctively fetched the tea set from a nearby cabinet, pouring a cup of milk tea and offering it to Li Li. "Sorry to have let you see such a scene," he placed the cup on the coffee table before her. "Don't worry, it was indeed quite amusing." Li Li didn't hesitate, sipping the drink, convinced that if An Heyu opened a milk tea chain in the real world, no other store would stand a chance. As he sat beside her, An Heyu remarked with resignation, "You really have no reservations, huh." "Why, thank you," Li Li had no qualms. Setting down her cup, she tapped her finger on its rim, stating her purpose: "Which aristocrats were involved in the former Ability Guild incident?" Her understanding of aristocracy was still lacking. The comic's perspective followed Yi Ming, who had little chance to encounter aristocrats. His friends and temporary allies were mostly commoners, so insight into the nobility was scarce. "Six years ago, I was sixteen and still studying, so my knowledge is limited," An Heyu prefaced before continuing, "At least four aristocracies in Floating City were involved. The Qu Clan collected the heads of most high-ranking Ability Guild members, the Sang Clan advocated sending the guild remnants to the gladiator arena for entertainment, the Lin Clan imprisoned the seer, and the Feng Clan directly participated in the massacre." "And the ones you're at odds with?" Li Li pressed on. "The first three," An Heyu replied. He then brought up Yue Qing's recent actions: "Yue Qing did indeed seek help from the Qu Clan. While it's unlikely he can recruit their head, hiring an S-rank is possible." "Their abilities are primarily Mimic-type, but not your average physical mimicry; they have difficult-to-counter additional properties," An Heyu explained. "Their actions are blatant, and if Yue Qing succeeds, Four-Way City won't be safe for long," his thoughts drifting to his younger brother, "I need to send Huyu away; he can't stay here..." In these lands, although biotechnology was advanced, diseases resilient like cockroaches couldn't be entirely eradicated. Different kinds thrived. Li Li tapped the rim of her cup lightly, producing a crisp 'ding.' "Mr. Noble," she leaned back slightly, addressing him with the same somewhat distant term, her crimson eyes narrowing a fraction, "Are you truly intent on revenge?" An Heyu instinctively wanted to nod but hesitated before affirming, "Of course." Pride was ingrained in him; no matter how difficult, he was determined to avenge his clan's massacre. Yet the black-haired youth beside him wore an uncharacteristically unsmiling expression. Beneath the sunglasses, his eyes seemed to assess An Heyu or look far beyond him. After a brief pause, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile again. "This path suits only those without vulnerabilities," Li Li stood, resting a hand on the chair's back, "You know what I mean." An Heyu didn't respond immediately, his gaze dropping as if deep in thought or avoiding a decision. Clearly, he was reluctant to let An Guyu live independently and wasn't confident in doing so either. But none of this concerned Li Li. If An Guyu ended up in trouble due to An Heyu's issues, it wouldn't be her sorrow to bear. Having ventured out and gathered new insights, Li Li was ready to leave. As she bypassed An Heyu, her steps halted unexpectedly. "Oh, right, is that ability-user who can alter appearances still around?" Li Li turned back to inquire. An Heyu hesitated before answering, "Hundred Face? Do you need him?" As a noble tool, Hundred Face was at An Heyu's disposal, though reduced in status, he still carried a noble's title. He dialed a number on the landline, asking for Huamian's whereabouts, his expression souring with each word of the conversation. When the call ended, he informed Li Li without delay, "Hundred Face was taken out by Guyu." What did An Guyu need with such an ability-user? This surprised Li Li, but she soon deduced the reason. The young master An may not have abandoned his pursuit of that SSS-level bounty, still unaware that his brother had long sided with the bounty target. With Huamian, fishing, and Hei Ge, Li Li pondered for a while and suddenly thought her plan might succeed after all. Now it was a question of whom An Guyu would lure. ... Ever since learning Li Baige's name, Yi Ming decided to join the Ability Guild and become a bounty hunter. Tang, after some thought, also joined Yi Ming in the Ability Guild. At this point, both were C-rank, one specializing in offense, the other in healing. Together, completing tasks and earning points was straightforward. Yi Ming's determination was troublesome, but bounty missions weren't solely assassination contracts, and over a few days, they accomplished several tasks. Yi Ming felt increasingly adept at controlling his abilities. "The crazy man didn't show up today, that's rare," Le Caile remarked. He seemed friendly toward the underage duo of Yi Ming and Tang and often came to chat with them. However, Le Caile made a living from his involvement in the bounty hunters' network, whether by selling or buying information, thriving effortlessly in this hall. Noticing Yi Ming's interest in Li Baige, he deduced that Yi Ming might know Li Baige personally and thus became even more eager to ingratiate himself. After all, information about Li Baige was a high-priced and rare commodity. Yi Ming exchanged a few polite words with Le Caile before exiting the Ability Guild's bounty hall with Tang. "Are you okay?" he turned to ask Tang. Though Yi Ming was close to adulthood, Tang was still quite young. The frequent use of her abilities sometimes took a toll on her, making her uncomfortable. "I'm alright," Tang replied, her verdant eyes gazing at the sunset on the horizon. They walked down the stairs together, and Tang asked, "Is it okay not to find Yu Xiao?" "No problem." Mentioning his often unreliable friend, Yi Ming showed no inclination to assist out of friendship, "He'll come see us when he remembers." Tang glanced at Yi Ming, then nodded. Despite the short duration of their acquaintance, Yu Xiao's oddities had already left a vivid impression on her. As they conversed, they reached the final step. Yi Ming glanced at the ground, then lifted his eyes again. At that moment, his bright blue eyes widened slowly. He caught sight of a figure. A figure that overlapped with a memory he could never forget. He had watched helplessly as this person was taken by villains right before his eyes, calmly making light of a dire situation with a joke. He had also witnessed this figure stand protectively before him, determinedly moving in the opposite direction. In his mind, he could hear the person call him with a cool tone, "Little Corgi." Yi Ming was certain he could never mistake this person! At that moment, the familiar figure entered an alley at the end of the street.