Chapter 57 - Role Playing the Dark Horse Character

Chapter 57 Just as expected. Standing on the high platform with optimal view, Li Li narrowed her eyes slightly. It was the same regenerative ability, but with properties different from Qu Ran, capable of directly killing an Ability wielder by capturing their ability. This was indeed her nemesis. If even her illusions could be captured and affect her true self, her ability would be completely suppressed. Did Qu Yan's ability have no flaws? No, it did. Li Li's mind raced. At the moment of beheading, Qu Yan's control over his offensive methods became completely unhinged; it seems he could not attack and heal simultaneously. If she was correct, this would be her point of attack. Ability limitations are broad, with terms of time and range, as well as duration. As long as she pushed Qu Yan to a point where he couldn't use his attacks, she could wear him out. Her gaze swept across the area below the platform. By this time, civilians had fled; it's common knowledge in this world to avoid observing during a clash of abilities. The only ones she could see were Yi Ming and his companions, who had been pushed back from the square but then returned to the woods to intently watch the sky. Having nearly figured out the enemy's ability, it was time for her to present the show she had prepared for the manga and the little corgi. The role she was to play was that of a habitual liar, Li Li thought. You would never know whether his portrayal was genuine or not. ... "I can't believe your true self is here, you're truly brave." Qu Yan raised his hand, palm facing down. Red flowed in his palm like viscous liquid, but the moment his words ended, it dripped away, extending into red threads that pierced toward the icy surface! The target of this strike was a red thread – the red blood ability of Qu Ran that he had intercepted earlier. Qu Yan brushed back his purple short hair, tidying up the mess caused by his head's movements. He then turned around. Instead of looking towards the nobles, he aimed his gaze at the one supposedly capable of manipulating blood to create the illusion of blood flow—Hei Ge, which was actually Qu Ran's corpse manipulated by An Heyu. This was what he believed to be the real Hei Ge. Qu Yan fell for Li Li's chain of tricks! "I think killing you is just that easy," he said to his nephew's corpse. His ability activated, and the red below quivered, transforming into sharp swords that curved upwards, thrusting towards the black-haired young man. At the same time, on the high platform, the red-haired youth suddenly shivered. The young man suspended in mid-air, still looking relaxed, had blood splatter around him. With the corpse damaged again, An Heyu could barely maintain control. The dead man's blood had been disguised by Li Li to appear crimson red. Droplets floated in the air, yet the expression of the figure in the illusion remained unchanged. It was as if everything Qu Yan had said was of no consequence to him. The blood droplets fell, reflecting in a pair of blue eyes below. The person watched them with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and then he gently ran his fingers through it, snapping his fingers. "Snap." A sound arose as violent winds emerged. Black crows cawed, gathering in the air together. In the midst of the black flock, the black-haired youth slightly turned his face; his hoarse voice remained clear amid the rushing wind. "The same words apply to you," he stated, "You can't kill me." The flock of crows formed into an ellipse, gradually obscuring the black figure within. "Ending everything here would be far too simple and dull, so I chose a scene. And there, I will claim your head." The flock dispersed, black feathers swirled with the wind, then drifted into the distance. The person behind the flock of crows had also vanished. ... Returning Qu Ran's body to An Household concluded the collaborative combat that kept him mentally taut. An Heyu subtly breathed a sigh of relief, momentarily reclined, before forcing himself back into a poised and elegant posture. He glanced with the corner of his eye at the person behind him, who continued to wear an expressionless facade, as if entirely uninvolved, despite being the reason he had to intervene. An Heyu could only silently praise in his heart: Indeed, it's Hei Ge. He was truly adept at pretending; without prior knowledge, even he would not have noticed that the two were the same person. Meanwhile, witnessing the illusion vanish before him, Yue Qing was displeased. "He got away?" Yue Qing stepped forward, unable to temper the accusation in his tone, "You just let him get away like that?!" Yet Qu Yan ignored his query, moving towards the edge of the platform, dismissing his words, "Once my ability locks onto the true body of an ability wielder, it can completely obliterate their body. Hei Ge is inevitably doomed. Get my banquet ready for the afternoon, is that achievable?" However, it was already noon. "..." Yue Qing furrowed his brows but ultimately softened his voice, "It's possible." The gap between new and old nobility was vast, even more so as he was born a commoner. Qu Yan actually did not think highly of him. Then Yue Qing raised his head, looking at Qu Yan’s back and the impending encounter with An Heyu. Qu Yan disdained him, an ex-commoner, and similarly showed disdain towards An Heyu, a fallen noble. At this moment, Qu Yan passed by An Heyu, the purple-haired noble turned, lowering his eyes to the younger noble. "The cadaver will be your responsibility, cleaner. I want his head intact," he spoke, as if accustomed, then continued forward. A gust from his movement ruffled the red hair at An Heyu's forehead. Yet he maintained that detached and proud demeanor, seated as though he hadn't heard the derogatory reference. Behind him, Li Li tapped his shoulder, prompting him to stand. "Let's go," he said, "I just saw Huyu, I'll bring him back first." They stood on the platform looking at the few kids beneath the trees. "He seems different from before," An Heyu suddenly remarked. This elder brother gazed distantly at his younger brother conversing energetically with peers, noticeably more vivacious than he was in An Heyu's company, and the self-aggrandizing pride stemming from deep-seated inferiority was gone. The high-handed pride An Heyu held moments ago suddenly transformed into a brother's sigh. "Just in one night..." he mused, "perhaps you really are better at teaching children than I am." Hei Ge. He repeated silently. "What do you plan on doing next?" He was unaware of Hei Ge's intentions; many of his actions were beyond comprehension. However, this time he could somewhat predict his intentions. That man had thoroughly infuriated him, and he intended to ensure that man died agonizingly. To destroy, one must first drive him to madness. Let Qu Yan believe in his grandiose triumph over Hei Ge, only to later plunge him into despair at his highest point of satisfaction. An Heyu once thought Hei Ge was simply a lunatic, though a cunning one. He still believed so — a man rationally heading towards insanity. As he pondered, the young man standing behind him responded. "To fulfill my promise." The voice was as cold as the young man's expression. To claim Qu Yan's head? Or the words spoken even earlier? An Heyu turned around. The ice-blue earrings and crimson eyes were like an intersection of ice and fire, but in the end, united to form a bottomless abyss. This abyss presented him with a smile, a malevolent smile. ... Below the high platform, Yi Ming stood by the trees with two others, staring blankly at the spot where the crows vanished. In the square before him, none other than their small group remained, as others had seized the opportunity to flee for survival. Thus, only they and the people on the high platform saw the flock of crows. "Will Hei Ge die too?" Yi Ming muttered. It suddenly felt as though a great mountain had crumbled away. Yet a voice from within told him: No, that's not right. That person couldn't possibly fail; he was meant to always wear that infuriating smile and criticize him thoroughly, treating him as nothing more than a leisure-time toy. "He has to, doesn't he?" the voice of An Huyu murmured tearfully. Unaware of when it started, he cried, eyes brimming, saying, "But that's Qu Yan, Hei Ge is only an A-tier, how could he defeat an S-tier like Qu Yan? Even my brother couldn't beat him." Yi Ming remained silent for a moment. "I still think something feels off," he insisted. He didn't believe it. Meanwhile, Tang pointed to the floating platform that Yue Qing controlled and whispered, "Yi Ming, Yu Xiao is still up there." "Are you going to rescue him?" An Huyu asked, glimpsing the direction of the flying ice sculpture, "They might land near the place we stayed last night." Yi Ming took a deep breath, then vigorously shook his head to clear it, firmly deciding, "Let's go, we’re going to rescue Yu Xiao." Thanks to An Huyu's guidance, they quickly arrived at An Residence. Simultaneously, they noticed a short distance away that a banquet was taking place at Yue Residence. The three of them peeked around the corner. "How do we get in?" Tang asked. "Slip in through the back door," Yi Ming suggested. "Walk right in," An Huyu declared. Tang and Yi Ming turned their heads to look at An Huyu, who raised his chin proudly. "I'm a noble after all, I can get us in on reputation!" Five minutes later, An Huyu, clad in a new, expensive suit, approached the entrance to Yue Residence with two people dressed as bodyguards. As he walked, he turned his head and noisily complained, "I told you not to follow me!" The two disguised bodyguards bowed their heads silently, behaving obediently. The servants at Yue Residence exchanged glances and were about to stop An Huyu when the young master pushed them aside, saying, "Don't block the way!" Naturally, they recognized An Household's young master, who, despite lacking any abilities, had a family head who would indeed cause trouble if he got even a little hurt. The servants exchanged looks; they'd seen this scene often, nothing too alarming, so they just notified their superior and allowed him to enter. Once inside the Yue family villa, An Huyu continued his loud complaints, suddenly breaking into a run, "Don't follow me, don't follow me!" The two 'bodyguards' followed suit, sprinting after him. Most attendees present were from Four-Way City, thus they turned a blind eye to the scene. It happened too often—an An family brother assigning protection for his younger brother, and the An family youth trying his utmost to shake them off. After weaving left and right, climbing the stairs, and turning right again, they finally reached a less crowded floor, where they came to a halt. The two bodyguards lifted their heads, and sure enough, it was Yi Ming and Tang. Tang looked at An Huyu with a hint of disdain, "What have you been doing this whole time...?" Yi Ming, however, sincerely expressed his gratitude, but An Huyu waved it off, looking around with a sneaky air and lowered his voice. Yet, his words carried a rare earnestness: "Listen, search for where they are, and once you find him, just take him away. Don't get into any conflicts; avoid fights you can't win. If discovered, deny everything. I'll claim we were playing hide-and-seek, got it?" Yi Ming took a deep breath and solemnly nodded, "I understand." Even Tang added, "No matter what, thanks for everything this time." An Huyu paused for a moment, sniffed, and asked, "After leaving Floating City, I haven't had any friends. Can I tell my brother I've made new friends?" Tang and Yi Ming exchanged a glance, Yi Ming then smiled, "Of course, we're already friends." Tears welled up in An Huyu's eyes once more; he wiped them away, choked up, "Then you can't die. I'll keep following you; I can still get us in anywhere with my status." "With that tear-streaked face?" Tang chuckled. "Tang, you really don't know what to say!" An Huyu retorted, adamant, "I'm willing to sacrifice everything for friendship!" Meanwhile, downstairs, An Heyu arrived with Li Li, one step behind his brother. "You're not planning to make a move here, are you?" An Heyu asked before entering. Li Li responded straightforwardly, "We'll see." This made An Heyu quite uneasy. In the guise of Li Baige's cool persona, Li Li showed no expression, and her tone was cold. "You might want to worry about yourself," she hinted. If her predictions were correct, this banquet would be quite entertaining. She started to look forward to it. Author’s Note: Qu Yan will be dealt with, but one step at a time. Li Li: You're all on the list, none of you will escape.