Chapter 59 - Role Playing the Dark Horse Character

Chapter 59 Opportunists "Sure," Yue Fu answered lazily, descending the stairs. At the foot of the steps, Rao Yue, who was half-kneeling, moved toward An Guyu. "Behave, and I won't hurt you, little waste." From the ground ahead of the vines, sprouts emerged, resembling a ferocious beast baring its fangs at An Guyu. An Guyu seemed to have bottled up a lot to say, his face streaked with tears for the first time, glaring fiercely at Yue Fu. "My big brother is the strongest!" He admitted to being worthless, truly a waste. An Guyu was nothing but a little waste; he knew it himself. But he could not accept Yue Fu's flippant tone disparaging his elder brother! At this moment, he couldn't restrain the long-suppressed emotions within him. "You can't harm him!" In his heart, his big brother was always the strongest. When the family underwent a tumultuous night, with his parents vanished in a sea of flames, familiar relatives and past glories all obliterated by the fire. In his bewilderment, stripped of nearly everything and clueless, it was his big brother who took over the An family's affairs and propped up the collapsing giant in just a few short days. It was his big brother who, in the face of the ravenous wolves eyeing their family's asset, protected their honor. It was his big brother who, with sheer strength, repelled those well-dressed monstrous beings. Like an unyielding force always standing before him, holding up a sky with immense power. "Yue Qing, you are just a commoner who rose through betraying your former master! What right do you have to be compared to my big brother?" he exclaimed angrily. In An Guyu's mind, that big brother would always turn his face, under the orange candlelight of the reunion festival, and offer him a gentle smile. He harbored no dislike for his big brother; he merely hated his wasteful self. Yue Qing's initially dismissive expression paused. The ground's vines surged, twisting to bind An Guyu tightly. "Keep crying," Yue Fu raised a hand, and the vines lifted An Guyu off the ground. Yue Fu didn't care about what An Guyu said, but Yue Qing did. What he cared about most was the noble status he had earned. Yet this wasn't something Yue Qing would bother about with an ability-less An Guyu. However, right at this moment. "He's got a point." It was Rao Yue's voice. In an unnoticed corner, Rao Yue momentarily showed a surprised expression—she hadn't spoken! But she quickly realized, lowering her head, mouthing words at the ground. As if she had indeed spoken. "The An family is an old noble house. If we kill An Heyu's subordinates, it could be detrimental to us," Rao Yue's voice continued in the narrow, echoing space. "If this causes the Yue family loss, it wouldn't be worth it for us." "Patriarch, it might be better to release them." Yue Fu blinked at the still half-kneeling Rao Yue, looking surprised. He couldn't believe these were words from Rao Yue, but he didn't have time to question it. Because Yue Qing laughed. The man did not scrutinize Rao Yue's odd behavior, instead becoming thoroughly incensed by the supposedly counsel-inspired belittling. "Hahahaha..." An insurmountable barrier in his heart; compared to the old aristocrat An Heyu, he was just a commoner, even now being ordered around like a servant by Qu Yan! "Detrimental to us? Causing us loss?" His subordinate's incendiary sparks thoroughly inflamed his buried pride. He stepped forward onto the stairs leading to the small space, taking one step, then another. "Is this something to fear?" he declared. "A fallen family, unable to protect themselves, worthy of a new noble, the Yue family, to fear?!" He looked into An Guyu's wide eyes and sneered, "But you're right, why should I return An Heyu's brother intact?" "Better to send a corpse." He wanted to prove his strength to his subordinates. "Let him see what he can do!" Ice spread at his feet; he intended to freeze the three teenagers below into sculptures! He held nothing back. The S-rank ability spread almost instantly, Yi Ming stepping forth quickly, attempting to use his metalized arms to block the ice. But he couldn't; just like that day at the Bronze Stronghold. His arms would only suffer frostbite, necrosis. Cold winds, laden with ice, blew, transparent ice climbing up and forming frost on his face. Tang's healing couldn't melt the ice. An Guyu's tears froze into ice. In that moment that felt as long as a lifetime. Standing on the stairs, backlit, the blue-haired man's resemblance to that day at the Bronze Stronghold made Yi Ming feel reality repeat itself. An undefeatable enemy, his own helplessness, and Tang, whom he couldn't protect, and An Guyu, who was in danger because he helped him. The cold seemed to seep into his limbs, nearly freezing the warm blood. This time, no one would stand before him, turning their back to him, blocking the enemy's icy onslaught. As the ice climbed over him, he suddenly recalled that day. Icicles cut across the weak youth's vision ahead, leaving a red streak as they climbed the corners of the eyes. The youth spoke heartlessly, face turned, yet his dark pupils didn't look at him, rather into endless solitude. Then saved them, protected them. "Brother..." Ice froze half his face. It felt like a dream; as the scene nearly turned all white, he seemed to see a blue light. Swaying, a blue pendant. In a flash, past scenes seemed to replay. "Boom!" The ground shook, and Yue Qing on the stairs turned sharply. The light from outside behind him vanished. Darkness shrouded his view, and within the darkness, countless silver-white long swords appeared from above, their surfaces connecting and implanting into the ground, separating them from Yue Qing. Just like the day it suddenly appeared before Yi Ming, shielding him from inevitable bullets. The long swords morphed into a wall, blocking the abilities' cold while completely isolating the stairs from them. Just as when Tang and he appeared outside Bronze, seeing the insurmountable barriers. The ground continued to tremble, dust falling from the ceiling, scattered atop the yet-to-melt ice. Voices spoke around him, someone seemed to be calling his name. But it all seemed distant. A blue pendant. He felt he saw that familiar face again, dark pupils, and the drowning solitude within them. Yi Ming's frozen gaze remained on the pitch-black, newly-appeared wall. Is it you? He opened his mouth, voice turning hoarse. "Did you protect me again?" He heard his own weakened voice, akin to a drenched little puppy, pitifully calling to the owner that abandoned him. "Brother?" This time, could he stay? He didn't want to run anymore. --- Yue Qing, an S-rank ability user, surpassing Li Li's own B-rank significantly. But she came. Illusion-crafted darkness enveloped Yue Qing on the staircase; Li Li concealed herself within the shadows. Boundless darkness. Confined space. Yue Qing trembled, pale, sweat slowly trickling down his forehead. He looked around frantically, forgetting even his own ability. Li Li considered herself something of an opportunist. Upon seeing this perfect terrain, a plan had already formed in her mind. An Guyu's outburst gave wings, and then she used former Ability Guild double agent Rao Yue's voice to add fuel, luring Yue Qing onto the stairs. Then trapped him within a narrow box. Because Yue Qing had claustrophobia. That's why during his first meeting with Hei Ge, he had destroyed the villa, moving into the open air. That's why he avoided enclosed spaces, initially unwilling to enter this basement. That's why he resisted, why he brought Yue Fu along. The earlier intel from Le Shan came into perfect play. She didn't need to do much; she merely had to pressurize within the darkness, letting Yue Qing crumble on his own. Yue Qing retreated, tripping on the steps, falling down the stairs, crashing heavily into the wall. "Let me out, let me out!" He no longer retained his previous dignified appearance. His deep blue hair clung to his head with sweat, his mouth and limbs all trembling. That earlier collision seemed to have jolted him into some clarity, and he fiercely utilized his abilities. Ice spread within the confined space but couldn't reach Li Li hidden in the darkness. Just as Li Li was about to apply more pressure— [Target update detected as completed.] [Opening channel for you...] Li Li: ????? Now of all times?! For the first time, she wanted to tear open the system to see what was inside its head! In that split-second of distraction, the S-rank ability's ice crept up her right foot. The chill surged upward from below. [Welcome back to reality.] The scene before her eyes instantly changed. ... "Fuc—Fudge!" she exclaimed, slapping the table in frustration, causing her roommate behind her to jump up from her seat in alarm. "L-Li Li Li!" her roommate cautiously turned around, "Who’s bothered you?" Li Li took a deep breath, looked at the PPT on her laptop, and said, "Tomorrow's exam." Yes, she had an exam tomorrow. Though she had spent less than a day in the manga world, the exciting events and her frustration at being yanked back by the system at a critical moment evaporated as soon as she saw the math formulas. Here's a joke: she still had an exam tomorrow. "I heard about it too," her roommate sighed with relief, turning back around to reassure her. "That teacher is seriously a bit unwell, announcing the exam at the last minute." Li Li took another deep breath, rested her forehead in one hand, and reached for the water cup on her desk with the other. She was so upset she felt parched. She needed some cold water to calm down before continuing to go through the PPT and her workbook. After all, the exam was during the early morning class, giving her little time to prepare when she woke up. She had no choice but to pull an all-nighter studying. When she brought the cup to her face, she shook it only to find it empty. Sighing, she pushed herself up from the desk, preparing to head to the dormitory hallway to fill it from the water dispenser. Just as she put weight on her right foot to stand— "Crash!" The cup fell to the ground, shattering into pieces of glass.