Chapter 81 - Role Playing the Dark Horse Character

Chapter 81: Who Killed the Prophet? (First Update) Regrettably, Lin Ran didn't have any milk tea, so she ended up pouring Li Li a cup of regular tea. Li Li glanced at the tea under the candlelight; the brown surface seemed tinged with a reddish-orange hue, appearing quite bitter. She put on a smile and looked at Lin Ran seated opposite her. "You don’t seem surprised that I’m here." The woman with orange hair, in the dim light, seemed like a moth frozen in time, her violet eyes quietly downcast. Her youthful appearance concealed the fact that she was a mother. She had an air of elegance about her, and only her lack of vitality and the blankness in her eyes hinted at her age. Upon hearing this, Lin Ran gently tilted her head and replied, "Why should I be surprised?" It seemed as if Lin Ran viewed Li Li through a heavy filter, responding naturally: "You have limitless potential. Coming to see me is just part of that." This couldn’t help but make Li Li recall what she had done in front of Lin Ran, but ultimately, the only praiseworthy thing she had done was saving a few people. Would that alone earn such flattering remarks from Lin Ran, an SS-ranked ability user, and one of the top ten fighters in the empire? On the surface, Li Li maintained a polite smile and then asked, "Then can you explain the reason behind my coming here?" "Of course," Lin Ran replied, "You are unique." "Ru Ye is disobedient, and my son has no opinions. You are the only one in Yanmu City who can succeed me." The orange-haired woman spoke seriously, as if stating an indisputable fact. Seeing that Li Li's expression remained unchanged, giving no feedback to her words, Lin Ran repeated once more, word for word: "You are unique." Li Li felt that Lin Ran had perhaps overemphasized something in her mind, placing a heavy filter over her. In such matters, Li Li could only nod and make the best use of the situation. "The man you mentioned in the library, who is he?" she asked. Li Li never forgot what she had to do. Disguised as Hegel in Yanmu City, she was here to uncover the prophet's final experiences. The direction of the comic’s narrative was still uncertain, but the progress here would eventually be reflected in the storyline. The black-haired girl slightly opened her squinted eyes, revealing a vivid red hue. Without hesitation, Lin Ran replied, "They called him the Prophet." The candle flames flickered, and the seated black-haired girl's smile deepened. "Who killed him?" Li Li asked. "I did," Lin Ran replied. A gust of wind rushed in, extinguishing the candlelight in an instant. In the darkness, Lin Ran slowly continued, "I personally killed him and sent his head to the Qu family." Her tone was natural, calm. Yet this calmness led to an awkward atmosphere. As the wind ceased, the candles flickered back to light. Lin Ran maintained her vacant demeanor, while the person sitting opposite her had dropped the pretense of a smile, gazing over with cold, red eyes. The red marks like wings at the corner of her eyes seemed to stretch and turn scarlet. The candlelight flickering in her pupils seemed to exude a chilling air. "Why?" The words from that unsmiling face still carried a lightness, "Your aim shouldn’t be limited to just the territory of the Ability Guild." "That man was causing chaos," Lin Ran said. "He was inciting violence, misleading people. Nobles, commoners—many believed his lies, plunging the empire into turmoil and hardship." She had concluded this firmly, thus asking somewhat perplexedly, "Wasn't the incident six years ago clear enough? He only brought disaster." Six years ago, the Prophet gathered a group of ability users oppressed by nobility, challenging noble rule. With powerful companions, a brilliant spiritual leader, and a shared belief and goal, it was the Ability Guild's heyday. They liberated cities along the way, establishing their own bases, ridding cities of noble rule to be reborn after turmoil. Then it all ended at the nobles' hands. "You believe it was the Prophet who brought disaster." The black-haired girl's voice turned cold. The traitor led the Prophet away, the nobility slaughtered the unprepared high ranks of the former Guild. The bloodshed and violence didn’t cease afterward. They coerced the surviving Prophet using other survivors, bringing him to the guillotine the nobles set for him. And now it’s said that it was all the Prophet’s fault? "If he hadn't existed, those events wouldn't have occurred." Lin Ran, oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, continued to express her views, "He deserved to die." She should have seen the hands clenched before her, yet she merely wondered why the other couldn’t understand. "And what about you?" The black-haired girl, no longer maintaining a smile, questioned, "The one who slaughtered over ten thousand civilians, what did you achieve?" "In the chaos that man caused, the only way to eradicate the crime was through harsh laws." Lin Ran spoke slowly, "To let them know the boundaries they shouldn’t cross, exchanging the deaths of a few for the greater public’s respect for the law, creating the crime-free city as I envisioned." She paused, then continued, "At the start, I succeeded." "I overestimated myself. I’ve reached my senior years, my body can’t handle the high-intensity use of abilities." She seemed to reflect on herself, "In the first two years, I managed to spread order throughout Yanmu City. But starting from the third year, it became a struggle. Now, I must rest seven hours each night to maintain daytime order." "After witnessing eternal night, do you still believe you were right?" Black bangs fell, hiding her red eyes in shadows. "Eternal night wasn’t my intention; it was Ru Ye who was bewitched by that man’s sweet lies." Lin Ran raised her eyes, the orange hair falling from behind her ear, a strand drifting before her eyes, with her purple pupils vaguely visible behind. "Heh." The person opposite stood up, chuckling softly. "You killed the Prophet because he caused chaos, but what about the massacre of the An family nobles? Why did you partake in wiping out the An family?" She looked down at the graceful, orange-haired beauty in the candlelight. "Sacrificing a few for the empire is worthwhile," Lin Ran lifted her head and said. The atmosphere had already solidified, dropping below freezing. Unaware, Lin Ran remained oblivious. Her emotional intelligence was very low, living in her world, unable to read people’s expressions or communicate normally with others. Li Li didn’t know why she caught Lin Ran’s attention, but she couldn’t agree with Lin Ran’s ideology. Neither could Hegel. "Let's end this here," Li Li said. Her original intent was only to ascertain the relationship between 'Lin' and Lin Ran, and having done that while gaining extra information, she considered her visit worthwhile. At least for now, she wouldn’t engage in direct conflict with Lin Ran—it wouldn’t be wise. However, Lin Ran stated, "I believe we’ve shared our innermost thoughts. We should be close friends by now." "You and I will not be friends," Li Li decisively refused. She turned away, preparing to leave in the dim candlelight. "Why don’t you agree with my thinking?" Lin Ran finally realized the issue and pursued, "Because I dislike that man?" The silhouette in the darkness paused. Footsteps sounded from outside, and the slightly open door let in a little candlelight. "Master? You’re awake?" A servant, holding a lamp, ascended the stairs. At this moment inside, Lin Ran lifted her head, leaning forward as if trying to reach out to the friend she believed was leaving. "I'm quite self-centered," the shadow responded without turning back, speaking softly, "I only care about the few who were sacrificed, who were deprived." The next moment, the light from the servant's lamp illuminated the corridor, casting into the room. And the black figure within vanished from its spot. Lin Ran stared blankly at the doorway growing brighter, her vacant eyes catching sight of the entering servant. She had been completely rejected, with no room for reconciliation. "Master?" The servant inquired softly. The candlelight was overtaken by the brighter lamp light, and Lin Ran, after a momentary daze, mumbled, "I think I’ve upset my friend. What should I do?" The servant thought they misheard: "Uh, friend?" Lin Ran, who spent every day in the attic, never stepping outside, having friends? Shocked, the servant softly suggested, "Usually, one would apologize?" Upon hearing this, Lin Ran's eyes gradually brightened, "Right, apologize." Looking to the servant, she declared, "Make arrangements. In three days, I want to make a public apology to her." The servant was startled and only after repeated confirmation did they hurriedly comply. This would be Lin Ran’s first request to leave the attic in six years, her first appearance since executing the Prophet of the former Ability Guild. … Elsewhere, Li Li dispelled the illusion and turned around, "Let's go." Beside her, An Heyu noticed that, though she still wore a smile, she seemed somewhat downcast. He wanted to ask about what had happened earlier but held back, simply asking, "As per our original plan?" "Yes." Li Li replied briefly. She touched her face, casually snapped her fingers, and her hair lengthened, with the red lines at her eyes morphing into a silver-edged mask. Lin Ran would never be a friend, and for Hegel, this was indeed the case. Li Li didn’t understand why Lin Ran had developed such trust in her just because she'd saved her once, nor why this trust ran so deep. However, they were destined to tread different paths. "I am quite selfish," she said softly. The night breeze rustled the treetops as An Heyu slightly turned his head, watching Li Li gradually walk away. Meanwhile, inside the Lin residence, the spirit bid farewell to the housekeeper. "I'm still a bit concerned," said 'Tan Qian.' "I've been suspicious of someone from the beginning, and I want to check it out." "Do you need me to relay a message to the young master?" the housekeeper asked. "If I'm not at the Ability Guild by dawn tomorrow, then yes," 'Tan Qian' replied. The housekeeper nodded in approval, pleased not to disturb Lin Ru Ye. "So, where are you headed?" he inquired. "To District Thirteen," the spirit answered. … Despite a few setbacks, Li Li eventually made her way to District Three. Initially, their plan was to visit District Three to inspect a new organization and even suggest a name for it. As the night breeze carried a hint of summer's warmth, Li Li and An Heyu walked along the road, with Li Li slightly ahead. Li Li had reverted to her Hegel persona, an elusive smile playing on her lips. Her hands were tucked into the pockets of her trench coat, her mood seemingly uplifted. Next to her, still dressed in women's clothing, An Heyu noticed her apparent calm and asked, "Can I change now?" "Of course," Li Li turned her head, and before An Heyu could express his joy, she wagged her finger. "No, you can't." Just as An Heyu was ready to celebrate: "..." She was teasing him, right? Definitely!