The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 396: Heavenbreaker

Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird nodded in agreement.

Qilin looked at them calmly. “I’ll entrust the mission to you, Seven Shadow.”

“Understood.”

This time, Gao Yang didn’t talk himself down or excuse himself.

He was the person for the job considering his power-up and the old scars and new wounds between him and the Godbearer Cult.

“I’ve talked to Dragon and Surnamed Li about the matter,” Qilin said. “They can’t fully entrust the mission to the Guild and insist on getting involved.”

“Ha, they just want to keep tabs on us.” Azure Dragon narrowed his sharp eyes, his eyes crinkling.

“I would’ve done the same,” Vermilion Bird said carelessly. “The Godbearer Cult is a treasure trove of an organization. Much treasure and intel will be unearthed in the process. Of course they’ll want a finger in it.”

“I know.” Qilin nodded. “But I didn’t reject them. It’s good to have allies when facing the Godbearer Cult.”

“Seven Shadow, the fifth operations team will be in charge of investigating the Cult with the help of the Twelve Zodiac Signs and the Hundred Rivers Union. Operation: Heavenbreaker, you will flush out the Cult and its leader, the Heavenly Godbearer, at all cost.”

Gao Yang nodded. “Who have the Twelve Zodiac Signs and the Hundred Rivers Union sent?”

“The Twelve Zodiac Signs sent Green Snake, Yellow Ox, and Heavenly Dog, while the Union sent Chen Ying and Amon.”

Gao Yang quirked his lips. “I thought the Twelve Zodiac Signs would’ve sent War Tiger for something this important.”

“War Tiger seems to be looking into something else.” Vermilion Bird narrowed her eyes and curled her lips bemusedly. “The Twelve Zodiac Signs sure are doing a lot under the table.”

“Pay them no mind.” Qilin tapped on the floor with his cane. “Do you have anything to say?”

“Guildmaster, Nainai came to find me this afternoon,” Gao Yang said.

Qilin asked with a smile, “Are you content with the new member assigned to you?”

“Outside of her chuuni tendency, everything’s alright,” Gao Yang said honestly.

“I have Nainai join you mainly because her Talent is a good fit for your mission.”

“Nainai grew up autistic and read manga all day in her room, so she’s got a bit of a quirk,” Azure Dragon added, speaking like a caretaker. “But the girl is bright. She never makes mistakes when it matters. That you can be assured of.”

Gao Yang nodded. True, Scale and Shapeshifter are perfect for tasks involving stealth, disguise, and investigation. When going on a mission, she could also conceal everyone as wanderers and greatly decrease the risk of exposure.

Besides, Nainai had put up an almost perfect disguise when she pretended to be Gao Xinxin, which proved that she could do her job well when it mattered. It was only after she got exposed by Gao Yang that she gave in to her chuuni tendency completely.

“Would you give me a few days, Guildmaster?” Gao Yang smiled wryly. “I’ve been in vegetative state for three months. I can’t be up and about immediately. I’ll spend a few days on physical training and then report to my university, getting reassimilated to my mundane identity.”

“Of course,” Qilin said. “I’ll have the intelligence department give you the contact information of the other members of the investigation team. You may make the arrangements yourself and report to me anytime.”

“Got it. I have no other question.”

“And you two?” Qilin turned to Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon.

Both shook their heads.

“Then that’s it for today’s group session.” Qilin stood up with the help of his cane. “Outside of special circumstances, we’ll hold a meeting every month.”

“Understood.” The three answered at the same time and stood up, leaving the clinic and going downstairs.

Before they parted ways, Vermilion Bird stopped Gao Yang and offered him a ride.

Gao Yang took the offer without hesitation.

The car moved smoothly along the quiet road at night. Gao Yang sat in the passenger seat. Neither of them said anything for a while, each deep in their own thoughts.

After a while, the car stopped at a red light, and Vermilion Bird asked, “I want a smoke. That alright for you?”

Gao Yang nodded. “Go ahead.”

Vermilion Bird rolled the window down and fished out a pack of lady’s cigarettes, putting one in her mouth. Just when she was going to reach for her lighter, the light turned green, and Vermilion Bird had to go back to driving.

Gao Yang made a curl with his finger, igniting the cigarette for Vermilion Bird.

She lifted her chin slightly. “Thanks.”

“When did you start smoking?” Gao Yang asked casually.

“I started when I was in college. Then I met Scarlet Fox and he nagged me whenever I smoked. I got irritated into quitting.” Vermilion Bird smiled, her voice drifting a little. “Now that no one’s nagging me, I can smoke again.”

“My condolences.”

“Ha, didn’t expect you to be the one comforting me.” Vermilion Bird took a drag of the cigarette between her fingers gracefully, exhaling smoke slowly with a hazy look in her eyes. “My condolences to you too.”

Gao Yang nodded.

The two of them fell silent. A melancholy song from the past was playing on the radio, as if quietly mourning the ones who had passed away.

Finishing the cigarette, Vermilion Bird put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray between the seats. “Last month, the Qilin Guild held a funeral for all the companions we have lost.”

Gao Yang paused, catching on immediately. “You’ve made up your mind?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Their bodies have been kept there because I kept thinking I could bring them back one day with Equivalent Exchange, but it doesn’t seem likely now. The world is ending in two years. Among those who could be resurrected, there wasn’t any I’d be willing to bring back at the cost of falling into a coma for a year.”

She paused, her smile colored by sadness. “And the one I’m willing to pay a year for, I cannot bring back.”

Such as White Tiger and Scarlet Fox. Vermilion Bird didn’t spell it out, but Gao Yang knew who she was talking about.

“And Guildmaster agreed?”

“He respected my decision.” Vermilion Bird glanced sideways at him. “So, the Guild held a proper funeral for them as farewell.”

“There will only be more such occasions in the future,” she said in a distant tone. “Be ready, Elder Seven Shadow.”

Gao Yang paused. It was the first time Vermilion Bird ever called him Elder Seven Shadow. She was keeping him at arm’s length.

It seemed that she was already increasing the emotional distance between her and others in preparation for the farewells that were to come.

It was a universal truth that losing someone wouldn’t be as painful and hard as long as one didn’t care about them as much.

“This is my stop, Elder Vermilion Bird.” Gao Yang gave her a polite smile. “Thank you for giving me a ride.”