The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 618: Cheers

Brother Qiang Stall, Changyan District, late at night.

The open-air food stall was famous for its barbeques, and visitors abounded, filling all the foldable chairs under the canopy. Under the foldable tables were braziers filled with burning coal, providing the customers with some heating against the cold.

A table for two was set up in the narrow alleyway beside the food stall, dimly lit and exposed to the chilling wind, like a corner forgotten by the boisterous atmosphere.

Sitting by the table were two men. They had ordered lamb hot pot and were drinking while eating.

“Here, have some.” The man with a round face and shaved hair downed his half glass of beer. He was Crimson Bee from the Qilin Guild’s Team Vermilion Bird.

Sharing the table was a man named Xiao Xin, another member of Team Vermilion Bird with Talent, Thick Mist, serial number 95, Guard-type.

He was in his thirties, yet gray could already be seen among his black hair, and his cheeks were sickly sunken, his skin yellowed, dark, and hanging loosely from the skull with deep wrinkles around the mouth. He looked old and exhausted ahead of his age.

Holding a wine cup, Xiao Xin looked around for quite a while and didn’t take a sip from his cup until he made sure there wasn’t a threat. He was on high alert, his body stiff and his nerves fraying.

“Stop being so paranoid, mate,” Crimson Bee complained. “I’m here to have a drink with you, but you make this feel like a meeting between spies.”

“Things are different now. Better safe than sorry.” Xiao Xin lowered his voice and glanced around again without thinking. “Perhaps we’re already targeted by Seven Shadow’s people.”

Crimson Bee burst out laughing, leaning toward him and speaking in a lowered voice, “You overestimate yourself. We nobodies aren’t even on their radar.”

“That’s true.” Xiao Xin relaxed somewhat. He picked up a piece of trite and was just about to eat it, but he nervously dropped it. “Still, we’re members of the Qilin Guild, and the enemies are lurking in the dark. If they want their revenge, they’re gonna go after small fries like us first...”

Crimson Bee sighed and shook his head. “You’re always worried about nothing. Is your anxiety acting up again? Have you stopped taking pills?”

Xiao Xin averted his gaze. “I can’t take the pills all the time, or I’ll get dependent on it. That’ll be bad...”

“Haha, why don’t I give you a sting now to calm you down?” Crimson Bee smirked and discreetly extended his left hand, the nail of his pinky turning into a sharp bee sting.

“Change back!” Xiao Xin lost his calm, practically vibrating with tension. “If someone sees you...”

Crimson Bee pulled back. “Then focus on drinking and eating with me. Don’t be a spoilsport.”

Xiao Xin sighed and downed his beer. Then he had some of the steaming food, his body warming up.

After a while, he lowered his chopsticks and said seriously, “To be honest with you, Brother Bee, I want to resign.”

Crimson Bee picked up a piece of mutton. “You’ve said that a million times.”

“I mean it this time!” Xiao Xin raised his voice. “Or I’m gonna die sooner or later.”

“You joined the Guild because you feared death, but now you’re pulling out for the same reason?” Crimson Bee snorted. “Are you gonna return to the Guild again when death comes knocking? What do you take the Guild for, a public toilet? You can just come and go as you wish?”

Xiao Xin didn’t say anything.

Crimson Bee picked up his cup and took another drink, sadness flashing through his eyes. “I’d come to a realization when my brother died during the Crimson Tide. Nobodies like us are the weeds. We topple in whatever directions the wind is blowing in, and no one cares about our death.”

“Well, even Protector Scarlet Fox and Elder White Tiger had died without warning. We are as good as cannon fodder.”

“So what do we do?” Xiao Xin’s expression darkened. “Just wait for death?”

“Listen to me, Brother Xiao. Stay in the Guild and enjoy its protection.” Crimson Bee smiled shrewdly. “Whatever the leadership tells us to do, we do it, but we decide how much we put ourselves into the task and how we do it. As long as you stay out of trouble, trouble’s not gonna come knocking. Then you’ll stand the biggest chance of surviving. You get me?”

Convinced, Xiao Xin nodded. “You’re right. We’ll help each other from now on.”

“Totally!” Crimson Bee said brightly. “Why else did you think I asked you for a drink tonight?”

Ding. Ding.

Crimson Bee’s and Xiao Xin’s phones rang at the same time. They exchanged a glance and took out their phones with their heads lowered. It was a message from the Qilin Guild, an announcement made to all three major organizations and the unaffiliated awakeners.

...

To all awakeners in the Mist World.

We’re regretful to announce that Elder Seven Shadow, real name Gao Yang, has betrayed the Guild and all awakeners at large.

His seven crimes are as follows:

First, Seven Shadow knew of the true identity of the two life monsters, Lin Yue and Su Xi, and he knew about the betrayal of Yellow Ox from the Twelve Zodiac Signs, yet he kept them a secret and moved on his own, almost leading to catastrophic results.

Second, Seven Shadow has been colluding with the Spectres.

Third, Seven Shadow has been colluding with elite monsters.

Fourth, Seven Shadow has hidden the Guard Rune Circuit and fooled the three major organizations with lies, never intending to tell the truth.

Fifth, Seven Shadow has lured members of the Qilin Guild and the Twelve Zodiac Signs into defecting, leveraging his identity as the Divine Scion, and he attempted to kill Guildmaster Qilin.

Sixth, Seven Shadow has kept his Talent, Lucky, a secret, and he is actually the leader of the Tails and an elite member of the Godbearer Cult, the greatest traitor among awakeners.

Seventh, Seven Shadow has chosen to side with monsters, turning his back on his kind.

All of the aforementioned crimes are true and backed up by evidence.

Seven Shadow and the Godbearer Cult behind him were the greatest enemies and threats to all awakeners and humanity at large, as well as the last obstacles preventing us from opening the Gates of Closure.

The Mist World is coming to an end soon. We hope that all of our kind will see the right path and walk together to fight as a united front. Do not lose the big picture for trivial reasons.

Let us fight for survival and humanity together.

Qilin Guild

November 25th.

...

Crimson Bee and Xiao Xin quickly browsed through the message, their expressions darkening.

“Seven Shadow’s been in deep cover.” Crimson Bee put away his phone and sighed softly. “He’s quite something, but unfortunately, he’s taken the wrong side. Guildmaster Qilin and Dragon will never let him off the hook. We’ll see how things turn out.”

Xiao Xin looked nervous. “This...is a declaration of total war.”

“It’s a good thing.” Crimson Bee raised his cup with a smile. “Let the whales fight among themselves. There’s nothing for small fries like us to do. Come, have another cup. We’ll drink until we’re wasted tonight.”

Xiao Xin found merits in that, and he pocketed his phone, too, raising his cup.

The two were just going to knock their cups together when the half-finished bottle of beer by their side floated into the air, knocking their cups.

Both Crimson Bee and Xiao Xin jumped, their faces suddenly pale. If they weren’t in public, they would’ve been screaming.

Lithe Snake showed up the next second.

He held the bottle of beer with one hand and his shortsword with his other hand, pressing it to Crimson Bee’s chin. The sharp blade already drew blood.

Can appeared too, one hand resting on Lithe Snake’s shoulder and the other hand splaying toward Xiao Xin, an arc of translucent air blade locking Xiao Xin’s neck in place.

The food stand was bustling with chatters, yet the dim alleyway beside it was brimming with such tension that the air went still, and all that could be heard was the gurgle of the boiling hot pot.

“It’s been a while, old friends.” Lithe Snake sneered.

“Lithe Snake, what...are you going to do?” Crimson Bee licked his lips and tried his best to stay calm. Hidden under the table, the nails of his left hand had quietly morphed into five poisonous stings of different colors.

“I’ll advise you to keep your hand to yourself.” Lithe Snake had seen through the trick. “Unlike me, your arm isn’t going to grow back after getting cut.”

Crimson Bee felt a chill run down his spine. He deactivated Bee Venom.

“Don’t, don’t kill me...” Xiao Xin was terrified to the point of tears. “I...I’ve already written a letter of resignation. I’m going to resign tonight. Please spare me...”

“Don’t be nervous, Uncle Xiao,” Can said with a smile. “We’re just here to...”

“Thick Mist!” Xiao Xin suddenly shouted.