The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 703: Twin Primes

“Stop! Stop it!”

Surnamed Li controlled her wheelchair to wade through the snow with difficulty, driving away the rowdy children. One of the naughty ones even threw a snowball at her.

Surnamed Li went up to Chen Ying and brushed away the ice on her face. Her face was so cold, like it was made of snow.

Surnamed Li felt a pang in her heart. She took off her shawl to put it around Chen Ying. Chen Ying, who had been frozen like a statue, panickedly moved away.

“No...it’s dirty...”

She was worried that she would dirty the kind auntie’s shawl. She couldn’t pay for it. She would get scolded.

Surnamed Li’s eyes turned red. She pulled Chen Ying into her arms and put the shawl around her frail frame. “You’re not dirty, kid. Not dirty at all. Auntie really likes you. Will you come home with me?”

Chen Ying would never forget it. That winter was so very cold, but her chest was warm whenever she thought of the moment.

Surnamed Li and her husband adopted Chen Ying, raising her with care and educating her, telling her bedtime story every night.

Chen Ying treated the couple like parents.

After a year, though, Surnamed Li sent Chen Ying to a more reliable orphanage without giving any reason. She no longer got bullied by anyone there, and not long after that, another family wanted to take her home, but she turned them away.

To Chen Ying, Surnamed Li and her husband were her only parents.

When Chen Ying was eighteen, she awakened with Psychometry. She got lucky. She had thought that something was wrong with her head and told no one. Just when she was wondering if she should go to a psychiatrist, Surnamed Li showed up again. Her husband had passed away then, and she was the spokesperson of the Hundred Rivers Union.

Later, Chen Ying entered the world of awakeners officially and joined the Hundred Rivers Union. With her mundane identity, she left the orphanage and entered a college.

“Ying Ying,” Surnamed Li said in a guilty voice. “Do you still hate me?”

Chen Ying felt her chest tighten. She shook her head. “I did resent you somewhat before awakening, but then I came to understand you after I awakened.”

Surnamed Li sighed. She rarely talked to anyone about her past. “One year after adopting you, I dreamed about many things, including my husband’s death...”

“Before his death, he wanted me to start a new organization. Even without the Elusive Sects, awakeners must not give up.”

“No matter how I thought about it, I believed I had to send you away.” Surnamed Li held Chen Ying’s gaze. “I didn’t know that you were a human, too. I couldn’t keep you around.”

“I know.” Chen Ying nodded. “If I can’t even figure that out, all the years I’ve gone through would be in vain.”

“There are things you may understand but not accept.” Surnamed Li had a look of guilt in her eyes. “Chen Ying, you treat Little Tian so well now, and Little Tian loves you so much. Every time I see you, I feel regret. I could’ve given you a better childhood...”

The corners of Chen Ying’s eyes became moist. She stopped speaking and rested her head on Surnamed Li’s legs, covered with a blanket. For this moment, at least, she would like to be a child again.

“Tell me a story, please. Then I’ll consider us even. Please don’t blame yourself anymore.”

“Okay.” Surnamed Li nodded softly. “What story do you want to hear?”

“The one where the fireflies help the puppy find its home.”

Surnamed Li smiled after a pause, reaching out to stroke Chen Ying’s soft long hair. “Okay. I’ll tell you the story.”

...

Room 5002, White Lake Hotel, Changyan District.

Yan Liang, Azure Dragon, and Vermilion Bird sat on the sofa. The atmosphere was tense.

The Black Tortoise branch destroyed by the Nine Scions was still under construction. Thus, the meeting was moved to Yan Liang’s place.

Yan Liang didn’t have coffee at his place, so he made two cups of tea for Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird. The two elders didn’t drink any. When the tea went cold, the meeting was about to end, too.

Vermilion Bird was the first to speak up. “The matter with Ke Yo was my mistake. I misjudged her.”

Azure Dragon frowned. “Ke Yo had little interaction with Seven Shadow, and the Nine Scions have little to offer. Why would Ke Yo risk it and defect?”

“Little interaction?” Vermilion Bird smiled wryly. “Have you forgotten about Liu Qingying’s Sweet Dream?”

Azure Dragon came to a realization, his expression darkening. “We have to do something about the woman. We should keep her under our watch.”

“No.” Yan Liang lowered his cup of tea. “Like Dr. Jia, she has connections with many factions but isn’t loyal to any. And she has skills that make her irreplaceable.”

“It’ll do us no good to antagonize them, but only make us more enemies. They are resources and weapons. The Nine Scions can use them, but we can, too. It’s a matter of who can use them better.”

Azure Dragon nodded.

He let out a silent sigh. It seemed that Guildmaster Qilin got his clear perspective from Yan Liang, only the old man is more vicious and cunning.

“Haha.” Yan Liang chuckled under his mask. “You’re not to blame for what happened with Ke Yo, Elder Vermilion Bird. She was a good actor. Even I misjudged her.”

“It’s mostly because she had been with us for too short a time.” Vermilion Bird thought otherwise. “If she stayed as an Elder for a few more days, I would’ve realized that something was wrong.”

Yan Liang shook his head. “I mean that she played her character too well when she was with you.”

Vermilion Bird paused. “I don’t think she was acting then.”

“A strange person.” Yan Liang smiled cryptically. “Strange indeed.”

“What happened happened. We should stop dwelling on it,” Azure Dragon said.

“Yeah.” Vermilion Bird nodded. “The Hundred Rivers Union identified Dust last night. I sent you the encoded message Chen Ying sent me.”

“I saw it.” Azure Dragon narrowed his eyes. “Overtaker prime with two souls in a body, while the host is none the wiser. Things cannot be stranger.”

“True.” Yan Liang added, “Dust could do top-of-the-game spiritual damage and use the host’s Talent, no lesser than a pride monster.”

“Wait.” Azure Dragon thought of someone. “Luqi!”

Vermilion Bird had long come to the conclusion. “You’re suggesting that Luqi might have gotten brought back by an overtaker prime.”

Azure Dragon nodded. “Yes.”

Vermilion Bird laughed bitterly. “Very likely. An overtaker prime may not be limited to a living host. The soul only needs an intact body, and Luqi’s body is very much intact, fitting the criteria. Moreover, the overtaker didn’t even have to drive away the soul of the original host.”

“That’s right.” Then Azure Dragon thought of something. “But Dust has been within Goldthread’s body. She didn’t have the time to bring back Luqi...”

“Who says that there can only be one overtaker prime?” Vermilion Bird cut him off. “Remember, a life monster can give birth to a twin of Spectres. What if there are two overtaker primes, too?”

“Yes.” Yan Liang nodded and chimed in. “I agree with that.”