The Creatures that We Are

Li River Community, Shanqing District, Christmas Eve.

Gray Bear paced around in the empty living room at a villa. The only one accompanying him was the sleeping Waking Insects. To be more precise, it was a cluster of light gray gas that resembled a quiet fountain.

Every member of the Nine Scions had gone out on a mission, save for Gray Bear.

Gao Yang, Qing Ling, Can, and Nainai had set out in disguise before the night fell, being all secretive, while Nine Frost had taken Wang Zikai and Hong Xiaoxiao outside. Lithe Snake was out on his own to keep an eye on the Qilin Guild. Meanwhile, Gray Bear was tasked with watching the house on the ridiculous grounds that he wasn’t agile enough and had a more mature personality.

“Watch the house, watch the house!” Gray Bear got even angrier thinking about it. He yelled at the gray gas on the sofa, “I’m not a dog! I’m a bear! Why should a bear watch the house?!”

The gray gas fluctuated a little faster, as if in response to the complaint.

Gray Bear scratched his head as he walked around the living room. “Ahhhh I can’t! I don’t know what’s going on with them. Please be safe!”

Then Gray Bear’s phone rang. He quickly took it out of his pocket and found a message from an unknown number: The odds are with, us.

“Yes!” Gray Bear punched the air, his anxiety and grievances evaporating. All that was left was his joy that his teammates would come back safely.

“They’ll be back soon! I gotta do something. Something!” Gray Bear pocketed his phone and muttered to himself. Then his eyes lit up. “Haha! Let’s get some beer! Late-night snacks! We’re celebrating tonight!”

He put on a leather jacket and then a baseball cap and a mask.

He turned around when he got to the entryway and reminded the gray gas on the sofa, “Watch the house, Waking Insects! You hear me?”

…

Snow fell on the curved road. A car drove at a faster speed, heading to the Hundred Rivers Union’s secret base in the Nanji District.

Chen Ying clutched the driving wheel with Little Tian in the passenger seat, holding onto the seatbelt with both hands as he sensed the surroundings with his eyes closed.

Gao Yang, Qing Ling, Can, and Nainai were in the back. Since Nainai had to use her hands, and Gao Yang needed space to recover his original body, it was easiest for Nainai to sit on Qing Ling’s lap.

Nainai had started out opposing the idea in her heart, which translated into awkward movement and tsundere comments, but her opinion didn’t matter. It took only one glance from Qing Ling for her to acquiesce.

“Do it carefully, Nainai. Don’t turn me into a monstrosity.” Gao Yang teased her on purpose.

“Ri-ridiculous! This Empress will never make such a mistake…” Nainai was highly tense as she restored Gao Yang’s shoulders. If one didn’t see that she was sitting on Qing Ling’s lap, they would’ve assumed she was sitting on a time bomb.

“We’re more or less clear now.” Chen Ying glanced at the rearview mirror. “Would you tell me what’s going on, Gao Yang?”

Chen Ying had been following Nine Frost’s instructions over the past few days. While she had had many questions during the process, she chose to do what she was told without hesitation.

And thank heavens she had made a right bet. Dust was exposed. Goldthread met a real end—which Chen Ying couldn’t help but be saddened by even though she had been mentally prepared, and she was furious with Dust. ŘἈ₦ỗВЕš

At this moment, though, what mattered more to her was the truth.

Gao Yang turned to the side. Nainai was now restoring his arms.

He said at a deliberate pace, “It’s quite complicated. I’ll make it as simple as possible.”

…

It all started on the day Nine Frost and Chen Ying developed a line of communication.

Gao Yang never suspected Goldthread at the beginning, not even a little.

His suspect list had been the same: Colorless, Amon, Sha Ye, Wang Weiyan (unlikely), Chestnut, Rain River, Citrus, Sister Ling, and Harvest Song.

Chen Ying, despite her alibi, wasn’t completely exempt from suspicion, either.

Thus, Gao Yang wanted to meet Chen Ying first thing to make sure she wasn’t the spy. Only then could he put his full trust in her and help her identify Dust.

Unfortunately, plans had the tendency to go wrong, and Gao Yang’s secret meeting with Chen Ying was interrupted by Raven Shark from Team Vermilion Bird.

After that, Gao Yang gave Chen Ying an instruction through Nine Frost, telling her to look into Chestnut, which involved testing her openly.

Gao Yang wanted to know if that would alert the enemy and give them more clues.

Then Gao Yang had Nine Frost contact the Twelve Zodiac Signs, asking War Tiger to get his Dragonslaying Giantsword from Chestnut “coincidentally” at the same time—that was to justify his action and avoid suspicion.

Thus, War Tiger tested Chen Ying seemingly on a whim and proved her innocence.

When War Tiger learned of the plan from Nine Frost, he had blithely said that he was happy to “kill” a pretty woman and would do his best.

War Tiger and Chen Ying had a “pleasant” talk and encounter.

After that, Chen Ying followed Nine Frost’s instruction and talked to Liao Liao, learning more about Citrus, Rain River, and Sister Ling through the new team leader. However, the conversation revealed a completely different perspective on the range of suspects. She included every member of the Union, herself too.

That night, Chen Ying relayed Liao Liao’s words to Nine Frost, and Nine Frost immediately told Gao Yang.

Realization dawned on Gao Yang. He was shocked—Liao Liao was good!

He reflected on himself and realized that he had been too careless when narrowing down the suspects. Perhaps the list never included Dust to start with.

And, well, Gao Yang really was lucky.

The seventh night after Qiu Qiu’s death, Gao Yang went past the New Cemetery and decided last minute to sweep his friend’s tomb. Gray Bear and Can, who were with him, got the idea of visiting their respective friends, too.

Can went to Huanhuan’s tomb, and Gray Bear visited his former colleague, Officer Liu.

The moment Gao Yang saw the officer’s tomb, he remembered a detail about their fight, which struck Gao Yang like a truck and made him break into goosebumps.

Thinking back, the detail should’ve caught his attention, but Gao Yang had been solely focused on survival back then and had little perspective, and thus he omitted the clue.

It was Officer Liu’s Talent, Seed of Resentment.

Seed of Resentment, serial number 55, Psyche-type.

Officer Liu had used it to make Gray Bear, Lithe Snake, and Gao Yang fight each other.

Gao Yang was already quite mentally resistant then, yet he still easily got manipulated and enraged. Thus, Gao Yang had judged that Officer Liu’s Seed of Resentment was at least level 4, or even level 5.

He hadn’t followed the thought and wondered how Officer Liu reached level 4 with Seed of Resentment. How did he come into contact with the Psyche Rune Circuit?

The Psyche Rune Circuit was found by Gao Yang, Qing Ling, Officer Huang, Wang Zikai, and Fat Jun, and they only got it after entering the Gu Family’s Village as baits.

Not long after that, the Psyche Rune Circuit was traded for the Damage Rune Circuit with the Hundred Rivers Union, and for a long time, the Rune Circuit had been in the Union’s possession.

An unaffiliated awakener should never have the chance to touch the Rune Circuit. How did Officer Liu, as an unaffiliated awakener who later joined the Godbearer Cult, level up his Talent?

The answer was Dust, the spy in the Union. Dust had secretly lent it to Officer Liu to level up his Talent and make him more powerful, allowing him to better conduct his mission.

Who among the Union, outside Surnamed Li, could do that without difficulty?

The answer was Colorless, Goldthread, and Green Tea.

Houseau3's Thoughts

Here comes the reveal of the looooong con

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