The Creatures that We Are

Meeting room for management, Ocean River Union, twenty minutes later.

Present were Qilin, Surnamed Li, Qin You, Colorless, and One Stone.

Qilin, taking the main seat, clasped his hands over his abdomen, the picture of calm. Surnamed Li sat in her wheelchair. The other three Elders took their places.

"Before we begin," Qilin said evenly, "I'll address the false accusations in the challenge. Yan Liang is indeed a pride monster, known as Sir Jiang."

He paused, observing the room. "But he's a lightbringer, always on humanity's side. I kept his identity secret precisely to prevent the Nine Scions from using it to sow discord."

Surnamed Li and Qin You seemed unfazed, while Colorless and One Stone wore conflicted expressions.

Qilin sighed softly. The Miracle Rune Circuit materialized in his hands, drawing all eyes.

"Yan Liang, not I, discovered this. He chose humanity, handing it to me. That's how I led us into the age of Rune Circuits."

"Had he wanted to wipe out humans, he could've simply withheld this. Without it, awakeners' Talents would've stagnated at level 3, no match for pride monsters."

Surnamed Li and Qin You nodded slightly. Colorless and One Stone's brows relaxed. The logic was sound.

Qilin continued, "I'll show you the Gates of Closure later—a replica, conjured by illusion. The real access must remain secret."

"This is my gesture of goodwill. If you still doubt me, you needn't join the fight. You may even leave the Ocean River Union. The bottom line is you must not join the Nine Scions.”

"I believe you, Guildmaster," Colorless said coolly.

"I believe you and Elder Yan Liang too," One Stone added quickly. After a pause, she asked, "About Elder Vermilion Bird..."

"Also false," Qilin cut in smoothly. "If I'd wanted to kill her, why leave her alive for the Nine Scions to rescue? Another inconsistency."

One Stone lowered her eyes, thoughtful.

"I can't reveal more about Vermilion Bird now, but you'll understand later."

"Yes, Guildmaster." One Stone didn't press.

"As for the attack on the Twelve Zodiac Signs, that's true." Qilin glanced at Qin You. "Explain why."

"Yes, Guildmaster." Qin You stood, addressing the room. "Consider this: The Zodiac Signs claimed neutrality, but they've been in league with the Nine Scions. How else did the Scions level up their new Talents past level 4?"

"Take Nine Frost's Telepathy. How did he advance with the Psyche Rune Circuit from the Zodiacs? Where did they get their medicines and equipment? They couldn't produce those alone."

"The Zodiacs' Songstress owned a flower shop—their main contact point. I've found concrete evidence supporting this."

Qin You glanced at Qilin for permission, then revealed, "My fourth Talent is Mindreading. I discovered Liu Qingying was a spy from the Zodiacs. If Guildmaster Qilin and Deputy Guildmaster Li hadn't staged a counterattack, this base would've been bombed. We wouldn't be alive for this meeting."

"The Nine Scions and Zodiacs overreached, then accused us despite being the aggressors. They want to sow discord. We can't fall for their tricks!"

Qin You sat, rewarded with Qilin's approving look.

"The last accusation concerns me," Surnamed Li said softly, her tone bleak. "I'll stop hiding the truth."

"Some of you know already. Yes, I used Chen Ying, but I never foresaw the others dying. I never wanted to sacrifice them."

"That was their choice, Madam Li!" Qin You exclaimed. "Chen Ying asked me to join her. I refused, so I survived. Right or wrong, we must live with our decisions. There's no one else to blame."

Surnamed Li spoke openly, "I've had one goal: kill Gao Yang. I dreamed he became the Malediction and wiped out humanity. I'll pay any price to change that future."

"I won't defend myself. After the Malediction is eliminated, I'll accept your judgment."

A short silence fell over the room.

Qilin broke it, "You may choose to stay or leave."

"I'll stay!" Qin You swore allegiance first. "I've always believed Guildmaster Qilin and Deputy Guildmaster Li are the only ones who can lead humanity to a bright future!"

After a pause, Colorless stated firmly, "I will fight to the last moment of my life." For myself and my friends, not you conspirators, she kept to herself.

"I'll stay too," One Stone said sadly. "I've always wanted a peaceful resolution. I know that's naive. So I'll save as many as possible, enemies or allies."

"It's my greatest honor to fight alongside you," Qilin said, tapping his cane. "Now, let the meeting commence officially."

They quickly shifted gears to their usual format.

"The Nine Scions and Zodiacs must be prepared to issue this challenge," Qilin observed. "I'd like to hear your thoughts."

Qin You spoke first, "We should fight."

Colorless frowned. "Why?"

Qin You spoke confidently, "We've been out in the open while they lurked in the shadows, weakening us with underhanded tactics. That put us at a disadvantage. Now that they've shown themselves, we can strike at all of them at once."

"How do you know they're not setting another trap?" Colorless challenged.

Qin You paused, then smiled. "Given the Nine Scions' history, nothing's certain. But choosing Qingyang Bridge as the battlefield makes this less likely to be a scheme."

"True," One Stone agreed. "The desert ruins in Ni Nation were perfect for ambushes and total war. Qingyang Bridge is different. It's open—water, land, and air accessible to all. An effective ambush would be impossible unless they have a weapon that can instantly destroy a five-kilometer radius."

"If they had such a weapon, they'd have used it already," Qin You pointed out. "The challenge would be pointless."

One Stone considered further. "Even that wouldn't work. Madam Li can predict danger. We'd escape with her warning. They could never use such a weapon against us."

"Exactly," Qin You nodded, his perspective clearer. "It's Deputy Guildmaster Li's ability that forces them into an open challenge. As long as we're here, they can't ambush us. But we can't flush them out of hiding either."

"It's a stalemate," he continued. "The longer it drags on, the worse for them. We have numbers, and our Talents will only grow. That's why they're pushing for this final battle."

Colorless smiled. "Then wouldn't it be better not to accept the challenge? They're the ones in a hurry, after all."

Houseau3's Thoughts

It really is infuriating whenever Qilin just straight up lies...

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