The Creatures that We Are

Qing Ling felt a stab of irritation. Gao Yang and Officer Huang had been the ones to come up with plans before, while she was only tasked with fighting. Now, one of them was gone, and the other wasn’t around. The idiots and newbies on her team didn’t even have one tactical head between them.

“Let me think.”

Qing Ling looked at Dr. Jia’s mansion and fell into thought.

Hong Xiaoxiao mustered the courage to argue with Wang Zikai. She had been timid in everything else, but when it came to survival, she was surprisingly stubborn.

“I know you’re strong and brave, Brother Kai, but not us.” Hong Xiaoxiao argued in a quiet voice. “Captain told us before our departure that while Dr. Jia is valuable, he isn’t worth our lives. We are to give up if the risk seems too great…”

“What are you afraid of, Xiao Xiaohong?” Wang Zikai was still confident. “I’ll punch Azure Dragon and kick Six Rime. Are you not even good enough to deal with the rest?”

“Ha, it’ll be fortunate if you can even keep Azure Dragon busy, Kaizi.” Gray Bear lit a cigarette with a smile. “We are doing this, but we need a plan to catch them off guard, or we won’t stand a chance.”

“Don’t worry. I’m the strongest.” Nainai chimed in with a chuuni remark, her moonlit figure facing away from them.

A thought flashed through Qing Ling’s mind suddenly, and she came up with a strategy.

She hadn’t planned on retreating, of course not. This was the first mission Gao Yang entrusted to her after the establishment of the Nine Scions. She was already angry thinking about the placating smile Gao Yang would give her if she returned with nothing.

“Nainai.” Qing Ling turned to the girl.

Nainai shuddered and almost fell from the railing like a bird getting shot.

“What…what?” She turned around with uncertainty, muttering to herself, I only said five words. That’s not a lot, right?

“Come here,” ordered Qing Ling.

Nainai obediently jumped off the railing and went up to Qing Ling with her head lowered, her eyes shifting like a kid who had made a mistake.

Qing Ling turned to the others. “You too. I’ll only explain the plan once. We move out in ten minutes.”

“Are we really doing this, Sister Ling?” Hong Xiaoxiao gaped.

“You’re welcome to quit if you’re so afraid of dying,” Qing Ling said coldly.

“Hong Xiaoxiao.” Gray Bear took a few drags of his cigarette in smooth motions. “We all die in the end. You know the drill.”

Hong Xiaoxiao fell silent. Then she clenched her teeth and made up her mind. “Count me in!”

…

Click. The door to Dr. Jia’s mansion opened inward. Flower Turtle and Veggie went in, each holding a bag.

The thick curtains covered the windows of the living room. There were six other people inside.

Sitting on the single sofa facing the door was Azure Dragon in black leather. Behind him, Six Rime stood with her witch getup.

Black Fish claimed a long sofa on the side, wearing a race suit and an eyepatch on his left eye. Beside him was Forest Crane, with his full mane of brownish-green dreadlocks. The two were chatting among themselves.

A lion lay on its side on the rug at the center of the living room. It was thrice the size of a regular adult lion. Despite the power brimming its body, it seemed to be having a leisurely time licking its large paw.

A tall, lithe young man lay on the lion’s belly, taking a nap. His blond hair was tied into several long braids, and green eyeshadow rimmed his eyes. With a necklace made with animal teeth, he wore a V-neck brown sweater and a pair of khaki pants, barefooted. He looked like either a fashionable hipster or a man growing up in the wild.

He was Old Lion, an Elite of Team Azure Dragon with Talent: Beast King, serial number 64, Summon-type.

Sitting in a dark corner of the living room was a middle-aged man. He had his back against the wall. Placed beside him was a black guitar made of Black Gold.

He was wearing a sleeveless leather jacket and a pair of leather pants, his arms tattooed with strange, insidious-looking symbols. His messy brown hair seemed to have gone unwashed for days, and his beard was equally unkempt. He looked like a brooding and cantankerous mess.

He was Core East, a Member, with Talent: Lion Roar, serial number 92, Buff-type.

Flower Turtle took out a pack of cigarettes from the grocery bag and threw it to Core East. Veggie approached the group with a smile, taking a few bottles of drinks from her bag. “This, this is Elder Azure, Azure, Azure Dragon’s coffee… This is Sister Six, Six, Six Rime’s tea…”

“Would you please keep your mouth shut?” Core East tore the pack of cigarettes open impatiently. “Listening to you talk fucking mess my head up.”

Veggie pursed her lips rather than get angry.

She had a stutter, and there was no end to the discrimination she had faced and would continue to face.

After graduating from high school, she became a cashier at a convenience store and for the first time in her life got pursued by a boy. On their first date, the boy realized that she wasn’t simply quiet, but had a stutter. He immediately excused himself and left her high and dry.

Veggie cried herself to sleep that night and awakened the next day.

Two months later, she got recruited by the Qilin Guild and became a member of Team White Tiger. She had never been happier in her life. Then, Elder White Tiger was killed in action, and she was assigned to Team Azure Dragon.

“If you ever die and get cremated, all that’s left in your ash would be your damn mouth.” Flower Turtle shot back, having had enough.

Core East lit the cigarette in his mouth and flipped him off.

Veggie handed the bottled black tea to Six Rime. Six Rime took it and coolly said, “Thanks.”

Veggie smiled with her lips pursed, blinking.

“Elder Azure Dragon.” Black Fish gulped down some energy drink. “I don’t think the traitors are coming. With you here, they don’t have the guts to approach.”

“Haha, he’s a madman who even dueled the Malediction. Do you really think he lacks guts?” Flower Turtle sat down beside Black Fish, resting his elbow on his shoulder. “Underestimating an enemy will have consequences.”

“The wanderer who hangs around Seven Shadow, Wang Zikai, is terrifying. You must be careful of him.” Forest Crane still shuddered when he thought about the monster. He opened a bottle of water and poured the water on his chest. Large swathes of green shoots sprouted, absorbing the water.

“I’ll face him,” Old Lion said with a smile, still lying on the lion.

“You’ll regret it.” Forest Crane scoffed. “No, you’ll die without the time to regret it.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Six Rime said without emotion.

Azure Dragon stayed silent with his head lowered, deep in thought.

“I say we take Dr. Jia with us as soon as possible,” Black Fish said. “Or things will only be troublesome.”

“But he won’t cooperate.” Black Fish stroked his chin resignedly. “We aren’t the mafia. We can’t just kidnap him, can we?”

Two days ago, Team Azure Dragon visited Dr. Jia in Spice Nation and told him what they were there for. They asked him to return to the Qilin Guild with them for protection.

Dr. Jia rejected them. He had no interest in the clash between Qilin and Seven Shadow, and he refused to go on the grounds that his lab was here, and it would be a great hassle to move.

Azure Dragon promised to build a lab for him in the Walled City of Ten Dragons in Li City, providing him with the necessary human and material resources. He did his best to convince Dr. Jia to go with them.

Dr. Jia did waver, but he was still hesitating, and Azure Dragon had to give him more time.

Of course, he wasn’t simply waiting for Dr. Jia to make a decision. He was also waiting for Seven Shadow to bite the bait. Both he and Qilin believed that Seven Shadow and his group needed Dr. Jia much more than the Qilin Guild.

Black Fish argued openly, “Time’s different. I say it’s worth the risk of offending the man. It’s better for him to be under our protection than to get exploited by Seven Shadow, right? What do you think, Veggie?”

Veggie stood behind Six Rime with a bottle of carbonated water. Getting addressed so suddenly made her nervous. “I, I, I, I think…”

“Quiet,” Six Rime said impassively. “Someone’s coming.”

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