Translated by: TaffyGirl13
Chapter 5: Running into annoying friends and relatives during a trip is an extreme downer
For their next stop, they flew straight to eastern America: New York.
In the evening, they met up with Leon at their hotel in Manhattan.
“There are three sign-in locations here. We can reach them by subway.” Leon flipped open the booklet.
“West. The golden calf on the street of secluded wealth. This is obviously referring to the bull in Brooklyn Park on Wall Street.
“West. Empire’s pillar. Swiftly created Babel Tower. This is the Empire State Building. The 102-story skyscraper was built in only 410 days, and was once the world’s tallest tower. It is also Manhattan’s landmark.
“West. The capital’s rear garden, center of the center, the healing spring. Central Park, the sign-in location is in the middle, at Bethesda Fountain.”
Speechless, the others merely stared at Leon for a moment.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s the first time we’ve heard you speak so much, so it’s a bit surprising.” Momiji clicked her tongue in wonder. “You already looked into all that? Thank you for your hard work.”
“Just killing time…” Leon asserted as he put the booklet away.
“Leon, do you…want to come with us then?” Fu Xing carefully asked, terrified that Leon had already finished signing and would not be willing to travel with them.
“I haven’t received the stamps yet.”
“Oh, huh?” Fu Xing was pleasantly surprised, yet also slightly confused.
Leon furrowed his brows in annoyance as he muttered quietly, “Since we’re a group, we should move together…” Then he turned to lead the way.
Fu Xing was stunned for a beat, but he soon grinned.
If this were the Leon from two years ago who always did things alone, he would never say such words.
Despite looking the same as usual, with that identical coldness and eternal scowl, Fu Xing could sense that the deeper parts of Leon beneath the surface had changed a lot.
He liked this change.
He liked Leon this way.
Entirely different from during the day when it was full of life, Central Park was filled with primal chaos at night. The park dyed with shadows was not quiet and still, but rather was enshrouded by an air of unease, as danger and crime began to stir where they hid in the darkness.
“Tourists?”
A crowd of men with ferocious appearances and malicious smirks surrounded Fu Xing’s group soon after they entered the depths of the park.
“The park is very dangerous at night, hehe. Hand over your money—”
His words were cut off. The next second, the upright figure swayed and collapsed onto the ground.
The other men stared at their fallen comrade, then looked around in alarm. Leon lifted a bloodstained hand and gave it a lick. He then wrinkled his brow and clicked his tongue, seemingly very dissatisfied by the taste.
“The park is very dangerous at night…” Leon warned in a low voice.
The remaining gangsters immediately pulled out weapons. But before they could attack, Dan Juan struck their pressure points with his spider silk, and they fell unconscious.
Noticing the unfavourable situation, the largest gangster standing in the furthest corner swept his gaze around for a second and locked his eyes on the weakest-looking person: Fu Xing. Immediately, he withdrew a gun and charged towards Fu Xing.
Fu Xing smoothly dodged and stuck out his leg to trip the opponent. Before the opponent could stand back up, Fu Xing pulled out his stainless steel water bottle from the side pocket of his backpack and swung it down at the back of the man’s head.
Clang—
The sound lingered with a muffled echo.
“Not bad,” Emerald clapped. “You’ve improved.”
“Please, I’ve had two years to learn the basics.” Fu Xing walked over to a gangster that Leon had mowed down. He lowered his head to inspect the body and was met with the sight of the man’s clothes soaked in blood.
He lifted his head to look at Leon. “…You killed him?”
“It’s just a flesh wound, he won’t die.” Leon licked his fingertips, but decided to give up on the action and flicked off the blood from his hands instead. “Drug addict. What a horrible taste.”
Relieved, Fu Xing sincerely expressed his gratitude to Leon.
To special animate beings and certain humans, killing the other party was actually the reasonable and proper response in that situation. Despite having been in this world for two years now, Fu Xing still could not get used to such scenes of slaughter.
The group proceeded to the Bethesda Fountain in the middle of the park. In the darkness, the babble of the flowing fountain was clear and crisp. Wild ducks were asleep in the lake next to the fountain, creating an auspicious and peaceful image. There were four statues by the fountain that represented “health”, “purity”, “temperance”, and “peace”.
The guard on duty was a darkblood. The slightly sickly-looking beautiful female had long dark-brown curls, pale skin, and vermillion lips – all classic features of a darkblood.
“Oh, good evening, Master Sagveiss.” The instant the female spotted Leon, she immediately curtsied in greeting. “I am deeply honoured by your arrival.”
“Good evening, Sylvia.”
Master Sagveiss? Fu Xing glanced at Leon.
While he knew that Leon’s clan held a high status among darkbloods, he hadn’t expected it to be to the point of others addressing him as “Master”.
“Eastern America and Europe are the critical areas. To be frank, I am slightly surprised to see you only appearing now.” Sylvia smiled thinly.
“I have my own plans.”
“Are they your plans, or the plans of your ‘companions’?” Sylvia’s eyes swept over to the comrades by Leon’s side, her gaze lingering on Fu Xing for a while before shifting back to Leon.
In that split second, Fu Xing sensed hostility.
“The companions you have chosen are extremely ‘special’. Excessively special, which is unlike the past you…” Sylvia lowered her head and muttered, “That is not what we wish to see…”
Leon ignored Sylvia’s words and directly cut to the point. “What is the requirement to pass this place?”
Sylvia reverted to her professional, polite smile from before. “Bethesda Fountain’s name originates from a story in the Bible. There was a fountain located in Jerusalem that had its water gain healing abilities due to the descent of an angel. Hence, this place will be testing everyone’s healing techniques.”
“Testing how?” Momiji smiled as she inquired, “We fight each other and then heal the injured party?”
“I wish that was the case, however the regulations are regrettably not so.” Sylvia snapped her fingers. An invisible force flew past, causing the objects suspended in mid-air to be dragged across the ground.
Six heavy bodies fell down. Upon closer look, it was six people lying unconscious – Fu Xing recognised the bodies as the gangsters that had just attacked them.
“Tch, only one is injured?” Sylvia drew the sword hanging at her waist and stabbed each body. Crimson blood immediately gushed outwards.
“Oi! You—”
“Alright. Now,” Sylvia sheathed her sword and smiled. “Heal them.”
“The attack earlier was arranged by you?”
“Indeed.”
Everyone’s expressions darkened. Even though none of them had been injured, they felt the displeasure of having been pranked.
“If you don’t hurry up, you will be unable to ‘heal’ them~” As though oblivious to their indignance, Sylvia continued with a smile, “And you’ll be left with disposing of the corpses.”
“Leave it to me.” Zhu Yue stepped forward and crouched down to inspect the casualties. After a while, she summoned a water sphere, held it over the wounds, and activated the spell. The injuries healed within an extremely short period of time.
Sylvia applauded. “Brilliant. As expected of someone from the jiao clan that specialises in healing techniques.”
“Now what do we do, let them go?” Dan Juan huffed in annoyance, “Don’t tell me you’ll ask us to service them by bring them home.”
“How could that be.” Sylvia laughed, “That would be too much of a waste.”
Waste? Fu Xing asked, “What do you mean?”
“These guys attacked me on my first day here. Since they are so fond of group activities, might as well have them repeatedly act as tools for the signees to practice on. It’s been quite fortunate, only two have died so far.”
Their faces stiffened upon hearing Sylvia’s words.
“Sounds environmentally friendly,” Emerald sneered. “What do you mean by repeatedly act?”
“I manipulate their memories so that they forget their encounters each night. Waste must be reused, after all.”
In other words, since the first day of the school trip, they’ve been constantly getting injured and healed?
“Sounds a bit cruel…” Fu Xing quietly stated. “Doing things like that isn’t very good; they’ve already been taught a lesson, so you should stop…”
Sylvia’s attention shifted to Fu Xing. She raised her head, her lips curling upwards into an evil smirk filled with contempt. “In that case, would you volunteer to be the testing tool for this base? Would you willingly offer yourself to be injured again and again for others to heal?”
“Um, that’s…” Fu Xing was at a loss for words.
“Besides, these fellows were originally criminals even among humans. Before encountering us, or if they had never encountered us, they would undoubtedly bring disaster and harm to innocent people. Is there a need to feel sympathy towards such people? To their previous victims, our actions are proper justice.”
“But…no one truly wishes to become a bad person. Detestable people will always have pitiful points, and there is a chance they could change for the better in the future.” Fu Xing paused for a second. “Plus, I don’t think anyone is qualified to pass judgment on others…”
He thought back to his readings from religion class.
…Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.
Those were Jesus’ words when a woman that had committed adultery had been charged to be stoned to death.
“So we must passively allow ourselves to be trampled upon? A hypocrite’s cowardice will only bring about disaster and self-destruction.” Sylvia focused on Fu Xing, her eyes flashing with a cruel chilliness. “Should I put an end to the root of calamity before the disaster spreads…”
Leon smoothly stepped forward to stand defensively in front of Fu Xing.
“Take note of your status,” Leon quietly commanded in a cold tone.
Sylvia shifted her gaze to Leon and released a long sigh. “Master, you have changed.” She curbed her oppressiveness. “Seeing the rumoured Darkclaw is somewhat disappointing…”
“I have no ties to your expectations,” Leon apathetically replied.
Sylvia quietly huffed as she faced Leon. “Others had stated that the reason for Darkclaw’s change was the influence of his companions. It appears that I have found the source that has lured you to fall from grace…”
Leon frostily glared at Sylvia. “You do not have the qualifications to interfere with my personal matters.”
Unconcerned, Syvlia smiled thinly and snapped her fingers, returning the healed humans to their starting position. “Countess Kirst’s blood descendants have returned to their homeland and consolidated no small amount of prestige in eastern Europe to re-establish power and influence. It is such a critical time, yet Countess Lee’s deeds are being considered as a model of glory by extreme rightists.”
“It has nothing to do with me.”
“The upper house may not think the same way. The elders strongly desire you to take command of the clans once more. After all, the Sagveiss family is the true, natural head of the darkblood leaders.” Sylvia took a step back to respectfully bid farewell. “As you are in an eastbound group, your next stop should be in Europe. Since Europe is a red-marked battlefield, I hope you are able to capture kills there. I wish you a pleasant journey.”
Leon ignored Sylvia and simply turned away. With his companions following behind, they left without a backwards glance.
“I hope you return to the proper path soon.” Sylvia watched Leon’s fading figure as she softly muttered, “If you obstinately persist in going the wrong direction, the upper house will assist you back to the right way…”
Once they left the unpleasant Central Park base, they took the subway to swiftly advance to the other two bases, completing the sign-ins and receiving stamps.
Fortunately, the other two obstacles were fairly agreeable: retrieving the stamp from a fire elf’s ward for one, and breaking through a sea spirit’s magic array for the other. Flamefox Momiji and Summoner Zi Ye easily handled these tests to complete the tasks.
Earning three stamps in one go was a huge boost in morale, and everyone forgot about the displeasure from the first base as they happily planned their next activities and travel course.
Only Leon remained silent the entire time, quietly staying at the very back of the group. It was as though he had entirely removed himself from them, closing himself off in a tiny space on his own.
Since the meeting with Sylvia, Leon remained stony-faced in a way that was reminiscent of when he had first entered Shalom. He did not utter a word throughout the journey, and stayed in the room alone upon returning to the hotel rather than moving together with the others.
Fu Xing was extremely worried to see Leon like this. “Are you okay?”
“Mn…”
Leon sat by the window to read his book, appearing deeply immersed in the book’s realm.
However, Fu Xing knew Leon was merely using reading as a means to conceal inner turmoil, as well as an excuse to avoid interaction.
“You have changed.” At Central Park, Sylvia had said these words. “Disappointing.”
Fu Xing thought back to the events at the park.
Was I the one that caused Leon to change? Is that kind of change bad? Isn’t it a good thing that the cold, detached, and sinisterly ruthless Leon from before is now easy to get along with?
Or is it like changing a bloodthirsty shark into an herbivore, pushing it towards a path of self-destruction?
Fu Xing shuddered.
If only there weren’t so many oppositions and disputes. I never knew that following one’s own desires to be oneself was actually so difficult…
They left eastern America to head to their next stop: the capital of Great Britain.
West. Eye of London. The concisely written hint in the guidebook was plainly obvious.
After their flight landed in Heathrow Airport, they headed straight to the Thames River. The massive ferris wheel called London’s Eye glittered in the night like a ring of light suspended in the air.
They took the ferris wheel up and obtained stamps from a smiling dwarf, completing their sign-in. It was unfathomably easy.
“That’s it?” Fu Xing stared disbelievingly at the stamp in his booklet. “Just directly getting the stamp without needing to find the stamp, break through a ward, or fight?”
The dwarf chuckled and nodded. “Just coming here counts as a test.”
London’s Eye isn’t a particularly remote place, is it? Fu Xing did not understand, but had no interest in asking further. Either way, a simple task was what everyone wanted.
London’s sign-in locations were very concentrated; famous landmarks such as the Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the British Museum all had bases set up, and their hints were not difficult either.
The most bizarre part was that the defenders were extremely friendly and allowed them to sign-in and receive stamps quite easily. The group swiftly accumulated multiple stamps.
“Why is it so easy?” Fu Xing flipped through the booklet, a sense of achievement filling him as he saw that it was full of stamps. “Is this really okay? Was there some type of secret mission that we missed?” RPGs often pull such tricks!
“Would there be?” Rocort ate ice cream while going through his own booklet. “Even if there is a secret mission, we should continue ignoring it. That’s how you truly honour a secret mission. It’s like if you saw someone with a wig, you have to pretend it’s their real hair rather than pulling it off.”
“What kind of analogy is that?” Fu Xing peered at the booklet. “It’s really weird…”
His travel companions exchanged meaningful looks with one other.
“What do you want to eat for dinner?” Dan Juan changed the topic. “Chinese cuisine in Chinatown, or Indian food?”
“Huh? Coming all the way to Englamd to eat Chinese food? Why not try some local English food?”
“English food is really disgusting.” Brad fake-gagged as he said, “If you want to eat it, go by yourself, I’m not joining you.”
“Really?” Fu Xing blankly asked.
“Want to try a taste?” Zi Ye commented darkly, as though asking, “Want to try dying?”
Zhu Yue added, “England’s Chinese and Indian cuisine are the true way to go; they’re very delicious. Local residents and tourists all know that.”
“Is that so…” Fu Xing blankly let his attention shift, forgetting about how illogical the event was.
They energetically headed to a restaurant of Emerald’s recommendation. The food was indeed tasty, and most importantly, it was very cheap.
The moon was suspended high in the night sky as they walked back to their hotel. As Rocort gazed up at the slender, bright moon, his usual carefree expression was replaced by a solemn one. He looked off towards the north, seemingly drawn by a call.
It’s been a long time.
I’ll be there soon…
The next morning, Rocort’s bed was empty. His travel companions searched everywhere but did not find any trace of him. All they found was a napkin supplied by the hotel on the coffee table with text written on it that said:
I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving first! Don’t miss me, and buy me some presents. See you later!
“What is that guy up to?” Fu Xing called Rocort’s cellphone. Despite the device being on, no one picked up. “Damn it! When did he learn how to pull this kind of move?”
“Everyone has their own private matters…” Zi Ye emphasized. “Maybe something that we could never imagine.”
Since their first encounter, Zi Ye had always felt that Rocort was not as simple as how he appeared.
Despite being only a mid-level fairy, Rocort carried another creature’s aura on him. It was a very complicated aura that possessed the heaviness of the netherworld, yet also the sacredness of higher spirits.
“Do you mean things like secretly taking part in an eating contest? What’s there to hide about that?” Fu Xing unhappily grumbled, “How could he leave without explaining…”
Rocort’s leaving without warning made him feel a bit hurt.
“Even friends are not necessarily entirely honest. Everyone has a side they do not wish for others to know of and possesses their own little secret.” Zi Ye peered at Fu Xing with scrutiny.
Fu Xing couldn’t help but shift his eyes away.
Indeed, that’s true.
He personally carried a ton of secrets…secrets that he was afraid of his companions knowing about. For example, the abnormalities of his body. Or for example, his identity as a hybrid.
“Maybe it isn’t anything big, and Rocort just decided to get moving without much thought.” Emerald calmly commented, “He’s always been hard to understand since he uses his stomach to think rather than his head.”
“Don’t worry, he’s an adult and can take care of himself.” Zhu Yue placated, “I doubt he’ll take too long. If there really is an issue, he’ll contact us first.”
His friends’ assurances soothed Fu Xing’s emotions somewhat, but he was still slightly gloomy.
Everyone has a side they do not wish for others to know of and possesses their own little secret.
This school trip had uncovered quite a few people’s hidden secrets. At the same time, their relationships had seemingly become closer as a result, their fetters with each other getting stronger.
This made Fu Xing uneasy.
As someone that held onto the most secrets, he felt a guilty sense of betrayal as he watched his comrades be so open.
Who will be the next one?
He was not yet prepared for his friends to find out his secrets…
Before dawn, a tall figure left the hotel in the Soho area and boarded a plane to arrive in Ireland’s Dublin Airport in the early morning. This was followed by a train ride to Wicklow.
He got off the train and took in a deep breath of the fresh, dewy air. Then, with a low mutter, he quietly summoned the wind element beneath his feet. While stepping on the current, he seemed almost like he had grown wings as he swiftly flew to Glendalough – paradise on earth.
Glendalough was still undeveloped, leaving the entire mountain and its forests perfectly preserved. It was verdant everywhere, with a beautiful lake on the mountain landscape. Despite being natural, it had an exquisite richness that was hard to put in words.
He came to a stop at a mirror-like lake. For a while, he remained standing there as the only one in that vast space between heaven and earth. Then, under the silent watch of the mountain, he slowly walked to the lakeside.
The tall figure walked onto the lake, stepping atop the level surface until he arrived at its centre.
He closed his eyes and muttered an incantation composed of ancient elven language. A moment later, the surface of the lake began to fluctuate as bright white light floated upwards. Afterwards, a pillar of water slowly rose from the glow.
The pillar gradually melted to reveal a crystalline object that looked like an ice sculpture. The transparent crystal contained a slim silhouette within.
A woman with long silver hair and snow-white skin lay in deep sleep there.
That elegant and pure face was the one that Rocort had previously transformed into; at the beginning of their first year, he had taken on this female appearance.
Rocort closed his eyes and placed one hand on the crystal. A faint glow lit up from the palm, and the beams of light wormed through the crystal like silk, connecting to the woman’s palms.
A while later, the woman’s eyelids trembled faintly, then opened.
“Rocort…”
“Long time no see,” Rocort smiled. “Your Majesty, the Queen.”
The woman continued to smile as she reached out to press her palm against the crystal where Rocort’s palm rested. “Just call me Eve.”
“Sorry, I borrowed your appearance a few times.” Rocort chuckled, “And it just so happened that I wasn’t wearing clothes, haha.”
“It’s fine.” Eve lowered her head. “I should be the one apologising for using your body to hold my soul this entire time…”
“It doesn’t matter, I even have one more empty space to store another!” Rocort beamed brightly. “Besides, it’s thanks to you that I was able to come up to the surface and play. The netherworld is seriously so boring, and everything tastes super nasty there!”
“Do you like humans?”
“I do! They invented so many tasty things! The surface is really so amazing!”
“Have you been happy at Shalom?”
“Of course! When you first wanted me to go to school, I thought it would be torture. I didn’t think it’d be so fun. I like Fu Xing, Emerald, and Samukawa, Leon, Brad, Zhu Yue, Momiji, and so much more…” He unending torrent of words paused for a moment. “I like everyone in Shalom! …Actually no, I should say that I like everything on the surface, whether it’s special animate beings or humans.”
“That’s great…” As she spoke, Eve suddenly furrowed her brows in pain.
“Are you alright?” Rocort pressed his face against the crystal surface and asked in concern, “You haven’t recovered yet?”
“I have a bit more to go.” Supporting Shalom’s entire spatial rift that year had consumed too much of her power, forcing her to enter a state of deep sleep to recuperate.
Eve raised her head. “Quietly guard those around you, especially He Fu Xing.”
“Mn, I know. Fu Xing is great; everyone likes him and will protect him too.”
“The space and wards that I created have begun to weaken. The opportunity for a new revolution will arrive soon, and the effect of irregularities will start stirring as well.”
Will this irregularity bring about a new improved form of the world, or will it be enough to completely bring about destruction once more?
Rocort stared at Eve. “I don’t like change…can things not stay the way they are now?”
Eve smiled bitterly.
“It is time, I must return. I apologise for having to continue using you for a while…” Her clear gaze began to fade away. Before closing her eyes, she tilted her head back to look at the sky. “The disturbances from the total solar eclipse seem to have formed cracks in the wards…”
“What will happen?”
Even opened her mouth, but fell into slumber before the words could form. The silver strands flowed out from her palm, passing through the crystal and returned into Rocort’s hands.
…You must be careful…
The final war of revolution is about to begin.
In the evening, Fu Xing’s group were on their way to fly to France. At the same time, across the ocean southeast of England, in the country located in the Mediterranean Sea, the city of water: Venice, Italy.
Deep in an alley by an aqueduct, at the corner of a street in a remote part of downtown, an intense fight to the death was currently unfolding.
Weapons crossed as non-human claws and supernatural abilities rose and fell.
Seven Sanctification Court members in white military uniforms were fighting against four special animate beings—
That were students of Shalom.
There were three white-clothed people collapsed on the ground, but a partially transformed jingguai with its non-human ears showing was heavily injured, and their movements began to slow.
Originally, the humans had been at a disadvantage. However, in the middle of the fight, cursed souls had arrived as support, and the tides of the battle had begun to turn. The cursed souls’ attacks were monotonous, but they carried curses of death that prevented the students from acting recklessly. It did not take long before their offence turned to defence.
In addition to the White Triangle’s support forces, the cursed souls began to move even faster in the narrow alley where it was difficult to dodge, quickly pressuring the Shalom students into a dead end.
Seeing that the special animate beings were on the brink of defeat, the students gritted their teeth and glared without any fear of death in an attempt to bring about an end in mutual destruction…
Suddenly, the cursed souls stopped.
The next second, a dark mouth opened wide to emit a soundless scream. Black blood gushed out like a fountain, and immediately after, one of the figures crumbled like a sand sculpture and disintegrated into dust.
Both parties were simultaneously stunned by this change of events.
“Good evening.” A black-haired youth in similarly white clothing descended from the sky like a god. He surveyed the people present and lightly clicked his tongue. “Not here.”
Ah, another miss. Where in the world did Fu Xing run off to?
The third party’s sudden arrival left both sides at a loss as they tried to guess if this was an ally or foe.
The other cursed soul sensed its companion perish and immediately launched an attack towards the force that had eliminated it. The hand wrapped in bandages brandished its black nails at the youth.
“Filth.” The youth snorted in contempt. “These are new clothes.” He turned to avoid the attack, then snapped his fingers at the cursed soul.
Immediately, the cursed soul let out a strangled cry and fell to the same end.
Seeing their fatal weapons being instantly destroyed, the Sanctification Court members recognised the new person as an enemy and swiftly launched their attack, firing silver bullets at the youth.
However, the bullets came to a sudden halt in midair about thirty centimetres away, then fell to the ground as though blocked by an invisible wall.
The youth coldly glanced at them. “What trash. By what law do you think you can carry out justice?”
The seven white-clothed people fell to the ground at the same time, blood staining their white uniforms.
The youth fixed his clothes and shot a look at the people on the ground as he sneered, “I am the only proxy of axioms and righteousness.”
“Who…are you?” The Shalom students fearfully evaluated the third party.
This person did not appear to be an enemy, and he had saved them. However, that formidable power and beyond threatening existence made them unable to consider him as an ally.
The youth chuckled. “I technically count as a schoolmate.”
After all, he had stayed in Shalom for a very long time, even if it was a process of suffering and humiliation.
“Your courage is laudable for challenging White Triangle, but you are too weak.”
The youth waved his hand at the four to erase their memories of him. The absent-minded expressions on their faces were identical to the blank look that Fu Xing sported when dazed.
“Keep working hard until the new age arrives.”
~Taffy Translations~ 
Is that youny?
Thanks for the translations🍀
I’m having fun googling all the places mention in the last few chapter😄
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