Chapter 7 Wow!_1

"Sorry, not interested, no time, thanks."

At the dock area, Ai Qing coldly rejected the man beside her who, like bubblegum, kept pestering her to treat him to a meal. She herself pushed the wheelchair across the warning line.

The man who tried to follow was stopped by the police guarding the explosion scene, embarrassingly met with failure, and returned empty-handed.

"Wow, what a heart of stone."

Liu Dongli leaned against the wall and clicked his tongue in wonder, "Don't be so heartless all the time, Miss Ai. If you ask me, it wouldn't hurt to keep a backup, right?"

Ai Qing's wheelchair stopped next to him.

The teenage girl looked at him expressionlessly, continuing to do so until he felt a bit uncomfortable and averted his gaze. She then slowly said, "If I have even a slight sense of self-awareness about my own circumstances, I would first understand one thing: No one will genuinely fall in love with a rich woman in a wheelchair."

"Uh…"

Liu Dongli was stunned for a long while, then managed a forced smile, "Don't say that. You are so beautiful and, after all, love is something that defies logic."

"Right, that's why I defy it too."

Ai Qing looked at him, "And I also have money.

I pay you to do your job, and you are currently under a review period by the Astronomical Society, so it would be best not to share your Cowherd's wealth-building stories with your Reviewer."

Liu Dongli helplessly shrugged his shoulders and said no more. He obediently followed behind, doing his not very promising job as a bodyguard and enforcer.

After a night of torrential rain, the scene at the dock had completely changed, and the original clues had been messed up by some people's stupid actions.

The site of the explosion was a warehouse that had collapsed by more than half; it was covered in mud, with seven or eight containers already burned into molten iron. Parts mixed with bloody coal dust were smeared haphazardly on the ground...

"Nicely done."

Ai Qing nodded appreciatively.

"... Is that sarcasm?" Liu Dongli asked.

"No, it's a sincere compliment."

Ai Qing raised her eyebrows, unusually pleased, "Incidents involving Border Relics are often strange and difficult to handle. You never know where any clues might be. If it can't be resolved, it would become a blemish during my assessment period.

Now that someone has stepped forward to take the blame, I don't have to take any responsibility at all. When it's time for the Jurisdiction Bureau to hold people accountable, let those fools who think they're smart take the fall."

"…"

Liu Dongli's twitched at the corner of his eye, unsure what to say. After all, compared to wrestling in the mire of dark, covert struggles, even a Cowherd seemed pure as an Angel.

At that moment, Ai Qing's phone vibrated.

A message.

She glanced at it and froze, as if pondering something.

After a while, she turned off the phone screen.

"What's wrong?" Liu Dongli asked.

"They've discovered several corpses, all social outcasts with a history of drug addiction." Ai Qing's fingers deftly twirled her phone, mocking in wonder, "I don't know how long they were interrogated before dying, tsk, such a terrible way to go."

"Heading to the morgue again?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Dongli sighed resignedly and touched his face: Frequent visits to the morgue are not good for the skin.

"Why would I bother hurting my eyes for no reason?"

Ai Qing turned her wheelchair around, calmly stating, "Now that I've seen the scene here, let's all go home. When they're in over their heads, I'll come out and generously lend a hand."

Liu Dongli was astonished.

"... You already have a clue?"

"Coming here was just a formality. The things that truly require attention, I can understand by simply glancing at the scene and reading the medical examiner's report.

The declared goods in the containers heading to Europe were electronic products, declared by a shell company. Tracing it further would yield nothing but a scapegoat.

You can tell from the scene that it's a gang exploiting Border Relics for profit that's infighting in the warehouse... The specific reason is probably an uneven split of the loot, and what happened afterward is why we took over the case...

All of this can be known by merely skimming the reports; however, what concerns me more is this—"

Ai Qing extended her hand and pinched a small packet of powder from the pocket of her wheelchair.

"What is this?"

Liu Dongli by now had perfectly adapted to his role as the sidekick.

"A hallucinogenic drug found at the scene, a new type of narcotic." Ai Qing said, "The technical department's drug testing results are out. It's mixed with Source Substance, which means..."

"It was made by that box type Border Relic?!"

Liu Dongli felt a chill: If it could cause such adverse effects, then the severity of this incident might escalate even further.

Ai Qing spoke somberly, "If, after a while, I report this information, those old folks who have been tripping me up would have quite a spectacle for an ending, wouldn't they?"

"... Wait!"

Liu Dongli suddenly felt a cold sensation at the back of his head, "You're just going to tell me this, aren't you afraid I'll spill it? You're not going to silence me, are you?"

"I'm telling you because I want you to spread the word."

Ai Qing casually swung the little bag on her fingertip and said lightly, "Don't you always pride yourself on your communication skills? Go tell them: Their lives are in my hands. If they want to continue living happily as parasites, they'd better come crawling to me for mercy..."

Damn!

Liu DongLi couldn't help but want to slap himself twice, why did his mouth itch to ask so many questions? No, why did his mouth itch to gawk at her misfortune just now?

Now, look at the result, he had been put into the bureau within ten minutes.

This woman's thirst for revenge was a bit too strong, wasn't it?

After a long period of shock and regret, Liu DongLi sharply identified the most significant issue, "But even if they're willing to bow their heads, you need to have a sure way to resolve the incident, right?"

"Who says I don't?"

Ai Qing turned her head around, and although she wasn't smiling, her eyes were full of mockery, "But do you really want to know?"

Sorry, I don't want to know at all!

Liu DongLi's expression twitched, extinguishing his last bit of probing curiosity: This woman, she's just too much…

.

.

"I want to know!"

At Huai Shi's house, facing the Raven's question, the boy nodded and answered without hesitation.

Do you yearn for a soul?

To this sudden question and a scene that seemed like a devil's temptation, most people would probably hesitate for a moment, but he didn't even pause.

Having faced bizarre incidents for days and understanding his current circumstances, he had grown bolder: Anyway, if he couldn't overcome this, he was doomed, so what was there to fear?

Although he didn't quite understand what a soul actually was, it didn't stop Huai Shi from yearning for one. Not only that, but he also yearned for money, power, and "NAI Zi"... However, come to think of it, shouldn't everyone have a soul?

Raven responded with a question, "Everyone in fairy tales also has a happy ending, do you really believe that?"

The lack of a desired struggling scene made her somewhat unhappy, and even her explanations lost their enthusiasm, "The existence of a soul defines the boundary between ordinary people and Sublimators.

In this era, there exists a creation known as the 'Sea of ​​Silver'; no, it should be referred to as a naturally occurring colossal Origin Spring, also called the miracle akin to perpetual motion machines, one of the sources that built this vast world.

And at its very core is the Sea of ​​Silver formed by the collective projection of all human Source Substance. It's said to be so vast it's unimaginable, with all existing human intellect being mere branches derived from it.

And, to embark upon the path of Sublimation, to have one's Iron Stone nature traverse through the Sea of ​​Silver and sublimate into the Golden Soul—that is the original goal of Alchemy.

Only in this way can one possess a soul and be rightfully called a 'Sublimator.'

Otherwise, one's awareness and consciousness can only rely on the flickering sparks within the neural synapses of the brain, ill-equipped to deal with the darkness and turmoil beyond the Current Circumstances…"

"You keep mentioning the Current Circumstances and the Border, is there another world?" Huai Shi interjected.

"In a sense, yes, and not just one, but thousands upon thousands..." Raven laughed strangely, "But that's not something you need to worry about now. You should first consider how to awaken your soul."

"…" Huai Shi could only listen attentively.

"Currently, the Astronomical Society is responsible for guarding the Sea of ​​Silver. Based on the sedimentation speed of human Source Substance for the entire population, there are about three to four hundred places each year. But you can't count on getting in, they'll be partitioned by the various divisions of the Jurisdiction Bureau before they leave, and places are reserved ten years in advance... In reality, most Sublimators don't rely on the Astronomical Society's special permission but instead awaken on their own, like stowaways. That's the path you'll have to take."

Huai Shi swallowed and nodded earnestly, "Then what?"

"For others, this process is naturally tremendously difficult, more dangerous than a modern person leaving the city to survive in the wilderness. Like setting off in a rocket with scant reserves, you must break free from the gravitational pull of the Sea of Silver and face various unexpected challenges and hurdles—no one knows what awaits them.

To succeed, one needs both strength and luck, and even possessing both isn't a guarantee of full safety.

One needs abundant Source Substance, a strong stimulus, the right opportunity, and a bit of luck... Often it's like winning the lottery, difficult to replicate, but given the huge population base, there's always one or two who succeed."

"And those who fail?" Huai Shi asked.

Raven seemed to smile, but she didn't speak, and Huai Shi felt a chill in his heart.

"But don't worry, you don't need to concern yourself with that issue."

She lifted her wings, patted Huai Shi on the shoulder, "You have a unique advantage, boy, with the Book of Fate in hand, it's as if the road to heaven is at your feet.

Others are like Icarus, but you're climbing a ladder, steady and secure!"

"Then... what exactly shall I do?"

"It's simple," Raven said, "You just need to kill people."

"If you do it yourself, the records in the Book of Fate will certainly be more specific, right? Not only that, kill one, and you'll gain a person's skills, kill ten, and you'll become an undeniable talent. With it, the more people you kill, Huai Shi, the more powerful you will become."

She whispered in the boy's ear, "Haven't there been so many who looked down on you? You must hate them to death, right? Not just your classmates and teachers, but also your parents who abandoned you... This world hasn't treated you well, why should you be merciful to it?"

Huai Shi was stunned.

Ah, frightened now, aren't you?

For a moment, Raven felt pleased, but when Huai Shi looked up, she sensed a flicker of… surprise in his eyes?

"Really?" Huai Shi was somewhat incredulous, "I just need to kill people?"

"…"

"Then let's start with Li WuYang,"

Huai Shi stated, counting on his fingers, "Who told him to always show off his good father and uncle, rich but heartless, deserving of death! And that woman who flirts with him, the two of them might well be together already... The English teacher is third, always mocking me in class... Right, and that fat guy who thought I stole his money, his brother is no good either, always fighting at school, I'm ridding society of pests, right? Old Yang, that nasty agent, too, I work so hard, and he just talks and takes a twenty percent cut..."

As he spoke, Huai Shi lifted his head, his expression blank as he looked at her:

"—They all should die because they have offended me, right?"