Chapter 26

"Don't be nervous; it's not a big deal. You can put down your guard now. I'll help you deal with the remaining mess."

Randy stepped back and extended his hands to show he meant no harm.

The little girl still stood on high ground, her expression fluctuating between hope and anxiety.

"You're from the school on the other side of the forest, aren't you? If this stalemate continues, when the teacher finds out you're missing, they'll definitely come looking. At that point, I won't be able to help you."

Earlier, Randy had climbed up from the cliff, and the school on the other side of the forest was an elite school. From the girl's attire and the gem necklace around her neck, it was clear she came from a wealthy background.

Such schools are likely to start searching quickly.

"Come down."

Randy took another step back.

The little girl was finally persuaded and revealed the object she had been hiding behind her back—a sharp stone, in addition to the gold medal.

She cautiously descended, but she didn't discard the stone, maintaining her vigilance. She asked loudly, "Who are you?"

Randy smiled and remained silent, turning away to leave.

Time was limited; he needed to deal with the boy's body as quickly as possible.

At the body's side, Randy observed closely.

The boy's head had been smashed against a sharp rock, and his body had several fractures, with blood scattered everywhere.

Since this was a rocky area, it was relatively easy to handle. Just throw the body into the sea to feed the lotus plants, discard the blood-stained rocks into the sea as well, and then cover the scene with other stones.

Finally, find a suitable scapegoat.

Of course, the most important thing was to coordinate a false testimony with the little girl.

Randy noticed the stone path at the cliff's edge. The little girl was still holding the stone high and peering over. She seemed worried that Randy might ambush her in a corner.

"Don't worry. If I wanted to deal with you, I would have done it already."

Randy explained, noting that the little girl appeared cautious and intense, but also had her own demeanor.

"Do you want to see your work? It'll be too late if you don't."

The little girl seemed intrigued, dropped the stone, and cautiously approached.

She eventually sat down next to Randy, looking puzzled at both him and the dead boy.

She showed no aversion to the blood.

The two didn't seem to harbor any grudge against each other. From the girl's expression, there was no sign of satisfaction from revenge.

"How do you plan to get rid of him?"

She asked curiously.

"Of course, we'll throw him into the sea."

"But the body will float. I think we should stuff more stones into his clothes."

She started thinking seriously, frowning and rubbing her chin, a gesture similar to Randy's habit.

"I'll take care of it. Are you finished looking? Once you are, I'll start working."

Randy was surprised at how much the young girl knew about such odd details.

He removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves to lift the body.

He also looked at the name tag on the boy's clothes: Milo.

This was a standard school uniform, elegant and fitting like a little nobleman's attire.

Unfortunately, the child was too young, less useful compared to Rick's losers, but his tender flesh would certainly be better absorbed.

Randy lifted Milo's body and jumped into the water, sinking to the bottom quickly.

The blood and brain matter quickly attracted the lotus leaves, which extended their branches to feed. However, for such a large piece of nourishment, burying it in the soil would be the best handling method.

Randy sank to the sea floor, burying the boy like the previous victims.

This would also fill the vacancy left by Mort.

Then Randy resurfaced. The little girl waited obediently by the shore for him.

When he came ashore, she even thoughtfully took out a handkerchief to wipe the water from his face and then asked with curiosity, "Aren't you going to ask me why I killed him?"

"No need to know. I only converse with victors. Since you killed him, you qualify to talk with me."

As Randy spoke, he and the little girl moved the larger stone, which was stained with Milo's brain matter and blood, into the sea.

The little girl seemed to agree with his words and helped with the task. Together, they tossed the stone into the sea.

"You're different from other adults."

"You're also different from other children. Besides, I'm not exactly an adult; my actual age is still young."

Next were the other bloodstained stones, which they picked up one by one and threw into the sea.

From a distance, it might look like they were playing a game of skipping stones.

"Milo stole something that was supposed to belong to me—a once-in-a-lifetime Saint Alden Award. Faith, honesty, cultivation, and compassion, the one who receives it is the best child in the school."

The little girl took out the gold medal she had been holding tightly, which indeed shone brightly like an Olympic gold medal.

"I don't understand why Mrs. Ellis would give this award to Milo. Clearly, I was the most deserving."

She spoke with an air of entitlement, showing her narcissistic and obsessive nature, and an indifferent attitude toward life.

Randy watched her behavior and noted her distinct attire. The red ceremonial dress was strikingly bright compared to Milo's school uniform. She felt her spotlight was stolen, and she naturally sought revenge.

"So you took his medal and pushed him off the cliff?"

The little girl looked up with confusion, "Shouldn't I have done that?"

Randy initially thought it was too foolish, considering it was just a medal. He would never act over such a trivial vanity.

But then he realized that, in the little girl's eyes, it might be an extremely valuable thing, just like the lotus plants he protected. If someone dared to steal it, Randy would certainly go to any lengths to eliminate the intruder.

Different periods have different values.

So he finally affirmed, "If the medal is so important to you, then there's nothing wrong with what you did."

The little girl displayed a genuinely sincere smile, like a little angel.

She then extended her hand, which still had a bit of blood on it.

"I'm Emma, Emma Grossman."

"Randy Shaw."

This is the anglicized version of the surname Xue, as Xue and Shaw both start with the word "Schro."

Randy introduced himself and shook hands with her.

Such a mindset naturally has exceptional qualities, and Randy could sense her talent.

She was still young, with much room for growth, making her a worthwhile investment as a follower.

"Emma, let me give you a lesson. When you haven't figured out how to solve the aftermath, it's best not to act too impulsively."