The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 412: Information Exchange

In the dream, Gao Yang found himself sitting in a red convertible. The car was driving quickly, and he felt dry, warm wind hitting him in the face.

Right ahead was an expansive desert of red and brown rocky mountains, reaching toward the sky like giant bamboo shoots, and the ground was covered in rough patches of wild grass.

Cutting the desert in half was a black road, leading toward the horizon in the distance.

The orange setting sun looked large in the sky, casting a ring of faint crimson around it.

Gao Yang looked down to see that he was dressed in a suit of blue and white vertical lines, the shirt and necktie messed up.

His hair was slicked back with hair wax. A strand of hair jumped free and hung down over his forehead, swaying in the wind.

On his right wrist was an expensive quartz watch, and he was wearing two flashy golden rings on his fingers. The cigar in his hand was half done.

Liu Qingying, the driver, was wearing a simple white overall dress that left little to imagination and a pair of black Martens. Her puffy auburn hair was cut to medium length, and she had a leather choker on her neck.

Unlike her usual seductive charm, she looked youthful and wild.

Gao Yang suddenly remembered the costumes from a crime movie. A couple had robbed a bank and gotten pushed to the corner with no way out. Thus, they started their reckless celebration of their last days.

He had to admit that Liu Qingying had always carefully created an intriguing scenario with her Sweet Dream.

While the convertible raced along the road, Gao Yang asked on purpose, “Where are we heading?”

“To the end of the world, to anywhere as long as we can get the damn cops off our tails!” Liu Qingying was immersed in her role.

As soon as she said that, Gao Yang heard sirens blaring and overlapping. He turned to check the side mirror, and indeed, there were five police cars chasing them.

“Haha, you won’t catch me!” While holding the steering wheel with one hand, Liu Qingying grabbed a wad of dollar bills and threw them backward, scattering them like flowers.

Gao Yang chuckled. “If your Sweet Dream could turn dreams into movies, you could be a famous director.”

“Ha, I did think about being a director before I awakened.” Liu Qingying cocked her head and winked at Gao Yang. “For adult films.”

“Let’s get to business. I only have half an hour.” Gao Yang directed the conversation back to the matter at hand.

“Okay.” Liu Qingying snapped her fingers, and the annoying police cars vanished.

Then she let go of the steering wheel, allowing the convertible to race along the endless road running across the desert.

Gao Yang was the first to speak up. “You provided key information on the last night of the Crimson Tide. How do I thank you?”

“Don’t worry. We’re all on the same boat that night, and it was because I helped you that I was saved. I’ll call us even.” Liu Qingying smiled in gratitude.

Gao Yang nodded. After a bemused moment, he asked, “There’s one thing I don’t understand, though. How did you know there was something wrong with X? He’d been away from Li City and only ever had one companion, Sir Zuo. Their plans couldn’t have been leaked to a third party.”

“I didn’t know about their plan, but I noticed some inconsistency in X’s words and actions.”

“In what way?”

“Haha, I can’t tell you. It’s related to my source of information.” Liu Qingying pursed her lips apologetically. “Just know that no secret can be kept forever. If one doesn’t want others to know what they do, the only way is to not do it.”

Gao Yang smiled and shared his speculation openly, “Do you have an arrangement for information exchange with an elite monster?”

Liu Qingying’s eyes glinted imperceptibly, her red lips curling up. She reached out to take the cigar from Gao Yang and conjured a burning dollar bill to light the cigar, taking a deep drag. Then she turned to Gao Yang and asked, “What leads you to the conclusion?”

“Because I can’t think of another possibility,” Gao Yang said honestly. “There are three options: elite monsters, Spectres, or the Godbearer Cult.”

Liu Qingying smiled in lieu of a response.

“From what I know, the Spectres didn’t know about X and Sir Zuo’s plan, while the Godbearer Cult seems to be a faction you only learned of after I did...”

“Just to be clear,” Liu Qingying cut him off. “I realized later that I’d gotten information about the Cult before, only I didn’t know it was the Godbearer Cult you crossed paths with later.”

“I’m not questioning your expertise.” Gao Yang smiled apologetically.

Liu Qingying chuckled, pleased. “Go on.”

“Anyhow, I think it’s unlikely that you have an arrangement with the Godbearer Cult based on the conflicts between factions. You probably know that Lilia had merged with the leader of pride monsters with the Cult’s help.”

“That means the Cult was working with the pride monsters, and the pride monsters were working with X. There was no reason for the Cult to inform you and lead you to suspect X, thus foiling his plan with the pride monsters. They weren’t going to harm their own interests.”

“Makes sense,” Liu Qingying agreed.

“So, there’s only one possibility. You got your information from an elite monster.”

“My work ethics prevent me from answering you, Elder Seven Shadow.” Liu Qingying smiled gently. “But I promise you that my source of information isn't hostile to you and doesn’t pose a threat to you for the moment.”

“For the moment?” Gao Yang considered the choice of words.

“Haha, nothing is definite.” Liu Qingying blinked. “In the Mist World, anyone can turn into your enemy outside of yourself. Isn’t that the case?”

Gao Yang nodded. He knew he wouldn’t get anything by pressing.

“You didn’t ask for a meeting tonight for that alone, did you?” Liu Qingying looked at him expectantly.

“Of course not,” said Gao Yang. “I’ve been looking into the Godbearer Cult recently. If you have any information on them, please tell me. I’ll pay you with either jinwu or intel.”

“Deal. But I have information to confirm with you, too. It will help with my investigation.”

Gao Yang nodded.

“I’ve more or less learned about what happened the last night of the Crimson Tide.” Liu Qingying paused. “But there’s an A-class intel I’d like to confirm with you.”

“Go on.”

“Level 8 Talents are achieved through Rune Circuits, and it’s only possible with the top twelve Talents.” Liu Qingying held her gaze. “Is that the case?”

Gao Yang didn’t think that was much of a secret.

“Yeah,” Gao Yang admitted. “And I’ll give you a tidbit. Talents from serial number 1 to 12 are each the top Talent of the twelve Rune types.”

Liu Qingying beamed. “Ah, I haven’t thought about that.”

The top twelve Talents have mostly become an open secret after the Crimson Tide. You would’ve come to the same conclusion once you learned of them. Might as well tell you now to earn myself some goodwill.

“And there’s no telling whether Talents outside the top twelve can reach level 8 with Rune Circuits. Maybe it’s possible, only no one’s tried it before.”

Gao Yang chose his words carefully. “Personally, I think it’s unlikely.”

“Why?” Liu Qingying asked.

Gao Yang was going to say that it would be a B-class intel, but he didn’t really need the money now, so he continued generously, “The Hundred Rivers Union concludes with their study that Talents outside the top 100 can only reach level 4.”

“I’ve heard about that,” Liu Qingying smiled. “So it’s true.”

“Therefore, I believe Talents can be divided into different tiers. With Talent 1 to 12 being the top tier, able to reach level 8 with Rune Circuits, Talent 13 to 99 being the second tier, able to reach level 7, and Talent 100 to 199 being the third tier, limited to level 4. Those are only my speculations, of course, so take it with a grain of salt.”

Liu Qingying hummed and sucked in a satisfied breath. “I’ve made a good decision trading with you. You’re a treasure trove.”

“You too.” Gao Yang complimented her in kind.

“As a show of my gratitude, I’ll give you an A+ intel for free,” Liu Qingying said. “In fact, it has something to do with the Godbearer Cult too.”

“Oh?” Gao Yang’s curiosity was piqued.

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