The Creatures that We Are

Shanqing District, late at night.

Rain fell steadily. A black car with a plate ending in 36 crept along the road through Shanqing District. Most shops had closed, with no food stands or pedestrians in sight—perhaps because of the rain. The place bore the emptiness of midnight.

Nainai drove while Chen Ying kept her eyes closed, focused on Sensory. In the back sat Gao Yang and Adept Horse. The four of them formed the vanguard. The others had been divided into units, each approaching Green Lotus Park their own way.

Through the rain-streaked window, Gao Yang observed the street outside. The closer they drew to the park, the more lifeless the streets became. Even the air seemed heavy with hidden intentions.

After his rebirth, Adept Horse had become a different person. His body had grown lean and athletic, and his personality had matured into something more reliable. During the drive, he had focused on examining his equipment, calibrating his cybernetic calves to make sure they were in tip-top condition.

“Getting used to the legs fine?” Gao Yang asked.

“Yes.” Adept Horse spoke professionally like he would in a briefing. “My Jump reached level 4 two hours after getting the Rune Circuit and leaped to level 7. Don’t worry. As long as I keep my distance, Qilin won’t be able to catch me.”

“Okay.” Gao Yang considered him and felt a strange melancholy. For a moment, he seemed to see Officer Huang in him.

“How about you, Brother Yang?” Adept Horse asked.

“I heard you finally got some good sleep,” Chen Ying interjected, then added guiltily, “I didn’t start the gossip. Everyone was talking.”

Gao Yang smiled faintly. “I had a good sleep.”

“That’s good.” Chen Ying sighed in relief. Gao Yang hadn’t rested for days. Everyone had been worried about his physical and mental condition, worried that he would break down suddenly.

That evening, Liao Liao had burst into the dining room with fresh news—Gao Yang had finally fallen asleep with Qing Ling's help. Relief came first, their concerns lifting. As the elderly said, things would be fine as long as one could eat and sleep.

Then came the gossip. Many had gathered on the rooftop, watching through binoculars, perched on stools with seed snacks as they chattered.

“Is that Qing Ling?”

“No, I think it’s Little Qing Ling.”

“Tsk, Captain’s Gao sleeps in a strange posture. I thought cool people sleep coolly.”

“Why would they? It’s more important to be comfortable and sleep well.”

“Yeah. Look at him now. He looks like a tame spotted cat.”

“Cat? He’s at least a tiger.”

“A tiger being gentle with a delicate rose.”

“Look! He rolled around…”

“Haha, that’s a good sign. It means the Nine Scions is going to turn everything around!”

“That’s right! We’ll win for sure!”

“Fuck up the bastard Qilin!”

…

Adept Horse looked out of the car window. He knew they were reaching their destination. He said seriously, “Brother Yang, with the time we have, I’d like to say a few more words to you. If you don’t want to hear it, I’ll stop.”

“I want to hear it,” Gao Yang said. “Go on.”

“When you came to comfort me that night, I’m sorry for dismissing you so rudely.”

“It’s fine. Everyone may want to be left alone for some time.”

Adept Horse looked down at his legs and said ruefully, “I was in great pain. I thought that White Rabbit must have regretted saving me. She did it at the last split second, and she cursed me out as she met her end. If she had known how it would end, she wouldn’t have bothered with me. I didn’t deserve her rescue. I kept asking myself why I wasn’t the one to die instead…”

Gao Yang stayed quiet.

“But the moment Jump came to me, I had a realization.” Adept Horse looked up at Gao Yang with tears in his eyes. “I’ll never know if White Rabbit had only been using me, had hated me, had felt guilty about me, or even had some feelings for me, Brother Yang. And it doesn’t matter now.”

“You’re right. We should look at what someone does rather than guess about what they are thinking. White Rabbit saved me that night, and she gave me Jump. That’s enough for me.”

“Brother Yang,” Adept Horse said earnestly. “It’s the same for you. No matter how things end, it’s enough as long as you have done all you can and done right by everyone.”

After a long silence, Gao Yang reached out. “Thank you, Han Yingjun.”

“And thank you, Gao Yang.” Adept Horse clasped his hand firmly. As they shook hands, Adept Horse quietly passed Gao Yang a small item—the “mouse trap” Dr. Jia had hurried to produce. The doctor had made no guarantees of its effectiveness and refused any accountability if things went wrong.

“Captain, we’re here.” Chen Ying opened her eyes.

The car had stopped at the northern entrance of Green Lotus Park. As expected, the entrance was blocked for apparent construction, with personnel stopping visitors with control wands. One glance told Gao Yang they were all under Puppeteer's control.

“Captain,” Chen Ying said gravely. “It’s a little far for me to make sure if Qilin’s in the park, but I have sensed quite a lot of awakeners at different levels of power.”

“It’s okay. Follow the plan and wait for my signal.”

Gao Yang stepped out of the car and paused. Something nagged at him, but he couldn't place it. Deciding not to dwell on it, he walked into the rain.

…

Three minutes later, Gao Yang reached the Green Lotus Lake at the park's heart. The lake had been emptied again, transformed into a mud pit three meters deep. Wilted lotus stems dotted the surface like broken spears and arrows in the aftermath of a war.

A pavilion rose from the mud pit. Inside, Lovely Lamb and Wang Weiyan stood hand in hand, their expressions vacant as if sleepwalking. Vermilion Bird sat in her wheelchair, head slightly tilted, eyes unfocused. Next to her, Zhang Wei shifted restlessly in Black Gold shackles, his gaze darting about. He clearly yearned for rescue while dreading anyone risking death for their sake. Among them sat Surnamed Li in her wheelchair, wearing an expression of peculiar serenity.

Qilin, a main star of tonight’s play, stood in the corridor outside, a cane in his hand. He carried himself as if he’d merely come to admire the lotuses. He'd traded his usual elegant coat for a fitted dark suit, white shirt, and necktie. A qilin brooch adorned his breast pocket—a reminder of his roots in the Qilin Guild.

His brown hair, dampened by the recently ceased rain, was swept back neatly. Behind black-rimmed glasses, his right eye shone gray and cold, his left a deep forest green. Something dangerous lurked beneath his composed exterior.

His gaze sharpened. His target had arrived.

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