Chapter 43: After All, I

Defeating powerful creatures yields food and materials that can be used to craft weapons.

Though those supremely mysterious ultra-dangerous species appear only once every few centuries, the imperial equipment made from their materials reveals many are named with the title [Dragon].

“But there’s no way there’d be anything like Radiant Black Dragon or Mingdeng Dragon.”

Jia Ji shook his head, abandoning the idea of taking Chelsea-El Cat along to hunt dangerous species; his fist technique was powerful enough, but it was designed specifically for humanoid targets, making it inadequate against colossal creatures hundreds or even thousands of meters in size.

He’d seen this episode—it was monsters tormenting humans.

If Jia Ji had to fight these dragons with unknown upper limits barehanded, he’d truly need a cat cart.

“I can’t take it anymore!”

Chelsea, surrounded by the group, screamed aloud amid their strange stares and pointing fingers, reverting to her assassin girl form.

“Fine.”

Jia Ji waved his hand listlessly, letting the poor Chelsea off the hook; no imperial equipment was fine—he didn’t need it, since his Northern Dipper Divine Fist wasn’t some weakling technique.

“Let’s go… Chi Tong, what are you staring at? I’m talking to you! Finish eating!” Everyone else had gathered around during the commotion, but the black-haired girl remained utterly focused, Zhuanxin grilling the dangerous species meat.

“Mmm… gulp…” After finally swallowing the food in her mouth, Chi Tong replied, wiped her lips, extinguished the remaining fire, and followed the group obediently.

Though Jia Ji was the strongest in the team, she was also overly obedient.

Why, when they might have escaped one tiger’s mouth only to enter a wolf’s den, did she act this way?

Chi Tong herself found it strange: she bore no resentment toward the man who shattered her peaceful—even if only surface-level—life, nor could she dislike this grim-faced man; instead, she felt a faint gratitude she hadn’t even noticed herself.

It was as if… following him meant walking along an utterly correct path, one that could help her escape or avoid certain misfortunes.

Though unspoken, she believed the others felt the same inexplicable sense, which was why no one had chosen to rebel or flee along the way.

She chose to respect and trust this inexplicable feeling.

“Um… what exactly are we supposed to do?”

Yet even as she trusted it, she remained confused—they didn’t know their destination or their purpose; everything was unknown.

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Jia Ji still kept it secret; though his decision to snatch Chi Tong from the Empire’s assassination unit had been impulsive, he now had a rough plan in mind.

But everything depended on meeting up with Esdees first.

…………

One day passed in the blink of an eye.

Soon, their motley crew of men, women, old, and young arrived at Suiwen, the water city famed for its commerce.

This type of city, common in Japanese fantasy, built atop waterways, thrived due to its extensive water transport, drawing all kinds of people—mixed and chaotic—and serving as the fastest hub for intelligence exchange.

Merchants, officials, soldiers, beggars, fishermen, locals—anyone’s true identity could be a rebel spy or an imperial intelligence agent.

Against this backdrop, two groups arrived one after the other.

Though their members were unusual—either handsome youths and maidens or adults concealing their identities—they’d all undergone specialized infiltration training and reached the rendezvous point without drawing undue attention.

It was a slightly dilapidated merchant guild, yet inside lay hidden depths—it was one of the Empire’s intelligence outposts.

Compared to Esdees’s group, Jia Ji’s team arrived barely a moment later, yet what met their eyes was not what they’d expected.

“You’re late!”

Esdees, seated atop a mountain of bodies, looked down at the newcomers with displeasure.

Still clad in her black-collared white military uniform, her snow-white skin spotless, even her silver-blue luxurious hair perfectly neat, she already bore the aura of a future mature woman.

“You just got here too—why call us late?” Jia Ji retorted.

He’d checked the group chat: Esdees hadn’t waited long; the imperial covert agents she’d captured and subdued hadn’t even woken up yet.

Esdees’s impatience came fast and vanished faster.

She leapt down from the towering pile of bodies, landing before Jia Ji like a light swallow.

“Clap. Clap.”

As the clapping echoed, faint sounds emerged from behind the body pile—one figure after another stepped out, including the hidden Melard, Daniel, and…

“Black Tong!!!”

From behind Jia Ji, a small Chi Tong cried out excitedly, sprinting forward at unprecedented speed and embracing tightly the slender, petite figure.

The long-separated sisters reunited; Esdees, observing the striking resemblance between them, wore an “I see now” expression.

So that was why Jia Ji had specifically asked her to find this girl.

Black Tong wept “Waaah!”—her former forced strength shattered in her sister’s warm embrace; Chi Tong wasn’t far behind, tears streaming, soon soaking both their clothes.

Jia Ji silently shook his hand at Esdees and pointed outside—meant to go outside and give the tearful sisters space, not to disturb them.

The others naturally wouldn’t be so rude as to interrupt; Chi Tong was their youngest sister, and Black Tong was a companion who’d endured torment alongside the drug-enhanced unit members.

They followed Orberg’s assassins outside, joy in their hearts yet unease beneath.

The conversation outside between those two would determine their future—or perhaps their imminent deaths.

Jia Ji glanced at the children Esdees had brought—about twenty in number, roughly Chi Tong’s age, but their expressions were scarcer, or rather, numb… occasional strong emotions surfaced only when their eyes swept over Esdees, revealing a deep fear.

Clearly, Esdees’s methods had left an indelible impression; indeed, bringing these children, more deeply brainwashed by the Empire, here required harsher methods.

Why not Melard?

Jia Ji: “Hah,” the word slipped out unbidden.

Need to think? With Esdees around, of course you pick Esdees.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Oh, nothing… just realized I’ve been too merciful. But it’s fine—after all, I’m not some demon.”

There was a fundamental kindness within him.

(End of Chapter)