Book 4, Chapter 99 - A Long Conversation

Pulling me along, He Lei left the cafeteria at high speed, running away from everyone’s weird and awkward gazes.

By the time we stopped, I realized that we’d already reached Silver Moon City’s field.

With a sigh, I sat down.

He Lei sat down next to me, staring into space with a face full of anxiety.

I was feeling restless. I’d always been a calm person, but Xing Chuan could easily agitate me and make me lose my calm.

I sat on the field with He Lei, both brooding over our own worries.

We didn’t speak for a long time. Gradually I calmed down as I watched the crimson planet.

“FInd a time when Xing Chuan leaves Silver Moon City, then quietly go back to Noah City,” He Lei spoke at last, turning to look at me like a senior advising his younger brother.

I furrowed my eyebrows and refused, “No, I have to stay and fight alongside everyone.” I turned to face him determinedly. “I want to fight alongside Harry and achieve victory together!”

He Lei’s dark pupils shimmered at my words, as if there were flames burning in his eyes. Igniting his fighting spirit, that was the flame of a revolution!

Grinning at each other, we looked towards the planet simultaneously.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” He suddenly brought up a new topic. “I got locked up with someone from Silver Moon City. I almost punched him, but he’d looked so terrified.”

“Humph. Now we know that it was all an act.” Xing Chuan had been really good at acting even back then.

“Yeah. That’s why I couldn’t understand why he’d gotten caught then.”

“Because of you.” Xing Chuan suddenly appeared next to us.

He Lei immediately shielded me behind his body. Xing Chuan stared at us expressionlessly, then sat down next to He Lei. “I wanted to bring you to Silver Moon City and see your superpower in action from up close. I was looking for a chance to restore your superpower but I didn’t expect that this tiny one here would manage to do that.” Xing Chuan glanced at me.

I backed away and hid behind He Lei.

“His wit, courage, decisiveness and agile movements aren’t something the people on the ground have. He Lei, you have to admit that too,” Xing Chuan said straightforwardly to He Lei.

For a moment, He Lei was in deep thought. Then, he looked at me and agreed, “You are right. He has a lot of advantages that we people on the ground don’t.”

I looked at He Lei in surprise. Xing Chuan’s calm face appeared behind He Lei. His dark pupils bore deep worries in them.

“Luo Bing, where did you come from?” I’d never thought that it would be He Lei who asked me that. The impetuousness on his face had been replaced with steadiness and maturity. “You are not like any of us on the ground. You are far calmer than all of us. I could only feel anger back then and I hadn’t known what to do.”

“Yeah, you were angry because you’d been injected with the inhibitor.” Xing Chuan patted He Lei’s shoulder and continued, “I was still only observing you back then. You were still far from my expectations, because I already knew that you were in contact with the Aurora Legion by then.”

“Humph. You know quite a lot.” He Lei smirked coldly.

There wasn’t much change in Xing Chuan’s expression. He didn’t get angry when He Lei mocked him, only behaved just like before. It seemed that he was used to being hated and disliked by the people on the ground. “Yet it was Luo Bing, who had no superpowers, who helped us to escape.”

He Lei became quiet. His eyebrows were tightly knitted as he sank into deep thought. “It was also because of that time, that I started reflecting on myself after we parted ways. Then, I realized my shortfalls.”

“It was also because of what happened then that I started to doubt Luo Bing.” Xing Chuan finally explained the reason why he had been suspicious of me. It was because I was different from the others on the ground.

“But it’s impossible for him to be one of the Ghost Eclipsers!” He Lei got really angry and shouted, “Do you think those Ghost Eclipsers would be like him?”

Xing Chuan frowned just as He Lei had earlier. Then, he was silent.

“You abandoned him and you tried to gain his forgiveness with smooth-talking. Now, you want to pursue him. Even I am disgusted, let alone Luo Bing. Don’t touch me!” He hit Xing Chuan’s hand away.

Xing Chuan looked confused. “I questioned him because I have to be responsible for the hundreds of thousands of people in Silver Moon City. He was too suspicious!”

“If he was someone shady, why would he have saved us!?” He Lei retorted.

“To gain my trust and follow me back to Silver Moon City,” Xing Chuan replied calmly.

He Lei was speechless. He seemed to understand why Xing Chuan had been so careful and prudent back then.

“And the reason why I looked for him again is because of his superpower,” Xing Chuan continued.

“Humph. It is because you found value in him again,” He Lei chuckled in disdain.

“Yes.” Xing Chuan didn’t intend to hide. "His superpower is really important to the entire world. It is also because of him that we progressed so far ahead in preparing for war against the Ghost Eclipsers. Luo Bing will definitely be recorded in history. Everyone in the future will know of Luo Bing.”

“You wouldn’t look for him if he didn’t have that superpower.” He Lei looked at Xing Chuan in disdain. Xing Chuan went silent again as He Lei continued with a cold smirk, “That is just the way the people in Silver Moon City work. Yet you have the guts to say that you like him.”

Xing Chuan was silent for a moment. He glanced at He Lei, “I like him because of his kindness.” Xing Chuan then turned, moving his gaze from He Lei to me.

I averted my eyes at once, about to walk off.

“Don’t go. I know that I did wrong,” Xing Chuan suddenly said. “But, there is nothing wrong with me liking you.”

I knitted my eyebrows. I couldn’t stand it.

“You can reject me or hate me but it is my right to like you and pursue you.” Xing Chuan retained his resolute manner and solemnity even when it came to relationships and emotions. Just like a general giving you orders.

“Stop it already!” He Lei stopped Xing Chuan. “In the future, you can only talk about work when the three of us are together.”

“Humph,” Xing Chuan chuckled lightly and said, “He Lei, you can’t stop me.”

“You really deserve some punches!” He Lei got really agitated and grabbed Xing Chuan’s collar. I swiveled towards He Lei, and saw Xing Chuan’s gaze turn somber. Then, Xing Chuan grabbed He Lei’s hand and I shouted at once, “He Lei! Let go of him!”

He Lei didn’t let go but roared, “I have to punch him real hard!”

Something horrible happened in the very next moment. I witnessed the process of Xing Chuan transforming a human arm into an octopus tentacle with my own two eyes! It was such a scary and horrifying process!

He Lei’s arm first softened - you could clearly see the elbow bone disappear, before his entire arm slumped like noodles that had been soaked too long in water. Then, He Lei’s fingers melted together and combined into a soft tentacle tip.

“Ah! Ah!” He Lei screamed in horror. His long arm drooped to the ground. “What is this!? What is this!? Xing Chuan!” He Lei glared at Xing Chuan ferociously but his arms were slumped and strengthless.

I glared at Xing Chuan coldly. “Turn him back!”

“Promise me that you will leave the library,” He actually used that as a condition.

I struggled for a while. I actually did faintly feel the threat that Cang Yu posed. I studied Xing Chuan and asked, “Are you really going to promise me anything as long as I stay away from Cang Yu?”

“Yes,” he replied without hesitation.

“Luo Bing! Do not compromise!” He Lei swung his arm and said. I couldn’t hold back my urge to laugh. That once handsome and dashing young man, was slowly maturing into a steady ruler. But right now, he had tentacles.

“I will leave His Highness Cang Yu’s library after the recruitment,” I said. “By then, I want to leave Silver Moon City to join Harry in the war.”

Xing Chuan rejected immediately, “No.”

I glared at him angrily. “You’re not keeping your promise.”

Xing Chuan was expressionless as he said, “I am keeping my promise with Harry.”

I was stunned.

He looked at me directly. “He exhorted me to not let you leave Silver Moon City and to not let you join the war.”

Harry!

I knew that he didn’t want me to get injured or to be in danger again. But, wouldn’t I also be worried for him ? I can only feel relieved when I see him.

“Let Luo Bing return to Noah City,” He Lei suddenly cut in. He looked at Xing Chuan. “Since you said that His Highness Cang Yu is dangerous. Who is going to protect him when you leave Silver Moon City?”

Xing Chuan thought for a while and nodded, “Alright, let’s do it that way.” He held He Lei’s arm and slowly turned it back to normal again.

I turned my face away speechlessly. Why is my destiny being determined by these guys!?

Alright, I will head back to Noah City first, and then look for Harry with Ice Dragon.

Right, this is what I should do.

You have your decisions and I have mine.

“Also!” I shouted without looking at Xing Chuan because I couldn’t say it while looking at him, “Stop telling everyone that you are pursuing me! You may not be ashamed but I am!” He has such thick skin! But sorry, I, Luo Bing, don’t have such thick skin. I am not shameless like hi,.

He replied, “Agreed.”

But, only half of Xing Chuan’s words could be trusted.

“Stay away from me!” I would never forgive him for what had happened that night. I didn’t want to see him at all.

But due to the recent circumstances, I couldn’t avoid him. Plus, we were in the midst of selecting candidates for the knight group. Silver Moon City was only that big and I also felt the danger that Cang Yu posed.

“Sure,” Xing Chuan agreed again without hesitation. “But, you must still be within my sight!”

I rolled my eyes at him and looked away. “That’s up to you. Your eyes are on your face and I can’t control that!”

“Perhaps, I really don’t quite know how to pursue someone,” Xing Chuan said smilingly. I stole a glance at him impatiently. He wore a relaxed smile as though his worries for the past few days had vanished. “I can sleep tonight,” he said with a smile while looking at me.

I averted my eyes again.

“He Lei, do you want to see your sunflower?” Xing Chuan suddenly brought up the sunflower.

My heart skipped a beat. That was the sign of Xing Chuan wanting to rope He Lei in. Xing Chuan was good at persuading people, but Cang Yu could do it better than him.

Raffles and I had fallen for Cang Yu from the moment we’d first met him. We had been totally charmed and filled with admiration towards him.

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