After leaving the royal palace and returning to the Floating Castle, Xize'er paused in the courtyard, surrounded by swirling autumn leaves.
After a mont of thought, he looked up and made a request to Li Qingping. "Li Qingping, even though we do not have much ti left, I still want to ask you to teach
the Cultivation of Anecdote Power."
Li Qingping remained silent. He originally wanted to say that nothing could be achieved in such a short period and that it would be better to rest and gather their strength.
But on second thought, the Third Prince's talent was far beyond that of an ordinary person. Perhaps he truly could undergo earth-shattering changes in just a few short days. Thus, he accepted Xize'er's request, and the two began their one-on-one training.
A breeze blew across the blood-red sky, causing the maple leaves to rustle loudly. As massive schools of floating fish drifted by, the white-haired boy stood amidst the falling leaves, holding an Anecdote Catalog. With absolute concentration, he unleashed the most basic Universal-grade Anecdotes one by one.
Li Qingping guided him from the side. He explained to Xize'er that every Anecdote Fragnt possessed its own unique chanics. As long as one flexibly utilized a fragnt's properties, they could receive feedback from it in the form of Anecdote Power.
Once enough Anecdote Power accumulated within the body, an individual could advance their rank, allowing them to achieve Resonance and Bind contracts with higher-tier Anecdotes.
Xize'er's top priority was to advance from a D-rank Anecdote Envoy to a C-rank Anecdote Envoy.
This way, the advanced Anecdotes he could Bind would not be limited to just the Christmas Sleigh, and Li Qingping would be able to provide him with several high-tier Anecdotes for self-defense.
Yagubalu narrowed its eyes. 'Shasha's Cultivation relies entirely on eating,' it thought. 'Why do you good-for-nothings have to go through so much trouble? How boring!'
It let out a yawn and rested inside the Crystal Ball, quietly watching them train. After a while, drowsiness crept in. Seeing that it could no longer keep its eyelids open, it decided to shift fronts, rapidly synchronizing its consciousness with Host Body One.
As everyone knew, whenever one felt bored, it was ti to tornt the Refrigerator Demon. This was far more refreshing than drinking a hundred cups of coffee.
Even the nobles among sharks shared an unspoken mutual understanding of this common sense, let alone the legendary bandage man, Black Cocoon.
Since the ti in the Whalegarden was more or less the sa as in Lijing, it was currently seven-thirty in the morning in the city.
Host Body One, Gu Wenyu, sat up in his bedroom bed. Groggy, he scratched his ssy chicken's nest hair, reached for the mobile phone next to his pillow, and glanced at the screen.
[Su Zimai: I bought breakfast. It is downstairs. Rember to co down and eat when you wake up.]
As Gu Wenyu got dressed, he had his Restraining Bands type out a reply for him.
[Gu Wenyu: Are you really being this nice? Is this really my little sister? Why do I feel like this is one of those plots where you know you are going to die tomorrow, so you decide to leave a good impression for your family to rember you by?]
[Gu Wenyu: Little sister, you are not actually going to die, are you?]
[Gu Wenyu: Anyway, please do not die on my phone, okay? Reply 1 if you received this.]
[Su Zimai: What the hell? I rarely get up early to buy you breakfast, and you curse ? Are you even human?]
[Gu Wenyu: What were you and big brother whispering about last night? Why does he know about Exorcists?]
Su Zimai remained silent for a long ti before finally sending a reply.
[Su Zimai: He just happens to know so people from the Exorcist Association, and then I got caught.]
[Gu Wenyu: That is quite a coincidence.]
[Su Zimai: (Panda giving the middle finger sticker) I am blocking you. Goodbye.]
[Notice: You have been added to the blacklist by Su Zimai.]
Gu Wenyu pocketed his phone. After finishing dressing with the help of his Restraining Bands, he left the room and stepped into the washroom. He closed the door and pressed a Restraining Band against the damp floor.
His senses perated the floor tiles and entered the first-floor living room, allowing him to observe the two people in the kitchen from a god-like bird's-eye view.
Su Zimai drank her Black Sesa soy milk through a straw, then said seriously, "Right, big brother... Since second brother and dad are Muggles, you have to keep our secret from them. Otherwise, they will worry about us."
She paused for a mont. "Besides, it is best not to drag them into our affairs."
'If I tell Gu Wenyu that big brother is Blue Arc,' she thought, 'he will definitely run straight to him and snitch that I talk bad about Blue Arc behind his back every day. It is better to keep it a secret from him for now.'
At that thought, she could not help but let out a long sigh. 'If only Gu Wenyu had a hidden identity too,' she thought. 'Then I would have leverage against him!'
Gu Qiye remained silent.
It was true that both he and Zimai believed Wenyu was an ordinary person. However, there was one thing Su Zimai did not know... Their dad most likely had his own hidden secrets.
After all, Black Cocoon had personally told him this piece of intelligence during their first eting. Even though Black Cocoon loved to play tricks on them, objectively speaking, he had never deceived them even once. Every piece of intelligence he provided was aningful and rarely incorrect.
After so consideration, Gu Qiye ultimately decided to investigate the matter secretly on his own. If he told Su Zimai, she might act rashly and beat the grass to startle the snake, alerting their dad prematurely.
After all... with his sister's amateurish skills, if their dad really was soone important, he would spot her in a second.
With that in mind, Gu Qiye said softly, "Yes, it is better if Wenyu and dad do not know about our situation."
The siblings reached a consensus, eting each other's eyes and nodding.
Gu Qiye pondered for a mont. "You are leaving for London tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yeah."
Gu Qiye hesitated briefly, lowering his head as he asked softly, "Do you need
to go with you? I can ask the Transgressor Association for a day off."
"No need... Big brother, you stay here and protect the city. I am not going alone; the rest of the Ghost Train Gang will be looking out for , not to ntion..."
"Not to ntion what?"
Su Zimai took a deep breath. "The Leader said that the Big Fluttering Moth is coming with us to London this ti."
"Black Cocoon, huh..."
Gu Qiye muttered, accustod to the unusual news, and took a bite of his Glutinous Rice Wrap.
Honestly, hearing that Black Cocoon would be tagging along with his sister made him feel much more at ease. He was not sure why; perhaps over this period, he had slowly begun to trust this mysterious gray figure. After a mont of silence, he curled his lips into a smile. "Alright then. Stay safe. I will not interfere in your business."
"Mm..." Su Zimai finished the Glutinous Rice Chicken in her bowl and drank the rest of her Black Sesa. Then, her eyes suddenly widened as if she rembered sothing. She squeezed her plastic cup forcefully and let out an angry, frustrated shout. "Ah!"
"What is wrong?" Gu Qiye paused, turning his head to look at her.
Su Zimai's face darkened as she spoke slowly, "I just rembered... Back when the Leader and I t Black Cocoon in Tokyo, he said sothing to ."
"What did he say?"
"He told , Blue Arc is your brother." Su Zimai enunciated each word slowly and distinctly, gritting her teeth.
Gu Qiye did not seem bothered. He just bit into a stead bun. "So he sold
out to you a long ti ago?"
"No, at the ti I thought he ant second brother, and he had
running around in circles. Thinking back on it now, I realize that damn Big Fluttering Moth was talking about you all along."
Su Zimai rested her forehead against her hand and sighed.
"Alright, it is all in the past." Gu Qiye smiled silently. "Black Cocoon is indeed despicable. I was also played for a fool by him at first."
"And now?"
"Uh..." Gu Qiye choked slightly, unsure of how to answer for a mont. Finally, he let out a sigh. "It is still the sa now. I still have not figured out exactly who he is."
It was a bit embarrassing to admit. He was a magnificent Near-Calamity Tier Superhuman, yet he was being led by the nose by a Big Fluttering Moth.
Nevertheless, despite his reluctance, he had to admit: without Black Cocoon, many things would have spiraled into much worse situations by now.
"I knew it..."
Su Zimai muttered to herself, her expression turning slightly stern. "Big brother, let's uncover that damn guy's true identity together."
"Yeah, good luck, Zimai." Gu Qiye shrugged. "I will leave the task of beating up Black Cocoon to you. Even though I also want to punch him, I will let my little sister go first."
The two exchanged a smile.
The siblings had never reached such a unanimous agreent on anything before. In this mont, their hearts seed connected. anwhile, upstairs, Gu Wenyu sat hugging his knees, solitary and helpless, drawing circles on the washroom floor.
'What exactly did Black Cocoon do to you?' he thought. 'If you did not like the diapers I sent, you could have just returned them. How hateful...'
"Well, I have to go out today," Su Zimai said softly. "Big brother, be careful out there."
Her tone was still a bit awkward and casual, as if she had not quite adapted to the fact that her own brother was actually Blue Arc.
"I will."
Gu Qiye paused for a second, then chuckled and gently patted the top of her head.
He found the sensation rather novel. It had been many years since he started fighting alone while hiding the truth from his family... 'It feels really nice to have soone care about
before I head out,' he thought.
Gu Wenyu sighed and withdrew his Restraining Bands. He stopped paying attention to the siblings and looked up at the pale face reflected in the mirror.
'Well then...' he thought. 'Today is the day I must discuss important matters with the Brigade Leader. Hang in there, Comrade Black Cocoon... Whether Xize'er and Li Qingping can escape successfully depends entirely on whether you can convince the Leader.'
With that in mind, he put down his toothbrush, spat out his mouthful of mouthwash, wiped his face with a towel, and left the house.
Black Cocoon spent another day being completely idle. Aside from visiting the bookstore to read and chat with the owner, and playfully teasing Tun Yin on the streets, nothing morable happened from dawn until dusk.
Ti quietly slipped into the night at Lijing Third Middle School.
The night enveloped the quiet school like a dark curtain. Up on the Rooftop of one of the teaching buildings, Black Cocoon sat silently atop the railing. Using a Sketchpad and pencil he had swiped from who knows where, he was sketching a grotesque and bizarre scene.
Not long after, a Crow with scarlet eyes flew over, landing gracefully on the Rooftop railing. Imdiately after, a man in a black trench coat stepped into Black Cocoon's line of sight. The fierce winds sweeping down from the sky above the city billowed his coat.
Qi Yuanli hunched his back and silently took a seat on the railing.
Black Cocoon glanced up from his Sketchpad but did not greet him. Instead, he continued to do his own thing, focused entirely on his drawing.
Seeing Black Cocoon remain silent, Qi Yuanli cooperatively manifested a playing card at his fingertips. He turned his head, his deep, profound eyes gazing out over the brightly lit city.
"So... what did you need to see
for?" After a long pause, he asked casually, toying with the playing card in his hand.
By now, Black Cocoon had stopped working; he had finished drawing exactly what he wanted. He casually tossed the pencil out toward the city, lowering his eyes to watch it spin and plumt until it disappeared into the dark night.
He then spoke slowly. "First of all, it is an honor to et with you privately, Mr. Qi Yuanli... Though, addressing you as the Leader is probably more fitting."
Qi Yuanli did not respond, seemingly indifferent to whichever title was used.
"Now then, I must declare that the intelligence I am about to provide you is extrely, exceptionally important," Black Cocoon paused, his tone turning eerie. "I am certain you will find it highly interesting."
As he spoke, he slowly flipped the Sketchpad in his hands, presenting it to Qi Yuanli.
Qi Yuanli leisurely turned his head to look.
Glancing over, he saw a magnificent ochre-red whale drawn on the Sketchpad, as massive as a battleship.
The whale was surging through the ocean, roaring fiercely at the heavens as it kicked up countless thousands of snow-white waves. Directly above the whale hung a gloomy, overcast sky.
Dark cumulonimbus clouds drifted ominously from the distance. Plunging down from the heavens was an imnse, dark-blue shark—so gigantic that it was covering the sky and blocking the sun. It fell with devastating force, its abyss-like jaws open wide as it lunged straight for the crimson whale!
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