July 15th, night, Roppongi Grand Hotel.
The heavy rain in Tokyo continued to pour, with bean-sized drops pelting against the floor-to-ceiling windows with a relentless patter.
The corners of the room were dimly lit. A small nightlight stood on the bedside table, casting a soft glow over a young man in a black hoodie lying on the bed. His eyes were closed, his sleeping expression peaceful.
But a mont later, accompanying the brutal death of his Restraining Band Avatar at the hands of Ghost Bell, Ji Minghuan suddenly snapped his eyes open.
At the sa ti, a red and black notification box reflected in his pupils.
[Prompt: Your "Restraining Band Avatar" has died.]
[After a 12-hour cooldown period, you may release the "Restraining Band Avatar" again.]
Ji Minghuan glanced at the notification panel, then looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the rain-shrouded city of Tokyo.
His face was expressionless, as if he was letting his emotions brew.
After a long mont, he took a deep breath and cursed at rapid-fire speed, "Stupid old man, stinky old man, rotten old man! You violent dumbass! Go to hell hugging Mom's coffin and reincarnate as a big fluttering moth in your next life!"
This was probably... the first ti Ji Minghuan had faced the killing intent of such a high-level powerhouse head-on. Among the experts of the sa caliber as Ghost Bell he had encountered before—whether it was Blue Arc or the mbers of the White Raven Brigade—he had always managed to barely stay on good terms with them.
So he had never experienced this kind of tyrannical, completely unreasonable sense of oppression.
Getting a brief taste of it today felt as if a massive black river had co roaring toward him, swallowing all the buildings in its path and threatening to completely engulf him.
Ghost Bell's crazed face flashed through Ji Minghuan's mind once more as he slowly crossed his arms behind his head and rested against them.
He stared at the hotel ceiling, his thoughts running wild.
Judging from the outco of this negotiation, Ji Minghuan truly had incredible foresight.
If he hadn't used the Restraining Band Avatar to et the old man, and had gone with his true self instead, Host Body One would have very likely died a sudden, inexplicable death right then and there.
Unfortunately, he still failed to establish a cooperative relationship with Ghost Bell in the end.
Perhaps it was because during the negotiation, Ji Minghuan couldn't help but speak coldly and throw in a few extra sarcastic remarks, causing the old man to remain in a state of out-of-control frenzy from start to finish. Others might still hold onto a shred of rational thought after being provoked.
But Gu Zhuo'an completely ignored his threats, solely intent on venting his anger.
In reality, even if they had communicated normally, or even if he had groveled and begged for rcy, Ghost Bell would never have cooperated with him.
Ji Minghuan knew clearly that Gu Zhuo'an hadn't co with the intention of cooperating from the very beginning.
That mad bull was just there to vent his rage.
After so ti, once the auction incident had passed, Gu Zhuo'an's mind should cool down significantly. It wouldn't be too late to try establishing a cooperative relationship with the old man then.
Very soon, Gu Zhuo'an would realize just how important the persona of Black Cocoon was to both him and Blue Arc.
And for now... at least Ji Minghuan's goal had been achieved: telling the old man that Blue Arc was his good son, and foreshadowing the massive auction event happening in a few days.
With this setup, it was absolutely certain that the old man would appear at the auction.
Thinking of this, Ji Minghuan silently cheered for Old Man Ghost Bell in his heart:
'You can do it, old man. When the ti cos, I'll keep an eye on our little sister, and you protect our big brother. Black Cocoon's main quest is counting on you. It would be best if you could conveniently kill Jack the Ripper for
too; that way, Xia Pingzhou's quest will be completed as well...'
After watching the torrential rain outside for a while, he thought of Kong Youling again.
The image of the white-haired girl flashed through his mind as he slowly closed his eyes.
But just as a wave of drowsiness washed over him, the thunderclaps heard by both Gu Wenyu and Xia Pingzhou overlapped, forming an incredibly loud roar that roughly pulled him back to reality from the brink of sleep.
Ji Minghuan sighed softly. With the senses of his two host bodies overlapping, the noise was doubled, making it unbearably loud.
Not to ntion, he already hated rainy nights, because it was on a rainy night that his parents had abandoned him...
Whenever it rained, he would always feel anxious and uneasy, as if he were about to lose sothing. It always made him want to find a cabinet and lock himself inside—as long as he was locked away, he wouldn't know anything.
At this mont, Ji Minghuan suddenly missed the environnt of his confinent room. It never rained there; there was only a vacuum-like tranquility.
Since he couldn't sleep anyway and had nothing better to do, he synchronized his consciousness to Xia Pingzhou's perspective.
The wind howled and thunder crashed. The loft windows rattled, and the door of the cafe downstairs vibrated. Xia Pingzhou opened his eyes from the mattress laid out on the floor.
He turned his head on the pillow and peeked at Ayase Origami, who was sleeping soundly under the moonlight.
Tonight, Host Body Two was still sleeping in the loft with this young miss... In truth, Ji Minghuan actually quite liked lofts. Perhaps it was a lingering habit from his days at the orphanage.
As if sensing his gaze, Ayase Origami slowly opened her eyes. Tilting her head, she directed an emotionless stare at him.
The two exchanged a glance, neither saying a word.
Ayase Origami's eyes were as hollow as ever, but her gaze wasn't cold. Instead, it was as if she were looking at a panicked kitten that had been startled awake by the thunder.
Amidst the rushing sound of the rain, she stared at Xia Pingzhou for a mont before letting her eyelids flutter shut once more.
There were still no human voices in the loft, only the sudden rustling of scrap paper rising from the floor, densely covering every crack and crevice of the windows.
In an instant, the sounds of the torrential rain and roaring thunder were entirely blocked outside.
The world fell completely silent. Only a single sliver of moonlight shone through a tiny hole in the paper.
Under the moonlight, the remaining scraps of paper hovered in midair, forming a line of Japanese text:
"Go to sleep early, kitten."
Ji Minghuan was stunned for a mont, thinking to himself, 'Young miss, are you really raising
like a cat?'
Seeing Ayase Origami's peaceful sleeping face in the moonlight, Ji Minghuan controlled Xia Pingzhou to slowly close his eyes as well.
Thanks to the kimono girl's help, things on Xia Pingzhou's end quieted down, so the noise in Ji Minghuan's mind no longer echoed like a blaring choir. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.
"Restricted-tier Superpowered Individual, Number 1002—'Ji Minghuan.' The Tutor is visiting. Please prepare imdiately."
The sudden broadcast abruptly roused Ji Minghuan from his hazy slumber.
When he opened his eyes, the heavy tal doors had already opened. Turning his head, he saw the Tutor slowly walking in with his hands clasped behind his back, wearing a warm smile on his face.
"Good evening."
Ji Minghuan rubbed his eyes, got out of bed, and brushed past the Tutor. He picked up a damp towel from the floor near the entrance and wiped his face.
Then he leisurely sat down opposite the Tutor, resting his chin on his hand as he asked,
"What are you here for today?"
"How do you feel after eting Filio?"
"Like he's a rather foolish, stupid dog. I thought he was a wolf, but I didn't expect him to be a husky. Oh, wait... a golden retriever."
"Heh..." The Tutor chuckled. "I told you, he isn't as frightening as you imagined."
"I'm very sleepy. If you have sothing to say, hurry up and say it." Ji Minghuan hated seeing that smile, so he crossed his arms on the table and urged impatiently.
"I ntioned last ti that we would talk about your parents." The Tutor dropped his smile. "To start with the conclusion, they are still alive."
Saying this, he pulled a photograph from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
Ji Minghuan's heart skipped a beat as he looked down at the photo. In the picture were two blurry figures wearing headbands and trench coats; only the outlines of their faces could be seen.
"What can anyone even see in this?" he frowned.
"This is a picture taken by our people in Arabia three years ago. Your parents were roaming there at the ti."
"Three years ago? Why would you guys be paying attention to my parents three years ago? Wasn't the prophecy about
destroying the world a recent thing?" Ji Minghuan caught the flaw in the other party's logic.
The Tutor looked into his eyes and slowly steepled his fingers together.
"Because your parents... were once one of us."
"Huh?"
"These are their files."
The Tutor opened the two folders placed on the table.
The owner of the file on the left was nad "Ji Huaiye," and the owner of the one on the right was "Lin Xi." Date of birth, body asurents, weight, detailed resus... Every piece of information was ticulously detailed.
"Wait, my dad's surna is the other 'Ji'," Ji Minghuan said. "Don't tell
you guys are just fabricating my parents out of thin air?"
"That was a pseudonym... His real na is Ji Huaiye." As the Tutor spoke, he took another photograph out from his sleeve.
The faces in the photo undoubtedly belonged to Ji Minghuan's parents. They were wearing white lab coats, and on their shoulders hung Hexagram dals—the unmistakable emblem of the Salvation Society.
Facing the cara, the two wore faint smiles.
'My parents... were mbers of the Salvation Society?' Ji Minghuan was slightly stunned.
"Your father was once a high-ranking mber among us, and your mother was a researcher in the Scientific Research Departnt... According to my investigation, they disappeared without a trace eight years ago. We have been looking for them ever since, but failed to find them." The Tutor paused. "We never knew they had a child. Having you seems to be sothing that happened before they joined the organization. They kept it hidden."
Eight years ago... That was exactly the ti when they locked
in the closet and vanished. Thinking of this, Ji Minghuan was half-believing and half-doubting. His eyes darted around before he asked,
"Then why did they disappear?"
The Tutor thought for a mont. "We aren't sure of the reason either. It is still under investigation."
He paused. "There are still many mysteries surrounding your parents, but there are so things I can tell you clearly. Your father, Ji Huaiye, was a powerful Calamity-Tier Superpowered Individual who once executed nurous highly dangerous missions for us."
"And your mother was exceptionally brilliant. She improved the effectiveness of our Anomaly Inhibitors and promoted them throughout the entire organization. The inhibitors currently being used on you are the results of her scientific research..."
"Thinking about it this way, it is not without reason that your potential is so terrifying."
Ji Minghuan remained silent for a long ti. "Are you trying to say... they abandoned
for a reason?"
"Correct," the Tutor said. "And this reason isn't simple. Otherwise, why would they vanish without a trace for so many years?"
Ji Minghuan stared into his eyes. "You definitely know the reason."
"If I knew, I would surely tell you," the Tutor replied. "I just want to tell you... your father was highly respected here. He was powerful and of noble character. At the sa ti, he must have loved you very much, which is why he didn't want you involved in these dangerous matters, hiding you from us to keep you safe."
"But... he didn't know he had given birth to a Restricted-tier." Ji Minghuan laughed.
"Exactly... Your only problem is that you are a Restricted-tier Superpowered Individual." The Tutor spoke softly, looking straight into Ji Minghuan's eyes. "And I will definitely help you find them, to figure out why they abandoned you back then."
Ji Minghuan didn't know how much of the Tutor's words were true and how much were false. In the end, he stayed silent for a long while before simply saying,
"Are you done talking? If you're done, I'm going to sleep."
The Tutor was quiet for a mont. "Then get so rest." Saying this, he stood up from the table.
"By the way, next, we will arrange for you to et the second child living here."
"Spit it out, what's the gimmick this ti?" Ji Minghuan knew that any child contained here couldn't be ordinary. One could easily tell just from looking at that little demon, Filio.
"This child is an Anecdote Envoy."
The Tutor paused, slowly lowering his voice. "And bound to his body... is an absolutely unique 'Mythical-tier Anomaly'."
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