(Chapter 92): The Unknown Contents of the Bamboo Scrolls

Seeing Du Sixian being close to An Qing, Lu Yibei had a bad premonition in his heart.

Although the Night Division Records state that there is a psychic connection between the Master and the Dependent, they never once state that the Dependents aren’t allowed to betray their Master.

Realistically, if one were to be marked, wouldn’t they find a way to get rid of the mark, no matter the cost?

Yibei gulped. In his head, there was no doubt that Sixian had spilt all the beans on An Qing. Then he’d be locked up in the nearest mental hospital and die a lonely, lonely death.

Looking around, there was nowhere to hide. ‘Am I forced to fight them? How do I transform during the day?’

‘T-they’re getting closer; oh my god, what do I do? I… I…’

An Qing and Sixian were already right in front of him, and he immediately shut his eyes, clenching his fists as if he had been caught doing something bad.

And yet, it was silent.

“Ah, let me introduce the both of you to each other; this is Lu Yibei. He joined us just a few weeks ago.” An Qing smiled. “And Yibei, this is Du Sixian.”

“Lu Yibei, right?” Sixian smiled; her bright eyes greeted his own dull ones as she stretched her hand out. “Nice to meet you!”

Lu Yibei nodded and gulped: ‘She… she doesn’t recognise me?’

Yibei’s hand clung to his side, and An Qing let out a laugh as she patted Sixian’s shoulder: “Don’t worry about him! He was a bit weird back then too, but he’ll warm up to you in the future!”

“Let’s head inside; as long as you pass the first time, you’ll become an official member of the Night Division.”

An Qing pulled Sixian away, and Yibei continued staring forward, relieved.

Before he could leave, Jiangli’s voice faintly drifted into his ears.

“You’re being strange,” she asked inquisitively. She had been watching the ordeal the entire time.

“Was I?”

She nodded, and she held her chin as she spoke: “When you saw that girl, you were strangely stiff, and you were staring into her eyes… It’s as if…”

“As if?”

“It’s as if you have a crush on her!” she deduced. “Are you that shy? You didn’t even shake her hand.”

His fear immediately morphed into hurt: ‘Do I really seem that much of a virgin?’

In order to avoid suspicion, he swallowed his pride and nodded: “How did you know? She’s exactly my type, like the girl of my dreams.”

Speaking of a girl in his dreams, his brain seemed to buzz a little.

His intuition felt as if something important was being relayed to him, but it was vague, like a passing memory fading with the wind. He tried hard to recall, but his thoughts were interrupted by Jiangli.

“Although I don’t really support office romances, you should strive harder for your goals and be confident. Without confidence, you wouldn’t even know.”

“Do you know how good you are?”

“Right,” Jiangli nodded. “I wouldn’t know, though.”

Lu Yibei stopped to look into her eyes. Was she trying to encourage him?

The two stood in awkward silence for a while. Both of their gazes were fixed on Peony Street, which gradually dimmed under the setting sun.

…

“We look like those stone guardian lions that stay guard outside the doors.”

“Right?”

…

“Anything else?” Jiangli asked. “You should head back soon. It’s getting dark.”

“I… do have one more thing to ask: when will I become a full-time operator?”

Originally, he wanted to save this question until he was able to tell the full story to Jiangli. However, now that Sixian had appeared, he felt as if he had to ask her as soon as possible.

So he could abuse his authority as a senior to keep track of Sixian.

“You want to become a full-time operator?” she frowned.

“Yes! It’s my dream—part-time workers don’t have as many rights as full-time ones.”

“Right…” Jiangli hesitated. “If you really want to join us, you have to wait a little longer. It’s… not the right time.”

“But why does she get to become an operator?” Yibei pouted, thinking of Sixian. “All she has to do is take a little test, and…”

Lu Yibei walked away dejectedly.

“Wait a little longer,” Jiangli told him, and she watched as his figure disappeared into the horizon.

Just wait a little longer, she thought. ‘At least until Bai Kai is back.’

A few days ago, Bai Kai came to Jiangli with a serious face, which startled her.

“Delay him for as long as possible,” he told her. “It’s inevitable that he’ll join us, so I need to craft the most suitable rune for him to ensure that he’ll become a psychic user.”

“And,” he added. “All the resources in the Night Division are full of garbage!”

Despite his enthusiasm, Jiangli could see that he was still hesitant about letting Yibei join them.

Jiangli sighed as she recalled their conversation. He was like a doting father, paving the best way possible for his son, and a tinge of envy graced her heart.

When Lu Yibei left Peony Street, it was already five in the afternoon. He hurriedly hailed a taxi and rushed back to his apartment.

He let out a silent curse as he stared out the window. It was rush hour, and the traffic was getting worse.

Peering at the rear-view mirror, he could see that the driver was a quiet young man. Strangely quiet, which made him miss the talkative Zhang Shan.

He began to ponder.

‘Something was trying to communicate with me about a dream.’

‘What did I dream about last night?’

‘The people were calling for me… and I was back at that rooftop… and…’

He shut his eyes tightly, attempting to remember his dream. However, his brain was like a fog, and no recollection came to him.

When he opened his eyes, he was back at his apartment.

“We’re here.”

Yibei sighed as he paid the tab and went straight to the rooftop.

“It’s important, but… I just can’t remember.”

5:30 in the afternoon, at the University, where Professor Ma’s office resides.

A boy in a white coat hurried forward with a stack of documents – he wore a pair of round-framed glasses with thick lenses, and his slightly curly hair was a mess. His thin stature wobbled as he walked, causing his clothes to wrinkle with every step.

Pushing open the door to Professor Ma’s office, he hurriedly said, “Professor, the analysis is out. Come take a look; I think something is wrong.”

The Professor was in a daze, with various papers and documents scattered around him. His eyes were trained on the words on a peculiar bamboo scroll, constantly comparing and contrasting the words written there.

‘Ceremony… Guideline… Is this a ritual for sacrifice?’

The more he read, the more his brain started to buzz, as if he were drunk. He swore he could hear whispers that tickled at his ear.

He came back to his senses when the student walked directly in front of his line of sight.

“Oh, apologies. Lu Xu, what were you saying?”

“Professor, the ink used on the bamboo scrolls has been analysed, and you should take a look for yourself.”

The Professor furrowed his eyebrows and took the document from his hands. The analysis of the inks and pigments used is very important when studying ancient texts like these. Through component analysis, one can deduce the level of technology and standard of living and, ultimately, their culture.

The content of the report seemed normal; plants and minerals were commonly used as pigments for the ink, but the last column read [Unknown].