RPDH Chapter 19.2

A rainstorm seemed to be brewing in the dark clouds overhead. Yi Ming ran with his head bowed down. Tang held onto his back with red-rimmed eyes.

“Almost there.” Yi Ming said. He turned into an alleyway and used his intact hand to knock on the door. “Boss, Boss! Hua Yizhi!”

The boss’ voice came from inside after what seemed like an eternity, “What are you shouting for in the middle of the day?”

The door opened. Hua Yizhi stood there in his Tang Dynasty robes, a fatigued hint to his slender eyes.

“How much money do you need to go rescue someone at Tarnished Bronze HQ?” Yi Ming didn’t mince words.

The brunet seemed to be burning up with anxiety. Even the turquoised-eyed girl on his back stared at Hua Yizhi with pleading eyes.

There was only one Rank C on this street. An information broker who might act if given enough money. Yi Ming last hope.

Although his stance was unclear, he did provide Yi Ming with a lot of help previously.

He was the only one Yi Ming could think to come to.

He wasn’t familiar with Desolate Dragon at all. He only knew a handful of people here. And the most important person of all, the one who forced him to leave with harsh words, Li, was all alone at Tarnished Bronze HQ right now.

Hua Yizhi seemed to hesitate. Afraid he would refused, Yi Ming blurted out, “Qing Yuchen isn’t at Tarnished Bronze right now!”

Hua Yizhi shook his head regardless and moved aside to let them in. “Let’s talk inside.”

But the brunet teen continued to stare at him with no intention of budging. “Please. You’re the only Rank C I know around here.”

Those blue eyes were filled with pleading. He really had no other choice.

“You’ve already saved Tang. What else could there be?” Hua Yizhi pretended to be puzzled. “Didn’t you say you were only going to rescue one person?”

Before, when Yi Ming sought out Hua Yizhi to purchase information, the man told him a Rank D like him would never be able to rescue someone from Tarnished Bronze’s clutches. Still, Yi Ming proclaimed he was confident there was a chance as long as he only went after one person.

“Why the change of heart?” Hua Yizhi asked with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

“I had no choice…” Yi Ming grit his teeth. “I can’t do anything superfluous.”

He knew Buyan was right. A low-rank like him should just focus on protecting himself. He couldn’t accomplish anything by going back either. He would just be dead weight for Li.”

Still, he wanted to go back. More than anything. He never wanted to run. He wanted to stay and face danger head-on by Li’s side.

They were supposed to become each other’s family after leaving that place. He still remembered the light that glimmered in the dark-haired young man’s eyes back then.

He wanted to free Li from his loneliness, but he failed in the end.

His heart roared and screamed in his chest. It said he wanted to fight alongside Li! He didn’t want to run away!

Why didn’t he stay? Why did he choose to turn away?!

“Please, Boss.” Yi Ming’s nose soured. “Help me.”

But Hua Yizhi refused, “Sorry, I really can’t help you with this.”

“After having the dubious pleasure of working with Qing Yuchen for a time, I gained a deep understanding of how powerful his ability is.” Hua Yizhi explained, “Even if he’s away from Tarnished Bronze HQ, I cannot rescue anyone from his territory.”

“What about protecting Tang?” Yi Ming suddenly asked, “Can you protect Tang for me then?”

“That I can do.” Hua Yizhi nodded. “Are you going in alone?”

Yi Ming set Tang down. The little girl immediately latched onto the hem of his shirt. “I can help! My ability can help you!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring him back.” He ruffled Tang’s hair before standing up. “I won’t let him be alone anymore.”

No matter what happened, he would stay by Li’s side this time.

Even if it went against Buyan’s teachings.

Hua Yizhi leaned against the doorframe, watching Yi Ming with thoughtful eyes.

…

The sky was an ever darker shade of gray now as the clouds condensed and drew closer to the ground.

Li Li lowered her hand as she silently turned to gaze at the clouds gathered in the distance.

The spot the icicle had stabbed earlier was still aching. Li Li had swapped the location and condition of herself and Yue Lan, but the Rank A’s fearsome ability still left marks on her body.

She was in deep contemplation. Even if the character she was playing could disregard his enemies, she couldn’t.

Some unknown same-type hunter, the aristocracy… She also handily offended the Ability Association, because why not at this point, right?

Even someone who liked to smile like her couldn’t muster up the will to at this moment.

There was a few hours left before the mall closed for good. She took note of her popularity as she considered if there was a way to fleece some benefits one last time.

After redeeming the Red Dot Map again just now, she had 2182 popularity remaining.

The item [Immunity Ability] had expired already. As she cast a cursory glance at the Red Dot Map, she noticed a red dot suddenly appear next to her.

She heard footsteps at the same time. The sound of high heels clicking on the ground.

Li Li raised her vigilance to the max. She turned to see a stranger.

A very manhua-esque ‘maiden’ wearing a beautiful black dress with puffy sleeves, white knee-high stockings, and leather loafers.

“Hello.” However, the voice that came out of her throat was decidedly male.

He was a boy. Li Li saw his Adam’s apple.

The boy in the western-style dress had a head of white, wavy cropped hair and heterochromatic gold and silver eyes. In his arms was a meter-tall white rabbit doll. His face was as delicate and lifeless as his doll.

His exaggerated appearance almost felt like Alice had wandered out of Wonderland or something.

However, Li Li tensed again right after relaxing for a moment.

She didn’t believe for a second that the other party was a docile lamb who had strayed here by accident. The flames just now should have driven away any bystanders.

Besides, the newcomer was definitely an ability user based on his sudden appearance.

“Hello.” She echoed with an expression of slight interest on her face.

A thought came to Li Li’s mind. There was no way…right?

What were the chances of her running into that the high-rank concept-type hunter Qing Yuchen mentioned earlier?

If it really was that high-rank…

A Rank C like her could put up no meaningful resistance.

She could still recall that story she had heard while eating the squid-pork soup dumplings. If that wasn’t all exaggeration, she was confident she could get out of here without a scratch.

If it was, she would use the items in the mall to make a run for it.

“Concept-type, Error Correction.” The high-rank ability user suddenly stated without so much as blinking. “My name is Dan.”

“You’re a concept-type as well. What’s your ability?” Dan asked.

Those heterochromatic cat-like eyes pierced into Li Li.

He seemed like he wanted to exchange info with Li Li on their abilities. What normal person would ask that?

“And why should I tell you?” Li Li outwardly remained at ease despite her racing mind.

Dan’s heterochromatic irises flickered. His expression darkened at her response.

“Then I’ll see for myself after it’s mine.” He said.

As soon as those words fell, Dan’s white hair was buffeted by a sudden wind. Gale-force winds blasted out with them at the epicenter, sending plumes of dust and fallen leaves into the air. The trees nearby creaked and bent in protest, a sound that almost sounded like wailing.

 

Li Li’s black trenchcoat beat violently behind her like a flag. Another red trace appeared on her cheek.

[400 popularity has been deducted. Remaining balance: 1782]

[Item [Space Transmutation] purchased successfully. Countdown: 3:00]

She separated the space she occupied from the outside world, away from the gale-force winds.

A concept-type who immediately went after her ability. Li Li was sure now that this boy was the high-rank Qing Yuchen mentioned.

Was their meeting mere coincidence? Or did he have some kind of concept-type ability user radar?

Instantly crossing thousands of kilometers wasn’t out of the realm of possibility for high-rank ability users. Distance alone wouldn’t prove to be a sufficient obstacle.

Li Li’s eyes darkened slightly.

She had to respond since the other party came knocking. However, facing him head-on was out of the question.

She would either deplete her popularity value or run out of time to access the mall. Besides, she doubted she could hold on for long against a high-rank.

Not to worry, she already had a plan.

If she couldn’t beat him, someone else could.

Desolate Dragon’s City Warden, the one who emerged from seclusion to kill the high-rank causing trouble here two years ago according to the rumours.

However, the disturbance right now didn’t measure up to that earthquake yet. It was still too early for that person to make an appearance.

She was going to add fuel to the fire.

The dark-haired young man’s bangs swayed slightly in the fierce vortex, his eyes as piercing as ever.

Let’s see what kind of sore spots this ability hunter fellow had.

She suddenly revealed a mocking smiled as she drawled.

“You won’t be able to accomplish anything no matter how many abilities you obtain.”

The red marks by her eyes only made them shine all the brighter.

“Nothing you do will ever matter.”

The separate space she was in suddenly disappeared. Rage flickered in Dan’s heterochromatic eyes.

“The pressure in this area should be 130 MPa.”

Dan deemed the pressure in this area an error before issuing his ‘correction’.

A tremendous pressure equivalent to being more than 20,000 feet underwater came crashing down. Her internal organs seemed to compress into a ball.

[300 popularity has been deducted. Remaining balance: 1482]

[Item [Immunity Ability] purchased successfully. Countdown 3:00]

The pressure instantly abated. Li Li’s mouth pressed into a thin line as she flickered away like an illusion, creating some distance between her and Dan.

Blood seeped out of the corner of her lips.

Everything as far as the eye could see was collapsing. The trees lining the roads, the boats in the harbour, the bronze compound 100m away…

The effect extended a whole kilometer away!

“Boom!”

Li Li heard the sound of the ground itself crumbling.

An overwhelming pressure exuded from the white-haired ability user standing amidst the rubble. Fissures tore apart the entire road in an instant.

Within the rubble, Li Li watched as a boulder was launched into the sky due to the pressure. The sky behind the boulder was reflected in her pitch black eyes.

A lightning bolt suddenly descended from the dense dark clouds overhead.

An enraged roar emanated without warning from the sea nearby.

Li Li turned. She saw.

A black dragon broke through the surface and shot towards the sky.

The sea level dropped sharply with its emergence. Waves at least 10m tall came crashing down.

Thunder sounded, blending into the roar of the black dragon in a deafening harmony.

The Desolate Dragon City Warden’s ability was to transform into a dragon.

The black dragon’s gigantic golden eyes snapped open seconds later.

“DAN…!!!” A man’s voice came from the dragon’s mouth.

Dan frowned, obviously displeased with the sudden arrival of the black dragon. “Jue Huishen.”

The dragon’s huge mouth opened in response, as if to swallow the white-haired ability user causing trouble on his turf whole.

Yet his strike missed. Just as he closed his mouth, the white-haired ability user appeared on his snout, still hugging that meter-tall white rabbit doll

Dan turned around to survey Li Li with his heterochromatic eyes.

“We will meet again.” He stated.

With a swish of his skirt, Dan vanished on the spot.

The dragon raised its head, its golden pupil also turning to Li Li.

Li Li stood there with an innocent smile on her face.

The beast-like eye locked gazed with her for five seconds before turning to the distance.

“Splash!”

The dragon’s head reentered the water. The sea gradually calmed as a light rain fell from the splashback.

Li Li raised her head. Perhaps it was raining for real this time.

The clouds in the sky drew closer than ever. A raindrop fell on the tip of her nose.

The countdown of her item had barely elapsed a minute.

…

The battle was over as suddenly as it began. Only a ruined, fractured land was left.

She dropped the innocent smile now that the Desolate Dragon City Warden was gone. For once, she was expressionless.

The stage was already set. As long as that hunter desired her ability, there was no room for negotiation between them.

The days ahead would be rough, Li Li impassively thought.

She cast a cursory glance at her surroundings. Qing Yuchen’s body was nowhere to be seen, probably crushed inside some rocky crevice. She turned to the Red Dot Map once more.

A green dot gradually approached.

It was Yi Ming. Yi Ming was rushing over.

Li Li’s dark eyes quietly observed the green dot. Her index finger twitched like it was tapping on air.

The high-rank concept-type hunter would stalk her from now on. The Ability Association had a chance of finding out she killed Yue Lan with all the abilities at their disposal. She also had no idea how many people Qing Yuchen had told about her identity as ‘a member of the former Ability Association’.

Her earlier words were almost prophetic in hindsight. She and Little Corgi were fated to walk different paths.

She was afraid B&W would come to a sudden end if she dragged Little Corgi into the path of enemies of this magnitude.

After thinking for a while, she used the back of her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.

Ability, Illusory Truth.

The appearance of the dark-haired young man changed in the blink of an eye, becoming more sinister yet alluring. Her height increased as her black trenchcoat became white.

Her hair became one finger width longer as her ability changed even the colour of her eyes. A silver half-mask appeared in her hands. She slowly raised the mask to her face, concealing her injured left eye and the bloody mark there.

Now, allow her to give the Rank A bigshot a formal name.

…

Yi Ming sprinted forward.

The ground started shaking before he even reached the Tarnished Bronze HQ. He could only watch as the bronze building suddenly collapsed.

His heart clenched.

Yi Ming sped up, forcing his legs leaving afterimages as he sprinted towards the ruins. His ability conveniently let him move large chunks of bronze in a timely manner. It warned him he was exceeding his limits. The veins on the periphery of his metal arms began to turn dark.

He didn’t even notice as he tirelessly searched the ruins for that familiar figure.

“Can you hear me, Li? Are you here?!” He shouted.

His search turned up the corpses of some black-robed subordinates. The ones he and Li rendered unconscious on their way out. They must not have woken up yet by the time the building collapsed.

He also discovered the body of that Rank C ability user and Yue Lan’s still-frozen corpse.

The only one he didn’t find was Li.

It was then that he spotted a few drops of blood in the ruins up ahead.

Yi Ming clung to the handful of droplets like a lifeline and dashed that way.

“Li! Are you here?” His voice grew hoarse, “Li!”

He didn’t know if this was the right direction, but it was the only direction he could head in, praying for a miracle.

“Li!”

He could piece together from the ruins along the way and the fissured ground the fierce battle that must have taken place.

Yi Ming quickly recovered after stumbling over a rock and kept running.

“Li!”

“Big Brother!”

His blue eyes widened slightly seconds later.

He finally found the dark-haired young man amidst the ruins.

Debris littered the fissured ground. A bloodstained head was visible beneath one particular piece of debris. The eyes of that familiar, now dirt-smudged face were closed.

Blood seeped beneath the debris.

And a leather boot pressed down on the piece of debris pinning Li to the ground.

A man in a white trenchcoat Yi Ming had had never seen before turned his head this way. There was a silver mask obscuring his right eye. A pair of ruby eyes the colour of pomegranates swept in his direction.

The man’s beauty was evident even with half his face obscured. He was like a beautiful white flower beneath this cloudy sky.

The stranger revealed a careless smile as he casually asked, “Aiya, were you calling out to me?”

“Randomly assigning people nicknames is no good, you know.” He explained in a tone Yi Ming couldn’t understand, as if he wasn’t stepping on the corpse of his big brother.

Li was dead.

Killed by the man before his eyes.

A bone-chilling cold enveloped Yi Ming at once.