AP CH7
“Sorry, not interested, no time, thanks.”
In the dock area, Ai Qing coldly rejected the man beside her who was chattering endlessly and pestering her to treat him to dinner. Ignoring him completely, she pushed her wheelchair past the police cordon.
The man who chased after her was immediately stopped by the police guarding the explosion site. Embarrassed, he had no choice but to give up and retreat in failure.
“Wow, what a heart of stone.”
Leaning against the wall, Liu Dongli clicked his tongue in admiration. “You really shouldn’t be so heartless, Miss Ai. If you ask me, keeping a spare tire isn’t such a bad idea.”
Ai Qing’s wheelchair came to a stop beside him.
The girl stared at him expressionlessly, her gaze making him so uncomfortable that he eventually had to avert his eyes. Only then did she slowly speak:
“If I have even the slightest bit of self-awareness about my own situation, then I should at least understand this much: no one will ever truly fall in love with a rich cripple.”
“Uh…”
Liu Dongli was stunned for a long moment before forcing a smile. “Don’t say that. You’re so beautiful. And besides, love is something that rarely follows logic.”
“Exactly. Which is why I don’t follow it either.”
…
…
Ai Qing glanced at him again. “And besides, I’m rich.
I’m the one paying you to work. And you, right now, are under investigation by the Astronomical Society. You’d best not be discussing your grand plans for getting rich as a gigolo with your inspector.”
Liu Dongli shrugged helplessly and fell silent, obediently following behind her—resigned to the futureless role of bodyguard and hired thug.
After a night of heavy rain, the scene at the docks was a complete mess. Whatever clues there might have been were thoroughly ruined by the foolish actions of certain people.
The explosion site was a half-collapsed warehouse, mud everywhere. Seven or eight shipping containers had melted into puddles of metal, and the coal ash—streaked with blood—was smeared randomly across the ground…
“Beautifully done.”
Ai Qing nodded approvingly.
“…That’s sarcasm, right?” Liu Dongli asked.
“No, it’s genuine praise.”
Ai Qing raised her brows, unusually pleased. “Incidents involving border relics are always weird and troublesome to deal with, never simple. Who knows what clues might pop up? If we can’t handle it well, it’ll leave a stain on my evaluation period.
But now that someone’s willingly stepped up to take the blame, I’m off the hook entirely. When the Supervision Bureau comes asking questions later, those clever fools can shoulder the responsibility themselves.”
“…”
The corner of Liu Dongli’s mouth twitched. He really didn’t know what to say. Compared to the dark, muddy swamp of backroom struggles like this… his life as a male escort felt downright pure and angelic.
At that moment, Ai Qing’s phone buzzed.
A message.
She glanced at it and paused, as if deep in thought.
After a long moment, she turned off the screen.
“What is it?” Liu Dongli asked.
“Another few bodies turned up. All lowlifes with drug records,” Ai Qing said, spinning her phone between her fingers with a mocking sigh. “Who knows how long they were tortured before they died… tsk, such miserable deaths.”
“Another trip to the morgue?”
Liu Dongli sighed helplessly and touched his face. Going to the morgue this often… definitely bad for the skin.
“Why would I waste my time hurting my eyes for nothing?”
Ai Qing turned her wheelchair calmly. “Since we’ve finished looking around, we may as well go home. When they start running around in a panic later, I’ll show up like a merciful goddess and save the day.”
Liu Dongli was stunned.
“…You’ve already figured it out?”
“Coming here was just for appearances. The real details were clear from a quick glance at the scene and the forensic report.
The shipment in the containers was supposedly electronics bound for Europe, filed by a shell company. Dig any deeper and all you’ll find is scapegoats.
One look at the site makes it obvious—some group trying to profit from border relics had an internal dispute in the warehouse… Probably a fight over how to split the spoils. Everything that happened afterward is the reason we got involved in the case at all…
All of this could be guessed just from reading the reports. What really caught my attention was this—”
Ai Qing reached into her wheelchair’s side pocket and pulled out a small bag of powder between two slender fingers.
“What’s that?”
Liu Dongli had perfectly adapted to his role as the comic sidekick.
“Hallucinogenic drugs found on the scene. A new type of narcotic,” Ai Qing said. “The tech department’s tests are done. It’s laced with Source matter, meaning…”
“It was made by that box-shaped border relic?!”
Liu Dongli felt a chill down his spine. If this could cause such severe consequences, then the seriousness of this incident had just gone up another level.
Ai Qing said softly, “If I wait a while before reporting this… then those old bastards who’ve been secretly tripping me up will have quite a show coming, won’t they?”
“…Wait a minute!”
A cold sweat broke out on Liu Dongli’s scalp. “You’re telling me this so casually—aren’t you afraid I’ll spread the word? You’re not going to silence me, are you?”
“I’m telling you precisely because I want you to spread it.”
Ai Qing casually twirled the small bag between her fingertips and spoke lightly,
“Aren’t you always so proud of your communication skills? Then hurry up and tell them: their lives are in my hands. If they want to keep enjoying their cozy, parasitic existence, they’d better come crawling to me and beg for mercy…”
Damn it!
Liu Dongli couldn’t help but want to slap himself twice. Why had he run his mouth so much? No—why had he teased her just now?
And look what happened. Barely ten minutes later, she’d roped him straight into the mess.
This woman’s grudge-holding is seriously terrifying.
After a long moment of shock and regret, Liu Dongli keenly realized the biggest problem:
“But even if they’re willing to bow their heads, you’d need to actually have a way to resolve this case, right?”
“Who says I don’t?”
Ai Qing turned her head; though she wasn’t smiling, her gaze was full of mockery.
“But… do you really want to know?”
Sorry, not at all!
Liu Dongli’s expression twitched as he crushed the last bit of curiosity in his heart. This woman… really is the worst…
…
…
“I do!”
Elsewhere, in Huai Shi’s home, the boy nodded without hesitation in response to the crow’s question.
Do you desire a soul?
For such a sudden question and a scene straight out of a devil’s fairy tale, most people might’ve paused in uncertainty. But not him—not even for a second.
After everything bizarre that had happened recently, after realizing the truth about his situation, he’d grown braver: if he couldn’t get past this hurdle, he’d die anyway. What was there to fear?
He still wasn’t sure what exactly a “soul” was, but that didn’t stop Huai Shi from wanting one. He also wanted money, strength, and boobs… but anyway, didn’t everyone have a soul?
The crow countered, “In fairy tales, everyone has a happy ending too. Do you believe that?”
Not seeing the hesitation or internal conflict she’d expected made her unhappy; even her explanation lost some enthusiasm:
“The dividing line between ordinary people and the Ascended lies in the existence of a soul.
In this era, there exists a creation called the ‘Silver Sea’—no, rather, it’s a naturally formed vast source, also known as a miracle like a perpetual motion machine. It’s one of the origins that gave rise to this vast world.
Its true core is the projection of all human Source qualities gathered into the Silver Sea. That invisible ocean is said to be unimaginably vast; all human intelligence in existence is merely a trickle flowing out from it.
To set foot on the path of Ascension, to refine one’s iron-like nature through the Silver Sea into a Golden Soul—this was the original goal of alchemy.
Only then can one possess a soul, and earn the title of ‘Ascended.’
Otherwise, one’s consciousness and awareness can only reside in the fleeting sparks jumping between neural synapses—completely unable to face the darkness and storms beyond the present realm…”
“You keep talking about the ‘present realm’ and the ‘borderlands’—does that mean there are other worlds?” Huai Shi interrupted.
“In a sense, yes—and not just one, but thousands upon thousands…” The crow gave a strange laugh.
“But that’s not something you need to worry about now. First focus on awakening your soul.”
“…”
Huai Shi could only listen carefully.
“Right now, the Astronomical Society is responsible for guarding the Silver Sea. Based on humanity’s Source sedimentation rate, there are roughly 300 to 400 slots per year. But these will never be yours—even before the list is out, they’re all reserved by the Supervision Bureau’s various branches for the next ten years.
In truth, most Ascended don’t get there through official channels, but rather sneak across the threshold themselves—this is the path you must take.”
Huai Shi swallowed nervously and nodded seriously. “And then?”
“For most people, the process is nearly impossible—like a modern man suddenly sent to survive in the wild, even more dangerous. Like riding a rocket with minimal fuel and blasting past the atmosphere—not only to break free of the Silver Sea’s pull, but to face endless unexpected dangers. No one knows what’s waiting on the other side.
To succeed requires power and luck, but even both combined is no guarantee.
Abundant Source, intense stimulation, the perfect opportunity—and a whole lot of luck. It’s like winning the lottery. Hard to replicate. But with a large enough population… one or two make it.”
“And the ones who fail?” Huai Shi asked.
The crow only smiled, silent, and Huai Shi felt a chill run down his spine.
“But don’t worry—you won’t have to worry about that.”
She raised her wing and patted Huai Shi’s shoulder.
“You’ve got an advantage no one else has, kid—with the Book of Fate in your hand, it’s like having a ladder straight to heaven.
Others are Icarus. You’ve got stairs. Solid ones!”
“So… what exactly do I have to do?”
“Simple,” said the crow. “Just kill people.”
“If you do it yourself, the Book of Fate will record it in much greater detail. Not only that—kill one, and you’ll gain their skill. Kill ten, and you’ll become a true genius. With that book, the more you kill, Huai Shi, the stronger you’ll become.”
She whispered softly in the boy’s ear:
“Isn’t there a lot of people who’ve looked down on you? I bet you hate them to death, right? Not just your classmates and teachers—even the parents who abandoned you… this world has been so cruel to you. Why show mercy to it?”
Huai Shi froze.
Ah… scared now?
For a moment, the crow felt amused. But when Huai Shi raised his head, she felt a flash of surprise in his eyes.
“Really?” Huai Shi asked, almost disbelieving. “I just have to kill people?”
“…”
“Then let’s start with Li Wuyang.”
Huai Shi counted on his fingers.
“Always bragging about his rich dad and powerful uncle. Arrogant bastard—he deserves to die! And that girl flirting with him—probably already screwing him—she’s next. Third is the English teacher. Always making sarcastic remarks about me in class… Oh right, and that fatso who thinks I stole his money—his brother’s no better, always fighting at school. I’d be ridding the world of pests, right? And that scumbag Agent Yang who rips off my pay whenever I find a job… he’s on the list too.”
As he spoke, Huai Shi raised his head and looked straight at her, expressionless:
“—They all deserve to die. Because they’ve all offended me, haven’t they?”