Chapter 1404: Refusal

Translator: Exodus Tales  Editor: Exodus Tales

No one knew who was calling, and no one knew just what Candy Dad Jerry spoke to the person on the other line about. All everyone saw was Dad letting out a long sigh after setting the phone down, wrinkling his brow as he looked at Huang Rong and Faran Liang sitting on the sofa.

“Both of you may go,” Dad said in a low voice.

“Dad!”

“But they are key suspects!”

“We’ve yet to get to the bottom of the matter!”

Chenchen and the others all immediately shouted in protest. None of them could believe that Dad would actually let these two men off, as it was a serious violation of the rules in the Special Bureau.

“LET THEM GO!” Dad raised his voice as he swept his gaze over Huang Rong and Faran Liang. His tone was morose, “Someone has already guaranteed that you’ll be punished accordingly and that your days from here on out won’t be good. Starting from today, neither of you will be a part of society, and can only live in the darkness.”

Hearing that it was a sort of judgment, both Huang Rong and Faran Liang were startled. They could only nod slightly and accept their punishment.

“Go on, don’t let them wait too long.” Dad turned to look out the window, “We can forget about seeing each other again, since we won’t ever meet after today.”

Faran and Huang Rong stood up. The five other military intelligence colleagues of Huang Rong had also been released from custody; they all took the elevator down to the first floor together. Several minutes later, they all watched out the window as a small black shuttle flew up into the sky, ultimately disappearing from their line of sight.

The shuttle that took off with Faran Liang and Huang Rong inside had no Union registration signature and was completely unidentifiable, leaving it extremely mysterious.

Dad stood in the middle of the hall of the Special Bureau. Daylight had appeared by now, and the sky gradually became brighter.

He looked around. The ever-amiable ‘Dad’ Jerry used an atypically stern tone to address them all, “There are some things that aren’t as simple as what you imagine them to be. In the Ashen Moon Universe, a severe war erupts between the three major Federation every thousand years. Criminals will of course be punished, but at the same time, what supersedes criminal behavior is the safety of the entire Union.

“For the sake of the bigger picture, sometimes we have to step aside and compromise. It doesn’t matter if you understand the words I’m trying to tell you, or if you can’t grasp them. This matter is now at a close. I want all of you to remember not to leak even a word of what happened today to anyone else, otherwise, even Dad wouldn’t be able to save you.”

Chenchen tossed his hair in disappointment. The meaning behind Dad’s words could not be any clearer; there was always a need to view all things at a macro level. Whether it was the upper echelons of the Union or the military, neither would do anything to Faran Liang or Huang Rong.

According to the rumors floating about in the Union, special ability users who committed crimes would not actually be punished by the law, but instead be sent to the military and other secret organizations in the Union that never saw the light of day, atoning for their crimes through service.

That was true even for the criminals with special abilities that the Special Bureau apprehended. The worst case scenario for them would just be the loss of freedom, not really facing punishment, and was the reason why the special ability users of the Union were getting so unruly and lawless. In the past few years, more than ninety percent of the major cases in the Union were committed by those blessed with special abilities, and the situation was getting worse with each passing day.

Dad paused before continuing, “From today onward, our only assignment is the capture of Qin Yuwei, to stop her from killing Lieutenant General Zhang Qichao.

“Xia Fan, this case is very complicated, and we cannot do without your specialized capabilities. I want you to set up seamless defenses inside Zhang Qichao’s home. You’ve done very well, having successfully seen through the secret of Huang Rong and Faran Liang, even better than I expected, but now isn’t the time for you to relax. You’ll need to work even harder for what comes next.”

“I refuse,” Xia Fan said seriously, while maintaining eye contact with Jerry.

“What did you say?” Dad stared at Xia Fan in shock. Everyone was stunned. To think Xia Fan had actually rejected an order from Dad!

Cheyenne tugged on Xia Fan’s sleeve,” Are you insane?!”

“No. I’m not,” Xia Fan calmly but firmly stated. “Dad, you’ve thought for the sake of the Union, and the deceased Wu Jie, yet never had you considered the 5743 innocent victims of the Ariane. Who’s going to take them into consideration?

“Just what exactly happened during the tragedy six years ago? Just how did the passengers all die? Dad, you’re helping the Alliance cover up the truth; are you not afraid of having nightmares when you sleep at night?

“I’m sorry, Dad. Though you’ve taken care of me all this while, this is one command that I. Won’t. Do.”

There was a great change in Jerry’s expression when he heard Xia Fan’s words. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect the young Xia Fan to be so stubborn. He had his own bottom line, and no one could ever cross it.

The dozen-some people in the Special Bureau were all dumbfounded, completely stunned by Xia Fan.

Everyone knew that something was wrong with Dad’s decision, but none of them had once thought to go against Dad. Yet, it was the youngest Xia Fan, the always-smiling young lad, who did.

The Demon-sealing Fiendish Blade. People from the Skywing Clan always had an edge to them!

Xia Fan had no doubt inherited this exceptional trait from his clan. His steely determination was a core part of his personality, and as long as it was something that he had thought through, he would not be walking back on his own decisions or views. Any obstacle that got in his way would be bashed through! To be as stubborn as stone, hard and undaunting!

“Is it right or wrong really that important?” Dad asked him.

“I don’t know about others, but it is very important to me,” Xia Fan replied firmly.

Though he was a descendant of the Skywing Clan and might have inherited the characteristics of his clan, he had ended up being nurtured and taught by a bunch of scoundrels.

That was why Xia Fan’s personality was so complex. Rebellious, crazy, unruly, stubborn, but at the same time, he had a very strong sense of justice, because the scoundrels had inculcated into Xia Fan since young how important it was to be a good person as much as he could.

“Forget it, I won’t force you to do things you have no desire to do,” Dad chuckled bitterly. I’ll give you a day off. Head back and rest.

….

Rodun prepared a table of delicious food. His culinary skills were top-notch; not only were they tasty, but their presentation was also artistically marvelous.

Lotus roots that were pure white had been thinly sliced and placed in the shape of a lotus leaf on the ceramic plate, with a decoration of bean sprouts and a fine sprinkle of turmeric. It was such a pleasant sight that people might hesitate to eat it.

Unfortunately, Xia Fan had no appetite today. He was in the living room the entire time, fidgeting with the little robot that the machinist had gifted him. While the robot could mimic the tone and words of those scoundrels, and it was just a relatively simple function of speech, there just was no hint of familiarity when he heard it.

The sun was setting, and Xia Fan got up. He checked the spatial ring on his finger and walked into the foyer.

Rodun suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, standing behind Xia Fan to ask, “Should I prepare dinner?”

Xia Fan turned around and smiled, “I don’t think I’ll be eating so soon. Breakfast would be more like it.”

“Understood,” Rodun said, standing there at attention.

As a certified butler, Rodun never inquired even a word into what Xia Fan would be getting up to at this time.

After Xia Fan departed, Rodun sat at the dining table and poured himself a glass of wine. Eating the dishes that Xia Fan had not even touched, he muttered to himself in a very strange manner, “Should I go take a look?”

“No need.”

“I’d feel better if I snuck a glance, at least.”

“With Xia Fan’s ability, there should not be any issues.”

“But the enemy has a Double-pupil, proficient with mental control. Xia Fan lost to that the last time.”

“Better to not go. It’s rather far…”

…

Lieutenant General Zhang Qichao was the highest-ranking retired general on Brenia. He had once held a very important post in the Union Military.

Today was his eightieth birthday, so not only were all the officials on Brenia present to congratulate him, there were even more old colleagues and old friends of the lieutenant general who had come from other planets.

It was not yet dark, and while the lieutenant general lived on a farm out in the sticks, it was already packed. The atmosphere was boisterous and very lively. Thousands of hovercars could be found parked there, filling up the field outside the estate.

The guests were all dressed to the nines and very spirited, so the investigators of the Special Bureau mingled easily in the crowd.

Compared to the relaxed guests, the members of the Special Bureau appeared extremely nervous. They were all on high alert, checking out every corner, while beyond the grounds, there were even more police cars who had been transferred from the local police stations, with snipers posted up in the water tower. There were also secret operation squads from the military lurking in the forest to the north.

　　…

Everything looked like it had been impeccably arranged. Jerry arrived outside the estate’s gates, where Chenchen and Dunn were guarding the entrance.

“Anything out of the ordinary?” Dad asked.

“Not at all. With so much of our fighting force present, there’s no chance Qin Yuwei would be able to sneak in,” Chenchen casually remarked.

Dad shook his head, “Don’t drop your guard. Where’s the lieutenant general?”

Chenchen pointed to the second floor of the estate, “He’s changing his clothes. If it’s safe outside, I’ll go and bring him out.”

“Go on then,” Dad nodded.

Because the house of the estate wasn’t able to contain all the guests, the banquet was being held in the garden. Because the place was an open concept garden, it was a huge headache for the Special Bureau. Jerry had to transfer some additional forces over before they could actually get the entire banquet area surrounded.

Chenchen made his way up to the second floor, where Qin Zimo and the other two investigators were posted right outside the lieutenant general’s room door. Chenchen chuckled, “Outside’s pretty much ready, so let’s bring the lieutenant general down.”

Qin Zimo nodded, and knocked three times on the door, “Lieutenant General, it is time to attend the banquet.”

One second. Two seconds. Three…

No one answered.

Qin Zimo was startled, and the expression on his face changed greatly. He swiftly took two steps back and then rammed his shoulder hard into the room’s door.

*Boom*

The door was blasted into pieces, and Qin Zimo and everyone else rushed inside. There was no sign of the lieutenant general anywhere inside the bedroom, and all the windows were still closed. Even the curtains were fully open.

They ran to the bathroom in a hurry, only to find Zhang Qichao with the color drained from his face, lying in the bathtub with his eyes shut, floating in a crimson pool of bloodied water.

The cashmere military uniform that was prepared for tonight’s banquet was still hanging up in the back of the bathroom, but the lieutenant general would not have the chance to don his military regalia anymore.

Chenchen collapsed beside Zhang Qichao’s dead body and tried to get a feel of his pulse.

“He’s dead, and he’s still warm, meaning it happened no more than fifteen minutes ago.”

“Old Qin, just what are you doing! How could you let the killer pass?!”

“Dammit! Quick, inform Dad!”

“Qin Yuwei should not have gone far. Have everyone fan out and search for her!”

…

To the north of Zhang Qichao’s farm was a mountain range and dense forest. Passing through the forest, you would find yourself at the famous desolate west coast of Brenia.

The terrain on the western coast was made up of endlessly towering cliffs, with no sandy beaches anywhere along the coastline. There were plenty of birds resting upon the cliffs; it was considered a sort of holy land for bird-watching aficionados.

Early in the morning, a woman came walking out from the forest. She was wearing a servant’s dress, and made her way to the very edge of the cliff. She looked out into the pitch-dark ocean beyond as the heavy sea winds battered the stone, making her skirt billow. However, the woman did not look to be in the least bit cold; all she did was stand there silently.

…

Xia Fan soon appeared behind her, his hands casually stuck into his pockets. He glanced at the woman and let out a soft sigh.

This woman was none other than Qin Yuwei. Though Xia Fan had rejected Dad, he ultimately still came, and had successfully tracked her down with his unique Beast Control Technique and Scent special ability.

Qin Yuwei turned around and took off her sunglasses. Her left eye with two pupils was revealed again as she looked at Xia Fan.

“It’s you again.”

“Yes, me.”

“When did you discover me?”

Xia Fan extended his left hand and opened it. In his palm was a set of cosmetic lenses that would hide Qin Yuwei’s double pupil.

Qin Yuwei saw the contact lens and laughed bitterly, “So you already found me out long ago. Why didn’t you stop me from killing Zhang Qichao?”

Xia Fei pursed his lips. “It’s because he deserved to die,” he admitted.

Qin Yuwei was startled, seemingly finding his answer incomprehensible. “Then why haven’t you let me off?”

“Because you deserve to die, too,” Xia Fan chuckled softly.