Chapter 9 - Chapter 9 How Is Your Father...?

Liu Qingfeng's cold, stern voice echoed through the classroom. Beneath him, some students fell into thought, while others remained indifferent. Watching this, a trace of helplessness flickered in Liu Qingfeng's eyes. He sighed, said no more, and turned to leave, his steps heavy with weariness as he pushed open the door. Inside the classroom, the noise erupted once more. A crowd of students buzzed with curiosity, analyzing the real purpose of the assessment and guessing at Yu Sheng's father's occupation. Outside the door, Liu Qingfeng watched the scene, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Youth knows no sorrow. They only long for the day they can ride in splendor, clad in fine robes and fiery steeds, basking in the admiration of the world. Or... they call that being a hero. But they will never know that on the bricks of Demon Suppression Pass, every single one is soaked with the blood of countless souls. So much blood that the bricks have turned a dull brown. It is only when they watch life fade away before their eyes, one by one, that they may finally come to their senses and grow into maturity. He had seen this scene far too many times. Until they experience it for themselves, they will never understand the cruelty of war, nor the weight borne by those they call heroes. Even the Ten Elders of the Mo Pavilion—the ten most powerful warriors of the human race—nine of them hide among the masses, checking the monster clans in the shadows. They may live their entire lives in obscurity, their greatness only revealed to the world on the day they die. So he was... this strong. Is that what a hero is? Yes. But they never think of themselves as such. They merely do what they must, in silence. The glory, the adoration—none of it matters to them, not even as much as a single lowly monster. ... "Yu Sheng, your father..." The principal stared at Yu Sheng, hesitated for two seconds, and phrased his question more tactfully: "How is he?" Yu Sheng thought for a moment. "He should be doing quite well." "Steamed cornbread is extremely valuable in Sin City." The principal fell silent. At the first half of the answer, he had thought Yu Sheng's father had been released from prison—never expecting such a twist. These past few days, he had been turning Yu Sheng's case over in his mind, digging through countless files. After all, Sin City was where the most heinous criminals of the human race were imprisoned. Yet Yu Sheng's father was an ordinary man, with no criminal record to speak of. And Yu Sheng had been sent to Sin City at a very young age. It made no sense. According to the files, however, Yu Sheng had been accidentally swept into Sin City during a disaster—and Sin City had its own unbreakable rules. Whoever enters, no matter the reason, can never leave. The only way out is to claim the single annual quota. Even if Awakened beings could not wield their powers within Sin City's walls, their physical strength alone was far greater than Yu Sheng's. What baffled the principal most of all was that Yu Sheng's father had never once tried to rescue his son all these years—as if he had forgotten he existed. This tangled relationship left the principal utterly confused. But one thing he was certain of. Anyone who could walk out of Sin City, even a seemingly innocent child standing before him, could easily overpower the other students in the assessment. It would be a total mismatch. Though the principal had never seen Sin City with his own eyes, he could imagine what it was like. In years past, many who had emerged from Sin City had risen to the heights of power, standing far above the rest. "This assessment is not just a test for the students," the principal said, his voice grave. "It is a test for the schools as well." "Mobei City is too small for three junior Awakened schools—they serve no real purpose." "So the higher-ups plan to merge them." "Who will lead the new merged school will most likely be decided by our ranking in this assessment." "This is a win-win situation for us." Do not hold back!" The principal urged him earnestly. Yu Sheng's way of thinking was utterly bizarre; he would not rest easy without repeating the warning several times over. Yu Sheng lifted his head silently and stared at the principal. "Price." "Huh?" The principal froze, confused. Yu Sheng explained patiently, "In Sin City, we have a rule. If you ask someone to do a job, you pay them." "We do not work for free." The principal's face darkened at once. "But you've already been given a spot in the assessment!" Yu Sheng thought for a moment, then shook his head seriously. "In my understanding, you need me to do a job for you. The assessment spot is just the entrance fee." It is what the patron is supposed to pay upfront. "The reward must be calculated separately." "In Sin City, those who break the rules die the fastest." Listening to Yu Sheng's earnest, solemn words, the principal felt a throbbing headache coming on. For a moment, he could scarcely fathom what kind of place Sin City was. After all, everything they knew about it was nothing more than rumors from the outside world. "Fine." "Three Grade-1 Crystals." I'll pay for them personally. The principal ground his teeth and said. Grade-1 Crystals were the kind Yu Sheng had used before—their energy reserves meager, harvested from the weakest of monsters. Yu Sheng nodded. "Deal." As if suddenly remembering something, he asked again, "Uh... I won't have to kill anyone, will I?" ... The principal was dumbfounded. He stared at Yu Sheng as if he were a monster. In that moment, he suddenly regretted his decision—was it really wise to let Yu Sheng take part in the assessment? No! "Remember—you must not kill anyone! Under any circumstances!" The principal said hastily. Yu Sheng let out a soft breath of relief. "Good. Killing people outside Sin City is against the law." "Three Crystals is a bit of a bad deal, though." The principal stared at him, struck dumb, as if a bolt of lightning had hit him. For a moment, he could not find the words to speak. If Yu Sheng's words were to be believed, that meant three Crystals would be a fair price... for killing someone in Sin City? And there would be ten other students in the assessment, from the two rival schools... Three Crystals for ten lives. What kind of place was Sin City? In that moment, even the principal—who had once fought on Demon Suppression Pass—felt a chill creep down his spine. For the boy standing before him was no hardened bandit, no vicious criminal. He was just an eighteen-year-old... child. "The school bus is outside," the principal said, his voice tired. "Go wait on it." "And the other four students from our school..." "Forget it. You don't need to look after them." The principal was mentally drained. He had originally intended to ask Yu Sheng to keep an eye on the other students during the assessment, but thinking of Yu Sheng's way of doing things, he feared that "looking after them" would result in the four being eliminated—or driven to the brink of madness. If their own students came to blows at the assessment, it would be a humiliating farce. Do not kill anyone! I beg you! Seeing Yu Sheng already walking out the door, the principal called out after him, his voice still tinged with fear. In reply, Yu Sheng turned and gave him a bright, almost shy smile. In that instant, the principal suddenly understood something. Perhaps... Yu Sheng was not insane. He was merely stating facts, over and over again. In other words... he was honest. It was just that the facts he stated were things most people could not accept, or would not accept. After all, there was such a thing as a white lie. It was part of how people interacted with one another.