So-Called Karma 19

Neither of the two said a word. That only made the Insect Master panic more. He didn't want to die. His motto was to cling to life at all costs, and that was his truest nature.

"I was only stationed in Walnut Town for two years, and I don't know much about it either. They never let us go above ground or outside; we were stuck underground all day. I never even saw the lab!"

He raised his hand with three fingers pointed at the sky and declared solemnly, "I swear, if I'm lying even a little, may I die without a proper burial!"

"Words alone won't make us believe you," Grey Rabbit said unhurriedly.

The Insect Master's eyes darted around. "Of course, of course. I sincerely want to defect. I'll tell you about the Church's situation too. What areas do you want to know?"

"Just start talking," Lu Mingqiu said.

That game of only answering what was asked and staying silent otherwise wasn't going to work here.

The Insect Master gave a shameless smile. "The Church has three bishops, each overseeing a different region: one in the north, one in the east, one in the south. Above them is a pope—I only know they exist, I've never seen them."

"I've only met one bishop: Sacred Word. They say he's the mouthpiece of the Mother Goddess Italu on earth, spreading her oracles. He oversees the northern region."

"The Church originally had four A-rank espers. Yalman the Gatekeeper is dead," he glanced up at the two seated people, "killed by the Resistance. There's also me. The only other one I know is called Red Spider, but I don't know her ability."

"It's true, I'm not lying," the Insect Master said with a bitter smile. "After what happened with the chip, how could I dare act smart now? Espers might seem impressive, but we never get near Church affairs. We're just a bunch of kept thugs. We get good food and drink, but when they need us to die, we have to go one by one."

"Anything else?" Grey Rabbit remained unmoved and pressed on.

"I've been in the Church for almost four years, and I only moved around in underground bases," the Insect Master licked his lips, hesitating. "I have... a criminal record. I can't be seen in the light."

"Do you know where the Church's bases are located?" Grey Rabbit asked.

The Insect Master kept his mouth shut, his eyes darting in panic.

"You don't know," Grey Rabbit said with certainty.

"What about their recent plans? Their latest experiments?" Grey Rabbit asked again.

The Insect Master still couldn't speak, a sheen of sweat forming on his nose.

"This kind of defection doesn't show much sincerity," Grey Rabbit said blandly.

After a moment of continued silence, Grey Rabbit waved a hand dismissively.

"It's not that I don't want to talk; I really don't know!" the Insect Master shouted in panic, a cold sweat trickling down his forehead. "They don't tell me anything."

He swallowed hard, his pupils shifting uneasily. "I know they have a base in Moon City and one in Kuerzi. Those are the only two northern bases I know of."

"And... and..." he stammered for a while, and when he saw Grey Rabbit about to raise his hand again, he quickly shouted, "I also know one thing. It happened once, two years ago—a big shot came to inspect Kuerzi. I overheard them saying the cultivation plan was almost mature."

"That's all. Really, that's all." He couldn't squeeze out any more intel. "But I can serve you! I'm also an A-rank esper, with the ability to control insects. I'd be a great addition—you won't regret it!"

"We'll need to think about it," Grey Rabbit stood up and brushed off nonexistent dust from his clothes. "We'll give you an answer in a couple of days."

The Insect Master let out a sigh of relief, his worries eased. To him, this was a sign of agreement.

An A-rank esper was a rare find—what organization would turn that down? He had been with the Church before, so they still had some reservations internally, but they'd come around eventually.

The Insect Master wiped the sweat from his face and curled up the corner of his mouth with confidence, following the guard into the holding cell.

Lu Mingqiu watched him leave and said quietly, "I don't believe him—not because he was lying, but because his view is too narrow. He can't see anything."

Grey Rabbit shrugged. "He's a fool obsessed with selfish pleasures. Once the brain-machine arrives, we'll see for ourselves. Don't use your power to probe him—don't risk getting hurt."

"The Walnut Town mission was too risky." His disapproval was faint, but Lu Mingqiu could just catch it. "You're usually cautious. You shouldn't have put yourself in danger like that. It's not like you."

"Is it because of her?" Grey Rabbit watched a tall woman run over joyfully, not sparing him a single glance—her eyes fixed on Oriole as if they hadn't seen each other in ages.

"I know my action this time was a bit unwise," Lu Mingqiu smiled at the approaching figure. "It won't happen again."

Grey Rabbit let out a long, heavy sigh—the kind of exaggerated, drawn-out sigh that carried a world of feeling.

Yan Xianchuan looked at him. In her memory, that kind of sigh usually came when her father's favorite team lost a match, often followed by a cry of "My youth!" She had heard that phrase from as far back as she could remember, right up until she graduated from high school.

The masked man's face was hidden, but his voice sounded crumpled, like he'd eaten a plateful of bitter melon that had also been soaked in bile.

"Alas..." He let out another heavy sigh. "I'm not scolding you. You know your own limits."

With that, he sighed again, shook his head, and walked off with his hands clasped behind his back—only then did he look like an old cadre.

Yan Xianchuan asked, "Who was that?"

"My former instructor." Lu Mingqiu's face broke into a smile. "Come with me, let me see your eyes."

She reached out, took Yan Xianchuan's hand, and led her back to the interrogation room, closing the door behind them. She stepped closer until they were almost pressed together, then reached up and touched Yan Xianchuan's ear.

The projected fake face flickered, revealing her original eyes. Her dark pupils lay within equally deep irises, her long, straight lashes never blinking as she stared directly into Yan Xianchuan's eyes.

"Are the eyes still comfortable? Any discomfort?" Lu Mingqiu asked with concern.

"No," Yan Xianchuan said, gazing at her blankly. "The eyes work well."

"Good." Lu Mingqiu seemed pleased and squeezed her earlobe again, then stepped back.

"How are your injuries?"

A faint red crept onto Yan Xianchuan's cheeks. She silently rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm.

"They're almost healed." Lu Mingqiu examined her for a moment and nodded. "I've got nothing to do now. Shall we go, or would you like to wander around the base a bit more?"

Yan Xianchuan shook her head immediately. "I don't want to wander. Wherever you go, I'll follow."

"Then let's go." Lu Mingqiu seemed in high spirits, a smile lingering on her face. "We'll head home, get some sleep first, then go out for a late-night snack and treat our stomachs."

Like a magician, she pulled a milk candy from her pocket. "I saw someone had a bag on their desk earlier, so I swiped two."

With a natural motion, she took Yan Xianchuan's hand and placed the candy in her palm. "It's strawberry flavored."

Yan Xianchuan's brain felt like it was boiling over from this sequence of interactions.

This was weird. What was this—was this how friends interacted? But thinking it over, nothing was really out of line. On the street, it wasn't uncommon to see two girls holding hands or hugging and still just being friends.

Her face was flushed like a fever, her earlobes too.

When she'd been a goat, being patted on the head, rubbed on the ears, or given a pat on the back hadn't embarrassed her. Those hands stroking her fur had felt like a hot spring massage, making her purr contentedly.

But now, Lu Mingqiu was so close their breaths mingled, and her eyes were like the sea reflecting the sky, her concern turning into dazzling sunlight on the water, making Yan Xianchuan's head spin and her bones feel weak.

Yan Xianchuan fumbled with the wrapper, taking twice as long as usual to peel away the pink paper and pop the pale pink candy into her mouth. She mumbled, "Mm-hmm..."

"Moon City is quite an ancient city."

They walked out of the base and wound through a few alleys before emerging onto a street food alley. The entire street was strung with round red lanterns, their tassels and knot charms dangling below. There was a lively buzz of voices, and the aroma of diverse foods filled the air—it looked festive and bustling.

Lu Mingqiu explained, "Its history goes back a thousand years or more. We have a few free days now, so we can stroll around. The Moon City zoo has peacocks and pandas, too."

Good—the zoo. Yan Xianchuan nodded absentmindedly without a single coherent thought. Even if she were invited to swim in a pool of hydrochloric acid right now, she would agree without hesitation.

"There are too many people here," Lu Mingqiu said after a moment of thought. "Should we hold hands? I'm afraid you'll get lost."

Could it be my birthday today? Yan Xianchuan thought hazily, but still managed to answer loudly, "Yes!"

The next second, a hand took hers. Its owner gave her another smile, looking completely at ease, and pulled her into the crowd.

"The snacks along this street are pretty good, but since you just ate, how about a milk tea instead? Want to try it?"

The two walked side by side. Probably because it was too noisy and she was worried Yan Xianchuan couldn't hear, Lu Mingqiu tilted her head and spoke close to her ear.

"I'll try it," Yan Xianchuan said, completely losing her ability to think and turning into a robot that could only nod.

The blast of cold air from the milk tea shop briefly snapped her back to her senses, and she suddenly remembered something important. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"Not yet," Lu Mingqiu replied honestly.

"Go eat first," Yan Xianchuan said seriously.

So, both holding a cup of milk tea, they walked hand in hand into a restaurant.

"One duck blood vermicelli soup, normal spice level," Lu Mingqiu told the waiter.

"Anything else? Our braised duck heads and necks are delicious," the waiter said, half-leaning in.

"Want some?" Lu Mingqiu turned to look at Yan Xianchuan across the table.

And of course, Yan Xianchuan nodded. "I'll take some." As she spoke, she took a sip of her milk tea, slowly chewing the boba, her cheeks puffing in and out.

So sweet—the milk tea was sweet, and the boba was sweet too. There must have been alcohol in it, or else why would she feel so tipsy.