Could It Be?

Hong Yan did not answer Wu Youren. Reaching out, she pulled out the motorcycle. With a flick of her hand, she effortlessly returned the boulder to its place, then bent down and placed her left hand on the handlebars. The next instant, the motorcycle began to expand. Within mere seconds, it had restored to its original size. Instructor Hong swung a leg over the bike, glanced sideways at the youth, and spoke casually. "I told you before: unless you're a grand knight, you can't ride my bike... Get on!" Wu Youren silently climbed on and grabbed the handholds built into the seat—with those there, trying to wrap his arms around her waist would be suicidal! In truth, his mind was far too occupied for such thoughts, flooded entirely with questions: How had she done that? Hong Yan started the engine, tearing wildly across the wasteland. The ride was jolting violently, but one could hardly complain; no other motorcycle could run across this wasteland like this at all! Wu Youren's belly was full of questions, yet he dared not ask. He knew full well that his relationship with Hong Da was hardly close. Though he had handed over three thousand silver dollars, that had merely been her punishing him for tossing around a grand knight's name without permission! The speeding motorcycle churned up a towering plume of dust. In the distance, faint silhouettes of small figures flickered, but none dared approach or pick a fight. After a bumpy stretch, the bike rolled onto the main road and smoothed out considerably. The husky voice finally spoke again. "You're very cautious." Not knowing what she was referring to, Wu Youren answered carefully, "It's mostly that I don't know the classification level, so I dare not speak out of turn." "It's just that your rank isn't high enough," Hong Da said nonchalantly. "The methods of a support branch ability master can enlarge and shrink things." She didn't consider this much of a secret. In the circles of grand knights, it wasn't a secret at all, and even some knights knew about it. The authorities had indeed classified it, but that was strictly a restriction placed on martial artists' cultivation levels. Such information was indeed unsuited for ordinary people to know, but once one reached that tier, it was common knowledge. Wu Youren didn't know how to follow up. After four or five seconds of silence, he merely sighed with admiration. "An ability master... truly miraculous." The husky voice spoke once more. "You seem to have become an ability master yourself." "Surely not?" Wu Youren replied in astonishment. "How would I not know?" "I find it strange as well," Hong Yan said, steering steadily. "You lack certain traits of an ability master. How did you manage it?" Wu Youren stared at her back, fighting hard to suppress the urge to cast the Fireball Art. She could not possibly be a fool. He stated calmly, "I grew up in the Hostage Manor and never had access to any materials on ability masters. The military said they could give me some..." The husky voice went quiet for two or three seconds before chiming in again. "Why didn't you take them?" "I didn't dare!" Wu Youren answered placidly. Yet those three short words laid bare all the bitterness and helplessness of a hostage. "The military isn't that petty," Instructor Hong remarked briefly. "Oh, right. You'll be stuck there in the future." "Alas," Wu Youren let out a soft sigh. "Hong Da, I really just want to be an ordinary person." "Being an ordinary person is no good," the husky voice stated evenly. "No one likes that bone-deep feeling of powerlessness." "Understood." How could Wu Youren dare say another word? "I know you have secrets, but I don't care," the husky voice continued of its own accord. As a grand knight, she had the standing to speak with such blunt disregard. Yet a moment later, she shifted the topic. "Tell me, wouldn't it be better if my bike could be shrunk a little further?" Wu Youren hesitated for only half a second before replying decisively, "Of course! Then you could carry it with you anywhere!" "Mm," the husky voice grunted softly. "The classification level on that is rather high. Don't go spreading it around." "Rest assured. I may not have other talents, but I'm cautious enough." "I'm hoping to hunt a few Guizu relics used for shrinking the bike. Would you be willing to help me?" "I would," Wu Youren answered without hesitation. "However, targeting specific Guizu relics... I dare not make promises." Among Guizu relics, even resentment crystals came in many types. Such a request was asking for a bit much. And she was asking for... a few of them? "Other Guizu relics are fine too," Instructor Hong said amiably. "In any case, the rarer the better. It makes trading them easier." "I... can only say I'll do my best," Wu Youren answered gingerly. "Hong Da, I'm just a nobody." Hong Yan kept her head down and drove. Only after half a minute did she ask, "You must have a private stash hidden away in the mountains, don't you?" "No!" Wu Youren answered without skipping a beat. That was the only answer. His response could not be slow, but it couldn't be too fast either! "Telling me that is pointless," Instructor Hong drove steadily on. "Neither of them believes you either." "Since nobody believes you anyway, you might as well gather some up." "Mm." Wu Youren nodded. At this moment, what else could he say? Her words were airy and tossed off casually, but the more he chewed on them, the more his dread grew. Originally, he had thought that even if Sister Hua and the soldier suspected he had stashed away some treasures, they wouldn't be able to confirm it. Yet if even Instructor Hong, who hadn't been on the scene, could guess as much, then the problem was grave. Whether it was the Intelligence Bureau or the military, when did either ever listen to reason? Both organizations were the type to drum up trouble out of thin air. As long as they suspected he had a secret stash, resorting to intimidation and threats would be standard procedure. The only reason they hadn't moved against him before was that he still had utility value. Once he completed the crystal task... what would happen then? The mere thought made his scalp tingle. No wonder Sister Hua had advised him not to rush back. That was probably one of the reasons—perhaps even the primary one. Thinking even deeper, if Instructor Hong hadn't shown up, leaving that mountain ridge might have been far from easy. This brush with danger brought him not only relief and lingering fear, but also profound self-reproach. *Was I an idiot? Had I lived in peace for too long, to the point of believing those two would actually play fair?* *Tsk, I still thought too well of human nature. Not devious enough.* Composing himself, Wu Youren took the initiative to ask, "What does that kind of Guizu relic look like?" This question still touched on classified matters and was somewhat rash, but Instructor Hong didn't see it that way. Plenty of people seeking her favor would inquire about her preferences in advance. "There should be more than one type of relic that achieves the effect. I only know of one... a pale green object, honeycomb-shaped!" "Oh." The youth on the back seat nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. What type of Guizu should I hunt?" "Don't know," the rider shook her head slightly, then added, "Hunting Guizu-transformed creatures offers a higher probability." "Mm." Wu Youren nodded slightly once more. To be precise, it had to be a Guizu-transformed pouch eagle! Instead, he asked, "Are the more detailed specifics classified?" The husky voice replied calmly, "Even I don't have the clearance to know more. What do you think?" "No clearance?" Wu Youren nodded slightly. "Understood!" Clearly, information barriers had already been established, shutting out even a grand knight like Hong Yan. Was it strange? He could entirely accept it; no wonder the Teli Tribe couldn't retain their resentment crystals. "As expected of someone with a background in political intrigue—sharp perception," the husky voice observed calmly. Then she suddenly asked, "What do you need to formally attempt awakening? I'm being serious!" "I wouldn't dare attempt it," Wu Youren answered without thinking, "nor do I know how." Hong Yan was genuinely annoyed now. "I'm the one asking, not someone from the Intelligence Bureau." *You don't even know about the pouch eagle!* Wu Youren replied solemnly, "Hong Da, I will do my utmost to help..." "Right now, I don't need anything. If I must ask for something, I'd like recent news of my family." The bonds with his family belonged to his previous self, and he was willing to take on that karma. Yet to say he missed them deeply was nonsense; his predecessor had been only seven years old when leaving home, and his memories were barely clear. It was just that when a grand knight told him to make a request, he didn't dare refuse. The crucial point was that he couldn't ask for too much; that would show a total lack of propriety! Thus, bringing up this request hit the sweet spot—innocuous and just right—while simultaneously building an image of someone who treasured family. Why not do it? In his understanding, people of Liang were somewhat colder regarding familial ties, but as a human being, valuing kin was at least beyond reproach. "Your family..." The husky voice paused before speaking again. "That's beyond my scope of authority!" It wasn't that she couldn't manage it—what was such a trivial matter to her? The issue was that she didn't want to overstep her bounds! Still, she had to admit that his request was indeed modest. "I'll see how things go later." It wasn't an outright refusal; she was thinking... what if an opportunity arose? As soon as the words left her mouth, she caught herself. "Does that even count as a request?" "I'm used to disappointment," Wu Youren stated faintly. "Even a request like this feels excessive!" Instructor Hong fell silent. The hostages truly lived lives of extraordinary timidity. Even so, she had no intention of lamenting the plight of foreigners; it was none of her business. It was just that with his request being so minor, she was somewhat unsatisfied. If she gave too little, counting on him to help with all his might would become far more difficult. Given Instructor Hong's current standing, she disdained taking advantage of a kid. "Make a proper request." "I don't even know if I can find one," Wu Youren mumbled softly. "How can I ask for something?" "Consider it an investment on my part," the rider said nonchalantly, her short hair whipping in the wind. "An advance investment in an ability master." "No need to rush. Give it some good thought about what you want. I'm rarely this generous." The youth on the back seat remained silent. A few minutes later, a convoy approached from the opposite direction, made up of dozens of military vehicles advancing in grand fashion. As the two sides passed each other, a massive off-road vehicle honked its horn at the motorcycle. Someone poked their head out, waved to Hong Yan, and called out something. Instructor Hong merely nodded slightly, acknowledging the gesture. Before long, another convoy appeared, this one numbering over twenty vehicles of all shapes and sizes. This time, several more people called out greetings, but Hong Yan still gave only a faint nod. Once the convoy roared past, she remarked offhandedly, "Those were from other Martial Academies."