Suppression

"Isn't that just wanting to reap the benefits while playing the saint? I get it!" The tall, gaunt ability master gave a faint smile. "Hong Da, don't take it that way. There's no misunderstanding here... If you have students on the verge of awakening, I can offer some assistance." As he spoke, he cast an intentional glance toward the dugout cave not far away. When he was rescued earlier, the battlefield had been sheer chaos, but he had observed well enough to know what had really happened. The ability master knew full well that the apprentice knight handling the heavy firepower was definitely no ordinary martial artist. "I don't have any students like that right now," Instructor Hong replied coolly. She had seen his hint plain as day and wasn't surprised in the least—it matched her own assessment perfectly. The hostage from Jin truly possessed the potential to awaken! For the human camp fighting against the Guizu, that was a good thing. Unfortunately, the boy's status was far too sensitive. Once she exposed it, the fallout would be impossible to predict. She had no desire to get tangled in such a mess. The gaunt ability master smiled again. "You don't have one now, but that doesn't mean you won't in the future." It was a rare sight indeed; ever since everyone had met him, they had seen him smile only twice. "That makes me... forget it." Instructor Hong hesitated for a second before shaking her head. She reiterated, "I am merely securing resources for Red Pine. I have no intention of turning a good thing into a disaster. Understood?" She was determined to hold on to this Guizu relic. Even if she simply turned it over to the academy, she would reap considerable benefits. High-tier contribution points at Red Pine, in particular, could be exchanged for many things that money could never buy on the open market. "Whether I understand or not doesn't matter," the ability master answered calmly. "I'm willing to buy it at a high price. Name your figure. As long as you're willing to sell, I'll owe you a favor!" "Now you're being far too formal..." A smile actually broke across Instructor Hong's perpetually frozen face. "Still, I'm quite curious. I haven't even had time to appraise what I picked up, yet you already know for sure that you need it?" For an ability master, not every treasure dropped by a Guizu was suitable for their own cultivation. In the known ability master system, there were three major branches: the elemental branch, the support branch, and the telekinesis branch. Instructor Hong's question stemmed from this very knowledge. She believed he might not even be able to use this Guizu relic, suspecting he simply wanted to use his status as an ability master to buy the treasure on the cheap. How could she stomach such deceit? "I can sense it!" the ability master replied impassively. "You still don't know enough about the ability master system." Hearing that, Hong Yan let out an exasperated chuckle. "Do you think I don't have friends who are ability masters?" "You can verify it once you return," the ability master said, shaking his head helplessly. "For today, all I ask is to take a look at the relic. You can take it back to Red Pine, and we'll conduct the trade later..." He then looked at the burly man. "Would it be convenient for you to serve as a witness?" "Of course," the burly grand knight answered without hesitation. "I expect a cut of the pie!" With things having reached this point, Instructor Hong could no longer refuse. Grudgingly, she untied the small leather pouch at her waist. Higher-tier Guizu relics often carried negative effects, making leather insulation the best precaution. What she drew out was a cylindrical object, slightly brownish in color, with a texture that seemed neither metal nor stone. It was about five centimeters long and roughly two centimeters thick, slightly narrower in the middle, resembling a fragment of bone. The ability master's eyes widened, barely able to conceal his excitement. "Fine stuff! I can use it! Could you..." "No," Instructor Hong refused flatly, then held it up for the others to see. "Everyone sees it. It's just..." Since the chances of keeping it entirely to herself were slim, she might as well handle it openly and let everyone present bear witness. Just then, a figure darted out not far away, charging outward with a raised saber. It was the young guide. Several people had noticed when Wu Youren entered the cave earlier. While somewhat puzzled as to why he had retreated inside, no rule dictated that everyone had to stand around watching the excitement. Now that he dashed out, everyone recognized him, but charging outside... what in the world was he doing? "Put the relic away, fast!" The burly man reacted instantly, shouting urgently, "It's luring the Guizu!" Guizu could produce treasures within their bodies, and the reverse held true: many Guizu relics could stimulate the growth of Guizu. However, common knowledge held that the fusion of most relics with Guizu was a matter of coincidence that required time. Relics capable of driving Guizu into a feeding frenzy were exceptionally rare, and whenever one appeared, it would incite infighting among them. Everyone had heard rumors of such occurrences, but very few had ever witnessed them in person. Who would have guessed that this tiny bone-like relic could trigger such a reaction? Instructor Hong swept her gaze over the surroundings before stowing the treasure away, remarking unhurriedly, "This proves I didn't swap it out." She wasn't overly concerned by the surging Guizu aura nearby, as they had already cleared out a fair amount earlier. Wu Youren had also spotted it in time; no large-scale swarm had formed yet, merely a disturbance in the neighboring aura. She was more curious about why the young fellow was acting so recklessly this time. Glancing toward his figure, she saw him locked in fierce combat with several shadowy apparitions. His technique was remarkably orderly, and the blade of his saber seemed coated in ghost-dispelling powder, each slash proving extraordinarily effective. The ability master looked at Wu Youren as well, letting out a soft murmur of surprise. "Such perception... truly extraordinary." With so many people outside, the boy inside the cave had actually noticed the shift in Guizu aura before anyone else. While the crowd had been distracted by the treasure, remaining unaffected by it was impressive in its own right. Neither of them wasted time marveling, however; they joined the others in striking out to disperse the approaching Guizu aura. Wu Youren hadn't charged into the fray out of arrogance or a belief that he could take on the Guizu aura alone; he was fighting his own desires. The moment that Guizu relic was drawn, it had exerted an overwhelming pull on him, sending restless impulses surging through his body and mind alike! This would not do. He had to find something to occupy himself! Not only were there two grand knights outside, but more importantly, an ability master was present. If they noticed anything abnormal about him, the consequences would be catastrophic. By forcing himself into battle, he harvested another wave of experience points, feeling... once again somewhat stuffed to the limit. Even so, it was vastly better than letting anyone catch on to his bizarre impulse! The skirmish didn't last long, wrapping up in about ten minutes. Everyone remained on high alert for another half hour, and after confirming that the Guizu aura showed no further signs of disturbance, the incident finally drew to a close. Around midnight, the route to the rear was cleared, bringing two minibuses, five off-road vehicles, and over a dozen motorcycles. Among the arrivals was a grand knight from the guard department, who escorted the ability master away. The other reinforcements were curious about what sort of prominent figure required a grand knight as a personal escort. Instructor Hong and the burly man, however, had already warned everyone under strict penalty never to speak of the matter. The others could easily deduce that for an esteemed ability master to be reduced to a state weaker than an apprentice, he must have run into serious trouble. A matter of such consequence was definitely not something to gossip about. Puzzled, the burly grand knight only dared to whisper to Instructor Hong, "Who exactly is he?" Instructor Hong merely sneered. "As if I'd tell you unless you give me a cut!" "Don't even dream of it!" the burly man refused flatly. "I'm just curious—what does an ability master even do in the Office of Supervision?" "The Office of Supervision needs martial power too," Instructor Hong answered without hesitation. "Did you forget about the telekinesis branch?" "Tch." The burly man dropped the subject at once. "Next up, are you taking part in the operation to punch through to Suotu?" "I follow an agility path," Hong Yan stated clearly. "I'm not going to charge ahead like a brute like you." The burly man ignored her jab. "That's how soldiers ought to act. In that case, you can serve as a scout." "Make me a scout?" Instructor Hong scoffed. "Wait until your military's Divine Might Knight gets here before bringing that up." The burly man's true aim wasn't her anyway. "Then you can at least lend us your student." Truth be told, the boy's perceptive abilities made his mouth water. "Don't dream of that either," Hong Yan replied sternly. "We agreed not to mention today's events... Don't go upsetting that ability master." The next day, fresh reinforcements arrived, and the wounded were transported back to the rear, Cynthia among them. Having suffered no injuries, Wu Youren had no reason to be sent back. Yet as more reinforcements poured in, he found himself gradually pushed to the sidelines. Some knew of his keen senses regarding the Guizu, but discussing that rescue mission inevitably involved the ability master. By unspoken consensus, everyone kept their mouths shut about the young man. Even if someone entertained an idea, they would first inquire privately with the burly man or Instructor Hong, and the outcome went without saying. As a result, three days later, someone noticed that Wu Youren's cave was well-equipped and centrally located, and stepped forward to requisition it. A military knight handled the matter, while Instructor Hong stood by watching coldly, uttering not a word. Wu Youren simply stated: I have no objection to a military requisition, but... you have to pay! On the front lines of a battlefield, money was the most useless commodity, far inferior to hard goods, and few carried much on them. In the end, the knight offered ten silver dollars, a price given largely on account of the traps set around the entrance. It wasn't particularly generous, but for a job an apprentice knight could finish in two days, it wouldn't fetch nearly as much away from the front line. The knight hadn't requisitioned the spot for personal comfort either; it was meant as a temporary shelter for the wounded. Wu Youren wanted to dig another cave nearby, but was ordered to stop—it didn't fit into the frontline's overall layout. He had no choice but to pitch a temporary tent. Even on the battlefield, those ten silver dollars hadn't come easily. Over the following days, he deliberately kept a low profile. Amid the rapidly shifting battlefield situation, he quickly faded from everyone's attention. Still, from time to time, someone would draft him for hard labor, such as felling trees, pitching sheds, and laying traps. And night patrols... not because anyone recognized his keen perception, but simply because the knights were all preoccupied with various combat preparations.