Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Unexpected Shadow_1
"Ruan, why haven’t you gone home? It’s so late."
Wang Linchi was somewhat puzzled and alert upon returning to the office and seeing Ruan Tian still there.
Usually at this hour, Ruan Tian would have already left. As soon as it was time to leave, he’d clock out immediately, never one to dally. But now, nearly half an hour after the workday had ended, he was still in the office. This was definitely unusual. Working overtime? I knew our job too well; there was no possibility of overtime.
"I’m waiting for you," Ruan Tian responded.
"Waiting for me? Why not tell me tomorrow?" Wang Linchi said with a laugh, though his vigilance escalated.
This was completely out of character for Ruan Tian.
Wang Linchi stood by the door, showing no intention of entering.
"Are you scared?" Ruan Tian suddenly asked.
Wang Linchi didn’t deny it. "Yes, I am scared."
There was no shame in admitting it. Considering Ruan Tian’s odd behavior, it would have been foolish for me to get any closer.
"So, you’re also from the Shadow Covenant?" Wang Linchi asked bluntly.
Ruan Tian seemed fearless; perhaps he had a backup plan. I cursed inwardly. The Shadow Covenant’s infiltration ran deep. If even my colleague was one of their shadows, how much worse could it be elsewhere? The Soul Kind Bureau was the backbone of the economy; I’d figured that much out. Soul Kinds were like gold in my previous life, underpinning the currency. It was outrageous that a cultist could infiltrate such a pivotal place. Was this a sign of the Dajing Dynasty’s decaying state?
"You’re clever," Ruan Tian said evenly, "but it’s a petty cleverness. Pointing out my identity now will only anger me; it won’t make me hesitate."
"Alright. Before I die, can you at least let me understand something?" Wang Linchi asked. "I want to know why the Shadow Covenant wants to kill me and the other survivors. Given your position in the Shadow Covenant, you should know, right?"
I had no idea what Ruan Tian’s status in the Shadow Covenant was, but it was worth a bluff. Escape seemed unlikely; I didn’t know Ruan Tian’s true strength.
"Do you remember Fang Cheng?" Ruan Tian asked. He seemed ready to talk, clearly believing he had already won.
"I remember."
How could I forget? If it weren’t for that bastard, I wouldn’t have had to flee Qinghe City and would have finished my last two years of school.
"Back then, your parents discovered a new Secret Realm," Ruan Tian began, spinning what sounded like a tired old tale. "This realm was special. Besides its unpredictable location and specific opening times, it could also be drawn to a particular place and opened with a key. And it was a colossal Secret Realm."
"And that key is the set of Rainbow Soul Kinds, isn’t it?" Wang Linchi stated directly.
"You’re not wrong to say that, but it’s not the key itself; rather, it contains information about the key. After you were born, your parents clearly sensed they were being watched. Eventually, using Soul Kind techniques, they split the key’s information and sealed it into five Soul Kinds. They then told their close friend, Fang Cheng, about this."
"Originally, Fang Cheng did intend to keep the secret, but then came the decline of the Peacock Sword Sect," Ruan Tian said, a hint of interest in his voice.
"Let me guess, the Shadow Covenant was also behind my parents’ deaths, right? After all, only you guys seem to know such classified information," Wang Linchi conjectured.
Ruan Tian nodded. "Not quite. It was the Court. We were able to obtain this information thanks to Fang Cheng. After he was executed and his body was hung on the city wall, we managed to capture his soul, though it wasn’t entirely intact."
"So that’s how it is," Wang Linchi said, breathing a sigh of relief. "The Court probably never discovered this secret. Their research must have simply infringed upon the interests of certain people within the Court."
"Correct. As for whose interests, I doubt you’re keen to find out, are you?" Ruan Tian chose not to elaborate this time.
"No wonder the Baylong Religion tried to make a comeback at that critical moment," Wang Linchi said. "That must have been orchestrated by your Shadow Covenant too. If Feng Zhu hadn’t shown up unexpectedly, that set of Rainbow Soul Kinds would have fallen into your hands." I suppose I was just lucky to have stumbled upon a way to disrupt their plans.
"Alright, any more questions? If not, I’m ready to send you on your way." Ruan Tian felt he had answered Wang Linchi’s questions and it was time to finish him.
"You’ve said so much, but you still haven’t told me why you want to kill *me*?" Wang Linchi pressed. "I’m just an insignificant person. The Soul Kinds aren’t with me, I haven’t gotten involved in the struggle for the key, and before you targeted me, I knew nothing about any of this."
"Didn’t I tell you?" Ruan Tian blinked, then said with a smirk, "It doesn’t matter. You can take your time thinking about it after you’re dead."
He clearly had no intention of answering Wang Linchi’s question; this was his twisted sense of humor.
Wang Linchi took a step back and reached for the door handle. Just as he’d expected, it wouldn’t open.
Simultaneously, a black hue permeated the entire room. The Shadow Covenant’s signature ability, the Shadow Space Boundary, had manifested.
"Die!"
As the boundary enveloped the room, Ruan Tian pulled out a pistol and fired directly at Wang Linchi.
BANG.
Wang Linchi instantly dodged.
I can’t dodge bullets, but I can dodge if they shout before they shoot. And he did shout before firing.
"You’ve already deployed a Shadow Space Boundary, yet you resort to a gun? Couldn’t you try some actual shadow assassination techniques?" Wang Linchi complained. Even before he finished speaking, he had activated the Soul Kind Page: Fanciful and Fickle at its maximum power.
In an instant, Ruan Tian’s head exploded, splattering brain matter all over the cramped office. Wang Linchi couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
Wait, how did you die?! For a moment, Wang Linchi was speechless. If you’re dead, why is the boundary still active...?
Wang Linchi searched Ruan Tian’s corpse and confirmed he was dead. He found a valuable item on the body.
It was called the Shadow Amulet. It could create a Shadow Space Boundary and also conceal its use from the Soul Kind Bureau for a short period.
So you really were just a White Porcelain level, and a basic one at that, Wang Linchi concluded after inspecting the body and assessing the situation. Damn, you scared the hell out of me. It makes sense, though. This is the Soul Kind Bureau, after all. Even if the Shadow Covenant wanted to plant someone here, they wouldn’t send a true Elite Gold Level operative.