Chapter 102: Sage |
They shared a glance. ID cards. Who would’ve guessed such a mundane thing could be a hurdle?
“Any ideas?” Zheng Hong furrowed his brow, scanning their faces.
Fang Yu grit his teeth. “We’re here to kick some ass, right? So let’s just do it.”
Liu Yu nodded, her fists clenched. “Yeah, let’s stick to the plan. Zheng Hong, Fang Yu, and I’ll handle the elevator. You guys head for the Sage’s office.”
“Sounds good.” Yu Xiao shrugged, unruffled. “Let’s not waste time.”
The security guard observed them with a puzzled expression. They said they wanted in, but hadn’t bothered to check in. Instead, they huddled, whispering like conspirators. He almost called for backup, but they seemed harmless, mostly young girls.
Just as he was about to question them, they all turned to him at once.
The guard shivered.
The girl who seemed barely twenty approached him. “Sorry about this.”
Yu Xiao tapped his neck lightly. Before he could react, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
Onlookers in the building watched in astonishment as Yu Xiao took charge. With a wave, she declared, “Let’s go, everyone!”
They stormed in like a pack of wolves, taking over the front desk and smashing all the phones. Liu Yu grabbed a receptionist by the collar, barking, “Where’s the elevator control room?”
The receptionist, kicking her legs in panic, blurted out the location of the control room.
Security guards, alerted by the commotion, rushed towards them, batons in hand.
Yu Xiao grinned wickedly. “Perfect timing.” She lunged at the guards, with Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan following suit. Inside, they subdued every guard in their path.
They reached the elevator doors. The lobby echoed with screams and chaos. The elevator seemed agonizingly slow, stopping at every floor, making Yu Xiao impatient.
“So slow,” Zhou Xiao Zhen complained.
Zhao Lan tried to reassure her. “Elevators in tall buildings are never fast.”
They waited anxiously until they heard a familiar sound – the long-absent wail of sirens.
They stared at each other, speechless.
“Shit,” Zheng Hong cursed, “Who called the cops? Why didn’t you stop them?”
“How could we have known?” Fang Yu snapped, “We’ve done this a million times instances, and no one’s ever called the cops before.”
They had been out of touch with reality for too long, neglecting the simplest issues: someone calling the police.
Police cars screeched to a halt outside the Sage Tower, officers taking cover behind their doors, shouting through megaphones, “This is the police! Drop your weapons, release the hostages, and surrender with your hands up!”
“…”
They froze for a second. Zhou Xiao Zhen felt like she was in a movie, one of those cop thrillers.
“What’s our move now?” she pondered, “Do we confront the cops head-on?”
Liu Yu rolled her eyes, “They have guns, genius.”
“Then what?” Zheng Hong groaned, “Just surrender?”
“…”
The police also inspected the scene indoors. Several people were strewn across the floor, but the six culprits were unarmed. They eased up a bit. The lead detective holstered his gun, approached the building, and inquired, “What’s the story here? Why did you attack the Sage Tower?”
Yu Xiao scanned the area nervously and blurted out, “We wanted to participate in the challenge, but we forgot our IDs. When the security refused us entry, we got angry and things escalated.”
They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Their explanation was absurd, yet oddly believable. Four of them were young girls, and none had weapons. One even had a mahjong set. Who brings mahjong to a crime scene anyway?
Sirens blared as they were taken into custody. They found themselves at the police station, where Captain Zhang, who had spoken to them earlier, gave them a stern talking-to.
“Aren’t you all adults? Don’t you possess any common sense?”
“Um…” Zhou Xiao Zhen raised her hand sheepishly. “I’m actually a minor.”
“…,” Zhang’s face reddened. “And you dragged a kid along to commit a crime! Where are your guardians? Where do you reside? What school do you attend…”
Yu Xiao sensed trouble; they had to get out of this mess.
Zhang grilled them for a while, but gleaned nothing. He stormed off for a breather.
With Zhang gone, Yu Xiao suggested, “Direct confrontation won’t work.”
“Can we sneak in?” Zhou Xiao Zhen wondered. “But we don’t have IDs.”
“Then let’s try a less aggressive approach,” Yu Xiao proposed, learning from their mistakes. “We got busted because we wasted time knocking out too many people. If we can lure them away without hurting them, we’ll be fine.”
Zhao Lan scratched her chin. “Distracting them is the tricky part. The building is crawling with security guards. How do we shake them off?”
Liu Yu reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. “Behold, the Hate Card. One-time use only. Whoever uses it becomes the most despised person in the world. Anyone who lays eyes on you will want to chase you down and beat you up. I’ve been saving this for a rainy day, but… I guess this is it.”
Fang Yu’s eyes widened. “That’s perfect. That’s exactly what we need.”
Liu Yu bit her lip. “There’s a catch, though. I’m terrified of using it. What if they catch me and kill me?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen puffed out her chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it. I’ll be the target.”
Zhao Lan nodded. “That’s very brave of you. But we still have one more problem. How do we escape from the police station?”
Fang Yu grinned. “I’ve got that covered. I’m going to fake my suicide.”
“…” Everyone stared at him in silence.
“Come on, Fang!” Zheng Hong broke the silence. “Don’t be reckless. Things aren’t that dire. And what if something goes wrong? How will I cope without you?”
Fang Yu rolled his eyes. “Are you daft? Yu Xiao has the 【Healing Crisis Talisman】. I won’t actually die. I’ll just pretend. They’ll have to take me out for medical attention, right? And then I’ll insist that you all accompany me. Easy peasy.”
Zhao Lan nodded. “Solid plan. But we need to make a big scene. The more they freak out, the better for us.”
Sergeant Zhang gulped down two cups of tea, hoping to ease his nerves. He instructed his men to check the records of the six suspects and headed to confront them himself.
He had a bad feeling about them from the start, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. Then it hit him—they were just too cool. Not a hint of fear or nervousness showed on any of their faces, not even the two younger girls. They should’ve been sweating buckets by now.
“So, what’s it gonna be?” Zhang approached them. “Wanna come clean?”
Fang Yu got up, walked over to Zhang, and snatched the teacup from his hand.
“Thirsty?” Zhang asked.
Fang Yu, holding the teacup, replied with a deadpan expression, “Let us go, or you’ll regret it.”
Zhang chuckled. “Is that a threat, punk? Listen, I’ve been a cop for a long time, and I don’t scare easily.”
“Suit yourself,” Fang Yu said, and hurled the teacup against the wall. It shattered into fragments, sending hot tea and shards flying, steam billowing into the air.
Zhang, taken aback, reached for his gun. “What the heck do you think you’re doing?”
Fang Yu grabbed a piece from the floor and pressed it against his neck. “How about you let us go, huh?”
“You…” Captain Zhang was ready to blow his top. “You think this is a joke? I’m not your daddy—”
He didn’t get to finish. Fang Yu slashed his neck, and blood gushed out. He had hit the artery, causing a warm spray to hit Captain Zhang’s face.
“…”
Captain Zhang couldn’t believe his eyes. He did it so fast? Without a word? That’s just ruthless!
He hurried to support Fang Yu, yelling, “Move it! Get the car!”
He and Zheng Hong hoisted Fang Yu and ran outside, with Yu Xiao and the others in tow. The cops outside were shocked too. They thought Captain Zhang was a good guy, but he had crossed a line this time.
Nobody paid attention to Yu Xiao and the others. They all piled into the police car with Fang Yu.
As the car raced away, Captain Zhang applied pressure to Fang Yu’s bleeding neck, furious and frightened. “You lunatic! You’re insane! Was this worth risking your life for? You’re his friends, why didn’t you stop him?”
Zheng Hong said, “Calm down, Old Fang is hanging in there.”
“Right,” Zhao Lan glanced at Fang Yu, “He’s lost a lot of blood. He’s out cold.”
“I see,” Yu Xiao fetched some talismans.
T hey were as cool as cucumbers, casually chatting as if nothing was wrong.
Captain Zhang couldn’t help but inquire, “What in the world are you talking about? What’s going on?”
Then he witnessed the girl pulling out some yellow papers, resembling something straight out of a cheesy TV show. What were those things? Did they belong to some sort of cult?
“Could you please move your hand?” Yu Xiao asked, gently nudging Captain Zhang’s hand aside.
Captain Zhang thought to himself, Mind your own business. Yet, he couldn’t resist her ‘gentle’ gesture.
Captain Zhang: “…”
As soon as she moved his hand, the boy’s bleeding surged towards the ceiling. Yu Xiao swiftly slapped a talisman on his neck, halting the bleeding.
Captain Zhang: “?! “
Yu Xiao slapped another talisman to his neck, and the wound vanished.
Captain Zhang smacked his face, thinking he must be dreaming.
Yu Xiao then slapped a third talisman on Fang Yu’s neck. To everyone’s surprise, Fang Yu, who had been as pale as a ghost, suddenly regained consciousness. He groaned, blinked, and opened his eyes.
Captain Zhang’s face stung from all the slapping. He abandoned the idea of dreaming and concluded that he must be losing his mind.
Fang Yu blinked awake, feeling oddly serene. He propped himself up and gazed at Captain Zhang, who stared back with a mixture of fear and confusion. “What should we do with him?”
Captain Zhang felt like he was in a surreal nightmare. “Who are you people? Were you just performing some sort of magic tricks?”
Yu Xiao flashed a mischievous grin. “We put him to sleep. He’s harmless. I won’t harm him much.” She tapped Captain Zhang’s neck lightly. He slumped over, unconscious. She banged on the front window and shouted, “Hey, pull over! The captain suddenly passed out!”
The rookie cop behind the wheel hit the brakes and got out of the car. He saw Captain Zhang’s limp body and the bloodstained Fang Yu, who looked oddly healed. He swallowed hard and said, “What the hell is goi—?”
He didn’t get to finish his question. Zhao Lan flicked her wrist and sent him to dreamland too. She slid into the driver’s seat and said, “I’ll take over. We’re going to the Sage Tower.”
The six of them piled back into the police car and sped off to the Sage Tower.
The Sage Tower had just recovered from the chaos. The security guard, who had regained consciousness, bravely resumed his duty. He wasn’t hurt, so he didn’t need a break. He still had some fight in him.
He had been standing at the door for barely two minutes when a police car screeched to a halt in front of him.
It must be the cops coming to check on the situation, he thought. Then he saw the six freaks who had knocked him out earlier stepping out of the car, one of them covered in blood.
“…”
“Oh God, The security guard felt a chill down his spine. He wondered if they had slaughtered the whole police station.
Zhou Xiao Zhen flashed a card in her hand and told the crowd, “Make way, folks. I’ll be back soon. You can have your turn then.”
The others shuffled aside, letting Zhou Xiao Zhen stroll into the building, card in hand.
The guard was torn between doing his job and saving his skin. He prided himself on being a good employee, but the woman who just got off a police car had a severed hand dangling from the back door, wearing a cop’s glove. How could he confront such a criminal?
So, he did nothing but watch as Zhou Xiao Zhen went in.
Once inside, Zhou Xiao Zhen didn’t waste any time. She hopped around the lobby, screaming, “Look at me! Look at me! Everyone look at me!”
Her behavior was so insane that everyone on the ground floor dropped their work to gawk at her. Zhou Xiao Zhen smirked. With a snap of her finger, the card flew out, the grudge card spent in one shot.
In a flash, the eyes of everyone on the ground floor turned bloodshot, panting hard with gritted teeth. They had no idea who this girl was, but they loathed her, craving to rip her apart and gulp her down.
“Damn it!”
“I’m gonna kill you!”
“I’m gonna kill you too!!”
Seeing the situation go downhill, Zhou Xiao Zhen spun and ran. The people, blinded by rage, chased after her. The girl sprinted onto the main street, with the mob howling behind her, a rampage in motion.
“Woah,” Fang Yu’s eyes widened as he gazed at the angry swarm of working-class people chase after a lone, bald girl. “This is some high-quality effect.”
“Come on, we don’t have all day,” Yu Xiao urged, leading the way into the empty lobby. She turned to Liu Yu and Zheng Hong. “You two, go to the elevator control room and make sure it works. We’ll take the lift to the top floor.”
They nodded and split up. Yu Xiao, Fang Yu, and Zhao Lan waited for the elevator to arrive.
Fang Yu leaned against the wall. “What if the sage dude doesn’t want to join our merry band of misfits?”
Zhao Lan shrugged. “We knock him out and drag him along.”
Yu Xiao grinned and gave her a thumbs up. “Misty, you’re awesome. You’re growing on me.”
Zhao Lan sighed. “I wasn’t always this violent, you know…”
They chatted until the elevator dinged.
A woman in a suit greeted them at the door. She looked confused. “Who are you? You don’t look like you work here. Where are your badges?”
Fang Yu whispered, “What now?”
Zhao Lan lifted her hand, and the woman slumped in the elevator.
Zhao Lan said, “Next time, skip the questions and go for the knockout.”
Fang Yu and Yu Xiao clapped.
The elevator stopped at every floor, and more people tried to get in. But they all met the same fate as the woman. By the time they reached the top, the elevator was crammed with bodies.
Fang Yu’s voice was muffled by the pile of unconscious bodies on top of him. “Can you bloody move these wankers off me? I’m dying here.”
Yu Xiao rolled her eyes. “Quit whining, we’re almost there.” She grabbed a limp arm and flung it aside, clearing a path to the lift door. “Come on, this is the top floor.”
They stumbled out of the cramped metal box, gasping for air. Before they could celebrate, they felt a chill on their necks. They turned around and saw a row of men in black suits and sunglasses, holding guns to their heads.
“…”
“Fuck me sideways,” Fang Yu’s eyes widened. “This Sage bloke has his own bloody secret service.”
Zhao Lan’s face paled. “How are we supposed to fight these guys? We’re tough, but we’re not bulletproof.”
Yu Xiao bit her lip, trying to think of a plan. One of the men in black spoke into his earpiece. “We have them. They match the description… Roger that.”
He walked towards Yu Xiao and pointed at her. “You. The Sage wants a word with you.”
Yu Xiao raised her eyebrows. “Just me? What about them?” She nodded at Zhao Lan and Fang Yu.
“The Sage only wants you,” the man said flatly.
Yu Xiao shrugged. “Alright then, lead the way.” She followed him, leaving her friends behind. She had come here to meet the Sage, after all. This was her chance. She wasn’t going to let it slip by.
Yu Xiao was guided by the gun-toting goon through the endless corridor of the top floor. She didn’t bother to look at the paintings that hung on the walls, figuring they were just some boring old art. Until one of them caught her eye and made her stop dead in her tracks.
The goon scowled, ready to push her along, but then he heard a sound and stiffened.
The painting was a sketch, a stark contrast of white on white. A lone figure in a white coat stood in the center, eyes closed, surrounded by nothing but white walls, white floor and ceiling, and finally white doors. Yu Xiao knew that scene.; it was the moment she was about to run from that white hospital, with her in a white coat, standing in the deserted hallway with her eyes shut.
That was her!
Yu Xiao felt a chill run down her spine. Why was there a painting of her here? And how did it capture her exact moment in the white hospital?
She leaned closer, noticing the dust and cobwebs on the frame. This painting was old. It had been here for a long time.
She resumed her walk, scanning the other paintings with curiosity. They all had something to do with her and the others who had entered this nightmare. One showed Precious sprinting for a door, a horde of ghosts on her heels.
So that’s why the hospital corridor was crawling with spooks. Precious had unleashed them. They had been in this together from the start, but Yu Xiao never got to ask Misty and Precious what they had seen in the white hospital.
She moved on, seeing more horrors. Misty getting yanked into a room by an unseen force. Liu Yu clutching her bloody stump of a hand. Fang Yu missing an ear. And then, the darkest painting of all. Barely visible, two figures holding hands, walking through a wasteland of bones and rubble.
The darkness swallowed Yu Xiao as she trailed behind the ghost. It led her through a maze of darkness.
“Who’s the artist?”
“The Sage,” the goon grunted. “He painted them all himself.”
“When did he paint them?”
“Beats me,” the goon shrugged. “They were here when I got hired five years ago.”
Yu Xiao bit her lip, feeling a surge of shock. The Sage had known they would come here today, five years ago?
“Here we are.” The goon stopped at a door that had a weird beast carved on it. Yu Xiao couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be. “The Sage is expecting you.”
Yu Xiao took a deep breath and stepped inside. The room was nothing like what she had imagined. It wasn’t a fancy office, or a cozy cabin, or a creepy dungeon.
It was just a normal house. A big one, sure, but still normal. White walls, sofas, tables, even a cat tree in the corner. The only thing that stood out was the paintings. They were everywhere. On the walls, on the tables, on the floor, on easels…
Yu Xiao walked in and spotted a figure by a French window.
A figure sat on the floor, facing away from her. His hair was long and loose, brushing the ground as he leaned forward. His feet were bare, revealing pale and delicate ankles.
“Sage?” Yu Xiao called out. “You asked for me?”
The figure moved, rising to his feet and turning around.
He was a young man, tall and slim, with a face that could make angels weep. But Yu Xiao didn’t care about his face. She only saw his eyes.
What the hell were those eyes?
Calm, distant, unlike any eyes she had ever seen…
“Yu Xiao,” Sage said softly, saying her name like a prayer. “After six years, I finally meet you.”
Yu Xiao’s mouth fell open, baffled by his weird greeting. How was she supposed to reply?
“You…” Yu Xiao began. “You knew me six years ago?”
“Mm.” Sage wore a snow-white robe, giving him an ethereal air. He walked towards Yu Xiao, closing the gap between them, until he was only a breath away from her.
He stared at Yu Xiao’s face, intently, curiously, with a gaze that pierced her soul.
The Sage spoke in a gentle voice, as if he was trying to soothe her. “You must have heard why they call me that. I know almost everything in this world. I know everyone’s past and can see their future. People can’t hide anything from me.”
Yu Xiao felt a drop of sweat roll down her forehead. He was that powerful? Could he see his own past and future too?
“Six years ago, I tried to see my own future. But all I got were bits and pieces, and they all had something to do with the forbidden hospital in the city center. I saw that some outsiders would come into this world…” The Sage gazed into Yu Xiao’s eyes, his face showing a hint of doubt. “Very odd.”
Odd? What was odd about the outside world?
Yu Xiao wondered, if he asked her what the outside world was like, would she tell him? There was nothing in the hospital rules that said she couldn’t talk about the outside world, right?
The Sage reached out his hand, brushing Yu Xiao’s cheek with his fingers. “I saw that six years from now, I would fall for you. But it’s weird, because you’re here with me now, and I don’t feel a thing for you.”
─── ❖ ── ☆ ── ❖ ───