"You're a five-star Awakened. Don't you have the ability to protect her yourself?"
Jiang Huai asked, puzzled.
Yue Qinshan took a drag of his cigarette, smiling helplessly.
This was the first time Jiang Huai had seen such an expression on Yue Qinshan's face.
"Kid, do you know why the Night Demon Patrol is in such a difficult situation now?"
He looked at Jiang Huai and asked.
"Because there are too few people?"
Jiang Huai answered cautiously.
Yue Qinshan smiled and shook his head.
"Five years ago, the Night Demon Patrol wasn't in such a state. Although it couldn't compare to the Four Major Organizations, it was still a hundred-member Awakened group."
"Then why has it fallen so far?"
Jiang Huai asked, very curious.
"Because we owe a lot of debts."
"...Just because of that?" Jiang Huai tilted his head in surprise, because Yue Qinshan had previously told him that he had channels to sell beast cores.
From Yue Qinshan's behavior, it seemed he often did such things.
Even the lowest-level scout beasts' cores could sell for around 100,000 on the black market.
The association wasn't unaware of this.
But every faction had its own difficulties, and as long as it wasn't too excessive or large-scale selling of cores, the association usually turned a blind eye.
In this case, why would the Night Demon Patrol still be so short of money?
"You misunderstood, kid. What we owe isn't just money. It's more..."
Yue Qinshan said, then slowly turned and exhaled a puff of smoke toward the balcony outside.
"...It's lives."
Jiang Huai remained silent. This was something he hadn't expected.
"Do you know Yulong City?"
"Yes, it's a mountain city not far from Lingyu City. Five years ago, the whole city was locked down due to a special disease, and until now..." Jiang Huai paused. "Wait, Teacher Yue, are you saying the lockdown of Yulong City was because of the Beast Wave?"
Yue Qinshan nodded.
"Every Beast Wave brings five rifts, and each rift signifies the lair of a lord-level beast. During the Beast Wave in Yulong City, the Night Demon Patrol was responsible for the most important central district lord's lair."
"Our mission wasn't to eliminate the lair and the lord, but to delay as much as possible, waiting for other Awakened organizations to break through the other four lairs, then join up with us to destroy the central lair and the lord."
Jiang Huai listened to Yue Qinshan's words and couldn't help but think of the scene.
Beneath the city covered in blood and flames, there was a group of warriors who fearlessly charged forward, fighting the Beast Wave.
Among them was Yue Qinshan.
"At that time, the girl was still young, so she stayed behind. The president of the Night Demon Patrol and Old Du led us to the central district, and we successfully suppressed the spread of the central lair."
At this point, Yue Qinshan seemed lost in thought, as if he had returned to that day, to that unforgettable moment.
"Just as other teams had broken through three of the lairs, the central lair underwent a mutation."
Even though the cigarette burned down to his fingers, Yue Qinshan was indifferent, still immersed in the memory.
"The monster that had once crushed the human Awakened army appeared before us. That black god of death, the world-destroyer, devoured the original central lair's lord and began indiscriminately attacking both beasts and humans."
"Its wings blotted out the sky, and black flames engulfed everything. We were powerless before it."
"The suppression mission failed, and the other four lairs hadn't been completely broken, but we still had to hold off the world-destroyer to buy time for the other Awakened to retreat. This was the backup plan, and it was something we had already informed everyone about."
"Every member of the Night Demon Patrol was ready to fight to the death, but our president, the one we all believed in, was the first to choose to flee."
"His fear of the world-destroyer overwhelmed everything. The only six-star Awakened fled, and we were powerless to resist the world-destroyer. It wiped us out like slaughtering chickens."
Yue Qinshan's gaze darkened, as everything from that day was still vivid in his mind.
That man, the one he had always believed in, betrayed the Night Demon Patrol and everyone else.
"So... the mission of the Night Demon Patrol failed, right?"
Yue Qinshan let out a helpless, bitter laugh, then unwillingly nodded.
"There was no other way. We retreated, we fled, but not everyone was so lucky."
"The wrath of the world-destroyer burned through the entire city. It devoured the other lords and became even stronger. Many teams didn't manage to retreat, all because of our defeat."
Finally, Yue Qinshan snapped out of his memories and looked at Jiang Huai with a smile.
"We owe a lot of debts, and every single debt is a life. From then on, the Night Demon Patrol became the joke of every organization."
"But these debts were incurred by us old-timers. It has nothing to do with the girl. Maybe one day, I'll have to repay these debts."
"And when that day comes," Yue Qinshan's expression grew serious, "help me take care of Lu Yatou."
...
During this time, Old Yue advised Jiang Huai not to go to school.
Because the power within him was growing stronger, but without proper control, it was easy to lose control.
Just last week, Jiang Huai didn't pay attention to controlling his strength, and when he pushed open the door to the lecture hall, he exerted too much force.
This caused the door and part of the wall to collapse.
Everyone thought there was an earthquake, and Jiang Huai pretended to hold his head and fled the lecture hall with the other students.
After that, Jiang Huai began practicing with Yue Qinshan on how to control this power.
Now, he could manage it in daily life, but once he entered his bone form, the control was still somewhat difficult.
"Jiang Huai."
Since he had arrived early today, there weren't many people in the classroom. Lu Wanyin sat on Jiang Huai's desk and looked at him as she spoke.
"Next week is the Awakened exam. Don't be nervous. I have experience, and I'll take the exam with you."
Jiang Huai wanted to say he wasn't nervous, but Lu Wanyin seemed more anxious, repeatedly mentioning it these past few days.
"Yeah, with you there, I'll feel at ease." Jiang Huai deliberately agreed with Lu Wanyin's words.
"Of course." Lu Wanyin tilted her leg and spoke smugly, "Just follow me this time, and don't get sent flying like last time."
"Alright, I'll be careful, and if I get sent flying, I'll drag you with me."
"You...!"
Lu Wanyin frowned slightly, her eyes showing a trace of displeasure, as if Jiang Huai's joke had touched on a sensitive nerve.
She gave him a playful glare, one full of both reproach and teasing.
"Alright, no more jokes." Jiang Huai laughed. "Aren't you going to tell me about the exam content?"
Lu Wanyin sighed lightly, her expression turning serious.
"The content of the exam changes every year. I've participated three times, and each year had a different theme. If I tell you in advance, it might mislead you."
Her voice carried a hint of helplessness, as if she were talking about something unchangeable.
This year was also Lu Wanyin's last chance.
If she still couldn't pass the Awakened exam, she would have no choice but to leave the Night Demon Patrol and return to a normal life.
And then, she might even have her memory erased by the Tianqi Association.
In any case, this was something Lu Wanyin was determined never to accept.
"Have you considered not taking the exam?"
Jiang Huai suddenly asked.
Lu Wanyin, swinging her legs while sitting on the desk, was momentarily stunned by Jiang Huai's question.
She leaned back and rested her head on Jiang Huai's chest.
"Are you trying to talk me out of becoming a formal Awakened?"
"No, I just wanted to say, since you're already an Awakened, even if you don't pass the exam, you can still hunt beasts in private, right?"
Lu Wanyin sighed, then rubbed her head against Jiang Huai's chest.
"Silly, the Awakened you're talking about are called 'dark walkers.' They're not recognized by the Association and are considered rogue elements that the Association hunts down every day."
"It's strange, isn't it? Why does becoming an Awakened mean you have to be controlled by the Association? We're all fighting beasts, so what difference does it make where we fight?"
"Because the Association controls the most resources. Although I don't understand all of this, if we became dark walkers, then maybe the Night Demon Patrol would really cease to exist."
Lu Wanyin's voice grew heavy.
Jiang Huai gently pressed her shoulder.
"...To you, is the Night Demon Patrol just a title?"
Lu Wanyin fell silent, taking a deep breath before slowly sighing.
"Jiang Huai~ help me fix my hair again."
"..."
Jiang Huai didn't continue the topic, though he was becoming more interested in the dark walkers.
It meant that there were indeed Awakened beings who were not under the Association's control, and even organizations.
But these organizations were suppressed and hunted by the Association.
If they didn't get formal recognition from the Association, they would be restricted everywhere.
They might even have to face the combined forces of both beasts and the Association.
It was strange, wasn't it? Why did the Association insist on controlling all the Awakened?
Was it really just for fighting the Beast Waves?
He silently fixed Lu Wanyin's hair.
The girl seemed to realize that Jiang Huai had something on his mind.
She suddenly leaned back, resting her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.
Her voice carried a playful tone, yet seemed to hide a trace of expectation.
"If I fail the exam, you'll run away with me, won't you, Jiang Huai?"
Jiang Huai's heart raced. He froze for a moment, a faint blush spreading across his face.
He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Deep down, a sentence surged within him, almost slipping out: "I'll protect you."
But at that moment, Lu Wanyin suddenly burst out laughing, breaking the brief silence.
"I'm just kidding~ Silly~"
Lu Wanyin happily rubbed her head against Jiang Huai's chin, and soon, more students began to arrive in the classroom.
Seeing the "couple" acting so warmly so early in the morning, they couldn't help but comment, though it was all in jest—Lu Wanyin was simply too popular.
Lu Wanyin didn't care about the others, still leaning on Jiang Huai's chest.
She raised her hand, gently pinching Jiang Huai's cheek, her touch soft and affectionate, as if comforting a scared little beast.
Then, as if she remembered something, she ran her fingers through her long hair, letting the once neat hairdo fall apart.
"I don't want to tie my hair today~ No need to fix it."
Her voice carried a sense of relief, as if she had let go of some invisible burden.
"Tonight, I'll cook dinner, okay?"
"Of course, but you're not going to cook twelve different kinds of tofu again, are you?!"
Jiang Huai remembered the last time Lu Wanyin cooked.
She had made an entirely vegetarian meal, using tofu and soy skin to mimic the taste of various meats.
Although it tasted pretty good,
It still wasn't meat, and after eating, it just felt like something was missing.
"What? Looking down on tofu? My family is so poor, we can't have meat every day. It's already impressive I can make tofu taste like meat."
Jiang Huai laughed and rubbed the girl's head in his arms.
"Well, you'll have to get used to cooking real meat. I'm a carnivore. I need meat every meal."
"...Hmph, Jiang Huai, you're so picky. Don't worry, tonight I'll show you my skills."
Nearby students watched the couple, who were already "living together" so openly.
They couldn't help but laugh.
Lu Wanyin's friends rushed over, giggling, and dragged her away. Jiang Huai sat in his seat, watching as his little sun was surrounded by a group of people, chatting and laughing. He couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Whether he became an Awakened or a dark walker,
His goal wouldn't change.
Hunt beasts, capture the seven original beasts, and...
Protect your safety.
...
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Night Demon Patrol, Du Qinghong was organizing the basic information of Lu Wanyin and Jiang Huai.
Since he wasn't good with computers, all his data was handwritten, and he attached their photos afterward.
After finishing, Du Qinghong went to the office door to check, realizing no one was around, so he had to personally deliver the materials to the Association.
Normally, a vice president of an organization would have their own reception area.
But the Night Demon Patrol's situation was special. In the eyes of other organizations, they were essentially a group of criminals.
It was already a great mercy that they were still allowed to exist.
Thus, Du Qinghong didn't receive the treatment a vice president deserved.
He had to queue like everyone else to submit his materials.
When the people in line saw the vice president of the Night Demon Patrol submitting new recruits' materials, some even mocked him openly.
"Look, the Night Demon Patrol has new recruits this year."
"Probably another idiot who can only run away."
"That little girl from their team, this is her last year. What a waste, a necromancer Awakened—such a rare power, just wasted in the Night Demon Patrol."
Du Qinghong ignored their comments.
After submitting the materials, he planned to leave, but someone called out to him.
"Old Du."
The newcomer was dressed in a suit, towering over Du Qinghong, with a build that was completely unmatched by the slender Du Qinghong.
"You should know what I'm about to say, right?"
The man, smoking a cigar, looked coldly at Du Qinghong.
"I know." Du Qinghong adjusted his glasses. "This Beast Wave..."
"Myself and Yue Qinshan will be the vanguard, opening a path to the central lair for you."
The man sneered. "Don't worry, this time you won't get a chance to run, because we'll be watching you from behind."
He then leaned in close to Du Qinghong's ear and whispered,
"If you and Yue Qinshan really manage to open a path for us, I'll keep my promise and let the Night Demon Patrol continue to exist. But..."
The man grinned, showing a cruel smile. "There's only Yun Luo left, plus two new recruits who haven't even passed the exam. Does your organization really have a reason to continue existing?"
Du Qinghong was composed, adjusting his glasses as he stepped back, keeping his distance from the man.
"You don't need to worry about it, Vice President."
With that, he turned and left the Awakener Association's hall.
Watching his back, the man directly bit down on his cigar, and before the broken piece could fall to the ground, it turned to ash.