"God damn it, we gotta do something about this brain cells guy," Cao Tang spoke up.
Today was supposed to be a no-nonsense day for Seer and his friends. But of course that can't happen.
"How horrible! I can't believe someone would use these harsh times to sell these things," remarked another person in the group.
"Wait, wait, let me get this correct," the seer interjected.
A normal lunch meet was interrupted by none other than the humiliated guy named Zhihao.
"Sure, go ahead," replied Lin Hua's brother.
"You're from the Heavenly Sword Sect and interning at the Alliance," the seer clarified.
"Yeah."
"And you were investigating this heavenly powder," Neon added.
"The white powder of heavens. Many of my peers, even some elders from my sect, the Alliance, and the Ai family are using it," Zhihao confirmed.
"And you were in charge of investigating it..."
"I'm not in charge, just investigating this particular city."
"And you thought you might as well visit your family."
"That's right."
"Then you found your father sniffing it, and then you started sniffing too."
And so the back and forth went between the two.
"More or less," Zhihao replied with a slight tint of shame.
"Then you met these two and told them you would support them, and then you went and reached for some of the powder, and then..."
"I think that's not very relevant."
"Then after you did the irrelevant you sniffed more and picked a fight with Liu. I am assuming again."
"Yes. I wanted to apologize but I ended up sniffing."
"And you're struggling to resist the urge to sniff some more right now."
"Oh God, yes!" the guy burst into tears. His voice broke with a mixture of shame and desperation.
"The guy needs rehab, and so does his dad... and his elders, peers, and the members of the Alliance," Neon slapped his face and slumped into his seat.
The seer's initial war drama with the sect had turned into a crime-fighting "don't do drugs" documentary. The gravity of the situation became apparent with a quick look around the inn.
People were sleeping on the blackened soil on the streets, while some struggled to go to work, others just did not. Crime had escalated as a result. But of course, there is no such thing as crime in Murim.
"I apologize if your secret got out," Zhihao continued as he sobbed.
"Oh, don't worry about it. They conveniently forgot about that," Lin Hua hugged him in an attempt to comfort and console him as her brother went on crying.
"I still remember how when you were little, you would go around saying you will marry me like a stupid dum-dum," they just can't stop yapping.
"I mean, I used to, when I was a kid, tell my mom I would marry her," Liu said, still afraid of the guy and maybe in a lame attempt at defending Lin Hua as not being a dum-dum.
One disgusted look from Neon is what he received in turn.
"Disgusting."
"Urgh."
"Kill yourself."
"You better banish those thoughts before you marry my sister."
Everyone took turns berating him.
"Elder Brain Cells, if you guys are finished," Liu said, his voice gradually returning to normal.
"Ugh, I really don't want to encounter that bastard again," Cao Tang grumbled, wanting to avoid any further interactions with him.
"Not to mention, he's a pain to track down, and he's probably indulging in his own stash. We don't even know where to begin," Neon speculated, considering the challenges they faced.
"Enough with the excuses. My brother was actually investigating this matter, and he can assist you guys," Lin Hua interjected, emphasizing her brother's potential contributions.
"Oh, yes, that's correct. I have a wealth of information," Zhihao straightened himself up, regaining his composure.
"I was tracing the sole blueprint of its manufacturing method, and I managed to ensure it would reach the Ai family. Unfortunately, it got lost along the way... and now anyone could have it," Zhihao explained, his words flowing forth.
"Ah, shit, Here we go again, I see where this is heading," the seer sighed, foreseeing the implications.
"It must have been the package, right?" Liu inquired, seeking confirmation.
"I bet you a hundred Qing it was," Cao Tang affirmed, slumping into his chair.
"Oh, so you guys know something," Zhihao noted, realizing the gravity of the situation, as all the pieces fell into place in his mind. No more needed to be said; it was now a matter of processing the information.
The realization hit them all like a shockwave. The very people responsible for manufacturing this illicit substance were none other than the Ai family.
"How about we outsource this to someone who can sneak in and steal it?" Neon suggested, not wanting to be bothered with this nonsense.
"You mean the lady ninja?" Liu asked, his eyes brightening with excitement.
"No," Neon replied, slightly confused by Liu's expression and tone.
"Oh, I see, that phantom," Cao Tang guessed.
"Yes, that phantom," Neon confirmed.
"We don't need to steal anything; we can simply walk in and tell them," Zhihao chimed in.
Neon gave them a strange look as if they were being foolish. Then he realized that he was the foolish one for not considering their lack of wisdom, and he reluctantly gave them the green light to go ahead and try.
-
Then the next morning, Lin Hua and Zhihao went to talk to the elders and got themselves imprisoned within their own household.
***
Meanwhile, Neon and Liu disguised themselves as members of the Ai family's formidable armor unit And traversed the dimly lit underground prison walls. The narrow passages were lined with rows of prison cells, each one housing individuals who had crossed paths with the ai family.
"I liked Zhihao better on drugs. I mean, he is smart, but he's a sentimental fool with so much hope and naivety," Neon conversed with Liu as they both walked down the underground prison disguised as members of the Ai family's special prison section soldiers.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Liu retorted as he glanced at Neon, his face partially obscured by the visor of his armor.
"Self-harm is wrong," Neon countered.
"Says the guy who does it all the time." Liu shot back.
"I may do wrong things, but at least I am aware that what I'm doing is wrong."
"You're a sociopath," Liu scorned.
"Oh yes, I would have never realized it if you hadn't pointed it out," he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
They reached the prison cell where their friends were being held captive, their voices echoing through the confined space. The two continued to argue in front of the prison cell. Like they usually do completely forget their current objective.