But I knew better than to be fooled by their appearances. Though they looked harmless enough, they were still key figures in Qingcheng. If you angered them, the consequences were obvious.
No one here could be judged by common sense.
Just as I stared at Zhong Guan, confused, she spoke again: "There's one more matter to address. A few days ago, Hongkeng encountered the Maya and acted on his own without reporting it. This has caused quite a negative impact within Qingcheng. The reason I've gathered you all here is to serve as a warning. Now, I'll have Hongkeng explain the full story so that everyone can understand what happened."
Zhong Guan's tone was sharp, and all eyes turned to me. Lao Ba looked smug, Jingwen seemed indifferent as usual, lost in thought, and Lazy Kid appeared to be waiting for a joke. In that moment, it felt like I could see through everyone's different facades.
I muttered under my breath, thinking, "It was bound to happen eventually," and stepped forward.
Everyone's eyes were on me, some familiar, some not. Regardless, after this incident, my name was sure to spread throughout Qingcheng.
As I recalled the events, I recounted everything.
"It started a few days ago when I was in GZ and happened to notice that damn girl seemed unusually capable. At first, I thought she was human, thinking it wouldn't hurt to bring her over to our side—another ally wouldn't be a bad thing. Plus, the girl's face wasn't half bad. Who would've thought she was from the Maya tribe? I was taken in by her and followed her into a hotel. Luckily, nothing happened between us. I don't know what she did, but I passed out early that night, and by the time I woke up, she was already gone..."
The others listened to me as if I were telling a story. I knew I had completely embarrassed myself, so I didn't bother dressing up the truth and just laid it all out.
"Then, as luck would have it, Ling Xuan witnessed the whole thing. When I got back to ST, she started ignoring me out of spite, even crying for a long time. I had no choice but to bring Xiao Rui to GZ to explain everything, even though we'd originally planned to head to LS for a bit of fun."
"It seemed like fate wanted me to settle the score, though, because I ran into that damned Maya girl again, and that's when things started to escalate. As a member of Qingcheng, we have strict rules that we must never break. After all, Qingcheng is an underground organization filled with skilled individuals, and its regulations are airtight. I'm not a decision-maker here, so of course, I have to follow those rules. But that day, for some reason—maybe because I had Xiao Rui with me and thought we could handle it—I decided to fight her. That girl was tough. The two of us against her, and she still managed to slip away. I was wrong, and I apologize to everyone here. I won't act on my own again. I hope you can forgive me, Zhong Guan."
I struggled to put on a sincere face, and finally looked toward Zhong Guan, bracing for her judgment.
Mistakes have consequences, that's only natural. Once I finished explaining everything, Zhong Guan's expression softened a bit. She spoke: "This was Hongkeng's mistake a few days ago. You all know Qingcheng's rules are sacred and inviolable. After discussions with the other leaders last night, we've decided to impose a minor punishment. Since this was his first offense, he'll be excused from participating in the upcoming mission. Instead, he'll stay in Qingcheng to reflect."
I wasn't thrilled. I thought to myself, "Making me stay here? I'd rather be stuck in a classroom. At least there'd be people to talk to." Now, everyone else was heading off to execute this new mission, and leaving me behind felt like torture.
I reluctantly agreed and stepped down. Jingwen and Lazy Kid seemed to want to say something to me, but it wasn't time for casual conversation yet. Zhong Guan had more to say.
The large glass screen flickered, and an image appeared. I was stunned when I saw it—those eyes, I'd recognize them anywhere. It was From Lei, the Maya girl's photo.
I glanced at Zhong Guan, confused. She continued: "This woman is the one Hongkeng encountered that day. During this mission, she has been classified as a high-priority target within Qingcheng. According to the latest intel, she entered ST last night. If anyone encounters her, do not alert her. Report immediately, and the organization will take care of the rest. Understood?"
My mind raced. "She's here too? What for?"
"Understood," everyone responded in unison, except I still had questions.
The meeting ended quickly. Jingwen and Lazy Kid approached me. Jingwen, with a mischievous grin, said, "Hongkeng, you're something else, huh? Going to a hotel with such a pretty girl... So, what's the difference between a Maya and a regular human?"
I shot him an annoyed look. "If you're so curious, why don't you try it yourself? Why ask me?"
Jingwen laughed heartily. "I don't have the guts you do. Zhong Guan's no pushover. That woman, it's been a while since we've seen her, and her strength has grown considerably. Ha! And you're still stuck in the upper B tier..."
Jingwen's smug look got under my skin, but he wasn't wrong. I hadn't improved my abilities in a long time. Now they wanted me to stay behind and reflect? I'd rather die.
I thought back to something I needed to take care of. The new mission wasn't urgent, but no one wanted to stay in Qingcheng too long, afraid that Zhong Guan might catch them again. So, even my old friends, after a brief chat, quickly left to carry out their tasks, leaving me alone.
Frustrated and bored, I snuck out of the Qingcheng building. Standing on the bustling street, I took a deep breath of the not-too-polluted air and picked a direction to walk.
After wandering for who knows how long, I suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd: Zhong Guan.
Curious, I quietly followed her until she stopped in front of a bar.
She doesn't drink. What's she doing here? My curiosity deepened, and I followed her inside.
Once inside, I quickly cast an invisibility spell on myself and cautiously trailed behind Zhong Guan. She looked around, then walked straight to a secluded table.
The table was a mess, and a drunk man with dyed blond hair lay sprawled across it. His right hand clutched a bottle of liquor, and he seemed to be mumbling something incoherent.
Zhong Guan frowned and waved his left hand. With a "crash," an empty bottle shattered on the ground. The man seemed startled awake, lifting his head. His eyes, partly hidden behind disheveled hair, squinted at the figure in front of him.
"Zhong Guan... it's you... ha ha... what's up... changed your mind?" the man slurred, a heavy stench of alcohol filling the air.
Zhong Guan covered his nose and said indifferently, "Stop drinking. Come with me. I need to talk to you."
"Ha..." The man, still half-asleep, hugged the bottle tighter. "You think... I'm drunk? Don't worry... I'm not drunk... I can still drink more..." He raised another half-empty bottle, ready to pour it into his mouth, but Zhong Guan swiftly snatched it away. His voice, tinged with anger, sounded, "Your life is becoming more and more of a mess. I'm not here to watch you drink. Get up and come with me!" He grabbed the man's hand.