*Creak—*
The doors of the auditorium swung open again. Lin QiYe emerged, carrying the black case, his steps steady and unhurried.
Seated on the stairs nearby, Hong Ying noticed him and waved cheerfully. "All done?"
"Yeah."
"Good." She nodded, hesitating for a moment before asking, "But… why didn't you let me handle it?"
"He was my classmate. Ending his life personally was my way of giving him closure," Lin QiYe replied calmly.
Hong Ying stared blankly. "Killing him yourself counts as closure? What kind of logic is that?"
From the side, Si XiaoNan muttered under her breath, "Psycho..."
Of course, Lin QiYe was bluffing. If Hong Ying had acted, her single shot might have killed the serpent demon outright, denying Lin QiYe the chance to deal the final blow. Without that, Li Yifei wouldn't have been able to resurrect in the Pantheon Asylum.
"Still, I have to thank you this time. If it weren't for you, we might have been completely deceived by that thing. I'll make sure you get top merit for this when we get back!" Hong Ying gave him a thumbs-up, grinning widely.
"What about the students inside?" Lin QiYe gestured toward the auditorium behind him.
"We'll leave them there for now. Someone will come by later to use [Dream Whispers] to erase all memories of the serpent demon and you, replacing them with fabricated dreams."
"And the dead students? How do we explain that?" Lin QiYe pressed, frowning. "Also, you blew up a whole building."
"Not our problem to worry about. Other departments will handle it, coming up with plausible explanations. Stuff like lab explosions, major fires, terrorist attacks, or even alien invasions—whatever fits."
"...You think the last one sounds plausible?"
"More so than a mythological creature appearing."
"Fair point."
Hong Ying pressed her lips together, lowering her gaze slightly. "Still… so many students died. It's my fault..."
"Big Sister Hong Ying, this isn't your fault. Most of the students were doomed the moment they were marked with serpent seeds. If not for you, the casualties would've been even higher," Si XiaoNan comforted her, then glanced at Lin QiYe. Reluctantly, she added, "And you… though I hate to admit it, you're actually pretty amazing..."
Lin QiYe: "..."
"By the way," Lin QiYe said suddenly, as if remembering something, "I met someone really smart in there, and he seems interested in mythical creatures. Can we recruit him into the Nightwatchers?"
It was a request An QingYu had made to him earlier in the auditorium.
Hong Ying hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "QiYe, the Nightwatchers aren't just about being smart. This job is dangerous… Do you understand what I mean?"
Lin QiYe nodded slightly, not pushing further. He had already done all he could for An QingYu. Since the request was declined, there was no point in insisting.
"Let's go. Time to wrap up." Hong Ying stood up, slinging the case with her long rifle onto her back. She headed for the exit.
Lin QiYe glanced back at the auditorium one last time before following her.
Inside the auditorium, An QingYu stood silently behind the door, his gaze dim.
Then his eyes drifted to the serpent demon's corpse not far away.
After a long moment of thought, his brow furrowed. Suddenly, as if resolving himself, his eyes lit up with renewed determination.
Outside the school gate.
Next to a black van, two men leaned against the door, watching the silent campus.
The earpiece of one of them, Chen MuYe, crackled. He raised his eyebrows slightly. "It's over. They're coming out."
Next to him, Wu XiangNan scowled. "Why does she always report to you and not me?"
"I'm the captain."
"And I'm the vice-captain!"
"Because you're always clashing with Hong Ying."
"I'm just following protocol."
"You're too rigid." Chen MuYe shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "That's why Hong Ying is closer to me."
"...This isn't about whose kid likes their dad or mom more. Why does your tone sound so weird?" Wu XiangNan rolled his eyes.
"It's the same idea."
The two fell silent for a moment before Chen MuYe spoke again.
"I heard Lin QiYe performed exceptionally well this time."
"Yeah."
"Should we do something to celebrate his first mission?"
"Like what?"
"Maybe put up a banner or bake him a cake."
"...You're acting like a proud parent picking up their straight-A kid from school," Wu XiangNan sighed.
"Am I? I think it's pretty great."
In the driver's seat, Wen QiMo finally rolled down the window, unable to hold back. "Seriously, you two are too much. It's just a mission, and all you're doing is picking them up. Why so dramatic?"
"Where's Leng Xuan?"
"Who knows? He always disappears."
"Fair enough..."
As they bantered, three figures emerged from the school gate. Spotting the two by the van, Hong Ying waved enthusiastically.
Si XiaoNan, after some thought, discreetly wiped some of Lin QiYe's blood onto her face. Looking like a messy cat, she puffed out her chest, her expression practically shouting, *"I wasn't slacking!"*
Lin QiYe, carrying the black case, wore a blood-soaked uniform that barely resembled its original form. Squinting slightly, he looked ahead, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Hurt?" Chen MuYe asked as Lin QiYe approached.
"No." Lin QiYe shook his head.
"How was it?"
"Well..." Lin QiYe paused, thinking. "Easier than I expected."
Chen MuYe smiled, nodding. "Good. Get in the van; time to go back."
"Captain! Why didn't you ask me?" Hong Ying pouted, hands on her hips.
"You?" Wu XiangNan glanced at her. "It's already impressive you didn't demolish the whole school. What's there to ask?"
Hong Ying glared at him, grinding her teeth. "Did I ask you? You're not the captain!"
"I'm the vice-captain."
"Vice doesn't count!"
"Of course it does."
"It doesn't!!"
"..."
*Click.*
The crisp sound of a camera shutter echoed. A photo slid out from the bottom of the telescope, carefully picked up by a hand.
On a distant rooftop, Leng Xuan sat at the edge, gently shaking the photo. The image gradually became clear.
As the wind tousled his hair, he glanced down at the picture, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"This one… turned out nicely."
Treasure-like, he placed the photo into a box, keeping it close. Then, lifting the sniper rifle onto his shoulder, he vanished into the night.