Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, Truth Amidst Falsehood Chapter Forty-Nine: The Origins of Huo Ye

“What great writer? Just a pretentious child, that’s all.” Jin Chan’s sniper observed Night Rain Black Crow on stage. Over his right eye, he wore a device resembling spectacles—a military-grade monocular lens. In an era when even a handgun’s effective range now surpassed the limits of human eyesight, this was a gunman’s most loyal companion, as vital as his weapon.

The monocular lens boasted a myriad of functions: a microcrystal computer built into the earpiece, and the lens itself layered with a photosensitive triple structure. A proper monocular lens must serve as a sniper scope, dynamic tracker, wind speed calculator, and more, offering shooters their best support.

As for him, his codename within Jin Chan was “Air Shuttle,” a wielder of wind-based abilities. His signature power, the “Air Blade Implosion Round,” had earned him renown within the organization, making him their foremost assassin. Though equipped with the gunman’s monocular lens, he had no need for firearms—his air blade rounds were far more devastating, invisible and colorless, almost impossible to detect. Even an S-class Calamity, should he find its true body, would fall to a single strike.

The book signing was now well underway. Night Rain Black Crow sat behind a desk on stage, presenting lucky readers with signed copies of his latest novel—those fortunate enough to meet him face to face. There were only five hundred spots, a seemingly large number, but in truth, a mere drop in the ocean compared to those who had come for the event. After all, his fans were scattered across more than a dozen colonies.

“Now, let’s welcome our first lucky reader to the stage to meet Teacher Night Rain!” the host announced.

A girl with a shock of silver-white hair ascended the stage. Huo Ye inhaled sharply: Alice? How did she get so lucky?

“What’s going on? You drew number one?” As he scrawled a “Crow” inside the first book, Huo Ye asked.

“Others may not know who you are, but the publisher does. I told them I had to get my big brother’s first book, and they simply handed me the number one badge. With thousands of tickets drawn at random, most being blanks, who’s going to notice?” Alice replied.

“Was that really necessary? I’m your brother. I could give you a signed book whenever you want. Why compete with the fans?” Huo Ye handed her the book.

Alice shook his hand. “It’s not the same. This is the very first copy of ‘Words of the Blossoms.’ It’ll be valuable. Now that everyone’s seen me get the first one, I’ll sell it on your fan forum. It’ll fetch a fortune.”

“So you just want pocket money?”

“Right on!”

“Alright, off you go.”

“Thank you, Teacher Night Rain.” With a wave, Alice exited the stage from the other side.

From his vantage point high above, Air Shuttle had witnessed the entire scene. As the top sniper of a notorious mercenary organization, he knew many prominent families, and he recognized the girl with silver hair—the only daughter of the Black Death, Alice Holles. What a close call; had he fired just now, the entire Jin Chan organization might have been wiped out in retaliation.

His Air Blade Implosion Round had a considerable blast radius; to hit Night Rain Black Crow would inevitably affect everyone within five meters. Just as he lined up his shot, Alice entered his field of fire. No, he couldn’t risk it. Retaliation from the Black Death would be swift and devastating.

What Air Shuttle didn’t know was that his intended target was the Black Death’s foster son, cherished as his own and destined to be his heir. If he succeeded, Jin Chan would be doomed.

Alice finally left the stage. Air Shuttle readied himself to aim again, only to see a figure in flowing traditional robes enter his scope. Cold sweat instantly beaded his forehead. Was fate toying with him? Huo Family’s eldest daughter, Huo Xialan? Why was she next? Was there no way to carry out a simple assassination?

He dared not act. The Huo Family could snuff out Jin Chan with a flick of their finger; they were as dangerous as the Black Death.

Huo Ye watched as Huo Xialan, with whom he’d fought fiercely atop a skyscraper two days before, approached him with serene composure. He felt inexplicably nervous. Though she was only a year older, her presence seemed to suppress him—not by force or aura (in that, he and Tan Xiao bested everyone at the Academy), but as if some instinctive, physical response, something in the blood.

Nevertheless, Huo Ye maintained his composure, shook her hand, and handed her a signed copy.

During the handshake, Huo Xialan sensed something amiss. Her family had a secret method for judging a person’s innate strength—bone reading—a skill she’d mastered since childhood. Anyone she’d assessed by this method, she’d never forget.

The feel of this hand—hardened by countless trials, as if broken and healed time and again—was unmistakable. She’d confirmed it in their duel two days ago: this Night Rain Black Crow was Huo Ye!

A swirl of emotions overtook her. In fact, two days prior, she’d sent strands of Huo Ye’s hair to her family for DNA testing with her father.

From their first meeting, she’d suspected Huo Ye’s connection to their family—not just because his surname matched theirs while he lived with the Holles, but because he so closely resembled a relative she’d seen in childhood photographs.

Her aunt, Huo Xiang, had once served in a calamity-hunting squad, then vanished during a mission, her fate unknown. That squad’s name: Reaper.

It was all too coincidental. Having grown up hearing her father speak of her aunt, Huo Xialan couldn’t dismiss it as mere chance. She’d decided to confirm it: if the DNA matched, she’d acknowledge him; if not, she’d let it go.

Yesterday, the results came back—ninety-nine percent genetic match with her father. This proved that Huo Ye was family, and a close blood relative at that.

Everything was clear now; the threads connected, and Huo Ye’s origins were no longer a mystery.

Gazing at her cousin seated before her, Huo Xialan wanted to speak, but words failed her. Blood was thicker than water, but they were still strangers. Besides, Huo Ye wore a mask, obviously wishing to keep his identity as Night Rain Black Crow hidden. So she said nothing, simply leaving the stage.

The family had sent their verdict along with the test results: “Though Huo Ye is a genius of our bloodline, he lives with the Holles, born of the long-missing Huo Xiang, his father’s origins unknown. The matter of welcoming him back must wait for the right time. Do not reveal his lineage to him under any circumstances.”

At this, Huo Xialan had been furious. Clearly, the collateral branch saw her as the sole heiress—a chance to seize the headship—never expecting Huo Ye to appear. As a direct descendant bearing the Huo surname, he had every right to inherit.

It was all just a ploy by the collateral branches to force the main line into compromise.

Huo Ye watched as Huo Xialan left the stage, thinking he’d finally sent off that troublesome cousin. Chinese culture was vast and profound; he genuinely feared she’d have some way of uncovering his secret, but thankfully, it seemed not.

But when the third lucky reader came up, his anxiety spiked. It was the girl he’d been unable to face as Night Rain Black Crow: his childhood friend, Shangguan Yudie.

He swallowed nervously. “So I have to face her after all. Leilimi, I’m within Xiao Yu’s sensory range now—will your mask really shield me from her electromagnetic detection?” he wondered.

Meanwhile, Air Shuttle’s eyes lit up. Shangguan Yudie, eldest daughter of the Shangguan family—this one he could kill.

The Shangguan had once hired a host of espers to hunt Jin Chan almost to extinction. Only recently had the organization recovered. Since she was their daughter and here with Night Rain Black Crow, he could kill two birds with one stone—double the reward, and settle a bitter score!