Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, Truth in Disguise Chapter Fifty-One: The Beginning of the Revelry-Smoke of the Apocalypse(The Nine Songs of Wind and Fire)

Huo Xialan effortlessly picked up the Air Blade Compression Bullet. The volatile power that was poised to erupt like a volcano became as docile as a pet in her hands, showing not the slightest sign of explosion. But that was not all—without pause, she pivoted on her waist, tracing a wide arc and hurling the dangerous energy technique toward the sky. Throughout the motion, the technique remained astonishingly stable, only unleashing a thunderous roar upon reaching the heavens—tenfold more deafening than the burst of festival fireworks.

It was the sound of air, forcibly compressed by wind-based powers, suddenly reverting to its original density—a blast so intense the shockwave seemed to assault everyone’s eardrums. Huo, relieved, let go of Shangguan Yudie, leaned back slightly, and exhaled: “Thank goodness President Huo intervened. Otherwise, neither of us would have survived.”

Huo Xialan’s fist, hidden within her wide sleeves, clenched gently. She mused, “Such boastful words—never mind the fact that you, a dark-type wielder, possess holy light abilities, what sort of talent is that? And with the skills you displayed earlier, could you not handle a mere energy bullet?”

She could not have known that Huo’s every action was dictated by his need to preserve his identity. At no moment could he risk exposing that he was Night Rain Crow. For Huo, any slip, however slight, before he removed his mask in front of the world, would be an insult to his craft. His relentless fixation on inconsequential details was a defining trait.

The Air Shuttle, having witnessed everything, was overtaken by fear. He had never imagined his full-force attack, the Air Blade Compression Bullet, could be so easily neutralized. After its initial detonation, it should have triggered instantly—so why, when handled by those two, did it fail to explode? Was it a dud?

This was all thanks to Huo and Huo Xialan. Their chosen methods inadvertently minimized the bullet’s destructive force. At the first sign of the incoming bullet, Huo refrained from confronting it head-on. Firstly, its power was unknown and he dared not risk it; secondly, his strongest holy light ability, Starlit Swordfall, required a multitude of small objects for its group attack—ill-suited for intercepting a single, raging energy technique.

So he opted for defense, and at the instant the projectile touched his palm and detonated, he unhesitatingly used Radiant Waves to dissipate all direct force, preventing a secondary explosion. Otherwise, those nearest the stage might have been caught in the blast.

Huo Xialan’s method of seizing the bullet from Huo was the Huo family’s exclusive Tai Chi Cloud Hand technique, the very skill she had used in their earlier sparring. Martial arts ultimately boil down to issuing force and neutralizing it—force to subdue, neutralization for self-preservation. While Tai Chi encompasses many aspects, it first became renowned for its ingenious neutralization, shifting great force with minimal effort.

Though Huo Xialan infused her arms with considerable energy, she exerted almost no strength at all; the bullet, like a bell, would not ring without someone to strike it, no matter how loud its potential voice. Huo and Huo Xialan understood this perfectly, deftly applying their skills to prevent the bullet from causing harm on the ground, allowing it to explode only in midair due to friction.

“Speaking of which, I only noticed the energy technique thanks to the ripple from your palm’s power. How did you sense it before it could do any harm, Night Rain Teacher?”

Her tone was somewhat sharp, for she now saw herself as Huo’s elder cousin. After all, Huo was the future hope of their main branch, and no matter the obstacles from the collateral lines, she was determined to bring him home, though the time was not yet right. But with Shangguan Yudie present—an outsider—Huo still wore the mask of Night Rain Crow, so Huo Xialan adopted a respectful tone befitting a celebrated writer, ending her sentence with a softened address.

In truth, Huo Xialan’s feelings were complex. The writer she had always admired and adored turned out to be her long-lost cousin. Could anything be more absurd? When she drew her number at the lottery machine, she used all her skill and discernment to seize the number two ball. Unbeknownst to her, the girl sitting quietly nearby was unaware her beloved dream man was the childhood friend she had always regarded as a brother—and she had drawn number three purely by chance. That was the real absurdity.

Faced with Huo Xialan’s question, Huo responded simply, “Intuition.”

But he knew well it was not intuition, but sight. Though the energy technique was colorless and invisible, impossible to track with the naked eye, Huo could see the power itself. All abilities in this world bore a signature, and Huo saw the energy layer wrapped around air like a balloon, hurtling toward him at extraordinary speed. That was how he knew someone was attacking.

This ability to perceive powers did not come naturally; it was his mother Vivian’s unique skill. Thanks to it, Vivian could locate and destroy disaster sources without injury, earning her the reputation as the greatest sharpshooter of the Sola Colony. Huo and Alice nearly ruined their eyesight training for it—a painful memory.

The Air Shuttle, realizing his assassination had failed, could only contact his teammates.

“Assassination failed. Initiate plan B.”

“Received.”

A string of acknowledgments echoed through the channel.

The Air Shuttle sighed at his failure. Still, that was the way of the world—missions always held surprises, and thus, plan B had its purpose. “To cause chaos among ordinary people, especially here in Bancroft—what a deliciously hot potato!” he muttered as he prepared to retreat.

Even as mercenaries, they dared not harm civilians; that was the limit. As unaffiliated energy wielders, deliberate attacks on the innocent would bring the full force of the colonial government against them, and the Golden Toad would be doomed. Yet he relished the thrill—the sense of superiority and achievement drove him to become a mercenary, and was his deepest yearning.

“So you do know not to harm ordinary people.” Just as the Air Shuttle stood, a clear voice rang out behind him, cold as ancient frost. At that moment, he felt a chill crawl down his spine, as if some beast had locked eyes on him.

He spun around shakily, only to see a masked young man—Night Rain Crow.

Huo had deduced the enemy’s location from the direction of the energy technique, rushing over swiftly to corner the Air Shuttle. Yet the Air Shuttle showed no panic; instead, he sneered, “I didn't expect your strength. We thought you were just a weak writer. Seems we underestimated you.”

Huo paid no heed to his words, instead asking, “Why use that move?”

“What?” The Air Shuttle was puzzled.

“You can kill me—I’m sure you have your reasons, no matter how noble or vile. I may detest you, but I can understand. What I can’t fathom is why use a technique that could harm innocents? There were so many civilians in the audience, even children. You must have known that, had I failed to intercept your attack, countless innocents would have suffered.”

The Air Shuttle snorted, “Because it wasn’t intentional.”

“What?” Now it was Huo’s turn to be confused.

“If I target civilians, of course I fear the government’s retaliation. But if my aim is a specific person, and others are collateral damage, then—even if the casualties are the same—the colony’s focus will be on the targeted victim, namely you. It’s like walking into a forest with an axe: if I cut down trees, even one is illegal logging; but if I use it to slay a man-eating bear and accidentally fell a few trees, I’m a hero for killing the bear. Humanity is easily blinded by so-called ‘key points’ that obscure the truth!”

His tone was calm at first, as if stating a simple principle. But when he gave the bear analogy, his expression grew wild and manic, as if he’d finally struck upon something thrilling. He burst into laughter.

“And besides, nothing excites me more than seeing the weak suffer before me—especially ordinary people. To energy wielders, they’re just meat on the chopping block. Their helplessness is exhilarating! So if I can avoid reprisal, I’ll kill a few for fun. That’s my greatest—uh…”

Before he could finish, his words were abruptly cut off.

His body was slowly lifted, throat gripped tightly. Huo’s murderous gaze sent chills through him.

“Have you said enough? You depraved monster—just because there are no consequences, you think you can torment others at will? Trample and plunder lives as you please? What do you take human life for?”

The Air Shuttle’s throat was deformed by Huo’s grip, making breathing impossible. Still, he flushed red and forced out, “It doesn’t matter what—just kill me, whatever you…”

Just then, distant explosions rang out, followed by smoke billowing into the sky. The blasts erupted all around, and Bancroft’s skies were quickly shrouded in darkness.

The Air Shuttle managed a final half-sentence: “No matter what… you can’t stop the beginning of this carnival now.”