“Then you must have seen Ye Ying!”
Upon hearing Ye Ying’s name, the man’s eyes immediately turned wary.
He stared at Gu Ya, as if trying to discern some information from his face.
After a long while, he slowly asked, “Are you one of Sheng Ke Ke’s people?”
Gu Ya met the man’s gaze calmly and replied, “Do I look like it?”
The man’s jaw muscles bulged, his eyes widened, and he suddenly reached behind him.
At that moment, Gu Ya’s crimson light saber pointed at the man’s chest.
The man’s hand froze on the gun handle.
Gu Ya stared coldly at the man and said, “I told you to show some sincerity.”
The man slowly withdrew his hand, placed it in front of him, and clasped his hands together.
Only then did Gu Ya retract the light saber and say, “Ye Ying left the Sheng Ke Ke organization about four to five years ago. After wandering, she came to Xian Xia’s Wu He City last year.”
“I came to find those five bandits to avenge her.”
“Nine years have passed, and I don’t know if those people are still alive.”
“Even if they are dead, I still want to know where they died, how they died, and who killed them.”
“And the Sheng Ke Ke organization you mentioned. I want to destroy it too.”
The man had listened intently to the first few sentences, but when he heard the last one, a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
“You want to destroy Sheng Ke Ke? Do you have many soldiers?” the man asked, frowning.
Gu Ya shook his head but said with great determination, “I can do it myself.”
“Heh!” The man let out a mocking laugh, “A young mule doesn’t know the weight of a burden.”
This was a common saying in the Yadaya region, similar to “a newborn calf fears no tiger.”
Gu Ya ignored his dismissive remark and asked, “Can you tell me what kind of girl Ye Ying was as a child? Did she laugh a lot? She must have been very cute and beautiful, right?”
The man nodded and said, “More than that, hehe. She also had a Yadaya name, Clairetty Ray. Ray was her maternal surname, a noble Yadaya surname.”
“After Yadaya was conquered, the puppet government supported by the Black Star Walkers engaged in civil wars with warlords from other city-states. The people suffered immensely, and in the end, both nobles and commoners were reduced to the lowest level of society.”
“In over a decade, the puppet government and city-state warlords disappeared, replaced by small-scale bandit groups and mercenary organizations.”
“To this day, the Yadaya region is still occupied by countless organizations.”
“Speaking of Ye Ying, her father was a mecha pilot in Xian Xia’s expeditionary force. After being injured, he left the village and never returned.”
“Ye Ying was born at dawn. Her cries attracted nightingales from the mountains. Hundreds of birds circled above the birthing room, singing in unison. It was quite spectacular.”
“She was very likable as a child. Everyone in the village, young and old, would smile at her.”
“Until the shipwreck… Anayi protected her with her life.”
“After that, she became like a different person. Sometimes she would stare blankly, talking to herself.”
Gu Ya lowered his head, recalling Ye Ying’s own account. While there were minor discrepancies with what the man said, the general outline was consistent.
It seemed she had developed multiple personality disorder after the shipwreck.
The man continued, “A year later, the Black Star Walkers arrived. The village was destroyed, and the surviving villagers scattered in all directions.”
As the man recalled these past events, his hands were clenched tightly, and his voice trembled.
“Ahem!” The man cleared his throat, adjusted his emotions, and continued, “Later, I heard she joined the Sheng Ke Ke organization. That organization claimed to oppose the Black Star Walkers, but in private, they engaged in all sorts of evil deeds like arson, murder, and looting.”
“When I found out, I felt very regretful and sad. Such a good girl, I feared she had become a demon who killed without batting an eye. Even if she hadn’t become a murderer, she couldn’t escape persecution from those scoundrels.”
“But there was nothing that could be done. This is Yadaya.”
The man finally asked tentatively, “Is she… is Ye Ying alright now?”
Gu Ya replied calmly, “She is very well. She is now a member of a special operations team in Xian Xia.”
The man smiled gently, “That’s good! I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Jean Ray, and I am the commander of this civilian guerrilla organization.”
“I have another identity: I am Ye Ying’s cousin.”
Gu Ya looked up, frowning, and stared at him, asking, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Jean Ray retorted, “Is this identity so special?”
“Of course, brother-in-law!” Gu Ya’s usually cold face finally showed a hint of a smile.
Jean Ray also revealed a surprised smile and said, “So you are… no wonder!”
“No wonder…” Jean Ray shook his head with a smile, “The rice grows into wild grass, and the horse grows horns.”
This was also a Yadaya proverb, meaning “fate is unpredictable.”
Gu Ya raised his wristband and activated the holographic projection. A photo of Ye Ying appeared within it.
It was taken during a class activity in Class B, on a mountain.
Ye Ying stood on a large rock, wearing a small blue floral dress, with the vibrant Peng tree flowers blooming all over the mountain behind her.
She was beautiful.
“Oh! It’s her, my sister, she’s grown up!” Jean Ray looked at the photo, smiling joyfully, tears welling up in his eyes.
Gu Ya put away the photo and looked at Jean Ray, unable to speak for a moment.
He wanted to give him the consciousness visualization headgear and see what Ye Ying looked like as a child, and the actual appearances of those five people, from his consciousness world.
But if he took it out, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
Jean Ray sensed Gu Ya’s hesitation, wiped his tears, and sighed. He said, “Go ahead, how can I help you?”
Gu Ya reached behind his back and conjured the headgear, saying, “I need you to wear this. Let me enter your consciousness world.”
“This…” Jean Ray hesitated.
Gu Ya smiled, picked up the headgear, and slammed it onto the ground. The headgear shattered, revealing its intricate miniature components and cables.
“This is the latest technology from Xian Xia. It allows me to see your past. Only I possess this ability.”
“In your consciousness world, I can do many things, including erasing your memories.”
“But I won’t do that lightly.”
“I just want to see what Ye Ying looked like as a child, and what those people actually looked like.”
Jean Ray looked at the delicate device Gu Ya had so casually broken and said with distress, “But you broke it.”
“I have another one,” Gu Ya said with a smile, producing another set. “Do you need me to smash it for you to see?”
“Uh… N-no need. I believe you. Now?” Jean Ray said, somewhat taken aback.
Gu Ya smiled and said, “Yes, it will be quick.”
Jean Ray frowned, thought for a moment, then looked at Gu Ya again, and finally nodded in agreement.
He said to the people beside him, “Everyone, leave. Lock the door, and no one is to disturb us without my command.”
“Commander, you must consider this carefully. After all, jade is wrapped within the ore, and within the ore, there is not only jade.”
This was a Yadaya proverb, meaning “one’s heart is as hidden as a stone.”
“Commander! What if this thing is a bomb!?”
“Yes, Commander, this kid’s origins are unknown. We don’t know where he got this information. Besides, Xian Xia’s technology is so advanced, what if…”
Jean Ray shook his head and said, “I know what I’m doing. Leave.”
Seeing his firm resolve, everyone else closed their mouths and left the room.
Only Gu Ya and Jean Ray remained in the room.
He placed the headgear on his head and asked, “What should I do next?”
Gu Ya said, “Close your eyes, relax, and don’t resist. You will feel a strange, unchangeable thought entering your brain.”
“That is my consciousness. You can rest assured, I will not harm you.”
“Then, guide me to the place of memory.”
Jean Ray nodded, half-understanding, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
Gu Ya placed his hand on his shoulder and said softly, “When I enter your consciousness space, you will feel what kind of person I am.”
“If I have ill intentions, you can remove the headgear at any time.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve already set up a failsafe for myself. Even if there are consciousness disorders or I fall into a deep consciousness abyss, I can still get out.”
“Get ready, I’m entering your consciousness. Code modification!”
Just then, Jean Ray’s hand suddenly grabbed Gu Ya’s wrist!