Chapter 25: The Targeted Shi Xiaobai
The sunlight scattered on the handsome youth’s silver hair, causing a warm glow to reflect off him. It wasn’t blinding to the eyes, but instead made one feel a sense of warmth. However, the silver-haired youth’s words sounded extremely harsh to the ears, it even made Shi Xiaobai’s heart turn cold.
“Shi Xiaobai, is not the hope of Team Red.”
The silver-haired youth seemed to be merely stating an irrefutable fact. His eyes were calm, and his tone even calmer. However, this calmness seemed to be even more deadly than having any other emotion.
Although Shi Xiaobai was shocked at how the silver-haired youth appeared out of thin air, he immediately felt that his dignity as King had been insulted after hearing those demeaning words. He could not stand for it.
However, just as Shi Xiaobai was about to refute him, the silver-haired youth said another sentence that made Shi Xiaobai involuntarily close his mouth.
“Shi Xiaobai, is the hope of all humanity!”
The silver-haired remained calm saying those words, but the look in his eyes seemed to burn even hotter.
Shi Xiaobai was momentarily dumbfounded. This was the first time he felt like his intellect was not sufficient to understand what had happened. The transition of this situation was too abrupt, wasn’t it? Didn’t he just label him as a “powerless” weakling? Why was he suddenly elevated to becoming the “hope of all humanity”?
Then he heard Ye Jiaquan say in a muffled voice, “Me also believes Captain Shi Xiaobai is the hope of all humanity! However, Lingcun, Me thinks for the first time that what you said isn’t right! Me believes Captain Shi Xiaobai can definitely save Team Red! Me believes in him!”
The silver-haired youth that was addressed as “Lingcun”1 chuckled and said, “Silly Ye, I personally adore Shi Xiaobai, and firmly believe Shi Xiaobai will become the strongest S Class Hero in the future. In the future, he would wreck havoc in the Demon World, withstanding the invasion of aliens, and protect all of humanity. And for that unpredictable ‘fourth apocalypse’ that will eventually happen, I believe Shi Xiaobai will become the most dazzling sun!”
Shi Xiaobai immediately fell his blood surge upon hearing this. He began fantasizing himself heroically saving the world, and being sung praises by every human in the world. The way he looked at the silver-haired youth immediately turned extremely gentle. For this silver-haired youth to be able to so accurately depict the future, could he be the legendary prophet?
As Shi Xiaobai was in seventh heaven, Lingcun suddenly said something unexpected as he sighed, “However, we have to admit an irrefutable fact—Shi Xiaobai is still a weakling. He has yet to grow stronger yet. He is still a weak ‘infant’! According to information gathered eleven days ago, Shi Xiaobai has yet to begun Psionic Ability cultivation. Even a genius like Shi Xiaobai can at best reach the first level of the Psionic Mortal Realm in eleven days. The enhancement Shi Xiaobai can bring to Team Red’s strength would be trivial, it still cannot change the fate of Team Red losing to Team Blue!”
The moment Lingcun finished speaking, Ye Jiaquan said with an anxious voice, “Me…Me can’t out talk you! But Me believes Captain Shi Xiaobai can lead Team Red to defeat Team Blue!”
Lingcun’s face that was as handsome as an elf revealed a look of helplessness. With his hands in his pockets, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “Silly Ye, since you refuse to come to your senses, then let me tell you a grim truth. If Shi Xiaobai appears, he will not only fail to strengthen Team Red, he will even make Team Red weaker!”
“What nonsense are you saying!? Me doesn’t believe!” Ye Jiaquan’s face flushed as heavy air sprayed out his nose, as if Lingcun’s words had angered him.
Shi Xiaobai felt mixed emotions seeing this. On one side, one was a fanatic devotee, while the other side was a rational devotee. They were both his devotees, but the two had entered an argument because of him, so he was truly at a loss as to who to help.
“This is a clash of beliefs! Go on, let This King see which one of you has a stronger belief!”
Shi Xiaobai decided to watch coldly by the side, and immediately turned silent. However, Ye Jiaquan and Lingcun seemed lost in their own worlds. From the beginning to the end, Lingcun did not seem to look Shi Xiaobai in the eye, amusing Shi Xiaobai.
“The furthest distance in the world is that you don’t know that This King is here when This King is standing in front of you!”
Shi Xiaobai snickered, as his ears pricked up. Although he felt disdain towards the way Lingcun spoke, he could not help but feel curious.
Why would Shi Xiaobai’s appearance weaken Team Red?
Lingcun sighed and said to Ye Jiaquan, “Silly Ye, have you forgotten ‘Protect the Captain’ that Instructor Hisith mentioned?”
Ye Jiaquan was stunned hearing this as he muttered to himself moments later, “Me..Me doesn’t remember.”
Lingcun gave an ‘as expected’ expression and said, “When Instructor Hisith designated Shi Xiaobai to be Team Red’s captain, Song Xiao’s group had verbally protested. For that, Instructor Hisith came up with the ‘Protect the Captain’ rule. Each of the three strongest people in Team Red has a chance to challenge the current captain once!”
“If Shi Xiaobai were to appear, he will definitely have to accept Song Xiao’s challenge, and against Song Xiao, who is at the third level of the Psionic Mortal Realm, Shi Xiaobai is bound to lose. When the position of captain falls into the hands of Song Xiao, Silly Ye, you should know very well what sort of person Song Xiao is. Do you think Team Red led by Song Xiao would become stronger or weaker?”
After hearing Lingcun’s words, Ye Jiaquan was momentarily at a loss. He refused to admit such a fact, but he had no means of refuting. He could only mutter with a red face, “That..That…”
Seeing this, Lingcun shook his head and sneered, “And it seems that you have forgotten about the elimination mechanism Instructor Hisith mentioned?”
Ye Jiaquan said with a stunned look, “Isn’t it internally voted by the team?”
Lingcun revealed a helpless expression as he shrugged his shoulders and said, “The internal vote is just temporary since Shi Xiaobai hasn’t appeared! The elimination mechanism Instructor Hisith actually announced was that the captain had the sole discretion to decide on the eliminated candidate! Do you understand? If Song Xiao and those jerks in his gang obtain the position of captain, who do you think will they eliminate first?”
“He will first choose to eliminate Shi Xiaobai! Although Shi Xiaobai is a talent that [Gaia] will definitely pamper and protect, who do you think Instructor Hisith is? He is a freak who has violated numerous regulations of the organization, but still enjoys a high position! Since he dared to set such a rule, that proves that he has the guts to directly kick Shi Xiaobai out of rookie training. So if Shi Xiaobai were to appear, not only would he cause Team Red to fall apart, he will harm himself too. Of course, if a genius like Shi Xiaobai were to leave, the one crying would be [Gaia]. When that happens, someone from the upper echelons would appear to mediate, but by then, Shi Xiaobai would have been greatly disgraced.”
Lingcun’s words analyzed the situation in an extremely clear manner. Even a simpleton like Ye Jiaquan could understand what he said. Immediately, he said with a wretched face, “This…is too unfair for Captain Shi Xiaobai! Why does Me..Me feel that Instructor Hisith is targeting Captain Shi Xiaobai?”
Shi Xiaobai also felt that he had been targeted by this baffling instructor. These scammy rules seemed like it was forcing him to have no choice. Either he was to keep hiding away, or he would be robbed off his position as captain after he appeared and then forcefully eliminated.
“Foolish human, is targeting This King your last stand?”
Shi Xiaobai felt unhappy, for he did not wish to be so easily eliminated. It was even more impossible for him to hide himself.
How was he to make a breakthrough in this situation?
“Instructor Hisith isn’t targeting Shi Xiaobai. He is just playing a game. Instructor Hisith is a madman who treats everything as a game. To place Shi Xiaobai in such a situation is just an interesting game for him.”
Underneath the silver hair, a confident smile appeared on an extremely handsome face as Lingcun said softly, “However, regardless of the game, the game’s creator will always intentionally or unintentionally leave a path that allows you to win the game. And I happen to know what that path is!”
At this moment, Lingcun’s right hand, which had always been in his pocket, raised up as he pointed out his thumb at his chest.
Author’s Note: Haha, two characters that everyone thought were antagonists are actually Shi Xiaobai’s comrades. You didn’t expect that, right? The story needs fleshing out, but I will try to write these parts in as lively as I possibly can. I will definitely not disappoint everyone when it reaches a climax!
1. Lingcun (零存) can mean zero existence.