Chapter 75 — ILK Chapter 75

Disappearance "Don't move."

Sang Ye stiffened as a cold, hard object pressed against her lower back. She was currently planting trees on the outer edge of a mining crater. It was a pulse gun; if fired, the concentrated mental energy could instantly pierce through her kidney.

"Who are you?" Sang Ye asked, her voice surprisingly calm. It wasn't that she was exceptionally brave, but rather that she had been tempered by her time on Black Tower.

The person behind her remained silent for a heartbeat before speaking with a sarcastic edge: "Has it been so long that you can no longer recognize my voice?"

Sang Ye’s mind raced. She had originally thought there was only one possibility—the classmate who had awakened first. But according to intelligence, that person’s spiritual form was damaged and they were incapable of combat, making it impossible for them to come here. There was only one person capable of hiding the news of their awakening and sneaking onto Black Tower.

Qiu Linghua.

Inside Sang Ye’s mental landscape, the Parasol Tree sounded the alarm, immediately sending a distress signal to the Little Parasol Tree. Ignoring the response for a moment, Sang Ye spoke again, trying to stabilize her: "Are you here for revenge?"

To her surprise, the person behind her didn't react with violence. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "I came here because I simply wanted to talk to you." However, the pulse gun pressed against Sang Ye's back didn't budge an inch.

"Speak. I'm listening."

"Ji Qin and the others are dead. Yue Cheng is still a vegetable. Tao Liu has lost her combat capability." The memory was clearly painful. "I want to know... why did you hate us so much? We were doing it for your own good. Did you think staying in the military district with a 9-to-5 low-wage job was a future with prospects?"

"..." Even if she couldn't fully empathize with the original host, Sang Ye found it laughable. These women, backed by family status, took it for granted that they could control someone else's life. They cloaked their actions in the guise of "good intentions," self-righteously justifying their behavior, and then had the audacity to ask the victim why they were hated.

"Before asking that, haven't you thought about it yourself?" Sang Ye replied with equal sarcasm. "Did you, or any of people like you, ever consider that I might not want your condescending charity? Did you realize I didn't need you at all? Did you know I could have lived perfectly well without you?"

"We—" Qiu Linghua started to argue, but Sang Ye cut her off.

"If your self-righteous arrangements were 'justified,' then why can't you accept my 'justified' counterattack? Why is it that when it's your turn to suffer, it becomes unbearable? You see me now, exiled to this planet—do you think I'm living a bad life?"

Sang Ye’s retort was like a final blow. Qiu Linghua’s still-recovering body began to tremble.

"I actually felt a bit of guilt before," Sang Ye turned around, ignoring the pulse gun pointed at her abdomen. "But seeing how you haven't changed at all... I'll tell you this: I don't regret a thing. If I had to do it again, I'd make the same choice. I would kill you all over again."

Since childhood, Du Yuan had said Sang Ye was someone who would rather be a broken piece of jade than a whole tile of clay—she never feigned politeness. Sang Ye felt that if she died here today, it would be because of that very trait.

The expected pain never came. The Little Phoenix lunged out of nowhere, fast as lightning. Its sharp talons sank into Qiu Linghua’s wrist, nearly snapping it. The pulse gun clattered to the ground. Qiu Linghua cried out in pain as Sang Ye was pulled into a warm embrace.

"How is it that every time I'm not around, something happens to you?" Lin Changli's heart was racing.

"I'd like to know that myself," Sang Ye muttered.

"I can't believe she actually came," Lin Changli said, stunned. "Weren't the reports saying she hadn't woken up in the hospital? How did she get here?"

"Marshal, once the tea is cold, people leave," Sang Ye teased. "The people you sent to watch the hospital weren't exactly thorough."

The Phoenix wouldn't let go. If Sang Ye hadn't stopped it, the bird’s beak would have pecked a hole in Qiu Linghua's head. Sang Ye stepped forward, moved the Phoenix to her shoulder, and used her mental power to treat Qiu Linghua. Under the grooming, the external wounds healed rapidly, but Qiu Linghua’s expression shifted from pain to shock.

Her lips trembled, her voice barely a whisper: "You... you aren't her..."

Sang Ye had only revealed a bit of her mental energy, but it was enough to be noticed. The original Sang Ye had a different spiritual signature. Sang Ye looked down, focusing on the girl's wrist.

"Where is she?" Qiu Linghua struggled to get closer, unable to believe it.

"She passed away," Sang Ye chose not to lie. "Shortly after the incident."

…

"Go. Let's not see each other again. We'll walk our separate paths," Sang Ye said. Qiu Linghua stared at the familiar yet strange face for a long time. "You can walk on your own, right? The people who smuggled you here should be able to take you back. It shouldn't be a one-way ticket."

Sang Ye watched her leave, her brow furrowed.

"Did she come all this way just to be yelled at by you and beaten by me?" Lin Changli asked, crossing his arms.

"She just wanted an answer, I suppose." Sang Ye understood the sentiment; not everyone acts rationally. Even so, a heavy weight remained in her heart—a sense of an approaching storm.

The big event happened the next morning. Qiu Linghua was missing.

The disappearance was discovered by the Guide who performed her daily morning grooming. Soon after, Qiu Lingxin received the news. Qiu Linghua's terminal signal had vanished from Black Tower. Because the terminal was designed to monitor her health, it had a recording function. The entire conversation between her and Sang Ye was transmitted back to Qiu Lingxin.

Smuggling was a serious crime, but it paled in comparison to a missing person—especially one from a powerful noble family with an overprotective sister. The mention of "Your Highness" in the recording led Qiu Lingxin to the Empress, demanding a thorough investigation and the questioning of Sang Ye and Lin Changli.

…

That evening, a warship representing the Royal Family and the Court descended. A young woman stepped off first; she bore a striking resemblance to Lin Changli and Lin Shuangxu, with black hair and gold eyes. Behind her were the furious Qiu Lingxin, a calm Imperial Chief Justice, and the stern Chief of Police.

"Black Tower is lively lately. We've never had so many visitors," Asu Ment said coolly.

"That must be the Princess," Jiang Sili whispered from behind her. "She looks just like the Marshal. I didn't expect the Empress to send the Princess she usually keeps hidden like a treasure."

"When it comes to children, everyone is biased," Asu Ment remarked. "Any word on Qiu Linghua?"

"We won't get clear info until they pass the satellite transport stations," Jiang Sili replied. "There's no signal during a space jump."

…

Sang Ye and Lin Changli returned to the main base.

"Brother!" Lin Yangchuan greeted him excitedly.

"Where is my sister! Where did you kidnap her?!" Qiu Lingxin screamed, nearly lunging at Sang Ye before being held back by the police. The police took Sang Ye and Lin Changli to separate rooms for questioning.

The Police Chief looked at Sang Ye's file. "Colonel Sang Ye, the situation is very unfavorable for you. You have a motive, the victim disappeared on Black Tower, and the recording shows a heated argument. If this goes to court, the jury will be heavily influenced."

Sang Ye had an inkling of what happened, but without evidence, she couldn't say it.

Late night. Hangar.

A tall figure appeared in the hangar, walking silently like a stalking serpent. He approached a warship with a black Teng-Snake pattern on its silver hull—the mark of the G77 Legion.

"Are you giving up on yourself? Using your own warship?" A voice rang out from the shadows, clear as a phoenix cry. "That’s far too conspicuous. Easily tracked."

Jiang Sili froze, his hand inches from the cockpit. He looked at the once-glorious emblem. "Why involve anyone else? What couldn't be resolved back then... I'll handle it myself."

Lin Changli and Sang Ye stepped out of the darkness. "So you do know where Qiu Linghua is."

Jiang Sili shook his head. "You might not believe me, but I can't be certain. However, there is a high probability she is with the White Wolf Group."

"So you have stayed in contact with them?"

"...I only contacted my sister once."

"The audit report Melusine gave the Empress... we all know where that red line points," Lin Changli said. "The White Wolves have been running a smuggling business—not just for Guides, but for Sentinel families who can't wait for official permits. They cooperate with the Loda Tribe to steal Black Crystals for the black market. Did this happen without your and Asu Ment's tacit approval?"

"You had to pretend not to see, balancing the books while protecting them," Lin Changli continued. "Standing on only one side must be exhausting for you."

Jiang Sili dropped his hand. No one could see his expression in the dark.

"The White Wolves ran into trouble and need money desperately," Sang Ye hypothesized. "They didn't even recognize Qiu Linghua, the daughter of the museum family they once robbed, when they took her contract. They were busy stealing crystals when she saw them. They didn't have time to deal with her, so they kidnapped her. Am I right, General?"

"I'm just curious... why did the Little Duchess Melusine see it but say nothing? That’s not like her at all."

Jiang Sili turned around, his usually gentle face now cold and frozen like a sinister snake.