14. Jun Himeya

As Saijou and Yamanaka Kishida patrolled the skies in two flying Swallow aircraft, searching for the Zulruk aliens, Qi Ming and Emi knocked on the village chief's door.

“So it’s the warriors of the Victory Team. Thanks to you, the monster has been dealt with this time...” The village chief was about to offer some polite small talk, but fell silent as soon as he noticed Xiaoxue standing behind them.

Qi Ming asked Emi to stay outside to keep Xiaoxue company while he pulled the village chief inside for a private conversation.

“The ‘Witch’ hasn’t been dealt with; the situation could easily take a turn for the worse at any moment.” His words startled the village chief immediately.

This young man wore the Victory Team uniform and had a dignified appearance; it was clear he wasn’t joking about such serious matters.

“The ‘Witch’ is still in the snowy mountains. If Xiaoxue is bullied again, it will come out to seek justice for her,” Qi Ming warned.

The village chief replied, “Those biker gang members met a tragic end; who wouldn’t be scared after seeing that? Who would dare provoke her again?”

“Never underestimate the diversity of human nature,” Qi Ming said. “There are always some fools eager to court death, dragging others into danger alongside them.”

The well-informed village chief thought this over and found it quite reasonable. Besides, if the villagers ostracized Xiaoxue out of fear, that would also count as bullying in the eyes of the ‘Witch,’ wouldn’t it?

With the ‘Witch’ causing frequent disturbances, how was the village supposed to thrive?

The village chief asked the Victory Team to venture back into the snowy mountains and eliminate the ‘Witch’ once and for all to prevent future trouble.

“I sympathize with Xiaoxue, but ever since the ‘Witch’ appeared, the number of tourists has plummeted. From the village’s development perspective, mere sympathy won’t suffice,” he explained.

Qi Ming offered a new perspective. “For a tourist area, natural scenery is important, but cultural stories are just as vital. A touching tale of a mother turning into a ghost to protect her daughter — and the protagonist is right here before us — with a bit of polishing, that could attract visitors.”

The village chief was tempted but still wary of the risks.

The villagers found it hard to accept Xiaoxue; given enough time, a single misstep could lead to disaster.

“The train of thought is free, but we can guide it along the tracks we lay,” Qi Ming said as he stood and placed his hand on the village chief’s left shoulder, posing a series of questions.

“Chief, do you consider Xiaoxue and the ‘Witch’ to be unstable elements?”

“Of course.”

“Do you think you could accidentally meet the same fate as those five biker gang members?”

“Possibly.”

“Does the presence of an ‘outsider’ like Xiaoxue among the people make you uncomfortable or even fearful?”

“To some extent, yes.”

“Then do you believe Xiaoxue’s existence harms the village?”

“Isn’t that so...”

“You naturally say ‘yes’ because you’ve agreed to all the previous points; it’s impossible to deny this last ‘let nature take its course’ conclusion.”

Qi Ming then moved his hand to the village chief’s right shoulder.

“Chief, in your experience, has Xiaoxue ever done anything wrong on her own initiative?”

“No, she’s always behaved well.”

“Do you think those five gang members dying because of Xiaoxue counts as ‘removing a threat’ for the people?”

“In that sense, yes. We won’t have to worry about them anymore.”

“With so many strange phenomena occurring in the world, do you think having a girl under a monster’s protection in the village might mean she—and those around her—will be protected when other dangers arise?”

“Indeed.”

“Do you think having Xiaoxue around is a good thing for the village?”

The village chief was dumbfounded. “Yes, but you’re...”

Qi Ming clapped his hands. “First plant some impressions, then lead the other party toward the viewpoint you’ve set. Use this method with the other villagers, and they’ll come to understand naturally.”

The village chief pondered for a moment and then looked admiring. “No wonder they say the Victory Team is made up of the elite of elites. After meeting you today, I see it’s no exaggeration.”

Qi Ming waved his hand. “Not quite. Aside from Emi and me, the others still have some ideological issues.”

“Bang...” A soft sound came from the door.

The village chief increasingly felt that, according to Qi Ming’s plan, even bad things could be turned into good.

He said, “If only a reporter could help publicize this story. Unfortunately, that young man named Himeya Jun isn’t here anymore.”

Qi Ming was startled. “Himeya Jun? The war correspondent?”

The second-generation Aptitude user from Nexus?

The village chief nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, yes, I didn’t expect you to have heard of him, too.”

“He stayed in the village for a time, investigating the snowy mountains and the Mist-Blowing Mountains, but later went to a war zone and lost contact.”

“His reports were once available online, but now searching his name yields nothing—probably removed due to copyright issues.”

They used to be accessible, but now there’s nothing... No wonder I couldn’t find any information.

…

“Please keep a close watch on Xiaoxue’s situation.”

“No problem. From now on, I will be Xiaoxue’s guardian and take good care of her.”

After bidding farewell to Xiaoxue and the village chief and walking some distance, Emi couldn’t help but say, “Qi Ming, I heard everything you just said.”

The muffled sound from the door was Emi’s reaction to overhearing the remark, “the others still have some ideological issues.”

Qi Ming asked, “What do you think?”

Emi thought for a moment. “The villagers should be able to accept Xiaoxue now... because of the benefits.”

Qi Ming replied, “If not benefits, then what? Love? None of these people are her relatives.”

Emi looked down at her toes. “That’s true...”

“Emi, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

“What kind of favor?” Emi was on guard, thinking, Could this be about forming an alliance against Yamanaka and Kishida?

Qi Ming said, “You’re skilled at gathering intelligence. Could you help me dig deeper into the background of Himeya Jun? It would be even better if you could find out where he is now.”

Emi breathed a sigh of relief and agreed but curiously asked what was so special about this war correspondent.

Qi Ming explained, “You know the situation with Yamanaka and Kishida. If we can’t change their mindset, we have to replace them. If Himeya Jun could take their places, I’d have it much easier.”

Emi didn’t dare respond further; both Yamanaka and Kishida were her seniors, a topic she couldn’t touch.

“Keep an eye on some other names too... but let’s focus on investigating Himeya Jun first.”

Qi Ming had considered giving her a whole list of names—Shinka Oko, Takayama Gam, Haruno Musashi—but decided it was better to take it step by step.

From his conversation with the village chief, Qi Ming was convinced that the man he described—full of justice, with great ambition, who grew weary of the constant scrutiny of desires and turned to the battlefield—was indeed Himeya Jun.

In this chaotic world, there was truly a force of righteousness hidden away, just buried beneath something.

With careful digging, there was sure to be great reward.

But who was it that obscured everything, holding the world in their palm? And how did this fused world come into being?