Chương 52: The Growth of White Plague
Luo Ning nodded, fear evident in her expression. The flickering candlelight bathed the two of them, casting pale shadows on their faces, one large and one small.
In a voice barely above a whisper, circulating only between the two of them, Luo Ning spoke, her words trembling: "Just now... I felt so uneasy. The woman was coming closer, as though she wanted to see who I was. I tried to run. I ran as fast as I could, and I only regained my senses once I lost her."
Bai Yi was taken aback, his disbelief apparent. "You mean... you escaped from her?"
"Yes," Luo Ning replied, nodding quickly. "She couldn't run as fast as me. It felt like something was holding her back."
Bai Yi remained silent for a moment, contemplating the situation. He gently patted Luo Ning's head. "I understand. But you can't tell anyone about this, okay?"
Luo Ning clung to Bai Yi's clothes, her grip tight as though seeking reassurance. The strange, suffocating feeling of danger lingered, and her instincts told her she would only be safe as long as she stayed close to him. She had learned to trust few people in her life.
Since childhood, she had only ever felt genuine kindness from her mother and the neighbor lady. But after their deaths, she came to believe that everyone else had ill intentions—her classmates, the older brother next door, even passersby. All of them, in her eyes, were dangerous. She had learned to keep to herself, to stay dirty so others wouldn't approach her. When they did, she would only speak in a hoarse whisper.
The survival instinct she'd honed in the brutal world of the civilian district had kept her safe—but she felt vulnerable now. She nodded, though unease still gripped her. "I... I understand."
Bai Yi's eyes narrowed in thought. The woman's pursuit suggested she was no ordinary person. The fact that she couldn't track Luo Ning made him more certain: Luo Ning had awakened some extraordinary ability, perhaps a rare form of foresight—or something even stranger.
His mind raced as he considered the implications. "Wait here for me," he instructed, his voice firm. "Don't worry. It's safe here. I'll go buy something for you."
With a soft touch to Luo Ning's cold face, Bai Yi turned and left the room, his pace quickening as he made his way out.
Luo Ning watched him disappear, her heart pounding in her chest. After a few moments of stillness, she hurriedly grabbed the purse she'd dropped, its heavy contents clinking with the weight of gold coins. She retreated behind the counter, sitting on the stool and drawing her knees up to her chest. Her gaze was fixed on the door, her fear palpable. The woman had nearly caught her. If she had, Luo Ning felt certain she wouldn't have survived.
The snow had stopped falling, but the bitter cold lingered, leaving frost on the rooftops. The streets of Shengwu were quiet, especially on this cold night. Bai Yi walked with a sense of purpose toward the Hall of Knowledge, his thoughts heavy.
Luo Ning's abilities had to be nurtured—her potential was too valuable to be left unexplored. It was clear that Night Rose was after him, but Luo Ning's talent had managed to protect her, at least for now. He suspected that her abilities also had the capacity to block foresight, which made her even more significant. If her ability could be fully realized, it would give him an edge against his enemies.
His pace quickened as he formulated a plan. He needed to protect her—no, to arm her with every tool at his disposal.
---
Meanwhile, in the underground chambers of the West City, a woman with purple eyes and a veil stirred as she heard a faint sound. Confusion clouded her features, but there was a flicker of understanding behind her gaze. She turned to the figure standing beside her—an angelic masked figure.
"I can't find them," she murmured. "The other side has a method of transferring their foresight. My visions can't reach the target, but I know they're still in Dongwu City."
The angel nodded, his expression unreadable. "It's expected. Any organization with such an extensive network would have a means of blocking foresight."
He turned his attention to a weakened figure in the corner— a clown, whose dark eyes gleamed with frustration. The clown had been sent into the turbulence of space by the White Plague's spell scroll, but the shadow power he'd been granted allowed him to return.
The angel spoke calmly, "The Federation is aware of our presence. It's not the right time to strike against White Plague. We need him, for now. Once this phase is over, you will take charge of this region."
The clown's voice dripped with disdain. "That alchemist... there's something off about him. He might even be linked to that organization. Why not keep investigating?"
The angel remained unfazed as he retrieved a file from a drawer and tossed it to the clown. "Here's the information on Bai Yi. Beyond our initial attempt to recruit him, nothing stands out. His talent only manifested half a month ago. The anomaly came from some external opportunity, and now he's harnessing it."
The clown flipped open the file reluctantly, scanning the pages that documented every detail of Bai Yi's life. From his birth on March 1, 1518, to the present, every moment had been accounted for.
It was clean—perhaps too clean. The file even included testimonials from people who knew him:
*Miss Diane Tifeng, a deceived classmate: "This guy is a liar—pure and simple. He even faked amnesia. I'll kill you!"*
*A neighbor: "I always knew he had potential. I gave him bread when he was a kid."*
The clown's irritation grew. "His life trajectory changed when he came to Dongwu City. It must have been when he was sixteen. Start your investigation there!"
The angel, calm as ever, continued flipping through the file, extracting every detail. But the clown, growing more agitated, slammed the file down, scattering the pages. "All that for nothing? I almost died for nothing!"
"The Fifth Rule," the veiled fortune teller interjected with a smile, "All geniuses with S-level potential must be recruited first. If they can't be, we wait for the Supreme Being's instructions."
The clown fell silent, swallowing his frustration. They were bound by rules—rules that even the powerful had to obey.
His eyes darkened, and his body was consumed by shadow. "I understand."
The angel gave a slight bow to the fortune teller. "Apologies, but we still need to return to the headquarters."
The fortune teller nodded serenely, her smile never wavering. "I know. The Federation is already onto us. Once White Plague's network takes form, it will be much harder to control. I wonder... why hasn't that old Sword Saint died yet?"
---
In the West of the Inner City, Kami studied the thin file in his hands, pondering. There didn't seem to be any issues with White Plague.
But then a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, what do you need this guy's information for?"
Kami looked up to see a sweet-faced human girl entering, clearly upset.
He smiled, his demeanor calm. "Ms. Diane, long time no see."
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