CHAPTER 376: CHAPTER 228: NO. 1001, SON OF BAI TANLANG, TAVERN CONFLICT

As he walked out of the tavern, he added, "Oh, right, fighting among members is prohibited, so don’t go too wild."

Saying this, Anluns left the tavern without looking back.

"Oh, that reminds me," Yanmo Lin thought for a moment, "At that tavern, I did think one of the kids looked a lot like the White Wolf."

Bai Tanlang turned to look at her, "And you kept it from me for so long?"

"I just forgot to mention it," Yanmo Lin said.

"Alright, everyone calm down. Kid, let me see the photo," Bloodline said, walking towards the hacker.

"I sent them to all of you on your phones. It’s so annoying," the hacker grumbled, "Sending this like crazy all of a sudden, as if it’s my fault they got away."

Bai Tanlang gradually calmed down too, though his breathing remained heavy, his muscles rippling like waves.

Bloodline picked up a phone from the gambling table, looking impassively at the five boys in hospital gowns in the photo.

Suddenly, she froze in place, her crimson eyes contracting, staring at the boy in the middle of the photo who was protecting a frail white-haired girl in his arms.

"1001..."

Bloodline slightly opened her mouth, softly reciting a string of familiar yet strange numbers.

After a moment, she silently looked up, staring expressionlessly at the hacker, her pale face partially veiled by strands of pale blonde hair.

"Where did the kid in the middle of the photo and the white-haired girl go?"

The hacker was taken aback, "Seriously? You’re here too, old woman?" He didn’t understand why that tiny photo could suddenly make these two act like they were rabid.

He regretted taking that photo out in front of them, ruining the celebratory atmosphere, and now having to face their rage, he thought.

Xia Pingzhou was suddenly stunned too. After a while, he looked up at Bloodline:

"Are you saying the boy in the photo is 1001?"

Bloodline was silent for a moment, then she nodded slightly.

"I wouldn’t mistake him," she said softly.

Despite the hundred-year-old quality in her aura, her eyes and eyebrows were still as clear as a young girl’s, her voice firm and decisive.

"You’re definitely wrong, the photo is too blurry."

Bloodline looked into his eyes, "Then how do you explain the white-haired girl?"

Xia Pingzhou was slightly startled.

Did Bloodline mistake me in the photo for 1001? He wondered if 1001’s appearance actually resembled his own. Or was there a certain connection between him and 1001? Could it be that Salvation Society captured him because he resembled 1001?

The kimono-clad girl remained silent for a while, glancing between Xia Pingzhou and Bloodline.

"Tell me," Bloodline slowly said, "what happened there, and where did the children in the photo go in the end?"

"Why..." Bai Tanlang also raised his head, suppressing his anger, "did you happen to run into them there? I don’t believe it’s just a coincidence."

Xia Pingzhou faced the two of them expressionlessly: "Do I need to answer you?"

The white mist in Bai Tanlang’s right eye faintly shattered, his teeth becoming sharp, his body slowly covered with fur, pupils rising like a beast, glowing with a white light. He was thoroughly furious, more so than ever before.

"You do need to answer," Bloodline said, "Otherwise, I won’t let you go."

"Even if you have questions, this isn’t the way to ask them, don’t make it seem like I owe you anything..." Xia Pingzhou remained calm, "If you want a fight, I’m game."

As he finished speaking, he released the Celestial Driver, black and white streams flowed from his body surface, enveloping him completely.

"What is this situation?" Tong Zizhu froze, "Why did the atmosphere suddenly get so tense?"

The hacker turned to Tong Zizhu and disdainfully said, "Hey... with so many people calling you mom, it’s finally time for you to display your ’mom’ skills and ease the tension, right?"

He knew Bai Tanlang and Bloodline too well. The former exploded at the mention of his son, while the latter’s personality flipped when the number 1001 was brought up.

But Xia Pingzhou’s nonchalant demeanor only visibly infuriated the two more.

However, the hacker understood that this wasn’t Xia Pingzhou’s fault; it was his. If he hadn’t let Xia Pingzhou go to that underground tavern for a drink, this series of conflicts wouldn’t have happened today.

"Forget it... even if I were your mom, I should run away now," Tong Zizhu clicked her tongue, sounding displeased.

After she donned a fox mask, her figure vanished into thin air.

Seeing the situation getting worse, the hacker took the initiative to speak:

"Alright, at the time the newcomer was feeling down and wanted a drink, so I casually recommended a bar. Then he unfortunately ran into a red light district and those kids you two are seeking."

He shrugged, "How would we know at the time that the kids were associated with the ones you’re looking for? What’s the point of getting mad at him?"

Robert, sitting on the floor, let out a sigh and said, "Wolf, I know you want to find your son badly, but control your anger. We don’t know the exact situation back then, don’t wrongly blame the newcomer."

Bai Tanlang remained undeterred, glaring angrily at Xia Pingzhou.

Yanmo Lin suddenly drew her Tachi, a clear blade’s hum momentarily resonating through the underground tavern.

Quietly, she sat on the card table between Bai Tanlang and Xia Pingzhou, raising her Tachi, her school uniform skirt draping over the tabletop.

"No one move, fighting among members is prohibited," she said, "Talk things out, or... I’ll slice all your intestines out."

A brief silence enveloped the tavern; the atmosphere remained intensely reactive. If Jack the Ripper hadn’t shielded Xia Pingzhou, a brawl would have undoubtedly erupted among the group.

Suddenly, the kimono girl rose from the sofa.

She lifted her hand, catching Xia Pingzhou’s sleeve, then led him step by step towards the underground tavern’s exit.

As they crossed the threshold, pages flew out from her crimson sleeve, forming a curtain of paper that blocked the view of everyone from inside.

"Don’t follow," her voice pierced through the paper barrier, reaching their ears. Then, with Ayase Origami, she led Xia Pingzhou away without turning back.

Before long, their figures blended into the bustling, brightly lit fjord street.