CHAPTER 338: CHAPTER 336: MY COLD-BLOODED SISTER

"My brother only did it because he had no better choice."

Qian Yuya spoke softly, "Back then, in the situation in Star Engraving County, it was either join the authorities and be their lackey, or join White Night and revolt against tyranny. The first path was a dead end—a cocoon of your own making. The second was dangerous, but at least there was a sliver of hope. My brother didn’t have any real options, he could only join White Night, and then..."

"...win me a chance to escape from the prison that was Star Engraving County."

"After I came to Yanjing, I met many true White Night Walkers. Their passion for their ideals shone from the inside out, and that’s when I realized my brother had never truly pledged loyalty to White Night from the beginning—the group was just his best option at the time."

Yes.

"Qian Yuliu couldn’t really be called a good person—don’t forget No. 1 Unit killed No. 0 Unit at the start, No. 0 Unit died a miserable death—it’s just that he happened to be guided by his teacher, Lin Jinyao, onto a traitor’s path, becoming a ’good person’ by accident."

"All he ever wanted was to create a world where his little sister could be happy and alive, but the focus was always his sister—he simply never cared about anyone else."

"But Qian Yuliu never opened up to anyone. If Le Yuxin hadn’t once hacked his account, he would never have known what Qian Yuliu was really thinking."

"That Qian Yuya could actually see through this, truly surprised Le Yuxin."

"...Betraying White Night is one thing, but no matter what, Qian Yuliu gave his life to buy your freedom, and this is how you repay him? You disregard yourself entirely, you sell your future to a stranger, you don’t show even the slightest bit of dignity..."

Le Yuxin said coldly, "That’s not something you can explain away by saying, ’I believe you want to protect me’... Pathetic."

Qian Yuya didn’t get angry, instead she asked in return, "Then what do you think would be the right way to repay my brother?"

"Study hard, improve every day, get a stable job after graduation, meet a good person, get married, have kids, live a peaceful life..."

"Is that so? Well, I don’t think so."

Le Yuxin was briefly stunned.

Qian Yuya’s expression was as calm as still water.

"At first, I thought my goal in life was to kill Yin Yinyin and avenge my brother. Any news of Yin Yinyin’s activity coming from Dongyang was the only thing that ever really moved my heart."

"My brother left me two inheritances. One was White Night, but I soon realized that was just trash he threw away. The other was Yin Yinyin. Unfortunately, he didn’t give me the chance to take revenge—he died in Dongyang years ago."

"With my brother dead and Yin Yinyin dead too, there was nothing left in my heart—not sadness, not joy. Every day was just going through the motions: study, class, training, eating, sleeping."

"In those days, I just kept reliving the day I got confirmation of Yin Yinyin’s death—over and over again."

"I couldn’t feel happiness, nor could I feel any grief."

’A feeling stirred in Le Yuxin’s heart, a creeping awareness of something he didn’t want to admit.’

Qian Yuya continued, "Until I heard that Jing Zhengwei had once acted under the name ’Yin Yinyin.’ Plus, Jing Zhengwei used to send me money, claiming to be a friend of my brother’s."

"Jing Zhengwei was my brother’s third inheritance. When I finally understood that, Jing Zhengwei died."

"Then you showed up, Teacher Qin. You were Jing Zhengwei’s closest confidant, just like Jing Zhengwei and Qian Yuliu; but you were also the traitor who killed Jing Zhengwei with your own hands, just like Yin Yinyin and Qian Yuliu."

"You knew Qian Yuliu, Jing Zhengwei, Yin Yinyin."

"You knew all the secrets, and you knew all the truth."

"And," Qian Yuya gazed at Le Yuxin, "you know me. You take care of my relationships in class. Just now, you proved you’ll be disappointed if I don’t value myself."

"You’re the fourth inheritance my brother left me."

"There’s really no piece of information out there worth giving up my life for." Qian Yuya said, as if narrating someone else’s story, calmly, "But you are."

"My heart is moved because of you, my blood lives because of you. If I can’t be your family, I don’t even know what life means."

Le Yuxin understood what Qian Yuya meant.

It wasn’t love, it wasn’t family, and it wasn’t friendship.

It was cold blood.

Qian Yuya had actually activated the Ice Blood Physique.

’Looking at all the people with the Ice Blood trait that Le Yuxin had come to know—Qian Yuliu, Xia Lingguo, Jing Shou—they all needed to rely on someone else to have the drive to keep living. Just like Qian Yuya needed Qian Yuliu; Qian Yuliu needed Xia Lingguo; Jing Qingfu needed Jing Shou...’

’Their hearts felt neither sorrow nor joy—the only thing that gave them a reason to live was being someone else’s tool. Otherwise, they didn’t even know what they wanted.’

’Nothing in the world meant anything to them.’

’Their sole purpose in living was to walk toward death.’

"But don’t you want to save the country at least? I heard you used to want to be a Medical Officer—did you never think of becoming a Divine Doctor who brings the Living Dead back to life?" Le Yuxin tried to save Qian Yuya from herself. He figured she’d only activated the cold blood after hearing about Qian Yuliu’s death, maybe she wasn’t born this way—maybe she could still be saved.

"I wanted to be a Medical Officer because I hoped to heal my brother; I wanted to save the country because my brother said that medicine alone can’t save Huiyao," Qian Yuya replied, "But he’s gone. Even if I reach those goals, I can’t... boast to him."

Le Yuxin felt there was no saving her anymore.

’Qian Yuliu and Qian Yuya had depended on each other for more than ten years. Even before she awakened the Ice Blood, her life had always been bound to his. To ask her to forget Qian Yuliu was to deny her entire past.’

’Le Yuxin could treat "Ice Blood Physique" as a passive skill only because he was greedy for desire—such a little cold blood could never suppress his urges. Hell, just his craving for "air-conditioning" was enough to keep him motivated for life.’

’But even a degenerate like Le Yuxin had been affected by Ice Blood—look at how he firmly refused to build a harem and only cared about pure love. Ice Blood had already dulled most of his pervy instincts; Qing Lan was his last stubborn holdout.’

’Right now, Qian Yuya desperately needed a spiritual pillar to guide her life, and "1/4 of her brother’s inheritance"—Qin Leyin—was her only option.’

’Le Yuxin could refuse, but then he really couldn’t predict what Qian Yuya would do next. And Qian Yuya would almost certainly become someone else’s tool, unless she could feel pain again.’

He made up his mind on the spot, ’If Qian Yuya had to be a tool, she might as well be my tool!’

’But Le Yuxin couldn’t actually take Qian Yuya as his follower.’

’Because, for all he knew, he might not make it six more months.’

’And when he switched accounts, he couldn’t possibly take his beloved Pokémon with him—Le Yuxin had no intention of telling Qian Yuya about "death and substitution." Otherwise, she’d realize her brother was killed by No. 0 Unit long ago, and she’d probably avenge him on the spot.’

’As his thoughts spun, Le Yuxin suddenly hit upon a brilliant idea.’

"Sigh." He let out a sigh, sat down, and said, "At this point, Qian Yuya, I might as well just tell you."

"Actually, I, Jing Zhengwei, Yin Yinyin, Qian Yuliu—we’re all members of the same organization."

Qian Yuya’s expression was one of, ’Just as I thought,’ and she asked, "So what is your organization’s purpose? To protect Huiyao? Or to walk against the light?"

"Neither." Le Yuxin shook his head, "Our organization’s purpose is—"

"To create a society without classes, a society with tremendous productive force, a world immensely rich in both material and spiritual wealth, where all property belongs to humanity as a whole, goods are distributed according to need, and every person enjoys equal social and economic rights. Labor is no longer just a means of survival—labor becomes humanity’s first need."

’My cold-blooded little sister, if you have to love something to keep living,’

’Then love your country.’