The First Order

In order to avoid getting discovered by the Pyro Company, the path the Great Hoodwinker pointed out was the most remote and difficult to take. Initially, there were even some people in the group who criticized the Great Hoodwinker unhappily, “Are you sure you’ve been to the periphery of the Sacred Mountains before? Why do I get the feeling you don’t know the way?”

However, the Great Hoodwinker sneered, “In that case, let me leave. I’m only in charge of bringing y’all to the periphery of the Sacred Mountains. Does it matter which route I take? Besides, this route that I chose is the safest. You’re all highly skilled, and some of you are even supernatural beings. If we encounter the Pyro Company, y’all can just run away. But where am I supposed to run to? I don’t want us encountering them.”

At first, Cheng Yu was also a little displeased with this stubborn guide. But when he realized they really did not encounter any attacks from the Pyro Company along the way, he started to acknowledge the Great Hoodwinker as their guide.

Meanwhile, Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaojin were currently portraying themselves as ordinary people who were C-rank hitmen, so the two of them pretended to be as exhausted as the Great Hoodwinker during their trek across the mountains.

After all, even some supernatural beings would find it a little tough to travel this route, let alone “normal people” like them.

When some of the people in the group saw how exhausted Ren Xiaosu looked, they started laughing in their heads. Some of them even hoped he would start falling behind.

The person who wanted Ren Xiaosu to fall behind the most was definitely Cheng Yu. When he saw Ren Xiaosu panting and looking like he could not walk any further, he said, “Why don’t the two of you turn back? This is not a place where C-rank hitmen should go. Which other C-rank hitmen would go to their deaths out here? You two are probably the only ones.”

But then, the young man who asked Ren Xiaosu his expertise raised his hand and said with a smile, “I’m also a C-rank.”

Cheng Yu was speechless.

He cast an unhappy glance at that young man and saw he was not even panting from the trek across the mountains. He was definitely a supernatural being. Why would a supernatural being like him bother to chip in at this moment? By persuading those two to leave, wouldn’t it be easier for everyone?

Cheng Yu ignored what the young man said and continued trying to persuade Ren Xiaosu to leave. “Our journey has only just started. It’ll probably get even more dangerous after we enter the Sacred Mountains six days later. Don’t think I’m being nasty. I’m just saying this for your own good. You can barely keep up with the group. If you suddenly fall behind when we get to the Sacred Mountains, how’re you going to ensure your survival in that dangerous environment?”

Seeing Ren Xiaosu sink deep into thought, Cheng Yu was ecstatic. He had had enough of the guy’s nursery rhymes. If he could persuade him to leave, it would be a joy for this operation.

For the entire morning, Ren Xiaosu had sung so much it made his head buzz!

“Don’t you think what I said makes sense?” Cheng Yu said earnestly. “Your stamina —”

But Ren Xiaosu said emotionally, “I’m fine. Actually, I also have a superpower.”

Cheng Yu was stunned for a moment. “You’re also a superhuman?”

“I’m not sure if I’m a superhuman or not.” Ren Xiaosu said in seriousness, “But as long as someone sings a nursery rhyme for me, I’ll immediately regain my strength.”

Ren Xiaosu sneered in his head. This person was actually trying to dissuade him from entering the Sacred Mountains? ‘Alright then, I won’t pretend anymore. I’m gonna lay all my cards on the table. I’m also a supernatural being!‘

Cheng Yu said in a speechless manner, “Who’re you trying to fool here? Besides, who’s gonna sing nursery rhymes for you? Do you think we have nothing better to do?”

Yang Xiaojin sang, “The bridge in front of the gate, a group of ducks swimming under it. Quick, come and count them! Two, four, six, seven, eight…”¹

Ren Xiaosu immediately straightened his posture and stopped panting. Then he climbed up the mountain and headed into the distance, dumbfounding Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu thought it was no wonder that guy had to have a bloody partner. So it turned out it was not only he who sang nursery rhymes. He also had someone sing them for him. They were simply the perfect duo!

But Cheng Yu also thought the guy was probably a supernatural being to begin with. He must have just been pretending previously, right?

Indeed, how many real C-rank hitmen would want to go to their deaths here even if they had nothing better to do?

Therefore, the probability Ren Xiaosu was a superhuman to begin with was very high!

‘But which supernatural being would behave the way you did? So what if you’re a superhuman? What’re you trying to achieve by singing those nursery rhymes? Even if you’re a superhuman, you’re still an odd superhuman!‘

Along the way, Ren Xiaosu asked Yang Xiaojin in a whisper, “Do you find it very embarrassing that I’m behaving like this?”

Actually, even Ren Xiaosu himself found it quite embarrassing. He was clearly a normal person, yet he had to sing those nursery rhymes every day.

But he had no choice but to do the quests. Since he was going to do it, he would complete them perfectly.

Ren Xiaosu was not too worried about anything else; he was mainly concerned that Yang Xiaojin’s impression of him would worsen.

Yang Xiaojin smirked slightly and replied, “It was quite cute.”

“Really?” Ren Xiaosu wondered.

Yang Xiaojin asked, “Are you doing all this because you gave me the black sniper rifle?”

“Mhm.” Ren Xiaosu nodded. “It’s gonna go on for seven days. This is the price that I have to pay for giving away the black sniper rifle.”

“Thank you,” Yang Xiaojin suddenly said in a serious tone. She felt that since Ren Xiaosu was considered a very powerful supernatural being now, he must have known there would be a trade-off before giving the black sniper rifle to her, yet he still did it.

Most relationships in this world were just built on empty promises. The relationships between adults tend to be more like a restrained admiration, with no one side truly able to selflessly sacrifice for the other.

Some people said that liking someone meant going all-out for them, while loving someone required restraint. However, Yang Xiaojin had her own thoughts on this.

In her opinion, love was about going all-out for a person, while liking was a form of restraint.

As young people would not know about restraint and self-preservation, they would go all-out and love without hesitation.

However, it was different for adults. If they liked someone but did not get a response, they would just leave. “When I take a step towards you but you step back, I shall just turn around and leave.” Such feelings that were constantly restrained would never blossom into love.

Therefore, there was no such thing as love in the world of adults, only restrained admiration.

Right now, Yang Xiaojin was feeling a little regretful that she had accepted the black sniper rifle, but she could also feel Ren Xiaosu’s sincerity when she saw he had no choice but to put away his pride and pretend to be crazy because he had given her his power.

Yang Xiaojin said, “In the future, I’ll sing with you if you want to sing, and I’ll go wherever you go no matter what you want to do.”

Ren Xiaosu suddenly felt that singing nursery rhymes was not that embarrassing anymore.

When they set up camp that night, Cheng Yu looked at the others in the campsite with a numb expression. He did not know if it was because of Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaojin’s influence, but someone actually suggested holding a gathering at night. Seeing everyone putting on a lively talent show at the campsite, Cheng Yu’s assistants were even starting to get a little eager.

“What are you going to perform?” Cheng Yu asked one of his assistants.

“I can whistle….”

“If you even dare think about performing, I’m gonna deduct your salary this month.”

“Alright then,” the assistant said reluctantly. As a result, the other three assistants gave up on the idea as well.