Chapter 10: Exposed?
Two days later.
In the arena, amidst a forest of stone pillars.
Su Xiao crouched atop a stone pillar, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk’s piercing gaze.
“East side, huh. Quite the runner.”
He leaped down from the pillar, weaving through the complex terrain of the stone forest, occasionally sidestepping to dodge the pillars.
His rapid advance came to an abrupt halt. His opponent was just ten meters ahead.
A mage with both arms severed stepped out from behind a stone pillar, a hint of resignation in his eyes.
“You win.”
The mage, a bearded Caucasian, spoke.
“How did you find my position?”
“Instinct.”
Hearing Su Xiao’s answer, the mage fell silent, shook his head, and chose to surrender.
[Personal battle concluded: 57 consecutive victories!]
[Hunter arena ranking improved: from 246th to 163rd (First Rank).]
Su Xiao closed the battle record display, ready to start the next match.
[Hunter’s stay time in Reincarnation Paradise has reached its limit.]
[Returning to the Real World. Please remember the regulations of Reincarnation Paradise.]
[Under no circumstances may any information about Reincarnation Paradise be disclosed in the Real World. Violations will result in a warning; if the warning is ignored, execution will be enforced.]
...
[Teleportation begins. Destination: Real World.]
Su Xiao was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed. He had spent these days entirely in the arena, and his stay time had flown by.
The sensation of teleportation washed over him, and he instinctively raised his hand.
Bang.
After an unknown duration, Su Xiao sat dazed on the living room floor.
He habitually checked the alarm devices set up on the doors and windows; everything was normal.
These alarms were merely a precaution, of little practical use. After Su Xiao entered Reincarnation Paradise, no one from the Real World could find him there. They were only to prevent someone from ambushing him upon his return.
Su Xiao sat on the living room sofa, opened his laptop, and began searching for information.
“This place won’t work... the climate’s too harsh. This one’s no good either.”
After reviewing many options, Su Xiao started packing. His luggage was simple: a blade, a computer, and some clothes.
Without a hint of reluctance, he left the rented apartment. It was just a temporary shelter.
In the dim, old hallway, Su Xiao stopped after just a few steps.
Click.
The door opposite his apartment opened, and a man in sunglasses stepped out. But upon seeing Su Xiao, the man also halted.
Su Xiao keenly sensed that this guy wasn’t ordinary. There was a smell of gunpowder about him—the scent of someone who frequently handled firearms and bullets.
Su Xiao only glanced at him once before continuing downstairs. The man in sunglasses stood still. Only after Su Xiao’s figure had completely disappeared did he slam the security door shut with a bang, leaning his back against it.
Cold sweat beaded on the man’s temples. The look in Su Xiao’s eyes when he turned his head had made him feel like he was being stared down by a wild beast.
On the bustling street, Su Xiao’s gaze instinctively swept his surroundings.
He ducked into a secluded alley, pulled out his phone, and dialed.
“Who is this?”
A slightly hoarse voice came through the phone.
“Doing business?”
“What?”
The voice was full of confusion.
“Not making documents?”
“Ah, you mean that. My ‘umbrella’ fell last month. Not doing it anymore.”
Su Xiao frowned, hung up, and dialed another number.
“Can you make documents?”
“No.”
The call was cut off. Su Xiao was a bit surprised—was this kind of business really that hard to come by lately?
He tried one last number.
“Hello.”
A steady voice answered.
“Can you make documents?”
“What type?”
“A passport or a Maple Leaf Card.”
“Passport: 3 million. Maple Leaf Card: 9 million. Requires a legal identity in this country. The Maple Leaf Card needs assets of over 20 million under your name. If you agree, we’ll talk in person.”
“Fine. Location.”
After the other party gave the address, Su Xiao hung up. He wasn’t looking for fake documents—the price for that wouldn’t be so outrageous. He wanted a legitimate identity.
Money makes the world go round. With enough cash, most things were possible.
The country he planned to go to wasn’t one with strict immigration policies. As long as he was willing to spend, there was no problem. Besides, he already had a legal identity in this country: Su Xiao.
Su Xiao intended to leave the country for a while. Though he wasn’t keen on going abroad, the police were after him.
In a modern society full of surveillance, the police were not to be trifled with. If they were determined to find him, it wasn’t impossible.
After all, he had infiltrated a police station before. He needed to be cautious.
Now, Su Xiao was heading to another city by high-speed rail to meet the document maker. Those people didn’t trust transfers or mail; payment had to be made in person.
It was a wise choice. Transfers left traces; cash didn’t. These people were in a life-or-death business.
Half an hour later, Su Xiao arrived at a high-speed rail station.
“Activate temporary storage function.”
Su Xiao murmured, and the long blade wrapped in its cloth sheath in his hand vanished. This was a function of Reincarnation Paradise: for 100 Paradise Coins, he could temporarily store a real-world item in his storage space.
Though convenient, this function had many restrictions—weight, length, and whether the item was explosive or radioactive were all factors.
Blades were stored on a technicality; firearms were out of the question.
And spending 100 Paradise Coins didn’t grant permanent access; the limit was seven days.
Su Xiao, carrying some clothes and a computer, headed toward the security checkpoint. The area was crowded with people. After passing through security, he entered the waiting hall.
Trying to bring a blade onto a high-speed rail was laughable. He had previously used this ability to carry this heirloom blade, passed down through generations.
He sat in the waiting room, but before long, something felt off. The crowd was too sparse.
He checked the time: 9:05 AM. At this hour, there shouldn’t be so few people.
Su Xiao shot up from his seat and quickly walked toward the exit of the waiting hall.
A group of men in suits began to close in from all sides. Su Xiao knew his identity was exposed—something he had anticipated.
He just wasn’t sure if it was as a murderer or as a contractor.
Tang Hong appeared in his hand. That was the name of his family heirloom blade, forged by a renowned craftsman.
Calmly, Su Xiao unwrapped the cloth sheath of Tang Hong and tossed it aside. The blade was drawn.
Clang.
The sword sang softly, gleaming coldly in Su Xiao’s hand. If these people meant harm, he would fight his way out.
His actions caught the attention of the passengers in the waiting hall. These were ordinary people, and seeing Su Xiao with a drawn blade made their legs tremble.
The hundred or so men in suits halted. A few of them began to whisper.
“Boss, this guy’s no pushover. He’s definitely a top-tier fighter from there. What do we do?”
A burly man nodded and spoke:
“Don’t panic. We’re not here to fight him. Be polite when we talk. I might not be his match. Keep the negotiation courteous.”
“Boss, I’m on my period today. I’m bailing out.”
A young girl seemed ready to bolt.
The burly man’s mouth twitched.
“Xiao Ye, if you run, your monthly benefits are gone.”
Xiao Ye sighed.
“Fine, but I’m only here for show. The moment he drew that blade, my hair stood on end.”
The burly man nodded.
“Evacuate the civilians.”
He slowly approached Su Xiao.
“Mr. Su, I mean no harm. I’m here on behalf of the ‘Bureau for the Management of Unstable Factors’ to discuss something with you. And we’re the same kind of people—both from that place.”