# 125
**Chapter 125: The One in the Shadows**
"Mouse?"
Lin Qiye frowned. Just as he was about to act, the mouse darted into a narrow crack in the corner.
So even a mansion like this gets mice, huh...
Lin Qiye shook his head slightly and pushed the door open without thinking much of it.
"Up so early?" Wen Qimo, still lying on the couch, was woken by the sound of the door. He yawned lazily.
"Got used to it at the camp."
Lin Qiye walked down the stairs and noticed Hongying’s door was already open. Surprised, he asked,
"Where’s Sister Hongying?"
"She got up even earlier than you. She’s out back practicing with her spear." Wen Qimo rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head. "You two are waking up earlier and earlier—how’s a guy supposed to sleep? It’s barely past five a.m.!"
Lin Qiye: …
It wasn’t that he liked waking up early—his six months at the camp had drilled it into him. Every day, he was roused before dawn, sometimes even dragged out for training at two or three in the morning. Being able to sleep until five was already a blessing.
Lin Qiye quietly stepped into the backyard.
A girl in white training clothes, her long black hair tied in a high ponytail, twirled a spear with fluid grace. She moved like a startled swan, the crimson tassel of her spear leaving trails in the air as the wind whistled past.
Sensing Lin Qiye’s presence, Hongying landed lightly, smoothly sheathed her spear, and walked toward him with a smile.
"Awake?"
"Yeah."
"Is the pig on the couch up yet?"
"Doesn’t seem like it..."
"Forget him. Come on, I’ll make you breakfast. After that, we’ll go shopping." Hongying licked her lips as if remembering something.
"Ever since you left for training, we haven’t had the captain’s cooking. Tonight’s gonna be a treat—hehehe..."
"Sister Hongying, do you practice with your spear this early every day?" Lin Qiye asked curiously.
"Yup." She nodded. "Master said, skip one day of training and you lose a hundred days of progress. Ever since I started learning the spear, I’ve practiced every morning. Been doing it for twelve years."
"Twelve years?" Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow. "So... how old are you, Sister Hongying?"
Hongying’s age had always been a mystery. From her looks, she seemed around Lin Qiye’s age, maybe two or three years older. That would mean she started training at around eight?
Hongying stuck out her tongue. "A girl’s age isn’t something you ask about. I’m not telling!"
Lin Qiye followed her back inside, helpless. She delivered a swift kick to the couch to wake Wen Qimo, then headed into the kitchen.
About ten minutes later, a hearty breakfast was laid out on the table. Even Si Xiaonan, who had been hiding in her room, was dragged out by Hongying. She sat at the table half-asleep, grudgingly finishing her food.
After breakfast, Hongying, Lin Qiye, and Si Xiaonan headed out to buy groceries, leaving Wen Qimo behind to wash the dishes with a bitter face—reduced to a mere tool.
What they didn’t notice was the small gray mouse silently watching from a corner of the ceiling...
...
Cangnan City.
In the labyrinthine sewer system, a swarm of rats surged like a tide. They moved like a trained army, silently and swiftly through the tunnels, arriving at a vast, dark underground cavern.
Dim sunlight filtered through a rusted grate above. A heavy fan creaked slowly, casting shifting shadows in the gloom. The air reeked of blood and chemicals.
In the center of the cavern stood a bloodstained operating table. Beside it lay neatly arranged scalpels, axes, even a chainsaw. Nearby, two barrels held grotesque specimens floating in formaldehyde—a giant snake head with unblinking eyes, and a half-body lizard.
On a stone platform nearby, a hooded boy in a black cloak sat quietly. Before him was a chessboard, black and white pieces interlocked. No one sat across from him.
Rustle rustle...
Rats poured in from narrow tunnels, surrounding the platform in a dark mass. They lay still, as if paying homage to their king.
The boy held a black piece, glancing at the rats around him, and murmured,
"The fourth-gen artificial serpent neurons sync much better with my mental power than the third-gen. I’ve basically created a visual-sharing system similar to the Nanda Serpent Demon and its snake seeds. But to achieve that level of infectiousness, more experiments and improvements are needed..."
He placed the black piece down, stood, and walked to a cage filled with rats. He reached in and pulled one out.
A faint light flickered at his fingertip, darting into the rat’s head. The rat went limp, then jolted awake a few seconds later.
It scurried off his hand and joined the swarm, bowing low.
"This ability comes from the Nanda Serpent Demon’s snake seeds. It lets me link consciousness with other creatures using artificial serpent neurons, control their actions, and share vision... Unfortunately, for now, I can only implant these neurons in rats.
Let’s call this fourth-gen version... Fish Seeds.
With over four hundred rats implanted with Fish Seeds, I can monitor every movement in Cangnan City. If any mystery appears, I’ll find it before the Night Watch does..."
The boy slowly lowered his hood, revealing an ordinary face. But if Lin Qiye were here, he’d recognize him instantly.
His name—An Qingyu.
The same An Qingyu who had teamed up with Lin Qiye to take down the Nanda Serpent Demon, then vanished after being rejected by the Night Watch.
He turned back to the chessboard, eyes narrowing.
"From the shared vision of the Fish Seeds, the situation in Cangnan City is... delicate."
He sat back down, staring at the complex pattern of black and white pieces.
"Hidden experts from all over Great Xia. Over a dozen River Realm users. Former Night Watch members who escaped the Purification Chamber. The Scorpion mercenaries who vanished three years ago. A woman suspected to be from the Church of the Ancient Gods. Even two deeply hidden Sea Realm powerhouses...
The waters of Cangnan are getting murkier."
He picked up a white piece, hesitating as he looked at a corner of the board.
"These pieces are in dangerous positions. Should I warn Lin Qiye..."
After a long pause, he seemed to make up his mind. He placed the white piece slowly in the corner.
"We’ve been through hell together. This time... I’ll help you out."