# 406
Chapter 406 – The Mark
“…So why are we walking this way again?”
After they’d gone a few blocks, Cao Yuan couldn’t help asking. “Why don’t we just ride in their car and get out of this fog?”
Baili Pangpang clicked his tongue. “What do you know? It’s called mystique. If we just hop in their car, grinning like idiots, how do we leave a silhouette? How do we look cool?”
“…” Cao Yuan turned to Lin Qiye. “Qiye, you think that too?”
Lin Qiye pondered. “All I know is, after other special squads finish a mission, they don’t ride out in a rescue truck…”
“Now that you mention it, that does feel kind of low-tier,” Cao Yuan sighed.
“Our entrance was already lame; the exit has to be stylish,” Baili Pangpang shrugged. “If we could fly off on a pillar like the Medium squad, now that’s style!”
Jialan listened quietly, smiling without a word.
Lin Qiye noticed her, hesitated, then walked over and looked down at the broken wooden bow in her hands, frowning.
“When we get back I’ll petition command to forge you a new bow out of Straight Blade alloy,” he said.
Jialan stared at the weapon, eyes full of reluctance.
“It’s important?” Lin Qiye asked.
She nodded.
He thought for a moment. “Then we’ll send it in for repair and have them return it to you.”
Her eyes lit up; she looked at him, starlight flickering in her gaze, curving into crescents.
“Hey, Old Cao,” Baili Pangpang whispered, sidling up to Cao Yuan with a weird expression. “Notice anything… off about how Lan-jie looks at Qiye?”
Cao Yuan glanced at him. “Off how?”
“Tch, just… never mind, a blockhead like you wouldn’t get it.” Baili Pangpang gave up.
Cao Yuan rolled his eyes. “Realize one thing.”
“What?”
“If I’m a blockhead, Qiye’s an even bigger one,” Cao Yuan said seriously. “If I can’t see it, he definitely can’t…”
Baili Pangpang: …
Damn, that actually makes sense!
He shot Jialan a sympathetic look and sighed.
Sister Lan, your road ahead is long… no, it’s looooong.
They threaded through fog-shrouded streets to the deserted downtown fringe. A growling engine approached; a black van appeared at the far end of the road.
“Our ride’s here,” Lin Qiye said.
The van rolled to a stop. The window cranked down; An Qingyu, glasses glinting, tapped the door and flicked his head.
“Get in.”
“…”
Baili Pangpang eyed the beat-up van in disgust. “Can I skip? This feels only one notch above riding a shared bike.”
“If you want to pedal twenty kilometers to the safe-house, sure,” Lin Qiye answered solemnly.
“Wait!” Cao Yuan suddenly said. “Aren’t we forgetting something?”
The others looked at him.
“Leaving a mark!” Cao Yuan reminded. “Without a mark, how do we prove we were here?”
Lin Qiye remembered. On their last mission in the primal forest they’d skipped it—only two Night Watchmen manned Anta County, and no one would see. This time their contribution was huge, and the 017 squad was also in the fog; for credit’s sake they needed a unique emblem.
“What should it be?” Lin Qiye mused.
“Let’s spray a fat guy on the ground!”
Baili Pangpang whipped out a black spray-can and, before anyone could stop him, blasted out a lopsided human shape.
“Too ugly!” Cao Yuan snatched the can and, after thought, added a Straight Blade in the figure’s right hand—basically a black “丿.” Then he curled squiggles around it for baleful flame.
Jialan’s eyes sparkled; she waved eagerly.
“Lan-jie wants a turn!” Baili Pangpang grabbed the can and handed it over.
She drew a bow in the left hand—recognizable, unlike the rest of the doodle.
An Qingyu climbed out, took the can, and added a pair of black glasses.
Result: a chubby figure wielding bow and Straight Blade, sporting thick black frames.
Lin Qiye: …???
“This represents our squad… and it’s hideous.” He palmed his face.
They exchanged glances, nodded in silent agreement.
“Qiye, you fix it,” Baili Pangpang said, passing the can.
Lin Qiye studied the abstract mess, racked his brain, then simply painted the whole thing black. Using his array-drawing skill he outlined a perfect circle and filled it in: a neat “●.”
“Too plain…” he muttered.
Glancing at the twin sabers on his back, he brightened and sprayed a bold “×” over the circle—two clean, powerful strokes like black Straight Blades slashing the night.
“Much better,” An Qingyu approved. “Way better than before.”
“Done.”
Lin Qiye tossed the can back, clapped his hands, and admired the emblem with satisfaction.
“Mission exit complete!”