"Kill him? Just like that?" Qing Ling was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected the test to be this straightforward—easier than playing games with Wu Dahai.
Gao Yang was equally taken aback. It felt too simple—suspiciously so.
"Yes." White Rabbit looked at them both. "Easy, right? Chop off the head, or pierce the heart with a sharp weapon. Pretty much the same as killing a person."
"Killing him is easy. What about the aftermath?" Qing Ling had concerns.
"Don't worry. I'll handle it." White Rabbit, wearing white gloves, lightly tapped the walkie-talkie at her waist, signaling that she had backup and everything was under control.
Qing Ling no longer hesitated. She walked toward Niu Xuan; a sharp, compact dagger appeared in her hand.
She crouched, sliced open his shirt, located his heart, and positioned the blade tip against his gently rising and falling chest. Just as the point was about to pierce—
"Wait!" Gao Yang called out.
Qing Ling paused and looked at him questioningly.
"Qing Ling, hold on." Gao Yang said.
White Rabbit also turned to him. "What's wrong? Changed your mind about joining the organization?"
"No." Gao Yang probed carefully. "I just don't understand—why kill him? He hasn't beastified." And how are you so sure Niu Xuan is a Lost One? He didn't ask the second part aloud; surely she had some special means.
"There doesn't need to be a reason to kill a beast." White Rabbit's tone was casual. "If you insist on one: our organization needs decisive, resolute, combat-capable awakeners. We don't need people who feel sympathy or pity toward beasts."
"Just a Lost One." White Rabbit stepped forward and nudged Niu Xuan with her foot. "If you don't want to kill him, we can switch targets. Hmm… that girl Wan Sisi seems to like you, doesn't she? I'll check later whether she's a Lost One. If she is, we might as well kill her too."
Gao Yang's heart jolted. Her observational skills were terrifyingly sharp.
"Thought it over?" White Rabbit pressed.
Gao Yang fell silent.
He wasn't some bleeding-heart saint. Someone like Niu Xuan? Dead was dead—it meant nothing to him. Besides, he wasn't even human—just a Infatuation Beast.
But several details nagged at him.
First: White Rabbit's exact words—"Kill this Lost One."
She could have simply said "kill this beast." Why emphasize "Lost One"? It proved at least one thing: her organization treated Lost Ones (Infatuation Beasts) differently from other beasts.
Logically, non-Infatuation beasts were dangerous; awakeners should eliminate them on sight. So if the attitude toward Infatuation Beasts differed, it was likely the opposite—do not eliminate.
White Rabbit called it a test, but to Gao Yang it felt more like a choice.
She kept nudging them toward killing an "innocent" Lost One.
"Just a Lost One."
That phrase deliberately diminished and devalued a Lost One's existence.
Then she brought up killing Wan Sisi as a "threat." Classic comparative induction: on one side, sweet and innocent Wan Sisi; on the other, the insufferable Niu Xuan.
The lesser evil was obvious.
It was the same trick couples use: the wife first mentions a 20,000-yuan bag she likes, then later casually brings up a few-hundred-yuan dress. Faced with the comparison, the husband immediately says: buy the dress.
White Rabbit's goal was to force him and Qing Ling into an instant decision: kill Niu Xuan.
If they killed without hesitation, it would prove two things:
They believed Lost Ones could be killed.
They believed Lost Ones could be treated differently from one another.
Those two conclusions contradicted each other.
Indifference to a beast's life implied that, in their eyes, beasts had no "right to life." Yet if a being had no right to life, why treat some differently from others? It was like saying: I can't kill my own cat, but other people's cats are fair game. Rank hypocrisy.
"If you don't kill him, I'll take it as you forfeiting." White Rabbit glanced at her watch. "Time's limited. I still need room to clean up."
Go big or go home.
Gao Yang made up his mind. "I refuse."
"What?" White Rabbit thought she'd misheard.
"We won't kill Lost Ones." Gao Yang said firmly.
Qing Ling shot him a glare: Are you insane?
Gao Yang blinked back: Trust me! It's a trap!
"No way." White Rabbit couldn't help laughing. "Kid, I advise you not to play smart. Hot-blooded shonen manga is toxic—read less of it. This is your only chance. I'm just following procedure. Miss it, and the organization's doors close forever. Think carefully."
"I've thought. No killing." Gao Yang replied.
"OK." White Rabbit spread her hands and looked at Qing Ling. "The boy's out. What about you?"
Qing Ling considered for a moment. The dagger vanished from her hand. She chose to trust Gao Yang. Experience had taught her: this guy's luck was absurd—at least he hadn't screwed her over yet.
White Rabbit sighed with genuine regret. "You two have excellent potential. Your sequence numbers are high too. Shame. May I ask… why won't you kill a Lost One?"
Huh?
They didn't pass? Had he really overthought it?
Gao Yang suddenly felt a twinge of regret, but he'd come too far to back down. He racked his brain and bullshitted on the spot: "Because… order."
"Order?"
"I believe this world has its own natural order. Indiscriminate slaughter of Lost Ones would disrupt that order." Gao Yang said solemnly, face straight, heart steady.
White Rabbit seemed to ponder.
Not convincing enough. Gao Yang doubled down, borrowing a line: "Infatuation, greed, wrath, delusion, life, death—all are void. Life is short; a grand dream, nothing more."
The girl behind the rabbit mask seemed startled. She stepped quickly forward, rose slightly on her toes, tilted her head, and stared straight into Gao Yang's eyes.
Through the mask, Gao Yang saw a pair of clear, adorable almond-shaped eyes.
"As expected… you have the same look as the Captain." White Rabbit's tone softened noticeably.
"What look?" Gao Yang asked.
"Hmm…" White Rabbit thought. "The kind that looks listless and half-asleep, but is actually profoundly mysterious."
Gao Yang thought: Just say dead-fish eyes.
"People with that look—are they all really strong?" White Rabbit glanced at Qing Ling.
"No idea."
"To think you even said something close to what the Captain would say." White Rabbit stepped forward and patted Gao Yang's shoulder. "Alright. Test passed."
"Oh."
Gao Yang kept a straight face, but if he had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously—he'd bet right!
White Rabbit turned and kicked the still-unconscious Niu Xuan.
"The rules were set by our Captain. Only three. Remember them well."
"One: Never take the initiative to kill humans."
"Two: Never take the initiative to kill Lost Ones."
"Three: No office romance."
"Violators will be permanently expelled from the organization."
"…" Gao Yang thought he'd misheard. The first two sounded noble and righteous. The third—what the hell? No wonder Wu Dahai was so thirsty. Though even if office romance were allowed, that guy probably still wouldn't get anyone.
"Have we joined the organization now?" Qing Ling asked.
"Not yet. You're on probation. There's one final test before full membership." White Rabbit reached into her pocket, pulled out a small object, and tossed it lightly. Qing Ling caught it—a vintage-style brass key.
"Find the door this key opens. Go inside and take a look around." White Rabbit said.
"That's it?"
"That's it." White Rabbit repeated calmly.
"Let me see." Gao Yang took the brass key from Qing Ling. The moment he touched it, a chilling aura spread across his fingertips. Whether his heightened perception was amplifying his sixth sense or it was purely psychological, he couldn't tell. He gripped the key tightly. "But… where do we find the door?"
White Rabbit raised one finger. "One more hint: the search is limited to Shanqing District."
"Any more hints?" Gao Yang wasn't shy about gathering intel.
"Hmm…" White Rabbit rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Be careful. Don't die."