Chapter 514: Chapter 26 Light Core (Part 2)
The silvery sedan avoided the crowded main thoroughfare, weaving through the alleys of the Thorn District. Inside the car, soothing light music played as Aorus hummed softly, his fingers tapping the edge of the steering wheel.
“How do you see it, Miss Qin?” Aorus suddenly asked. “Our city.”
Answering that question didn’t require any effort from Qin Qianbai; the events of the past two days had made her deeply understand what kind of place the City of the Sky was.
“A land of chaos, where everyone is mad.”
“Oh…” Aorus let out a sigh of regret. “I can understand.”
Qin Qianbai saw his face in the rearview mirror, the face of the brown-haired boy showing a mixture of regretful opposition.
“You disagree.”
“You noticed?” Aorus laughed. “In my heart, the City of the Sky is the best city in the world, unmatched anywhere else.”
Qin Qianbai was stunned for a moment. The smile on his face was there, yet the determination in his tone was undeniably sincere. He truly believed it.
“Why?”
“What criteria would you use to judge the merits of a city you live in?” Aorus cheerfully inquired. “Law enforcement, infrastructure, location, policy… I admit these are important factors that can’t be overlooked, but for me, they all fall behind. To me, what matters most is the kind of people that reside in the city.”
“The most important thing is the citizens! People are the main movers of all activities. If the residents of a city were all vulgar and dull, even if it looked magnificent on the outside, in the end, it would still be nothing more than a hollow metropolis. On this point, the City of the Sky has a unique advantage. It has such a dazzling and vibrant population!”
“Like the Wing of Death?” Qin Qianbai retorted sarcastically.
Aorus’s reply was beyond her expectations: “Like Gongsun Ce and Kaldesia Spencer.”
“…You know them?”
“We once lived in the same house, took the same ship to this city.” Aorus’s smile carried a hint of meaning she couldn’t understand. “Kaldesia’s character is like her superpower: warm, simple, straightforward. Many people only see her aggressive actions and fiery temperament, missing her sincere and good-hearted nature.
As for Gongsun Ce… his superpower is very strong, but what really supports him is his sharp insight and agile mind. Can you believe it? He managed to master fluent Common Language just by eavesdropping on conversations, all in less than two months. He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”
That made Qin Qianbai feel quite good. No one would dislike others praising their friends.
“So you’re his old friend?”
“Actually, I’m his old rival,” said Aorus, with a laid-back expression.
“…?”
Qin Qianbai truly froze for a second, ready to punch through the car door.
“You speak well of your opponent to someone you’ve just met.”
“Should I demean a person of merit? Should I cunningly search for his flaws and whisper them to you like a vile schemer?” Aorus countered. “I think a person’s excellence does not change with his standing; it’s only those insignificant blemishes that become unbearable defects depending on the point of view.”
It was a simple truth, yet so few acted this way. Casting aside prejudice sounds easy, but doing so is oh so difficult.
“Your perspective is rare,” pondered Qin Qianbai. “You always care about the positive side.”
“Indeed. I believe the world one sees depends on their perspective. If I always focused on faults and evil deeds, then Heaven itself would turn into Hell. But if I often attend to virtues and good intentions, then everywhere could be a bright place.”
“I love this city! That’s why I want to share with you the scenery I see… to show you the beautiful side of this city.”
As the sun gradually descended toward the horizon, Aorus pressed the accelerator, speeding up the car towards the light, as if chasing the setting sun.
·
Aorus’s destination lay in the northern part of the central district at a university called Vireta University of Technology. They drove past the carpet-like soft lawns, stopping in front of an ancient building reminiscent of a church.
This building, named Calypso Hall, had soaring spires and huge stained glass windows. Many students had already arrived ahead of them. Two rows of young men and women in white stood by the road to greet the guests, checking their invitations and presenting them with gifts.
“Could there be ancient buildings in a city that was built less than seven years ago?” Qin Qianbai asked.
“Not originally, but we can move ancient buildings from the ground over, carrying the nearby grass and tiles with them.”
Such a waste of money, Qin Qianbai thought. Anyone in her family who dared to propose such an idea would surely be scolded by the elders.
It seems that people from different countries have very different concepts about spending.
Aorus led her to the entrance, where people in white greeted him reverently, “Leader!”
“Good evening, friends,” Aorus responded graciously, handing the car keys to a silent man, “This is my guest, Miss Qin Qianbai.”
A green-eyed woman with wavy long hair approached, offering them a charming smile.
“Miss Qin, this is Creyah Kalash, my loyal friend, capable partner, and the head of the Light Core Etiquette Department. Creyah, may I ask you to show Miss Qin around our event venue?”
“It would be my pleasure, Leader.”
Qin Qianbai observed their exchange, noting the distinct difference in their demeanors. Aorus spoke warmly, yet kept it strictly professional. Creyah gave only simple responses, maintaining a subordinate’s distance, trying hard to conceal her true intentions, but her gaze on the young man was anything but ordinary.
“That’s great. Please enjoy our banquet and ball tonight. A group of new members will join our organization, and I sincerely invite you to witness our initiation ceremony—it might just pique your interest. See you later!”
With these words, Aorus departed promptly, showing no desire to linger, as if his sole purpose had been to apologize.
“Miss Qin?” Creyah offered her hand, but the girl did not respond immediately. Instead, she observed the variety of people entering through the doors. Not only students, but middle-aged individuals like teachers, scholars-like elders, and serious-looking officials. They mingled with the students, attending a youth-hosted banquet without attracting any odd stares from others, as if the occurrence were completely ordinary.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” Qin Qianbai turned back, “Miss Creyah Kalash.”
Creyah twirled her hair habitually: “Don’t mind it. Yesterday, the Farta and Kerry you met wanted to—”
“You kicked the fireworks to that strangely-haired man this afternoon,” Qin Qianbai stated impassively, “You were in the school’s basement with yesterday’s man at the time.”
Creyah’s smile stiffened—Qin Qianbai had not afforded her a moment’s pause and swiftly shifted the subject.
“You are the daughter of this generation’s Kalash family,” Qin Qianbai said, “like Aorus Otimis, you are one of the inheritors of the seven great prime families of Ustus.”
The embarrassment on Creyah’s face quickly vanished, as if it had been an illusion. Qin Qianbai assumed this person must frequently attend social functions.
“I do indeed belong to the Kalash, merely as an inconsequential side member,” Creyah replied, “But now, I stand before you as Creyah, a Superpower User, a member of the Light Core. I believe you might not like to be referred to solely as a daughter of the Qin family…”
“Why not?” Qin Qianbai countered, “I am indeed the daughter of the Qin family.”
Creyah was genuinely puzzled. She began to question what she understood about this girl. All the information she had indicated that Qin Qianbai was a rebellious young lady, filled with disdain for her family and defiance of traditions. Yet now, her demeanor was more like that of a well-bred scion from the imperial capital, exuding a noble confidence bordering on arrogance.
Could all the information she had received be false? Was her relationship with her family actually good?
Creyah decided to probe a bit: “I understand, Miss Qin. If you wish to formally attend our dinner—”
“What does ‘formally’ mean?” Qin Qianbai asked, “Is everything I am seeing now supposed to be some informal preamble?”
Creyah was at a loss for words. She awkwardly touched her forehead like an older sister tiredly ushering a peculiar younger cousin into a social gathering.
“No, it’s nothing; forget I mentioned it! I can give you a tour of our meeting place or briefly introduce the organizational structure of the Light Core. What would you like to do now?”
The doll-like girl fell silent for a few seconds as if contemplating.
“Aorus Otimis said he invited me to eat as an apology, so please take me to dine.”
Creyah felt a headache coming on. The last time she felt this way was during a fight with a cerebral pressure Superpower User, and the pressure she felt now was even greater. This lady was like a tightly coiled hedgehog; attack her from any direction and she showed no weakness, determinedly charging in the direction she envisioned.
“I would be very pleased to.”
Creyah took a deep breath, assessing the girl’s hoodie and trousers. Dressed in a simple white outfit, she stood out among the formally dressed crowd like a masquerade attendee who had wandered into a business conference.
“By the way, Miss Qin, we have many spare gowns. If you have any needs…”
Qin Qianbai blinked and replied, “Do the families of Ustus typically eat with clothing? We usually use chopsticks and spoons.”
Creyah surrendered inwardly.
She was immensely impressed by Gongsun Ce’s endurance. He actually spent a day out with this girl? How did he manage that?
“Of course not. I overthought it, I… think we should go to dinner now, that would be best!”