Chapter 266: A Sudden Turn for the Worse, The Family Showdown (2)

The sea and sky met in a seamless line. Daylight spilled across the horizon, leaving all of Old Jingmai Port to bask under the blazing sun.

The two brothers leaned against the railing, taking in the sea breeze as snow-white seagulls flew overhead.

Right now, Ke Mingqing was slouched against the railing, his chin resting on his crossed arms as he toyed with Xia Ningzhi's phone. Ke Linye stood with his back to the rails, looking down as he fiddled with the pitch-black Owl Mask in his hands.

"Revealing both your identity and Second Sister's to the old man all at once—won't that be too much for him to handle?" Ke Mingqing asked, turning his head as the sea breeze whipped his hair up.

"He accepted that you're Blue Pigeon. What else could possibly be too much for him?" Ke Linye said dismissively, the corner of his mouth curling up.

"There is. Like our mom being an alien," Ke Mingqing said casually, raising his eyes to gaze at a couple of sailboat silhouettes drifting on the horizon.

"Don't joke around, A'Qing, I'm not in the mood." Ke Linye shrugged. "But the old man does have a huge problem with me. Back when I was wearing the Owl Judge mask, I got into a few arguments with him."

"The reason?"

"He really didn't like how I dealt with criminals. Even now, I still don't understand why the old man insists on leaving those pieces of trash alive. Doesn't he find it troublesome?"

"Besides, if Siberia Prison ever gets breached one day, it'll be hilarious. All the criminals the old man has caught in his lifetime will form a tour group and come to China for an autumn vacation," Ke Linye said, helplessly tilting his head. His pitch-black earrings swayed in the wind, gleaming like gemstones.

"Relax, relax. Look on the bright side. Soon enough, the players will wipe out the super-human species, cutting off their connection to heaven and earth. That way, there won't be any risk of prison breaks," Ke Mingqing said absentmindedly.

Ke Linye let out a soft chuckle. "True, no more risks. The Earth will be peaceful, too."

"Right? The most pro-player episode yet."

"I've never been this exhausted in my life. We just finished saving our little sister, and now Second Sister and Third Sister are in trouble. I feel like my life is a multi-car pileup. Haha, we might as well all just die together," Ke Mingqing said listlessly, opening the photo album on Xia Ningzhi's phone.

Before leaving, his third sister had wiped almost everything from her phone, but she had left behind a few bizarre photos, as if she couldn't bear to delete them.

For example, there was one from about a month ago. After capturing White Jack with the Huntian Ling and dragging him to a lighthouse, she had forced him to take a selfie with her using a magical girl beauty filter.

Under the filter's effect, traces of blush and lipstick were slapped onto White Jack's sinister face, his eyelashes fluttering. He bared his teeth, trying to resist, but the Huntian Ling only bound him tighter, sending him tumbling head over heels.

In the photo, the bun-haired girl—still wearing her red and black metallic coat—was smiling with sheer delight. Her eyes were narrowed into crescent moons, glimmering faintly as if she had laughed until she cried.

There was also a picture taken when Xia Ningzhi went shopping with the family, snapping a shot right after she smashed an ice cream cone into Ke Mingqing's face.

In that one, Ke Mingqing was squatting on the ground with his right hand raised, looking thoroughly annoyed as he used lightning to melt the ice cream off his face. Xia Zili stood to the side with her arms crossed, head bowed as she tried to stifle her laughter, while Xia Ningzhi clutched her stomach, laughing like an idiot.

"How is it, A'Qing? Do you have any clues?" Ke Linye suddenly asked.

"None." Ke Mingqing shook his head, shifting his gaze away from the photos. "But considering Third Sister's personality and the way her brain works, only Martians could get along with her. It's the perfect place for her to settle down."

He paused. "Oh right, she even said she was going to elope with our little sister, but she ended up leaving all on her own."

"Maybe she got scared. Our Xiao Li isn't someone you want to mess with right now."

"Yeah, yeah—Her Highness the witch really shouldn't be messed with."

Ke Mingqing muttered, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the massive sun hanging in the azure sky. Suddenly, he froze. "Wait—could the place Third Sister is heading to be that place?"

He slowly raised his head, gazing out from the railing toward the horizon where the sea met the sky, as a memory from several months ago surfaced in his mind.

One night a few months ago, White Jack and Red Lotus were standing on the roof of a high-speed train.

White Jack clicked his tongue. "Is it because you know you're about to lose control, so you don't want to hurt the people around you?"

Red Lotus had put away her Fire-Tipped Spear and tilted her head up, gazing at the fireworks in the distant night sky.

She said, "Actually, I was planning to leave this city anyway. I want to get far away from everyone, to a remote place where no one knows me."

"Where to?"

"I haven't decided yet," she said softly. "I quite like Norway. I saw this place online called Rjukan Town. It's completely surrounded by mountains, and the sun only reaches it for a month or two out of the year. So, the townsfolk built a massive mirror on the mountaintop to reflect sunlight down into the town. I think that place sounds nice."

"Rjukan Town... would Third Sister go there?" Ke Mingqing lowered his head in deep thought. A moment later, he picked up the phone, searched for pictures of Rjukan Town, and took a look.

At that moment, Ke Linye put away the Owl Mask and pulled a completely pitch-black metallic box from the pocket of his black coat.

"What's that?" Ke Mingqing asked, looking up.

"An Outfit-Changing Box. Zorro gave it to me as a birthday present a few years ago. It's just a flashy, impractical gadget." After saying that, Ke Linye pressed the button on top of the metal box.

The box popped open, and a pitch-black swallowtail trench coat burst out. With a swish, it instantly dressed Ke Linye. The process was so fast that even with Ke Mingqing's eyesight, he couldn't clearly see how it happened.

Ke Linye put on black leather gloves, gave the cuffs a sharp tug, and smirked. "How do I look?"

"Damn, if I had one of these, I wouldn't have to worry about changing into my combat suit anymore." Ke Mingqing stared blankly. 'Isn't this a standard feature for us players? Actually, we players don't even need a box. If we want something, we just pull it out of thin air from our inventory. It's a pity my Blue Pigeon suit isn't a system item, otherwise I wouldn't have to hide it everywhere.'

"If you're tempted, I can ask Zorro to make one for you, too," Ke Linye said mildly, stuffing both hands into his coat pockets.

"Really?"

"Of course. But you'd have to hand your suit over to him."

"That's no problem. How much could my crappy suit possibly be worth anyway?"

"We'll talk about this after we find Ah Xue and A'zhi. Let's go. Once we're out of the port, we can grab a cab home," Ke Linye said as he started walking toward Fisherman's Avenue, a street lined with colorful wooden houses.

"How about we skip the cab? I'll just carry you back," Ke Mingqing said, catching up to him.

"Wouldn't that cause too much of a commotion?" Ke Linye stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Every time you run, you sound like a thunderstorm. Are you afraid the neighbors won't hear you?"

"It's fine. It's not like me being Blue Pigeon is much of a secret anymore."

Ke Linye nodded. "Alright then."

Ke Mingqing slipped Xia Ningzhi's phone into his pocket and walked briskly over. Leaning forward slightly, he scooped up Ke Linye—who was a full head taller than him—in a princess carry.

Blue arcs of electricity danced in his pupils.

With a thunderous boom, the two brothers transformed into a streak of deep blue light, shooting straight ahead and leaving only wisps of lingering electricity crackling in the port's air.

A few minutes later, at twelve noon sharp, outside the old Xia-Ke family building.

"Where did you two go?" Ke Mingwei asked, one hand resting on his hip as he turned to look at Ke Linye and Ke Mingqing walking in from the entryway.

"Just took a walk down to the port to clear our heads."

Ke Linye replied casually, smoothing down his slightly frizzed hair. 'A'Qing must use a ton of hair gel usually,' he thought. 'Otherwise, after a run like that, his hair would be pointing straight at the sky.'

"I couldn't find Ah Xue at her university—" Ke Mingwei said in a heavy tone. He glanced up at the black swallowtail trench coat Ke Linye was wearing, frowned, and couldn't shake the feeling that it looked familiar.

A moment later, he seemed to selectively ignore the peculiarity of the coat, asking slowly, "It's the same with A'zhi. I suddenly lost contact with her. She said she was going to the supermarket and left in a huge hurry—A'Qing, Linye, do you two know anything about this?"

Ke Mingqing said unhurriedly, "Call back those private investigators you hired first. They won't be able to find Second Sister."

Ke Linye sighed. "Private detectives? I didn't think those still existed these days. Save your energy, old man. Even the best private detectives in the world couldn't find Ah Xue. She's far, far stronger than they are."

Ke Mingwei fell silent.

He looked at the two brothers, emphasizing every word. "What exactly happened to them? A'Qing, Linye, are you two hiding something from your old man?"

"Old man, there's something we need to tell you," Ke Linye finally said, lowering his head after a moment's hesitation.

"Speak."

Ke Linye stayed silent for a while before suddenly tilting his head, his black earrings swaying gently.

Then, he pulled a pitch-black Owl Mask from his coat pocket and placed it over his face. The next moment, as Ke Mingwei watched with shocked, uncomprehending eyes, the V-shaped band on the mask flared with a scorching glow.

The living room fell dead silent.

The Owl Judge raised his head. His mask flickered, the V-shaped light searing its reflection into Ke Mingwei's pupils.

Father and son stared at each other, wordless for a long time.

Ke Mingqing sat on the side, playing Minesweeper on his phone. 'In this house, only the old man would actually give you a shocked reaction,' he thought. 'If it were our little sister and Third Sister, they'd at least be asking who the hell the Owl Judge is.'

A moment later, the middle-aged man broke the deathly stillness shrouding the living room.

"It's actually you—" Ke Mingwei murmured unconsciously, his voice hoarse. "How?"

The Owl Judge looked at him and nodded silently.

"Who—are you?" Ke Mingwei asked again, emphasizing every syllable as he stared deeply at the black and red V-shaped mask, acting as if he were trying to deceive himself.

He knew the name, of course.

"Owl Judge"—the vigilante thug who had exacted his own brutal justice upon countless criminals and superheroes alike. During the Terminus Night incident, if it hadn't been for this man's help, they never would have been able to defeat the Witch of Calamity.

The Owl Judge didn't speak. He simply lowered his head and silently squeezed a cluster of black light from his fingertips. The light gradually took the shape of a crow, flew off, and dissipated.

Ke Mingwei looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His face was a mixture of shock and gloom, still failing to fully process the sight before him.

He was absolutely certain now; this was no prank. Manipulating that cold, black luminescence that resembled moonlight—that was undoubtedly the power of the Owl Judge, that mutant vigilante.

And so, amid the silence, he slowly took two steps back and slumped against the back of the sofa, his posture hunched. His right hand squeezed the couch so tightly that he tore a slit in the fabric.

The Owl Judge raised an eyebrow. He apparently hadn't expected his reveal to hit the old man this hard. He stroked his chin. 'How come this didn't work on Third Sister?' he thought.

Ke Mingwei's face was ashen, his hollow gaze fixed silently on the living room floor.

It felt as if a torrential storm had just swept through his heart, leaving a lingering dampness once the rain receded.

'So—I don't understand my own children at all. Not a single one of them,' he thought. Images flashed through his mind: Blue Pigeon tied to a chair by the Clock Maker, the witch bound to a massive Cross, and now, standing quietly right in front of him, the figure in the swallowtail trench coat.

'What is going on? Why did they get dragged into all this—why have they become like this?'

Ke Mingwei raised a hand to his forehead, gripping his own skull tightly.

'Who is it?'

Cold sweat seeped from his palms.

'Who is manipulating all of this?'

'Or is it just a coincidence?'

He shook his head.

'Is this karma? Because of my years of stubbornness and selfishness, it is heaven's will that my children all walk the same dangerous, extreme path that I did—'

Inside the living room, the father and his two sons remained silent for a long time. Outside, a flock of crows formed a choir, cawing agonizingly from the power lines. Their furiously fluttering feathers fell like black snow, and the very sky seemed to dim.

Finally, Ke Mingqing couldn't take it anymore. He exchanged a glance with the Owl Judge and spoke up. "So, that's the situation. Big brother is the Owl Judge. You've met him plenty of times, old man, so don't pretend you don't recognize him."

The living room was still dead silent.

With a sigh, Ke Mingqing crossed his arms and said offhandedly, "Don't be shy, you two. You can share your criminal experiences. Oh, wait... I mean, your experiences arresting criminals. Compare notes."

The Owl Judge remained silent, his cheek twitching slightly. 'You really know how to add fuel to the fire, A'Qing,' he thought.

He turned to glance outside. One by one, crows took flight from the yard and the power lines, forming a black curtain that swirled noisily in the sky.

"Speak, Linye—" Ke Mingwei said hoarsely, raising his head just then. "I want you to tell me your name, from your own mouth."

The Owl Judge was silent for a moment before speaking at a measured pace. "Yes, old man, I am the Owl Judge. I was too arrogant with my words before."

From beneath the mask came a magnetic, metallic voice. It was exactly the same as the voice-changing effect of the Rain Crow mask, because he was intentionally mimicking it.

Paired with that familiar voice, the impact of the scene before Ke Mingwei became even more devastating.

Ke Mingwei stayed silent for a long while before asking deeply, "Why did you never tell me?"

The Owl Judge remained speechless, simply crossing his arms and tapping a finger against his sleeve.

In truth, Ke Linye only felt awkward; he didn't feel any particularly deep emotion about this.

Although he admired Rain Crow, he knew his own methods ran completely counter to Rain Crow's. Because of that, he understood that Ke Mingwei's feelings had to be extremely complicated right now—the realization that he had personally raised a son like this.

Ke Mingqing sighed and continued, "Let's put all that aside for now. There's something very important we need your help with right now, old man."

Ke Mingwei stared fixedly at the Owl Judge towering in the middle of the living room. Only after a long while did he pull his gaze away and look at Ke Mingqing.

"Speak. What is it?"

Ke Mingqing scratched his head, thinking as he spoke. " 'Executive Zero' went missing during the subjugation of the mythic vessel 'Anubis'. None of us can reach her right now, and she's our friend. So, I need you to ask the Control Bureau and find out exactly what the situation is. You're the only one in the family with access to the Control Bureau's internal intel."

Ke Mingwei was silent for a moment before asking, "Zero—that S Rank executive from the Control Bureau? Why do you need to know about her?"

"Just don't worry about that for now, just ask."

Ke Mingqing urged him impatiently. 'It's better to wait until we get an update on Second Sister before telling the old man who she really is,' he thought. 'Otherwise, we'll definitely have to waste time explaining a whole pile of other things.'

The Owl Judge nodded as well. "Old man, this is really important. You have to help us."

Ke Mingwei looked at Ke Mingqing, then at the Owl Judge. After a long while, he removed his right hand from the sofa, finally revealing the deep tear he had ripped into the back of the couch.

"Then wait for me on the sofa. Once this is sorted out, I have many, many questions for the both of you," he said, fixing a deep stare on the Owl Judge at the very end.

"Understood, old man." Ke Linye pulled the Owl Mask off his face and met his gaze with an innocent expression, letting out a soft, dry laugh. "I'll submit to my interrogation obediently later, alright?"

Ke Mingwei said nothing. With a dark look on his face, he turned, walked over to the stairwell, and dialed an unknown number on his phone.

On the sofa, the two brothers looked like they were watching TV, but in reality, both were silently watching Ke Mingwei's profile out of the corners of their eyes.

"Who is he calling?" Ke Mingqing asked quietly.

"Do you know 'Dr. Toy' from the Roundtable Heroes?" Ke Linye whispered, shrugging.

"Oh yeah, that little kid?" Ke Mingqing raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly. Dr. Toy works closely with the Control Bureau, and he's pretty familiar with your Second Sister, too. A lot of the weird little gadgets we used, along with the tools for tracking players, were all built by Dr. Toy."

Ke Linye rested his chin in his hand, looking away from their old man. "So logically, the person the old man is calling right now should be Dr. Toy."

"Doesn't that little squirt have a terrible temper? Is he really going to help the old man?" Ke Mingqing clicked his tongue. He suddenly remembered how Dr. Toy had called him a "nepo baby" during a video call the other day.

'Nepo baby, huh? When the day comes that I can string up all you Roundtable Heroes and whip you, I'm spanking you first,' Ke Mingqing thought.

Ke Linye smiled faintly. "They're both Roundtable Heroes, after all. It's just a matter of asking the Control Bureau a question. No matter how petty that brat is, he wouldn't refuse a favor this small."

Ke Mingqing was silent for a moment before whispering, "If Second Sister really is in trouble, what do we do?"

Ke Linye shook his head. "Then we'll just have to reveal Ah Xue's identity to the old man. He'll figure something out."

Not long after, Ke Mingwei walked back from the stairwell.

"How did it go?"

"Dr. Toy said he's already asking and should have an answer for me shortly." Ke Mingwei had a weird expression on his face. "He also emphasized... that Executive Zero is a fan of mine. Is that true?"

"Oh yeah, it should be true."

"It's true, one hundred percent. She is absolutely a fan of yours."

The two brothers spoke at the exact same time.

"Is that so? To be honest, it was a little strange. That executive was incredibly cold when she saw me."

Just as he said that, Ke Mingwei's phone suddenly rang. He glanced down at the screen, and his entire body suddenly stiffened.

Seeing this, Ke Mingqing and Ke Linye froze, exchanging a glance.

Then, they slowly raised their heads to look at Ke Mingwei.

After a long pause, Ke Mingwei finally lifted his head. Frowning, he spoke at a heavy, measured pace. "Dr. Toy says the insider he planted in the Control Bureau just sent him the latest intel. In the middle of the operation targeting the Egyptian mythic vessel 'Anubis', the S Rank Executive 'Zero' single-handedly slaughtered every single executive who accompanied her and took the opportunity to defect. She vanished in the Arabian Desert, and the Control Bureau is currently reorganizing their forces to launch a full-scale manhunt after her."

As his voice faded, the living room went as silent as a winter cicada.