Chapter 26 TWENTY-SIX

Chapter 26: Chapter TWENTY-SIX

The place goes quiet. Like a graveyard. Some begin to doubt their sense of hearing.

Xin Linhua’s family reputation aside, Gao Chengi just asked Phantom’s guide to be his guide instead! Live long enough and you’ll see everything!

"Did you forget to take your brain with you on your way here?" Xin Linhua’s tone changes "Be your guide? I’m an F-Rank, not a D-Rank. Besides, you want me to leave him for you? Are you fucking with me?"

"Don’t play smart with me!" Gao Chengi points at him "You have ten seconds to consider or I’ll tell the entire country. You know what that’ll do to you, don’t you? Besides, he’s a defect and he has zero backings behind me."

The crowd suddenly becomes curious. They had suspected that Gao Chengi had some dirt on Xin Linhua, otherwise, why will he be searching frantically for him and why will Xin Linhua be avoiding the other party so much?

But to ask him to be his guide? Just how big is this secret? So big that someone like Xin Linhua is silent before him!? They want to know!

"I get it." Gao Chengi circles him "Your family is loaded, you’re a rich young master. Even the institute has to cater to you at times. You can have your brothers silence me, or have your dad send people to kill me. But Xin Linhua, if that happens now, the institute will pin it on you. Even a D-Rank like me is an asset to the institute!"

Xin Linhua grits his teeth. He should have done that right from day one! Killed the bastard himself! If anything happens to Gao Chengi now, Xin Linhua will be blamed for it.

The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets. His fist clenches and unclenches multiple times as he seethes silently.

Raising his head, his gaze locks onto a figure with accurate precision. Rong Yizhan.

The youth stand at the back of the crowd, not moving to help or intervene in the slightest.

"Oh!" Gao Chengi lights up "Your Sentinel is here! Even better! Go ahead and cancel the pairing, right now!"

Xin Linhua’s gaze darkens. He turns his head towards Gao Chengi’s direction.

"If anything happens to you, the institute will blame me, right?"

"Of course! They’re witnesses here! What can you do–"

"So be it."

Gao Chengi freezes. Before his brain can process the words Xin Linhua had just spoken, a fist enters his field of vision.

He staggers back a few steps, anger flaring to life in his chest. He wipes the blood away.

"Xin Linhua!" His loud voice echoes through the place.

"I don’t need to get my family involved in this." Xin Linhua turns to him fully "Since you want to get beat up so bad by a defect, who am I to say no?"

Gao Chengi chest rises and falls heavily. His breathing becomes hard, his whole being is clearly consumed by rage.

"I beat you once, I can do it again." Xin Linhua walks towards him "Let’s make this quick, my ’defective’ Sentinel is waiting for me–" his words cut off.

Xin Linhua’s eyes widen. He shuffles to the side, barely avoiding the streak of heat that brushes past him.

Gao Chengi...just attacked him with pyrokenesis! Fighting is already is an offense on it’s own, now he’s using his abilities!

The crowd quickly scatters back. No one wants to get burned all in the name of gossip. The only one who doesn’t move an inch is Rong Yizhan.

"Good! Very good!" Gao Chengi flexes his shoulders "If you won’t agree, I’ll just have to make you!"

Xin Linhua slides behind a pillar, shielding his face from the fire.

Just one. Just one opening. All he needs to do is get close to Gao Chengi. Knock him out before he spills anything about that issue.

Xin Linhua’s gaze darts around. Think! He needs to think! He needs to think of a way out before he gets cornered.

His gaze suddenly lands on Rong Yizhan. The youth is still in the same position, hands in his pocket, posture straight and upright.

"The exam..." Xin Linhua mutters "The shadows and tentacles stunt. It’s no different from this situation. He can’t shoot in different directions, so he’s limited to one space..."

"Do you plan to hide all day!?" Gao Chengi roars with laughter.

Xin Linhua moves, a streak of fire follows behind him. He slides under a metal bench, rolling behind the shrub of plants.

"I’m wondering what the fuck the Administration Division is doing, seeing how they haven’t arrived yet even though one of their Sentinels have gone rogue." Xin Linhua retorts.

"Oh, don’t be so hasty to part with me. It’ll take them a while to arrive."

"I don’t have that long."

"Then break the pairing!" Gao Chengi slowly walks towards the metro bench "It’s not like you’ve bonded anyway. It’ll be easy–"

"You’re too loud." Xin Linhua hisses softly.

Gao Chengi grins. He has a few minutes to end this whole thing, otherwise all his efforts will be for nothing when the institute intervenes.

He stands before the bench, his lips tilting upwards as he sets the metallic bench on fire.

Xin Linhua should be screaming and squirming right now, frantically trying to put out the fire...but the only sound he can hear is fire crackling. He frowns.

He rushes around the fire, stopping dead in his tracks.

Xin Linhua is either a ghost, has the ability to disappear or he got swallowed by the ground. There’s no one there. Not behind the bench, nor the shrubs.

"What the fuck!" Gao Chengi clenches his fist "Xin Linhua! Enough with the fucking games!"

Goa Chengi frantically check the place. Aside from the fire, and the partly burnt shrubs, there are a few potted plants and a trash can.

He sets them on fire.

His gaze darts between the potted plant and trash can, but he can’t find–

"You really love to burn things, don’t you?" A teasing voice echoes from behind.

Gao Chengi turns sharply, a cuss at the tip of his tongue and a fire flickering between his fingers.

"You fuck–"

__Bang!

Gao Chengi’s face collides with a metal rod.

"Xin Linhua!" He clutches his face "What the fuck did you do!?"

"I haven’t even started."

Xin Linhua grips the metal bar tightly, a sly smile on his face despite the hot iron burning his palm.

Gao Chengi has fallen, but he’s still very much awake and for some reason, he’s still alive as well.

"The Administration Division!"

Xin Linhua’s fingers twitches. After all the shit he just went through, they decided to show their face now?

With anger, irritation and pure dislike, maybe hatred as well– Xin Linhua whips the metal across Gao Chengi’s head.

___Crack!

The sound echoes loud and clear despite the fire. Gao Chengi falls back. Blood gushes from his head and dyes the floor red.

Xin Linhua takes two steps back, tossing the metal aside. He exhales, staggering towards Rong Yizhan who still hasn’t moved an inch.

"Yaras?..."

"Did you kill him?"

"I don’t know." Xin Linhua flashes him a smile "He seems dead to me."

"The institute won’t let it go."

"I know. I have my reasons. If he’s dead, it’s for the best. I’ll deal with the consequences later."

Xin Linhua grabs his arm, blood trickling down the side of his face.

"I’m hungry. Let’s go eat lunch."

Rong Yizhan nods, like his guide didn’t just kill a man inside Zhongjing institute while he just stood by and watched.