Translator: AkazaTL

Proofreader/Editor: JWyck

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Chapter 269

His words sparked thought. Merchants compensate for customer disruptions—surely Vixi, a renowned giant, would too?

They didn’t need much—another free visit would do.

Eyes lit up, seeing not fighters but gold coins.

Si Zhaohua eyed Su Bei suspiciously, “Why urge them to intervene?”

Su Bei should relish the chaos, not stop it.

“I’d rather know why they’re fighting,” Su Bei said, grinning.

If they kept fighting until Vixi stopped them, they’d be whisked away, leaving no chance to dig. Curious, Su Bei wanted them stopped to pry.

Like others, he sensed the fight wasn’t impulsive but rooted in old grudges.

But who were the “sides”?

On the surface, the two fighting groups. But Destiny’s info said Vixi’s project guards rotated, reassigned periodically.

They weren't long-term colleagues, how’d they share such collective resentment?

The “sides” likely weren’t just these guards but Vixi’s broader factions.

From a manga perspective, though they were here for Zhou Renjie’s cure, five days in Vixi wouldn’t be uneventful. This brawl hinted at plot.

Unrelated to the main story and sudden, Su Bei couldn’t predict it. He had to gather intel before it exploded, preparing even if not fully informed.

He wouldn’t stop the fight himself—it was too risky. He’d coax other Ability Users, and he wasn’t lying—helping Vixi would earn rewards or hush money.

He couldn’t shift so many fates at once, despite his banyan-boosted Mental Energy. It was not yet mastered.

The banyan was a gem—0.1% of his high Mental Energy was a lot. He felt a visible increase, rare for his stagnant reserves, keeping his mood up despite looming trouble.

“Did you foresee something?” Feng Lan asked sharply, sensing Su Bei’s actions stemmed from prophecy, not just his stated logic.

Su Bei nodded, then shook his head, dodging specifics. No prophecy, but he knew trouble was coming—close enough.

Seeing this, both quieted, waiting patiently. If prophecy drove Su Bei, they’d back him.

Those lingering had strength. Soon, they subdued the scene. Guards, however heated, restrained themselves against tourists, making it manageable.

Once calmed, Su Bei approached, playing young and innocent, “Why’re you fighting, brothers and sisters? Teacher says Abilities are for Nightmare Beasts, not friends. Can’t your bosses settle small disputes?”

His first half shamed them—Abilities were for beasts, not infighting, especially with Abilities.

The second half amused them. A kid, clueless about adult complexities.

A high-ponytailed woman, rubbing her bruised cheek, grinned through pain, “Kid, our bosses can’t fix this. They’ve got the same conflicts.”

As expected—not just guards, but higher-ups too.

“Lin Qi!” another snapped, “You said too much.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Lin Qi apologized, but Su Bei saw it was perfunctory—she didn’t care about spilling secrets.

A prime target for info.

He offered naive comfort, then returned to Si Zhaohua and Feng Lan, pretending to chat.

“That’s it?” Si Zhaohua doubted. Su Bei’s only useful line was the first—the rest seemed pointless.

Not done, Su Bei shook his head, signaling patience. They’d finished today’s projects—waiting was fine.

The guards resumed their posts, feigning harmony. Cooled off, fear returned.

Brawling on duty and stopped by tourists, meant punishment—fines, scoldings, or Vixi’s Enforcement Hall, which was brutal.

They hoped fleeing tourists didn’t report it, or investigators would see their compliance and let it slide.

With guards dispersed, Su Bei approached Lin Qi in a quiet corner, “Sister Lin Qi, I can’t find the next project. Can you guide us?”

With Vixi’s map, only a directionless fool would get lost. Lin Qi knew a three-person team couldn’t all be lost.

She raised an eyebrow, playful, “You want more on that fight, huh?”

She guessed it—Su Bei didn’t hide, showing a shy, curious look, “I can’t fool you. Can you?”

“Hmm…” Lin Qi feigned difficulty, then grinned, “Sure, but don’t tell anyone, and don’t say it’s from me.”

Su Bei smiled, agreeing readily, “No problem!”

Si Zhaohua, joining, asked skeptically, “Is leaving fine?”

Wasn’t that abandoning her post? He phrased it delicately, not wanting to discourage her.

His meaning was clear. Lin Qi smirked, “I’m just hitting the bathroom.”

Classic bathroom dodge. Su Bei gave a thumbs-up, “Let’s go, no time to waste.”

In a secluded spot, Lin Qi stopped, plopping down on a bench, patting it, “Don’t stand, sit.”

They sat down, and she spilled, “Our conflict's years old. It isn’t just staff members but most island natives.”

As expected—they’d guessed it was a public feud.

Lin Qi frowned, not hiding Vixi’s shame, “Simply, some want to keep the island as is—call us Conservatives. Others, Radicals, think with our resources and Ability origins, we should lead all Ability Users.”

Vixi was the birthplace of Abilities—a meteor hit here, its shockwave entering the Nightmare Beast world.

This explained Vixi’s natural wonders. Meteor-affected people became Ability Users, souls became Nightmare Beasts, so land and plants changed too, especially so close to the impact site.

“Aren’t you already the Ability Users’ holy land?” Feng Lan asked, puzzled. His family worked with Vixi, so he cared about their conflicts, ready to cut ties if they got reckless.

As a family leader, despite his calm demeanor, Feng Lan prioritized his clan. His Prophecy Ability gave an edge—others handled operations, leaving him as a revered mascot.

Si Zhaohua, also family-driven, aimed for real leadership, trained in more tactics.

Before Lin Qi replied, he cut through, “Greed.”

Vixi was a beneficial checkpoint, not a ruling force. It could trade benefits for loyalty, like any group. Some weren’t content, feeling Vixi lagged behind its legacy.

“Right,” Lin Qi nodded. “Greedy snakes swallowing elephants. Expanding’s fine, but they want to use crooked methods.”

“Crooked methods?” Su Bei raised an eyebrow.

Realizing her slip, Lin Qi’s face shifted, eyes annoyed, laughing it off, “Anything disrupting our harmony’s crooked, right?”

The trio exchanged glances, pretending not to notice her gaffe, but inwardly brainstorming.

Su Bei finished first, asking, “Sorry. Why tell us? Shouldn’t Vixi’s shame stay hidden?”

The other guard’s reaction showed they preferred secrecy.

“So Radicals don’t fool you,” Lin Qi said matter-of-factly. “It’s not a big deal to share it. Or what, you’ll invade over our squabble?”

She was confident—Vixi’s treasures hadn’t toppled it, thanks to robust defenses.

Indeed, Vixi, a sea-surrounded island, had the Forbidden Sea—corrosive waters limiting Abilities.

Air attacks faced no barriers, but that made spotting them easy, met with Vixi’s 360-degree onslaught, ensuring no return.

Si Zhaohua asked, “How do you pick who to tell?”

The news wasn’t widespread—she didn’t tell everyone.

“Whoever asks,” Lin Qi said, surprising them, then added logically, “If you ask, you’ve noticed something. Dig a little, and you’ll find out. Why hide it?”

Sound reasoning. They thanked her and headed to the restaurant—it was lunchtime. The hotel offered free meals, and with academy funding, they didn’t pinch pennies.

Waiting for food, Si Zhaohua mused, “If the Radicals’ plans leak, it’d tank Vixi’s reputation. Lin Qi wouldn’t cover it up otherwise.”

She shared the feud openly, despising Radicals. If their actions didn’t harm her interests, she’d have spilled their plan already.

“It's likely tied to lives or Nightmare Beasts,” Feng Lan pinpointed.

Only those could dent Vixi’s stature—Radicals killing en masse or colluding with Nightmare Beasts.

Si Zhaohua frowned, then relaxed, firm, “We can’t ignore either.”

If Su Bei could choose, he’d let Radicals do what they wanted, as long as it didn’t touch him.

But two protagonist members were here. Si Zhaohua, a hot-blooded youth, would investigate. Feng Lan, usually aloof, had family ties to Vixi, compelling him to act.

Su Bei, knowing it was futile, advised, “Did you ever think about why others who know about it don’t investigate? Without proof, you’ve got no standing.”

Others feared danger, knowing one person couldn’t uncover much. Only manga characters jumped into such trouble.

“You’re right,” Si Zhaohua agreed.

Su Bei thought he’d wised up, but his next words dashed that, “We need evidence first.”

Su Bei: “…”

Stunned, he snapped, “Are you possessed by Mo Xiaotian?”

Who taught him to twist words like that? Normal people would hear the “don’t investigate” part, not take it as investigation advice.

The choking sensation reminded him of Mo Xiaotian. If Mo Xiaotian said it, it’d be stupidity. Si Zhaohua? Pure intent.

Hearing Mo Xiaotian’s name, Si Zhaohua laughed, then sobered, recalling his betrayal and Zhou Renjie’s danger, “Teacher said they’ve got ways to handle Mo Xiaotian. Wonder how it’s going.”

The topic changed, but Su Bei followed up, “The academy lost face—they won’t wait long. If they used poison-like measures on Mo Xiaotian, Black Flash is probably in chaos.”

The leader’s favorite grandson in trouble? It would cause chaos for sure.

“Would they compromise for him?” Si Zhaohua mused. If Black Flash traded Zhou Renjie’s antidote for Mo Xiaotian’s freedom, it’d be a good deal.

Before Su Bei answered, Feng Lan said, “No. This trip’s necessary.”

His prophecy hinted they’d save Zhou Renjie only through Vixi.

He was right—this manga world needed protagonist adventures. Su Bei sighed, “Forget Mo Xiaotian—the academy’ll handle it. Let's talk about Vixi. You’re investigating the Radicals’ plot?”

Feng Lan joined, “I’m in.”

With family ties, he couldn’t ignore it. Solving it was best; if not, he’d cut ties fast. It was his duty as a leader.

“I’ll cheer you on mentally,” Su Bei said shamelessly, opting out. It was too risky—protagonists were safe, but he wasn’t.

Staying out allowed him to choose whether to help or flee, maximizing safety.

Si Zhaohua and Feng Lan weren’t surprised—Su Bei helping would be a miracle. Unlike Jiang Tianming, their reserved natures didn’t push him to join.

Si Zhaohua nodded helplessly, not kicking out the uninvolved Su Bei, turning to Feng Lan, “Alright, let’s plan. Vixi won’t let our families investigate—we’re on our own.”

“I’ll meet Vixi’s leaders,” Feng Lan said, toying with his phone. “Use cooperation adjustments to probe.”

Si Zhaohua frowned. It was valid, but tricky—cooperation talks needed substance, and set deals were hard to tweak. Empty probing could raise suspicion.

Tapping the table, he said, “How about this? Meet them saying the Si Family wants Vixi cooperation, with you as the bridge.”

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