A Good-for-Nothing

132. Second Thoughts (2)

Translator: Dragon Rider

The reason why he would be called a probationary member was solely because a horrifyingly high proportion of trainees would be weeded out in this phase. Though there was a record high number of applicants this year, the acceptance rate of STTP remained unchanged. Even if he managed to get a full membership of STTP, there would still be a long way for him to go to join SMB.

There was a long journey ahead, and He Zheng had just taken the first step.

So He Zheng didn’t give this much thought.

Li Zong also appeared quite bland after being informed of his passing the interview.

But in the afternoon of the day when the results were released, Li Zong gave He Zheng some details about the stipulation that the best trainee of STTP would be allowed to join an action group.

He Zheng, after hearing it, was indeed surprised for a few moments. He had vaguely guessed that previously Li Zong had kept this secret from him because Li Zong didn’t want him to take risks, for according to Li Zong’s words, special action groups were core action groups of SMB, and all the tasks they had to perform were extremely dangerous.

Of course He Zheng wanted to join an action group, and embarrassing He Yu and the others was merely a marginal reason now. He didn’t know when – maybe it was the first time he’d conjured up a thundercloud, or the first time he’d drawn a lightning Fu (Fu is a piece of rectangular paper on which magical figures are drawn by Chinese Taoist priests to invoke or expel spirits and bring good or ill fortune) – but he had come up with the idea of fighting side by side with Li Zong.

“You may rest assured that I’ll get the first place.” He Zheng’s lips curled up in a proud smile.

Li Zong, with smiling eyes, drew He Zheng over to his lap, gently ran his fingers through He Zheng’s hair and said in a calm voice, “This time there’s no back door for you to go in through.”

“Humph,” He Zheng lowered his head, looked sidelong at Li Zong and deliberately bantered with him. “It surprises me that there are actually occasions when people as high in the hierarchy as you cannot pull strings.”

Li Zong smiled but made no reply.

He Zheng leaned against him. In the past, when He Zheng had hung out in an entertainment center, some young men would throw themselves at him, but all of them had struck him as eyesores. However, at this moment, leaning against a man he liked, he felt uncommonly comfortable and was fully relaxed.

Suddenly his wrist felt faintly sore. Confused, He Zheng opened his eyes to look at Li Zong. Li Zong was lightly kneading He Zheng’s wrist, and the sore part gradually heated up, which was very comfortable.

“Why do I feel that you can create heat? I mean, whichever part of me you touch burns.”

Li Zong gave a smile, making no response.

He Zheng suddenly narrowed his eyes. Just now, when Li Zong had smiled, he’d noticed, for a second time, a golden light flit across Li Zong’s eyes.

“What’s the cultivation method of Li family?”

He family was famous for the Welkin Upender, Zhu family for divination skills, the Qingwei Sect for Fu-craft, and the Tigers and Dragons Mountain for Tao skills. All clans and sects that had made their names known had their respective unique skills. However, nobody had ever heard of Li family’s unique cultivation method, as if they had popped out of nowhere overnight.

But skills of group members of the first action group were not as mysterious. For example, Tun Shanhai was a Yōkai capable of transforming into a human; Zu Zhichong was good at Fu-craft and exorcism circles; and Zhen Ni seemed to be from a family of believers in Gou Mang (the God of Wood, also God of Spring, in Chinese mythology).

“What’s your cultivation method?” He Zheng persisted with his questioning.

Li Zong’s eyes were very deep, especially his pupils. If people looked at them carefully, they would see that there seemed to be another inner pupil inside each of his pupils.

He Zheng had never seen Li Zong make his move in a real fight, so naturally he didn’t know. Li Zong, strictly speaking, didn’t need weapons, exorcism circles or Fu. His vital flames alone were enough to eliminate most Yōkai and demons.

Li Zong, smiling, stroked He Zheng’s eyes, and He Zheng had to close them because of this.

“I’ll tell you in due course.”

He Zheng pulled his hand down and flicked a skeptical glance at him. “Surely you’re not a Yōkai in human form? No, you can’t be. You have a grandfather.”

Li Zong kept silent, letting He Zheng make wild guesses.

“You’re really not telling me?”

“I’ll tell you when I should.”

He Zheng gave a snort and let this go.

The two of them kissed and hugged for a while. Supt. Li was a busy man and didn’t have much time to waste, so He Zheng, after making out with him for another few moments, went to the rooftop to practice.

As the days passed, He Zheng kept practicing the mental method of internal energy and Fu-craft. On this day, bored stiff, He Zheng bathed and changed and was just about to go out to visit Qin Huai, his bosom friend, when his cellphone rang.

The caller was Lan Bai.

On that day, before the interview, Kang Ba, who was exceptionally ebullient, suggested they exchange phone numbers, and He Zheng, thinking that maybe they would some day become good friends fighting shoulder to shoulder, agreed.

Lan Bai said those who had passed the interview and were now not far away from the Coastal City should have a meal together, for they’d be fighting demons together in the future, and it’d do them good to get more acquainted with each other in advance.

He Zheng, who had some leisure, accepted the invitation.

The agreed location for the meal was a restaurant near the Universal Edifice. This place was near the Rosefinch Avenue. All those who had passed the interview were allowed to stay in the living quarters provided by SMB, which saved them the trouble of renting rooms outside.

When He Zheng arrived, Kang Ba and Lan Bai were already in there. Both Kang Ba and Lan Bai were not wearing the same clothes they were in on the day of the interview. They were clothed in common T-shirts and jeans. Lan Bai gave He Zheng a smile of acknowledgement as she saw him.

The two of them didn’t seem to have just arrived, so He Zheng asked, “How long have you two been here?”

“Just a short while.” Kang Ba stroked his head.

Seeing the two of them had no intention of going inside, He Zheng, though secretly impatient, didn’t show it on his face. He inquired, “Are we expecting anybody else?”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting.” A chilly voice came from behind, which sounded a little familiar to He Zheng, and a little harsh as well. He twisted his head around and saw that the speaker, unsurprisingly, was Chen Qianlin.