Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two: Choosing the Path

"So, there finally comes a day when he calls someone else 'Big Guy'!" Xie Lin made a rare sarcastic remark. The effect was unexpectedly good; everyone stood there with blank expressions, unsure whether they were stunned by Xie Lin or by Ye Zhiqiu.

"Alright, let’s get moving too, Alice!" Guo Lang clapped his hands.

"Wait a moment..." Cang Mingyue, standing to the side, suddenly said in a sinister tone, "I don't think your team allocation is very reasonable. Wouldn't it be better if Alice and I teamed up?"

The group’s faces twitched at these words. Guo Lang shook his head repeatedly. "Let’s skip that, shall we? Anything else is fine. Sister Cang, you look at the options and pick whichever one you want. We’ll just take whatever you leave behind!"

"Why not?" Cang Mingyue narrowed her eyes. Thanks to Xie Lin grooming her, she now looked delicate and charming, giving off an entirely harmless vibe. "She and I are the most compatible."

"Well..." Cold sweat broke out on Guo Lang’s back as he laughed it off. "Sister Cang, even though you’re an agility-type, you’re not skilled at stealth. Alice and I are a better fit, and as father and daughter, we have more synergy, right? Alice!"

"Mmhmm!" Alice nodded in agreement. As long as she could be with her father, she didn't care what they said.

"Hmm? That’s not true!" A smile curled at the corners of Cang Mingyue’s mouth. Despite her gentle appearance, everyone felt a chill crawl up their spines. She looked at Guo Lang earnestly and argued, "I’m quite skilled at stealth, just not as specialized as her. But I excel at tracking. I think that when it comes to cooperation, complementary abilities are far more useful than redundant ones, don't you?"

"Well... I can provide complementary skills too," Guo Lang insisted. "I can basically do everything you two can!"

"Not really, can you?" Seeing that Guo Lang refused to yield, the smile on her face slowly faded. She stared at him intently. "Your class... the only things you can mimic are the 'front-facing' aspects, right?"

Guo Lang’s pupils contracted. He looked at this madwoman, who usually appeared indifferent to everything, and saw a flash of purple light in her eyes. He smiled and asked, "When did you figure that out, Sister Cang?"

"Last time we went to the Northern Military District," Cang Mingyue replied, looking with indifference at Guo Lang, whose expression had turned serious. "At the time, you first admitted you couldn't mimic Xie Lin’s abilities. Then, when the ground shook, you mimicked Alice’s form to match my speed. But I was thinking then, since you were so close to me, a normal person’s reflex would have been to mimic me subconsciously... yet why didn't you? It was either because you thought my running posture was too ugly, or you simply couldn't mimic me at all!"

*Huh...* Guo Lang rubbed his nose, thinking to himself, *This woman isn't just powerful in combat; I didn't realize she was so analytical.* But then, it made sense. The 'Tracker' class was inherently about intellect. Just because someone didn't show it usually didn't mean they lacked it.

"Front-facing?" Alice asked curiously.

"What we call front and back, in Taoist terms, refers to Yin and Yang!" Xie Lin suddenly interjected with a smile. "This is most evident among mage classes. Almost all magical professions, especially those involving energy, have front and back aspects. For instance, in our elemental school, the Pyromancers have the 'Heavenly Fire' flow and the 'Nether Fire' flow; we Watercasters have the 'Clear Flow' and the 'Turbid Flow'..."

"But that sister and I aren't mages!" Alice, usually cold, spoke more than usual. After all, she was still a child, and when faced with certain things, she couldn't help but show a child's curiosity.

"Martial arts classes have front and back aspects, too..." Xie Lin smiled gently. With his refined appearance and demeanor, he looked like a true lecturer. He looked at Alice patiently. "Many martial arts novels love to write about righteous and demonic factions; there is actually some truth to that. Martial arts classes often connect with world energy once they come into contact with 'Qi'. The righteous flows are mostly masculine and atmospheric, while the evil flows are mostly sinister and poisonous. Although Alice is an assassin, she follows a traditional martial arts style. Even though she kills, she doesn't really utilize dark matter or occult energy. Some classes, however, are different—like your Dark Night Dancers—though those are rare. The Void is different; all Void classes utilize dark matter energy. Little Cang’s speed isn't just due to her high agility; it’s because she has devoured the genes of superior, highly mobile creatures. In science, this is known as genetic technology, but from the perspective of martial arts, this is considered a crooked path!"

"Oh, oh! Alice is the righteous kind!" Alice smiled upon hearing this.

Guo Lang was speechless. "You two are really enjoying exposing everyone’s secrets, aren't you? Breaking it down like that—is that really necessary?"

"It’s fine..." Xie Lin looked at Guo Lang with a smile. "When we analyze secrets, we at least follow logical deduction. But you give me a very strange feeling. When you look at people's secrets, there seems to be no logic to it at all. It’s like... like you already knew. Don't you think you’re actually more mysterious than us?"

"Uh..." Guo Lang was secretly startled. Xie Lin’s words nearly broke him into a cold sweat. *Damn, this guy is dangerous. I’d better stay away from him, or one day my secrets really might be exposed by him!*

"So... what about my proposal?" Cang Mingyue wasn't interested in Guo Lang; her interest remained fixed on Alice, so she pressed the issue.

"No!" Guo Lang said bluntly. *Are you kidding me? Even if you talked until you were blue in the face, I wouldn't put Alice with you.* Everyone knew about this madwoman’s obsession with Alice. She hadn't made a move yet only because she wasn't sure of the outcome. But a mission was different; the situation would be complex, and opportunities would arise. If Alice were ever injured, Guo Lang had no doubt she would strike immediately. He didn't believe that just because they had spent a few days together, she felt any affection. Honestly, of all the teammates he had gathered, aside from Ye Zhiqiu, he didn't trust any of them!

"Why?" Cang Mingyue’s eyes turned cold.

"If you threaten Father again, I’ll take your head off!" Alice stared at Cang Mingyue, her own eyes turning cold as well.

"That’s impossible..." Cang Mingyue tilted her head. "I’ve had that thought about you for a long time!"

*That... you don't need to say, everyone already knows!* the group thought to themselves.

"Big Brother Xie!" Guo Lang had no choice but to play his trump card.

"Alright, Little Cang, stop causing trouble!" Xie Lin pulled Cang Mingyue away, offered an apologetic smile to Guo Lang, and then turned to Jiang Liuying. "Which one is the portal to the Second Building?"

"The Second Building?" Jiang Liuying, who had been enjoying the show, was stunned. "That... the one with the weird, bloody mess?"

"Yes!" Xie Lin smiled elegantly.

"Your taste is truly unique!" Jiang Liuying pouted. "There, the first door on the right!"

After Xie Lin left, Guo Lang hurriedly took Alice into the door in the square. Cang Mingyue watched them for a long time with a dark expression, but eventually shook her head and didn't follow. Instead, she walked toward a door on the side of the square.

"Hey, hey, Sister Cang, you’re going the wrong way!" Jiang Liuying shouted when she saw the direction Cang Mingyue was heading.

"Really?" Cang Mingyue turned to look at her. "Isn't this door for the First Building? The one with the soft, white monster?"

"Well, it is..." Jiang Liuying pointed to another door, confused. "But the monsters over here look like agility-types. Wouldn't it be more suitable for you to go there?"

"Oh, no thanks!" After getting her answer, Cang Mingyue walked into the door ahead without looking back, leaving behind a cold remark: "I hate cockroaches."

"Uh..." Looking at the empty conference room, Jiang Liuying felt a sense of grievance. "But... I... I hate cockroaches too!"