Chapter 514

Chapter 514 Probing Pocket

Qian Five glanced at his palm, a faint numbness crawling across it. This body had never truly felt like his own, and now, more than ever, it seemed utterly foreign.

Snapping back to himself, he lifted his gaze to Qi Xia, whose face bore the weight of deep thought, and softly remarked, “They are more or less saved. We can return to the topic we were discussing.”

“The topic from before…” Qi Xia paused then continued, “Wasn’t that already settled?”

“You only suspected that woman called Xu Liunian of being suspicious, and that was it?” Qian Five asked. “Don’t you have any countermeasures? If you do, I can have the {Cats} operate alongside you.”

“Countermeasures…” Qi Xia exhaled. “If I’m not mistaken… I might not need one at all. Xu Liunian will reveal herself on her own and give me the answers I seek.”

“Oh…?”

“Qian Five, both times I faced death, Xu Liunian was present,” Qi Xia recalled, his voice measured. “Before, I thought it was coincidence. But now, with so many doubts piling up, I no longer believe in coincidences… During this {Celestial Horse's Hour}, she is highly likely to appear. If she chooses to show herself, I may finally discern her intent.”

Qian Five furrowed his brows as he studied Qi Xia’s chilling expression.

Something about him felt different. The Qi Xia he knew… he couldn’t read anymore. He had no idea what he was thinking, nor what decision he would make next.

Would the former Qi Xia have staked his own life on a matter with no assurance at all?

“Then…” Qian Five probed once more, cautiously, “Do we still need to help you with your {Reverberation}?”

“No need.” Qi Xia shook his head, fixing Qian Five with a strange, unreadable look. “You know as well as I do that it’s futile. Without the genuine Yu Nian’An, nothing we do will matter. I’m rather fatigued; let’s return, have something to eat, restore our energy, and sleep early.”

Qian Five and Zhou Six exchanged a glance, neither knowing how to persuade Qi Xia. Tomorrow would bring {Celestial Horse's Hour}, a moment infamous for its perilous mortality—and yet, Qi Xia seemed to be spending it like an ordinary afternoon.

With no clear target or plan, the group could only set off toward the prison.

As they walked, Zhou Six’s eyes drifted toward Qi Xia, Chen Junnan, and Qiao Jiajin up ahead. Unease pricked at her chest.

These three… they were unnervingly calm. They laughed, they spoke, and even took the time to admire the scenery by the roadside.

Even if Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin no longer retained memories of {Celestial Horse's Hour}, what about Chen Junnan? Had he given up as well?

Slowing her pace, Zhou Six fell to the rear of the group. Once she confirmed no one was paying attention, she lightly pressed her right hand to her right ear and whispered, “Jiang Ruoxue, you still alive?”

A voice came swiftly from the other end: “Hm? Why, if it isn’t Mo jie? Are you sure you should be calling me at a time like this?”

“Tsk, cut the nonsense.” Zhou Six lowered her voice further, eyes scanning the line of people ahead with caution. “Tomorrow, {Celestial Horse's Hour}. Remember to survive.”

“Wha—!” Jiang Ruoxue’s tone instantly sharpened. “This isn’t a joke right? Less than half of these ten days have passed. What {Celestial Horse's Hour} are you talking about?”

“Tsk, motherfu…” Zhou Six cursed under her breath. “Since you know already, prepare to run with your people. If you end up dead, don’t come crying to me.”

“Alright, alright…” Jiang Ruoxue replied lazily. “On behalf of all {Adherents}, I extend our sincerest gratitude to our undercover Mo jie—”

“Fuck off.” Zhou Six ended the sound conveyance decisively and slowly merged back into the line of the group.

Officer Li noticed the subtle strain in her expression and offered a faint smile. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Nothing.” Zhou Six shook her head, glancing to the side. “I just checked on Wang Eight and the others. They’re a step ahead of us and are already nearing the prison.”

Officer Li, of course, was no ordinary man. He had interrogated countless individuals and could read people almost instantly. He sensed that Zhou Six was hiding something. Yet, considering that he had only known them for no more than two days, it wasn’t unreasonable for them to withhold information. He simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing that Zhou Six no longer paid him any attention, Officer Li reached into his empty pocket instinctively. He hoped, almost desperately, that he would find a pack of cigarettes there—any brand would do, so long as it was fresh, smokable, and carried the faintest trace of fragrance.

But his pocket remained empty.

He had already triggered his {Reverberation}, {Probing Pocket}, yet no matter what he tried, he could not produce a single cigarette from his own pocket.

What in the world was happening?

Could it be, as Qian Five had described, that his subconscious truly needed to believe there were cigarettes in the pocket in order to manifest them?

It was an infuriating paradox: it was precisely the lack of cigarettes that compelled him to use the ability, yet the moment he realised they were absent, the power flatly refused to respond. How was he meant to deal with this?

“How… how does one control the subconscious…?”

Officer Li’s low murmur did not go unnoticed. Zhou Six glanced at him with mild amusement and inquired, “Tsk, are you practicing your {Reverberation}?”

“Practicing…? It can be practiced?” Officer Li asked, perplexed.

“More or less.” Zhou Six nodded. “In the beginning, no one was able to activate it with absolute reliability. This is not something others can do for you; the key lies in whether you yourself {believe}.”

“I understand the principle, but how can I believe…? My pocket is clearly empty.”

“Tsk, you can use your habitual actions to boost the chance of success,” Zhou Six explained. “Take me, for example. My {Reverberation} is {Sound Conveyance}, but if I speak out loud directly, it will likely fail. So I usually imagine I’m on a phone call.”

She placed a hand to her ear and whispered, “That way, I know I’ve entered the sound conveyance state, and my success rate increases significantly.”

“Then how exactly should I use movements as a medium?” Officer Li shook his head in frustration. “I just want to smoke a cigarette.”

“Tsk, use your head. If you want to smoke, then smoke,” Zhou Six said flatly.

“Smoke…” Officer Li faltered. “But I don’t have any cigarettes…”

“Close your eyes,” Zhou Six commanded without hesitation.

Reluctantly, Officer Li obeyed, letting his eyelids fall.

“Grab a cig,” Zhou Six instructed.

“But I know—”

“Grab a cig,” Zhou Six barked, her tone sharp. “Show me the cigarette.”

Faced with her commanding presence, Officer Li had no choice but to pretend to pull a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He had to admit, closing his eyes did make it easier to imagine.

He mimed opening a pack, then lifted a cigarette from it, though he knew both his hands were empty. To make the act appear more convincing, after ‘taking’ a cigarette, he even pretended to return the nonexistent pack to his pocket.

“Light one,” Zhou Six continued to direct. “We’re in public; no one will mind.”

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TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)