Chapter 6 - Chapter 6 Guard the Best Li Yihan

"I still don't know your name. After you kill yourself, how am I supposed to tell the Guard Department and contact your family..." Yu Sheng asked another perfectly reasonable question. The boy fell silent, forcing down the fury in his chest with all his might. He spoke as calmly as he could: "My name is... Li Yihan. Any more questions?" "No more." Yu Sheng thought earnestly for a moment, then shook his head. Li Yihan stared at him suspiciously for a long while. Tentatively, he raised his hand, the blade hovering over his neck for what felt like an eternity. Seeing no objection from Yu Sheng, he slowly closed his eyes and, once again... replayed his life in his mind. "He's committing suicide, by the way." Suddenly, Li Yihan was blinded by a harsh light. He opened his eyes numbly to see Yu Sheng across from him, holding up his phone—its night light on, recording him, the camera pointed straight at his face. He'd even taken the trouble to explain. Catching Li Yihan's gaze, Yu Sheng hesitated, then said: "Uh, I need to leave some evidence, after all." "Are you a devil???" "Will this never end!!!" "AH???" "Didn't you tell me to die... hiss... didn't you tell me to die?" "What the hell are you doing?" "Hiss..." "Fuck, fuck!" "Hiss... this is a curse!" Every time Li Yihan shouted, his wound split open further. The pain fueled his rage, sending him into another tirade, which tore his wound open more, and the cycle repeated. It's hard to fathom the sheer resolve it takes for a person to face death. That Li Yihan had overcome his fear time and again spoke volumes about his unyielding will. But after so many attempts... When he raised the blade again, he found he no longer had the courage to bring it down. He tossed the blade to the floor in dejection, paying no mind to the bloodstains. He collapsed onto the sofa, jostling his wound once more. Li Yihan sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and stared at Yu Sheng with a hollow look: "I have no idea what's going on in your crazy head, but if you want me dead, I'll bleed out in about half an hour." "If you don't want me dead, give me the hemostatic medicine and bandages." He stared straight at Yu Sheng, waiting for his final answer. Yu Sheng studied him curiously: "Actually, I'm more curious why you won't kill me." "As the future greatest assassin in the world, I have my professional ethics." "I take people's money, and I settle their troubles." "Killing is my job, not my hobby." "I haven't received a bounty from an employer, so I can't kill you." At that moment, Li Yihan's expression was deadly serious—no trace of a joke, his eyes brimming with sincerity. Yu Sheng mused: "Now I believe you're really an assassin." "But why would anyone hire an assassin who hasn't even awakened yet?" "Is it because you're poor?" Yu Sheng asked, clearly intrigued. "I think you could hand me the hemostatic medicine before you ask more questions. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to answer many more." Li Yihan glanced at the gash on his chest, speaking helplessly. "No hurry. If you stop getting worked up, you'll probably last another thirty-two minutes." Yu Sheng gave him a casual glance. ... What kind of monster was this kid? Li Yihan couldn't shake the feeling that Yu Sheng was more of an assassin than he was. "I turn eighteen in half a month." "I'll be able to take the Awakening Ritual soon." "So I lied about my age to take the job. I just never imagined the gap between an Awakened and an unawakened person would be this huge." "Even if all he awakened was a spoon." Li Yihan's voice was laced with defeat as he spoke. Even though the man's awakened relic was utterly useless, his reflexes and strength were far greater than Li Yihan's. Escaping with his life had been a miracle, thanks only to his quick wits. "So... can I have the medicine now?" Li Yihan asked again. Just then, through the window, a team of Guard Department patrollers walked past once more. Li Yihan leaned back instinctively, tearing his wound open yet again. But he clamped his mouth shut tight, not daring to make a sound. Cold sweat dripped steadily from his forehead. "Don't be scared. I have connections in the Guard Department." Yu Sheng said, surprisingly upbeat. Li Yihan froze: "Someone in your family works for the Guard Department?" "No." "My dad solicited a prostitute. I reported him just now, and he got locked up." "If nothing goes wrong, he's probably still in the Guard Department's holding cells right now." Yu Sheng shook his head, his words plain and unembellished. Paired with his innocent-looking face, Li Yihan was left speechless. The boy in front of him was around his age, with the same youthful softness in his features, and a slight frame. Yet for some reason, Li Yihan couldn't shake the feeling that he was sitting across from a towering demon—hiding in the dark, ready to strike at any moment, dragging its victim into an endless abyss. "Put the medicine on first." Yu Sheng seemed to be lost in thought. After a moment, he suddenly spoke, picking up the medicine and tossing it to Li Yihan's side. Li Yihan let out a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed this lunatic really had no intention of killing him. He took out a bottle of special medicinal liquid and poured it carefully over his wound. Agonizing pain shot through every nerve in his body, causing him to twitch uncontrollably. But he clenched his jaw so tight his teeth ached, not making a single sound. "Actually, what I gave you was chili water." Yu Sheng suddenly spoke up. "You... AH!!!" "FUCK!!!" Li Yihan whipped his head around to stare at Yu Sheng, as if he wanted to say something. But the second he opened his mouth, he couldn't hold it in any longer, letting out a guttural roar of pain. Yu Sheng shrugged: "Just a joke. If it hurts, scream it out. Holding it in's miserable." "After you wrap the bandages, remember to clean the room for me." "There's trash by the door when you leave—take it out for me too." "But you still owe me your life. I'll come find you if I need something. Hope you're still alive then." With that, Yu Sheng yawned, stood up, and trundled back to his bedroom to lie down. Li Yihan stared at his retreating back, his eyes a whirl of complicated emotions, his mind a mess of unspoken thoughts. "Actually... the Awakened aren't as powerful as you think." Yu Sheng stood at the bedroom door, his back to Li Yihan. He spoke the abrupt words, then closed the door without another word. "Really..." "Maybe... hiss, it hurts so bad, fuck!!!" Li Yihan had just opened his mouth to sigh with emotion when the pain flared up again, forcing another cry from his lips.