A Good-for-Nothing

98. Responsibility (2)

Translator: Dragon Rider

Zhang Jingqiu was briefly surprised, but then he dissolved into hearty laughter.

“Ha-ha… It’ll be nothing more than scraping with those Demon’s Attendants. As a

man who used to lick blood on the edge of my knife, those non-human, non-ghost

guys could never scare me! You’re right. Let this be an encouragement for us

both!”

Li Zong gave a smile, which was something he didn’t do often. “Be careful on your

trip. If you need anything, contact me as soon as possible. I’ll spare as many men

as I can to help you.”

“I see.”

Zhang Jingqiu really began to have a new appraisal of Li Zong. What Li Zong had

just said was very strange to him. In fact, apart from all the things that had

happened in the past, there was yet another reason why he disliked Li Zong, which

was that he felt Li Zong was too cocky and unapproachable. But now…

Zhang Jingqiu amusedly looked at Li Zong and said, “Li Zong, previously I believed

that you married that man of He family because something clouded your judgement,

but now it seems that we’re mistaken.”

Li Zong lifted his left eyebrow. Laughing heartily, Zhang Jingqiu strode towards

the gateway and, with his back to Li Zong, gracefully waved his hand at him. “See

you around. I won’t forget to send you a wedding gift.”

Li Zong dissolved into smile, shaking his head.

Since Zhang Jingqiu and his hard-core members were leaving, all tasks they hadn’t

finished had to be reassigned, and there would be a handover too. The burden on Li

Zong became heavier as Zhang Jingqiu was dispatched elsewhere.

A couple of members of the first action group had already been waiting.

Li Zong was just about to speak when Tun Shanhai softly scratched his clothes. Tun

Shanhai winked at Li Zong. From the start of the meeting, Tun Shanhai had been

acting strangely. In the knowledge that he had something to say, Li Zong directly

returned to his office.

Li Zong’s office was shielded by a protective layer of enchantment, so the chance

of people inside being eavesdropped was very small.

There was not a shred of archness on Tun Shanhai’s face. Seeing Li Zong shut the

door, he urgently informed Li Zong, “Chief, what Director General Zong said about

the detecting mechanism of the Divine Law was by no means a joke!

This is a country of vast territory and abundant resources, and many things that

happened in this land are beyond our imagination. When I was still a cub, I saw

with my own eyes my father sink into the Donghai Sea and perish.”

Voice shaking, Tun Shanhai subconsciously bent his fingers and scratched the back

of his other hand.

“I’d been wondering why for all these years. It was not until this day when I

heard Director General Zong talk about this matter that I came to understand why

my father walked into the sea of his own accord.

It was because of the balance that the Divine Law tried to maintain. The power of

an ancient unique beast is far above the energy threshold set by the Divine Law,

and suicide is the only way to avoid divine calamity.” Tun Shanhai’s yin-yang

pupils (in Chinese philosophy and medicine, yin and yang are the two opposing

principles in nature, the former feminine and negative, the latter masculine and

positive) were vertical, like those of an animal of the cat family, which made him

look like a real unique beast. “Chief, you are fully aware of this as well,

right?”

Li Zong made no reply.

“If everything Director General Zong said was real, if the Demonic Seed does

exist, I’m afraid things would really get very thorny, very troublesome. And I…

I’d be in dire danger as well. I… Chief, I’m a little scared.”

Tun Shanhai really began to worry. The tragic and gory battle twenty years ago was

recorded right in the files of SMB. By merely reading those lifeless words alone,

anybody could feel how intense that fight had been. Yet now, it was very likely

that they would have to been through another fight just as fierce as that one. Tun

Shanhai was worried about what the future might hold for him, and he was afraid

that the Divine Law might decide to dispose of him at any time.

“Chief, do you know of a way to help me out?” Tun Shanhai appeared like a real

child, eyes full of helplessness. “Chief, I’m scared.”

However, Tun Shanhai was not a child after all.

After a few moments’ silence, Li Zong responded in a bland tone of voice, “Tun

Shanhai, you are a descendant of an ancient unique beast, the last of your kind.

Providence endowed you with extraordinary gifts, a lifespan longer than almost all

others and also more powerful strength. Since you enjoy all these privileges,

wouldn’t it only be fair that when faced with a calamity inflicted by the Divine

Law, you should assume more responsibilities than common people should, rather

than imploring me to find you a way to escape from the Divine Law?”

Tun Shanhai’s lips were quivering. He was not yet mentally mature. “But I’m

scared! I–I haven’t reached adulthood yet. I’m still a cub. Chief–”

“When that day comes, I’ll be standing in front,” Li Zong interrupted Tun

Shanhai’s sob. In a firm and determined tone, he added, “If we’re to die in the

cause of Tao (the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within

itself the principles of yin and yang), you won’t be the first one.”

“Chief…” Voice of Tun Shanhai was choking and he was unable to finish his

sentence. He had made those remarks because he was afraid of death, but Li Zong’s

reaction shamed him. Tun Shanhai lowered his head in self-abasement. “Chief,

I…I’m sorry.”

Tun Shanhai knew that his irresponsible words had disappointed Li Zong.

“It’s yourself that you owe a ‘sorry’ to,” Li Zong replied in a bland tone.

Tun Shanhai fell utterly speechless with shame.

Li Zong pulled the door open and walked out. Both Zhen Ni and Han Zhuo were

waiting outside for Li Zong to assign tasks. Tun Shanhai dejectedly followed Li

Zong out of the office. “You are to help Zu Zhichong deal with the case that

happened in the First High School of Coastal City,” Li Zong instructed.

Zhen Ni and Han Zhuo looked at Tun Shanhai at the same time. Zu Zhichong had been

assigned to handle this case the likes of which they hated the most because he had

done something wrong. ‘What did Tun Shanhai do to anger Chief?’ they wondered.

Naturally, Tun Shanhai didn’t dare to raise any objections. With his tail between

his legs, he hurriedly left.

He wouldn’t have dared to say a single word of complaint even if Li Zong had asked

him to clean toilets, let alone deal with the trickiest case.