So-Called Karma 12

Twelve hours. Yan Xianchuan let out a long breath. If she were stuck like this forever, she'd really want to delete her account and start over.

With that worry off her chest, she caught a whiff of something different—a gamey smell, but also fragrant. Following the scent to the kitchen, she propped her front hooves on the counter and craned her neck to look. A big iron basin held several chunks of meat. Lamb.

It was already cooked, but Lu Mingqiu definitely wouldn't eat it. What a waste.

She trotted back, nuzzled the woman's thigh, then went to the door and let out a bleat: "Baa."

Lu Mingqiu understood. "Alright, let's go."

She set down the book and followed the little sheep out of the room. Down five flights of stairs, she watched the whole way as the lamb's fat rump bounced step by step, tail swaying lazily side to side—so tempting you'd want to reach out and grab a handful.

Yan Xianchuan had no idea how cute she was. She hopped over the first-floor threshold, checked their surroundings as usual—no one around—then looked back and called to the woman behind her.

Silver moonlight flowed like water, illuminating her coat, which was so white it nearly reflected light, like a pool of liquid mercury.

The two crossed the street and were about to enter a building when Yan Xianchuan suddenly stopped. She sensed someone watching her—a keen perception—but she couldn't locate the source.

She spun in a circle but still saw nothing, and pawed the ground anxiously.

Her strange behavior put Lu Mingqiu on alert. Without a word, she expanded her psychic sweep, sending out ripples of mental energy to search for hidden enemies.

"Stop hiding," Lu Mingqiu said, looking at the air conditioner unit on the third floor. "I know you're there."

She couldn't see anyone, but she could pick up the mental signal of a living person.

Yan Xianchuan followed her gaze, tilting her head high and stepping back two paces.

"I have no desire for senseless killing," Lu Mingqiu said in measured tones, "but if you stay hidden there, pretending not to exist, I'll have to treat you as a threat. Leave now, and I'll pretend nothing happened."

Yan Xianchuan also let out a bleat of considerable authority—or so she fancied.

"Don't attack." A strange male voice spoke.

Then the air conditioner seemed to flicker, and a figure climbed down slowly. As it moved, its colors shifted, finally settling into gray.

Headfirst and on all fours, he descended to the first floor, dropped from the wall, and raised both hands over his head. "I mean no harm. You must have already met the witch. She used to be a member of our group, but after things went wrong, she fled—and killed several of our people on the way out."

"I was tracking her when I discovered she was already dead."

"You seem clear-headed. Would you like to join our group? Together, we can find a way out of here."

Not another one.

Yan Xianchuan huffed in irritation, blowing air through her lips, wondering what pose she'd need to knock him unconscious—or better yet, send him flying out of the neighborhood.

"A group?" Lu Mingqiu echoed. She placed a hand on the little sheep's head as she pawed the ground, giving her ear a familiar rub to calm her down.

"Yes, our group was founded long ago, and we started suspecting the Church early on." The man swallowed nervously. His ability was blending into his surroundings, like a chameleon, which also made him more sensitive to outside information.

And right now, he felt a massive amount of hostility radiating from this seemingly harmless white sheep. It must be the woman's summoned familiar—her ability made manifest.

He'd seen Meni walk into that building with his own eyes, but it wasn't her who came out—it was this woman. He'd snuck in to check, and Meni was dead, eyes still wide open, a large bloodstain spreading across her belly. If not this sheep, then who could have done it?

"The virus has raged for years, yet the Federation has never sent anyone. Only the Church came," he said cautiously. "That doesn't add up. I'm telling you the truth. You don't seem like the type to kill without reason. If you join us, we'll have one more strong member, and our chances improve."

"If you'd rather not, we won't force you. And I want to thank you for killing Meni. If there's anything you need, we'll do our best to find it for you—as a token of gratitude."

"Are all the members of your group espers?" Lu Mingqiu asked.

"Some are espers, some are ordinary people," he replied.

"Alright, I'll join." Lu Mingqiu said, patting the head under her hand.

This man had no mental abilities whatsoever. She could easily probe his true thoughts—he wasn't lying.

Helping ordinary people—this group wasn't half bad. Many espers no longer considered themselves human; they called themselves New Humans, a superior race, drawing a line between them and the common folk, killing people as casually as slaughtering chickens and ducks.

Every year, the Investigation Bureau captured or gunned down such criminals.

"Great." He sighed in relief, the colorful patterns on his face fading away, revealing a pale, youthful face that looked barely in his teens. "Just call me Chameleon. I'll take you to the base."

Since Lu Mingqiu had agreed, Yan Xianchuan had to give up on the idea of ramming him—though she'd already found the perfect angle.

Besides, this guy was a bit naive. Locked away for too long, with little real-world experience—who takes a new recruit straight to their base on first meeting? Wasn't he afraid they were con artists?

The boy calling himself Chameleon led the way, though now he was cautious, hugging the walls. "Is this your ability? Can you put it away for now? We'd be too conspicuous walking around like this."

"By the way, what should I call you?"

"Call me... Mushroom. And no, she can't be put away." Lu Mingqiu took off her jacket and draped it over Yan Xianchuan's back, the dark denim covering most of the fluffy white wool. She then set the hood over her horns, adjusting it so the brim didn't block her eyes. "How's this?"

"You're clever." Chameleon nodded, then gestured with a whisper, "This way."

At this hour, anyone out wandering had some skill; the timid stayed indoors.

Few dared to see themselves as hunters, but to his surprise, they didn't run into anyone at all along the way.

When Chameleon had come earlier, he'd stumbled upon several murder scenes. He wasn't a powerful esper, and had only avoided the killers through his stealth.

What he didn't know was that the few people they passed had all been spotted by Yan Xianchuan first, each sent off with a warning pebble. The whistling sound of stones flying through the air was muffled by the clip-clop of sheep hooves on the ground, and he was too busy nervously keeping half an eye on Yan Xianchuan to notice.

The two followed him to a courier station. The Chameleon boy pushed open the rusted gate and waved them in. "Hurry, come in."

There was no hidden wonderland—just a few broken boxes in the corner, dust covering the floor, and empty shelves.

Back here, he visibly relaxed. He walked to the innermost small door and knocked—three short knocks, one long—a code of sorts.

After a moment, the door opened from inside, spilling out light. A brown-haired woman poked her head out. "You're back! How'd it go... Wait, who are you?"

The Chameleon boy quickly explained, "Bobo, she's a new member I brought back. She's the one who took care of Meni."

At that, the brown-haired woman's expression shifted dramatically. "You, you... ugh, come in, all of you." She opened the door wider, but her eyes stayed wary, fixed on Lu Mingqiu—not sparing a glance for the little sheep Yan Xianchuan, assuming she was a manifestation of the woman's ability.

Once inside, Lu Mingqiu understood why. Because there, in the corner, was a tiger—brown with black stripes—lying lazily at the feet of a girl, dozing. When it noticed people entering, it cracked open one eye, then went back to sleep, uninterested.

No wonder they'd jumped to that conclusion.

Once indoors, she pulled the jacket off Yan Xianchuan, worried the hood might be uncomfortable.

The moment the coat came off, Yan Xianchuan shook her head, and with her wide field of vision—no need to even turn—she swept the entire warehouse in one glance.

Twenty or thirty people, men and women, all staring at them. Most looked ordinary, but a few had patterned faces, and others had hands slowly morphing into claws.

The brown-haired woman who'd opened the door called out, "This is a new member Chameleon brought back. She killed Meni."

"Really?"

"Finally dead! That monster!"

"Thank god, thank you."

The crowd buzzed with chatter, the tense atmosphere easing a bit.

"Alright, alright, you all get back to what you were doing. I need to talk with our new member." The brown-haired woman waved a hand, then glanced at Lu Mingqiu and beckoned her to follow. They left the main warehouse and headed into a small adjoining room.

"I'm J. And you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Call me Mushroom," Lu Mingqiu said, patting Yan Xianchuan's back. "This is Milk."

"I'll be direct." J hopped onto a table, crossing her legs. "Killing Meni is no small feat. Someone that capable wouldn't be a nobody. And I haven't seen you out during the day."

What did that mean? Did she have a way to monitor the town? Yan Xianchuan reluctantly pulled herself out of her happy fuzzy state and dragged her wariness back to the surface.

She sidled sideways, planting herself between the two women.

"Simple—I haven't left my place during the day," Lu Mingqiu replied.

"You were clear-headed from the very start?" J's expression shifted. After a long pause, she said in a low voice, "Impressive. I've pieced together some of the pattern—the earlier you wake up, the stronger your ability."

"I woke up pretty early myself, but I still got blood on my hands. Two people."

J's face was grave, and the air went quiet for a moment. Then she asked, "What do you think of the Church?"

"I think the Church orchestrated all of this." Lu Mingqiu said. She could see J had her suspicions, so she deliberately spoke the truth aloud.

"That's what I think too." J took a long breath. "They built roads, handed out gifts; at first, I trusted the Church completely. Who would've thought this would happen later?"

"You're really something." Her tone carried approval. "As you can see, I don't have many people here. Picking the right ones is tough—especially after Meni's betrayal, everyone's on edge."

"Still, I'm sure you're not that kind of person. Go say hi to everyone." J hopped off the table. "She's adorable. Can I pet her?"

You're not bad yourself. Lu Mingqiu entertained the thought of recruiting J into the Resistance, but shook her head. "She doesn't like being touched by others."

"Alright. But watch out for the tiger." J's expression turned complicated. "I don't know if it'll... I mean, sheep are on a tiger's menu."

At that, the little white sheep seemed to understand—and rolled her eyes in disdain.

A moment later, she nudged her human's hand, demanding head scratches, and closed her eyes in bliss, making J wonder if she'd seen wrong.

In such a chaotic situation, J had managed to gather a group like this and still spare energy to protect ordinary people. She definitely wasn't one to trust easily. Yan Xianchuan could say with certainty: J must have been affected by Lu Mingqiu's ability, which was why she'd dropped her guard so quickly.

"Don't bully the tiger." Lu Mingqiu bent down and whispered.

Yan Xianchuan gave two snorts. She wasn't that childish.

The two stepped out of the small room, and immediately someone came up to them, holding an apple. "Thank you. I don't have much to offer, but here."

Lu Mingqiu was about to decline, but instead she heard herself say, "You're too kind," and took the apple, breaking off half and holding it to Yan Xianchuan's mouth.

Yan Xianchuan sniffed it—not sweet—but she crunched it down anyway.

The people didn't go all out with a welcome ceremony—current circumstances weren't suited for a lively gathering. Instead, they drifted over in twos and threes to talk with Lu Mingqiu, ask her name, thank her for killing Meni, and inevitably end with: "Can I pet the sheep?"

Yan Xianchuan raised her head proudly, convinced of her own charm, while dodging every bold hand that reached for her—and snatching a bite out of each sleeve.

If Lu Mingqiu weren't here, it wouldn't just be sleeves she'd be biting off.

"She's got a temper and doesn't like to be touched," Lu Mingqiu explained.

No sheep had teeth that sharp—cutting through fabric cleaner than a laser—so they stopped reaching.

The conversation gradually faded, and people sat down on the floor, drifting into a restless sleep. J stayed awake, keeping watch.

Time ticked on. A few hours slipped by unnoticed, and dawn arrived.

Then Lu Mingqiu suddenly received a message: 【Bai Ge has arrived to support.】

The new day brought not good news, but a death knell.

The ground trembled, earth churned, and a building came crashing down in a thunderous roar. Its aged walls shattered into rubble as it toppled onto the one next to it, leaving that one looking like a melon with a bite taken out—only most of its frame still standing stubbornly.

Sand and dust showered down from above, and the group rushed out in a panic. They found a figure with silver-gray short hair standing before the collapsed building. In front of him was a black vortex, round as an abyss, hungrily devouring everything in its path without discrimination.

"Bai Ge." Lu Mingqiu extended her mind-link, speaking directly into his thoughts. "I'm here, safe for now. This is the Church's testing ground for mass-producing espers. The espers here are around C-rank, plus some ordinary people."

"Understood," Bai Ge replied. "I've already located their underground base."

As he ran through the names of the squad members he'd brought, he raised a hand, and the dark, abyss-like void expanded. With a flick, it drifted over the site of the collapsed building.

Rubble and cement cracked apart, as if finding their final destination, joyfully funneling into the hole and vanishing. The debris cleared completely, revealing a metallic roof beneath.

After half a second, screws spun into the air, followed by iron plates. The screech of tearing metal rang out, yet the way they lifted was as effortless as a sheet of paper caught in the wind.

The destruction was almost overwhelming—when it came to raw damage, Bai Ge was among the best in the organization.

Gold Ring and the others stayed hidden in the shadows, while Pea the Bard kept stacking buffs on Bai Ge. As the underground base was gradually exposed and absorbed piece by piece, the Church finally lost its composure.

Buzz!

A wave of sound erupted from the loudspeaker at the center of Walnut Town. Yan Xianchuan suddenly saw the people around her clutching their heads in pain, faces twisted in agony.

She pricked up her ears, grabbed Lu Mingqiu's sleeve in her teeth, and pulled her away from the crowd.

The latter also felt a foreboding rise and ran toward Bai Ge's position. Halfway there, a few leaves whistled past—edges as sharp as razor blades—slashing through her clothes.

Yan Xianchuan spun around. The people she'd been chatting with only last night now wore vacant expressions, staring at them like puppets without emotion, machines built for killing, charging at them.

Seeing the danger, she kicked stones from the ground without holding back this time. Each pebble hit someone square in the head with enough force to crack half their skull, yet their momentum carried them forward several meters before collapsing.

If she still had hands, she could throw two at once or just pick up a wall and hurl it—far faster. But now she only had four hooves, and she couldn't keep track of all of them.

But the crowd wasn't stupid. They activated their abilities—some flew, some burrowed underground—forcing Yan Xianchuan to scramble, stomping wildly like she was dancing a tap routine.

Lu Mingqiu certainly didn't stand idle. She expanded her ability, and anyone who entered her range instantly lost consciousness.

Occasionally, a few slipped through, and Yan Xianchuan was about to finish them off when they suddenly dropped mid-air on their own.

She saw it clearly—each had a small blade embedded in the back of their neck. It was the handiwork of the support member Calamus.

"I was wondering how the Church could lack control measures." Lu Mingqiu's voice was grave as she extended the mind-link. "Everyone, be careful. Don't hold back. Protect yourselves first. The Church hasn't shown their face yet—save your strength."

"That sheep is Polite Biscuits. Do not attack her."

As soon as she said it, she felt a sudden surge of lightness—strength returning, energy restored, mind clear, thoughts sharper. It was Pea's ability.

With her comrades found, Lu Mingqiu retracted her ability, halting the wide-area attacks to conserve strength.

"Bai Ge, keep going with your task. Gold Ring, take the north. Calamus, the west. I've got the south. Biscuits, the east. Got weapons?"

"Got them." Gold Ring's voice followed, and several submachine guns flew through the air, landing at her feet.

Lu Mingqiu grabbed a gun, clicked off the safety, and took cover behind a broken wall. She said to Yan Xianchuan, "I'll keep an eye on you. If you can't hold them, call out."

With that, she propped the gun on the rubble and pulled the trigger, firing immediately.

Yan Xianchuan was still kicking stones one after another. The ground had an endless supply, but kicking them one at a time was painfully slow—her hooves were getting worn flat, and yet the crowd wasn't thinning.

It infuriated her so much her teeth ground together with a grinding squeak.