Role Playing the Dark Horse Character

Chapter 101: Manga Artist, You Have No Heart!

At the start of the manga, the focus was still on Yiming.

After taking Sang Feiling away from that dark, damp, and cold cell, they rested with the Tide group.

Soon, Zhusheng City became lively.

But that had nothing to do with them.

It was Sang Feiyuan.

He wielded his authority, loudly proclaiming to the entire Zhusheng City that he had received orders from the imperial family and was about to head to Ranmu City.

“He’s saying it for me to hear,” Sang Feiling, still recovering, said with certainty.

Sang Feiyuan hadn’t seen her body; he might even know about the secret passage.

This move was likely to provoke her into going to Ranmu City as well.

She asked Hua Yizhi, “What happened in Ranmu City?”

Hua Yizhi, accustomed to gathering intelligence, naturally knew why.

But just as he was about to speak, Yiming and the others’ voices came from outside.

“Are we going to Ranmu City?” The one asking was An Huyu. “What if Yu Xiao can’t find us?”

“Yu Xiao…” Yiming’s expression was somewhat blank, as if he was used to his friend’s unpredictable appearances but always managing to catch up. “It wouldn’t be surprising if he popped up halfway there.”

Between the two of them, Tang seemed weighed down by heavy thoughts.

After they entered the room, they greeted the two.

Then Tang hesitated, mustering courage to ask Sang Feiling, “Do you know Tang Zeng?”

Tang Zeng was her father.

Yiming had already truthfully told her about the letter after taking her away from Qing Tong, so Tang knew her father had sought help from Tide but the letter was never sent.

She also knew that in the letter, her father admitted to being a traitor.

When Yan Changxiao mentioned the deceased members of the Former Ability Guild, because of her father’s betrayal, Tang didn’t know what expression to make to face the wrongs her father had committed.

Sang Feiling sat on the edge of the bed, carefully studying Tang’s appearance.

The black-haired, emerald green-eyed girl, rarely nervous, lowered her eyes, not quite daring to look at Sang Feiling’s half-ruined face.

It wasn’t fear—it was guilt.

“Who are you to Tang Zeng?” she asked.

Hua Yizhi, standing nearby, introduced Tang’s identity.

According to him, after the Prophet was killed, several letters were sent to their hands.

Sang Feiling’s was to wait in Zhusheng City for the prophesied spark, while Hua Yizhi’s was that the prophesied leader would rescue Tang.

However, his letter had been leaked during its many transfers, and Hua Yizhi wasn’t sure how many people knew about it.

“It has nothing to do with you,” Sang Feiling comforted. “You were just born back then, weren’t you? Tang Zeng, too—having such a lovely daughter and keeping it a secret.”

But Sang Feiling’s gentleness only made Tang feel more guilty, and her head unconsciously dipped lower.

Seeing this, Sang Feiling changed the subject, addressing what Tang cared about. “Tang Zeng’s ability was healing. He was well-liked in the guild.”

She showed a reminiscent expression. “Back then, the guild had many like-minded people. Not just high-rank ability users—there were many powerful forces among the mid-rank ability users, too. Like Little Flower.” She paused, then turned her head. “By the way, I haven’t had the chance to ask you—how’s Little Qingqing doing? I remember you two were close back then.”

Sang Feiyuan would tell her about high-rank ability users, but he disdained to inquire about mid-rank ones.

“Little Qingqing?” Yiming thought of someone.

If it was related to Hua Yizhi, mid-rank, and had a “Qing” in the name, Yiming immediately thought of Qing Tong’s leader in Jiao Huang, Qing Yu Chen.

Hua Yizhi’s smile faded as he said, “He betrayed us, too.”

Tang had been imprisoned by Qing Yu Chen.

Tide’s forces in Jiao Huang were also suppressed by Qing Tong. Qing Yu Chen served the noble Yue clan.

In the end, he died at Heige’s hands.

Sang Feiling didn’t ask further.

She referred to the Prophet as “Sir” and continued, “Back then, Tang Zeng greatly admired Sir, just like the others who saw him as a guiding light. Tang Zeng was even more fervent. We all suspected that if Sir said saving the world required Tang Zeng’s sacrifice, Tang Zeng wouldn’t hesitate.”

This was the first time Tang heard about her father from someone who knew him, but she couldn’t help saying, “Then why did he choose to betray?”

If it was really as Sang Feiling said, why would Tang Zeng betray the Former Ability Guild?

Sang Feiling shook her head. “I don’t know. When I heard Tang Zeng and Yue Qing conspired to betray Sir, I couldn’t believe it. Yue Qing’s scheming was obvious to many, but Tang Zeng…” She sighed. “I can’t figure it out.”

Tang bit her lip, falling silent.

Finally, she said, “For power, I suppose. But he didn’t seize it.”

Tang didn’t deny her father’s wrongs, nor could she find excuses.

The man who abandoned her at Qing Tong, who betrayed the guiding light he most revered.

What was he crying for? What was he crying for when he decided to abandon her, when he was so heartless?

Learning of her father’s despicable actions wasn’t a happy thing.

Tang soon left, with Yiming and An Huyu accompanying her.

After the three youths left, Sang Feiling’s smile faded, and they continued their earlier topic.

“The imperial family hasn’t made such a big move since six years ago,” Sang Feiling said.

“Sending SS-rank Lin Ran to destroy the guild and kill Sir.”

“What’s it for this time?” Her expression was serious.

Hua Yizhi said, “It’s the one I told you about.”

He told Sang Feiling the news he received from the Ranmu agent: “That person has overthrown the rule of the Lin clan nobles, killed the Ranmu city lord and other Lin clan nobles, and completely reclaimed Ranmu City. Probably because of this, the imperial family can’t sit still.”

“Ranmu city lord? Lin Ran?” In the manga, Sang Feiling was extremely shocked, as if she had heard something impossible. “How could that be? Lin Ran was an SS-rank ability user, one of the few SS-ranks in the entire empire!”

“Her ability could observe everything around her. Her gaze covered the entire city. It was exactly because of this that the imperial family sent her to imprison Sir, ensuring Sir couldn’t escape from her grasp.” Sang Feiling said in disbelief, “And she’s dead?”

Hua Yizhi nodded and said, “The Ranmu City agent followed that person and saw Lin Ran’s corpse, her head separated from her neck.”

“Sir’s manner of death.” Sang Feiling had no choice but to believe.

But Sang Feiling still found it incredible: “Who exactly is this person you’re talking about? What kind of person are they to achieve something like this?”

Hua Yizhi couldn’t answer this question either.

He turned his face, looking out the window at Yiming and the others gathered together talking, and then said, “I’m not sure of his real name. Everything about him seems mysterious, blurred.”

“But one thing I can confirm,” Hua Yizhi said, “Yiming must mean something different to him.”

This wasn’t exactly an answer.

Sang Feiling’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked out the window alongside Hua Yizhi.

She murmured, “Who is it, really?”

…

“It’s definitely Heige,” Jiang Lan said.

She was reading the latest chapter of the manga, as usual, on a call with her best friend Luo Han.

As she spoke, she flipped backward.

But the next page was completely black.

Flipping again, the scene suddenly changed.

Huge clouds of dust rose around the edges of the page, and a hole in the ceiling let moonlight stream in.

Smoke and dust filled the air.

The place had no furnishings, like an empty underground room.

Scattered around lay many people, and atop the ruins, a dark figure was faintly visible through the dust.

“You’re very powerful, ability user.”

A man in a white lab coat was clapping.

Jiang Lan remembered him.

This was a character who appeared in the Four-Way Arc, named Yue Shan.

A crazed researcher.

“Why is Yue Shan here?” She realized the manga had flashed back to past events, and this plot was from the Four-Way Arc.

She recalled this storyline: Yue Shan originally wanted to dissect Yiming but was distracted by a challenge from Heige. When he returned, it was a fake Yue Shan, disguised by Heige.

What happened back then? Curiosity drove her to quickly flip the page.

In the scene, the dark figure behind the dust gradually stepped forward, but the figure’s form was shrinking.

From a tall adult, it shrank, shrank, until finally revealing the face of a seven- or eight-year-old child.

Black hair, black eyes, wearing a choker, with a soft face and features that faintly resembled his grown-up self.

“Do you still remember me?” he asked.

Expressionless, yet quiet and well-behaved, he calmly raised his eyes, looking at the crazed researcher who was much taller than him.

“Holy crap, Li!!!” Jiang Lan exclaimed.

She eagerly shared with her best friend: “Did you see that?! It’s Li! Li, oh my gosh! My male god!”

“So cute!” She clutched her chest, feeling like her heart had been struck by an arrow.

She couldn’t wait to flip further, desperate to see more of her male god’s childhood appearance.

As the pages turned, the crazed researcher was laughing hysterically.

He doubled over with laughter, then revealed the identity of the boy before him.

Jiang Lan’s smile froze.

An experimental subject from twelve years ago, an orphan taken in by the Prophet, a avenger.

“What’s your number? Tell me your number!”

“My child, my most perfect creation!”

And this researcher didn’t even know his name.

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

Jiang Lan saw in the scene, the frail child raised his dark, yet clear eyes, murmuring softly.

How could he not remember? Jiang Lan thought.

The beginning of a person’s, a life’s tragedy—how could he not remember who he hurt?!

The manga continued.

Li transformed into Heige’s appearance, but with the precedent of Heige impersonating Shura and Li Baige, Jiang Lan wasn’t surprised.

It was as if everything clicked for her, and she understood why the moment she saw it.

The multiple abilities Li displayed in Jiao Huang City at the end weren’t Plundering but the results of experiments.

Like Heige, he had endured Yue Shan’s inhumane experiments, then escaped from this prison and was taken in by the Prophet.

But the Prophet died too, and soon after, only one of the two remained.

Heige, using his friend’s face, asked Yue Shan:

Do you still remember this face?

Do you still remember Li?

Yue Shan didn’t remember.

She watched in the manga as Heige displayed his strength to Yue Shan, wielding multiple abilities as if everything came effortlessly.

His smile was like a false mask, firmly fixed on his face.

He came and went freely, powerful, at ease, no longer the child who couldn’t control his own life.

But after killing Yue Shan, his smile vanished.

A phantom materialized, and the childhood Li stood beside him.

“He doesn’t remember you,” Heige said.

The smiling mask disappeared.

And the child stood quietly, like an emotionless ice sculpture.

It was Li, the childhood Li.

Jiang Lan’s gaze was glued to this scene, staring at the profile of the child beside the black-haired youth.

She knew Heige wanted Li to see clearly, to cruelly see clearly, how insignificant their existence was.

Perhaps the person by Heige’s side had already left him, and Li couldn’t see it.

A sour emotion welled up from her heart.

The researcher hadn’t asked for a name, only wanting to know a number.

Who is he? Who are they?

What are their names?

Just a string of numbers.

Her best friend’s voice called out, snapping Jiang Lan back to reality after staring at the scene for a long time.

She touched her face, only to realize she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

…

[Didn’t expect the manga artist to actually go back and fill the plot hole of Heige replacing Yue Shan.]

[Multiple abilities—this wave confirms Heige as the top combat force in the whole story, no question!]

[It’s official! The manga artist has confirmed Heige and Li are friends! He even killed Yue Shan for Li!]

[I’m done, I want to cry. In their darkest times, two children leaned on each other, surviving despair and getting adopted by the Prophet together. But the Prophet died, and all Heige had left was Ahoge Li. Then Ahoge Li died too. He lost his father and his best friend. He’s all alone now.]

[Manga artist, you have no heart!!!!]