The next day.
After getting up, washing and dressing.
Ke Jie opened his phone, and the first thing he saw was the chat app's pop-up message:
[Xiao Bai: Mr. Ke Jie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run away. Please tell my little sister I apologise. I just... need a little time to accept it. If it's all right, let's meet again next weekend. This week let me be by myself for a while. Thank you...... flower emoji]
Having read the message.
The empty, numb blood-coloured demon eyes lit.
The heart that had been racked with phantom pain settled.
Ke Jie's mouth lifted into a faint smile.
"Xiao Bai... so long as you're still here."
He had, for the most part, let it go, and stepped out of the shadow yesterday's holiday had left in him.
That way, he could face the Half-Fiend's little present with his mind at ease.
Just then.
Almost the moment Ke Jie put his phone away and stood ready.
"Tok, tok-tok."
Fang Zheng, outside, knocked on Ke Jie's door.
"Ke Jie! Up you get, the whole squad's heading out on a field mission today, get ready quick! You looked terrible last night. I hope you've pulled yourself together this morning, brother."
Fang Zheng gave the notice through the door, his voice sincere.
At that.
Ke Jie, long since ready, did not hesitate.
"Creak."
He opened the door and gave Fang Zheng a look.
"Let's go."
Meaning: he was fine now, thanks for the concern.
Seeing Ke Jie like that, Fang Zheng rubbed the dark circles under his eyes and gave a small smile to show he understood.
With a teammate who genuinely cared about him at his side, Ke Jie was calm on the surface, and a warm current rose inside him.
Perhaps it was not impossible for him to try trusting his teammates.
Just as he trusted Xiao Bai, one day they might advance and retreat together as one.
Holding to that thought.
Ke Jie, himself again, and a thoroughly excited Fang Zheng walked together along the main hall's second-floor corridor, making their slow way step by step down toward the ground floor.
On the way, as was their custom, Fang Zheng did the answering and Ke Jie the asking, one talkative and one sparing; one warm, one cool, each returning the other's courtesy.
"Fang Zheng. What's the mission?"
"Oh! That. Only the deputy captain knows the details, I can only give you the gist. Usually our squad's field missions are mainly about assisting one of Dongdu's official Sword Maiden powers; only rarely are we the main force. Like the one we got today: assisting the Dongdu Execution Corps on an operation, and the liaison is our own Annie."
"Will the mission run long? What does a liaison mean? Will the Bureau provide support?"
"How long depends on whether we leave Dongdu or the Dongshen Region. Long ones, the deputy captain said the longest was three months; short ones, two or three days. The liaison is the person who coordinates between the Sword Maiden side and our squad. Support depends on the situation. Enough talk, here! Have some breakfast."
"......Thanks. I've learned something."
After a short walk.
Ke Jie and Fang Zheng ate their breakfast standing in the open space on the main hall's ground floor, waiting for the rest of Team B, Joint Combat Division, to arrive.
Just about as the two finished eating.
And after another three minutes' wait.
The remaining members of the squad arrived one after another.
First to arrive was the deputy captain, Cheng Fang. Already transformed into the Blade Wielder Inkstone, he came in through the main door with a grave face, nodded politely to the two waiting, and then stood with them, arms folded and eyes closed, resting.
A little later came the Sword Maiden Wu Yuan. Transformed, she looked no different from when Ke Jie first met her; coming down from the second floor she let slip a yawn, waved to the three of them a little sheepishly, and looked somewhat tired.
Last to arrive was the liaison, Annie. Cloak and old tome as ever; coming in through the main door she nearly failed to get a grip on the handle on account of her height, shut the door with a cold face and walked briskly into the line of four.
"Everyone's here, then."
Cheng Fang opened his eyes slowly and looked them over.
"Then I'll say it straight. This field mission: the Dongdu Execution Corps has asked our Team B to help investigate and capture a Sword God Dynasty fugitive, a Circuit Attendant of the Myriad-Fiend Empire, 'Hong Manluo'."
"Since she's gone to ground in a small village near Fenghai City next door, and to avoid alerting her or driving her to desperate measures, the Corps' officer in charge, Miss Lin, has decided to send us in disguised as tourists, to take her quietly, on the condition that the innocent villagers stay safe."
A brief pause, and he added:
"The keys are protecting the villagers, who are effectively hostages, and getting close under cover without alerting her as far as possible, then subduing her in time. The two have to be balanced, or a whole village goes to the grave with her."
That said.
Cheng Fang said no more, and waited patiently for his teammates, each reacting in their own thoughtful way, to raise questions or views.
Ke Jie, for his part, had nothing much to say; he would rather hear the others' doubts and ideas.
"Deputy Captain, can you go into how we disguise ourselves? Not just what we call each other; our looks and clothes have to change too, surely?" Fang Zheng frowned slightly and asked.
"Names: whatever you like in private, code names on duty, and under cover it's best to use nicknames as the situation allows. Our cover is university students on a trip; just don't let your looks and clothes stray too far from that." Cheng Fang answered.
At that he glanced at Wu Yuan among them and added specifically: "Someone like Xiao Yuan, whose outward traits are hard to disguise, will stay outside the village alone, handling our logistics and intelligence liaison, and providing support."
The words landed.
"Mm. Same as my role and assignment in the squad before: I'm logistics, support and intelligence. I was up all night gathering background on the village, so rest easy, everyone, I'll be your backstop."
Wu Yuan said it, entirely cooperative.
Which explained why Ke Jie had seen her looking so worn just now.
"I see. Got it."
Fang Zheng nodded, understanding.
Having watched this far.
"Deputy Captain, can you go into the specifics of the cover identities, the character setups and so on?"
Ke Jie asked.
He thought this level of detailed role-play entirely necessary; otherwise, given how wary a Circuit Attendant of the Myriad-Fiend Empire would be, it was hard to say whether they could keep it up.
Fang Zheng had overlooked this, and if Ke Jie did not raise it, it might well become the seed of the mission's failure.
Hearing Ke Jie's question.
An eyebrow rose; Cheng Fang first considered whether the question was reasonable, then arrived where Ke Jie had, saw it clearly, and nodded in agreement.
"Good question. The more detailed and real the cover, the harder it is to blow. Then let's do this: I'll be your fourth-year senior, and you'll be first-year juniors. Fang Zheng and I will pair up, and Ke Jie and Annie will pose as close friends. Two by two, we can gather or split as needed."
"Remember: we're folklore students from the history department of Dongdu Blade-and-Sword University, visiting Haichao Village under Fenghai City to research the local Sword Maiden legends. The rest of the setup is yours to improvise."
With that.
The broad direction and the specifics of the field mission were clear; all that remained was to set out for the site.
"Newcomer. Don't hold us back."
Learning she was to play Ke Jie's close friend, Annie came up to him of her own accord and greeted him.
"Likewise, senior."
Ke Jie answered, refusing to be outdone, plainly unbothered by Annie's well-meant reminder in its put-on coldness.
The other three, watching the awkward rapport and sync between these two, exchanged glances without a word.
Mm. It seemed this was not acting, but playing themselves.
However.
Before the pair could go on bickering.
"Creak."
The main hall's rear door swung open.
The Execution Corps Sword Maiden come to meet them cut the two off.