Chapter 23: The Soul Hunter List

by cnwebnovels

Sure enough, there was a physical body. Not truly formless at all.

The moment I launched a flying kick at the invisible person, they not only dodged my attack but caught my ankle with one hand, leaving me balanced awkwardly on one leg. I had no choice but to shout:

“Hey, hey, let go, or I’ll call for help!”

“You can see me?” the invisible person said.

“Let go and I’ll tell you. No.”

I lowered my foot. This person clearly had superior martial skills. That kick had been fast enough that even Min Long couldn’t dodge it.

The invisible person asked, “Did you sense me through same-frequency sensing?”

I said, “Why should I tell you? I don’t even know who you are.”

The invisible person said, “Either way, I owe you thanks for not exposing my presence when you were with Bi Deyuan.”

I said, “You weren’t sent by Bi Deyuan to test me?”

The invisible person said, “You overestimate your importance. In his eyes, you’re not worth that much trouble. He has plenty of methods he hasn’t used yet. Besides, they’ve studied your same-frequency sensing extensively. The Tesla theory he just explained—that’s part of their research into same-frequency sensing. You should have gained some insight. I’m here because I need your help with something. In exchange, I can get you out of here legally. Interested?”

I asked, “What is it? If it’s not too difficult, I might give it a try.”

The invisible person said, “I came for a list that Bi Deyuan has. I’ve searched his office and every place it might be stored—nothing. So I suspect he destroyed it after reading.”

I laughed. “If he destroyed it, you still want me to find it?”

The invisible person said, “You might be able to. You can perceive people’s thoughts. Same-frequency resonance sensing—we never paid it much attention before. Turns out it has its uses. The list is gone, but Bi Deyuan must have memorized it. So? You get it for me, I get you your freedom.”

I said, “Why should I trust you? Liu Biao lied to me not long ago. I’m not an idiot.”

Suddenly a green jade token appeared suspended in midair before my eyes, nearly identical to my two.

So they had one too.

I instinctively touched the two green jade tokens I’d hidden. Still there.

Maybe this invisible person’s token was one of the six I’d theorized about? Then who were they? With growing excitement, I said, “Can we trade for that jade token instead? I’ll handle freedom on my own.”

The invisible person said, “Not yet. Don’t think escaping means you’re safe. Sweepers operate worldwide. Without my help, getting out legally will be nearly impossible.”

I thought it over. Fair point. So I said, “Fine. But I can’t guarantee the list’s authenticity. I don’t understand what it means. And how am I supposed to make the old man’s mind surface this list?”

Words appeared on the mirror in front of me, traced in water:

“Soul Hunter List.”

“Just let him see this. He’ll think of the list immediately. It’s important to him. I’ll contact you when it’s time.”

After that, the invisible person fell silent.

Gone?

I felt around, then probed with my sensing. No trace of them nearby.

Over the next several days, I tracked Bi Deyuan’s movements.

Unfortunately, Tianshu Department personnel rarely emerged, and when they did, there was no opening. Besides, even if he saw those words, I couldn’t let him discover my presence. He knew about my same-frequency sensing and would be on guard.

After waiting nearly ten days, a weekend internal fighting competition at the base training ground finally drew Bi Deyuan out. Competitors from every department participated.

I understood this might be my chance.

The spectator seating was divided into sections. Bi Deyuan’s status fell somewhere in the middle—above Liu Biao, below Yin Kun.

I slipped the note reading “Soul Hunter List” onto a chair where he might sit, then positioned myself about fifty meters away.

I’d calculated the distance carefully. Too close and he’d suspect me; too far and my sensing would weaken. Fifty meters was perfect.

I’d put thought into that Soul Hunter List. I deliberately made it blurry, especially the names below—scribbled with a fountain pen that barely flowed.

I wanted him to puzzle over it. To wonder.

With everything in place, I waited for the fish to bite.

But Bi Deyuan never sat in the chair I’d predicted.

He circled through once and left.

My heart jumped. I moved quickly toward the chair, meaning to retrieve the note.

Too late.

Just as I neared the chair, someone got there first, spotted the list, and took it.

Team Leader Su from the Cultural Intelligence Department, passing by that exact chair.

I froze and retreated behind the crowd to watch.

Team Leader Su glanced at the list and his face changed. He hurried off to find Liu Biao.

Liu Biao was walking toward Yin Kun’s section at the time.

Team Leader Su rushed up and handed him the note, speaking urgently.

Liu Biao looked at it and grew visibly agitated, scanning the area.

I had no choice but to follow at a distance, all the way to the first gate of the Tianshu Department, where Liu Biao caught up with Bi Deyuan.

I found a water station and pretended to drink while watching them from the corner of my eye.

Liu Biao and Bi Deyuan conferred briefly. It seemed Bi Deyuan refused to let Liu Biao involve himself, and pocketed the note.

Then I watched Bi Deyuan observe Liu Biao’s departure before slowly pulling out the note.

Only then did I relax slightly. Team Leader Su and Liu Biao’s interference was actually useful—at minimum, Bi Deyuan wouldn’t immediately suspect me.

I caught chaotic information from Bi Deyuan’s mind: speculation about Liu Biao and Team Leader Su, wariness about the note.

Only after that jumble did a few names surface, as if he were correcting the ones I’d scribbled. I didn’t recognize any of them. But I could remember them.

I didn’t know if those five names were the complete list, or even if they were real. Maybe they were just connected to the list somehow. Anyway, this was all I had. The invisible person could judge for himself.

Just as I wondered how to contact him, someone flicked my ear—though no one stood nearby.

The invisible person had arrived.

I walked slowly into a public restroom, found a stall, and wrote down the five names. The moment I finished, the paper flew away.

Literally flew, then vanished.

The invisible person had been tailing me the whole time.

I didn’t know if they’d left. I couldn’t touch him or sense him anymore.

Thinking about our rendezvous point being a restroom made me want to laugh. I didn’t even know if this person was male or female. This was the men’s room, after all.

We’d spoken, but they’d deliberately distorted their voice, making it unrecognizable. I’d tried sensing their mind too—no information about gender.

Whatever. Black cat, white cat—as long as it catches mice. A cat that could get me out was a good cat. Just made bathroom visits awkward for now.

The next day, I went to see Zhu Zhaojie. I wanted to ask if, should I manage to leave, there was anything she wanted me to tell her father. After all, since she’d been cut off from the outside world, I was the person most likely to contact him.

Zhu Zhaojie didn’t believe I could leave so smoothly. According to her, unless I joined CWP with an external assignment, I’d be under the organization’s thumb for life.

She said that among those detained and brought to this base for investigation, she’d never heard of anyone released for being innocent. Meaning: even if you were innocent, forget about leaving.

No wonder the Sweepers let me roam the base freely. They’d never planned to release me.

I had to believe her. Zhu Zhaojie worked in intelligence, after all.

She also told me this underground base belonged to the Sweepers’ Fifth District, whose main range was centered on Pingdu City and extended five hundred kilometers outward.

How many districts the Sweepers had total, she didn’t know. She was only a low-level employee, after all.

I thought suddenly of that pale mauve scarf. It would look beautiful on her.

Seeing my eagerness to leave, Zhu Zhaojie’s face filled with worry.

She couldn’t help me now—not enough authority, no solutions. She couldn’t leave either.

Truthfully, I wasn’t anxious. I had my immobilizing spell. Worst case, I could leave illegally.

Zhu Zhaojie’s words reminded me of something Lin Xiaowen had conveyed before he died: under no circumstances should I join the Sweepers.

Now I finally understood.

The Wisdom Capsules the Sweepers installed could make people smarter and grant powers, but they were also controllable bombs. Disobey and they blow you up. Meng Ran was proof.

Best not to touch those things. Otherwise you’d be someone’s puppet for life.

The Sweepers looked impressive from outside, but every single one was a puppet.

Lin Xiaowen had clearly trafficked in Wisdom Capsules before. That was why he understood everything.

But who had installed Xuanhong’s Wisdom Capsule? And those disabled people—they’d used Wisdom Capsules too. Who manufactured all of them?

Clearly, beyond the Sweepers, there must be an underground production and distribution network.

Four or five more days passed.

After roughly three months of underground residential surveillance by the Sweepers, they finally released me.

According to Liu Biao, the monks of Tansong Temple had collectively petitioned and appealed, hired professional lawyers, and pursued legal channels. The court and procuratorate produced United Nations documents with regulations prohibiting CWP from abusing authority in non-AI domains. Only then was CWP forced to release me.

Naturally, Liu Biao spent considerable time bragging about himself. Said he kept his word. Without his efforts at persuasion, documents would’ve been useless and I’d never have gotten out.

I knew he was full of it.

Still, I was impressed by the invisible person’s capabilities.

Zhu Zhaojie had told me no one escaped from here. Ordinary legal channels simply didn’t work.

United Nations documents? If the Sweepers ignored them, what could anyone do?