Chapter 68: Who is Li Baige (First Update)
Yiming’s foster father and the Prophet are the same person.
This was an absolutely shocking piece of information!
In the manga Extreme Black and White, there was little description of Yiming’s foster father, Shuang Buyan.
Most of it came from Yiming’s words, with occasional vague flashback scenes.
From what Li Li knew, Shuang Buyan, though Yiming’s foster father, was kind and open-minded.
He was both a mentor and a friend to Yiming, without any airs.
He raised Yiming in a free-range style, often leaving early and returning late due to work, or going on long business trips.
But when he was with Yiming, he always made Yiming feel a father’s warmth.
He taught Yiming kindness, the value of friendship and family, and how to grow up safely as a low-rank individual in this harsh world.
But Shuang Buyan only told Yiming to protect himself, to be kind while doing what was within his power.
He never told Yiming to save every suffering person he saw.
Li Li had once suspected Shuang Buyan’s identity.
After learning about the Former Ability Guild, she also wondered if Shuang Buyan was part of it.
But the revelation that Shuang Buyan was the Prophet genuinely shocked her.
Did the Prophet foresee that Yiming would lead Tide, and that’s why he adopted him? If so, why did he teach Yiming to be selfish?
Or was this also part of the prophecy?
Li Li thought it might indeed be the case.
She recalled the first time she met Yiming.
Back then, the brown-haired youth had his own ideas but mostly followed Shuang Buyan’s words.
It was only after he broke free from Shuang Buyan’s teachings and became mentally independent that he truly grew—into the leader Tide needed.
The early education might have been to suppress Yiming’s true nature, making him tougher and more rational once that suppression was lifted.
Seagulls circled in the Jiao Huang sky, and amidst their cries, the system’s prompt sounded.
[Detected that the update goal has been achieved.]
[Opening the channel for you…]
[Welcome back to reality.]
Her roommate was at the library tonight, so Li Li was alone in the dorm.
In an instant, her soul returned to her real-world body.
Li Li looked at the glowing computer screen in front of her, her gaze darkening slightly.
But it was just too coincidental.
Once the equation of the Prophet equaling Shuang Buyan was established, Li Li, who had fabricated the identity of “being raised by the Prophet,” truly became Yiming’s brother.
Why Heige went to Jiao Huang, why he had expectations for Yiming, why he pushed him to grow—all of it now had an explanation.
He learned of the prophecy from the Prophet and came to Jiao Huang to meet the youth foretold.
Then, moved by the youth’s genuine emotions, he inadvertently revealed his true self.
Like being immersed in a dream, he cut off that bond with his own hands upon waking, becoming alone once more.
Even Li Li herself couldn’t help but exclaim: What a script! The epitome of beautiful, strong, and tragic!
Though, at the time, she hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Too coincidental,” she murmured, her fingers habitually tapping on the desk in front of her, deep in thought. “It’s as if Shuang Buyan knew six years ago that I would appear, so his prophecy included my intervention, and even after my interference, everything still unfolded exactly as he predicted.”
Qu Yan confidently displayed the prophet’s head, and the reactions of Hua Yizhi and others confirmed that, in their eyes, Shuang Buyan was already dead.
Could a prophet who died six years ago really have foreseen today, six years later?
Li Li took a deep breath, leaning back against the chair.
“System,” she said, “are you connected to the prophet?”
Her transmigration, her appearance—her rapidly spinning mind felt like it was caught in a web.
The manga clearly stated the timeline: six years ago, Yiming’s foster father disappeared, and he began living alone, blending his foster father’s teachings with his own experiences, clawing his way through this ability-driven society.
Six years ago, the Former Ability Guild underwent a massive upheaval, with the prophet and other high-ranking members dying.
Six years later, Yiming met Li in Jiao Huang.
Her death triggered a shift in his mindset, breaking free from Shuang Buyan’s teachings.
In Li Li’s vision, the leader of Tide could only be Yiming, never Heige.
She was just a selfish person, her goal merely to survive.
To that end, she crafted a persona, acting according to it in the manga world, stirring up waves.
It was like entering a holographic game, where she was simply playing a role.
Her goal was never to lead a group in rebellion.
Li Li wasn’t arrogant enough to think she could pull that off.
Even in her role-playing, she was always walking a tightrope, never feeling particularly powerful or impressive.
So, Tide’s leader could only be Yiming, the manga’s protagonist, the true subject of the prophecy.
Had the prophet really foreseen all of this? Including Li Li’s arrival and the series of actions she took for popularity points?
The system’s response was, as always:
[Please explore on your own.]
Li Li raised her hand, covering her eyes with her arm.
She said, “That only makes me think you’re hiding something, System.”
The seed of doubt had been planted in her heart, slowly beginning to sprout.
“This false world is hiding plenty of secrets,” she said slowly. “You’re no exception, System.”
She would eventually uncover the secrets behind the system and make its “explore on your own” go to hell.
...
With finals approaching, not having to go to the manga world was, for Li Li, a bit of a relief.
After her last unpleasant exchange with the system, she dove back into the ocean of studying, waiting for the manga’s update.
This time, the manga’s update covered the concluding events involving An Huyu, Yiming, and others in Four-Way City.
After accepting his brother’s death, An Huyu changed significantly.
Tear streaks still marked his face, but when he stood and turned to look at Rao Yue, his expression was entirely different, radiating resolve.
“Do you want the Yue clan’s power?” he asked Rao Yue.
It was as if he had suddenly calmed his heart, analyzing everything Rao Yue had done.
“What you want—otherwise, you wouldn’t have done me a favor at the end. You want my support because my surname is An, and after my brother’s death, I’m the head of the An clan’s nobility,” he said.
Rao Yue showed a hint of surprise, as if she hadn’t expected such words from this so-called weakling.
“Yue Qing is dead, Yue Fu is dead, Yue Lan died long ago. Now, you’re the only direct subordinate left in the Yue clan, the only one capable of controlling this family,” An Huyu said. “But it’s still difficult for you because your surname isn’t Yue.”
Spot on.
Rao Yue crossed her arms and said bluntly, “So, what’s your point?”
“I can help you, cover up your betrayal, deal with the Qu clan’s accountability, and give you the Yue clan you want,” An Huyu said, his brows seeming to suppress something. “In return, I want you to tell me why they killed my brother.”
“Why did Qu Yan come all the way to Four-Way City to target my brother?” The red-haired youth stood tall, his posture straight, like a drawn blade in that moment.
He said, “I want to know everything my brother kept hidden.”
Rao Yue replied crisply, “Deal.”
She looked at the red-haired youth before her with a fresh gaze, as if meeting a stranger for the first time.
“I hope you can do everything you’ve said.”
Next, Yiming and Tang prepared to return to the An residence to stay another night.
After walking some distance, they suddenly remembered why they had come.
“Damn, where’s Yu Xiao?” Yiming slapped his forehead.
They hurried back to the side hall and found Yu Xiao in the basement.
“Why’d you guys take so long?” Yu Xiao said, looking aggrieved. “This place is so creepy, and there was an earthquake earlier.”
Yiming and Tang: “Well, about that…”
They had forgotten amid the chaos.
“The vines tying me up disappeared, and I was about to leave when the earthquake hit,” Yu Xiao said, following them out of the basement. “What happened?”
Yiming paused for a moment, then said, “A new friend of mine lost his brother.”
“Like you?” Yu Xiao asked.
“…” Yiming said, “Li might not be dead, just doesn’t want to see me.”
Yu Xiao gave a skeptical look.
The three of them talked, passing the chaotic night.
The An residence next to the Yue residence was heavily affected, but this time they went to the other An residence, the one where An Huyu and An Heyu lived.
An Huyu spent the night organizing the assets, personnel, and connections left by An Heyu.
The next day, just as Yiming and the others were about to offer their help, An Huyu returned home and sought them out.
“Yiming,” An Huyu said, dark circles under his eyes after a sleepless night, his expression weary yet mature. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, but I never got the chance.”
“What is it?” Yiming and the others were still at the An residence, standing in the living room as they spoke.
An Huyu turned slightly, and a person stepped out from behind the door.
He said, “Tang mentioned you were looking for family, and you were talking about Li, so I assumed you meant Li Baige.”
The person who emerged had black hair, black eyes, and a choker around their neck, their expression cold.
“Li!” Yiming exclaimed, surprised.
But he immediately sensed something was off.
“No, that’s not right. Li’s avoiding me!” He looked at the person standing before him and said,
“He wouldn’t just show up like this!”
At that, An Huyu rubbed his forehead and said, “I don’t know why you think Li Baige is him, but you’ve got the wrong person.”
He pointed at the individual and said, “His name is Hundred Faces, not the Li you know.”
At the same time, Hundred Faces’ appearance began to shift.
The familiar face Yiming recognized transformed into that of an unfamiliar, merely handsome youth.
“Yiming,” An Huyu said, “He disguised himself as this person because the nobles wanted to use this identity to lure out Heige. But this person is already dead.”
He looked over with a regretful gaze. “This information came from my brother’s ability—it’s undeniable.”
“The Li you’re looking for is dead.”
Yiming froze for a moment, then said, “Then who is Li Baige?”
The manga’s perspective shifted here, moving from Yiming’s bewildered profile to the ‘Heart’ Square, filled with white doves.
The doves were startled, their wings flapping as a black-haired youth stood in the center of the square, a faint smile on his lips.
He looked at the doves, his gaze seeming to pierce through their white feathers to something else.
“If you were still alive, you’d probably scold me,” he said.
In the next panel, the doves transformed into black crows, and the person chuckled softly amidst the flock.
“But this is the path I’ve chosen.”
The crows vanished from the scene.