The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 85: Observer

“Show yourself, or I’ll shoot!” Officer Huang warned.

A few seconds later, two figures emerged from the reed bushes.

Officer Huang aimed the gun with one hand and turned on his flashlight with the other, resting it on the gun to illuminate the uninvited guests. It took a moment for him to accept that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He slowly lowered his gun.

“Gao Yang, Qing Ling, why are you here?” Officer Huang frowned. “You followed me?”

Exposed, Gao Yang should be feeling nervous, but for some reason, he was more embarrassed than anything. “Um, Officer Huang, the thing is...”

Qing Ling cut him off with an impassive expression, “Are you the spy?”

It took a moment for Officer Huang to catch on, and he laughed awkwardly. “No way, why would you suspect me?”

“The Talent list,” Qing Ling said coldly.

Gao Yang tentatively added, “You didn’t get it from Wu Dahai, did you?”

“Ah...that!” Officer Huang nodded in realization and holstered his gun. “Alright, it’s all a misunderstanding. Come take a seat. We’ll talk as we drink.”

Gao Yang walked up to them, but Qing Ling stopped him with an arm.

“Who is that?” Qing Ling asked, staring at Sir Jiang. “Is he a human, or...”

“A monster,” Sir Jiang said, waving Qing Ling over. “Don’t be scared, young woman. Take a seat. I won’t hurt you.”

Gao Yang was stunned into silence.

“What kind of monster are you?” Qing Ling was still wary.

“You awakeners call those like me pride monsters.” Sir Jiang took a sip of liquor and smacked his lips. “However, I prefer ‘observers’. It’s more dignified.”

...

Ten minutes later, the four of them sat by the river, laying everything out in the open.

Officer Huang met Sir Jiang half a year ago. He had been an awakener for three years then.

He continued to work as a police officer and look into crimes. Once, when he was investigating the case of a disposed body, he came to the upstream of Li River at midnight and found Sir Jiang fishing at the riverbank, which was suspicious to him. He even considered that the old man might have been the culprit. Half a month later, the murderer was caught, and it wasn’t Sir Jiang. However, Officer Huang was still curious about the old man.

“At the time, I had the habit of approaching lone individuals to find out if they are humans or wanderers, or one of the other kinds of monsters...” Officer Huang took a drink. “Old Man Liu was one such wanderer I’d found out about. I knew it was risky, but I was desperate for any lead back then.”

Officer Huang turned to Sir Jiang. “And surprise, surprise, I found it.”

“Ha, you were lucky, young man.” Sir Jiang didn’t even look up from the crispy pig ears he was enjoying.

Officer Huang continued. “I tested him with words a few times, and he lost his patience with me. He told me, ‘You really have a death wish. You’re lucky that I’m the one you ran into. Were it any other monster, you would’ve died many times over.’”

Officer Huang chuckled. “I was shocked, but Sir Jiang didn’t hurt me, and I lowered my guard and befriended him.”

“Hmph, friend?” Sir Jiang snorted, displeased. “You think I don’t know that you’ve simply been using me? You got me drunk every day so that I would tell you what you wanted to know!”

“Don’t put it like that, Sir Jiang. Things were difficult for me.” Officer Huang smiled and put on a pitiful look like a child. “I would’ve died if not for you. Think of it as getting good karma from your good deeds.”

“Good karma? I’d consider myself lucky if I don’t end up going to hell for helping a human go against my kind.” Sir Jiang’s words were in stark contrast with the smile on his face. He didn’t seem too worried.

“Even if that happens, it\'s because the King of Hell is offering you a handsome paycheck.” Officer Huang kept up the flattery.

They went back and forth like they were doing a play, leaving no opening for Gao Yang and Qing Ling to chime in.

Finally, Gao Yang found the chance to ask, “Officer Huang, did you get the list of Talents from Sir Jiang?”

“Who else could it be?” Officer Huang took out a cigarette and respectfully put it to Sir Jiang’s lips. Then he lit the cigarette with a windproof lighter. Sir Jiang took a drag and exhaled a puff of white smoke. It obscured his old, desolate eyes before dissipating.

Officer Huang continued, “When we were drinking, I would ask Sir Jiang what Talents he found powerful or interesting, and what Talents he considered threats. He told me when he was in a good mood, and he kept quiet when he was in a bad mood. I memorized them all and sorted the information on my own once I got home. That was how I compiled the list of Talents.”

Gao Yang and Qing Ling pondered the revelation.

After a moment, Gao Yang apologized, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have suspected you.”

“No, I lied to you first.” Officer Huang was understanding. “I would be suspicious too were I in your shoes.”

Officer Huang glanced at Sir Jiang. “But I have to repay Sir Jiang’s kindness. The more people know about this, the more dangerous it would be for Sir Jiang. I don’t want to put him at risk.”

“Worry about yourself!” Sir Jiang didn’t sound grateful. “Who have I ever been afraid of? The worst that can happen is death, and with death comes release. Humans or monsters, it’s all the same. The longer you live, the less you want to live longer.”

Gao Yang considered the old man before him and felt a strange dissonance. Sir Jiang knew he was a monster, but he talked and acted like a human. No, he might as well be one.

Gao Yang licked his lips. “Sir Jiang, I don’t get...”

“There are a lot of things you don’t get.” Sir Jiang smiled with a keen light in his eyes. “Don’t look to me for all the answers. There are things I cannot say, things I don’t want to say, and things that even I don’t know about.”

All the questions Gao Yang had been waiting to ask went back down.

Qing Ling didn’t care. She asked directly, “Why are you different from other monsters? If you know we’re awakeners, why aren’t you trying to kill us?”

“That I can answer.” Officer Huang turned to Qing Ling. “Simply put, Sir Jiang is a pride monster, and pride monsters are at a much higher level than regular monsters. The identities and souls of the person and the monster coexist in the body rather than them switching between the two states.”

Officer Huang lit a cigarette for himself. “Pride monsters are rare. There may only be one out of every hundred thousand monsters. And according to their positions, they can be categorized into...”

Officer Huang turned to Sir Jiang. “Can I tell them?”

“You’ve started already,” Sir Jiang said with a huff. “Don’t pretend to care about my opinion.”

“Heh, I’ll tell them then.” Officer Huang turned to Gao Yang. “Pride monsters can be categorized into lightbringers, shadowstalkers, and observers. Lightbringers help awakeners, and they are a needle in an ocean of haystacks. Shadowstalkers hunts awakeners. And observers are those like Sir Jiang. They maintain a neutral stance and take no sides. What they do or say depends entirely on their whims.”

Then Officer Huang added, “Oh, and pride monsters follow the Heavenly Way as well. They never hurt unawakened humans, and they don’t go after awakeners actively, either. You can consider them hidden NPCs who only react when an awakener bothers them. They either help them, kill them, or stay a neutral party.”

“That’s why I called you lucky. That you ran into me.” After filling his belly to his heart’s content, Sir Jiang tightened the windbreaker jacket around him and picked up his fishing rod again, casting the line into the river. “You would’ve died terribly if you bothered any other pride monsters.”

“Are you strong?” Qing Ling questioned, unconvinced.

Sir Jiang slowly turned around to look at her, still smiling. “You are welcome to try if you don’t believe me, young woman.”

“Then I’ll...”

Gao Yang hurriedly covered her mouth. “That’s a joke, Sir Jiang. Please don’t take it to heart!”

Sir Jiang burst into laughter, his face creasing in an endearing way. “You’re fun! You’ve got some interesting friends, Young Huang!”

“Why don’t you befriend them as well if you like them?” Officer Huang subtly egged him on.

Sir Jiang didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at the dark river, feeling the chilly night wind hitting his face.

After a long while, he sighed quietly. “I’ve been fishing here for too long, Young Huang. It’s time for a change of scenery.”

“Where are you going?” Officer Huang was surprised. “How am I going to contact you?”

“Contact me?” Sir Jiang scoffed with equal parts amusement and exasperation. “Do you really think I’m one of yours? Perhaps I’ll eat you the next time we meet.”

“That won’t happen. You’re a good man, Sir Jiang. Don’t scare me.”

“What do you know about us, Young Huang?” Sir Jiang’s voice sounded sorrowful with an undercurrent of complicated resentment.

Officer Huang didn’t know what to say.

“You know nothing.” Sir Jiang turned to Gao Yang and Qing Ling. His eyes were kind again. “It’s best for you that we never meet the next time. It’s best for these two kids as well.”

After a moment of silence, Officer Huang said insistently, “Thank you for taking care of me the past six months, Sir Jiang. I really don’t want to lose you, but I respect your decision. Would you please give us a word of advice before we part ways?”

Dimply illuminated by the warm gas light, Sir Jiang looked old, his eyes muddled with the many years he had lived through. He gazed at the scintillating river and said slowly, “Do not open the Gates of Closure.”