Chapter 334: My hands are too Small To Carry both Pride and Guilt!!
The mist had blinded everyone in the room.
Xin’s voice echoed through the chaos.
"Do not shoot!"
"Stand still!"
"Move towards the door!"
"Don’t let them escape!"
The mercenaries tried to obey.
But before anyone could reorganize...
A heavy impact sound echoed from somewhere inside the white fog.
Thud!
Followed by a scream.
"Aaaahhh!"
Another impact.
Thud!
Another scream.
Then another.
And another.
The sounds came from different directions.
Like someone was casually throwing iron balls across the room.
Each impact was accompanied by horrifying cries.
Bones cracking.
Bodies collapsing.
Furniture breaking.
The screams became increasingly desperate.
Xin’s face slowly lost color.
The mercenaries who had entered full of confidence moments ago were now sounding terrified.
Something wet suddenly splashed across his face.
Xin froze.
His trembling hand slowly touched his cheek.
It was warm.
Sticky.
His pupils contracted.
Blood.
"What..."
"What is this...?"
He immediately pulled out his pistol.
Panic was beginning to take over.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
He fired randomly into the fog.
The muzzle flashes briefly illuminated the white mist.
But the screams continued.
As if his bullets meant nothing.
As if the things moving inside the fog were not even trying to avoid them.
Thud!
Crack!
"Aaaahhh!"
The last scream sounded especially horrifying.
Then...
Silence.
Complete silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Only heavy breathing remained.
Then suddenly...
The ceiling fans started spinning.
The powerful blades pushed the freezing mist toward the open windows.
The white fog slowly dispersed.
Visibility returned.
And the room was revealed.
Xin’s eyes widened.
His breathing stopped.
The living room looked completely different.
Bodies were scattered everywhere.
Mercenaries who had entered armed to the teeth now lay motionless across the floor.
Blood covered the walls.
Blood covered the furniture.
Blood covered the floor.
Some weapons were broken.
Some had been twisted out of shape.
The scene looked less like a battle.
And more like a slaughterhouse.
At the center of it all...
Two people sat calmly on the couch.
Reina Frostveil.
Ren Kurogami.
Several confiscated weapons rested neatly on the table in front of them.
As if they were merely waiting for tea.
Xin slowly pointed his trembling pistol toward them.
His voice shook.
"W... who are you...?"
His mind refused to accept what he was seeing.
Twenty trained mercenaries.
Gone.
In less than a minute.
Without a single gunfight.
Without a single chance to resist.
Ren casually stuck a finger into his ear and shook it.
Then looked at Xin.
"Oh."
"You were saying something?"
Reina stretched lazily.
A small yawn escaped her lips.
"Can we finish this?"
"I’m sleepy."
Xin’s expression twisted.
"You will regret this!"
"You will regret all of this!"
He pointed toward them wildly.
"Right now there are missiles aimed at multiple Graveyard locations!"
"You ruined everything!"
"Now everyone Ghost cares about will die one by one!"
Ren glanced around.
Then looked at the table.
"Didn’t he bring popcorn?"
Reina nodded thoughtfully.
"I think he did."
"If they are not soaked in blood we can still eat them."
She leaned back comfortably.
"The show should be entertaining."
Xin’s face became red.
"You!"
His finger pulled the trigger.
Bang!
But before the bullet could reach its target...
Something shot across the room.
Crack!
The pistol flew from his hand.
Xin cried out in pain and grabbed his wrist.
Reina slowly lowered her hand.
A small steel marble rolled across the floor.
"I gave you a chance to watch the show together."
Xin’s breathing became heavier.
"Show?"
He suddenly pulled out his phone.
A cruel smile appeared on his face.
"Let’s see how entertaining it becomes."
He dialed instantly.
The call connected.
Then he shouted.
"Launch them!"
"Destroy every single damn place!"
But the voice that answered...
Was not the one he expected.
"Hm?"
"What places do you want to destroy?"
The moment that voice appeared...
A chill ran down Xin’s spine.
Ren smiled.
Reina smiled.
The television mounted on the wall suddenly lit up.
The screen flickered.
Then a familiar face appeared.
Ghost.
Miles sat calmly in front of the camera.
A phone rested casually in his hand.
Xin stared at the screen.
His expression froze.
Ghost smiled.
"Looking for someone?"
"Do you want to know what happened to your man inside Graveyard?"
His smile widened.
"Did you really think you were speaking to him all this time?"
A laugh escaped him.
"You want Wang Yi?"
"You actually think Wang Yi would ever look at an animal like you?"
Xin’s face darkened.
"Animal?"
His eyes became bloodshot.
"Aren’t we both animals, Ghost?"
"The difference is..."
A twisted grin spread across his face.
"...I am civilized."
"And you are a street animal."
Ghost nodded thoughtfully.
"Oh right."
"You wear expensive suits."
"And long ties."
"The Graveyard is preparing a longer tie for you."
Reina burst out laughing.
Even Ren had to look away.
Xin’s face twitched.
Then suddenly...
He started laughing.
Loudly.
Uncontrollably.
The sound echoed through the blood stained room.
Reina raised an eyebrow.
"Did he finally go mad?"
Xin ignored her.
His laughter continued.
Then his expression suddenly twisted.
"I just loved a girl."
His eyes locked onto the screen.
"And you always interrupted."
"You came between us like a third wheel."
"It was always your fault, Ghost."
His voice rose with every sentence.
"You call yourself a hero?"
"Coming between us?"
"What wrong did I do?"
"I have money."
"I have power."
"I can get anything I want."
Ghost simply looked at him.
For a moment...
There was no anger in his eyes.
Only pity.
"Did nobody ever tell you that you were mentally unstable?"
The smile disappeared from Xin’s face.
Ghost continued calmly.
"Isn’t your father a doctor?"
"Did he never see the disease?"
His voice became colder.
"Do you not understand a single thing?"
"Love is not something you can buy."
"You cannot purchase affection."
"You cannot purchase loyalty."
"You cannot purchase someone’s heart."
Ghost looked directly into his eyes.
"Did you really never understand..."
"...that Wang Yi never loved you?"
Silence.
This time
Ghost looked at him like a man looking at someone beyond saving.
Xin suddenly laughed again.
But this time it sounded hollow.
"She would’ve loved me."
His voice carried obsession.
"If you were not around."
"Everything was going smoothly."
"You came between us."
His eyes burned with madness.
"What’s wrong with fighting for the one you love?"
"Didn’t you fight for yours too?"
The words hung in the air.
And for the first time since the conversation started...
Ghost became silent.
Flashback
4 Years Ago
Baby Dragon Art School, Shanghai
The office was peaceful as always.
Paintings decorated the walls.
The scent of ink, paper, and tea lingered in the air.
For the last month, this place had become strangely familiar to Ghost.
A place completely different from Graveyard.
A place where nobody carried weapons.
A place where people talked about colors instead of death.
Ghost knocked once and entered.
Today he was wearing a formal suit and tie.
His hair was neatly combed.
Meiling observed him quietly.
Then she smiled.
"Ray said you were a fast learner."
Ghost smiled faintly.
Meiling leaned back in her chair.
"Initially you were just like a troubled child."
"You couldn’t even draw two circles without becoming frustrated."
A soft laugh escaped her.
"But suddenly you started improving."
"You learned much faster than I expected."
Her eyes moved toward several drawings stacked neatly nearby.
"What do you think about learning art?"
Ghost thought for a moment.
Then shook his head.
"To be honest..."
"I don’t think I will ever become an artist."
Meiling chuckled.
Ghost continued.
"Maybe one day."
"If I don’t die."
"If I become old."
"Then maybe I can rely on it."
His tone was casual.
As if talking about tomorrow’s weather.
But Meiling’s smile faded slightly.
"Do you think you will die lonely?"
Ghost looked out the window.
The question lingered in the air.
"Lonely?"
He repeated the word quietly.
Then thought about it.
"I was always occupied with things."
"So I never really cared."
For a brief moment his expression became distant.
"But..."
"In the last few months..."
"I did feel lonely."
The room became silent.
Meiling looked at him carefully.
Then smiled warmly.
"Things like this make you human."
Ghost looked at her.
Meiling continued.
"I know all about you."
"You know what makes you different from the rest of the Graveyard operatives I have trained?"
Ghost blinked.
"What is it, Miss Meiling?"
Meiling’s smile became gentler.
"Even though you are a deadly person."
"Even though you have killed thousands of people who never deserved to live."
Her gaze remained fixed on him.
"You are never proud of what you did."
Ghost lowered his eyes.
For a few seconds he remained silent.
Then he answered honestly.
"How can I be proud of killing?"
His voice became quieter.
"Every time I look at my hands..."
"I feel like they are too small to hold both the pride and the guilt."
His fingers slowly curled.
"It reminds me..."
A bitter smile appeared.
"...that I am still a teenager who just entered adulthood."
Meiling stood up.
She slowly walked around the desk.
Then gently tapped his chest with her finger.
Right over his heart.
"I thought they took the human being out of you."
Her eyes became slightly emotional.
"But you are really something else."
Ghost remained silent.
Meiling smiled.
"I hope you won’t forget what you learned here."
"I only wish that you find your destiny soon."
Her finger remained over his chest.
"Your hands may be small."
"But they carry the power to protect."
Ghost looked at her quietly.
Meiling sighed.
"I am strictly against violence."
"You already know that."
"But I can still say this."
Her voice softened.
"You should be proud of yourself."
"You saved countless lives."
"Maybe it is time to acknowledge that."
A small silence followed.
Then she smiled.
"From now on..."
"Take more rest."
"Live the life you were never able to live until now."
Ghost listened carefully.
Every word.
Every piece of advice.
Meiling continued.
"I already spoke to Ray."
"He promised he won’t make things difficult for you."
"He won’t keep piling missions on you."
Ghost was slightly surprised.
"You did?"
Meiling nodded.
"Take care of yourself."
"You will find a way out of all this."
"I believe that."
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Meiling reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small wooden box.
The box was simple.
Yet Ghost immediately knew what it contained.
She handed it to him.
"Here."
"You earned it."
Ghost accepted the box carefully.
Then opened it.
Inside rested a small shining star.
The third star.
The final one.
For a moment he simply stared at it.
The symbol represented everything he had endured during the last month.
The frustration.
The lessons.
The meditation.
The self control.
The growth.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you, Miss Meiling."
He carefully closed the box.
"It was only a month."
"But..."
He looked around the office.
The tea set.
The paintings.
The calligraphy.
The peaceful atmosphere.
"I think I will miss this place."
Meiling laughed softly.
"Oh."
"Right."
Her expression suddenly became playful.
"Before you leave..."
"You should meet Wang Yi."
Ghost nodded.
"I will."
At that exact moment...
Meiling’s phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Then answered.
"Hello?"
A few seconds passed.
Her expression suddenly changed.
The warmth disappeared from her face.
Shock appeared instead.
"What?!"
Ghost immediately raised his head.
"When did this happen?!"
The call continued for several more seconds.
Then ended.
Ghost’s instincts immediately activated.
His eyes sharpened.
"What is it?"
Meiling looked at him.
For the first time since meeting her...
He saw genuine worry in her eyes.
"Xin took Wang Yi away."
The room instantly became colder.
Ghost’s expression froze.
Meiling continued.
"He says he wants the bags back."
"The ones you took from him."
The calm atmosphere of the art school seemed to disappear instantly.
Ghost’s grip tightened around the small box.
His eyes became dangerous.
"Where is he?"
Meiling did not answer immediately.
Because she already knew.
The boy standing before her was about to walk back toward the darkness he had spent a month escaping.
Ghost turned.
Then walked out of the office without another word.
His footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Meiling stood near the doorway.
Watching him leave.
Watching the young man disappear into the distance.
Her eyes carried worry.
And sadness.
"I hope..."
She whispered softly.
"You don’t lose yourself, child."
Outside the school.
Ghost walked down the stone path.
The peaceful gardens.
The trees.
The students.
Everything seemed distant now.
He pulled out his phone.
Then dialed a familiar number.
The call connected almost instantly.
Monica’s cheerful voice came through the speaker.
"Boss."
"Congratulations on passing."
Ghost stopped walking.
His eyes turned cold.
"They got Wang Yi."
The smile vanished from Monica’s voice immediately.
Ghost looked toward the city skyline.
His grip tightened around the phone.
"I’m going there."
To Be Continued...
