Swordsmanship Coach: Kill with One Slash

Chapter 154: Chapter 126: Decision

On this day,

The organization’s headquarters was unusually bustling.

Several incidents piling up at once had plunged the special organization’s various departments into an unprecedented state of busyness.

Ever since the Spiritual Sect’s second attack on the headquarters, the special organization had been working around the clock.

First, there was the matter of tending to the injured, repairing the damaged building, and managing public opinion.

Next, the research department had to work through the night to analyze the bizarre painting left behind by the Spiritual Sect and figure out its meaning and their ultimate goal.

If it were only these two issues, it would be busy but manageable. After all, ever since the constant friction with the Spiritual Sect began, this had become their new normal.

However, it wasn’t long before Li Yu and his two companions, who had been out investigating, returned with a half-dead person and a large pile of tattered clothes for analysis. This caused their workload to skyrocket.

First, there was the half-dead man called "Curse."

After Li Yu brought him back, the organization set up a special room to keep him on life support. They also assigned several Sequencers to guard it in rotating shifts, in case he suddenly woke up or the Spiritual Sect made a move.

Then, Li Yu handed over the prisoner uniforms he had collected from the research facility to the research department, which immediately doubled their workload.

They were already investigating the painting the Spiritual Sect had left at the headquarters to decipher its meaning, and now they had a new task on top of that.

However, the massive workload actually boosted the staff’s efficiency. The analysis of the painting sped up considerably, and it looked like they would have results soon.

In addition to these two urgent matters, Li Yu also took care of several other miscellaneous tasks.

Once everything was settled, Li Yu immediately convened an internal meeting to make sure everyone understood the current situation.

A few hours later, the sun set and the sky grew dark.

Li Yu leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes with both hands. After the strain in his eyes eased a bit, he lowered his hands and glanced around the empty conference hall.

He stood up from his chair and walked a few steps to the glass window. Leaning against it with one hand, he gazed out at Cang City, now shrouded in night.

Time passed, bit by bit.

An unknown amount of time passed. The bright moon had climbed into the sky, its silvery light bathing him, when a clear female voice suddenly spoke from behind him:

"I was wondering where you’d disappeared to. What are you thinking about, hiding here all by yourself?"

Bailan walked up to Li Yu’s side with a lollipop in her mouth. She twirled it with her hand, then glanced at Li Yu, pulled another one from her skirt pocket, and held it out.

"Want one?"

"Things have been a little stressful lately. Something sweet might improve your mood. I haven’t had candy in a long time either."

"Is that an Alps?"

"Of course. It’s the only brand I’ve ever heard of, after all. The others just sound like knockoffs."

"Everyone else offers me a cigarette. You’re the only one who offers me a lollipop."

"So, are you going to take it or not?"

"I’ll take it."

Li Yu took the lollipop from Bailan, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. An intense, artificial sweetness spread across his taste buds.

"Well, I don’t smoke, so I don’t have any cigarettes to offer you."

Seeing Li Yu take it, Bailan broke into a lovely smile and continued,

"So? It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?"

"It has. My parents stopped letting me eat this stuff after elementary school."

"By the way, what did you need me for?"

Li Yu asked, the white stick of the lollipop protruding from his lips. He casually tossed the wrapper into a nearby trash can, then glanced at Bailan in her JK uniform.

"They have results. About the painting."

"This fast?"

Li Yu said, surprised.

He had thought it would take at least a few days to crack its secrets, never imagining they would solve it in less than a day.

"It was fast, but..."

Bailan nodded, but her expression was grim. Li Yu noticed her seriousness and asked,

"What is it?"

"Are you doubtful about the results?"

"You should see for yourself."

Bailan pulled a piece of paper from her skirt. It carried a pleasant fragrance. Li Yu took it and looked closely. It was covered in dense text detailing the analysis process, culminating in a drawing that looked like a map.

"The Spiritual Sect left us a map? What does that mean?"

Li Yu was stunned by the sight. He had never imagined the Spiritual Sect would leave them something like this.

"Yeah. We’re still trying to figure out the location shown on this map."

Bailan nodded and said, "There are a lot of theories about this map going around the organization right now."

"Some say the Spiritual Sect is deliberately luring us into a trap to wipe us out in one fell swoop."

"Others say it’s vital information from a mole within the Spiritual Sect. Since we have it, why not send someone to check it out?"

"Still others think it’s a ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain—that the Spiritual Sect’s real plan is elsewhere and they just want to use this to draw us away."

"Anyway, there are all sorts of ideas, and no one can convince anyone else. Li Yu, what do you think?"

"What do I think?"

Li Yu twirled the lollipop in his mouth and paced back and forth a couple of steps before speaking again.

"The team members all have valid points, but I still believe... we should send a small group to take a look."

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