As before, the insect genes were parasitic, a gift born from her genetic tree due to the attraction of insect marrow crystals, which merely indicated that her genetic tree had the ability to control, merge, and devour such genes.
"Although it is the most basic insect gene, the law of parasitic genes is that genes of the same species increase by two levels, while genes from different species increase by one level. This is because within the same grade of genes, those from the same species tend to repel each other, whereas genes from different species are easier to merge."
It was like humans eating the flesh of their own kind... especially brain marrow—such things easily lead to... consequences.
There seemed to be some kind of barrier in place, unspoken but present.
Yao estimated that the steel-tempering gift had probably been rated as a medium-level insect gene gift of the bronze tier. Later, when the venomous needle was added, it moved to a higher bronze tier. Yet, it had all been controlled by her genetic tree, suggesting that her own genetic talent must have been one tier higher than this.
At the very least, she was guaranteed to be of a green-blooded rank.
"The Xie family are green-blooded nobles. People like Xie Qingyan and Xie Hezhou, with their high qualifications, have their genetic gifts awakened with a hundred percent certainty. They don't need to do anything—just consume the family's resources or clear small dungeons to level up. They might even come to this gene pool to soak in it when they reach the right age, and their family genetic gifts would awaken. And it's not their first time here—those gifts keep getting stronger... Who can say they only have one gift?"
Family gifts are innate, essentially bloodline talents, the primary gifts. Yao wasn't thinking about the two young men she'd just glimpsed, nor how strong they might be; she was pondering her own talents.
"But it's a bit tricky. My spiritual talent seems quite good, but it's tied to the genetic material of my soul. However, even now, my other body isn't truly my own. So genetically, it's still Yao's bloodline that dominates… But this girl's family doesn't seem to have any bloodline genes."
That was the most awkward part, because later, Yao learned a little about the Yao family's situation.
Ordinary people didn't get sent to exile on garbage planets for their crimes—unless, of course, they did something particularly egregious. Plus, she'd been exiled with blood relatives since childhood, and now she was the only one left.
"Scholarly family, involved in economic crimes, smuggling, and murder—not a family of arcane practitioners, no relevant background."
So when someone in her family had done something stupid, committing crimes that breached the "guilt by association" line, their family had been branded criminals. For families of ordinary people, this was especially hard because they had no chance of recovery.
Of course, this wasn't a matter Yao was thinking about from the perspective of the justice system in this world; she was just speculating that the original Yao family probably lacked any genetic gifts.
Well, it would come down to luck.
"But to have doomed the whole family to die on a garbage planet... How greedy must her father have been?"
Yao sighed, feeling uneasy as she sensed the energy threads moving through her body. She could feel the nourishment of the genetic tree, and she saw the little locust, the gluttonous one, greedily absorbing these threads. However, still... she saw no signs of her primary gift awakening.
It existed, of that she was certain, because the higher-level theory had already been confirmed—green-blooded gifts guaranteed.
But a green-blooded gift couldn't have no sensation at all. Was it because the Xie family's gene pool was so ineffective?
Yao was suspicious, but after half an hour, she saw the little locust on the genetic tree turn over, wriggling its abdomen as green light began to emanate from its body...
It had leveled up.
Her gift had progressed from bronze to green, greatly enhancing both steel tempering and the venomous needle, and adding another ability: flexibility.
Flexibility and steel tempering seemed oppositional, but they weren't. She could easily alternate between flexibility first and then steel tempering, or the reverse, which would lead to... an incredible result!
This green-tier effect was a pleasant surprise.
Yao was a little stunned, but then it hit her. "It's at green-tier, which means the primary genetic gift is likely of green-tier upper rank, or even... blue-tier? After all, only blue-tier gifts are so difficult to awaken. The gene pool couldn't feed it enough to trigger it."
Could it really be blue-tier? That would be like winning the lottery.
Did she deserve that?
Yao, after all, was still human and felt a little bit of joy. Although the gift hadn't fully awakened, this outcome was even better.
"I'll probably need to soak in the gene pool a few more times. But the Xie family only comes here once every six months, and they won't let me in through any back doors."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
It wasn't the sound of the door opening; it was a knock.
"Ox, are you done? Hurry up, don't waste time."
The voice outside was familiar—Xie Hezhou had arrived.
"If you don't respond, I'm coming in."
The door suddenly opened, and Yao, holding her things, looked at him coldly. "What's the hurry? I'm not wasting time here, are you really expecting me to stay in here for the New Year?"
He seemed to have grown bold since Xie Qingyan wasn't present. His tone became condescending, even somewhat arrogant, as if looking down on her as a side branch of the family.
This matched his reputation—Ox was known for bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
But was she really someone he could trample on?
Xie Hezhou sneered, saying nothing more.
They returned to the bathing area, and as Yao was taking off her bathrobe, her communicator rang. She looked at the unknown number and answered it casually.
"Is this a good time to talk?"
A soft, flexible voice came through, unmistakable even though she wasn't familiar with it. Yao was a bit surprised, but quickly became more polite, lowering her voice as she put on her bathrobe to leave...
"I'll be right out..."
Her voice was gentle, humble. Who could it be?
Yao couldn't tell, but it sounded like a woman.
Xie Qingyan raised an eyebrow. Xie Hezhou, on the other hand, assumed it was some woman Yao had gotten involved with. A flash of intrigue passed through his eyes.
Yao was about to open the door when...
"Kleir, why are you putting your clothes back on? Oh, you dropped your underwear."
Yao, gripping the door handle, froze.
On the other side, Zhou Linlang, seated in her bedroom flipping through documents, paused her fingers and adjusted her glasses with a lowered gaze. She leaned back into her chair, crossing one leg over the other, remaining silent.
Yao's face stiffened, and she turned around, glaring at Xie Hezhou before forcefully pushing the door open... but it wouldn't budge.
Someone had sealed it with arcane magic, and that someone said with clear malice, "And here's your soap, don't drop it again."
Yao didn't want to hang up, so she turned to Xie Hezhou and said, "It's nothing, I just dropped it on purpose for you two to see."
When she called them "brothers," her tone was light and almost affectionate.
Xie Hezhou paused, confused, but then his expression darkened.
Xie Qingyan pressed his fingers to his brow, "No need to include me, I didn't look."
Yao smirked, "You did, I saw you look."
Xie Qingyan: "..."
Fighting magic with magic.
"Not talking anymore? Well, if you're not talking, I'll leave."
Yao finally pushed the door open, but this time, she was far more polite than before, "Inspector Zhou, earlier, we were just three brothers having a bath and joking around, please don't think too much of it."
Zhou Linlang had no particular thoughts before, but hearing this, her expression shifted slightly. "No, it's just a family thing for the Xie family. If you all enjoy it, that's your business. However, I came to remind you of something."
Yao: "What is it?"
Zhou Linlang: "Are you taking the high school exam?"
Yao: "Yes, though I'm a bit older by two years, but there's no choice."
It would be foolish to apply for college now; that would compress her time for legitimate education and put her in direct competition with the elites in their twenties. She'd at least aim for a couple more years in high school.
It wasn't like she was rushing to get beaten up by society.
"So, do you have your elementary and middle school diplomas?"
Yao paused, unsure. "I... I think I did attend school, though my grades weren't good."
Her tone wavered, lacking confidence.
Zhou Linlang continued, "I know you went to school on X5, but the records there won't be transferred to the main planet's education system. It will only count as you attended elementary and middle school, but without subject scores. When you're ready to apply for high school, even if the system allows you to apply based on education
fairness, after your first theoretical exam, your score will still be multiplied by the comprehensive coefficient of your elementary and middle school performance. If your coefficient is zero, no matter how well you do on the exam, you'll still end up way behind others."
Yao was stunned.
That was a thing?
Wait, no. In the game, it wasn't needed... But right, she had subconsciously switched into the game mindset. In the real world, everyone had their own background and education, and players were outsiders. The game wouldn't account for their elementary and middle school scores. But now, it mattered.
Yao was shaken by the news. It was urgent and unexpected.
"What should I do now?"
"Go into the education network and apply for a makeup exam."
Yao relaxed a little at hearing there was still a way. "That's good, thank you, Inspector Zhou. You're a real lifesaver... so fair and just..."
She sounded calm, but her brows furrowed with concern. She'd rather the person who warned her hadn't been Zhou Linlang.
Not Zhou Linlang.
She was too difficult.
"Are you testing me? Why is it that before, you thought I was a criminal, but now you want to help me?"
Her sudden question caught Yao off guard.
As a prosecutor, Zhou Linlang should be adept at investigation and interrogation, and she had certainly noticed Yao's reaction, likely sensing that Yao was probing her. She should have seized the opportunity to press for more answers.
But she didn't.
Instead, she responded casually, "Education is a right for everyone, including you."
A simple statement, yet it rang with weight.
Yao glanced up at the art piece on the wall, lost in thought. Unconsciously, she mumbled, "So, if it were someone else, you'd still remind them personally?"
"Not really."
Zhou Linlang's fingers hovered over a document, the soft rustling of pages filling the silence, accompanied by her calm, measured voice.
"..."
This woman was making it hard for Yao to feel comfortable.
Yao had realized that Zhou Linlang had picked up on something peculiar. Was Ox worth helping? Not really.
But the truly terrifying thing was that Zhou Linlang wasn't giving her any direct answers. She had raised a topic and then left it hanging, letting her mind wander, forcing Yao to show her cards first.
If Zhou Linlang suspected she was Yao rather than Ox, then given her identity and circumstances, it wouldn't be too difficult for her to be candid with an honest, non-rigid prosecutor. After all, they were both women, so maybe she would understand.
But then...
How to explain the creation of devouring scrolls and the series of abilities?
Once a line was drawn, everything connected to it would surface.
Yao sighed, trying to politely ask, "Are you reviewing documents, Inspector Zhou? This late?"
"Yes."
"Then do you know what I'm doing right now?"
"Picking up soap?"
"..."
Yao was caught off guard and took a moment to reply. "I'm looking at a painting."
"It's of an angel dragging a person, but the person is being pulled by the cruel, murderous crowd below."
Zhou Linlang pressed a finger to a small photograph on the document. She didn't share her thoughts but instead asked, "What moved you?"
Was it the angel's redemption of humanity? Or the self-destructive violence of the human race? Or was it the instinct for self-preservation?
Then she waited for Yao's answer...
"They're all naked."
Zhou Linlang: "?"
Yao: "Even the angel."
At this moment, she was Ox, and also a little rascal.
She had no intention of clarifying anything.
Zhou Linlang fell silent for a moment, then laughed, hanging up the phone. She released her fingers from the photograph, which now revealed the image of the deceased Yao girl.
The document contained the DNA details of an autopsy.
Why was she reviewing this now? Because, when she saw both the male and female DNA records, her first instinct was to deny their existence. But then, she remembered something...
Ah, she'd seen the chain content of that female DNA before.
Her memory was remarkable—she had an exceptional photographic memory.
Zhou Linlang was curious as to what was going on, so she re-examined the documents. The DNA matched.
That settled it.
But Zhou Linlang did nothing else. Instead, she took the documents and... silently, it caught fire.
The flames were faint, but the glow gave off a warm orange hue.
"The crack is probably right there... I'd forgotten that someone young enough to be an economic prosecutor had an incredible memory. She must have matched the DNA results."
"She hasn't confronted me directly, but she's testing me... Maybe she'll use this later to threaten me, make me do her bidding?"
"But she might also choose to let this slide, since my methods fall within the bounds of self-defense, and it doesn't interfere with her work. Plus, she's someone who isn't rigid, so if she knows I'm Yao, there's no reason for her to make things hard for me."
Yao wasn't sure whether she was underestimating Zhou Linlang, but she had little personal connection to her.
Considering everything, Yao thought that if Zhou Linlang did decide to act, it would be too late for Yao to run. Her identity was locked in, and as a public official, Zhou Linlang could easily trace her whereabouts.
The makeup exams loomed ahead, and Zhou Linlang remained unpredictable.
Yao had no choice but to stay still, her thoughts heavy as she went back to the bathhouse. She slipped and... the soap dropped again.
Xie Qingyan and Xie Hezhou exchanged knowing glances before quickly finishing their showers and heading out, eager to leave.
Wasn't it easier to just switch body washes?
Did the Xie family really need to save two bucks?
Yao, though, was not in the best mood. She returned to her room and logged into the education network to check the makeup exam details.
She had to admit that Zhou Linlang had been reliable; there was indeed a channel for makeup exams. She clicked in and entered the designated testing space, where surveillance cameras ensured no cheating was possible.
It was good; at least she could make up the tests. But...
She'd need to take every exam from elementary school through middle school, every semester's midterm and final exams...
That was 23 exams in total, each covering seven subjects, with an hour per subject.
She looked at the clock. It was 7:30 PM.
The exam was scheduled for 7:30 AM tomorrow...
Meaning, she had just 12 hours to complete what should have been 161 hours of makeup exams.
Yao smiled politely at the screen, though her mind was racing: how many people knew about this? Did Xie An know? Naturally, he did, which is why he wasn't too opposed to her applying. He even boosted the family's standing, making it seem like she'd been accepted when, in reality, she hadn't.
That sly fox.
Because he knew, with her current state, she'd be at the very bottom of the theoretical exam rankings for all the candidates in the city.
But Yao wasn't too upset. After all, he didn't owe her anything...
"No matter what, there's no cheating option here."
Yao sighed and began the test.
Early the next morning, members of the Xie family stood outside, waiting to board the family's luxury transport, a fleet of private airships.
Despite the family's flaws, their wealth made them appear impressive, especially with Xie Qingyan leading the group... The elders weren't around, their positions secured, unlike typical families that would send everyone together. But the important points had already been made the previous night.
Xie Qingyan and Xie Hezhou were both taking the exams, though their destinations and the significance of their exams were different. They moved toward the airships...
But the family's second son arrived.
Xie Hezhou turned around, one foot on the airship's threshold, sizing her up with a smirk, saying, "Hard work, little brother Kleir."
A group of side branch members and family relatives laughed.
Yao noticed Xie Lin and others among them.
Brothers, cousins—they all laughed, clearly understanding what she was about to face.
Want to study?
Go take the exam, we won't stop you, but do you really deserve it?
Your past determines your future.
Yao withdrew her gaze, rubbing her tired, dark-ringed eyes. She said nothing and boarded the airship.
"Second Young Master, you don't look well. Do you want to eat something? You should eat well before the exam."
"No need, we'll eat at the education center."
She was too tired to eat.
Jingyang City, although not highly regarded in this world, was comparable in scale to the most advanced cities in reality. The air was thick with flying airships, buildings rising in every direction, up and down.
Yao sat at the back of the airship, massaging her aching eyes, half-awake as she gazed at the city... observing busy commuters, flying arcane practitioners, and... a flying pet.
A hawk came too quickly. The gusts from its wings caused the airship's fixed route to be disrupted. The control board blinked red as the pilot quickly changed the course...
But another airship was approaching fast.
Shit!
The pilot had to dive to avoid it...
But there were too many airships below, and after a few seconds, a loud crash rang out.
The airship swerved and crashed into the plaza near the city center lake.
Its wings broke,
and the body slammed into the ground.
The sound of metal grinding on concrete was terrifying...
Nearby people screamed in fear, but there weren't many around. The airship was small, so the damage wasn't extensive, but it was still enough to shock everyone.
Nearby office buildings turned their attention toward the crash.
Boom!
The back door was kicked open, and Yao had already withdrawn the last bit of her transparent spider silk. She quickly moved toward the pilot's side and tried to open the deformed door...
The door fell to the ground, revealing the pilot, bleeding and motionless. Yao quickly pulled him out and started to check his condition...
But then, a shadow loomed overhead. She looked up and saw someone high above.
A man in a blue robe, cold and distant, with a family crest she didn't recognize. His expression was indifferent. Without saying a word, he waved his hand.
Dozens of copper bills fluttered in the wind like paper money, drifting slowly toward Yao and the pilot...
Nearby would-be rescuers stopped in their tracks.
Nobility.
"That's a noble crest..."
"Don't approach."
The young man did not speak, but he walked off, a few airships following behind. Through the windows, a hand was raised in a mocking middle finger toward Yao. The thumb turned down, and he smiled.
A transaction had been made. Unpunished.
Yao stared at their retreating figures but said nothing. She didn't even look at the copper bills scattered on the ground. She just moved past them and grabbed a businessman nearby.
"Do you have an airship?"
"Yes, yes, small airship, very small," the businessman stammered, thinking she wanted to steal it for the exam.
Yao tossed him some copper bills. "Five million, now."
The airship arrived, but Yao didn't board. She placed the pilot in the craft and then slammed the door shut.
"Take him to the hospital. Immediately. He's not dead. You'll still get paid. Understand?"
The businessman was stunned but quickly understood that the nearest hospital was on the opposite side of the education center.
He had to choose between the two.
Yao said nothing as she watched the airship leave.
The wind from the craft fluttered her clothes as she looked down at her wristwatch. When she turned to find someone else to "borrow" an airship, she realized that no one dared lend her one.
Ah, now she understood.
She looked around at the nearby skyscrapers.
A lot of businesses... surnames of Lan and Teng.
The flying hawk had been on its designated route, not violating any rules. The problem lay with the airship coming the other way. It had deviated from its path and collided with theirs, causing Yao's airship to have to dive...
That meant the pilot of the other airship was responsible.
But that had nothing to do with the Lan and Teng families.
Why? Why not?
They couldn't let someone like her tarnish their reputation. She'd hurt them, so they had to teach her a lesson.
They wouldn't kill her, of course—Xie family wouldn't allow that—but a small, well-calculated setup like this would help them save face.
This was the nobility's social maneuvering.
Yao walked away in silence from the area. She was on their turf now.
Alone in the busy crowd, she took off her coat, wiped the blood from her hands, and headed for the education center, ready to face whatever came next.