The Five Elements Gambit (Card Player) Chapter 161: Pursuing the Killer

“By the way, Wu Hui, we’re out here to catch criminals, but do you even know where they are?” Li Xiaojing asked after following Wu Gu for two blocks, only then remembering to bring it up.

She had no choice; her mind was too noisy with her sister’s chatter.

Right now, Li Xiaoyue had mastered the remarkable ability to argue with her sister while doing other things simultaneously. But Li Xiaojing did not possess such a talent. Psychics truly had an innate advantage in this regard.

Wu Hui shot her a sideways glance. If he didn’t know such a basic thing, would he even be out here?

Back when the black mist shrouded the city, Wu Hui had already made two preparations: one, planning an assault on the Judgement Court headquarters; two, marking wanted criminals they encountered on the way.

If the Judgement Court was completely overrun, he would grab whatever was in the warehouse and escape. If not, he would rely on his prior reconnaissance to collect bounties for those criminals.

He always did his work ahead of time, a stark contrast to Li Xiaojing, who only thought to find paper when trouble was already knocking.

That last remark was from Li Xiaoyue about her sister, which sparked an immediate mental quarrel between the two.

The sisters often bickered over matters Wu Hui deemed inconsequential, wasting precious time—especially at critical moments.

Meanwhile, at home, Wang Xiaodie returned safe and sound. She had just been promoted to level four, with her points only a third shy of level five, surpassing Li Xiaojing’s progress.

But Ren Yin had yet to come out. She had just completed the basic reforms and was about to enter the third stage.

The third stage involved launching an offensive against the Ze Water Kingdom.

After much deliberation, Ren Yin decided to break the script for the first time.

She chose to proactively attack the Ze Water Kingdom, a nation that had little to do with her own, simply because she believed her attributes countered theirs. This was an incredibly foolish move.

Indeed, after domestic reforms, some gains needed to be won through war to settle internal disputes. But this opponent was poorly chosen.

Before calculating military gains, one must also consider political ramifications. Focusing solely on one enemy was shortsighted; what if others attacked simultaneously? Initiating aggression against an unrelated nation wouldn’t garner much internal support.

If she could win and then defeat all subsequent enemies, it might be justified.

But for now, Ren Yin still felt it unnecessary to court disaster. It made more sense to pick a different foe, such as the Li Fire Kingdom, which still held thousands of prisoners unwilling to negotiate.

Wood feeds fire, making battles unfavorable—but Ren Yin still felt compelled to fight this war, and it had to be against the Li Fire Kingdom.

Among the five nations, the Golden Storage Kingdom prioritized commerce and military strength equally, paving the way for trade with its advanced weaponry. They bought raw materials cheaply and sold sophisticated products at a premium—somewhat like America.

Li Fire was a kingdom ruled by absolute monarchy, eager to expand its territory through conquest, reminiscent of ancient Han China or the Roman Empire.

Both these nations were aggressively expansionist. Ze Water Kingdom had once been prosperous, controlling most of the world’s academic institutions and discourse until it was overthrown by the Li Fire Kingdom, which, though water is usually subdued by fire, had bested them.

Being decisively defeated on the front lines—not just once or twice—was humiliating beyond measure. Yet constant victories, even amid perceptions of waning national power, silenced all critics.

This is why rulers throughout history have favored foreign wars.

Ren Yin had planned extensively and convinced her generals before initiating the order. Because she broke the script, the playwright’s punishment came swiftly—a bolt of lightning struck her, making her body tremble for several minutes.

It was painful but caused no other harm.

Upon her choice, the future script changed, just as the initial prompt had indicated.

Every future springs from the choices of the present.

The new script detailed the defeat of the Li Fire Kingdom, then an alliance with the Hou Tu Kingdom to overcome the Golden Storage Kingdom. Finally, the combined forces of the five nations would face an unknown external invasion.

But what this external invasion entailed was not explained.

Ren Yin gazed at the script. It seemed promising. The final outcome—victory or death—was left to her own hands.

The future, after all, must be grasped by oneself.

The Kui Mu Kingdom, holding thousands of prisoners, continuously provoked Li Fire. Unaccustomed to such insults, Li Fire decisively mobilized a massive army, marching straight toward Ren Yin.

What awaited them was thousands of miles of forest and swamp.

Historically, the relationship between the Earth and Wood kingdoms had been amicable, so Ren Yin had preemptively requested support from Hou Tu to help alter the terrain.

Earth nurtures Wood; with this ally’s cooperation, their power multiplied greatly. Consequently, the Li Fire Kingdom was pushed back, and the more fertile borderlands were divided between the Earth and Wood kingdoms. Even the Golden Storage Kingdom joined the fray.

Fire overcomes Metal, and the Metal Kingdom had long feared the aggressive Li Fire.

The five elements—mutual generation and overcoming—applied to nations as well. Understanding whom to ally with and who were true enemies was never simple.

In reality, no nation corresponds clearly to a single elemental attribute; all are complex composites.

Outside, the world went on.

A level-five player and wanted criminal, Cheng Li, carried a basket of meat and vegetables as he walked down the street. It was midsummer, and he wore a baseball cap that seemed meant to shield him from the sun but also blocked surveillance cameras.

Not far away, a beautiful girl stood blowing bubblegum bubbles, holding a baseball bat, seemingly waiting for someone.

Cheng Li couldn’t help but glance at her a few times. Such a figure and beauty were rare in everyday life.

Recalling how he had once been caught for using psychic powers to seduce women, Cheng Li dared not stare longer. He lowered his head and continued walking. His baseball cap had a subtle effect that reduced his presence; most people wouldn’t notice him unless paying close attention.

But Wu Hui would.

And after Wu Hui’s reminder, Li Xiaojing wouldn’t either.

Suddenly, the baseball bat swung down, striking the wanted criminal’s head in the street. The Judgement Court was ruthless in capturing criminals, even recommending bringing in bodies for rewards—missing limbs or injuries were no issue.

Clearly, they wanted players to fight among themselves, thinning the ranks.

Caught off guard but reacting swiftly, Cheng Li ducked the attack. Yet he heard a sharp thud as Li Xiaojing’s shadow wielded the bat and struck him again.

Immediately, Cheng Li felt sluggish, a wave of chill washing over him despite the summer heat.

Before he could react further, his body was already affected by ice, many parts frozen solid.

These wanted criminals, imprisoned for long periods, found it difficult to regain their former strength once released. Attacked suddenly by two assailants, they barely resisted before Wu Hui and Li Xiaojing subdued them almost instantly.

Li Xiaojing was excited. This was their third wanted criminal found today. She wondered how many rewards they would earn afterward.

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