Shengxiu Academy, in front of the school gate.
Students coming and going slowed their pace at the entrance, their gazes involuntarily turning to one side.
At the end of the line of sight, a girl with cherry-pink hair stood under a tree, wearing the senior uniform of Shengxiu Academy, her proud extremely eye-catching.
The girl stood demurely by the roadside, holding her handbag with both hands in a well-behaved manner, returning a gentle smile to every student who cast a glance her way.
On her fairy-like beautiful face was a smile that could soothe hearts.
The girl’s gentle temperament made passing students involuntarily slow down, hoping to leave a good impression on her.
“That senior is so beautiful, just like a fairy!”
“She smiled at me. Oh no, my heart is beating so fast!”
Every student who passed by was deeply impressed by this pink-haired girl.
Her moving features, affable temperament, and dignified demeanor all proved that she was a rare and refined lady.
However, beneath the girl’s smile—beautiful enough to make spring flowers bloom—lay a little secret unknown to others.
A gentle breeze brushed by, and the girl’s hair fluttered slightly.
She reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, returning a “sincere” greeting to the students who came to say hello.
Encouraged by her smile, a passing junior girl gathered her courage and stepped forward.
“Senior, may I ask your name?” she said.
Yuriko looked at her and once again revealed that intoxicating smile.
“Of course. My name is Ruri Yuriko.”
“Thank you, Senior Ruri!”
The junior girl, thrilled to get a response, bowed in thanks, then trotted off to join her companions, excitedly sharing her successful experience.
Watching the chattering little girls, a faint, barely noticeable smirk tugged at the corner of Yuriko’s lips.
‘My disguise is perfect indeed. This girl is completely fooled by the act I put on. If she knew that standing before her is the biggest mafia boss in Pilgrim City, she’d probably be scared into running home to her mom.’
Yuriko’s expression remained as gentle as water, but her inner thoughts were completely opposite.
If anyone could hear her mind, they’d probably doubt their own ears.
‘Don’t forget our purpose at Shengxiu Academy. If your mafia identity is exposed, you can kiss the Star of the Academy goodbye.’
In Yuriko’s mind, a cool female voice sounded.
The voice came from the black cat perched on Yuriko’s shoulder.
The cat was slender and elegant, its long tail swaying leisurely.
Its name was Phantom.
After Yuriko transmigrated, it appeared by her side, saying Yuriko had an extraordinary fate, and so it stayed.
After Yuriko’s transmigration, Phantom taught her a lot of knowledge and would even protect her in dangerous moments.
It could be called Yuriko’s cheat skill in this other world.
‘Of course not. I’m the man who’s going to become the Star of the Academy. If my mafia identity gets exposed and ruins my chance, then all these days of special training would be for nothing.’
‘Correction: You are the woman who’s going to become the Star of the Academy, meow.’
‘Tsk, don’t spoil my fun, will you?’
Yuriko let out a long sigh inwardly.
The black cat’s words reminded her of the reason why she came to study at Shengxiu Academy.
—
“Big Sister, we’ve failed you!”
“Big Sister, let me take the blame!”
Latia (Yuriko) was surrounded by her underlings, and behind her were dozens of fully armed security officers.
Seeing the emotional underlings, some even trying to snatch her from the security officers, Latia smiled helplessly.
“Don’t say stupid things. After I’m gone, you all should leave here and find proper jobs elsewhere.”
The Bone Crusher Gang, a new gang led by a girl, rose rapidly across all of Pilgrim City like a force of nature.
Though small in number, they ruled the entire North District.
Because every time Latia struck, she would shatter her enemies’ bones, her methods too radical and brutal, thus earning the gang the name Bone Crusher.
And Latia herself gained the title “Crimson Bone Crusher Princess.”
But precisely because she was too ruthless, leaving no way out for opponents, all the mafia that opposed them suffered devastating blows.
This also caused them to have an extraordinary number of enemies.
After countless reports from other mafia, the Public Security Bureau finally couldn’t sit still anymore and decided to arrest Latia, this criminal.
As the strength representative of the entire gang and its spiritual figure, Latia knew what kind of revenge the remaining underlings would face after she left.
Probably the very next day, her enemies would gather and wipe out her underlings.
Without her presence, the few people under her wouldn’t be able to stop the retaliation.
The underlings were all in tears.
If not for Latia’s order not to fight, they would have tried to snatch her from the security officers.
“I’m sorry, we’re such a burden to Big Sister!”
The underlings wiped their tears, hating their own weakness.
If only they had been more capable, they wouldn’t have to watch their leader get taken away.
“What’s the delay? Hurry up!”
The security officer couldn’t stand it anymore, and escorted Latia onto the transport vehicle.
Under the escort of the security officers, Latia was sent to the city’s General Security Bureau.
She was locked in a reinforced holding cell, her limbs and torso bound with metal restraints, unable to move.
‘Phantom, how many years do you think they’ll sentence me?’
Latia asked the black cat in the corner.
The black cat had been following Latia all along, but the security officers acted as if she didn’t exist.
‘I haven’t studied human law, but based on my estimation, you’re likely to be sentenced to more than ten years.’
‘Ten years… I wonder how they’ll be after I get out.’
Latia stayed in the holding cell for an entire day.
During that time, many security officers interrogated her.
Their attitude wasn’t friendly, and they even made her drink a Truth-Telling Potion, forcing her to tell the truth.
“Sigh, how much longer do I have to stay here? Being cuffed all day is unbearable.”
Latia wanted to just break the shackles, but that would definitely alert the bureau, and she might get a beating and be cuffed again.
Latia whistled to pass the time.
Just then, the door to the holding cell opened again.
This time, the obsequious voice of a security officer came from outside:
“My lord, the person you’re looking for is right here. Rest assured, we absolutely did not use violent means to extract a confession, nor did we entrap her!”
A purple-haired woman walked in from outside.
Behind her was a red-haired girl about the same age as Latia, who looked very lively and kept staring at Latia’s face from the moment she entered.
Latia’s attention fell on the purple-haired woman.
Not because she was beautiful—though she certainly was—but because what truly attracted her was the woman’s resemblance to herself.
For a moment, Latia thought she was looking in a mirror.
The red-haired girl tugged at the woman’s hem and said in a lively tone, “Master, master, she’s your little sister, right? She’s so cute~”
“Who are you calling cute!”
Upon hearing “cute,” Latia sat up as if triggered, baring her teeth at the red-haired girl.
“Eek, she’s mad!”
The red-haired girl hid behind the woman.
The woman patted the red-haired girl’s head and brought her to sit opposite Latia.
She looked at Latia, and when she saw her not saying anything, she tentatively called out,
“Yuriko?”
Latia looked up at her, and after confirming she was being addressed, she said crossly, “Are you talking to me? My name is Latia, not Yuriko. At least get the name right before interrogating someone.”
The woman was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking Latia was being petulant, and continued:
“I know you hate me for not showing up sooner, but all these years I’ve been investigating the truth from back then. Only recently did I learn that you were still alive…”
Before the woman could finish, Latia impatiently interrupted her.
“What are you talking about? I don’t know you at all. I’ve always been an orphan; I don’t have any such thing as family!”
Latia didn’t remember having any family.
Ever since she transmigrated into this body, she had been all alone, without any memories of the past.
Surprised by Latia’s reply, the woman had imagined many scenarios for their reunion, but never that Latia wouldn’t recognize her.
“You… well, it’s been so many years. It’s normal that you’ve forgotten me.”
The woman felt a bit dejected.
Realizing that the sister she had searched so hard for had completely forgotten her, she still felt a pang in her heart.
“But I still remember you, Yuriko… Let’s get to know each other again. My name is Yun Jianlan, and I am your biological older sister, also a daughter of the Ruri family.”
Hearing this, Latia wasn’t surprised, because the woman really did look very much like her; it was obvious at a glance that they were sisters.
“I don’t need any sister.”
Hearing this, Yun Jianlan was a bit sad but didn’t say anything.
Instead, the red-haired girl beside her couldn’t hold back and shouted at Latia:
“Do you know how much effort Master put into finding you? She even—”
“Alright, no need to say more.”
Yun Jianlan interrupted the red-haired girl, not letting her continue.
Yun Jianlan picked up Latia’s file and frowned at the list of charges.
“One hundred and seven counts of affray, cumulatively causing serious injury to five hundred people, profiting by illegal means…”
She looked up at Latia again.
“You’re also a mafia member?”
“To be precise, the boss.”
Latia lifted her chin proudly.
“Sigh…”
Yun Jianlan covered her forehead and said to Latia, “Do you know what punishment they plan to give you?”
“It’s nothing more than prison and fines. What else could it be?”
Latia said nonchalantly.
The prison in Pilgrim City actually had pretty good benefits.
Maybe she could even become the prison boss inside.
“It’s the death penalty.”
“!”
Latia suddenly perked up.
“No way. How is this a capital offense? Is fighting really punishable by death?”
Although she had beaten up a lot of people, just that… maybe, probably, shouldn’t be a death sentence, right?
“Because you’ve also been charged with murder, and the evidence is solid.”
These words from Yun Jianlan made Latia recall an incident six years ago, right after she transmigrated—the incident that forced her onto the path of the mafia.
“Heh, so they could figure it out after all.”
Latia leaned back lazily in her chair.
“You admit to doing it?”
“I admit it. Why wouldn’t I? Not only do I admit it, I’ll also say I don’t regret it one bit.”
“This is the main reason you’re getting the death penalty. Aren’t you afraid of death at all?”
“Hmph, a real man stands tall and proud. Eighteen years later, I’ll be a good man again. What’s there to fear!”
Latia puffed out her chest, looking righteous and solemn, as if she were an iron-willed man.
“Then why are your legs shaking?”
Latia looked down at her legs; they were indeed shaking.
“I have epilepsy.”
“…”
Yun Jianlan sighed and stopped looking at Latia.
“It seems she doesn’t need us.
Let’s go.”
Yun Jianlan made to leave with the red-haired girl.
“No, wait! I was actually faking it. I’m actually terrified!”
“But you just said a real man stands tall, eighteen years later—”
“That was just a line. In my line of work, you can lack anything except presence—you can’t lose face!”
Yun Jianlan looked at Latia again, as if a bit disdainful.
“But why should I help you? You won’t even acknowledge me as your sister. I have no reason to help you, do I?”
Latia immediately lowered her head, almost hitting it against the table.
“Sis, big sister! Please help me!”
Come on, that was the death penalty!
If she could survive, who would want to die?
Hearing Latia call her sister, Yun Jianlan’s expression softened a bit.
She seemed to be getting a measure of her long-lost younger sister’s personality.
She smiled and asked Latia, “Before I help you, you need to answer one question.”
“What question?”
“What was your purpose in doing all these things?”
Yun Jianlan looked into Latia’s eyes, her expression turning serious.
Latia realized this was a very important question.
If she answered poorly, this cheap sister might not help her.
Normally, she would have said something boastful or used crude words to show off, but clearly this wasn’t the occasion.
Meeting Yun Jianlan’s gaze, she already had the answer in her heart.
“To survive.”
Hearing Latia’s answer, Yun Jianlan’s expression flickered for a moment.
Latia knew it was an emotion called “heartache” affecting her.
After a brief moment of emotion, Yun Jianlan regained her composure.
She carefully observed Latia’s expression and realized she wasn’t lying.
And so, her attitude softened.
She said to Latia, “With me around from now on, you don’t have to do these things anymore.”
Latia blinked.
So, did this mean she was accepted?
“Are you saying I can’t fight anymore?”
“Huh?”
Yun Jianlan was taken aback.
What do you mean by “can’t fight anymore”?
“Do you like fighting?”
Yun Jianlan’s gaze turned scrutinizing.
Latia had just said she did those things to survive, but now she said this—was she lying just now?
“No, no, no, what I mean is, if I’m not there to keep things under control, what about my brothers? I’ve made a lot of enemies over the years. If I’m gone, they’ll definitely take revenge.”
“Then I suppose I should say you’re pretty loyal?”
Yun Jianlan shook her head and said to Latia:
“There’s something I can tell you. Recently, the mafia has become too brazen, even provoking a high-ranking member of the Academy. Now the Academy is sending people to purge the mafia in Pilgrim City. Your brothers probably won’t escape either.”
“A high-ranking member of the Academy… You mean Shengxiu Academy?!”
“Yes, and this matter is not under my jurisdiction. If you insist on protecting them, you’ll end up the same as them.”
Shengxiu Academy was the core of all of Pilgrim City.
In fact, the city was built around the Academy, and for hundreds of years, its sole purpose had been to provide various basic services for the Academy.
The high-ranking members of the Academy were beings that ordinary people could never hope to contact in a lifetime.
If they were determined to purge the criminal forces at the bottom, with the ragtag bunch in the mafia, there was no way they could resist the Academy’s heavy hand.
“How could this be? What would happen if they get caught?”
Latia asked worriedly.
“Who knows? Maybe a few years or a dozen. Anyway, the punishment certainly won’t be light.”
“That long?!”
If they were really imprisoned for over ten years, not only would they lose their youth, but they would also have a criminal record, making it hard to find a job.
Yun Jianlan took in all of Latia’s reactions and asked her, “Do you care about them that much?”
“Of course!”
Latia said instinctively.
“They’re all my little brothers and sisters! They’ve been through hardships with me all the way to today. How could I possibly abandon them!”
“Little brothers and sisters?”
Yun Jianlan found it odd.
Weren’t mafia members supposed to be cold-blooded, acting only for profit?
Yet Latia called her members “little brothers and sisters”—it seemed their relationship was unusual.
She became a bit interested and asked Latia, “Can you tell me more about it?”
Regarding this, Latia didn’t hide anything.
She told the story of her past years.
She described how they escaped from the mafia that used children for begging, how they evaded their pursuit, and how they eventually grew strong enough to fight back against the mafia that chased them.
The members of her mafia had been following her since they were under ten years old.
The strongest, Latia, naturally became the “boss.”
“In the end, we wiped out the gang that was chasing us and crushed all the forces in the North District. That’s how it is.”
Latia spoke as if telling an ordinary story, the life-and-death crises sounding as easy as playing a game.
But no one knew how much hardship lay behind Latia’s casual tone.
“It seems they really are important to you.”
Yun Jianlan said.
After saying this, the woman seemed to sink into memories, recalling some dangerous past events.
“So…”
Latia’s gaze secretly darted to her cheap sister, and seeing no disgust or dissatisfaction, she tentatively spoke:
“Big sister, since you know about this, you must be pretty high up. So, could you…”
“No.”
Before Latia could finish, Yun Jianlan rejected her request outright.
“Bailing you out without distinguishing right from wrong is already the limit of what I can accept. Your little brothers and sisters, as mafia members, ought to be punished. I won’t help them.”
Yun Jianlan put it so bluntly that Latia knew there was no hope.
But she was just trying to ask this cheap sister for help anyway, so it wasn’t really a disappointment.
She started thinking about how to save her brothers.
Could she send them all out of Pilgrim City to take refuge elsewhere before the Academy made a move?
Yun Jianlan saw what Latia was thinking and doused her with cold water.
“The Academy’s goal this time is to completely eradicate the mafia. Without my help, even you will be arrested along with them. Don’t think about escaping. With your abilities, you can’t flee from the Academy.”
Latia knew Yun Jianlan was telling the truth.
Shengxiu Academy was a place that gathered world-class geniuses.
Every teacher there was at the level of an Archmage.
Any one of them would be enough to flatten the city’s mafia.
Not to mention the teachers; even picking a few strong students would be enough.
But she wouldn’t give up just because of Yun Jianlan’s words.
“How will you know if you don’t try?”
“Do you really want to save them that much?”
“Of course!”
Yun Jianlan was silent for a moment, as if thinking of an idea.
“I do have a way, but it depends on whether you’re willing.”
“What way?”
Latia perked up.
This cheap sister’s identity must be extraordinary, and her method would surely be more reliable than Latia’s own ideas.
“You just need to take over this matter.”
Yun Jianlan said.
“Me? How can I take over?”
Latia was puzzled.
She was just a mafia member; how could she intervene in Academy high-level affairs?
“As long as you enter Shengxiu Academy and obtain this year’s ‘Star of the Academy,’ the Academy will be happy to entrust this task to you.”