Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 150 The Vanishing Silver Lightning (Eleventh Update)
Xu Yan expressionlessly put away the photograph containing the filthy demon, as if nothing had just happened.

He walked to the coffee table, his gaze calmly sweeping over the still-present encrypted message, then looked at the shaken Zhou Wenbin, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger:
"Mr. Zhou, your troubles are temporarily resolved. Take care of yourself."

He didn't press for details about the information, because the answer was already clear to both of them.

Zhou Wenbin struggled to his feet, then couldn't help but ask the question that had been nagging at him, his voice filled with confusion and fear, "But...you two are officially registered members of the center, newly promoted to Silver rank! You're 'one of us'! According to the center's ironclad rules, high-ranking superhumans are strictly prohibited from killing internal members...That Ghost-Faced Judge Jiang Yu, he...he's a Gold rank big shot! Why would he...want to you..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: Why should we eliminate one of our own people so quickly?
This violates the most basic rules.

Upon hearing this question, Xu Yan's eyes revealed a perfectly appropriate hint of seriousness and confusion. He exchanged a glance with Chen Zhiwei, and both of them shook their heads slightly, indicating their bewilderment.

“I don’t know either.” Xu Yan’s voice was low and thoughtful. “Perhaps…it has something to do with my father.”

"Your father?"

Zhou Wenbin subconsciously pressed for an answer, and then, as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind.

A long-forgotten name, shrouded in taboo, suddenly emerged.

Considering Xu Yan's surname and the judge's illogical targeting...

He looked up abruptly, his eyes wide, his voice shrill with shock:
"Wait! Mr. Xu... your father... could it be... could it be that... the strongest Gold-level Xu Haoyu?!"

Xu Yan noticed the dramatic change in Zhou Wenbin's expression and a thought struck him.

In previous interactions with this person, their words occasionally revealed their knowledge of past secrets.

His performance at this moment further confirmed this.

"Yes," Xu Yan confirmed calmly, his gaze fixed on Zhou Wenbin.

Upon hearing the definitive answer, the shock on Zhou Wenbin's face slowly faded, replaced by a complex expression that mixed with awe and realization.

He let out a long sigh, as if he had instantly understood many things, and quickly stepped aside, his posture becoming even more humble:
"Gentlemen, please sit down and let's talk. This matter... is a long story and involves too many things."

He led Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei to sit on the sofa in the living room, hurriedly brewed another pot of hot tea, and poured it for the two of them. The steam from the hot tea rose gently, slightly dispelling the chill and tension left by the exorcism.

Chen Zhiwei took the teacup, thanked him, and kept her eyes fixed on Zhou Wenbin, clearly very interested in this sudden secret.

Zhou Wenbin took a sip of tea, calmed himself, and then lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard by some being:
“Mr. Xu, Ms. Chen, you two may not know much... Many years ago, the Ghost-Faced Judge Jiang Yu... was not born as cold and ruthless as he is now.”

"He was once your father, Mr. Xu Haoyu's, most prized disciple, and the most dazzling rising star in the 'Divine Firmament Bureau' back then, known as 'Silver Lightning'." Zhou Wenbin's voice carried the distant feeling of recounting the past. "Among his fellow disciples, there was also a female disciple codenamed 'Blood Rose,' who was said to be extremely talented. She and Jiang Yu were childhood sweethearts, like siblings, and even... anyone with eyes could see that she was more than that."

His tone grew increasingly solemn: "That catastrophe that changed everything happened at the 'Burial God Pass' in the Western Frontier. According to pieced-together scattered rumors, at that time, Lord Xu Haoyu, representing the Divine Firmament Bureau, led Jiang Yu, who was still at the Silver level, and 'Blood Rose,' along with Gold-level experts from several other major forces, including the 'Mysterious Law Society,' to carry out a top-secret mission—to seal a terrifying being called 'Abyss.'"

"The specific details of the battle are beyond the knowledge of ordinary people like us. All we know is that while the main force was engaged in fierce combat with 'Abyss,' the flank where Jiang Yu and 'Blood Rose' were located was deliberately ambushed and surrounded by an unknown force. The battle was extremely fierce... In the chaos, Jiang Yu was seriously injured while covering 'Blood Rose,' fell off a deep cliff, and fell into a coma."

Zhou Wenbin's voice carried a hint of reluctance: "When he was lucky enough to wake up and struggled to crawl back to the battlefield, the first news he received was... 'Blood Rose' chose to self-annihilate after exhausting her spiritual energy in order to avoid being captured and humiliated... and perished."

"At that time, your father, Lord Xu Haoyu, was engaged in a life-or-death final battle with 'Yuan' in the core area with other Gold-level experts, a battle that left him no room for distraction... It wasn't that he didn't want to save him, but that he was simply... powerless." Zhou Wenbin said, glancing cautiously at Xu Yan.

“But in Jiang Yu’s view…” he sighed, “his master, whom he revered like a god and believed to be omnipotent, did not appear when he needed him most, and did not save the person he regarded as his life. This pain of being ‘abandoned’ by his closest relatives, coupled with the despair of losing his beloved, has sown the seeds of hatred.”

He paused, lowering his voice even further, tinged with mystery and fear: "An even stranger thing happened after the mission 'ended.' Not long after, news spread that Lord Xu Haoyu... betrayed the center, betrayed humanity, and formed some kind of inappropriate connection with 'The Abyss,' becoming... a traitor!"

"And the one in charge of the interrogation, and ultimately the one who personally... 'handled' this matter, was none other than his most beloved disciple, who had just been promoted to the Gold rank and succeeded as 'Judge'—Jiang Yu!" Zhou Wenbin's Adam's apple bobbed. "It is said that after that incident, 'Silver Lightning' completely disappeared, and in its place was this 'Ghost-Faced Judge' who now wears a ghost mask, is cold and ruthless, and maintains an absolute purifying attitude towards everything related to 'Abyss'...

"From that moment on, the bond between master and disciple was completely severed, transforming into a deep-seated hatred. He believed that your father not only killed 'Blood Rose' but also ultimately fell into depravity... This hatred, accumulated over the years, not only failed to dissipate but instead... Alas, Mr. Xu, you should now understand why he felt this way towards you..."

Zhou Wenbin shook his head and said no more, but the meaning was self-evident.

Xu Yan listened in silence. This story, interwoven with master-disciple relationships, love, betrayal, and despair, was like a cold jigsaw puzzle, filling in the gaps in his understanding of the grudges between his father and the judge.

He felt Chen Zhiwei's hand gently grasp his wrist under the table, conveying silent comfort and support.

He gave Zhou Wenbin a deep look, knowing that this might not be the whole truth, but it was enough to give him a clearer understanding of the storm that was about to come.

(End of this chapter)