Chapter 148: Zhao Mingyue’s Sister and the Dragon Lady
The store manager had his hands neatly clasped on the table, looking like he was just about to share the latest gossip. Only a moment ago, he had been caught off guard by Bai Yu’s revelation—his surprise faded quickly as he pondered why he had been discovered so early.
As he wrestled with this thought, he realized there was no way to hide it from Bai Yu. Maybe after a few attempts, she’d catch on, uncovering his secret like a toddler tearing through wrapping paper on Christmas morning.
Honestly, the situation with the Huang family hadn’t even been his finest hour; his first attempt at deception had ended in spectacular failure. That’s why he had felt so blindsided! Where had it all gone wrong? Shouldn’t he have merely raised a few eyebrows rather than sound alarm bells?
This ghost was trickier than he had anticipated.
“You absorbed the power of the Huang family’s youngest daughter to become an Evil God, which naturally puts you at odds with the Ghost Domain. If you don’t go looking for them, they’ll come looking for you.”
“And why do I do all of this? Simple! I’ve got a grudge against them. They yanked my daughter’s soul right out of her! Now, she’s like a vegetable lying around at home.”
“Finding another soul won’t help! She won’t be her anymore.”
“So, I can only wipe out this organization. I’m willing to do anything.”
Li Tianan’s slightly foggy eyes fixed on Bai Yu, and he casually spilled the beans on everything.
“That’s the situation. Make your move as you see fit.”
Meanwhile, Zhao Mingyue stood quietly, knowing better than to meddle. After all, she didn’t have a clue about anything.
When in doubt, it’s smarter to keep your mouth shut and your eyes open—that was the golden rule.
Bai Yu’s bl**d-threaded blade gradually dissolved before her.
“Let’s make a deal.”
“You say,” said the store manager, rising from his seat.
“Eternal Life Village. You know what it is, right?”
The moment “Eternal Life Village” was mentioned, the store manager’s face darkened. Bai Yu pressed on, “I’ve been to the front village already, but I need intel on the rear village—more is better. Find me something useful! Don’t waste my time with junk, and I’ll help you take down some Ghost Domain folks.”
“Let’s swap that for something else.”
“Not happening.”
The store manager plopped back down, pulled out a cigarette, lit it up like he was preparing for a deep thinker’s moment, and fell into contemplation. When the smoke’s last wisps drifted into the air, he finally said, “Fine.”
Everything comes with a price.
Bai Yu didn’t care what he had to do; she merely proposed this alliance.
She could take out Ghost Domain members, but in return, she needed information about Eternal Life Village. Li Tianan knew that place like the back of his hand.
Bai Yu slipped away, melding back into Zhao Mingyue’s shadow.
To her, as long as Li Tianan could pull off some small tricks down below, it was all gravy if he offered enough sweet goodies.
“Uh, manager…” Zhao Mingyue stood up.
“Sorry, Mingyue, I lied to you.”
“No worries! You made a deal with Bai Yu, so technically you’re partners now, right?” Zhao Mingyue quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
“Partners, sure,” Li Tianan replied with a bitter smile as he chugged down his yogurt. “Bai Yu’s a demon you can trust. Ask her questions if you’re confused—it’ll benefit you.”
Suddenly, everything clicked—Bai Yu’s strength didn’t come out of thin air; there were reasons behind it.
A powerful red-clad figure with a calm mind? There’s no way she was your average joe when alive.
Zhao Mingyue stayed in the convenience store to work, making sure to ask an extra few questions during lunch.
“Bai Yu, what was that all about earlier?”
“Your store manager wants to use us for his own agenda.”
“No wonder things got tense! Hard to believe.”
“Mingyue, you need to maintain a healthy skepticism; don’t trust anyone but yourself easily.”
“Got it, got it! But I don’t have to worry about ghosts, right? What’s the saying? That’s just you.” She plopped a rabbit plush toy on the table and flashed a smile. “With you around, I don’t need to trust anyone else.”
By the afternoon, Zhao Mingyue headed off to her classes, and her recently action-packed life felt like it had reverted back to mundane in the blink of an eye. It felt as if the past few days were nothing but a wild dream. Time had trundled on, and when she looked back, it had only been a week.
From Eternal Life Village to abandoned hospitals to the harrowing Huang family incident, to be honest, she hardly felt tired at all.
Bai Yu didn’t plop a rock into her calm life to stir the waters; she dropped a freaking steamroller! Yet, oddly enough, Zhao Mingyue loved this chaotic lifestyle.
After school, she continued to work at the convenience store, then jogged home afterward.
Her endurance was off the charts—running felt like a breeze.
It was worth noting that she was particularly happy these days because summer vacation was right around the corner.
Finals were just a week away, and then it would be summer break!
She was certain this summer would be a blast.
Fast forward three days, and Zhao Mingyue received a message from Shen Shuyun.
“Doctor, I’ve found the Dragon Lady, and I’ve got what you asked me to bring along. The rest is no longer my concern.”
“Bai Yu, what’s this?”
“I contacted an old friend to set up some arrangements for our upcoming journey.”
“Wait, you’re not talking about that girl we met at the shrine, right?” The mention of the Dragon Lady made Zhao Mingyue think of the peculiar girl from that night.
“Yep, that’s her.”
“!” Zhao Mingyue felt a wave of dread wash over her.
Bai Yu, who usually did her own thing, was actively seeking another teammate—a woman, no less. This was not a promising sign, of course, the store manager’s previous incident didn’t count; that was merely a transactional relationship.
“Didn’t we say five months from now?”
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to expedite things. We need to figure out how to eliminate that thing inside you.”
“Fine, but I’m going too!”
“Okay.”
After lunch, Zhao Mingyue took a day off from the convenience store and returned to the park where she had buried the little cat with Bai Yu.
The weather was clear today; after a few days of rain, the air felt fresh. Maybe because it wasn’t the weekend, the usually sparse park was completely deserted—not a soul in sight.
Zhao Mingyue found a bench under a tree and sat, patiently waiting for the Dragon Lady’s arrival.
“Hey, Bai Yu, what’s the Dragon Lady’s name?”
“No clue; ‘Dragon Lady’ is just a code name.”
“So how do you know her so well?” The latter half of Zhao Mingyue’s comment was heavy with emphasis.
“Known her for ages, but it all started in a mission where she tried to k*ll me—didn’t go well for her, though; she left with some nasty wounds. Since then, she’s been glued to me.”
“Why don’t you just tell her to take a hike?”
“Trust me, that doesn’t work.”
She could’ve just turned the tables on the girl at kn*fe-point, sending her packing, but the more assertive she got, the more excited the Dragon Lady became. Bai Yu firmly believed her strength was what kept the Dragon Lady clinging on.
The Dragon Lady seemed to have a thing for powerful people, especially those who could dominate her.
It made sense, right? But what kind of trouble could it lead to? After all, liking a girl sounds good at first, but if that girl isn’t human? That’s a different ballpark!
“Why do you have to go with her? What about Shen Shuyun? Lu Liangting? The store manager could come too!”
“The Dragon Lady’s the strongest; plus, she knows way more about the Eternal Life Village than they do.”
Zhao Mingyue wrestled with her thoughts for a while, then conceded that the Dragon Lady really did seem like the most suitable teammate.
“Alright, if you say so, chase after her then! If she hasn’t shown up by now, she probably didn’t want to team up with me—totally ghosting on you!”
Bai Yu didn’t respond but couldn’t shake the feeling that Zhao Mingyue was turning into a little green-eyed monster, jealousy oozing out of her.
“I’m not going anywhere until I hear what you two discuss! I have to go—I can’t let her have all the fun!” And with that, Zhao Mingyue set her jaw.
“Hey, Bai Yu, why are you being so quiet?”
“Figured you’re a bit upset; that girl is defo ghosting us. Maybe it’s best to skip the whole thing.”
“Let’s hit the cat café instead! Tons of cute kitties to pet!”
“I—” Zhao Mingyue’s protest was cut short as a stunning figure flipped into view behind her, hair cascading down, face appearing alongside hers.
“Yah!” Zhao Mingyue almost jumped out of her skin as a face materialized beside her.
“小妹妹，你一个人在这里嘀咕什么呢？” the Dragon Lady hung upside down from the tree, peering at Zhao Mingyue.
“Sister, I was looking for you to ask about someone, no, a ghost—she’s probably around fifteen or sixteen, pretends to be all mature, wears leather jackets instead of skirts, and likes to swing a big kn*fe around! She talks as if everybody owes her something and wears a haughty face.”
“Oh, and she has this super annoying trait—every extra word she speaks makes her closer to biting the dust, so she clings to every word like it’s gold.”
The Dragon Lady gracefully flipped over and landed behind Zhao Mingyue, leaning over the bench with a knowing smile.
Clad in a white sun jacket and short denim shorts, her long, light-colored hair tied back in a casual ponytail, she plopped a cap onto her head as she landed.
“The ghost I’m looking for? She goes by Bai Yu. Took her sweet time, didn’t she?”
“Here, little sis, just for you.”
Magically, she pulled a cup of passionfruit tea out of thin air, complete with a chubby snowman logo.
“For me?” Zhao Mingyue blinked, accepting the drink, only to discover it was actually her favorite passionfruit flavor.
Before the trendy bubble tea shops sprang up, her sister loved to buy passionfruit for brewing tea.
“Yep, just for you.”
The Dragon Lady’s eyes twinkled as she handed the drink over and affectionately patted Zhao Mingyue’s head.
“However, when it comes to my chat with Bai Yu, I can’t let you in on it—well, at least not a part of it. The rest is still fair game.”
“Which part!?” Zhao Mingyue’s grasp on the drink tightened, feeling a sudden weightiness.
Please don’t tell me this tea means I’m losing my girlfriend!
That would be a total rip-off!
“Top secret! But believe me, it won’t be bad, I swear.”
“I’m not having it; take it back! I don’t want it!” Zhao Mingyue firmly refused.
“Come on, just take it; I bought it for you!”
The Dragon Lady smiled, exuding a strangely familiar vibe, making Zhao Mingyue instinctively relax. She figured the girl had no ill intentions.
Bai Yu emerged from Zhao Mingyue’s shadow, sidling up beside the Dragon Lady. “I need to chat with you about some matters.”
“Uh-oh, look who’s getting bold! I mean, I half-expected you to ask me out to a movie or an amusement park; worst case, a hotel! Of course, if it’s the hotel route, our little jealous one here would have a meltdown.”
“Who’s the jealous one?!” Zhao Mingyue shot up like a startled kitten, her cheeks flushed.
“You are.”
“Hey!” Zhao Mingyue fumed like a little tempest, paws at the ready—but Bai Yu intercepted her.
“Alright, we’ve got important things to discuss here.”
Moments later, Bai Yu stood in front of the bench, while the Dragon Lady lounged on it, leaving Zhao Mingyue to sulk off in a huff, temporarily ignoring Bai Yu.
As Zhao Mingyue stormed toward the vending machine, the Dragon Lady shrugged. “Aren’t you going to rush after her? Don’t let me be the cause of a spat; although I wouldn’t mind seeing the drama unfold.”
“Zhao Mingyue, your sister, right?” Bai Yu crossed her arms, nonchalantly addressing the issue.
The Dragon Lady shook her head. “Nope.”
“You’re lying.”
“Am I? I just think it’s not significant.” She propped her elbows on her thighs, cupping her face, “Weren’t you going to talk about Eternal Life Village? Spill it.”
“Why not tell Mingyue?”
“I told you, I’m not.”
“……”
“Don’t give me that look,” the Dragon Lady grimaced, then leaned back in exasperation. “Alright, alright, I’ll admit it—I’m her sister, but only part of her. Think of it like a shattered mirror; I’m one shard, and I have no clue how many shards there are or where they all are.”
“Is that convincing enough? Because I don’t know my own identity, I don’t want to reconnect. I’m a monster—a creature of fragmented soul; how do I explain that to her?”
“I mean, her sister is dead. Her soul’s been shattered, so I’m effectively her sister; you can call me Zhao Yi, or Zhao Yi, whatever floats your boat.”
“Shattered?” Bai Yu hadn’t seen that coming.
“Yep, shattered. If it hadn’t, why wouldn’t I have sought her out? She’s my sister, after all!” The Dragon Lady sighed, her face finally showing a hint of exasperation.
“So, you see, I’m at a loss. I care for you a lot, but here you are, with my sister.”
·
·
Stay tuned for the next chapter where we dive deeper into this mess!
