Chapter 66: What Are You Laughing At?
Internet Old Pervert 00: “Sorry, I searched through all the information available on our end, but I couldn’t find any relevant details about that kind of badge. I suspect it’s a badge from some secret local organization. The Urban Legends Chat Group has too weak an information network around Shizhou City, so we don’t know about more secretive matters.”
Internet Old Pervert 00: “However, I did manage to find the home address of that Lin Nian. It’s in building 5, unit 2, room 401 of the Huifeng Community, located east of the Midnight Street.”
Luxianbei glanced over the chat log, then raised her head to look at the somewhat worn residential building in front of her, nodding slightly.
“Building 5, unit 2… this should be it, right? Looks similar to the picture.”
Confirming she was at the right place, she put away her phone and rushed upstairs. Once she reached the fourth floor, she raised her hand and knocked on the door of room 401.
“Knock, knock, knock——!”
Luxianbei had just knocked three times when she heard a faint “bang!” from somewhere behind the door, sounding like something had been knocked over. Her eyes lit up instantly.
Home, huh? I was worried she might have fled in fear of getting into trouble!
Luxianbei thought to herself while slightly opening her lips, taking a breath, and then started knocking on the door in a “Wang Xueqin style.”
“…”
————
Luxianbei initially thought Lin Nian wouldn’t open the door so easily, and she was even prepared to enchant Lin Nian from the other side of the door to make her open it.
The knocking was just a courtesy, a reminder to Lin Nian that the creditor had arrived, to put a bit of psychological pressure on her.
However, the door unexpectedly swung open, as if the person standing outside wasn’t a creditor but rather a beloved delivery guy.
For a moment, Luxianbei suspected whether her recent encounter with members of the Miracle Cult had brought her a bit of good luck.
Yet, she soon realized she was thinking too much.
Bad luck felt like a part of her body, just like her eyes, nose, or mouth.
How could it leave her so easily?
As the door slowly opened, Luxianbei’s first sight was of Lin Nian, who looked flustered and had a pleading look in her eyes. Following that, her gaze probed into the room and landed on a burly man.
The strong man was holding a glaring ring blade, maintaining a forward posture, half of his body hidden in the shadows, while the other half was illuminated by the dim yellow light of the building’s street lamps, making his scarred face look even more ferocious.
There was a flicker of shock in his eyes, seemingly surprised by Luxianbei’s appearance, but soon that flicker shifted to a cold, menacing glare.
An unsettling spirit energy fluctuation faintly emanated from him.
Luxianbei, “…”
Good God, I thought the door opened so quickly because there was a trap waiting!
Tsk, young people can be so NAIVE!
Didn’t you think that I might not be your opponent, or that I might be in cahoots with that guy? Luxianbei pondered.
At that moment, the motion sensor light in the corridor extinguished after a long period of silence, and darkness suddenly enveloped the three figures.
In the chaos, she faintly saw the strong man take a step forward, causing Lin Nian’s heart to tighten.
“Hey!” Luxianbei suddenly shouted, turning the motion sensor light back on.
The sudden shout and the renewed light made the strong man pause. He then tilted his head, casting a confused yet fierce glare at Luxianbei.
At this moment, Lin Nian snapped back to reality, her eyes darting around in a panic, quickly stepping outside, eager to grasp at her “lifeline.”
“…”
Regardless of how Gu Qiqi was thinking.
As long as that mysterious person thinks I am very close to Gu Qiqi, right?
When they start fighting, I can take the opportunity to escape with Grandfather! Lin Nian thought.
However, just as she reached out her hands toward Luxianbei and hadn’t had a chance to speak, Luxianbei stepped back swiftly, avoiding her and stealing the conversation with lightning speed.
“Hey, we have a guest! It seems I arrived at an inconvenient time.”
“Don’t misunderstand, big brother. I barely know her! We only have a small financial dispute and nothing to do with your matters.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now. Farewell!”
Want to drag me down with you? Not happening!
While speaking, Luxianbei forcibly shoved Lin Nian back into the house, slammed the door shut with a “bang!”, then ran quickly down the stairs.
The entire process was fluid and astonishingly skilled!
Luxianbei’s speed and lightning-fast actions left Lin Nian completely unresponsive.
As the door closed again, darkness reclaimed her sight, and her mood plummeted…
————
Someone like Luxianbei would never get into a direct conflict over a girl she met for just the second time and a mysterious strong man.
Of course not!
That strong man’s spirit energy fluctuation was at least B+ level, and he emanated an unsettling, eerie presence! She was very scared!
But the one behind her was uncertain…
If it’s possible to ambush, why take the risky route of confrontation?
That girl seemed pretty clever and should be able to hold on for more than a couple of minutes, right? Luxianbei thought.
From the moment she saw that strong man in Lin Nian’s home, she was already ponderously considering.
The malevolence that faintly emanated from the strong man, combined with the earlier fact that she was followed immediately after leaving the Moon Scraping Wind, led Luxianbei to believe that the strong man was likely connected to the three guys that Sheim and Salih had driven off.
The strong man coming to Lin Nian’s home likely had a similar motive to why she was being followed. There was a chance to find key clues from him.
However, the aura of eerie volatility emanating from the strong man bore some resemblance to the rampaging Wu Yutang, planting the idea in Luxianbei’s mind to avoid direct confrontation as much as possible.
A counterattack could be a surprising skill!
While contemplating, Luxianbei quickly reached the bottom of the building, glanced around, and looked up to confirm Lin Nian’s home’s location.
“Coat, stealth mode, activate!”
Coat, “?”
What is the witch saying? I don’t understand!
[・_・?]
Sensing the information from the coat through the kinship mark, Luxianbei fell silent for a second before rephrasing, “I mean to change into more convenient clothes for movement, minimizing spirit energy fluctuations and presence. Does that make sense?”
Coat, “……” Got it!
(｡･Ω･)ﾉﾞ
With a slight wriggle, the coat transformed into a lightweight, form-fitting tracksuit and concealed its presence. Luxianbei leaped into action, taking off into the air.
In an instant, the wind howled.
Like a sprite dancing with the wind, she moved upward at an astonishing speed, nimbly stepping on the drainage pipes, window sills, and security bars of the building, leaving not a trace or sound, and in just a few moves, she reached the vicinity of the fourth floor.
The entire process took less than five seconds.
As she grasped the outer windowsill and made a powerful leap, she effortlessly slipped through the partially opened window as if she had no bones.
————
After Luxianbei left, the strong man initially stood in a brief stupor but quickly refocused, looking at Lin Nian, who stood rigidly at the door.
Even though he hadn’t reacted in time to prevent Luxianbei’s escape, Lin Nian was still the main target of this operation.
First, deal with her, and then go after the one who ran off. It’s the same!
Lin Nian glanced towards the living room, watching as the strong man slowly approached her, swallowing hard as she gathered her courage and shouted, “Don’t, don’t come any closer! We can talk this out!”
“I’m quite capable! I can help you gather information, even do some dirty work for you. I could even be your dog and serve you!”
“Ha!” The strong man scoffed. “Why would I need you as my dog?”
“Uh…” Lin Nian pondered for two seconds, then meekly said, “I can treat athlete’s foot?”
“Hahaha!” The strong man laughed aloud. “I didn’t expect the granddaughter of Shizhou City’s well-known all-knowing Wang would turn out to be one of those who have no bottom line just to survive!”
Taking advantage of the strong man’s laughter, which caused him to momentarily lose focus, Lin Nian suddenly stepped forward, her hands launching toward his abdomen with force.
Two snake-shaped golden sleeve swords shot from her sleeves, carving a golden arc through the air with a sharp whistle.
Hearing the noise, the strong man quickly regained his focus, reacting swiftly like a startled leopard, he jumped back while thrusting his ring blade forward. As a flash glinted, a grinding sound echoed as the sleeve swords shattered.
The sheer force that crushed the sleeve swords numbed Lin Nian’s arms, causing her body to lose balance and lurch forward.
Seeing the opportunity, the strong man seized the moment she bent forward and delivered a knee strike to her chest. Then, taking advantage of her bent position, he raised his hand, slapping his paw on her forehead.
Accompanied by a faint long howl, Lin Nian’s petite body was sent flying back, her back crashing against the door with a muffled thud.
“Bang——!”
Although Lin Nian had mingled in the spirit energy circle around Midnight Street since childhood and had seen many powerful spiritual ability users.
Until recently, she had been under her grandfather’s protection, like a flower in a greenhouse, entirely lacking any real combat experience. To say she was all show and no substance would not be an exaggeration.
How could she compare to a strong man whose hands were stained with bl**d?
Having failed her strike and receiving a powerful blow instead, she slumped against the twisted, deformed door, feeling as if every bone in her body was shattered. Her pale face, shrouded in darkness, had tears welling up in her eyes.
With her lifeline “Gu Qiqi” slipping from her grasp and the strong man easily neutralizing her sneak attack, her emotions teetered on the brink of collapse.
“You… even if you k*ll me, you won’t escape. That girl just now is the famous Gu Qiqi, my best friend!”
“Do you really think she left me behind? She’s just gone to get help! She’ll come back soon with someone to tear you to pieces!”
“Don’t, don’t come closer! I… I…” Lin Nian stammered, her voice trembling with tears.
“Shut up! If that girl really is Gu Qiqi, and truly willing to help you, why would she leave?” the strong man growled.
He was well aware of his own strength. That girl truly was the rumored Gu Qiqi. It should be him sitting on the ground now.
Watching the strong man remain unmoved by her words as he gradually drew closer, her throat felt as though an invisible giant hand was gripping it, rendering her unable to utter a single word.
Meeting his cold, beast-like eyes, Lin Nian immediately felt as if all her strength had been drained away. Her entire body went limp.
Next, the strong man raised his ring blade, the reflected cold light sweeping across her face, causing her emotions to shatter completely as she couldn’t help but cry out.
“Grandpa! I’m sorry! Wuwu——!”
“Gu Qiqi, I’ll make sure you d*e a miserable d*ath! Even as a ghost, I won’t let you off!”
In her cries, she shakily raised her hands, intending to cast a spell, but found her mind blank. She couldn’t recall a complete spell at all.
Just then, a figure slipped through the half-open window, coming rapidly from the darkness like a ghost, stealthily creeping up on the strong man from behind.
Then…
Spirit energy fluctuations were unleashed without reservation.
In an instant, an astonishing spirit energy fluctuation struck, causing the strong man to freeze in place. Luxianbei took the opportunity to strike, piercing through his body with her sword. Then, her wrist twisted violently, accompanied by a series of cracking sounds that shattered his spine and pulverized his internal organs.
“Puff——!”
The muffled sound of flesh tearing abruptly resounded, scalding bl**d and bits of internal organs splattered onto Lin Nian’s face, the overwhelming stench of bl**d drilling into her nostrils, making her body convulse involuntarily as her cries abruptly ceased.
For a moment, she thought she had already died.
Died in a pool of bl**d, a horrific scene.
But soon, she realized she felt no pain and was still conscious, her heart still beating powerfully in her chest.
She opened her eyes and looked forward, only to see a broken sword penetrating the strong man’s chest, carving out a fist-sized hole in his body.
A delicate white hand reached from behind him, gently brushing over the ring blade, then her fingers touched it, and like moonlight, a pristine white glow rapidly converged at her fingertip.
“Gu, Gu Qiqi…” The strong man’s pupils widened, emitting a series of incoherent sounds from his throat.
“That’s right, it’s me! Sorry, although I don’t know this girl at all, she owes me money, so she can’t d*e yet. And since you want to k*ll her, I can only take care of you first,” Luxianbei said expressionlessly.
“Ha, ha, ha!” For some reason, the strong man suddenly started laughing, his laughter eerie.
He was laughing at “Gu Qiqi” for her ignorance and underestimation of him.
He was the chosen one, favored by that great person; his physical demise would not affect him at all.
Luxianbei leaned close to his ear and murmured something. His smile suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning, his body shuddered violently.
Luxianbei told him, “What are you laughing at? If your laughter is because of the weapon in your hand, then it’s time to say goodbye… Four Beasts Bright Sky Cannon!”
As her voice fell, the 0.2-fold amplified Four Beasts Bright Sky Cannon and the palm imprint left on the ring blade exploded simultaneously, an eye-blinding light appeared.
Beneath the bright white and crimson glow, cracks spread across the ring blade, and then with a crisp “ding!” sound, it shattered into several pieces, like scrap metal, clattering to the ground.
Seeing the pale, viscous liquid slowly oozing from the broken ring blade, Luxianbei raised her brow slightly.
Is it something similar to what the folding fan spilled earlier?
Fortunately, I achieved a two-for-one k*ll.
“Bang!” The strong man’s body fell to the ground with a muffled thud.
At this moment, Lin Nian finally snapped back to reality from the shock, trembling as she asked “Gu Qiqi,” “Y-You, how did you come back?”
Luxianbei rolled her eyes, “Maybe I came back to treat athlete’s foot? By the way, who was it you said would d*e a miserable d*ath?”
She heard all of that? When did she… Lin Nian felt embarrassed and fearful, wanting to speak but hesitating, shrinking her neck and not daring to look at “Gu Qiqi.”
“Hmph!” Seeing this, Luxianbei snorted coldly, “Whatever trouble you have, just find Gu Qiqi. It would be even better if you haunt her, perfect timing for her to use you as a drinking snack.”
Shaken, Lin Nian didn’t catch any issues with “Gu Qiqi’s” words. Instead, she trembled slightly and weakly said, “I can return your entire reward. Please don’t k*ll me.”
“Who said I’m going to k*ll you now?” Luxianbei tilted her head, “As long as you tell me Hu Chuan’s whereabouts, I’ll let you go! You should know which is more valuable: your life or the information, right?”
“If that doesn’t work, you can just tell me the address of the person who fabricated Hu Chuan’s identity, and I’ll go find him myself.”
“…” Lin Nian bit her lip, remaining silent for a long time before suddenly raising her head, a determined look flashing in her eyes, she said solemnly, “I can tell you, but you have to promise not to harm him!”
Luxianbei raised an eyebrow, not taking it seriously, “That depends on whether he cooperates or not.”
Hearing that, Lin Nian hurriedly replied, “Don’t worry, he will definitely cooperate with you!”
Her third grandfather was the person who took the best care of her in this world, next to her grandfather. Now that “Gu Qiqi” saved her life, she believed her third grandfather would cooperate.
“That’s the best! But…” Luxianbei said, glancing at the motionless strong man on the ground, “But we’d better deal with this guy first. You wouldn’t want your grandfather waking up to see this bloody scene, would you?”
She had seen it while sneaking in, passing by the bedroom door.
She had seen the elderly man peacefully asleep in the bedroom.
At this, Lin Nian froze for a moment before nodding.
————
Just after midnight.
With Lin Nian’s cooperation and help, Luxianbei quickly took the strong man’s body to an abandoned garbage dump. Under Lin Nian’s peculiar gaze, she almost like a fool checked the man from head to toe before triggering the palm imprint, burning the strong man to ashes.
After leaving a few small items she found on the strong man, Luxianbei wrapped them in layers of seals using the spell, then followed Lin Nian back to Midnight Street, heading straight for the Jinju Theatre.
However, when they arrived at the theatre and entered through the back door to find the old man, it was already too late.
The old man was dead.
He died on the stage after the performance, dressed in an extravagant costume, maintaining the posture of a dramatic finale, as if the empty, pitch-black seats in front were filled with spectators.
His flesh was bloodied, most of it oddly merging with the costume, indistinguishable from one another.
Luxianbei silently pulled several feathers and pearls from the old man’s costume, sealing them again with a spell.
“…”
Though those people acted quickly, with these items, she should be able to summon the souls of these two individuals. Luxianbei thought as she patted Lin Nian’s shoulder, who was loudly weeping, and offered her two sticks of spicy strips.
“Stop crying, do you want two sticks?”
Lin Nian, “…”
