Chapter 97: She is Definitely Not a Calamity!
Summer rainstorms always come and go quickly. Just moments ago, the downpour was torrential, and now, just over an hour later, the sky is clear again.
Amid the rolling mountain ridges, the greenery, washed by the rain, glistens with droplets under the moonlight, emitting a pearly glow, while a gentle breeze carries the scent of wet earth.
In the forest, a figure swiftly moves along the mountainside.
They are already far from the place where calamity struck once again. After a long silence, Shuo E finally couldn’t help but ask Miss Rabbit the question that had been on his mind.
“Do you think Lan Yi is a match for calamity?”
As he posed this question, he was surprised even himself.
As the most loyal follower of the Elders’ Council, he should have harbored hostility towards Lan Yi, the woman who betrayed Elder Sukra.
However, after hearing about the development philosophy of the Lan Yi Party, much of the hostility in his heart had dissipated.
Hearing Shuo E’s words, Miss Rabbit’s expression soured, and she sneered, “Hmph, what? Worried about her? Do you know her well? I remember today was the first time you met, right?”
“I am a little worried.” Shuo E didn’t sense the strange undertones in Miss Rabbit’s words and nodded, saying, “Even though today is our first meeting, I just feel… uh, I can’t quite explain it.”
For some reason, he had a vague feeling that Lan Yi possessed something he might have never touched before—something that was extremely lacking yet deeply yearned for.
“Can’t explain it, huh?” Miss Rabbit rolled her eyes and said, “Then let me say it for you. You see that she’s pretty and are tempted by her body.”
“But you definitely don’t stand a chance. She’s most likely not coming back. You know how calamity is; the more beautiful the opponent, the more ruthless she becomes. This is probably because the core of the urban legend of the witch has twisted her mind, making her enjoy tormenting beautiful women, right?”
She had never considered that Shuo E might yearn for the ideal God Realm that Lan Yi described.
Although she had spent time with Shuo E, she had never seen him entertain thoughts about anything other than the Elders’ Council.
How could someone who has no thoughts of his own, like a game character acting solely on the controller’s commands, possibly yearn for such things?
“Not at all.” Shuo E shook his head seriously and said, “I have no interest in women.”
“That primitive desire from physiological impulses mostly just becomes a burden, this is the Elders’ Council’s exact words.”
Miss Rabbit, “……”
See? That’s how he is!
It’s not that he’s attracted by Lan Yi’s beauty, so what could it be?
Could it be that the Elders’ Council usually punishes those who fail their tasks severely? Miss Rabbit thought.
Just as she pondered this, a wave of spirit energy fluctuation intruded into her awareness, followed by the sound of footsteps trudging through muddy ground and Lan Yi’s soft exclamation.
“Thank goodness, I finally caught up with you!”
Luxianbei said as she quickened her pace, stopping in front of Miss Rabbit and Shuo E.
What she said was indeed the truth; although she had learned how to reach the Solar Eclipse Society’s Number 2 stronghold in Gray Forest through Miss Rabbit’s dream while at Peach Source.
But that was a nest of the Elders’ Council, and as a fake, especially while impersonating Lan Yi, recklessly going to such a place would be akin to volunteering for d*ath.
If possible, she still wanted to gather some addresses of smaller strongholds from the members of the Solar Eclipse Society, to infiltrate and understand the situation before making plans.
“If I missed you, I wouldn’t know where to find information about the addresses of the Solar Eclipse Society strongholds!”
While speaking, Luxianbei paused, glancing at Miss Rabbit without making it obvious, and quickly retracted her gaze.
Talking behind my back, huh?
Enjoy tormenting beautiful women?
What did I do to give you such a misunderstanding? I merely enjoy tormenting! Luxianbei thought.
As she considered this, Miss Rabbit sized up the woman in front of her, frowning slightly.
Her long hair was disheveled, her face bore burns, and her clothes were in tatters, covered in dirt, making her look quite disheveled.
On her back, it appeared as though she had been slashed multiple times, her dirty white shirt torn by long cuts, the Black Sun Totem faintly visible.
“…” Noticing the Black Sun Totem on Lan Yi’s back, Miss Rabbit’s gaze paused for a moment before she fell into thought.
This woman is quite strong… No wonder she is the one cultivated with great effort by the Elders’ Council of the Solar Eclipse Society.
From the commotion earlier, her battle with calamity was rather intense; I didn’t expect she would escape almost entirely unscathed?
Miss Rabbit thought, just as she was about to ask “Lan Yi” about her encounter with calamity, Shuo E spoke up ahead of her.
“You escaped from calamity so easily? How did you do it?”
“Listen to what you’re saying, what do you mean ‘easily’?!” Luxianbei pouted.
“Ha.” Miss Rabbit scoffed.
So she’s just putting on a strong front? Looks intact, but she’s not faring much better than me, right?
That’s it! It must be!
That calamity is now among the top three of all disasters! No matter how capable Lan Yi is, there’s no way she could easily escape from her clutches!
Thinking this, Miss Rabbit felt quite relieved, as if she had seen a bothersome classmate getting accosted and bullied by a group of delinquents on the way home.
However…
“What I did was repel her, alright!” Lan Yi said seriously. “I feel like that so-called calamity isn’t as formidable as you say!”
“Tsk, after just a hundred or so exchanges with me, she couldn’t hold on anymore. Just a regular character.”
“Not to mention she is the King of Urban Legends in Huacheng, empowered by the earth’s veins. I, Sister Me, definitely won’t let her escape tonight, such a pity, such a pity.”
Miss Rabbit, “……”
Her previously buoyant mood instantly soured.
It felt like hoping a bothersome classmate was going to be bullied by delinquents, only to find out that they ended up fighting back against a dozen assailants.
d*mn! How could I not believe what she said?
Calamity is already impressive enough, isn’t it too easy to encounter an A-Class Spiritual Ability User who is even stronger?
Could there possibly be some hidden tricks here? Could it be that she’s actually sent by calamity? Miss Rabbit thought uneasily.
Even though she saw the Black Sun Totem on Lan Yi’s back, confirming that her identity as a member of the Solar Eclipse Society wasn’t fake, she still didn’t fully trust Lan Yi.
Before coming to Huacheng for this mission, the creepy old man who had been conducting experiments and modifications on her had clearly stated that after stealing a portion of lunar power, the number of Spiritual Ability Users and urban legends capable of surpassing her under calamity would not exceed one hand, yet, shortly after arriving in Huacheng, she encountered two…
This feeling was like enjoying a long stretch of uninterrupted gameplay online for over ten minutes, gearing up with three major items only to find out that someone on the opposite side was already one item away from fully equipped.
“Well, calamity really possesses a terrifying number of methods; her swordsmanship is quite exquisite, with various spell formulas appearing one after another, and her talents are quite bizarre. Moreover, she has a random assortment of alchemical bombs… If she gets to master these techniques and integrate them, I fear I might not be able to win!”
Who cannot boast about themselves?
Although it’s a bit embarrassing to brag too much regularly, it certainly feels no shame to boast under someone else’s alias! Luxianbei thought.
Could it be that she really surpassed calamity? But then again, it might just be an act… As “Lan Yi” elaborated on calamity’s various abilities, a flicker of doubt crossed Miss Rabbit’s eyes.
“Hmm, calamity is indeed quite terrifying,” Shuo E nodded in agreement. “Otherwise, the Elders would not be secretly monitoring her, viewing her as a hidden danger.”
Luxianbei, “???”
Did I just accidentally learn some significant intelligence?
Not that I have anything worth paying attention to.
Why pay attention to me when you could keep an eye on Gu Qiqi? If you deposit her in the Gray Forest Cabin, the Elders would outright consume her whole… Luxianbei thought, just as she was about to continue asking, Miss Rabbit spoke up.
“Alright, no more talking here. We’re still within the range of Huacheng. If calamity catches up again, it will be troublesome.”
Miss Rabbit advised, and Shuo E nodded in agreement, casting an inquiring look at “Lan Yi.”
“Alright, let’s go! Along the way, you guys can tell me what Solar Eclipse Society strongholds are nearby that we can head to, okay?”
“Sure.” Shuo E nodded.
——————
As they moved ahead.
As they got closer to the edge of Huacheng, the rolling mountains gradually disappeared, replaced by expansive plains rich in flora.
All the while, Miss Rabbit watched Luxianbei intently, secretly vigilant.
Meanwhile, Luxianbei listened intently as Shuo E detailed the Solar Eclipse Society strongholds around Huacheng, mentally noting them down and comparing and analyzing with Lan Yi’s memories.
“……”
In Lan Yi’s memories, both Huacheng and Moon City had Solar Eclipse Society strongholds, but according to Shuo E, those locations had already been destroyed, which could be ruled out.
Jin Guan City had three strongholds, aligning with both Lan Yi’s memories and Shuo E’s descriptions, but that was the territory of her adoptive mother, and she had promised to behave there. If she went to stir up trouble on her territory, she’d be doomed if discovered.
Given this, had she no choice but to head to Shancheng or Yucheng? These two cities had significant Solar Eclipse Society strongholds, which might serve as good options for infiltrating the Solar Eclipse Society.
As Luxianbei listened, she secretly calculated which stronghold would serve as a breakthrough point to infiltrate the Solar Eclipse Society.
At that moment, Shuo E suddenly fell silent, stopping in his tracks and turning to glance back at Huacheng, his expression becoming inexplicably grave.
Noticing the sudden halt in conversation and seeing Shuo E’s unusual behavior, Luxianbei tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Why did you stop? What’s next after we reach Hongya Cave?”
“Sorry.” Shuo E retracted his gaze and said to “Lan Yi,” before casting a look at Miss Rabbit on his shoulder, his voice serious. “What now? Hua Zhuozhuang has activated that thing.”
“What do you mean by that?” Miss Rabbit frowned. “I’ll say it first; if you plan to go back, you can go back by yourself. I’m not going back with you.”
Upon hearing this, a trace of hesitation appeared on Shuo E’s face. “Hua Zhuozhuang has activated that thing, so she thinks the mission is nearing completion. Even if we don’t go back, we should wait around Huacheng for a result; this is necessary for reporting back to the Elders.”
The more Luxianbei listened, the more she felt something was off, unable to help but interrupt, “Wait, wait. What are you two talking about? Why can’t I understand anything at all?”
Miss Rabbit glanced at her, raised an eyebrow, and said, “At this point, there’s no harm in telling you…”
The mission was nearing its end, almost complete. With the parasitic seed urban legend and that unfathomable president of the Solar Eclipse Society, even if Lan Yi had ulterior motives and wanted to create chaos, it was impossible. Going would just be asking for d*ath.
Thus, Miss Rabbit recounted the task assigned to them by the Elders’ Council, along with their intent to hand over the core of the parasitic seed urban legend to Huaxie Yu, aiming to deliver a heavy blow to the president of the Solar Eclipse Society.
Luxianbei occasionally interjected to ask about details, and after Miss Rabbit finished, she nearly couldn’t restrain herself from taking action against Miss Rabbit and Shuo E.
So you two came to Huacheng to poison it, right?
But before acting on her impulse, she controlled herself and asked, “If, and I say if, that Hua Zhuozhuang successfully used the core of the parasitic seed urban legend to influence the president, what will happen?”
“How would we know?” Miss Rabbit rolled her eyes. “It’s said that thing is a modified core of the parasitic seed urban legend, apparently imbued with strange powers…”
“Hmm, but to sum it up, it should be like other parasitic seed urban legends. After completing the ensnarement of the president, it would enter the next stage and continue to proliferate, right?”
“By then, Huacheng will probably be filled with the offspring of that parasitic seed urban legend. If we’re lucky, calamity might just perish.”
Upon hearing this, Luxianbei’s heart jolted, instinctively clenching her delicate fist.
She suddenly realized that Miss Rabbit and Shuo E were not just there to poison; they were unleashing biochemical poison!
If it was that Huaxie Yu causing trouble, wouldn’t the first one to suffer be Stinky Sister?
No, I have to hurry back! Before anything major happens.
Noticing her subtle movement, Miss Rabbit narrowed her eyes and asked, “What’s wrong? Miss Lan, heard Huacheng is in trouble; you seem rather anxious, huh?”
Luxianbei glanced at Miss Rabbit and replied blankly, “Not at all…”
Based on her expression… Miss Rabbit’s eyes twitched slightly, and then she heard the rest of the sentence, causing her previously rising doubts to suppress again.
“… I’m excited! Like, to the maximum level of excitement!”
“Disaster signifies opportunity. According to your statement, a King of Urban Legends and even the president of the Solar Eclipse Society could d*e, and Huacheng might fall into chaos. Do you know what this means?”
This woman… Could she be thinking of taking advantage of the situation? Miss Rabbit looked at “Lan Yi’s” calm expression and the flickering flame in her eyes, feeling her brow twitch.
Although she usually enjoys engaging in such acts, she has never considered, or rather, dared to have any thoughts about the president of the Solar Eclipse Society.
In fact, as she looked at “Lan Yi” revealing a face like calamity, all doubts instantly vanished.
Calamity wouldn’t be that audacious!
She probably knew about this intelligence in advance and would have fled overnight, right?
She is definitely not calamity! Miss Rabbit thought.
Seeing Miss Rabbit fallen silent, Luxianbei smirked and said, “This means I have the opportunity to seize their powers!”
“So, what? Should we return together and pull off a heist?”
Miss Rabbit instinctively shook her head.
“Tsk!” Luxianbei spat disdainfully. “Since you don’t dare, then I’ll go by myself.”
With that, she abruptly turned and headed toward Huacheng.
