Chapter 42

The clock-tower-tall, slender monster was almost completely restrained by Bai Muqing. Only its short side legs twitched weakly. If one listened closely, faint whimpering could be heard.

Wu Shu walked beneath the enormous insect and wrapped an arm around Ye Zheng’s waist.

“You said the weak point is behind the neck?” she asked.

“Yes.”

The instant Ye Zheng replied, fierce weightlessness struck. Her vision spun briefly as the world flipped. When her focus returned, she was already in mid-air.

An unfamiliar texture pressed beneath her feet.

She was standing on the smooth surface of the monster’s carapace.

Wu Shu remained close, her arm still firm around Ye Zheng. The creature’s body was long and narrow. The two of them were effectively standing on its shoulders.

Ye Zheng shifted slightly. Her elbow brushed against Wu Shu’s exposed waist.

She paused for a fraction of a second.

Wu Shu’s combat style combined teleportation with powerful physical techniques, excelling in close-quarters combat. Such a fighting system was entirely incompatible with high-exposure clothing.

No experienced warrior would willingly expose such vulnerabilities. Ye Zheng could not help sighing inwardly at the author’s illogical outfit design.

“Are you scared?” Wu Shu asked softly, noticing Ye Zheng’s brief distraction.

“There is nothing to be afraid of,” Ye Zheng replied.

“It is fine to be scared,” Wu Shu said. “Ten minutes ago, when I first saw that human head up close, I hesitated for a moment before striking.”

Ye Zheng followed Wu Shu’s gaze downward.

Below them, a disheveled human head was grotesquely fused to the massive insect body. The face bore an expression far too human. Tear tracks streaked across her cheeks, and her eyes seemed to plead desperately for salvation.

The overwhelming dissonance made Ye Zheng frown. She had encountered many humanoid monsters in aberrant realms. Even when disguised as humans, they radiated an unmistakable cold inhumanity.

This creature was different.

Below the neck was a nightmare of chitin and horror. Above it was a woman who appeared imprisoned within that monstrous shell. A faint conjecture formed in Ye Zheng’s mind. She suppressed it for now.

“Let’s move,” she said.

She reached out and took Wu Shu’s hand. Water condensed instantly around Ye Zheng’s wrist, forming a translucent bracelet. Wu Shu lifted her arm, eyes flashing with admiration.

The bracelet was clear and lustrous, like water-polished jade. It felt cool and soothing against the skin.

Only one thing bothered her.

“Is the chain really necessary?”

A thin chain of water extended from the bracelet, its other end held firmly in Ye Zheng’s hand.

Wu Shu’s expression turned complicated.

Ye Zheng blinked innocently.

“My Stream must remain connected to me in order to function,” she explained. “When you teleport to strike the weak point, it will protect you from the green blood.”

Everything she said was true. Stream could not break, nor could it function independently.

What she did not mention was that, with her true ability range, Stream could protect Wu Shu even from a distance. Wu Shu stared at the water chain on her wrist and twitched her mouth.

“I suppose I should be grateful you did not put it around my neck.”

Ye Zheng’s eyes lit up slightly.

“If you do not mind,” she said gently, “placing it around your neck would actually protect your face more effectively.”

Wu Shu could no longer maintain her composure.

She shot Ye Zheng a look, flipped her palm to reveal her short knife, leaned backward, and allowed herself to fall.

As she descended, she drove the blade violently into the monster’s body. The knife sank deep, slicing downward along the spine. Green blood and shredded flesh cascaded below.

Wu Shu tilted her head back and clicked her tongue lightly. Anticipating the mess, she closed her eyes. The expected corrosion never came.

A cool water membrane enveloped her body, blocking the splattering blood entirely.

Through the membrane, she sensed an overwhelming energy field.

Without hesitation, she plunged her second knife into the flesh. Both blades embedded themselves, halting her fall. She pulled herself upward using sheer arm strength, muscles tightening visibly beneath her skin.

“This saintess really is impressive,” she murmured with admiration.

True to her word, Ye Zheng had protected her and given her the chance to strike the monster’s core.

Wu Shu could already sense the abnormal energy concentration Ye Zheng had mentioned.

She wrenched her right-hand blade free. Blood and flesh spilled outward. Raising it high, she stabbed down again with ruthless precision.

“Found it,” Ye Zheng said softly, smiling.

Above, Ye Zheng sat beside the panicked human head, casually shaking the water chain in her hand. Colorful butterflies fluttered around her.

Below, Wu Shu drove the blade deeper. She could feel herself closing in on the core. As the flesh parted, the alluring power within grew stronger, sweeter.

She inhaled unconsciously.

Lost in the pull of that sensation, she failed to notice the faint streams of water winding around her knife.

Suddenly, the blade halted.

It would not go any deeper.

Wu Shu sensed something hidden within.

As she attempted to force it further, the rigid body beneath her abruptly broke free of its restraints. The monster thrashed violently.

Her grip loosened.

In the next instant, she was flung away.

The instant her body was hurled into the air, Wu Shu activated her ability without hesitation, stabilizing herself and landing cleanly on the ground. She straightened, steadied her breathing, and looked down at her wrist.

The bracelet and water chain were already gone.

Wu Shu’s expression shifted sharply. She lifted her head at once.

High above, a slender figure hung precariously from the monster’s massive body. Ye Zheng had clearly been thrown off as well when the creature went berserk. Fortunately, during the fall, she had managed to seize the knife Wu Shu had driven deep into the monster’s flesh.

Wu Shu let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. As she studied the hanging figure, a glint of scrutiny appeared in her deep purple eyes.

Setting luck aside, this girl had reacted quickly enough to grab the blade mid-fall. Supporting her entire body weight with one arm alone spoke volumes about her physical conditioning.

Wu Shu could not help suspecting that beneath the saintess’s loose white sleeves lay arm strength no weaker than her own.

She was just about to gather power for another teleport, preparing to rescue the unsteady saintess, when the human-headed insect monster erupted into madness once more. Its enormous tail hook lashed out toward Wu Shu.

Wu Shu rolled swiftly to evade. As she adjusted her stance, a deafening sound rang out from above.

Bang.

The monster froze mid-motion.

Its massive tail hook dropped heavily to the ground in front of Wu Shu, sending up dust with a dull thud. Wu Shu looked up as if suddenly recalling something.

She saw colorful butterflies fluttering through the air, gently catching the falling white-clad figure. Nearby, Lu Qi shouted excitedly, her voice brimming with pride.

“I told you my butterflies are useful!”

Ye Zheng landed safely, supported by the butterflies, avoiding serious injury. Her steps wavered slightly upon touching the ground. Her pale face glowed with an unusual brilliance for a moment, before she deliberately resumed her usual fragile, faintly exhausted appearance, as if still shaken by the brush with death.

Lu Qi rushed over at once.

“Are you alright? Good thing my butterflies stayed with you, or you would have…”

She abruptly clamped her mouth shut. Pei Xi and Roy had warned her repeatedly not to say unlucky things.

Wu Shu no longer focused on Ye Zheng, now clearly safe. Instead, she stared expressionlessly at the motionless monster and walked closer, step by step. At last, she accepted the bitter truth.

That sweet, alluring aura of power was gone completely.

The short-haired woman turned back toward Ye Zheng. The concern from earlier was nowhere to be found in her eyes. Her gaze fixed on Ye Zheng’s hand, which held the gun.

That hand was smeared with fresh red blood.

It was clearly Ye Zheng’s own.

“What did you do?” Wu Shu asked.

Ye Zheng had been gently praising Lu Qi in a soft voice. Hearing the question, she slowly turned to face Wu Shu.

“I’m sorry,” she said calmly. “I shot the weak point with the gun and killed the monster.”

“At that moment, I was about to be thrown off. I believed Muqing could no longer fully restrain it, so I took a gamble at the closest possible distance. I chose to kill it immediately to prevent it from harming more people.”

Her expression was apologetic, her tone sincere. As a saintess, or more accurately, a holy warrior, she had made the most optimal decision.

A decision that benefited everyone except Wu Shu. Lu Qi’s confused gaze flickered between the two, sensing the subtle but volatile tension.

Wu Shu stared directly at Ye Zheng. Without her usual smile, her presence became icy and razor-sharp, like the edge of a snow-cold blade poised to trigger an avalanche.

Quietly, the short girl with the orange ponytail stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Ye Zheng.

Suddenly, Wu Shu reached out and ruffled Lu Qi’s hair. She then turned her usual bright, carefree smile toward Ye Zheng, her eyes lingering on the bloodied hand.

“Is your hand alright?” she asked casually. “Guns are rare, but as far as I know, they shouldn’t injure the user.”

“I cut it while grabbing your knife,” Ye Zheng replied. “Don’t worry. I’ve already healed it.”

“Good.” Wu Shu nodded. “By the way, where’s my knife? That thing’s my baby.”

Ye Zheng turned and glanced at the rigid monster corpse behind her, indicating the knife was likely nearby.

Wu Shu soon located it beside the body. The short blade was slick, as if soaked in Ye Zheng’s blood. She lifted her gaze to the enormous carcass looming like a hill.

To think such a colossal creature had been killed by a single bullet. Though striking the weak point was the most efficient method, an eerie feeling lingered throughout the battle. Wu Shu’s suspicion peaked when she noticed something else.

The human head was gone.

“Why is the woman’s head missing?” Wu Shu asked sharply.

Lu Qi jumped a few times, craning her neck, but saw nothing. Drawing from experience, she answered, “That’s normal. When the core monster dies, the aberrant realm collapses soon after. Sometimes the bodies decompose or vanish quickly too. Lower-district ability users like us are used to it.”

Bai Muqing approached as well. She studied the corpse briefly, then nodded.

“This insect is indeed dead.”

Wu Shu’s tightly knit brows did not relax.

As a middle-district ability user, she too had entered numerous aberrant realms. Something about this still felt wrong.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but when she turned and met Ye Zheng’s calm face, flawless and statue-like, she fell silent.

She believed herself to be standing on solid ground, unaware that beneath the thin ice lay a vast iceberg.

She should not step further.

“Fine,” Wu Shu muttered. “This is some weird shit.”

Weird unicorn.

She let out a cold laugh, sheathed her knife, and left without looking back.

Her thoughts churned chaotically as she climbed the stairs. Unwilling to dwell on it, she still found herself thinking. Before she realized it, she had reached the exit.

She pushed open the heavy shelter door. Warm sunlight spilled over her. Wu Shu narrowed her eyes slightly. The aberrant realm had truly collapsed.

She stepped outside, intending to regroup with her teammates and put an end to this unproductive day. Suddenly, a middle-aged man in ornate white robes stepped into her path.

“Young contestant,” he said gently, “is the shelter this way? I’m rather poor with directions.”

Annoyance flared in Wu Shu at the sight of white robes, and she almost snapped back. Then she recognized his face. Her eyes widened in shock.

“You… you are…”

✧✧✧✧✧

Inside the shelter, Ye Zheng and the other two were organizing the evacuation. Many people offered enthusiastic thanks, slowing the process as they lingered.

Among them, Ye Zheng was the most sought after. Almost everyone wanted to greet the gentle yet courageous saintess.

They had all witnessed how the healing-type saintess fought desperately to protect them, ultimately killing the monster with a reckless, self-sacrificing resolve. Her blood-stained white figure had fallen like scattered feathers, only to be miraculously caught by butterflies.

In truth, most people had not seen clearly. Their imaginations filled in the gaps, weaving a grand narrative of saintly salvation. Ye Zheng maintained her saintess composure until the final person had exited.

She leaned back against the heavy black door, gazing at the now-empty shelter, and finally exhaled. Her original plan had been to let Wu Shu strike first.

The water chain had not only protected Wu Shu. Its true purpose was to bind Wu Shu’s knife.

That right-hand blade would have been the first to touch the dragon bone. The water coiled around it would seize the opportunity to extract the dragon bone ahead of time.

But doing so carried risk. Wu Shu might notice something unusual and discover the dragon bone herself. So Ye Zheng deliberately triggered the monster’s sudden frenzy.

In a crisis, Wu Shu would not notice subtle details. There was an unexpected bonus.

During the chaos she created, something had slipped away with the evacuating crowd.

Then Ye Zheng jumped down, extracted the dragon bone, and erased all traces with a gunshot. The explanation was airtight.

Even if Wu Shu sensed something amiss, she would never touch that mysterious power again. Because the dragon bone was now hidden within Ye Zheng’s own flesh.

Ye Zheng looked down at her palm. The hand that had bled so much earlier was indeed cut by Wu Shu’s knife.

Not accidentally.

Intentionally.

That meant she owed Wu Shu a favor.

Using Wu Shu as cover for her true strength and purpose was bound to provoke anger.

She sighed quietly.

Next time, for sure.

Ye Zheng turned, preparing to open the door again. There was one more matter to deal with.

“Is anyone still inside?”

Just as her hand touched the door, a voice that made her stomach churn sounded from outside.

“Our little saintess,” the voice asked with deliberate gentleness, “are you in there?”

Behind the door, Ye Zheng tugged faintly at the corner of her mouth. Her dark eyes turned profoundly cold.

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Authors Note

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Please pay attention to this water chain.

It may appear on many people’s hands, or perhaps their necks, in the future.