The white-haired man looked at the little red bird in his hand. It kept squirming, thrashing its wings as it tried to escape the grasp. He spoke to himself, saying, âYou really have phoenix and fish bird genes? And it is still so young? Who could do something like this?â
Baoâer looked at the white-haired man. She blinked and said, âAre you going to bully a kid and her pet?â
When the white-haired man heard Baoâer, he turned to her and smiled. Raising his hand, he freed the little red bird. It flapped its wings and quickly hid behind Baoâer, too afraid to reveal itself.
âWhat is your name?â the white-haired man asked Baoâer.
âBaoâer, Han Baoâer,â Baoâer answered seriously. Aside from the times when she was with Han Sen and Ji Yanran, she was rarely so honest.
âNot bad. Say hi to your father for me.â The white-haired man nodded to Baoâer, then turned to leave.
âWhat is your name?â Baoâer asked, looking at the white-haired manâs back.
âTai Yi.â The white-haired man didnât look back. He kept on walking. After a few steps, though, his body began to disappear into a ripple in space.
âWhat are you doing?â Baoâer asked.
âCalling in a debt. Itâs time that I get back something that doesnât belong to them.â The white-haired manâs voice echoed through the cosmos, drifting from an increasing distance until it vanished entirely.
Falling Leaf was left trembling. She had never seen someone use a teleportation skill while still sending back their voice. Even King Bai couldnât do something like that.
As Falling Leaf recovered from her shock, someone cried out, calling for aid.
âHelp!â
They turned around, and a girl wearing pink clothing was running through in the middle of the fight. She sprinted toward them, screaming and sobbing.
A Duke xenogeneic worker was chasing after her. It had no weapon, and it was reaching for the woman with its bare hands.
Based on how she was moving, the woman seemed stronger than the Duke worker. But she also looked terrified, and she ran recklessly without the will or courage to look back.
Baoâer cocked her head curiously as Ning Yue approached. She remembered Ning Yue, and no matter how much she tried, she couldnât connect this Ning Yue with the powerful person she used to know.
âHelp me! Baoâer, help me!â Ning Yue pleaded, running forward like a dog with its tail between its legs.
Falling Leaf was about to stop Ning Yue, but Baoâer hastily told her. âLet him come.â
Ning Yue stumbled clumsily into the ruins of the room, and when she got there, she hid behind Baoâer, still shaking. âToo... Too scary! Save me, Baoâer!â
âHa! Little Miss Ning Yue, you should be much stronger than that lame Duke. What are you afraid of?â Baoâer laughed, looking at Ning Yue as if she was eyeing a fun new toy.
Tremors still ran through Ning Yueâs body. Her face looked pale. She really seemed to be rattled.
âFightingâfighting is wrong! Murder is even more wrong... Plus, I am such a beautiful girl...â
âHa!â Baoâer couldnât help but laugh. Her eyes smiled like a crescent moon, and she stroked Ning Yueâs hair. âRight, right. You are so right. Pretty and cute girls like us shouldnât be fighting and killing.â
âI know, right?â Ning Yue frantically nodded her agreement. She still looked to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Falling Leaf didnât agree at all. She swiftly used her dagger to cut the Dukeâs head off.
âWhat happened? Why is this happening? Does this have something to do with that man?â Falling Leaf looked around. The killing was taking place everywhere, and she didnât seem to know where to look.â
More creatures were toward them. Falling Leaf warned them loudly to stay back, but they didnât listen to her words, and so she had to fight and cut them down.
...
Han Sen and Miss Mirror were still having a stand-off. Neither of them had yet made the first move.
âMe or her. You can only pick one.â Miss Mirror eyed Han Sen, her grip on the broken sword still tight.
âLetâs leave here together. This place is so scary; it will be safer if we go someplace with more people.â Han Sen smiled.
âSafety depends on what kind of partner you have. I donât want to haul a ticking time bomb around with me, not knowing if it will explode at any moment,â Miss Mirror said.
âThen how about you keep going on ahead by yourself, and I will turn back with the girl. Is that okay?â Han Sen said after a moment of thought.
âNo. Do you want her to bring harm to my Spring Rain?â Miss Mirror frowned.
âThen I will wait here with her and not go anywhere,â Han Sen said.
âNo. If you cannot do it, then I will do it for you,â Miss Mirror said. She swung her sword at the girl in Han Senâs arms.
Miss Mirror had become King class, but her will and intelligence were still deified. Her slash appeared like a rainbow, not straight, but mysteriously curved. It made it very difficult to tell where the sword was headed.
Han Senâs movements were also difficult to predict, but after a couple of attempts to evade the attack, he was still unable to dodge Miss Mirrorâs sword. He threw his palm out to intercept the broken sword. He touched its hilt, but not its blade.
The broken sword could cut through a requiem tree, so it was far too sharp to counter directly. Han Sen wouldnât use his own weapon to block the blow. Even a deified treasure might be destroyed by the broken sword.
But when his palm struck the hilt of the broken sword, a sharp pain seared through his chest. A wave of power sent him flying and made his ribs groan under the strain. He tasted blood in the back of his mouth.
âWhatâs going on? Something injured my chest. Is this my own power?â Han Sen thought to himself, but Miss Mirrorâs broken sword came slashing toward him again.
Miss Mirror was proving why she had been such a powerful deified elite. Her sword skills far exceeded Han Senâs abilities, and she was still extremely strong.
And her sword skills were uncanny. No matter how much Han Sen varied his movement patterns, he couldnât avoid the strike. It was kind of like a Falsified-Sky attack, but this attack lacked Causal powers.
Pang!
Han Sen had to reach out his hand to counter the attack. Like last time, his hand struck the hilt of the broken sword. Another impact thudded into his chest and sent him flying.
Miss Mirror followed him like his own shadow. She kept trying to strike that girl that Han Sen held in his arms.
âIs this your Mirror Spirit Body?â Han Sen asked as he retreated.
âYes. Even as a King class, I can kill you easily. So donât test my patience,â Miss Mirror said warningly.
âSo your Mirror Spirit Body can only return attacks that I deal? Thatâs not very impressive,â Han Sen said.
âMaybe itâs not amazing, but itâs enough to kill you,â Miss Mirror declared.
âYouâre willing to kill me?â Han Sen couldnât fall back anymore. He wouldnât be able to avoid the next attack, and he couldnât counterattack Miss Mirror or the broken sword. He turned around and used his body to shield the girl from the blade.
âDonât think that I wonât kill you,â Miss Mirror said with obvious annoyance, as she stopped her sword.