The sun had already set in the west, its fading golden light tinged with a faint crimson. Everything seemed normal. The streets bustled with people, yet the Night Owl Merchant Association’s hall was deserted.
“CLOSED.”
A large sign hung before the entrance. The Night Owl Merchant Association had always been mysterious; no one knew who their president was. They only knew he was unpredictable, closing down whenever he pleased, regardless of how important the business might be.
Beneath the massive stone, in the perpetual shadow, dark water flowed, and the air grew thick with a sense of danger.
“I thought you would stop me,” Surult sat behind Bai Cha, doing his best to conceal himself in the shadows. He clutched two small bottles tightly – the ashes of Tuya Tukusuru.
“You’ve made up your mind; what reason do I have to stop you?” Bai Cha waved dismissively, pulling her coat tighter around herself.
It was indeed getting a bit cold. If Lucifer were by her side, he would surely prepare a suitable coat for her.
“You don’t need to be so respectful with ‘you.’ I indirectly caused your master’s death, after all.” Bai Cha took out a cigarette pack, lit a dark green cigarette, and took a puff. “It was probably when I discussed this matter with her that I aroused her suspicion.”
This was a stimulant. Bai Cha’s spiced cigarettes never contained nicotine or tar but had much stronger components. One was for calmness, and the other was a stimulant, activating cells for a short period. Compared to Bai Cha’s own method of forcefully stimulating herself with blood, this induced activation placed a much smaller burden on the body.
Surult lowered his head, lost in thought.
“Originally, I planned to skip the evidence-gathering stage, as evidence isn’t important to me,” Bai Cha paused, looking at the Night Owl Merchant Association, which was now within arm’s reach, feeling a bit weary. “The arrest warrant I applied for the day before yesterday has already been approved.”
What a shame. If she had lasted a few more minutes to complete the handover, perhaps Tu Kusu Lu wouldn’t be holding two vials of ashes right now.
Actually, it was one less vial. Tu Ya’s father was still facing capital punishment.
As she was thinking, a chill suddenly crept up her back, like the cold from a popsicle touching her tongue on a hot summer day, making Surult shiver.
“Miss Bai.” The newcomer was completely wrapped in a black cloak, revealing a pair of eyes as clear as the deep autumn sky from within the hood.
“Sorry for making you miss half a class,” Bai Cha nodded. “Did you find Yun He?”
“Yes, she scouted the area without being discovered.” Cang Liu shifted his body, revealing Yun He standing obediently behind him. The mullet hairstyle that would look out of place on others made Yun He appear particularly well-behaved. Yun He was naturally a serious and solemn person, but her exceptionally striking crimson eyes were quite conspicuous.
“Very good,” Bai Cha nodded. “There are two A-class entities inside, so be careful.”
Newcomers needed to be guided.
If it were just a few B-class individuals, Bai Cha wouldn’t have paid them any mind. However, the gap between each rank of dragons was a chasm. A and B were entirely different concepts. It would be bad if Cang Liu or Yun He were injured.
“Yun He, tell me what you discovered during your reconnaissance.” Bai Cha instructed.
“It generally matches the information from the hostages. They are currently auctioning. Both A-class dragons are present, possibly as backup,” Yun He replied truthfully. Whether due to shyness or her natural disposition, Yun He always seemed serious and reserved. “It seems to be a torn white canvas. I apologize, but I couldn’t discern any art or significance in it.”
“No need to discern it; it’s not art,” Bai Cha’s lips curved into a peculiar smile. “It’s for money laundering. By the way, how has Meng Qinghuan trained you?”
“Cang Liu seems to have more talent. Although Master taught me more, I seem to be a bit slow-witted.” At this point, Yun He suddenly paused, a blush rising to her cheeks. She said through gritted teeth, “I’m pursuing the path of martial monk fist arts.”
Bai Cha understood, but she was also surprised. She hadn’t expected this young girl, Yun He, to be a close-combat boxer. Her petite frame was flat on both sides, a complete opposite to muscle-bound men like Lang Mo.
However, why was Yun He blushing?
“Miss Bai, could you perhaps find someone else to guide me next time?” Yun He placed her hand before her lips, gently rubbing her nose with her knuckles, looking somewhat troubled.
“What is it?” Bai Cha asked, puzzled.
Yun He: “…No, it’s nothing.”
Bai Cha blinked, feeling even more perplexed by Yun He’s demeanor. Bai Cha knew Meng Qinghuan; although he usually appeared flippant and eccentric, he was an absolute gentleman and acted with propriety. Why did he seem to make Yun He so troubled?
However, if Yun He didn’t want to say, Bai Cha couldn’t force her to. After all, it was a matter between master and disciple. Yun He hadn’t indicated she wanted to disown her master, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for Bai Cha to interfere rashly.
“Let’s split tasks. I will directly destroy this building from above. You will be responsible for intercepting anyone attempting to escape,” Bai Cha stated. “The A-class dragons won’t be so fragile. Surult, you will be responsible for interception and weakening. The countdown starts now.”
Silence returned, and the people in the corners dispersed.
Dragons, like humans, had their twisted aspects. Where there were sinister people, there were also sinister dragons, and these dragons were often effective helpers for those dwelling in the gutters.
Bai Cha stood at an altitude of a thousand meters, forming seals with her hands. Her movements were slow and elegant, not because she didn’t want to be faster, but because her current condition was rather poor. If she were to use her powers as casually as before, the side effects would be unbearable.
Her ink-black hair flowed in the wind, and dark energy gathered increasingly densely. Bai Cha silently consolidated her dark energy, her pupils resembling the most exquisite glass cups filled with the finest red wine – transparent and captivating.
The surrounding black hellfire enveloped Bai Cha, so concentrated that the pure blackness almost completely enclosed her. Dark red lightning flickered at high frequencies, and black whirlwinds swirled around her.
Bai Cha hadn’t brought any strong allies. Yun He had just started, and Cang Liu, while stronger than she expected, was still far from Meng Qinghuan and the others, placing him only in the third tier. Surult was merely B-class. She had to unleash her full power to reduce the pressure on her allies later.
The situation had escalated so quickly; they couldn’t afford to wait slowly for reinforcements. If the president of the association were to suddenly remove the “CLOSED” sign and enter, it would be quite troublesome.
Eighteen floors underground, the auction hall.
A stag-like dragon with flames at its tail and a man with a hooked nose stood on stage, striking the auction hammer in his hand.
“Congratulations to this gentleman for acquiring the renowned artwork! ‘Broken!’ for three million six hundred thousand!”
Thunderous applause erupted. Well-dressed beasts in human guise applauded with unspoken understanding. Each person wore an earpiece, and the floor beneath them was a living metal space.
If the police were to arrive for a search, they would receive immediate notification. The space below would open instantly, “swallowing” them, sealing them in, and allowing them to escape through secret passages without leaving any trace of their presence.
“Next, we present our second auction item, a mental sculpture: ‘The Yearning for Freedom’!” the stag-like dragon on stage exclaimed. On display was an empty corner.
If any normal person were present, even a street beggar, let alone an artist, would be bewildered. This was truly the emperor’s new clothes, a deception so flimsy it would fool even a ghost.
Yet, everyone present still applauded enthusiastically, bidding prices that ordinary people could only dream of, vying for this so-called mental sculpture.
Suddenly, everyone felt a tingling sensation in their ears. Their earpieces seemed to malfunction, emitting crackling static. Before anyone could react, their vision went black.
It was as if an atomic bomb had suddenly fallen from the sky, melting through more than a dozen floors of ceiling and smashing through the entire eighteenth level. Black flames burned fiercely, and dark red lightning like chains roared and circled.
A chilling wind blew, and dust flew. The figure standing on the stage, stepping on the corpse of the flaming stag, seemed like a king from hell.
Her bones were carved from water-immersed wood, her skin from jade, and a glance from her could freeze the bone marrow.
The hellfire, burning at an extreme temperature, distorted the air. Ordinary people in the vicinity were instantly vaporized, bones and all, upon contact with the hellfire. Only Bai Cha stood serenely in the center.
“Roar—!”
At this moment, the heavens and earth finally changed color. The crimson sky above intensified, swirling, heavy as if about to bleed.
Bai Cha kicked the corpse beneath her foot, and the stag’s body shattered. With a light leap, Bai Cha shot into the sky. Following her ascent were two ferocious figures.
So, there weren’t two new A-class entities; there were three!
Black chains, accompanied by dark red lightning, coiled like serpents towards the two ferocious dragons. They resembled beasts, with both dragons having a crow-like appearance. Their black wings, like blades, flew towards Bai Cha’s chains, emitting a shrill metallic screech.
These were Mapa and Lamo. Bai Cha recognized them immediately. Lucifer’s seventy-two most prominent subordinates were all A-class. Bai Cha had heard Lucifer describe their characteristics. There were only a few with crow-like appearances, so Bai Cha couldn’t possibly fail to recognize them.
Mapa’s special ability was telepathy, while Lamo’s was precognition. Both were powerful A-class dragons.
Fire and lightning alternated. Bai Cha shielded her thoughts, fighting purely on instinct. Her muscle reflexes were extremely sharp, always allowing her to evade Mapa and Lamo’s attacks precisely, while Lamo’s precognition was equally excellent, always enabling him to dodge Bai Cha’s advances.
Bai Cha, like a feather drifting in the wind, fluttered in and out of the gray-black whirlwinds, as graceful as floating clouds and as agile as a startled dragon, maneuvering between Mapa and Lamo.
By shielding her thoughts, Bai Cha prevented Mapa from gaining any useful information. Bai Cha’s movements were too erratic; even Lamo’s precognition couldn’t completely predict them, leading to a stalemate where the two dragons sustained increasing injuries.
This couldn’t continue!
Mapa and Lamo exchanged glances and abandoned their combat techniques, rapidly closing in on Bai Cha.
Bai Cha, with her vast combat experience, didn’t linger. Her foot pulsed with energy, and she swiftly retreated, but the two dragons clung to her like sticky candy. The blood vessels in the whites of both dragons’ eyes were almost entirely filled, making them look exceptionally ferocious, as if they were about to explode at any moment.
And indeed, they were about to explode. They had gone mad, intending to self-destruct and take Bai Cha with them.
Mutual destruction?
That was, of course, impossible.
Even if Bai Cha, in her current severely injured state, allowed them to detonate, it would at most result in serious injuries, perhaps just exacerbating her existing wounds.
Furthermore, Bai Cha’s speed was incredibly fast. Even if a missile were fired, it might not hit her, let alone the self-detonation skills of these two dragons, which had a preparatory phase. Bai Cha didn’t hesitate at all, leaping forward to meet the two dragons with the wind.
In a split second, Bai Cha flicked her wrist, and the chains whipped out like a whirlwind, striking Mapa and Lamo fiercely. The slender chains emitted a sharp crack, forcing the two dragons to a halt.
Bai Cha quickly retreated, creating distance. She drew a blade and lightly sliced her wrist, allowing a string of blood beads to drift out.