Chapter 198: The people I missed

My head feels a bit dizzy. That’s the first sensation Jiang Sui has upon regaining consciousness.

She slowly opens her eyes and finds her body unable to move. Not only are her limbs restrained, but the surrounding space is also extremely cramped, forcing her to curl up.

There are a few thin slits of light on the “wall” in front of her, and she can faintly hear noises from outside.

“Who would have thought our former boss would have to take action personally.”

“He looks pretty angry. Do you think we can still successfully join the Black Star Cult?”

“If you can’t even handle such a simple task, there’s no way they’d want you.”

The voices sound somewhat familiar. It takes Jiang Sui a moment for her sluggish brain to start working again.

She remembers now… she was attacked.

She thought she was done for, but it turns out she’s just being held as a hostage.

Her hands and feet are tied, her mouth is gagged, and judging by the cramped space, she’s been stuffed into a wardrobe.

Just as she’s sorting out her situation, voices sound from outside again.

“Did the wardrobe just move? She didn’t escape, did she?”

“How is that possible? The boss used a Suppression Mystic Arts Chain to tie her up.”

“Should we check?”

Footsteps approach. The wardrobe door is pulled open, and the outside light instantly floods in, making Jiang Sui squint.

The two people standing outside are none other than the thugs she saw on the rooftop. Seeing them again, the smiles on their faces are particularly arrogant.

One of them has the key to the chain hanging from his waist, swaying slightly with his movements, very conspicuous.

The environment behind them looks like a clothing store—meaning they’re still inside the shopping center.

“See? She’s perfectly fine here,” one of them laughs. “Look at her, like a little kitten. How could she possibly escape?”

The other doesn’t reply immediately, instead leeringly looking Jiang Sui up and down.

“You think, since she can’t use mystic arts now, she’s completely helpless against us?”

“…What do you mean?”

“That Zhang Xuan didn’t say she was that important, right? As long as she’s kept alive, isn’t that enough for a hostage’s purpose?”

“Hmm, you’re right.”

The two exchange a look and smile, their grins growing increasingly disgusting.

Zhang Xuan… is that the mystic arts practitioner who ambushed me?

I didn’t expect to get intel.

But before seeking revenge on him, I must first deal with the immediate predicament.

Hands and feet tied, unable to use mystic arts, unable to call for help, storage bracelet taken, and movement confined to the wardrobe.

On the surface, there seems to be almost no way out.

Just as the two reach out towards her, they notice—Jiang Sui’s hands, held in front of her chest, seem to be clutching something.

The next instant—

A blinding flash of intense light erupts!

“Ah! My eyes!”

The two scream, covering their eyes.

Seizing the chance, Jiang Sui leaps out of the wardrobe, knocking both of them to the ground.

“Damn! Don’t let her get away!”

In their panic, they pull out guns and fire wildly, back-to-back.

After several gunshots, their vision gradually returns.

But the wardrobe is empty.

“Where is she?!”

One of them feels his waist and finds the key is gone, his heart sinking.

The next moment—

A mass of black mist coalesces behind them.

Thud!

Jiang Sui grabs their heads and smashes them together violently.

The two grunt and collapse to the floor.

Their guns are also taken, and then a scythe is pressed against their necks.

“M-Miss, spare us!”

“Tell me everything you know about your supervisor, that Zhang Xuan,” Jiang Sui says coldly.

To save their lives, they both start talking over each other.

Zhang Xuan was once a member of their small mercenary group but left due to a conflict. When he reappeared, he had already joined the Black Star Cult.

It was his recommendation that led this struggling small group to choose to join the cult.

“Is that all?” Jiang Sui asks.

“Y-yes!”

Jiang Sui nods and raises the scythe.

Their faces instantly turn deathly pale.

“You said you’d let us go!”

Jiang Sui tilts her head, showing an innocent smile.

“Did I say that?”

The next second—

A shadow flashes.

The pleas for mercy cut off abruptly, and the faint scent of blood fills the air.

Jiang Sui puts away the scythe and turns to leave.

On the counter are two just-opened drinks and her confiscated storage bracelet.

Ordinary people can’t use this thing, so the items inside are naturally intact.

If they had tied her hands behind her back, she might have really had a hard time escaping.

But they had to put them in front of her chest.

For situations like this, she had long prepared a “little surprise” in her storage bracelet.

“It really came in handy.”

Before leaving, she gently pats her chest, a satisfied smile appearing.

After changing into a gray-white robe, Jiang Sui leaves the clothing store and runs towards the rooftop upstairs.

I wonder how Lu Yunze is doing.

Meanwhile—

Just one floor below, Lu Yunze is running in the opposite direction.

“How come I still can’t find Jiang Sui?”

Just like that, they pass by each other, both thinking about the other.

When Lu Yunze enters that clothing store, the blood on the floor has already begun to congeal.

The air seems to have grown a bit colder.

“Did she do this?”

He frowns.

The wardrobe door is open, and the unlocked chain is discarded nearby.

“If she’s already escaped, where did she go?”

Right then—

A chill runs down his spine from behind.

He whirls around but sees nothing.

The next second, a swarm of bats rushes in from outside, surrounding him completely.

“What the hell?”

One bat lands on his shoulder and bites down, but only bites into hard scales, nearly breaking its own teeth instead.

Lu Yunze punches the ground, the shockwave dispersing the bat swarm.

But soon, they gather again.

At the same time—

A pitch-black figure slowly walks towards him from outside the bat swarm.

Holding a flame sword in one hand and a red-light long blade in the other.

It’s Zhang Xuan.

The bat swarm suddenly parts, creating a gap.

Zhang Xuan seizes the opportunity, stabbing with both weapons simultaneously.

But the next instant—

His expression freezes.

His weapons are caught directly by Lu Yunze’s hands.

“Why can’t I pull them out?!”

Zhang Xuan panics.

Lu Yunze gives a fierce yank, lifting the man off his feet, then hurls him away. Zhang Xuan crashes through the guardrail and plummets from the height down to the first floor.

Lu Yunze follows closely behind, leaping down.

After landing, he scans the surroundings warily but sees no one.

Until—

He steps into the moonlight.

From the shadow on the ground, a grinning face emerges.

A hand reaches out from the shadow, swinging the flame sword to slash at his legs.

Lu Yunze leaps back violently, retreating into the shadows.

“Controlling bats, and able to hide in shadows…”

“It’s almost like a vampire.”

“Correct,” a voice sounds from behind him.

Zhang Xuan appears behind him, grabbing his shoulder.

“Let me tell you something else. I don’t just hide in people’s shadows—any shadow is my medium.”

As soon as he finishes speaking, he opens his mouth and bites towards Lu Yunze’s neck.

Crack—

The next second, he lets out a scream.

His teeth break.

Lu Yunze drives an elbow into his abdomen, then executes a shoulder throw, slamming him hard onto the ground.

“What kind of skin is this? So hard!” Zhang Xuan’s mouth is full of blood.

“None of your business,” Lu Yunze sneers.

Zhang Xuan grins viciously. “After I finish you off, I’ll go drain that little girl dry.”

“What?”

Lu Yunze’s eyes instantly turn cold.

“That little girl you mentioned… is she the one with Lü Ziyi?”

“So what if she is?”

The air freezes solid for a moment.

Lu Yunze slowly raises his head, a ferocious light blazing in his eyes.