“Hmm.”
That’s the only hopeful thought.
After all, they didn’t know that woman’s background.
“Are you going to do this strategy together? What’s your main task?” Kang Jie asked.
Bai Xiaozhi glanced at her task list.
[Strategy Goal: Find the Thunder Envoy and assist him in his mission.]
“Find the Thunder Envoy? I don’t understand what that means.”
“Looks like ours is the same. What about Ah Lei?”
[Find the Thunder Envoy and assist him in his mission] as well. Jifeng’s members all have the same task.
“Wait… look closely at the task list! Closely! Zoom in! Look again!”
Kang Jie widened his eyes.
Realizing that staring didn’t help, they squinted instead.
“When, you, encounter, difficulties…” Ah Lei struggled to read the small text, “you, can, seek, help, at, the, local, Witch’s, Shop…”
“What does that mean?”
“Obviously, the Witch’s Shop holds the clues we want.” Han Nuo, bandaged around the head, spoke coldly.
“Is your sister dead or what?” Ah Lei laughed at Han Nuo’s wrapped head, “I thought you guys on the Arche lost your leader at Jingye.”
“Heh heh, thank, to, Bi An, leader, Bai, Xiaozhi, for, mercy.”
Those words were full of gritted teeth.
That night, after Bai Xiaozhi sized them up, she left them in the woods to fend for themselves.
Luckily, the team noticed the hot air balloon flying the wrong way and rushed back to rescue their leader.
Otherwise, the Arche might have gotten a new leader.
For the next few days, knowing she had abandoned Xinhua and others before the battle, becoming a national enemy, Han Nuo kept a low profile.
Until today, all Mangu Mountains strategists were teleported to Feisi City, forcing a reunion.
“No thanks needed.” Bai Xiaozhi responded coldly.
She had resumed her indifferent iceberg persona.
“Han Nuo, Han Nuo, finally caught you.”
Members of Xinhua and Jifeng surrounded Han Nuo with hostile expressions.
Seeing the situation turn sour, and the crowd restless, Han Nuo hurriedly pushed up his glasses.
“Do you know what the ‘Thunder Envoy’ is? You don’t, but I do.”
“What do you know?”
“The Thunder Envoy belongs to the Thunder Assassin’s Guild—assassins under their command. They’re elusive, masters of disguise and concealment, and hard to track.”
“What are you implying?”
“I’m saying we’ve been gathering intelligence in the room these days. I have plenty of useful info. I can help you complete this strategy.”
Oh, so you’re just scared of getting beaten up.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Han Nuo didn’t blush. “As for the Witch’s Shop, that’s just a legend.”
“What legend?”
“The legend says, scattered throughout the world are seven Witch Shops, each run by one of the Six Great Sin Witches.”
“The Witches’ appearance times and locations are uncertain. If you’re lucky to meet one, you can trade with her. And she can grant any wish—for a high enough price.”
“Any wish?” Ah Lei’s eyes sparkled. “Then I want a girlfriend who looks like Bird Xiaomi, with at least ten tentacles, soft and slippery, about 1.5 meters tall, voice just like Xiaomi’s, plus a sickly, lewd personality… I’d trade my soul for that!”
“You clearly overestimate the value of your soul.” Han Nuo dealt a harsh blow.
Ah Lei thought it over and nodded. “True.”
Since the Witches couldn’t grant his wish, Ah Lei decided to solve it himself.
“This is a coastal city! Which means… which means…”
Jifeng members rubbed their hands in anticipation.
Finally, they said in unison:
“Octopus brothel!!!”
“Octopus my foot!” Kang Jie mercilessly grabbed Ah Lei’s ear. “Focus on the strategy now. If you want to relax, wait until after. Our cyberpunk construction plan isn’t settled yet—finish the plan first!”
“Damn you, Kang Jie! That’s biting the hand that feeds!”
……
Xiao Luobo lay atop Wu Xiaomi’s head, hugging a little carrot as thick as a pinky, crunching away happily.
Intelligent creatures always adapt quickly.
She had grown accustomed to life in the cramped space, immersed daily in her own world, indifferent to the outside.
She even turned Wu Xiaomi’s hair into her own little pasture, attempting to grow bean sprouts.
Unfortunately, one morning Wu Xiaomi noticed two leaves sprouting on her head and mercilessly pulled them out.
She also sternly warned Xiao Luobo not to stick strange things into her hair anymore.
“Hm, it’s okay, barely recognizable.” Xiao Luobo glanced at the girl’s writing.
Since arriving at the Witch’s Courtyard, Xiao Luobo couldn’t laze about anymore.
She had gained a task.
To accompany the sickly girl in rehabilitation exercises.
Wu Xiaomi couldn’t see yet, and speaking was difficult, so she practiced blind writing.
At arrival, all strategists automatically learned the Nerrifa World’s script, so writing wasn’t hard.
Just the aesthetics were… questionable.
“I think you can start work now.” Xiao Luobo irresponsibly remarked, “Though it might challenge customers’ reading skills, it should be fine.”
Really?
Too bad Wu Xiaomi couldn’t see it herself.
“How’s your practice going?”
The Witch entered the girl’s little domain.
“I think it’s fine.” Xiao Luobo stood tall, holding up a sheet of paper in front of the girl.
“Hmm…”
The Witch took the paper to check.
In that moment, Wu Xiaomi pulled out another sheet and wrote a line.
【Xiao Dong, what happened to your wooden sheep?】
“She looks good. The Mangu Mountains incident ended, entering the second phase of strategy, and she and your friends came to Feisi City.”
They came too?
Oh, so the fourth main strategy has begun?
Too bad my eyesight hasn’t recovered—can’t see the objectives.
This world is really unfriendly to the blind!
[What about Mangu now…]
“Mangu just surfaced. It was beaten hard before recovering. Luckily, otherwise, the mere Siren Dance wouldn’t be enough.”
Mere…
Sequence 78 is just “mere” to this guy?
“You seriously injured it. It has to lie low for a while, no strength to show up.”
That’s good.
Otherwise, those two otaku witches locked up in the Shrine watching videos all day wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“Knock knock knock—”
Someone knocked.
Wu Xiaomi perked her ears.
The knock came from the street-facing side.
“Business is coming, Xiaomi, you handle reception.”
Huh? Me?
This is too fast; I don’t know anything yet.
Before she could refuse by writing, vines wrapped around her waist, dragging her to the front hall.
Opening the door.
“Bang—”
The door was slammed open heavily.
Luckily, the vines pulled her away in time; otherwise, she’d have been knocked hard by the door panel.
“Close the door! Quick!”
Bird Xiaomi couldn’t see, but judging from the tone, she knew this business would be difficult for a beginner.
From breath and voice, the visitor was a strong man.
She gently closed the door, activated Spirit Hunting Instinct, and carefully sensed the man’s movements.
[What would you like to order?] She groped for pen and paper on the counter and wrote.
“Soldiers will come to ask soon! Don’t say I came! I have to hide… Where can I hide someone? Tell me quickly, where can I hide someone?!”
Okay, clearly not a customer.
Hm? Wait…
Think!
【1 What can you offer me?】
“Money! All the money I have! I have seven hundred Oren!”
Seven hundred?
Hmm…
That seems like a lot…
“Idiot! Can’t you smell all the blood?!” Xiao Luobo jumped into Wu Xiaomi’s ear and shouted, “Covered in blood, this guy’s in big trouble, and he’s rushing to close the door! Someone’s chasing him, get it?”
“He’s buying not a place to stay but his life! And yours! The Witch said you’re a silly chive, and you really are… If you let him stay, you’ll be the one in trouble!”
Oh…
Caught in the act, the man stopped pretending and drew his sword.
The blade pressed harshly against Wu Xiaomi’s throat.
“If you don’t want to die, shut up! When the pursuers come, say you saw nothing! Got it? If you don’t listen, I’ll kill you! My warning arrow will always point to your heart!”
Well, this guest has a bit of a temper.
[Then…]
Before Wu Xiaomi finished writing,
“Get out!”
The Witch’s tone was ruthless.
“?!”
The man hadn’t even seen the Witch’s face before vines yanked him away violently.
The door opened, and he flew outside, crashing onto the street.
“This shop does not serve rude customers.”
The Witch’s tone remained lazy but grew colder and more forbidding.
She seemed… angry?
“Bird Xiaomi, remember: who you do business with is your choice. Don’t bow to rude guests.”
Oh…
I approve!
“You guys?!”
The man’s eyes burned with fury, but his little flames couldn’t touch Bird Xiaomi now.
A group of soldiers swarmed in.
Surrounding the man.
“Take your time, no see off~” Xiao Luobo waved mischievously.
“……”
The door closed, and the man was mercilessly handcuffed and taken away.
“Xiao Luobo, watch that silly chive closely. Don’t let anyone else cut her again.”
“Yes, Scythe Miss.”
“Next time a guest comes, only negotiate through the display window. Don’t let their dirty feet step inside.”
“Yes, Scythe Miss.”
The Witch snapped her fingers; broom and mop moved by themselves, starting to clean the floor.
“What sequence is this? I kind of want to try it…”
“You should rest first.”
The Witch shook her head but caught sight of Wu Xiaomi smiling foolishly.
“What are you laughing at?”
Wu Xiaomi wrote quickly.
[Miss Witch, surprisingly a good person!]
“…Shout.”
[Shoot! Shoot!]
“Not yet.”
?
“Don’t neglect your studies. Xiao Luobo, starting today, you teach her the Sequence of Spells.”
“Ah? She’s like this and you still want to teach?”
“Within half a month, teach her all 81-100 Spell Sequences.”
“Just kill me now.”
“Fine.”
“No no no! I’ll teach! I’ll teach!”
Xiao Luobo raised her hands in surrender.
She firmly believed the Witch would do what she said.
But teaching a blind girl twenty sequences in half a month?
That was an impossible task!
“She has Spirit Hunting Instinct; you can let her directly sense the Sequence circuits.”
“All right, I’ll try.”
Xiao Luobo resignedly climbed onto the girl’s shoulder.
“Then let’s start from Sequence 100…”