Chapter 47: Decapitation, Cycle
Xue Qing actually walked out right there, with nowhere to hide!
She could see those guys, yet she still walked out so openly!
“Heavens, what is she doing! I’m going to die of anxiety.” My hand pressed against the glass, wanting to call out to Xue Qing, but Yuhui Bai immediately reacted and covered my mouth with her hand.
“You promised me you absolutely wouldn’t go outside.”
“–”
But! Xue Qing!
“I understand how you feel, but even if you went out, what could you do to help her? Please calm down and think for a moment.”
This time, Yuhui Bai didn’t tie me up forcefully. Instead, she gave me a reason that could convince me.
The impulse within me subsided after listening to her words, and I suppressed my anxious feelings, calmly thinking as she suggested.
Indeed, even if I rushed out now, at most I’d be a mere nuisance… and a one-time nuisance at that.
And Xue Qing would definitely not want me to take a blow for her. In fact, she might not be able to fight effectively because she’d be worried about me. The possibility of that happening was even greater.
“If you were targeted by those murderers, wouldn’t that just be a burden to her?”
Yuhui Bai’s thoughts were exactly the same as mine.
“You’re… right…”
I had to admit that if I rushed out recklessly, I likely wouldn’t be of much help and would instead cause trouble for Xue Qing.
I know my own limitations very well… When facing murderers, I’m as weak as a piece of paper, easily torn to shreds.
Furthermore, if I were captured and taken hostage, it would pretty much be game over.
But, am I just supposed to watch from here?
“…Don’t rush. Let’s try to understand the situation outside first.”
“Alright, I won’t go out, but is there any way we can hear what they’re saying?”
“That’s no problem. I can cast the spell of Clairaudience for you. And Clairvoyance too… There.”
Yuhui Bai touched my ears and wiped my eyes, and then I felt the sound of rain intensify, and I could also hear their voices. At the same time, my vision could zoom in and out at will, allowing me to observe their movements up close.
Wow, that’s amazing!
“Oh? Before we even came looking for you, you’ve already shown up yourself? How friendly~ Don’t you think so, Bone-Removing?”
Judging by that frivolous voice, it must be that Skinning Murderer.
“Mwahahaha~ She’s an even cuter little girl than I imagined~ Uncle Clown likes little girls~ Little girl, why are you standing on tiptoes~”
The Clown let out a shrill laugh, but his smiling face was incredibly ferocious, more like a devil’s.
Why did their titles display those colors?
Black (malice), red (killing intent), purple (greed), all mixed together, like some kind of viscous liquid, emitting…
Just looking at it made me feel sick, and a wave of nausea washed over me, causing me to dry heave twice.
And these colors were ‘normal’ for them… Even people with mental illnesses would be more stable than these guys.
“Murderers, what exactly are… They’ve completely abandoned humanity…”
I didn’t intend to ask that question, but it just slipped out of my mouth, and Yuhui Bai answered.
“Murderers are humans possessed by ghosts who have fallen into the path of killing. They gain the power of ghosts at the cost of their bodies and souls. Murderers have to work for their ’employers’, which are the ghosts possessing them, killing people within a certain time to feed the ghosts, otherwise, they themselves will be eaten.”
“So that’s how it is… So, the time they mentioned just now refers to this deadline…”
“So this time, their target is Xue Qing. Killing Xue Qing will earn them a lot of time, is that what it means…?”
In other words, murderers are essentially proxies for these ghosts.
“Wait, if that’s the case, won’t other murderers keep being born if the ghosts aren’t caught or killed?”
If you think about it that way, aren’t these ghosts possessing humans the real culprits!
“That’s right. However, there are very few humans who can be possessed by ghosts. Only those with heavy killing intent have the potential to be possessed. Not just any murderer can do it, after all, there are very few people who can act as if nothing happened after killing someone…”
“You mean, only those who can kill and then act as if nothing happened are qualified to be possessed?”
“That’s true, there are very few… After all, most people feel unease, anxiety, fear, and regret after killing someone. Very few people can kill with a clear conscience.”
“Then Xue Qing…”
“Just as I thought, can she remain expressionless when she kills too?”
“Yes, Jiang Xue Qing is also one of them.”
“As expected…”
“Then the ghost possessing Xue Qing is likely the Ghoul Kaoru Tsukiyose, which is why Xue Qing’s saliva has healing properties.”
Unexpectedly, Yuhui Bai looked at me in shock when I said “as expected” and asked.
“You knew long ago that Jiang Xue Qing was possessed by a ghost! Then why did you still…”
“Why did I still approach her, is that it?”
I turned back and looked at Yuhui Bai calmly, interrupting her and asking.
Yuhui Bai was stunned for a moment, perhaps not expecting me to be so composed, but she quickly recovered and nodded, answering.
“…Yes. Since you know about this, you should also be very clear about how dangerous Jiang Xue Qing is…”
“She’s my friend.”
“That one reason is enough.”
It was even more than enough.
Xue Qing stopped in her tracks, looking at the four murderers one by one, her face expressionless. The murderers did not act rashly either, all observing Xue Qing intently. Perhaps they were wondering what courage allowed this little girl to walk out so brazenly.
After all, one against four is too disadvantageous.
“Can’t you go and help her?”
“The beans and talismans I threw out earlier have been infused with the true energy I’ve cultivated these past few days. I don’t have much left, and to be safe, I can’t use it all.”
“Ugh…”
Yuhui Bai not only saved me but also entered such a dangerous place to protect me. I shouldn’t ask for anything more…
I unconsciously clenched my fist, and regret surged in my heart once again.
If only I had power…
“Besides, I don’t think you need to worry too much… Jiang Xue Qing is fundamentally different from them.”
“Fundamentally different? How so?”
“Well then…”
At that moment, the stalemate outside was finally broken.
Xue Qing started walking again, completely ignoring the murderers blocking her path, intending to walk right past them.
Mata, the Skinning Murderer, raised an eyebrow. He reached out to grab Xue Qing’s shoulder and said,
“I say, little girl, don’t ignore us? You’d better keep heading…”
Mata’s hand did not touch Xue Qing.
Because it fell off midway.
His entire hand then dropped to the ground with a thud, spurting blood. Xue Qing, with perfect timing, held her umbrella horizontally beside her, not a single drop of blood splashing on her.
“Aaaah! My hand! What in the world is happening!”
Mata, clutching his bleeding wrist, cried out in shock, completely unaware of what had happened. Edward next to him narrowed his eyes, as if understanding something, and muttered to himself.
“So that’s why she can continuously slaughter us…”
Xue Qing took a few more steps forward, turned to face the murderers and me, put away her umbrella, and removed her hood.
Her hair had turned white, and her pupils emitted a crimson glow.
“…You’re annoying.”
Because of the distance, I couldn’t see Xue Qing’s expression clearly, but for some reason, I could sense her mood changing.
She’s really impatient right now!
“Mwahahaha! How about Uncle Clown plays with you this time, little girl!”
Xue Qing shook the rain off her folded umbrella and began to tidy it.
Hey, hey, she still has time for that now! Isn’t she afraid of being attacked!
As expected, those despicable murderers wouldn’t miss this opportunity. The Clown had already thrown a shuriken, and Mata, having lost a hand, furiously drew his skinning knife and charged at Xue Qing.
However… they couldn’t touch her at all!
She dodged all of them!
Not to mention the shuriken, even Mata’s attacks from tricky angles were dodged!
If you look closely, you can see that Xue Qing’s clothes aren’t even wet! Although the rain had lessened to a drizzle, it was too exaggerated to not get wet without an umbrella!
As I was astonished, Yuhui Bai also said.
“You see, that’s what’s special about Jiang Xue Qing. She isn’t passively ‘possessed’ by a ghost. Her relationship with the ghost isn’t one of master and servant, nor is it a hierarchical relationship. It’s a cooperative relationship, which can be called a ‘Possession’ state.”
“Possession?”
“The ghost splits half of its soul and stores it within the host. This is the state of Possession. With the help of the ghost’s soul, one can transform into a half-ghost form like that. Ordinary possession merely involves a contract, and the power that can be shared is limited. Therefore, the state of Possession is far stronger than ordinary possession. So, I don’t think you need to worry too much.”
“Kaoru Tsukiyose gave half of her soul to Xue Qing…”
Suddenly, I remembered the scene Kaoru Tsukiyose showed me of two lolis kissing nakedly… It wasn’t just Kaoru Tsukiyose healing Xue Qing’s throat with her saliva.
Was she also storing half of her soul in Xue Qing’s body!
Xue Qing, after closing her umbrella, said calmly.
“Quick fight, quick end.”
She skillfully drew her knife from the sheath tied to her thigh, twirled it in her hand, then held the hilt with her reverse grip, with the blade pointing backward.
“I’m going in.”
She declared her attack expressionlessly.
But her target was not Mata, the Skinning Murderer beside her, but John Gacy, the Hanging Murderer who had just thrown a shuriken at her!
The Clown didn’t expect to be targeted and was stunned for a moment before reacting, quickly taking out a rope and throwing it forward!
The rope wrapped around Xue Qing’s neck, but before it could tighten, it was cut into several pieces. It also severed a few fingers on the hand that threw the rope.
The Clown could no longer maintain his smiling face. He let out a strange cry and jumped back, trying to escape.
But Xue Qing had already thrust her knife forward.
“As a… Clown.”
She directly stabbed it into his mouth, then slashed to the left!
His mouth was cut open to the base of his right ear, exposing jagged teeth to the air. His head and gums were mashed. The short sword then cut across the Clown’s left cheek, but this time it didn’t stop at the ear. Instead, it circled his body rapidly, the blade continuing to slice horizontally…
The connection between his upper and lower jaw was severed. Half of his skull, no longer supported, slid to the ground with a thud.
The title disappeared, the head fell, Clown [Hanging Murderer] [John Gacy], confirmed deceased.
Blood spurted, skirt lifted: entered constriction 5
“Next.”
