Chapter 21 Precarious days (2)
I immediately left my spot, but my shoulder was still scraped.
I clutched my shoulder and ran forward, enduring the pain. Zihua’s next shot hit the ground nearby, powerful enough to kick up dust and sand.
Although the grit stinging my back hurt, the dust served as a useful smoke screen for my escape.
I seized the opportunity to slip under the slide, crossed the seesaw, and dove into the bushes.
I immediately went into a prone position, but this time I couldn’t just run blindly anymore.
Blending into the crowd was the best approach.
Next, I needed to escape to a place without surveillance cameras, like an alleyway, so Zihua couldn’t track my movements.
After leaving the crowd, I squeezed into a narrow alley between buildings and crouched behind an old utility pole, hiding myself.
I miscalculated. She ‘used to be’ Lanhua as well. Because she maintained constant surveillance on Juncheng, surveillance cameras were spread throughout the city.
The previous two times, they recorded the direction I chose, perhaps for deduction?
If that’s the case, I can’t go to the places I’ve been before.
Damn it. In the end, my speed is limited, and I can’t escape too far. Taking a taxi is also pointless; Zihua would undoubtedly know the taxi’s direction.
There’s no absolutely safe place anymore.
Am I destined to run around here and there, covering my head?
Seeking help from others… is no longer a possibility.
Although I truly didn’t know the truth before, looking at the results, I did deceive Yu Hui and Xue Qing. I have no face to ask for their help again.
…Or, I could continue deceiving them.
As long as I don’t tell them the truth, they won’t know that I’m the one who knows the locations of Yata no Kagami and Juncheng. Zihua would then become the obstacle to Juncheng’s revival in their eyes.
But if this method fails even once, and Zihua gets the upper hand, I will become completely isolated and helpless.
What choice should I make…
“To deceive them once more…”
My previous actions were unintentional, so I didn’t feel much guilt. But this time, knowing everything, can I really… deceive them again?
I’m still too influenced by Juncheng.
What are you still hesitating about, Zi’ai An?
You are not Juncheng An. You don’t have to be as upright and honest as he was.
As long as the goal can be achieved, whether it’s deception, fraud, or lies, use them all.
With that thought, I decided to call Lily.
I already had a reason and lines prepared: asking her to help block Zihua would surely cause Zihua a lot of trouble. It would be the best outcome if she could wear Zihua down to the point where she couldn’t use time backtrack anymore.
I took out my phone from my pocket, only to find it had 2% battery left.
I hadn’t charged my phone fully when I left the supermarket this morning. It’s almost noon now, so a low battery is normal.
With so little battery, I can’t explain the situation clearly. It seems I’ll have to last until the next reincarnation…
Suddenly, a chill went down my neck. The water had morphed into tentacles and wrapped around my neck!
Terrible…
How could I have been so foolish as to think Zihua could only conjure water bullets… This liquid can change its form arbitrarily!
And this liquid rope can’t be cut… What should I do!
The water tentacle around my neck slowly tightened its grip, dragging me outwards. I tightly gripped the utility pole with one hand.
I need to cut it… Find something to cut this water flow!
Zihua’s manipulated water can only be in one mass; otherwise, she would have used scattered shots instead of firing them one by one…
So, if I can cut this part, I can escape!
“Ugh, aaaaah…”
This… electric current.
My neck felt like it was being pricked by countless needles, with a distinct burning pain. My entire body felt like it had taken a blunt blow, almost causing me to faint.
The areas where I had been shot and scraped before emitted a burning smell. For a moment, I felt like I was about to die.
My heart felt heavy, my chest tight, my mind racing, as if being gripped tightly by something. I couldn’t even breathe…
Water and electricity… You’ve really gone all out, Zihua…
…Where did you get that…
The power… is just enough not to kill me?
I cried out in pain. And… although it’s embarrassing to say, it feels a bit wet down there… I’m about to wet myself.
This is simply terrible…
…That’s right!
A flash of inspiration struck me. Just as I was about to lose control, I struggled out of my sweatpants and underwear, lifted my legs, and assumed an M-position. My urine began to flow uncontrollably…
Urinating next to a utility pole like this… I felt like a…
Fortunately, this alley was remote, and there was no one around. Still, I was so ashamed I wanted to die.
But as long as ‘that’ didn’t get wet, it was fine.
I tore off a sanitary pad from my underwear and used the absorbent part to wrap around the two finger-thick water tentacles…
Then I squeezed hard!
Great! It worked! The water flow was severed!
The tentacle wrapped around my neck turned back into ordinary water and flowed down my neck into my collar. The cold sensation brought me back to clarity.
I took several deep breaths. I didn’t even have time to pull up my pants before I scrambled away from the utility pole.
The severed water tentacles didn’t follow, probably due to a range limit or lack of water.
Regardless, now is a good time to escape!
I didn’t bother to wipe myself. I pulled up my underwear and sweatpants and started running again.
My body still felt slightly numb, so I could only run slowly, supporting myself against the wall.
Huff… huff… That was a close call.
I never expected Zihua to be able to control water so freely, and she can surely perform more intricate manipulations.
The water bullets she fired at me initially were about the size of bullets. But the one in the park was the size of a fist. I don’t know her limits… If she wanted to, she could probably create things like water hammers?
This means Zihua was still holding back.
She had my whereabouts, and could have pursued me relentlessly. But now, she’s just approaching me at her own pace, trying to wear down my spiritual power, hoping I’ll break first and reveal the location of Yata no Kagami.
I can foresee that her attacks will become more intense. It started with mere scrapes and a few bullet hits, and now she’s using hanging and electrocution. It will only get more terrifying…
I need to prepare for death. A terrible death.
I remember those days adrift at sea during a storm… I must have felt like I was going to die several times.
And I will surely experience near-death situations multiple times from now on…
It’s still frightening.
…I can never mentally prepare myself for something like this. If I die… Ah,
I can only convince myself… In the end, I’m just a mental copy of Yata no Kagami.
But this body is borrowed. If I die, the owner of this body will be very troubled, won’t she? I’m sorry, but right now…
No, now is not the time to worry about that. I don’t know whose body this is.
I can only make a sacrifice.
Of course, I’m not saying I’ll give up struggling and accept death!
Hold on, keep fighting for survival!
This is a war of attrition… The one who breaks first loses!
