Chapter 721 Eve of the Play (3k)
The long-haired youth stared ferociously at the charging black shadow. His avatar belonged to the Dark Erosion attribute, so defense and flexible changes were his specialties.
The opponent’s offensive was bound to be futile.
“Dark Vine!”
As Su Jiu was about to enter his ten-meter radius, the long-haired youth finally made a move. His eyes bulged, and he stomped his feet on the ground. His body, like the toad stance in kung fu, his belly expanded and contracted as if drawing in poison.
In an instant, two tentacles behind him, carrying dark liquid, directly met the charging black figure.
The moment they collided, Su Jiu naturally swung the loquat branch in his hand horizontally. His steps did not stop at all, directly cutting the tentacles in half. His hair blew into a straight line as he swung his sword at the long-haired man.
“Such a powerful sword, my avatar was cut in half—Dark Poison!”
The speed of the sword edge made the long-haired man’s pupils shrink. However, venom welled up in his mouth, and he sprayed it out without daring to hesitate further!
His heart frantically generated the thought of running away, but exposing his back to the opponent now would inevitably lead to defeat.
“Clang! Clang!”
The young girl simply smiled casually, her arm waving like sword shadows. With clanging sounds and some minor dark liquid splashing, the attack completely dissipated without even hindering Su Jiu’s attack.
After blocking the venom, Su Jiu had already reached the side of the long-haired youth. He raised his eyes slightly, cast a faint glance, and swung his arm. The loquat branch carried a fierce aura and slashed horizontally forward, the aura lifting the youth’s long hair…
He could almost see the fear in the youth’s eyes. Perhaps it was the proximity of death, he reacted extremely quickly, the loquat branch reflected in his eyes:
“A weapon like a branch, you… you are the Black-Red Level Fugitive—[Jiu].”
The sword energy was very fast, giving the opponent no room for explanation. The air blade carried by the loquat branch directly severed his head, and black blood splattered everywhere.
“Someone’s dead!!”
The onlookers were all so scared they couldn’t speak when they saw this scene. The crowd began to surge outwards. They didn’t understand what a fugitive was; they only knew that a fight had broken out here, and there had been casualties…
Shaking the blood off the loquat branch, Su Jiu looked at the headless corpse in front of him, then glanced at the sky, which had already entered the evening. He then took out his phone and sent a message to Captain Li Xiao:
[Me: The cultist has been executed.]
“Classmate Su Jiu, you’re actually a Black-Red Level Fugitive?”
A white handkerchief embroidered with irises was handed from behind. Zi Yi’s voice carried a hint of surprise. It was clear that what the cultist had just said had made the normally composed young lady, who was hiding her identity, surprised for once.
“What?”
Taking the handkerchief, Su Jiu wiped the black blood splashed on his sleeve, tilted his head, and asked curiously:
“Are Black-Red Level fugitives of the Ancient God Sect very rare?”
She remembered that Ren was also on the wanted list by the Ancient God Sect, and his level was quite high. She just didn’t know how the Black-Red Level compared to him.
“There are five levels on the Ancient God Sect’s assassination list, corresponding to Yellow, Orange, Black, Black-Red, and Red. To be on the list, you must at least kill several Bishop-level cultists. Orange means killing several Black-clad Bishops, and Black means killing a Ferryman or a Palace Dark Guard…”
Zi Yi came to Su Jiu’s front, her mouth slightly open. Her eyes fell on the blood on Su Jiu’s cheek, then she grabbed his sleeve and reached towards it, wiping it gently, her movements very light:
“And reaching Black-Red means you must have participated in the encirclement and suppression of a Cardinal in Red, and that Cardinal was also dismembered.”
Being treated so gently made Su Jiu a bit unaccustomed. He couldn’t help but think of Bairnis, but the feeling she gave him was not the relationship of a maid to her young lady.
Looking at the young girl in front of him, Su Jiu couldn’t understand. What kind of feeling did he have for her?
Friend or classmate?
Or perhaps…
Partner.
“Are you scared? Don’t worry…”
The girl in front smiled and asked, reaching out to pat Su Jiu’s head. Although not tall, she was gentle like an older sister, and said softly, “As long as it’s within Dragon Country, the Ancient God Sect wouldn’t dare to be too arrogant.”
“Mmm.”
Feeling Zi Yi’s head pat, Su Jiu felt inexplicably ashamed. Her strength was not as good as his, and psychologically she should be younger than him, yet she was patting his head in such a manner…
Why did it feel like a loli mom?
“Misses…”
Just as Su Jiu lowered his head, trying to avoid eye contact with Zi Yi, a clear voice sounded behind them, accompanied by a few footsteps.
“Is there something you need?”
Su Jiu quickly ducked, avoiding her head pat, and then turned to look. He saw the old woman who had previously told him the password “White Dove” walking towards them.
The latter had a benevolent smile on her face, as if she was about to say something.
After Su Jiu moved aside, Zi Yi saw the old woman behind him. The expression on her small face changed slightly, but she quickly restored it to its original state, her eyes carrying a hint of coldness.
“I have two front-row tickets to the theater, which I managed to get by asking someone. They’re very valuable.”
Her emerald green eyes took in Zi Yi’s reaction. The old woman smiled, and despite the wrinkles, they couldn’t erase her youthful elegance. She simply took out two black tickets from her small waist bag and handed them to Su Jiu, smiling lightly:
“Around tomorrow evening, the show will start early. Don’t miss it, you two.”
“Show? Is it that troupe…”
Subconsciously taking the ticket, Su Jiu couldn’t understand the old woman, who called herself “White Dove,” and was even a bit confused why she was inviting him and Zi Yi.
“You must come no matter what. This performance will be very interesting. Knights, witches, princesses, and…”
The old woman smiled slightly at the front, but looked directly at Su Jiu, or rather at the cold-faced Zi Yi behind him, and said eloquently: “Phantom Thief.”
Her clear voice was a little old, but her enunciation was exceptionally clear: “When night falls, the Knight will ascend the stage in an elegant tuxedo, and the Phantom Thief will have stolen the Princess’s dance skirt. Amidst the fireworks, they will replace the Princess to escape the Witch’s shackles. Under the siege of the Witch’s accomplices, the Phantom Thief will be in grave danger…”
“What will the Knight, who is hidden in the dark night, choose?”
“Heh heh, alright, that’s all the spoilers. If you want to watch the performance, come to the theater.”
Saying that, the old woman suddenly stopped, chuckled, waved her hand, and walked into the distance, her figure quickly disappearing under the streetlights of the evening.
“This is exactly what she said the first time I met Miss White Dove. If I’m not mistaken, the Princess is the Elf, and the Witch is the Mayor’s Daughter, someone who uses blood for alchemy. The Phantom Thief is that Young Lady Weir, and the Knight…”
Her mind was constantly pondering what the other party had just said. Su Jiu thought for a while but couldn’t find the so-called Knight. A rather absurd thought suddenly occurred to him…
Couldn’t the Knight be himself, as a Night Watcher?
Su Jiu turned to look at Zi Yi, who had a crooked mouth and looked unhappy. She blinked and then asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Shaking her head, Zi Yi seemed to disagree with what the old woman had said. She took out a promotional flyer for the troupe and looked at Su Jiu, her gray eyes revealing a hint of seriousness:
“This old woman is talking nonsense. There is no Knight in this play. The Phantom Thief will cleverly escape after rescuing the Princess. The Knight will not intervene, nor will he face a choice…”
But the fluctuations in her eyes betrayed her nervousness. The old woman’s words made her feel anxious.
“It’s just a theater, Classmate Zi Yi, you’re being too serious.”
Looking at the girl in front of him, Su Jiu said with a hint of helplessness, but in his heart, he had already noted this strange aspect of her. In fact, when he first interacted with this “Zi Yi,” he already had a suspicion…
“Hoo…”
Zi Yi pursed her lips, took a deep breath, turned to look at the clear, cloudless night sky, then closed her eyes and grabbed the ticket in Su Jiu’s hand. As if making a decision, she tore it to shreds and said faintly:
“Classmate Su Jiu, let’s not go to any theater. We’ll just stay in the hotel tomorrow.”
With that, she pulled Su Jiu’s sleeve, not caring about their relationship, and walked directly towards the hotel, her eyes showing a hint of solemnity in the night.
…
On the tall tower, a white shadow seemed to flash.
The old woman reappeared, this time with a skeleton man in a black trench coat beside her. The skeleton man bowed respectfully to her, and his hoarse voice suddenly sounded:
“As someone with the Elizabeth Bloodline, you would also involve yourself in such matters?”
“After all, this girl is my grandniece. I was originally just cleaning up after her, but I discovered something interesting.”
Holding a blue iris, the old woman plucked its petals, a smile on her face. Her wrinkles gradually faded, finally revealing a beautiful and charming face.
Her red lips parted, carrying an inexplicably noble temperament. If she were wearing a qipao, she would have captivated many.
The skeleton man was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile: “Interesting matters, you mean being invited by the Mayor’s Daughter, and suddenly three Mid-War God level powerhouses entering the city? Although the leader is a bit stronger than the Young Lady, with you here…”
“No, I don’t plan to act directly now.”
Tying up her off-white hair behind her, the woman smiled and shook her head. Her gaze looked towards the distant theater, and she said in a playful tone:
“Since the Watchers can fulfill their hundreds-year-old promise to the Longevity Species, shouldn’t [Night] also fulfill her promise to the Watchers?”
The skeleton man’s eyes flickered with fire, but he seemed a bit helpless: “That [Night]’s strength is not enough to help the Young Lady. Her displayed strength is only Intermediate Battle King. Even if [Night]’s strength is generally much stronger, this is not something she can interfere with…”
“Since Miss Su can be a Black-Red Level wanted person by the Ancient God Sect, she is naturally not as simple as you think.”
Glancing at the skeleton, the woman’s red lips parted. The iris in her hand had already been peeled clean, and her figure turned into a piece of ice crystal, scattering in place, leaving only the skeleton man standing there quietly.
“Don’t get involved in this. Your power is the last line of defense against The Others. Just watch the theater performance quietly…”
Her voice became increasingly ethereal until it was completely inaudible.
“The Knight no longer dances with the Princess but looks at the Phantom Thief trapped in danger. An interesting play…”
