Chapter 197: Chapter Sixty-Nine: White Wolf

In the Donghua State of the Material Realm, people are accustomed to treating the turn of the year as a special festival.

Whenever the New Year approaches, no matter whether people have been busy with work or study beforehand, they always stop for a few days to spend the holiday with their families.

Precisely because of this, as December draws to a close and Fang Ting City is blanketed in ice and snow, both schools and various workplaces will welcome a holiday lasting several days.

"A holiday?"

However, not everyone is happy to accept a holiday; at least for Yian, this is hardly good news: "What do you mean? Does that mean I won't work for the next few days and won't get paid either?"

"Yes, you have to go home for the New Year, after all."

A middle-aged man wearing construction gear and a hard hat on his head let out a sigh, the water vapor slowly rising in the cold air: "I know you like working, but it's this time of year; you should go home and keep your family company—parents, boyfriends, and so on."

"I know I should go home for the New Year... but is it really necessary to have a holiday?"

Scratching his head with a bit of distress, Yian said with a gloomy face: "To be honest, I really need money urgently."

"That can't be helped; the instruments need to be sent back to the company for maintenance, and the rental period for the construction vehicles doesn't include holidays... even if you really want to work, you can't do it alone, right?"

The middle-aged man waved his hand, signaling Yian to leave: "Alright, if there's nothing else, clean up the site and get out; we're leaving soon too."

Even if she wanted to say more, there was no chance; Yian was thus driven away by the middle-aged man.

Looking at the sparsely populated construction site not far away, she glanced at her dust-covered construction gear, then at her pitch-black white gloves, and finally leaned weakly against the wall, sighing helplessly.

"Sigh, making money, making money; it's truly difficult in this era."

— "Who told you, you Bai Chi, to spend all the money the Anomaly Strategy Bureau gave you on lottery tickets and slot machines!"

A somewhat shrill voice came from her side; the cat-like fairy, Semy, had floated to her side at some point: "Now you know money is hard to earn? Why did you never consider this problem when spending it? What exactly is in your head?"

"Isn't it just because of bad luck? What if I win next time?"

Yian muttered softly: "If it really doesn't work, I'll go back to that place where we bet on boxing matches; last time I at least made a small sum there..."

"You still plan to go?"

Semy's fur stood on end: "No, no, no! The money we have left is only enough to eat for a few days!"

"If we win, we can go to that high-end restaurant we saw before, right?"

Yian smiled confidently: "I'm getting tired of the boxed lunches anyway; it's time to aspire to more luxurious food."

"But if we lose, we'll have to go back to the commercial street and rummage through trash cans for food again!"

Semy shook her head repeatedly: "I absolutely won't!"

"It's not like we're starving; ultimately, going a few meals without food isn't a big deal for the two of us."

Yian said carelessly, clearly not taking the "consequences" Semy mentioned to heart, and walked along the small path on the side of the construction site: "If it really doesn't work, just learn from other stray cats and wait for passersby to feed you some cat food."

"The problem is we can actually eat properly!"

Semy could only follow behind her, arguing with reason: "And I already said, I'm not a cat, and I don't eat cat food..."

"That's fine; next time I win the money back, you can eat whatever you want."

"I already said there won't be a next time! No buying lottery tickets! No boxing bets! No slot machines!"

Semy said sternly: "If there's a next time, I'll just quit; I'd rather go back and apologize to the leader!"

"Alright, alright, alright—"

Dragging out her voice to answer perfunctorily while walking out of the construction site with Semy, Yian strolled slowly along the sidewalk by the road, looking at the traffic on the street with a blank expression, not knowing what she was thinking.

She has been in Fang Ting City for over a month.

From being cheated when first looking for a job, to having the urban management chase her after setting up a fortune-telling stall on the street, and then finally finding a reliable construction site, she has seen some aspects of life in this city.

Although she still hasn't integrated into modern city life, she doesn't feel bad about it; rather, she is always trying things she has never seen before.

Whether it's the gambling Semy criticizes or "serious matters" like working to earn money, the city's food, entertainment, transportation, and many other things are all things she is happy to experience.

Beyond experiencing, even if there is really nothing to do, she can go find the City magic girls of Fang Ting City to have a fight or two; that counts as balancing work and rest.

Although the time hasn't been long, she is quite satisfied with this life; rather, she has recently become so happy she doesn't want to leave. The current Material Realm is far more interesting than the era she was born in, and also more interesting than her previous life in the Interrealm.

Stepping on the road surface where snow still remains, the sensation of the snow layer being gradually crushed and compacted rises from the soles of her feet; the faint sound travels through her body into her ears, causing Yian to stop her steps involuntarily.

"What a pity."

She couldn't help but murmur to herself.

Although she really wants to stay in this place for a while longer, various factors do not allow her to do so.

Under her pitch-black white gloves, she can feel the back of her hand heating up slightly.

Raising her hand and sliding the glove off, on the heating back of her hand, the pattern depicting a crimson eagle is glowing with a faint light.

This pattern represents her identity within Claw Marks; it is the symbol of her status as a core cadre of Claw Marks. When it glows, there is only one possibility—the leader of Claw Marks has something to ask of her.

This action did not hide from Semy beside her, so the black cat fairy's expression also became serious. The two exchanged a glance and began their actions simultaneously.

Looking around to confirm no one noticed them, Yian randomly found an alley, walked into it, transformed in the darkness, and then soared into the air, heading for the rooftop of a tall office building nearby.

Semy followed closely behind, relying on her nature as a fairy, which makes her invisible to passersby, jumping between several buildings before landing beside Yian.

With everything ready, Yian took a red-and-black magic mirror from her bag; she squatted in the cold wind and, responding to the call of the mark on her hand, established contact with the other end of the magic mirror.

Almost at the same time, deep purple mana spread out from the mirror surface, completely obscuring the surrounding space.

Silently watching the changes happening on the magic mirror, Yian said not a word; Semy beside her also remained silent, lying motionless on the ground.

This deep purple mana seemed to have its own life, exploring, sensing, and touching the surrounding air; although it should be light mana, it was like a solid object, giving a heavy feeling that made one gasp for breath. It surged, forming currents within a certain range, as if confirming the environment around it.

Before long, this spreading mana finally stopped showing signs of expanding outward; instead, it completely sealed the high sky outside the office building, forming a barrier that absolutely no outsider could enter.

Then, the mirror surface in Yian's hand finally lit up.

— "Long time no see, dear Yian."

A light voice with a touch of coquettishness sounded; a girl who looked only about fifteen years old appeared on the other end of the magic mirror. Her face bore a smile that felt like a spring breeze, just like an innocent girl who knew nothing of the world.

Her features were exquisite, her skin white with a hint of red, and her deep purple eyes were misty, making her look pitifully fragile. A head of light, flowing purple hair was scattered over her shoulders, looking quite soft and fluffy, as if it were down filling in clothes.

She wore a white Princess gown, decorated elaborately and intricately, and around her neck hung a diamond necklace that looked extremely luxurious, seemingly proclaiming something.

Whether it was her appearance, clothing, or demeanor, the girl was like a princess from a fairy tale. Cute, magnificent, elegant; a series of nouns seemed to find their corresponding match on her.

If one were to ignore the environment she currently found herself in.

The sky was filled with yellow sand, the setting sun cast a reddish glow, and behind the girl lay a massive, ruined beast with only a faint trace of life remaining; the ground was littered with the beast's fluids, limbs torn beyond recognition, and the charred remains of something that had once been a "nest."

It seemed a battle had just taken place there, a thought that would occur to anyone seeing this scene.

However, this thought would become distorted upon seeing the girl—because the girl present in this place was utterly incongruous with the scene around her.

In such a place that was practically a ruin, the girl bore not a single drop of blood or stain, not even a speck of dust; on her pristine princess dress, aside from the satin ribbons used for decoration, no other color could be seen. Moreover, her hair was as soft as if it had just been groomed.

And this girl possessed one most striking anomaly—on her head were a pair of beast ears formed from flowing mana.

They looked like the ears of some canine animal, standing obediently on either side of her head, but because they were constructed of mana, they appeared semi-transparent.

"Long time no see, Boss."

And Yi, as if noticing no anomalies at all, calmly greeted the figure on the other side of the mirror, then looked up and smiled politely: "Are you going hunting personally today?"

"Mm, it's been like this for a while now."

Glancing back at the massive ruined beast, accompanied by her movement, the dying beast even ceased its remaining life activity: "After all, we are short on people at home right now; you are all out on missions, so I can only come do some miscellaneous chores."

"Short on people...?" Yi lowered her gaze slightly, avoiding eye contact with the girl in the mirror.

"Yes, you went to the Material Realm, Black Cat returned to the Realm, and Kui went with her... Now there are only some logistics personnel and me left at home, it's very lonely."

The girl chuckled softly, her face flushing slightly, seeming to carry a hint of shyness: "So I contacted you at this time; did I not delay your important matters?"

"No, Boss, you seeking me is the most important matter."

Yi forced her mouth into a grin, pulling out a seemingly reckless smile: "It's also our fault for delaying too long outside, causing you to be stuck at home feeling stifled."

"It's fine; after all, these were my requests, the missions I hoped you would complete; rushing often does not bring good results."

The girl shook her head, looking at Yi with a gentle gaze: "It's just that I am somewhat worried; did your mission encounter unsolvable difficulties?"

Yi pressed her lips together.

She lowered her head, her pleading gaze glancing slightly to the side, only to see Semi lying quietly on the ground, as if dead, making no sound or movement at all.

Sighing in her heart, she could only organize her own words and stammered out: "Over here... it is indeed not very smooth, because according to my investigation, the Beast Source of the Moth... is now in the hands of Emerald."

"As for Cornflower, although she is injured as the intelligence stated, there are veteran members of the Fang Ting City Squad stationed here, protecting her safety."

"That child named Bai Jingxuan... she is also almost always in the secret base of the Fang Ting City Magical Girl Squad, rarely appearing; even when she does appear, she is acting with others, so there is no suitable opportunity to strike."

She racked her brain to find the portion of information in her mind that could be called "fact," organizing it into the words above.

All these words were facts, but they were not actually the reason she had failed; because the only reason was that she was "vacationing" here and had not thought about resolving it early.

"Emerald?"

Fortunately, the information Yi managed to throw out seemed to truly attract the girl's attention, especially the codename symbolizing the Research Institute's Gem Scepter.

This news was something Yi had only learned when she fought Senior Cuique previously; precisely because she knew this, Yi adopted a "let it all go to hell" attitude and settled down completely in Fang Ting City.

After all, robbing an injured quasi-Gem Scepter was understandable, but robbing an incumbent, full-strength Gem Scepter? One does not make jokes like that.

Upon hearing this codename, the girl first paused slightly, then furrowed her brows, puffed her cheeks, and revealed an expression clearly showing she was sulking. Although she was angry, she actually looked somewhat cute: "This bookworm is always so sensitive about such things, which is annoying."

"You say the Beast Source is in Emerald's hands; to what specific extent? Is it already in her own possession, or merely held by her subordinates, those boundary-crossing librarians? Has it been transported to the Realm, or does it still remain in the Material Realm?"

With a clear voice, reciting like poetry, the girl said: "Then, since the Beast Source has reached her hands, does that mean Cornflower has already reached some sort of deal with her?"

"It seems so."

Yi, appearing obedient but actually choosing her words carefully, answered: "I previously found Cornflower and asked her to hand over the Beast Source, but not only did other members of the Fang Ting City Squad come to intervene, but during the process, I also learned the news that the Beast Source had already been taken by Emerald."

"I do not know when Emerald came and reached a deal with her, but it must have been completed at a time we did not know." Realizing this might not be enough to cover her fault, she added another sentence.

"That is to say, the progress is unknown... but are you certain it was taken by Emerald? Could it be a trick played on you by leveraging the situation?" the girl asked thus.

"I cannot sense any lingering aura of the Beast Source on Cornflower, and searching Fang Ting City reveals no lingering aura; even if it is not Emerald, it should not be in this city anymore."

Yi reported honestly the only proper work she had done: "I have not yet confirmed the reliability of this information; this is my mistake."

"It's fine; let us just treat it as true; it conflicts with our original purpose in no way."

The girl shook her head gently: "Then, the remaining tasks are only to bring back Cornflower and Bai Jingxuan; if these two matters can be completed, their value is no less than a single Beast Source. Do you have any leads?"

"Regarding this matter, because veteran members of the Fang Ting City Squad are stationed there, it is actually not very easy..."

"Not very easy?"

Interrupting Yi's evasive words, the girl, with a look of curiosity, leaned slightly toward the mirror: "Twenty years ago, the Fang Ting City Squad was called a legendary team because of Cornflower and Cherry, but now Cornflower is injured and Cherry is already dead; the remaining people should be unable to threaten you, right?"

"I tried fighting them, but the injured Cornflower seems able to recover some of her strength with the aid of her teammates, plus her teammates are also Flower-class..." Yi's voice grew quieter and quieter.

"Yet for you, it is still nothing, right?"

The girl suddenly smiled, brilliantly and purely: "You are my most trusted warrior; even against one of Cornflower or Cherry at their peak, you should be capable of fighting them."

"... Yes." Yi could only respond thus.

"If a direct battle truly makes you feel it is difficult to conquer, then you could try using the people in the city? It is almost time for the Material Realm's so-called New Year; according to the customs there, how about setting off a few beautiful fireworks for them?"

Seeing Yi unwilling to speak more, the girl continued talking to herself in a coquettish voice and innocent tone: "A million people might possibly affect the normal operation of the city, making it inconvenient for the Apostles to take over later... then how about one hundred thousand? This number should be enough to make them accept some unequal rules."

"... What do you mean?"

"Kill them." The girl's tone was drifting, as if she were saying what she planned to eat for dinner.

Yi fell silent once again.

Facing the leader of the Claw Marks, the former Gem Scepter—Bai Lang—the number of times she remained silent was always so great.

"Ah, why have you stopped speaking?"

Regarding Yi's silence, Bai Lang first blinked her eyes, then tilted her head in some confusion: "Is it because I have interfered too much with your mission, making you unhappy? If so, I am sorry; I only hope you can resolve the troubles you encountered early and return to our home. It is my fault for being too nagging; can you not be angry with me?"

"After all, being alone is truly a bit lonely."

Her gaze upon Yi was tender as water, smiling shyly like an immature young girl: "How wonderful it would be if you could all return early to accompany me."

Yi could not lift her head.

Even though she knew that if she lifted her head now, she would only see Bai Lang's signature tender gaze, she still could not control her head to perform this action.

She could only continue to keep her head down, like a subject bowing deeply before the Emperor in the Wang Ting, bowing her body deeply, deeply.

"As you command."

Then, like a puppet, he forced out stiff words from his mouth.

(End of this chapter)