Chapter 206: Bi Zui, Tail!

The goal was achieved, Jing Liu no longer lingered.

She gave a slight nod toward Bai Hang and Xi Tong and said, "In that case, I won't disturb you all."

After speaking, she cradled her erhu, turned, and walked out of the courtyard with steady steps, gently pulling the courtyard gate that had been swaying for a while along with her.

Only when Jing Liu's footsteps completely vanished at the alley mouth did Bai Hang, like a deflated rubber ball, feel her legs go weak and nearly sit down on the ground.

She leaned on the stone table, watching the relaxed Sai Fei Er, and felt her own head throb even more.

"Sai Fei Er! How could you—how did you just agree!?"

Bai Hang lowered her voice, both urgent and helpless.

"Hmm? Why can't you agree?"

Sai Fei Er turned her head, full of confusion, "She apologized and even invited tea, right? She's a bit cold, but she seems… quite reasonable? Much better than that big guy Weng Fa Luo Si who constantly shouts 'fight' and 'kill'."

She clearly didn't realize the seriousness of the issue.

"Reasonable? Do you even know who she is!" Bai Hang was on the verge of losing it.

The ever‑quiet Xi Tong spoke again, his voice still flat, but it made Bai Hang's heart sink completely: "She's not 'quite reasonable'; she's 'very manipulative.'"

As he spoke, Xi Tong produced a thin yet information‑dense transparent panel from somewhere, swiped his fingers across it swiftly, then turned the panel toward Sai Fei Er, where dense text and data began to scroll.

"If you have even the most basic understanding of her so‑called 'resume' and 'behavioral style,'"

Xi Tong looked at Sai Fei Er, "you wouldn't think tomorrow's tea party is just a 'friendly compensation.'"

Sai Fei Er leaned in curiously, scanning the waterfall‑like flow of information on the panel.

At first she was a bit nonchalant, but soon her gaze fixed, her ears twitched slightly, and her tail involuntarily stopped swaying.

On the panel, keywords and summaries about Jing Liu kept flashing:

【Former Luofu Swordmaster, one of the Five Braves of the Clouds…】

【Fell into demonic shadows, defected from Xianzhou, once caused chaos in the Scale Abyss Realm…】

【Combat Power Rating: Extremely High. Danger Level: Extremely High.】

【Personality Analysis: Supreme rationality, will of iron, decisive means to achieve goals, keen perception of potential threats…】

【Recent Activity: Active in Luofu Dark Place, whereabouts unknown, motives unclear, possibly in contact with multiple factions…】

【Relation to target 'Bai Xing': multiple close observations, suspicion arisen, assessed as one of the highest current risk factors…】

Further down were dense specific event logs, battle record analyses, personality sketches…

Sai Fei Er kept watching, and subconsciously inhaled a sharp gasp.

"Sss—"

"Is she… that long?"

Afterward, Sai Fei Er restrained much of the playful grin on her face.

She walked to Bai Hang's side, patted her shoulder, and her tone grew a bit serious: "Alright, I think I get it. Don't worry, I've got the numbers."

A sharp gleam, honed by ages, flashed in her blue cat eyes, "These… hmm, many past guys whose power was absurdly strong, I've encountered before. I know how to handle them. I'll keep my distance and won't cause trouble for you or the curtain."

Her reassurance couldn't fully dispel the gloom in Bai Hang's heart.

Bai Hang looked at her, eyes full of worry: "Sai Fei Er, Jing Liu is extremely sharp; you handled it well just now, but tomorrow… are you sure you want to go?"

"Going, why not?"

Sai Fei Er instead smiled, a mischievous glint of eagerness in it, "She's already invited; not going would look even more suspicious, right? Don't worry, I'm just a 'lost wandering cat‑ear girl,' accompanying her, eating, drinking, answering trivial questions—what big deal could that be? I also want to learn more about Xianzhou. Besides…"

She blinked, "Maybe I'll hear some interesting stories from her, or… keep an eye on this dangerous person's latest movements for you."

She said it lightly, but Bai Hang knew dealing with Jing Liu could never be that simple.

It's like dancing on a knife's edge; one misstep could trigger unpredictable consequences.

Seeing Sai Fei Er's "I've got this" expression, Bai Hang could only push her worries back into her chest, turning them into a heavy sigh.

"…Hopefully so."

She whispered, her gaze unintentionally drifting toward the courtyard gate.

Huo Huo sat at the desk, a neatly written—perhaps overly forceful—sheet spread before her: another version of the Resignation Application.

Every character was written upright and proper, as if to nail all hesitation and timidity to the tip of the pen.

After the final period, she set the pen down, but instead of feeling relieved, the inexplicable irritation in her chest grew heavier, like a lump of wet cotton blocking her chest, suffocating.

She couldn't help but sigh again, her pale‑blue Fox Ears drooping listlessly.

"Yo, finished again? Which version is this?"

A cluster of Green Fire "pop"ed from the tip of her big tail, coalescing into the usual sarcastic silhouette of Weiba Daye, "I'm telling you, little coward, can't you do something else? All day wrestling with that paper—it won't fly to your boss's desk by itself."

Usually, Huo Huo would either tremble in fear or whine a bit in grievance; at most she'd lower her head in silence.

But today, that chest‑tight irritation, provoked by Weiba Daye's condescending tease, ignited like a fireball dropped into a barrel of oil—

She snapped her head around, her pale‑blue eyes no longer the usual timid, watery look but wide‑open, burning with an unprecedented impatience; her voice was low yet unusually clear, even a bit sharp:

"Bi Zui, Tail! I'm really annoyed right now!"

"…"

The air fell silent for a moment.

Weiba Daye's Green Fire‑formed silhouette seemed to freeze and wobble briefly.

On his usually mocking face, a nearly bewildered expression appeared for the first time.

The flickering at the flame's edge halted, as if digesting feedback far beyond his Cognition.

(…What?)

(Just now… that little coward… told me to shut up? In that tone?)

A few seconds later, the Green Fire re‑ignited, shooting up a short height, bearing a startled shock from being offended:

"Huh?!"

Weiba Daye's voice rose, full of the threatening meaning of "Say that again?" "What did you say? I just didn't hear clearly!"

He wondered if he had slept too long, or if this little scaredy-cat had been possessed by something strange.

Huo Huo looked at his "You dare defy me?" expression, and the nameless fire in his chest flared higher.

Not only did she not shrink her neck as usual, she instead straightened her back, lifted her chin slightly, and her voice grew louder and more aggressive:

"Are you deaf? I said it so loudly you didn't hear? I'm annoyed! Bi Zui (Cocktail Technique)!"

Every word crystal clear, resounding when thrown to the ground.

Although her naturally soft voice makes these words sound less truly fierce, that indisputable irritation is unprecedentedly clear!

Weiba Daye was completely dumbfounded.

(Hey—!)

(If you don't argue for three days, you'll rip off the roof tiles?!)

(When did you become so arrogant?! Who gave you the guts?!)

After the shock, came a raging fury!

The cyan-green flame "Boom—" and suddenly surged, instantly filling half the room, the icy yet scorching temperature making the air slightly warp, and from the flame came Weiba Daye's furious roar:

"You've rebelled against me! Dare to speak to your Weiba Daye like that?! It seems it's been too long since I let you see what 'rules' are!"

The flame turned into a ferocious ghostly face, bearing a terrifying menace, and lunged fiercely at Huo Huo's cheek!

This is his usual intimidation tactic, tried and true, always able to scare this little scaredy-cat into tears, clutching his head and begging for mercy.

However—