Chapter 554: Exposure

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering a mottled pattern of light and shadow on the ground.

Jing Yuan stood where he was, his white hair drifting lightly in the breeze.

His gaze remained fixed on the distance, where the Giant Fox had vanished, the Divine Lord had dispersed, and everything returned to Calm.

Yet his golden eyes showed no relaxation, still maintaining a seemingly leisurely demeanor.

Until a voice came from not far away.

"Lancer—!"

Jing Yuan turned his head and saw a white figure sprinting toward him.

The figure ran swiftly, leaving faint traces on the grass beneath its feet.

Silvery-white long hair streamed behind, the fluffy Fox Ears atop its head swayed gently with each step, and the fluffy Fox Tail at its back flicked back and forth.

Sunlight danced over her, outlining a delicate silhouette.

Jing Yuan was stunned.

Those golden eyes froze instantly, the whole body as if struck by an immobilization spell, motionless.

"Bai... Bai Hang?"

His voice was soft, so soft that only he could hear it.

It was an image lodged deep in his Memory— the days centuries ago when the Five Braves of the Clouds fought side by side.

The one who always smiled, the one who sacrificed herself in the Sudden Chaos to save everyone...

Bai Hang.

Jing Yuan watched the figure drawing nearer, his mind a blank.

Those memories thought long settled surged up at this moment—

She smiled, the way she pulled Ying Xing out of his inferiority.

She nonchalantly sent Dan Feng to do this and that.

And finally, that Star Chariot that pierced the battlefield, that utterly dark sun, those that faded into the void—

Bai Hang was running when she suddenly saw Jing Yuan's expression, and her heart thumped.

(It's over, it's over, it's over!)

She suddenly realized how she looked now— ears, Tail, all in Fox People form!

Isn't this exactly the same as back then?

Aside from a slight difference in hair color, everything else is the same person!

She stumbled at her feet—

"Pak!"

She fell solidly onto the ground, her face buried in the grass.

Jing Yuan: "……"

Bai Hang lay on the ground, face in the grass, ears drooping, Tail motionless.

(What to do, what to do, what to do! Now I'm completely exposed!)

Jing Yuan only now came to his senses.

He looked at the motionless figure on the ground, his expression as complex as a broth simmered for five hundred years.

There was surprise, confusion, nostalgia, and a hint of an indescribable... softness.

Memories of Bai Hang flashed rapidly through his mind.

The lucky star that piloted the Star Chariot, barreling recklessly yet always surviving.

The one who, alone on the battlefield, sacrificed herself to save everyone…

Hero.

A strand of broken hair, a few drops of emerald blood.

Those were her final traces left for them.

The person he thought he would never see again now lay three meters in front of him on the grass, face buried in the earth, playing dead.

Jing Yuan opened his mouth, a thousand words stuck in his throat, and finally managed only one sentence:

"……You get up first."

Bai Hang lifted her head from the grass, leaves clinging to her face, revealing a smile uglier than crying.

"Um... I..."

She got up, brushed the dirt off herself, her ears twitched, "I am... just here to see this New Form! Yes! New Form!"

She swiftly reached out, touching the Command Spell on the back of her hand.

A faint glow flickered.

The ears vanished, the Tail also vanished.

Her clothing shifted from that outfit back to a student uniform.

She pulled the Mystic Card from her pocket and held it up before Jing Yuan.

"Look! The amazing thing I found! This— Assassin Job Card! The one I suddenly pulled from my pocket this morning! I tried it, and it actually turned me into a Heroic Spirit!"

She spoke at a rapid pace, rattling off a bunch of words, trying to divert Jing Yuan's attention with this information.

But Jing Yuan said nothing.

He simply stared at her, at the face that was almost identical to the one in his Memory, at the evasive azure eyes.

Bai Hang felt a chill as she was watched, and kept changing the subject:

"This card is really interesting! Look at this pattern, and this design; I studied it, it should be a—"

"Master." Jing Yuan finally spoke, cutting off her endless chatter.

Bai Hang was stunned.

Jing Yuan took the Mystic Card.

The Mystic Card was the same as the one he had seen before, but now the patterns on it seemed to be faintly flowing with light.

He could feel that the power had already merged with the girl before him.

"How does your body feel?"

His voice was Calm, revealing no emotion.

Bai Hang was momentarily stunned, then quickly nodded: "It's fine! It's fine! This form is more powerful than I imagined, its agility is especially high, and it can—"

"That's good."

Jing Yuan returned the Mystic Card to her.

Bai Hang took the Mystic Card and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

(Phew… it seems I got through it…)

"Where did you get this thing?"

Bai Hang scratched their head.

"I don't know either. This morning, while walking on the road, this card suddenly appeared in my pocket. I have no idea how it got there."

She thought for a moment, then added: "If there's one, there might be more. If each can wield such power, that would be a considerable fighting force."

Jing Yuan nodded, his gaze returning to Bai Hang's face.

Bai Hang felt completely uncomfortable under his stare, their eyes began to dart around.

A stray beam of light suddenly caught a gray figure swaying behind the nearby bushes.

"Eh?"

She turned her head to look—

A Xing was poking half a head out from behind a tree, expressionless, watching this side.

Seeing Bai Hang notice, they didn't hide, and simply swayed out, expressionless.

Bai Hang blinked.

Why is A Xing here?

She glanced at A Xing, then at Jing Yuan behind, and suddenly had an idea.

(Perfect, I can change the subject!)

"A Xing—!"

She couldn't help shouting, "What are you doing?"

A Xing stopped, turned their head toward this side.

Those hollow gray‑gold eyes blinked, then uttered two words:

"Looking for someone."

Bai Hang scratched their head, told Jing Yuan, "I'll go check," and hurried toward A Xing.

While back to Jing Yuan, they winked at A Xing.

The look meant: I found Huo Huo's location.

A Xing's body leaned back slightly; a flash of surprise crossed the expressionless face, but it quickly returned to normal.

"A woman with purple hair."

A Xing said, "She looks like a bad person."

Bai Hang was stunned.

Purple‑hair woman? Bad person?

She leaned closer, whispered a few words—the direction where Huo Huo was.

Then she stepped back, voice returning to normal:

"Never seen her! Who are you talking about?"

A Xing nodded.

"She is a bad woman."

A Xing remained expressionless, "If you encounter her, be careful. Her methods are very strong."

Bai Hang felt a slight jolt inside.

Methods very strong?

To make someone say "very strong"... what level of being must that be?

Could it be another Servant?

A Xing said nothing more, turned and left, quickly vanishing behind the bushes.

Bai Hang turned and saw Jing Yuan walking this way.

"What's wrong?" Jing Yuan asked, his face bearing his usual smile.

Bai Hang quickly waved a hand: "Nothing, nothing! A Xing said there's a purple‑hair woman who might be another Servant, told me to be careful."

Jing Yuan nodded, his golden eyes looking at them with deep meaning.

"I see."