Chapter 169: Aggregation

After listening to Jianna's description, Lu Mian, while habitually performing the movements of the twist dance, asked back with a hint of astonishment:

"How do you know so much?"

The first part was fine; since Jianna had performed after talking to "Hammer" Ait in that second-floor room, it was normal for her to have a certain understanding of the room's layout and the positions of the thugs. But how could an underground singer who sang vulgar songs and performed exaggerated acts know about the dance hall kitchen's ventilation ducts that one could climb into, or that one could jump from the neighboring room's windowsill to that washroom, or that there was a protrusion on the outer wall corresponding to the room?

She had no need to know that either!

A look of smugness appeared on Jianna's face, which was painted with black eyeshadow and a beauty mark:

"You don't need to worry about why I know. Don't look at what you shouldn't see, don't listen to what you shouldn't hear, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

She returned the words Lu Mian had said that afternoon, slightly modified.

This made her quite happy.

Only someone who had attempted to sneak in for an assassination or considered how to escape in extreme situations would notice these details and make purposeful observations... Which situation was Jianna in? Hmm, her ability to scout similar environments was not much worse than a "Hunter"... A sequence inclined toward assassination indeed required gathering environmental information... Assassination... Many thoughts swirled in Lu Mian's mind, and he intended to bluff Jianna.

He said with a smile:

"So you're an 'Assassin'."

He placed heavy emphasis on the word "Assassin".

Jianna's expression changed, and her smile froze.

"How did you know?" she blurted out in astonishment.

"By using my brain," Lu Mian replied with a smile.

There were other sequences skilled at observing the environment. He only boldly guessed that Jianna was an "Assassin" because he was preparing to carry out an assassination himself and remembered Ryan and the others mentioning that in central and northern Intis, especially in Trier, "Witch" was a relatively common path. Besides, he wouldn't lose anything if he were wrong.

At the same time, Lu Mian muttered to himself:

"Meeting an 'Assassin' not long after arriving in Trier and even saving her—is this a manifestation of the Law of Beyonder Characteristic Aggregation?

"Jianna definitely hasn't reached Sequence 7; she's not a 'Witch'. Otherwise, even if she had been weakened by the anesthetic on the paper, with the occult means she possessed, she could have hung Hedesi up and beaten him. The name 'Witch' sounds very skilled at spells and curses, and Aurora's notes wrote the same.

"She shouldn't be a Sequence 8 'Instigator' either. Where would you find an 'Instigator' who continuously gets successfully deceived by me?

"But I can't rule out that possibility. Maybe Jianna was dumber before and only improved her intelligence by relying on being an 'Instigator'? Besides, she took the initiative to provide me with information about 'Hammer' Ait, which has a certain suspicion of instigation.

"Heh, Jianna herself is a woman, so there's no need to worry about her gender changing after consuming a 'Witch' potion in the future.

"Where did her potion come from? Given by 'Red Boots' Franca? Could she also be a Beyonder of the 'Witch' path?

"If Franca is only Sequence 8, that's fine. If she's Sequence 7, a 'Witch', who knows if she was a man or a woman before? Uh, her attitude toward women is abnormal, and her relationship with Jianna is ambiguous. Hmm..."

Jianna silently recalled the words she had just said and didn't find any place where she had revealed her own sequence information.

Unable to figure it out, she decided not to overthink it and, out of good intentions, reminded Lu Mian:

"If you want to attack 'Hammer' Ait in the washroom, you must think it through. I heard Franca say that Ait is a 'Fighter', more skilled at close-quarters combat than any other sequence. He can weaken the effects of some Beyonder abilities targeting him purely with his body.

"Although you can fight too, I think if you fight him in a place as cramped as a washroom, you'll most likely be, tsk, beaten to death on the spot."

"Miss, are you advising me or provoking me? It seems you still have some potential as an 'Instigator'," Lu Mian said whatever was on his mind; he wasn't just thinking it to himself.

He discovered that Franca knew more about "Hammer" Ait than Baron Brignais, mentioning a key point the latter hadn't.

If one didn't consider the possibility that Franca had privately clashed with "Hammer" Ait, then either Franca had another background, or she was more trusted by the Savages' boss than Baron Brignais, gaining more occult knowledge and sequence information.

Jianna was astonished again:

"You even know about 'Instigators'?"

Was this still the bumpkin from the countryside? How could he have so much knowledge about the supernatural path?

Franca said he was wanted by the authorities. It seems he had been involved in supernatural events?

"I know more than you imagine," Lu Mian smiled.

When he said this, a title that had belonged to him not long ago suddenly flashed in his mind:

"Occult Illiterate."

Restraining the momentarily sad emotion, Lu Mian seriously considered Jianna's warning:

Indeed, although a "Hunter" was also a sequence skilled at fighting and brawling, if one excluded abilities like traps and "Provocation," close-quarters combat definitely couldn't compare to a "Fighter," whose name reflected their area of expertise. Especially since it was in a closed, narrow environment, he couldn't utilize his combat intelligence, making it difficult to pull off a feat of defeating the strong with the weak.

Counting the flexibility changes brought by "Dancer" and the application of many unconventional movements, Lu Mian felt he could only barely hold on and wouldn't fail in the short term. To kill "Hammer" Ait, he could only pin his hopes on "Fallen Mercury"—stab once and run.

But in that case, what was the difference from fighting "Baldy" Haman? That wouldn't even require considering the existence of ten gang thugs and ten handguns.

Lu Mian took stock of the items on his person to see what could play a role in such a battle:

Over 1,700 Felkin... "Fallen Mercury"... Water monster's blood... Water monster's poisonous scales... A bottle of anesthetic that made Jianna completely powerless... A bottle of irritating gas that could neutralize the effects of that anesthetic... A bottle of liquid whose use he didn't know... A dagger left behind by that pervert... A ritual silver dagger... A few white bandages...

As he thought, a plan gradually took shape in Lu Mian's mind.

Swaying his body to the rhythm, he lowered his head slightly and looked at Jianna:

"Is that washroom big?"

"Not big," Jianna gave a definitive answer. "Excluding the bathtub, toilet, and washbasin, it can only hold four to five people."

In other words, if Lu Mian and "Hammer" Ait were to engage in close-quarters combat there, there would be no room for anyone else to stand.

"Is there a curtain outside the bathtub?" Lu Mian asked as a follow-up.

"Yes," Jianna thought for a moment and said, "Do you have a gun on you? I think using a gun is better, safer, and more certain."

"No," Lu Mian shook his head.

"And you still want to take action tonight just like this?" Jianna scoffed.

She paused for a second and said:

"If you really want to take out 'Hammer' Ait tonight, I can lend you my handgun."

"You have a handgun on you?" This time it was Lu Mian's turn to be astonished.

He looked up and down and couldn't see Jianna hiding a handgun anywhere:

This "flamboyant woman" wore a white crop top on her upper body with a very low neckline, where one could vaguely see her bra. On her lower body, she wore an off-white fluffy short skirt paired with black boots that didn't reach her knees. Moreover, when she danced, she would constantly lift her legs high; it was impossible to strap a holster to the inside of her thighs.

Lu Mian felt the only place she could hide a handgun was in those boots.

Jianna thought Xia Er was asking why she carried a handgun, and she replied with both disdain and a sigh:

"I perform in a dance hall in a place like the Market District. Do you think those gang thugs are all good people? Do you think they wouldn't get hot-headed and want to do something to me?

"That bunch of shit doesn't think of anything good every day. When their brains are filled with that thing, they won't consider at all that I know Franca and have a good relationship with her.

"Fuck, if deterrence were always useful, there wouldn't be so many people committing crimes!"

While speaking, Jianna caught a drum beat, took the opportunity to half-squat, and felt inside her boot.

She stood up quickly, pressed against Lu Mian, and while swaying her body, grabbed his naturally hanging, gently swinging palm.

The cold metallic texture and the solid wooden feel were immediately transmitted to Lu Mian's mind.

Lu Mian calmly withdrew his hand and stuffed the gun into his trouser pocket.

After completing this, Jianna continued:

"I bought it through a friend with most of my savings when I first arrived in the Market District, before I knew Franca. That damn black-market merchant even wanted me to sleep with him. I kicked his calf, and he screamed in pain for a long time."

Always carrying a gun for self-defense... Still quite vigilant. Otherwise, before you knew Franca, you would have been controlled by those gang hooligans, and maybe you would have been working part-time as a dancer or a streetwalker... Lu Mian responded with a smile:

"Well done!"

Seeing that the accompaniment music was nearing its end, Jianna stopped talking.

As the drum beats ceased, Lu Mian watched Jianna walk toward the performance stage, and he himself left the dance floor and returned to the outer circle.

Taking the opportunity to go to the washroom, he checked and familiarized himself with the handgun Jianna had given him:

It was a very compact revolver with a short barrel, suitable for carrying and hiding on one's person.

It was generally iron-black, the grip was made of walnut wood, and it held six bullets.

After playing with the handgun for a while, Lu Mian discovered a problem:

His shooting experience was insufficient; previously, he had relied mainly on the coverage of a shotgun.

"Forget it, I never thought I could take out 'Hammer' Ait with one shot. It's enough to wound and weaken him. At such a close distance, with my grip strength and the little shooting experience I have, it won't be too far off...

"In an environment like a washroom, there's only one chance for a shot. 'Hammer' Ait won't let me fire a second one..." Lu Mian quickly made a decision.

As soon as he exited the washroom, he took advantage of the lack of people around and walked toward the kitchen of the Mill Dance Hall.

PS: Thanks to Philanthropist 11 for the Silver Alliance donation.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 170 =====