The Mantis Arrives

But Luo Qiu had no idea where You Ye got the extra bullets.

Although he had experience with firearms before, it was only in government-approved ranges with an attendant. It had been several years since his father passed away, and Luo Qiu hadn't touched such a thing in years.

While he wouldn't completely forget everything, what remained was likely just a basic framework, and he'd need practice for accuracy and such.

The Club's ability for him, as its master, to travel freely was very useful. Later that night, accompanied by You Ye, Luo Qiu found himself in a desolate mountain area, playing a shooting game he once enjoyed.

Bang bang bang bang bang—!

The only things disturbed were the small animals in the wilderness, yet he'd already gone through more than ten magazines.

A sense of exhilaration washed over him. Luo Qiu rubbed his slightly numb shoulder, looked at the results of his last shot, and smiled, "Not too bad, right?"

You Ye also smiled and replied, "Master, as long as you're happy."

Luo Qiu knew his scores were actually quite dismal, but he wasn't embarrassed. He simply handed the pistol to You Ye for safekeeping, then waved his hand. To his left was the path to the Club, and to his right was the way home.

"If a guest arrives, you can just call me," Luo Qiu tried to explain the situation. "If possible, for now, I'll continue to be me, an ordinary university student living in this city, with a wonderful stepmother at home."

You Ye nodded and watched Luo Qiu disappear to the right.

Upon returning to the Club, You Ye didn't stop; she simply sat quietly, her eyes not closed, but her sapphire-blue irises gradually dimmed.

For You Ye, this was considered a form of rest.

But the moment the wooden door at the entrance was pushed open and the bell chimed, the maid, who had served here for three hundred years, would stand up, a beautiful smile gracing her face.

When he woke up, Ren Ziling had already gone to work.

Normally, at this time, Luo Qiu would also be taking a shuttle bus to attend classes at his university. However, he wasn't planning on returning to campus yet.

Luo Qiu didn't have many friends at university—in fact, for most students entering university, it wasn't common to have many true friends.

There were many people in the same grade and class, but it was only to the extent of knowing each other. Not everyone was enthusiastic about socializing or proud of having a wide circle of acquaintances. Because having a wide circle of acquaintances didn't mean many people were willing to bare their hearts to you.

Of course, having few friends was one reason, and the lack of ties to the school was another. But the main reason was Luo Qiu's major.

Even looking back now, Luo Qiu still felt like he must have been under a spell to choose his current major.

It seemed to be a newly established major in recent years, and even including the current fourth-year students, there hadn't been any graduates yet.

Paleontology. In Luo Qiu's current class, including himself, there were only two students majoring in it.

He knew that the reason he chose this major was more or less because he hadn't fully recovered from the grief of his father's passing, and he didn't want to be in crowded places. It was even a bit of self-abandonment.

But looking back now, Luo Qiu still believed: he must have been under a spell...

However, paleontology had its advantages. For instance, the courses were incredibly relaxed, even to the point where humanities students would find them appalling. Another advantage was that there was only one professor, and that professor skipped classes more often than Luo Qiu, the student...

Therefore, even if he suddenly missed a week of classes, he wouldn't fail due to low attendance on his semester report—there was only one course to begin with, and no general education courses.

Some people said that this major could only exist because the old professor had some unspeakable deal with the school. It was rumored that the professor was extremely passionate about paleontological research, so under the guise of establishing a new major, he diverted funds to support his direct research.

Thus, he didn't even need to ask his only classmate to take leave for him.

After washing up, Luo Qiu poured himself a glass of warm water and sat down in front of the computer, beginning to scan satellite maps for the location where he needed to guard the Insect Yokai that night.

Although he could directly use his teleportation ability to scout the area, what the naked eye could see was never as comprehensive as these satellite images.

He spent the entire morning looking—the Insect Yokai had mentioned that its body had started to decay because it had consumed food containing harmful substances, so Luo Qiu focused his attention on the map, searching for potential sources that could have poisoned the Yokai.

It wasn't until noon that Luo Qiu turned off his computer and returned to the Club.

No new guests had appeared since last night.

The lunch You Ye prepared for Luo Qiu was beef stroganoff, served with a small dish of pickles, along with bread and caviar, and finally, borscht, which he had already eaten once.

Luo Qiu examined the bread carefully. "This should be a 'Belyashi,' right?"

"Yes, it's indeed called that here, using a homophone," You Ye smiled. "Of course, it's just ordinary bread, just bigger and a bit harder."

Luo Qiu looked at the neatly arranged, almost artistic presentation before him and smiled, "These should all be common Russian dishes, especially the borscht, which is the second time you've made it. It seems You Ye really likes Russian cuisine?"

You Ye just smiled, not directly answering Luo Qiu's question.

However, he could infer some things—for example, You Ye was created by an alchemist, a doll with a sealed soul. Since she was called an alchemist, she naturally wouldn't be from the East, from Luo Qiu's country.

So, the alchemist was likely Russian, or from a neighboring country. And that cold country might also be You Ye's... the homeland of the soul within You Ye.

However, Luo Qiu had once asked You Ye if she remembered anything from before she became a doll.

And she had only shaken her head, her sapphire-blue eyes appearing a little dim at that moment.

"Master... do you dislike this type of cuisine?" You Ye suddenly asked.

Dolls didn't need to eat, but You Ye could cook dishes that tasted very good. Perhaps this was the only thing connected to memory for the soul sealed within the doll.

Over the past three hundred years, You Ye had probably made these Russian dishes the most, right?

"It's fine, I'm not a picky eater," Luo Qiu shook his head. "But just eating it like this might not be the authentic taste."

He looked at You Ye and smiled, "So, if we have the chance, let's go to Russia and use the freshest ingredients there for cooking! I think the taste will be wonderful."

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Luo Qiu thought he saw a hint of anticipation in those beautiful sapphire eyes.

After lunch, Luo Qiu remained at the Club, chatting with You Ye. He began to probe her about the world of Yokai hidden within human society.

Luo Qiu was so engrossed in the strange and unusual tales You Ye was telling that he completely lost track of time until his appointment with the Insect Yokai. Only when You Ye kindly reminded him of the time did Luo Qiu hastily open a portal to the agreed-upon location. In the next moment, he and the doll appeared on the land beneath the crescent moon.

The surroundings were filled with dense forest, and a river flowed from the west. In the distance, the shadows of buildings could be vaguely seen, with faint lights shining from within.

It was a chemical plant that had been established there. Years ago, there had been news of it illegally discharging wastewater. After it was exposed, it was shut down for rectification, but it seemed to have reopened.

The river water before him shimmered, reflecting the crescent moon. However, years ago, it might have been murky, even with floating fish carcasses. How long would the river water remain clear?

"Master, the guest has arrived," You Ye suddenly whispered in Luo Qiu's ear.

Pulling his gaze and thoughts away from the river, Luo Qiu took a deep breath, turned, and greeted his second guest with a smile.

His movements were not fast, possibly due to his insectoid nature, but his attire was no different from what Luo Qiu had seen the previous night.

The Insect Yokai slowly "shuffled" before Luo Qiu, a hint of joy in its voice, "You… you actually came."

Luo Qiu surveyed the night. The surroundings were quite pleasant—quiet and cool. If he had a book to read, perhaps this evening wouldn't feel too boring.

However, things didn't seem to be going as smoothly as he'd hoped. A sharp cry, now near and now far, echoed from all directions. Seeing the Insect Yokai begin to tremble, Luo Qiu knew that its enemy, as mentioned by the Insect Yokai, had likely arrived.

Hmm… a Mantis Yokai that was one hundred and twenty years old?

That was certainly something worth witnessing.