Xiaomeng, Mistaken for a Great Bow

Na'er followed Jiang Ce into the hall.

The Duke's Mansion's council hall had been cleaned up. The chaos from last night had vanished, replaced by bright morning light and a faint fragrance drifting on the breeze.

Xiaomeng sat on the left, holding a teacup, as cold and clear as frost.

Only, a faint blush still lingered on her otherwise calm cheeks.

She quietly pressed her legs together, trying to tense them, but they still trembled slightly.

Damn it.

Last night, she had been treated as a great bow, her ankles bound with black bowstrings as arrows were nocked and drawn again and again, all night long.

Her legs were still weak.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the few little vixens nearby. Someone was lazily swishing her tail, looking thoroughly satisfied.

Xiaomeng gave a soft snort and turned her head away.

When Na'er entered, she paused slightly.

Four big sisters.

One was as cold as ice, while the other three were as fiery as flames—and they all looked exactly alike.

She instinctively took a few steps back.

"Don't be afraid." Jiang Ce's voice sounded in her mind. "They're all on our side."

Na'er nodded. Her hair fell against her cheek, hiding the tips of her ears, which had turned faintly red.

Yan Lingji's eyes lit up.

"Oh, how adorable! The little sister our king brought home~"

She rose and went over to greet her.

Na'er shrank back, timidly revealing half her face.

"Don't hide, now. Your big sister won't eat you~"

Yan Lingji smiled and reached out to pat her head.

Na'er ducked her head.

"She is called Na'er."

A tentacle reached out and patted Na'er's head.

"She'll be one of us from now on."

Feeling the warmth on her head, Na'er's tense shoulders gradually relaxed.

"Come, sit here."

Yan Lingji took Na'er's hand and led her to sit beside her.

Na'er looked at Yan Lingji, then at Xiaomeng across from her, and said softly, "Hello, big sister..."

Her voice was so quiet, like wind brushing past a feather.

Yan Lingji patted her head. "Good girl~ Stick with your big sister from now on, and I'll protect you."

Xiaomeng gave a slight nod in response.

Yan Lingji clapped her hands.

Several servants filed in, setting dish after dish on the long table.

The Duke's Mansion's kitchen was stocked with everything they needed. On top of that, Jiang Ce had passed her recipes for dishes from another world through memory transfer. Yan Lingji had spent the whole morning cooking, preparing a delicious feast that blended Eastern and Western cuisines.

But she had enjoyed herself immensely, too.

In the kitchen, with no one else around.

Naked, wearing only an apron, then tentacles...

The first dish was golden crystal shrimp dumplings, their wrappers so thin that the tender pink shrimp inside showed through.

The second was honey-glazed roasted ribs, the fragrant, seared meat coated in amber-colored syrup and glistening temptingly.

Then came creamy mushroom soup, butter-seared scallops, steamed eggs with black truffle, lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice and osmanthus... One exquisite dish after another filled the long table.

"My king, I made all of these the way you taught me."

Yan Lingji turned around, and a mass of black Venom tissue coalesced into a round head.

Jiang Ce's Venom head bobbed. "Not bad. It smells delicious."

Yan Lingji picked up a piece of roasted rib and held it to Jiang Ce's mouth.

The Venom tissue surged around the rib, enveloping it.

"Mmm—not bad, not bad. Your cooking keeps getting better."

"Thank you for the praise, my king~"

Yan Lingji giggled, her tail swaying gently behind her.

Na'er sat to one side, staring at the exquisite dishes covering the table, her eyes wide as saucers.

She had never seen food like this.

Back when she had been wandering, she had eaten nothing but coarse flatbread and dry rations. If she was lucky, she might occasionally beg for a bowl of hot soup.

Compared with what lay before her, that food was worlds apart.

"Go ahead and eat."

"Big brother says I can..." Na'er murmured, picking up her chopsticks and taking a small piece of lotus root.

The tender, sticky rice melted on her tongue, mingling with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus.

Her eyes lit up at once.

"It's delicious..."

Na'er picked up another piece, this time without hesitation.

Yan Lingji propped her chin on her hand and watched her with a smile.

"Little one, where are you from?"

Na'er put down her chopsticks, thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I don't remember..."

"Then what do you remember?"

"...I don't remember anything."

Na'er lowered her head.

"I only remember being alone, walking outside."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter.

Yan Lingji put an arm around her shoulders and patted her gently. "It's all right. If you don't remember, you don't remember. We've got plenty of time for you to figure it out."

"Mm..."

Na'er leaned against her.

Watching them, Xiaomeng set down her teacup and said calmly, "Losing your memory isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Some things are better forgotten."

Yan Lingji glanced at Xiaomeng and smiled meaningfully.

"Are you talking about yourself, big sister?"

Xiaomeng's expression didn't change. She picked up her teacup again. "I'm merely stating a fact."

"Yes, yes. Whatever big sister says goes~"

Yan Lingji drew back her hand, her nine tails swaying gently as they brushed across Xiaomeng's legs.

Xiaomeng stiffened all over.

That vixen is at it again.

She glared at Yan Lingji and lifted her teacup to hide her flushed face.

"All right, stop teasing her."

Only after Jiang Ce spoke did Yan Lingji chuckle and pull her tails back.

"Vixen, bring me that list of nobles."

Yan Lingji took a ledger out of the Soul Storage Ring and flipped to the last page.

"We dealt with those marquises and earls from yesterday. These are the ones still left."

She pointed to a list of names in the ledger.

"Barons, viscounts, earls... More than a dozen households altogether, scattered across the south, north, and east of the city, as well as the outskirts of Heaven Dou City."

"Too many. Going to each one individually would be a waste of time."

Jiang Ce thought for a moment.

"We'll split up and go in several directions. Na'er and I will stay here."

"Once you're done, come back and regroup."

Yan Lingji nodded.

"Then it's settled. My king, just wait here for good news~"

She stretched, and her nine tails drew together, returning her to her ordinary form.

"Don't worry. I won't let them die too easily."

Xiaomeng set down her teacup and stood.

"Let's go."

Four figures darted out of the Duke's Mansion, speeding away in different directions.

Na'er was a little curious.

But with Jiang Ce's reassurance, she obediently stayed inside the Duke's Mansion.

The blazing sun slanted westward.

At the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce headquarters on West Street in Heaven Dou City,

the president, Black Cloud Crane, sat in his grand chair, his fingers tapping restlessly on the armrest.

"What happened?"

His expression was dark.

"Didn't the Dark Blood Alliance say the goods would be delivered yesterday? Why haven't we heard anything?"

A subordinate bowed, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Reporting to you, President, we've already sent people to contact them, but... there has been no response."

"No response at all?"

Black Cloud Crane sprang to his feet.

"Do you think I'm easy to fool? Yesterday you said the goods had arrived, today you say there's no news. Are you going to tell me tomorrow that everyone in the Dark Blood Alliance is dead?"

The subordinate dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Please calm down, President! I've already sent more people to investigate. We'll have news before nightfall!"

"What good is news after nightfall?!"

Black Cloud Crane slammed his palm onto the table, shattering it.

"The Duke is waiting to use those goods! If you delay the schedule, can you take responsibility?"

"Your subordinate..."

"And you've been investigating the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group for over a month. Where's the culprit?"

Black Cloud Crane's expression turned cold.

"Dozens of our men have died, and you don't even know who's responsible. What good are you?"

The subordinate trembled from head to toe.

"President, the other side is simply too cunning. Every time, we're one step behind..."

"I don't care!"

Black Cloud Crane cut him off.

"I'm giving you three more days. If you can't find them, don't bother coming back."

"Yes, yes..."

The subordinate scrambled out on his hands and knees.

Black Cloud Crane sank heavily back into his chair and rubbed his temples.

Nothing had gone right lately.

The Dark Blood Alliance's shipments had been cut off for over a month, the Duke was pressing him hard, and his subordinates were useless.

At this rate, his time as president might soon be up.

"Sir!"

Hurried footsteps sounded outside.

"What is it now?"

Black Cloud Crane frowned.

A guard rushed in, panic written all over his face.

"Sir, a group of people outside... they've barged in!"

"What kind of people dare barge into the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce?"

Black Cloud Crane roared and headed for the door.

Just as he crossed the threshold, a dark shadow dropped from above.

"Boom—"

The doorway exploded, sending splinters flying.

Several graceful figures sauntered inside.

At their head was a woman in a black-and-red dress. Her peach-blossom eyes were slightly raised, and the corner of her mouth curved in a half-smile.

Behind her followed two identical figures.

Then came one woman with gray-white hair pinned up, dressed in ink-wash robes, and a young woman with brown hair tied back.

"Who are you?"

Black Cloud Crane's pupils contracted.

"We're here to send you on your way."

Yan Lingji chuckled.

"How dare you! Guards! Seize them!"

Black Cloud Crane roared, and six Soul Rings rose around him. He was a Six-Ring Soul Emperor.

The other guards released their Martial Souls as well.

And yet—

It was useless.

Xiaomeng raised her hand. "Colorless World" enveloped the area, slowing everyone's movements dozens of times over.

Yan Lingji and her two clones vanished at the same time.

A flash of swordlight.

Before the three Soul Emperor guards could react, Venom's long sword had sliced off their arms.

The sword hilt smashed into the back of Black Cloud Crane's head, knocking him face-first to the ground.

The area was cleared.

Black Cloud Crane lay on the ground, his face bruised and swollen.

"Y-you... who are you people, really?"

He shouted hoarsely.

"What do you want? Money? Power? I can give you anything!"

Yan Lingji didn't answer.

She took a long spear from her Storage Soul Tool and channeled Soul Power into it.

A cold glint flashed.

The spear pierced Black Cloud Crane's left leg and pinned it to the ground.

"Argh!"

Black Cloud Crane screamed.

A second spear pierced his right leg.

A third pierced his left hand.

A fourth pierced his right hand.

Black Cloud Crane was pinned to the ground, blood pouring from all four limbs.

"You... you..."

His eyes widened, filled with terror.

"What do you people want?"

"Don't rush."

Yan Lingji crouched down and prodded his face with a spear.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"The duke won't let you get away with this!"

Black Cloud Crane shouted hoarsely.

"We're partners with the Dark Blood Alliance! The people of the Dark Blood Alliance will avenge me!"

"The duke?"

Yan Lingji smiled.

"You mean Xue Lingshan?"

Black Cloud Crane froze.

"Y-you know about him...?"

"Because he's already waiting for you over there."

Yan Lingji stood up and looked down at him.

"His Grace the Duke—no, Xue Lingshan—was pinned to a wall by us last night."

"Now it's your turn."

Black Cloud Crane's face went deathly pale.

"N-no, impossible... You're lying to me..."

"Don't believe me?"

Yan Lingji took something from her Soul Storage Ring and tossed it in front of him.

It was Xue Lingshan's ducal seal.

Cast from black gold, it was adorned with coiling dragon patterns.

Black Cloud Crane's pupils contracted sharply.

"Th-this..."

"Now, can you die in peace?"

Black Cloud Crane trembled all over.

"You... you're demons..."

"Demons?"

Yan Lingji chuckled.

"Compared to you, who refine medicine using living people, what are we?"

She said no more.

Yan Lingji sent a group of servant puppets forward.

One spear after another.

Black Cloud Crane's men, along with the Soul Emperor guards, were all pinned to the wall.

Blood ran across the ground.

Screams rose one after another.

Black Cloud Crane's eyes bulged as if they would split.

"Kill me... kill me..."

"You want to die?"

Yan Lingji shook her head.

"It won't be that easy."

She turned to the servant puppets.

"Go find some bugs. Any kind will do."

The puppets obeyed.

As Yan Lingji turned back with a faint smile, Black Cloud Crane felt a chill crawl over him.