Silence inside the County Magistrate Mansion was broken by a strange rustling.
Chen Jin looked up and saw a woman with a bizarre appearance hovering in midair.
She had eight long, pale limbs like those of an arthropod, lightly hooked onto nearly invisible threads of the Spider Cutter. Like a giant human-shaped spider, she crawled at ease across a web of death.
Her face looked as if it were hidden behind a shoddily made mask. Her features were stiff, as though hastily painted on with cheap pigments, utterly lifeless.
Especially when she spoke, her voice was shrill, yet it seemed to come from nowhere. Her lips didn't move at all:
"Little nobody, I spared your life. Why haven't you run off yet? You picked up some junk Mohist contraption and think that makes you a Wandering Knight?"
Chen Jin couldn't be bothered to waste words on her.
Who knows what the hell she's saying? She can talk to my bullets!
He flung out both arms, and two angular pistols sprang into his hands. The next instant, blazing tongues of fire burst from their muzzles!
"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—!"
The rapid gunfire tore through the mansion's silence. Countless demon-slaying bullets poured toward the bizarre figure in the air like a torrential storm, nearly engulfing her completely.
"Gah—!"
The strange woman let out a string of shrill, inhuman wails. Clouds of blood burst from her body as the bullets made her shudder violently in midair, nearly knocking her from the threads.
Yet, shockingly, the dreadful-looking wounds on her body healed at a visible speed. Her flesh writhed, forcing out the bullets as the wounds closed up without a trace.
Without moving her lips, she spoke again, taunting him. "Your healing ability is pretty strong... but mine's not bad either!"
Chen Jin suddenly stopped firing.
He spread his arms, aiming one pistol precisely at Spider Woman in midair and the other at the "old woman," who was still sprawled on the ground, barely clinging to life!
Chen Jin's tone was strange as he said, "Is this how you negotiate? You're very rude."
The strange woman in midair froze. "What did you say?"
Chen Jin lifted his pistols slightly.
Symphony of Myriad Phenomena Category: Weapon Quality: Rare Innate Attribute: Tuning (It can sense the user's intent. By concentrating and envisioning the desired effect before pulling the trigger, the user can automatically "tune" the weapon, converting mental energy into the corresponding special bullets.) This is merely a musical instrument, playing melodies for its enemies, interspersed with sudden whistles of breaking air. Notes: Using this weapon directly consumes the wielder's mental energy. Overuse can cause headaches, mental exhaustion, blurred consciousness, and even unconsciousness.
"This weapon of mine packs a decent punch, but it has one major drawback—every shot directly consumes my mental energy." Chen Jin's voice carried clearly through the silent courtyard. "I fired a total of fifty-six shots just now. By all rights, I should have a splitting headache."
He paused, his gaze sharp as he looked from Spider Woman to the old woman on the ground.
"But I don't feel the slightest bit unwell."
"That can only mean one thing—I never fired at all, and I haven't used up any mental energy. Everything before me, including your injuries and recovery, and all these corpses... is fake."
"I'm trapped in an illusion."
"And the one who dragged me into it and called me a Mohist Wandering Knight before I even took out my contraption—well, I can't think of anyone but the master of the Shark People."
Silence fell.
The "old woman," who had been gasping weakly and struggling in pain, suddenly stopped moaning.
Then, before Chen Jin's eyes, a startling transformation took place:
Her graying hair turned glossy black at a visible speed. Her hunched body slowly straightened, her wrinkled skin grew smooth and firm, and every crease disappeared...
In the blink of an eye, the ragged old woman transformed into a young woman clad in a gorgeous red dress, with smiling eyes and an alluring air.
She rose to her feet, brushed nonexistent dust from her red dress, and smiled sweetly at Chen Jin. Her voice was no longer old, but carried a sultry, bone-melting charm:
"Brave and decisive, powerful, and so meticulous... I'm starting to believe you really are a Mohist Wandering Knight."
The woman in red smiled and brushed a slender finger through the air, as if plucking an invisible string.
In an instant, the blood-soaked, murderous scene of the mansion shattered and peeled away like broken glass, vanishing.
In its place appeared a deep-blue, iridescent fantasy world: the illusion had shifted into a breathtaking underwater palace, far more suited to receiving guests.
Massive, multicolored corals of all shapes formed the palace's main framework. Their branches intertwined, naturally forming grand archways and corridors, their surfaces flowing with a warm glow.
The palace walls were inlaid with countless enormous, perfectly round night pearls. They illuminated the entire space as brightly as day, yet the light remained soft and gentle.
Translucent jellyfish drifted slowly beneath the palace dome like living lanterns, their long tentacles trailing pale blue or soft pink light.
The floor was covered with giant, mirror-smooth shells of Tridacna, scattered with colorful gems and golden grains.
Soft seaweed swayed gently in invisible currents like curtains of the finest silk.
In the distance, the faint, ethereal singing of Shark People could almost be heard, adding to the mystery and tranquility.
The woman in red elegantly led Chen Jin to a table carved from a single piece of warm jade and invited him to sit.
She raised her delicate hand, and a set of translucent tea ware, neither quite jade nor not, appeared out of thin air.
She personally lifted the teapot and poured Chen Jin a cup of tea.
The tea was an unusual deep blue, as if it held the starry sky within. Mist rose from it, transforming in the air into miniature ocean wonders: whales leaping, schools of fish swimming—an enchanting sight.
"I am Cen Qing, princess of the Shark People. I was rather discourteous just now. Please accept this tea as my apology, sir." Her voice was soft and alluring, her eyes sparkling.
Chen Jin looked at the iridescent tea before him but didn't reach for it right away.
A teasing smile curled his lips as he watched the shifting tea mist. "Your Highness, your illusion is quite something. But I wonder what the tea in this illusion tastes like once you drink it?
"In reality, I suppose it could be some kind of broth made from maggots and toads?"
The Shark People princess didn't take offense. Instead, she covered her lips and laughed, turning the tables on him. "What is false may be true, and what is true may be false.
"You've weathered plenty of storms, sir. Surely you aren't afraid of a cup of tea?
"So, will you drink it or not?"
Deep black ripples suddenly spread through Chen Jin's eyes.
Glance of the Startled Swan: Activate!
[Mirage Illusion Tea] [Category]: Consumable [Quality]: Legendary [Origin]: Refined from the essence of ten thousand years of deep-sea mirage vapors and dozens of rare underwater ingredients, including Moonlight Water Soul, Millennial Coral Heart, and Shark Person Tear, using a secret method of the Shark People imperial family. It exists only in the Realm of Ultimate Illusionary Dreams, and can scarcely be found in reality. [Effect]: Drinking it purifies the mind and significantly increases the awakening level of any legacy (the effect varies from person to person).
The strange light in Chen Jin's eyes immediately faded, and the teasing expression vanished from his face.
Anything that could increase the awakening level of a legacy was a rare treasure, no matter where it was found!
He no longer hesitated. Lifting the cup of Mirage Illusion Tea, he felt the sea of stars within it and drank it all in one gulp.