On the ground, Yangyang frowned and slowly came to.
She rubbed her head, then seemed to remember what had happened and hurriedly looked around.
Seeing that she was no longer inside the illusion, she let out a long breath. "Rover, are you all right?"
Rover shook her head. "I'm fine. But you..."
"Ling An and I were dragged into Scar's illusion, and we fought him there."
As Yangyang spoke, she looked at the Swiftblade in her hand.
Its surface was covered in dents and gouges left by Scar.
"Scar..."
"He already ran off. Don't worry," Rover reassured her.
Yangyang nodded thoughtfully. "Just now, in the illusion, there seemed to be someone else. All I could make out was a pair of wings. Did he... save me?"
She tapped her head, annoyed with herself for passing out so early.
"Oh, right, Ling An! You're not hurt, are you?" Yangyang asked with concern.
Ling An said, "Meow."
He sounded full of energy.
"I'm glad everyone's all right. While you were gone, I explored the area. I think I know what happened here now."
"Then the sundial is the only token the Magistrate gave us that we haven't figured out yet." Yangyang's eyes lit up.
Rover nodded confidently.
Now that Qichi Village's secret had been uncovered, there was no reason to linger.
Their priority was to return to Jinzhou City and decipher the final token.
The two women and their cat gradually disappeared into the distance.
Somewhere in Qichi Village, Scar knelt on one knee.
Beside him stood a tall woman with a brilliant Otherworldly Flower blooming on her chest.
She spoke slowly, her voice clear. "You're injured. Let me handle the next part."
Resentment flashed across Scar's face. "No. My date with Rover is far from over!"
With that, the two vanished together.
A long while passed.
A pristine snowflake drifted down to the ground, and Sanhua emerged, one hand resting on her Swiftblade.
She was tall, and a chill radiated from her unreadable face.
She seemed to be communicating with someone-
"Aside from Rover, there is something I need to report to you... Magistrate."
Pan Hua Restaurant, Jinzhou City.
Yangyang and Chixia sat opposite each other while Ling An lounged beside them, yawning.
After returning, Rover had hurried to the Huaxu Academy to investigate the final token.
Yangyang, meanwhile, had sought Chixia out the moment she returned to Jinzhou City and arranged to meet at the Pan Hua Restaurant.
She seemed to have something urgent to discuss.
With nothing to lose by listening in, Ling An sat obediently nearby and eavesdropped.
Of course, it absolutely had nothing to do with Panhua's delicious cat food.
Yangyang was the first to break the silence. "Chixia, that person you saw on your last mission-did he have purple wings?"
Startled, Chixia hurriedly asked, "You found him?"
Yangyang shook her head. "No. Quite the opposite. I think he might have saved me too."
Chixia froze for a moment, then twirled a lock of red hair at her temple around her finger. These days, she had gotten used to letting the loose hair over her forehead hang down.
It gave her a rather different sort of charm.
Smack!
She slapped the table.
"I've got it! Look, he saved both of us when we were in danger, and he stayed out of sight both times. What does that tell us?"
"What does it tell us?" Yangyang asked, taken aback.
"It tells us he's Jinzhou's Dark Night Hero! He does good deeds without leaving his name or showing his face!"
As soon as Chixia said that, a fit of hurried coughing sounded beside her.
"Ling An, how did you choke again? Eat more slowly." She quickly patted his back.
Ling An glanced at her.
He looked helpless.
Great. I've gone from Jinzhou Flying Feather Hero to its Dark Night Hero.
What's next?
Jinzhou's Ultraman?
Am I supposed to sneak off during a fight, whip out a Spark Lens, and turn into Tiga-no, Crownless?
It wasn't that he wanted to hide it. He was just afraid the two of them wouldn't be able to accept this identity if they found out.
Girls in particular would surely prefer a harmless little kitty.
Crownless?
Who would believe that?
Of course, the main reason was that Ling An had already taken plenty of liberties with both of them.
If he were exposed, how could he ever show his face again?
The mighty Crownless, burrowing into young girls' arms every day and mooching food and drinks.
No, absolutely not. Just thinking about it made Ling An feel like he would die of embarrassment.
His lifetime of prestige could not be ruined in an instant.
Yangyang pondered for a moment, then ultimately agreed with Chixia.
The image of a Dark Night Hero, secretly fighting crime throughout Jinzhou, took shape in her mind.
Her cheeks flushed.
That sort of fantasy and persona was simply too powerful for a young girl.
After leaving the Pan Hua Restaurant, Ling An said goodbye to Yangyang and Chixia.
By now, Jinzhou City was as familiar to him as his own home.
Yangyang and Chixia weren't worried about him getting lost.
After all, there were plenty of cats roaming freely around Jinzhou City.
Night fell, and the moon gradually climbed into the sky.
Ling An wandered around the city twice, planning to get down to some proper business.
His first stop was Shifang Pharmacy.
Not to buy medicine, of course.
When Koko, the clerk at Shifang Pharmacy, saw him, she excitedly called out, "Ling An!" and scooped him into her arms.
Koko loved this little cat who often loitered outside the pharmacy.
Unlike the other haughty strays, Ling An was very friendly.
Every time she saw him, she had to give him a thorough petting.
Breathing in the faint scent of medicinal herbs, Ling An nuzzled her contentedly, then headed for the Souvenir Shop.
Taking advantage of his harmless appearance, he repeated the process at one place after another, finally emerging from the Pioneer Association's front entrance.
Mm.
Sure enough, you really do have to get down to some proper business.
He padded along the street, about to return to Rover's lodgings.
Not far ahead, a tall figure stood quietly in the moonlight, seemingly having waited for him for quite some time.
Ling An stopped at the roadside. Woman and cat stared at each other across the street.
Sanhua?
Shouldn't she be at the border? Why is she here?
Ling An was puzzled, and a faint sense of danger spread through him.
As the personal bodyguard of Jinhsi, the Magistrate of Jinzhou, Sanhua differed from ordinary people in one respect.
She could see a living being's own frequency.
That meant Ling An could not hide his identity as a Tacet Discord from her.
Ling An had always deliberately avoided contact with her.
Until this very moment.
She was waiting for Ling An by the street.
Could she be here to execute me?
Ling An couldn't help imagining the worst.
Woman and cat remained silent, neither speaking first.
Jinzhou at night was quiet, washed in leaden gray.
"Ling An?" Sanhua broke the silence.
Ling An said, "Meow?"
"I've investigated you. I can see your true form," Sanhua said firmly.
The moment she spoke, a chill rose along the street.
Ling An said, "Meow-"
Sanhua paused. "You can talk. I know you can."
"No, I can't," Ling An said.
That single reply left Sanhua at a complete loss.
After a moment of silence, she seemed to recover and said evenly, "I'm not here to target you. There's someone who wants to see you."
Ling An raised his head, disbelief flashing in his slit pupils.
In all of Jinzhou City, there was only one person who could give Sanhua orders-
The Magistrate of Jinzhou...
Jinhsi!
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