191: Chapter 191: The Black Cat's Blessing (Thirty-Two)

The crowds were surging toward Qian Ye, and seeing this, A Lian's lips curled into a smug smile.

See? It's clearly this simple. All that talk about being careful, yet she's being taken down so easily.

A Lian wore a triumphant grin, as if she could already see Qian Ye being torn apart on the spot.

Suddenly,

Exclamations of shock disrupted A Lian's thoughts. She stared wide-eyed at what was unfolding before her.

“How is this possible...”

Qian Ye, wielding the hong ling umbrella, charged directly into the crowd, relentlessly swinging her weapon.

“Hee hee~”

“Interesting~”

Fresh blood splashed onto Qian Ye's skirt, and her expression instantly shifted.

“How annoying. I only just changed into these clothes~”

Qian Ye tilted her head as she pulled the hong ling umbrella from a man's abdomen. Staring at the splashing blood, her lips suddenly split into a wide grin. “Aren't you all curious about the faces of those people on the stage?”

“Well, you must be curious.”

“A sacrificial ritual held once every ten years—I bet none of you have ever seen their true faces.”

“Hmm, should I help satisfy your curiosity?~”

“Impudent! Is the visage of these emissaries something an intruder like you is permitted to see!”

“What are you all waiting for? Kill her at once!”

A Lian seemed to sense what she intended to do. Speeding up her speech, she ordered the surrounding cloaked figures to kill her immediately.

Qian Ye tilted her head, the hong ling umbrella in her hand spinning silently.

As the red singer spun, fine red threads shot out toward the cloaked figures opposite her.

Those subtle red threads were hidden in the darkness, making them incredibly difficult to detect.

The cloaked figures felt a sudden sharp pain in their faces.

Subconsciously, they raised their heads.

“Ah...”

“Mon... Monster...”

“Run... ah...”

“Help...”

In an instant, the area fell into chaos. The villagers were struck with terror, scattering in every direction.

Beneath those cloaks were White Cat faces and sharp claws, making it clear to everyone around that they were not human.

Now that the secret was out, A Lian no longer cared; she only wanted to eliminate the trouble before her.

The Master had said that as long as she dealt with her, she could start over.

Yes, start over.

At that thought, the murderous glint in A Lian's eyes grew even more vicious as she looked at Qian Ye.

Qian Ye tilted her head, the hong ling umbrella in her hand spinning silently.

“Well...”

“So that's how it is.”

“Hee hee~”

Before her words even faded, she had already charged into the group of cat-headed monsters.

With every rise and fall of her arm, a monster collapsed.

Seeing this scene, A Lian's expression became extremely ugly.

“What a bunch of useless trash.”

As A Lian spoke, she burst through her restraints and charged out from the firelight.

In the next instant, A Lian shot toward Qian Ye's position like an arrow from a bow. A faint white mist rose around her body, enveloping her in a mysterious aura.

Qian Ye stared at the strange white mist on the person before her, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.

“Why do you show no fear at all?” A Lian asked, her voice calm but tinged with a hint of confusion.

She had expected her opponent to be thrown into a panic by her appearance, but seeing such a composed expression instead filled her with resentment.

Fear?

Qian Ye's lips curled into a smile.

What a coincidence; usually people only feared her. When had she ever feared anyone else?

“Damn it.”

She hadn't lured her here to see this kind of reaction.

Kill her!

Kill her!

At this moment, her mind was filled with that single voice.

Just as she was about to move...

Suddenly,

“Clap, clap, clap.” The sound of steady clapping came from behind.

Qian Ye turned back. Looking at the familiar face, there wasn't a hint of surprise in her eyes.

The youth looked at her expression and tilted his head slightly. “You don't seem surprised at all.”

The youth was stroking the White Cat beside him.

The White Cat's eerie green eyes were fixed intently on Qian Ye, its entire body radiating a bone-chilling aura.

The moment the person and cat appeared, the cloaked figures all stopped in their tracks.

After surveying the surroundings, Qian Ye lazily answered his query.

“Oh, I am very surprised.”

As she spoke, Qian Ye even nodded, as if trying to convince herself.

The youth...

“To be honest, I still quite like you.”

“I can feel it—we are the same kind of person.”

“Come, join us.”

The youth extended his hand with a smile.

As he said this, the White Cat beside him exuded a hostile aura.

The youth rubbed its head.

“Be good.”

“Just this once.”

Only after being soothed for a moment did the White Cat return to normal.

Seeing this, the corner of Qian Ye's mouth quirked up. “Your pet seems to be a bit disobedient~”

Hearing this sarcasm, the cat's fur immediately stood on end. With one sentence, the White Cat that the youth had just finished coaxing returned to an explosive state.

The youth's face turned grim.

“The disobedient one is you.”

“People who don't listen should be killed.”

“Yes, yes, yes! Master, kill her quickly!”

Behind them, A Lian became ecstatic upon hearing this, her entire body trembling with excitement.

The Master would kill this woman soon. It was all her fault; otherwise, she would have completely belonged to the Master by now. She deserved to die.

Qian Ye tilted her head and stared at the youth, realization dawning. “Oh, so you are the Curtain Shadow they talk about.”

“Wait, that's not right~”

In an instant, Qian Ye appeared beside A Lian, staring at her with a look of feigned confusion. “Wasn't the Curtain Shadow you took me to see before a black cat?”

“How come these ones in front of us are all White Cats?”

Qian Ye's eyes were full of amusement.

With that one sentence, the youth's face changed.

A Lian's body stiffened behind him.

“Curtain Shadow... Lord Curtain Shadow...”

“Ah...”

“My head hurts so much...”

A Lian clutched her head as countless memories suddenly jumbled together in her mind.

The black stone statue of a cat...

The sudden appearance of the White Cat with its eerie green pupils.

For a moment, A Lian didn't know what was happening.

A moment later, A Lian returned to normal.

She stared at the person before her with a complex expression. What was that just now? Why did those memories appear?

Seeing A Lian's gaze, Qian Ye's lips curled slightly, her entire being radiating a sense of pleasure. Hmm, it seems to have worked.

Seeing A Lian being influenced, a flash of malice crossed the youth's face.

“Regardless, it seems your plan has gone up in smoke.”

Qian Ye looked at the mess in the square—the scattered items and the vanishing Village Chief—all telling the youth before her that the ritual had failed.

“We... have a long time ahead of us.”

The youth's lips curled into a slight smile as he slowly vanished before Qian Ye.

Qian Ye looked around, shrugged, and muttered to herself, “Boring.”

“Is all you people can do is spout some harsh words?”

A flash of mockery crossed her lips.

“A long time ahead...”

She didn't want to drag this out any longer. Watching them hesitate to act was utterly dull; she was already tired of it.

In the blink of an eye, the scene before Qian Ye changed once more.

This time, the people around her were all familiar faces.

“Big boss, you're awake!”