163: Goodbye, Demon Catwoman
Xie Ning took Yan Ruyu to the food street and ate for a long time.
It wasn't until the night deepened and the nightlife officially began, with the crowds gradually increasing, that they returned to the hotel contentedly.
In the elevator, Xie Ning looked at Yan Ruyu with a faint smile.
Who would have thought that Yan Ruyu, who initially resisted eating at roadside stalls, would end up eating the most.
"I've heard that even a blind person can become a Grandmaster by practicing the sword."
As soon as those words were spoken, Xie Ning was so startled that he instantly turned his head away, staring solemnly at the elevator door.
A moment later, the two returned to their suite.
Yan Ruyu said, "Go back to your room and rest well. First, you need to consolidate your cultivation, and second, you should replay today's battle to learn from the experience."
"Alright, goodnight, Master," Xie Ning nodded.
"Mhm."
The two went back to their respective rooms.
Xie Ning sat cross-legged on the bed, replaying the details of today's battle in his mind. Just as he was about to summarize the experience, he suddenly heard a series of "creak-creak" sounds coming from the other side of the wall.
Accompanying it were waves of thought-provoking moans.
Xie Ning, who was about to get serious, lost his focus in a second. He couldn't help but feel restless and found it difficult to concentrate.
He took a few deep breaths to steady his mind and was about to enter his cultivation state again, but to his surprise, the noise from the other side of the wall grew louder, and the sounds became increasingly high-pitched.
Shaking his head, Xie Ning was speechless. He couldn't exactly burst through the door and tell them to keep it down.
Suddenly, his expression became strange.
As a Bronze Ancient Martial Artist, he could hear the sounds so clearly; wouldn't Yan Ruyu's even sharper hearing... Xie Ning went to the living room and happened to see Yan Ruyu coming out of her room, her cheeks slightly flushed.
The two glanced at each other, and the atmosphere became awkward for a moment.
Just as he was thinking about how to ease the tension, a series of explosions rang out in the distance within Jingzhou City.
"Let's go take a look."
"Let's go take a look."
The two spoke in unison and rushed toward the source of the explosion.
It was less about seeing the explosion and more about escaping the awkwardness.
The explosion took place in the Old City District of Jingzhou.
When Xie Ning and Yan Ruyu arrived, they saw the residents of the old district fleeing in terror. Above them, a mess of power lines had been snapped by the explosion, hanging in the air and emitting crackling sparks that someone could easily bump into if they weren't careful.
At the source of the explosion, a single-story house had been blown apart from the inside. On the ruins, three people shrouded in tattered black robes were besieging a woman who was charred all over—it was the Demon Cat Woman.
Looking at the woman under attack, Xie Ning felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't recall who she was, causing him to frown.
The nearest City Defense Force had already arrived, but being at most Silver Rank, they were completely powerless against a battle between four Gold Ranks.
The four people on the field also noticed the movement around them. When they clearly saw Yan Ruyu, they looked even more terrified, as if they had seen a ghost.
The three Black-Robed Persons wanted to retreat, but the Demon Cat Woman abandoned her defensive stance and attacked frantically, specifically targeting their shoulders.
With a "rip," the sleeve of one of the Black-Robed Persons was torn open, revealing a mark.
"Fallen Demon Tamer!" Xie Ning's expression turned grim.
Yan Ruyu's expression also turned cold instantly, and she looked at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning nodded slightly and went down to where the City Defense Force squad was on the ground.
"Do you need our help? Here are our IDs." After saying this, Xie Ning handed Yan Ruyu's credentials to the City Defense Force Squad Leader.
The Squad Leader, who was currently having a headache over the situation, was overjoyed and quickly agreed.
"We'll be counting on you two from Lingnan Academy."
In the next second, Yan Ruyu raised her hand, and her long sword flew out, instantly transforming into ten thousand sword shadows that covered the sky and surged toward the battle.
The combatants were startled. The Demon Cat Woman chose not to resist and stood still. Just as the sword shadows were about to hit her, they shifted into a trapping formation, not harming her but leaving her unable to move an inch.
The three Fallen Demon Tamers were not so lucky. Facing the sky full of sword light, they resisted for barely two seconds before being pierced through their hearts by ten thousand arrows, turned into honeycombs, and sent to the Yellow Springs in terror.
One move, an instant kill.
This scene left the City Defense Force Soldiers stunned, completely petrified where they stood.
What kind of deity was this? Cutting through Gold Ranks like vegetables!
"Master is still the best," Xie Ning gave a thumbs up, offering some blatant flattery.
Yan Ruyu nodded slightly. With a shift in her hand gesture, the sword shadows vanished, leaving only a single real sword pointing at the Demon Cat Woman's throat, locking onto her so firmly that she dared not move.
"Who are you?" Xie Ning stepped forward and asked.
Upon seeing Xie Ning, the Demon Cat Woman's face filled with resentment. Her eyes blazed with anger, and her breathing became ragged as she shouted, "Who am I? You're actually asking who I am?"
"Do we know each other?" Xie Ning looked puzzled.
"Your little lover?" Yan Ruyu asked.
Xie Ning rolled his eyes at her. "Where would I get a little lover? I'm still... I mean, to have a little lover, I'd need a girlfriend first. Do I look like someone who has a girlfriend?"
"Single since birth for eighteen years, I understand."
Xie Ning: "..."
I can't beat you, so I'll endure it.
Xie Ning ignored Yan Ruyu's comment and continued to look at the Demon Cat Woman, asking, "Who exactly are you?"
"Hmph!" The Demon Cat Woman snorted coldly.
Yan Ruyu's sword gradually drew closer, and the shadow of death loomed over her. Yet, she gritted her teeth, unwilling to speak. In her angry gaze, there was actually a hint of grievance, which made Xie Ning feel even more bewildered, almost as if he were the one bullying her.
Xie Ning shook his head. "Forget it, Master. Let her go."
Yan Ruyu gestured, and the long sword returned to its scabbard.
"You're just letting me go like that?" The Demon Cat Woman looked suspicious.
Xie Ning replied crossly, "Otherwise? You want to stay for a late-night snack?"
In fact, Xie Ning and Yan Ruyu's reasoning was simple: a Fallen Demon Tamer is an enemy, so an enemy of a Fallen Demon Tamer is not necessarily an enemy. Moreover, she was Gold Rank; she might even become a force against the Fallen Demon Tamers in the future.
The Demon Cat Woman tried taking a few steps back. Seeing that Xie Ning and Yan Ruyu didn't react, she leaped into the air and onto a house.
Before escaping, she paused and said, "There's a Fallen Demon Tamer Outpost underneath."
"I know," Xie Ning smiled.
The Demon Cat Woman gave Xie Ning one last complicated look before turning and vanishing into the night.
She hadn't expected that the one who caused her to fall into this state was Xie Ning, and in the end, the one who saved her was also Xie Ning.
Once the Demon Cat Woman disappeared, Xie Ning and Yan Ruyu turned their gaze toward the large hole revealed after the single-story house exploded.
By then, reinforcements from the City Defense Force had arrived, led by a Gold Rank Lieutenant General.
After a brief discussion, both sides decided to set out together to suppress the Fallen Demon Tamer Outpost.
Though it was called a mutual discussion, it was mainly Xie Ning communicating with the Lieutenant General, as Yan Ruyu maintained an indifferent attitude throughout.
Sometimes Xie Ning wondered, who was actually the one in charge?