Chapter Fifty-Three: Signs of the Golden Oriole (Second Update. Please add to your favorites and recommend.)

"The mantis has not yet died, and now the cicada tries to flee." Li Suizhu was blocked by someone. This person was shrouded head to toe in a black robe, leaving only a pallid face exposed, ageless and inscrutable.

"Lord Bone, must you really trouble a young girl like this? Are you not afraid of lowering your own dignity?" A woman in a saffron robe appeared quietly, her tone light and teasing.

"It's just a trifling effort; perhaps it may even yield unexpected results," Lord Bone replied. "But you two insist on meddling in this matter?"

Seeing that familiar, unremarkable face, Li Suizhu unexpectedly felt a surge of happiness, perhaps stirred by the sight of blood.

"And how is this mere meddling? We have taken a commission, and so it is our duty to ward off disaster for our client," the woman called Twilight said, stepping sideways to stand at Li Suizhu’s side.

"Truly, you two are insufferably bored. But I must insist: today, she remains with me."

"Then you’ll have to try us. We cannot afford a reputation for taking payment and shirking our duty," Twilight retorted, a short blade appearing in her hand.

A woman’s soft laughter suddenly rang out, and then two more figures appeared—one tall, one small. The elder could not be more than twenty, her brows as slender as willow leaves, her features delicate, her bearing as graceful as a willow in the breeze—she seemed almost otherworldly. At her side stood a little girl of seven or eight, with an oval face and bright amber eyes, bound to grow into a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.

"Indeed, the names are well deserved—both Blood and Twilight are quite interesting," the older woman remarked.

"Oh? You’ve heard of us?" Twilight, seemingly surprised by the woman’s beauty, paused before replying.

"I have heard tell in Hezhou Prefecture."

"You, a native, know of the Hezhou Prefecture instance? Then tell me, who told you of our names?" Twilight pressed, almost unreasonably.

"Liu Jifeng. He said, if ever the matter concerned true ease of heart, then you two were the highest among men."

Twilight accepted the compliment without hesitation, her smile blooming. She was about to reply, "Ah, what can I say? Life is so short—without a little fun, how dreary it would be—"

But before she could finish, her expression changed dramatically. "Hezhou Prefecture, Liu Jifeng, a native, the battle of the summit, endless slaughter—you, you’re the Demon Queen, you’re Zhou Zhou!" The once-unflappable Twilight, blade in hand, took several steps back.

"I never imagined my reputation had grown so grand. Zhou Zhou will suffice—I don’t much care for that title," Zhou Zhou replied with a gentle smile. Yet to Twilight, that smile was like Death’s own.

A single woman who slaughtered six thousand armored soldiers and turned Hezhou Prefecture to terror; who crossed multiple instances to slay one person, unbound by the rules, traveling freely to and from the Lord God's domain; her legend was countless. She was a woman infamous for killing outsiders, a terror capable of pursuing prey even into the Lord God's own realm.

"Sister, that skull-face is trying to escape!" the little girl suddenly exclaimed.

Lord Bone, who had just inched his foot, froze in place. That expressionless, deathly pale face contorted into a smile. "Is there something Lord Zhou Zhou would ask of me?"

"Little Skeleton, we’ve just met and you’re already trying to leave without a greeting?"

Lord Bone’s smile was uglier than a grimace. "Lord Zhou Zhou, I offer you my respects."

"Have you finished gathering your new skeleton army? I recall in the Lord God's domain, your endless host of skeletons gave me quite a fright."

A dry laugh escaped Lord Bone. He was sure his smile was ghastly, his laughter pained. After all, that entire legion of skeletons had been wiped out by her with a single stroke. And she had even cheerfully told him to collect more next time—she was a demon queen through and through.

"What is your name again?" Zhou Zhou asked.

"Just call me Little Bone." The one always addressed as Lord Bone—Bone Youming—now answered without hesitation. Two idioms sprang to Li Suizhu’s mind: sycophancy and slavish submission.

"Little Bone, I want you to protect her well," Zhou Zhou said, pointing at Li Suizhu.

"Ah."

"Unwilling?"

"No, no. I just didn’t know she was connected to you," Bone Youming explained, thinking to himself, If I had known you were here, I’d never have come, not for any trivial task!

"Enough. Just protect her, that’s all."

"Why are you helping me?" Li Suizhu suddenly asked, sending Bone Youming into a cold sweat. Good heavens, the Demon Queen needs no reason for her actions!

Zhou Zhou, who had been about to leave, turned and smiled. "After all, we are both of the Immortal Spirit World. Ah, you wouldn’t understand, and I can’t really explain. In any case, it will be useful when dawn comes." Her words left everyone bewildered, yet none dared ask further.

One wave had not settled before another arose.

Someone blocked Zhou Zhou’s path—a young man with golden hair, dressed in white ceremonial robes.

"Good dogs don’t block the road!" the little girl beside Zhou Zhou shouted. Bone Youming wanted to laugh but dared not.

"Tell me your name," the golden-haired youth said.

"Do you only kill those with a name?" Zhou Zhou asked suddenly.

The youth frowned, not understanding, and replied coolly, "It is the courtesy of nobles."

"Oh. Her name is Fan Xiaohua—is there anything else?" Zhou Zhou sounded a bit disappointed. "If not, move aside."

"My name is Ashur," the youth said.

"Ah, I see."

Upon hearing the name, Bone Youming’s breath caught. Ashur the Demigod—one of the acknowledged powerhouses of the Lord God’s domain. How had this minor exploration instance attracted so many great figures? I thought I was among the top experts here—could they have known in advance about the mysterious tower in this instance?

"I have long heard of your fame, but never met you in person."

"Enough—are you looking for an autograph or a fight?" Zhou Zhou interrupted curtly.

Ashur took a deep breath and pressed his hands together. "In the name of the God of Light." At once, his palms were surrounded by a soft white glow.

"I leave this to you, junior sister," Zhou Zhou said indifferently, her presence overwhelming. Fan Xiaohua nodded vigorously. Upon hearing this, the light in Ashur’s hands shifted from white to gold.

Elsewhere, Song Leizhou fought like a man possessed, as if seeking his own death. Tuoba Yu, clearly wary, held back with every move, and so gradually fell behind.

"Mountain Moves!" Song Leizhou roared, ignoring the crescent moon blade before him. He punched forward, his force like a mountain crashing down. Tuoba Yu, unwilling to risk mortal injury, spun his longbow—moon meeting mountain.

Fist and bow collided—fist shattered, bow snapped. Song Leizhou’s hands, already badly injured, now saw his right hand disintegrate into powder. The pain was unimaginable, yet he gave a guttural roar and swung his left fist, trying to regain the advantage.

With her longbow broken, Tuoba Yu realized she could no longer hesitate. She shifted her grip to her right hand, her elegant footwork turning into lightning. The broken bow danced, no longer evoking the serene beauty of the full moon, but instead the terror of thunderbolts on taut strings.

"It is indeed an illusion. The cast is incomplete." Wu Yue stood in a corridor, calling out to the blinding white glare that had sent him across worlds. In this place, there was no sense of time, no clocks, no noise, no sunrise or sunset. It was a world both familiar and maddening—a place where one could go utterly insane.

It seemed no one wished to let him out. Wu Yue had often thought so before.

No one spoke more than a word to him, and the occasional screams grew ever rarer. After being tranquilized, he would be transferred to another room.

The only sights to see were the relentless ivy that never managed to cover the wall, and the music fountain whose tune he could never quite make out.

Wu Yue could feel himself growing ever weaker...