Who left their last words here?

Chapter 93 The Alluring Female Assassin in the Rain; Ritual Is Not Such an Inconvenient Thing (Part 3)

Tonight is another dark and stormy night.

The wind howled mournfully, like a bard's off-key chant, making one feel that werewolves might roam the night.

Before leaving the school, Bai Zhou made a special trip back to his office to do some mysterious preparations.

Then Bai Zhou transformed into a black cat and headed west, spreading his four legs straight towards the western district of Tinghai City.

Because both the South and North districts had been bombed, the authorities were keeping a close watch on the area, and the experienced and cautious Bai Zhou did not intend to risk committing a crime against the wind.

Compared to the backwardness of the southern part of the city and the prosperity of the northern part, the western part of the city is classified as an industrial new area, with industrial parks everywhere.

Paper mills, steel mills, chemical industrial parks, transportation companies...

The residents nearby are mostly newly rich business owners from Tinghai City. They usually own one apartment in the west city and several apartments in the east city, and when they are busy, they live in the west city.

These people are wealthy and generous, so even though the West City area may not be very prosperous, the prices of food and daily necessities vary wildly and are ridiculously high.

—As an industrial cluster, this is often the place where fire safety is most closely monitored, and the authorities absolutely cannot tolerate any fires.

...Then, the white boat arrived.

With limited time, Bai Zhou hurriedly found an abandoned building and began setting up the ceremony.

The shadows of various buildings can be seen nearby, with several conspicuous large chimneys standing there.

Bai Zhou didn't know what kind of factory was next door, but he felt that even the air had a strange sweet smell of corn candy. He heard from Ya that it was some kind of polluting gas being emitted.

...Setting up a ceremony requires quiet and focus, but it is also the process of focusing that allows one's mind to settle down.

After a long day of activity, Bai Zhou needed some peace and quiet, and during a break from setting up the ceremony, he reflected on everything that had happened that day.

Tomorrow night, Bai Zhou will infiltrate the Dream Realm's Yuanmeng Middle School, but given his current strength, this trip is destined to be extremely dangerous.

He needs to get stronger.

However, he has already reached the peak of Level 2 Extraordinary, awakening the various "instincts" unique to the Chosen One at this stage.

The "Moonlight Oath Saint Slash," Bai Zhou's long-held secret technique, has indeed helped him a lot, but if he wants to go further...

White Boat needs a new secret technique!

In reality, obtaining the appropriate secret techniques for adventurers is practically a pipe dream, so in other words...

Standing beside a window frame that had no windows at all, under the bright moonlight, Bai Zhou took out a token from his bosom and gently stroked it with his fingertips.

"Buzz!"

The token trembled slightly upon sensing the spiritual energy within Bai Zhou.

Then, a translucent white light surged and shone from the token, as if it were about to overflow, originating from the same source as the spiritual energy within Bai Zhou's body.

Since recovering from his injuries, Bai Zhou has been persistently infusing the token with spirituality, finally filling it with the spirituality it needed.

Thanks to Bai Zhou being a chosen one with a natural talent of five feet five inches, his spiritual energy was nearly twice that of other extraordinary individuals of the same level.

After drinking the "Tears of the Moon Goddess," the number of spiritual beings even increased further.

Otherwise, this adventurer's token leading to the temple wouldn't have been activated at such a crucial moment...

—If he can get back safely tonight, Bai Zhou has to go to the depths of the Void Realm no matter what.

If he couldn't obtain the secret techniques passed down through the later stages, Bai Zhou always felt that his upcoming adventures wouldn't be safe.

Just like the heroes in the story, they only went to fight the Demon King after obtaining the Holy Sword and gathering their companions.

But Bai Zhou had neither the inch-long holy sword that contained the spirit of the white-haired beauty nor the knight king's cloak that was warmer than a cotton quilt.
There were no automatically looting thief companions, no aspiring trainee priests determined to pass the civil service exam, and no elven archer soloing goblin dens...

The only thing he could rely on was the "end" deep within the Ruins Realm, which only he could witness.

As I was pondering this, the hands on my wristwatch pointed to eleven o'clock.

The major is probably positioning himself.

Bai Zhou suddenly felt a strange unease.

It felt like a cold, damp boulder was lodged in his heart, or like a piece of paper completely soaked in water. He couldn't pinpoint when it started, but before he realized it, it had silently engulfed his chest, making it hard for Bai Zhou to breathe.

This was an instinctive alert from deep within the body, touching the edge of danger even before reason could reach it; even the hairs on Bai Zhou's arms stood up distinctly.

"This is……"

Bai Zhou paused for a moment, then pursed his lips.

A warning from the power of the mind!
Bai Zhou didn't have this feeling last night, which means that the danger tonight may be beyond Bai Zhou's expectations.

Bai Zhou chose to believe this warning, after all, it had saved Bai Zhou more than once.

According to Ya, this is also an important reason why those destined for heaven are called "destined for heaven".

Bai Zhou used to think that everyone had this ability, but later he learned that ordinary extraordinary individuals could only use the power of their mind to empower themselves when using a level 2 secret technique.

Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, having a direct sense of life and death...

This variant of "psychic power" is an "instinct" that can only be randomly unlocked at level 2 by those destined for greatness, and is inexplicable by common sense.

In the eyes of other extraordinary individuals, this became an incomprehensible "divine mandate" bestowed upon them!
There's even a saying that...

Most of the secret techniques of extraordinary individuals are actually imitations of the "instincts" of advanced chosen ones!

Looking up at the room, which was almost fully furnished, Bai Zhou turned to look at the quiet street outside the window, lost in thought.

Perhaps he should change his strategy.

……

ten minutes later.

As expected, the abandoned building that Bai Zhou had set up was attacked.

But this time, no one broke into the building.

"Click!"

"Boom! Rumble rumble rumble..."

After a loud crack, the building collapsed and tilted.

The sky is filled with smoke and dust.

Everything was buried, and the roaring sound made the street tremble.

The Black Knights surrounded the area, strictly controlling the spread of influence while cautiously and menacingly searching every inch of the ruins.

Several of the Black Knights stood on the perimeter, carefully carrying two large black boxes.

Clearly, they even used a "black box" for Bai Zhou!
The collapse of the building was one of the undisclosed factors at play.

It seems that this time, even if they are certain that White Boat will not have time to set up the ceremony, the Black Knights are not prepared to fall into White Boat's trap again.

The head of the inspection team had already warned the major, so this time the major ordered the Black Knights to act swiftly and decisively, leaving no trace.

To this end, he even secretly transferred two "black boxes" over!
If they were to meet head-on, even ten lives wouldn't be enough for Bai Zhou to kill these black warriors.

Good thing...

"So fierce, so fierce!"

Two streets away, a white boat draped in a black cloak peered out from the window of an abandoned old villa.

Watching the tall building slowly collapse and disappear from sight in the distance, Bai Zhou let out a long sigh of relief while still feeling lingering fear.

After setting up the ceremony and estimating that they had already located their positions, Bai Zhou secretly slipped away and ran off ahead of time.

This is currently the furthest distance he can control the explosion ceremony.

but now……

Bai Zhou could no longer sense those explosion and alchemy rituals.

Clearly, the other side came prepared.

I thank myself, and I am grateful for the warning from my soul...

Although it was a bit of a shame that the major couldn't bleed again, saving his life was the priority.

Is something wrong?

Bai Zhou was preparing to transform into a black cat and leave, but the inexplicable unease in his heart did not disappear; instead, it grew stronger.

This time was different from before; a chill ran down his spine, as if a venomous snake was lurking in the shadows, spying on him.

“It’s not over yet…”

This prevented Bai Zhou from immediately transforming into a black cat. Instead, he drew his saber from behind his waist, turned around, and surveyed the darkness of his surroundings.

The abandoned villa was dark and quiet, with only broken furniture and the occasional rat passing by.

Frowning, Bai Zhou stood still, sword in hand, and slowly closed his eyes in the darkness.

"..."

His expression was calm, and his muscles seemed relaxed; anyone who didn't know better would think he had fallen asleep standing up.

But in his perception, the darkness of the surrounding environment had receded like the tide.

A strange sound came to my ears, hurried and chaotic, like countless whispers urgently telling me something.

Then, even those sounds disappeared.

Everything is no longer in its original form, but rather an abstract line.

Red, green, blue... Mountains are not mountains, water is not water; everything in the abandoned villa has been restored to the three "primary colors" that make up the world.

"Eye of the Heart!"

The "instinct" that Bai Zhou awakened after reaching Level 2 perfection, and the power of his mind became like Bai Zhou's third eye.

According to Raven, even among the chosen ones, very few awaken this rare "instinct," perhaps because the five-foot-five-inch talent came into play again.

Among these flowing primary colors, a sense of disharmony gradually emerges.

The colors there were dimmer, and the flow was more rigid, as if shrouded in some faint shadow.

That place is...!
The next moment——

Bai Zhou opened his eyes, the blade of his saber reversed, and he infused it with spiritual energy.

The terrifying blade light then surged, like a crescent moon of purple-gold streaking across the sky.

Illuminating the darkness of the abandoned villa, the crescent moon swiftly swept towards the nearby worn-out old sofa.

"Shh-"

Like slicing tofu, the purplish-gold blade energy emanating from the saber sliced ​​the sofa in two in the blink of an eye.

Sparks flew, the blade energy was deflected, and an alloy cane was sliced ​​in two and fell to the ground.

"You... you were actually able to find me?"

A surprised female voice drifted out, and a blurry, distorted shadow gradually emerged from the darkness. Then, the shadow slowly solidified and transformed into a human figure.

"You can spot me with your eyes closed... what kind of secret technique is that?"

The woman, also dressed in a black cloak, limped, but this posture did not diminish her elegance and pride.

With a hint of surprise, the eyes behind the mask scrutinized Bai Zhou with keen interest:
"What is that sharp blade of light? Is it a special effect of this weapon?"

"I'm really curious, where did you get such an extraordinary weapon?"

The woman's gaze swept over the ornate purple-gold saber in Bai Zhou's hand, and a hint of fervor flickered in her eyes.

"You are……"

The familiar voice and the limping figure startled Bai Zhou for a moment, but he quickly realized who the other person was.

"The one who jumped off the building last time!" "...?"

The woman's expression stiffened.

Is this all you've remembered?
"My name is Sofonisba Anguisola!"

With a "whoosh," the black cloak was slowly pulled off.

Her voluptuous and alluring figure, with its curvaceous curves, caught Bai Zhou's eye as she wore a bright red dress.

If there were acquaintances here, even if she was wearing a mask, they would definitely be able to recognize her famous "surface identity" in Tinghai City at a glance.

Because of the elegance that permeates her very being, which is difficult to imitate, she is a famous art connoisseur and a very active socialite in the high society of Tinghai City, with extensive connections among the elite.

...Of course, this also allowed her to access those highly protected and prominent figures, and obtain information that was difficult for ordinary people to access.

Of all the level 4 assassins in the entire art club, she has killed the most young masters from prestigious families, and her hidden wealth is also the most astonishing!

With her snow-white chin slightly raised, the female assassin, wearing three sets of crown masks, introduced herself to Bai Zhou:

"Remember this name, because the Art Club members always leave their names before they start drawing."

"And this time, the artist behind this masterpiece is none other than Sofonisba Anguisola!"

Painting...

For the art club, the most superior paint is, of course, "life"!
For Bai Zhou, this was a very familiar tactic, because Van Gogh had said the same thing last time.

"Is your entire art club just a bunch of copycats and forgeries?"

Bai Zhou made a casual guess, but his muscles and mind tensed up, and he silently took a few steps back to create distance:

"Speaking of which, your headquarters isn't some kind of mental hospital, is it?"

[Anguisola]: "?"

The female assassin, choked up, finally spoke again after a long while:
Has anyone ever told you that you're not good at chatting?

She frowned, looking at Bai Zhou with disgust:
“I hate your calm demeanor. You should be afraid of me, or I’ll think you have a way to escape again.”

"But last time, you escaped by jumping out of the window."

"—Where can you run to this time?"

"Are you going to use the same old trick again? You just arrived here too. Do you think you have time to set up a ceremony?"

As she spoke, [Anguisola] carefully scanned her surroundings and immediately cast the same explosive ritual to dispel the curse she had cast before!
Obviously, that's what they say.

But even when facing Bai Zhou, this cunning and dangerous individual, she remained extremely vigilant and cautious!

However, upon hearing this, Bai Zhou revealed a meaningful smile beneath his cloak:

"When did you develop the illusion that there are no rituals here?"

"...?"

"Da da!"

The sound of high heels echoed.

Anguisola suddenly took two steps back, frowned, and looked around warily.

"Was it painted in a hidden corner? Or in another room?"

Her meticulous gaze searched every corner, her voice cold and sharp.

"I don't know how you found me... but you probably don't want to die together with me, do you?"

Bai Zhou tightened his black cloak and pointed to the window beside him. "How about I go first?"

After thinking for a moment, Bai Zhou added, "Or you can leave—ladies first."

"...Nobody wants to die with you!"

With her eyes lowered, the female assassin suddenly regained her composure.

"Perhaps I have misjudged you; your drawing ritual is much faster than any other ritual performer I have ever seen!"

"but……"

"Like I said, if I couldn't deal with you, I wouldn't have come in the first place!"

As she spoke, the female assassin slowly opened her arms.

The difficult incantation was whispered from her lips.

"What?" Bai Zhou stepped back warily.

The next instant, he felt something dripping from the top of his head.

He reached out and wiped his hand on his cloak.

Yes……

Green oil paint?
Then came the red, the blue, the black...

"Drip drip drip...whoosh!"

The air became humid, and tiny drops of colorful moisture gathered and fell from the ceiling.

Eventually, these water droplets coalesced into a rain.

A rain of paint!

Although it was sunny outside, a colorful downpour was falling inside the villa!

These paints soaked and stained the floors and all the furniture in the villa, turning everything into a colorful oil painting in the blink of an eye.

Everything before my eyes became absurd, the vibrant colors resembling a strange dream, or perhaps an abstract painting.

The rain of paint fell on the white boat's black cloak, staining it as well.

Only when encountering this female assassin in a red dress will the color dissolve on its own, leaving no trace of staining.

They are like pure raindrops falling on the serene Anguisola, as if these colors originated from her.

"【The Rain of Mannerism】, my level 2 advancement secret technique, transforms the vibrant colors within my heart into hues that distort reality!"

The female assassin said calmly:
“Although you are always good at creating rituals that are adapted to local conditions, there is a fatal flaw in the rituals you do... and I have discovered this flaw.”

【The Rain of Artificiality】!
Bai Zhou's pupils contracted slightly, and a chill ran through him.

Vulnerability... What vulnerabilities do I have?
"Every ritual practitioner, beneath their seemingly difficult exterior, has a fatal weakness."

The female assassin continued:
“A ritual practitioner like you, no matter how talented, has one fatal weakness… that is poverty!”

"Because of poverty, there were no special materials to arrange the ceremony."

"Others may not be able to directly break your ritual, but as long as they remove the contamination from the materials used in setting up the ritual, they can still destroy it, right?"

"—And coincidentally, I possess such a secret skill!"

The female assassin, her arms outstretched, was soaked to the bone by the rain, her bright red dress clinging to her entire body. Beneath her mask, her red lips were slightly upturned.

"Those rituals you casually draw with red bricks and pebbles, no matter how secretly you hide them..."

"When the heavy rain meets me, it will be dyed my color and become my shape!"

"Clap! Clap!"

As she spoke softly, her high heels made a crisp sound as they stepped on the puddles on the ground.

Like a seductive assassin fresh from a bath, she slowly approached the white boat with her long hair flowing freely.

Her voice was soft, but her approaching figure carried a terrifying pressure:

"Master, what are you going to do now?"

"..."

Her clear eyes blinked twice.

"You seem to think you know a lot about ritualists."

"But actually..."

Shirashu's expression was quite strange:
"I was just kidding. I didn't set up any ceremony in this villa at all."

[Anguisola]: "?"

"But there are indeed rituals here."

Bai Zhou looked very sincere, but his expression was hidden under his colorful cloak, so no one could see it clearly.

As he spoke, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief:

"I was wondering what loophole you had found, but it turns out it was just this."

"But when did you develop the illusion that I only know how to use red bricks and pebbles to create rituals?"

next second.

There was a "wow" sound.

Bai Zhou raised his hand and, as if taking off his clothes, slowly opened his black cloak towards the newcomer.

"clatter!"

[Anguisola] suddenly stopped.

The sudden downpour soaked her stiff expression, her eyes widened and her pupils contracted slightly.

"This is……!"

Inside the white boat's black cloak, hanging densely were stickers depicting black and white runes!

The content was both familiar and unfamiliar; some parts were unrecognizable, but others seemed to be the "furnace explosion ritual" that Bai Zhou had used last time.

"Crash!"

In the torrential rain.

These tiny stickers fluttering in the wind and rain,
To Anguisola, however, they were clearly hand grenades with their pins pulled, ready to explode at any moment!
—How dare this madman carry these bombs with him! What is he planning to do?
"You're right, setting up the ceremony does take time."

"We left in a hurry and didn't have time to arrange many ceremonies."

"So, I figured out that I should print out some stickers and carry them with me."

As he spoke, Bai Zhou coughed lightly, offering a friendly reminder:
"By the way, I used waterproof tape to stick them on."

"It's very cheap, not expensive, even poor people can afford it."

As the colorful rain fell, the small stickers hanging inside the black cloak swayed in the breeze.

They were clearly dyed with color, but for some reason the color pigments slowly peeled off, and the original runes were not affected in the slightest.

...The teacher's office is never short of waterproof tape and printers.

Perhaps the other ritual participants are all "aristocrats" who burn through money.

But who can blame him for being so unconventional and always striving for cost-effectiveness?

So what if we're poor? Does being poor mean we deserve to die?

A few stickers, a few cucumbers and vegetables, how much does it cost?

"What era are we living in, elder sister? Of course, even extraordinary people must keep up with the times."

As he spoke, Bai Zhou blinked.

He gave a shy smile and said:
"—Rituals, are they not such inconvenient things!"

(End of this chapter)