Chapter 220 - 136: Finally Collapsed
People have their moments of foolishness.
If Liu Ziyue had been straightforward and spoken properly, Li Ziyu might not have turned and walked away. But she had to get clever. Well, too bad for her—Li Ziyu wasn’t about to put up with that.
’This is the Otherworld, after all. Aren’t Cat Girls appealing enough? Or are the Fox Maidens not beautiful? Did we really need one more Tea Master?’
He and Zhang Peng had only taken a few steps when they heard footsteps behind them. Turning his head, he saw Liu Xingxing jogging to catch up.
"Well now, look at you. You’ve grown up and learned how to make a choice. Mm, not bad at all," Zhang Peng praised, his hands clasped behind his back. He nodded with the self-satisfied air of a venerable master.
"Get out of here, move it," Liu Xingxing said, shoving Zhang Peng aside before turning to Li Ziyu, his expression conflicted. "Boss, are we really just going to leave Liu Ziyue?"
Liu Xingxing had been through a lot recently and had matured considerably. He had a much deeper understanding of just how dangerous the Otherworld was. As he saw it, if their group didn’t help her, Liu Ziyue probably wouldn’t survive.
If he hadn’t seen her, Liu Xingxing wouldn’t have given it a second thought. People in the chat channels were always disappearing for no reason. Transmigrators died every day—how many could he possibly save?
But now that he had seen her, and she wasn’t an enemy... to knowingly let her die just felt wrong.
Li Ziyu stopped and looked at Liu Xingxing calmly, his steady gaze making the younger man’s skin crawl. Finally, he spoke, his voice slow. "What’s the matter? Hoping she’ll put on a little Tea Master performance for you?"
"Uh... haha, Boss, don’t joke around. It’s not like that, is it?" Liu Xingxing said awkwardly. He knew what Li Ziyu meant. They all came from the internet age and were more or less familiar with the different kinds of "tea arts."
"Xingxing, you should listen to the boss on this. Being cautious is more important than anything," Zhang Peng said with a faint smile, slinging an arm around Liu Xingxing’s shoulders.
Compared to Li Ziyu, Zhang Peng was actually more hard-hearted and ruthless. He’d rather make a mistake by being too harsh than let a potential threat slide. Survival in the Otherworld was tough, and he had no intention of getting himself killed over some woman.
"Don’t overthink it. Come on, let’s go see if things are wrapped up with the Jackal Wolfmen," Li Ziyu said with a smile, ruffling Liu Xingxing’s hair.
Liu Xingxing was a good, kind-hearted person. To Li Ziyu, he was like a little brother who had yet to grow up.
"Oh," Liu Xingxing mumbled sullenly. He couldn’t resist one last glance back in Liu Ziyue’s direction before obediently following Li Ziyu and Zhang Peng to the Undead Fortress.
As far as Li Ziyu was concerned, Liu Ziyue was just a minor, insignificant interruption.
Back on the platform, Li Ziyu felt that something was off. He glanced up at the main keep, and the corner of his mouth immediately twitched.
He must have forgotten to "put the lid back on" after using that Skill earlier, because the Wandering Souls had all come pouring out. They were swarming between the main keep and the Jackal Wolfman Fortress, forming a green cloud that blotted out the sky. Even from a distance, he could hear their excited, ghostly wails.
He ran to the roof of the main keep and, sure enough, found the Wandering Souls just there to watch the show. And they weren’t just watching; they were pointing, commenting, and freely mocking the events below.
These spirits, dead for who-knows-how-many years, had finally found some entertainment. With the Undead and the Jackal Wolfmen fighting, it was like a festival for them. They couldn’t have been happier.
"A pack of wolves getting chased by a pile of bones. How pathetic! Fight back, you idiots!"
"A sudden feint! SLAP! A kick to the right leg! BAM! A straight kick to the left! POW! The five-hit combo... Agh, a sneak attack!"
"The Jackal Wolfmen are so weak! They’re actually getting wiped out!"
"Place your bets, place your bets! Let’s bet on that one—yeah, yeah, the one who’s surrounded! I’m taking wagers on how many Undead he can kill before he goes down."
...
The Wandering Souls communicated telepathically. For them to produce actual sound, they would need to vibrate the air. However, when tens of thousands of them were floating around, chattering away incessantly with their soul-speak, the sheer psychic turbulence would cause the air to vibrate, resulting in what a normal person would hear as ghostly wailing.
This was the ghostly wailing Li Ziyu heard when he reached the top of the main keep. Even if you tried to listen closely, you couldn’t make out any individual voices; it was more chaotic than a marketplace.
While Li Ziyu and the others were away, the Catwoman Sisters, egged on by the Fox Maidens, had also snuck up to the roof. They were leaning against the battlements, peering down below. The view was excellent, a Catman’s curiosity is strong, and with all the surrounding chaos, the two Cat Girls were so engrossed in staring at the Jackal Wolfman Fortress that they didn’t even notice the City Lord had returned.
The Fox Maidens, on the other hand, noticed the trio’s return at once. They had no intention of alerting the Cat Girls, instead bowing respectfully before Li Ziyu. As Li Ziyu’s gaze fell on the Cat Girls, the four Fox Maidens kept their heads lowered, exchanging glances from the corners of their eyes.
’Leaving the main keep and coming to the roof without permission... the Cat Girl Sisters are in for it now. They probably won’t get thrown out, but the master’s opinion of them will definitely drop. A few more incidents like this, and we can get rid of those two Cat Girls without lifting a finger. Then the master will have to rely on us!’
The battlements were a bit high. Mengmeng was too short, and clinging to the stone, only her eyes peeked over the top, seeing nothing. To get a view of the Jackal Wolfman Fortress, she needed Meng Ni to hold her up. But Mengmeng wasn’t one to sit still. Trying to get a better look, she strained forward, leaning half her body out over the edge, her big eyes sparkling with excitement.
Meng Ni struggled to hold her sister, trying to keep her from falling. A thin layer of sweat had already beaded on her forehead. She had pulled Mengmeng back several times, but the little girl would just relentlessly lean back out again, leaving Meng Ni completely exasperated.