Night fell, and a bright, flawless moon spilled its light across the land.
Tree branches swayed in the wind, their shadows twisting like grasping claws.
After finishing the point distribution, the group leaned back against the chairs in the dining hall, dozing lightly. No one dared to sleep too deeply—they could only rest briefly while seated.
Luocha, who was on watch, remained fully alert.
It was already nightfall. Valerius could appear at any moment. He didn't dare let his guard down for even a second.
"Caw—caw—caw—!"
The sudden cry of a night bird rang out, making Luocha's heart jolt.
"How exactly will Valerius appear…?"
From the notebook Jingliu had found earlier, they already knew that a monster existed here. Luocha was certain that Valerius was playing the role of that monster.
"Tap. Tap. Tap."
A crisp sound echoed through the silence, as if something were rhythmically striking the floor.
The sound had a steady tempo, drawing closer from afar.
After listening carefully for a moment, Luocha felt something was off.
"That rhythm… doesn't it sound like a cane hitting the ground?"
"…Could it be that the monster Valerius is playing is disabled?"
Though it seemed unlikely, Luocha couldn't help feeling a flicker of hope. If that really were the case, things would be much easier for them.
"Is he here?"
The moment the sound appeared, everyone was already awake. All eyes turned toward the door as the noise reached the hallway outside.
"Remember—if it's Valerius, leave through the side door immediately. Move fast."
Since they didn't know how Valerius would appear, they had chosen to stay in the kitchen. There was a small side door here—they wouldn't be trapped.
"We're not leaving now?"
Arataki Itto was confused. If Valerius was already here, wouldn't it be best to bolt through the side door and leave him empty-handed?
"We need to understand Valerius's state."
Keqing stared at the main door, answering without turning her head.
Valerius was their greatest enemy. If they didn't grasp his condition now, future actions would be impossible. Even spending points would be worth it to gather this information.
"Tap. Tap."
The sound stopped outside the door.
Everyone's nerves tightened as they stared ahead.
"Creeeak—!"
The door slowly swung open.
Sure enough, Valerius stood there.
But he didn't look like a monster at all.
He wore a tall top hat and a black tailcoat, a golden pocket watch hanging at his chest. The earlier sound had come from the short cane in his hand.
With a gentlemanly smile, Valerius removed his hat, placed it over his chest, and bowed slightly.
"Good evening, everyone. I'm here to send you on your way."
His posture, expression, and movements were impeccably refined—yet the words he spoke were anything but comforting.
"Aren't you supposed to be a monster? Why do you look like that?"
"Heh."
Knowing full well they were probing him, Valerius didn't mind at all.
"Monsters don't necessarily have to be ugly."
"Mmm… this look suits you pretty well."
Bronya had been worried earlier—if Valerius turned into some hideous monster, it would've been awful to look at.
But Valerius already had striking features, and dressed like this, her heart couldn't help but beat a little faster.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"You're welcome."
The others were speechless.
Why were these two chatting like this?
He was here to hunt them down—and she was praising him?
Why don't you just go stand on his side?
"Well then. Since greetings are over, I'll begin."
The moment he finished speaking, Valerius's figure blurred as he lunged straight into the group, the cane in his hand stabbing toward Jingliu's forehead.
Fortunately, Jingliu's reflexes were exceptional. Though her powers were sealed and she was no more than an ordinary person, she forced her body sideways at the critical moment, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"So fast!"
Shock rippled through everyone.
No matter how they imagined it, they never expected Valerius to move this quickly. They had thought they might be able to stall—but now it was obvious.
They weren't even close to being his match.
If Valerius hadn't targeted Jingliu, anyone else would have been unable to dodge.
"Run!"
Without hesitation, everyone turned and fled. This was not something they could fight.
Valerius didn't pursue them.
After all—wasn't there still one person who hadn't run?
He looked at Jingliu calmly.
"You're not running?"
"I don't need to."
Her voice was flat, betraying no emotion, but her feet were set apart, ready to exert force at any moment.
"Oh? You've gotten a skill."
At a glance, Valerius could tell. That confidence clearly came from an acquired ability.
He stopped attacking, instead watching her leisurely, curious to see what kind of skill this cold-faced beauty from the Xianzhou possessed.
[Lingsha]: She's going to use her skill, right?
[Jing Yuan]: Trading 1 point to judge Valerius's strength—well played.
[Feixiao]: What kind of punch is "Cute Voice Fist"?
[Yanqing]: No idea—but if Ancestor uses it, it must be earth-shattering.
[Dan Heng]: With Jingliu's skill, she should be able to hit Valerius… if she lands it, he'll be controlled for three minutes.
At that moment, Jingliu moved.
She surged forward, palm extended, fist drawn back.
[Jing Yuan]: Here it comes—she's activating the skill!
[Yanqing]: Ancestor splits rivers with a single strike!
[Feixiao]: With that momentum, Valerius won't be able to stop her!
All eyes were locked on her.
This was the former Sword Champion of the Luofu—her strength was unquestionable. Everyone wanted to see what her skill would look like in action.
On screen—
Jingliu, charging fiercely, plunged straight into Valerius's arms.
She pressed her face against his chest, raised her little fists, and started pounding him over and over—twisting her waist and stomping her feet as she did.
"You bad… you're a bad guy… bullying people like that… I'll beat you to death, I'll beat you to death!"
"…Uh—this—"
Valerius was completely caught off guard, nearly throwing out his back.
This was Jingliu?!
[Jing Yuan]: !!!!!
[Yanqing]: ?????
[Bailu]: Wahahaha—so powerful!
[Lingsha]: Never in my dreams would I have imagined this.
[Feixiao]: This is Cute Voice Fist?!
[Huohuo]: Amazing~~~~~ what a terrifying martial art!
[Stelle]: Pfft—no—I can't—
[Blade]: Hah… hahahah… hahahahaha…
[Dan Heng]: Sigh… she's fallen into Valerius's trap again.
[Ningguang]: That felt so good!!
[Diluc]: For some reason… I feel like my punishment isn't that bad anymore!
[Kaeya]: Oh? You're not angry anymore?
[Diluc]: Not angry. I kind of want to laugh.
[Paimon]: Hahahaha—what is this?!
Earlier, Paimon had been envious of Jingliu for getting a martial art skill.
Now… maybe this one was better left unclaimed.
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