The next morning, Cipher got up and washed up with little interest.
When she ran into Meng Xingyao on the way, the latter fled in a panic on the spot, as if she could no longer face Cipher.
Regarding this, Cipher was extremely speechless. The words she had said yesterday were meant almost literally, yet she had no idea what this girl was thinking.
I told you to use your brain, not to play the honey trap!
Besides, do I look like the kind of cat who is obsessed with lewd things?
An utterly speechless Cipher had mercilessly thrown the silly girl out the door last night.
"Is the Magical Girl anime this girl watches even decent? Otherwise, in just a few days, look at what this child has been conditioned into."
Cipher held her forehead helplessly, realizing that she needed to find an opportunity to properly deal with this master-servant relationship.
After all, the current contract had gained an extra effect after last night: "The master can order the servant to do anything."
"If this continues, it really will become a slave contract in both name and reality."
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, quite a while had passed. During this period, Canglan City remained calm, without even the slightest ripple.
Liu Yunshuang was also recovering from her injuries peacefully. Due to the sudden attack, many Ability Users had run into trouble.
Through the list provided by Silver Wolf, Liu Yunshuang also confirmed the existence of a traitor. It was precisely after Flame Heart had entered the Ability Bureau with such fanfare that interested parties discovered the unusual relationship between Flame Heart and Director Liu.
This directly led to the subsequent targeted attack.
Under these circumstances, matters regarding the mystic realm could only be temporarily postponed.
This also meant that Liu Xiyue's vacation was abruptly extended...
...
Meanwhile, in a hidden corner of Canglan City, the brick walls were mottled, and light was completely cut off.
Jiang Qingning[1] leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her eyes closed and breathing shallow. Alone in this dark, enclosed space, time seemed to stretch endlessly, each second feeling unusually long.
A moment later, a figure dressed in a black robe appeared silently before her, without even leaving a footstep.
Jiang Qingning's brow furrowed. Without even opening her eyes, she immediately sensed that the person she was waiting for had arrived.
"Finally here?"
"Hmm? Where is our member from the Holy God Church?"
"If nothing went wrong, he should be as dead as can be."
Jiang Qingning opened her eyes and spread her hands, her tone casual as if this were routine.
The black-robed figure clearly caught the mockery in her voice. Though dissatisfied, they didn't dwell on it and instead asked for an explanation.
"Then why are you still alive? What happened to Liu Yunshuang?"
"That brain-dead fool insisted on seeking death. I didn't feel like being buried with him."
Jiang Qingning spoke as if it were only natural, her words dripping with sarcasm.
Upon hearing this, the black-robed figure's expression darkened instantly. Killing intent condensed in their eyes, and their breathing grew heavier.
"In that case, you can go die too!"
However, when they tried to activate their Supernatural Ability, their body froze completely, unable to move even a single finger.
Their vision tilted downward uncontrollably until they clearly saw their own body—and the eerie, clean cross-section at their neck.
"Thud! Thud!"
Two objects hit the ground one after another. The moment the head and body separated, even the air seemed to freeze for a second.
Jiang Qingning casually wiped the blood from her dagger with her fingertip, not blinking the entire time, as if it were nothing more than dust.
Then she looked toward the empty corner and spoke coldly.
"Is testing me interesting?"
Her voice echoed faintly in the empty space.
A few minutes later, another black-robed figure appeared.
This one didn't even glance at the corpse and simply spoke with a smile.
"This time, both sides suffered heavy losses, yet Liu Yunshuang let you escape unharmed. Naturally, we had to be cautious. Please forgive us."
Jiang Qingning only snorted in response, offering no reply.
The black-robed figure didn't mind and instead asked for details about the operation.
Although dissatisfied, Jiang Qingning knew it wasn't yet time to completely sever ties.
"The accuracy of your intelligence needs improvement. Liu Yunshuang's strength far exceeded your predictions. She even broke through to Grandmaster on the spot."
The black-robed figure nodded repeatedly, showing no particular concern over Liu Yunshuang's breakthrough.
"Your skills are indeed exceptional. However, using our member as bait is something we cannot overlook. A First-Level Esper is not as common as cabbage."
Seeing that the other party seemed intent on pushing further, Jiang Qingning's expression turned colder. Though she wanted to eliminate him as well, she held back after considering the consequences.
"Tch. Since when do people like you care about a companion's life or death? Don't make me laugh."
As she spoke, she casually kicked the corpse at her feet. The meaning was obvious.
"I may not be your match, but is your Transcendent Church planning to end our cooperation?"
The black-robed figure spoke with feigned indignation.
But Jiang Qingning was not someone who could be manipulated so easily.
"Stop pretending to be the victim after getting what you wanted. A First-Level Esper may be valuable, but your real goal has clearly already been achieved.To stir up trouble—are you still planning to use us as pawns?"
As soon as those words fell, the black-robed figure fell silent.
Although Jiang Qingning couldn't see their face, she could easily guess their thoughts.
Crossing her arms, she lightly tapped her sleeve, her gaze sharp as a blade, a faint smile curling at her lips.
"Putting aside whether it was worth all the effort without even confirming the relationship between Director Liu and Flame Heart…If it weren't for accidentally playing the mantis[2] in this operation, do you really think your mediocre First-Level Esper could have captured Liu Yunshuang alive on her own turf?"
"Hahaha, as expected of a First-Level Esper specializing in assassination. Your thinking is indeed sharp."
The black-robed figure didn't deny her speculation and instead laughed loudly.
This reaction alone confirmed her conclusion.
Heh… just as I thought. A bunch of complete lunatics.
Listening to the arrogant laughter, Jiang Qingning's expression remained calm, but the killing intent in her heart surged violently.
...
The rest of the negotiation was simple. Since Jiang Qingning had already laid everything out, the other party directly declared the cooperation successful and promised to double the reward.
After all, making an enemy of an assassin-type First-Level Esper was not a wise choice.
Jiang Qingning had no objections, though she silently cursed their vigilance. Even now, they still hadn't revealed their true objective.
However, based on her deductions, their actions were clearly tied to their so-called "Lord."
Viewed this way, the entire operation resembled a carefully constructed smokescreen—meant to draw the Ability Bureau's attention, distort their investigative direction, and provide cover for other covert activities.
But none of that concerned her.
Her fingertip brushed lightly against her chin as her gaze followed the departing figure like a venomous snake. A faint, sinister smile appeared on her lips.
"Since you want to play at cutting off your own arm to cover your tricks, I hope you've prepared enough sacrifices for this farce."
After all, she had deliberately concealed information about Cipher.
With that level of strength, Cipher could undoubtedly inflict heavy losses on the Church.
When that time comes… I wouldn't mind being the oriole once again, heh.
————————
An explanation regarding this slave contract:
Meng Xingyao believed the contract itself was real. The Power of Deceit functioned normally.
However, Cipher had previously feared exposing herself, so she never let Meng Xingyao see the contract's contents.
[1] The assassin that escaped.
[2] "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" In this case the First Level Epser from The Church acted as the cicada. Director Liu as the mantis and Jiang Qingning as the oriole.