Watching Blood Butcher on the verge of an outburst, Vain frowned and waved his hand with an expression of disgust, as if he were shooing away a foul odor.
"Ahem, Senior, don't get excited, don't get excited. The thick stench of blood on you is practically overflowing."
He then nonchalantly pulled out his phone, his fingertips swiping casually across the screen, though his tone carried a deliberate note of warning.
"Muyun City may be small, but it's best if you don't clash with the Ability Bureau, Senior. If things get too big and attract attention from above, jeopardizing our plan, then..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Blood Butcher understood his meaning perfectly.
Thinking of this, Blood Butcher took a deep breath. His crimson pupils gradually regained their calm, the roiling blood energy around him receding like a tide, and even the stench of blood permeating the air faded significantly.
"Hmph, fine, let them jump around for a few more days!" Blood Butcher spat out lowly. The anger in his eyes hadn't completely faded, but he didn't lash out again.
He turned around and refocused on the task at hand. Crimson blood began to roil in his palm, flowing between his fingers like a living creature and exuding an eerie, fishy stench.
Beside him, Vain tapped on his phone again to continue scrolling through videos, his tone nonchalant.
"Anyway, tell the people below to keep a low profile recently. Don't let any more mishaps happen."
"Hmph, what? Are you scared? Or are you thinking of betraying us?" Blood Butcher didn't even look up. The blood in his palm continued to roil, his tone filled with disdain.
Vain didn't take Blood Butcher's sarcasm to heart at all.
"Being able to easily erase your Blood Seal, Senior—in the worst-case scenario, it's hard to guarantee that the Ability Bureau hasn't picked up on some clues. Just in case, tell the people in the Black Tiger Society to keep a low profile for now."
Having said that, Vain didn't care whether Blood Butcher had listened or not. His gaze returned to his phone screen, and before long, he was laughing heartily at the content of a video, his shoulders shaking violently, completely devoid of the serious demeanor from just a moment ago.
Listening to his unrestrained laughter, dark lines instantly crawled across Blood Butcher's forehead, his face so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water.
However, constrained by the other party's mysterious strength, he couldn't easily lash out.
Still, what Vain said wasn't without reason.
They had been quietly lurking for several months, and just as the plan was about to get on track, this unexpected turn of events had occurred.
To ensure the plan proceeded smoothly and to avoid any complications, they had no choice but to temporarily restrain their edge.
"It's so infuriating. Once the ceremony begins, I'll tear those troublesome guys to pieces!"
Just then, he finally finished his task.
In the dim building, a patch of eerie red light suddenly lit up.
The ground was covered in crimson runes. Those runes seemed to have a life of their own, slowly wriggling to some sort of rhythm. A strange, heart-palpitating fluctuation permeated the air—both evil and powerful—making one shudder.
"Finally done? I was about to fall asleep here~"
Vain stretched lazily and sauntered toward the exit, completely ignoring the eerie runes on the ground.
Watching Vain's nonchalant, slacker attitude, the veins on Blood Butcher's forehead throbbed with anger.
"Hmph, stop dawdling. Hurry up and go to the next location!"
"Sorry, Senior, a friend invited me to dinner. I'll have to leave the rest to you!"
"Hm? Is it that girl from the Ability Bureau? I really couldn't tell. You're quite the player, aren't you?"
Blood Butcher raised an eyebrow, a look of disdain appearing on his face.
If one didn't mention his status as a member of the Holy God Church, Vain would absolutely be a high-quality heartthrob who could make young girls scream.
Standing next to a villain like Blood Butcher, who radiated darkness and blood, the contrast was jarring—as if one were in the clouds and the other in the mire.
Seeing Vain's noncommittal expression, the corners of Blood Butcher's mouth curled in disdain, and he said sarcastically, "You haven't actually betrayed us, have you? Had your soul hooked by that girl's pure and cute appearance?"
"Instead of gossiping here, Senior, you'd better hurry up and finish the remaining nodes. Don't delay our real business."
"Hmph, what a pitiful girl. Falling into your hands is truly eight lifetimes of bad luck. You'd better just play around and that's it; don't you dare get trapped in that woman's tender embrace and ruin our real business!"
With that, he said no more and turned, walking toward the depths of the darkness.
He didn't know Vain well, but he could see through the other's essence at a glance: that gentle, refined appearance was merely a mask used to deceive people, and hidden within was a depth of cunning deeper than anyone else's.
Calling him a "polite hypocrite" couldn't be more appropriate.
Thinking that the people at the Ability Bureau might still be kept in the dark by Vain's facade, he couldn't help but sneer.
The only thing that annoyed him was that all the remaining preparations for the ceremony had to be completed by him, bitterly and laboriously.
Vain, however, didn't care at all about his sarcasm. He walked away with a light laugh, looking at a message on his phone, not paying the slightest attention to his dissatisfaction.
Their figures gradually moved away, eventually disappearing completely into the shadows.
A few minutes later, a pretty figure quietly arrived at the spot.
Wearing wooden clogs, she skipped lightly to the side of the crimson runes.
The eerie red light shone on her fair face, but it didn't cause her to show any fear. Instead, she casually pulled out a cute doll and placed it to the side.
Immediately after, she turned around and walked away with a touch of carefree detachment.
Leaving behind only that cute doll, sitting all alone in the eerie red light, forming a scene of stark contrast.
...
"So... Miss Acheron is lost again?"
"Mm—it seems so."
Hearing the inquiry, Acheron lowered her head in thought for a moment, realizing that she did indeed seem to be lost.
Watching the beautiful woman before her, who was full of contrast between coldness and cuteness, Robin let out a helpless, light laugh.
She scanned the street, which had few pedestrians at the moment, and reached into her crossbody bag to pull out a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap, putting them on. She pulled the brim low, almost covering half her face.
After doing all this, she turned her head to look at the other person. "I happen to be free. Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."
"Then I'll trouble you." Acheron nodded slightly, calmly accepting the help.
Afterward, the two walked side by side.
And very soon, Robin's earlier preparations came in handy.
Acheron was still in her iconic, classic attire.
Robin, on the other hand, had changed her style to a more neutral, workwear look, her long, light purple hair tied into a high ponytail, making her look exceptionally spirited.
Though the sunglasses and baseball cap covered most of her face, they couldn't hide the lively aura about her, with every gesture exuding a sense of casualness and freedom.
With two eye-catching figures walking together, it was no surprise that passersby kept turning their heads.
"Thank you for accompanying me, Miss Robin."
"Not at all, I'm already quite used to this kind of situation."
Robin chuckled, secretly giving herself a big thumbs-up for her quick wit.
Acheron nodded slightly, her cold, clear eyes betraying not a ripple of emotion.
After a short journey, Acheron arrived safely at her doorstep.
Thanks to her careful disguise, Robin hadn't revealed her identity throughout the entire trip.
"Since you're here, would you like to come in and sit for a while?" Acheron turned to the side.
Upon hearing this, Robin nodded slowly and replied with a smile, "Then I'll impose on you."
Upholding the principle of seeing a task through to the end, plus having something she wanted to ask Acheron for advice on, this saved her from having to look for another opportunity.
Click!
As soon as the door was pushed open, a gentle inquiry came from inside: "Is that you, Acheron?"
"Mm, I'm home," Acheron replied, her voice much softer than when she was outside.
She then turned to the side and led Robin into the living room.
At this moment, Mo Qing was sitting alone on the sofa in the living room, looking down and teasing Little Yao in her arms, her fingertips gently scratching his chin, causing Little Yao to purr comfortably.
Hearing the door open, she looked up. Seeing Acheron, she was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "I thought you wouldn't be able to find... er, I mean, wouldn't be home until tonight."
At this moment, her gaze, which had been fixed on Acheron, inadvertently swept across the woman beside her.
The next second, the smile on her face froze instantly, her eyes widened slightly, and her face was filled with astonishment.