Chapter 646: Chapter 368: Oath (Double-Length Chapter, Requesting Monthly Votes)

"So, what now?" Yanmo Lin’s voice came coldly from behind, "What are you trying to say? A Tier Three kitten’s going to turn into a tiger?"

"Maybe that Tier Three kitten really will become a tiger." Xia Pingzhou capped his bottle nonchalantly, speaking with indifference.

"Quiet down a bit."

After Ayase Origami spoke, she leaned against the window once more and closed her eyes. Feeling uncomfortable, she suddenly opened them and glanced at the hacker sitting across from her.

"Why are you looking at me?"

The hacker lifted his eyes from his phone, meeting her gaze.

Ayase Origami silently stared at him, controlling a sheet of paper to cover the hacker’s eyes. Then she leaned her head on Xia Pingzhou’s shoulder and fell asleep quickly.

"If you don’t understand, just ask. Haven’t you seen enough of people flaunting their relationships? How is this different from covering your ears while stealing a bell?" The hacker disdainfully tore off the paper cover from his eyes and asked irritably.

"Aren’t you curious why I advanced to Tier Three so quickly?"

"What’s there to be curious about? It can only be explained that you’re a rare genius." The hacker said, "Satisfied yet?"

"Mention Tier Three again and I’ll chop you up." Jack the Ripper’s voice came from behind the seat.

"Okay, where are we gathering in Hai Fan City?" Xia Pingzhou asked, smoothly changing the topic.

"An antique shop." The hacker replied, "I heard the shop owner is a friend of the captain, who also happens to know Zhou Jiuya, though they’ve already fallen out."

"Where are we sleeping?"

"At a nearby inn."

"Is it safe?"

"Should be safe. Lake Hunting’s spies aren’t that widespread in Hai Fan City. Plus, their focus is on the mountain right now, not the city, so it’s hard for us to be discovered."

"Isn’t Hai Fan City their main base? Why aren’t the spies widespread?"

"Lake Hunting’s four major families are based in cities further south. They only set up a defense line in Hai Fan City to prevent chaos from Demons on Hai Fan Mountain."

"Oh."

"By the way, didn’t Jack the Ripper agree to help you find a Contracted Demon once you reach Tier Three?" The hacker smirked, "Lucky you... having an easy meal ticket anytime."

"Handle it yourself." Yanmo Lin’s voice came again from the back.

"Changed your mind?" Xia Pingzhou asked.

Yanmo Lin paused for a moment, "Seven Deadly Sins?"

"Yes, you can kill the other two. But leave that Furious Demon to me; I want to make a contract with him." Xia Pingzhou said, "No objections?"

He paused, "Or do you want a Contracted Demon too? But I remember you said your Celestial Driver isn’t compatible with Contracted Demons."

Yanmo Lin said, "Indeed, it’s not suitable. Said before, need to get the captain’s opinion first."

"Killing the Seven Deadly Sins might anger the Year Beast Monarch." The hacker said.

"We don’t need to cooperate with the Year Beast Monarch." Xia Pingzhou said, "We’re just using Bai Tanlang’s information to launch a surprise attack at the crucial moment. It doesn’t matter if we anger the Great Monarch."

"Makes sense." The hacker scratched his head.

"By the way, is it true that some Celestial Drivers aren’t compatible with Contracted Demons?" Xia Pingzhou turned to look at the hacker.

"Zhou Jiuya’s Celestial Driver, the ’Ancient Compass,’ and Zhong Wujiu’s Celestial Driver, the ’Twelve-Beast Nuo Mask,’ aren’t compatible with Contracted Demons." The hacker said.

"Why?"

"For Zhou Jiuya, it’s because the Ancient Compass doesn’t want to share its antique warehouse with a contracted demon." The hacker said, "And for Zhong Wujiu, because the Nuo Mask houses the souls of captured Divine Beasts, which don’t want to smell the aura of Contracted Demons... although the so-called ’Divine Beasts’ are actually a kind of demon."

"I see." Xia Pingzhou murmured.

He turned to glance out the window, where the clear sky over the sea entered his view; the sun and its reflection on the horizon formed a perfect circle. By this time, the train was already close to Hai Fan City.

Li Jing was not far from this fjord city. Years ago, the Little Nian Beast and Lin Xingshi took that smuggler ship from Hai Fan City to Li Jing, but it was only overnight.

As his thoughts drifted here, Xia Pingzhou scratched his forehead, the noon sun making him a bit dizzy. He leaned back in his seat and slowly closed his eyes as memories from unit four began to surface.

.....

.....

Eleven years ago.

After taking a bath in that temporarily vacated apartment building, the Little Nian Beast changed back into its original clothes, while Lin Xingshi put on a clean dress.

They left their shoes at the bathroom entrance, their still-damp hair drooping over their foreheads.

Lin Xingshi looked at the purple-red strand of hair on the Little Nian Beast’s forehead, "Your hair is so unique. Is it dyed?"

"Xiaoxing, what’s dyed?" The Little Nian Beast tilted its head.

"Well, I knew it couldn’t be dyed." Lin Xingshi chuckled.

She looked again at the clothes on the Little Nian Beast, "Wear this for today; tomorrow we’ll get you new clothes."

"Okay." The Little Nian Beast said.

They didn’t turn on the hallway light on the second floor, but instead ventured in the dark like in a haunted house, swaying left and right, occasionally nudging each other’s shoulders, making spooky faces at each other with a "boo."

Finally, they stopped in front of the master bedroom, where there was a large bed and two pillows. Moonlight filtered through the patio and cast flickering tree shadows on the floor.

"Let’s sleep here tonight." Lin Xingshi’s eyes lit up, and she ran into the bedroom, jumping onto the soft bed, hugging a pillow, "It’s been so long since I’ve slept on a clean bed, so happy..."

The Little Nian Beast stood motionless.

"What are you standing there for?" Lin Xingshi said as she glanced back at the Little Nian Beast still dazing at the doorway.