Chapter 30: Under Siege and a Hasty Retreat

“Huh, Mother, do you actually remember her?”

Bai Yu was slightly surprised, as her mother rarely stayed at home; logically, she shouldn’t have known Lu Xingyao lived next door.

Or was it simply that her mother possessed an excellent memory, having long since committed Lu Xingyao’s name to heart?

“Of course,” Tianyu replied. “She was your childhood sweetheart, after all. For the past year, I’ve even secretly had her report on your situation.”

“What? So you two were in cahoots all along!”

Bai Yu was speechless. No wonder Lu Xingyao had been so attentive to her, even paying such close attention to the smallest details of her life. It turned out they had been colluding for quite some time.

“I had initially hoped to set you two up,” Tianyu mused, “but it appears that’s no longer necessary. Your relationship has already blossomed to such a wonderful extent.”

Tianyu wore an ‘I knew it’ expression. She had originally worried that Lu Xingyao might be unwilling due to her preference for girls.

However, there was no longer any need for concern; her son had transformed beautifully, becoming utterly adorable.

Indeed, Bai Yu had inherited Tianyu’s excellent genes; even becoming a witch couldn’t negate that.

Seeing her mother’s expression, Bai Yu felt a wave of helplessness, yet her most pressing concern remained Lu Xingyao.

After all, Lu Xingyao was still lying asleep at home.

“This is hardly the time to discuss such matters,” Bai Yu said, a hint of urgency in her voice. “Since you know Lu Xingyao is here, what are we waiting for? We can’t just abandon her!”

Tianyu, however, merely shook her head with a resigned sigh.

“Xiao Yu, you’re still as gentle as ever,” Tianyu said softly. “Don’t worry, Xingyao will be fine. Don’t you know about her family? In a situation like this, she would undoubtedly be among the first to leave the city. By now, she should already be on her way out.”

Just as Tianyu finished speaking, Bai Yu’s phone suddenly rang.

On the other end, a young woman’s anxious voice was clearly audible.

–Xiao Yu, where did you go? Why are you secretly running off again!–

Lu Xingyao’s voice even carried a hint of a sob, clearly indicating her genuine worry.

–I’m fine. My mother is back, right next to me. Have you noticed the abnormality in the sky?–

Upon hearing Bai Yu’s words, Lu Xingyao paused for a moment before instantly reacting.

–Of course! I’m in the car right now. Where are you? I’ll have the driver come pick you up.–

“I…”

Before Bai Yu could refuse, Tianyu swiftly snatched the phone and relayed their precise location to Lu Xingyao.

Just as Bai Yu was about to inquire, she noticed a team of figures, clad in hunter’s coats, advancing towards them from a short distance away.

Each of them wore a mask, and the eerie weapons and firearms they carried clearly revealed their identities.

Tianyu instantly recognized who they were, though she hadn’t expected them to track her down so quickly.

It seemed some secret art must have been cast upon her, as she hadn’t detected even the slightest trace of it.

“Bai Yu, now! Go, run east, quickly!”

Tianyu’s voice was laced with urgency; it was the first time Bai Yu had ever heard her mother speak with such palpable anxiety.

Bai Yu started to speak, but Tianyu’s unyielding gaze compelled her to snap her mouth shut. She understood these individuals were undoubtedly up to no good.

“Take this, and leave immediately.”

Tianyu tossed the white scythe she held into Bai Yu’s hands. The weapon was even larger than Bai Yu herself.

Bai Yu gritted her teeth, knowing that with her current strength, she was utterly incapable of doing anything meaningful. Her only course of action now was to avoid becoming a burden.

She was still too weak, far too weak.

Clutching the scythe, Bai Yu sprinted away, swiftly vanishing into the shroud of night.

****

“Are none of you going to give chase?” Tianyu’s voice was sharp. “I would have thought, given your nature, you’d certainly send someone after her.”

Tianyu’s expression turned cold as she regarded the team of hunters before her. At this juncture, how could she not discern their true intentions?

Eliminating dissenters, nothing more.

From the moment she chose not to kill Bai Yu, her fate was sealed, regardless of her rank.

The Hunter Guild tolerated no betrayal, that much was certain. She simply hadn’t anticipated this moment arriving so swiftly.

“Would you truly allow us to pursue her, Tianyu?” one of the hunters challenged. “You still have a chance. Kill that witch; it’s your only option.”

“Do you truly believe that’s possible?”

With a flick of her wrist, Tianyu summoned a butcher’s knife into her hand. Compared to the unfamiliar scythe, this blade, her constant companion, felt far more natural to wield.

The hunter squad remained silent, instead drawing their weapons simultaneously. A chilling gleam reflected off their various terrifying armaments under the moonlight.

A single gunshot shattered the silence.

The lead hunter stared at the gaping hole in his abdomen, then turned an incredulous gaze backward. Even in his dying moments, he couldn’t believe there was a traitor within the Inspectorate.

Tianyu observed the shooter with a hint of interest, as if already privy to their identity.

The hunter squad reacted instantly, launching an assault against the traitorous hunter in their rear.

The Hunter Inspectorate possessed exceptionally strong psychological fortitude; even under such circumstances, they could mount a counterattack with astonishing speed.

However, Tianyu was hardly one to sit idly by. With one defector and one casualty, the pressure on her instantly eased considerably.

To deal with her, these individuals had practically dispatched every member of the entire Inspectorate.

One Rank Eight, two Rank Sevens, and three Rank Fives.

The one instantly killed moments ago had been a Rank Five powerhouse.

Tianyu moved to stand beside the traitorous hunter, their backs now pressed together.

“I must admit, Stella, you’re surprisingly useful in a pinch,” Tianyu remarked.

For the first time, Tianyu felt her partner was truly reliable.

Stella’s lips curved into a faint smile. With her sharp blade and shotgun, she had fended off the attacks of the remaining hunters countless times already.

Without Stella, the hunter squad immediately lost a Rank Seven combatant, a shift that dramatically altered the entire situation.

****

Meanwhile, Bai Yu continued to run eastward, clutching the scythe, tears even beginning to well in her eyes.

She now loathed her own weakness with an intense bitterness, forced once again to watch a loved one depart.

Again. Why was it always again?

Bai Yu suddenly realized something: she seemed to have lost some memories, yet she couldn’t quite recall what they were.

At that moment, a car sped to a halt beside Bai Yu.

Lu Xingyao flung open the car door and quickly rushed to Bai Yu’s side.

“Xiao Yu, are you alright? Get in the car quickly; we need to leave this place at once!”

“Xingyao, my mother…”

Seeing Bai Yu’s distressed expression, Lu Xingyao felt a pang of heartache. She quickly pulled Bai Yu into a comforting embrace.

“Don’t worry,” Lu Xingyao assured her. “Your mother is incredibly strong; she’ll definitely be fine.”

Lu Xingyao helped Bai Yu into the car and instructed the driver to immediately head out of the city.

[This scythe is quite extraordinary.]

Moweila paid no mind to Bai Yu’s state, instead focusing all her attention on the white scythe.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you have any sense of atmosphere?”

Bai Yu was slightly annoyed.

[Your mother is fine; at least, that is what my precognition indicates.]

“Ah, why didn’t you say so sooner!