Chapter 40: The Eve of Operation: Demon Cubes and Lingering Doubts

Bai Zhi closed her eyes, spread her arms wide, and drew a deep, steady breath.

Before her lay a vast expanse of land, long since abandoned, its surface choked by an unruly tangle of weeds that obscured any trace of its original form.

It appeared to have been untouched by human presence for a considerable time.

Years ago, rumors had circulated that the government intended to construct a new, sprawling shopping mall on this very site, aiming to provide convenient retail access for the local populace.

At one point, construction crews were even spotted in the vicinity, and a perimeter of metal fencing had been erected around the vacant lot, all indications pointing to an ambitious project.

Yet, the mall was never built, and the land remained desolate.

Save for the occasional daring youth venturing here for exploration, only small creatures—rats and rabbits—had come to inhabit the space.

Tonight, however, under the ethereal glow of the moon, this forgotten stretch of land was unusually bustling.

After several deliberate, calming breaths, Bai Zhi felt the turbulence in her heart subside, and she opened her eyes.

Directly ahead, beneath the starless expanse of the night sky, Rena, Lin, and Bastet were caught in a flurry of activity.

Lin diligently excavated pits in the earth, while Bastet, with an air of theatricality, animatedly directed her.

Meanwhile, Rena carefully cradled several colossal cubes that pulsed with a faint golden light, depositing them one by one into the waiting hollows Lin had prepared.

“Hmm! Everything is proceeding quite smoothly!”

Observing the steady progress of the two women and one cat, Bai Zhi nodded in satisfaction.

“Finally… the operation, is it truly about to commence?”

Just then, a somewhat timid voice drifted from behind Bai Zhi.

Without turning, Bai Zhi offered a gentle smile, her own voice soft and reassuring.

“Indeed, our operation is on the verge of beginning.”

“Once we navigate the trials of this arduous night, everything will finally draw to a close.”

As she spoke, Bai Zhi bent slightly, bringing herself to eye level with Xia Ranxin.

“Are you feeling afraid, Ranxin?”

“No.”

Xia Ranxin shook her head, her expression resolute.

“With Bai Zhi here, and Lin and everyone else present, I find myself no longer afraid.”

At this, Ranxin pressed her lips together, a genuine smile gracing her features, her cheeks now tinged with a delicate, rosy blush.

“Because I truly believe you, Bai Zhi, will save me from the clutches of that wicked beast.”

“That is quite a profound trust you place in me.”

Bai Zhi offered a warm smile, then placed her hands on her hips, striking a rather imposing pose.

“But you’re right, Ranxin! I will absolutely save you, it’s a promise!”

“Mm!”

Xia Ranxin’s eyes sparkled, her demeanor that of a devoted admirer of Bai Zhi.

Soon after, however, a hint of distress clouded her features.

“However… while I wouldn’t say I’m afraid, I am still somewhat bewildered…”

Xia Ranxin sighed in resignation as she struggled to turn her heavily burdened body.

“Do I truly… have to be dressed like this?”

At first glance, her attire today seemed no different from her usual wear: a loose-fitting jacket paired with inexpensive sweatpants.

Upon closer inspection, however, it became clear that her jacket was bulging unnaturally, concealing countless layers of clothing beneath.

Even a simple turn of her body proved to be an arduous task for Xia Ranxin.

These extra garments were, in fact, protective gear meticulously crafted by Lin and Rena for Ranxin, designed to maximize her chances of survival against the attacks of the Shadow Beast.

To ensure ease of wear for Ranxin, they had thoughtfully fashioned the layers to resemble form-fitting undergarments.

Yet, the sheer volume of material was excessive, leaving Xia Ranxin looking distinctly bulky once she had donned them all.

Furthermore, as an added precaution, Lin had painstakingly gathered a quantity of scrap metal and meticulously handcrafted a full-body metal armor, a rather unsightly piece that she had, at one point, vehemently insisted Xia Ranxin wear for the official operation.

Only after Bastet’s vehement objections did Lin reluctantly concede and abandon the idea.

After all, setting aside whether its peculiar, monstrous metallic appearance might scare off the Shadow Beast, the sheer weight of such full-body armor alone would have been enough.

If Xia Ranxin’s small frame were to bear it, she might well be crushed to death by its immense burden before the Shadow Beast even had a chance to strike.

A chuckle escaped Bai Zhi’s lips at the thought.

“Still, you should wear them.

It is, after all, a thoughtful gesture from both of them.”

“Hmm… but wearing all this… it makes moving incredibly cumbersome.”

Xia Ranxin grumbled softly, then took two tentative, wobbly steps forward, her swaying gait reminiscent of a small penguin just learning to walk.

“Even walking has become a challenge.”

“Perhaps… you could bear with it for just a little while longer.

It is, after all, only for one night.”

Bai Zhi suppressed a smile, gently coaxing Xia Ranxin.

“Besides, you’ll simply need to stand there later; no additional movements will be required.”

“…Alright, if even you, Bai Zhi, say so.”

Xia Ranxin nodded earnestly.

Suddenly, as if a thought had just occurred to her, Bai Zhi pulled a small item from her pocket and offered it to Ranxin.

“Ah, this reminded me! Take this; I crafted it myself.”

“What is this?”

Xia Ranxin, her face etched with confusion, accepted the small trinket Bai Zhi offered.

It was a finely crafted, small, rhombus-shaped pendant, with a delicate flame motif carved into its center.

“I made this while working on the containers earlier.

It offers a bit of protection, so please wear it, Ranxin.”

Bai Zhi scratched her head, a hint of embarrassment coloring her tone.

“I wasn’t sure what shape would be best, so I didn’t add much embellishment… Please don’t find it too plain.”

“Never!”

Xia Ranxin hastily shook her head in protest, then cradled the pendant carefully against her chest, as if it were a priceless treasure.

“This is the very first gift you’ve given me, Bai Zhi, so of course I’ll cherish it!

I’ll put it somewhere safe right away!”

“No, no, no! It’s much better to keep it on you, otherwise, it won’t serve its purpose!”

Bai Zhi, in a slight flurry, halted Xia Ranxin, who seemed poised to rush home, then adopted a rather helpless expression.

“Never mind, I’ll help you put it on.

Just don’t be too quick to take it off tonight—otherwise, all my effort would have been for naught.”

Xia Ranxin stood dutifully still, watching as Bai Zhi produced a thin string, threaded it through the top of the rhombus pendant to fashion a simple bracelet, and then secured it around Xia Ranxin’s wrist.

“Hmm… With this, everything is prepared.”

Bai Zhi nodded contentedly, while Xia Ranxin gently traced the pendant now adorning her wrist, an unconscious blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Bai Zhi, you truly are a wonderful person…”

Ranxin murmured the words, her voice barely audible, meant only for her own ears.

She then lifted her gaze, only to see Bai Zhi turn her head, looking towards Rena.

“Rena’s preparations must be nearly complete as well—it seems that whenever such matters arise, my approach simply doesn’t measure up to hers.”

Instantly, Xia Ranxin’s expression dimmed, and the words she had been about to utter were swallowed back.

“Hmm? Ranxin, were you trying to say something just now?”

Bai Zhi, sensing something amiss with Xia Ranxin, turned back to her, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Xia Ranxin blinked, then shook her head, as if nothing untoward had transpired.

Resuming her usual demeanor, she pointed towards the cubes Rena was carrying.

“I was just a little curious.

Are those glowing objects also something you… crafted yourself, Bai Zhi?”

“Ah, those are the containers we’ll be using very soon, specially designed to store the Holy Light.”

Noticing Ranxin’s intrigued gaze, Bai Zhi began to explain, a proud smile gracing her lips.

“There are twelve in total, and I crafted every single one myself!

I’ve decided to call them ‘Demon Cubes’.”

“They’re sturdy, durable, and stable!

After the operation, they can even be recycled and reused.

And the best part? The only material needed to create them is a simple plastic water bottle!

Oh dear, it seems Bastet wasn’t wrong after all; I truly do have a knack for this sort of thing…”

“Plastic water bottles?”

Xia Ranxin tilted her head, gazing at Bai Zhi with a mixture of novelty and bewilderment.

“I recall you mentioning initially that materials from your own body were required for their creation, Bai Zhi?

Something like hair, perhaps…?”

“Oh, that.”

Bai Zhi scratched her head once more.

“Indeed, I initially planned to use hair, but encountered some unforeseen complications.

Later, I discovered that other materials would suffice, so I simply switched to plastic water bottles.”

“I see, so that’s how it was…”

“Come to think of it, I owe Rena a debt of gratitude for this.”

Bai Zhi spoke, her gaze once again drifting towards Rena.

“Without her timely suggestion, the Demon Cubes wouldn’t have been nearly so simple to produce, and Bastet and I would have spent considerably more time on them.”

Xia Ranxin’s eyes dimmed for a fleeting moment, a pang of sourness welling up within her.

“…Indeed, Rena is far more capable of assisting you, Bai Zhi.

In comparison…”

“Ranxin?”

Bai Zhi found Xia Ranxin’s words somewhat peculiar, yet she couldn’t quite articulate what was so strange about them.

She turned her head to observe Xia Ranxin’s profile.

Under the dim night sky, Bai Zhi couldn’t discern Xia Ranxin’s expression, yet she sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible sadness emanating from her.

It was like a well-behaved child, suppressing their anger when something they cherished was taken away.

“Um… Is there something on me?”

Perhaps noticing Bai Zhi’s gaze, Xia Ranxin turned her head and asked with a hint of curiosity.

“No… nothing at all,” Bai Zhi replied, a touch of hurriedness in her voice.

“I was just deep in thought.”

“Thought? About what?”

“Uh… for instance, how unusually harmonious Lin and Rena are getting along today,” Bai Zhi said, turning to watch Rena and the others working together to bury the Demon Cubes.

“I honestly expected them to quarrel—they usually exchange barbs the moment they see each other.”

“Oh, that… it might be because Lin failed her errand earlier.”

Xia Ranxin appeared thoughtful, which immediately piqued Bai Zhi’s interest.

“Failed an errand? What happened?”

Xia Ranxin paused, recalling the incident.

“It was a few days ago, when Miss Black Cat asked Lin to go to the neighboring city to buy cat food for her.”

“Bastet… she was doing things like that behind my back, huh.”

Bai Zhi sighed.

“And then?”

“Then, Lin, who isn’t very familiar with this world yet, got lost and returned empty-handed.”

“That seems fairly normal, doesn’t it?”

Bai Zhi remarked.

“After all, Lin rarely goes out alone, and her attention is entirely focused on you, so it’s understandable she wouldn’t know the local terrain.”

“I thought so too at first, but…”

Xia Ranxin’s expression became a little awkward.

“However, afterward, Lin declared she needed to wash away her shame, so she ran a few more errands, but failed every single time…”

“The last time, to prevent getting lost, Lin memorized the maps of San City and the neighboring city.

She even specifically asked me to teach her how to use navigation.

But when she reached the city’s edge, the navigation stopped working.

Lin had no choice but to keep walking in one direction, only to eventually loop back home.”

“…That exaggerated?” Bai Zhi asked, surprised, as if she had just heard some juicy gossip.

“Could Lin possibly have a terrible sense of direction?”

“I don’t think it’s that extreme.”

Xia Ranxin shook her head.

“At least she knows her way around the city, but for some reason, she gets lost whenever she goes somewhere even slightly far…”

At this, Xia Ranxin chuckled softly.

“After that, whenever Lin tries to mock Rena, Rena always uses that incident to retort, and Lin ends up speechless.”

“So that’s what happened… I thought the two of them had finally made peace.”

Bai Zhi’s expression was complex.

“But getting lost so easily, that is a bit strange…”

She was about to say more when she saw Bastet waving at them from a distance.

Immediately, Bai Zhi and Ranxin’s expressions grew serious, both knowing what that signal signified at this moment.

The operation was about to officially begin.