Chapter 74: The Price of Deception

Shadow retrieved an item from within their robes, swiftly bringing it to their lips without a moment’s hesitation.

“Cat Tail, whatever schemes you’re plotting, I’m afraid they’re destined to fail today.”

“The medicine I just consumed will temporarily boost my strength to the mid-fifth tier. You stand no chance of victory.”

“If you surrender now, I can still guarantee you an opportunity to talk things over properly later.”

Shadow’s tone remained utterly calm, as if Xiluo’er was beneath their notice. What Shadow failed to mention, however, was that while they could indeed maintain mid-fifth tier strength for a brief period, the subsequent weakness once the medicine wore off would be equally formidable.

Their hope was to intimidate Xiluo’er into submission. If Xiluo’er surrendered obediently, allowing them to conquer without battle, Shadow could save time and immediately check the situation in the basement.

If Xiluo’er refused, then Shadow would simply have to spend more time eliminating her before proceeding. Regardless, even if Xiluo’er surrendered, Shadow had no intention of letting her live; otherwise, they would merely be waiting for death during their period of weakness.

Xiluo’er understood that Shadow wasn’t bluffing. After consuming that medicine, Shadow’s entire aura had distinctly shifted, subtly threatening to overwhelm her.

However, Xiluo’er’s only response was a flurry of throwing knives tearing through the air.

“You talk too much.”

‘With an arrow loosed, there’s no turning back. Could she possibly retreat now?’

“Very well, Cat Tail, you have squandered your last chance.”

Shadow clearly had no desire for further idle chatter. The shadow beneath them began to writhe wildly, indicating their intent to confront Xiluo’er with full force.

“I’m actually quite curious what your true reason for defecting from the cult is.”

“However, if you can’t even defeat me, then your calculations will seem rather laughable.”

Clearly, Shadow did not believe Xiluo’er’s previous explanation. They were convinced that Xiluo’er had another motive and a different scheme for betraying the Chaos Cult.

“Heh.”

Facing Shadow’s taunt, Xiluo’er merely scurried away in a rather disheveled manner. Yet, even while tactically evading, a single syllable of disdain escaped her lips.

That brief, dismissive ‘heh’ from Xiluo’er conveyed three parts mockery, three parts cold indifference, three parts disdain… and one part panic.

The former parts stemmed from Xiluo’er’s confidence in having a clear backup plan for confronting Shadow. The latter part, however, was pure anxiety, as in: ‘Where in the world is Eve? Why hasn’t she shown up yet?’

‘Could she truly be sleeping so soundly? Did she completely miss the note I left for her?’ Xiluo’er recalled Eve’s octopus-like sleeping posture and couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.

If the plan failed and Eve didn’t arrive, she might very well be doomed today!

As Xiluo’er dodged Shadow’s relentless attacks through the manor’s garden, she fervently prayed for Eve to come to her rescue. Shadow was truly holding nothing back this time; the writhing shadows morphed into countless tentacles, lashing out furiously and utterly ravaging the entire garden.

Against a mid-fifth tier’s full-power assault, Xiluo’er could only evade, completely devoid of any opportunity to counterattack.

Just as Xiluo’er was about to collapse, Shadow abruptly ceased their assault, their expression grave as they gazed into the distance.

[Agility] plus [Flight] plus [Breaking Through the Air]—several mid-level spells accompanied a figure whose aura was entirely undisguised, rapidly approaching the manor from afar.

‘She’s here!’

Xiluo’er’s eyes lit up, instantly recognizing the newcomer.

Seizing Shadow’s momentary distraction, Xiluo’er immediately disengaged from the battle, swiftly shedding her cloak and mask and tossing them aside. She then used pre-prepared cloth strips to gag herself, followed by another strip to blindfold her eyes.

Finally, while blindfolded, she skillfully produced a thick hemp rope and proceeded to bind herself. Within seconds, her hands and feet were tied behind her back simultaneously, leaving Xiluo’er curled up in a rather… compromised position in the garden corner, whimpering.

Fortunately, the assassins’ knowledge base included extensive expertise in binding, making Xiluo’er quite adept even at tying herself up. Of course, this also had a slight connection to certain *ahem* videos she’d watched during her shut-in days in her previous life.

Watching Xiluo’er’s swift series of actions, Shadow was somewhat dumbfounded. ‘What does this mean? Is this her way of surrendering? But didn’t she just make such bold threats?’

Unfortunately, Shadow had no time to ponder Xiluo’er’s peculiar behavior, for someone had arrived. Floating in mid-air, a grim-faced Eve stared down at Shadow from a superior vantage point.

“Where is Xiluo’er?”

Upon seeing Eve, Shadow paused for a moment before realizing who this person was: Eve, the hero chosen by the Kingdom of Versati, the Mage!

One major reason Shadow didn’t immediately recognize this crucial target was Eve’s truly terrifying expression. Her normally elegant and expressionless face was still devoid of emotion, yet it was different from her usual detached calm. It carried a chilling, icy sensation, and the deep whirlpools in her gray eyes directed a palpable, murderous gaze at Shadow.

Shadow’s vocabulary was naturally insufficient to describe Eve’s current state, but Xiluo’er was intimately familiar with Eve’s present demeanor. In simple terms: ‘She’s gone dark.’

“Xiluo’er, where is she?”

Eve repeated her question, and in that moment, Shadow felt a sudden realization. The “Xiluo’er” that Hero Eve spoke of must be Cat Tail.

‘Heh, she even lied to me, saying she wouldn’t play both sides. Yet, isn’t this exactly what she’s doing? Siding with Hero Eve, hoping to betray the Chaos Cult?’

‘She stalled me here, simply waiting for Eve to come to her rescue.’

“Cat Tail, your lies are truly despicable.”

“Wuwuwuwu!”

Responding to Shadow was a long string of pathetic whimpers.

Shadow: “…”

Honestly, Shadow couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind Cat Tail’s latest tactic… or rather, ‘This *is* a tactic, isn’t it?’

Moreover, how could such a frail… sound emanate from that small, bound body? The quality, somewhere between a loli and a young girl, left Shadow utterly perplexed.

‘Is this truly the same Cat Tail who fought me for so long just now? Wait, Cat Tail was a loli all along?’

The unexpected, bizarre situation truly left Shadow bewildered. However, Shadow wasn’t the only one who heard Xiluo’er’s whimpers. Noticing the sound, Eve quickly looked in its direction and spotted Xiluo’er, bundled up like a tiny rice dumpling.

Seeing that Xiluo’er seemed unharmed, Eve breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t be afraid, Xiluo’er, I’ll come rescue you in a moment.”

“Wuwuwu!”

Her response was a short string of slightly frantic whimpers.

Subsequently, Eve turned her gaze back to Shadow, her murderous glare intensifying.

“You dare openly abduct my person… abduct someone by my side, and then even leave a note to mock me?”

Shadow: “?”