Chapter Eighty-One: The Formidable Void Clan

The group moved at a rapid pace. Though Xie Lin and Jiang Liuying were both mages, they'd already changed classes and boasted agility levels above 10, so they could keep up. Guo Lang, leading at the front, wore a look of high alert. The speed of their quarry was neither too fast nor too slow, just right for their group to follow, and the direction chosen led further into deserted areas.

Guo Lang never counted on tracking someone in secrecy. All he could hope for now was that, when the target finally stopped, they would be rational enough to listen to a few words. It would be best if things didn’t turn violent. His reluctance to deal with the Void and the Undead in the early stages had as much to do with their monstrous combat prowess as with his own temperament—especially the Void race, whose hand-to-hand capabilities were simply abnormal.

A sharp screech of friction rang out. The black figure ahead abruptly halted, and, without any sign of momentum or lag, lunged toward Guo Lang’s group.

Such agility! Guo Lang’s pupils contracted. Even with his bloodline power fully activated, he could barely follow the other’s movements. Only when a chill rushed for the artery in his neck did he react, twisting away with a serpent’s sudden motion. Still, a line of blood was drawn. Once clear, Guo Lang pulled further back, not daring to try the tricks he used on others who would be caught off guard by their momentum. This opponent was in a whole different league.

Sure enough, the other’s face broke into an excited grin. With that wild, disheveled hair, she looked like a vengeful spirit. Almost the instant Guo Lang dodged, she braked and spun to stick close to him, the transition from maximum speed to zero making his scalp tingle in terror.

The confrontation erupted so fast that Xie Lin and Jiang Liuying, who had been giving chase, only now arrived on the scene. Golden light, like sunlight, shimmered in Jiang Liuying’s eyes, the noble patterns of her royal bloodline making her gaze appear both mysterious and elegant.

She raised her hand, and a purple gemstone on her bracelet flared to life. An intricate rune materialized in the air. In a flash, Cang Mingyue, in the midst of pursuing Guo Lang, stiffened as fine fur visibly sprouted across her body. Her pupils contracted. She darted away from the affected area at lightning speed.

Guo Lang seized the opportunity to widen the gap, finally catching a desperate breath. Drawing his elven shortsword, he assumed a defensive stance and called out, “Ms. Cang Mingyue, is it? We’re here to propose a partnership!”

But the other party paid him no heed. After putting distance between them, she quickly noticed the abnormality on her body fading. Judging by her position and her keen response to the changes, she calculated the spell’s effective range and duration. Lifting her gaze to Jiang Liuying, now clad in ancient attire, her eyes turned inky black and began to spread, until there was no white left—two bottomless black holes, beautiful, enigmatic, and radiating danger.

Jiang Liuying frowned. Her polymorph spell took 1.6 seconds to cast—a short time for most, but more than enough for someone like this woman to escape the spell’s range, possibly three times over. More worrying was that the target had hesitated when withdrawing from the zone, clearly analyzing the spell’s limits. This woman was experienced, cool-headed, and skilled in fighting mages.

“Heh!” Cang Mingyue sneered, shooting toward the two in the distance like an arrow loosed from a bow, her speed now doubled. Guo Lang’s pupils shrank; with his current stats, he could no longer follow her movements, seeing only vague afterimages. Her speed and explosiveness outstripped even Alice, who’d absorbed royal blood, and surpassed Sun Biao’s charge by a wide margin.

Xie Lin silently stepped back. Though he too couldn’t follow her movements, he knew full well he wasn’t her primary target. Jiang Liuying understood this as well, gritting her teeth as she watched Xie Lin retreat. The purple bracelet on her right hand flashed, and the surrounding space blurred. With a sound like shattering glass, her body cracked like a mirror and split into four identical selves, each dashing off in a different direction.

They moved with astonishing speed, nothing like a stereotypical mage. Guo Lang instantly recognized the sequence: Mirror Image, followed by the Cat Spirit Agility buff. Jiang Liuying’s reaction was swift, her spellcasting on point. Had it been anyone else, she might have escaped, but unfortunately...

Cang Mingyue, descending from midair expressionless, beelined straight for the clone running southwest, entirely unmoved by the decoys. Watching from behind, Guo Lang sighed inwardly—such tricks were useless on a professional tracker.

“How annoying,” Jiang Liuying muttered, golden light flashing in her eyes as she vanished into thin air. Guo Lang, giving chase, was momentarily stunned—where had she gone? As he searched, the clone running northeast curled her lips in a sly, anticipatory smile. She was prepared.

Had Guo Lang seen it, he would have instantly deduced that she’d marked her clone and used a substitution spell. The tactics were clever and fluid—yet, alas...

Jiang Liuying, having escaped, turned to taunt her pursuer, “You old hag, you’re chasing—” But as she pivoted, she was met almost nose-to-nose with a claw—pale, delicate, but exuding the aura of death.

Huh? Jiang Liuying blanked out, instinctively swapping to another clone. Her heart pounded in terror. Was that distance only a few meters? Even with immediate reaction, this speed was unnatural.

This time, she didn’t dare look back, but steered her last clone toward Guo Lang, hyperaware of her rear. Guo Lang, unable to keep up until now, finally understood her intent. He moved closer to the incoming clone, took a deep breath, and assumed the Still Moon Flow stance.

Last night, after inviting Ye Zhiqiu to his dimension, the other had readily agreed, and they’d exchanged swordsmanship tips. Ye Zhiqiu had generously shared insights into the Still Moon Flow style. Though Guo Lang wasn’t a master yet, he was no longer just faking it.

Bang! The third clone was shattered, and Guo Lang tensed, focusing his spirit. He sensed the gathering momentum of the Moon Flow was unusually strong this time. If the opponent came, he was confident he could lock onto her the moment she struck.

In the distance, Xie Lin readied his own spell, intricate gestures weaving a complex water ritual.

Yet, after shattering the third clone, Cang Mingyue did not continue her assault. Instead, she pivoted suddenly and charged straight at Xie Lin. Guo Lang was startled and rushed to intercept.

Xie Lin took a step back, betraying no panic. He couldn’t see her movements clearly, but as a mage, he’d set up precautions around himself. As Cang Mingyue’s attack neared his face, a black droplet of water manifested exactly between them. The instant she touched it, her fingers visibly darkened and began to rot, a putrid stench emanating from the wound.

What a potent toxin. Cang Mingyue’s pupils narrowed as her left hand instantly went numb and lost all strength. Her face flashed with excitement as she prevented the poison’s spread, then, without hesitation, sliced off her own left hand. Even the usually unflappable Xie Lin was shocked—such decisiveness!

Yet Cang Mingyue did not immediately resume her attack. She sidestepped twice, then caught Guo Lang’s sword mid-swing with her right hand. The muscles and veins bulged as she yanked, the blade torn from Guo Lang’s grasp in a flash of searing pain—he realized instantly, his sword had been stolen.

With a swish, Cang Mingyue stabbed the sword precisely into the black droplet, the high-frequency vibration of the blade instantly pulverizing the water. She then slashed straight for Xie Lin’s carotid artery.

Guo Lang’s eyes widened in helpless despair—she was simply too fast for him to keep up.

Bang! Just as Xie Lin was about to lose all hope, Cang Mingyue’s body abruptly shrank, transforming into a black cat before their very eyes.

Guo Lang and Xie Lin alike were stunned. Guo Lang realized at once: the polymorph had finally succeeded! Grabbing the shortsword mid-air, he prepared to deal with Cang Mingyue, only to find—the cat had vanished.

Xie Lin, too, was taken aback; the cat had disappeared in a blink. A chill ran through Guo Lang. Polymorph didn’t change one’s attributes, only their physical form. Most victims would panic and struggle with their uncoordinated new bodies, unable even to walk straight. But not this one—she adapted instantly, her movements unchanged.

Xie Lin swallowed hard, glancing at Guo Lang and the distant Jiang Liuying, both staring at him in terror. Dread crept over him—he felt something light on his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the black cat’s paw pressed against his carotid.

“Sister Cang…” Guo Lang gulped nervously. “Please, don’t get agitated. We really are here to talk, not to fight.”

“You’re quite good-looking. Got a girlfriend?” The cat spoke, addressing Xie Lin and completely ignoring Guo Lang.

“No…” Xie Lin, even now, managed to keep his tone steady.

“Hmm, not lying.” The cat pressed his artery, nodding. “Want to be my boyfriend?”

“If I refuse, will you kill me?” Xie Lin asked bluntly.

“Yep!” The cat’s answer was even more direct.

“All right!” Xie Lin agreed without dignity, leaving Guo Lang and Jiang Liuying speechless.

“What do you want from me?” The black cat, now satisfied, finally turned to Guo Lang.

“I’d like you to come to my dimension and help me take someone out. With your skills, the pay won’t disappoint—fifty thousand energy points. What do you think?”

“Your dimension? How would I get there?”

“Teleportation scroll…”

“Meow-lord, so that’s how it works.” She tapped her cat head and leapt from Xie Lin’s shoulder. Guo Lang exchanged a look with Jiang Liuying, who understood and dismissed her spell. The polymorph wouldn’t last long and clearly had little effect, so better to drop it early as a sign of goodwill.

Restored to her normal state, Sister Cang nodded to Guo Lang. “Deal.” She turned to Xie Lin. “I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

Xie Lin looked at her with concern. “Your hand…”

Guo Lang’s face twitched at his expression—was this guy getting into character a bit too fast?

“Oh, that?” She raised her severed hand expressionlessly. “Don’t worry, it’ll grow back soon…”

Both Xie Lin and Jiang Liuying winced inwardly. It… can grow back?

Guo Lang could only sigh—Void bloodlines were just that powerful. And that was just low-level. At higher levels, as long as their core wasn’t destroyed, they could regrow heads or limbs. The more advanced, the smaller and more hidden the core. In his previous life, Sister Cang had been reduced to a single cell by the Federation’s top fighter, yet had regenerated all the same.

“Should I give you my number?” Xie Lin volunteered.

“Uh…” She scratched her greasy hair. “My phone’s been out of service for a long time. You won’t get through. Doesn’t matter—I’ll find you.”

Xie Lin awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Oh…”

After she left, Jiang Liuying drew near, her face dark. “Why does she get fifty thousand when I only got thirty? Isn’t that blatant favoritism?”

Guo Lang shrugged. “You saw her skills. She almost scared the shit out of the three of us. She’s worth every penny.”

“I just didn’t use my full strength!”

“Yeah, right!” Guo Lang rolled his eyes. “If that wasn’t your full strength, you were one step from death!”

“You—!”

Guo Lang ignored her and turned to Xie Lin, his expression grave. “Buddy, I appreciate your sacrifice. I’ll add a thousand to your reward—you deserve it.”

“Not a sacrifice at all,” Xie Lin said seriously. “She’s actually quite pretty… if she cleaned up a bit…”

Guo Lang and Jiang Liuying were both left speechless.

—

The group took a different route home. With Sister Cang’s earlier violence at the shop, the police had likely cordoned off the area, and their own rapid escape was almost certainly caught on surveillance. They’d best lay low for a few days to avoid trouble. The safest place would be Xie Lin’s family home in the capital.

Ring ring… As they waited for a cab, Guo Lang’s old-fashioned phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID—it was his father.

“Hello, Dad? What’s up?”

“Xiao Lang, is that young lady still with you? Can you come by and take me and Uncle Xie home first?”

“So urgent?” Guo Lang asked, surprised.

“Yes. The Chief Inspector just called, inviting me and Uncle Xie to dinner. Old Mr. Liang advised us not to arouse suspicion, so we’re to attend tonight’s banquet.”

“A dinner? What’s the occasion?”

“To celebrate his second son’s return,” Guo Zhenghua replied heavily. “He’s invited several other high-ranking officials from City C, all in similar positions to me and Uncle Xie…”

Guo Lang’s eyes lit up. He immediately understood. The common thread among these men was that their children had returned from the game pod. The other officials likely shared this trait. It seemed local circles of ‘transcendent families’ were slowly forming. But as for the Chief Inspector’s second son… he had no recollection.

“What’s his second son’s name?” Guo Lang asked, frowning.

“Chen Wengjie.”

The name sent a jolt through Guo Lang. So it was him!