Chapter 296 - 247: Meeting the Big Orange Cat Again

"Huh? What?" Mo Wen was taken aback.

Chu Bamboo shook his head, saying nothing more. The Shadow Windbreaker had granted him only a single Divine Technique as well—Thousand Shadows and Transformations.

Aside from that, it had no Divine Power whatsoever.

This was what made Chu Bamboo realize that the Chixiao Sword wasn’t an exception. ’It seems that all items Forged into Artifacts are in this state, with no detectable Divine Power...’

As for its characteristics...

It was purely the ability to animate his own shadow. Chu Bamboo could then control it, transforming it into swords, other weapons, or even animals, as long as their size wasn’t too different from the shadow itself.

Of course, it could also become a replica of himself. However, while the shape was similar, the body was pitch-black. At best, it could wear clothes for a passable disguise. Using it as a shadow Clone was out of the question. Then there was also the usage Mo Wen had mentioned earlier.

’How should I put this... it’s a lot worse than the Crimson Sky Fire, but... it’s normal that it can’t compare. It would be shocking if it *could*. Still, this Divine Technique is pretty versatile. I can live with it.’

Suddenly, Mo Wen’s phone rang. His brow twitched. He glanced at the caller ID, shot a confused look at Chu Bamboo, and answered.

"What’s up? Calling me out of the blue... Shouldn’t you be at work? You usually act like you want nothing to do with me..."

Before he could finish, Wall Announcements’ rushed, terrified voice burst from the phone. "Master, something’s happened... Something’s happened! There’s black fog everywhere outside... It’s..."

The next moment, the call disconnected.

Mo Wen froze, almost thinking he’d imagined it.

Zhang Hai reacted instantly. He’d had dealings with Wall Announcements before, after all. He instinctively glanced in the direction of the Third District, his expression darkening as he dialed a number. But... no one picked up!

"Zhang Xu... pick up the phone!" he snarled, dialing again. But no matter how many times he tried... there was no signal.

Mo Wen, snapping out of it, grimly redialed Wall Announcements’ number. It wouldn’t go through either.

Chu Bamboo watched the two men before him grow from anxious to furious, then glanced at the missed call from Li Xuan on his own phone. A wistful expression crossed his face. "I was originally planning... oh, well. This will be a test, too."

"!?"

"???"

Both men stared at Chu Bamboo. Mo Wen’s face was a mask of confusion, while Zhang Hai’s was a whirlwind of doubt, contemplation, and fearful uncertainty.

His lips trembled. "Do you know what’s going on? Wait... you would know, wouldn’t you! Zhang Xu is... what’s happened to him... Do you know or not?! If you don’t, we need to get on the electric scooter and go back right now! Even if it takes a few hours, we might still make it in time..."

"Hold on a second!" Chu Bamboo made a gesture to pause, then pulled out his phone. He glanced at the time, calculated that it was about right, sent a routine text message, and then made a call, bypassing Qian Shi to contact the Pope directly.

"...You brat, you!" Chu Bamboo cut off the Pope’s attempt at small talk, his tone calm but serious. "First, I need to clarify a few things... Second, do not try to figure out the mastermind’s true identity. Because if you do, even if they don’t come for you, they’ll come for me, and that will be a huge pain... Do you understand what I’m saying?"

Zhang Hai: "!!!"

Zhang Hai, who had been so agitated he was about to drag Chu Bamboo onto the scooter, froze. His eyes bulged. He instinctively dug a finger in his ear, as if to clear it, and listened to Chu Bamboo’s conversation for a moment longer. His jaw slowly dropped.

He recognized the voice on the other end of the line. ’Impossible. Absolutely impossible!’ was his first reaction. ’Is Chu Bamboo messing with me?’ But he quickly realized... this had to be real.

’Because with the Third District clearly in trouble, there’s no reason for Chu Bamboo to pull a stunt like this. Besides, even if it were a prank, and even with all the secrets Chu Bamboo knows about me, this isn’t something that could just be brushed aside later...’

’But... how do you even know *that personage*...’

’No, this isn’t just about knowing him! How do you dare to take that tone with him?!’

Mo Wen: "???"

’Seriously, Mr. Chu, listen to yourself. Does any of that make sense?’ Mo Wen was screaming internally. ’You’re being so cryptic. It’d be a miracle if anyone understood you...’

"I think I understand," the Pope said, his tone unreadable. "Give me three seconds!"

"?" Mo Wen looked completely lost. ’Is it me? Am I the one who’s slow?’

Chu Bamboo silently counted to himself. He could hear the Pope taking deep breaths. After the third breath, the Pope said, "Alright. Speak!"

"Currently, Bishop Hu of Jinghai City is, in reality, the Fifth Apostle of the All-Powerful Lineage..." Chu Bamboo’s expression was calm, his speech even. He enunciated every word with perfect clarity. And yet, what he said was absolutely earth-shattering.

A dead silence.

Zhang Hai was instantly drenched in a cold sweat.

Mo Wen stared at Chu Bamboo in disbelief. ’Hey, couldn’t you have given me a heads-up before dropping a secret like that? I... damn it! Is it too late for me to run for it?!’

"The Fifth Apostle actually... possesses a special power to usurp people’s identities!" Chu Bamboo calmly reiterated the story he had told before. "So, the truth behind this incident is..."

Chu Bamboo stopped mid-sentence. He watched as the space before them began to warp and distort, and as a Big Orange Cat suddenly shot out of it, the corner of his eye twitched.

"God damn it... Didn’t you say you were ready?!"

Chu Bamboo almost lost his composure, internally cursing the Pope to high heaven. ’How can anyone be so unreliable!’

He didn’t dare hesitate for even a second, biting down hard on the poison...

However—

A cat’s paw gently pressed against Chu Bamboo’s cheek. "Little one... were you thinking of a way to escape?"

The Big Orange Cat’s voice was as gentle and lovely as a classic maiden from Jiangnan. Honestly, in the Real World... a voice that beautiful could have easily debuted as a virtual idol. But right now, for Chu Bamboo, it was the stuff of horror stories.

Chu Bamboo found he was completely paralyzed. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

In his peripheral vision, he could see terror and disbelief on the faces of Zhang Hai and Mo Wen. They were also unable to move, like insects trapped in amber.

From their violently trembling pupils, Chu Bamboo realized they were in the same state he was... able to think, but unable to move.

"A face from the Holy Bible! Could it be..." The Big Orange Cat mused. She leaned in, gently rubbing her head against Chu Bamboo’s cheek, then took a deep, deliberate sniff. In the next moment, disappointment washed over her face. "No... you’re not him!"