Chapter 266: Don't Forget to Pay

The cherry-haired girl casually tossed the head that had belonged to the middle-aged man to Yan Jing, then crimson flames ignited on her slender hand, as if she were disinfecting it.

Afterward, the girl turned her gaze toward the crowd that hadn't run too far away and asked softly, "Can you handle the aftermath?"

The blue-haired sorcerer was momentarily stunned, then spoke word by word, "Of course. The Sixth Division's support will arrive shortly. Professionals will take over from here, conduct large-scale hypnosis, delete recorded videos, and so on... We have plenty of experience. No need to worry."

The girl nodded. Her delicate face remained expressionless, yet it didn't feel perfunctory. Instead, it carried a kind of adorable sincerity:

"Thank you for your hard work."

Yan Jing was caught off guard once again.

—Really... unexpectedly easy to talk to.

There was none of the sense of otherness or difficulty in communication he had imagined. On the contrary, she had clearly shown goodwill.

At the very least, it meant she wasn't part of some chaotic faction opposed to the current social order, but rather belonged to the side of "order."

Could it really be that she stepped in simply because she saw an injustice?

Yan Jing let out a complete sigh of relief, then pushed up his round-frame glasses that had been slipping down the bridge of his nose. His tone carried undisguised respect as he spoke:

"I must also thank you for your assistance. If you hadn't appeared in time today, this battle would likely have caused massive civilian casualties."

"It's nothing."

The cherry-haired girl shook her head gently, her voice sweet and calm.

As she spoke, the girl's gaze swept past Yan Jing, whose face showed confusion, past the crowd still fleeing in panic, and landed somewhere far off in the direction of the commercial street.

At the mouth of a certain alley, a black-haired girl was staring blankly in this direction.

But the cherry-haired girl's gaze wasn't just fixed on her—it also looked past her, toward what was behind her.

The blue-haired sorcerer followed her line of sight.

In the shadows not far behind the black-haired girl stood a tall, slender silver figure like a guardian deity, with something like a belt at its waist, gleaming with silver light.

Yan Jing was briefly startled.

—That's the Xia Family's...

Was that person originally planning to come help?

The next moment, he turned his head, trying to continue communicating with this mysterious girl who had shown such goodwill, hoping to ask about her identity.

"May I ask—"

Before he could finish his sentence.

The cherry-haired girl in front of him suddenly turned around.

Her skirt swayed, her long cherry-colored hair flowing in the air. The girl's slender, beautiful form began to distort like a reflection in water.

Like a dreamlike illusion, she gradually faded under the sunlight, ultimately dissipating completely into the air, as if she had never existed at all.

"!!!"

Yan Jing couldn't help but push up his glasses once more, his mind struck by yet another unparalleled shock.

Even with his full one hundred percent attention focused on her, Yan Jing still hadn't detected the girl's [Awakening], still hadn't sensed any fluctuation of curse power from a spell being cast.

How on earth did she do it?

Just as Yan Jing's worldview was on the verge of shattering...

"Little Yan, big sis is here to save you!"

A cheerful female voice suddenly rang out from the sky.

Accompanied by the sound of cutting through the air, a figure descended from above.

It was a female sorcerer with long black hair, appearing to be in her mid-twenties.

Her features were beautiful, and she was boldly wearing a black bikini swimsuit, with large expanses of fair skin on display. Her feet were slender and pale, toes perfectly defined.

She stood on a surfboard, clutching an exaggeratedly styled long-handled harpoon in her hand.

At the moment before hitting the ground, a powerful jet of water erupted from beneath the surfboard, slamming heavily into the bluestone pavement. Using the recoil, the woman rode the surfboard and landed steadily beside Yan Jing, even spinning around once with flair.

She surveyed her surroundings.

The area hadn't sustained much damage. There was no trace of burnt smell in the air, nor any sign of scorching from flames.

Aside from a headless corpse, there was nothing else to see.

The woman scratched her head in confusion and looked at Yan Jing: "Where's the Explosive Combustion Demon? Didn't they say there was big trouble here?"

"..."

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

The woman leaned in to look at Yan Jing's still-dazed face and raised an eyebrow.

"Little Yan, what's with that look? Seen a ghost?"

"Holy mother, why are you holding a dead man's head?!"

............

On the other side.

On the now-empty commercial street, Xia Yao walked silently.

She said nothing, her gaze drifting, her delicate face carrying a deep sense of loss.

Uncle An, dressed in his butler's uniform, followed behind her without a word, like the most loyal guardian.

Yet his heart was equally unsettled.

—Who would have thought that the seemingly frail, delicate girl that the young miss had taken the initiative to save would turn out to be such an incredible existence.

Thankfully, she bore no ill will. Otherwise, even if he transformed, there would be no way to stop her.

By now, the cordon had been set up in the distance. Police cars and relevant personnel had arrived at the scene, evacuating the remaining civilians.

The area had become exceptionally quiet, as if the noise and bustle had been stripped away from this bustling commercial district.

But Xia Yao still showed no intention of leaving, and Uncle An simply accompanied her as she walked.

Everything that had just happened felt like a dream to her.

What kind of existence was that girl named Mengmengxiang, really?

She was so beautiful, like an otherworldly spirit untouched by mortal concerns, even willing to let her dress her up however she pleased. Yet when she walked toward that monster, her silhouette was like a noble queen full of majesty, one who brooked no offense.

Were those strange, clumsy actions of hers... just the way some higher being experienced the life of an ordinary person?

In her eyes, did my imitation of that blockhead's righteous act seem ridiculous?

Xia Yao didn't know what this feeling of loss in her heart was, but she felt something pressing down on her chest, heavy and stuffy.

She actually had so much she wanted to say to that girl she'd met by chance, but the other party didn't seem to have any intention of appearing before her again.

Was it...

That she wasn't worth mentioning in the other's eyes?

Like two beings from different worlds, it was just a chance encounter, a brief meeting—nothing that needed to be taken to heart.

Yet the next moment, the black-haired girl suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked up.

There it was—that high-end clothing store.

Before she realized it, she had walked back here again.

Xia Yao froze for a moment, then, as if possessed, stepped inside once more.

The store was empty. The lighting and layout remained exactly as they had been when they left.

But Xia Yao suddenly widened her eyes.

—Because something was missing.

The new clothes she had personally picked out piece by piece for the girl, helped her put on, and left on the counter after the fitting, ready to be packaged.

They had been spread out like flowers scattered from heaven, but now they had all vanished, as if someone had taken them away.

Only a single ice-blue gem pendant lay quietly on the checkout counter.

The pendant's design was nearly identical to the cherry-haired girl's red gem pendant. The frame was crafted from an unknown silver metal, with hair-thin silver threads interwoven and entwined, outlining gorgeous, intricate patterns.

And the ice-blue color shining within that gem was the most beautiful blue Xia Yao had ever seen in her life. It had an indescribable translucency, as if it could draw in one's very soul.

Xia Yao grabbed the gem pendant and suddenly realized something.

—She had stared at the pendant on Mengmengxiang's chest for a long time, showing envious expressions many times.

So...

This was a gift left for her?

She instinctively picked up the pendant and suddenly noticed a note underneath it.

[Don't forget to pay.]

"..."

For some reason, Xia Yao felt that the handwriting looked rather familiar.

After a moment of silence, the corners of the black-haired girl's mouth suddenly curved upward. A smile appeared on her face once more.

"Alright, Uncle An, let's go home. I'm getting a bit hungry too."

"Yes."

"When this place reopens, remember to settle the bill."

"Yes."

"Hmm... also, I happened to see with my own eyes you transforming back from that silver form."

"I've always felt like there was something the family was hiding from me... Don't even think about deceiving me this time."

"...Yes."