After speaking, the little succubus vanished instantly, leaving Liu Xijun lying on the ground in complete bewilderment.
He slowly stood up and looked at the corpses scattered nearby. Seeing his enemies dead brought him a faint sense of satisfaction.
"You did all of this?"
A mature, languid female voice sounded from behind him.
Liu Xijun turned around and saw a stunningly beautiful woman standing there. She glanced at the bodies, chuckled softly, and then looked at him with clear interest.
"As you can see, it was done by that giant-eyed blood rat," Liu Xijun replied calmly.
The woman studied him carefully. He felt she looked familiar, but he could not immediately place her.
She, too, seemed intrigued by his appearance. Though he had not fully matured, his features were already strikingly handsome.
After a brief silence, she said, "I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about it," and gestured toward the dead giant-eyed blood rat.
"I don't know," Liu Xijun answered at once.
"But I think you do." A faint smile curved her lips. She glanced aside with subtle disdain. "Never mind. Someone is coming. Come with me."
As soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed Liu Xijun and vanished with him.
The two disappeared behind the Walmart supermarket in an instant.
Moments later, a group from the Hunter Union arrived at the scene.
"The demon is dead!"
"It was killed instantly!"
"These victims were all students who had only recently awakened!"
Xu Qingning and Xu Qinglin arrived shortly after. They had encountered members of the Hunter Union earlier and returned to check the situation.
But now only corpses remained.
The giant-eyed blood rat was dead. That handsome boy was nowhere to be seen. In their eyes, he must have died too.
Perhaps that was for the best. If he had survived, he might have exposed the fact that they had pushed their classmate to the ground.
Liu Xijun was shaken. He never expected to meet such a terrifying mage in an ordinary supermarket.
Judging from her ability to move instantly, she was very likely a Shadow Element mage.
Darkness enveloped him.
When his vision returned, he found himself inside a room.
It appeared to be a rental apartment in a residential area. The doors and windows were tightly shut, and the curtains were drawn.
The woman who had taken him sat lazily on the sofa. Her mature, alluring hair flowed freely as she poured herself a cup of jasmine tea.
Jasmine tea.
That detail struck him like lightning.
He stared at her, slowly overlaying her face with the image of the woman in a wheelchair he had once seen.
Ye Chang.
The mother of Ye Xinxia.
One of the seven Cardinals of the Black Vatican.
Her codename—
Salan.
A major antagonist tied to countless disasters.
"What? You've been staring at me for a while. Do you think I'm pretty?" Ye Chang asked teasingly as she pushed a cup of tea toward him.
She poured another cup for herself and watched him with amusement.
Liu Xijun hesitated. Was tea poured by Salan safe to drink?
The atmosphere turned tense.
Seeing him remain frozen, neither drinking nor speaking, Ye Chang gestured calmly and said, "Sit down."
Liu Xijun did not dare resist. He sat beside her.
This woman was terrifying.
She appeared gentle, but her beauty concealed cruelty and calculation.
In the original storyline, she had orchestrated numerous disasters, directly or indirectly causing countless deaths.
He held the teacup, uncertain how to proceed.
"Tell me, how did you kill that giant-eyed blood rat?" Ye Chang asked, taking a sip of tea. Her dark red lips seemed even deeper in color against the porcelain cup.
Liu Xijun stared at the ripples in his own tea and carefully considered his response.
[Master~ Just tell her you're a Summoner! I can transform, don't worry! Besides, you have the [Love-Locking Crystal] now. You can use it on her later!]
The little succubus's voice echoed in his mind.
Liu Xijun made his decision.
"I suddenly awakened the Summoning Element and used it to kill the giant-eyed blood rat."
Ye Chang's eyes narrowed slightly. Awakening the Summoning Element without an Awakening Stone was extraordinarily rare.
"Does that mean you can summon creatures now?"
"Yes."
"Show me."
He closed his eyes and connected his stars into a Star Path.
A Ghost Wolf Beast materialized in the room.
Ye Chang's gaze burned with interest. Though it was only a Servant-level creature, it was clearly stronger and more imposing than ordinary Ghost Wolf Beasts.
"So you had such a summoned beast, yet you didn't save those newly awakened students," Ye Chang observed coolly.
"They've caused me trouble before and ruined my peace. I had no reason to save them," Liu Xijun replied honestly.
"And if someone causes you trouble again in the future?"
"I'll repay it tenfold."
"Good." Ye Chang smiled faintly. "Follow me and work for me. No one will dare trouble you again. Do you agree?"
"I still don't know your name."
"You may call me Salan."
As expected.
Liu Xijun felt a chill run down his spine. Now that he had revealed his talent, refusal was not an option.
If he could not serve her interests, he might never leave this apartment alive.
[Little succubus, how do I use the Love-Locking Crystal? This is our only chance.]
[Master~ It's already in your pocket. It's water-soluble, colorless, and odorless. Drop it into her tea when you get the chance!]
Understanding dawned.
Liu Xijun raised his cup and declared, "Lord Salan, I am willing to follow you."
He drained the tea in one gulp.
Ye Chang seemed satisfied with his decisiveness.
Outwardly loyal.
Inwardly calculating.
[Now. Distract her.]
The Ghost Wolf Beast began pacing around the room restlessly.
Ye Chang glanced at it suspiciously.
Still not enough.
Suddenly—
"Awoo!"
It howled toward the window.
This was a residential area.
"What are you doing?" Liu Xijun snapped as he stood and grabbed its ear.
But the beast continued howling.
Ye Chang frowned and stepped toward the window.
At that moment, with her back turned, Liu Xijun quickly slipped the gel-like Love-Locking Crystal into her teacup.
It dissolved instantly, leaving no trace.
"You stupid dog, be quiet!" Liu Xijun scolded.
The Ghost Wolf Beast whimpered pitifully.
Ye Chang turned back. "Recall it immediately."
"Sorry. This is only my second time summoning it. I'm still inexperienced," Liu Xijun said, dismissing the creature.
"Get familiar with your summoned beast. I have arrangements for you later," Ye Chang said calmly as she sat back down.
She tapped her phone briefly before adding, "Our people have already cleaned up the earlier incident. I don't want this kind of disturbance again."
"Yes, Lord Salan," Liu Xijun replied respectfully. "The jasmine tea is excellent. May I have another cup?"
Ye Chang gave a soft snort. "It seems you have refined taste. Pour it yourself."
She lifted her teacup gracefully and took another slow sip of the jasmine tea.