NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty: The Prominent Xia’er
Xia’er walked step by step toward the alley’s exit, leaving behind two bodies that appeared to have been victims of “mutual slaughter.”
The shadow lay lazily behind Xia’er, as if being dragged along with her movements. It occasionally wriggled its form, smoothing out the footprints Xia’er left behind with quiet diligence.
“How could it be? Where is that kid Yian?”
“Bol! Bol! Shit!”
The angry voice of Solari echoed from the street outside. Beside him, Thomas stood, his emaciated skull-like face full of confusion.
Neither of them noticed the small figure leaning against the rainy night alley entrance.
A dark silhouette slowly rose from Xia’er’s shadow, standing behind her and reaching out to take the revolver she handed over.
Dong ——
The distant bell sound rang out from the Salvation Goddess Religion’s clock tower. The solemn chime would signal rest for the workers and eternal slumber for the wicked.
“Thomas… shit!”
Solari, the boss of Heishuidang, caught sight of something from the corner of his eye. He abruptly turned around, alertly looking at the Black-robed Person beside him while simultaneously pulling out the revolver from his waist: “Thomas! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“Hm?” Thomas looked towards Solari with bewilderment.
He failed to notice the pistol floating silently behind him, aimed directly at a startled Solari.
“I’ve given you so much money, killed so many people for you, and now you’re trying to screw me over?!”
Bang Bang Bang ——!
Accompanied by the tolling bells, three gunshots rang out. The Black-robed Person, Thomas, stared in disbelief at Solari before him, seemingly unable to comprehend how things had escalated to this point.
Clutching his chest, he staggered back two steps and collapsed onto the ground. Only then did he see the hovering pistol and the faint, terrifying black shadow holding it.
“No… it wasn’t me…”
Bang ——!
The shadow pulled the trigger, a bullet piercing through Solari’s lung.
Bang Bang ——!
Enduring excruciating pain, Solari fired off the remaining two bullets, while the floating pistol before him also discharged its last two shots!
Bang Bang ——!
Solari swayed and fell backward.
In the blurred vision of Thomas, he saw the shadow holding the revolver slowly crouching down before him.
“Sir… uh…” Thomas attempted to speak but instead coughed up a mixture of black blood and fragments of internal organs. All he could do was helplessly watch as the shadow grabbed his right hand, placing the pistol on it and gradually positioning it into a firing stance.
Why…
Thomas’s consciousness began to fade, his brain buzzing with murmurs. The flesh on his face started twitching uncontrollably.
A thin tentacle emerged from the wound, falling onto the ground and emitting an ethereal light invisible to ordinary people.
Until death, Thomas never knew who had killed him or what kind of person he had offended.
He would never have imagined that the person he had deemed “completely harmless” and “whose death wouldn’t draw any attention,” was the young girl in a house not far from the street.
“It’s over…” Xia’er smiled beneath her mask, feeling an unprecedented sensation rising within her.
Is this what extraordinary strength feels like?
Ordinary people before her die without even knowing how they perished.
Even semi-extraordinary Thomas couldn’t detect her actions.
He had brought many subordinates, but there were still more to eliminate!
An abrupt thought crossed Xia’er’s mind but was quickly suppressed by [Calm Thinking Lv.1].
She could feel a slight buzzing in her ears, which grew into a rhythmic sound as the spreading blood stimulated the ground.
What is this sound?
The vague whispers caused Xia’er immense headache. She soon realized she shouldn’t stay here too long.
The pleasure of murder thrilled her, and the irritability she experienced during potion consumption seemed increasingly uncontrollable, like a volcano ready to erupt. Yet, she didn’t know any methods to suppress it.
She turned, stepped over the two corpses, and quickly ran toward the other side of the alley.
The shadow behind her swiftly followed.
She ascended, occasionally stopping to wipe away footprints, muttering something silently—perhaps asking Xia’er to wait.
From the other side of the alley, Xia’er emerged, and the buzzing in her ears slightly subsided. The murmurs in her mind also grew distant.
Swiftly, she unclasped the church emblem pinned to her chest along with the mask and hurled them backward. Her shadow caught the mask and placed it on its face, swallowing the church emblem whole. After completing this, it leaped like a diver, plunging into Xia’er’s shadow.
All Xia’er had to do now was wait for events to unfold further. If she could make it through the next 24 hours peacefully, she would see if any trouble came knocking.
And now, Xia’er prepared to head to the café in the central district. Li Qi must already be waiting there, growing impatient.
…
“I’ve said it already: let that freak leave, or I’ll never come here to drink coffee again!”
A heavily made-up obese woman was yelling at a male waiter, pulling his collar as she screamed insults. Her sausage-like fingers pointed toward a corner of the café.
In that corner sat a young girl with her head bowed, sitting awkwardly in her seat. Her hands tightly gripped the coarse linen skirt she wore, her earlobes turning red. In front of her were two cups of coffee that had gone cold, untouched.
This was an old-fashioned café in the central district, nearly a century old. Though its popularity had waned somewhat recently due to the rise of teahouses and taverns, it still attracted many middle-class and upper-class patrons.
“Madam Plume… there are empty seats over here,” the waiter stammered nervously, sweat pouring down his face. “That lady has already paid; she can sit…”
It was his first day on the job, and encountering such a rude customer made him consider quitting tomorrow.
“Could you even stomach anything after looking at her grotesque face?” Fat Plume insulted without mercy. “This is a place of refinement—not a freak show!”
The girl in the corner trembled, feeling the gazes of the well-dressed patrons around her. Panicking, she picked up the cup before her and took a sip, choking on the bitter coffee and coughing audibly.
A single tear traced its path through the air, adding a hint of saltiness to the bitter coffee.
Dinglingling—
The café door opened, and a figure cloaked in black entered.
“Get out of here, fatty.”
An elegant voice rang out, though the words were crude, evoking images of a proud young beauty humiliating others. Many inside the café turned their eyes toward the entrance.
“What did you say?!” Fat Plume’s face crumpled as she whipped around, only to find herself staring at a breathtakingly beautiful young woman draped in a mysterious yet luxurious long robe, with flowing red curls framing her face. For a moment, she forgot what she wanted to say.
This was a kind of beauty that made jealousy hard to arise.
“Say it again?!” Fat Plume moved closer to the girl, but soon her pupils contracted slightly.
She seemed to recognize the silver insignia on the girl’s robes.
Considering the girl’s age, her unparalleled beauty, and those silver embellishments… her noble identity became increasingly apparent.
“My… my Lady… I-I apologize profoundly,” Fat Plume stammered, her voice trembling. She sidestepped hastily, trying not to touch the red-haired girl, abandoning her umbrella as she fled in embarrassment.
Dinglingling—
The sound of the fat woman leaving echoed, and the red-haired girl scanned the café. Everyone inside looked around or pretended to read newspapers, acting as if nothing had happened.
Soon, the girl locked onto a spot and quickly walked to the corner. Her previously fierce tone softened.
“Sorry, sister, I’m late.”
She was someone important, visiting her sister…
Good thing she didn’t cause more trouble…
Now it makes sense why she has that scar—it’s from the Church…
Why didn’t I help earlier?
Some people felt relieved, others regretful, while quite a few were already crafting their words, preparing to approach her for a conversation.