Heroines, I'm Really not the Devourer
Chapter 35: Hu Guowei?

Chapter 35: Hu Guowei?

"BaiShe!"

The wall stood between them, separating them completely.

A heavy silence fell. Zhulan, on the other side, pounded against the barrier, searching for a crack. BaiShe, meanwhile, closed his eyes briefly, then a faint smile stretched across his lips.

"There are excellent actors in this world. She’s performing until the very last second."

His soft laughter rose as he surveyed the surroundings, realizing he stood in a roundabout with four paths stretching before him.

*Omnis.*

His left eye glowed intensely, and without hesitation, he stepped onto the rightmost path.

***

*POV: Zhulan*

"BaiShe!"

My voice echoed through the wall, laced with uncontrollable panic. I felt my knees slam into the ground, my trembling fingers clutching the cold rock. My heart pounded relentlessly, yet no sound reached me in return. The silence was a heavier wall than the stone separating us.

My expression froze, my emotions swept away in a resigned sigh. Before me, two paths stretched into deep darkness.

"I don’t think I’ll need this anymore."

With a fluid motion, I released the seal holding my disguise.

*Dissipation.*

A black miasma peeled away from my body, evaporating into dark tendrils. My appearance shifted instantly: my loose garments transformed into a form-fitting black bodysuit, perfectly tailored to my curves. A dark cape billowed behind me, brushing the ground with a soft whisper. Two daggers were strapped securely to my back, and a black mask, crafted from a Qi-resistant mineral, covered my face, leaving only my piercing ruby eyes visible.

My hair underwent a similar metamorphosis. Its hue darkened, the sides of my head shaved slightly, while thick, long braids cascaded down my back, ending in sharp, blade-like tips—discrete weapons.

A chill ran through the air. My aura, previously contained, burst forth in a single release, shaking the surroundings with its crushing pressure. *Seventh stage of the nascent soul.*

I pulled out a talisman. As soon as it touched the air, it ignited in a vivid flame, illuminating the space with a golden glow. A thin stream of light stretched before me, carving a winding path through the darkness. Without hesitation, I followed it.

’ I hope he survived.’

I shook my head. What was I thinking? With his abilities, BaiShe would surely find a way out. But now... what would I tell Father?

"That I failed the mission?"

My throat tightened. Would he kill me? A sigh escaped me. Just imagining his impassive gaze weighing on me, my back stiffened.

I walked in silence for about thirty minutes until the path opened onto a vast plateau. Below, a body of water shimmered under the dim glow of natural torches embedded in the rock.

"The Golden Jade Lake..."

Perhaps if I brought the Elixir, my punishment would be lessened.

I didn’t know its exact purpose, but Father had ordered its acquisition as soon as he learned of its existence. That alone spoke to its value.

I didn’t make the mistake of touching the water’s surface. Such a place, left unguarded, surely hid an invisible mechanism or protection.

I pulled out a flask, ready to collect the precious liquid.

"So, you were already here?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, sighing. I recognized the voice instantly.

I slowly put away the flask before straightening up.

"I hoped you wouldn’t come here."

My hand brushed my daggers, and with a fluid motion, I drew them.

"I’m obligated to kill you."

Without waiting, I lunged at him. A dark miasma clung to my form, pulsing in rhythm with my Qi.

BaiShe smiled faintly as he leaped back slightly.

"Tell me, who sent you?"

He took a few steps back, his eyes scanning every detail of the scene. I, or rather the Assassin I was, stood in a threatening posture. My dagger was imbued with a vibrating black aura, and behind me, a shadowy figure stretched, a faint entity wielding scythes, its movements barely perceptible.

"Did you know who I really was?"

"You may be an assassin, but the sadness I saw that day was real."

"You’re wrong! I’m just a killing machine! Attack seriously or die!"

My voice cracked, laced with contained rage, as if a part of me rejected my own words.

BaiShe sketched a smile. A thin trickle of blood ran down his cheek, proof my blade had grazed him.

"I see..."

His gaze sharpened.

In the next instant, he lunged at me, his Qi-charged fist slicing through the air in a perfect arc.

I pivoted at the last moment, dodging fluidly. My form blurred for an instant before I reappeared behind him, my dagger thrusting toward his back.

BaiShe, sensing the imminent danger, propelled his Qi to reorient mid-air. He raised his forearm, barely parrying the attack with a sharp impact.

But the shadow behind him seized the opportunity.

*Whoosh.*

The scythe sliced through the air in a deadly hiss. BaiShe ducked just in time, feeling the cutting pressure slice the space just above his head.

"Is it Hu Guowei?"

With a supple movement, he pivoted backward, using the momentum of his dodge to swing a lateral kick. His foot passed through my intangible body, as expected.

He didn’t hesitate. His Qi instantly concentrated in his opposite leg.

With a sharp strike, he slammed his heel into the ground just behind me. A blinding shockwave exploded beneath his feet, sending up a cloud of debris. The compressed energy created a thrust that propelled him at terrifying speed out of my encirclement.

When he stopped a few meters away, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on me, unreadable.

"Or someone else who wants me dead?"

His right hand rose slowly. A silvery glow pulsed between his fingers, illuminating the surrounding darkness. The energy around him condensed, twisted, before materializing into glowing arcs floating around him.

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t tell you!"

He vanished.

The air thickened under the pressure of his Qi. Space itself seemed to bend, warped by his raw power.

*He’s already at the ninth stage!*

I lunged forward, daggers out, my body moving. My shadow aura stretched, undulated, enveloping my form in a veil. The entity behind me mirrored my assault, merging perfectly with my attack.

*Heartbeat.*

Then I disappeared just before impact.