An Alliance with the Witch!

"White Beard tricks the witch with cunning schemes; the naive maiden steps aboard a pirate ship!" That was precisely the thought flashing through the Witch's mind right now. How underhanded—just like that, she had stepped right into a vortex of trouble. Yet the revelation was impossible to walk away from. She desperately wanted to hear more, caught in agonizing ambivalence between the urge to press on and a keen sense of peril. "The Major? Major Luo?" The Witch drew a slow, deep breath, her expression shifting mercurially. Bai Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly. "It seems you've heard of him? That will make things much easier." "..." Of course she knew him. Her entire Oversight Team, herself included, was currently stationed at his Base 36! Yet the Witch knew even better that the Oversight Team had been deployed to supervise the case of a certain wanted criminal surnamed Bai, not to investigate the Major! If they were truly investigating the Major, they would never do so in such broad daylight. Only after discreetly sussing out the situation and securing incontrovertible evidence would top brass step forward in person to determine the nature of the affair. The Gem Witch didn't understand the convoluted twists and turns behind these intricate webs of influence—but she understood what a financial consortium was. "This is a matter of immense gravity, and I have never heard of this Major possessing any ill repute," the Witch said in a heavy voice. "In fact, quite the opposite—everything I've heard from his subordinates and colleagues is nothing but praise!" Of course it was all praise. Behind his family bucket, Bai Zhou secretly rolled his eyes. Because anyone who suspected him was already dead. Even their graves were empty. When Bai Zhou was at Base 36, he too had listened every day to people singing the Major's praises, practically eager to worship the generous, open-minded talent scout as their own flesh-and-blood father. "Seeing is not always believing, and what you hear may well be false." Bai Zhou spoke with pointed meaning. "If you take off your preconceived filters before observing, you might just notice the discordant pieces." "Who on earth are you?" The Gem Witch glared fixedly at the newcomer, striving to imprint every trait beneath that waiter's uniform into her memory. "You seem to know an awful lot. But why should I trust you?" "Believe it or not, it's entirely up to you." Bai Zhou waved a hand dismissively. "I didn't expect a few words to sway you, but you shouldn't be stupid enough to go confront the Major to verify it either." "However, anything done will always leave traces behind. Lately, the Major must be feeling the heat. In his panic, he's bound to make plenty of moves—as long as you pay attention, you're sure to find something." Bai Zhou offered a friendly reminder: "Oh, by the way..." "As far as I know, the Fine Arts Society and this Major have extremely close private cooperation." "Not only that, these 'Old Blacks' who nearly killed you are also the Major's handiwork." "You haven't heard of the Major's ill repute, but you've never seen these peculiar 'Old Blacks' before either, have you?" Old Blacks? The Witch paused, glancing down at the circle of black-clad corpses strewn across the ground, momentarily speechless. Even a clay idol had a temper, let alone a Destined. To be hunted within an inch of her life for no rhyme or reason was an outrage the Witch wouldn't swallow easily. But— "Why would he send people to hunt me down?" The Witch looked puzzled, a hint of suspicion and uncertainty in her eyes. "You're scaring her," Crow said faintly from the side. "I suspect she's worried her identity as a Destined has been exposed, yet she has no clue that it was all aimed at you from the start." After a beat of silence, Bai Zhou answered honestly, "He might not necessarily have been trying to hunt you down, Miss Witch." "Perhaps you were merely an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire." Bai Zhou paused for a moment, then added, "So, you can still treat everything I've said as thin air." "Self-preservation is only human nature. You could even go back and report everything I've said to the Major—I would completely understand, and besides, I wouldn't lose anything." "—Because everything behind this might be far more complex and dangerous than you imagine." Pausing slightly, Bai Zhou suddenly felt an odd sense of déjà vu from his own words: "Once you step into this whirlpool of trouble, you will have to brace yourself with the appropriate resolve." "From now on, you'll have to be wary of everyone around you, because any of them could be accomplices bought off by the Major. You might even have to risk having the whole world as your enemy while truth is turned on its head." "Friends become foes, honor turns to slander, you're branded the accomplice of villains, and death becomes your constant companion... The price demanded by so-called justice will exceed your imagination." The Gem Witch seemed moved, sinking into brief silence. Yet after a moment, she shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Don't give a cat catnip only to lock it back in a cage! By which I mean, don't tell me all this only to follow it up with useless discouragement!" Her retort was utterly blunt. Having apparently found her footing, she gazed toward Bai Zhou with growing composure. "You're looking for an ally, aren't you?" "If you want an ally, why spout all these dissuading words? Isn't that completely contradictory?" Through the family bucket, the Witch studied the eccentric figure intently, as though trying to peer past the wide-toothed grin of the white-bearded old man to see the eyes of the man behind it. "—And here I thought you weren't such a hypocrite!" Bai Zhou blinked twice, momentarily rendered speechless. "You're right. I do indeed need an ally." After a moment's thought, Bai Zhou shook his head. "But equally, I don't want an innocent person to throw their life away for it." "I can extend my invitation to serve my own ends, but I cannot take responsibility for your life." "Only you can be responsible for yourself. For this matter, I need you to weigh it carefully before giving your answer." "Because only then will you avoid slipping up before that man, and only then will you be cautious, cautious, and cautious again..." As he spoke, Bai Zhou suddenly realized where that strange sense of déjà vu came from. Weren't these the very words Crow had once spoken to him? When he first met Crow, she had spoken just like this. She said that becoming involved with her was more dangerous than the Black Box itself; she said that even the tip of the iceberg behind her was enough to drive one mad—yet she also said that what she staked on the other side of the scale was her everything. Hoping the other person would join, yet simultaneously harboring a sliver of desire to see them refuse. So contradictory. Was that how Crow had felt back then? Bai Zhou shifted his Mind's Eye, quietly observing Crow standing nearby. Crow seemed completely oblivious, staring straight ahead with total detachment. Her arms were folded across her chest as she stood expressionless in the moonlit shadow, the hem of her trench coat fluttering gently in the breeze. "I see..." A light chuckle broke Bai Zhou's train of thought. Bai Zhou looked back to see the Witch smiling like a blooming blossom. Paired with the mask covering half her face, she looked like a gorgeous Chinese flowering crabapple unfurling in the night. As if struck by a delightful thought, she laughed uncontrollably. "What are you laughing at?" Bai Zhou frowned. "It seems you're a bit younger than I thought—perhaps much younger," the Witch said, still smiling. "What?" From Bai Zhou's vantage, even the tense, vigilant posture of this Miss Witch had noticeably relaxed. The Witch shook her head. "I thought you were some shrewd, calculating schemer, but it seems I'll have to take that back—well, take half of it back." "The mystic world never lacks schemes, intrigues, and deception, but someone who talks as much as you do is rare." With that, the Witch's gaze gradually sharpened. Even in her weakened state, an overbearing aura unfurled around her. "I still won't believe your words entirely—but I will investigate for myself, see for myself." "If everything you've said is true—I will not stand idly by!" "Because this is my 'Heart' and my 'Intent.' Pursuing absolute, righteous justice is the conviction that has carried me all the way here." The Witch's voice was not loud, but her tone rang with resolute strength. "For now, I cannot manage what lies beyond my sight, nor can I save the whole world." "But what I see, I cannot ignore; what I hear, I cannot pretend never happened. Ability and responsibility are equal. That is the creed under which I stepped onto the Extraordinary path, and the reason I have always acted as a vigilante in Tinghai City." "If I were to simply turn a blind eye to this, I would lose the drive to keep moving forward!" It was only a few brief sentences, spoken in an unhurried cadence, yet it imparted an inexplicable strength that reached Bai Zhou. "In a mystic world replete with contamination and temptation, the reason the first phase requires both cultivating the heart and comprehending intent is to enable an Extraordinary to resist the erosion of ruin realm contamination and forbidden whispers." Crow spoke softly from the side. "Every Extraordinary possesses their own obsession and creed. I cannot be certain whether what this Witch says is true—but if it is as she claims, then she is indeed a trustworthy..." At the end, even Crow wasn't sure how to describe it, faltering for words. "Uh, a... good person?" Crow's voice carried a hint of uncertainty. Because such people were far, far too rare in the mystic world. And those who had survived to this day— Were virtually nonexistent. At least, Bai Zhou had never seen one. "In that case, then..." Bai Zhou carefully took a step forward toward the gorgeously dressed Witch, slowly extending his hand. In a low voice, he asked, "A fruitful partnership?" Yet. *Smack!* The Witch slapped Bai Zhou's hand away, much like a street punk with dyed yellow-green hair knocking away a high five. Facing Bai Zhou's bewilderment, the Witch rolled her eyes and quipped sarcastically, "Give me a break. This Witch doesn't ally with people who hide their faces, or who knows when you might sell me out right to my face." "Hide my face?" Bai Zhou was momentarily speechless. "Before saying that, shouldn't you take a look at yourself first?" The Witch choked slightly at his retort, but immediately piped up, "The mask is the Witch's true essence. You know nothing of fashion." "..." "Grandpa KFC won't take off his mask either!" Bai Zhou refused to back down. "I know you certainly won't trust me, just as I won't trust you," the Witch sneered. "You'll definitely worry that I'll turn around and tell the Major, then pretend to contact you just to lead you into an ambush. And I worry about becoming your cat's-paw and wrongly accusing a loyal servant of the Special Control Bureau." "Since we're both on guard against each other, there's no need to talk about allies." The Witch looked deeply at Bai Zhou. "—What do you think?" Bai Zhou let out a dry chuckle, not answering directly. Look at you, taking things so seriously again. Some things were better left understood in silence; why did she have to lay it out so bluntly? "Still, you did save my life, so I don't mind taking a little loss." The Witch abruptly changed her tone, waving a hand grandly. "Not allies, but I will investigate on my own." "If I find that what you said is true—within three days, I'll leave a message beneath the third bench from the entrance of Tinghai Park." "To put your mind at ease, you choose the meeting location and leave a reply there. Five days from now, we meet at the agreed spot." Finishing her piece, the Witch didn't forget to add, "The moment you notice anything amiss with me, or if you believe I've betrayed you—you can cut all contact permanently at any time." A remarkably sincere proposition. Behind the family bucket, Bai Zhou's expression grew solemn. He slowly nodded. "Alright." Yet then the Witch shifted the subject again. "However, I also have one condition." "What is it?" "If the Major really has problems, that means I'll be facing an exceptionally terrifying group of opponents. For that..." The Witch paused in contemplation. Bai Zhou also pondered, wondering what condition she would raise. "For that, I need you to help me find someone." "—Someone?" Bai Zhou's guard went up instantly. It couldn't be that "wanted criminal surnamed Bai" she mentioned earlier, could it? "It's someone I met in the Reflected Ruin Realm. You seem to know plenty of secrets, and while I don't know how many people are behind you, perhaps you can help me." As she spoke, the Witch closely observed Grandpa KFC's reactions. To her disappointment, Grandpa KFC stood like a wooden stake, showing no change whatsoever, merely listening quietly to her description. As the Witch detailed the traits of the person she sought, Bai Zhou's eyes blinked furiously behind the family bucket. The good news: the Witch wasn't looking for the wanted criminal surnamed Bai. The bad news: she was looking for the mysterious cloaked runic master from the Reflected Ruin Realm. —Wasn't this still aimed straight at him?! Hadn't he already paid the money?! The whole antique heirloom business was just good intentions leading to bad results—why did she have to relentlessly pursue an innocent do-gooder like him? Yet Bai Zhou was somewhat baffled. What did her future danger have to do with tracking down a runic master she held a grudge against in advance? Did she want a hearty meal before setting out on the road, settling her vendetta before undertaking a grand venture? It did make sense. A swift settling of scores, never letting vengeance wait overnight—the Gem Witch truly possessed the style of a modern chivalric hero! Still, ask me to help you find him? Haha. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out!" Through the cardboard of the family bucket, the "nemesis" the Witch longed to find, Bai Zhou, nodded solemnly before his creditor, magnanimously agreeing to her plea. A happy ending for all, the two reaching a delightful consensus. Watching the Witch's departing figure, Crow spoke softly, "Congratulations. Starting now, you're no longer fighting entirely alone in Wancheng." "Not quite yet..." Bai Zhou blinked twice. Since he was an Adventurer, how could he not have his own companions? There was even a record of such things in Wancheng. It was said there was a man named Lu Xun who got lost in an accident and ended up deep in the mist outside Wancheng. He met a wild savage in the mist, named him Friday, and passed the boring days in his company, surviving in the wild for a full twenty-eight years. To relieve his boredom, Lu Xun spent many years teaching Friday language until they could finally communicate fluently. Then, that savage named Friday tearfully gripped Lu Xun's hand: "Sir, the truth is, I am a steward under the Black Robes, and this is one of the Black Robe organization's wilderness territories—you owe twenty-eight years of ground rent! If you don't pay up, the two of us will both be hauled off and burned!" —Such was the truth of "under the whole sky, every land is Black Soil." Yet if even the wild-surviving Lu Xun needed the companionship of a savage, how much more so did Bai Zhou? *Patter, patter...* With that, Bai Zhou and Crow departed the area as well. "Where are we heading next?" Crow inquired. "We're not going back just yet..." Pondering for a moment, Bai Zhou abruptly looked into the distance, his eyes blazing. "We are going to Yuanmeng Middle School!" "Yuanmeng Middle School?" Crow raised a delicate eyebrow. "Yes!" Bai Zhou answered in a deep voice, "To fish in troubled waters! Right now is the perfect opportunity!" Before long. The silhouette of a black cat flashed past the depths of the darkness. Eerie green eyes opened, peering from afar at the familiar gates of Yuanmeng Middle School standing tall against the night, their gaze burning bright. —Indeed, the eyes of every faction were currently fixed on Yuanmeng Middle School. Yet with the intrusion of this fish known as the Gem Witch, the unfathomably silent pool had been thrown into chaos. The Black Warriors were wiped out, the Fine Arts Society had pulled back, the Special Control Bureau had given chase, and all eyes had shifted toward the Special Control Bureau and the Fine Arts Society. At this very moment, Yuanmeng Middle School offered the prime opportunity found right beneath the lamp's blind spot! Finding stillness within chaos, fishing in troubled waters. —Cautious and alert, the black cat stole silently into the night!