Dark Clouds Envelop the City, Crow's Return!

This was the first time Bai Zhou had encountered last words lingering on a photograph. Then again, outside of ID photos, he had hardly seen many pictures in his life. Yet Bai Zhou felt a touch perplexed. If this graduation photo was that girl's relic, why would it turn up in Fang Xiaoxia's bedroom? Curiosity piqued, Bai Zhou made his move. With a faint hum, shadows stretched. The bandage-wrapped youth materialized, sitting cross-legged upon the windowsill. A few seconds later, a low voice drifted softly through the bedroom. "Feel your breathing grow calm..." "Let your thoughts become light... ethereal..." Fang Xiaoxia sat up in bed, eyes dazed and unfocused. Beneath the midnight moonlight, Bai Zhou hypnotized the girl in the nightgown. "Is this graduation photo yours?" "It's mine." Fang Xiaoxia nodded without the slightest hesitation. Her answer left Bai Zhou silent for a moment. The photo wasn't that girl's relic? Then what right did she have to leave her last words on it? Talk about lacking boundaries. Next, Bai Zhou raised a hand toward the girl crowned with the scarlet text and asked in a low voice, "Who is this girl? Did something happen to her?" "This is..." Fang Xiaoxia studied the picture intently, chin bobbing slightly. "Who is that? I don't know her." Bai Zhou: "?" Do you just sleep all day at school without making a single friend? Yet Bai Zhou quickly realized something was off. The girl in the photo was delicate, tall, and neat, radiating the look of an academic top-achiever. There was no reason for someone like that to have zero presence in class. More importantly, she was standing right next to Fang Xiaoxia. The two stood shoulder to shoulder; anyone would have believed they were close friends. How could she... Not know her? For some inexplicable reason, despite having no connection whatsoever, Bai Zhou suddenly thought of Crow. Neither a corpse nor a relic, merely an ordinary photograph, yet it bore last words. A girl Fang Xiaoxia claimed not to know had left behind a message that provoked deep unease. All manner of perplexities coalesced into a gray mist, shrouding Bai Zhou's mind. ...Things were getting interesting. [Spiders, red spiders, that person's hands are covered in crawling red spiders!] [...They are all dead, only I am left...] [I must escape this devil's den!] He read the last words etched across the photograph once more. Who were "they"? Where was this devil's den? Was it one of the Major's "enterprises"? Yet the Major's enterprises were clearly aimed at fattening up and shearing the Extraordinary sheep in the base. How could an ordinary middle school girl be involved? With far too little intelligence at his disposal, Bai Zhou's thoughts tangled like a ball of yarn. He had hoped Fang Xiaoxia might offer useful information. Useless Fang Xiaoxia, sigh. Regardless, the presence of this mysterious girl in the photo was indeed a lead to pursue. Otherwise, relying solely on an encrypted ledger to search through this sprawling city under relentless pursuit—like a headless fly seeking enterprises that had been concealed for who knew how long—would simply be an impossible task. Hum— Another faint vibration sounded. The hypnosis came to an end. The black cat reemerged beneath the watery moonlight. The girl in the Paul Frank nightgown flopped splayed across the mattress, her fair, flushed feet pointing straight toward Bai Zhou. The sweet fragrance of milk suffused the bedroom. The girl slept soundly, practically on the verge of blowing snot bubbles. After a moment's contemplation, the black cat quietly hopped onto the bed, dragging the light quilt over to cover her belly. Perhaps sensing the added weight, Fang Xiaoxia clutched the blanket tight and rolled over. She smacked her lips with a faint "mgh-mm," her breathing settling into an even, relaxed rhythm. A black silhouette slipped across the room. With an effortless leap, the black cat sprang back onto the windowsill. His glowing emerald slits swept the bedroom one last time. Confirming nothing was amiss, he turned and vanished, without looking back once. Encounters always arrived without warning, just as partings came without a sound. Accepting farewells was a mandatory lesson in life, no matter who it was with. Though he felt an odd twinge of guilt, Bai Zhou knew that staying would be the real crime. Perhaps when the girl woke tomorrow, she would cry or throw a tantrum, blaming herself for forgetting to close the window. Yet that would be all. Humans loved pets out of a childhood fantasy of having a companion, or an envious longing for what others had. As for who the pet actually was, it hardly mattered. When one left, another would take its place. Once the crying and fussing passed, it would be forgotten. Not just pets—sometimes, human relationships were the exact same. Having recovered a sliver of strength, the bandage-wrapped black cat leaped lightly from the sill. A rushing draft ruffled his fur as the ribbon atop his head fluttered in the breeze. Bai Zhou landed squarely on a windowsill on the building opposite. Dropping level by level, Bai Zhou soon reached the ground and stepped onto the bustling street. The vibrations of passing cars against the curb registered sharply through his paws. The black cat slipped into the pedestrian stream, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Darting adroitly through streets and alleys, freely exploring every corner, Bai Zhou gradually felt his stamina waning. His injuries were simply too severe, his constitution far too frail. ...Was he recovering too slowly? Only now did Bai Zhou abruptly register the problem. A full day had passed, so why had his injuries only improved by a sliver? His spirituality was regenerating at a snail's pace. It seemed linked to how he had overdrawn his spirituality while battling Van Gogh. After that initial depletion, he had barely restored half a unit of spirituality before burning it again to trigger Life Theft. His already fractured body was now like a parched riverbed crisscrossed with fissures. While it wouldn't lead to irreversible disaster, Bai Zhou made a rough calculation and discovered the reality. To restore himself to his peak from this state would take at least half a month. Setting aside Cursebound Colossus and Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash, he couldn't even tap into much Extraordinary power throughout his recovery. That wouldn't do! Bai Zhou couldn't afford to wait that long. Hunted across the world, he could not afford to lose his reliance as an Extraordinary. The Major would not rest; the man had endless means at his disposal. If Bai Zhou were discovered in this condition, he would be dead meat! Yet he had virtually no experience handling such an issue. If only Crow, that suspected veteran fugitive, were still beside him. She would certainly know a way to resolve this. After fretting for a moment, Bai Zhou shook his head. Worrying accomplished nothing. When one was covered in lice, one stopped itching. With so many problems piled before him, he suddenly felt free of worry altogether. He was already heavily wounded and his situation was a wreck; could it really get any worse? Worst-case scenario, he could crawl under a bridge and lay low in cat form for a while. Pretending to be an actual stray cat might even count as roleplaying an Extraordinary pathway in its own right. In short, he just needed to survive tonight. Tomorrow's Bai Zhou would surely be wise enough to solve the dilemma. Mustering his last ounces of strength and tricks, Bai Zhou scaled the residential building beside him. The agile black cat climbed straight up to the twentieth floor, gasping for breath upon reaching the top. Resting here, at least no one would disturb him. A moment later, the figure of a youth in a black trench coat materialized atop an outdoor air conditioning unit outside the twentieth floor. Hum, hum, hum— Bai Zhou rested with his legs bent. The AC unit beneath his rear buzzed like an old ox, vibrating until his backside felt slightly numb. His dark figure dissolved into the mysterious night, the hem of his loose trench coat flapping noisily in the midnight wind as if preparing to take flight. No one would look up to notice him at this hour, allowing Bai Zhou to gaze down freely upon the mortal realm. At eleven at night, the city of Tinghai was as bustling as ever. In the distance stood that familiar landmark: "Tinghai Welcomes You." Having been blocked from view in South City, the landmark came into sight once more, evoking a strange touch of warmth in his chest. Light and shadow intersected amid weaving traffic; golden streetlamps shone bright against the dizzying neon of towering skyscrapers. Pedestrians below were as tiny as ants. Behind the occasional lit windows scattered across the towers, figures could be seen dancing before monitors, absorbed in who knew what. Whoosh. A biting gust blew from the edges of the night, threatening to shake the stars from the heavens, ruffling the stray cowlick atop Bai Zhou's head. It was a little cold. Bai Zhou tightened his collar. Naturally, his thoughts wandered back to his nights in Wancheng. Though the moon and stars over Wancheng were vastly different from those here, the Bai Zhou of back then seemed no different from the Bai Zhou of now. His childhood had lacked flowers, ice cream, and little red ribbons awarded by parents. Yet it had the moon, the stars, and the soft evening breeze. Compared to anyone else, he lacked nothing. It was all the same. Whenever he couldn't sleep, Bai Zhou would haul out the reclining chair the old man next door had discarded and gifted him, lying outside his door to watch the moon. The moon was chewed to dust into stars, and loneliness hid amid the vast sea of starlight. If you broke apart the Chinese characters for loneliness, they painted scenes of children, fruit, beasts, and buzzing insects—enough to populate an alleyway on a midsummer evening, lively and thick with the warmth of humanity. Yet none of that had anything to do with Bai Zhou. Most of the time, Bai Zhou deliberately avoided the word "lonely," feeling it sounded melodramatic. And terribly embarrassing. Youths desperate to voice sorrow usually had none to bear; those preaching loneliness suffered from romantic pretension. Yet those who deliberately steered clear of such talk walked alone in genuine solitude. Still, Bai Zhou truly thought nothing of it. He was long accustomed to it, just as he hadn't hesitated to leave classmate Fang behind tonight without making a fuss. Even after stepping away from a cozy room, covered in scars and pursued to physical exhaustion, only to perch atop an AC unit on the twentieth floor taking the chill of the night wind... It was the path he had resolutely chosen. It was fine, truly. Just as he still believed he wasn't feeling wistful or isolated now. It was just that the wind up here was a bit cold, the AC unit beneath his rear was terribly loud, and the distant bustle sounded oddly quiet by the time it reached his ears, leaving a surreal impression. As the night wind grazed his cheeks and whipped the hem of his coat, the diminutive youth under the boundless canopy felt an undefinable emotion stir within his chest. Yet Bai Zhou knew it wasn't grief, much less loneliness. Looking up alone, gazing upon the moon in an unfamiliar land, he merely felt a touch adrift about his path ahead. So what? Who wasn't lost? Even the moon might be losing its way through the deep ocean of the sky. At the very least, he knew he was on the road of "adventure." Right now, he was living the thrilling life his past self had never dared imagine. Though spending the night on an AC unit after being hunted into a corner as an Extraordinary sounded pathetic, it was also rather dashing. What adventurer slept in luxury hotels every day instead of roughing it out in the wind and dew? Bai Zhou comforted himself in no time. He was simply that sort of person: resilient and blindly optimistic. Rather than a blazing sun, he felt his spirit resembled a star, shining year-round, hiding behind clouds only on occasion. It was quite nice. Whoosh— In late August, nobody could predict when a rainstorm might strike unannounced. Just like now. The sky had been clear moments ago, yet dark clouds suddenly surged forward. The stars dimmed, the cloud ceiling sank, and even the scent of the wind shifted, carrying the raw musk of earth and damp rain. The neon-lit city seemed oblivious to the brewing squall aloft, leaving only the lone figure seated atop the AC unit to face the billowing dark clouds. A storm was coming. Bai Zhou's expression stiffened. He realized he might need to find another place for the night. Yet in the next second, buffeted by the gale, a surge of heroic pride welled within him. Creak, screech. The sheet metal of the AC unit groaned. For reasons he couldn't explain, Bai Zhou slowly stood up atop the unit and spread his arms wide. He had done this often as a child. After finishing an adventure novel, he would brandish a wooden stick, step out the door, laugh maniacally at the gathering storm clouds, and swing a heroic slash like the protagonist. Even if that dashing coolness had existed solely in his imagination. Such silly behavior had vanished once he grew up. Until now. No one's watching anyway... With that thought in mind, Bai Zhou greeted the wind from atop the high-rise. His hair was tossed wildly by the drafts as the gale filled his open trench coat, snapping its fabric like outstretched wings. Beneath his feet flickered the myriad lights of the mortal realm; above gathered dark clouds pressing heavy against the city. Facing the oncoming tempest, Bai Zhou spread his arms wide, resembling a fledgling poised for flight. His mood instantly lifted. All exhaustion and worries seemed swept away by the wind. "Tsk." Suddenly, Bai Zhou thought with a hint of regret: It was a shame this scene lacked an audience. A split second later— A black ribbon flew out from Bai Zhou's chest, spiraling into the air caught in the wind. Flap, flap. The rustle of wings sounded right by his ear. A pitch-black crow burst from the ribbon, blinking its crimson eyes, staring curiously at Bai Zhou as he stood with arms wide, greeting the baptism of the storm. Then, a voice drifted down from above. "What are you doing, Bai Zhou?" It was a raspy voice, tinged with bewilderment. The cold yet familiar tone made Bai Zhou freeze. Looking up in disbelief, he saw a girl in a trench coat and sheer veil hovering in the air where chilly moonbeams converged, holding a blade, as expressionless as ever. The wind ruffled the hem of her clothes, its rhythmic snap imparting an inexplicable sense of security. It was— "Crow?!" Bai Zhou cried out in shock. Yet Crow merely tilted her head, her ruby eyes reflecting the image of Bai Zhou standing with arms spread wide. "Hmm. Are you imitating Jack?" Hovering midair like a divine phantom, the girl mused thoughtfully, "Then where is your Lucy—?" He had no idea what she was talking about. Bai Zhou was so mortified he wished he could leap straight off the twentieth floor, his face burning hot. What was one supposed to do when caught red-handed doing something foolish the moment they thought nobody was looking? "Crow, how did you wake up?" "Should I not be?" Crow's reply carried not a single ripple. "You make it sound like I wasn't supposed to wake up." "No, I mean, why did you have to come back right at this exact moment—" Bai Zhou waved his hands frantically, only digging himself into a deeper hole. "I see." Crow nodded with utter gravity, slowly drifting down until she hovered level with him. "So that's how it is. I was intruding." "That's not it either—" Bai Zhou waved his hands in denial, his agitation pulling on his wounds and sending him into a fit of coughing. "Very well." Crow looked over Bai Zhou's frail, battered form, her ruby eyes narrowing into a dangerous slant. "...It seems I arrived right on time." It was like a drowning person catching sight of a towering driftwood log floating downstream, or someone dying of thirst in a scorching desert hearing the gurgle of a clear spring. Bai Zhou's injuries successfully seized her attention. Frowning faintly, with an almost imperceptible hint of concern and bewilderment, she asked, "It has only been a single day... What did you do while I was gone?" "Trampled by a herd of elephants? Or did you take a dive into a cement mixer?" "You were in fine shape before. How did you end up such a complete mess?" She shook her head, closely assessing his injuries, astonished by his startling efficiency in wrecking himself within twenty-four hours. Though the peculiar sweet scent of milk lingering on him puzzled her for a heartbeat, she swiftly tossed the thought aside and spoke: "I believe..." "You might be in need of some help."