Chapter Twenty-Seven: Nangong, I will kill you!

Lucia’s body temperature was chillingly low. The ice created by Ito Momoko’s supernatural ability would typically vanish as her source energy dissipated. However, that bone-deep frost tended to linger on frozen objects or living beings, not so easily dispelled. At this moment, Bai Yujing’s hand, resting on her shoulder, felt searingly hot despite being a normal human temperature.

"Ah!" Lucia let out a sharp, startled cry.

The sudden influx of heat triggered a violent surge in the residual source energy within her source-quality circuits, temporarily dispelling the weakness in her limbs. She instinctively stepped back and stammered, "S-Saint, I am fine. There is no need for you to hold me."

As the words left her lips, she suddenly became aware of her current state. Her upper armor was shattered, leaving her in only her undergarments, with a large expanse of skin exposed to the air. A wave of intense shame instantly gripped her. Her hands moved instinctively to cover herself, but she stopped, fearing the gesture might seem disrespectful to the Saint, as if she were implying he was a lecher. Yet, to leave herself uncovered felt as though she were deliberately putting on a show.

As her thoughts spiraled into chaos, a wave of intense dizziness washed over her. Her vision blurred and warped, and the Saint’s figure began to spin and distort in her sight.

"Oh no..."

This feeling was no illusion. She finally realized the poisoned dagger used by Lars was taking its toll. Her body, now beyond her control, began to tip backward. Bai Yujing acted with lightning speed, grabbing her slender wrist to steady her falling frame.

"Nangong, heal her."

"Understood."

Nangong Lin responded, raising her left hand casually and tapping with a porcelain-white index finger. A vibrant, emerald-green light shot out, sinking precisely into Lucia’s waist. Wherever the light touched, the lingering frost and pain vanished entirely. Even the seeping blood was erased as if by an eraser, leaving not a trace behind. All that remained was her waist and abdomen, with their faintly visible, firm lines, as fair as freshly fallen winter snow.

The nauseating dizziness in Lucia’s mind dissipated, and her consciousness cleared in an instant. She stood firm, and Bai Yujing released her wrist at the perfect moment.

"Eh? The dizziness is gone..." She whispered in surprise, instinctively looking down. Her full breasts obscured her view, so she reached out to touch her previously wounded abdomen. It was smooth and flat, with no sensation of even a scar. She felt her back, which was equally unscathed.

"How marvelous!" she couldn't help but exclaim.

"You only suffered a minor injury," Nangong Lin said softly, as if she had merely brushed away a speck of dust.

Nangong Lin reached out toward the chaotic courtyard. A faint glimmer of light escaped from Ito Momoko’s severed head, and on the other side, a similar white radiance drifted up from Lars’s headless body. The two lights, like fireflies returning to their nest, quickly settled into Nangong Lin’s palm. The two corpses did not regenerate, which ruled out the possibility of them being Devils. As long as they were not Devils, Nangong Lin had no reason to worry about being contaminated by Devil seeds while reading their memories.

"What was that?" Lucia asked, watching the light dissipate in Nangong Lin’s palm, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Nangong Lin explained softly, "That was their memory."

A trace of admiration flickered in Lucia’s eyes. This woman from the Immortal Cultivation World possessed endless methods and seemed capable of anything—healing, divination, spatial teleportation... Yet, even with such omnipotence, she was still not a match for the Saint. To what realm had the Saint’s power reached? Lucia tried to imagine it, but her mind went blank, much like how an ordinary person cannot perceive what lies beyond death. She could not fathom the Saint’s limits, nor could she conjure an image of herself engaging him in battle. Perhaps only someone as ignorant and fearless as Ito Momoko would dare to challenge the Saint.

Seeing Lucia standing there in a daze, Bai Yujing asked, "Were they acting under someone's orders?"

"No," Nangong Lin replied, withdrawing her gaze. "The man was Lars, the second-in-command of the Second District’s Progressive Party. His attempt on your life was a desperate gamble after his political career hit a dead end. The other was Ito Momoko, leader of the Ito Gang, who controlled the drug trade. Her motive for wanting to kill you stemmed purely from a craving for battle."

"Later, compile the intelligence on the Ito Gang into a document and send it to the Commissioner of the National Police Agency. Have him coordinate with the Second District police to carry out a purge."

"Understood." Nangong Lin nodded slightly and flicked her right sleeve. The three of them vanished instantly from the ruined courtyard.

...

"Wait..." The words died in Lucia's throat.

Before her was her familiar bedroom. The walls were plastered with posters of her favorite game characters. To the west was the gaming area she had meticulously crafted, featuring an ultra-wide curved monitor, a comfortable ergonomic chair, top-tier keyboard and mouse, and surround-sound speakers. Not far away stood her soft, large bed, and to the east stood a massive wardrobe.

"I never would have guessed Nangong could be so thoughtful," Lucia muttered to herself. She had just been about to shout, "Don't send me to the Kunlun Academy yet," but it seemed Nangong Lin had already read her mind and returned her straight to her bedroom.

"I should thank her later..." Lucia murmured. With a slight shift in her intent, the remaining vermilion armor on her lower body dissipated like smoke. As for the halberd left behind in the courtyard? There was no need to retrieve it; once she released her source energy, it would naturally vanish.

She walked to the wardrobe, opened it, and paused. Since she was home, she might as well take a bath. Humming a tune, she slipped off her trousers and walked barefoot into the bathroom.

Cold water cascaded down from head to toe. She applied a fresh-scented body wash, the delicate foam covering her skin, which looked as if it were carved from white jade. The reflection in the mirror showed a figure with fiery curves, smooth and flawless, without a single dark blemish. She raised her right arm, carefully scrubbing her underarm with a towel.

At that very instant, the scene before her warped and shifted without warning.

*Drip.*

A drop of water from the towel landed on the marble floor of the Imperial Study.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Bai Yujing looked at the stark-naked Lucia with an expression of utter astonishment. Lucia froze completely, her mind blank. Nangong Lin stood to the side, a rare trace of surprise flickering across her usually indifferent face. She had calculated the time it would take for Lucia to change, but had not anticipated that the Commander of the Imperial Guard would decide to take a bath.

"Lucia." Nangong Lin’s voice broke the dead silence, so soft that no emotion could be discerned. "Do not take baths during work hours in the future."

"Eek!" Lucia finally found her voice and let out a short, sharp scream.

However, before she could utter a single word of protest, Nangong Lin, finding her noisy, waved her hand casually once more. The sensation of cold water splashing back onto her skin made her jump. Lucia stood there, stunned, and a few seconds later, a surge of shame and frustration rushed to her head, causing her to tremble all over. She gritted her teeth and growled through clenched jaws, "Nangong... I am going to kill you!"