I didn’t dare say a word.

The plaza incident was temporarily settled. With cleanup handled by others, we were free to go. An Li drove me straight back.

Back in our little “love nest,” An Li stood by the window, barely moving.

She gazed at the sky outside, lost in thought, wrapped in silence.

Unable to bear the tension, I asked softly, “Is it… tricky?”

“Mm.”

To my surprise, An Li answered readily, “Very tricky. It can run.”

I scratched my head. “Can’t catch it?”

“Can’t keep it,” An Li replied ambiguously. “If it can run, it can kill right before my eyes. Winning means nothing if I can’t hold it.”

She stepped away from the window and sat beside me. “Miscalculation. This evil spirit carries demonic power. The intel team? All idiots—just eating their fill without lifting a finger.”

Remembering the files, I quietly defended them. “They’re already eating food offerings. Cut them some slack.”

Dead people can’t enjoy real meals—only waiting for family offerings, yet still getting scolded by An Li. How pitiful.

“They died because they were stupid,” An Li snapped, furious.

The reports never mentioned how slippery it’d be. Her move now seemed reckless—she’d assumed a direct clash would end it.

But the spirit escaped, leaving behind crowds with direct or indirect contact. No way to predict its next strike—even if she knew, it could kill and vanish before she arrived.

Her intervention hadn’t solved anything. It risked making things worse.

“Don’t worry,” I mustered courage and nudged her arm. “I’ll help you.”

I, Luo Xiaoxiao, have combat strength too! Bloodstrike Assault—damn, it sounds powerful. And there’s probably a whole skill tree waiting.

Once I master this power, integrate the blood arts fully… I’ll be a real asset.

“You? Forget it. You barely handled one hand,” An Li said disdainfully. “Want to help? I’d be grateful if you just didn’t make things worse.”

She’d heard my “heroic victory” over that terrifying figure in a costume—but it was just one weak limb of the spirit. Afterward, I was drained, scrambling back to the car. And now I dared talk about helping?

An Li turned to crush the little girl’s swelling arrogance—only to find her already asleep.

Curled peacefully on An Li’s pale, slender thighs.

Bloodstrike Assault drained Luo Xiaoxiao completely. Staying conscious this long had taken everything she had.

An Li carried her to bed, left a note—“Don’t wander off”—and slipped out of the inn.

She wasn’t unfamiliar with demonic-tainted spirits. They weren’t invincible. Learn the rules, and their power could be broken.

It just required more combat data.

...

A strange girl arrived at the inn—young, vibrant, stunningly curvaceous.

Her summer outfit—a simple short-sleeved top—wasn’t revealing, yet to onlookers, she radiated quiet allure.

When the front desk girl saw her, a thought surfaced unbidden: *Someone this beautiful must be expensive.*

Strange. It just appeared.

She frowned, puzzled. Sure, her mind often wandered to suggestive places—but this time? Truly not her fault.

“Excuse me,” the girl asked sweetly, face angelic, “Which room is Luo Xiaoxiao in?”

Sharing guest info was against policy. Yet under the girl’s enchanting tone, she answered dazedly, “Right here. This room.”

She even handed over the spare key card.

Lily smiled, turned, and climbed the stairs. Long after she vanished, the front desk girl remained frozen in a haze.

*Ah… that girl. If she were into… well, you know… she’d cost a fortune.*

At the door, Lily pressed her heart-shaped tail against the wood and took a deep breath.

“The gorgeous woman really left? So careless—leaving the little girl alone. Doesn’t she worry about kidnappers?”

Lucky she left. Otherwise, Lily would never have gotten this chance.

*Swipe.* The door opened.