HP - Chapter 32

Kingdom of Gods 10

Rainwater pattered as it poured into her collar, the chill slowly spreading downward.

The entire urban area, outlined by the curtain of rain, seemed shrouded in gloom.

If one looked carefully, they’d be startled to realize the turbidity of the rainwater was visible even to the naked eye. That was why the colors of the city in the downpour appeared so dark.

In the deep alley, You Shaofei instinctively took a step back.

His eyes were filled with apprehension toward Zhong Xu.

Zhong Xu flicked her dripping hair and smiled at him. “How could that be? Don’t talk nonsense.”

“…” He didn’t believe it at all.

There was unmistakable killing intent in her eyes.

But he didn’t dare make a move.

The only Sinner hidden among the gods—he still remembered what he had heard on the first day.

Who knew what kind of power a Sinner possessed?

In any case, once he realized the woman before him might not share their identity, panic surged through him.

He swallowed hard and turned to run.

“Shaofei! Brother Shaofei!” The middle-aged man saw him bolt and didn’t dare stay either. He hurried after him, rushing out as well.

Zhong Xu watched coldly without moving.

How could she possibly outrun You Shaofei, who held the Chariot card and possessed both speed and strength?

And even if she could outrun him, she couldn’t defeat him.

But the situation was dire.

It seemed she had to leave the city district.

You Shaofei and Old Zhao burst out of the alley, brushing past a young man holding a black umbrella.

Ji Zhou’s steps paused slightly. He frowned, turned, and swept a glance behind him.

A flame flickered to life at his fingertip, pointing toward the depths of the alley. Seeing that, he quickened his pace.

“Ah Xu!”

Zhong Xu looked in surprise at the person running toward her. The black umbrella swung over her head, completely shielding her from the murky rain.

Ji Zhou stood in the curtain of rain, quickly becoming drenched.

“Why are you here?” Zhong Xu said calmly. “I’m already wet. You should use the umbrella yourself.”

Ji Zhou remained unmoved. “You were staying at that tavern for a while before. Today I noticed you walking around outside the whole time. I wondered if maybe… you didn’t have a place to stay.”

“I’m fine.”

Zhong Xu’s gaze dropped to the card by his feet.

Ji Zhou instinctively looked down as well, then bent to pick it up. When he noticed the blank card, his expression changed. “Why…?”

The image of the two people he had just brushed past surfaced in his mind.

He seemed to remember them.

Those two…

“Was this the work of the Tarot Path?” Ji Zhou asked, holding the blank card. His face was dark, his eyes cold—an expression he rarely showed.

He had misunderstood…

It never occurred to him that Zhong Xu’s card had been blank from the beginning. He assumed it was the result of the Tarot Path’s plundering.

Zhong Xu lowered her eyes slowly.

She nodded, then said, “I’m going to kill them.”

"Okay."

What surprised her even more was that Ji Zhou agreed without the slightest hesitation.

This person should absolutely detest killing.

Zhong Xu wanted to say that even if he helped her kill them, she still wouldn’t become his teammate.

But she didn’t say it.

Just as she had lied earlier, she would carry that lie through to the end—at least until she eliminated her enemies.

“We go now,” Zhong Xu said.

Her eyes were ice-cold, filled with unmistakable killing intent. No wonder You Shaofei had turned tail and run earlier.

You Shaofei was a bomb on the verge of exploding. Before he could spread the news that she was a “Sinner,” she had to silence him.

Ji Zhou had recognized them.

Before the organization known as the “Tarot Path” had officially formed, You Shaofei had already been wandering the urban district like a thug.

Thinking back, he was probably searching for prey, trying to plunder even then.

But even thugs have a hideout.

“They usually gather in an abandoned tower,” Ji Zhou explained, saying he often saw them when passing by. “That tower was a failed creation produced by the ‘Magician’ card when the district was first built.”

Seeing Zhong Xu remain silent, her expression severe, he tried to comfort her. “Don’t worry. Even if he has many companions, I won’t let any of them go.”

After stepping off the maglev train, the abandoned tower was visible from afar.

In the steady, gloomy rain, the crooked, irregular building resembled a monster.

As they walked, the number of people around them dwindled.

No one wanted to be touched by this murky, slightly foul-smelling rain.

Ji Zhou walked at her side, always tilting the umbrella deliberately toward Zhong Xu.

“Cover yourself properly,” she said. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Even if you still don’t want to be my teammate, we’re at least friends, right?” Ji Zhou flashed a bright smile, trying to ease the chill in the air. “Between friends, why be so polite?”

Zhong Xu pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Inside the abandoned tower, You Shaofei had sprinted back as fast as he could, panting heavily.

He had been so panicked he even forgot to take the train. The run nearly killed him.

He stripped off his wet outer layer and wrung out the rainwater. Then he lifted his wrist, and a holographic projection sprang from his watch. He sent a message to the group chat, urging his companions to come to the tower.

On rainy days, no one liked going out. The Tarot Path members were no exception.

The entire tower base was empty except for him. Had he not been ordered out earlier by that oddly behaving member to capture someone, he wouldn’t have left at all.

But today’s discovery… was major.

He couldn’t wait to report it to his superiors. Surely he’d be heavily rewarded for this.

As they approached the abandoned tower, Ji Zhou said, “When we get inside, have You Shaofei return the card he stole from you. First, so he won’t destroy it in desperation. And second, I heard from Xiao Huan that if the cardholder dies, the card disappears with them. Since he stole your card, he counts as the cardholder now.”

Zhong Xu nodded, saying she understood, but the killing intent within her hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

At the entrance, she noticed several glass liquor bottles scattered on the ground. She picked one up, smashed it, and gripped a shard in her hand.

Ji Zhou simply watched.

To him, she looked like… a wolf poised to strike.

If it sank its teeth in once, it would tear its prey apart.

“No need for words. Attack directly.”

Hearing Zhong Xu's voice, Ji Zhou nodded and directly sent a mass of flame shooting out like a dancing dragon towards You Shaofei.

You Shaofei was still happily drinking water when, unexpectedly, the fire dragon wrapped around him.

Caught off guard, he was scorched and howled in pain. While frantically dodging, he stared in shock at Zhong Xu, who stood there quietly.

A chill ran through him—she had actually caught up!

Wait, how did she have an accomplice?

Ji Zhou’s abilities had indeed improved greatly; his control over the card was extremely precise. Even though You Shaofei was incredibly fast, he was completely unable to escape the flames tightly coiling around him.

You Shaofei was already wounded in multiple places, bleeding as he darted wildly around the room.

Seeing it was about enough, Ji Zhou turned his head toward Zhong Xu and said, “Should we make him hand over the card now?”

“Stop the flames.”

Clutching the broken bottle, Zhong Xu walked toward You Shaofei.

Ji Zhou complied and stopped.

You Shaofei collapsed to the ground, his gaze unfocused, gasping for breath.

Zhong Xu looked down at him from above. He forced himself to try to get up. “What do you want?”

He then looked at Ji Zhou in fear. “You’re together? Do you even know, she—”

Pshhk—

The shattered, jagged glass plunged into his neck.

His eyes widened, filled entirely with terror.

Only then did he finally realize that she had come to silence him.

Ji Zhou was also left at a complete loss by this sudden turn of events.

“Ah Xu…”

She hadn’t taken the card back. She had taken his life.

And at that moment, a staggering footstep echoed nearby.

Zhong Xu turned her head coldly toward the sound—it was the middle-aged man known as Old Zhao.

Old Zhao hadn’t expected to walk straight into this scene the moment he returned.

He had been so terrified that his mind went blank, only knowing to follow You Shaofei and run. It wasn’t until they had run far that he realized—

 You Shaofei had the power of a card. How could he possibly outrun him?

By the time he turned back and took the train to return, he walked right into—

That blood-splattered face turning toward him, even curving into a delighted smile—

A smile that unmistakably said:

 “Good thing you came. Saves me the trouble of looking for you.”

Regret flooded him. He swallowed dryly and tried to run on weakened legs.

But he was still a step too late.

Both people who knew she had a blank card happened to be here—she had to strike first.

She rushed forward like the wind. Old Zhao felt a sharp sting at his neck, and then he slowly collapsed.

“Why… why kill me?” Old Zhao’s consciousness blurred. “Didn’t I already apologize…”

It was over.

Only the warm blood on her face reminded her this was no dream.

There was still Liang Qing, but he was clearly already insane.

For the moment, she was safe.

The killing intent in Zhong Xu’s eyes slowly faded, leaving only exhaustion.

She sat down casually on the floor and wiped the blood from her face.

Ji Zhou silently pulled a few tissues from the table, walked over, and held them out to her.

He probably had many questions, but he didn’t ask them right away.

Zhong Xu lifted her face and gave him a small smile. “Now you understand—we can’t be teammates.”

He was silent for a moment before saying, “You didn’t make me kill anyone. Because you know I don’t like it.”

“…”

Zhong Xu said coolly, “I only enjoy the thrill of killing my enemies with my own hands.”

Ji Zhou let out a bitter smile. “The walls around your heart are built far too tightly and firmly.”

“I lied,” she added immediately. Her gaze was steady, meeting his eyes without the slightest hint of avoidance. “They didn’t take my card, but they knew too much.”

“Are you telling me this now because I’m also going to die by your hand?”

“I do kind of want to,” she said, glancing at the broken glass in her hand. “Sadly, in this world, I can’t beat you.”

“You really are straightforward.”

Ji Zhou smiled, then suddenly reached out. Before Zhong Xu could pull back, her hand was already firmly clasped in his.

A flame burst to life.

Zhong Xu’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ji Zhou continued, “Actually, I think it’s me who can’t defeat you.”

“You might not even realize it yourself, but you have a stubborn ferocity—an unwillingness to ever admit defeat. If we really fought, even if you were down to your last breath, you would crawl back up, and then you’d make me wish I were dead.”

“But I’m not the same. I treasure my life too much. I’d probably beg you first not to kill me.”

The flame slowly faded. In the lingering heat, the cuts on Zhong Xu’s palm from the glass shards had already scabbed over.

“So…” He curled his lips slightly, speaking with genuine sincerity. “I’m begging you, Ah Xu—don’t kill me.”

Sevyn here ~~~

Enjoy!

Busy season is here again, so chapters may come out inconsistently, but I'll try my best to have something released.