Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Catwoman

Xiao Youxuan felt her heart beating a little faster, her cheeks tinged with warmth. She knew she was acting a bit too excited, but she couldn't help it—she hadn't seen Bai Yujing for a long time.

The last time they met was in March of the year before last. She remembered clearly that on that day, after Bai Yujing borrowed the highest-level forbidden spell, he never set foot in the Central Spirit Library again.

Every time she sat at her desk, Xiao Youxuan would hope to see that familiar figure appear at the entrance, only to be disappointed again and again.

The passage of time had not lessened her longing, nor had it blurred his image in her memory.

Of course, she knew full well that nothing could ever happen between her and Bai Yujing.

When she joined the Central Spirit Library, she had already signed an agreement that she was not allowed to fall in love during her employment.

If she wanted to pursue romance, she would have to wait until retirement at forty. At that time, the state would arrange matchmaking for her; if she chose not to marry, the state would provide for her old age.

When she signed the contract, she never imagined she would meet such an extraordinary man.

She watched Bai Yujing grow stronger step by step, watched him appear punctually every morning at the Central Spirit Library.

His expression was always serious, as if he poured all of himself into cultivation.

To be honest, a man who devoted himself so completely to something made Xiao Youxuan think he was very handsome.

Having not seen him for such a long time, he now looked even more attractive, even carrying the calm bearing of a sect master.

In her spare moments at work, Xiao Youxuan would occasionally glance at Bai Yujing resting in the corner of the lounge area.

Bored, he would borrow a miscellaneous book to leaf through.

The Central Spirit Library allowed such books to be taken to the lounge, but anything involving scriptures or spells had to be read only in specialized reading sections and could not be taken out.

...

A little after four in the afternoon.

Dusk was approaching.

At this hour, Liu Shuangling silently prayed that no new orders would come in.

If an order was issued, it meant she would have to work overtime and would not be able to return to Qingyun Sect on time as the sun was setting.

Her prayers seemed to work.

By five o'clock, there were still no orders. Liu Shuangling acted quickly, logging off in an instant, not wanting to waste even a second.

With a single stride, she returned to the Qingyun Sect. The cityscape flashed past her in a blur.

As she caught sight of the sect's ornate archway, Liu Shuangling suddenly sensed a faint murderous intent prickling at her back. Twisting her ankle, she changed direction.

A soft breeze, her feathered robe billowed lightly in the alleyway. Liu Shuangling stepped into the shadows, where a voluptuous woman stood before her, clad in tight black clothing.

Her long, jet-black hair was coiled up, adorned with a pair of cat ears, and her face was hidden behind a peacock mask, revealing only a pair of slightly upturned eyes.

Tiny shimmering sequins decorated the corners of her eyes, adding to her mysterious allure.

Liu Shuangling guessed the reason for this encounter and asked, "Did he send you?"

"The employer said I should fulfill last night's agreement on his behalf," the catwoman replied with a smile. "I've been waiting for you here a long time."

Liu Shuangling glanced at the catwoman and said, "If I were you, I'd give up on this job."

"Heh." The catwoman chuckled softly, drawing the famed sword at her waist. She murmured, "Bankai: Shadow Devour."

A layer of ink-black liquid suddenly coated the sword, then quickly melted and streamed downward.

The dark liquid dropped into the catwoman's hand, then surged rapidly over her entire body, swallowing her whole.

In the next moment, her figure became a pool of ink, merging into the ground's shadows, then slithered like a snake, darting swiftly into the shadow beneath Liu Shuangling's feet.

"All you need to do is enter the sect and approach the sect master. Leave the rest to me," the catwoman said with utter confidence.

Her bankai ability was perfect for binding and assassination.

Hiding in a shadow, she released no spiritual pressure to the outside, making discovery impossible.

She could also leap between different shadows.

As long as Liu Shuangling approached the target, she could silently transfer into the target's shadow.

The rest would be simple.

An attack from the shadow, arriving without warning—no one could evade it.

After all, a shadow moved with its owner.

Liu Shuangling doubted whether this attack could break through the spiritual garment.

But she wasn't the one who would die.

If the catwoman wanted to try, so be it.

"The sect master isn’t in Qingyun Sect—he’s at the Central Spirit Library. I’ll lure him out later. If you’re capable, make sure it’s a fatal blow. He has a spiritual garment that activates defensive measures automatically."

"Don’t worry. Once someone is bound by my shadow, they can’t use any spiritual power—they’re no different from an ordinary person."

The catwoman’s voice dripped with irreverence.

Liu Shuangling said no more, performed a stride technique, and vanished like a phantom.

In the next instant, she appeared outside the grand entrance of the Central Spirit Library.

The entire building was majestic and imposing, its walls of snow-white spiritstone soaring over twenty meters high, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, exuding gravity and solemnity.

She glanced at the six captains guarding the entrance, then took out her phone and messaged Bai Yujing inside: "Sect master, I need to speak with you. Come to the back of the Central Spirit Library."

Putting away her phone, Liu Shuangling circled to the back in a single step.

Compared to the front, the rear was much quieter.

Bang—a muffled sound burst in the air as Bai Yujing landed on the ground. He asked, "What is it?"

The moment he spoke, a surge of black liquid gushed from the shadows, spreading like mercury, instantly binding Bai Yujing's limbs and neck.

Finally, the liquid gathered at the back of his neck, forming the upper body of the catwoman.

Her full lips curled as she caressed Bai Yujing's cheek, laughing, "What a handsome man~"

Bai Yujing glanced at the black liquid ensnaring him, then at Liu Shuangling. "Is this your hired help?"

"No," Liu Shuangling denied, as expected.

The catwoman seemed displeased, feeling ignored by the two.

She leaned in close to Bai Yujing’s ear and whispered, "At this moment, I’d rather see a look of fear on your face. That would make me interested enough to ravish you before killing you. But with this attitude, you’ve annoyed me. I’ll just kill you now."

A cruel smile twisted her lips. She manipulated the shadow, tightening it abruptly, trying to twist Bai Yujing’s body into a knot.

This was her usual method—first bind the enemy so they couldn’t move, then slowly tighten, squeezing the life out of them like a constricting snake.

The catwoman could feel the shadow contracting, again and again.

But—what?

A flicker of panic appeared in her eyes. No matter how hard she tightened the shadow, it felt as though nothing was happening to him at all.

Liu Shuangling said unhurriedly, "If you’d ravished him first, you might have lived a bit longer."