Just as Raven's internal complaining session was in full swing, the Black Curtain Puppet called her name: "Raven."
"Present."
Raven responded reflexively and sat up straighter.
"You and Xing will form a temporary action squad."
The Black Curtain Puppet's command was clearly issued: "The target is an 'individual' secretly hidden deep within Schicksal Headquarters."
A holographic projection unfolded on the desktop, displaying an encrypted file and a clear photograph.
The girl in the photo was young and beautiful, possessing a unique temperament that blended classical and modern elements.
"Her name is Li Sushang."
The Black Curtain Puppet's voice was cold. "Your mission is to 'invite' her back. Her specific appearance and known intelligence have been sent to your terminals. This operation is both a counterattack against Schicksal and a retrieval of a potential key for the World Serpent. It must be secretive and efficient."
(Li... Li Sushang?!)
Raven was truly stunned this time, her eyes widening slightly.
(Which Li Sushang? When did the original story require us to 'invite' her back? Butterfly Effect?)
(Which obscure corner did this plotline split off from? Did I really transmigrate into the Honkai Impact 3rd I know? Or has the worldline unknowingly become a fusion monster?! This is driving me crazy!)
The information overload was too much; Raven felt like her CPU was genuinely about to burn out.
Gray Serpent later spoke about operational details and rendezvous arrangements, but she barely heard a word, her mind consumed by a chaotic storm of "Why is Xing here," "What's going on with Li Sushang," and "Has the world been crazy all along and I'm just finding out."
Until the Black Curtain Puppet seemed to conclude, its electronic eyes scanned the group again: "...Are there any other questions?"
The conference room was silent.
Jackal had already let out a huge yawn, clearly uninterested in low-tech work like "field kidnapping."
The Black Curtain Puppet's gaze fell upon Raven, who was clearly spaced out: "Raven? You seem... distracted."
Raven snapped to attention, instantly switching back to professional mode, a flawless smile on her face: "Ah? No, no! The mission is clear, the target is defined! I was just contemplating the optimal infiltration route and extraction plan, after all, Schicksal Headquarters is no playground."
She paused, glancing at Xing beside her, "And also... figuring out how to quickly synchronize with my new partner."
The Black Curtain Puppet seemed to accept the explanation, and the light from its electronic eyes slightly dimmed: "Very well. The mission starts immediately. Meeting adjourned."
Jackal immediately stood up and walked toward the door without hesitation, her lazy voice drifting back: "This kind of errand work is truly boring. Good luck, don't get caught, or I'll have to come bail you out."
Only Raven and Jack, who remained quietly standing in place, were left in the conference room.
Raven took a deep breath, slowly turned her head, and cast her gaze back toward this new colleague who had "crossed universes to arrive."
Jack happened to look over as well, and Raven's complicated, indescribable face was clearly reflected in those golden eyes that lacked highlights.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds.
Raven opened her mouth, a thousand words stuck in her throat, finally condensing into a dry phrase:
"...Pleasure working with you?"
Xing looked at her, nodded, and responded flatly, "Pleasure."
Raven: "..."
The night was deep as ink, and all was silent.
In the second-floor corridor, the sensor lights had long since gone out, leaving only the sparse starlight from outside the window casting mottled, blurry shadows on the floor.
A door was silently pushed open.
Jingliu's figure appeared in the doorway, like a condensation of the night.
She stepped barefoot onto the cold floor, toe-tapping lightly, as weightless as a feather.
A black nightgown draped to her ankles, silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her face, which was always covered by an eye mask, was still tied with that black silk—for her, sight never required physical eyes.
Her goal was clear; she walked straight toward the bed.
Two people were lying on the bed.
The one closer to the outside was Bai Heng, her back to the door, wrapped in the quilt, breathing steadily and deeply, seemingly in a deep sleep.
The one closer to the inside was Bailu. The little Dragon Girl was a restless sleeper, one arm draped outside, and the tip of her Tail occasionally wiggled unconsciously.
Jingliu's gaze fell upon the face of "Bai Heng."
No, to be precise, it fell upon the location of her eyes—which were currently covered by a pure black, soft cloth eye mask, completely concealing the upper half of her face.
The corner of Jingliu's mouth twitched in the unseen shadow.
(Wearing it... even while sleeping?)
The strange round glasses during the day, replaced by this eye mask at night.
Layer upon layer of protection, deliberate concealment.
Is it a habit? Is it some necessity?
Or... does she simply not want her to see?
The outline of the suspicion in her heart became clearer and more searing in the dead of night.
Hundreds of years, the smiling face of her departed old friend... all the fragments pointed toward this woman before her, who breathed steadily and claimed to be a traveling merchant.
(Let me... confirm it.)
Jingliu's hand slowly lifted.
Her fingers were long and slender, joints distinct, appearing exceptionally pale in the faint light.
Her movement was extremely slow, extremely steady, carrying the focus of a swordsman clearing all distractions before drawing a sword, as she reached toward the black eye mask on Bai Heng's face.
Her fingertip was only millimeters away from the black silk cloth.
At this very instant—
The person on the bed disappeared.
Like the reflection of the moon in the water or a shadow bubble, *shua*, the indentation in the bedding was instantly smoothed out, as if no one had ever lain there.
Jingliu's reaching hand froze in mid-air.
Simultaneously, an energy fluctuation surged behind her, a cold and sharp sensation lightly pressing against the center of her back.
A voice, lowered yet perfectly clear and carrying obvious vigilance, came from behind her:
"Don't move."
Jingliu slowly straightened her body, withdrew her suspended hand, and turned around.
"Bai Heng" stood a few steps away from her, holding a condensed bow, the string fully drawn, an energy arrow aimed directly at her heart.
The young woman was only wearing a thin nightgown, standing barefoot on the floor, her white long hair slightly messy, and her face... still wearing that black eye mask.
The two faced each other in the dim room.
The expression on "Bai Heng's" face was quite something: first confusion, looking at Jingliu, then at the empty bed where she had just been lying, and then at Jingliu's gesture that hadn't been fully withdrawn... (A night raid? The dignified Sword Master snuck into my room in the middle of the night just to... take off my eye mask?)
This realization made Baiheng feel a sense of absurdity, but more so a chilling sense of dread.
The sense of crisis in that instant was real. If she hadn't integrated Belobog's "agility" trait, maintaining high vigilance even in sleep, she might have... A trace of surprise also flashed through Jingliu's heart.
So fast.
She didn't even capture a clear fluctuation; the person seemed to have simply vanished right in front of her.
This was certainly not an ability a common Xianzhou traveling merchant should possess.
But Jingliu was Jingliu, after all.
She had lived long enough and experienced enough awkward situations.
She remained expressionless—though her expression was hard to see anyway—and lowered her hand, her posture still straight, her tone calm as if she wasn't the one who had just attempted a sneak attack:
"I'm thirsty. I didn't know where the water utensils were, so I came to ask."
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