You Hurt Me

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Chihong asked.

Looking at her from up close, the girl's figure was truly exceptional. The lines of her legs beneath the hem of her skirt were smooth and elegant, and her graceful, snowy-white neck was revealed by the neckline of the dress. Accentuated by a necklace, her collarbones were well-defined. The vivid red dress was as flamboyant as the feathers of a flamingo, a bold declaration of the girl's personality.

However, no one present would be fooled by the girl's deceptive appearance. Everyone knew that this flamboyant girl was a grade 5 standard-bearer, part of the top-tier combat force the Association showed to the world—an absolute ultimate human weapon.

If she so desired, never mind this small dance hall, the entire cruise ship would be overturned into the depths of the ocean in an instant.

Whether in terms of strength or status, the girl stood above everyone present; for those scions of noble families, she was an existence far beyond their reach.

"By the way, I haven't seen you in the family before. Do you know me?" Chihong asked.

"Of course, Miss Red."

"Do you truly know me, or have you just heard rumors about me from the mouths of those family playboys?"

"Or perhaps, you have no concept of what a grade 5 standard-bearer designated by the Association represents, and thus you so casually walked within a few meters of me?"

As she said this, there was little superiority in Chihong's tone; it was so flat she was simply stating facts.

She observed Xu Xiaoyou, who stood as steady as a cedar tree, then looked at the blonde girl's white glove gripping the stem of the crystal glass. It was clearly trembling slightly. From the way the liquid in the glass constantly rippled, it was obvious the other party was enduring immense pressure, exercising extreme restraint just to keep the wine from splashing out and soaking her.

"Step back a little. This is a friendly reminder."

Xu Xiaoyou nodded and took a step back. The pressure on her body suddenly lightened a bit, while her heart fluttered slightly. It wasn't the powerful aura radiating from the girl that made her feel pressured, but an indescribable "gaze."

For a brief moment just now, she felt as if countless cracks had split open around the girl, with bleeding eyes peering out from within to watch her.

That was a "gaze" from the mysterious domain. The Association's standard for determining if a fixer reached grade 5 was whether they could contact the mysterious domain through their soul and build an awareness bridge with their spirit sea to convert soul wisps from that domain into their own mental power.

Ninety-nine percent of humans, sub-humans, and hetero-races would inevitably fall into madness upon contacting the mysterious domain. Even a mere glimpse of a corner or a single soul wisp would sprout as rapidly as a plague after dropping into the spirit sea, until it polluted and twisted the entire spirit sea.

Xu Xiaoyou recalled her encounter with the Heart of Desire. Those red substances floating around her were soul wisps—

The most basic energy that constituted the "mystery" domain. It was during that time that she had come into contact with the mysterious domain.

Like those who fell into madness, her entire spirit sea was in a state of contamination. However, for some unknown reason, she hadn't lost her sanity; or rather, she wasn't driven by basic desires and appeared no different from an ordinary person on the surface.

But the girl before her was in a very different situation. Xu Xiaoyou had come into contact with the mysterious domain passively, whereas the other party was actively exploring it. Her spirit sea was in a long-term, stable state of semi-contamination, which was why she involuntarily emitted that sense of being "gazed" upon.

"So, what did you come to find me for?" Chihong asked with considerable interest.

"A world-class urban legend," Xu Xiaoyou said these five words calmly.

"She is on this ship right now, isn't she?"

Chihong's body jolted. Her previously peaceful eyes instantly turned solemn as sharp killing intent shot out, piercing through Xu Xiaoyou.

In the next instant, before Xu Xiaoyou could react, Chihong's figure lunged forward. She pressed her shoulder down, pinning Xu Xiaoyou's raised hand against the wall. Her elbow pressed forward, held horizontally against Xu Xiaoyou's fragile neck, while her knee rose to press against her abdomen.

Chihong restricted all of Xu Xiaoyou's movements, pressing her entire body forward to pin her in the shadows of the overhead walkway. Below, people were still singing and laughing; no one noticed the commotion here. In contrast, Xu Xiaoyou's hand was immobilized against the wall, her slender white wrist pressed into a purple bruise. Red wine spilled from the glass, soaking her expensive flat-collar evening suit, the pure white lapel rapidly darkening in color.

Yet, no panic could be seen on her face. Her breathing was steady, though golden strands of hair were messy against her cheek:

"So, I guessed right."

Realizing she had fallen for the other's trap, Chihong's eyes changed several times. She did not release the girl she was pinning. Her light red pupils turned into vertical slits, and a cold killing intent permeated her words.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

Xu Xiaoyou did not answer Chihong's question, only frowning slightly: "You hurt me."

Chihong froze, not expecting that answer. She subconsciously released the arm held against Xu Xiaoyou's neck and took several steps back, maintaining her guard.

"Was such a big reaction necessary?" Xu Xiaoyou coughed lightly. "I only heard some whispers from the Withered-Flower family's side, so I wanted to ask tentatively."

"It's actually true..." Xu Xiaoyou's eyes dimmed slightly as she tidied her messy clothes.

"Anyone would be worried with a world-class urban legend running around the Star of Art, wouldn't they?"

"Every time something like this happens, the Association hides it from ordinary people. Such a terrifying urban legend is on the ship right now, yet as passengers, we know nothing. Do we not even have the right to choose how we die?"

"A cruise ship that could sink into the ocean at any time... it's too unfair."

Chihong knew she had misunderstood the girl before her, and at the same time, she was secretly annoyed. Should she say she was too tense, or too lax?

To think she had been tricked into speaking so easily.

"You—"

Xu Xiaoyou spoke first: "Don't worry, I'm the only one who will know about this. I swear upon the stars that I won't tell them."

Even though the person before her was just an ordinary individual, Chihong felt like she was being played like a fool. This made her extremely frustrated, yet it was difficult to show it openly. Finally, she let out a cold snort and turned to walk down the walkway in a foul mood.

Xu Xiaoyou watched her disappear into the dance hall, rubbing her bruised wrist.

As expected of a grade 5 standard-bearer. Besides testing her question, she had also wanted to see just how large the gap was between herself and the other party. The result was beyond doubt: it was so large she couldn't even accurately judge it, like an impassable chasm.

The other's neural reaction speed was at least several times her own—so fast that before Xu Xiaoyou's thoughts could be transmitted through her nerves to her body, the other had already predicted her next move and reacted instantly. Pressing the shoulder, raising the elbow, lifting the knee; she had revealed killing moves from three different angles simultaneously.

If Chihong had wanted to just now, Xu Xiaoyou would have died three times.

She had ruined this grade 5 standard-bearer's impression of her during their first meeting, but she had also verified her suspicion.

Anya hadn't left the Star of Art. She was currently on this cruise ship, and she had awakened.