It was her?
Yue Shi stared in surprise at the familiar figure.
The person who had snatched the Queen Bee core turned around with a smug look, locking eyes with Yue Shi from a distance.
It was Bai Qingyu!
She was wearing oversized black men’s sportswear, her hair hanging loose. Her overall image was completely different from before; beyond being taller, her expression showed an even more striking transformation.
As a follower of the “Holy Mother,” even if she wasn't one in the truest sense, Bai Qingyu had always worn a kind smile in the past.
But now, her expression was as treacherous as could be, and she made no attempt to hide her malice toward Yue Shi.
Furthermore, she had become even more beautiful.
Bai Qingyu curled her lips into a smirk and flipped Yue Shi off, her provocation blatant.
Yue Shi didn't get angry; he simply pulled out his gun.
With a loud bang, an enchanted bullet flew straight toward Bai Qingyu, but she dodged it nimbly.
Yue Shi set Bai Wanyang aside and gave chase.
The Bee Women, who had been fighting each other frantically for the throne just moments ago, were now mysteriously united, stepping forward one after another to block Yue Shi's path.
Yue Shi found this quite perplexing, but it didn't stop him from slaughtering them as he went.
Seeing Yue Shi getting closer and closer, Bai Qingyu showed no sign of fear. While the hatred in her eyes burned brightly, her body honestly retreated, step by step.
No matter how much she wanted her revenge, she didn't dare let Yue Shi get near her, or the consequences would surely be dire.
By the time Yue Shi had cut down four Bee Women, Bai Qingyu had already vanished from sight.
The rain was beginning to subside, but the mist was growing thicker.
Moreover, the music echoing around the ruins of the Hive suddenly grew louder, reaching a deafening volume.
Protected by his Demon Feather Barrier, Yue Shi wasn't sure what effects the music might have. He could only be certain that the melody was far from ordinary, yet he couldn't even pinpoint the source of the sound.
Several Bee Women continued to surround him, watching him like hawks. Gradually, he began to show signs of exhaustion, shifting from offense to defense as his condition visibly deteriorated.
Naturally, he was doing it on purpose, feigning a faltering state to see if he could bait Bai Qingyu out.
If Bai Qingyu hated him enough, she wouldn't let such a good opportunity go to waste.
To better lure his target, Yue Shi even performed a fake stumble. His breathing became heavy and ragged as he suddenly lurched forward, dropping to one knee. He propped himself up with his short sword, looking as though he found it exceptionally difficult to even support his own weight.
Several Bee Women hissed and lunged at his exposed back.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure stepping quickly out of the thick mist.
It worked!
The dark figure was indeed Bai Qingyu returning. Standing behind the swarm of Bee Women, her face no longer held that nauseating smile of compassion. All that remained was naked, twisted malice.
“Can’t hold on anymore?” Bai Qingyu’s voice was sharp and piercing, dripping with deep-seated venom. “My, how the tables have turned. Have you considered what your end will be?”
Yue Shi struggled to avoid a Bee Woman’s claws. His blade swept across her neck, releasing a spray of blood, but his movements were noticeably sluggish.
He panted, his voice carrying a faint, imperceptible rhythm. “You’ve changed quite a bit. What happened? Did something good come your way to make you abandon your faith in the ‘Holy Mother’?”
Bai Qingyu was relishing the pleasure of revenge, and under the subtle influence of Yue Shi’s voice, she couldn't help but laugh shrilly. Her voice rang out clearly through the heavy fog. She took a step forward, and the Bee Women intensified their assault following her movement.
“The person I am now is the real me! That stupid version of me from before was all due to the Holy Mother’s contamination! Actually, I should thank you. If you hadn't thrown me into the Bureau’s prison, how would I have met Zhu Qunqing? He helped me escape and come to this godforsaken place, where I ended up contaminated by the Bee Women.”
Her speech grew faster, fueled by a venting-like fervor. “Didn't expect that, did you? The contamination of the ‘Holy Mother’ and the ‘Bee Women’ are counterbalancing each other inside me, reaching a strange state of equilibrium. Not only am I free, but I’ve gained the power of both sides! Yue Shi, this is all thanks to you!”
“I see.” Yue Shi sidestepped an attack and sliced off another Bee Woman’s arm in the process. His voice was low, sounding as if he had just realized something. “Then what’s the deal with your limbs?”
Believing herself to be a child of destiny, Bai Qingyu tilted her chin up and said proudly, “There’s a Dr. Luo in Peace Alley. He’s a transcendent who can—”
Mid-sentence, her voice cut off. The smug expression on her face froze instantly, turning into suspicion and rage. “You’re baiting me for information?!”
“Congratulations, you guessed right.” The fatigue and sluggishness Yue Shi had been faking vanished instantly. He stood up straight, radiating a cold, sharp aura. “Unfortunately, you realized it too late.”
The Demon Feather Barrier expanded, violently repelling the Bee Women who were lunging at him. With a flick of his short sword, the Bee Woman he had just slashed was instantly severed in two. Simultaneously, countless pitch-black ravens erupted from the shadows, their talons accurately striking the eyes and throats of the remaining Bee Women.
Bai Qingyu’s face changed drastically. Without time to think, she instinctively ordered the Bee Women to protect her while a layer of holy white light surged from her body. The Holy Mother’s mental contamination radiated outward indiscriminately, and her expression shifted accordingly, becoming much more benevolent.
“Damn it, what went wrong!” Bai Qingyu could clearly feel her personality being twisted by the “Holy Mother.” The Holy Mother’s mental contamination was far stronger than that of the Bee Women. Using the Holy Mother’s power would break the internal balance, and the Queen Bee core she had just swallowed failed to provide a new, effective counterbalance.
That Queen Bee core seemed to be hollow, granting her the status of a queen without the actual strength to back it up.
In a flash, Yue Shi had already cut down all the Bee Women standing in his way.
Bai Qingyu trembled with terror as the horrific memory of being reduced to a limbless stump flooded back into her mind. Ignoring the costs and consequences, she immediately prepared to pray to the “Holy Mother” in exchange for greater power to escape.
But Yue Shi was faster and more lethal.
He took a step forward, instantly closing the distance. His cold eyes locked onto Bai Qingyu as he activated 【Death Sentence】, uttering a single, emotionless word:
“Die!”
The shock and fear on Bai Qingyu’s face froze instantly. She never got the chance to voice her prayer to the “Holy Mother.” The light in her eyes vanished rapidly, like a candle being snuffed out.
Following that, the eerie aura of mixed contaminations within her dissipated like a snapped kite string. Her body fell backward stiffly, crashing heavily onto the cold, filthy ground, devoid of any further sound.
Yue Shi lightly flicked the residual blood off his blade and looked down at the corpse. Only then did he notice how strange Bai Qingyu’s limbs were—one arm was longer than the other, and one leg was significantly thicker than the other.
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