Chapter 213: The Cat with a Squeaky Voice

After a while, Miss Vilyric finally managed to explain the events that occurred after saying goodbye to the Joyful Fairy Boat to Mengrui, while also introducing the people present. Although she thought it wasn’t necessary to go into too much detail—especially about how she met Hen and Xiao Kong, and why Ling Feng and Bai’er left—she had a nagging feeling that skipping this might lead to trouble in the future.

Sure enough, after understanding the situation, the somewhat strange, half-smile expression on Miss Mengrui’s face noticeably softened and lightened, replaced by a look of dawning realization mixed with concern.

“So you all went through so much… Thankfully, fate has favored you, and you’ve made it through to now safely. It seems I underestimated you a bit, Vilyric. Is there anything I can help with?”

“Help?”

Seemingly surprised that the first reaction was this, the Priestess paused, exchanged furtive glances with Hen and Xiao Kong to confirm they hadn’t said anything strange to her, and then shook her head.

“Nothing urgent at the moment. While the Ancient Spirit Realm is indeed facing quite serious risks, it’s not just my problem; the four nations and Lingyin Fairy Island are backing us up. No need to get overly anxious about the state of the world, right…”

“To be honest, I plan to participate in the Four Saints Selection Tournament to get qualified for Lingyin Fairy Island, and after finding that person I mentioned before, I’ll consider what to do next.”

“As for the finals within Qiguo, and the rankings of the four nations, I’m not particularly bothered by them. Joining this competition is merely a means to my ends.”

“I see…”

Hearing the black-haired girl say such irresponsible things, Mengrui, being a native of the Ancient Spirit Realm, surprisingly didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled lightly as if she had anticipated it.

“This is very much in line with my understanding of you, Vilyric. I’m not talking about helping to save the world or anything so grand and exceedingly dangerous, but I simply… oh, never mind, forget I said that. It’s been a while since I saw you, and I’ve become a bit sentimental. Let’s just forget those earlier words.”

“?”

In the Priestess’s gaze filled with confusion, the Joyful Fairy Boat Miss took the initiative to change the subject.

“Putting that aside, the real reason I came to find you tonight is that, besides the reunion, there’s something I feel I need to remind you about.”

“We?”

Catching onto this obviously different keyword, the black-haired girl raised an eyebrow and looked around the first-floor hall to confirm no one was eavesdropping before giving Mengrui a slight nod.

“What is it? Go ahead.”

“Um, remember I mentioned earlier? I was invited by the Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch to watch the competition from the VIP seats, which is how I happened to see you participating.”

“That Holy Monarch shouldn’t know about our relationship. There weren’t many people present, and maybe because of that, he didn’t hide anything… I noticed he seems particularly interested in you all, especially you, Vilyric. His level of attention surpassed that towards other ordinary contestants, which is a bit unusual.”

After thinking for a moment, the boat owner said solemnly.

“Although with the Holy Sect Alliance’s esteemed status, they shouldn’t be doing anything underhanded or overtly harmful to individuals, since the Holy Monarch is concerned about you all, I suspect he might use some under-the-table tactics, maybe even deliberately assign you troublesome opponents.”

“Vilyric, be careful. The Ancient Spirit Realm is filled with strong individuals, and the diverse techniques are endless. This tournament gathers nearly all the top experts from around the world, and you never know what might happen next. Don’t take it lightly; if necessary, it’s not embarrassing to forfeit.”

“So that’s what you’re worried about…”

Nodding, the Priestess didn’t scoff at Mengrui’s well-meaning warning, just smiled.

“Thank you for your reminder. I’ve noticed this issue too, but don’t worry; the Eastern Yuan Holy Sect doesn’t have the capability to deal with me. I’ll remain vigilant.”

“Well… that’s good.”

After glancing around again, the girl with the guqin stood up.

“It’s getting late, so I won’t keep you. Rest well, and good luck with tomorrow’s competition. If anything happens, I’ll try to get you the information as soon as possible.”

Vilyric also stood up, patted her shoulder, and shook her head helplessly with concern.

“You should also not push yourself too hard to gather information for us. Just make sure to take care of yourself. With the supervision of Lingyin Fairy Island in such a big event, and considering the current situation in the Ancient Spirit Realm, even if the Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch has his thoughts, he probably won’t dare go too far.”

“I hope so… To be honest, ever since I found out you were here, everything felt oddly off, yet I can’t find the source of that feeling. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

After thinking for a moment, Mengrui suddenly raised her hand and stuffed a slightly crumpled note into Vilyric’s palm.

“This is the current residence of the Joyful Fairy Group in Xingyuan City. As outsiders, you don’t have much support here in the capital. If you need help, feel free to come find me.”

Finishing that, she turned her gaze towards the two girls still sitting at the table.

“Miss Hen, Miss Kong, I’ll leave Vilyric in your care. Though she seems very strong and appears carefree, she actually has a tendency to step up and face danger at critical moments while protecting others behind her. You must be sure to keep an eye on her and prevent her from getting hurt…”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry~”

“Mm, we’ll do our best.”

“That’s good…”

After repeating some familiar phrases, and after much gab, Miss Mengrui finally ceased her hesitance.

“This time, I really have to go. Vilyric, I will continue to watch your match tomorrow. Remember what I just said.”

“Okay, okay, okay~”

Watching the snowy-haired girl with the guqin head into the night, hurrying away, the Priestess couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head again.

This girl, we hadn’t seen each other for months and finally bumped into each other here, but she keeps nagging like a mother about serious topics. I was clearly planning to take this chance to ask her some questions about my recent confusions regarding music…

Before Miss Vilyric could say anything, a certain cat girl’s voice with a mix of exclamation and a little odd flavor—a laugh that faintly resembled Mengrui’s—came from behind.

“Oh my, it seems like someone hasn’t changed at all. In some ways, it’s reliably comforting!”

“Huh? What does that mean…? If you have something to say, then say it clearly. Don’t play riddles…”

However, Xiao Kong simply exchanged a glance with Hen, showing no intention of elaborating, and stepped forward to gently tap the Priestess’s shoulder with her cat paw in a “disappointed” manner.

“It’s time for bed, my lady. Tomorrow, a beautiful lady will be watching your competition.”

“???”

   

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