"Hush now, let's handle business first."
"Oh~" Xu Lyu sounded quite aggrieved.
Xu Qian shook her head. It was better to bring Xiao Ping on missions; at least he was a tiny bit more mature than Xu Lyu.
She bent down to examine the stones under her feet.
They had been slippery when they first walked, but the further they went, the more they chafed her feet. This was illogical.
Xu Qian took a few steps forward and discovered a familiar-looking iron manhole cover.
Xu Qian narrowed her eyes slightly. With a thought, the Super Great Stick Shovel appeared in her hand.
"Xiao Lyu, keep an eye on your surroundings."
"Okay."
She used the Super Great Stick Shovel to gently pry, and the manhole cover lifted, allowing the black water to pour back in.
A bone-chilling cold followed.
Xu Qian peered down. It was pitch black below, impossible to see anything. There wasn't even a ladder.
Just as Xu Qian was contemplating whether to jump or slide down, a dark shape shot out of the hole.
Xu Qian dodged and turned. She hadn't even gotten a clear look at what it was before a chill ran down her spine.
A gust of wind swept past. Xu Qian's long saber materialized in her hand, and she slashed at it fiercely.
The creature was intelligent and fast, dodging instantly.
Xu Qian also got a clear look at what it was.
It was human, and yet not human.
A human-mutated beast hybrid, perhaps.
It had a pair of black chicken wings, its body covered in chicken feathers, but its head was human, complete with arms and legs.
Its eyes were strange, the pupils black, with an orange outer ring.
Anyone with weak nerves would likely run for their lives.
It had no weapons in its hands, and it lunged at her with its open palm.
Its fingernails were sharp and long; a single scratch would likely leave her half-dead.
Xu Qian narrowed her eyes and activated her wings prop for the first time.
A pair of enormous white wings unfurled behind her.
Xu Lyu's mouth hung slightly open. If he had a heart, it would be pounding wildly.
Sister, she was as beautiful as an angel from a manga.
[Ding, Xiao Ping's affection increased by 2, total affection is 67.]
Xu Qian paused at the system prompt. Xu Lyu's affection always increased at the most peculiar times.
At first, Xu Qian was a little unaccustomed to it, but having spent so much time clinging to Xiang Jintian's back, she quickly mastered the knack.
Move with your heart, and it will move.
She raised her long saber and slashed at it. After the bird-man dodged, its eyes turned completely black.
A thoroughly lecherous grin spread across its face. Then, it continued to chase her.
The bird-man didn't seem intent on hurting her; it seemed like it wanted to… touch her?
They fought in mid-air. Below, Xu Lyu could only fret, unable to help.
Xu Qian's brow furrowed. She swung her long saber and hacked, bringing down a pile of chicken feathers.
The bird-man didn't seem angry about losing its feathers; instead, it moved even faster to close in on her.
Xu Qian: …
Why was fighting so difficult?
She closed her eyes and unleashed her mental power, needing to get a look.
What if she could use mental attacks?
Suddenly, Xu Qian's dark eyes lit up. There was indeed a surprise.
A golden crystal core, the size of a fist, pulsed within its chest.
She quickly transformed her mental power into a long sword and thrust it directly at the crystal core.
The bird-man clearly didn't sense any danger and flew straight at her.
The mental sword pierced its crystal core, shattering it instantly.
The bird-man collapsed on the ground, its two terrifying eyeballs wide open. It simply couldn't accept its impending death.
Was it wrong to like a beautiful big sister?
Xu Qian glanced at the prop countdown. There were still 15 minutes left.
A cold wind emanated from the hole. Apart from that one bird-man, nothing else emerged.
It seemed that feathered creature was a gatekeeper.
"Xiao Lyu, I'll go down first. You can come down in another 5 minutes."
Xu Lyu readily agreed.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xu Qian turned and jumped into the well.