Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 28 – The Coming Storm
Luo Yan wrote her report honestly. Because she had sensed the aura earlier and suspected the enemy was still there, she requested support from the Apprehension Department, specifically two “Ruin” level ability users.
She also included the fact that they hadn’t returned to investigate further. She was an honest girl.
“How laughable,” Frick sneered, looking at the message. “All speculation, and she wants two ‘Ruin’ level ability users for support?
“Sending you, a young lady, to Flower Street was meant to be a leisurely stroll. Don’t drag us into your detective games!”
“Ruin” level ability users weren’t common. Two of them were a valuable asset.
The Apprehension Department’s investigation of Dawn in Yan City was at a critical stage, and they were also tasked with hunting the Devil’s minion. Manpower was tight.
How could he spare two “Ruin” level ability users to accompany a young lady on a shopping trip?
Frick put away his communicator, intending to ignore Luo Yan’s message.
But then he frowned slightly.
“No, wait… This young lady was personally entrusted to me by Li Ping. Her background must be significant.”
Even a Sword Saint successor was acting as her bodyguard…
Although he hadn’t heard of Luo Yan before, there were many people in Yan City he didn’t know.
Frick wasn’t from Yan City, not even from the Eastern Continent. Eastern faces all looked the same to him, with only a few exceptions—like Luo Yan, whose striking appearance had left an impression.
“Well, just to avoid that old man Li Ping nagging me, I’ll send a couple of people to appease them.”
Frick sighed. He was in Yan City now; he had to play along.
He thought for a moment, then dialed the Apprehension Department’s team channel.
“Lan Qi, assign two people from your team to a special mission… The weakest ones will do, no need for anyone strong.”
“Oh, and tell them, if anyone asks about their level, they are to say ‘Ruin’ level.”
It was just accompanying a young lady on a shopping trip; “Ruin” or “Calamity” level, it didn’t really matter.
The Apprehension Department specialized in killing. Even their weakest members were “Calamity” level, and not ordinary “Calamity” level at that.
After giving his instructions, Frick put away his communicator and looked at the file in his hand, his eyes narrowing.
The file read—
Top Secret – File Number “F-03” Ice Coffin Weapon Containment Data
“Finally, I have it. I didn’t expect ‘Noah’ to make such a fatal mistake, sending her to Yan City.
“If it weren’t for the ‘Ghost Town’ incident forcing Yan City to use the ‘Ice Coffin Weapon,’ I wouldn’t have known that their ‘Ice Coffin Weapon’ was actually—
“Heh, I suppose ‘Mister’ must have come to Yan City because of her as well.”
…
When Luo Yan and Qin Wen arrived at the Flower Shop, they received Frick’s message.
“How is it?”
Qin Wen asked nervously.
She wasn’t worried about fighting the Devil’s minion, only about the potential for civilian casualties.
Having two “Ruin” level ability users as backup would greatly reduce that risk.
Luo Yan looked at the message, a relieved smile appearing on her face.
“Don’t worry, Director Frick has agreed to our request. Two ‘Ruin’ level ability users are on their way.”
“That’s good,” Qin Wen breathed a sigh of relief. “As expected, he had already anticipated this. I was wondering if two ‘Ruin’ level ability users were a bit excessive. Perhaps a few ‘Calamity’ level would have been enough.”
Ordinary mega-cities weren’t like Dawn. High-level ability users were always in short supply; they couldn’t afford Dawn’s strategy of overwhelming force.
If Dawn encountered such an incident, they would send a “Peril” level ability user if possible, or at least five “Ruin” level, as many as they could spare.
“This greatly increases our chances of success,” Luo Yan nodded.
She couldn’t use her “Envy” ability casually; it was only for critical moments, to deliver a fatal blow. The rest of the time, she relied on conventional weapons.
Strictly speaking, Luo Yan was a fragile glass cannon, with “Ruin” level attack power, but otherwise just an ordinary “Difficulty” level ability user.
“You go and make your preparations. I don’t think I need any.”
Luo Yan adjusted her skirt. Even after wearing it for a while, she still wasn’t used to it.
She preferred t-shirts and shorts, which allowed for greater freedom of movement.
However, this maid outfit offered increased protection, which was exactly what Luo Yan lacked, so she had to wear it.
What mage wouldn’t want a sturdy shield?
“Lady Luo Yan!”
Anna rushed out from the back room, holding a simple black skirt.
She tossed the skirt to Qin Wen, then picked up her camera and started snapping pictures of Luo Yan.
When Luo Yan and Qin Wen entered the shop, Anna had been fiddling with her new camera.
Seeing Luo Yan in the maid outfit, Anna was so excited that she immediately started taking photos.
However, Luo Yan had managed to persuade her to help Qin Wen with her disguise first, to change out of her signature white clothes, and then take pictures later.
Qin Wen took the skirt, looked at Anna, who was completely ignoring her, and hesitated.
“Is this… enough?”
“After you change, I’ll style your hair… Lady Luo Yan, another pose, another pose, hee hee…”
“Like this?” Luo Yan stiffly raised her hand in a peace sign, then said to Qin Wen, “Hurry up, the two ‘Ruin’ level ability users should be arriving soon.”
Qin Wen looked at the unfamiliar garment, hesitated, then took it and went to the fitting room.
After a while, having run out of film, Anna reluctantly put down her camera.
Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She knew this made Anna happy, so even though she didn’t enjoy it, she hadn’t objected.
Qin Wen finally emerged, awkwardly tugging at the short skirt.
“Do I really have to wear this? Isn’t it a bit… too revealing?”
Although it was much easier to move in than her white robes, and it completely masked her usual Sword Saint aura, even her master might not recognize her at first glance.
The disguise was undeniably effective.
“It can’t be helped, Lady Qin Wen, you’re just too tall. This is the only one that fits, and you’re in a hurry, there’s no time for custom tailoring,” Anna shrugged, comparing her height to Qin Wen’s.
1.4 meters versus 1.9 meters… Even if Anna hugged Qin Wen, she wouldn’t reach her chest, only her stomach.
Incidentally, Luo Yan’s height was just right: 1.6 meters versus 1.9 meters.
“Isn’t this nice?” Luo Yan, with her complete lack of fashion sense, nodded. “See? The sleeves and skirt are designed for easy movement, they won’t get in the way during combat, unlike mine…”
“Lady Luo Yan looks good in anything!” Anna quickly interjected, after all, it was her creation. “A beautiful person looks even more beautiful in beautiful clothes!”
“…I still don’t see it, and clothes don’t really matter in combat,” Luo Yan shrugged indifferently. “Well, this is fine.”
Anna forced a pair of large sunglasses onto Qin Wen, tied her shoulder-length hair into a high ponytail, and added a pair of earrings, transforming the heroic swordswoman into a fashionable city girl.
Anna, enjoying this makeover, clapped her hands in satisfaction.
“Now, Lady Qin Wen, even your own mother wouldn’t recognize you!”
“…Indeed.”
Luo Yan, surprisingly, agreed.
Qin Wen frowned.
“I can’t let Master see me like this…”
Don’t misunderstand, the Sword Saint Sect Master wasn’t a stickler for tradition. He would simply tease her mercilessly.
She already couldn’t stand her master’s usual inappropriate behavior, let alone…
Fortunately, this was just a disguise for the mission. She would change back afterward; there was no chance of her master seeing her like this.
Just then, a knock came from the door, followed by two voices in unison.
“Apprehension Department, Second Division, Davis reporting!”
“Apprehension Department, Second Division, Cheng Hongyuan reporting!”
…
Davis, Cheng Hongyuan.
From their names, it was easy to tell that one was from a Western mega-city, and the other was a local from Yan City.
Although the Apprehension Department had a high proportion of foreign ability users, there were also locals from Yan City.
Cheng Hongyuan was one of them.
He was a young man with a somewhat handsome appearance, wearing round-framed glasses.
As for Davis, this blonde, blue-eyed woman with wavy hair wasn’t from “Noah,” but another, less prominent mega-city.
There were thousands of mega-cities in the New Era, and not all of them were as large as Yan City or Noah.
Davis’s hometown was only one-tenth the size of Yan City. Seeking better opportunities, she had accepted a transfer to the Yan City Anomaly Management Bureau’s Apprehension Department.
As mentioned before, they were the two weakest members of the Apprehension Department, unfortunately chosen to be the young lady’s (Luo Yan’s) bodyguards.
Being from the same division, they knew each other well and had been complaining about this ridiculous mission all the way here.
…Of course, they didn’t expect things to get even more ridiculous.
Anna opened the door, giving them an annoyed look before reluctantly stepping aside.
Lady Luo Yan, who had finally come to visit, was about to be taken away by these two…
And considering the Apprehension Department’s reputation, Anna naturally wasn’t happy.
The Apprehension Department, specializing in hunting down targets, often employed ruthless methods, even within the mega-cities.
Although they avoided civilian casualties, they often caused unnecessary damage.
Imagine your house, which you had a twenty-year mortgage on, being casually destroyed during an Apprehension Department pursuit.
The compensation, if any, was usually minimal.
Wouldn’t that make you angry?
As for protesting… ordinary people in the New Era were lucky to have a roof over their heads; they didn’t dare complain.
As a result, the Apprehension Department’s reputation was terrible, to the point that even Dawn treated them differently from the Disaster Response Department, just like Grifres’s attitude towards Hua Qiling.
Davis and Cheng Hongyuan were used to such looks. They waited expectantly for their assigned target, the young lady who was rumored to be very beautiful.
A moment later, Qin Wen emerged, supporting the blindfolded Luo Yan. She looked them over, frowning slightly.
“It’s you two?”
Weren’t they supposed to send two “Ruin” level ability users?
These two clearly only had “Calamity” level auras, and relatively weak ones at that.
Luo Yan also noticed this and asked curiously,
“Did you come to the wrong place? You seem a bit… weak.”
Qin Wen and Luo Yan scrutinized them, and Davis and Cheng Hongyuan scrutinized them back.
Upon seeing Luo Yan’s face, they were both stunned by her beauty, but then they were immediately offended by her words.
Being called weak (although Luo Yan had simply stated a fact, not an insult) was humiliating, especially coming from this blind young lady with a mere “Difficulty” level aura.
A frail young lady going shopping, wanting bodyguards, and demanding “Ruin” level ability users?
However, despite their annoyance, Davis and Cheng Hongyuan knew better than to show it.
Suppressing their displeasure, they said in unison, their prepared excuse ready,
“We’re in the right place. We are ‘Ruin’ level ability users, just disguised as ‘Calamity’ level to avoid attention.”
“Oh, I see,” Luo Yan nodded, instantly believing their explanation. “No problem, let’s go, time is of the essence.”
Although Qin Wen was still suspicious, since they said so, she decided to trust them for now.
She trusted Director Frick even more. He must have his reasons for this arrangement.
She was just a simple-minded warrior; it was best to follow orders.
Indeed, Qin Wen was well aware of her own simple-mindedness…
After exchanging greetings, Luo Yan didn’t waste any more time.
Led by Qin Wen, they quickly headed towards the location where she had sensed the Devil’s minion’s aura.
…
Although Flower Street was initially planned as a shopping street…
Over the past ten to twenty years, other businesses had emerged.
Where there was demand, there was supply and trade.
Of course, such shady businesses couldn’t operate openly.
Therefore, under the guise of foot massage parlors, massage parlors, and hair salons, these underground establishments thrived on Flower Street.
But to say that the owners of Flower Street were unaware of this was, of course, impossible.
Flower Street’s profits came from a percentage of the businesses’ revenue, and these highly profitable establishments were simply too lucrative to ignore.
Even some high-ranking officials, like the aforementioned Young Master Liu, the second largest shareholder of Flower Street, were interested in these places, patronizing them frequently.
The top tier of Flower Street’s establishments catered to a more… refined clientele, requiring the girls to be multi-talented, to entertain the wealthy young masters who fancied themselves cultured.
Young Master Liu, known for his extravagant spending, was very popular with the madams of these establishments. They would go to great lengths to prepare various girls for him, hoping to catch his eye.
Just one night with Young Master Liu, keeping him happy, could earn them months’ worth of revenue.
However…
Currently, most of the madams on Flower Street were frowning, except for one, who was beaming.
“Oh my, Young Master Liu has specifically requested our Red Butterfly this time. What good fortune!”
The heavily made-up madam pretended to be bashful, hiding behind her fan, but her voice was filled with pride.
“I don’t know where you found her, you’re so lucky…”
Another madam said sourly.
“This isn’t just a few months’ worth of business; Young Master Liu’s visit will keep you closed for years!”
“Yes, yes, why don’t we have such luck?”
Surrounded by envious whispers and flattery, Red Butterfly’s madam was practically glowing.
A figure in red had quietly appeared behind her, its face half-hidden by a veil, only a pair of enchanting eyes visible.
“Mother.”
A soft, seductive voice echoed, like a faint electric current, sending shivers down one’s spine.
“Oh my, Red Butterfly, why are you out here?” Her madam quickly stood up. “Hurry and prepare, Young Master Liu will be here soon.”
The other madams looked at Red Butterfly, their eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and even resentment, which they quickly masked with smiles.
“So this is Red Butterfly? I’ve heard so much about you. Truly a beauty worthy of the title ‘Flower Queen’.”
“Yes, yes, even if my Leng Nier had ten lifetimes of good fortune, she wouldn’t have half of Red Butterfly’s charm.”
“It seems the lucky one tonight isn’t Red Butterfly, but Young Master Liu…”
Red Butterfly simply smiled faintly at their superficial flattery, a glint of malice in her eyes.
“Thank you for your kind words, Mothers.”
She curtsied, her every movement exuding charm.
Unnoticed by the madams, several hair-thin, fleshy tentacles subtly attached themselves to their necks, lying dormant.
As if afraid that someone might steal Red Butterfly away, her madam quickly stood in front of her.
“My dear, go back inside. Young Master Liu has specifically requested to see your performance first.”
Red Butterfly’s dances had recently become a sensation on Flower Street, attracting many influential figures.
However, she was still… pure (perhaps?). As her madam put it, “Our Red Butterfly only sells her art, not her body.”
Of course, if one insisted… there was a price.
And Young Master Liu could afford it.
His status among his peers in Yan City was second only to Hua Qiling.
Red Butterfly nodded slightly, turned, and gracefully walked back to her room, her red dress swaying.
Even her back was captivating, leaving the experienced madams mesmerized.
“Truly beautiful…”
“Ahem,” Red Butterfly’s madam coughed, her eyes glinting warningly. “Don’t even think about poaching our Red Butterfly. She’s like a daughter to me.”
Who would sell their own daughter…
The madams thought to themselves, but they still replied politely,
“Of course, of course, how could we…”
“Don’t worry, I just wanted to ask which deity you prayed to, to find such a treasure like Red Butterfly.”
“…”
Their true thoughts, however, remained hidden.
Red Butterfly’s madam snorted proudly and waddled back to the building, her wide hips swaying.
…
“Fools…”
Red Butterfly’s slender hand gently parted the curtains, her gaze cold as she looked down at the madams below.
“If it weren’t for… that damned Sword Saint Qin Wen, I wouldn’t have to hide like this, relying on these lowly insects to recover my strength.”
Red Butterfly gritted her teeth and muttered.
The destruction of the flesh puppet by Qin Wen’s sword hadn’t been a major setback.
The true injury, the one that hadn’t healed even now, was from Luo Yan’s single glance.
Caught completely off guard, that glance had pierced her soul, almost shattering her will.
The best way to recover was to use “Gu Seeds” to gather life force, but due to the heightened security in Yan City after the incident, she hadn’t found an opportunity to properly feed.
She could only spread her “Gu Seeds” widely, each absorbing a small amount of life force, slowly recovering her strength.
But in this place, she could only find ordinary people; the recovery process was slow.
“Although I’m gradually mastering the Lord’s power, I still can’t act recklessly…”
Red Butterfly took a deep breath. “However, this Young Master Liu seems to be a ‘Calamity’ level ability user. His flesh… should be enough to restore a significant portion of my power…”
“And…” She licked her lips, a cruel smile twisting her charming face. “It’s been a while since I’ve tasted… the flavor of a man…”
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