Chapter 039: Flat-Chested Equals Justice!

Wisp-like ghostly energy seeped from the pitch-black blade, while pain and struggle twisted the cat demon's delicate, blossom-like features. Su Cheng's lips curled into a faint smile; the general's restless soul had lingered in the mortal world for centuries, even becoming a vengeful ghost, all for the sake of finding his murderer and avenging his death. Now that the cat demon had revealed herself, he would not stand idly by.

Yet Su Cheng's move was fraught with peril; had the general arrived a moment later, he might have been torn to pieces by the cat demon. The Ghost King’s dark blade pierced the demon’s body, lifting her high into the air.

"General, we meet again," the cat demon sneered, suspended in midair, and in the blink of an eye her figure vanished from the Ghost King's sight.

Gone?

Su Cheng’s heart lurched. Even with his keen perception, he could only make out a long shadow darting madly around the shrine. The cat demon moved so fast that her movements were impossible to track.

Just then, the Ghost King suddenly spun around, slashing his blade at a shadow behind him. The blow landed hard.

"Meow!"

A terrified shriek rang out. The cat demon raised her claw to block the strike, but the Ghost King chopped it clean off.

Now’s the time!

Clenching her teeth against the agony in her abdomen, Ye Shenwei let out a cry, brandishing her radiant spear as she charged, aiming fiercely for the demon’s vital point.

"Hmph, hateful woman."

The cat demon's dark fur bristled. Her tail swept aside Ye Shenwei’s attack, and in a flash she vanished once more.

At the very instant she disappeared, a razor-sharp claw appeared at Ye Shenwei’s swan-like neck—one slight movement would slit her throat.

Is this the end?

Feeling the murderous intent pressing cold against her skin, Ye Shenwei grit her teeth—if she must die, she would at least take a piece of this demon with her.

"Die, woman!"

The cat demon’s violet eyes gleamed with madness. As she moved to cut Ye Shenwei's throat, a massive serpent’s head suddenly lunged from the darkness.

A gigantic black python appeared behind the cat demon, jaws gaping, and swallowed her whole.

A shikigami?

Ye Shenwei clawed her way back from the brink of death. This menacing python was the strongest shikigami summoned by the little monk Yichan, and it might be able to entangle the cat demon for a while.

"Miss, run! My shikigami can't hold her for long!"

The monk’s face changed dramatically. The python let out a pained cry before the cat demon tore it to shreds in an instant.

The python scattered into scraps of paper.

A shadow shot out at lightning speed.

At that moment, a pitch-black hand shot out before the cat demon’s eyes, seizing her throat with lightning speed and slamming her savagely against the wall.

With a thunderous crash, the wall behind the cat demon caved in under the force.

The Ghost King, exuding murderous intent, strode toward the grievously wounded demon, ready to hack her into pieces. But in a flash, the cat demon transformed back into Chiyo-hime the shrine maiden.

A realization struck Su Cheng; his gaze darkened with foreboding.

"Heh, General, did you think I came unprepared?" Chiyo-hime smiled seductively, a crimson longbow and a sacred arrow appearing in her slender, pale hands.

An arrow flashed forth like a shooting star, piercing the Ghost King’s chest and pinning him to the wall.

The sacred arrow bored through his chest, divine power purging the ghostly energy from his body.

Divine power of the shrine maiden!

Ye Shenwei was stunned; no one expected the cat demon to wield such power.

"Could it be that the cat demon has two forms—using demonic power as a monster, and divine power as a maiden?" Su Cheng had known the cat demon wouldn’t be easy to deal with, but the situation was more dire than he imagined.

Would this dungeon end in a total wipeout?

Chiyo-hime shifted back into her cat demon form, a cruel mocking smile on her lips as she watched the players.

"Cough, die!"

Bleeding profusely, Kyōhei Furukawa raised his gun and aimed at the cat demon, but a slender red line appeared on his wrist.

The line burst open—his hand was severed at the joint.

"If you’re so eager to die, you can be first, man."

The cat demon’s smile grew increasingly twisted. She strode to Furukawa, tore open his shirt, and slowly raked his chest open with her claws.

Watching helplessly as his chest was ripped open and his heart devoured, the terror of it all was enough to shatter a person’s mind.

Screams of agony echoed throughout the shrine.

Fear spread like the weight of night.

At this critical moment, Ye Shenwei gritted her teeth and pulled out a tattered talisman.

"Su Cheng, this is a Divine Petition Talisman. It can open the eyes of a god once. Place it on the statue—it's our last hope." Clutching at the bloody hole in her abdomen, she weakly handed the talisman to Su Cheng.

The Divine Petition Talisman was the Night God Squad’s trump card, exchanged for all their team points, worth more than any of their equipment or items.

If even this couldn’t subdue the cat demon, they could only await annihilation.

Now, Su Cheng was the only one left with strength; the task fell to him alone.

Without a word, Su Cheng grabbed the talisman, pushed off his feet, and lunged for the statue like a wild beast.

"Stop!"

Sensing the threat, the cat demon abandoned Furukawa and pounced on Su Cheng.

A claw tore through his back, shredding his clothes and leaving three deep, bleeding gashes. Blood sprayed down his spine.

He ignored the pain, teeth gritted, and charged onward.

Ten meters, five, three, one—

As the cat demon's claws raked through his flesh, Su Cheng slapped the talisman onto the statue.

A divine light flared from the warming talisman. At that instant, the cat demon shrieked and leapt back.

The statue’s eyes slowly opened.

The god awakens; evil is vanquished.

An emotionless gaze fell upon the cat demon. The man-eating monster convulsed as if struck by lightning, crouching and bowing before the statue.

"Wretched creature admits her guilt—mighty god, have mercy on me for the hardships of my cultivation, spare my life," the cat demon pleaded, trembling, her demonic aura leaking away.

But the statue was unmoved, and showed no pity for such a cruel being.

Su Cheng watched as the black cat’s soul was drawn from Chiyo-hime’s body and annihilated in the divine light.

The Ghost King’s long-cherished grudge was finally resolved. A transparent soul emerged from his husk, nodding in gratitude at Su Cheng with a look of relief.

"A hundred years of entanglement, and at last, a conclusion. Now the general’s soul may ascend in peace."

Su Cheng let out a long breath, feeling utterly drained, as if all strength had left him.

At this moment, the general’s soul tossed the pitch-black blade toward Su Cheng.

He caught it, and a system prompt rang in his mind, his eyes lighting up with joy.

"Player Su Cheng has acquired the professional item [Legendary Blade: Shadow of the Gale], triggering a profession quest."

A professional item!

[Shadow of the Gale]
Type: Tachi
Grade: Rare
Attack: High
Attack Speed: Very Fast
Attribute: Darkness
Skill: Infinite Shadow Blades—unleashes countless shadow blades at the target, with a high chance of inflicting heavy damage (number of blades depends on the wielder’s spirit power)

This blade was without question among the best of rare items, and it was not yet in its final form. It could be further enhanced to unlock new abilities.

Just as the party thought the scenario had ended, Chiyo-hime, who had fallen to the ground, suddenly stirred and struggled to her feet, looking around in confusion.

"Is the cat demon still alive?"

Su Cheng tensed, drawing the Shadow of the Gale toward Chiyo-hime.

"Cat demon? Cheng-kun, what are you talking about?" she asked blankly, innocence in her eyes.

"You're not the cat demon?"

Su Cheng studied her gaze, uncertain. That demon’s trickery ran too deep to be underestimated.

"I understand," interjected Saburō Sakamoto, "the cat demon’s spirit must have been exorcised from the shrine maiden’s body, and she’s only now awakened."

Was that it?

"Cheng-kun, please trust me," Chiyo-hime’s sweet voice echoed in his mind. Su Cheng suddenly felt unnaturally calm and found himself obeying her words without thinking.

"Very well, I believe you," Su Cheng replied, staring into her eyes with a strange smile.

Chiyo-hime smiled bewitchingly, her voice like honey in his mind.

"Then, now, pick up the blade and walk to that woman."

Following her command, Su Cheng approached Ye Shenwei, his face blank.

"Su Cheng, snap out of it! She’s the demon!" Ye Shenwei cried, but Su Cheng seemed entranced, unable to hear her.

"Now, drive the blade into that woman’s chest."

Su Cheng’s gaze fixed on Ye Shenwei’s chest, and without hesitation, he struck.

The cold blade flashed, plunging straight into Chiyo-hime’s ample bosom.

Chiyo-hime looked up at Su Cheng in shock, struggling to speak. "Why did you kill me? Am I not beautiful? Is my chest not large enough?"

At that moment, Su Cheng’s eyes cleared. With a serious expression, he withdrew the blade and replied, "Justice belongs to the flat-chested."