This was something that happened in the home of the visitors from Jiuzhou.
After Wei Yang was taken away by Namei, Galio quickly released the incantation binding Lulu. Lulu bared her teeth and stared at the little white dragon with displeasure.
“Explain.”
“I apologize, Princess. I didn’t want her to get hurt.”
“Why?”
“Because she was very kind to me, and she even kept her promise to come and play with me.”
Lulu took a deep breath, trying to tell herself not to get worked up over this dragon. After all, she knew Galio’s personality all too well. She was pure and untainted; if anyone showed her even a shred of kindness, she would repay it twofold.
But the problem was, when had that fox girl ever been kind to her?
“Forget it,” Lulu said, waving her hand. “The sister is already upset anyway.”
As she spoke, she turned her head and looked toward the bedroom.
The dragon girl was currently holding a half-finished unicorn plush, sitting quietly by the bedside. The sunlight streamed through the window and scattered across her silver-white hair, making her look like a princess imprisoned in a high tower from some fairy tale.
Lulu remembered what her sister had once said.
‘Galio is a very useful tool.’
This was indeed the truth. The White Dragon was a guardian, a weapon of the imperial family, and the best means to suppress unstable factors.
But looking at Galio’s innocent eyes at this moment, Lulu suddenly felt a surge of irritability.
“Hey, are you that afraid of being lonely?”
Galio did not look up at her. She just skillfully threaded her needle.
“It has always been this way.”
Lulu said nothing more and turned to walk into her own room. She rummaged through her dressing table drawer for a while before finding a box of medicine. Tucking the box into her pocket, Lulu passed by the door to Galio’s room once more.
“I’m going out for a while.”
“Alright,” Galio nodded obediently. “Be careful on the road.”
Lulu gave a brief grunt of affirmation and pushed the door open to leave.
Walking along the streets of Huyin Town, she ignored the dodging glances and whispered murmurs. When the townspeople saw her, they avoided her by stepping to the side of the road, and some even closed their doors and windows immediately.
Lulu didn’t care at all. She had long since grown accustomed to being feared and alienated.
Within this body resided two souls. And once the other soul awakened, it would view everything around it as a monster and begin a slaughter.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
It didn’t matter.
***
“Angel, you’re finally—”
Halfway through her sentence, Lu Ran’s expression froze the moment she saw who the visitor was.
“Pri—Princess Lulu?!”
Lu Ran tried to stop her, but Lulu’s strength was too great. She was pushed back two steps, stumbling as she watched the cold-faced girl walk into the home that belonged to her and Wei Yang.
Scanning the room, Lulu quickly found her target. On the only bed, a girl with purple twin-tails was tied up securely, wriggling as she tried to shift her position to look over.
Lulu’s lips twitched uncontrollably.
“Sister, are you into roleplaying?”
“I am not! Hurry up and untie me!”
Lulu walked over and quickly undid the messily tied ropes.
“Let’s go, Sister.”
“I’m not into that! I’m your elder sister, show me some respect!”
Although Namei was still maintaining her disguise, she knew her identity had definitely been exposed to Lu Ran.
She looked over and saw Lu Ran trembling in the corner of the room. It couldn’t be helped; after all, Lu Ran was only a fourteen-year-old girl. It was perfectly normal for her to be afraid of the ill-tempered Lulu.
Lulu and Namei walked toward the door, one after the other. But just as they approached the entrance, a small figure suddenly blocked their path.
Lu Ran’s arms were spread wide, and although her entire body was shaking, she showed no intention of moving aside.
“You… you can’t leave. I’m sorry, Wei Yang said I had to watch you. I can’t just let you go.”
Lulu stopped in her tracks, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. This little thing actually dared to stand in front of her?
“Move.”
Lu Ran shook her head.
“I won’t.”
Her body and voice trembled with fear, and she repeatedly told herself in her heart not to back down.
Lu Ran didn’t understand why she dared to stand in front of these two people. It wasn’t like her at all.
Who was it for? Who had changed her?
Lulu was growing impatient. As they stood in a stalemate, an ominous sign exploded in her mind.
Lu Ran thrust her fists forward, and a ring-shaped serpent pattern appeared on her palms. Magic began to coalesce around her, carrying the scent of curses and toxins.
Lulu recognized it.
“A mutual destruction ritual?”
It was a unique incantation that traded one life for another, ignoring the difference in strength to forcibly die with the target.
And her target was Lulu herself.
But Lulu dismissed it with a look of disdain, tilting her head and putting her hands on her hips in frustration.
“All posturing.”
One look at her eyes was enough to know that this girl was just putting on an act. She didn’t have the courage to actually activate the ritual and die together. A cowardly girl could never be a warrior.
In that case, a little scare should make her run away.
Lulu reached out, moving toward the short blade at her waist—
“No!!”
Just as Lulu’s fingertips touched the hilt, a massive force of impact suddenly came from behind her.
Due to the difference in their personalities, Namei could never guess what Lulu was thinking. Seeing her reach for the blade, she thought Lulu was going to attack Lu Ran. Namei rushed forward, desperate to snatch the blade away.
But in her panic, Namei didn’t control her strength. Instead of lunging at Lulu, she effectively slammed into her.
“Eh?”
After being hit and losing her balance, Lulu inadvertently knocked into Lu Ran. By sheer accident, the little girl’s head slammed heavily against the door handle.
*Thud—*
Following a muffled sound, a red substance began to flow onto the clean floor. Lu Ran collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Namei was struck with terror. She scrambled over and knelt down to check Lu Ran’s breathing.
“Phew… thank goodness, she just fainted.”
Only then did Namei calm down slightly, but her eyes were already beginning to well up with tears.
“What do we do, what do we do, what do we do…”
Lulu stood up shakily. She really had no choice when it came to this scatterbrained, stupid elder sister. What kind of demon did she think Lulu was?
No matter what, she wouldn’t actually attack a little girl like this.
“Sigh… what else can we do? See if there’s any medicine in the house.”
Namei and Lulu searched the room but came up empty-handed. In the end, they could only decide to go back to their own home to get medicine and return.
Which led back to the scene from earlier.
Galio had used her words to restrain her, and her sister had left with that fox girl.
Before leaving, Namei had given her a look, and Lulu understood exactly what it meant.
‘Hurry and take the medicine to check on Lu Ran.’
So now, she was standing here once again.
Standing before the door to Lu Ran’s house.
Lulu sighed and helplessly pulled open the ajar door.