So-Called Karma 10

She's worried about me. Faced with her gentle but firm words, Yan Xianchuan fidgeted with her fingers behind her back. Shouldn't she be more concerned about her own safety?

After all, in a sense, she couldn't truly die.

If she wanted, she could even pick up a wall and swing it at someone. Instead of worrying about her safety, it was better to worry about the enemies she set her sights on.

But Lu Mingqiu still warned her with such caution. Could it be that in her heart, her status far exceeded others?

Yan Xianchuan analyzed herself for a moment, then her gaze darted away again. "I'll... I'll be careful."

With that, she strode out of the bedroom and crouched back by the window. Lu Mingqiu's night vision wasn't as good as the other's; she could only see outlines, let alone the shyness, evasion, or smugness in the other's eyes. It was hard enough to distinguish nose from eyes.

Once she was gone, Lu Mingqiu pulled up a floating screen, using its light to illuminate the floor, slipped on her shoes, and tiptoed to the door.

Through the peephole, the corridor was dim, with no lights, and nothing could be seen. Who knew what might happen? There's a saying: humanity's oldest and strongest emotion is fear, and the oldest and strongest fear is fear of the unknown.

Lu Mingqiu had her own interpretation of this. Fear of the unknown was rooted in uncertainty about one's own abilities. Suppose a person had the power to split heaven and earth, could blow a breath to send seawater to the desert, could shatter a planet with a wave of the hand, and was immortal—would such a person fear the unknown?

No, because they had the power to handle any situation.

Rather than fearing the unknown, it was more about fearing whether the outcome, which was hard to determine, could be borne.

Lu Mingqiu had never been afraid. Though she didn't have such power, she did have the most resolute and unflappable mindset. The unknown was just a pebble in her path of life, on the same level as criticism, judgment, failure, and other pebbles. She held no fear; she simply didn't care.

Humans have only one predetermined end, and that is death.

Before she died, she had only one thing to do: face it, then make a choice.

That was all.

So when a swarm of gray rats surged over like a black tide, their claws easily catching the wall as if walking on flat ground, and they squeaked blatantly, not hiding their presence at all, the rats rushed up, covered the door, and gnawed out a pile of wood shavings with their long incisors.

Lu Mingqiu wasn't flustered. Her mental power spread outward like an invisible poison, and the rats clinging to the door fell off in layers, like mosquitoes fumigated by insecticide, at lightning speed.

It was as easy for her to kill these rats as it was for someone to tear toilet paper.

The esper controlling them saw the situation go south and tried to command the swarm to retreat, but it all happened in a flash. The corridor was soon strewn with rat corpses, piled half as high as the door.

There was no follow-up attack. The other side had left, or fled, realizing they'd picked a tough opponent, and so they ran.

This was the best choice. In essence, these townsfolk were also victims. Lu Mingqiu hoped they would all back off and let them quietly wait for reinforcements.

If they were reckless and insisted on attacking, just as Lu Mingqiu had instructed Yan Xianchuan, she wouldn't show mercy, nor would she feel a moment's guilt for staining her hands with the blood of innocents.

To carry out her ideals, she had to ensure her own life, so their deaths were naturally classified as necessary sacrifices.

Idealism above all.

Lu Mingqiu glanced at the time. It was now just past one in the morning.

This was another riot, but the townsfolk were clearly more cunning this time, knowing how to hide and ambush, not like the afternoon when they were out of their minds and only fought on instinct.

Did that mean they would gradually regain clarity until they became normal espers, while the dead were the defective ones eliminated?

Time ticked by. The night was no longer silent, as clashes broke out now and then, but the darkness was the best cloak, making everyone the finest assassin in their own minds.

"Someone's coming," Yan Xianchuan said in a low voice. "They came out of the building ahead."

"Is it the one you mentioned before?" Lu Mingqiu turned her head and asked.

"No," Yan Xianchuan said. "I remember his build; it was taller than this one."

Lu Mingqiu said, "Stay put and stay alert."

Yan Xianchuan focused her gaze, not worried that the person might notice her attention, for the newcomer was so blatant, walking right down the street without any attempt to conceal themselves.

Either foolish or confident, but since they were the first person in this building to walk out rather than flee, the latter seemed more likely.

They walked unhurriedly, step by step, stepping over the corpses on the ground, and directly pushed open the first-floor door.

Equally without deliberately lightening their footsteps, they knocked on each door, but the lower floors were empty, with no one around.

So they started heading upstairs, but halfway up, the footsteps stopped. The newcomer paused, looking at the rat corpses tumbling down the stairs.

"No offense intended."

It was a woman, and her voice was surprisingly sweet, like honey candy, sugary and pleasant.

Yan Xianchuan hadn't been able to tell whether it was a man or woman earlier, because the person was dressed very conservatively, hiding their figure, and wore a baseball cap. Height and build alone couldn't determine one's gender.

"But I'm not here to cause trouble," she said. "If you can communicate properly, perhaps we can join forces."

Lu Mingqiu remained silent, and so did Yan Xianchuan.

"You're someone with real strength," she said. "I know you're still here, on the second floor, three people. I can see your life flames, robust and exuberant."

"What do you mean by joining forces?" Lu Mingqiu didn't push the door open but raised her voice through the door panel.

The old residential building had poor soundproofing, so her voice passed through the door panel smoothly and reached the newcomer's ears.

"My name is Meni," she said. "But before we chat, I have a question for you too: Do you believe in the Church?"

Meni said sweetly, "This relates to what we're about to discuss. I'll go first—no, I don't."

"I don't either," Lu Mingqiu replied, and at the same time, she felt an unnatural seduction.

The other was using her voice to interfere with her mind. That was like a counterfeit painting seller running into an archaeologist—completely the wrong target.

"Great," Meni said cheerfully. "I've asked a few, and they're already brainless, can't tell friend from foe. I have nothing to say to them."

"Since you don't believe in the Church, you probably have some theories about the current situation, right?" She looked up at the dark staircase. "I want to gather some people, and together, we can find a way out of here. How about it?"

"Relying on yourself alone won't get you out."

"I've been to the woods; it's sealed off. This is the Church's pig farm, and we're the pigs waiting for slaughter." Meni's voice was full of allure, like a spoonful of soft cream that made one let down their guard. "You're a smart person, so you should make the wisest choice."

"You already have a plan?" Lu Mingqiu asked.

"Of course! I have a plan, of course I do." Meni laughed. "But this part should be discussed face to face, don't you think?"

Lu Mingqiu was thinking, but Yan Xianchuan abandoned her post at the window, quietly came to her side, and whispered, "She's killed someone. I can smell blood on her."

She all but said outright that this Meni was a bad person, but Lu Mingqiu focused on something else. "Your nose is that sharp?"

Yan Xianchuan was speechless. "...I'm not a bloodhound."

Lu Mingqiu wanted to laugh but forced it down. She had asked out of concern for the other's abilities, only to get such a nonsensical reply.

After two melees during the day, it would be strange if no one had blood on their hands.

"Alright," she said after a moment's thought. "You can come up."

If she truly sought cooperation, that would add another combatant. If her intentions were ill, Lu Mingqiu was confident she could deal with her.

"These rats are disgusting," Meni grumbled, waving a hand, and the pile of rat corpses began to move on their own, crawling down the stairs with a rustling sound.

She didn't ask where they were but directly knocked on the door.

Thump, thump, thump.

Yan Xianchuan stood at the door, pushing Lu Mingqiu back a bit, and opened the door herself.

"Good evening," Meni said sweetly, stepping into the room.

At the first sight, Yan Xianchuan scanned her from head to toe. She wore a black jacket that looked a size too big, as if it weren't her own clothes. Her hair was short and tousled, as if it had curly waves. Red hair, brown eyes, not tall, not exactly pretty, but pleasing to the eye, with a kind of vitality.

It was mainly her eyes that felt familiar to Yan Xianchuan. An excited, fanatical, slightly neurotic gaze—just like her own.

Yan Xianchuan put away the docile and harmless expression she wore with Lu Mingqiu, staring at her coldly.

They locked eyes. Meni rolled her eyes and said with a grin, "Oh my, I didn't expect two girls."

"You can tell us the plan now," Yan Xianchuan said.

"The plan." Meni licked her lips. "Yes, that's right, I have a plan. It's very simple."

"There are too many people in the town, espers everywhere. Some are useless, even though they're espers, they're nothing but good-for-nothings." She grinned, the corners of her mouth stretching wide. "Those types can be used as bait."

"The Church will definitely show up. Use them to draw attention, and while they're at it, we slip away. Simple as that." Meni raised her hands. "But before that, I have one request."

She burst into a shrill laugh. "Let me eat you! If I eat you, I'll get even stronger!"

Palm-sized fireballs shot out from her hands, flying toward the two of them. At the same time, she opened her mouth wide and spat out a string of words: "Vertigo! Freeze!"

The two dodged in opposite directions simultaneously, avoiding the fireballs. The vertigo, a mental attack, had no effect on Lu Mingqiu. Just as she was about to counterattack, her legs were suddenly frozen by ice that appeared from nowhere. She had been dodging sideways, lost her footing, slipped, and rolled on the ground, twisting to the side and briefly losing sight of Meni.

Yan Xianchuan was faster. The vertigo, a mental shock, wasn't covered by her telepathic barrier, but even though her head was spinning, her momentum didn't falter. She charged straight at Meni. Even if she didn't use her hands, with her speed, she could send her flying.

Meni panicked. "Petrify! Misfortune! Muteness! Blindness! Deafness!"

She spat out the words rapidly, but they slid off Yan Xianchuan like a spell slipping past its target and flying off into the sky.

"Sheep Transformation!"

Yan Xianchuan suddenly dropped, going from two legs to four. She was startled, and her four long legs splayed awkwardly, slipping on the floor. With a *plop*, the horns on her head plunged straight into Meni's belly.

Lu Mingqiu rolled over on the floor, and her mental power, like a long needle, stabbed into Meni's head. Meni barely opened her mouth before her pupils dilated, and she fell stiffly to the ground.

The moment she died, the curse-like incantations vanished. Yan Xianchuan regained her senses, taking a couple of steps on the floor, her four hooves thudding loudly.

She lowered her head, looked at her hooves, and cried out in shock: "Baa!"

TL Note:

"counterfeit painting seller running into an archaeologist" (卖假画的遇上考古的) = trying to deceive an expert; they picked the wrong person.