Universe Infinite Canteen

"What's your mission?" Ma Lu asked curiously.

"To find a silver suitcase," Yun Que responded, "According to the Church's intelligence, that suitcase is in the warehouse up ahead."

"Who's guarding that suitcase?"

"Stop asking so many questions; it's none of your business," Hellhound said impatiently, "You guys wait here for me. After I stealthily get in and find the box, I'll come out and meet up with you."

"But..." Yun Que wanted to say more when the purple-haired girl's hand was already on her head, her tone forceful.

"No buts, you stay here to take care of Bliss and watch this guy. Don't let him run away!"

"I won't run," Ma Lu said.

"That's for the best, don't say I didn't warn you. This forest is full of dangers; you won't survive on your own without us," Hellhound finished, then brought her lips close to Ma Lu's ear and whispered softly.

"You're the man I've set my sights on; if you're to die, it should be by my consumption."

"That's not necessary."

The purple-haired girl let out a string of bell-like laughter, then grabbed the red short blade and headed toward the warehouse not far away without looking back.

She didn't take the main entrance but instead climbed up a drainage pipe on the side and directly onto the second floor, moving agilely like a monkey, then jumped through a window that was half missing its glass.

Only when her figure had vanished did Ma Lu turn his gaze back to Yun Que.

Yun Que immediately tensed up, took a half step back, but then, perhaps remembering Hellhound's last orders, she forced herself to stand tall again and tried to mimic the purple-haired girl's tone,

"You... don't try anything funny, or when A'Quan comes back, you're going to... you're going to have it bad!"

"Okay," Ma Lu said, "But we're idling around anyway, so might as well chat a bit more." Continue your adventure with empire

"Ha, don't think I don't know what you're up to; you're trying to get information out of me while A'Quan is away. Dream on, my lips are sealed; I won't tell you anything!"

Yun Que was quite alert this time, spotting some people's little schemes right away.

But... that's as far as it went.

Compared to Hellhound, who was fickle and always talking about eating you up, Yun Que, a simple girl, was obviously much easier to deal with.

Ma Lu's expression turned serious, "You've misunderstood me; I really do want to gather more information, but it's for the safety of both of us."

"For our... safety?" Yun Que asked, puzzled, "Why would knowing more make us safer?"

"You heard Hellhound's plan earlier. She wants me to take the place of the deceased knight and return to Holy Temple City with you. But if I have no knowledge about knights, the Church, or the city you live in, how could I possibly fool the Church's people?"

"What you're saying makes a lot of sense," Yun Que agreed, nodding repeatedly, but then her face showed uncertainty again, "But about A'Quan..."

"She just told you to keep an eye on me so I wouldn't run, she didn't say you couldn't talk to me, right? And she herself answered many of my questions just now, which shows she doesn't oppose me talking to people."

"Oh, that's right!" Yun Que slapped her forehead, "What else do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk more about knights. Since you want me to play one of your knights, you should at least let me understand more about knights. By the way, how did your knight die?"

"Um... We were ambushed on the way here, and the knight—he, he was accidentally killed in battle."

Yun Que's eyes flickered as she answered this question, and she would lift herself up onto her tiptoes unintentionally.

It was clear she was not telling the truth, but to avoid making the young girl suspicious, Ma Lu didn't dwell on the matter and continued to inquire.

"How do Knights usually command your battles?"

This time, Yun Que responded quickly, "Sir Knight will act alongside us, issue battle commands, monitor fluctuations in our Sin Value, and grant us permission to use Magic Weapons."

"Wait, you need authorization to use Magic Weapons?"

"That's right, because Magic Power is very dangerous. Every time a Witch uses Magic Power, she comes a step closer to the abyss, and her Sin Value increases. When the Sin Value exceeds the threshold, Witches become lost."

"What happens if they become lost?"

"They lose all sense and turn into terrible monsters, and it also triggers a terribly frightening heavenly punishment."

As Yun Que spoke, she also shrank her neck, her little face full of fear.

"Only the Church possesses the Holy Water that can cleanse Witches of their sins, so after the battle, we return to the Cathedral in the city to receive baptism, provided we complete the task and Sir Knight is still alive."

"I see," Ma Lu stroked his chin, "I roughly understand the relationship between Knights and Witches and between yourselves and the Church, but... there are some details I still don't quite grasp, like how do Knights monitor the Sin Value on you? And how do they grant your weapons access?"

Yun Que hesitated before, probably thinking that Ma Lu would sooner or later learn if he were to pretend to be a Knight, then pointed to a silver collar around her neck.

"This is the Ring of Order, specially crafted by the Church for Witches, and it's linked to the Knight's Armor."

"Oh, then where is the Knight's Armor?"

"It's in..." Yun Que was about to reveal the location, but at the last second became wary, "Hmph, I won't tell you!"

But no sooner had her words fallen silent than a loud crash came from a warehouse not far away!

The windows of the building, already barely having any glass, were shaken even more bare.

Yun Que's face changed color as she exclaimed, "This is bad, A'Quan has been discovered!"

After waiting for a while without seeing her companion emerge from the warehouse, her panic grew.

Yun Que's legs were shaking, but, gritting her teeth, she decided to rush towards the warehouse.

However, before she could take a step, someone pressed down on her head.

This familiar action made Yun Que feel dazed for a moment, thinking that the guy with purple hair had returned, until she heard Ma Lu's voice by her ear,

"Hey, calm down, will you? Without the Knight, you can't use your Magic Weapon, and charging in there is just a death wish."

Far from calming down, these words only turned Yun Que into a sobbing wreck.

"Wuu wuu wuu, it's all over, we are all going to die here today! Wuu~"

The girl cried harder and harder.

"No, it's not time to despair yet. You need to pull yourself together, tell me where the Knight's Armor is, so I can help you activate your weapon," Ma Lu said.

With his reminder, Yun Que stopped crying and said with a sniffle, "Then, then I'll take you there."