But the next instant, the flames the monster was about to spew died in its throat; it choked.
The monster remained frozen in that position, making Miao Su suspect it was charging up some devastating ultimate move. Just as she raised her long scythe to strike, the monster collapsed to the ground.
Even Miao Su choked on her breath at that sight.
A wooden arrow was lodged in the monster's throat. It looked utterly ordinary, but that monster was a Mystery of the Klein realm! You couldn't just kill one like stepping on an ant.
Ah, but it really had been killed just like that. The fallen monster was thoroughly, irrevocably dead.
As for the culprit—Liu Mingxi—she blew casually on her bangs like a cowboy and blinked innocently at Miao Su.
Right now, Liu Mingxi was holding an extremely ordinary-looking wooden bow that seemed to have been conjured out of thin air. It was crudely drawn, as if hurriedly sketched with a pen, and the sketchbook and pen she had been using were now floating quietly beside her.
Aside from those, there was nothing else. The only things she had used to kill the monster were a wooden bow and a single wooden arrow.
In fact, she had only fired a single arrow.
Good heavens, she must have drunk too much yesterday and was hallucinating, Miao Su thought to herself.
Just as Miao Su was having an existential crisis, the rest of the team caught up from behind, only to freeze in stunned confusion.
Huh? Where was the Mystery? Don't tell them the thing collapsed on the ground was it.
Wei Xiuming was the first to realize the truth. He ran over to the monster to inspect it, and seeing that its eyes were wide open in utter grievance and that it had completely ceased breathing—dead as a doornail—he finally turned his gaze toward Liu Mingxi and looked her up and down.
Under the strange stares of the few people before her, Liu Mingxi felt exposed even beneath her hard hat.
She put away her bow and arrow, offered an awkward, sheepish smile, and swallowed hard against the embarrassment.
"Um, well, I..."
A startled squeal cut her words short.
"Oh my god! No way! She just killed a Klein-realm creature! Right? Right? Ahhhhh!" one of the team members shrieked in delight, "Holy mother of god!"
Unlike the excited subordinates, the team captain had more factors to consider. Wei Xiuming stared at Liu Mingxi with a cautious gaze.
"Who are you? With the Ancient Gods Church? As far as I know, the only people capable of soloing a Klein-realm Mystery are the five Human Ceilings and those freaks from the Ancient Gods Church!"
"Huh?" Liu Mingxi stared in blank incomprehension. What was he talking about? Not a single word made sense to her.
Yet judging by how they had fought the monster and their matching cloak uniforms, Liu Mingxi figured they must be the good guys. She unhurriedly put away her sketchbook and pen, and casually commanded the wind to dismiss the Wind Shield.
When everything finally quieted down, Wei Xiuming, who had been closely watching her every move, waited patiently for a response that didn't come, maintaining a cautious vigil over her actions.
For a moment, both sides stared at each other, not daring to make a single move.
Seeing Liu Mingxi's reaction, Wei Xiuming temporarily set aside his suspicions and took the initiative to speak.
"Hello, I am Wei Xiuming, captain of Squad 010 of the Night Watchers stationed in Guangshen City."
Still trapped in an awkward social meltdown, Liu Mingxi didn't react right away. She stood there blankly for a moment before snapping back to her senses.
"Ah, oh, I, I'm Liu Mingxi, a freshman art major at Guangshen University, 18 years old."
Damn it, why did she talk like that? Was she reciting her ID card information? She even stated her age, for crying out loud! Liu Mingxi inwardly cringed, wishing she could sketch a massive hat on the spot and pull it down over herself to hide from the world.
Hearing Liu Mingxi's introduction, Wei Xiuming paused slightly. Miao Su had already recovered and was trying hard to suppress a giggle, while the other team members were buzzing with excitement, itching to ask for an autograph. A new Human Ceiling this young! And her trying to act as serious as the captain was just too adorable. Getting her autograph now meant she'd definitely be famous later.
Seeing his idiotic subordinates about to close in on the poor girl, Wei Xiuming hurriedly stepped in to save the situation.
Roughly half an hour after everything was explained, members of the Baili family and a logistics crew arrived—the latter having been summoned by Miao Su.
During that time, Liu Mingxi nodded with a half-understanding expression as she listened, using the opportunity to get acquainted with the members of Squad 010. The atmosphere eased up considerably, though Liu Mingxi remained red-faced and flustered because some of them had actually asked for her autograph.
She could barely understand what they were talking about, but what the heck was that "Human Ceiling" title? Who came up with such an awful name? It sounded so tacky. She didn't dare say it out loud, though, and could only grumble inwardly.
News regarding Liu Mingxi spread first, and just a few minutes later, a helicopter arrived.
Both belonged to the Baili family, yet one took half an hour while the other took less than ten minutes.
Since the surrounding area was a wasteland devoid of any nearby flat ground, it was difficult for the helicopter to land, so the people inside simply rappelled down ropes—a clear testament to how anxious the Baili family was.
At that moment, Liu Mingxi was surrounded by her "enthusiastic" fans and couldn't escape. She sat on a flat, comfortable boulder her admirers had found for her, tucking herself away like a frightened quail; her little red hard hat could no longer save her from her embarrassment.
Seeing the Baili family members rushing over, Wei Xiuming went forward to meet them and exchanged words with the leader.
The lead man simply nodded and walked straight toward Liu Mingxi.
"Hello, Miss Liu. I am Chang Kangsheng, the butler for the Baili Group. Thank you for stepping in to help defuse the crisis." Chang Kangsheng wore a polite smile, dressed in a neat, clean black suit with white gloves.
Damn, the Baili Group—that mega-wealthy conglomerate! Awesome! Liu Mingxi screamed inwardly.
"Hello, hello! You're welcome, you're welcome! Just doing the right thing!" Liu Mingxi bolted upright, nervously nodding and shaking her head with an awkward smile.
Damn it, she was tongue-tied again.
True to his elite training, the corners of Chang Kangsheng's mouth remained fixed in a polite smile. "Miss Liu, you must have expended a great deal of energy just now. We have prepared a sumptuous feast and a comfortable venue. Might we invite you to accompany us? Of course, we won't take up too much of your time, and everything depends entirely on your wishes. What do you think?"
Such elegant and polite nonsense, Liu Mingxi muttered inwardly.
Still, only a fool would turn down a free benefit. If something was free for the taking, why not take it? When an opportunity presented itself, you just went for it—what was there to be afraid of?
"Sure!" Liu Mingxi nodded in agreement, tidied herself up, and followed him away, turning back briefly to wave goodbye to her "fans."
As their figures receded into the distance, Miao Su said to Wei Xiuming with a hint of worry, "With the way the Baili family is acting, are they trying to bribe and butter up Liu Mingxi? They really move fast," she added with a quiet sneer. "That girl won't be in trouble, will she? That Baili family..."
Before Miao Su could finish, Wei Xiuming interrupted her. "Alright, Miao Su. She's a Human Ceiling—who would have the capability to harm her? Besides, stop speaking ill of the Baili family. We took the benefits they offered, so let's not gossip behind their backs. What if someone from the Baili family hears you?"
Hearing Wei Xiuming's stern words, Miao Su could only curl her lips and shake her head in helpless resignation.