Chapter 13: I Clearly Arrived First!

Gao Mi and Wan Boqian had no idea what had just happened. In the blink of an eye, the boy before them seemed to have transformed into someone else entirely.

An unparalleled pressure surged over them like a tidal wave, making it difficult for them to even breathe. The next moment, they felt nothing at all as their bodies went limp and collapsed to the ground.

Tang Xi sheathed the Muramasa and lightly tapped each of them once with the back of her blade. The entire action, including the marking, took no more than five seconds. Then, she decisively retreated, returning control of her body to Chu Zihang.

She hurriedly checked the status panel. Seeing that the durability remained a precarious 2, unchanged, she finally exhaled in relief.

Chu Zihang hadn’t even realized what had just occurred. His vision cleared once more, and the two men who had moments ago been beating him senseless were now unconscious on the floor.

He furrowed his brow, still unsure how to proceed, when Tang Xi’s voice broke the silence. “Forget about them for now. Go find Xia Mi.”

Tang Xi herself hadn’t fully figured out how to handle the situation, but that didn’t matter. There was always someone skilled at dealing with specific matters. Professional affairs were best left to professionals—like this Xia, who specialized in erasing memories.

As expected, the Western restaurant was quiet. They entered a private room where a beautiful girl sat by the window. Upon seeing him, she smiled and beckoned him over.

“Senior Brother, you’re formidable—truly impressive,” she said openly, not bothering to hide her admiration for Chu Zihang’s surveillance skills. “Looks like all the training these past days wasn’t for nothing.”

Chu Zihang frowned. Before he could respond, Xia Mi’s gaze shifted to his backpack. “Senior Brother, can I talk with her for a moment?”

Inside the backpack lay Gungnir, but Chu Zihang stood still, unmoving. Tang Xi also hesitated.

Xia Mi was an uncertain factor. No one knew what she was thinking, and she had no idea how to communicate with anyone aside from the host.

Yet Xia Mi showed no intention of backing down. Her assessing gaze was unhidden as she asked, “What are you afraid of?”

Seeing this, Tang Xi realized there was no avoiding it, and simply said, “Give it to her.”

Chu Zihang hesitated briefly, then silently set down his backpack and took out the long spear that looked like an exquisite ornament.

Xia Mi took it, her smile growing even brighter. A faint golden light flickered in her eyes. “Thank you, Senior Brother~”

The moment Chu Zihang saw that golden glow, he was stunned. His consciousness rapidly blurred, and the next instant, he collapsed onto the table.

Tang Xi was dumbfounded. She thought to herself, “No wonder she’s called the Dragon King—her strike is truly fierce.” But Xia Mi seemed completely unaffected. She held Gungnir in her hands, turning it over and over like a fascinating toy.

“So light... a fake,” she said, swinging the spear slightly. “Hey, speak up!”

“What do you mean ‘speak up’? It’s clearly a clone!” Tang Xi protested, annoyed. “As if I’d talk and you’d actually hear me.”

But her words quickly trailed off when she noticed Xia Mi’s expression shift subtly. A foreboding feeling crept over her. Tentatively, she asked, “Wait, you really can hear it?”

Yet soon she realized something was wrong. Gungnir seemed to be absorbing Xia Mi’s energy. Opening the status panel revealed that experience was indeed increasing—not quickly, but steadily.

Xia Mi likely noticed this too, but she didn’t mind. She guessed this was the price to establish their connection. Such a small loss was as insignificant as a mosquito bite.

“What exactly are you?” Xia Mi whispered, lowering her voice. “Be honest.”

Tang Xi found this amusing and actually laughed aloud. “Didn’t you say you already knew my identity? What’s left to ask?”

Xia Mi paused, narrowing her beautiful eyes, then changed the subject. “There’s no record of you in my memory inheritance.”

“But I’ve heard a story, an intriguing human myth,” Xia Mi continued. “The black dragon Nidhogg bit off the roots of the World Tree, and the holy spear Gungnir is said to be a branch of that tree.”

Tang Xi thought, “How should I know these myths?” but maintained a mysterious demeanor, saying nothing.

Xia Mi, receiving no response, clicked her tongue and stopped playing coy. “If this myth corresponds to dragon history, does it mean there was another sovereign before the oldest emperor?”

Tang Xi was taken aback. What was this girl implying? Why bring up a sovereign? Didn’t she know that she herself was the sovereign?

Her? A sovereign? Could it be true?

“Why are you silent?” Xia Mi narrowed her eyes. “Am I wrong?”

Snapping back to reality, Tang Xi cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “Yes, I was once the Lord of the World. Then an accident happened, and all that’s left is a single branch.”

She paused, her tone solemn. “If you help me now, when I revive, I will crown you the new Black King.”

Xia Mi almost thought she misheard. When she realized what was said, she laughed in disbelief. “Do you take me for a fool?”

“No, didn’t you say it yourself?” Tang Xi showed no guilt. “I’m just following your lead.”

“Enough nonsense.” Xia Mi cut her off. “I don’t care what you are or where you come from. Leave Chu Zihang.”

“So you care that much about this human? What do you have on him?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Though she didn’t answer directly, her attitude said it all. Tang Xi reasonably suspected that this love-stricken Dragon King had probably already laid her cocoon on Chu Zihang.

That was why she was so concerned about a human—what she truly cared about was her own fallback.

Tang Xi didn’t necessarily need Chu Zihang. Other hosts were within her consideration. But...

“If you say leave, I can’t just go quietly, can I? I’d lose face.”

Xia Mi’s anger turned to laughter. “You got here first!”

“Besides, this is a notification, not a negotiation.”

Her expression grew cold as she gripped Gungnir tightly, seemingly pondering whether to snap it in two.

Knowing better than to provoke further, Tang Xi relented. “If you want me gone, there should be some benefit for me. Ever heard the saying, ‘It’s easier to summon a god than to send one away’?”

“What do you want?”

“Simple.” Tang Xi snapped her fingers. “Chu Zihang is still useful to me. Let me borrow him for a while. When the time comes, I’ll leave of my own accord.”

“How long?”

“I don’t know.”

Seeing Xia Mi about to lose her temper, Tang Xi added, “But during this time, you can watch me closely. I won’t interfere with you building a relationship with Chu Zihang.”

Xia Mi’s expression softened slightly. She frowned as if deep in thought. Tang Xi paid no mind and spoke softly, “And the first step in building that relationship? I suggest you deal with those two guys.”

“After all, they’ve seen Chu Zihang’s face clearly. You don’t want them investigating him and discovering your connection with him, do you?”