"Speak, now's your chance to tell me what's going on, isn't it?"
Lu Mingming clutched the cub's collar, a rare hint of threat in her expression.
If it weren't for her keen sense of smell detecting that peculiar sour scent, she might have fallen victim today.
After drinking that cup of water, laced with who knew what, it was uncertain if she'd even wake up tomorrow.
But Lu Mingming didn't believe the cub harbored ill intentions.
Otherwise, during the confrontation with the enforcement team earlier, the cub wouldn't have risked speaking a lie to save her.
When the cub remained silent, Lu Mingming pressed, "Who is this person you mentioned? Why did he want me to come here, and why did he want you to harm me?"
Just as Lu Mingming thought there would be no answer, a familiar voice from outside the door snapped her to attention.
"I'm the one who had him bring you here, and I'm the one who ordered the drug. The goal was to let you rest in the safe house for a while longer, and you'll be released once everything is over."
Aunt Shi was wearing a distinctive black work uniform today, her hair neatly and cleanly combed back from both sides of her ears.
"No need to look any further. My daughter and I have something to discuss."
Aunt Shi waved her hand, and the little boy, sensing an opportunity, wriggled out of Lu Mingming's embrace and ran out of the room.
With no one else to interrupt, Aunt Shi suddenly asked, "Do you remember what I used to tell you about my daughter?"
Lu Mingming hummed, and a flash of inspiration struck her.
Could it be... that Aunt Shi was doing all of this for her daughter?
As expected, Aunt Shi said resolutely in the next moment:
"The sins committed against my daughter back then... I will reclaim them all. I've been preparing for decades for this!
I've done everything I possibly could, but even sacrificing immense wealth couldn't save my daughter's life."
Aunt Shi's face seemed to have aged decades, and a stream of tears fell, dampening her clothes.
Lu Mingming's eyes pricked with pain as she felt the sharp sting of losing a loved one.
"Aren't ghosts and spirits said to be able to revive the dead and heal bones..."
Lu Mingming suddenly thought of this.
"Even ghost ginseng couldn't save your daughter's life?"
"That's what the traffickers lied about. At best, it can heal some serious injuries."
Aunt Shi's emotions gradually stabilized, and she indifferently wiped away her tears with a grey handkerchief.
"You're still young and don't understand. When my daughter lay in my arms, I personally felt her body temperature slowly fade... I cried and begged every noble family, pleading with them to bring doctors to treat my daughter, but not a single one agreed."
As Aunt Shi recounted the event, her eyes turned bloodshot and terrifying, hiding within them an ocean of pain and sorrow.
"Everything I'm doing is for your own good. I don't want you to suffer the same fate as my daughter."
"Setting aside the correctness of this matter, how can you guarantee victory for the slum dwellers?"
Lu Mingming's brow furrowed. If they failed, everyone would suffer.
"Speaking of which, there have been two unknown forces working towards the same goal as me, giving me great support and encouragement."
Aunt Shi hinted meaningfully, meeting Lu Mingming's gaze with immense joy.
"I believe my plan will succeed this time. Everyone in Sin City must die."
Lu Mingming was instantly speechless.
The only two forces she could think of were them.
Orlanal, as the official alliance, their involvement made sense. Lu Yan, the leader of all criminal gangs, wouldn't that be equivalent to a fratricidal act?
"What about the innocent people? There must be cubs in the sleepless city who are unaware of the events of that year!"
Finally, Lu Mingming managed to find a reason.
She believed there must be individuals similar to Jasmine, Orlanal, and Yi Fu.
"Bah! These people are like maggots that grow on flesh, like parasites that continuously erode and draw nutrients from trees. Not a single one of them deserves forgiveness."
A fierce flame of hatred flashed across Aunt Shi's face. The resurfaced memories had completely burned away her reason, leaving only the desire for revenge.
"You don't need to say any more to me. I've made up my mind, and there's no going back."
Aunt Shi flipped her palm, revealing her mental sea attribute to be "Water."
Gentle water energy formed a palm-sized, azure blue water sphere. With a slight wave of her hand, Aunt Shi turned it into raindrops that sprinkled towards Lu Mingming, like a transparent, pale blue water film.
"Stay here and be good. The water film will protect your safety and can notify me of your actions, so you'd best not get involved. Tonight, I will announce the complete disappearance of the sleepless city."
After saying this, Aunt Shi placed a faded pendant on the table, strung together with pearls as a necklace.
Lu Mingming recognized it at once as the one Aunt Shi always wore around her neck.
The photo embedded in the pendant had been removed, and the pearl chain had been polished anew, emitting a soft glow.
"This is a gift for you. After all, we share some mother-daughter affection. Once everything is safe, you can leave this place."
Aunt Shi turned and left resolutely, her voice trembling.
"Wait—!"
Lu Mingming tried to chase after her, but an invisible wall at the doorway pushed her back.
"A barrier has been set up. I can't get out."
Lu Mingming gathered her mental energy and tapped against the transparent wall.
As the saying goes, water can encompass all things. Aunt Shi's mental energy possessed similar characteristics.
All attacks were gently defused. The wall rippled silently, leaving Lu Mingming helpless.
She leaned against the barrier in frustration, looking out at the empty street.
The safe house wasn't very large, and Aunt Shi's voice reached her ears clearly.
"Our first army has completed their preparations. Now, the second army will depart. Everyone, grab all your sturdy weapons, summon your mental power at any time, and be sure to kill the City Lord of the sleepless city to achieve victory on the final defensive line!"
The adults all picked up their kitchenware and carefully sharpened cleavers. A few carried guns snatched from the enforcement team.
A group of people, their faces etched with the defiance born of extreme oppression, ignited with the fierce flames of resistance.
"Sister, don't worry about it anymore. Just wait for our good news."
Before leaving, the little boy didn't forget to run to the "prison" where Lu Mingming was confined, shook the small knife in his hand, and showed off a mouthful of white teeth.
"You brat, hurry up and let me out."
Lu Mingming was stunned.
"You think too highly of me. That was set up by Aunt Shi. Only someone with space-attribute abilities can take you away."
The little boy rubbed his nose, smiling sheepishly, a hint of awkwardness in his words.
"Don't underestimate me. I'll bring you good news tonight."
The little boy waved his hand high, smiling goodbye, and ran off with the crowd.
"No, I can't just sit here and wait to die."
Lu Mingming launched a few more attacks, but unfortunately, they were all useless.
Aunt Shi's mental power, infused with water elements that had been accumulating for decades, was dense and powerful. Despite Lu Mingming's high talent, she lacked the experience of long-term accumulation.
"What should I do? My comms unit is useless. Is there anything I have on me that I can use..."
Lu Mingming rubbed the fleshy part of her earlobe, worried about the safety of the slum dwellers.
Biting her lower lip, she picked up the necklace Aunt Shi had left behind. The surface of the pearls was still slightly warm.
"The necklace..."
"Right, the bone whistle!"
Lu Mingming quickly unfastened the bone whistle chain she had been wearing around her neck.
It was originally meant as a unique decoration, but she hadn't expected it to be useful one day.
Lu Mingming held the bone chain, silently making a wish.
The bone whistle, as its name suggested, resembled a human pinky bone. At its sharpest tip, there was a tiny hole. The entire bone was smooth and clean, like jade, radiating a chilling aura, yet it felt warm in her hand.
Lu Yan, please come and save me!
A sharp whistle sound slowly spread through the empty room.
Suddenly—
A massive spatial rift appeared out of thin air, two meters away from Lu Mingming. A tall, stern figure emerged from it.
The man wore his favorite fur coat, but today he was uncharacteristically dressed in a custom-made, high-end suit, making him look like a wealthy young master returning from business.
Lu Yan smiled slightly at Lu Mingming, the smile lingering on his lips, carrying a hint of strange slyness and an unfathomable meaning.
"My lady, I've finally been waiting for you to blow the bone whistle. Is there anything I can help you with?"