The Sacrificial Knife was gone. Or rather, it had been devoured.
The ferocious Blade of Resent had taken its place, while the Source Substance remnants of the original Sacrificial Knife had disappeared without a trace.
This was to be expected. Among all the Source Armaments, the Sacrificial Knife had the lowest degree of completion. It was initially implanted into Huai Shi's Soul to serve as a vessel for the Yin Soul Saint Mark and was not fused with his own Source Substance.
Afterward, lacking supplementation and strengthening from miracles and Disasters of the American Genealogy, all its aspects, except for bloodsucking, fell short.
Now that it encountered Divine Sword Resentment from the same domain, it naturally struggled to maintain its integrity and was gradually replaced by Grudge.
After absorbing the Sacrificial Knife, the feather-like patterns on Grudge's blade now boasted delicate threads of gold, adding a touch of opulence, yet its ferocity surpassed that of its predecessor.
Besides feeding on Disasters and miracles, it even gained the ability to consume blood and life energy. With such nefarious powers, it had undoubtedly become a demon blade, hadn't it? Let's just call it a form of growth.
Even the Ravens had a merry feast last night.
Nara was truly like a treasure trove nowadays.
There were evil beings to kill, food to devour, experience points to gain, and Amber always had pleasant things to say. If it weren't for the necessity to cross-dress, he was starting to like it here.
Then, Huai Shi's tooth-brushing motion paused.
He saw a white shadow flit across the mirror's Reflection behind him.
A delusion?
He frowned and continued brushing.
Then he saw another shadow drift past the door behind him.
He stopped, put down his toothbrush and cup, stepped out of the bathroom, and then… he saw an aimlessly wandering figure in the living room.
It was translucent, like a Phantom.
Barefoot Miss Huaizhi strolled leisurely in the living room, hands clasped behind her, looking here and there as if seeing everything for the first time. She rubbed the Ravens that were cawing happily, as if petting cats.
She turned, watched the mindless comedy on TV, puzzled, then laughed along with the audience. She was like a child.
Sensing the gaze from behind, she turned to glance at Huai Shi and smiled faintly. Immediately after, the Phantom gently dissipated, returning into Huai Shi's shadow.
Dammit!
There was a buzzing in Huai Shi's head.
His first thought was that he had cross-dressed so much it had finally caught up with him; he'd probably developed a split personality. But something about that silhouette felt off, and it inexplicably reminded him of a certain malevolent entity. Even if it was a Reflection of Soloist, wasn't this level of freedom excessive? It was supposed to be a Doppelgänger-like existence, a separate part of him. Even if it grew, how could it be so lively?
"What are you up to?"
Huai Shi picked up the phone and directly addressed the insidious woman on the other end, who was feigning ignorance. "I've been in Yingzhou for only a week, and now I find that my Afterimage has suddenly come to life, starting to act on its own. Do you have any clue what's going on?"
"How would I know?" Tong Ji's voice brimmed with an almost tearful innocence. "Would I, your big sister, ever harm you... Alright, I admit I did have a tiny bit of malice before, but that was so long ago. In your heart, am I still that evil woman who enjoys harming others?"
Yes, indeed, you are!
Huai Shi rolled his eyes. "So, what exactly is going on? Why is Huaizhi Sushi starting to act more and more like you?"
"That? Oh... you scared me. I thought you were talking about something else. It's perfectly normal. Sit down, sit down, no need to panic."
Tong Ji immediately regained her composure, as if sighing with relief, which only made him wonder even more what on earth she had been worried about.
"So, you've harmed me in other ways too?" Huai Shi widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Is that called harming you? This is your big sister's love for you!" Tong Ji sounded aggrieved, on the verge of tears as she asked, "What do you think our relationship is?"
"Of course, it's the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator!"
At this, the voice on the other end sounded even more resigned.
"I know, Huai Shi, there are many misunderstandings between us, and you have many misconceptions about me, your big sister. But you are my Contractor, Huai Shi. There's no closer relationship in this world than ours."
Tong Ji sounded as if she were wiping away tears, her voice thick with sentiment. "You have to believe: my heart, your big sister's heart, is always connected to yours! So your Reflection, isn't that equivalent to my Reflection?"
???
Huai Shi felt something was seriously amiss.
She sounded proud as she asked, "Think about it, to prevent you from feeling lonely in a foreign land, my presence has crossed barriers and become a Phantom accompanying you. What a moving bond! Well? Isn't it thrilling?"
Thrilling, my ass!
If it weren't for his high degree of Etherization, Huai Shi felt he would have suffered a stroke by now.
He had been duped by her again! So, this alter ego contained a part of her too!