Naraku's Lackey

Liu Lang looked at the female high school student in front of him and the wooden comb she pushed across the table.

Zhong Qingqing had just finished taking the national college entrance examination.

Had it not been for these sudden upheavals, Liu Lang would probably be just like her right now.

At this moment, Zhong Qingqing was looking at Liu Lang with a trace of fear, as if he were a stern elder.

He couldn't help feeling a bit helpless. Li Yuanjian's tailored suit and mafia-esque demeanor certainly looked cool, but it had terrified the innocent young girl, reducing Zhong Qingqing to tears.

Watching her wipe away her tears stirred up a natural, protective sense of pity.

"Alright, your mother has gone out, and there's just you and me in the room. You can speak freely now. Did you bring this comb out from the video world?" Liu Lang tried to keep his voice as gentle as possible.

Zhong Qingqing nodded obediently. "That day, there was a little over a month left before the college entrance examination. The revision was so tedious that I just muttered, 'How boring.' By the time I came to my senses, I was already over there."

"Over there? Which show or movie was it?"

She seemed to hesitate, her almond-shaped eyes watery and exceptionally cute.

Just as Liu Lang was about to encourage her to continue, a flash of blade light appeared. A samurai sword materialized in Zhong Qingqing's hand, and with lightning speed, she slashed directly at him!

With a sharp clink, a dagger blocked the samurai sword.

*E-rank proficiency,* Liu Lang thought. *Unless she possesses some bizarre and unpredictable ability, she's no match for me.*

It was just a pity such a pretty girl; Liu Lang had actually wanted to ask her what this year's college entrance examination essay topic was.

"Why? You know I'm with the authorities." Liu Lang nonchalantly stowed the wooden comb away on the table. "And you're no match for me."

Zhong Qingqing gave a cold chuckle, mocking, "A lackey of Naraku! You can't fool me!"

Liu Lang: "???"

If you called me a royal court's running dog, I could at least understand, but what on earth is a lackey of Naraku?

"You reek of the Shikon Jewel! Hand it over! I'll spare your life!" Zhong Qingqing shouted fiercely, her samurai sword sweeping in wild, powerful arcs that smashed countless pieces of furniture to pieces.

This JK-uniformed girl was utterly ferocious, but before absolute strength, all of it was a joke.

Liu Lang casually thrust out his dagger, and Zhong Qingqing practically delivered her own neck right onto the sharp tip.

This was the gap in martial arts realms.

***

Zhong Qingqing showed no fear whatsoever, charging forward recklessly, letting the dagger pierce straight into her throat.

Liu Lang was shocked—this girl was trying to commit suicide!

Acting as if nothing had happened, Zhong Qingqing continued to slash wildly with her sword, a dagger stuck straight through her neck without a single drop of blood flowing out.

Afraid of causing her further injury, Liu Lang didn't even dare to pull the dagger back.

Zhong Qingqing's mother and Li Yuanjian had long since realized something was wrong, but her room had been sealed off by a mysterious force, and even Li Yuanjian was unable to break through it.

Seizing an opening, Liu Lang used the grappling techniques taught to him by Qin Chuan to subdue Zhong Qingqing.

He let out a sigh of relief; this girl was far too fierce in combat.

Pinned from behind by Liu Lang, Zhong Qingqing twisted the wrist holding the sword, sweeping the blade across her own body before continuing her attack toward Liu Lang.

Who could have ever anticipated such a mutual destruction tactic!

Liu Lang did indeed get cut, but Zhong Qingqing had literally hacked her own body clean in half!

Still, not a single drop of blood flowed.

Zhong Qingqing's upper body floated in mid-air, and countless strands of black hair shot out from her back, instantly occupying almost every corner of the room.

Liu Lang clutched the wound on his abdomen; the sharpness of that samurai sword far exceeded his expectations.

"I lowered my guard." Pain clung to him like a parasite, and Liu Lang dropped to one knee.

Zhong Qingqing wore a triumphant expression. "That ability was well worth exchanging for!"

"A spider demon?" Liu Lang asked in confusion.

"The dying talk too much! I'll be taking your Shikon Jewel now." Zhong Qingqing's sword-wielding arm detached completely from her body, flying out on its own, driven by the black strands of hair to slash at Liu Lang's head!

The dagger finally flew back from Zhong Qingqing's neck, blocking the fatal blow just in time.

"A dying struggle," Zhong Qingqing sneered.

Liu Lang seemed to have reached his limit, practically collapsing onto the floor. "Can you... at least let me die knowing the truth?"

"Oh? What do you want to know?" Zhong Qingqing's body and limbs pieced themselves back together into a normal human form. She sat atop the black hair, crossing her legs, her white knee-high socks stretching all the way up her thighs.

"Why do you think I have the Shikon Jewel, and why do you think I'm Naraku's lackey?"

***

"Hmph, so be it. You probably don't know yet, but Sister Kikyo has bestowed upon us the ability to sense the Shikon Jewel. As for why I recognized you as a running dog, heh, isn't it common knowledge that anyone holding the Shikon Jewel in an alien realm is a lackey of Naraku?"

Liu Lang was still somewhat bewildered.

"Kikyo?"

"You haven't watched *InuYasha*? It seems you're just another pitiful wretch bewitched by Naraku."

"Let me tell you, we are Realm Walkers, traveling through different worlds, completing missions to earn rewards, and exchanging them for abilities, physiques, or magical items."

"As for me, although I'm a D-rank Walker without any main storyline to exchange for powers, I gained Sister Kikyo's recognition in the world of *InuYasha*, and under her tutelage, I acquired my current abilities."

"That abomination Naraku controls numerous Realm Walkers, sending fragments of the Shikon Jewel scattered across different worlds."

Liu Lang was somewhat puzzled. He had also watched the anime *InuYasha*, but wasn't the female protagonist named Kagome? How did Kikyo fit into this? Besides, according to Zhong Qingqing's account, had Naraku ultimately obtained the Shikon Jewel and spread it to other worlds?

Fortunately, Zhong Qingqing proceeded to explain just that.

"Are you wondering why the Shikon Jewel is in an alien realm? Truth be told, it's our own fault as Realm Walkers. In order to complete missions, we altered the original plot of *InuYasha*. The protagonist InuYasha was beaten to death by a B-rank Realm Walker, and the original female lead, Kagome, went missing."

"Naraku isn't an idiot. Once he discovered the truth about Realm Walkers, he manipulated many Walkers into working for him. He shattered the Shikon Jewel anew and had the Walkers carry the fragments into different realms."

"His goal is to use the Shikon Jewel as an anchor to eventually conquer all worlds! After Sister Kikyo was resurrected, she raised the banner of rebellion against Naraku once again... Hey, why are you—"

Liu Lang stood up completely unscathed, even dusting off the dirt from his trouser legs.

He pulled out the wooden comb he had stowed away earlier. "This ability belongs to that female ghost from the original plot of *InuYasha*, right? The one who can control hair, entrust her soul to a wooden comb, and render her physical body immune to all attacks. In that case, I only need to crush this." He exerted a subtle force, and the wooden comb looked as though it could shatter at any second.

Zhong Qingqing's body trembled in sync with the shaking of the comb. "You... you weren't actually injured!"

"Never underestimate the strength of the authorities. Besides, I am not Naraku's lackey, nor do I have the Shikon Jewel." Liu Lang tossed away an empty vial; he had just secretly injected the blood serum Liu Fei'er had given him.

This thing was practically a healing potion straight out of a heroic fantasy world.

"Withdraw the power sealing this room. I'm taking you back with me." Liu Lang threatened her once more with the wooden comb.

What was sealing the room was an arrow—rumored to be the arrow of Kikyo herself.