Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Unlucky Crow

“I’m afraid ‘lucky’ can no longer describe this,” he muttered, still shaken, casting a wary glance at the black-haired girl beside him. Thank goodness he hadn’t offended her earlier—if she took a dislike to him, who knew what calamity might befall him?

“Who did this? Who’s responsible?”
Barely out the door and already drenched by a crow, Gamian was beside himself with fury. He glared viciously at the offending bird, only to hear it utter a pitiful cry and collapse to the ground, twitching a few times before falling still. As his apostles, the crows’ lives and deaths were at his whim.

Gamian spun around, eyes blazing, fixing his gaze on Yin Seventeen and Ruolan, his teeth clenched as he demanded, “Who threw that stone just now?”

Yin Seventeen said nothing, quietly adjusting his clothes. Ruolan gazed upward, forcing a laugh. “I… I don’t know… Maybe it was a stray shot from a Saint in training…”

Gamian’s appearance was already less than favorable, and his rage now only made him seem even more menacing, causing Ruolan to shrink back in fear. More importantly, Gamian was a Silver Saint, far stronger than she was—if he was determined to attack her, she stood no chance.

Thinking this, she cast a pleading look at Yin Seventeen for help. At this moment, their team consisted of three: Gamian, the Silver Saint, and the Silver Saint of the Crater constellation. If the latter spoke up for her, perhaps the matter could be settled.

Meanwhile, observing Ruolan’s guilty demeanor, Gamian easily deduced she was the culprit.

“You little cursed rabbit, did you hex me just now?” he erupted furiously.

As an elder among Saints, he knew much about them—such as the lucky rabbit.

Ruolan of Lepus possessed extraordinary luck, but that same fortune could be reversed into misfortune. Of course, this bad luck never touched her, instead transferring to others. In other words, those whom Ruolan disliked would suffer endlessly—even drinking water could result in a chipped tooth.

Under normal circumstances, with a Saint’s reflexes, he’d never have been caught by that bird droppings, but he’d been distracted at the crucial moment. Such a coincidence—it had to be Ruolan’s doing!

“Well… who can say?” Ruolan replied evasively, unable to meet his gaze.

“Damn it, today I’ll show you what I’m made of!” Seeing her refusal to admit guilt only fueled Gamian’s rage.

“Go! My precious ones!”

He issued a command to the crows overhead. Instantly, the flock descended like a black cloud, surging toward Ruolan.

“Help!”

Ruolan cried out, immediately hiding behind Yin Seventeen.

Seeing the situation escalate, Yin Seventeen shook his head with resignation. “Alright, let’s just let this matter go.”

As he spoke, he ignited his cosmos, spreading his right hand, and a massive vortex of water formed a barrier, keeping the crows at bay.

“You think you can just decide that? On what grounds?” Gamian roared, infuriated by Yin Seventeen’s interference, and launched a punch at the water barrier.

Boom!

The barrier shattered, but Yin Seventeen was nowhere to be seen behind it.

At that moment, an icy voice accompanied the feeling of an unfamiliar hand landing on Gamian’s shoulder.

“I said let it go. Didn’t you understand?”

Yin Seventeen had dissolved the barrier at the very instant Gamian’s fist struck, and slipped behind him, rather than having the barrier shattered by Gamian’s blow.

“How dare a newly promoted Silver Saint act so arrogant!” Unaware of how his opponent had circled behind him, Gamian’s shame turned to rage. He had been cautious after witnessing Yin Seventeen’s promotion battle, but now, blinded by anger, he cared no longer.

He ignited his cosmos, grasped the hand on his shoulder, intent on throwing its owner off. Yet, despite his utmost effort, the hand didn’t budge.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a sharp sound sliced through the air, and Gamian felt a stabbing pain in his hand. He withdrew his palm and saw a deep gash across his glove; blood streamed from his fingers, dyeing his entire hand scarlet.

“How is this possible?” Staring at the cut on his glove, Gamian was astonished.

He wore a Silver Cloth, its defense far superior to Bronze. To damage such a Silver Cloth required nearly the power of a Gold Saint. Even to leave a mark demanded a Silver Saint of great strength.

This newly promoted Silver Saint’s strength was far beyond his expectations.

Watching Gamian’s hysteria subside, Yin Seventeen withdrew his hand from Gamian’s shoulder and said, “Are you calm now? If so, let’s get moving. We mustn’t delay the Pope’s matters.”

At these words, Gamian used his mind to command the crows to cease their attack, and said nothing more of the earlier incident. Yet his gaze toward Ruolan was tinged with both caution and helplessness.

The lucky rabbit—what a cursed creature!

He’d been inexplicably drenched with bird droppings, then reprimanded by Yin Seventeen, never gaining the upper hand for a moment. Truly, misfortune had struck.

From now on, he resolved to keep his distance from that rabbit, avoiding trouble whenever possible.

“And you—stop cursing him in your heart!” Yin Seventeen shot the girl a stern glare. If not for her, none of this would have happened.

“Alright—” Ruolan answered reluctantly, though whether she truly listened was unclear.

Gamian pointed at his head. “I need a bath. Wait for me a moment!” With that, he vanished.

Seizing the chance, Yin Seventeen studied the girl closely, curiosity in his voice. “Are you Asian?”

Yellow skin, black hair tied in a single ponytail, and distinctly Asian features.

“Yes, yes!” Ruolan nodded enthusiastically, a bit excited. “I’m from the East. What about you?”

She could tell this newly promoted Silver Saint was also Asian.

“What a coincidence, I’m from the East as well,” Yin Seventeen replied with a smile. It cheered him to meet a compatriot in this place.

“How long have you been in Sanctuary?” he asked offhandedly.

The girl counted on her fingers before answering. “After igniting my cosmos on Mount Lu, I came to Sanctuary to compete for a Cloth. It’s been over three years now.”

“To be honest, I do miss home sometimes.”

Her nose twitched, and her eyes reddened as she spoke.

Yin Seventeen was surprised. “You haven’t gone back at all in three years?”

“No!” she replied firmly, shaking her head.

“Not even for the New Year?” Yin Seventeen pressed.

“New Year? What’s that?” Ruolan looked utterly confused.

“The New Year is…” Yin Seventeen began to explain, but seeing her genuine bewilderment, he suddenly realized something and quickly asked, “What about Mid-Autumn Festival or Lantern Festival? You haven’t returned for those either?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Ruolan was even more baffled.

This compatriot kept mentioning strange things she didn’t understand.