Chapter 30: Little Red Riding Hood vs. Jingwei

Fanxing’s gaze swept across the crowd, and sure enough, she spotted a stranger in the distance.

The man looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, tall and slender, wearing a dark green trench coat that accentuated his lean frame. He had long, raven-black hair tied back in a high ponytail. His features were refined and handsome, but from his left eyebrow to the corner of his eye, his skin was covered in cyan scales, and his left eye was a bizarre, vertical green slit.

The crucial detail was that this man was speaking to Fan Honghong, who appeared coy and kept averting her eyes.

It suddenly dawned on Fanxing: Fan Honghong had once told her that the captain of the Si-Snake Squad was her ex-boyfriend.

Good grief, so it was all true!

The two chatted for about ten minutes before the captain of the Si-Snake Squad hurried away. Many people wanted to approach him for an autograph, but the moment they met his terrifying and intimidating gaze, they couldn't help but retreat. In the end, no one dared to step forward.

Once he was gone, many people crowded around Fan Honghong to ask about him. In the Inner World, the captains of the Twelve Squads were national icons.

However, she scolded them all roundly: "Ask, ask, ask, why are you asking? What business is it of yours! You’re all just idle and full of nothing to do. Why didn't you ask him yourselves when he was standing right there? I don't know anything."

Just then, Fan Honghong saw Fanxing returning. Her expression shifted instantly, and she waved happily, "Xingxing, you're back!"

Fanxing walked quickly to her side and said, "Let's go into the classroom; the teacher will be here soon."

"Mm-hmm!" Fan Honghong happily linked her arm with Fanxing's and they entered the classroom.

Once they were seated, Fan Honghong fidgeted for a moment before asking, "Xingxing, aren't you going to ask me about Wu Jingyuan?"

"Wu Jingyuan?" Fanxing looked puzzled.

Fan Honghong replied, "That's the captain of the Si-Snake Squad."

Oh, so the captain of the Si-Snake Squad was named Wu Jingyuan. It was the first time she had heard it.

"Am I allowed to ask?" Fanxing asked.

"You can. Others can't, but you definitely can," Fan Honghong said with a grin.

"Then go ahead and tell me," Fanxing said, feeling genuinely curious.

"Hehe," Fan Honghong held Fanxing’s hand. "It's a bit complicated..."

It turned out that Fan Honghong’s mother and Wu Jingyuan’s mother were once teammates in the same squad. Of course, that was back in the days of the previous generation. The two women shared an incredibly deep bond—the kind where they had saved each other's lives multiple times. Even after they married and moved to different cities, they remained in contact and would meet up from time to time.

Wu Jingyuan was much older than Fan Honghong, so whenever the families gathered, his mother would insist that he take little Honghong out to play. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he had watched her grow up.

Wu Jingyuan’s mother adored Fan Honghong, and when she grew older, she remarked how wonderful it would be if Honghong could become her daughter-in-law. Thinking this was a perfectly viable plan, she discussed it with Fan Honghong’s mother.

Fan Honghong’s mother also felt that rather than having her daughter marry some random boy from nowhere, it would be better to marry "Little Yuan," whom she had known all her life. Even if his personality was a bit odd, he was handsome, a genius since childhood, and had become the captain of the Si-Snake Squad at a young age. Where else would she find such a son-in-law?

And so, they ended up with an engagement, though it was all rather vague.

Fan Honghong hadn't wanted it at first, but Wu Jingyuan suggested they give it a try. His logic was simple: he didn't have anyone else he liked, and if he had to marry someone, he would rather it be Fan Honghong than a stranger.

So, they tried dating for a month.

The relationship ended in a breakup, and the engagement was called off, with Fan Honghong being the one to initiate the split. The reason was simple: she couldn't stand the eccentric Wu family. Unlike the modest Fan family, the Wu family was a long-standing, powerful clan in the Inner World, and their internal rules were incredibly tedious and strict. During their courtship, Wu Jingyuan took Fan Honghong home for a three-day visit, and after leaving, she immediately asked to break up.

After finishing her story, Fan Honghong sighed. "I guess I just wasn't meant to marry into a wealthy family. I don't know what got into him this time, suddenly saying he had a mission here and decided to drop by to see me. Honestly, it’s so awkward to see him now, there's nothing to talk about..."

At two in the afternoon, while Fanxing and the others were in a practical class, a cataclysmic battle was unfolding in a deep mountain range not far from Rainbow City.

The combatants were two women.

The one on the left was small and slim, resembling a child of twelve or thirteen. She wore dark red shorts and a dark red jacket with a large hood that obscured her face, making it impossible to see her features.

The one on the right wore a light blue, wide-sleeved flowing dress, adorned with pearl hairpins. She was beautiful, with long, raven-black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. A true classical beauty.

Both were suspended in mid-air, powerful pressure radiating from them.

"Awooo!" The girl in red let out a howl like a wolf and transformed into a streak of light, lunging at the woman in blue.

The woman in blue remained calm. As the girl charged, a blue barrier materialized out of thin air, blocking her path. The girl in red slammed her fist into the barrier, sending ripples across its surface.

"Yah, yah, yah!" she shrieked, striking the barrier repeatedly with seemingly Herculean force. Finally, with the sound of rushing water breaking, the barrier shattered.

The girl in red roared and swung her fist at the woman in blue, who was now within reach. Just as she was about to make contact, a massive amount of water materialized out of thin air, forming serpents that bound the girl’s arms, legs, chest, and neck.

The girl in red was instantly immobilized.

The woman in blue floated toward her and said coldly, "Britney, the Heart of God is mine. Do not pester me further, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

The girl in red jerked her head up. A flash of red light flickered in her eyes beneath the hood. She enunciated each word, "The... Heart... of... God... belongs to... Britney. No one... is allowed to steal it!"

As she finished, the girl's frame suddenly expanded. Her red jacket tore, and her hood fell back, revealing a youthful face. Immediately, gray fur began to sprout, and her features transformed into those of a wolf. In an instant, the tiny girl, only about 1.3 meters tall, turned into a giant werewolf over two meters tall.

Britney’s head was now entirely that of a wolf, and her hands and feet had become claws.

"Awooo!" As she let out a howl toward the heavens, the water binding her shattered and dissipated. With a single swipe of her claw, she sent the woman in blue flying.

Boom!

With a massive crash, the woman in blue plummeted to the ground, smashing through an entire mountain. She soared out of the debris, her face twisted in rage. "Britney, it seems you prefer the hard way!"

Britney the wolf-girl looked down from above and said, "Britney... does not... like... drinking!"

The woman in blue laughed in fury. "Fine, fine, fine. If that’s the case, I won't hold back anymore."

As she spoke, her entire body erupted in brilliant blue light until she was completely encased in it.

"Screech!" A cry rang out from the light, and a beautiful, giant blue bird emerged, flapping its wings. The bird was entirely azure, with a crested head, a white beak, red talons, and three long tail feathers that shimmered with crystalline light.

After circling in the air, the giant bird dove toward the werewolf.

Britney was not to be outdone; she leapt up to meet the bird. Within moments, the wolf and the bird had exchanged dozens of blows, the surrounding mountains collapsing under the shockwaves of their battle.

Meanwhile, the captains of the Si-Snake Squad, led by Wu Jingyuan, were observing the battle from the shadows. Wu Jingyuan hadn't lied to Fan Honghong; he really did have a mission in Rainbow City, and visiting her at school was just an afterthought.

One of the squad leaders said, wide-eyed, "Captain, is this the destructive power of an SS-rank spirit species? It’s terrifying. The Alliance wants us to seize the Heart of God? That’s practically asking us to go to our deaths!"

The wolf and the bird were none other than two of the world's seven "Witches"—Little Red Riding Hood, Britney, and Jingwei—whom Teacher Hu had mentioned in class. These two SS-rank spirit species were fighting over the Heart of God.

As for what the Heart of God was, legend claimed it was the heart of an ancient god. Among SS-rank powerhouses, it was rumored that whoever obtained it could break through to the SSS-rank.

Wu Jingyuan said, "The Alliance only asked us to do our best; they aren't forcing us." His own strength was only S-rank; the gap between him and the SS-ranks was too vast.

Just as they were talking, a water arrow shot directly toward their hiding spot.

"Oh crap, Captain, we’re finished!" The squad leaders were horrified. The mere shockwaves from the SS-rank battle were enough to kill them. The water arrow carried an unstoppable momentum, its contained energy seemingly capable of destroying the heavens and the earth. The squad leaders felt their very souls tremble.

Wu Jingyuan stepped forward. His left eye suddenly flashed with an eerie green light, and the scales on his face began to heave as if breathing. With a hiss, the phantom of a massive green snake rose from his body. As the water arrow descended, the green snake opened its maw and swallowed the arrow whole.

Upon swallowing the arrow, the green snake was struck by the surge of water energy. Blue ripples washed over it, and its face twisted into a grotesque, pained expression. Simultaneously, Wu Jingyuan groaned, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

The squad leaders looked on with concern. "Captain, you're hurt!" "Captain, are you okay?"

Wu Jingyuan waved a hand. "I'm fine."

The battle between the two witches was drawing to a close. Jingwei was ultimately no match for Britney; she was slashed across the chest by a claw and plummeted to the ground. A massive wound opened in her chest, and blood poured out, dyeing the mountains and earth red. Because her blood contained vast and pure water-attribute energy, a torrential downpour began to fall over both the Rainbow City of the Inner World and the Rainbow City of the Surface World.

This was the power of an SS-rank spirit species; they could alter the weather of the world. Of course, such powerful species were rare.

Seeing she was no match for Britney, Jingwei flickered, shrinking from a giant bird into a palm-sized creature. She spoke in human tongue: "Britney, just you wait. I will have my revenge sooner or later. As for the Heart of God, you won't get it."

With that, she dove toward the horizon and vanished into a blue ring of light. In terms of speed, Britney couldn't hope to catch her, so she could only vent her rage with a howl.

"Awooo!!!"

After venting her anger, Britney’s form shrank rapidly, reverting to the image of the young girl in red, before she vanished from the spot.

Once both witches had departed, the Si-Snake Squad emerged from their cover.

"Captain, what now?" one of the leaders asked.

"Jingwei must be severely injured," Wu Jingyuan mused. "Find her, and see if we can seize the Heart of God while she's vulnerable."

"Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!"

The squad leaders responded in unison and vanished.

Back at school, Fanxing’s practical class was only halfway through when the sky suddenly opened up in a downpour. Fan Honghong caught a raindrop, looking puzzled. "It was sunny just a moment ago. Why did it start raining so suddenly?"

Fanxing shook her head. "Who knows."

Seeing the weather, Teacher Zhao said, "Let's end today's lesson here. Everyone can go home."

The students cheered and hurriedly packed their things.

When Fanxing arrived home, she found Xinzhu sitting under the eaves of the house, resting her chin in her hands, waiting quietly. The Pharmacist Mouse sat next to her, nodding off with drowsiness, while the Rose Fairy sat on a leaf in the flower bed, letting the rain drip onto her as she hummed a cheerful tune. As a flower fairy, she loved the rain.

Seeing Fanxing return, Xinzhu’s face lit up, and she started to run into the rain to greet her, but Fanxing stopped her. "No, don't come out."

Xinzhu stopped immediately, waiting until Fanxing reached her and took her hand to lead her into the house.

Evening arrived, and due to the heavy rain, the sky had turned completely dark ahead of time. Fanxing’s apprentice, Yang Ruoling, was just getting off work and hurrying home with an umbrella. As she passed the roadside, she caught a glimpse of blue in the bushes.

Curious, she walked over and parted the leaves to find a small bird shivering inside.

"Where did you come from, little bird? You poor thing. Come, big sister will take you home."

With that, she cupped the bird in her hands and hurried off toward home.