Chapter 973: Karmic Sin
Chen Junnan felt something was off as he walked down the street.
This night was far too unusual.
It was nearly the hour when you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, yet the streets were eerily quiet—not a single "ant" was in sight.
Even though two "Heavenly Level Moments" had already occurred, many nearby buildings still showed signs of human activity. Small groups of people gathered together, faint fires flickering around them.
In a daze, Chen Junnan felt as though he had stepped back a decade. Back then, many "participants" were still alive, and they would gather like this every night. Though they couldn't exactly say they were shooting the breeze, there was always something to talk about.
The fires inside the buildings lit up the street just enough to make it less pitch-black, but Chen Junnan still found it strange.
After all, a long-haired girl had been following him at a distance for the entire journey.
Chen Junnan clearly remembered that after he left "Heaven's Gate," she had followed him out shortly after. At first, he thought it was just a coincidence, but she seemed to be tailing him the whole way, and no matter what he did, he couldn't shake her off.
Finally, after turning three street corners, Chen Junnan stopped and turned to look at the girl.
"Hey there… Big Sister."
"Oh? What's up, little brother?" the girl replied without a hint of hesitation.
"Wow, you really don't need an invitation to take the bait, do you…"
Chen Junnan took a closer look at the long-haired girl. Dressed all in black, she was tall and slender, showing none of the timidity one would expect from someone following another person.
"You call me 'Big Sister,' so why can't I call you 'little brother'?" the girl shot back.
"Fine. You're absolutely right," Chen Junnan nodded.
The girl shrugged. "Well? Why'd you stop?"
"I…" Chen Junnan frowned. "Big Sister, that's not how it works, is it? You've been sticking to me like glue the whole way. Do you have something to tell me or not? If you do, just say it now so I can rest easy. If you don't, we should go our separate ways so I can feel at ease. Otherwise, I'm starting to think you're after my good looks, and I can't even walk in peace."
"Ha." The girl chuckled and brushed her hair back. "Dear little brother, your logic is flawed. The reason you think I've been following you the whole time is simply because you've been walking in front of me. What does that have to do with me?"
"What the hell is 'dear little brother'? I feel like you're mixing up the generations," Chen Junnan said irritably. "Big Sister, if you think I'm blocking your way, why don't you go first?"
"No can do," the girl replied.
"Why not?"
"What if I walk ahead and you don't follow me?"
The simple question caught Chen Junnan off guard. He scratched his head in confusion. "I don't really get it. What does it matter if I don't follow you? I didn't step out tonight to tail you…"
"Let me explain the logic," the girl said. "A young woman walking alone late at night isn't exactly safe."
"True."
"If I run into a bad guy, I'd be in a vulnerable position."
"True."
"So I follow behind you. That way, we're at least traveling together, and I feel a bit safer."
"True."
"But if I walk ahead and you just leave, I'll be alone in the dark again."
"True… True my ass!"
Chen Junnan still couldn't wrap his head around her reasoning. "I really don't get it… Am I not a stranger to you too? Oh, a stranger is unsafe, but I'm safe? And why should I be responsible for whether you run into danger or not?"
"A stranger…?" The girl shook her head. "I don't think so. Little brother, if I'm not mistaken, you're Chen Junnan, aren't you?"
"No, I'm Brother Gourd."
"Ha…" The girl covered her mouth with a laugh. "Someone once told me that meeting Chen Junnan once leaves a deep impression. Looks like they were right."
Chen Junnan narrowed his eyes at her. "And who might you be? I remember seeing you with that girl in white, Yan Zhichun, back at Heaven's Gate, right?"
"That's right. My name is Jiang Ruoxue. Zhichun said you've been trying to set her up with someone… What, do you run that kind of service on the side?"
"The hell I do." Chen Junnan shook his head. "Big Sister Jiang, where exactly are you heading? Can't this wait until tomorrow? Even you know it's not safe this late."
Jiang Ruoxue smiled and shook her head. "You're asking me that? We're probably in the same boat. We both got some kind of order tonight, which is why we're moving at the same time."
"Oh? So tonight really is eventful…" Chen Junnan chuckled. "Big Sister Jiang, are you from the 'Extreme Path'?"
"Yeah, a hundred percent genuine, no fake, through and through." Jiang Ruoxue nodded. "What about you? What's your identity?"
"I'm Brother Gourd."
"Fine, fine…" Jiang Ruoxue sighed helplessly. "Dear Brother Gourd, it's almost completely dark now. Don't waste any more time. Let's keep moving."
"Alright, don't you slack off either." Chen Junnan said. "I've been socially anxious my whole life, but I get uncomfortable if no one's chatting with me. The road's so quiet—keep me company."
"Sure thing." Jiang Ruoxue nodded and walked up to Chen Junnan's side. The two of them continued forward together.
"We wouldn't be heading to the same place, would we?" Chen Junnan asked after a few steps.
"Hard to say." Jiang Ruoxue replied. "We're not exactly on the same side right now. I'm 'Extreme Path,' you're 'Brother Gourd.' I can't reveal too much."
"Fine… Big Sister…" Chen Junnan sighed. "But heading in this direction… where else could we be going? Just tell me straight—we're both heading to 'Cat,' aren't we?"
"More or less." Jiang Ruoxue nodded.
At that moment, Chen Junnan's mind sharpened. Tonight, Qi Xia was clearly up to something big, and oddly enough, Jiang Ruoxue, as a member of the "Extreme Path," had also started moving. She chose to accompany him to the "Cat" headquarters. But were the "Extreme Path" friends or foes?
He thought for a moment, then turned his head again. "Big Sister Jiang, what are you going to 'Cat' for?"
"I'm going to 'Cat' to find the 'Extreme Path.' And you?"
Chen Junnan blinked. "'Cat' has members of the 'Extreme Path' inside…? Some small fry?"
"Probably not." Jiang Ruoxue smiled. "What about you? What are you going to 'Cat' for?"
"If you're going to 'Cat' to find the 'Extreme Path'… then I guess I'm going to 'Cat' to save my grandpa."