Chapter 222: Reunion with Kujou Sara
If Bai Luo wasn't mistaken, this cat should be the same white feline he had once forgotten at the training grounds.
What truly surprised him, however, was not just the fact that it had survived—but that it was clearly living quite the comfortable life.
Judging by its pristine fur, it was obvious someone had taken care of it. A stray left alone for so long couldn't possibly keep its coat so clean. Someone must've adopted it, groomed it, maybe even pampered it.
Thinking along those lines, Bai Luo instinctively glanced at the nearby marked signals. After all, not just anyone could tame such a creature. The kind of person who could? He would've marked them long ago.
And sure enough, he saw someone he had indeed marked.
That person was—
Whoosh—!
A sudden gust swept past as wings folded behind her back. Wearing battle gear and traditional wooden sandals, Kujou Sara landed atop a high branch, staring down at Bai Luo—who now held a small, fluffy feline.
Unfortunately, the combat uniform she wore was a bit too conservative. Even from this vantage point, Bai Luo still couldn't catch much of a glimpse. That said… the snow hadn't quite covered the southern hemisphere of this particular angle, and that elegant curvature was somehow even more enticing than if it had been fully revealed.
Strange. Nothing was exposed, yet it felt more alluring than outright nudity.
Truly… Mihoyo knows what they're doing.
Her breast size—somewhere between Ksenia and Hu Tao—was oddly… perfect.
"Bai Luo?"
Her brow furrowed slightly.
Kujou Sara hadn't expected to run into this dangerous individual in a place like this.
That's right—dangerous.
According to the intelligence she had, this man should've long since left Inazuma and gone off to stir up trouble in Liyue. When did he sneak back in?
And more importantly…
The little creature he was holding… looked oddly familiar. Wasn't that the specialist from the Shogunate's Yashiro Commission?
There's no mistake—she'd interacted with this little one before. The impression had stuck.
Could it be… that the Yashiro Commission too…?
"Long time no see, Sara."
He stood casually on the same tree, dark wings spread behind him.
If only this Kujou had even half the cheerfulness of that tengu girl…
"This is a restricted area of the Shogunate. State your business," she said coldly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Otherwise, I won't mind tossing you in a cell for a few days."
So much for joyful reunions.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of a "absence makes the heart grow fonder" vibe. Just a sharp, domineering presence—one that felt oddly familiar.
More importantly, her eyes. That glare. So full of… resentment?
"Ah, it's a misunderstanding, really. We were being tailed earlier, so I picked a random direction to shake them off. Our meeting is a total coincidence."
This time, Bai Luo wasn't lying. After cloaking himself, he simply picked a direction and ran.
Now that he looked around… yup. He must've wandered into the Kujou Encampment territory.
Still, one thing bugged him.
Why was Sara looking at him like that?
Did she… find out about the rumors he spread about them being an item?
No… knowing her personality, if that had come to light, she would've drawn her blade without hesitation.
Wait a second.
As Sara landed beside him and picked up the white cat from the ground, realization struck Bai Luo like lightning.
This Kujou Sara… she was a fan of his novel My Electro Archon Can't Be This Cute. One of the very few people who knew he was the author.
Which meant…
That look in her eyes—the one filled with so much rage—wasn't because of personal grudges or gossip.
It was because he had disappeared for ages and still hadn't updated the damn book.
In other words… Sara was his reader.
His angry, loyal, chapter-starved reader.
"So… what's with the cat?"
Even after piecing everything together, Bai Luo played dumb with practiced ease.
Update the novel?
Not happening.
Not now. Not ever.
Writing stories couldn't possibly be more fun than stirring up chaos.
No matter how hard he worked, that fox from Yae Publishing House would never spare a shred of sympathy for him anyway.
In the end, they'd still find all sorts of excuses to dock his manuscript fees.
"I found it on a tree near the training grounds," Sara said calmly. "Since it had no owner, I took it in."
She cast Bai Luo a sidelong glance, but didn't bother hiding the truth.
That boy—before he challenged her to a formal duel—had once paid Bai Luo a visit.
Bai Luo had even come to her personally to speak on his behalf.
Which, of course, was one of the reasons why she'd stormed over to confront Bai Luo the moment the duel ended.
After all, in the entire city of Inazuma, there was probably only one person capable of pulling strings like this—and that was him.
And, as it turned out, he did know that boy.
If it hadn't been for the solid proof Bai Luo provided back then, she definitely wouldn't have let things slide so easily.
"I'm just surprised it was willing to follow you," Bai Luo said with a half-smile.
He still remembered clearly just how loyal this cat was. Back then, if he hadn't been holding it in his arms, it would've chosen to die beside its master under that grandma's Musou Isshin without hesitation.
"..."
What came next was a long silence.
Of course Sara knew how stubborn this cat was. Gaining its trust hadn't been easy—it had taken a lot of time and effort.
"So, this Kujou Encampment… you're in charge of it now?"
Watching her gently pet the white cat, Bai Luo couldn't help but start petting the little tanuki in his own arms.
Looking at them side by side… yeah, his little tanuki was definitely cuter.
Although, if he went too far with the petting, it wouldn't just be a bite he'd get in return. More like… a bonk on the head with a spiked club.
"Sorry. Classified information."
Even though she and Bai Luo technically had some history, it wasn't enough for her to go spilling secrets.
Even something as seemingly public as this—she chose to keep silent.
Because she knew full well that someone like Bai Luo, with his knack for gathering intel, could deduce valuable information just from the tone of her voice.
The best strategy when dealing with him… was to shut him down completely.
And "classified information" was the perfect catch-all excuse.
No matter what he asked, she could brush him off under the pretense of military secrecy.
And just as expected, the two of them moved through the forest—one leading, one following.
No matter what Bai Luo asked, her answer was always the same three words:
"Classified. No comment."
It wasn't until the trees thinned out and the forest opened up that Sara finally came to a halt.
"Up ahead is the beach. Follow it and you'll reach the port. The situation at Kannazuka is a bit more stable than Yashiori Island, but you still shouldn't linger here. Leave as soon as you can."
Why was Sara escorting him out?
Just because they were old acquaintances?
Of course not.
The truth was—Kannazuka's situation wasn't exactly secure. The explosion back at Tatarasuna still cast a long shadow, and the Fatui's involvement couldn't be ruled out.
Keeping a Fatui Harbinger around in a volatile zone was just asking for trouble.
It would be far better to send him on his way—especially since the Shogun herself was stationed over on Narukami Island. No matter how much chaos this guy wanted to stir up, he wasn't going to get far with the Raiden Shogun watching.
Honestly…
She still didn't understand why the Shogun would allow someone like him to remain in Inazuma.
A walking disaster. That's what he was.
. . . . .
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