Chapter 256: I Want to Play a Game with You

Chapter 256: I Want to Play a Game with You

"Unlucky, unlucky, unlucky!"

Xiao Yu anxiously watched as the man in front of her struggled, but with no leverage in mid-air, he only managed to make himself appear small, pitiful, and helpless, without any actual help.

"Sneaky... My good boy, help me quickly."

She whispered to her pet, but the magical snake wrapped around her arm didn't budge, and it seemed to coil tighter than usual, as if it was scared or nervous.

Useless thing! Xiao Yu cursed in her mind, or rather, cursed the snake.

It was initially a majestic and powerful giant python, impervious to blades and fire, with a long lifespan, chasing her and Dragon Uncle all over the place. But after she took it in, it had never been of any use, its only achievement being the unexpected defeat of two dark assassins.

Indeed, one can only rely on oneself...

Xiao Yu glanced at her fragile body and silently added to her thoughts.

Or others!

"I'm warning you, big guy. My friends and family are very formidable."

"My Dragon Uncle is outside, and he knows kung fu! There's also my old man, who is proficient in magic. Do you understand magic? And my good friend Lu Ke, he's the most powerful, skilled in both kung fu and magic!"

"If you dare to touch me, they'll beat you to a pulp."

Xiao Yu gestured with the movements of Cheng Long's fighting style, attempting to intimidate him.

When the enemy is weak to a certain extent, it only makes them appear cute. Lu Xie extended his finger and flicked Xiao Yu's forehead, and as expected, he heard the girl's cry of pain.

"I moved, now call your friends and family to beat me up."

"You..."

Xiao Yu was momentarily speechless.

"What do you mean 'you'? Why didn't you call for help? Could it be that you couldn't?"

Lu Ke ignored Xiao Yu's feeble threat, lifted her up, and swayed her from side to side, observing her slightly panicked expression due to the feeling of weightlessness, as if he had discovered something new and interesting.

Xiao Yu swayed a few times to regain her balance and ground her teeth, "What do you want?"

"What do you mean, what do I want?"

Lu Xie chuckled, "I came to collect the item I bought at the auction, and you came to steal from me but got caught. Now you're questioning me instead?"

"Little one, last time you and your uncle sneaked into my museum in the middle of the night to steal, and I let him go without holding a grudge. This time, you're here to steal again. What should I do with you?"

Xiao Yu stopped struggling and thought about it, feeling dejected as she realized it was indeed the case. She mustered up her courage and spoke, "I won't let the Charm fall into the hands of the Black Hand Party's bad guys."

"Who told you I'm from the Black Hand Party?"

Xiao Yu paused, "You clearly said 'Long live the Black Hand Party' last time."

Lu Xie gently placed Xiao Yu on the ground and flicked her forehead again, this time with more force, but his control was so precise that she fell without feeling any pain.

"If one could confirm their identity just by shouting a slogan, wouldn't I be able to move to the Trisolaris System by shouting 'Down with human tyranny, the world belongs to Trisolaris'? Or become a citizen of M78 Nebula by shouting 'I am Light'? Or join the Fairy Tail Guild by shouting 'This is Fairy Tail'?"

"So, you were lying to me last time. You're not from the Black Hand Party."

Xiao Yu got up from the ground, and the vigilance in her eyes lessened slightly.

"Wrong, this time I'm lying to you."

Lu Xie raised his right hand, holding a Rat Charm in his palm, a Charm that could grant life to inanimate objects. He examined the Charm and said calmly, "Strictly speaking, I'm not a member of the Black Hand Party; rather, the Black Hand Party is mine."

"I am the most evil and powerful leader of the Dark Aura Faction."

Xiao Yu touched her pocket in a daze, feeling its emptiness. She patted the dust off her body and was no longer as afraid as before.

"Similar to the final boss?"

"You can think of it that way."

Lu Xie didn't mind the title, even though it sounded a bit tacky and might evoke images of adolescents waving wooden sticks, imagining themselves as heroes. But it was accurate.

Moreover, this was a form of recognition. After Xiao Yu's statement, the dark energy surrounding Lu Xie intensified.

Footsteps approached from a distance, seemingly the staff returning. Lu Xie glanced at Xiao Yu, put the Rat Charm into his pocket, and slowly walked out.

With the Rat Charm in his possession, he had no reason to stay any longer. It was indeed a bit dull not encountering any obstacles along the way.

However, it was understandable. After all, most of the Light Qi was concentrated on the virtuous side, and without his intervention, nothing could have stopped him.

Except... Xiao Yu?

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Xiao Yu the World's Child, as both the Light and Dark Qi favored her greatly. Although she didn't possess direct power, the two energies surrounding her were no less impressive than those of the leaders of their respective factions, and they were firmly rooted, not easily transferable.

As Lu Xie left the auction, he was about to teleport back to the commercial building when he suddenly noticed Xiao Yu following him, her eyes fixed on him, or more precisely, his pocket.

Stroking his chin, Lu Xie pondered for a moment, considering the encounter with Xiao Yu as some sort of fateful arrangement. After a brief silence, he spoke.

"So, kid, you want the Rat Charm back?"

"I'm not a kid, I'm Xiao Yu!" Xiao Yu replied with a hint of resentment.

"I'm having a competition with my friends to see who can collect more Charms. He's ahead of me by a lot. I was hoping to tie the score with the Snake Charm, but you bought it. Now the Rat Charm is also yours..."

Lu Xie smiled, amused.

Such a naive child, he's not ahead of you by a lot; he's far ahead!

Aside from the Sheep Charm, all eleven Charms have already appeared. Soon enough, Ah Fu and the others will find the last one and bring it to me.

The competition was long over; Xiao Yu just didn't know it yet.

"So, Xiao Yu, if you want the Rat Charm that badly, let's play a game. You choose the activity, and the prize will be the Charm."

Lu Xie took out the Rat Charm and waved it in front of Xiao Yu, "If you win, you give me the Charms from District Thirteen. If I win, the Rat Charm is yours."

Xiao Yu shook her head vigorously, "That's not fair! There are three Charms in District Thirteen, and two of them were found by my friends. I can't gamble with their belongings without their permission."

Aside from the Ox Charm that Dragon Uncle and I found, there's also the Chicken Charm that Lu Ke took from the Black Hand, and the Tiger Charm that he stumbled upon.

Noticing that Xiao Yu didn't oppose his suggestion, Lu Xie knew he was halfway to success. He smiled nonchalantly.

"You get to choose the activity, so you already have an advantage, don't you?"

"How can it be the same? You're an adult, and I'm a child. You should give me some leeway."

Lu Xie feigned difficulty, "Fine, I'll take a step back. How about just the Charm you found yourself?"

"Well..."

Xiao Yu hesitated, a rare occurrence. The terms were tempting, but it had only been a few days since she last stole a Charm; it might not be a good idea to try again so soon.

"If you're too scared, it's fine. It's understandable for a child like you to be afraid of something as important as Charms."

Seeing that Xiao Yu remained silent, Lu Xie pretended to be perplexed and scoffed, acting as if he was about to leave.

A child of this age couldn't bear such provocation. Xiao Yu immediately stepped forward, pointing at Lu Xie.

"Hey, who's afraid of a big guy like you? Don't look down on me. I'll show you what it means to seek strength from within!"

"I hope you won't change your mind later."

Lu Xie raised an eyebrow, his tone indifferent. "So, what do you want to compete in?"

Xiao Yu humphed, "There's nothing here to compete in. What can we do?"

"Then where do you want to go?"

"Moose Park, of course!" Xiao Yu tried to contain her excitement.

"I've always wanted to go there... I mean, there are many suitable activities for a competition there!"

Lu Xie: "..."

If you say so.

It seemed like Xiao Yu had never really enjoyed herself at Moose Park, and the last time she went with Blake, she was possessed by the Dark Lord. This could be a chance to fulfill her wish.

...

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the highly-rated Moose Park in the city center.

The park was massive, bustling with visitors. Many children could be seen holding their parents' hands as they explored the various attractions, their laughter filling the air.

Lu Xie: "Despite the name, the most popular attraction here isn't the moose but the super moose."

Xiao Yu: "There are plenty of staff, and the attractions are diverse. Maintenance and equipment replacement are timely, and in the center, you can even exchange game tickets for free ice cream and drinks!"

"So, who are you trying to convince with this sales pitch?"

Lu Xie gave Xiao Yu a sidelong glance, "Are you being too relaxed in front of a super villain?"

"Are you trying to back out?"

Xiao Yu placed her hands on her hips and stared at Lu Xie. While she would be genuinely afraid if he tried to harm her, mere words from an adult didn't hold much sway over a child.

"I wouldn't stoop to bullying a child."

Lu Xie bought two tickets at the counter. To scare Xiao Yu, he reverted to his original appearance, looking around eighteen years old. Standing together, they could pass as siblings.

The ticket seller complimented Xiao Yu, "Your sister is so cute."

"Who's his sister!"

Lu Xie noticed Xiao Yu's resistance to the title and patted her head, smiling at the seller, "Actually, she's my daughter."

"Eh?"

The seller was taken aback, "But you look so young."

"I have a baby face. I'm actually in my thirties!"

He spoke with such seriousness that the seller believed him, taking his hand in admiration.

"I can't tell. Your skin is amazing. What's your secret?"

"Get hit by a car and be reborn in another world."

"Haha, you're such a joker," the ticket seller realized that Lu Xie was teasing her, and instead of getting angry, she smiled and examined Lu Xie's face and body. She gently scratched his palm and secretly slipped him a note.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she took a moose headpiece from a nearby cardboard box and placed it on Xiao Yu's head.

"Here's a gift for the cute little sister. Have fun!"

"Thank you!"

Xiao Yu happily accepted the gift and walked inside, looking around with excitement. It took her a while to finally tear her gaze away.

"What did that ticket seller slip into your hand?"

Lu Xie casually tore up the note and threw it into the trash can, "This isn't something a child should know about."

"Tsk, adults always say that."

Xiao Yu clicked her tongue in disdain, putting the matter behind her. Compared to gossip, games were much more appealing. Soon, she had her eyes on the first attraction and pointed with her small hand.

"Let's play that!"

Lu Ke looked over and saw it was a game where you shoot to win prizes. If you hit the balloons, you could take home the corresponding plush toy, and the grand prize was a Super Moose over one meter tall.

The owner was very enthusiastic, "Want to win the giant Super Moose? It costs two thousand dollars in the store, but now with fifty bullets for a hundred dollars, you can take it home! If you don't hit it, there are other gifts too!"

Lu Xie exchanged fifty bullets, and Xiao Yu took the lead.

She aimed the gun, not very skillfully, and pulled the trigger.

Bang—

The first shot was a bit off, but Xiao Yu calmly adjusted and fired again. The second shot was much better, and she improved quickly. By the third shot, she hit the target, and by the fifth shot, she was already quite proficient.

With continuous gunfire, the balloons were burst one by one. By the time the bullets were used up, Xiao Yu had successfully won the first prize—a Gnome Police and a Tropogiant.

During the game, she tried several times to aim at the Super Moose, but she couldn't pop the balloon.

Yes, it wasn't that she missed, but that the balloon wouldn't burst.

Lu Xie glanced at the owner; the Super Moose balloon was small, not fully inflated, and made of thick material. Clearly, the owner didn't want to give away the grand prize easily.

"Your turn."

Xiao Yu looked at the Super Moose with a bit of regret, but also with a hint of pride in her accomplishment.

Lu Xie took the gun and fired continuously without pause. The newly hung balloon wall emitted a continuous stream of popping sounds, completely swept by his shots.

Finally, he casually fired one last shot.

Bang—

The small balloon for the grand prize burst, and Xiao Yu's proud smile froze on her face, as did the owner's smile.

Ignoring the owner's darkening face, Lu Xie: Let's go, Xiao Yu.

Lu Xie took Xiao Yu to a corner and put the pile of stuffed toys and the giant Super Moose into his personal space.

"The score is settled, Xiao Yu."

"The score for this round is settled!"

Xiao Yu put her hands in her pockets and turned away, whistling nonchalantly, as if a bit embarrassed, "I didn't say we'd only play one game. Whoever wins the most games today is the real winner!"

Three out of five!

As expected, she was trying to take advantage.

Lu Xie wasn't angry, "So, what else do you want to play?"

"The Haunted House! Let's go to the scariest haunted house. Whoever screams first loses!"

"No problem."

The two arrived at the haunted house, a rarely visited attraction in the amusement park. The entrance was a huge monster with its mouth wide open. The dark and eerie tunnel, combined with the chilling mist, was enough to make anyone hesitate.

"Are you sure you want to play this?"

"I'm sure!"

Xiao Yu walked in determinedly, and Lu Xie shrugged and followed.

Moments later, a high-decibel scream of terror echoed through the haunted house.

After a few more minutes, Lu Xie walked out, expressionless, carrying Xiao Yu, whose legs were trembling.

"If you don't have the guts, don't play this."

"But it was so thrilling!"

Xiao Yu got down, her face pale with fear but also with a hint of enjoyment. The feeling of being scared and having her heart race was unforgettable.

She forgot the first, the middle, and the last part, but in the end, it was three out of five!

She looked at Lu Xie, who seemed unaffected, and was curious, "Why didn't you react at all?"

Lu Xie shrugged, "Looking at pay stubs and bank account balances is scarier than the haunted house."

Xiao Yu looked confused, "I don't understand what you're saying."

Lu Xie thought for a moment, "It's like having no allowance for the next thirty years, having to write from nine in the morning to nine at night for six days a week, and your teacher expecting you to do three people's homework and still thinking you're not ambitious enough."

Xiao Yu's pupils shook, and a chill ran down her spine. She got goosebumps in broad daylight.

What a scary ghost story!

After hearing that, the haunted house suddenly didn't seem so scary!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end