Chapter 161: Dangerous Person (1)

"Bebelur?!"

Upon hearing this name, Pepero did not pay much attention to it at first, merely finding it vaguely familiar as if she had heard it somewhere before. However, when she caught sight of Bebelur’s coquettish and alluring demeanor, a flash of recognition crossed her mind. The anger on her face vanished in an instant, replaced entirely by solemnity and vigilance.

Noticing this sudden change in Pepero's expression upon hearing her name, Bebelur was somewhat surprised. She poked out the tip of her tongue to gently lick the back of her hand, rolling her eyes in an intensely seductive manner—though mostly out of habit. A subtle trace of doubt arose in her heart. She glanced at Pepero and then probed tentatively, "Little sister, have we met somewhere before? Big sister's memory isn't quite what it used to be. What do you think?"

"Perhaps. Aren't you hungry? I still have some meat slices here, please don't be polite. I have business to attend to, so I'll be leaving first!"

As she spoke, Pepero tossed the meat slices toward Bebelur. At the same time, she snatched up her backpack from the ground, heaved it onto her shoulders, and turned to leave. Yet right at that moment, a strange gleam flashed in Bebelur's eyes. She extended her fingers and effortlessly caught the slice of meat, spinning it casually across her slender fingertips. In the very next instant, Bebelur's figure vanished right where she stood!

Ever since hearing the woman's name, Pepero had remained on high alert against her, even as she turned her back. The moment she sensed a sudden shift in the woman's aura, the soul power within her body erupted instantly. A dazzling red light flashed across both her arms, and her body twisted at an unimaginable angle. With a crisp, ringing *slap*, she met Bebelur head-on as the latter flashed directly behind her.

"Swish!"

What Pepero had not anticipated was that Bebelur's speed was also terrifyingly fast—a velocity that nearly caught her off guard. The soul power beneath Bebelur's feet burst forth instantly, and two crimson tails immediately coiled around Pepero's legs. With a fierce exertion of her lower calves, Pepero was sent retreating backward like a cannonball. At that very moment, Bebelur leaped up in pursuit, and in the blink of an eye, the two speed-oriented women exchanged over thirty blows amidst mid-air!

"Bang!"

Their bodies remained pressed tightly together, hands moving with blistering speed. Their battle qi surged wildly and wantonly like an extension of their own flesh, dazzling to behold. They clashed rapidly and separated just as quickly, the entire exchange lasting less than ten seconds!

Standing firm, Pepero wiped her neck with her hand and glanced at the glaring crimson smear on her palm—left behind from her recent exchange with Bebelur. If her speed had been even half a fraction slower, her airway would likely have been severed right then and there.

Gritting her teeth, she glared at the woman before her and spat out each word individually: "What a vicious phantom cat!"

"Hmph, little sister, you really do recognize me!"

Bebelur sneered, reaching out to wipe a bright red scratch beneath the corner of her eye. That scratch had naturally been inflicted by Pepero. This young girl's speed was not the least bit inferior to her own; if Pepero hadn't dodged so quickly, or if the arc of that battle-qi claw had been just a fraction higher, one of her eyes would have been completely ruined by now!

Observing Pepero's lingering wariness, Bebelur narrowed her eyes. To be able to recognize her instantly meant this girl clearly had some understanding of her background. What surprised Bebelur even more was that Pepero could actually name her assassination moniker! The assassination organization Bebelur belonged to was an extremely secretive entity; ordinary people lacking both strength and status could never come into contact with them, let alone know of their existence. The organization was shrouded in mystery, and her moniker even more so. Yet this girl seemed to know it all. Having the capability to uncover such secrets meant Pepero's own identity was definitely far from simple!

Just who on earth was she? Bebelur furrowed her brows slightly, pondering for a long while without arriving at any conclusion. After a moment of hesitation, Bebelur ultimately decided to resort to her old method: eliminate the witness!

"For the sake of this mission's safety, anyone who poses a potential threat must be killed!"

These were the words spoken by their leader before setting out. Right now, Bebelur used them as justification for her actions. If this girl truly turned out to be someone untouchable, well, even if she ended up dead, it was the leader's own fault for issuing such an order in the first place.

With this thought, Bebelur suddenly broke into an intensely alluring smile, poking out her tongue to lightly lick the back of her hand like a cat before blinking at Pepero. "Little sister, now that you know big sister's identity, then..."

Bebelur had originally intended to finish speaking before making her move, but to her utter astonishment, Pepero's reaction was even faster than hers! Ever since the battle in the Mercenary City, Pepero had successfully broken through from a Rank-2 Great Soul Master to a Rank-3 Great Soul Master. Coincidentally, however, this Bebelur happened to be a Rank-3 Great Soul Master as well. With their strengths nearly evenly matched and both specializing in speed, the two instantly and tacitly began a fierce competition of pure velocity the very moment the fight resumed!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Crimson battle-qi blades and grayish-white battle-qi blades continuously collided. Their speeds reached absolute extremes, and their combat styles were surprisingly similar. As an assassin, Bebelur naturally focused entirely on fatal vitals. Pepero, however, possessed no gentle, rabbit-like weakness; her methods were ruthless and vicious, every single strike targeting Bebelur's fatal points. The two exchanged dozens of consecutive blows, each encounter abruptly concluding in the blink of an eye. Yet, bizarrely, the result of every single clash was a dead heat!

"Swish!"

With a leap, the two bodies pressed tightly together once more, their battle-qi surging and emitting piercing, whistling sounds that tore through the air. Pepero pushed her soul power almost to its absolute limit; the two red-fox fiery tails wrapped around her legs functioned practically as a close-fitting defensive shield, continually fending off Bebelur's assaults. Meanwhile, Bebelur's attacks had been remarkably straightforward from the very beginning. Pepero never even saw her expend any massive amounts of soul power, yet strangely, every single one of Bebelur's attacks was impeccably accurate and effective, striking vital areas with flowing, unhesitating motions devoid of any sluggishness. Moreover, such attacks seemed designed to consume the absolute minimum amount of soul power possible!

"Bang!"

Having exchanged blows, the two parted once again. Pepero was the first to land. Pivoting on the ball of her foot, she instantly charged back toward Bebelur. Since her opponent was a soul master equally matched in speed, choosing to evade at this moment would mean conceding defeat in the one area of pride she valued most!

Watching Pepero charge at her once again, an indescribable excitement gradually welled up in Bebelur's eyes. Letting out a sharp shout, she transformed entirely into a streak of grayish-white light, hurtling directly toward Pepero!

"Well fought!"