Chapter 245: The Promise of a Strange Thing, Little Red Riding Hood and the Witch of Sloth
Near night, the Beijing Ring Road No. 7 Viaduct.

The Dice Man sat on the bridge railing, his shoulders slightly hunched, his palms resting on the railing, his legs swaying slightly, and humming the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down".

It raised its empty eyes and silently watched the sunset fall from the horizon.

There is a crimson glow between the high-rise buildings, and the glass curtain walls and the last blush on the horizon complement each other.

In an instant, the city was enveloped in darkness. Like a huge black curtain, the glass walls of the buildings gradually dimmed, and then the shadows spread across the streets and alleys like a tide.

From the noisy voices to the non-stop advertising slogans, everything seemed to be swallowed up by the darkness, and the only sound left in the ears was the rumbling sound of the train passing over the tracks.

On the deserted viaduct, it suddenly said, "I always feel a sense of security when watching the night coming. I don't really understand why some people like dusk. Well, I hate the state of not wanting to go or not. It's like an old man sitting on the toilet to take a shit, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't, and finally the shit sticks to his butt." I don't know who it was talking to, but its tone was cheerful, as if it was joking with an old friend.

The strange thing paused and said, "But seeing the night coming, it's like a sudden burst of constipation that blocks the entire sewer. It makes me feel instantly refreshed. What do you think?"

"Can you please not use such disgusting metaphors?"

Black Wukong sat next to it, put the golden cudgel aside, and said unhappily.

She paused, lowered her eyes and looked at the rows of neon lights slowly lighting up in the city, "But I also like the night."

"Right?"

The strange thing grinned slightly.

“When I look at the evening sky, I always think of myself, a half-dead person.”

Black Goku looked at the last red light remaining in the sky and spoke softly.

"Why?" the strange thing asked her.

"Because watching the sky slowly darken makes me feel uneasy. But if the sky is dark from the beginning and stays dark, maybe I won't be so anxious..."

"You know, many cancer patients think this way. That being said, night, like dusk, is a gradual process," the strange thing said. "You think it will always be dark, or that you will feel relieved when it gets dark. But this is actually wrong. You never know when the day will suddenly dawn."

It paused, and looked at Black Wukong sideways: "What I mean is, there is no need to jump to conclusions and be self-righteous and think that you are already a dead person, Miss Sun Wukong. Dusk is indeed anxiety-provoking, but the night will not last long, and dawn will always come. The world is such a process of alternating light and darkness."

Black Goku was silent for a while, took off his mask and took a breath of fresh air.

Bai Qiuwu said calmly: "According to what you said, when you did bad things, did you ever think about the retribution you would suffer?"

"Are you asking me as a friend or as a vigilante?"

"friend."

"Of course I have thought about it." The strange thing shrugged, "But not all the things I did were bad. If the good and bad things are balanced together, won't it be fair?"

"Is it……"

Bai Qiuwu thought about it, and finally asked about what happened last night: "Why did you interrupt my brother's game?"

The strange thing said nonchalantly, "Because yesterday was Miss Ash's birthday. I think she would be happy to see her brother come home early instead of fighting with others on TV and being beaten all over and unable to get out of bed."

Bai Qiuwu was stunned for a moment: "So you showed up there on purpose just to let him go home early?"

"No, no, no, it's also because I find it fun." The weirdo shook his head.

"Heh... I guessed it."

Bai Qiuwu smiled.

"You really know me. I don't know why I feel a little uncomfortable."

The strange thing looked at her smug smile, raised his hand and scratched his cheek, and said quietly.

"Aren't you essentially a naughty child who lacks love? Even if you do something out of line sometimes, it's just a child throwing a tantrum because he doesn't get the attention he deserves."

"Instead of seeking the scriptures to become a Buddha, or punishing evildoers, you become a psychologist?"

"no?"

The strange creature curled its lips and suddenly asked: "Even if there is only such a short period of time left in life, can you still distinguish between good and evil?"

"If I can't tell the difference, I won't be myself anymore."

"Really? If it were me, knowing that I only had one year, I would probably make a big fuss, turn the whole world upside down, and let everyone be buried with me, or... at least let them remember that there was a person like me who lived."

The strange thing scratched the back of its right hand with its left hand. Seeing that Bai Qiuwu was about to speak, it added faintly: "I know you think I am doing something bad, but I am just trying to get rid of the depression and sorrow in my heart. It is so pitiful for a person to die alone in a corner where no one cares, isn't it?"

"You know, it's not without reason that those people on the Internet say you lack love." Bai Qiuwu said with emotion.

"I don't deny that."

"So you really only have one year to live?"

Bai Qiuwu suddenly asked.

"No, no, no, I was just thinking about it from your perspective and giving an example."

"Oh."

The weird thing continued: "If I have the chance, I will do evil all my life and keep having fun among generations of superheroes and magical girls."

"I really don't understand you. Sometimes you can say some nonsense that seems to make sense, and sometimes you act like a child."

"It's like someone once said, 'Great people are always androgynous.'" Strange Thing said, "Some people have many seemingly contradictory but cleverly coexisting qualities, and they have a soul with many different characteristics: sometimes it is a strict instructor, and sometimes it is just a child who longs for care."

It paused. “And you, sometimes you are a cold-faced vigilante who wears a mask and never says a word in front of the camera, and sometimes you do something out of line.”

"Out of line? For example?"

"Like always having trysts with a super villain on the viaduct." The weirdo said without hesitation.

"Let's not talk about whether you are a super villain or not. You are the one who took the initiative to look for me every time. I have never taken the initiative to look for you. How can there be such a thing as a tryst?"

"Not accepting but not rejecting, isn't that ambiguous?"

Bai Qiuwu rolled his eyes at it, raised his hand to his chin, and thought seriously for a while: "Let me think about it, I should be a poor little girl who was seduced by the super villain Dice Monster."

"So you admit that you are just a little girl in front of me?"

Bai Qiuwu said calmly: "At least not after putting on the mask."

"That's enough."

Bai Qiuwu lifted the hair by her ears, was silent for a while, hugged her legs, and whispered: "So, we are so familiar with each other, you really don't intend to reveal your true identity to me?"

"I understand. You pretended to be close to me, but you actually wanted to trick me into revealing my true identity." The strange thing shrugged. "You are really smart, Miss Sun Wukong. Unfortunately, I am not that slow. Give up. You can't make me surrender to you."

"Actually, I don't really want to know your identity."

"why?"

"I don't know what you look like behind the mask, so I won't be disappointed or hurt." Bai Qiuwu said, "You are fine now, a symbolic cartoon character, like a character in a dream, so when I meet you, I can let go of my worries and tell you some real words."

She paused, "But...if I treat you as a real person, I will just feel timid and even hate you."

"So, you don't want to know who I am at all?"

The strange thing turned its head and stared at her pitifully, its tone like a puppy that had fallen into the water.

It was in a very conflicted mood. On the one hand, it couldn't let Bai Qiuwu know its identity, but on the other hand, it didn't want her to not know its identity, as that would make it seem very embarrassing for it to be a mysterious villain.

"It's very contradictory. I want to... but I don't want to."

As she spoke, Bai Qiuwu suddenly turned her clear eyes to the side, and she suddenly stretched out her right arm, and her five fingers wrapped in metal gloves gently stroked the strange face of the monster.

As if feeling its presence.

The strange thing let her touch its face, "Maybe one day in the future, I will tell you who I am."

"Really?"

"Of course. Rather, when that day comes, there will be no point in me hiding it from you."

"Then remember to do it before I go crazy." Bai Qiuwu teased, "Otherwise... the monkey in my body will wreak havoc in Heaven, and by then, I won't have the chance to know who is under your mask."

"Ok."

Upon hearing this, Bai Qiuwu lowered his head and remained silent for a moment. Suddenly, he put on a mask, picked up the golden cudgel in his right hand, spun it in the air making a whistling sound, and then pressed it against the neck of the monster.

“Promise me,” she said.

The tone sounded like a joke, but also like not.

Hearing this, the strange creature raised its arms in a gesture of surrender.

It whispered, "I promise you: I will not let our Miss Sun Wukong die alone without knowing who I am. Otherwise, how pitiful would she be?"

Bai Qiuwu seemed satisfied. She nodded slightly, lowered her golden hoop and said, "Actually, I want to thank you. I don't want to see my brother get hurt, especially on such an important day. If he comes back with injuries to celebrate my sister's birthday, not to mention her, I will be unhappy too."

"So I'm killing two birds with one stone?"

"You are so sentimental. You wouldn't talk to my sister like this, would you?"

"No, no, no, you should know Miss Ashes' violent temper. Every time she sees me, she puts a gun to my head without saying a word." The weird thing paused, "What I mean is that I am only so gentle to you... After all, in the true sense, you are my only friend."

Bai Qiuwu was stunned.

"I would rather believe that you are Qin Shi Huang than believe that you are Qin Shi Huang."

She is such a serious person, and it's rare for her to use some Internet buzzwords, even though they are a bit outdated.

"Of course you believe me. If you don't, check your phone." The weirdo spread his hands.

Upon hearing this, Bai Qiuwu took out his cell phone from his coat pocket, glanced at the message, and smiled unhappily.

[Mr. Weird Thing: I am Qin Shi Huang, V me 50 to help me unify the world. ]

"Okay, let's stop joking here and get down to business," said the weird thing.

"Serious business?"

"That's right. Now that you're here, I can't let you go back empty-handed. This is the principle of our transaction."

The strange thing paused and asked in a mysterious tone: "Do you know the Witch Church?" "I've heard of it."

"They were planning to do something to your sister."

"Like Xiao Ling and Yong Zhu?"

"No, the nature of this time is a little different. The purpose of the Witch Church is to turn your sister into a witch and make her one of them, not to kill her."

"So, at least my sister is safe?"

"Of course she is safe, but if she becomes a witch, countless people in this world will suffer."

"why?"

"Because her power will expand to an immeasurable degree after she becomes a witch. If I had to estimate her strength at that time... it would be the electric shock kid who killed hundreds of criminals at the Eiffel Tower."

"Zeus?" Bai Qiuwu blurted out.

The strange thing nodded, "Yes, it's that glittering hero of the Round Table who is so fake and hypocritical that it can make people vomit."

"If my sister becomes a witch, will she have the same power as Zeus?"

Bai Qiuwu murmured, his tone of disbelief.

"This is just a guarantee. The actual performance may even be better." The strange thing said faintly, "So... instead of worrying about Bai Zini, you should actually worry more about whether your sister will turn this city upside down after becoming a witch."

Bai Qiuwu calmed down for a while before speaking: "I understand. Although I still have many doubts, you will tell me when I should."

"You trust me so much?"

"After all, you've helped me twice. A gentleman should judge by deeds, not by heart."

"Okay, Gentleman Weird Thing is happy to serve you."

As the strange thing spoke, it suddenly raised a finger, as if it had thought of something, "By the way, I have one last request, can you please listen to it?"

Bai Qiuwu tilted her head: "What request?"

"Ms. Sun Wukong, could you please help me find other spiritual masters?"

"why?"

"Because I heard a rumor that those theosophers who disappeared in history did not disappear for no reason, or they did not self-destruct in madness."

Bai Qiuwu hesitated to speak: "Then..."

"Yes, I think there is such a possibility: the strongest god in every century swallowed up all the other gods of the same period, and finally stood out... and became a god."

The strange thing spoke slowly, its tone sounding like it was stating a fact.

Bai Qiuwu was stunned.

The strange thing changed the subject: "Of course, this is just my guess." It shrugged, "But in order to confirm this guess, I need you to help me find other spiritualists so that I can have more reference samples. What do you think?"

Bai Qiuwu was silent for a moment: "If I have the opportunity to meet other spiritual masters."

"That's good."

The strange thing said, standing up from the bridge railing, and slowly leaning to the side, "Then tonight's meeting ends here... Goodbye, Miss Sun Wukong."

As soon as the words fell, it fell from the viaduct, its body cracking and heating up as usual, and finally turned into a bunch of fireworks blooming in the sky above Beijing.

The balcony of the Bo Ke family residence not long ago.

Little Red Riding Hood, dressed as Yuriko, raised her peephole from the buzzing washing machine and met Berwina's gaze.

"Why are you looking at me? Do you think I'm giving you face?"

Little Red Riding Hood had no expression on her face and thought so in her heart.

"It's so dirty, where did it go?"

Bowenna said as she picked up the black cat and walked out of the balcony. She walked towards the bathroom while muttering, "Qiu Wu is really something. The cat I raise runs outside every day for no reason."

"Mom!"

Bai Zini, who was standing at the entrance as punishment, called her.

"What's wrong?" Bai Wenna looked at Bai Zini who was standing in the corner as punishment.

"Let me give it a bath, Mom. I'm free to make amends for my crime." Bai Zini thought of a solution in a hurry. "Besides, how can our mother take care of this stinky cat?"

Bowenna rejected her suggestion: "What evil ideas are you thinking of again? Just stand there quietly."

After saying that, Bowenna carried the black cat towards the bathroom, getting closer and closer to the door.

Little Red Riding Hood sighed silently, and said to another personality in her mind: "Prison Owl, bring the real Yuriko back quickly, or I will die."

Blue Owl said, "Don't worry, we are already at the train station. Find a way to escape. I will let the real Yuriko take your place."

The Dice Monster said, "Oh, I'm chatting with Miss Sun Wukong here, otherwise I would come and help you, Miss Little Red Riding Hood."

Little Red Riding Hood said, "Why do I feel like the missions we are carrying out are not on the same level?"

"So you should understand how difficult Ke Mingye's situation is. After all, he is not like you, who only needs to stick with magical girls every time he appears."

Blue Owl said calmly.

"You're right, but he doesn't have to dress up as a cat, nor does he have to be picked up by aliens and bathed."

Little Red Riding Hood cat's face drooped slightly.

"Don't worry, we're on the way." said the blue owl.

"I'm going to get off work first, you two keep going." The Dice Freak yawned.

Blue Owl said with emotion: "Oh my god, there is actually an episode where a weird thing leaves work before the two of us. This is fucking hell."

"If you don't come back, I'm going to get off work too. Don't let this alien cockroach man carry me to take a shower, or I'll just explode. Understand?"

Little Red Riding Hood got goose bumps all over her body and tossed and turned in Berwina's arms.

"Okay, Yuriko and I are already at the door. Run away from her arms and come to the entrance of the staircase," said Blue Owl. "Then hide in that cardboard box and come out after the door is closed."

"alright."

As she spoke, Little Red Riding Hood raised her cat legs, kicked Berwina's neck hard, jumped off her, and ran through the entrance towards the closed door.

At this moment, Ke Mingye opened the door with his key. With a click, the cat dressed as Little Red Riding Hood passed by his feet and slipped out through the crack in the door.

"Where are you going?"

As Ke Mingye spoke, he quickly bent down, grabbed the real Yuriko hiding behind him, and then took it into the house.

"This stinky cat always runs away every time I catch it to take a bath."

Bowenna walked over and took the unhappy Yuriko from Ke Mingye, then glanced at him and asked, "Mingye, where have you been again?"

"Play basketball."

Ke Mingye put his hands in his pockets, wiped his nose and answered in a very natural tone.

"Clean up and get ready for dinner."

"Okay mom."

As Ke Mingye was talking, he noticed Bai Zini standing against the wall as punishment, so he teased, "No way, no way, there won't be anyone standing there as punishment, right?"

"What is that dog?"

Baizini asked word by word.

"Partners of justice."

"So I asked you what it is!"

"Lightning, lightning, dog."

Ke Mingye said without turning his head.

Under Baizini's resentful gaze, he lowered his head, played with his mobile phone, and slowly went up to the second floor.

At the same time, at the entrance of the corridor outside the house, Little Red Riding Hood, who was hiding in a cardboard box, poked out her cat head and jumped over the railing.

She squeezed out of the gap, nimbly shuttled and jumped between tall buildings and alleys, and finally turned back to her original form in a not-so-familiar alley.

You Minglu breathed a sigh of relief and adjusted her dress.

After she finished dressing, she sat on the trash can, took a deep breath, and then looked up at the busy street.

"There are too many people here. Self-explosion will attract attention. Let's go to another place."

She thought to herself and fell off the trash can.

Just as she was about to walk out of the alley and find a hidden place to self-destruct, You Minglu suddenly saw a figure walking towards her.

The visitor wore a black beret, a black and purple dress, and a pair of bat-like wings slowly grew out of her back. She held a black whip in her hand, with a broken gem embedded in the handle.

"Schnaian?"

Little Red Riding Hood was slightly stunned for a moment, looking at her warily, thinking in her heart.

"And... it's Schnaian who has transformed into a witch?"

The Witch of Sloth walked slowly towards them, with Little Red Riding Hood as the only person in her eyes. Her shadow was elongated by the moonlight.

"It's so hard for me to find you, Magical Girl Little Red Riding Hood."

The witch held her face in her hands and spoke slowly with a flushed face.

Beneath the shadow of her beret, her eyes burned with purple-red flames.

(End of this chapter)