Chapter 1136: The Doll

Xuanwu emerged from the billowing smoke and looked down at her own body.

The situation was indeed strange—she had no memory of her body ever being in such a state before.

She stared at her arm, and the sight before her was unsettling.

Some thorns coiled around her arm, while others seemed to sink into it. She stood there in silent confusion, unable to tell whether her dark, vast forearm was concave or three-dimensional.

She reached out and touched it, confirming that she could indeed grasp her forearm, yet the thorns beside it were undeniably embedded within her flesh.

Xuanwu felt a growing sense of disarray—not just in her mind, but in her very perception.

As countless thorns pierced and sliced through her body, she experienced a peculiar kind of pain unlike anything before.

If she had to describe it in just two words, it would be: **distant**.

The pain felt impossibly far away, as if her skin had been left in another city, yet the sensation of its agony had traversed time and space to drift into her consciousness.

Slow. Dull. Ethereal. Distant.

Because the pain was so remote, her brain didn’t react with rejection. It no longer seemed frightening—her mind simply accepted it at a leisurely pace, allowing it to seep into her thoughts.

*”A fascinating sensation… I don’t even need to activate ‘Forget Sorrow.'”*

Seeing that Xuanwu remained completely unaffected by the attack, the onlookers showed no surprise. This was the expected outcome—the plan was proceeding flawlessly.

If the first strike had been enough to overwhelm Xuanwu entirely, *that* would have been the truly shocking development.

The members of **”Cat”** watched her intently, knowing that the worst-case scenario would be Xuanwu flying into a rage and slaughtering everyone present without hesitation. But judging by her demeanor, she only seemed… intrigued.

*”Novel,”* Xuanwu murmured. *”This feeling is so novel. It hurts, yet it doesn’t. It’s frightening, yet it isn’t. It’s bitter, yet it’s not.”*

Luo Shiyi glanced back at Song Qi atop the high platform, as if waiting for orders.

After a brief pause, Song Qi gave a slight nod.

*”Hah.”* Luo Shiyi turned back to Xuanwu. *”So, Xuanwu… what do you think? Are we impressive enough for you?”*

*”Yes,”* Xuanwu nodded. *”This slow, pervasive pain feels exactly like something Qinglong would do.”*

*”Dragon?”* Luo Shiyi chuckled. *”You flatter us. At best, we’re just ‘dragon cats.'”*

Ignoring him, Xuanwu lifted her gaze as if looking past him. *”Is there more to your assault?”*

*”Don’t worry,”* Luo Shiyi grinned. *”Plenty more where that came from.”*

*”Good. Excellent. Come… kill me.”*

Just as the group prepared to launch their second wave, something bizarre unfolded before them.

Xuanwu’s entire right arm swayed slightly—then abruptly detached and fell to the ground.

The limb flopped like a black fish leaping from a river, thrashing wildly against the pavement.

Song Qi furrowed his brow at the severed arm, utterly baffled.

He knew Xuanwu possessed **”Indestructibility,”** but could a **”Divine Beast”** with such an ability really have their arm torn off like this…?

Had their combined attack truly been *that* powerful?

Su Shan narrowed her eyes, a gleam of insight flashing across them.

*”I see it… but I’m not sure if this counts as a ‘weakness,'”* she said. *”There’s a broken bone fragment lodged in her shoulder—her arm was just… plugged into her body.”*

*”What…?”* Song Qi had never encountered anything like this before. His mind raced.

After all, no one had ever launched such a ferocious assault on Xuanwu before. Were her limbs all just… *attached* like a doll’s?

But if that were the case, wouldn’t Xuanwu be as fragile as a glass figurine—shattering at the slightest touch?

*”No,”* Song Qi said firmly. *”If Xuanwu were that fragile, her combat prowess wouldn’t be as legendary as it is.”*

Xuanwu bent down, picked up her arm, and calmly reattached it to her shoulder.

The grotesque sight left the onlookers in stunned silence.

Whether she was a doll or not, she was certainly treating herself like one now.

*”Regardless… this has to be our opening.”*

After a few seconds of deliberation, Song Qi curled his index finger into a hook, placed it in his mouth, and blew a strange, whistling tune.

*”Huh?”* Ma Shier blinked. *”No way… Qi-ge, what kind of order is that? Now of all times?”*

Song Qi didn’t answer—he simply repeated the whistle.

Ma Shier: *”Hah?! What kind of nonsense is this?! I don’t like this—I object to this plan—”*

*”Giggle-giggle.”* Bai Jiu, perched on another rooftop, burst into childlike laughter, clearly delighted.

*”Jiu-jie, you—”* The fifty-something Ma Shier shouted, *”You all actually agree with this?! Damn it, I’m too old for this—and I just ran all over the place earlier!”*

Ma Shier had been fleeing alongside Luo Shiyi and Wu Shisan, dragging Xuanwu along. Now, standing on the ground, he could feel the collective gaze of **”Cat”** burning into him, turning his weathered face bright red.

*”Shi… Shi-ge! Say something!”* He turned desperately toward Jiang Shi, who stood on a rooftop ahead—his last hope.

Jiang Shi, small and lean, crouched silently at the edge of the roof like a gargoyle from ancient architecture.

He stared at Ma Shier for a moment before solemnly reciting:

*”A million troops besiege Xiangyang,*

*No aid outside, no food inside.*

*One day the city walls shall fall,*

*Some will weep for fathers, some for mothers—”*

*”Alright, alright, I get it!”* Ma Shier threw up his hands in surrender. *”Shi-ge, stop—I understand! You’re all ganging up on me. Fine, I’ll do it!”*

With a resigned sigh, he turned back to Xuanwu, mustering all his courage before declaring:

*”Xuanwu… uh, if someone stole something from you… would you get angry?”*

*”Angry…?”* Xuanwu seemed to genuinely consider the question before answering, *”You may take anything from me—except my food. As long as it’s not food, I won’t be angry.”*

*”Great! That’s perfect! Sorry about this!”*

Ma Shier forced an awkward laugh—then activated **”Displacement.”**

In an instant, Xuanwu’s right arm tore free from her body and went flying toward Ma Shier.

Xuanwu tilted her head in bewilderment as Ma Shier vanished into the maze of streets below, her arm in tow.

*”Aaaah, damn it all—!”* Despite being the one who’d stolen the arm, Ma Shier looked more terrified than anyone.

His frantic escape left Xuanwu feeling both deceived and yet… not quite. She remained motionless, lost in thought.

*”Giggle-giggle.”* Bai Jiu couldn’t stop laughing. *”Ahhh, I’m dying of laughter!”*