Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Why have you personally come here? Are the two of you ‘comrades’?” Coral’s pronunciation of the word “comrade” was awkward, but she had remembered it after Lu Shu had told her once.
Nie Ting was dumbfounded. “Did Lu Shu teach you this word?”
“I don’t know.”
Nie Ting was silent.
“From Nie Ting’s distress, +199!”
Nie Ting was somewhat puzzled. How did Lu Shu make the leader of the Deities so confused? It was fine if someone else replied “I don’t know” to his question, but even she replied “I don’t know”?! But he clearly knew that the word “comrade” must have come out of Lu Shu’s mouth.
He had once wished that Lu Shu showed more attachment to the Heavenly Network. He had constantly felt that Lu Shu had constantly strove to drift away from this organisation. If Lu Shu himself had said the word “comrade”, it would make Nie Ting very pleasantly surprised.
On the other hand, Coral kept the fact that she was involved with Lu Shu a secret, lest she let her tongue slip.
Nie Ting laughed and did not speak. He no longer hesitated. Carrying Lu Shu on his shoulders, he soared up high and flew back to his country.
Three days later, in the Liuhai Lane Courtyard House…
Lu Shu awoke in a guest room. In his alertness, he had realised that all the injuries on his body had healed. A refreshing scent filled the room. It smelled like herbal medicine, but Lu Shu had never smelled anything like it.
He lifted up his blanket and realised that the courtyard outside was an expanse of white snow. The outside was cold and snowy, but the inside was warm and dry thanks to the fire of a stove. Even a dry mattress could make one happy and free from worry.
Large snowflakes fell from the sky. The snowflakes were light and graceful. The wind blew the snow into the courtyard. Sometimes the snow did not simply fall from the sky, there were times it rotated within the courtyard.
He did not know what had happened to him after the affairs in the fortress. After he had become unconscious, he found himself here. But looking at the characteristics of the building, it became clear to him that he had returned back to his country.
Although he did not know exactly where he was, but thinking about how he had returned back home put his mind at rest.
Just as Lu Shu had finished changing his clothes, Shi Xuejin brought in a bowl of medicinal soup. The snowy wind blew in as the door opened.
When Shi Xuejin saw that Lu Shu was awake, he became happy. “You’re finally awake. Hurry and drink this medicine that I have prepared for you.”
Shi Xuejin walked out once he had finished speaking, leaving Lu Shu dumbfounded. What was happening? Why was Shi Xuejin here the moment he opened his eyes?
Besides, Shi Xuejin, a Heavenly King, was taking care of him? He was too down-to-earth.
Before Lu Shu could recover from his shock, Shi Xuejin walked in with a bowl of millet gruel in his left hand and a bowl of sauce in his right. There was also a green onion pancake under his arm…
“Come, come. Eat it while it’s hot.” Shi Xuejin laughed.
Lu Shu’s face darkened. “Eat the green onion pancake while it’s hot?!”
“Ha ha.” Shi Xuejin was not in the slightest embarrassed. He got straight to the point. “Nie Ting will be back soon. He was the one who brought you back from Japan. Once he comes back, he has something quite important to talk about with you.”
“Oh.” Lu Shu drank a mouth of the millet gruel. He was not used to eating the green onion pancake, so he simply left it there.
Shi Xuejin looked at him from the side. “Thank you for your hard work on this trip to Japan. You have helped us, the Heavenly Network, solve a big problem. Although this did not settle the matter once and for all, but it would be hard for them to fight back.”
Lu Shu was suddenly aware that Shi Xuejin’s tone was unusually natural as he spoke. It was as if he was talking to someone of the same level as he was.
But he did not continue the conversation. Lu Shu felt that Shi Xuejin was trying to probe his every action. He shook his head and said, “I didn’t do much. What happened at the Collection of Gods? I lost consciousness, so I’m not too sure what had happened.”
But in reality, he knew the details of the incident. Other than Coral, everyone else had died. He could make up the entire story from his mouth. If he said that Takashima had committed suicide, then Takashima had indeed committed suicide.
But Lu Shu observed Shi Xuejin’s expression as he slurped the millet gruel. He was worried that Coral had easily let the cat out of the bag. He observed for a long time, but realised that there were no abnormalities in Shi Xuejin’s expression.
Nie Ting suddenly pushed the door open and entered. He sat opposite Lu Shu and pushed a palm-sized box towards him. Then, he turned his head and asked Shi Xuejin, “Do you still have anymore millet gruel?”
“Yes. I’ll get some for you.” Shi Xuejin smiled and left.
Nie Ting’s expression was calm. He pushed the unwanted green onion pancake to the side and said, “Inside the box is your medal for military merit from the Heavenly Network. But I reckon that you are not particularly concerned about this. There is also your new certificate inside the box. Congratulations, you have been promoted to Captain. But due to special circumstances, we will not be holding a ceremony to confer your new rank. Just know it in your heart. If you want to tell others, go ahead and if you don’t want to, it’s fine too.”
Lu Shu opened the box and took a look inside. Being promoted was a good thing, his wage was higher too. But Lu Shu did not speak. He was aware that Nie Ting had other, more important things to say.
Nie Ting calmly said, “Are you a Class B now?”
“No, I’m not,” Lu Shu seriously said. “I’m still a Class C.”
“Was it you who killed Takashima?” Nie Ting was excited as he asked this question, as he was very curious about Lu Shu’s current strength.
“It wasn’t me. Heavenly King Nie, you’ve got it wrong.” Lu Shu continued to deny.
Nie Ting did not express his opinion on Lu Shu’s words. Lu Shu did not know whether Nie Ting believed him or not. But these questions were not important, Nie Ting did not wish to go deep into this matter now.
Shi Xuejin carried a bowl of millet gruel and walked in. Nie Ting took the bowl and finished it in one mouthful. He then asked, “Did you get anything from this trip to the Collection of Gods?”
When Lu Shu was asked this question, he instantly became alert. He thought seriously about it for a full 30 seconds before answering, “Yes.”
Nie Ting was slightly surprised. Earlier when he had observed the blood formation in the fortress, the number of magical stones in the formation did not match with the information given by the Heavenly Network. Thus, Nie Ting had also thought about where the magical stones had gone.
He was very clear that the magical stones had all been transported into the fortress. But there was nothing in the fortress. Could it be that Lu Shu had taken them away? Nie Ting asked calmly, “What did you get?”
Lu Shu took out the half a piece of magical stone from his pocket. Kawayoshi had absorbed part of this magical stone earlier. His expression was solemn. “I got this from Takashima’s hands after a lot of difficulty. One could say that the journey has been well worthwhile.”
Nie Ting looked at the magical stone in his hand, which had been partially absorbed of its Spirit Qi. He was dumbfounded.
“From Nie Ting’s distress, +666!”
He had gone all the way to the Collection of Gods, yet all he got was half a piece of magical stone? And here you are saying that the journey has been well worth it? Is that solemn look on your face real?
Lu Shu also felt sorry. At first he had vowed that he would hand over a hundred magical stones. But in the end he was not willing to do so. Furthermore, if he had handed over the magical stones, how would he explain himself?
The case of the Seal of Lands would be exposed!
