**Chapter 109: Scrap Pieces [4K]**
In the boundaries of Huacheng, amidst the mountains and forests.
After waiting for a full four hours, Shuo E, who had been resting his eyes, suddenly opened them, sprang to his feet, and gazed toward Huacheng, falling into a daze.
“Why… why is this happening?”
He found it hard to accept the sudden strange change.
Seeing Shuo E’s unusual behavior, Miss Rabbit furrowed her brow slightly and tentatively asked, “What’s wrong? Did something go wrong with the parasitic myth that was given to Huazhuanzhuang?”
From her understanding of Dong E, even if a calamity had a kn*fe to Shuo E’s throat, wanting his life, he wouldn’t bat an eye. The only thing that could stir emotions in him was the mission from the Elders’ Council.
At this moment, the only task in Shuo E’s hands was to use the core of the parasitic myth through Huaxie Yu to attack the president of the Solar Eclipse Association.
“Um.” Shuo E responded, a hint of anxiety and worry showing on his brow, “I had been closely monitoring that parasitic myth through the special spell formula given by the Elders’ Council, sensing the movements of the parasitic myth closely.
Until five minutes ago, the special spell had been reporting back that everything was normal regarding the power expansion of the parasitic myth.
But now, the feedback from the special spell has undergone a dramatic change.
In just five minutes, the power of that parasitic myth rapidly decayed and weakened, transforming from thriving to a state of mere survival.
This outcome is like planting seeds in rich soil, watching them grow lush branches and vibrant flowers, only to finally bear ugly fruits filled with maggots.
After listening to Dong E’s explanation, Miss Rabbit’s brows knitted together. “Why would this happen?”
As her voice fell, the figure of calamity suddenly flashed through her mind.
But quickly, she dismissed her conjecture.
The parasitic myth, being one of the rarest and most bizarre types of myths, even the Siye Society had no effective countermeasures aside from suppressing it with absolute power. How could calamity possibly intervene?
If she could resolve the parasitic myth, wouldn’t that mean she has power surpassing that of the Siye Society in certain aspects?
If that were the case, Miss Rabbit’s expression darkened.
It’s like one day suddenly realizing that a fate enemy, who is not much different from you, or even weaker, unexpectedly possesses abilities that are beyond your reach, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness arises.
She couldn’t help but question herself repeatedly in self-blame and regret—why didn’t she seize the opportunity when she had the chance to eradicate the enemy, ending up alone with tears of remorse?
Is Miss Rabbit the kind of myth that blames herself and yields?
Her will, much like her vitality, was extraordinarily strong, and she quickly adjusted her mindset.
If calamity has A+ level strength, then I shall become A+ level too. If calamity becomes a natural disaster, then I will k*ll her with the strength of a natural disaster! Miss Rabbit thought fiercely.
Just as she was contemplating, Shuo E shook his head and said solemnly, “It’s unclear, but it’s already too late to return to Huacheng for verification.”
“If the mission fails, what we might face is the dual wrath from the president and calamity. We have to leave quickly.”
Leaving means safety? Lan Yi has said that the Elders’ Council has always been very strict in punishing those who fail their missions. Miss Rabbit thought to herself but still nodded.
Though she was very worried that this time, since they could not complete such an important task, the Elders’ Council might not let Shuo E off so easily as they had in the past, the punishment from the Elders’ Council, which could arrive at any moment, along with the far more terrifying president of the Solar Eclipse Association and calamity, was clearly more fearful.
“By the way, didn’t you exchange contact information with Miss Lan earlier?” Just a short distance out, Shuo E suddenly asked.
“Wouldn’t it be wise to notify her of the situation before we leave? Otherwise, she might want to take advantage of the chaos and end up in danger.”
For some reason, he wanted Lan Yi to survive.
“Huh? Just moments ago, you were calling someone a traitor and now you’re saying Miss Lan?” Miss Rabbit remarked with a peculiar tone. “Your title changes pretty quickly, huh?!”
“No, what I mean is…”
Although unsure of what he had said to make his partner a bit unhappy, Shuo E still tried to defend himself.
“No, you remembered wrong!” Miss Rabbit interrupted coldly.
As she spoke, her hand quietly slipped into her jacket pocket and violently crumpled the contact information left by Lan Yi.
What a flashy piece of trash; she’d be better off dead!
**Huacheng.**
On a street that had been almost leveled by the city barrier, the soul-shocking song gradually ended.
“How did you find that piece, ‘The Fourth Interlude of Love and Magical Girl’ just now?”
Hearing the night runner girl’s question, the general took a deep breath and calmly replied, “It was alright.”
While speaking, his eyes were as cold as those of a fish that had been killed in a big supermarket for thirty years.
In fact, if it weren’t for the night runner girl naming the song she sang, the general would have thought she was singing some long-lost chanting.
It was too terrible—she had almost completely avoided the correct pitch. He couldn’t tell if she was proficient in music or utterly ignorant.
“Well, in that case, I’ll sing you one last song!”
“What?” The general nearly broke down.
In the past, the wordless book always complained that he was a manipulative man, saying that he would eventually be dealt with by nature, which he despised and completely dismissed.
But today, he believed it.
Although he wasn’t a strictly manipulative person, and didn’t know whether this suspected president of the Solar Eclipse Society could be considered “natural,” he distinctly felt that he was being restrained.
“The last song, ah!” The night runner girl said seriously, “I can feel that the parasitic myth that is influencing me has withdrawn, and it is time to say goodbye to you.
“Let’s sing ‘Friends,’ shall we?”
In silence, the general tightened his grip on [Sealing Smoke], his fingertips turning slightly whitish as they emitted light sounds. He hated himself for not being able to k*ll the person before him.
Alas, acting now would only hurt the innocent.
“Really, there’s nothing left. All that’s here is yours; if I’m lying, then I’m a dog!”
Luxianbei ultimately could not resist temptation and took out three of the thirty-six buns she had hoarded, placing them in front of Hu Boss.
Of course, the temptation was secondary; she was genuinely frightened by Hu Boss’ furious demeanor.
When Hu Boss lost control of his emotions and harshly asked her, “With so many, can’t you save a bit?”
Luxianbei’s eyes immediately burned with pain, and then behind Hu Boss, she saw countless red beast eyes filled with a strong killing intent.
Numerous eyes of nameless animals hovered densely behind Hu Boss, stretching out endlessly; among them, one pair of large eyes resembling insect compound eyes exuded a chilling glow, dimming the stars and moon in the sky.
Staring into those eyes, a heavy sense of oppression made one feel like a role at the bottom of the food chain.
Pitiful. Really too pitiful.
But three, they were really the bottom line!
Subtracting the one or two needed for the proxy player sister as consulting fees and a couple for Huasang as bait, there were really not many leftovers.
Although she didn’t understand the miraculous effects of human smoke, having finally made them, she thought it necessary to keep a bit for herself, right?
If not for the fact that Hu Boss was truly at the Calamity level, Luxianbei really couldn’t afford to fight back; if it weren’t for Hu Boss promising that she could indefinitely freeload at the Liao Zhai Tavern in the future, Luxianbei really dreaded giving even one away.
“Is this it?” Hu Boss scrutinized Luxianbei with a dark gaze, gloomily asking, “Do you really think you can cover up with these?”
“I’ll tell you, I’ve also made human smoke before, and I know you definitely have more!”
Just three buns wouldn’t be enough to trade for the entire Liao Zhai Tavern.
Yes, making Luxianbei the boss of Luxianbei was tantamount to giving her a lifetime of freeloading, right?
It wouldn’t even pay back Hu Boss’ vow to lend her a hand once.
Of course, the most important thing was that it was absolutely not enough for him to escape the curse of being unable to leave the Liao Zhai Tavern for a long time.
Although he hadn’t yet awaited the person he had been waiting for hundreds of years, he wasn’t in a particularly urgent rush to pass on the Liao Zhai Tavern. But this was truly too much for Luxianbei to handle.
When he crafted human smoke, it had been a whole vat, fifteen pounds of fine grain wine.
Seeing that Luxianbei hadn’t spoken for quite some time, Hu Boss frowned, determined to continue negotiating with her.
“Or do you think that the King of Huacheng Myths being a double agent in the Siye Society is something that SPP’s spirit energy users and myths would overlook?”
This? Trying to threaten me like this? Surely you don’t think someone is backing me up? Luxianbei disdainfully thought, secretly taking out a bun from the God Realm Prototype.
Bottom lines are flexible, just depends on the situation!
That sneaky, fierce look made it seem like a little animal protecting its food.
Though with Xing Yuan and Zhang Hainan backing her, if her identity were to be exposed, some unnecessary trouble could arise.
“By the way, there’s also the matter of Gu Qiqi! That girl has eaten at our Liao Zhai Tavern and almost stayed behind to help because she couldn’t afford the bill.”
Hu Boss seemed a bit unsatisfied and continued in a low tone.
“And at that time, another Gu Qiqi just happened to be killing across the Peach Source; this really doesn’t quite match up, does it?”
Luxianbei, “…”
This secret had poked at her pain.
If it weren’t for Gu Qiqi taking the blame for her, then the endless retaliation would certainly not k*ll her, but it would definitely torment her.
Buying peace with money? Adding one more wouldn’t be too bad, right?
“Honestly, I won’t lie to you, as the boss of the Liao Zhai Tavern, I’m quite informed.” Looking at the extra bun, Hu Boss smiled and added.
“I also have some information about the spirit energy items released from the Dachunyang Palace circulating in the black market recently. Would you like to hear it?”
Luxianbei, “You’re not just the tavern owner; are you the head of an intelligence agency or something? How do you know everything?”
So, she silently took out another bun, her delicate fingers practically digging into the bun.
Her bottom line ultimately doubled.
“Enough!” Hu Boss glared at the six buns in front of him and growled, “Since you have no sincerity, I think I might as well just take you back. If you can’t offer up human smoke, then you won’t be leaving!”
“You’ve had enough, don’t be so greedy!”
Luxianbei could no longer contain herself and shouted.
Though her bottom line was flexible, it wasn’t something to be handled like this.
“Ha, I’m greedy?” Hu Boss exclaimed angrily, pointing at the buns. “I’ve promised you so many benefits, yet you’ve been continually trying to pass these scraps off on me. Who’s really being excessive here?”
At the moment, he first realized when he saw the buns, they were just scraps left over when brewing wine, like the dregs left when he made wine.
This was just like a treacherous seller promising ten times return for a discounted product and sending eleven items to the buyer at one time.
If it’s not a real product, what’s the use, no matter how many?
“Wait, wait!” After a few seconds of dumbfoundedness, Luxianbei finally reacted, realizing why Hu Boss was angry.
“Are you saying these buns are not human smoke, but just leftovers of human smoke? However, I clearly used these buns to successfully attract the parasitic myth!”
“Hmph!” Hu Boss huffed. “Although they are scraps and not completely effective, they are sufficient to attract those ghostly things.
“It’s like the dregs left over from brewing wine. Even though you might taste the flavor, dregs are still dregs; they are not wine!”
Luxianbei glanced at the buns again and looked at the expressionless Hu Boss. “But I really only managed to make these buns!”
Upon hearing Hu Boss say that these buns were just leftovers of human smoke, she was completely stunned.
After half a day of effort, she ended up with a pile of scraps?
While she had successfully resolved the crisis of the parasitic myth, what about my full human smoke? Luxianbei thought.
She now felt as if she had put in a great effort to defeat the BOSS, only to have an unknown player pass by and snatch the ultimate gear right in front of her.
Her mood wasn’t much better than Hu Boss’, so she needed to replenish Bai Xiaohua energy to soothe her wounded heart.
Listening to the magical girl’s sweet voice pouring forth, Luxianbei’s face showed no changes, but warmth was bubbling up in her heart.
Unknowingly, she had already traveled half the distance.
At that moment, a young man boarded the bus and naturally sat down in the empty seat beside Luxianbei.
Luxianbei instinctively stole a glance at the young man before quickly returning her gaze.
The young man was of average appearance, of medium height, wearing a dark-colored professional suit.
It was currently the peak morning rush hour; young men like this were everywhere on the streets, nothing particularly noteworthy.
However, just as she lowered her head, preparing to continue playing the game, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back, the world before her spinning, all sounds abruptly muted as if the pause button had been pressed.
The man came.
“Gulp!”
Luxianbei swallowed hard, sneaking a glance toward the young man, feeling the hair on her body stand on end as she caught sight of the dark circles that had appeared on his face. Sweat began to bead on her forehead.
Hadn’t he already been intercepted by that guardian? How could he find her so quickly?
d*mn, how does this guy keep coming back like a shadow?
What does he want? Luxianbei thought anxiously.
Being entangled with a prominent figure like the president of the Solar Eclipse Society was no small matter. Not to mention she was in the middle of preparing to infiltrate the Solar Eclipse Society, how could she not panic?
As if sensing Luxianbei’s unease but wanting to avoid detection, the young man gazed straight ahead, casually saying, “Thank you. Without you, this time would have been a huge hassle.
If it weren’t for Luxianbei, although he would have managed to suppress the parasitic myth, it would have taken him months.
That was plenty of time for the Elders’ Council to lay out numerous schemes.
The corner of Luxianbei’s eye twitched; forcibly suppressing her panic, she spoke weakly, “You flatter me; it’s what I should do. I’m a flower of the motherland, and I’m needed wherever!”
“Moreover, I actually didn’t do much; I just cooked a small dish and played a little trick to trap the parasitic myth.”
“To be honest, compared to you, what I’ve done is nothing!”
Hearing this, the young man smiled helplessly, patting her shoulder. “Miss Calamity, be a bit more confident in yourself. Don’t belittle yourself; you’re a big deal.”
Luxianbei, “…
If I was a big deal, would I be sitting here so humbly having this conversation with you? I would have long sent you off to the Siye Association Headquarters to let the evil organization leader know what true justice is.
After internally complaining a few times, Luxianbei furrowed her brow. “You’re joking. Compared to you and Zhang Hainan, as well as the head of the Dachunyang Palace, or the Black Emperor, and those old fruit sellers on the Xuanwu Plain, what am I?”
Aren’t they all one person? The young man paused, then quickly understood Luxianbei’s thinking, a bitter smile appearing, “You don’t have to feel this way. The head of the Dachunyang Palace can’t feel your call while you’re near me.”
Luxianbei, “…
“Besides, you’re more like a big deal than us. The achievements you will have in the future will be much greater than ours.”
“How much greater?” Luxianbei instinctively queried, then realized she had spoken out of turn, cold sweat immediately creeping up her back.
The young man turned his head, looking straight into Luxianbei’s eyes, speaking earnestly, “So great that it could completely destroy this world and welcome a perfect rebirth.”
Looking at his serious expression that didn’t seem pretentious, Luxianbei’s mind suddenly flashed back to the proxy player sister discussing saving the world.
After a moment of shock, Luxianbei looked away from the young man’s gaze, turning to look out the window. “Don’t joke around! Me? How could that be possible?”
Pausing, she suddenly turned back, resolutely meeting the man’s gaze again, “Even if I could do that, why would I go through the trouble of destroying everything just to recreate it?”
“Isn’t that a bit redundant? Wouldn’t it be better to optimize from the existing foundation?”
“Because…” The young man opened his mouth to say something but found Luxianbei completely denying him any opportunity to speak.
“You mean to say it’s rotten and unfixable, and should be completely knocked down and rebuilt, right?
Upon hearing this, the young man’s heart soared.
Could it be that she’s begun to develop that line of thought?
But soon, his mood darkened again.
“I find your reasoning very strange; it’s like you’re capable of finishing your work, yet you go on about how the chair is too hard, the software is too laggy, and the coffee water is too cold—blaming everything but completing the work.”
“How would you know those external factors would definitely impact and lead to failure if you haven’t tried it yet?”
“Besides, that old man Zhang Hainan even told me to help others more, regardless of whether they are human or myth! With such opposing views between the two of you, how am I supposed to decide who is right? How about you seek him out and fight, and whoever wins, I’ll listen to!”
The man had always thought that Yunshen Machine was the most eloquent presence he knew; unexpectedly, his daughter was even better at it.
In a few sharp tongue-in-cheek comments, Luxianbei had shifted the contradiction onto herself and that man from the Dachunyang Palace.
Go fight him? No matter who wins or loses, there wouldn’t be any good outcome.
After passionately voicing for a while, Luxianbei’s fervor dissipated, and feeling a bit guilty, she muttered, “Uh, I was just saying that; don’t take it to heart. I’m just a small player. When facing real issues, I run faster than anyone else.”
The young man pondered silently for a few seconds and nodded, “Hmm.
Some things, can’t be rushed.
“Then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave?” Luxianbei suggested.
After saying that, she didn’t wait for the young man to respond, standing up and preparing to leave.
“Wait!” Seeing Luxianbei about to escape, the young man quickly called after her. “In fact, I came to find you mainly for something else.”
“Ah?”
“Are you interested in siding with the president? You wouldn’t need to help with anything on the Elders’ Council side, just don’t strike during critical moments.”
Luxianbei, ???
What is this?
I thought you were here to k*ll me, but you want me to join you?
But I really don’t know anything about the Elders’ Council; what should I do? Luxianbei wondered.
Completely blindsided by the young man’s olive branch, she felt utterly lost.
**End of the chapter**
**Conclusion + Pigeon Appreciation**
I’ve finished another volume, so it’s time for the conclusion!
Honestly, I found writing this volume quite awkward.
Originally, I just wanted to write a light-hearted short story as a transition (similar to a campus romantic comedy or something? Haha, I really can’t write this genre.) that smoothly integrates Luxianbei’s integration of Spirit-Purification and God Realm Prototype while also dropping hints for Sand Sea and Solar Eclipse Association.
As I wrote, I realized I could expand some parts (mainly when mentioning Huacheng, I couldn’t resist elaborating a bit because I feel that in such a world full of myths, social order hasn’t broken down, and it’s precisely because of characters like Huacheng that it’s worth writing more about)…
Then I thought one part could bury a hint (the man from the Solar Eclipse Association, I didn’t intend to write so much about him, but if I didn’t, it might seem abrupt when I wrote about the Solar Eclipse Association arc)…
In the end, I inadvertently wrote the second-longest volume up to now… I got stuck for several days in the middle because I added too much content.
It was like I initially wanted to make a small dessert but ended up making a big mishmash instead.
Fortunately, it all came together relatively well in the end; that’s a cause for celebration!
In the next volume, I should be writing about the plot for Sand Sea. According to my plan, the next volume might become the longest one in the entire book due to the sheer amount of content, so to avoid major problems in the plot, I plan to take a few days off to sort out my thoughts…
Speaking of which, you all should know what’s coming next, right?
Nope, it’s the Pigeon Appreciation segment! Today I found a beautiful pigeon!
Hehe~
**Mao Ling Pigeon**
Also known as Qiekebin Pigeon, Jikebin Pigeon, Shawl Pigeon, and Hood Pigeon.
This pigeon particularly loves to puff up the feathers above its throat, dropping on courtyards or green grass fields, contrasting with flowers to appear even cuter. However, as this pigeon isn’t good at flying and has very little exercise, its body has degenerated; some only have 300 grams. Additionally, due to its weak constitution, during the breeding season, it needs to have its reverse feathers clipped, or have care pigeons hatch their eggs.
Its neck is adorned with a circle of soft, beautifully long reverse feathers which resemble a respectable, elegant dress worn by a noblewoman, draped with a fur shawl, exuding elegance and beauty. Some have short beaks that are half-circle shaped appearing like a flower necktie; some look like a head of a lion with mouths and eyes hidden in the feathers; some look from afar like dolphins with round balls atop their snouts; there are various unique characteristics. The feather colors range from white, black, red, yellow, gray, etc., including two to three mixed colors of the Mao Ling Pigeon.
