Qianmei's Freedom!

"Just letting her go like that?" Neo watched Miliwen's departing back while taking a wet towel from Richard to wipe his hands. The blood and wounds on his palms healed as he wiped. Karen countered, "Should I have killed her instead?" Tossing the towel aside, Neo retorted, "Why couldn't you?" "Because killing her wouldn't bring enough benefit." Neo nodded. "That argument convinces me." Karen looked at Neo and asked, "Your murderous intent has been quite heavy lately." "Hehehe, are you paving the way because you're afraid I'll press you next on why you didn't tell me about this sooner?" "No." "I saw through your hypocrisy long ago, so don't pretend." Neo pulled out two cigarettes, handed one to Karen, and lit his own first. "You're always habitually polite to everyone. She's not nearly as punchable as you, honestly." "If it gets to be more than you can handle, remember to tell me in good time." "Now you need me to tell you news in good time? But how did you treat me?" "If my life were at stake or I faced the risk of losing myself, I would definitely tell you first without the slightest hesitation." Neo blinked, as if choked up by Karen's words. After a long pause, he said, "That's truly shameless of you to say." "I believe in your ability, Neo. No matter when, you have never let me down." "Hey, that's what a superior says to a subordinate." "I've always learned by watching your back, so I wouldn't want you to suddenly collapse out of nowhere one day." "Whew, that sounds much better." "So, watch yourself." "Don't worry, I've already warned them." Neo reached out a finger and tapped his own forehead. "If things really turn completely sour, I'll just have you order-ize me. Hehehe." As Neo spoke, he couldn't help laughing. "At least here with me we can hold a democratic forum. With you, they'd be reduced to complete puppets on your strings." "By the way, do you think we should report this to the Chief and the Regional Chief?" "I don't think that's necessary. It's true you have good relationships with the Chief and the current Regional Chief, but some things are tied to the individual." Hearing this, Karen nodded. Neo asked again, "To what degree has that six-winged angel revived?" "That six-winged angel is already dead. He tried to take over my body, so I suppressed and killed him." "Another fool who tried to take over your body?" Neo reached out and squeezed Karen's shoulder. Just as he moved to pinch Karen's cheek, Karen dodged. "Wait, that's not right. There's no way they wouldn't realize the angel was dead." "I was afraid of alerting them prematurely, so I had Qianmei inhabit the angel's body first. Qianmei devoured the angel's remnant soul." "You let that thing move in? It's very likely to betray you." "Could you have a little more confidence in it?" "What?" "It's not 'likely.' It's a certainty." "Haha! By the way, I sent Leon to buy groceries. I've got a craving for good food. How about we fire up the stove right here?" "Things are busy now. We're about to close the net, and preparations have already begun." "Your servant and the others are busy. Your work is already done, isn't it?" Karen fell silent. "Or you could just say it outright: noble as you are now, you're no longer willing to cook a meal for your schizophrenic old boss and big brother. Think about it: if I really end up lost one day, lying on the ground with you squatting beside me, you've got to give me some sentimental lines to say, like: 'I really, really want to eat another meal cooked by you.' Without sentimental lines like that, if we're just staring at each other then, how awkward would that be?" "Fine, I'll cook." "That's more like it. Need to invite guests? I already know a rich kid like Leon will definitely buy way too much. It'd be a waste not to invite a few more people." "I'll invite them." "Good." Neo pointed a finger at Richard. "Come on, handsome lad, accompany me to the black market. There's plenty of time before dinner, so let's go check whether that advance payment promised by our Lord Holy Child actually arrives on time." "Oh, all right." Richard followed Neo out, asking with some excitement, "Can I drive?" "Go ahead." "Great!" After getting into the car, Neo said to Richard, "Come on, brief me on the mission. I assume there are no secrecy protocols applying to me, right?" "Right away, Minister." Richard repeated to Neo what he had told Karen on the way here. After listening, Neo looked at Richard with mild surprise. Puzzled, Richard asked, "What is it, Minister?" "Very methodical. I hadn't realized before that you had such a strong ability to process information. No wonder Karen's servant put you in charge of interpersonal affairs." "Because nowadays, whenever I need to use my brain, I call Little Jerry into my head. I feel it makes my thinking much more agile. At first I only tried mental arithmetic, but then I tried coordinating it with the Key to the Rubik's Cube and found it gave a noticeable boost to setting up spell formations too. It's like having two Keys to the Rubik's Cube assisting me." Hearing this, Neo frowned slightly. His mind began retrieving the memories Philias had left behind regarding the worms, and to his astonishment, he realized that the concepts Philias had once envisioned for this kind of worm had actually been realized in Richard. Philias's original purpose in cultivating these worms was to develop a specialized, high-end industry for Dark Moon Island similar to that of the Church of Pamires, certainly not limited merely to enhancing bodily recovery. However, due to Bernard's betrayal and the Blood Night of Dark Moon Island, those worms were transformed into curse worms targeting the Dark Moon clan, which effectively cut short the cultivation research. Was it because of the Arte family bloodline? In the previous era, high-society marriages in church circles often required two cups of fresh Arte family blood to be drunk together as nuptial wine. In reality, such bonding could extend to other areas. Neo said, "You can try experimenting more. I believe its capabilities go beyond just this; there are so many areas left to develop." "There are more areas to develop? Could you give me a direction, like what?" "For example, the next time you visit a pastry shop, you can send your Little Jerry down to your crotch. That way, once your first one goes soft, the second one can keep on working. Oh, heavens, how many men dream of having an ability like yours?" Richard: "..." "However, there is one thing I can remind you of. It's very important." Driving the car, Richard asked somewhat reluctantly, "Is it about mating again?" "Ah, yes, yes, yes." "Um, Minister, I don't think this is appropriate to chat about like this. I get your intentions, but I think that sort of thing should be my own..." "Actually, your Little Jerry is still in its developmental stage." "Huh?" Richard immediately turned serious. He sensed that the minister wasn't joking this time. "It wasn't a fully formed entity to begin with. Because of your integration, both it and you have far more possibilities. But I think its greatest value right now—no, in the future—still lies in reproduction." "Reproduction?" Richard's face turned completely green. "Yes, reproduction." Richard wailed with a miserable face, "Breeding them to sell stud vouchers?" Like a prize breeding boar studding non-stop? "Not that kind of reproduction, but clonal reproduction. Think about it: if your Little Jerry could produce multiple clones in a short time, attaching them one by one to your teammates and giving them the same enhancements as you... what kind of scene would that be? Everyone could communicate through their temporary 'Little Jerrys,' and you'd replace Alfred's job; Everyone could heal through their temporary 'Little Jerrys,' and you'd replace Blanche's job; It could even form shields, buffs, dispel mist, and perform a whole range of effects. Combine that with your skills as an array master, and your utility to the team would be off the charts!" Richard's eyes grew red with excitement as he listened. "Can it really do that, Minister Neo?" "Of course." "What should I do specifically?" "Every time your father beats you, isn't Little Jerry inside you actually helping to absorb the damage?" "Yes, that's true, but I feel my father can already calculate Little Jerry's damage absorption, and can even deduce Little Jerry's progress each time." "Next time, deliberately provoke your father, get him to beat you even harder—break your legs and snap Little Jerry along with them, just like a gecko shedding its tail. Snap it enough times, and maybe it'll awaken a cloning ability." "Um... Minister Neo... are you sure you're not joking?" "Let me ask you: from the beginning until now, what has every single breakthrough in Little Jerry's abilities relied upon?" "My... father." "Exactly! Since you already have the simplest, most effective method, there's no need to think about anything else. Keep heading in this direction and stomp on the gas! As long as the car doesn't flip, you'll reach the finish line! Let that magnificent fatherly love hit you even harder! Hehehe... Hahaha!" ... "Um, Minister, Minister Neo told me to buy groceries and bring them here. I..." Carrying two large bags of groceries, Leon stood in the backyard, looking at Karen standing by the kitchen door. "Mm, set them down and give me a hand. You bought way too much." "Um... Minister, I still have a whole carload I haven't brought in yet." "Then you can't expense it." "No problem! I really wanted to treat everyone to a good meal anyway." Karen began prepping the ingredients. It was the same familiar routine of cooking; all he needed to watch out for was adjusting heat and seasoning for special ingredients. Cooking took a lot of time, but the process was also enjoyable, and time slipped by unnoticed. Partway through, Leon ran over and said, "Minister, seven or eight men in overcoats have arrived out front." Karen nodded and continued with his work. Just then, Bern walked into the courtyard, followed by Vic. "Getting summoned by you once a day, Karen. Are you the Chief or am I the Chief?" Bern expressed his dissatisfaction in a bantering tone. Yesterday at the Dake Tribunal, today at the former Pavaro Inquisitorial Office—he seemed to have turned into a subordinate specifically reporting to Karen. However, all grievances instantly melted away after Bern pinched a meatball with his fingers and popped it into his mouth to chew. "Fair enough. You're the Chief Culinary Master. I'm happy to report for roll call and dinner." Karen scooped up a few freshly fried meatballs and ladled a bowl of fish paste soup made from the tender meat of an unknown undersea monster beast, handing them to Bern. "Dinner will still be a while. Pad your stomach with this first." "All right." Bern sat down on the steps before the kitchen with the meatballs and the soup bowl. Soon, eight men in overcoats lined up before him and dropped to one knee. No one spoke. All waited quietly as Bern ate. The atmosphere felt somewhat like military training. Indeed, it was. Karen could observe that those men were definitely soldiers. Active personnel from the Order's Knights couldn't possibly show up here, so they were surely from the garrison. Once Bern finished the soup, Alfred reached out to take the empty bowl and asked, "Shall I ladle another bowl for you?" "Sure." "What about the meatballs? Would you like more?" "No more meatballs. I need to save room for dinner." Alfred went inside, ladled another bowl, and handed it to Bern. This time, Bern didn't rush to drink. He blew on the soup and asked the men kneeling before him, "You all still remember who I am, right?" No one spoke. "All right, go back. Starting tonight, the garrison will enter the city secretly in batches." The eight men rose immediately and marched out in formation. Alfred asked in a low voice, "It seems they're still obedient." Bern glanced back at Karen, who was still busy in the kitchen, then looked at Alfred and said, "The line of work I used to do actually required far higher levels of organization and trust than other branches." "You're quite right." "In fact, back when I learned that command of the garrison was going to be stripped away... no, to be precise, even earlier than that, I had already made arrangements. The faction within the garrison that I supposedly suppressed and sidelined was actually my most loyal following. When I was stripped of command over the garrison because of that incident, all the original battalion commanders and deputies were transferred away, and those I had previously suppressed were promoted. Heh heh." "Your foresight is truly profound." "It's inevitable. Sometimes, if you want to get things done, you have to employ certain methods. Without methods and ability, nothing gets accomplished. After all, I'm not like those professors in the church universities who can only debate scripture. In this life, I can never be open and aboveboard—never. Of course, you could also view this as my lust for power." "Naturally, I wouldn't think that. I believe you did entirely the right thing." "Is that so? Then you should also advise your superior: in the most extreme situation, even if your superior were suspended, that Whip of Order headquarters building should still answer to your superior, not to the Regional Chief." "Hey, hey, hey! That's going too far, way too far!" Sus came trotting in with bouncing steps, followed by Vic. "Bern, you really are a piece of work! I barely stepped through the door and I hear you badmouthing me!" "I only said it because I heard your footsteps. If Karen isn't willing to say certain things openly, I'll say them for him. Besides, if this matter is resolved flawlessly, you'll be promoted anyway. There's no need to pave the way for your successor. You might as well do a favor and help reduce the next one to a figurehead." "Whatever Karen wants to do, I agree. As long as we can capture that angel, I wouldn't mind giving him the chair in my Regional Chief's office. It's just a shame—Karen is so young, yet he hangs around a shameless bastard like you, making it hard for him to get promoted now." "Who knows what the future holds? How are preparations on your end?" "No problem. No matter how many kitties are hiding in that mansion, I guarantee not a single one will slip through." Just then, Neo and Richard returned from outside. Looking at the smile dancing on Neo's brow, it was clear that the advance payment from the Lord Holy Child had arrived right on time. What made it even more delightful was that this was essentially free money, because whether or not the Lord Holy Child paid any "tea money," they were going to do this anyway. One could only say that the Lord Holy Child was truly like an innocent child in kindergarten—so easy to dupe. Inside the kitchen, Karen took off his apron and announced, "Dinner is served." Then, after a brief hesitation, he tapped a spoon against a basin anyway. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* ... *Thud! Thud! Thud!* The dull sound of horse hooves rang out on the streets of Yorktown, but barriers set up by array masters lined their path, preventing sound and images from leaking out. After entering the city secretly, the garrison troops would remain at their staging areas, awaiting orders. In the air, squadrons of falcon knights were flying in, their traces likewise concealed by array masters. From the ground, they looked merely like a flock of migratory birds in flight. Everything proceeded in perfect order. At the Whip of Order, many squads received new assignments. The missions varied widely, each different from the next. Aside from the high density of tasks, there was nothing unusual, yet dozens of Whip of Order squads—along with dozens more requisitioned from surrounding cities under the pretext of secondment—had already assembled at their designated staging points. This could be considered the largest collective operation since the revival of the Whip of Order in this region, yet it achieved total secrecy and deception. They were all preparing in accordance with their respective mission briefs. This was also the first time Alfred and Vic had coordinated an operation on such a massive scale, serving as a flawless showcase of their organizational talent. ... Accompanied by an elderly man, Miliwen walked toward the basement of the mansion. The old man was the person in charge of this transfer operation: Kanrei Misen. Along the way, Miliwen saw a group of people hauling crates. Curious, she asked, "What's inside those?" "Oh, take a look, my lady." Kanrei opened two crates in succession. One was filled with Order robes, and the other with armor. "These are counterfeit Order robes and garrison armor. We've smoothed over a smuggling route between our two churches, and when the time comes, a temporary teleportation passage will be opened for us. We need to dress like this so the relevant Order officials will turn a blind eye." "When does it begin?" "Tomorrow night." "So soon?" "My lady, it isn't that we want to rush, but the angel... he can no longer wait." "The angel?" "Yes. You may step forward and see for yourself, my lady, though you must be somewhat mindful of the copper coin's negative effects." A blue membrane formed over Miliwen's body, shielding against the radiance of the Laks copper coin as she approached the stone sarcophagus. Before long, Miliwen sensed the vitality emanating from the angel within the sarcophagus. This vitality was far higher than she had anticipated upon arrival, which meant that once he was transported back to the Sea of the Abyss, he could immediately receive blessings and be put to work. His inclusion would certainly accelerate the return speed of the Temple of Heaven significantly. Qianmei screamed silently: *I want to leave the place where he is! Leave the place where they are! They're a bunch of terrifying demons! I finally got this chance with great difficulty, so hurry up and take me away! Hurry up and take me away! I want freedom!!* Although the angel lay there motionless and sealed, unable to speak, Miliwen could still perceive that "jubilant" aura from him. Kanrei had spoken the truth: the angel was impatient to leave this place, sending out emotional fluctuations that were nearly unmistakable. Miliwen couldn't help letting out a soft sigh, murmuring: "Sigh, are you truly that eager to return to the Sea of the Abyss to be a barge hauler, like a slave?" Qianmei: "..."