Chapter 78: Four on a Journey

Clearing her throat, Tuantuan lifted the sword, which was taller than herself, and put on a solemn expression as she asked Kong Zhe, “Tell me, are you my Master?”

“Master?”

“That’s right, Master. I have come in answer to your summons. From this day forth, my sword is with you, our fates are bound together. Thus, our contract is sealed!”

Tuantuan finished her declaration in all seriousness, then gleefully swung the massive sword twice. But she couldn’t keep up the serious act for long, and soon she was bouncing excitedly in place. “Well? A knight! Isn’t it cool?”

“Uh, weren’t you the Queen of the Blood Clan? What, you’re done with that title already?” Kong Zhe asked, amused.

“No, being the Blood Clan Queen was my previous life. This one—this is from the life before that.” Tuantuan twirled the sword a few times, though it was clear she had no real technique and was simply waving it about.

“Hmph, being Queen of the Blood Clan is important, but being a knight is way cooler… Ahem, ever since I drew the Sword from the Stone, I could never forget the honor of knighthood. This is my destiny…”

“…”

This girl really could amuse herself no matter the time or place. Kong Zhe shook his head with a smile. Seeing her lively and energetic, it was obvious her wounds had healed completely.

Unwilling to listen to more nonsense, Kong Zhe stood up, ruffled her hair, and smiled. “Enough playing around. Did you pack the things I asked you to last night?”

After dinner the previous night, Kong Zhe had asked each of the three women to pack what they’d need for the journey. He could carry their things in his ring, but each person was allowed only as much as a single suitcase would hold.

“Of course,” Tuantuan replied, and dragged her pink suitcase in from the doorway.

Kong Zhe opened it to check. It was filled with clothes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and other daily essentials. To his surprise, there were no toys inside.

“With such a small suitcase, shouldn’t you be able to fit everything in your inventory?” he asked.

“No… I can’t… My inventory’s already full…”

“Oh? What’s in your inventory? Let me see.”

“No, you can’t…” Tuantuan’s response was evasive, eyes darting, her voice hesitant. “It’s all private things for girls—I can’t show you…”

Kong Zhe could easily guess what she was thinking. All her undergarments were in the suitcase; what other “private things” could she have? Clearly, she’d hidden her collection of chuunibyou props and toys in her inventory, afraid he wouldn’t let her bring them.

But Kong Zhe didn’t expose her. He didn’t lack the space, and if those items were her spiritual support, she could bring them.

He glanced out the window; it was seven in the morning, daylight already bright outside. The perfect time to set out.

He stepped out of the room. In the living room, Xiao Lei and Xue Feifei were already sitting on the sofa, bundled up in thick winter clothes and scarves. Their suitcases sat on the floor, clearly ready to go.

After stowing the suitcases, Xue Feifei tugged at Kong Zhe’s sleeve and pointed at the scientific instruments in the living room.

“And these!”

“Are you kidding?” Kong Zhe looked at the room packed with metal equipment, his eye twitching. His ring was already two-thirds full, and he still needed to pack magical beast materials, ideally leaving some space for emergencies. There was no way he could fit all her stuff.

“You invented all these! Can’t you just make more later?”

“Easy for you to say. Do you know how much effort it took to make them?” Xue Feifei grumbled. “I spent more than a decade on this… Aren’t you the one with the dimensional storage? You don’t have to carry them yourself—just store them for me, what’s the harm…”

“My ring isn’t infinite…” Kong Zhe complained, but seeing her unwilling to budge, he sighed. “Five pieces, no more.”

“Ten!”

Kong Zhe was speechless. Was she bargaining like at a market?

“Fine, ten. But you have to pick small, useful ones. Don’t bring the astronomical telescope…”

“Alright…” Xue Feifei nodded, realizing he wouldn’t compromise further, and quickly selected the essentials.

Hong Ling had been watching silently all this time, a little downcast. The previous night, Kong Zhe had made it clear they would be leaving today—and he would not take her along.

So she had stood aside, saying nothing. But now, as the four prepared to leave, she could not hold back, stepping forward hesitantly. “Brother Kong, I…”

“You don’t need to say it. I’m not taking you.”

Kong Zhe sighed, cutting her off. He couldn’t understand why this woman insisted on following him, but it didn’t matter; he wouldn’t let her. He had been clear last night and left her some food for the next few days.

“If you really want to get to the safe zone, I suggest you find another team. With your abilities, no one will refuse. If you don’t want to, don’t worry. Your magical energy is already abundant; you should awaken in a few days. Then you can reach the safe zone on your own.”

Hong Ling’s words were stifled. She sighed, disappointment showing on her face.

Xue Feifei, watching this, felt uneasy. Suddenly she said, “Wait for me a moment. I’ll be right back…”

She took Hong Ling’s hand and led her to a wall at the back of the living room, pressed a few keys on a ring of keys, and a small door appeared in the formerly smooth wall.

Curious, Kong Zhe walked over to look inside.

The space was less than ten square meters, with a row of small monitors by the door.

“Oh, is this barrier connected to some chaotic, dark abyssal space of a parallel world?” Tuantuan exclaimed dramatically.

“No, it’s not,” Xue Feifei shook her head and stepped inside.

“This is a shelter I built when I was bored. It has an independent ventilation system and backup power for days. The monitors can see every corner of the house. The walls are made of the latest alloy, strong enough to withstand a rocket strike. So it’s absolutely safe inside.”

As she spoke, Xue Feifei pressed the key into Hong Ling’s hand. “You’re here alone. If someone breaks in and means you harm, hide in here.”

Though they had only just met, they’d fought together the previous day—a bond in adversity. When the attackers barged in yesterday and Kong Zhe wasn’t there, Hong Ling had bravely stepped forward, so Xue Feifei had a fondness for her.

Kong Zhe was sweating. She built this out of boredom? Was she paranoid?

“Then why didn’t you hide in here when I broke in before?” he asked.

“You have the nerve to ask!” Xue Feifei pouted and complained. “I wanted to, but you stole the key!”

Kong Zhe finally understood. No wonder she’d hesitated to hand over the key the first time—they’d planned to escape here all along.

“Thank you!” Hong Ling’s eyes grew moist. She smiled at Xue Feifei, gratitude heartfelt.

“Let’s go!” At Kong Zhe’s call, the four did not linger, opening the door and stepping outside.

Watching their figures fade, Hong Ling stood in melancholy. After a while, she murmured, “I said it already—whether you’re willing or not, I’ll follow you… I’ll find you all, sooner or later…”

…

The sky was thick with clouds, the world beneath a dim, wintry shroud. A tiny insect, only a few centimeters long, circled above the snowy landscape. Its wings were as thin as cicada’s, and it made no sound as it flew. Being inorganic, it had no scent, so it could avoid detection by the keen-nosed canine beasts and move safely through this perilous land. Every scene and thermal scan on the ground was transmitted through its electronic compound eyes to a tablet several hundred meters away.

“One at three o’clock, five hundred meters. Three at six o’clock, four hundred meters…”

Behind a snowdrift, a woman’s slightly husky voice rang out.

“Got it…” The man before her considered a moment, then said to the petite girl at his side, “Tuantuan, the one at three o’clock is yours. Dog, come with me for the other three!”

The group of one man and three women was, of course, Kong Zhe and his companions. They had been walking through the snow for nearly three hours since morning. Deep snow up to their knees and the lurking magical beasts made their progress slow. They had to avoid the clusters of beasts; if they were surrounded, even Kong Zhe wouldn’t be able to get everyone out unscathed. So, for safety, their route wound in twists and turns, making the journey far longer. In three hours, they had only covered two blocks, even with Xue Feifei’s reconnaissance robots scouting ahead—a sign of how harsh the conditions were. For an ordinary awakened, leading three others out safely would be nearly impossible.

“Woof!”

“Understood, Master!” Tuantuan gave a playful salute, looking entirely at ease, not the least bit nervous. With that, she charged out, dragging her enormous sword behind her.

“Hiss!”

Tuantuan made no effort to hide. Soon, a fishman in the middle of devouring a bloody heart spotted her. With a shrill cry, it charged, evidently deciding that a fresh, unthreatening girl was far more appetizing than cold flesh.

…