LWGP - Chapter 241
Chapter 241: Thank You
Before the commotion erupted, in male pool No. 0813, several men were leisurely soaking in the hot spring, eating pickled cucumbers and chatting idly. They were in a good mood; after all, they had returned alive, and the war was over.
"Let me tell you, when that terrifying, disgusting, and hideously ugly Corpse King appeared, everyone else was scared stiff. But this young master didn't even bat an eye. I practically flew into the sky, and in minutes, I hit it with a thunderous bolt. When it comes to guts, if this young master claims to be second, no one would dare claim... Ah!!!"
When a spacetime tunnel suddenly opened behind Chi Ziyi, the number one simpleton of Huaxia City's main team, the glib young man was so scared he almost flew into the sky again by stepping on his own feet.
"Holy shit, what the hell is that?!!"
"A monster?!!"
At the same moment, inside Zhongyuan Tower, in the joint conference hall for the Ninth and Third Districts, Qing He, representing Luoyang's Gobi, suddenly frowned, a tremor in her eyes. Then, ignoring the expert from the Third District who was speaking, she directly activated her mecha, broke through the twentieth-floor window, and flew out.
A swift streak of light.
People were startled by the high-end nature of her mecha and shocked by the reason for her actions.
Xie Lu froze for a moment, then suddenly reacted and chased after her.
"This?"
"What's going on?"
"It seems like there's some kind of commotion."
Among the central government officials, excitement flickered in the eyes of the seated Song Yuanqiao. He immediately had someone stabilize the situation while he quickly left his seat. He didn't give chase; he went to contact someone.
In the Third District's seating area, the seated Roy lifted her eyelids slightly. Her fingers twitched, but ultimately remained still.
In the pool, it wasn't just Chi Ziyi who was scared out of his wits; the others were shocked too. Before they could react, they saw a wave of spatial energy surge from the tunnel, and a person, along with the light, plunged into the hot spring pool.
Splash.
Everyone was dumbfounded. Before they could react, attack, or even put up their guard, they vaguely saw a figure in the water—a mass of sinister black energy that looked like a water ghost at first glance.
"What the hell?!!"
They couldn't see what kind of ghost was in the water, but they could clearly see the person who had flown in from the sky.
The newcomer had sliced the roof clean off with a single sword strike. Amidst the deafening roar, she hovered high in the air, sword in hand. Her black hair fluttered in the wind, her beauty refined and elegant, her sword intent pure and cold. The scene was worthy of a poem or a painting.
Such a beautiful young lady, and she was Qing He, a famous king of the Ninth District. The young men hurriedly grabbed clothes to cover their lower bodies, their faces flushed red. None of them dared to question her for barging in.
However, Qing He didn't look at them, staring only at the faint black shadow in the water. When she saw the thick, bloody water spreading below and the spatial blades being continuously released, her expression changed slightly. Just as she was about to go down, she saw a shadow move with extreme speed, flying directly into the water. Amidst the splashing, the person who had entered the water had already carefully pulled out a woman covered in wounds.
There were huge, gaping, bloody holes in her chest and abdomen; her internal organs had been pierced through. But she wasn't dead. Not only was she not dead, but after being lifted from the water, dripping with blood, she was pale and weak, like a piece of paper soaked in water that could be easily torn to shreds.
The person holding her was extremely careful, wanting to grip her tightly yet afraid of causing her more harm.
Wang Jiu was somewhat conscious now. She saw a face and froze for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "Ah, it's you, little Ah Lu."
Her voice was a dark, lingering whisper, as faint as a thread.
Xie Lu's eyes reddened. He answered softly, "It's me."
Wang Jiu said to him, "Guard me for an hour."
It was the same casual yet undeniable tone, commanding others as if it were a matter of course, without a hint of remorse.
That was just the kind of person she was.
Then she wearily closed her eyes and passed out.
Xie Lu pressed his lips together. He said nothing, carrying her out of the water. He did his best to cast Holy Light and other skills on Wang Jiu, but he found it was useless.
He couldn't help but look at Qing He, his palms covered in the sticky fluid pouring from the body in his arms. Her flesh was repairing itself, but the residual spatial blades kept tearing it apart—they were being released from within Wang Jiu's own body.
What on earth had she been through?
Xie Lu's lips trembled slightly, but he didn't say a word.
Qing He glanced at him, walked over, and squatted down beside them. She placed a hand on Wang Jiu's chest. A cyan light spread over Wang Jiu's entire body, driving back a large portion of the spatial energy, but it quickly regenerated. She frowned.
Recalling what Wang Jiu had said before passing out, she stood up and looked at Chi Ziyi and the others. "I need to borrow this place. Would you mind leaving?"
She seemed refined and reasonable, but when Chi Ziyi saw her slender, jade-like hand resting on the hilt of the longsword at her waist and recalled some of the rumors about her, they all agreed. They quickly wrapped towels around their waists and ran out.
Qing He's features were elegant and refined. She brought her middle and index fingers together, and the water in the hot spring pool rose up, forming a ceiling that sealed them in. Ripples and shimmering illusions played across its surface, making it impossible for anyone outside to see what was happening within.
Xie Lu laid Wang Jiu on the ground. Seeing her clothes... he immediately took out a large coat and covered her with it. He looked at Qing He and asked, "Is her HP very low?"
He couldn't see Wang Jiu's attributes, and what worried him most was her HP.
To his surprise, Qing He shook her head. "I don't know. I can't see through her either, but I imagine she doesn't have much left."
She understood better than anyone from the third spacetime what a great price one had to pay to break through a spacetime tunnel to return. If spatial blades were still constantly regenerating and causing damage inside Wang Jiu's body, her HP was definitely not high, and it was still dropping.
Xie Lu's already pale face grew even more bloodless. Qing He thought he would suggest asking the central government for help.
But he didn't.
It wasn't that he didn't trust the central government; it was likely because of what Wang Jiu had said earlier.
Guard her.
He just obediently stood guard, doing nothing else. He didn't even care that he was being injured by the spatial blades released from her body while he held her.
His arms and chest were dripping with blood, and it wasn't just Wang Jiu's.
A very fine young man.
Qing He glanced thoughtfully at Wang Jiu, a strange, subtle look in her eyes. No wonder this cold-hearted person always showed a bit of favoritism toward this Xie Lu.
Not getting involved, that was true favoritism.
"You stand guard. Someone will be here soon. I'll be outside." Qing He went out and saw Chi Ziyi and the others nearby, already changed. They seemed to be discussing something, probably reporting the situation to their superiors.
Qing He didn't care. She sat down on a nearby chaise lounge, waiting only for Wang Shu to come puffing and panting from Zhongyuan Tower.
Unlike the graceful Qing He and Xie Lu, Wang Shu arrived riding a big, chubby, black-and-white panda.
Its four limbs were spread out in the sky, like Superman in flight. Its back was thick, wide, and furry. In the past, both Bai Bai and Wang Shu would have loved to roll around on it, but this time, they were in no mood.
"Fat Gun Gun, hurry up."
Gun Gun: "I'm already going as fast as I can!"
Bai Bai said cattily, "Oh, don't rush Gun Gun. It's big, has a large surface area, and too much drag. It's normal that it can't fly fast."
This must be the most educated little fox spirit ever, Wang Shu thought, rolling his eyes.
Gun Gun: "Yeah, Bai Bai is the nicest to me!"
Bai Bai: "..."
Gun Gun used to seem quite clever. But after the entire clan moved to the Gobi, with no major threats to its survival, its intelligence had plummeted.
However, Gun Gun also knew they were worried about Wang Jiu. So, with a kick of its hind legs, black and white energy roiled around its body, and it suddenly matched the speed of a mecha.
Soon, they arrived at the hot spring courtyard.
Bai Bai: "Wow, so many young ladies who aren't properly dressed."
Gun Gun: "Skinny bags of bones. Our Niuniu has a much better figure."
Wang Shu glanced at the beautiful women who had run out in a panic because of the commotion and said righteously, "What are you blabbering about? Get down!"
After Gun Gun brought Wang Shu down, Wang Shu was agitated, asking all sorts of questions. Qing He glanced at him and, instead of speaking aloud, explained the situation in a private message.
Wang Shu's eyes turned red, but he held back his tears. "The people from the conference seem very interested in what's happening here. They've probably noticed and will be over in a bit. I bet there are plenty of people who don't want Master to survive. Those bastards."
Muttering curses, Wang Shu sat down at the entrance with a serious expression. But his chubby body, symmetrical with Gun Gun on the other side, made them look like a pair of mascots at first glance.
He was messaging Lin Guiwan and the others, who were still in the Gobi, in their small group chat. The latter group was already prepared to storm Huaxia City and take her away if things went south.
"Let's wait and see. I want to see what their attitude is when they get here. That old bastard Song private messaged me. Said he'd keep things stable."
"Miss Qing He is still here."
"Wait for my signal."
Wang Shu babbled on quickly. Before long, some people from the central government and the Third District did indeed arrive.
The commotion was too big, and they knew what it was—a spacetime tunnel.
Someone had broken through spacetime to arrive.
Had they come, or returned?
The second spacetime had already been destroyed. Who else could have come back?
And everyone here knew what Wang Jiu's return from another spacetime meant.
The other districts were not happy about the return of the Ninth District's Wang Jiu, and people from other countries within the Ninth District weren't happy either...
Humans, after all, are selfish creatures.
Xie Lu soon heard the commotion outside. He could vaguely tell that some people were being hypocritically polite and probing, some were genuinely concerned, and some were subtly targeting them.
Small groups look out for individual interests.
Larger societies look out for the interests of specific groups.
They checked and colluded with each other.
Even he himself—his family, his family's old friends, his work department, his superiors, his subordinates—all had their own social connections, ensuring he would never be truly alone.
But she was different.
He had always known this woman was different.
Xie Lu sat cross-legged to the side, watching the motionless Wang Jiu intently.
For the first time, he understood the meaning of losing something and getting it back.
These past few days, countless people had been saying that her departure was a certain death.
But she had returned.
He could hear the sound of the flesh and bones inside her body being constantly torn apart and then repaired.
Quiet, yet restless.
She didn't form stable relationships with anyone, so she didn't need to bear any responsibility. But because of that, she faced the danger of being envied and attacked by many.
Everything was fine when times were good, but if she ever ran into trouble... all sorts of monsters and demons would appear.
Because she was too strong, too dangerous.
She looked down on the world, and the world could not tolerate her.
Xie Lu watched in silence. Finally, he couldn't help but reach out. Just as his long fingers were about to touch her pale pink lips, haggard from blood loss, they suddenly curled back.
Out of fear, out of restraint.
"The world is the world, and we are we."
You won't be bullied.
Unless I die.
This was the second time Xie Lu had felt a strong conviction independent of family, country, and the world.
The first was when she left.
The second was upon her return.
Qing He was still sitting there, her sword resting on the ground, leaning against a pillar. She watched the group of people before her—some with Eastern faces, some with Western ones. After they had all finished speaking, she finally said something.
"Actually, you should all understand that this is no longer an era where you can make people yield with mere words. At least, not with me, Qing He."
She had always been a person of principle and morality, upright and elegant. But she was also a king who had slaughtered her way out of the cruel second spacetime and ultimately survived to return. The more refined she appeared, the more unshakable she was.
Unwilling to say more, her fingers toyed with the hilt of her sword.
The silver light on the blade was like the autumn equinox moonlight. Her features were picturesque, her sword aura ethereal.
"To touch her, you'll have to get past me first."
Someone laughed and said it wouldn't come to that; they just wanted to see if there was any way they could help. They heard Wang Jiu was seriously injured...
Just as these words were spoken, a scream suddenly came from the roof.
Everyone looked up and saw a dead body appear in the space above. It tumbled down, its body covered in frost, and quickly turned into icy dust.
The cold and glamorous head of the Benroy family was standing on the roof, her hands behind her back, her fingers hooked around a staff. She stood on the rippling water ceiling and bent down to look. After seeing the situation inside, she asked Qing He below, "Why is there still a man in there?"
During the time Wang Jiu was gone, because of the Undead invasion, the return of the second spacetime survivors, and the general increase in people's strength, teleportation resources had become more abundant. Naturally, they had more contact with each other, and social interactions among humans had deepened. Even if they hadn't met, they at least knew of each other.
What's more, whether it was Roy from the Third District, who had brutally killed many big shots, or Qing He, the king of the Ninth District, their reputations were quite formidable. They knew of each other, but today was their first conversation.
During the previous meeting, neither of them had spoken. Now, they were speaking with casual familiarity.
Qing He glanced at her and said, "Would Ms. Roy be at ease if it were a woman in there?"
A double entendre.
Roy was noncommittal and said nothing. But the people from the Third District saw that the person who had just died was clearly one of their attending lords. The Third District's representative, Jon, leader of the Atlantic Alliance, couldn't help but narrow his eyes, hiding the coldness within them. He said politely to Roy, "Oh, Roy, you've gone too far. Reilly was our brother..."
Roy: "We Benroys are born to kill our siblings."
Jon: "...Uh, alright. But why? I believe he was just expressing the Third District's concern for Ms. Wang Jiu. After all, she just returned from another spacetime and isn't in a good state. So, you attacked your own people for Ms. Wang Jiu?"
Jon wasn't trying to convince Roy, but to isolate her. He hated this junior so much.
She wants my position?
Yes, she does.
Jon was well aware of the danger posed by young people like Roy, who had seized the opportunity of the apocalypse to madly slaughter their "elders." In order to isolate and eliminate them, he didn't mind being a little despicable.
Anyway, double standards were a certain characteristic of theirs in the West.
Of course, Roy saw through it. Her fingers caressed the handle of her staff as she smiled faintly. "Yes."
A glint flashed in Jon's eyes. Just as he was about to speak again, he heard Roy add coolly, "There's a Chinese saying—chí yú zhī yāng. The disaster of the fish in the moat. Don't forget, we're still on someone else's turf."
"And I don't like being dragged down by idiots."
Many from the other countries in the Ninth District and from the Third District were embarrassed, but they also reined in their thoughts of assassination.
They all knew that Wang Jiu had just emerged from a spacetime tunnel. Her remaining HP was definitely low, making it the perfect time for an assassination. But if she was already well-protected, there was no need to act.
Several ninjas and Southeast Asian curse masters simultaneously left their hidden positions, because many experts from the central government had appeared nearby, locking onto them.
If they got any closer, these experts would attack immediately.
Wang Shu had been listening for a while. Now he jumped out and said, "I get it. You're worried my master is seriously injured and about to die, right? You want to help treat her? You can rest assured. My master has been around for years and has never needed anyone's help. But if you're really sincere, then give us some medical resources! I'll accept on my master's behalf. Come on, I've got three thousand inventory slots."
As he spoke, Wang Shu started to go over and ask for resources. Luo Sheng and her group wanted to give some, but Wang Shu didn't approach them, deliberately running in front of certain other people instead.
Many people looked embarrassed. Plus, the central government's political delegation had arrived, so the situation was basically settled.
Liu Wuren had successfully defended Bashu, achieving great results. At first, his plan for allocating resources to reinforcements was criticized by many conservatives internally, but facts proved his decision was correct. This success was particularly important, especially given that some important areas had fallen and their personnel had been wiped out.
So he later became one of the four leaders of the younger generation in the central political delegation, forming a stable situation with Qin Feikong and two others.
Now, Liu Wuren had arrived, and so had Qin Feikong. The appearance of two young leaders, and the fact that they didn't overstep their bounds to say anything to the Gobi representatives, undoubtedly showed the central government's attitude.
Wang Shu glanced at some of the people who had been clamoring loudly just now. The fatty had always been the type to push his luck when given an inch. So he feigned disappointment, leaned against a pillar, and said, "You're not giving anything? Oh, how sad. Do you only express your love and concern for my master with your words? My master is so pitiful. For her country, for her friends, she didn't hesitate to go into battle and was bravely wounded. She personally went to a dangerous place to explore the mysteries of the game and the future. Is there anyone in this world more kind, lovely, and deserving of tolerance than her?"
If this were a funeral, the mourners were definitely from the bargain bin.
Just as everyone was mentally rolling their eyes at how exaggerated Wang Shu's words were, they all suddenly felt that something was wrong.
A savage, tearing sound came from inside the room. The majestic aura of the spacetime tunnel's blades inevitably escaped.
"Is it an attack from the spacetime tunnel?"
"It looks like the situation is not good. Ms. Wang Jiu is in danger."
"That's right, she's in danger."
A few people looked regretful on the surface but were secretly celebrating inside.
Wang Shu and the others were endlessly panicked. Liu Wuren frowned, while Shen Wan, beside him, spontaneously tried to prophesize, only to find that she could only see a vast, dark world.
It was a void.
For some reason, Shen Wan immediately thought of the Wang Jiu she had once been unable to prophesize for, and the history behind her that had since been unearthed.
Miao Mountain, the sacrifice, the Old Lady, the persistence.
Wang Jiu was already a person of extreme uncertainty. Perhaps, in the future, she might not even be "human."
Then who was it that had returned this time?
Thinking of this possibility, Shen Wan felt an inexplicable sadness.
The profession of Great Prophet sounded impressive, but it actually had an occupational hazard—knowing too many secrets. It was as if you had participated in the other person's story, felt their joys and sorrows. How dangerous.
Why was she so sad for someone she barely knew?
The air seemed to freeze, as if it had been suddenly sucked away. At the same time, streams of water were drawn from the sources of the various hot spring pools.
Everyone subconsciously looked up to see the streams of water moving and converging in the nearly frozen space, but instead, they saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds. Countless whistling shadows could be vaguely seen darting about. At first glance, it looked like ghostly figures flying through the air, sinister and terrifying.
Many people couldn't stand this atmosphere. Out of stubbornness and self-preservation, some wanted to break it, even to block the streams of water. But the atmosphere was almost suffocating. What terrified them even more was—they couldn't seem to move.
The shadows in the sky enveloped them. They felt a boiling within their bodies, and under this boiling, scalding blood broke out of their bodies along an unnatural path.
Including Liu Wuren, including Qin Feikong, even Wang Shu, including Roy, including everyone.
It wasn't just the people at the hot spring pool. Spreading out from the pool, across dozens of streets, over a hundred thousand people had a stream of blood drawn from them. Like a dense spiderweb, these thin, elongated streams traveled through space in the most aesthetically pleasing straight lines, finally entering a certain room.
It was a long process.
While his blood was being drawn, Wang Shu took a moment to reply to Lin Fengmian and others in the small group chat, who were repeatedly asking if this was really their great lord's doing.
"That's right, it's her. I'd bet all two hundred jin of my flesh on it."
This invigoratingly painful feeling of having my blood drawn... it's so damn familiar!
On the only mountain in Huaxia City stood a tall tower. At its peak, a bald man, looking old and draped in a white kasaya, opened his eyes after meditating as he had for ten years. He turned his head to look at a spot in the city.
He seemed to murmur, "To escape the pursuit of spacetime, she infinitely washes herself with blood. Such a cruel disposition."
"But has 'she' awakened?"
The dark clouds covering the sky were like a thousand miles of twilight crows. Myriad streams of blood converged, taking root and sprouting, washing the body in blood.
This process lasted for nine minutes.
Nine minutes. Like a Charlie Chaplin black-and-white film, it was shocking and humorous to watch, but it always contained a hidden, cruel realism.
Behind a closed door is reality. Open the door, and you find cruelty.
For instance, at this moment, just as everyone finally came to their senses, feeling weak and dizzy from the blood loss, the door was slowly pulled open.
The slight sound of the door sliding in its track was actually the dullest of saws, grinding away inch by inch at the most tender flesh of their hearts.
Then, they saw Wang Jiu.
Her black hair was draped casually over her shoulders. She was damp all over, wearing a man's large outer robe, looking graceful and frail. Her expression was faint, but when she lifted her eyes to look at them, that faintness was instantly painted over with an extremely deep meaning.
It was as if the pallor of her skin was stained by the freshly ground, inky light in her eyes.
Black and white were intertwined, indistinguishable from one another.
It also seemed as if half her face was still covered in scars, but they were rapidly healing before their very eyes.
It was as if they were personally witnessing the reshaping of a perfect body.
In their shock, she spoke. Having just been repaired, her throat might not have been used to it yet.
It had a somewhat raspy quality.
"Just now, who was it that wanted to heal me?"
Everyone was alarmed, some terrified. But no one answered, because the few ninjas and others who had hidden and then been forced back by the central government's experts had all their blood drained in an instant. Their bodies, from flesh to skin, were reduced to nothing but limp hides, which fell to the ground in a pile—a shocking sight to behold.
The mountains and rivers stretched for ten thousand li; killing was as easy as breathing.
And Wang Jiu, having drawn their blood, was finally perfectly restored, from flesh to skin.
Even the color of her lips was now lustrous and full.
Wang Jiu tilted her head slightly, crossed her arms, and gathered the loose coat Xie Lu had given her. She finished with a single sentence.
"Thank you."
It was light and airy, like a demon leaning over your bed, gently blowing a breath into your ear as you sleep.
Luring one into a nightmare.
The attendees from Japan, Korea, and other countries in the Ninth District, as well as certain factions from the Third District, were so scared their legs went soft. Their faces were whiter than paper. They all weakly replied "You're welcome" in broken Chinese... so obedient, terrified that Wang Jiu would go on a killing spree.
As expected, Wang Shu thought, when it comes to dominating a scene, it really takes a supervillain like my master.
Wang Shu's and Bai Bai's eyes shone, filled with ultimate adoration. A thought even crossed their minds—Who said my Master/Great-Grandma went through spacetime to die? She clearly went for advanced studies! From a Black Mountain Old Demon to an Eternal Demon King!!! Hehehe!
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