Seeking a Kindred Spirit (Continued)

Si Ming and He Qichang been comrades-in-arms before, although it was only for a short time and they had only eliminated a cult. However, they had "fought together." Moreover, they were all the same age, so it was easy for them to get along. When they met again a few years later, even the little friction from back then became an interesting memory of getting to know each other through fighting.

"Weren't you Mohist Knight Guard? How did you switch to the Shadow Hero Guard?"

"Because I found that I didn't like the high-profile, public-facing identity of the Mohist Knight Guard, but rather the shadowy, disappearing identity of the Shadow Hero Guard, which suited me better. I wasn't very good at studying, so I didn't continue to university. And coincidentally, a senior member of the Shadow Hero Guard appreciated me. Although he didn't take me as his disciple, he taught me a superior Internal Cultivation. To repay his kindness, I volunteered to transfer to the Shadow Hero Guard."

After He Qichang finished speaking, he bowed to Si Ming and gave him a small salute.

Si Ming stepped aside and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Thank you, Brother Si, for avenging my father's death. I will never forget your great kindness."

Who is your enemy?

"The Vicious Qi Evil Spider Tang Jing, he destroyed my entire family back then. I joined the Mohist Knight Guard and practiced martial arts diligently, all so that one day I could take revenge on him. I never expected that before I could even take action, he would die at the hands of Brother Si."

He Qichang's tone was tinged with gratitude and a hint of regret. Although hatred and dreams shouldn't be confused, his past motivation for diligently practicing martial arts was to avenge his enemy. Now, before he had even mastered his skills, his enemy was already dead, and at the hands of another. He couldn't help but feel a sense of loss, as if his life had suddenly lost its purpose. He didn't know which direction to take in the future, and sometimes he even wondered what the point of all his years of effort would have been if he hadn't practiced martial arts at all.

Of course, mastering martial arts is also beneficial to oneself, so it's not a waste. He Qichang understands these principles. However, principles are principles, and feelings are feelings. If everyone could rationally follow principles, we would all have become saints long ago.

Si Ming disregarded He Qichang's subtle feelings. He noticed something else: although the Vicious Qi Evil Spider had destroyed He Qichang's entire family, he only mentioned the hatred for his father's murder. Considering the Vicious Qi Evil Spider's hatred of promiscuous women and the Demon Race bloodline in He Qichang's body, Si Ming felt that he had discovered some terrible secret...

Let's not delve into it further. In the end, there's no need to involve the next generation in the grudges of the previous generation. Si Ming isn't the kind of person who cares about other people's backgrounds. The most important thing in making friends is getting along; everything else is secondary.

But then again, I can't help but think, with his complicated background, Child of Mixed Blood, and having a powerful enemy spurring him on, all these factors combined make He Qichang a kind of protagonist template.

Unfortunately, villains in reality don't live long; they only die when the protagonist comes to take revenge. It's common for them to be outmaneuvered. He Qichang can't possibly tell everyone, "The Vicious Qi Evil Spider is my target, and none of you are allowed to touch it." Even if he could, others might not be willing to listen, and He Qichang isn't the only one who has a grudge against the Vicious Qi Evil Spider.

"Is there anything I can do to help you, Brother Si?" He Qichang asked.

Si Ming glanced at Cuan Er, who tactfully said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. You two can continue your conversation; don't mind me." With that, he departed.

Then, Si Ming briefly explained the matter of investigating the palace. He Qichang nodded, not surprised at all. Compared to killing the Vicious Qi Evil Spider, what was investigating the palace to see the emperor?

When he first heard the news of the death of the Vicious Qi Evil Spider, he thought he had seen it wrong. After confirming it several times, he still couldn't believe it. He went to France in person to confirm it and finally had to force himself to accept the fact.

The shock of learning that a peer of his own age had personally killed a Spirit Transformation expert, who was also a friend he once knew, made He Qichang realize that he would no longer be surprised by anything in the future.

"I need you to meet me outside the palace. If everything goes smoothly, that's best. If anything unexpected happens, please hold off the pursuers. Also, I need you to keep an eye on my master. Although I don't think anyone would be so reckless as to attack him, there are always some brainless fools in the world, so it's always good to be safe."

Most of the tasks were minor, supportive duties, but He Qichang self-aware, didn't complain and nodded in agreement, "I understand, leave this to me."

Si Ming patted the other person on the shoulder and said, "Don't be so nervous. You'll be better off if you relax."

He Qichang shook his head and said, "The great feud has been averted, and I don't know where I'll go from here. I'm afraid that if I relax, I'll lose my will to fight back. So I have to force myself to stay on edge, at least that way I can keep going down the same path."

Si Ming, "A balanced approach to work is the right attitude. Since we're in France, let's treat it as a business trip and a vacation. The operation is the day after tomorrow, so why not take a stroll around the streets today and tomorrow and enjoy the exotic atmosphere? If you really can't relax, you can treat it as a field survey and tell yourself that you're getting familiar with the environment."

"To be honest, I don't really like the atmosphere in France. It always feels like a fish out of water and a wolf back in, making me feel uncomfortable."

"Ha, so the Daoist School also think of France this way, feeling that one cannot experience the Paramārtha of the Tao there, and that Legalist School only pursue minor techniques and do not understand the Great Tao. Conversely, the Legalist School also dislike Germany, considering it a junkyard, where people become decadent and useless, criticizing the Daoist School for being overly ambitious and not knowing how to do things practically, and for the government having no ability to implement policies."

"However, the streets in France are really clean; you can hardly see any litter. I really don't know how they do it?"

"I do know that. It's very simple. France law clearly stipulates that anyone who litters will be fined 100 euros if they don't pick up their trash within ten seconds, and the person who reports them will receive 50 euros. Although this regulation is useless to the wealthy, just as the law cannot completely prevent theft, robbery, and murder, as long as 99% of people stop littering, that's enough to achieve the goal. Of course, currently this regulation is only strictly enforced in cities; people still litter in rural areas and other rural regions."

"After hearing what you said, I've become interested in France. Perhaps I really should go and see it."

"It should have been done long ago. Travel more, see more, and you'll discover new goals in life. You don't have to always wear that bitter, resentful face."

Two days later, the Codex University held its anniversary celebration. The place was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the atmosphere was festive. Although it was not a Japan "school festival" that required each class to put on a show and only clubs were allowed to hold activities, it was still a very lively event. After all, they all possessed martial arts skills, and they could do much more than ordinary people.

The beauty pageant organized by the news agency unsurprisingly attracted the most guests. Although the vast majority were men, there were also some women, seemingly the support group for a certain androgynous beauty. They had banners and posters ready, and were quite professional. If Si Ming were here, he would probably call her a tomboy.

Murong Qing was dressed in a swordsman's outfit with blue as the main color. This swordsman was not a martial arts swordsman, but a sword cultivator similar to an immortal cultivator. The hem of her long dress was decorated with white epiphyllum flowers. Her ponytail, which she usually tied up for ease of movement, was loose and her long hair reached her waist. It was as shiny as a black pearl and exuded an ethereal and otherworldly aura. It was clear at a glance that she was no ordinary person.

Despite her completely unrevealing attire—exposing only her hands, neck, and head—she outshone the group of scantily clad and provocatively posing men around her.

In particular, her temperament, honed through years of martial arts training, is not like that of a delicate lady from a noble family, but rather exudes an air of self-assurance and dominance. Her powerful aura is like that of an empress, making the other contestants seem like concubines in comparison. No matter how charming and beautiful others may be, the audience's eyes will immediately be drawn to her.

Generally speaking, temperament is often a secondary factor in evaluation; people judge others by their appearance first and then by their temperament. However, the difference in temperament is so great that physical appearance is often overlooked at first glance.

Having experienced numerous life-or-death battles, Murong Qing was like a carnivore that had broken into the midst of herbivores, giving off a tremendous sense of oppression. Even if a contestant glanced at him with envy, before he could even come up with a bad idea, he was so frightened that he immediately looked away and dared not meet his gaze.

Now, their only consolation is that the beauty pageant is one-on-one, instead of all of them competing together; otherwise, there would be no point in continuing the competition.

Murong Qing didn't care about other people's opinions. She glanced at the audience and saw the stand-in who was impersonating Si Ming. She had to admit that the person the Third Prince had found did look very much like Si Ming. Although the face could be disguised with a human skin mask, other details such as height, figure, proportions, and arm length were also very similar to Si Ming. Even acquaintances who had known each other for a long time would find it difficult to notice these differences.

However, Murong Qing immediately recognized the other party as a fake because he was too "ordinary".

This "ordinary" doesn't refer to appearance or temperament, but rather something more essential. From his words and actions to his thoughts and values, Si Ming seems out of place in this era, revealing a unique personality that cannot be perceived at first glance but can only be understood through years of interaction.

It was this unique personality that attracted Murong Qing, leading her to make the embarrassing request she made the day before yesterday. While being a womanizer was a flaw, it wasn't unbearable; at least it was better than spending her whole life with an ordinary man.

In a sense, Murong Qing was pursuing was not a lover, but a spiritual partner. Compared to a sweet and romantic love, she longed for a confidant who could support her and move towards her ideals together, and Si Ming was the confidant she recognized.

Perhaps their ideas are different, but Si Ming never denies her ideas or laughs at her for being too naive. Instead, he encourages her, helps her, and tells her how to move forward so that she can get closer to her ideal.

For Murong Qing, that was enough. She wasn't the kind of romance novel heroine who only thought about finding a good man to marry and regarded love as her lifelong pursuit. What she wanted to be was not a vine that clung tightly to a big tree like a dependent vine, but a kapok tree that stood nearby, its roots intertwined and its branches tightly clasped, together resisting the wind and frost.

At this moment, a handsome young man dressed in exquisite handcrafted clothing, with an amethyst badge on his chest, approached. Holding a rose, he stood before Murong Qing and made an elegant and impeccable gesture of invitation, saying, "This heroine, I am Hu, son of the Marquis of Pingyang..."

"So noisy!"

Distracted from his train of thought, Murong Qing irritable. He didn't even bother to listen to the self-introduction. He shrugged slightly, and with a clang, the sword behind him was drawn half an inch from its sheath. A beam of Vast Cold Sword Qi shot out, striking the young man in Chinese clothing at the Tanzhong acupoint. The cold energy spread rapidly, making his whole body cold and stiff, rendering him speechless.

This scene, witnessed by onlookers, immediately caused a huge uproar.