This Is Our Companions' Blessing / The Vermilion Bird Is Always So Fragrant

Gray Serpent's intelligence technology is very advanced. Apart from the unethical tactics of Anqi, who directly replaces her colleagues and leaders, even Otto cannot infiltrate their ordinary intelligence operations.

But just because you can't see it doesn't mean you can't guess it.

Otto knew about the existence of the World Serpent, about Cang Xiaoxuan's resurrection, and about the relationship between Flame-Chasers and the connection between Cang Xiaoxuan and the World Serpent.

In this situation, it's not hard to guess what might happen if Fu Hua enters the World Serpent's territory and doesn't appear for a long time.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Otto foresaw this day from the day Cang Xiaoxuan was revived, and now it's just that his prediction has been confirmed.

"I knew this would happen, but I couldn't stop it. Su is an uncontrollable being, and Ji Lin's limits are immeasurable. Forcing my old friend to maintain the status quo might just destroy all the things I've built up over the years."

"So, Mr. Otto was forced to do this because he didn't want his old friend to get treatment? To be honest, you call him an old friend and you still act like this, you're really wicked."

Yae Sakura seemed a little confused, but she still managed to extract the key information and offered a straightforward criticism. Her disapproving, somewhat reproachful gaze pierced through the screen and landed on Otto.

Otto's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly waved his hands, begging for mercy:

"No, no, no, treating my old friend was already part of my plan. I just postponed it a little. I truly consider her a friend; it's not as bad as you think!"

"Is that so?"

Yae Sakura frowned suspiciously.

Otto wanted to explain, but he couldn't find the words.

If his old friend chooses to block his way, he will not hesitate to shoot her, then slowly treat her and bring her back under control.

Otto had mentally prepared himself for this, and was quite certain that he would do it, so he couldn't defend himself for the time being and could only smile bitterly.

"Let's not talk about that. I already guessed it, so I'm not entirely unprepared. Her disciple still needs St. Freya, and the two sleeping Herrscher are responsibilities she can't ignore. My old friend will cooperate with me, so the problem isn't too serious... right?"

Mr. Otto didn't seem very confident.

"I'm not entirely confident, after all, my old friend is one of the people who dislikes me the most!"

"I always felt that Mr. Otto sounded quite pitiful."

A hint of sympathy appeared in Yae Sakura's eyes.

Otto would send most people to hell on the spot for showing sympathy. But with Yae Sakura's sympathy, he felt only helplessness and relief. At least Yae Sakura didn't show any disgust, seemingly still firmly on his side. Compared to losing complete control over Fu Hua, it was a case of losing one thing and gaining another, wasn't it?

"I'm not at a loss."

Otto told himself this, and his mood improved.

Chapter 178 These are the blessings of my companions.

First came Ji Lin's resurgence, then Ninti's meteoric rise. The Armed Doll Skyfire, after displaying power overwhelming Durandal, escaped Sky City, likely having been fully repaired within the World Serpent. Following that, the Thirteen Flame-Chasers Su, reappeared in the mortal realm with an unassailable presence, and his old friend, once under his control, is also about to regain his power.

Despite the addition of new forces like Delta and Yae Sakura to his side, Otto felt that the chessboard that had lasted for five hundred years was beginning to spiral out of control.

Is it really that the end times are approaching, so civilizations are beginning to burst forth with miracles of survival—just like the Previous Civilization that produced countless strongmen and geniuses in their apocalypse?

"Well!"

Otto felt a vague anxiety about these changes.

"Rita said that compared to the Oceania Branch, which was riddled with problems, the Far East Branch was extremely clean, with virtually no dissent or corruption. But Durandal still found some unusual expenditures and was carefully verifying them with Theresa and her finance department."

Yae Sakura, holding a prepared report, explained the current situation in detail.

Otto appeared focused, as if to say, "Go on, I'm listening," but in reality, he wasn't paying attention at all; he was simply thinking about his own plans.

"Theresa and Ms. Murata Himeko seem a little flustered, which makes Durandal investigate even more diligently—it's worth mentioning that Theresa tried to bribe me with bitter melon juice. I'm a little curious whether her stubborn belief that everyone loves bitter melon juice also stems from Mr. Otto's perverse sense of humor?"

"Uh-huh."

"Kiana's condition hasn't changed much. She's in excellent physical and mental health, and the power dormant within her is quite stable. I really hope she can stay like this forever."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!"

"Mr. Otto, are you really listening?"

"Hmm, you did a good job, you deserve praise... Did I reveal something?"

Otto raised an eyebrow, a playful look on his face, making it impossible to tell whether he was genuinely joking or simply trying to get by after being exposed.

Yae Sakura blinked slowly, her face expressionless, her fair cheeks puffing out.

Otto quickly sat up straight and pleaded for mercy once more:

"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I apologize!"

"Mr. Otto is really incomprehensible. He clearly doesn't care about this intelligence at all, yet he makes us report to him every day. What is he thinking?"

"Who says I don't care? It's just that the problems I'm facing now are more complicated."

Otto argued righteously and sophistry.

However, Yae Sakura just stared at him quietly for a long time. When Otto felt like he was about to fall off his chair, she sighed with a complicated expression.

"Mr. Otto, I don't know if I should ask, but you have a very important plan for Kiana, right? Won't it hurt her?"

"You can't bear to do it?"

"Kiana and Theresa were a great help in my process of liberation, and I am very grateful to them. Moreover, they are both Kallen's juniors, and I see Kallen's shadow in them."

Yae Sakura, her voice a mix of sadness and longing, without uttering a single word of request, but Otto understood that she wanted him to stop.

No other reason could possibly sway Otto's will.

But the mention of Kallen's shadow made his pupils shrink and his fists clench unconsciously.

"What if I told you that everything I did was for Kallen?"

"What did you say? What does this mean?"

Yae Sakura's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she unconsciously leaned forward in front of the screen.

Otto stared at the stunningly beautiful witch opposite him with an unreadable expression. After a long while, he pleaded wearily:

"It's nothing, we can discuss it further another time. Anyway, please continue with your work, Sakura?"

"...Okay, I understand, Mr. Otto."

Yae Sakura seemed to have compromised, softening her stance in response to Otto's somber and somewhat fragile reaction, and thus ended the communication.

It's not the right time yet—that's what Otto thought.

He began to waver— Yae Sakura said to her other self in her mind.

"Hmm, it seems like progress is going well."

Su stood in the Jackal's laboratory, both responding to Yae Sakura's soliloquy and talking about Fu Hua's surgery.

At this moment, Fu Hua is more sincere and open than ever before.

For example, almost 90% of her skin was peeled off, and a large amount of bloody muscles and internal organs were actively pulsating in the sterile laboratory. It seemed that this completely exposed state did not affect her life or health at all. By the way, if anyone could have such strange thoughts about Fu Hua in this state, it is suggested that you do not need to see a doctor and that humane disposal is more suitable for you.

"Phew! That was tough! But we've finally sorted out the whole situation. The distorted and congested genetic structure has been reconnected, and the deeply necrotic tissue has been completely erased and regenerated. The rest of the repair will depend on her own recovery ability."

"Your craftsmanship is probably a bit rougher Otto's."

"If you're so capable, let me research for three to five hundred years first! I guarantee my treatment plan will be a hundred times better than that guy's!"

The Jackal narrowed its eyes dangerously and bared its claws menacingly, their sharp edges gleaming eerily in the bright room.

"Cough!"

Gray Serpent's dry cough rang out just in time to stop the Jackal's rudeness.

The Jackal rolled its eyes.

"I told you if you have a problem with your voice, go get it fixed! I'm not as naive as you; I know whether I can beat someone or not!"

"Cough cough cough!!!"

Then Jackal simply crushed the headset, too lazy to listen to that guy's rambling nonsense about respecting Flame-Chasers.

"In short, I have done my best to address the physical issues. Now, it's time to see your performance, Your Excellency Su!"

"Well, I apologize for my rudeness earlier. I didn't mean to mock you. Your technical skills are very strong; you wouldn't be an unknown figure even in Previous Civilization."

"No need to say anything, I understand! Although I may look down on him verbally, Otto is indeed a genius, and to be honest, I still have a lot to learn."

"You possess an arrogant confidence, yet also a realistic humility. You are more outstanding than I imagined. I believe you will shine with your own unique brilliance in this era."

Outside, Gray Serpent, who was monitoring the laboratory, breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, nothing too serious happened. Not only that, but Jackal really made the World Serpent proud this time!

Su entered Fu Hua's spiritual world.

The lake's surface, as clear as a mirror, was spotless and undisturbed, reflecting the high-hanging blue sky and white clouds. Beyond its dreamlike beauty, there was also an extreme tranquility, seemingly reflecting Fu Hua's incredible state of being after ten thousand years of arduous cultivation.

"Well!"

But Su couldn't hide her sadness and sighed.

Kevin might not be able to see it, but Sue, as an expert in the field of mental health, saw through the fragility of this dreamlike wonderland.

It resembles transparent glass.

Once you pass through, all you see is shattered remains, and the ever-flowing fire and blood everywhere.

"Is this truly your state of mind? Or is it just self-deception, a form of self-hypnosis you use to avoid descending into madness?"

"...Su?"

Su found Fu Hua sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed on the flat ground surrounded by lava.

As Fu Hua opened her eyes in surprise and disbelief, the shattered Purgatory returned to the celestial realm of Mirror Lake.

Su did not respond to Fu Hua's question, and her refusal to admit it directly was Anqi's last act of stubbornness—even though she knew it was self-deception, and whether she admitted it or not, it wouldn't affect her using Su's inheritance.

"The Divine Sound technology created the invincible Immortal Crimson Heron, but it also trapped you in an inescapable cage. In the increasingly narrow predicament, in the loss of your original self, the real Fu Hua almost drowned."

"..."

"But fortunately, those very swords that killed you also brutally shattered this cage. Though not completely, and though the damage far outweighed the gains, you were able to catch your breath and have come this far. Hua, fate isn't always so disappointing, is it?"

"Yes, you're right. Just like when I met Ji Lin and Xiaoxuan again, just like when I met Anqi, and just like when I met you again—fate has actually been kind to me."

Fu Hua was somewhat satisfied and a relaxed smile appeared on her face.

She no longer asks for more; what she has gained is enough for her to be grateful for the favor of fate.

Su opened her eyes, her gaze as deep as the starry sky and as peaceful as the rising sun, carrying a smile of blessing.

"This is a belated gift, conveying the wishes of your companions—that you may be reborn, that you may embrace your loved ones, and that you may be happy forever. This is the common hope of everyone."

Fu Hua was stunned for a moment, not even having time to process her own feelings.

The golden sword pierced the sky, slowly crushing this fragile state of mind, and also crushing the infernal purgatory that followed.

"Su, you..."

Before Fu Hua could finish speaking, a golden light enveloped her. She felt as if she had lost something that had accompanied her for thousands of years, and in an unprecedented sense of weakness, she completely lost her senses and consciousness.

"You chose to stand by because you witnessed her liberation. I chose to intervene because I liked her and because I needed her. But at least this blessing, I didn't go against your wishes, did I, Sue?"

With uncertain words in her mind, Su's figure disappeared into the shattered lake of her heart.

Chapter 179 Crimson Kite is Always Fragrant

"I can no longer feel my sword spirit."

Waking up in an unfamiliar room and on an unfamiliar bed, Fu Hua thoughtfully pressed her hand to her chest.

Then, I sat up instinctively.

Everything that came into view seemed unfamiliar.

It's not that I don't recognize the room's layout, but rather that the world I see is perfectly normal in terms of color, light, and distance, yet it has a strange, almost unsettling quality, as if some kind of filter has been removed. It feels exceptionally fresh and comfortable.

"Crimson Kite!"

"Master!"

Before Fu Hua could fully experience and contemplate these feelings, two familiar, warm, and soft bodies rushed towards her, one against her abdomen and the other against her chest, their strong embrace conveying their worry and joy.