What a Coincidence

It was during this exchange that the Armed Doll Skyfire, who had been absent for more than two thousand years, finally returned to the organization as the deputy leader of the World Serpent.

"Speaking of which, why does no one know how to repair a doll with personality? There are many who can repair fake dolls, and medical skills have developed to an incredible level, but a child like Xiaoxuan seems to be a myth in people's eyes!"

On a street in Sky City in the early morning, Ji Lin was eating a bowl of noodles covered in red chili oil, slurping and muttering to himself.

Behind her, the ancient sword Xuanyuan, wrapped in white cloth, trembled slightly, conveying the same resentment and anxiety that A-Lin felt.

Ji Lin looked wistfully at the passersby on the street, ignoring their repeated glances of amazement at her stunning appearance.

Then, she turned to the blond girl squatting beside her and said:

"Child, you've been following me for several days, is there something you need?"

"Cough cough cough!"

A pretty, petite girl choked on a few mouthfuls of chili oil.

Ji Lin sighed helplessly, reached out and gently patted the other person's back, while handing over a glass of cool boiled water.

"Be careful, it's really uncomfortable to choke on spicy food."

"Cough! Thank you... Imperial Princess!"

"Imperial Princess?"

"Ahem! I meant thank you, young lady! My name is Situ Qinghong. It is truly an honor to meet you here!"

The blonde girl rubbed her hands together with a fawning expression, looking at Ji Lin with a grin, unable to hide her excitement.

Ji Lin gave her a strange look, then touched the white cloth behind him and whispered:

"A-Lin, this guy is weird. What era is this? He still uses such an archaic tone. And he even uses idioms incorrectly. I think he's a bit like... what... oh, chuunibyou?"

"I'm not a chuunibyou! And what's the point of you speaking so softly? I'm squatting right next to you, how could I not hear you!"

"A-Lin, A-Lin, she's angry! That's really strange. Should we give her some points? She seems kind of pitiful. She's so cute, but she seems to have some mental issues."

"... I've already said I'm not sick! I am Situ Qinghong, representing the official government of Shenzhou, paying my respects to Imperial Princess Xuanyuan!"

The blonde girl stood up, straightened her hair and the hem of her clothes, then respectfully clasped her hands in a fist and bowed, giving a proper salute.

"Slurp—"

Ji Lin slurped up his noodles, staring blankly ahead.

However, the Xuanyuan Sword was shaking merrily.

Regardless of Situ Qinghong's background or motives, the title "Imperial Princess" clearly hit A-Lin's sweet spot.

Chapter 134 This is no coincidence

"You said you're an official?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty!"

"How did the authorities know about me? I've never been to your bureau or anything like that... Oh, ID card, right, I don't even have an ID card right now!"

On the pedestrian street, which was full of ancient charm and neon lights, Ji Lin walked side by side with a blonde girl who called herself Situ Qinghong. Then, Ji Lin belatedly slapped his palm, as if he had realized something extraordinary.

Situ Qinghong smiled awkwardly, bowed, and respectfully handed over a small card.

"Your ID card, Your Majesty!"

"Oh, thank you. So how did you know me?"

"Well, the East Sea is, after all, the territorial waters of Shenzhou, and Chiyou is Demon God in the ancient legends of Shenzhou. We naturally pay attention to what's happening there. We first learned about your resurrection from the Anti-Entropy Executor Cocolia, then we consulted the Mandate of Schicksal, and even risked offending the immortals to contact the Immortal Crimson Kite to confirm the news."

"That sounds so complicated."

Ji Lin flipped through the cards in her hand, admiring her uniquely styled, simple headshot as she spoke casually.

Situ Qinghong rubbed her small hands together and said very politely:

"After all, he is the legendary Emperor Xuanyuan, the ancestor of Shenzhou. The old men above him are all astonished and have to be careful to verify his identity!"

Am I really that famous?

"Of course! Emperor Xuanyuan fought against the Demon God Chiyou to protect the people of our Shenzhou. This selfless spirit of selflessness has been passed down from generation to generation, which is why heroes and martyrs throughout history have stepped forward in times of crisis and repeatedly saved our Shenzhou from peril. The prosperity of our Shenzhou throughout the ages is all due to the spirit of the Emperor!"

"Stop!!!"

As Situ Qinghong's voice grew louder and louder, Ji Lin couldn't help but raise the Xuanyuan Sword with both hands to hide his blushing embarrassment.

However, the Xuanyuan Sword was also trembling incessantly. Inside the sword, A-Lin covered her face with her hands, her entire spirit body trembling uncontrollably, even her earlobes were flushed red as if about to bleed—she was just a village girl from a tribe, even though she was the chieftain, even though she was a bit of a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur), how could she possibly listen to such exaggerated praise!?

Situ Qinghong looked at the long sword wrapped in white cloth, and his eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.

"This... this is the Xuanyuan Sword!?"

Ji Lin only wanted to change the subject, so he took the opportunity to pull back the white cloth, revealing a golden sword blade carved with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and plants, and forced himself to remain calm, saying:

"Ahem! This is the Xuanyuan Sword. Within it resides—well, let's call it a split personality of mine, another version of myself."

Then, in Situ Qinghong's eyes, A-Lin's figure appeared amidst the magnificent golden light, twisting his fingers shyly as he said:

"Hello... you..."

"(⊙o⊙) Wow! As expected of the Emperor Xuanyuan, his methods are just like those in myths and legends, amazing!"

"That's enough! Stop saying things like that!"

Ji Lin hugged the sword, biting her lip in embarrassment and stomping her foot in annoyance.

Situ Qinghong blinked innocently, then a sly glint flashed in her eyes as she said:

"How could that be? The legends and prestige of the Emperor could be told for three days and three nights without end! For five thousand years, there have been sacrifices to Xuanyuan, and countless people, from emperors to commoners, have paid homage to the Emperor! Even today, descendants of the Shenzhou still worship the Emperor from time to time, admiring his majesty and merits!"

"Stop right now!!!"

"As the saying goes, 'The Three Sovereigns ruled the world, and the Five Emperors established order,' among them, the Emperor's prestige was the most prominent. The Emperor was truly the ancestor of the Shenzhou, and his descendants are all..."

"Aaaaaah!!!"

Ji Lin clutched the Xuanyuan Sword and fled for his life.

When will this RNM ever end? I've already been shameless enough by fooling A-Lin and my master, and you're still saying these things. Aren't you deliberately trying to embarrass me and break my spirit?

At least at this moment, Ji Lin and A-Lin felt the same shame, without any falsehood.

Half an hour later, Situ Qinghong found Ji Lin crouching down next to a street trash can, trembling and covering his head.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty?"

Situ Qinghong approached cautiously, not daring to speak too loudly.

Ji Lin suddenly shuddered, then clutched her head, slowly turned her head, revealing a small face with her red lips bitten, filled with grievance and pitifulness, looking at her with a pair of heart-stopping, wet eyes that evoked pity.

"You're malicious!"

"I didn't! Your Majesty, I would never dare to insult you. These are my heartfelt words, my very heartfelt words!"

Situ Qinghong quickly explained.

Although the aggrieved Emperor is super cute, if those stubborn, traditional old fogies knew that she had turned the ancestor of Shenzhou into this—they would die! Their butts would be swollen for a long time, to the point that they wouldn't be able to crawl!

Half an hour later, on a bench by the river, Situ Qinghong fawned over Ji Lin, feeding him cotton candy, candied hawthorn, sugar paintings, and other traditional snacks. Seeing that Ji Lin's emotions had finally stabilized, she relaxed her anxious and fearful mood.

As Ji Lin ate, sharing the taste with A-Lin, she glared at Situ Qinghong with lingering resentment and muttered:

"So what do you want from me?"

"Well, Your Majesty holds a very high position, and we didn't know how to approach you appropriately. In the end, we chose me mainly to provide you with some small conveniences and to prevent any unworthy descendants from disrespecting you!"

"I don't need it. I have the bank card Crimson Kite gave me. Stay away from me!"

"No, Your Majesty! I defeated many masters of my generation to stand out and was entrusted with this important mission. If I go back now, they'll tie me to a pillar and spank me!"

"Then you deserve it..."

Ji Lin said resentfully, but thinking of the unpleasant little brat being scolded, he couldn't help but smile happily.

Situ Qinghong scratched his head awkwardly, knowing that his little prank had offended this ancestor he couldn't afford to offend, so he didn't dare to talk back.

Ji Lin looked at the river, his brows furrowed slightly, as if deep in thought.

After a moment, she sighed, reached out and touched the Xuanyuan Sword on her lap, and took out an exquisite wooden box.

"Alright, since you've shown up, let me ask you a question: do you know who can repair Xiaoxuan?"

"What a beautiful little doll! Your Majesty, what is this?"

"The Book of Cang Xuan, a little life created by Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu to accompany and care for Crimson Kite, but it's probably been too long and has developed problems. I've been looking for it for a long time, and I really don't know anyone who can fix it. Since you're here, could you ask around for me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and gather information for you immediately!"

"Skyfire, according to the test results, your battery system is severely aged and it seems that a complete upgrade is needed before it can be restored to its previous state."

How long will it take?

"Well, I've basically mastered the information on the Armed Doll provided by Gray Serpent. To be on the safe side, it should take about half a month."

The Jackal was communicating with Skyfire.

The Gray Serpent beside him stroked his chin with his mask and said:

"Jackal, are you sure you can handle this? After all, the Armed Doll is one of the highest technological achievements of the Fire Moth. If it doesn't work, it might be better to go to the Land of the Past and have Klein repair it."

"Don't talk nonsense. You know how dangerous the Land of the Past is. It's better not to take risks unless absolutely necessary. I have confidence in myself, so stop making things worse."

The Jackal rolled its eyes and said arrogantly and disdainfully.

The Land of the Past is full of monsters with extraordinary martial arts, technological prowess, or mystical abilities. If something is discovered about this place, Anqi, though confident in her ability to protect herself, risks the collapse of her game.

Anqi will not step into the Land of the Past until she has fully grasped the Jackal's technical capabilities and has a sufficient understanding of it.

The Gray Serpent pondered, its thoughts wavering slightly.

However, the Jackal's cautious and reliable image in recent days has been very convincing, and the Gray Serpent is inclined to believe her.

At this moment, Skyfire spoke:

"The Land of the Past is not a place for me; it should only be open to the hope of this new era."

"Lord Skyfire..."

"I believe in Jackal. Real-world problems should be solved by real-world people. As for the Elysian Realm, we shouldn't bother them too much. If I must enter Elysian Realm, I hope it will be on the day I'm completely destroyed before they send me there."

The words were meaningful and tinged with sadness, as if they were a remembrance of past comrades and comrades.

The red light in Gray Serpent's eyes dimmed, and a sense of respect and remembrance for the Flame-Chasers welled up in his heart.

"We shouldn't disturb them too much... Lord Skyfire, you are right. Elysian Realm is the resting place of Flame-Chasers, and also the place where hope is buried. Over-reliance on them is a desecration. Gray Serpent has learned his lesson!"

Then, the Gray Serpent turned to the Jackal and solemnly said:

"Then it's up to you. Do everything you can to make Skyfire fully recovered!"

Are you looking down on my intelligence, or on the Venerable Lord's foresight back then?

"That's true. I believe in your abilities, Jackal."

"Hmph! Just stop bothering me with those trivial matters for now. You can get lost, I need to design the plan."

The Jackal waved its hand dismissively, completely ignoring the Gray Serpent's attempt to be friendly.

Gray Serpent wasn't annoyed at all. Under the reliable filter he had already created, Jackal's arrogance only made him feel exceptionally at ease.

Gray Serpent bowed to Skyfire, politely bid farewell, and then left the laboratory.

' Skyfire will be fully recovered in half a month, at which point he will have enough confidence to deal with Cocolia's strength and those clandestine entanglements.'

'However, we must carefully maintain our cooperative relationship with Cocolia. Her subordinates are becoming increasingly formidable and will likely play a greater role in the future.'

"Cocolia betrayed me, Anti-Entropy set its sights on World Serpent, this Battle of London has truly made Schicksal take notice of us. There are many troubles ahead, so perhaps we should be even more discreet about our actions."

'Welcoming back the Venerable Lord requires a Herrscher -level compass, and currently the Gem of Serenity and the Gem of Pestilence are unclaimed. How can I strategize to get them from that troublesome Otto?'

'We still need Cocolia! And her upcoming involvement in the research on the Eye of the Abyss is an opportunity we can't afford to miss.'

Gray Serpent pondered, considering whether there were any opportunities to cooperate with Cocolia and deepen their ties in the near future.