Chapter 172

On another street in Sky City, a bustling crowd had gathered. It was probably a night market, and the aroma of various snacks kept wafting into Kiana's nose. However, the girl had no time to pay attention to such things. Her attention was entirely on a certain blond idiot. Kiana grabbed Shen Gonglin's collar with one hand and pulled him back with all her might. She should have known better than to walk this way. Walking this way was just asking for trouble!

"Kiana, that looks so delicious! Buy it for me, I want to eat it!"

Kiana pulled her back by the collar, but Shen Gonglin's eyes were fixed on the barbecue. The aroma kept wafting into Shen Gonglin nose. Kiana's barbecue was indeed delicious, but it couldn't compare to this barbecue made with a professional secret recipe. It looked incredibly delicious. After a busy day, what's wrong with having some barbecue?

"I'm out of money. All the money I earned from working today went to the shop owner to compensate for the losses. Just bear with it. We can only eat instant noodles today. The anime-flavored instant noodles are enough for you. Hurry up and go home... Shen Gonglin, can't you just be a good girl?"

Kiana tried to pull Shen Gonglin away, but the brat clung to the telephone pole and wouldn't let go. The girl was quite helpless about this. She should have known better than to let this guy come with her to work. They had been in Sky City for a while now, and they had to try their best to survive no matter what.

However, survival requires money, so Kiana went to work. She did quite well, handling tasks like handing out flyers and working as a waitress at a coffee shop with ease. Meanwhile, Shen Gonglin, true to her lazy nature, obediently stayed at Kiana's rented apartment while Kiana worked, waiting for her to return. Today, Kiana felt sorry for him, seeing him cooped up at home all day, so she took him with her to work...

Then Kiana regretted it. Shen Gonglin had lost all the money she had earned in the past week by going there today. She helped make coffee and ended up sending a customer to the hospital. She helped wash dishes and broke an entire cabinet of bowls. Seeing the shop owner's livid face, Kiana could only obediently offer her wages as compensation. Had she really overthought things? This Shen Gonglin was simply not suited for part-time work.

"I have them, Kiana. Look, I have so many! These are Himeko's cards, these are Anna's cards, these are Durandal and Rita's cards. I can use Rita's cards however I want. Can you buy them for me?"

She showed absolutely no remorse for causing Kiana any trouble. Given their relationship, it would be too much of a formality to care about such things. Didn't she see how Kiana didn't mind causing her trouble at all, as if nothing had ever happened? Shen Gonglin pulled out several bank cards from her pocket and showed them to Kiana. She might not have money, but he did—lots and lots of it.

Anna's card contained the medical expenses she had extorted. Rita and Durandal shared a card, so she only needed to use Rita's portion. Himeko had also given him her bank card during the final battle with the Herrscher of the Void, and then there was her own bank card... well, never mind her own card, she used it all to pay off Durandal's debts. Putting that card aside, Shen Gonglin was now quite wealthy; eating barbecue was no problem for him. He felt that supporting Kiana wouldn't be a big deal.

Using another woman's money to support another girl, Shen Gonglin can be considered a model of living off a woman.

"No, I already told you. We need to operate discreetly now. These bank cards belong to the Schicksal subordinates. Even if they haven't been frozen, they're definitely under surveillance. If we use them indiscriminately, it will definitely expose our location. Shen Gonglin, this is very important. You must remember this."

Kiana was far more mature than Shen Gonglin in this matter. She looked into Shen Gonglin's eyes and earnestly warned him that Schicksal must know about the bank cards on Shen Gonglin's body. If they were to withdraw money from them, their whereabouts would be exposed. This was no laughing matter. Otherwise, why would Kiana work part-time? Her bank cards contained not only Valkyrie allowances but also pocket money given to her by Theresa. Unfortunately, she couldn't use any of that.

"Oh... but I really want to eat it."

Shen Gonglin lowered his head in disappointment. He put all the temporarily unused bank cards back into his pocket. Kiana was right. If he withdrew money from the bank cards, he would definitely be discovered. They had even entered this Sky City by Shen Gonglin using the Herrscher of the Void's ability to teleport them in. Their whereabouts could not be exposed. Thanks to Kiana's reminder, otherwise Shen Gonglin would never have thought of this. She seemed to have matured a lot all of a sudden.

"... Just one skewer, that's fine, Shen Gonglin, I'll buy it for you, but you have to be a good girl."

Good Shen Gonglin's gaze? Looking at the disappointment in those purple eyes, Kiana realized she couldn't handle it anyway. There was no reason for Shen Gonglin to be like this while she was with her. Kiana turned away awkwardly. Actually, she still had a little money, which she kept for emergencies. But now, wasn't this the time to use that money? She'd just consider it a lesson learned. She definitely shouldn't go through night markets at night; it was terrifying.

"Am I not being obedient? Thank you, Kiana, you're the best!"

Upon hearing Shen Gonglin happily hugged Kiana. This girl was indeed a good person; she knew Kiana would spoil her. Even in this environment, Shen Gonglin didn't feel anything was wrong with being with Kiana.

"You're such a sweet talker. If you're going to thank me like this, then you should let me sleep in your bed tonight. You're so stingy. You're just saying it for show."

Pulling Shen Gonglin's hand, Kiana squeezed through the crowd. Hearing his words, Kiana grumbled in dissatisfaction, pouting at Shen Gonglin's attitude. He said she was the best, but why didn't he let her sleep in the bed today? Sleeping on the sofa made her back ache, and she still had to go out to work every day. Shen Gonglin was so heartless! She was so young, yet she already knew how hard it was to support a family.

"Sure, you can sleep on the bed and I'll sleep on the sofa tonight, no problem at all."

Shen Gonglin didn't care; to him, the small single bed and sofa were no different.

"...That's not what I meant... Never mind, boss, please grill this for me, um, this is it."

Chapter Twenty-Eight: You Dislike Me

"Kiana, I suspect you're deliberately putting on an act for me, you know? Just a few minutes ago I was thinking you were a good girl, and I was even planning to let you sleep in the bed tonight, but now, you can forget about sleeping on the sofa, you can sleep on the floor."

Exuding a low-pressure aura, Shen Gonglin glared at Kiana with narrowed eyes, half of which was fixed on the grilled meat in the girl's hand. It was originally meant for her, but now it was covered in red powder. Although the grilled meat looked more tempting, Shen Gonglin knew that this kind of grilled meat no longer belonged to her.

As everyone knows, Shen Gonglin can't eat spicy food. Now, this grilled meat covered in chili powder is completely off-limits to Shen Gonglin. So Kiana is not a good girl at all. She's wicked, wicked to the point of being rotten.

"I... I didn't expect the owner to act so quickly... After all, it would be strange for others not to sprinkle chili powder on barbecue. Please consider this my fault, Shen Gonglin, I'm sorry."

Kiana assured the shopkeeper that it wasn't intentional; she just hadn't had a chance to tell him she didn't want chili peppers. The girl scratched her cheek helplessly. Anyway, Shen Gonglin absolutely couldn't touch this stuff now. If he dared to eat it, Kiana would take him to the hospital. This time it was her fault. Shen Gonglin... was just too difficult to please.

But it would be a waste if he didn't eat it, so why don't I eat it myself?

"I don't care, just slurp up all that chili powder now, hurry up."

However, before Kiana could even voice her bold idea, Shen Gonglin blurted out an even bolder one. Kiana stared at Shen Gonglin, dumbfounded. What kind of outrageous words were these? Did he even know what he was saying? Making her spit out that stuff... Good Shen Gonglin; she had never even considered such a thing!

Kiana felt she couldn't stand it after just a fleeting thought of that scene. Shen Gonglin was indeed terrifying, incredibly frightening.

"I'll buy you another one, okay? You wait, I'll go buy you another one right now. Don't, don't say things like that anymore. You're still young, you should have some self-respect..."

Kiana couldn't possibly stand this. Her face flushed red as she turned to buy another one for Shen Gonglin. Money didn't matter; she just couldn't bear to hear Shen Gonglin say something like that again. It was terrifying.

"Didn't you say we were broke... Well, Kiana, you're actually looking down on me!"

Shen Gonglin was furious when she realized what was happening. It was confirmed: this girl was disgusted with her. Otherwise, why wouldn't she bite her? Heaven help her! This girl actually looked down on her, but she hadn't looked down on her at all. They hadn't been able to take a bath for so many days in the wild, and she had still bitten her neck bit by bit. She hadn't looked down on her at all, and yet this stupid girl looked down on her. Was there any justice in this world? Was there any law?

"No! I wouldn't look down on you... Okay, okay, I'll spit it out for you, alright? Honestly, Shen Gonglin, you're such a complete idiot!"

Kiana was furious. How could this guy be like this? How could she possibly dislike him? He's such an unreasonable person. Sigh, she should have known long ago that Shen Gonglin was an unreasonable person. She could only get used to it.

With a "what the hell" attitude, Kiana closed her eyes and stuck out her little tongue to start licking the chili powder off the grilled meat. The girl's cheeks were flushed red, whether from the spiciness or from the embarrassment of her actions, she couldn't tell. She couldn't take it anymore, she really couldn't take it anymore. This Shen Gonglin was such a spoiled and wicked guy, she was being bullied by him so badly, and she felt that this kind of bullying... definitely wouldn't be the last time.

"Here, is that okay now? I've licked it all clean for you... Hey, what's with that look in your eyes? Here, you wanted to eat it, didn't you?"

Kiana's face turned bright red. The girl's extremely shy appearance made her look incredibly appetizing. But when Shen Gonglin saw the grilled meat she handed him... Ah, he hadn't expected Kiana to actually do that. Now Shen Gonglin suddenly felt like he had gotten himself into trouble. This was probably what it meant to be caught in a dilemma.

"Hey Kiana, look, it looks lively over there. Shall we go check it out?"

Shen Gonglin cleverly changed the subject. He pointed to the crowd on the other side and was about to run over happily when, before he could even take a step, a force from behind made him stop. The girl behind him had a gloomy face, and her azure eyes were like an unyielding dark cloud.

"Shen Gonglin, eat."

The girl brought the barbecue closer to Shen Gonglin's mouth, but Shen Gonglin astutely took a step back.

"... Kiana, listen to me, it's not about whether to eat or not, it's about..."

Do you want some?

"..."

"Well, you actually dare to look down on me!"

"How did you know? Um... no, this isn't about whether you mind or not. Kiana, calm down. I really didn't expect you to actually do that. Don't worry, let's talk this out..."

Shen Gonglin tried to reason with Kiana, but the furious girl wouldn't give him a chance to talk nonsense. This brat actually dared to look down on her. What kind of double standards are these? She didn't look down on him, but now he looks down on her. Shen Gonglin is not good at being a human being, but he's number one at being a dog. She had already overcome her mental obstacles, and Shen Gonglin is still like this. Does he think he can escape?

"I can't stay calm right now, so open your mouth!"

Kiana grabbed Shen Gonglin the collar, baring her white teeth and threatening him. "If you don't discipline him for three days, he'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles," that's Shen Gonglin for you. Now that Shen Gonglin with her, she's his guardian. She can't let him become that kind of scumbag. She has a responsibility to make him obedient!

"Kiana, don't do this, don't... Hey, what's going on over there?"

Shen Gonglin was still trying to reason with Kiana when, as if sensing something, they both turned around at the same time. This feeling was familiar to them both; it was the Honkai.

"... Shen Gonglin, you remember this, when I come back I'll definitely buy you another one!"

How could this happen at a time like this? Kiana was furious and swallowed the barbecue in a few bites. Now was not the time to get entangled with Shen Gonglin. The girl glared at him and ran towards the location of the Honkai Detection. This was not over!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Girl-like Machine

Such a threat is terrifying. Kiana is a real jerk. I've been so good to her, and she still wants to get back at me. Knowing this girl's personality, Shen Gonglin doesn't think she's just bluffing. Looks like I can't escape today... But speaking of which, it seems like there's quite a bit of Honkai happening in this city. Honkai happening in such a prosperous city... It's really annoying.

Shaking his head, Shen Gonglin lifted his leg and ran after Kiana. That's what he thought, but the people around him thought differently. To the passersby, the white-haired girl clearly left in another direction, so why was Shen Gonglin running to the side? Something must have happened.

What else could it be but Shen Gonglin's terrible sense of direction acting up? Kiana, who was so focused on the Honkai 3rd, completely forgot that Shen Gonglin had this problem. Even if there was only one road, Shen Gonglin would still risk getting lost, let alone in this complicated night market. After many twists and turns, Shen Gonglin completely lost herself. Damn Kiana, that girl must be lost again. Can't she just follow me properly?

Turning the tables on Kiana has become second nature to Shen Gonglin. Since she can't keep up with Kiana using ordinary methods, she has no choice but to use something a little unconventional.

A star halo condensed in his purple eyes. Using the power of the Herrscher of the Void, Shen Gonglin unfurled a golden circle of light in front of him. Unlike Kiana, he used the power of the Herrscher of the Void without any risk, as if the power had always belonged to him. Kiana must have gone to the place where the Honkai was occurring. All he had to do was find a place where there was Honkai energy reaction and get there in advance... Yes, this is it!

Sensing the location of the Honkai energy, Shen Gonglin confidently stepped into the light circle. For the Herrscher of the Void, as long as there are coordinates, she can go anywhere. The only thing to consider is the consumption of energy, but at this location, there is no need to worry about that at all.

Rin's confidence vanished the moment she entered the teleportation circle. Shen Gonglin stared at the black-haired girl sitting in front of her with a bewildered expression. Was this the location she had been teleported to? It felt like... she had made a mistake.

Inside a dark, cramped room, a dense network of wires and terminals stretched out between the walls. A little girl with black hair sat in the center. Sensing the intruder, she quietly turned her head, and Shen Gonglin could see her face clearly. A black visor covered her face, an outfit that reminded Shen Gonglin of her Class President in her God-Slaying Armor. The little girl sat on the floor in a rather awkward position... as if she'd been broken?

Damn it, Shen Gonglin is so envious!

"Intruder?"

The little girl sitting on the ground tilted her head slightly as she looked at Shen Gonglin, who had suddenly appeared in the room. Although it was a question, her calm voice made it impossible to associate it with any questioning emotion. She seemed like another emotionless person... Wait a minute?

Why did I say "again"?

"Uh, I'm not an intruder, I'm just a Kamen Rider passing by... Oh my god!"

Before Shen Gonglin could even begin to deceive the little girl, his keen sixth sense prompted him to react in time. He caught a glimpse of a cold flash out of the corner of his eye. Shen Gonglin opened a spatial portal to redirect the incoming blade. There were even traps in this house, and the girl was so decisive in using these killing mechanisms against him. It seemed that this little girl was not some simple, emotionless girl after all.

"I already told you I'm not an intruder, I just happened to be passing by. Where are your parents? Let me talk to them, I really just happened to be passing by."

Destroying all the attacking traps, Shen Gonglin looked helplessly at the little girl in front of him. He couldn't sense any hostility from her. Using the traps against him was like simply following orders. During this time, Shen Gonglin had seen many strange girls. A simple girl with no personality or emotional expression no longer surprised him. There are many types of girls in this world. A plain girl with no personality or emotional expression is normal.

"My lord? The master isn't here; he's gone to make a deal."

With all the mechanisms destroyed and her own mechs unable to be commanded, the little girl had no way to subdue the blond boy in front of her. Since there was no other way, she naturally gave up the idea of resisting. Was this person here to make a deal with her master? The little girl pointed to the computer screen on the other side. Her master was making a deal with someone when an uninvited guest arrived at the transaction site first. She had been watching and monitoring it.

"Master? You guys really know how to have fun. I also want Bronya to call me master... Hey, isn't this Rita?"

Shen Gonglin reacted appropriately to the title "master." It must be incredibly satisfying to have a emotionless girl like this call her "master. "Shen Gonglin had only just imagined Bronya calling her that in his mind and he already felt pretty good. And this little girl in front of him seemed to be even younger than Bronya, so it would undoubtedly be even more enjoyable.

With his mind wandering uncontrollably, Shen Gonglin glanced at the screen, and the green figure on it made him widen his eyes in surprise. He immediately pounced on her and sat down next to the little girl. It was indeed Rita. Although she wasn't wearing her signature maid outfit, Rita could still recognize her even if she turned to Shen Gonglin. Had she also come to Sky City? And who was this person she was talking to?

"Please don't push me, I'm on a surveillance mission."

The space was already quite cramped amidst all these cables and terminals, and now that Shen Gonglin had come over and taken up most of it, she felt very uncomfortable. What exactly did this intruder want to do? He destroyed all the mechanisms protecting her, but he hadn't done anything to her, and now... According to what she had learned online, was he taking advantage of her?

"You keep an eye on yours, I'll keep an eye on mine... Rita is truly beautiful from every angle, Rita is so pretty, even when she's holding a scythe she's still stunning... By the way, who is this master you're talking about? Is it this guy dressed all in black who doesn't look like a good person at all?"

Upon seeing Rita, Shen Gonglin became interested. What was this maid up to? And what about this little girl and her so-called master? It all seemed rather intriguing.

Chapter Thirty: The Concise and Efficient Maid

"Mr. Gray Serpent, please tell me about her."

Her words sounded polite, and her attitude seemed pleasant, but Gray Serpent only felt a chill from the blade as he looked at the slightly bowing woman in front of him. This maid was not as harmless as she appeared. Of course, he knew the maid's identity: Rita Roseweisse, S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, and a very difficult woman to deal with.

"... So, what benefits will I get?"

Rita had already dismantled all the defensive mechs, and he was no match for Rita on his own. His only weapon was the pistol he carried, but there was no need to embarrass himself by using a pistol against the Valkyrie in front of him. However, Gray Serpent remained calm. This situation was also part of his plan. With Schicksal's technological capabilities, they would definitely know that he was planning to make a deal with the defector Far East Branch, so it was normal for them to send people to interfere.

Or rather, it would be abnormal if there were no interference at all.

"You will gain a powerful ally... and you can leave here safely."

Rita smiled and uttered the threat, "If you don't cooperate, I'll kill you." The maid made this conclusion without any hesitation. Durandal was right; beneath Rita's seemingly perfect exterior lay a reckless heart. She didn't have time for gentle persuasion. Just say it: cooperate or not? If you don't cooperate, I'll chop your head off with a scythe—it'll be quick in one stroke.

"An ally? Although I already have a powerful ally, who would complain about having too many friends... However, forcing the other party to submit with their life from the very beginning makes me doubt the sincerity of the alliance. Also, in the eyes of Schicksal, are there any allies who can be equal and mutually beneficial?"

He had no intention of making a deal with Schicksal. In the Gray Serpent's plan, Schicksal was just a pawn... or rather, everything, including the "ally" he mentioned, was just a pawn to him. Everything was for the sake of welcoming the Lord's return, and the plan was moving in the direction he desired.

"You know who I am? Then there's even less reason for you to refuse."

Having understood the other party's meaning, since he knew she belonged to Schicksal, he must also know who she was. There was no need for her to continue threatening him. Rita's smile remained unchanged. This should make things much easier.

"Of course I know, and of course I have reason to refuse. Trading one's own intelligence for one's own life goes against the spirit of business."

Gray Serpent made his stance clear from the start, acting like a professional information broker. This Schicksal was really good at putting on an act. Even if he revealed the information, this smiling maid would definitely not let him go. He was quite clear about Schicksal's code of conduct.

"It seems you don't know the value of life."

There was no sign of disappointment, or rather, Gray Serpent's reaction was exactly what Rita was thinking. If he were willing to exchange information for his life, it would be difficult for her to take action against him, as she would have to spend time verifying the authenticity of the information. Therefore, his current situation was the best choice. Rita preferred to speak with her scythe, and she was not very willing to do certain brain-intensive things.

"Please don't insult my intelligence. You think you can live by handing over information? I'm not new to business. Although life itself is a transaction, for someone like me, death is just the beginning of the next transaction. Snakes are not creatures that submit to death, understand?"

Such remarks already indicate that the deal has broken down, or rather, that Gray Serpent and Rita never intended to make a deal with each other in the first place. After hearing Gray Serpent's words, Rita's smile deepened, but the maid did not rush to make a move. Death is the beginning of the next deal, which sounds quite philosophical.

"Hehe... You'd be more like a poet than an information broker. I'm almost reluctant to take action. If I could ask you to be my master's language arts teacher in the future, that would be a great choice. But then I thought again, compared to you, my master probably hopes that a certain Herrscher of the Void will be his language arts teacher. So, sorry, a mission is a mission after all. So, please die."

Rita smiled sweetly, her serious attitude proving that she had indeed thought about it. This Mr. Gray Serpent seemed to be quite talented, but if such a cold snake stayed with Shen Gonglin, he might be corrupted. So it would be better to just kill him. Without any hesitation, Rita's scythe flashed, and before the Gray Serpent could react, the maid was already behind him.

Despite undergoing numerous biological modifications, Mr. Gray Serpent is utterly helpless against S-rank Valkyrie like Rita.

"You made a mistake... Now... you're also inside the Serpent's Eye..."

These were Gray Serpent's last words. A heavy thud echoed as Gray Serpent's body fell to the ground. The maid took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from the blade. Gray Serpent's last words had slightly bothered her, but only slightly. She turned to look at Gray Serpent's corpse lying on the ground. He seemed to have undergone considerable modifications; his body bore many mechanical marks. The maid's rose-colored eyes swept over his wrist. Since he refused to cooperate, she had no choice but to kill him. However, the mission still had to continue.

"Death is the beginning of the next deal? You're right, it seems you have no choice but to accept this deal."

Tsk, as expected of Rita, one-hit kill, this maid is simply the best in the world. It seems she's more than just a cleaner; I've been underestimating her all along.

On the other side of the monitor, Shen Gonglin watched as Rita crouched down and searched the corpse of the Gray Serpent. She silently gave Rita a thumbs up in her heart. Rita had always acted like a professional maid who was dedicated to cleaning and teasing her master in front of Shen Gonglin. But now, this scene reminded Shen Gonglin that besides being a maid, Rita was also a top-notch Valkyrie. Impressive.

"The master has been killed... You still say you're not the intruder, that you and this maid are in cahoots."

Sitting next to Shen Gonglin, the little girl wearing a mask turned around and looked at him expressionlessly. Ah... there seems to be no room for explanation.

Shen Gonglin scratched her head. She was definitely on Rita's side, but given the current situation... she decided to change the subject first.

"Let's not talk about this for now. By the way, what's your name?"