Chapter 216

But... why are you here too, Class President? Don't you find it crowded?

Kiana looked speechlessly at the other side of Shen Gonglin. There, the white-haired fairy was sleeping soundly, hugging Shen Gonglin's waist in the same position. Halfway through the training, the Class President had disappeared, leaving Kiana alone to fight the Honkai Beast that she had created with Feather Dust. At first, Kiana thought she had gone to rest, since Fu Hua was currently without a physical body and relying solely on her consciousness was too taxing. However, Kiana never expected that Fu Hua would rest in this way.

Didn't she say that maintaining a physical form consumes a lot of energy? Then why do she still sleep with Shen Gonglin like this? Is sleeping with him that important?

Chapter 215 Stealing His Own Grave

Besides, he was sleeping with her. What was the Class President's intention in suddenly coming up to her like this? She was just asleep, not dead. Kiana realized that ever since Shen Gonglin came back, the Class President seemed to have become arrogant. She used to be reliable and serious, but now she had become like this. This made things difficult for Kiana. Class President, you need to stand up straight! Don't you know what kind of image you have in my heart? And now you've become like this... It's really damaging to your image, don't you know that?

And you call yourself Shen Gonglin's master? What kind of master sleeps with his arm around his disciple's waist? Even your own junior sister is too embarrassed to do that, so you, as the master, are really setting a good example. Is there anyone going to do something about Fu Hua? She's taking up my things.

And indeed, that was the case. After Shen Gonglin returned, Fu Hua felt a sense of relief. No matter what happened, Shen Gonglin was there for her; she didn't need to bear it all alone. She'd taken care of Kiana for so long, and Kiana must be tired. She'd worked so hard for so long; couldn't she just relax and enjoy herself?

So after Fu Hua exited the dream, she slept next to Shen Gonglin. Not for any other reason than to feel at ease, and also because being next to Shen Gonglin would minimize her energy consumption. That's why Fu Hua wanted to stay with him in her physical form. It wasn't that the master wanted to sleep with the disciple; it was simply to replenish her mana.

Doesn't that sound even more outrageous?

"Hey, Class President, and Shen Gonglin, get up now!"

Kiana gave the two people next to her a naughty shove. It was really too uncomfortable for three people to sleep in such a big bed. Shen Gonglin fine sleeping in the middle, but Kiana felt like she was about to fall off. What's more, seeing the two of them sleeping so peacefully and serenely made Kiana even more unhappy. They weren't allowed to sleep so soundly. She had gotten up, so the two of them had to get up too.

"Let me sleep some more... just five more hours..."

Impatiently, Shen Gonglin rolled over, still half asleep, and reached out to hug Fu Hua. Kiana was furious at the sight. "Five hours? Not even five minutes!" she yelled. She stood up and threw off the covers. "Screw you sleeping! Get up and party!"

"Shen Gonglin's body is filled with pure Honkai energy. As long as I stay by his side, I can replenish the energy I need. Feather Dust preserved my spirit. Only in this way can I maintain it for the longest time."

Fu Hua sat on the sofa, explaining her actions in a serious manner, while Kiana looked at the Class President with great suspicion. The reason was quite reasonable, but why did she feel that Fu Hua's purpose was not so simple? Was she really doing that with Shen Gonglin for this reason? If so, wouldn't that mean the Class President would have to follow Shen Gonglin around from now on? What a huge third wheel!

"Hey, Shen Gonglin, you don't have any ideas either. The Class President can't stay like this. You should have a better solution, right?"

Kiana glanced at Shen Gonglin. This problem had to be solved. Kiana didn't want to wake up one day to find Shen Gonglin and the Class President sleeping together. If that happened, she'd rather dye her hair green as soon as possible. If anything happened, she'd go to Shen Gonglin. In Kiana's mind, he was like Doraemon now; he always had a plan.

"Hmm, that really won't work. Although I can replenish the Class President's energy, it's not a long-term solution. Maybe we can use the power of time reversal to restore the Class President's previous body? I think Schicksal should be able to retrieve the Class President's body from back then. If all else fails, we can dig up the grave. I think using the power of time might be useful then... I hope the Class President's body hasn't rotted yet... Tsk, this feels a bit too heavy."

Shen Gonglin rested her chin on her hand, pondering a solution to the problem. Upon hearing his words, the expressions of the two girls in front of her became subtle. The idea of bringing someone back to life sounded unrealistic, and according to Shen Gonglin's method, did they really have to dig up graves? Robbing one's own grave—not everyone gets to experience that.

Actually, Shen Gonglin only said that to scare them. Thinking back, when she saw Otto shoot the Class President monitor, she did think she was dead. But when Rita and Durandal stopped her, she sensed something else. Strictly speaking, it seemed she wasn't completely dead. Although the Class President's consciousness had left her body, that body shouldn't have completely lost its vitality. If she had been given a chance, Shen Gonglin was confident she could heal that body. She could do it, and Schicksal, who possessed the world's top technology, should be able to do it too. So there should still be a chance for things to turn around.

"Alright, let's talk about tomb raiding later. It's not time for that yet. We still have a lot to do. The Honkai phenomena that have appeared in this city are not so simple. Shen Gonglin, Kiana and I investigated a lot while you were away. At first, we thought that those Honkai phenomena were caused by Kiana, but that's not the case. A huge conspiracy is hidden in this city."

Fu Hua's expression grew increasingly subtle. Discussing raiding her own grave with others was a peculiar experience. It wasn't that time yet, Fu Hua felt that things were pretty good as they were. Although her power was constantly dwindling, Fu Hua was in a good mood. The immortal lady had also become somewhat complacent. Anyway, Shen Gonglin was there, and she would definitely have a way when the time came. The most urgent matter now was the problem of this city. In this city, Honkai was happening all the time.

"Huh? What conspiracy? What have you two discovered?"

It seems those two haven't been idle while I was away. Is there anything else in this city? Rita should have already arrived. Kiana and Fu Hua have discovered something amiss again. Various forces are gathered here. This Sky City seems to be quite extraordinary.

"We've discovered a lot. It seems someone is conducting experiments on Artificial Stigmata. We're still investigating the mastermind behind it, but all the clues point to one place: Shencheng Medicine. This place is definitely not as simple as it looks."

When this was mentioned, Fu Hua and Kiana both became serious. Their investigation would now focus on Shencheng Medicine.

Chapter 216 Encounter

Stigmata, among warriors fighting against the Honkai, have a one in a million chance of appearing in their bodies, forming special patterns that appear on their skin. Warriors with Stigmata possess immense power. To enhance overall combat strength, Schicksal has been experimenting with Artificial Stigmata. However, due to technological limitations, these Artificial Stigmata have significant side effects. Schicksal is already implementing this, and given their Schicksal technology, how dare some unknown organization do the same?

That's really reckless.

Standing atop the high-rise with Kiana, Jingu Rin listened to her and Fu Hua's account and gained some understanding of the recent situation. They tried to connect the locations of the Honkai events to see if there was any connection, but before they could figure anything out, the city's brief peace was shattered again. It seemed to have nothing to do with Kiana's presence. The Honkai event occurred suddenly, and Shen Gonglin and Kiana didn't have time to think much before rushing to the Honkai. After all, the sooner they arrived, the more people they could save. This city was truly plagued by disasters.

"Shen Gonglin, I'll go first. You can set off if the situation changes."

Kiana looked dashing and imposing under the night sky, her heterochromatic eyes shining brightly when she entered battle mode. Although Shen Gonglin was by her side, she didn't intend to rely on Shen Gonglin entirely. Fu Hua had taught her a lot, and now was the best opportunity to put it into practice. Kiana had always been worried about the power within her, and she could only feel at ease if she mastered it as much as possible. Shen Gonglin would serve as a safety net; she should be able to handle this level of Honkai.

After saying that, the girl jumped off the tall building. A golden halo appeared beneath her feet. Kiana had begun to grasp the power of the Herrscher, gradually began to accept this ability instead of being afraid of it as before. Power is neither good nor evil. As long as she doesn't use it to do bad things, there is no problem at all.

Sigh, sometimes I really envy people like them who don't have a fear of heights. This girl seems to have matured, but she's still a bit of a fool. Didn't she think about how she would get down after bringing me here? She just ran away so coolly, but what am I supposed to do? Can I only take the stairs?

Shen Gonglin pressed the elevator button, but seeing that it didn't respond, she sighed deeply. It was probably because of the Honkai Beast that the power was out, so the elevator was definitely unusable. Shen Gonglin could only drag her heavy steps toward the stairs. She really didn't know why Kiana had taken her to such a high place. Did she think it was cool? It might be a little cool, but walking up the stairs was really pathetic.

What an idiot.

Meanwhile, at the Immortal Blade's temporary base, Alvit, who was dozing off in front of her computer, was suddenly startled awake by an alarm on her screen. She jerked her head up and looked at the information on the screen, perking up. Perhaps to please Rita, Alvit had been working very diligently lately, even voluntarily working overtime. Sure enough, just as the vice-captain had said, there was no patience to wait for disaster in this city; the Honkai had already occurred!

"Vice Captain! We've intercepted an alert from the Sky Guard; Honkai Beast invasion has occurred in the northern city area D-2322!"

Alvit ran out with her laptop to report the situation to Rita, who was sitting at the table elegantly sipping tea. Rita put down her teacup; it was even faster than she had expected. This was exactly what she had been waiting for. To counter this strategy, Rita had already deployed all the members of the Immortal Blade. Now that they knew the location of the Honkai, they could gather and wait for the target to appear.

"Gather the team and proceed to the target location immediately. At the same time, issue the order that each unit take cover and wait for orders after entering the Honkai site. Remember, you only need to eliminate the Honkai Beast blocking the way. If you accidentally destroy all the bait, the fish will not take the bait."

Having given this order, Rita was the first to step out of the Eos. Under the moonlight, a sharp scythe appeared in the maid's hand. Everything was proceeding according to plan... But why, why did she always feel like she was being schemed against? The plan seemed a little too smooth, as if someone was pushing her plans forward. She hoped it was just her imagination.

"Yes!"

She quickly packed everything up, but when Alvit ran out, she couldn't even see Rita's back. The vice-captain was too reckless! Why didn't she wait for her? Alvit had originally planned to go to the place where the Honkai had occurred with Rita, but now it seemed she would have to go alone. It wasn't that she was afraid Rita would get lost; Alvit just wanted to go with her. It was a pity, though; it seemed that was destined to remain just a wishful thought.

With a sigh, Alvit sent Rita's orders to the others and headed to the target location with her weapon. The northern city was some distance from the Eos's base, but while that distance might be troublesome for ordinary people, it was no problem for Valkyrie like them. Even though she was just a clerical Valkyrie, it wasn't an issue. After all, she was a member of the Immortal Blade, Alvit wouldn't let this strongest squad down.

However, just then, Alvit, who was rushing to the mission location, saw an unexpected figure. Looking at the boy in front of her wearing a green cat hoodie and looking like he was on a picnic, Alvit rubbed her eyes in disbelief, making sure she wasn't seeing things. This was definitely Shen Gonglin. But why was he here? Didn't headquarters have intelligence that he and the Anti-Entropy people were in the Pacific Ocean? Why was he in Sky City?

Alvit was a little confused, but the only thing she could think of was that the vice-captain would probably regret it when she found out about this. She would regret that she went off on her own. If she had gone off with her, she would have been able to run into Shen Gonglin.

I should take a picture first, and then send it to Durandal after the mission is over. I've already sent her a picture of Shen Gonglin, so even if I might offend her in the future, she probably won't make things difficult for me.

Click.

The sound of a cell phone camera and the flash attracted Shen Gonglin's attention. Shen Gonglin, who was resting by the roadside, turned his head curiously and found a short-haired girl taking pictures of him. This person... looks familiar.

Chapter 217

After finally getting down the stairs, Shen Gonglin was about to follow the direction Kiana had run in when he noticed the girl taking pictures of him. Taking pictures was one thing, since it wasn't the first time Shen Gonglin had encountered something like this. The key was that the girl looked quite familiar, like he had seen her somewhere before, but he just couldn't remember where.

Look, she's coming over. She must be someone you know. Isn't it a little awkward that you don't remember her?

"Shen Gonglin, what are you doing here?"

After putting her phone away, Alvit stepped forward to greet Shen Gonglin. After all, the two were quite familiar with each other, having already interacted with him several times, and there would definitely be many more opportunities to spend time with him in the future. Whether it was the vice-captain or the captain, they all had considerable relationships with Shen Gonglin. In short, it was definitely a good idea to cultivate a good relationship with him.

"Ah... ah, I'm just taking a walk, I just came out for a stroll. I'm feeling really full after eating, have you eaten yet?"

Who exactly is this person? Judging from their appearance, they seem to know him quite well. If they can call him by name, they must be someone he knows. The key is that Shen Gonglin really can't remember them, so he can only laugh it off and hope to figure out who this person is from the clues. They must be someone from Schicksal.

"... Wandering around? You'd be wandering around here at a time like this? You're probably trying to investigate the site of the Honkai... No, it shouldn't be this way... Shen Gonglin, you're lost again, aren't you?"

The thought of this possibility made Alvit's lips twitch. It was very likely. Given Shen Gonglin's personality, this was almost inevitable. His terrible sense of direction was practically a terminal illness. The fact that he could be here alone, and in the opposite direction of the Honkai, meant he was definitely lost.

"Nonsense! How could I be lost? I just came here to buy something... And you, what are you doing here?"

When this was mentioned, Shen Gonglin's attitude hardened. This girl was very stubborn about being bad at directions. At the same time, he became more and more suspicious. If she knew he was bad at directions, this girl was probably not an ordinary acquaintance. If he still didn't remember her, it would be even more embarrassing. He quickly thought, who is this girl? Judging from her attire and her reaction to the Honkai phenomenon, she must be a member of Schicksal.

"Of course I'm following the vice-captain's orders to head to the Honkai site..."

Alvit looked at Shen Gonglin with a puzzled expression. As a Valkyrie, wasn't it reasonable for her to be here now that the Honkai had occurred? And why did this guy seem a little strange? Come to think of it, he hadn't called her name since they met. Could it be...?

"Vice-captain? Who's that?"

Shen Gonglin asked instinctively, "Has Schicksal already sent a team? Then there's probably a problem. Kiana should already be at the Honkai site. If Schicksal's Valkyrie team sees her... you know, they're still wanted criminals. Come to think of it, I'm also wanted by Schicksal, so why doesn't this Valkyrie show me any hostility? Schicksal is doomed sooner or later."

"Of course it's Miss Rita... Wait a minute, Shen Gonglin, you don't mean you don't remember who I am, do you?"

It wasn't until then that Alvit realized what had happened. How could he not know who his vice-captain was? Touko and he were practically inseparable. The only possibility was that this guy didn't remember who he was. Alvit glanced at Shen Gonglin and thought, "Oh, this guy actually forgot who he is. I'm a cute and beautiful girl, aren't I?"

"How could that be? Of course I remember. It's you, the one who sat in front of me during exams. I remember you."

Shen Gonglin immediately denied it. How could she possibly admit to such a thing? It would be too embarrassing to just say she didn't remember the person. How could Shen Gonglin do something so tasteless?

"You really don't remember me! Shen Gonglin, you bastard! We've known each other for so long, haven't you seen me in Siberia? I even treated you to roasted sweet potatoes! Don't you remember any of that? You bastard, I'll strangle you! I'm Alvit of the Immortal Blade! Do you remember me or not?!"

Alvit's face immediately fell. This idiot really didn't remember her. What do you mean she sat in front of him during the exam? How could she not remember that? She never took an exam with him. This idiot was talking complete nonsense. The girl grabbed Shen Gonglin's cheek in exasperation. She couldn't believe he really didn't remember her. It was like feeding the roasted sweet potato to a dog!

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... Alvit... Yes, Alvit, it's you, Alvit! How could I not remember you? I just didn't recognize you because you changed your clothes. Alvit, weren't you in Siberia? Why are you back now? You look even more beautiful than before."

The pinch on her Shen Gonglin almost cry from the pain, but as soon as she heard the name, Shen Gonglin almost immediately recognized her. Alvit, wasn't that the poor thing who was banished to Siberia to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes by Durandal for personal revenge? Shen Gonglin knew her, but she hadn't recognized her because she wasn't wearing that big cotton coat in the snowfield. So, the vice-captain she mentioned earlier was Rita?

Oh no, if Rita goes over there, she'll definitely clash with Kiana. No matter who gets hurt, that's not what Shen Gonglin wants to see. One is her perfect maid, and the other is Kiana, whom she's always raised. They're both her precious daughters.

"Ugh... Shen Gonglin, you better be serious, or I'll bite you to death!"

She was still a little angry, but when she heard Shen Gonglin praise her looks, Alvit couldn't help but feel a little happy. After all Shen Gonglin was usually surrounded by top-tier beauties like the vice-captain and captain. To receive praise from Shen Gonglin proved that her looks were indeed up to par.

"No, no, how could I lie to you? Everyone knows that I, Shen Gonglin, never lie. By the way, you said Rita is here too, then take me to find her. It's been a long time since I've seen her, and I miss her quite a bit."

Chapter 218 The Shadow of Progress

With a guide, Shen Gonglin's direction was finally clear. Alvit bad at it, but she could be a good guide. Although bringing unrelated people into the battlefield was against the rules, Shen Gonglin was definitely not an unrelated person. The vice-captain would be very happy to see her. However, the fact that she was here... meant she was probably with the Herrscher of the Void, K423, right?

It seems that the K423 capture plan is destined to fail. Even if it's Miss Rita... no, precisely because it's Miss Rita, this mission probably can't continue. If Shen Gonglin were to speak up, it wouldn't be impossible for her to go back and assassinate the bishop.

"Shen Gonglin... are you going to save K423... that is, Kiana?"

As Alvit Shen Gonglin her thoughts and asked, I am the Herrscher of the Void or K423, but Alvit thought that if she addressed her that way, Shen Gonglin wouldn't be happy. She felt a little conflicted; he had been traveling with the Herrscher girl, which was indeed somewhat incomprehensible to ordinary people.

"Save? That's not the right word. Kiana is very strong right now. I'm worried that she and Rita will fight. If things get out of control, they will both get hurt. So we can't let them fight."

Shen Gonglin didn't pay attention to Alvit's little thoughts. Shen Gonglin was a bit slow on this issue. Whether it was K423 or Herrscher of the Void, it was just a name in his mind. There was no distinction between high and low in names. Even if Kiana called her "Er Gouzi," she was still Kiana. He could understand other people's fear of Kiana. After all, if the Herrscher of the Void were to awaken, it would indeed cause great impact and damage to the surrounding area. This was a real and certain thing.

"Oh... Shen Gonglin, aren't you afraid that Kiana will lose control? Although there has been no news of that, according to the calculations of the internal computer of Schicksal, the consciousness of the Herrscher of the Void is probably just dormant right now. If she wakes up, that power that does not belong to humans... will be very dangerous."

Alvit tried to organize her thoughts, after all, the image of the Herrscher was deeply ingrained among the Valkyrie —a mobile calamity, a capricious destroyer. There was no way to get along with such an existence, since their way of thinking was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people; they were simply on different levels.

"Huh? What did you say? Dangerous? I don't think so."

There were many obstacles on the way to the center of the Honkai. Honkai Beast and Suicide Squad had already appeared in the sight of Shen Gonglin and Alvit. Before Alvit could even raise the spear in her hand, Shen Gonglin created a spatial channel and threw the Spear of the Void over. The star rings shining in her purple eyes represented the supreme power of the Herrscher of the Void. The wind was too strong just now, and she didn't hear what Alvit was saying. What danger was it again?

"Never mind what I said, Shen Gonglin, you're really too strange."

Alvit obediently shut her mouth. People are different. The power they considered taboo seemed to be nothing special to Shen Gonglin. Who knows how he mastered the power of the Herrscher of the Void? After the War of Schicksal, the Schicksal Research Institute went crazy. Why did Shen Gonglin also Herrscher of the Void? Moreover, this power didn't seem to have any effect on his mind. He wasn't controlled by the Will of Honkai. This power was completely under his control. This drove the researchers crazy.

If it weren't for the resolute resistance of Durandal and Lady Rita, the order to capture Shen Gonglin would probably be at a higher level than the order to capture Kiana.

"We should be almost there... Hmm, these Suicide Squad seem a bit strange?"

The Herrscher of the Herrscher of the Void power with ease, so Alvit has nothing to say. Compared to Kiana, Alvit feels that Shen Gonglin is more dangerous, so she'd better keep quiet. Just then, Alvit sensed something was wrong. She looked at the Suicide Squad Shen Gonglin had killed and wondered why. In a flash, she thought she saw something that made her care. Maybe it was just her imagination?

"Strange... Indeed, is this Stigmata?"

Hearing Alvit's exclamation, Shen Gonglin suddenly remembered what Kiana had told him before. He stopped his attack and stood in front of a Suicide Squad. His Spear of the Void blocked the Suicide Squad's scythe, and the force coming from it made Shen Gonglin frown slightly. It did seem to be stronger than the Suicide Squad he had encountered before. This kind of low-level Suicide Squad had such power... Shen Gonglin Shingu looked up at the Suicide Squad. On its pale skin, Shen Gonglin could see red patterns. What was this thing?

"Wait a minute, these red spots of light... could they be Stigmata? Why would Stigmata appear on Suicide Squad?!"

Alvit was equally astonished. She stared in disbelief at the red markings on the Suicide Squad's body. This feeling couldn't be wrong; it was indeed the feeling of Stigmata. Was someone conducting experiments with Artificial Stigmata on the Suicide Squad? Or rather, were these experiments with Artificial Stigmata the reason they were being turned into Suicide Squad? Alvit felt she had discovered something incredible. This couldn't be a hallucination, could it? She also possessed Artificial Stigmata, exclusive to the Valkyrie of Schicksal, which greatly enhanced their power to fight the Honkai. However, the technology on them was relatively well-suited to this, but the Stigmata on the Suicide Squad ...

This city probably holds some unknown secrets.

"I don't know, but these Suicide Squad are definitely much stronger than the Suicide Squad we've encountered before. Is it because of the Stigmata?"

The space exploded in front of the Suicide Squad. After dealing with the Suicide Squad blocking his way, Shen Gonglin continued forward. He also possessed Stigmata, and even the Primordial Stigmata without any side effects. Although it seemed to have no use for him, only housing a Time Spirit within it, what happened to the Suicide Squad was enough to make Shen Gonglin wary. Kiana and Fu Hua's investigation was correct; there were indeed many unknown things.

"I don't know either... In any case, let's meet up with the vice-captain as soon as possible."

"This matter is probably very serious," said Alvit in a deep voice.

Chapter 219 Meeting

[As for the matter concerning... Information officer Alvit has not yet arrived at the designated location. Deputy Captain, please provide instructions.]

As she approached the battlefield, Rita advanced gracefully, her blue scythe clearing away all the Honkai Beast blocking her path. The voices of her subordinates came through her earpiece, but Rita wasn't surprised. After all, Alvit wasn't Valkyrie specializing in combat, and she couldn't play a significant role on the front lines. She had anticipated this situation.

[No problem, the target's location has been detected. Everyone on high alert, prepare to... commence the operation.]

Having given this order, Rita looked at the flickering gunfire not far ahead and smiled faintly. Just as she had predicted, wherever the Honkai occurred, this girl would appear, and the Honkai would appear with her. For ordinary civilians, the mere presence of Herrscher would cause great disaster and impact. As a Valkyrie, it was her duty to fight the Honkai, and now, this Miss Kiana in front of her was the greatest Honkai.

If I could, I really wouldn't want to lay a hand on her, considering her relationship with Lady Rin... But since I'm already here, it would be really against my manners as a maid not to greet Miss Kiana.

Kiana, you did very well. Just like I taught you in the dream, enter the Sword Heart state during battle. The Mindful Essence will allow you to unleash your full potential... You actually had a basic understanding of the Mindful Essence during Valkyrie training. Shen Gonglin has reached the limit in the Mindful Essence, and even I am no less capable. You can definitely do it too.

On the battlefield under the cover of night, Kiana leaped like a white elf, the girl darting through the shadows cast by Honkai Beast and Suicide Squad. Intense gunfire and flashes of light erupted everywhere. She kept in mind Fu Hua's guidance in her dream. It has to be said that the Class President's guidance was indeed very useful. During this period, Kiana was the one who could best experience how much she had improved.

[Did that guy really master it...? He seems like an idiot, yet he managed to grasp something so difficult. I can only barely remember the feeling with my body... Ban, do you think Shen Gonglin will ever see my heroic figure in battle?]

With agile movements, Kiana channeled all her attacks into the Honkai Beast and Suicide Squad before her, her dual pistols striking like meteors. For her now, dealing with such Honkai alone was no longer a difficult task. Although her life as a wanderer was tough, it had undeniably boosted her strength. The Kiana of today was no longer the B-rank Valkyrie once was.

[...I think we can probably see it, right? By the way, why hasn't Shen Gonglin arrived yet? Did he get distracted by the snack vendor again?]