Chapter 272

This guy... looks like he can't keep anything from her anymore. All his preparations, including the resources he'd gathered to capture the Herrscher, look like he'll have to lay them all out. Today, we absolutely must take care of this woman!

Seeing the woman on the screen completely disregard him, the Jackal was furious. The woman typed something on the control panel, and in her rage, she no longer cared about holding back. She was going to use all her means to defeat this woman, then drag her to the laboratory to dissect and study her. This was her revenge!

"Alright, no need to waste time."

A calm and steady voice sounded behind Lone Wolf. The somewhat flustered woman turned around abruptly. A white-haired man was standing behind her. Upon seeing this man, Lone Wolf quickly calmed down. Why had the Lord come here...? He had originally wanted to resolve this issue without alerting him, but unexpectedly, he still came.

"Your... Your Excellency, I'm sorry, I will handle it."

The Jackal tried to struggle a bit more, but the woman had already slapped her face so hard it was almost swollen. She really wanted to get revenge herself.

"No need, you are no match for her... I'm coming."

Rejecting Lone Wolf's idea, Kevin looked sharply at the woman on the monitor. At this moment, the Lord was like a drawn sword. He had arrived. These words were spoken to Fu Hua.

As if sensing something, Hi Fu, who was showing off to Shen Gonglin, turned around. It seems the main character has finally appeared. Perfect, I've gotten tired of playing with that interesting Jackal.

Footsteps echoed from the depths of the tunnel, Kevin appeared before Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua. The white-haired man, as always, gave off an unsettling feeling. Shen Gonglin had fought him several times, but she still couldn't gauge his strength. Upon seeing Kevin, Shen Gonglin instinctively became wary. Durandal wasn't here, and she was alone; things were going to be difficult.

Kevin also noticed Shen Gonglin. Was he involved in this? No matter where he was, this guy was always very active.

"Hey! You came out, but couldn't you have said hello first? Look how scared you've made our Shen Gonglin. Don't be afraid of him, I'm still here."

A clear and lively voice rang out as Fu Hua stood protectively in front of Shen Gonglin. He was one of her own people, and Kevin dared to intimidate her with his eyes. Did he really think there were no adults in the house?

Upon hearing this voice, Kevin finally turned his gaze to the familiar face. It was hard to imagine that such a high-pitched and lively voice could come from the mouth of the person who owned that face. He had never seen her speak in such a tone before—silent, concise—that was the epitome of the person he knew. And now...

"Let's talk outside."

Looking at the utterly destroyed test site, Kevin realized that it wasn't easy for World Serpent to create such a place, only to have it torn down by Jackal and Hi Fu, those two huskies. He spoke his first words, and as his voice fell, a deep passage opened above their heads. Kevin extended an invitation to Fu Hua and Shen Gonglin, saying that this was not a suitable place.

Not only communication, but also other things, are not really suitable.

"Great! I was just thinking of getting some sun too. My Shen Gonglin really thrives in the sun."

Every three sentences they spoke revolved around Shen Gonglin. Hello, Fu Hi Fu, arm in arm with Shen Gonglin, happily followed Kevin to the elevator that led directly to the ground. Seeing her actions, Kevin pondered deeply. Such closeness with Shen Gonglin ... He knew Fu Hua indeed treated him, her disciple, differently, but it wasn't so obvious the last time they met. Now, it was as if she wanted to announce their relationship to the whole world. Besides, Hua... should be with him.

Remembering the feather that he had sealed away and preserved, there was no doubt that this should be the true Hua.

Sunlight gradually replaced the lamplight, and soon the three of them left the World Serpent's base. Fu Hua took the initiative to start a conversation. Originally, she wanted to take off the wolf head and give it to Kevin as a greeting gift, but he just showed up without any preparation. She was really disappointed.

"Hey, where did you find this guy? He's quite interesting."

Like old friends having a casual chat, Fu Hua took Shen Gonglin's hand and started talking to Kevin. At the same time, she gently scratched Shen Gonglin's palm. Shen Gonglin had been silent ever since he saw Kevin. Fu Hua could sense that he was on guard against Kevin. There was no need to worry about him. He was here. She would definitely protect him.

"She is very useful—I'm not talking about combat."

Kevin said casually, and Fu Hua nodded as if she understood. She looked up at the monitor, and a mischievous smile flashed across her pretty face.

"Oh, so you mean she's useless in combat? I feel the same way. Like when she controlled that Death Weaver to fight me, she was a complete novice. All she did was charge around recklessly. She was really useless."

She deliberately said those words, and the Jackal in the monitoring room slammed his fist on the control panel again. This woman is really annoying!

Jackal glared fiercely at the woman who was flashing a bright smile at the monitor. She felt terrible; she knew that the woman was deliberately saying it to her!

Chapter Thirty-One: Who Are You?

Kevin could imagine the Jackal's feelings at this moment, but Kevin didn't take it to heart. He just stared at Fu Hua in front of him. Her appearance and demeanor were exactly the same as he remembered, but her inner qualities were completely different. This Fu Hua was not the Fu Hua he knew. If Kevin had any doubts before, he could now be almost certain that she was not the Fu Hua he knew.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Trying to defend your subordinates? I remember you weren't that kind of person. You probably still believe in the old ways, right? To defeat the Honkai, you'll use anything that can be used, right?"

Before they knew it, Kevin had stopped walking. Fu Hua and Shen Gonglin continued walking forward without realizing it. Shen Gonglin didn't say anything. Not only Kevin, but he also felt that the current Class President was different from the Class President he knew before... He clearly realized this during the handicraft work in the morning.

If it were the former Class President, she would have definitely exploded with embarrassment in that situation. But Fu Hua this morning didn't feel that way at all. She was practically eager to try it out. If I hadn't stopped her in time, she would have even wanted to use something other than her hands!

Thankfully, the Class President has a flat chest, otherwise, the old-fashioned Shen Gonglin might not have been able to hold on.

Who exactly are you?

Kevin called out to the woman who was walking straight ahead. The World Serpent Leader's blue eyes were fixed on her. She wasn't a familiar comrade, and the sense of nemesis she gave him made Kevin boldly guess: This person... probably wouldn't be...

"I am Hua, your old friend."

She tilted her head in surprise. How come Kevin didn't recognize her? She and Kevin hadn't changed in appearance for 50,000 years. Could it be because of her clothes? Kevin didn't seem to be naturally naive. Could it be that he recognized people by their clothes?

Please, stop trying to be cute like that, it's kind of disgusting. No matter how much you try to act cute, you're not as pretty as my Shen Gonglin.

"... Hua never calls me a friend."

Kevin calmly uttered such simple words, and it was indeed the truth. Although they had always fought side by side, Fu Hua had never acknowledged him as her friend. The two had fundamental differences in their ideals, so their relationship was merely one of fighting side by side against the Honkai, not friendship.

"Oh... is that so? I thought we were friends. Now that you mention it, I remember. I don't think I ever considered you a friend. To be honest, I died once before, and Otto shot me in the head. I've just woken up and there are still many things I don't understand... I remember you. We fought side by side 50,000 years ago, so I thought we should be friends. But it turns out that's how it is."

Fu Hua's smile froze for a moment. Then she seriously considered the mountain of memories in her mind. Fifty thousand years of memories was simply too much. If she didn't recall them carefully, she really wouldn't know what was in her memories. It must be because she had just been resurrected. Her head injury before must have been the reason why she remembered them wrong.

Yeah, Kevin and I aren't friends.

"Your feelings are different from Hua's."

Kevin did not accept this explanation. He had his own judgment. As far as he knew, Hua had transferred her consciousness into the Feather Dust, and that feather was now on his body. If that was Fu Hua's true consciousness, then who was the Hua standing in front of him now?

"Is that so? I think so too. When I look back at my past memories, I always think: What happened to me? How did things turn out like this? There were clearly better ways to solve the problem, so why did I make such a mess of things back then?... I guess being reborn has made me see a lot of things more clearly."

It was quite rare for her to use her brain. Lately, Fu Hua had been acting on instinct and whims, but this time, facing a former comrade-in-arms, she unusually put her mind to work. After all, she was Valkyrie known for her intellect, possessing top-tier strength and intelligence. How should she explain things to him...?

"Hmm, think of it this way, Kevin. I'm a better Hua than before—stronger, more beautiful, and incredibly brave, not shy at all... Of course, I'm not saying I'm shameless, Shen Gonglin, you know what I mean, right? How could I have done that kind of thing to you before? Even on our wedding night, I probably would have just covered my head with the blanket and given myself to you completely. How could I be like this now... Hmm, hmm..."

As Fu Hua was talking to Kevin, she turned her head to Shen Gonglin again, and what she said made Shen Gonglin blush. She didn't see anything else, but Shen Gonglin really saw through her thick skin. She quickly covered Hi Fu's mouth to interrupt her self-indulgent talk.

What's wrong with this woman? How can she just say things like that? I feel like I could be so embarrassed if I'm not careful!

Between them... never mind, that's not something I should be thinking about.

I have no interest in the farce between Shen Gonglin and the woman who resembles Fu Hua. Perhaps Fu Hua has been cheated on, but she's probably used to it by now. After I regained control of World Serpent, Kevin also began investigating Shen Gonglin. Even without this woman, Fu Hua would probably have been cheated on to the point of becoming the Hulk. So she probably won't care. What I need to do now is to use battle to prove my point.

Kevin silently drew his Greatsword of Heavenly Fire. The sudden increase in temperature made both Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua stop. Fu Hua licked Shen Gonglin's palm, successfully making him shyly take his hand down. Hi Fu looked at Kevin with some excitement. He had already drawn his sword, and the meaning couldn't be clearer.

"You understand me so well! That's exactly what I was thinking too. Shen Gonglin, go wait over there for a while, I'll take care of him right away."

Fu Hua rubbed her hands together and smiled, while Shen Gonglin waved her hands dismissively and ran to the side. He wasn't too worried about Hi Fu; she really gave him a feeling of new life and vitality. The former Class President always gave him a feeling of being battered and bruised, but now, she was indeed very powerful.

After all, she completely dominated him when they were at the hotel.

Kevin slowly raised the Greatsword of Heavenly Fire, its tip pointing at Fu Hua. The battle was about to begin, and he spoke his last words before the fight.

"Friend or foe, the choice is yours."

Chapter Thirty-Two: Reporting Safety

This is truly... a battle of gods!

Above the desert, Shen Gonglin looked up at the battlefield in the distant sky. Flames and black feathers swirled, and each clash was accompanied by an earth-shattering force. With no intention of joining the battle, Shen Gonglin found a clean spot to sit and watch the fight unfold. This time, he also gained a clearer understanding of Kevin's strength. This guy was indeed very strong, and if he wanted to kill him, it probably wouldn't be easy.

However, neither of them went all out. Let's leave aside the Hi Fu for now. Kevin only used the Tengu no Haikyuu this time, and his own ice attribute ability was not used. So, this battle is probably still not a clear winner.

After watching for a while, Shen Gonglin got bored and stopped paying attention to the epic battle in the distance. Out of boredom, she took out her phone, saying that she hadn't used it in a long time because she was always on the battlefield. The Honkai energy easily blocked the phone's signal, and only the specially designed battlefield communication could still be used. For Shen Gonglin now, the only thing she used for was playing games.

However, he wasn't thinking about playing games right now. He glanced at the tall cellar he was leaning against. There should be a signal here, so it was time to let his family know he was safe. He hadn't contacted them since leaving the Hyperion. First, he went to Coral Island, and now he'd been brought here by Hi Fu to watch a fight. It wouldn't be good to make them worry.

[Hello, is this the headmaster? Have you eaten yet?]

I dialed Theresa's number. I called her first not because she was an "elder," but simply because Shen Gonglin only remembered her phone number. This guy doesn't have the habit of saving contacts at all. The reason he remembered Theresa's number was because she forced him to. After all, Theresa was really worried that Shen Gonglin would get lost when she went out, so he had to at least remember a family member's phone number.

[Hello, it's me... Wait a minute, that voice... It's Shen Gonglin!]

Theresa's somewhat childish voice came from the phone. At first, the headmaster didn't react, but then the voice on the phone immediately became excited. Shen Gonglin Jingu could also vaguely hear the sound of the snack bag falling to the ground. It seemed that the headmaster was working hard as usual today.

[Yes, it's me. I'm with the Class President right now. I just wanted to let you know I'm safe, so don't worry too much. By the way, how are Kiana and Bronya? Do they miss me?]

While watching the battle in the distance, Shen Gonglin chatted with Theresa. She thought it would be nice to have a bag of potato chips in front of her at a time like this. Any flavor would do, as long as it wasn't cucumber. Just watching was indeed a bit boring.

[How could I not worry about you! You just left the Hyperion without a word! You went with Schicksal to a battlefield where Herrscher are fighting without even telling me, you've given me no peace of mind at all... By the way, speaking of Kiana and Bronya, what did you do to them? They went to the hotel today to track your location, and as soon as they got back, they locked themselves in their room. And you said you were with Fu Hua, but she wasn't... What on earth is going on?]

Theresa bombarded him with questions one after another, leaving Shen Gonglin momentarily speechless. Bronya and Kiana had come to see him today? And they even went to a hotel?

For a moment, Shen Gonglin's male sixth sense finally kicked in. For some reason, he instinctively felt something was wrong, like he'd been caught in bed with someone else... No, no, that's not it at all. But the headmistress said the two of them had locked themselves in their room and wouldn't come out... Well, it's best not to go back anytime soon, or Shen Gonglin will get scared.

[Um... I don't know what happened either. Maybe their periods just happened to come at the same time... Headmistress, I'm not talking about your period, it's the other one. Anyway, I'll hang up now. I'm fine, don't worry, we'll talk again later!]

There was no point in saying more. Before Theresa could say anything more, Shen Gonglin quickly hung up the phone and turned off his phone. Don't ask, it's just a man's intuition.

"What do you mean? Hello... Hello? Shen Gonglin, how dare you hang up on me? Aren't you going to come back?!"

"Hyperion!" Theresa yelled angrily at the other end of the phone, gripping the phone. This guy didn't take her, the headmaster, seriously at all! He just hung up on her like that, without answering a single question. Could he have been kidnapped? But who would kidnap this troublesome guy? Surely no one would want him, right?

Hmm... It's hard to say. If I were myself, I would be overjoyed to take a Shen Gonglin home if I found her on the street.

"Headmaster, what's wrong?"

Just then, Kiana, looking dejected and listless, walked out of the room. Seeing the headmistress jumping around like a monkey, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong with her? She's so energetic, completely different from me. Sometimes I really envy the headmistress."

"It's all because of that Shen Gonglin! She suddenly called and said he's with Fu Hua and that I don't need to worry about him... Honestly, who would worry about him? And she just hung up on me like that... By the way, she said he's with Fu Hua, is she really resurrected?"

Theresa rambled on and on, but Kiana only really caught one thing in her mind: it was Shen Gonglin calling! Bronya rushed out of the room too, and the two green-clad girls hurriedly grabbed the phone from Theresa and called Shen Gonglin again, but all they got was a busy signal. They couldn't reach her again!

"Principal, why did he call you...? Why only call you?"

Reluctantly hanging up the phone, Bronya glanced at Theresa with a brooding look. Shen Gonglin Jingu rarely made phone calls, so why was she only contacting the headmistress? Something was off. Bronya felt like everyone was trying to cheat on her.

"How would I know? Didn't he call you? It seems he does know who the most capable people on the Hyperion are... He just let you know he's safe and sound, saying he's with Fu Hua. If they're together, then there's nothing to worry about."

For some reason, Theresa felt a little happy and spoke with her head held high. However, the two girls' faces were still very unpleasant. This was the most worrying thing. The Class President might have evolved into a carnivore by now.

Chapter 33

Feeling uneasy after hanging up the phone, Shen Gonglin turned off her phone. She had a feeling that now wasn't a good time to meet Kiana and Bronya, so she decided to stay out and have some more fun before going back. She hoped that the two of them would still be clueless and oblivious to everything.

Intuition told Shen Gonglin that he should do this, but when he looked at the horizon, he realized that the battle there had ended sometime earlier. On the other side of the platform, Miss Hi Fu was lying comfortably in the shadow of the rocks, and Shen Gonglin could even faintly hear her humming a song.

It sounds pretty good.

"What happened? Are you done fighting? Did you punch him in the face several times?"

Seeing her lying there, Shen Gonglin put away her phone and rushed over. It seemed she wasn't injured. If she won, then Kevin would be the loser? That was really good news. After all, Hi Fu looked so relaxed and carefree; she must have won.

"Sigh, I didn't win, but I didn't lose either. That guy is still as strong as ever. I'm just a feather now, so it's a bit difficult to punch him in the face. I'm conserving my energy right now. I just had such an exhilarating battle. Kevin really lives up to his title of the strongest warrior. I'm a bit tired after fighting him for so long. Shen Gonglin, come lie down with me. I need to replenish some Rin elements too."

Tilting his head to look at Shen Gonglin, Hi Fu opened his red eyes and shook his head at him. Just as he thought, Kevin was not so easy to defeat. He was a warrior from the same era as him and was even crowned with the title of the strongest warrior. It would not be so easy to deal with him. At least he would have to collect the Feather Dust completely. It was already very good that they had fought to this point.

"What is Rin Element? Mei also said something like that..."

Shen Gonglin was quite reserved and didn't lie down next to Fu Hua, mainly because he was worried that lying on the ground would get his clothes dirty. He wasn't as carefree as Hi Fu. Another reason was Kevin, who had quietly appeared next to the two of them. How come this guy was still intact?

Judging from their appearance, they probably didn't go all out. Although Kevin used the Tengu no Haikyuu, well... tsk, is Durandal the only one who would stand up for him properly? That girl is indeed a good person.

"Hey Kevin, not playing anymore?"

She had been lying there resting and recuperating, but Fu Hua's words sounded like Kevin had announced a ceasefire. The girl propped herself up with her hands on the ground, stretched, and to be honest, she felt much better after moving around.

"Okay, that's enough, let's stop fighting."

Ignoring Shen Gonglin on the other side, Kevin put away his Tengu no Haikyuu. After the battle just now, he confirmed some things. Without a doubt, every move she made when she fought him was exactly the same as he remembered, but the style of the fight was... There was only this reason.

"How was that? Wasn't that Sword Transformation Cloud Eagle move amazing? You probably never imagined I could neutralize the flames of heavenly fire like that."

Fu Hua excitedly said these words to Kevin, as if she were showing off her abilities. She still remembered the astonishment on Kevin's face earlier. This was her own unique improvement, a surprise attack on him.

"... Transform into a sword?"

Kevin wasn't familiar with the term, and Fu Hua provided an explanation in a timely manner. It was understandable that Kevin didn't understand, since it wasn't called that before.

"It's the 'Transformation of Internal Energy' technique from our old fighting style. I renamed it and made some improvements, since when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Right now, the only people in the world who know this modified martial art are me and Shen Gonglin... I guess so? Sigh, I had quite a few opportunities when I sparred with you earlier, but unfortunately, it was your opponent, so it was too difficult to find an opening."

After getting up from the ground, Fu Hua was now next to Shen Gonglin. She patted Shen Gonglin on the shoulder as if showing off, but Kevin still chose to ignore Shen Gonglin as always. He valued Shen Gonglin strategically, but ignored him tactically. This was Kevin's attitude towards Shen Gonglin. This guy was too easy to influence the battle, so Kevin did not intend to have any communication with him.

Moreover, this guy is petty. If you have any more conflicts with him, he might instigate others to retaliate against you. Durandal is the most obvious example of this.

"So, you still want to fight?"

With a poker face, Kevin's face was as unyielding as an iceberg. Fu Hua, however, didn't take the invitation seriously. There was no point in fighting him; there was no way to determine a winner in a short time. She would rather spend that time traveling the world with Shen Gonglin. Besides, there was no deep-seated hatred between them, so it wasn't worth it.

"No, no, I'm not some kind of martial arts fanatic. This is enough. So, after our sparring, do you finally believe that I'm the real person?"

Fu Hua's fight with Kevin was simply to make him understand that he was who he was, not some imposter. Now that her goal had been achieved, Fu Hua didn't intend to continue fighting. However, Kevin just stared at her silently. The man seemed to have figured something out. He didn't answer Fu Hua's question, but instead made a cryptic gesture.

Kevin raised his right hand to his heart, then looked up at the distant sky. Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua followed his gaze curiously, but there was nothing in the sky. What was this guy looking at? He seemed to be talking nonsense. What was he doing?

"... Yes, you are here."

As if conversing with someone unseen, Kevin released his hand from his heart. A feather was floating in his palm, and this faintly glowing red and white feather was one of the myriad incarnations of Feather Dust.

Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up. He sensed it the moment the feather appeared. It was the feather the Class President had left for him. Because it couldn't be bound to him, it was entrusted to Kiana. In the end, to cover his and Kiana's retreat, Kevin took the feather. Seeing that Hi Fu didn't intend to continue fighting Kevin, Shen Gonglin originally planned to take action himself. Unexpectedly, he took out the feather on his own initiative.