Chapter 324

"No, no, it's not that bad. Actually... the book says it's even good for your health..."

Mei said awkwardly, while Raven rolled her eyes at her again. This girl is really knowledgeable and knows a lot. It's not some messy fantasy novel. She doesn't believe in such things.

"Raiden Mei, I will remember this humiliation. One day, I will get my revenge."

Raven threw the toothbrush into the trash can and threatened Mei fiercely. Mei, feeling like she had been caught in the crossfire, looked on in surprise. The girl, with the toothbrush in her mouth, looked at Raven with great surprise. The sight of her mouth full of white foam reminded Raven of what had happened last night. It was so embarrassing.

"Hey, why are you getting revenge on me? Shouldn't you be taking revenge on Shen Gonglin?"

Mei felt like she was the victim. If Raven hadn't given Shen Gonglin a drink, this wouldn't have happened. Mei felt so innocent.

"... I don't dare, so I can only take revenge on you!"

That's really cowardly and self-righteous. Mei almost laughed out loud, but then she thought of this matter again.

"By the way, where's Shen Gonglin?"

"I don't know. After he did something bad yesterday, he just sauntered around and said he was going to find some benefits, and then he left. Don't change the subject. Even if you do, I'll still get my revenge."

The 123rd image shows someone who didn't even have time to put on their pants.

Where did that guy run off to again?

At the Salt Lake Base, Kiana paced along the corridor, lost in thought. Shen Gonglin wasn't in her room again, which annoyed Kiana. That guy was away from her room five days a week; she wondered which vixen he'd run off to this time. Bronya and Seele were training and not with them, so where could he have gone?

Just as Kiana was considering whether to conduct a thorough search, she spotted Einstein over there. What was the doctor doing here? Shouldn't she be in the lab with Dr. Tesla? This looks like... the infirmary. What was she doing here?

"Dr. Einstein, why are you in the infirmary? Are you feeling unwell?"

Kiana stepped forward to ask, and Einstein was startled when she saw Kiana. The girl unconsciously put her hands behind her back, but Kiana became even more curious. What was wrong with the Doctor's hands, and why was she reacting like this...? Why did she seem so guilty?

"No, nothing... I just came to check. But Kiana, what are you doing here...?"

Einstein tried to cover it up, but Kiana had already circled around behind her. After seeing the ointment in her hand, Kiana became even more curious. What was Einstein doing with such a thing, and why was she being so secretive?

"I'm looking for Shen Gonglin, but I don't know where she went. Doctor, what are you doing with this plaster? Does your back hurt? Do you need my help?"

Einstein was acting mysteriously today, but Kiana didn't think too much about it. In her radar, she only needed to be wary of Bronya and the Class President. Einstein wasn't on her radar. However, she became a little worried after seeing Einstein take out the plaster. This doctor looks so young, how could he have a problem with his back?

"No, it's not my back that hurts... it's just a sprained wrist. Kiana, could you put a patch on it for me?"

Feeling a bit guilty about his performance, Einstein adjusted his breathing and raised his pale wrist. He was clearly too clumsy; while giving Shen Gonglin a treat, the idiot doctor had accidentally hurt him. Luckily, it was just a twisted wrist; otherwise, who knows what kind of abuse that drunken fool would have inflicted on him. Come to think of it Einstein had actually prepared himself for even more outrageous things to do yesterday, after all, he had promised...

However, who knew that Shen Gonglin would fall asleep while lying down? He was so drunk that he couldn't hold on any longer, leaving Einstein alone to kneel on the bed and busy for half a day. Then, when he woke up in the morning, he seemed to have sobered up and was shy. He ran away after saying only a few words to Einstein, leaving Einstein to come to the infirmary alone.

She originally thought she was going to get some baby diaper rash pills, but who knew she was going to get some ointment instead. Life is truly unpredictable.

"Oh... Doctor, have you seen Shen Gonglin? I can't find him."

Kiana obediently applied the plaster to Einstein's wrist and casually asked, but Einstein's reaction caught Kiana attention. The doctor, who usually spoke calmly and seemed half-asleep, suddenly became agitated.

"No! How could I possibly know where he is?"

"Oh."

Kiana nodded, but her lake-blue eyes lingered on Einstein; something was definitely amiss.

Meanwhile, in an alley in front of a university in New Jersey, a girl with long gray hair and red-rimmed glasses sneaked in with a bag. After seeing An Ran and the two waiting inside Fu Hua showed them what she was holding.

"Here, the pants I bought for you, and the clothes you wanted, Headmistress... Shen Gonglin, is it really true that nothing happened at Salt Lake Base? Why didn't you even bother to put on pants when you came over? Could it be that the Herrscher have already breached Salt Lake Base?"

Fu Hua and Theresa handed the pants to Shen Gonglin. They looked at Shen Gonglin with great curiosity. This guy had contacted them early in the morning and used his Herrscher of the Void ability to come over. They knew that he was always on the go and liked to run around. They were also very happy to welcome Shen Gonglin. However, the way he came over surprised them. He wasn't even wearing pants, which was a bit astonishing.

How rushed must it have been? They didn't even have time to put on their pants.

"No, not at all... It's just that I really wanted to learn from you, Principal and Class President, so I couldn't wait and came straight here."

With a strange expression, Shen Gonglin put on her pants. Could she say it was because she couldn't remember where she'd put them? Her memory of yesterday was completely blank. Shen Gonglin only remembered drinking a glass of milk at Raven 'Raven, and then she couldn't remember anything else. When she woke up, she found Einstein lying next to her. The shock was so intense that Shen Gonglin was scared away. After greeting Einstein, she ran out to calm down and then went to the Class President and the headmaster... Shen Gonglin wanted to understand what had happened.

"Oh, is that so... We're heading back soon. After the investigation, we should be returning to the Salt Lake Base. Why are you in such a hurry..."

Theresa heard this without suspicion. Theresa was very happy that Shen Gonglin missed them so much. Because of the Herrscher, the Anti-Entropy people had all been recalled. She and Fu Hua had to go back after their investigation here. She didn't expect that Shen Gonglin could not wait and came to pick them up directly. How nice.

"Well, I can't help it, it's been so long since I've seen you, Headmistress! You look so beautiful in this outfit!"

Shen Gonglin lied without batting an eye, but in reality, he hadn't even thought about Theresa. He was already having a great time at the Salt Lake Base, running around and looking at things. Theresa? What a piece of trash Theresa was.

"Hehe, you have great taste. I dressed like this for the sake of convenience during the investigation. Does it really look good?"

Wearing a white and green schoolgirl-style dress, Theresa adjusted her beret and twirled around to show off her style to Shen Gonglin. As expected, this is the kind of outfit you should wear when investigating at school. With such a superb disguise, no one can see through her. This is the headmaster's ease and skill.

"It looks nice, but Principal, you said you were going to investigate... what exactly are we supposed to investigate?"

Shen Gonglin looked at Theresa and Fu Hua curiously. She had been too busy running away to know what the two of them were planning to do.

Chapter 124 You Can't Play Without Being Low on Health

"Of course, it's still about the Herrscher of Domination... I was still searching for the Herrscher of Consciousness, but Dr. Tesla issued a recall order to me. The doctor entrusted me and Principal Theresa to come here to investigate. By analyzing the core inside the doll, we have roughly grasped some information about the Herrscher."

Fu Hua answered Shen Gonglin's question, realizing that this guy hadn't been listening properly during the meeting; those at the Salt Lake Base should have known about these things much earlier.

"Well, the doctors have worked very hard, but this information is really messy, like some kind of jigsaw puzzle without any rules. However, through reverse tracing, the laboratory has located the suspected location of the first doll's appearance in a university in New Jersey. The host is a medical professor. Let's use the term 'host' to refer to the human corresponding to the doll... Eh, where is Shen Gonglin?"

Theresa was explaining their mission to Shen Gonglin in detail, but Shen Gonglin suddenly disappeared. Theresa tilted her head in surprise. Where did Shen Gonglin go? She was just here a moment ago, and she hadn't even finished speaking.

"Headmaster, he went over there to buy xiaolongbao... I finally understand why he knows less information at the Salt Lake Base than we do. It seems like he doesn't care about the Herrscher of Herrscher of Domination at all."

Fu Hua pointed to Shen Gonglin, who was intently queuing at a stall in the distance. Her mind had wandered off halfway through her sentence; she probably hadn't eaten breakfast. But it didn't matter. It was fine if Shen Gonglin didn't understand the specifics of the mission; she could just let him follow along. Fu Hua was already used to Shen Gonglin's personality.

"... Alright, Fu Hua, we need to find that medical professor. If he's still alive, and if not... we'll bring the doll back. Be careful not to damage its core. Doctor, you need to extract some information from it. The core of the first Herrscher of Domination is especially important."

Shen Gonglin to buy her one too... but Fu Hua was right there, so it would be disrespectful of her to say that. So Theresa could only suppress her feelings and pin her hopes on Shen Gonglin, hoping that this time he would be a decent person and bring her one. Theresa crossed her arms and spoke very seriously about the mission, which was something Einstein had specifically assigned her, and it was very important.

Like a family tree, it always starts with two people and then gradually expands to include more, like a tree. The same applies to the Herrscher of Domination. If this is indeed the first puppet, then by comparing its differences with other Herrscher, we might be able to obtain crucial information about the Herrscher's birth mechanism, propagation rules, and even the principles of their abilities. Of course, this family tree is just Einstein's analogy; the actual calculations are much more complex. However, these calculation problems are Einstein and his team's business, while Theresa and her team are currently focused on this.

It means taking this first piece of the puzzle back.

"Clear."

Fu Hua nodded in a deep voice, as was her usual style. However, the girl couldn't help but glance at Shen Gonglin over there with her emerald eyes. This guy had actually sat down to eat... He was even dipping his food in sauce. Fu Hua remembered that the dipping sauce for these xiaolongbao usually contained chili peppers... It seemed not. He was just dipping his food in vinegar? That was a little better. There was no need to worry too much.

Well, it seems Fu Hua's behavior has gone a little astray too, all because of Shen Gonglin.

"Our mission is to infiltrate the university and investigate that professor's affairs. Ideally, we should follow the clues to find the person or the puppet and bring it back to Anti-Entropy. Schicksal is also sending Valkyrie to retrieve the Herrscher Core, and I suspect World Serpent is also operating in secret. So, this first puppet may have already fallen into their hands. Even so, let's gather as much intelligence as possible to take back... By the way, Fu Hua, how is the Herrscher of Consciousness doing?"

It smells so good! Seeing Shen Gonglin eating so happily, Theresa's thoughts seemed to drift away as well. The girl could only try to distract herself by talking about the mission. She was a mature adult, and the mission was what she should be focusing on. She could eat xiaolongbao anytime!

"It's a pity... I still couldn't track down her Xiao Jun, but perhaps because she still has some kind of connection with the core within me, I might be able to see some fragmented pieces."

Fu Hua shook her head. During the incident of Herrscher of Domination, she did not give up on finding the Herrscher of Consciousness. However, the girl did not know that the Herrscher of Consciousness had always been residing in the consciousness of Shen Gonglin. The sulking Little Herrscher of Consciousness of Shen Gonglin did not want Rin Kamiya to tell Fu Hua, this old relic, about her whereabouts, so Fu Hua was destined to do useless work.

"Fragments? Something like shared vision, or a sensory experience?"

Theresa was very curious. She didn't know such a thing existed. It felt like the Herrscher of Consciousness was having a tantrum and running away from home. It was obvious that Fu Hua was very worried about her.

"It's like this... Although she is Herrscher, she is not inherently bad. If I let her wander alone, I'm worried that the Will of Honkai will will target her again. I originally wanted to use the power of the core to find her, but I failed. It's strange. Although the Herrscher Core is inside me, the power of the Herrscher of Consciousness is dominated by her. She exists in this world with a feather of Feather Dust as her support... It's like a tug-of-war. If I want to use the Herrscher's power, I have to pull her to my side, but I can't do it now. She holds one end of the rope firmly in her hand, and no matter how hard I try, I can't budge her an inch."

Fu Hua was also very confused about the current situation. Logically speaking, she should have control over her body now. She was only existing in the world with a feather, so it should be easy for her to pull her back. But now it was as if the other side was tied in a knot on a bridge pier. She really didn't understand why this was happening. Could it be related to the dissipation of the Feather Dust and the fact that her power had not been fully restored?

Fu Hua could only attribute it to this reason; she never imagined that the bridge pier... was actually Shen Gonglin.

"Is that so... Will your body be affected by this?"

Theresa nodded thoughtfully, then she began to worry about the issue. This kind of thing must also affect Fu Hua's body, right? If she were in her prime... she must be incredibly powerful.

"There shouldn't be any problem carrying out the mission. Thank you for your concern, Headmaster."

Fu Hua smiled at Theresa. She was used to being low on health; you could say she couldn't play without being low on health.

Chapter 125 Still Young

Headmistress... This familiar title made Theresa feel a little dazed. After learning about Fu Hua's past, it felt a bit strange to be called that by her. She had always suspected that Fu Hua's identity might not be simple, but she never expected that she had such a past. It felt like everyone she used to know had changed.

Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and Fu Hua... It seems like the only one who hasn't changed is Shen Gonglin?

Theresa looked tenderly at Shen Gonglin over there. This guy was eating happily and seemed carefree, but everyone was gathered around him. If it weren't for him, Theresa couldn't imagine what everyone would be like now. Kiana alone would definitely be completely different from what she is now.

"Headmaster, what's wrong? Did I say something strange?"

Fu Hua looked at Theresa's expression with some curiosity. She didn't think she had said anything strange, but why did Theresa make that expression?

"It's nothing, it's just that I'm a little uncomfortable being called the headmaster by you... It feels like everyone is different now than before."

Theresa sighed slightly, but this only confused Fu Hua more. She was indeed the headmistress of St. Freya Academy, and Fu Hua was simply stating a fact. Could it be... could it be that Theresa felt she was tens of thousands of years old, and calling her headmistress made her seem old? But as everyone knows, actual age is based on appearance. Like Theresa, who would mistake her for a forty or fifty-year-old woman? So she shouldn't even think about dissing her!

She, Fu Hua, is still young!

"That's true... Headmaster, how is the situation at the Salt Lake Base? I've been away from there for a while now, how is everyone doing?"

Fu Hua mentally grumbled about Theresa's age before changing the subject. She didn't want to dwell on the issue any longer. She was just a beautiful girl who would never grow up. What did "tens of thousands of years old" mean? That was Hua and Chiyuan's problem, what did it have to do with her, Fu Hua? Wasn't Luo Lin, who was in her forties or fifties, ashamed to say such things about her?

"Bronya's condition is relatively stable. Although her Herrscher power has been taken away, her body is not seriously injured. The cost of those puppets using the Herrscher of Reason's Authority has been transferred to Shen Gonglin himself, Bronya has not been affected. For safety reasons, Kiana will remain in the facility on standby for the time being and will no longer be allowed to go out on missions."

Theresa, also inexplicably unwilling to dwell on that issue, brought up the Salt Lake Base. After the investigation, they would return to the Salt Lake Base, where they could finally see Kiana in person. That child had changed so much.

"Indeed, if the goal of Herrscher of Domination is to Herrscher Authority, then this is the wisest decision."

Fu Hua nodded upon hearing this. The Doctors' decision was correct. The Herrscher of Reason's abilities had been stripped away. Kiana, the Herrscher of the Void, must be protected. Shen Gonglin doesn't need to be confined for protection due to her special circumstances. In the Domination Theater, he can switch between the abilities of his various Herrscher without any impact, which is why he can move freely like this now. Otherwise, he should be like Kiana.

Others only have one Herrscher Authority, but he has four, which is extremely dangerous.

"Sigh, it's a pity she'll have to stay in her small room again. She just recently earned the right to move around freely, although she probably doesn't care now... But that's precisely why it's so poignant. If this were St. Freya, she would have been throwing a huge tantrum, wouldn't she? That mischievous child from before has grown up so much. It feels like just yesterday she was yelling in my ear about becoming A-rank Valkyrie and being able to stand on her own in missions, but in the blink of an eye, she's already a mature adult, sensible and reliable."

Theresa shook her head with a sigh. Is this what growing up is? Logically, she should be happy that Kiana has grown up, but why does she feel so heavy-hearted? She feels that Kiana is cuter when she is the same as before... But it's okay, in front of someone, she can still act cute as she used to.

"Seeing her change, how should I put it? On one hand, I feel happy, but on the other hand... I also feel heartbroken. Sometimes when I see her like this, I inexplicably think of the past and hope that her innocent smile can reappear on her face. Unfortunately, her smile is not the same as before."

Theresa looked up at the distant sky and took a deep breath. It was the same sky, but the people under it were different from before. But that was just how it was.

"This is a good thing. People always have to move forward. I believe in the path they've chosen. Kiana is, Bronya is, Mei is, Fu Hua, and of course, Shen Gonglin, who is also a member of St. Freya... It's so good to have him by Kiana's side. That's why Kiana hasn't completely grown into a different person..."

Speaking of Shen Gonglin, Theresa couldn't help but smile. Although she kept saying that Shen Gonglin unreliable, everyone trusted her. Not to mention the three little ones, they were so close to Shen Gonglin that they would let Shen Gonglin wear their dresses. Even Einstein and Dr. Tesla did the same. They would mention Shen Gonglin from time to time when reporting on the progress of the mission. Fu Hua's relationship with him was also obvious. Even she herself... that guy is really reliable.

Unbeknownst to many, so many people have come to trust and support him. From this perspective, no one should be more reliable than him.

"That's true... But Headmaster, we should go over there. As expected, he's being stopped by the food stall owner because he can't pay for his meal. If we don't go and help him soon, he might have to wash dishes to pay off his debts."

Fu Hua wanted to agree with what Theresa said, but before she could say it, the "very reliable" Shen Gonglin got into trouble. Fu Hua rubbed her temples helplessly. When would this guy remember to carry money with him? Theresa's claim that he was reliable was definitely a lie. Fu Hua had never seen Shen Gonglin carry money. Logically speaking, this guy shouldn't be short of money. Didn't Rita and Durandal give him their salary cards?

The current top two leaders of the Schicksal Mandate are working for him and making money for him. What a prestigious position! But he was taken to the police station for eating xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and dashing... It's really embarrassing.

Chapter 126 Elementary School Student?

They rescued a certain hero who refused to pay for his meal, Fu Hua and Theresa also helped Shen Gonglin finish the xiaolongbao she couldn't finish. After finishing their conversation with the "elders," the two took Shen Gonglin to the university gate. To facilitate their investigation, Theresa specially wore a schoolgirl-style dress. Compared to her usual nun's habit, this white and green dress made the girl look more delicate and cute. However, Shen Gonglin still didn't understand the purpose of her outfit.

"Of course, it's to blend in with the college students and become one of them. Fu Hua doesn't need to pretend; her demeanor gives off a very mature vibe. You came too hastily, so there's no other way. Just follow behind Fu Hua and me and keep an eye on us."

Theresa appeared confident. The young woman had undoed her usual dangerous hairstyle, giving it a loose, flowing look. Perhaps she wanted to add a touch of maturity with this change. Theresa looked straight ahead with a natural smile on her face as she walked into the school. With her mature and natural demeanor, she was sure she could look like a college student.

However, Shen Gonglin didn't think so, nor did the security guard at the main gate.

"Hey, hey, hey, wrong way, wrong way."

The security guard, who was sitting in the security room sipping a cup of hot tea, immediately reached out to stop the three people when he saw them. What were these three people doing here? They didn't look like they were from the university.

"Um?"

Theresa, who was walking with confidence, froze. Had she gone to the wrong place? She and Fu Hua exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes. They had investigated and found that this was the school gate. Why had they gone to the wrong place?

"Wrong door? Is this door closed?"

Fu Hua asked a question, but the answer given by the school security guard caused Theresa's mentality to explode instantly.

"No, no, this is a university, the primary school is across the street."

The security guard's mood improved upon seeing Theresa, such a cute little girl. It seemed that the elementary school over there was enrolling students, and this girl looked like an elementary school student. She was probably an older sister taking her younger sister to register. As for Shen Gonglin over there... he looked more like a middle school student. All three of them were too young, but they must have gone to the wrong place.

Little, elementary school student?

Theresa, who always prided herself on being very mature, stared wide-eyed, her azure pupils filled with unwavering conviction. She had specially chosen this outfit to showcase her mature demeanor, but the security guard's words ruthlessly shattered her illusions. So, no matter how she dressed, she was still just an elementary school student? This reality was terrifying.

"It's okay, it's okay. The headmistress is so cute. Don't worry about what others think, just be yourself."

Seeing Theresa's devastated expression, Shen Gonglin suppressed a laugh and reached out to pat her head. She knew it! How could she possibly change people's opinions of her just because of this dress? Even Shen Gonglin couldn't match her height. If she carried Theresa out, people would mistake them for siblings. Theresa's height... if you include the corners, she probably couldn't even compare to Rosaliya and Liliya.

She's definitely the mascot! Shen Gonglin can finally shed that title. From this moment on, Theresa is crowned queen!

"Do you like someone like me?"