Chapter 469

Meanwhile, in a ramen shop somewhere in Shenzhou, a girl dressed in an exceptionally cute and distinctly Shenzhou style put down her phone and clasped her hands together to apologize to the owner. No matter what, it was her own fault. She never expected that after being around for so long, she would still make such a mistake. She realized that she was ultimately not very mature.

"I'm sorry, I've already informed my family, and they will send the money over soon. It's not my intention to freeload, but I'm sorry because my wallet was lost."

At this moment, Li Sushang felt somewhat ashamed. As a successor of the Sword Immortal, how could she do something like dining and dashing? She even lost the card her junior uncle had given her. This was something that was hard to talk about. Miss Sushang was quite helpless. She originally wanted to wash dishes to pay off her debt, but... looking at the scraps on the dishes, Li Sushang's debt seemed to have increased even more.

Fortunately, the long-distance communication device wasn't lost, otherwise there would have been no way to contact Junior Uncle. In this day and age, there are still many convenient things, such as this thing called a mobile phone. The effect of long-distance communication is much stronger than one's own internal energy.

"That's for the best, Miss, you... sigh."

The shop manager was speechless. It was just a bowl of noodles, and he had treated her to it. Such a spirited girl was rare, and he rarely wanted to do a good deed. But this overly polite girl insisted on washing the dishes to pay off her debt, so he agreed. Now, with so many dishes, he had no choice but to pay some money.

Shaking his head, the shop manager turned to greet other customers, but Li Sushang called out to him again.

"Please wait a moment, manager. Could I have another bowl of beef noodles? I'll wait for my junior uncle to arrive so he can pay for it with me."

The cheerful girl reached out and asked the owner for another bowl of noodles. As a traveler, Li Sushang had a great need for food. Unlike her junior uncle, who was not only picky about food but also ate very little, he was always greedy and wanted to eat a little bit of everything. Every time, Durandal and the others would help him finish what was left. But the good girl Li Sushang was different. She ate everything and left nothing behind.

"...I'm coming."

The shop manager was somewhat speechless, fearing that the losses would only increase. The noodles he served this time had only a few slices of beef as thin as cicada wings floating on them, which made Li Sushang marvel at the shop manager's knife skills. It seemed that the other party was also a skilled knife and swordsman. Without picking and choosing, Li Sushang picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily. Her slightly unrestrained eating manner made people wonder where all the food went. This girl, dressed in clothes that resembled Hanfu, could really eat.

"Um, Brother Lin, I think according to the location Miss Li Sushang sent us, it should be over here... definitely not over there. Just follow me."

Li Sushang was eating noodles when she heard this sound from outside the shop. Seele grabbed Shen Gonglin's hand and pulled him this way. Now she finally understood Shen Gonglin's terrible sense of direction. This guy seemed to be born with a problem with the right path. Whenever there was a fork in the road, he would definitely choose the wrong one. In the end, Seele even felt that she didn't need to know the way. She just needed to choose the opposite path from Shen Gonglin.

More importantly, Shen Gonglin was very confident in her choice. If she hadn't been dragged along, Shen Gonglin would never have listened. Sister Bronya and the others really work hard every day... Seele couldn't help but sigh. As for how to address Shen Gonglin...

Seele felt it wasn't appropriate to call him by his name directly, and since Shen Gonglin and Sister Bronya looked about the same age, it wouldn't be a problem for her to call him "brother."

"Junior Uncle, over here!"

She spotted Shen Gonglin outside at a glance. Her junior uncle was the kind of person with a strong presence. Even in a crowd, Li Sushang could spot him immediately. This strong presence was very much like the protagonist in the martial arts picture books that Li Sushang had read. If her junior uncle could travel the world with her and conquer the Central Plains, it would surely become a legendary tale of martial arts.

"Hey? Sushang, you're here. Why did you suddenly change your location? According to the location, you should be over there. Honestly, don't wander around when people are looking for you."

Upon hearing Li Sushang's voice, Shen Gonglin walked into the noodle shop. He spoke with such certainty, leaving Li Sushang was inexplicably accused, full of question marks. She had never wandered around aimlessly; she had been staying here ever since she sent her location and hadn't even moved her seat.

"Ah, anyway, we've finally found Miss Li. I'm sorry, because I was concerned about something, I came with Brother Lin... Miss Li, did something happen to you?"

Seele quickly changed the subject. Everyone knew what was wrong with Shen Gonglin. This guy still wouldn't admit that he had taken the wrong path. But thankfully, he managed to find Miss Sushang. It was definitely the right choice for her to come along.

"Ah, it's nothing serious, nothing to mention. Junior Uncle, have you eaten yet?"

Li Sushang felt a little embarrassed to say it directly, so she decided to be more tactful and use "Have you eaten?" as an opening line. Perhaps it was a custom in Shenzhou, but Li Sushang was also used to greeting people that way.

"No, wow... such thinly sliced beef, Sushang, give me a bite."

Seeing the thin slices of beef in Li Sushang's bowl, Shen Gonglin reached out to take her chopsticks, but the food-protecting girl didn't give him the chance. There were only a few slices; she wanted to save them for last and couldn't give them to her junior uncle.

Her junior uncle was quite unethical. When she woke up and was chatting with Durandal and the others, she heard that he had done something inhuman. Ancestor Chiyuan had finally managed to eat a bunch of melon seeds and wanted to enjoy them happily, but this guy stuffed them into her mouth. If Li Sushang put herself in Ancestor Chiyuan, she would feel very uncomfortable. That's why she couldn't let her junior uncle have the benefit.

"I'll order you another bowl. And this is... Seele, right? You probably haven't eaten either, so let's eat together."

Li Sushang called the owner over and ordered two more bowls for them. The shopkeeper looked at Shen Gonglin and Seele suspiciously. These two people didn't look like Li Sushang's elders at all. However, to be fair, all three of them looked very good, and their clothes didn't seem like they were from poor families. So he didn't think too much about it and brought the noodles over directly.

Even if you want money, you have to wait until they've finished eating.

Chapter 237 The Trio Who Dine for Free

"Where have you been all this time?"

As the beef noodles arrived, Shen Gonglin blew on them and casually asked Li Sushang, "After we parted ways in Kolosten, this girl didn't return to Schicksal or go to Anti-Entropy with me. Instead, she took the subway or train and went on a long journey. I didn't expect to meet her here again. It took her a lot of effort to use the Herrscher of the Void's teleportation to travel all the way from Europe to Shenzhou. She really went on a long trip."

"It's just a journey of stopping and looking around, going back to my hometown, seeing the Yangtze River, seeing the Yellow River, and climbing mountains. You could say it's a sightseeing trip. Little Martial Uncle, you don't know how many fun things I discovered. It's completely different from my time. The tin boxes on the street run incredibly fast; I have to fly on my sword to catch up with them. There are so many interesting places. I'll take you to play there sometime."

Li Sushang enthusiastically recounted her travel experiences to Shen Gonglin. As she talked about these things, Li Sushang became radiant. Being able to travel on a whim was her nature, and upholding justice was her life principle. Occasional separations were for the sake of future reunions. This girl's personality was indeed very good. Even Seele, who had hardly ever had any contact with her, couldn't help but like her. Listening to her tell these stories, Seele, who had never traveled far from home, became excited.

In the future, if possible, I would like to go out and play with Sister Bronya and Shen Gonglin.

"Looks like you've been to a lot of places lately, but shouldn't you be done playing by now? How about coming back with us this time... Seele, you haven't had enough to eat yet, have you? Here, have some."

After cleaning the beef, Shen Gonglin could only eat half a bowl of noodles before she couldn't eat anymore. Seeing Seele eating happily, Shen Gonglin gave her the noodles. Seele blushed a little after finishing her own noodles, but she still took the bowl over. She was a little hungry after training, so she ate quite quickly. She was so focused on eating that she forgot there was another version of herself. It was so kind of Shen Gonglin to share with her.

Although the two share a stomach, Seele still hopes that she can eat the flavors she likes.

Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you.

Another Seele snorted in her mind, and then Seele's beautiful blue pupils suddenly turned red. She picked up the chili jar on the table and added two spoonfuls of chili to the noodles so that it would taste good. When she needed to go to the toilet, she could just switch to Seele.

"Since Junior Uncle has said so, I will naturally obey. However... hehe, before I go back with Junior Uncle, there is still a little problem that I need Junior Uncle to help me solve. After all, Junior Uncle is the only person I can rely on."

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. After so much buildup, Li Sushang became embarrassed. The sword fairy girl scratched her head, and then the shop owner, who had been watching them closely, came over.

This boy looks younger than the girl, but why does she call him "Shishu" (a term of respect for a senior martial arts master)? And the term "Shishu"... well, that's not something I should worry about.

"Three bowls of beef noodles, plus the bowl this girl ate earlier, and three plates she broke from my Jingdezhen restaurant... I won't ask for more, just give me 100 yuan, is that fair?"

When the shopkeeper said that, Shen Gonglin and Seele also turned their attention to Li Sushang. The sword fairy girl lowered her head in embarrassment. She felt a little embarrassed to say that she had asked her junior uncle to come over just to pay for her.

"That's right, I accidentally lost my wallet, so I need your help, Junior Uncle... Junior Uncle, you wouldn't want your lovely junior nephew to be labeled as a dine-and-dash thief, would you? So, you understand."

Li Sushang reached out and gently rubbed her fingers together. When Shen Gonglin realized what she was going to do, he stood up abruptly. The boy's expression was very serious, as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"I suddenly remembered that Kiana is waiting for me to come back and give her a bath, so I'll be going now. You guys keep on with your work."

Knowing that this girl hadn't called him here for anything good, Shen Gonglin wanted to slip away as soon as he heard this, but Li Sushang quickly grabbed Shen Gonglin's leg. Junior Uncle, you have to stand up for yourself at a time like this.

"Junior Uncle, don't leave me alone! It's just a hundred yuan, and you won't even give me a hundred yuan? You ate it just now, didn't you? So this isn't just my responsibility. Junior Uncle, you can't be so heartless."

Clinging desperately to Shen Gonglin's leg, Li Sushang feigned tears. It was only a hundred yuan. Surely her junior uncle wouldn't be so stingy? She was his junior nephew; it wouldn't be right for him not to give her a hundred yuan.

"Let go, I don't have any money. I just spent 648 yuan, Rita hasn't given me my salary for this month yet. I don't have any money."

Shen Gonglin wasn't making this up; he really was broke. It was true that Durandal and Rita had given him their salary cards, but he didn't carry them with him. He didn't have a single penny on him; his pockets were emptier than his face.

"But you can't abandon me, can you? Think of something... How about we leave Seele here to pay off our debt?"

Li Sushang set her sights on Seele, who was standing next to her. The girl, who was quite upset by the spiciness of her noodles, was startled. Then she looked at Shen Gonglin with a tearful expression. She didn't have any money on her. Was he really going to leave her here?

"Nonsense. Why don't we leave you here? Solve your own problems."

Shen Gonglin wanted to leave, but Li Sushang clung to him like an octopus. She had considered staying to help the shop owner wash dishes to pay off the debt, but the key was that the owner needed her too. She felt that if she washed dishes here to pay off the debt, she would only owe more and more, so she absolutely could not let go of her junior uncle. He was truly her only support.

Heh, the store manager watched the farce unfold without saying a word. He just waved to the back, and then several staff members blocked the doorway. They thought she was really calling someone to pay, but they didn't expect these guys to be such ruthless freeloaders. It had been so long since they'd seen people like this. Today, three of them came at once, all dressed so smartly. But why couldn't they do anything decent?

If the money isn't settled today, none of you are leaving.

Looking at Li Sushang, who was clinging to him desperately and refusing to let go, Shen Gonglin was completely helpless. Well, it seemed she still had to ask for outside help, but they were all in Europe. Who could she ask for help right now?

Chapter 238 The Valkyrie of the Shenzhou Branch

So boring... So many files, when will I ever finish processing them? I've dealt with this many files before, but why do I feel like I can't possibly finish them all today? I'm so envious of Rita. She's probably traveling around with Sister Purple right now. Durandal can even feel that Yukari Yakumo's affection for Rita is surpassing her own. That maid is just too good at charming people.

But while others are overtaking on the curves, I'm stuck here miserably dealing with these documents. Most importantly, I can't just abandon them. Ugh, this damn sense of responsibility of mine. If it weren't for this strange sense of responsibility, I'd probably be trying to win over Sister Purple right now.

I need to find a time to let Sister Purple know how dedicated I am, which should improve my image in Sister Purple eyes.

I don't know when it started, but Durandal has also started using this kind of "little trick".

With a sigh, the Valkyrie focused her attention on official business. Just then, her phone, which was lying to the side, suddenly rang. Durandal glanced at it casually, and the familiar number surprised the Valkyrie. She quickly picked up the phone and answered it, but the voice coming from the receiver made her fall silent.

A free meal? An emergency? Li Sushang... what is all this?

This also proves that Shen Gonglin has returned.

"Junior Uncle, what did Durandal say?"

Seeing Shen Gonglin put down the phone, Li Sushang leaned close to him and asked, "Hurry up and resolve this matter, otherwise the way the shop owner looks at you is really making you uncomfortable. As a woman of the martial arts world, she cares a lot about her image in the eyes of others. Right now, in the eyes of these people, she is probably just a freeloader."

Moreover, he's the kind of person who invites others to come and freeload with him.

"She said she knew and that she would handle the matter... As for how she would handle it, I don't know."

The call just now was made by Shen Gonglin. Among the people he knows, Durandal is considered quite reliable, so Shen Gonglin turned to her for help. She only said that she knew, but what should be done now? They can't really leave Seele here to pay off the debt, can they?

Thinking this, Shen Gonglin looked at Seele. The girl seemed to sense Shen Gonglin's thoughts. She looked up at him with teary eyes, clutching Shen Gonglin clothes. Seele had only eaten one bowl... one and a half bowls of noodles. She shouldn't have to leave herself here, right? Shen Gonglin, please, have some decency.

If Seele were left here to pay off the debt, Bronya might get angry with her. Shen Gonglin had no choice but to give up this seemingly feasible option and place her hopes on Durandal, not knowing how Durandal planned to resolve the situation.

So, Shen Gonglin, Li Sushang, and Seele could only sit obediently in the shop waiting for someone to rescue them. Although any one of them could easily spread the word and leave, they simply couldn't bring themselves to do something so shameful. How could someone as chivalrous as Li Sushang accept eating and dashing? Seele, being a good girl, was even less likely to do it. Shen Gonglin, on the other hand, was eager to escape, but Li Sushang and Seele grabbed his arms on either side, preventing him from leaving. Now it seemed they could only wait for Durandal to resolve the situation.

About twenty minutes later, several cars suddenly stopped in front of the noodle shop, and several girls got out. Shen Gonglin glanced at them and noticed the symbol on the cars. This was... the mark of Schicksal. Were these girls Valkyrie?

The girls didn't come in directly; they lined up at the door before walking in neatly. Upon seeing Shen Gonglin and the other two, the girls couldn't help but show excitement. The leader even took out a photo and examined it carefully. After confirming it, they became excited.

"It really is His Holiness the Bishop! He looks just like the photo in the announcement, so cute!"

A small scream came from among the girls. Of course, the Shenzhou branch also knew about the change of bishop, and various information about the new bishop had been spread to other branches. However, this was the first time they had seen it in person. When Durandal's order reached the Shenzhou branch, it gave them quite a fright.

His Holiness the Bishop encountered some trouble while on official business in Shenzhou and needed their support. Upon receiving this order, the Shenzhou branch immediately assembled its most elite squads to help, which was a great opportunity for His Holiness to make a name for himself.

"Shen Hui, watch your words and actions."

The Valkyrie who seemed to be the captain bowed her head and gave a warning to her excited teammate, then took a deep breath and led everyone to the front of Shen Gonglin.

"Your Excellency, the Schicksal Shenzhou Branch, A-rank Valkyrie Chu Yan, leading the Third Squad, is reporting for duty. Please give instructions!"

The girl led the group forward and snapped to attention. They then gave Shen Gonglin a military salute. Schicksal operates on a rank system, and the bishop had never visited the Shenzhou branch before. They had to make a good impression on the bishop.

Seeing this scene before him, the noodle shop owner was somewhat confused. Although these were all girls, their imposing aura made even a strong, middle-aged man like him a little intimidated. And what were they calling that boy? Bishop? Could this be some kind of evil organization?

Schicksal is still quite mysterious in the eyes of ordinary people. Even though Otto recently made a high-profile announcement about the existence of Honkai and the Valkyrie' fight against Honkai, it is still a very distant matter for some ordinary people. This person who ate and dashed seems to have quite a background... Even if he has a background, he is not afraid. Paying for noodles is a matter of course. He can be justified anywhere.

"Ah... did Durandal send you here?"

Unlike the dashing and heroic Valkyrie of the Shenzhou branch in front of them, the three people sitting at the table seemed a bit embarrassed. Li Sushang and Seele lowered their heads in embarrassment. What was wrong with Durandal? They just wanted her to help them out of a predicament. Why did she call so many people over? So many people knew that they had dined and dashed. Where would they put their faces now?

Chapter 239

"Yes! We came here after receiving Durandal's orders. Durandal said the Bishop needed help, so I assembled the team and rushed over. Bishop, what's the situation? Have we discovered Honkai or have Herrscher appeared? Although we are not as strong as the Valkyrie at headquarters, the Shenzhou Branch will do its best to assist you in fighting the Honkai!"

Valkyrie Chu Yan was ready. Regardless of which branch of the Valkyrie, their duty was to fight against the Honkai. Now that the Bishop was here, they had even more confidence. Even Durandal, the strongest Durandal in the Valkyrie force, was completely obedient to the new Bishop. What did they have to hesitate about?

During this time, Durandal and Rita weren't idle either. With their prestige, the Valkyrie Squad's trust in Shen Gonglin grew day by day. Unlike the higher-ups, the Valkyrie Squad had great faith in Shen Gonglin, which was one of the major factors that helped Shen Gonglin secure her position as the Bishop of Schicksal.

"Ah... well, it's not that serious. Sister Chu Yan, did you bring your wallet?"

Seeing the Valkyrie in front of her looking ready to fight at any moment, Shen Gonglin waved her hand, signaling them to relax. There was no need to be so tense. Since she needed their help, Shen Gonglin naturally had to be a little sweet-talking. The Valkyrie in front of her was tall and had long legs, and looked a few years older than her. Calling her "older sister" wouldn't be a loss at all.

"Sister, sister! Bishop... you don't have to do this. I'll take my wallet with me."

Unexpectedly addressed by Shen Gonglin, the valiant Valkyrie was flattered. The previously composed Valkyrie suddenly became flustered, frantically taking out her wallet and even dropping it on the ground in her haste. This behavior left the team members behind her speechless. When did their captain become so clumsy? And why did the bishop need her wallet?

"Here, one hundred yuan. That should be enough, right?"

Opening the Valkyrie's purse, which exuded a youthful charm, Shen Gonglin pulled out 100 yen and handed it to the shopkeeper. Now she could finally get rid of the reputation of dining and dashing. The shopkeeper awkwardly accepted the money, relieved. He had thought that he had invited so many people here to dine and dash, which was really scary.

"Bishop, what... what's going on?"

Watching Shen Gonglin interact with the shop owner, the Valkyrie of the Shenzhou branch were a little confused. They were called back just to borrow a wallet, and a hundred yuan at that... The Valkyrie of the Shenzhou branch looked at Li Sushang and Seele with a very strange look. The two girls lowered their heads in shame. Was this a disgrace to the other branches?

As for Shen Gonglin, he's thick-skinned, no problem.

"I forgot to bring money when I went out to eat, and I was hoping Durandal could help me out, but I didn't expect her to come to you guys instead. I'm so sorry."

After paying the bill and leaving the noodle shop, the group felt embarrassed. Although the Shenzhou branch was also under his command, Bishop Shen Gonglin only familiar with the Far East Branch and the Valkyrie units like the Immortal Blade. It was his first time meeting his subordinates like this, and he encountered such a situation. As a bishop, he really lost face.

"No, it's alright. It's our duty to help the bishop with his troubles. Don't worry about it. Rather, this is the bishop's first time visiting Shenzhou for inspection, and he encountered such a thing. We were not hospitable enough. I heard that the bishop once went to Mount Tai... also on official business at Mount Tai Xu. At that time, the Shenzhou branch was unable to provide effective assistance. Please forgive us, bishop."

Although it wasn't some kind of Honkai event that disappointed Chu Yan's team, being able to see the bishop's true face was still a very good thing. Of course, they couldn't disgrace the honor of the Shenzhou branch in front of the bishop.

"Apologies are too much. Back then at Mount Tai Xu... oh, I remember now, it wasn't your responsibility. I'll pay you back this hundred yuan later... Li Sushang will pay you back later. I'm really sorry."

After thinking for a long time, Shen Gonglin finally remembered the incident at Mount Tai Xu. Back then, Little Herrscher of Consciousness set up an illusion at Mount Tai Xu, and she and Kiana went there to save their Class President. Speaking of which, the Far East Branch was still in a state of defection at that time. Even if they had encountered the Shenzhou Branch, it would probably have been a fight. It's a good thing they didn't encounter them, otherwise it would be really awkward now.

Upon hearing this, Li Sushang reached out and pinched Shen Gonglin's waist unhappily. It's only a hundred yuan, yet he's so stingy. He specifically said that I should pay him back. How can this junior uncle be so stingy? I've never seen such a petty person. What's wrong with treating his lovely junior nephew to something to eat? Does he have to be so particular?

Li Sushang didn't believe it. Could it be that Shen Gonglin was this stingy when dealing with other people?

"No need, it's just a hundred dollars, the bishop doesn't need to worry about it at all. Speaking of which, bishop, why don't you come back to the Shenzhou branch with us? Durandal will be here soon. The bishop and Durandal's arrival is a big deal for our Shenzhou branch."

Chu Yan extended an invitation to Shen Gonglin. As for Li Sushang and Seele, there's no need to say more. It's been said that the new bishop is particularly popular with girls, and it's rumored that he will marry the vice bishop in the future. So it's normal for him to have two confidantes by his side. And this one... seems to be S-rank Valkyrie announced by headquarters?

Chu Yan glanced at Li Sushang and smiled. It seemed that she was also from Shenzhou.

"Oh, Durandal coming too? Then let's go over, Junior Uncle. I haven't seen Durandal for a while, and I miss her quite a bit."

Li Sushang grabbed Shen Gonglin's arm and pleaded. After waking up in this era, Durandal and Rita were the first friends she met. They were indispensable in helping her get used to life in this era. Although she was used to traveling alone, reuniting with her friends after a long separation was also Li Sushang's heart's desire. Now that she could see Durandal again, Li Sushang was naturally happy.

"Okay, then let's go wait for Durandal to arrive."