Qinghe Branch

Li Ming got up early the next morning. Mainly because he had just arrived in a new environment and was unfamiliar with it, he slept lightly. After folding his blanket, Li Ming went downstairs, took a breath of fresh air in the courtyard, and slowly began practicing his fists.

The Cunxin Fist Technique had been taught by Hua. It was an ancient martial art from Shenzhou in the Previous Era, refined with Previous Era technology. It could strengthen the body and improve one's constitution.

Every move of this technique contained force. Once mastered to a profound level, a single push or release could shake heaven and earth.

But Li Ming could only think about how to unleash Heaven Render with inch force.

This fist technique also came with chants—the "first form" and "second form" Li Ming had shouted when using it yesterday.

Though he only shouted those words, they genuinely had an effect.

Li Ming had once felt that it was hypnosis. Speaking of hypnosis, he thought of Divine Voice, but this should be different from Divine Voice, right?

...ㄟ(▔,▔)ㄏ

He could not figure it out, but it did not matter. I went bald... ah, no, I was hypnotized, but I also grew stronger.

"Reborn into Honkai Impact 3rd, Teaching Disciples Through Hypnosis"?

The whole vibe suddenly felt wrong. It was heading toward R... Cannot say it, cannot say it, or the book would be gone.

The six forms of White Tiger Listens to the Wind were all powerful and heavy. Before the leaves swept up by the wind could fall, they were crushed apart by the force of his fists. Su Qizhe had also woken up by then. Coming downstairs, he saw his nephew practicing in the courtyard.

His fists were heavy and fierce, his movements stirring the wind like a tiger.

Su Qizhe knew something of his nephew's background. His parents had both passed away, and the old master had raised him at home. He had studied martial arts under the old master since childhood. In the past, immortals in Shenzhou had passed down unparalleled methods. A thousand years later, those teachings had branched and flourished, and martial arts had become widespread throughout Shenzhou. Of course, this had also led to plenty of counterfeit and shoddy products.

But that old master truly had skill. Still, he claimed his arts could not be passed on to outsiders and had only taught Su Qizhe a few methods for nourishing the body and cultivating one's breath.

Now, seeing Li Ming's bearing and spirit, Su Qizhe felt a little envious. What fine man would not wish to wield a blade?

"Hahaha, Little Ming, those moves of yours have inherited quite a bit of the old master's true teachings. The strength in your forms is like towering pines."

"You flatter me, Uncle Su. I'm just throwing moves around. What strength could there be?"

Hearing Su Qizhe's voice, Li Ming was somewhat surprised. Uncle Su got up this early?

Su Qizhe merely laughed. He did not believe a single word Li Ming had just said. "Don't fool me. I learned a few moves from your grandfather too. I can still tell good from bad. Perfect timing—come see whether I learned the moves your grandfather taught me correctly."

On a whim, Su Qizhe performed a set of moves before Li Ming. Though Li Ming claimed to be poorly learned, the memories that had been poured into him and the knowledge he had gained from the Elysian Realm allowed him to spot a few errors. What interested him more was that the movements carried a trace of Hua's style.

Oh, Hua later became Immortal Chi Yuan. Then that made sense.

After giving Su Qizhe a bit of guidance, they heard a servant call for them. Only then did they go eat breakfast. Susanna was brimming with energy and had gotten up early as well, though a servant was simply playing with her.

Looking at the tiny Susanna now, Li Ming's heart was full of affection. Come on, who would not love a little blond girl as a younger sister?

After breakfast, Su Qizhe had a servant pack Li Ming's belongings into a newly bought suitcase.

"Alright. I spoke with President Ryoma last night. They'll be staying in Shenzhou for a month. During that month, you'll follow President Ryoma and broaden your horizons. Uncle Su has arranged the connections for you. When you return, you can prepare to set off. As for the Honkai corrosion issue, he'll help you deal with that too." Su Qizhe felt somewhat helpless. His nephew had only just arrived and had already run into such a serious matter. The old master had come yesterday but said nothing. If he had spoken up sooner, would Su Qizhe not have sent someone to pick him up?

"Alright." Li Ming thought about it. Raiden Ryoma could not possibly get assassinated every day, could he?

"By the way, Little Ming, how is your English?"

"Not bad, I guess?" Li Ming scratched his head. His English before transmigrating had not been great, but the original owner of his body had been good at it. After graduating, though, he had little time to improve himself and rarely used English, so he had forgotten nearly all of it.

What, you ask how I knew Japanese? Heh heh, I learned it so I could one day trample the cherry blossoms underhoof. Things like Tokyo Hot and the like—why exactly, I dared not say.

The original owner also knew a little about it, so Li Ming could speak Japanese quite fluently. However, he did not know more specialized vocabulary.

And ever since his brain seemed to have filled with water—ah, no, ever since the original owner's memories had been poured into it—he seemed to have become enlightened. He learned everything rather quickly.

"Then that's good. That makes things easier to arrange. For now, follow Steward Zhao and head out. Time waits for no one. President Ryoma is still waiting at the Qinghe Branch. We've prepared a phone for you, and the SIM card is already installed. Call if anything comes up."

"Alright, sorry for the trouble, Uncle Su." Li Ming hurriedly thanked him.

Su Qizhe merely waved a hand. "It's nothing. We're family. Why talk as if we're strangers? Go on, go on."

Susanna was quite reluctant to see him leave. She ran over with quick little steps. "Brother Li Ming, remember to keep a diary and write down all the fun things outside!"

"Of course! I might forget anything else, but I'll never forget my promise to Susanna!" Li Ming rubbed Susanna's little head and comforted her.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Li Ming followed Steward Zhao outside. It had only been one day, but the Su family truly had been kind to him.

"Young Master Li, this way." After accepting a key handed over by a servant, Steward Zhao led Li Ming toward the Qinghe City Branch. Based on what Li Ming had just learned online, every region in this world had Schicksal's presence. In North America and Europe, Schicksal was even comparable to an entire nation.

But in a place like Shenzhou, where martial arts flourished across the land and immortals offered their protection, autonomy was much greater. A headquarters had been established, and organizations like Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were more like different departments.

However, because this world's technology tree was somewhat skewed, Schicksal had already developed Valkyrie combat armor, while Anti-Entropy had developed quite a few mechs and was now working on the Peacekeeper. Naturally, those mechs were also useful in civilian engineering.

One could not learn much from the internet itself. However, people on forums seemed able to see some of the ugly friction between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, though they did not know exactly what it was about.

Li Ming naturally knew all about the hundred stories that had to be told between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. He did not believe the person in charge of Shenzhou Headquarters was unaware either. But regarding such matters, the higher-ups were likely focused on maintaining balance. If World Serpent had not yet remained hidden, Li Ming guessed Shenzhou Headquarters might have dragged World Serpent in to stir the pot too.

As for the conflict between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal in Shenzhou, it was probably this: Anti-Entropy's people piloted mechs, which were highly useful for rescue work and construction, while Schicksal's Valkyries contributed greatly to punishing evil and upholding justice. Especially in Shenzhou, where people admired heroic righteousness, Valkyries inspired a different kind of longing.

The higher-ups were happy to see it. After all, competition drove progress, did it not?

The branches established in every city were more like administrative offices, with everyone working in one place. Whoever ran things clearly feared Schicksal and Anti-Entropy would not fight hard enough!

His thoughts deepened. In the blink of an eye, Steward Zhao had brought Li Ming to the Qinghe Branch. Looking around, he saw buildings stretching across nearly five square kilometers. The surrounding buildings were sparse, because such a vast area was needed to allow battleships to take off conveniently.

But though it was small, it had everything it needed. The surrounding area had all sorts of facilities, making it exceptionally convenient.

An egg-shaped canopy covered the area. Iron-gray and incomparably heavy-looking, it bore four enormous crimson characters: Qinghe Branch.

Following Steward Zhao and carrying his suitcase, Li Ming entered the branch and gained a deeper understanding of just how spectacular the place was. He had not seen much of the world before. At most, he had gone sightseeing when traveling out of town to receive an award in a provincial competition.

Seeing such an imposing sight now, waves surged within Li Ming's heart.

Mechs stood throughout the facility, painted pale blue and covered in heavy armor. Nearly twenty to thirty meters tall, with cannons mounted on both sides, they radiated iron-blooded majesty.

Teams of Valkyries in armor moved among them. Not only were they a striking sight, but their gallant bearing also made one's heart feel refreshed.

What excited Li Ming even more was that after the mechs exited through the hangar doors, their lower-body propulsion systems moved alongside the operation of their cylinders. They did not look clumsy at all when they moved, and once they headed out, the ground trembled beneath them.

The Valkyries, meanwhile, boarded battleships, carrying either long blades or heavy cannons. The eggshell-shaped canopy opened, and the battleships flew straight out.

Li Ming's mouth was now wide enough to fit a light bulb inside it. Please do not try this casually.

After Li Ming entered with Steward Zhao, a receptionist took some unknown item Steward Zhao handed over, hurried off, and was then replaced by a young, beautiful woman who came to receive them.

"President Zhao, have you come on urgent business?" the woman asked with a smile. She appeared natural and not at all ingratiating.

"The master said the young master had something to deal with here, something related to yesterday's incident. The young master was also infected yesterday, so the master asked that it be handled."

Hearing this, Li Ming felt warmth in his heart. Even if Raiden Ryoma had not helped solve his corrosion problem, Uncle Su had already found him a way.

"So that's how it is. Then, little brother, follow me."

Steward Zhao did not say much. After handing Li Ming over to the woman, he left.

Li Ming obediently followed behind her. Though she wore only a standard uniform and had her long hair tied in a high ponytail, Li Ming could sense the strength hidden beneath that body.

"You were corroded by Honkai Energy? You didn't have time to run yesterday? Your emergency drills must not have been adequate!"

"Uh... I didn't run yesterday."

"You didn't run? What's your name, which school do you attend, and how old are you this year?"

Hearing the woman's three consecutive questions, Li Ming's mind went blank. He quickly said, "I'm here to see Mr. Raiden Ryoma."

The woman's gaze sharpened. "You're here to see Mr. Ryoma?"

After thinking for a moment, she led Li Ming in another direction.

In the end, Li Ming was brought to what looked like a meeting room. After the door was pushed open, he saw Raiden Ryoma and Raiden Yae seated inside. They seemed to be answering questions, while a rather tough-looking man sat across from them.

The moment the woman entered, the man's eyes lit up. Smiling, he said, "Oh, a rare guest. Isn't this Xie Qingming, the number one Valkyrie of our Qinghe Branch? What, no mission today?"

"And the captain of Titan Alpha Squad, Wang Sheng, hasn't gone on a mission either?" Xie Qingming shot back without giving him any face.

When Raiden Ryoma saw Li Ming, he smiled and greeted him, then had Raiden Yae pull Li Ming over to sit down. Neither of them paid attention to Xie Qingming and Wang Sheng's bickering.

"Uncle Ryoma, morning?"

"Good morning, little brother Li Ming. We meet again."

Raiden Yae still avoided him a little. Apparently, having her head rubbed during their final farewell had left quite a shadow on her young heart.

Li Ming did not mind. They had plenty of time to gradually get along in the future.

"So what's going on here?"

Looking at the two people still arguing, Li Ming was confused. What exactly had he come here for?

"We participants still need to file a report about yesterday's elimination of that suspected Quasi-Herrscher."

"Alright, let's get to business first. Mr. Ryoma, please continue."

In the end, Wang Sheng gave way. Xie Qingming clearly had not gained the upper hand either, so she sat off to the side with a gloomy expression, arms crossed.

Once the two had calmed down, Raiden Ryoma continued.

"At the time, this little brother Li Ming was the first to notice something was wrong. When he saw the suspected Quasi-Herrscher target appear, he immediately acted to suppress the monster's attack. Then, because my bodyguards came into close contact with highly concentrated Honkai Energy, they rapidly transformed into zombies. I was forced to act and kill several bodyguards who had already transformed."

"Wait, Mr. Ryoma. Has your USP been registered?" Wang Sheng asked as a matter of routine.

"Of course it has."

"However, the power of your Modified USP exceeds the scope of ordinarily registered weapons. Therefore, Mr. Ryoma, you should register it as a B-rank weapon." Naturally, it was Xie Qingming who spoke so bluntly.

But Raiden Ryoma merely smiled. "I certainly will."

"Alright. Please continue."

"Then, little brother Li Ming and I worked together to force that suspected Quasi-Herrscher into a desperate situation. The Quasi-Herrscher then detonated its own core. Even so, we had no way to destroy the core after it released Honkai Energy."

"After that, let little brother Li Ming tell you."

Li Ming had been spacing out, wondering when his corrosion problem would be dealt with, when he was suddenly called on. He froze for a moment, then saw several people looking at him.

"Ah, yes, I've eaten—ah, no, that's not it. Me? I just fired a shot at the core afterward, and then I blew it up in one go. That's all."

Wang Sheng and Xie Qingming were both dumbfounded. Raiden Ryoma had made it sound so harrowing just now. Why did it feel so easy when Li Ming told it?

After gathering herself, Xie Qingming finally forced a smile. "Then, little brother Li Ming, your gun will need to be registered as well, along with your inherited martial arts."

"Those need to be registered too?" Li Ming had a headache. Martial arts were easy enough to explain. The original owner of his body had practiced them anyway, so there was no issue. But how was he supposed to explain Moon God's Protection? Was he supposed to say it came as a first top-up bonus after he spent thirty thousand yuan?

That was far too absurd!

If he said that, he felt he would be sent to a mental hospital immediately.

Seeing Li Ming hesitate, Xie Qingming and Wang Sheng released a trace of pressure. "Mr. Li Ming, these matters are extremely important. Please do not conceal anything. We need to evaluate both you and that suspected Quasi-Herrscher monster. This is also good for you. The branch will not claim credit for your accomplishments, and the serum you require will be provided as soon as possible."

Li Ming had no choice. Under their gazes, he could not avoid the matter. He could not exactly say he had left it at home, only to have them call back and find Su Qizhe had searched the entire villa without finding a trace of Moon God's Protection.

With no other option, Li Ming closed his eyes, put both hands in his pockets, immersed his consciousness in the system, opened his inventory, and equipped Moon God's Protection.

Moon God's Protection then appeared in Li Ming's hands.

Xie Qingming and the others only saw a flash of golden light. Then Li Ming pulled a pair of twenty-five-centimeter pistols from his pockets.

Yae looked curiously at Li Ming's pockets. Was that an interdimensional pocket? It could even fit twenty-five-centimeter guns?