Troubled Times (Thanks to Yin Tian Shen Yin, the Alliance Leader)

"Can't you use your brain for once?"

Wen Wen couldn't help but grit her teeth, wanting to smack the back of his head again. "The total amount of Dragon Blood is finite. Since Lawrence has evaporated, you certainly don't need to worry about him; if there's no residue at the scene, then it must be lingering inside you!

The Mouth of the Ancient One is primarily for healing and restoration; it isn't specialized for things like Sin Corruption that directly rewrite your soul and genes. You must be careful. If there are any changes or symptoms, call me anytime, understand?"

"Oh, oh, got it!"

Ji Jue nodded and carefully sensed his condition. To be honest, he still trusted his Cousin, who was always so hardworking and uncomplaining. Since Cousin said it had been drained clean, there definitely shouldn't be any issues.

Besides, he had been eating well and sleeping like a log the moment his head hit the pillow lately; everything was perfectly fine.

"..."

After a brief silence, Wen Wen hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed and spoke up. "To be honest, I didn't handle this matter very fairly.

If the situation had been reported at the time, the Security Bureau's reward would certainly have included your share. But given the current state of Yacheng, where even a fart leaks out, I'm afraid your Chosen Conscription would have been impossible to keep under wraps.

By then, who knows how many monsters and demons would have come knocking? Getting involved with those things too early isn't a good thing for you. The last poor soul who did was..."

She paused, not continuing. "I took it upon myself to cover up your involvement. If you feel that's inappropriate, I can report it now."

"What are you talking about?"

Ji Jue was amused. He knew exactly what the Federation was like; how could they ever be trusted?

According to Wen Wen, when he underwent the Chosen Ceremony, he had summoned nine Upper Virtues in one go, which seemed to be something quite exaggerated. If he were a high-ranking citizen with a noble family background and generations of medals, perhaps he could consider throwing a grand banquet to show off. But as a student with no one to rely on and so many issues that couldn't withstand scrutiny, he'd better not jump into such deep water just yet.

These days, the "hot-blooded protagonist" trope wasn't popular anymore; everyone relied on playing it safe. He should stay low-profile for as long as he could. The fact that Wen Wen could help him cover it up actually made him Sighed in Relief.

As expected of Big Sister, she was truly loyal!

He didn't say anything, just gave a thumbs-up, which made Wen Wen laugh as well, her mood seemingly much improved.

"Alright, that's it for today. Get some good rest."

She patted Ji Jue's shoulder one last time and gave a mysterious smile. "Once you've recovered in a while, I'll introduce a good opportunity to you!"

"Is that for real, Foster Father?"

Ji Jue was overjoyed. He hesitated, feeling that since he was already eating, drinking, and taking so much, he felt quite embarrassed. He hardened his heart, gritted his teeth, and squeezed out a standard business smile.

"Wen Jie, look, I'm still quite charming..."

"Get lost!!!"

Wen Wen made a gesture without looking back and slammed the door behind her.

So carefree.

It was as if she were a scumbag who refused to acknowledge the debt after pulling up her pants.

Just like that, Ji Jue spent over half a month resting in the hospital. In reality, if it weren't for that dog Lawrence, he probably would have just slapped on a plaster and gone home.

First, the erosion from the Vortex Implantation Technique, then the infusion of a massive amount of Aberrant Spirit Essence, followed by a desperate activation of the Life Support Protocol after getting a knife to the neck, and finally, being corrupted by Dragon Blood.

And to top it all off, he took a punch from Minerva.

After a series of services like that, even an iron man would have shattered.

The only reason he was still alive, moving, and breathing was because Cousin had drained him quickly, held the line, and stood firm. As for Ji Jue, he had been responsible for just drifting along.

Even for a Chosen One, there was no logic in pushing oneself this hard.

Relying on the Mouth of the Ancient One, he began his path of gluttony, sticking to seven nutritional buffet meals a day without fail, stuffing himself until even the rats in the hospital cafeteria were on the verge of tears, before finally replenishing more than half of his completely empty health bar.

After the doctor checked him, the entire department applauded enthusiastically to send this disaster of a patient off to be discharged.

Just like that, they kicked him out the door.

Still not satisfied, Ji Jue swaggered over to the Lu Family to feast again, performing his classic "a whole pig in three bites" routine. Lu Ma was so moved that she wiped away tears while cooking, cursing the hospital for being heartless and starving such a good child.

Finally, under the shocked and fearful gazes of Old Third and the Youngest, he left behind a box of extracurricular exercises and strode away with half a packed White Cut Chicken.

He felt his life was complete.

"This is what life is all about."

Ji Jue lay in his own den, legs propped up, enjoying the familiar comfort.

He spent half the day cleaning the house, installed a new refrigerator, hummed a tune, took a shower, and lay in bed to read for a while. With nothing to do, it was truly Peaceful Years.

How could it be any more wonderful? Wasn't this far better than being locked in a life and death struggle with that dog Lawrence?

There was simply no comparison!

Thinking that his current wonderful life was built upon the corpse of that dog, Ji Jue was moved to tears. He pressed his palms together in prayer, thinking, Good riddance!

He hoped that if Lawrence had any awareness in the afterlife, he would continue to contribute his remaining heat to add bricks and mortar to his own wonderful life...

BOOM!!!

A sudden, deafening explosion erupted in the deep night. Ji Jue jolted violently, tumbling off the bed in fright. He looked around subconsciously, only to realize the sound had come from downstairs?

You've got to be kidding me?!

He carefully poked his head out, looking down from the stairs, only to see... the door he had just repaired at home had been smashed open again?!

His heart, which had just settled, instantly leaped back into his throat, and he couldn't help but want to curse.

Yet, why did this scene feel so familiar?!

In the silence, some trivial, crisp sounds seemed to drift over. Ji Jue's hair stood on end. Groping around, he pulled out a steel rebar and crept downward step by step, until he saw two winding trails of mud prints extending from the doorway to his kitchen.

In the faint light from the refrigerator, the half-door barely hanging onto the fridge swayed slowly, obscuring the intruder hiding behind it; only the sound of chewing continued to echo.

Just like that, Ji Jue's suspended heart finally died completely!

"My new fridge!!!"

He screamed, his eyes splitting with rage. The second-hand, ninety-nine-percent-new Noble Purple he had painfully spent over six hundred on just this afternoon had been ruined again, dammit.

"I'm going to fight you bastards to the death!"

He roared, swinging the iron rod as he charged into the kitchen.

And so, he finally saw the full picture of the intruder: that bizarre figure clinging to the edge of the fridge, twisting its body and devouring food greedily. He couldn't help but gasp.

The pink shell covered in mud and dust, the Four-Hand Handlebars scavenged from a junkyard, the wheels that didn't even match in model, and the exhaust pipe Ji Jue had personally modified from scrap sports car parts...

This was the Little Lamb that had completely vanished at Jici Hospital!

Except, after being apart for so many days, he couldn't recognize it at all—at least, the Little Lamb he knew wouldn't cling to his fridge like a living creature, its shell opening to reveal a mechanical structure like a giant mouth, gnawing on...

"My White Cut Chicken!!!"

Ji Jue's tears finally couldn't help but fall.

Hearing Ji Jue's roar, the Little Lamb's movements seemed to pause for a second, then it accelerated frantically. After tossing its head to swallow the chicken bones into its 'mouth,' it dashed away from the fridge and reversed into the corner.

Its headlights flickered, as if probing his expression.

Cautiously.

Just like that, in the dead silence, it moved a little closer, then retreated a little, then moved closer again. Finally, it lifted its handlebar, rubbed against Ji Jue, toggled its headlights on and off, and honked its horn repeatedly.

It began to wag its mudguard frantically.

Just like a dog wagging its tail.

"You... you..."

Ji Jue recalled Wen Wen's grave warning from half a month ago, and suddenly his vision blackened. He felt as if fate were a boomerang, finally slamming into his face after half a month.

Now, he finally understood where the Dragon Blood left at the scene had gone...

"Beep--!!!"

The Little Lamb seemed to misunderstand something; its entire front wheel lifted abruptly, and it lunged onto Ji Jue, twisting excitedly. The giant mouth beneath the plastic shell split open, and a rubbery, giant tongue coated in motor oil licked his face.

Ji Jue remained expressionless and fell backwards.

I'm tired. Just destroy everything.

"There's still some time before destruction."

Under the same firmament, in a camp in the wilderness, an elderly woman sat on a stone, gazing at the ruins in the distance. "Although it's not far off, after dealing with this current wave, we can at least delay it for another ten years or so."

The voice on the phone paused briefly, then continued its report.

"Good, I understand."

The old woman nodded. "I can't leave Quancheng for the moment, so I'll have to trouble everyone with the matters in Yacheng. The Hai Zhou Garrison Commander won't waste manpower for this long; there should be results soon."

After a final greeting, the call ended.

In the silence, only the night wind whistled.

From the ruined city in the distance came wails like those from hell, and wisps of black mist rose into the sky, vanishing into the darkness.

She turned a deaf ear, merely lowering her eyes in contemplation.

Blood Thirst Syndrome, the dungeon in Quancheng, the Westward Expansion Plan, those guys in the Holy Land, the Chief of All Spirits, the Restoration Unification Society, and a group of immortal Solomons constantly stirring up trouble behind the scenes... and even Nirvana, lurking in the shadows!

The Myriad-Change Worm, Lawrence, has been confirmed dead.

Currently, the Dragon Offering Society hasn't made any specific moves, but one can assume they won't let it rest.

As for that child, Wen Wen, the speed at which she is making a name for herself is unexpectedly fast. However, given her personality, once she finds her footing, she won't necessarily 'turn over a new leaf' and be a well-behaved child, will she?

One could almost foresee the chaos to come.

The corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

It seemed like anticipation.

Yet, when she looked up at the night sky, the smile gradually faded, leaving only gravity.

"You lot, what exactly are you thinking?"

She stared into the void of the night sky and asked softly, "Is this world not chaotic enough already?"

No one responded.

The night sky remained silent, stars shimmering like the eyes of gods—distant, indifferent, and never once swayed by the wailing or turmoil upon the earth below.

She withdrew her gaze.

A mountain of unprocessed official business sat in her inbox, with new inquiries arriving from Central City. It wasn't just Central City, either; the dozen or so major cities across the entire Federation, and even those fellows over in the Empire... almost everyone she knew was beating around the bush, fishing for information and asking about what had happened a while back.

So much time had passed, yet there was no sign of things calming down.

Compared to that grand and imposing Mandate of Heaven Ceremony, the hidden dangers of the Spring City Grotto seemed like nothing more than trivial nonsense.

A spontaneously awakened Chosen One had always been a hot commodity, let alone one of such terrifying scale—unprecedented not just across all of Yacheng, but even when counting Haizhou and the better part of the Federation...

Nine of the Twelve Supreme Goodnesses, descending upon one person!

A single one was enough to lay the foundation for a celestial being; with nine descending at once, how staggering must the variables poured into them be?

"Seventeen years later, a genuine Mandate of Heaven Summoning."

She sighed softly and turned to walk toward the camp.

The summer night breeze blew, gradually turning chilly. In a little while, after two or three rainstorms, the cold would likely begin to creep in, leaves turning yellow and falling with the wind.

It was going to be another eventful autumn.