EP2 Kepler

Foreword:

If everyone fought only for their own beliefs, there would be no war.

Leo Tolstoy | War and Peace

[Part 1: Absolutely from a close relative]

The Moon God Cup tournament in Forty-One District was suspended due to the sudden outbreak of war. The entire district was plunged into a brief period of panic and riots. It was not until Ming De and the Hunter King arrived in person that the rumors spreading throughout the capital Rowena City gradually subsided.

Pellegrini Tuan was attacked by the power of Fragrant Dream and has been living in a sweet dream ever since, until David Victor uses his power to open his skull and remove his brain.

The battle report from the Cangyue Lake Resort Area along the intercity expressway once again tells the story of warriors versus demons.

--If we let our guard down even slightly, these cannibalistic monsters will come back with a vengeance.

Three days later, Professor Victor and the other fourteen VIPs arrived at Forty-One District after another. It wasn't a temporary job transfer. These prominent and super-powered explorers had also received help from the gunsmith and were partners during the Expedition era.

After Pellegrini was captured, all the combat groups in the vicinity of Districts 38 to Forty-Eight District, including vacation soldiers with free time and militia organizations, were moving towards Forty-One District. They did not dare to immediately join the Nameless Man's combat formations for deployment, and only entered the vicinity of Rowena City after the decapitation operation was completed.

These scattered soldiers completely blocked off the surrounding mountains, caves, wilderness, and official roads—if Pellegrini wanted to escape by bypassing the railway network, he would be in serious trouble, if not killed.

Next to the Lionheart Stadium is the cadre sanatorium of Rowena City, which treated the players for various complications caused by White Lady's products during the Moon God Cup.

At this moment, Jiang Xueming leaned against the bedside, hugging his right leg, letting his newly grown arm and strong thigh work together. He had just completed the second phase of physical therapy, where acupuncture and weak electric shocks stimulated the muscles, allowing the nerves in his arm to quickly return to combat readiness.

He looked out the window at the dark clouds that were spreading in; it looked like it was going to rain.

The dark clouds concealed dazzling lightning; they resembled indescribable monsters, yet evoked a strange sense of security.

He had seen this scene before, in the sky above the Nine Realms, on the intercity expressway in Hong Kong, before heading to the starting point for the first time, sitting in the back of the Volga, where there were such terrifying yet beautiful clouds on the horizon.

That was an unusual celestial phenomenon caused by the BOSS's spiritual pressure; it had personally come to Forty-One District.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xueming felt exhausted. The two days and two nights of fighting had given him a splitting headache. The attending physician had to rush to the District 39 to buy Guangling San buns, or ask someone to try their luck at the nearest market to see if they could get some spiritual medicine to repair his spiritual essence.

Since it's the preparation period for the city championship, these crucial supplies will be snapped up by each club before the start of the competition, even if they already have enough for themselves, they won't leave any for their opponents.

Xue Ming had been trying to keep activating the power of Fragrant Dream, relying on the Worry-forgetting Tea and Refreshing Soup provided by the Fairy Tale Kingdom to keep going, but today he had run out of supplies.

"Brother!" Bailu's voice came from outside the door, along with urgent knocking.

Xue Ming immediately replied, "Come in!"

Before she could finish speaking, Bailu impatiently pushed open the door and rushed in.

--She had grown up, and under the nurturing of the Universal Elixir, she had grown even taller.

Today, twenty-six-year-old Bailu has grown into a graceful young woman, with a neat ponytail, a weapons case in her left hand and a suitcase on her right, containing her tools, sticks, and her Flash Butterfly Armor.

She is 174 centimeters tall, and the thick-soled boots she wore while navigating the mud made her appear nearly 1.77 meters tall. In the sweltering summer heat, wearing a dark sun-protective outfit, she rushed to the hospital to visit her brother without even having a chance to change.

She looks almost exactly like the Big Sister, except for being a little shorter in wingspan and height— Hasben would go crazy if he saw her.

Bailu dropped her luggage, not in a hurry, and walked over slowly, trying to remain quiet.

She knew her brother needed to rest and couldn't handle strong emotional stimulation, so she didn't hug or shake hands with him, turning all her worries into a calm and serene state.

Are you alright?

Jiang Xueming was still stretching his arms. When his sister leaned over, he sat down on the edge of the bed to make room for her.

"Just arrived?"

Bailu: "It just arrived!"

Jiang Xueming: "Xiao Liu wasn't with you?"

Xiao Liu refers to Bailu's attendant, whose number is 12306.

Bailu patted her chest confidently, boasting about her abilities. "Not at all! She can't run as fast as me! I know every stop very well; I get on the train first and buy the ticket later."

Jiang Xueming: "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard work at all!" Bailu secretly glanced at Xue Ming's face again. Her brother hadn't shaved in a long time, but now that he was in the sanatorium, he had finally cleaned up his beard. He really looked the same as before, still that Xiao Bai: "Has Uncle Locke come by?"

It's a VIP's name, and also Bailu's introductory course in psychic studies.

Jiang Xueming: "I came yesterday. At first, I didn't bring anything and your sister-in-law kicked me out. Later, I bought two boxes of milk and gave me a red envelope, but then she gave it back to me. I don't like these favors; they're too troublesome."

Bailu: "What about Sister Yukrili Anunnaki?"

She is another VIP, a strange woman named after musical instruments and Semitic gods, and also a companion on the expedition.

Jiang Xueming: "She had a crush on me and was leaning against the window when your sister-in-law kicked her off the building, breaking her leg. She's resting next door now."

Bailu: "Oh dear! That's bad!"

Jiang Xueming: "Dandelion is here too, apologizing profusely. This Azure King didn't have time to help before the battle ended—he came with the Governor. I want them to talk to Jason, to clarify the case thoroughly. I need to rest."

Bailu: "Where is Teacher A Ling?"

Jiang Xueming: "She didn't come in person, but her heart was with her."

Bailu: "What's the meaning behind this?"

Jiang Xueming took out the HC card, which contained all the money for Teacher Su Ling's virtual child-rearing expenses, hoping that Xiao Qi's children would grow up happily. It didn't mention that it was for the gunsmith's medical treatment and well wishes.

"Simple, practical, and rich—but I'm not short of money. Xiao Qi should be very happy, after all, she's like a dragon, she loves sparkly things, and gold and treasure, she can never have enough."

Bailu: "Well, it's fine, it's fine."

"Let's get back to your story," Jiang Xueming asked immediately.

Before her brother could ask, Bailu interrupted immediately, "What could possibly be wrong with me?!"

Jiang Xueming: "I won't pressure you to get married. I'm really not the patriarchal type. I'm very easy to talk to."

Bailu: "Hehe. Hehehe."

Jiang Xueming opened her sleepy eyes and stared intently at her younger sister.

"Don't let my serious demeanor fool you; I'm actually quite humorous—I'm a down-to-earth person."

Bailu: "I understand, I understand."

Jiang Xueming: "The thing I wanted to ask you is..."

As he said this, he pointed to the two heavy weapon cases and armor cases next to the door of the maintenance room.

"How did you get through security? This is a hospital."

"Hahahahahaha," Bailu chuckled dryly, trying to make light of the situation with her brother, "You're so funny! So hilarious! Hahahahaha!"

Jiang Xueming immediately put his fists on his hips, pretending to be angry.

Bailu replied nervously, "I indirectly communicated with the guy at the administration desk on the first floor, and he let me through."

Jiang Xueming: "How did you communicate? Indirectly?"

Bailu: "I saw everyone queuing up, bro! You know, it's not easy to see you, even VIPs have to wait in line. So I covered my face, went to the restroom to change into full armor, and picked up a gun."

Jiang Xueming: "Alright, that's enough, I understand, no need to say anything more."

Patrols and militiamen had completely surrounded the hospital, arriving as soon as they received the report.

As for the other VIPs in line, they all regarded Bailu as their Big Sister and didn't take this overly forceful queue-jumping incident to heart.

[Part ②·Lone Star]

"Where is my sister-in-law?" Bailu asked next.

Jiang Xueming pulled back the curtain of the bed next to hers and saw Xiao Qi sleeping peacefully on her side. She was facing her husband, hugging a small shark plush toy as Xue Ming's substitute. Drooling was dripping onto the plush toy, and her sleeping posture was very unsightly.

"You must be exhausted these past few days," Bailu, scratching her head, unsure of what was wrong.

Jiang Xueming: "This woman is even more insane than Pellegrini. She immediately wanted to pull out a gun and kill people, and she wanted to execute the criminals she had finally managed to capture on the spot. We even caught a few in the field outpost, and she wanted to personally demonstrate her cooking skills. I managed to subdue her."

Bailu: "Huh?"

Jiang Xueming: "They say pregnancy makes you stupid for three years, but I think it's been six years already—she's been like this the whole time. When she wakes up in the ward, she starts crying, then she starts laughing, then she gets tired and hungry, and after eating, she immediately starts horny. My goodness!"

The Madness Index surrounding 9527 has remained unchanged; it has never changed.

"I know, I know she loves me, I know everything." Jiang Xueming pursed her lips, put her arm around her sister's shoulder, and felt an indescribable embarrassment. "She loves me so much that she can't be apart from me for even a second, she loves me so much that she's inseparable from me—but I need a quiet environment right now, I need to rest. It's not that I blame her, I didn't mean it that way, I just want her to calm down and sleep for a while."

Bailu chuckled and added, "Of course! If you want a woman to stay rational, you'd have to be a little bit brain-damaged."

After a while, the room quieted down, so quiet that you could hear Seventh Brother's faint breathing.

Bailu then asked, "How many babies do you have? Who's taking care of them?"

"Zheng'er and Zhenzhen are at home, and Tang Ning is taking care of them." Xue Ming chatted with her sister about family matters. "Zhengyang and Xiaobai came with your sister-in-law; she was afraid the children wouldn't see me one last time."

Bailu: "Hey! What unlucky talk!"

"It's true, I made her do it," Jiang Xueming said solemnly. "As soon as I ring the Summoning Bell, I'll tell Zhengyang and Xiaobai to be mentally prepared."

Bailu: "You idiot! What are you thinking!"

Jiang Xueming: "The eldest and second eldest have to support this family. I'm a soldier, and I can't guarantee that I'll always be safe and sound. If I get old, I'm thirty now, but when I'm forty or fifty, and the students don't live up to expectations while I'm still on the front lines, they'll have to get used to it."

Bailu stopped talking, her mouth twisted in a resentful expression; she just felt that her brother was so lonely.

"As far as I know, many families, brothers in the fighting group, and militia members—many of them didn't have this [last farewell]." Jiang Xueming emphasized, "Even in the mortal world, there are those who are busy traveling and don't have time to go home to see their relatives. This kind of sudden separation will only bring greater harm, making people depressed and taking a very long time to recover."

"The same goes for Mali Pero. He was the key man who turned the tide of the battle. If we can't catch Pellegrini, this Eagle Falcon will cause even greater destruction, causing more people to lose their loved ones and friends, turning innocent victims into monsters."

"You should have seen the battle report. This little guy needs time to heal, Bailu."

"He's lonelier than I am. I just don't like to talk. Now, for him to find someone he can talk to is just a pipe dream."

"I'm not going to talk about it anymore, you don't want to hear this."

Jiang Xueming sensed the familiar spiritual pressure and immediately changed the subject, Bailu to sit up straight.

David Victor walked in without knocking.

"I'm so sorry to bother you during your recovery period. But I can't control my anxiety, and it makes me feel ashamed."

Victor, carrying his doctor's bag, still with that arrogant, swaying posture and head held high, slowly walked towards the student with cat-like steps.

"He seems to be in good spirits, so I can relax and continue to dedicate myself to writing."

"--When I talk about this, I'll have to trouble you to tolerate my rambling again."

Victor raised his index finger, emphasizing it.

"My student, your combat record against Pellegrini Tuan in Forty-One District —I have extracted it from the skull of this Immortals. Well done!"

Jiang Xueming: "Teacher, why don't you sit down first?"

"No! I want to talk to you standing up," Victor emphasized again. "That's the only way to show respect to a hero. The last time I received your birthday present, I also stood up and respectfully opened it."

Jiang Xueming: "Do you like it?"

"So-so." Victor never lied. "It was just so-so, much less impressive than last year's birthday present. Humans are such greedy creatures; once they have something good, they become insatiable when they receive something less than perfect. You've reminded me that I need to fight against this inner demon and contend with it at all times."

Jiang Xueming: "Because it's not a gift for you, Teacher Victor."

On January 1, 2031, Jiang Xueming prepared a bookshelf as a birthday gift for Victor, which she made herself.

On January 1, 2032, Xue Ming bought two sets of rings and a respectable suit.

These are all for Bloodhound Lady, urging her to boldly pursue her love and get married quickly.

Upon hearing the first part of the sentence, Victor began to have second thoughts and quickly turned towards the door.

"I appreciate your kindness! I will come to visit you again after the interrogation is over."

Jiang Xueming cursed, "Don't be a coward, you dog!"

"Insolent! Vulgar! Despicable!" Victor cursed viciously in a refined manner, then closed the door and disappeared in a flash.

After Victor left, the Hunter King entered carrying Ming De.

When Bailu saw the cute cat from afar, her eyes lit up.

Ming De, completely bewildered, approached the brother and sister with a strange expression.

"--Have you recently developed shadow clones? Holy crap, what kind of psionic technique is that? I've never seen anything like it before!"

The good cat sat on the Hunter King's arm, nestled in Hunter King bosom, and questioned Jiang Xueming.

"Like a shadow system? A clone? The girl next to you."

Bailu rolled her eyes. "BOSS! I'm Bailu!"

"Oh! Oh oh oh oh oh! Oh!" The good cat waved its paws and slapped its head in sudden realization. "Oh! It's so big now!"

Jiang Xueming asked tentatively--

"--Hunter King, is the BOSS going to get dementia again?"

The Hunter King answered without any politeness.

"It's always been like this. We humans can't tell the difference between all kinds of wild beasts— Big Sister and Bailu look very similar, so it can't tell them apart. Bailu will have to get used to it; after all, it's the BOSS."

"Congratulations!" The good cat completely ignored the waiter's sarcasm and congratulated Jiang Xueming, "Once again! You've once again crushed the Madness Butterfly's minions! I'm very satisfied! I'm so satisfied! How should I reward you!?"

"You are like Kepler! Like the father of astronomy! Marking the lonely stars in the underground world!"

My dear eldest son

Fragrant Dream emanate from the body--

"--I'm giving you one more chance to put your words into words, Boss! Please!~"

"Cough cough cough," Ming De became serious, no longer trying to be witty or make jokes. "Are you short of money? Is your child getting enough nutrition? Do you want to upgrade your equipment? I have a few small potions here. Drink them, close your eyes, and when you open them again, you might become a blood donor, the child of a holy beast. You'll also have a very, very hard time getting old."

Jiang Xueming clasped his hands together, looking like he was begging for mercy.

"Boss, please."

Ming De whistled with a sidelong glance, looking as guilty as a child who had done something wrong.

Okay! Okay! Okay!

"Let's just be decent human beings!"

"I won't be pulling in the SP, Special, or special event gacha banners."

Jiang Xueming: "I do have a request."

Ming De immediately took out his notebook, put on his reading glasses, and looked serious.

"Speak, speak, speak, speak, speak!"

Jiang Xueming: "Regarding that little guy, Mali Pero, could you arrange a trip for him?"

"What does it refer to specifically?" Aohun Mingde asked confusedly, "I can assign tasks to you, but I don't understand your intention."

Jiang Xueming thought for a long time, then bent down and whispered in the BOSS's ear, almost kissing the ferocious beast.

"When he wakes up, talk to the little guy yourself, and everything will gradually become clear."

"I believe he can find the answer with you, and so can I, and so does Tang Ning."

"And many others are the same, coming to the station, coming to your side."

"When you talk about these things, you shine, you sparkle."

"You can help us find our own necessary path."