The Lonely Season

A month has passed in the blink of an eye.

The Nine Realms Station has been decorated with Christmas decorations, but the boss doesn't like celebrating this Western holiday. However, the Nine Realms Terminal needs to be multicultural and wants to bring the festive atmosphere to New Year's Day.

Xue Ming gradually accepted the name [Zhang Congfeng]. Three weeks later, people had gradually accepted the new psychologist. Red Sister seemed to have noticed something, but didn't say anything.

--This unnamed housekeeper has a pair of discerning eyes. 9527 is a proud and fiery Yellowstone People. If she were to choose a husband, she would never settle for a substitute.

Therefore, Red Sister deduced that Xiao Zhang, who often hung out with Little Finger and treated people's injuries in the sanatorium, must have an unusual identity. She vaguely sensed that the gunsmith hadn't died, but had instead gone into hiding behind the scenes through another political means.

During the Christmas season, Red Sister was in charge of organizing the gunsmith impersonation show. She was always handling these miscellaneous tasks at the front of the stage. When she encountered the task assigned by the organization, she immediately realized that the nameless leader had not really left them.

One by one, all sorts of eccentric contestants arrived at JoeStar. These imposters, upon meeting the real JoeStar, could exchange a few jokes, gestures, and tips on disguise and cosplay. The real Jiang Xueming could only offer a few awkward compliments before retreating back to the club's treatment room.

By New Year's Day, David Victor had turned another year older.

This time, Teacher Victor only received one gift. Meteor sent a roast suckling pig, a local specialty of the Earth world, which was a wedding gift that Bu Mei's mother had personally roasted for Mr. Victor. It was late—because the news of Victor's wedding came too quickly and suddenly, and there was no time to prepare properly.

On January 8, 2033, Doctor Zhang, following his usual schedule, checked the mental state of the nameless mistress and completed the psychological counseling. When he returned to the first floor, he heard the news that the pioneering team of the Red Stone School was going to continue their expansion to the southwest.

The nameless bar had become deserted, unlike the crowds of the previous days. At this moment, Xue Ming began to get excited. He could finally rest properly and enjoy the taste of solitude and loneliness by himself.

He went to the workshop and saw that Fuyanni and Billy were still maintaining the chassis of the large trucks.

--This vehicle is Xue Ming's prized possession, but the roads in the underground world are really terrible. In the past, it was used as a means of transporting heavy firepower to conquer the bad roads of various towns and villages, and the chassis of the vehicle was the most vulnerable part.

The complete set of gun-making tools remains in its original place, but after simple preservation, the gunsmith's vise and lathe have been coated with wax. According to the news agency, the gunsmith's relics are to be treated as cultural relics along with the Arcane Library, so that future generations will know that such a brilliant star existed in human history.

Xue Ming only felt it was a pity--

--It was just a simple set of tools, with little intrinsic value. If you had to put it in perspective, thousands of years from now, even a toilet in an ordinary household would become an antique.

"Teacher" Fuyanni saw someone at the door and momentarily exclaimed in a daze, "Oh, Doctor Zhang!"

Xue Ming, speaking with a local Brenwell accent and a few uvular "r" sounds, said, "You're still working, right? I've been hearing noise coming from the workshop for the past few days."

"We were the ones doing the work, sorry Doctor Zhang," Fuyanni scratched his head and took off his apron. "I mistook you for my teacher just now."

"Oh." Xue Ming then asked, "Do I look a lot like him?"

"No, no, no, no, no," Fuyanni quickly explained, "Just now, you were leaning against the door, peeking half your head out. The teacher used to like peeking at us like that too."

At this point, Fuyanni became somewhat embarrassed.

"I learned machining from my teacher, and he taught me step by step. As soon as he left his workstation, my older brother and I would start to slack off. Over time, the teacher started to secretly come and check on us. When we were working, we were always on edge—later we realized that this was for our own good."

"I see." Xue Ming suddenly realized, "Then next time I'll just barge in?"

"Alright," Fuyanni laughed. "Just walk in. Leaning against the door is kind of scary."

Billy, wearing a magnifying glass, was meticulously working on the parts by the drill press, completely absorbed in his task. Not wanting to disturb his older brother, Fuyanni pulled Doctor Zhang to the forging room next to the workshop.

"Doctor, did you come here today to see us about something?"

Xue Ming said bluntly, "I'm just curious. This is my first time working in this place. I've always worked in the residential areas of Brenwell before, and I've never been this far from the main station. I've been tormented by the noise from the workshop for days, so I want to see what it's like."

"Hehe! Hahahaha," Fuyanni chuckled, "This counts as noise? You doctors are just so sensitive!"

Xue Ming: "Is this even sensitive?"

Fuyanni: "Hey! That's too sensitive! I used to work with my teacher back when the Madness Butterfly Sect was at its most rampant. The elite units of the warband needed custom-made weapons, and the work orders would pile up for half a year without any holidays. The forging furnaces were always running, and the power hammers and stamping presses were constantly working, clanging and banging like dinosaurs—my teacher would fiddle with the dial gauge in that environment, and he seemed completely oblivious to all the noise."

"How can I compare to a professional craftsman?" Xue Ming waved his hand, sounding somewhat pleading.

Fuyanni had some doubts at first, but now he has dispelled them. Dr. Zhang Congfeng and Jiang Xueming are two completely different people.

The new therapist is always smiling, speaks gently and kindly, and is like a soft, fluffy piece of velvet.

"How is your wife's mental state lately?" Fuyanni asked.

Xue Ming: "It remains to be seen."

Fuyanni: "It's not good, is it? My older brother's girlfriend ran away, and he'll be heartbroken for a long, long time. My teacher's wife suddenly lost her husband, and she's already mentally unstable—I hope you can take good care of her, Doctor. My teacher's children have already lost their father, and my teacher's wife can't be harmed."

Xue Ming thought for a moment, but found it difficult to answer the question.

Because I had a blast for over a month starting from 9527. I didn't have to work at all. I was constantly traveling between the Nine Realms and Hong Kong, either taking care of my kids or playing cards. At night, I would secretly bring this "psychological counselor" to the guest room of the Council of Five Kings. Even though we're an old married couple, we still want to play role-playing games. It's kind of weird.

"Uh..." Xue Ming's expression turned awkward.

Seeing the doctor's expression, Fuyanni became nervous.

"Doctor Zhang, is your teacher's wife's condition very serious? You seem..."

"It's nothing, it's alright." Xue Ming patted Fuyanni on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll do my best."

Hearing the doctor's promise, Fuyanni stopped being coy and happily led Xue Ming to the fishpond. "Come on, doctor, come with me."

The two arrived at the fishpond, where there was a small tool shed, which was where Xue Ming usually kept his fishing gear.

Fuyanni brought out a small stool and asked Xue Ming to sit down.

"You're curious, aren't you? This used to be JoeStar's campsite. We'd occasionally have barbecues here. Our chef Jason, was an amazing cook. He'd take things out of the teacher's freezer, and no matter what kind of fish he caught, he'd prepare it differently. He was incredible!"

"When teachers had nothing to do before, they would..."

Fuyanni choked up for a moment, then his mind raced and he changed his approach.

"There are no missions, so even the bastards of the Madness Butterfly Sect have to lay low. He occasionally has a few days off, and he likes to squat by this fishpond to warm up with boxing before starting to fish."

"The boss put in a lot of effort and spent a lot of money to create this fishpond."

Fuyanni stopped speaking at this point.

He rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the shimmering water and the freshwater fish beneath. Without the hunters, these fish were thriving; beneath the lush green duckweed lay a school of round, dark fish.

"Nobody comes fishing anymore?" Xue Ming asked.

After calming down, Fuyanni said, "I was just thinking about him because I saw something that reminded me of him."

Xue Ming: "How about we go somewhere else, like the front desk?"

"No, no, no." Fuyanni quickly got up, took the stool away, and went back to the tool shed. "I still have work to do. I'll go back first. Doctor Zhang, you can look around by yourself—sorry."

The shy Fuyanni looked dejected, like a defeated general.

"I can't see your face yet. I need a little more time. I... I need to go back to work."

Xue Ming followed behind Fuyanni, carrying the stool back to the storeroom. "If you need anything, you can come find me in the sanatorium."

After bidding farewell to his apprentices, Xue Ming continued towards the Council of Five Kings, as he had several matters to attend to that day.

As they walked along the path from the observatory to the guest rooms, he and Red Sister exchanged a nod, as if everything was understood without words. Red Sister immediately understood, glanced at Xue Ming's physique, and promptly changed the menu for the sanatorium—she knew what the boss needed; Xue Ming would have to start building muscle again in the next few months.

Taking the elevator back to the general affairs counter on the first floor, Xue Ming squeezed into the bustling queue and headed straight for the [Radiant Path] to obtain the new Radiant Stone.

According to the tradition of the bestowal of the stone, the Steel Heart was completely destroyed in the battle with George Joshua, and the gunsmith was also dead. This piece of jewelry has no chance of being reforged. It must be buried with the gunsmith and returned to the treasure vault of the Spirit Elder.

Recruiters from various schools of thought still stand guard on both sides of the Path of Glory's portico, peddling a promising future to the newly arrived psionicists.

When it was Xue Ming's turn, the lobby manager, Marcus, beckoned for the "newcomer" to produce his ID card and the sextant's Braille card so he could pay his respects to Lord Ling Weng.

The courtyard was filled with colorful, multifaceted crystals and stone-built porches. Returning to the Spirit Elder, Jiang Xueming saw that the statue made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron had become lifelike.

Ling Weng's eyes gleamed as he sized up the visitor.

"Oh no! This is terrible!"

Jiang Xueming: "What's wrong?"

Ling Weng: "I fucking forgot to give you the design blueprints for the new life-protecting talisman."

Jiang Xueming: "Then I'll come back in a few days?"

Ling Weng was naturally aware of Jiang Xueming's new identity. This mischievous deity was Ming De's right-hand man. However, after the New Year, the number of spiritual beings had increased dramatically in the past few days. He didn't have any time to come up with a creative way to protect Xue Ming's life. Such an important matter required his full concentration.

"No need!" Ling Weng found suitable material in the pile of jewels. "Let me improvise a bit!"

The master craftsman once again took out the six- Rubik's Cube and identified the properties of the pyroxene.

"Uh-huh."

"Redstone really likes you! You're a passionate and brave person!"

"Blue Stone likes you too. You're a cunning rascal; you could come up with any trick in the book."

"Greenstone loves you to death! You little rascal! You're so full of life!"

"Huangshi considers you the only one in his life, oh! You have incredibly strong leadership qualities."

"Black Stone wants to drain you dry!" it said. "Stop right there!"

"White Stone still has no interest in you; you're full of energy and brimming with vitality."

The six- Rubik's Cube remained completely still, as if it were welded shut in Jiang Xueming's hands, and could not be turned at all.

Ling Weng stroked his alloy chin. "What should we do?! What should we do?! Which one should we choose?"

Xue Ming simply exerted force—

The Rubik's Cube's Cube exploded, finally revealing its core: a pure, colorless stone.

"Yes! It still acts indifferent!" Ling Weng took out eight corundum stones, a full eight. "Nine years have passed, and you have returned to me. Your elemental essence seems capable of withstanding a more powerful psionic amplifier. Let's give it a try!"

"Upon reaching the deep and vast cave, there appeared a fairy with beautiful braids."

She's right in front of you—

"--A raging fire burned in the furnace, its flames flickering everywhere."

A burst of scorching flames erupted from Ling Weng's throat; unlike the initial cold forging method of Steel Heart, this time it would undergo heat treatment.

A long string of various shapes of scrap emerged from the gemstone jewelry. After the stones on the base were removed, they had to undergo the test of fire. Various alloys began to turn black and red, bound by the powerful spiritual energy of the Spirit Elder in an invisible furnace.

"Split open the cedars, split open the cypresses, and the fragrance permeates the entire island."

With a flick of his wrist, the old man's arm produced a clear, ringing sound.

"The fairy is singing, her sweet voice ringing out. She walks back and forth along the loom, spinning cloth with a golden shuttle."

"The cave was surrounded by lush forests, with birds nesting in the trees and vines climbing along the cave's edge."

"Hang up the sweet grapes! Spout out sparkling, clear water!"

Eight colorless, transparent corundum beads are neatly arranged in front of the gleaming, high-temperature steel wire.

Like a spinning machine, steel is constantly interlocked and woven, with layers encasing these gems.

"The approaching deities, upon seeing this, will also praise it and be filled with joy."

After the blessings were spoken and the hymns were sung.

A splash of cool water onto the steel caused the rising steam to instantly create a dazzling, shimmering effect in the garden of the radiant road.

Xue Ming couldn't understand it, but he was deeply shocked.

"--Is this my life-saving charm?"

Ling Weng held the eight pyroxene jewelry pieces in his hands. They floated neatly in a line, like eight thick thimbles, made to fit the size of Xue Ming's finger, with no gemstones visible.

The corundum was tightly encased in the ring, emitting no light whatsoever.

"Try it."

These rings look so strange, Xue Ming was very puzzled.

He stretched out his hands, passed them through the rings, and his hands now held two gleaming pieces of white steel.

"Have you noticed any changes?" Ling Weng raised his two bronze eyebrows, looking smug.

Xue Ming: "Uh, it seems about the same as before?"

They seem to work in a similar way to the effects of Steel Heart, helping people maintain a calm state.

"That's about right. That's the effect of colorless stone." Ling Weng explained seriously, "What else do you expect from it?"

Xue Ming raised his left hand. "These four are for Xiao Qi, right?"

Ling Weng: "Yes, when you walk hand in hand, it's your right hand holding her left hand."

Xue Ming: "Is there anything else?"

Ling Weng: "Clench your fist, don't use both fists at once. Holy crap!"

Before the words had even finished --

Xue Ming had already clenched his fists.

Accompanied by the Pankrasin's high-pitched roar, the Nightingale's song burst forth in an instant.

The eight life-protecting amulets, forming a psionic amplifier, collided together with the clenched fist, seemingly turning into a magnet, causing these relatively independent rings to adhere tightly to one place, transforming into sturdy steel knuckle dusters.

The stone beams of the courtyard doorway were blasted open with rough, jagged marks—the result of Pankrasin's sonic attack shattering the stone bricks.

The Spirit Elder, who was right next to him, was the first to be hit, and his loose metal avatar emitted a series of sharp and ear-piercing explosions.

The crystalline rocks growing along the Radiant Path also suffered, unable to escape the powerful psionic shock. Two purplish-red crystalline ores were severed in half by the domineering psionic tide, leaving the Pankrasin wounds as smooth as mirrors.

Several seconds later, Xue Ming's right arm fell to the ground along with pieces of cloth and flesh, and two fingers were severed from his left arm, causing blood to gush out.

Ling Weng was beaten so badly he staggered around. He quickly floated outside to find Marcus and got a bottle of Universal Elixir. He then returned to treat Xue Ming's injuries.

"Tsk," Xue Ming didn't know what to say.

Ling Weng: "Don't be in a hurry!"

Xue Ming: "You're too late."

Ling Weng: "Don't be in such a hurry!"

Xue Ming: "You were too late! How was I supposed to know this thing was so powerful!"

Ling Weng: "Don't be in such a hurry!"

Xue Ming: "You didn't stop me from wearing eight! All this 'clenching fists' stuff, you just love making rituals and riddles. Why didn't you just tell me directly? Now I understand, 'clenching fists'."

Ling Weng put the boy's finger back, and finally admitted his mistake.

"Mine, mine."