Love's Flowers Bloom Everywhere

A month later, the temperature in the Elf Holy Land gradually warmed up.

Oscar and Jiang Xueming took a long detour, crossing towering mountains and traveling over 400 kilometers, slowly making their way back to Saladin Town.

This route is safe, like climbing up a giant tree to the heights of human civilization. The old route they chose before was much more dangerous. Although it would only take two and a half days to reach the valley floor, it involved rappelling over 3,000 meters and climbing over ten kilometers of mountain caves.

"I saw the sky turn red! Hey, gunsmith, tell me something, tell me something!"

As they approached Saladin's checkpoint, Oscar, carrying his luggage, curiously pressed for answers.

He had asked this many times along the way.

"--What did you see in the Elf Sanctuary?"

Jiang Xueming shook his head repeatedly. It wasn't that he was unwilling to talk, but he wasn't sure if what he saw was true. He could only hand the logbook to Wolf Brother again. It contained a drawing of a large, bright blue heart, as well as some stone hearts and wooden buildings.

"I had a fight with Berloberg. The kids were being disobedient, but a little slapping usually fixes it. As for other matters, I don't know anything about them. I need to take this journal to the Arcane Library, so I'll trouble you to do that for me."

Oscar has practically worn this notebook out of print. Wolf Brother has absolutely no interest in these natural wonders; he's more interested in the gunsmith.

"Okay, you've found everything, right?"

Jiang Xueming: "That's right."

Oscar tentatively asked, "Is it time to say goodbye? To leave Saladin behind?"

The two stopped in front of the checkpoint; once they crossed this barrier, they would return to the civilized world.

Xue Ming showed no sign of embarrassment whatsoever; she was very carefree.

"I have to go now, but I'll come visit you next year when I have time."

Oscar suddenly felt empty inside. This was his first time venturing down the old path, and he had barely escaped with his life. Working with the gunsmith was fucking thrilling, but he didn't know if he would ever have such an opportunity again—his wife would definitely not allow it, and sneaking into the core area of Elf Holy Land again wouldn't be so easy.

While Oscar was still hesitating, Xue Ming had already walked quite a distance away.

"Hey! Hey! Wait for me!"

The two first returned to the hunting party's meeting place to hand over their travel logs and material samples, including water and soil from the vicinity of the Elf Sanctuary, as well as a considerable amount of biological ingredients.

When Luka saw the gunsmith again, he started crying again.

--This old man has very sensitive tear ducts. Every time he sees this young man, he becomes sentimental, as if he has endless tears to shed.

It wasn't that Mr. Luka was weak-willed; he had two grandsons who died at the hands of the Madness Butterfly Sect. The Gunsmith and the General of Tears were like his own children to him.

Throughout the year, Luka rarely saw the Nameless Man. Each reunion filled him with joy, for he feared that the two "children" might be suffering hardships outside.

"Would you like to stay for a while?" Professor Luka asked.

Jiang Xueming left the materials behind, then sat down in front of Mr. Luka, his hands spread out on the table, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Teacher, it's me..."

Luka sighed. "You're leaving?"

Jiang Xueming: "Yeah, I can't take a break for now."

Then, Professor Luka pulled two small leather suitcases out from under the table and handed them to Xue Ming.

"I didn't have time to prepare a gift for you last time, so please bring this with you this time, and also give this to Bu Liuxing."

Xue Ming didn't stand on ceremony and opened the suitcase right in front of the gift-giver.

The two boxes contained about ten jars of Universal Elixir, presumably General Luka's supplies. There were about ten liters of them, along with two HELLCAT bank cards.

"What would I need money for?" Jiang Xueming repeatedly refused, "I don't need it, Professor Luka, I really don't need it."

Luka quickly explained, "I'm old now, Father. I work for the hunting party and don't need to travel far. I'm also healthy—I don't need it, but you certainly will."

The Nameless One's supply of Universal Elixir has always been plentiful. Money, being an external thing, has no practical meaning for Xue Ming anymore. Whatever he needs, the BOSS will find a way to solve it. If the BOSS can't solve it, then it's not a matter of money.

"Just think of me as a worried old man," Mr. Luka continued. "I just want you and General of Tears Klein to be safe and sound, so we can meet and have a get-together with Keshua next year, and drink together on the Four-Sided Terrace. With you carrying these two suitcases, I'll feel a little more at ease—at least I did my part."

"Okay." Jiang Xueming did not refuse and picked up the suitcase to leave.

Mr. Luka did not try to stop him, and saluted Jiang Xueming in acknowledgment.

Xue Ming returned the greeting, then hurried across the porch toward the post station.

Back in his room at the inn, Xue Ming bumped into the two girls from Dream Paris in the hallway.

Holly, the little roe deer, ran out crying, with Louise chasing after her but unable to stop the silly deer.

Xue Ming: "What's wrong with her?"

"Ugh! I've been heartbroken by that bad man!" Louise cursed. "That son of a bitch! He said it was just a gigolo service, but Holly actually fell for him—what an idiot."

In the month or so that Schopenhauer failed to win over Louise, he instead got together with Holly.

By mid-February, Schopenhauer was to be tried in court. Knowing they could not escape death, the criminals of this gang severed ties with Holly beforehand.

"How did they get together?" Xue Ming was completely baffled. "Weren't those criminals always locked up in jail?"

"You can fall in love even through iron bars," Louise rolled her eyes, watching Holly run further and further away. She couldn't catch up, so she simply stood at the entrance of Dream Paris chatting with the priest, too lazy to chase after her. She continued, "That old man Schopenhauer used to work for the hunting party. He had two days off a week, which allowed him to see his silly sister, and so the two of them got carried away and fell in love..."

At this point, Black Cat Girl looked up and winked at the priest.

That's it.

After hearing this little story, Jiang Xueming sighed at the unpredictability of life. He never expected that a pure love could blossom in Saladin's retirement village, a place for retired veterans of the war gang. However, he didn't intend to meddle in this matter.

As soon as Xue Ming knocked on Uncle Jamie's door, he heard a curse.

"I'll beat you to death, you little beast!"

I feel like I've heard that somewhere before?

Once upon a time, when he returned to his hometown of Hengyin, Old Man Jiang greeted him with these words.

"Wait, wait."

He hurried inside to see what was going on.

Beyond the suite's living room, they saw a burly lizard-like man lying in the bedroom. Jamie grabbed a metal dustpan, about to smash it over the lizard's head.

Xue Ming looked closer and finally recognized the lizardman as Mr. Andro.

At that moment, Andro was lying on Benni's bed, wrapped in a blanket covering his naked body, and said to old Jamie in a panic, "Uncle, please let me explain! She's controlling me! There's a demon inside her!"

Benni sat on the edge of the bed, her expression unusually serious, and she even started smoking.

"Old man, who are you trying to kill? Me? Your daughter?"

Jiang Xueming thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure out the specific meaning of those words.

He simply stopped thinking about it and strode into the room.

The moment he stepped inside, he could feel an inexplicably chilling spiritual pressure emanating from Benni.

Jiang Xueming immediately said, "She's been possessed by something again."

Andro looked completely innocent. "Yes! She's incredibly strong! She knocked me out and dragged me here!"

Old Jamie yelled, "What the hell did you do to my daughter?!"

The demon inside Benni chuckled and said--

"--This little girl needs my help."

As she said this, the little bird girl's eyes were practically drooling. She moved closer to Andro and stuck out her tongue, trying to lick away the tears from the corners of Andro's eyes.

"Oh dear! Why are you being so girly? I'll tell you the truth. She asked me to use a little magic—to steal your ugly heart."

"That's it!~ That's it!~ I'm a helpful devil, of course I'll do it!"

Before he could finish speaking, Xue Ming's pupils began to distort.

"Oh no!" The demon inside Benni immediately noticed the priest.

Suddenly, a chilling wind swept through the room, and under the lamplight, a seductive snake-bodied human figure transformed into a wisp of black smoke. It quietly slipped away, seemingly afraid to oppose the priest.

Benni's eyes rolled back, and she foamed at the Barry, vomiting up food and wine—it seemed she had gone through the whole process of her dinner date with Andro last night.

Jamie watched with a heavy heart. The old father had gone to the makeshift workshop downstairs to file the priest's gun the night before, and was only two or three hours late. He never imagined that the little cabbage he had raised for eighteen years would end up in Andro's mouth, and now he would have to suffer the torment of being possessed by a demon.

"What if this priest continues like this? What should I do?"

"I brought the spirit back." Jiang Xueming rummaged through his bag and took out the garnet he had found in the Elf Holy Land.

A spirit resides within this fiery red stone, capable of filling Benni's broken spirit body.

Jiang Xueming had already done some preliminary processing on the stone, turning it into a necklace, which he hung around Benni's neck. The twitching bird-like girl immediately quieted down.

Time ticked by, and Andro was caught in a dilemma: should he leave or stay?

While waiting for Benni to wake up, Xue Ming casually asked.

"Andro, what's wrong with you?"

Andro: "I had the night off last night."

Jiang Xueming: "And then?"

Andro covered his head, seemingly getting a headache just thinking about it.

"I... I slipped out of the barracks and begged the guards, telling them how great Saladin's nightlife was, and that I wanted to find something to eat on the barbecue street."

Jiang Xueming: "Go on."

"Then, I went out for a drink by myself, without inviting Big B and the others. Schopenhauer knew he was going to be sentenced to death, so he broke up with Holly beforehand—we guys were thinking of throwing a [farewell party], but since I wasn't facing a death sentence, and I'm not a social butterfly, they didn't include me." Andro recalled, suddenly breaking out in a cold sweat. "And then I saw..."

"I saw it. I came out of that Fiery Beef restaurant looking for a toilet, but I couldn't find one. Then I saw a tree in the field, so I went to pee there."

"After she finished peeing, this girl was dressed entirely in red. Damn, that's really weird! Standing in front of me dressed entirely in red."

"I was so scared that I didn't even have time to zip up my pants before she slapped me on the forehead, making my head buzz."

"The sky was full of bees and butterflies. After that, I don't remember anything else."

"When I woke up."

Andro gripped the blanket tightly, his face filled with horror.

"I'm right here! Uncle Jamie still tried to kill me with a dustpan. I'm truly innocent!"

Jamie didn't say anything, he just sulked.

He wasn't sure if Andro was telling the truth, but the demon within his daughter wouldn't lie.

When Benni was a child, she was bullied and sought help from the devil. As a result, those who bullied her never had a good ending. They were either tormented by inexplicable misfortune and ended up with bloody heads, or their houses suddenly caught fire, lost money, or were plagued by locusts and rats.

When making a deal with the devil, Benni would willingly give up her body, causing a drastic change in her personality. This was accompanied by self-harm and various bizarre psychic rituals, smearing blood and feces everywhere, and eventually, her neighbors would also suffer misfortune.

The garnet worked its magic, and Benni gradually awoke. Xue Ming could also sense that the eerie wind that had been lingering around them was gradually dissipating, seemingly losing interest in the medium—the spirit had filled Benni's spirit body, and the wandering spirits, having lost their chance, would leave on their own.

When the girl was fully awake, she vaguely saw the lizardman hiding under her blanket.

Benni exclaimed, "Oh!"

Jamie was still worried, so he kept asking, "Daughter! Do you really like this lizard? Are you asking the devil to help you woo him?"

Benni was even more surprised. "Huh? It really works?"

Having said that, Xue Ming couldn't say anything more; it was someone else's family matter.

"Why don't you two talk first? Let's calm down?" Jiang Xueming made an excuse and slipped out the door.

He connected to the Wi-Fi by the door, called his wife and children to let them know he was safe, and then waited quietly.

Another call came in--

--It was Maquire calling.

"Father, I'm going to stay at the courthouse in two days. The trial should be scheduled within seven days."

Xue Ming: "What do you mean?"

Maquire: "I've decided to confess. I killed Alfons, at the urging of Saint Josh and Berloberg, I killed this despicable man—I'm going to make everything clear."

Xue Ming: "Hmm."

Maquire: "And you?"

Xue Ming: "I have a valid license to kill, so I shouldn't need to go through this process."

Maquire: "No, I asked you where you're going?"

Xue Ming: "I can't tell you that, Lao Ma. It's nice to meet you."

Maquire laughed, "I'm also very happy to have met you, even though it's only been a few days. It's incredible—are all anonymous people like this? Just ten or twenty hours with you guys and everything changes, my whole life is Heaven and Earth Turning."

"Do you like the car I gave you?" Xue Ming asked casually.

Maquire: "I'd love for you to sit in the passenger seat and come with me for a couple of drives around Moon River Lake. It's Saladin's favorite spot."

Xue Ming: "That won't do. I can only sit in the passenger seat of my wife's car. I'm a very reserved man. You won't have a chance to seduce me."

"Hahahaha," Maquire quickly explained, "No, no, no, I didn't mean that."

Xue Ming: "What does that mean?"

Maquire: "Dannie and I are engaged."

Xue Ming: "Congratulations."

Maquire: "I didn't know how many years I'd be in jail. I really didn't, but I still proposed to her."

Xue Ming asked sarcastically, "Really?"

Maquire: "I know it's irresponsible, but Dannie has never treated me like a teacher. I understand what she means—I just don't have the courage to face it."

Xue Ming: "Now you have it?"

"Yes. Now I do," Maquire said. "I've almost died several times. I was deceived by Saint Josh and lost all faith in him. Then I fought this devil and almost died physically. You saved me once, and Dannie saved me another time."

"I want to repay you, but I could never repay you with my body."

Xue Ming: "You're joking now, huh!"

Maquire: "So I thought, be more generous, be brave, and I made things clear with Dannie. I said it was a good thing I took that bottle of medicine from Wind God, otherwise I would have killed her—if she had become a murderer, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."

Xue Ming: "Hmm."

Maquire: "Then I said, even though I'm going to jail, if I don't say this now, if I don't propose now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life—I love her, I love this woman to death, she's my best assistant, the person who understands me best. Every cell in my body, every..."

"Enough, you shouldn't be saying these sweet nothings to me, Lao Ma." Jiang Xueming quickly stopped him. "Call the BOSS, unleash your Soul Power, and recount the proposal process again—this is a unique and effective way to get a reduced sentence."

The cabinet of the Council of Five Kings.

Ming De held the phone receiver, his face full of surprise.

Oh!~

"Oh my gosh?!~"

"Oh my gosh!?"

The Hunter King watched from the sidelines, completely bewildered.

"Boss, you look like a monkey in heat."

Even after hanging up the phone, the good cat looked completely clueless.

"That's strange. I remember the New Year's gacha event ended already, so why am I still getting good characters?"