Little Jiyuan in the Illusory Realm

Don't let your harem go up in flames then!

Meanwhile, in Qi Yuan's mind, a sea of flames lay before her—collapsed buildings, charred corpses, and desperate cries for help from the crowd.

"Ah... My leg!"

The cries tore at the heart, and the scene was utterly tragic, like hell on earth.

Qi Yuan stretched out her hands and looked at them. She had actually returned to her childhood. Her entire body was filthy, and tears streaked her large, watery eyes.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her ankle, startling Qiyuan. "Zhiyuan, hurry, run!"

Beneath Qi Yuan lay a beautiful woman, and beside her was a man who had already stopped breathing. Looking at them, Qi Yuan realized they bore some resemblance to her.

"Th-That's you?"

Qi Yuan could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down her face as she cried, "Mom, come on! We'll leave together!"

With her tiny body, Qi Yuan somehow found the strength to help the woman up with great difficulty.

But then the woman's gaze flickered before turning incomparably solemn. Gathering all her strength, she shoved little Qi Yuan away.

Qi Yuan was pushed several meters away. Pain shot through her body first, and then she looked toward her mother in the distance.

Her mother used all her strength to shout at Qi Yuan, "Zhiyuan, run!"

Just then, a shell from nowhere exploded not far from the woman with a boom.

When Qiyuan saw this, her tears burst forth like a breached dam. "No! Mom! Mom!"

The woman was swallowed by the flames, yet Qi Yuan could still vaguely see her smiling at little Qiyuan. Her lips kept repeating, "Zhiyuan, live. Live..."

"No! I want Mom! I want Dad! No!" Little Qi Yuan cried her heart out. Qiyuan had long forgotten that she was a mature adult. At that moment, she was only a child who had just lost her parents. No one could understand that despairing pain. She only felt as if her heart had shattered.

"Mom! Dad! Qiyuan doesn't want to be alone! Don't leave me behind!"

Little Qi Yuan wept until her heart broke, but such scenes were everywhere in this small town. No one would spare her a second glance, much less offer sympathy.

At that moment, fleeing civilians filled the space behind little Qi Yuan, shouting as they ran, "Run!"

"Uh... They're coming! They're coming! Run!"

All the civilians were fleeing. Little Qiyuan took a deep breath, her eyes turning firm. Her instincts told her to flee with them, but she refused. She wanted to see exactly who had destroyed her home, who had killed her father and mother.

So little Qiyuan headed against the flow alone, surrounded by civilians fleeing in the opposite direction.

A group of blurry figures appeared farther down the street. They were still too far away, so she wanted to get closer and see exactly who they were. She wanted revenge.

In Mu Chen's dormitory, Mu Chen saw Gion with her eyes tightly shut, tears having already soaked her shirt. She understood that Gion must have remembered something, or she would not be crying so bitterly. Mu Chen had also heard her calling for her mother just now.

Mu Chen felt a little sorry for this strong girl. Throughout the entire Navy, she had always been so cold and hardworking, more diligent than every South Blue Marine.

Just then, the door to Mu Chen's dormitory was kicked open.

"Smoker! Smoker! Mu Chen, what did you do to my Smoker? Let him go!"

The one who had arrived was Jia Ji, wearing a lecherous expression.

Damn, why did he have to come now? This was impossible to explain. Smoker was in her arms right now!

"Jia Ji, keep it down. Don't wake Smoker!" Mu Chen wanted to remind Jia Ji, but—

"Keep it down? Are you kidding me?"

"Did you use your ability to knock Smoker out, then plan to take advantage of him? I'm telling you, I, Jia Ji, won't allow it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia Ji moved to Mu Chen's side at top speed and shoved her hard. Mu Chen dodged with the motion.

Amid the chaotic jostling, Qiyuan in Mu Chen's arms groggily opened her eyes.

"Zhiyuan, tell me, are you okay?"

"Did he bully you?"

The moment Jiaji saw Qiyuan awake, he immediately came over in concern.

Qi Yuan did not find anything improper about Mu Chen holding her. Her expression was simply ice-cold. She had been so close, so close to seeing those people's faces.

But at that critical moment, Qi Yuan had actually been woken up by the noise!

Qi Yuan looked at Mu Chen before turning to the meddlesome Jia Ji. She understood at once.

Qi Yuan broke free from Mu Chen's arms and fixed Jia Ji with a fierce glare.

"Jia Ji!"

Qi Yuan stared coldly at Jia Ji, as though she wanted to slash him apart with a single strike.

"Zhiyuan, are you all right?"

"Did that brat Mu Chen do anything to you?"

"I'll give you three seconds to disappear from my sight. Otherwise—"

Qi Yuan immediately drew the military knife at her waist. Her killing intent was impossible to conceal, scaring Jia Ji so badly that cold sweat poured down his back.

Smoker really wants to kill me?

Jia Ji was terrified. He could not understand why. Though he had wanted to say something else, he immediately slipped away.

He had never seen Qi Yuan this angry before. Even as he left, he kept wondering: he had clearly saved Qi Yuan, so why did Qi Yuan hate him so much?