City of Miracles / Slept Until Dark!

Zhao Lei: "Damn it, don't get cocky!"

"This is my capital."

"Fuck your mother!"

"You're swearing constantly; your friend's swearing is even better than yours."

"Stupid woman! What are you talking about? Do you understand Brother Ping better than I do?!"

"..."

The two of them were bickering nonsensically, their banter somewhat comical.

Before she knew it, Ling Mengxue found herself excluded. So, who exactly is the protagonist?

Forget it, let's get down to business!

"Miss, you actually need something from us, right? You can just say what you want to say, no need to hide anything," Ling Mengxue said directly, dropping all pretense of aloofness.

The girl was a little surprised, but being stared at like that made her blush slightly. She quickly composed herself, cleared her throat, and said, "Yes, that's right, just like you said."

Zhao Lei, standing nearby, was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Damn it! You stupid woman, so many trivial matters! If you have something to say, just say it, don't go too far!"

"Shut up." The girl couldn't help but roll her eyes, not even glancing at Zhao Lei. She took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I need you to grant my request first, otherwise I can't return the person to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lei immediately became nervous and looked at Ling Mengxue, the person in charge of this operation.

Should I agree or not?

What if the other party makes unreasonable demands, or even something dangerous? Wouldn't that be incredibly unfair?

"Is this the purpose of your coming into our world?"

"Uh..." The girl, caught off guard for a second, quickly regained her composure and shrugged, "Okay, it seems that's how it is."

What do you mean by "seems like"? Ling Mengxue was speechless.

But at the same time, she also felt a sense of curiosity about the girl before her. Did people from another world also possess the ability to travel through time?

This... isn't right, is it??

The girl lowered her head slightly, her tone suddenly becoming calm. "I'll only ask once. I hope you'll consider this carefully, otherwise, even if you have the ability to kill me, you'll never see your friends again."

"Hmm? That's an unreasonable request. I agree, but that only represents my personal opinion. I won't drag Zhao Lei along on this risky trip." Ling Mengxue pondered for a moment before drawing her conclusion.

"Brother Feng, what are you saying? We're all brothers. You have to include me in Zhao Ping's matter!" Zhao Lei couldn't stand it anymore.

"Thank you, but I'm so sorry, I really had no other choice."

Suddenly, the girl raised her head. In a brief silence, her eyes reddened slightly. "They're coming. On the day of 'Night of Nether End,' the 'Gate of Finality' will reopen, and everyone will die. We simply can't survive. I'm very sorry for offending you earlier. My purpose was to test your strength. This young man is very strong. A very powerful 'Awakener' who called herself the Thorn Empress came to the castle before, using the same magic. I originally intended to ask her for help, but she didn't even bother with me. Using this unstable space, she soon went to the 'City of Miracles.'"

"Them? The City of Miracles? Wait... There's a lot of information here, could you elaborate?" Ling Mengxue scratched her head, as if she had heard a familiar word.

Why is this so strange? (?ロ?)

"You stupid woman, why are you crying all of a sudden? Can't we sit down and talk things out?" Zhao Lei curled his lip, looking utterly disdainful.

"Hahaha!! You guys are true brothers! I knew you wouldn't abandon me!"

"Thud--"

Suddenly, a figure leaped down from the second-floor ceiling. The body trembled, legs buckled, and the figure nearly stumbled and fell. Zhao Ping calmly turned on the chandelier, a broad smile on his face as he waved to the two of them. "How are you? Missed your brother?"

"Smack--!!"

Zhao Lei quickly recovered from his shock, and angrily stepped forward, slapping Zhao Lei hard across the face. "Missing you my ass! Feng and I cared about you so much, and you just stood there watching? Unacceptable!"

Zhao Ping didn't dodge, raising his hand to take the slap head-on. However, Zhao Lei was clearly really angry, and he didn't hold back at all, using all his strength in this blow.

The moment he touched her, Zhao Ping felt as if his arm bones almost cracked, but he didn't pay much attention and quickly said with a smile, "I'm sorry, but I've already decided to help Shujie and the others. I've seen that world..."

"What world?" Zhao Lei clapped his hands, his tone displeased, still angry.

"The City of Miracles, a synonym for mystery, coldness, cruelty, and bloodshed..."

Zhao Ping suddenly calmed down, his expression somewhat numb. "Although I've only seen a corner of that world's darkness, and I've met Shujie and her family, I feel I simply can't stand idly by. Imagine a world filled with deathly silence and darkness, like Ragnarok... So I've decided, I want to help them! Perhaps there's not much I can do, but I just want to do my part!"

"..."

"..."

"Zhao Ping, you..." Chen Shujie was taken aback, suddenly feeling a little touched. For some reason, looking at Zhao Ping's sincere and boastful expression, she couldn't help but smile, raising the corners of her mouth. "You big idiot~"

"Miss Chen, the term 'big idiot' isn't popular in this society anymore. It's not elegant at all, and it sounds awful." Zhao Ping pouted and mocked without any politeness, "It should be called... 'Big Smarty'!"

"Great intelligence? Does that mean you're praising someone for being very smart?"

"..."

"Ahem... I'm sorry to interrupt your friendly conversation, but Zhao Ping, shouldn't you get down to business with us?" Ling Mengxue smiled, not wanting to disturb them further, but rather feeling rather helpless. She leaned back on the sofa and sat down, making tea on the spot.

Zhao Ping, you really are the protagonist of a shonen manga!

"Brother Feng, aren't you going to say anything to him? He's gone so far, I can't stand it anymore," Zhao Lei suddenly said.

After hearing Zhao Ping's explanation, Zhao Lei was no longer angry, but he was still somewhat surprised and indignant.

Even Zhao Ping was taken aback upon hearing this, his expression slightly dazed. "Ling Feng... um... I..."

"Hey~ please don't look at me like that."

Ling Mengxue sighed, calmly pouring tea leaves. "We're friends, brothers who've known each other since childhood, but to be honest... I look down on you, I despise you, playing with a friend's life like that... But I don't hate you, and I can't bring myself to hate you..."

Zhao Ping suddenly trembled, his expression momentarily blank, and he froze.

Ling Mengxue seemed oblivious to what was happening. She took a tissue and wiped the water off her hands, then took the tea to brew. Her smile was gentle and warm, as if carrying the warmth of the sun.

"Do what you believe is right, and then accept that things may not turn out as you wish."

Is it possible?

[img=700,970]htt [img=700,753]htt This section is quite long, without any breaks, and has been extended by two or three hundred words. It should be acceptable...

[Img=700,583]htt Chapter Fifty-Nine City of Miracles

Perhaps because the topic wasn't very good, the group spent more than half an hour in this awkward atmosphere, but fortunately, the conversation went smoothly.

At the same time, it was also the first time that Ling Mengxue and Zhao Lei learned about that mysterious and Miracle City.

The two listened with great interest. On the surface, there was no conflict, and it could be considered a magical world full of "magical charm".

It is a vast, modern metropolis, accounting for 70 percent of the world's total. It is located on the edge of the world, with countless small villages, towns, and tribes, and few rivers and mountains.

In that place, there was only deathly silence, and even more deathly silence, the mournful cries of thorny birds, the weeping of brambles, and abysses strewn with corpses. Only in the darkest corners did the warmth and light of the world still remain.

According to Chen Shujie's description, the 'City of Miracles' is inhabited by dozens of different races, large and small, and these races harbor varying degrees of hostility towards each other.

Humans, elves, angels, werewolves, vampires, half-humans, trolls, fairies, dragons, ogres, insectoids, devourers, feathered serpent people, orcs, and so on.

Among them, humans rank only seventh in the world of miracles, following the seven major races such as angels and beastmen. They are caught in the middle, facing danger from both sides. They not only have to fight with other races, but also have to be wary of potential threats from the shadows. If it weren't for their good relations with the Elf Race, their ranking among the world's races would be even lower.

Even among humans, Chen Shujie and her family lived on the fringes of the world, surrounded by dangers. With her level Third Order awakened being, she was already among the top three experts in her village, but just thinking about survival was enough to make them feel suffocated.

Just from hearing the description of the atmosphere, Ling Mengxue could vaguely imagine the scene; it was incredibly oppressive.

That was definitely a world full of "knives".

Zhao Ping also helped explain from the side, his words filled with passionate enthusiasm.

A moment later, Zhao Lei also expressed his indignation and passion, saying that he was determined to help with this!

"Hey~ Silly woman, you just want to get through that 'Night of Nether End,' right? Don't worry, don't worry, my business is my business. Grandpa Zhao will help you with this!"

"Uh, thank you very much, but could you please address me in a different way?" Chen Shujie bit her lip, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, veins bulging on her forehead, trying hard not to get angry.

Zhao Lei chuckled, scratched his head, and promptly turned his face away, pretending not to hear.

Going to do something so dangerous, isn't it reasonable to collect some interest first?

"Do we need to leave immediately? Should we make some preparations beforehand?" Ling Mengxue asked.

"Thank you. There are still a few days left. If it really comes to that, we won't be able to escape either. The world... has no place for us." Chen Shujie shook her head with a bitter smile, and as she spoke, the glimmer of hope in her eyes dimmed.

"If you have anything else to do, don't worry about me. I'll let you know when the time comes. In the meantime, I can leave here with you. The space where the castle is located is not very stable. I only came to this world because of my innate magic."

At three in the morning, the night was still and quiet. The deep night seemed like an endless expanse of thick ink, heavily painted on the horizon. The suburbs outside the city were utterly tranquil, with few insect chirps.

After leaving the castle, Ling Mengxue immediately contacted the Special Management Department to handle the aftermath.

Further details about the situation here can only be reported to Ji Chen.

Of course, she wouldn't go into details about 'Chen Shujie'. As for the explanations that followed and what would be involved, she had already thought them through. She would use the excuse of exploring and discovering a "new secret realm" to begin the investigation.

Once outside, Zhao Ping was overjoyed to find his motorcycle still there. He jumped on, patted the back seat, and called out, "Shujie, get on, I'll take you for a ride and we'll stay at a hotel. You probably don't have any money, right? I can lend you some."

Zhao Lei stared intently, then froze, cursing as he walked over. "Damn it, Ping-ge, that's not fair! With just this one car, the first thing you thought of was the girl? Are you even a brother anymore?"

"Hehe, at worst we can all sit together." Zhao Ping grinned, not caring at all. But when he saw Ling Mengxue, he always had an indescribable feeling in his heart, a little guilty, perhaps even a little regretful. "Um, Ling Feng... thank you... I know that without you, we'd probably all be dead..."

"Good to know." Ling Mengxue smiled Qianqian and rejected the offer without any politeness.

Zhao Ping felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this, but he couldn't help but blush with embarrassment. There was a girl there; he should give her some face!

Chen Shujie could also see that Ling Mengxue seemed to be the main person in charge among the three of them. During the conversation just now, it was almost entirely led by this young man. Although she didn't have a good impression of Ling Mengxue at first, after talking for a while, it seemed that he didn't care about those external things at all, and her previous impression was just an act.

"We use silver coins in our world. I wonder if they'll work here?" Chen Shujie thought for a moment and took out a few coins from her pocket.

Ling Mengxue glanced at it and recognized it almost instantly, "Soul Coins?"

"Huh?" Chen Shujie asked, puzzled.

However, when they saw the money in her hand, Zhao Lei and Zhao Ping's eyes lit up almost simultaneously.

"Shujie, this is great stuff! If you take this to the Special Affairs Bureau and ask for an exchange, one Soul Coins is equivalent to 1,000 China Yuan. On the black market, one can probably sell for several thousand. That should last you for a while!" Zhao Ping was overjoyed.

He had only heard Zhao Lei mention it, but he didn't expect that the same thing circulated in the City of Miracles. This was a sure-fire way to make money, and he might even make a fortune!

And I'll probably be promoted to a full-fledged agent when I get back this time, so I won't lack any exchange channels~

Chen Shujie was also a little surprised. Although she didn't quite understand it, it seemed pretty good.

Soon, a private car drove up on the road. Ling Mengxue noticed the people in the car and smiled slightly. "Well then... Zhao Ping, I'll leave the person to you for now. Zhao Lei and I will take a car back. See you tomorrow."

"Alright, I can rest for another three or four days. I can take Shujie to a private hotel; they don't need ID cards." Zhao Ping patted his chest and smiled smugly. "There's also a class reunion. I heard Lin Xiu and the others are doing quite well now. I'll invite you then. I heard they all have superpowers. If there's a chance, hehe~~"

"Brother Ping, you're not thinking of recruiting them... no, you're trying to get them involved, are you?" Zhao Lei felt a chill run down his spine. Wasn't this... a bit too wicked?

"Hey, what's this? There are some things you don't know. Those guys all have 'something' with your Brother Feng. It's not unfair that they suffered a loss." Zhao Ping said with a wicked grin.

Seeing his expression, Chen Shujie suddenly felt a little uncomfortable and subconsciously took a step back. She really didn't know if following this guy would cause any problems.

[img=700,421]htt [img=700,976]htt Chapter Sixty: Sleeping Until Dark!

"Hey? Ling-mei, is everything resolved? I didn't expect it to be so quick, you're amazing!"

"Sister Yan Ying, I thought you were away on a business trip."

Upon reaching the intersection, Ling Mengxue and Zhao Lei got into the car that had come to pick them up. Although it was called "cleaning up the mess," most of the necessary things had already been taken care of, so it was just a formality.

The front seats were all taken, which was perfect. Ling Mengxue preferred sitting in the back of the car, mainly because it was quieter and more spacious.

Yan Ying wore a light yellow round-neck thin sweater and dark wide-leg pants. Her curly hair was pressed down and clung to her fair cheeks. Her hands were on the steering wheel, and her relaxed posture added a touch of allure to the quiet night.

"Sister Yan Ying, why do you call him Sister Ling? Isn't he a boy?" Xia Lu, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, couldn't contain her curiosity and suddenly asked.

Her impression of Ling Mengxue was actually quite bad, fluctuating between positive and negative. 'This Senior Detective Ling, she just arrived at the association and immediately tried to prevent her from making significant contributions by acting like a big shot. It's simply outrageous!'

You think you're so great? You think you're so superior?

Yan Ying glanced at Ling Mengxue in the back seat through the rearview mirror, a gentle smile on her face, "So you want her in person? I wouldn't dare say."

"Sister Yan Ying, are you teasing me?" Ling Mengxue twitched her lips, trying her best to remain calm.

Xia Lu gave a soft snort, turned her head to look out the window, and pretended to be indifferent.