I Already Have a Wife

"So, since we're here to hunt down the notorious Stellaron Hunters, a little collateral damage during the fighting would be perfectly reasonable, right?"

Zhang Xiu glanced at Phantylia, his hands unconsciously itching for action.

At his words, Phantylia slowed her steps. "Uh... of course. But judging by your tone, benefactor, this sounds a little dangerous."

Familiar with his ways, March 7th naturally guessed what he wanted to do. She was about to stop him when she saw that Zhang Xiu had already begun warming up.

"I'm impatient. Doing something this tedious and boring is pure torture for me...

Just report to Yukong that Kafka deliberately destroyed a bunch of facilities at Returnstar Port. How does that sound?"

He crouched down and stretched one leg, then the other, rubbing his slightly sore lower back with both hands.

"Well, if it's to apprehend a suspect, especially a Stellaron Hunter, that explanation should be acceptable."

"Great. Then give me... three minutes. I'll find her in three minutes. Just use Diting to follow my scent afterward."

Welt narrowed his eyes slightly. "We've only just arrived on the Xianzhou. It would be best not to cause too much of a commotion."

Zhang Xiu took off his mask and handed it to Stelle. "Don't worry, Welt. I'm a mature man. I know where to draw the line... All right, off I go!"

With that, Zhang Xiu drove power into his legs, his muscles tightening in an instant. Spiderweb cracks spread across the ground beneath his feet as his entire body shot into the sky like a cannonball!

He caught a corner of a building high above, swept his gaze over everything below, and locked onto the monsters that had appeared in Returnstar Port because of the Stellaron.

The next moment, Greatsword in hand, Zhang Xiu burst into motion and charged toward the pack of monsters.

The flames of Preservation burned along his blade. The slightest touch triggered a violent explosion!

A wave of heat swept over the monsters, destroying them all.

Zhang Xiu also kicked open the tightly shut iron gate beside them.

Without wasting much time, Zhang Xiu returned to the heights and continued surveying every threat.

As he kept destroying obstacles and pressing forward, he finally caught sight of that purple figure.

With a sweep of his gaze, Zhang Xiu mapped out a route and focused on clearing away everything along it that might block Stelle and the others.

Once everything had been dealt with, his body became a black meteor, plunging down in front of Kafka.

"Hmm... what an unexpected entrance. Where are your companions?" No emotion showed in her eyes, each holding only a faint glimmer of light.

Still, the slight curl of her lips and the gentle lift of her eyebrows revealed her amusement.

Beside Kafka, four or five Cloud Knights stood quietly in place, each holding a weapon.

Spirit Whisper. Knowing this was Kafka's ability, Zhang Xiu wasn't particularly surprised.

"They'll need a little more time to get here. Want to wait here?" Zhang Xiu wore a smile too, chatting with Kafka as though she were an old friend.

"Hmm... no. You arrived too quickly. That Diviner has a very, very long way to go. Shall we head up ahead for some tea first?"

"Oh? Did you brew it yourself?" Zhang Xiu approached her at an unhurried pace.

"No, I didn't. I'm not much good at brewing tea, though I can mix a fine drink. It's the Xianzhou's Immortal's Joy Tea." As Kafka spoke, she turned and walked away.

Zhang Xiu followed her. "These Cloud Knights... are you leaving them here to slow the others down?"

"That's right. There's even one of your own people among them. I have to say, your people really are impressive."

Just as the two were about to leave, one of the Cloud Knights trembled, his armor giving a faint rattle that caught their attention.

"Did you slack off?" Realizing the knight might be one of his own people, Zhang Xiu simply covered his face in Black Flame.

"I really am a little tired today." Kafka relaxed her previously straight posture a little.

The instant she said that, the Cloud Knight swung his Single-Molecule Vibroblade at her!

Kafka neither dodged nor retreated. Just as the blade was about to fall upon her delicate cheek, a gust of wind stirring her bangs...

Zhang Xiu reached out with his right hand and caught the blade firmly.

"Damn... you! How dare you ambush me! I'll...!"

Before he could say anything more, Zhang Xiu knocked him unconscious with a chop of his hand. "What an impressive kid. He only looks fourteen."

"Heh, I'm almost tempted to report the Xianzhou for forcing minors into military service."

Because of their former lifespan limitations, the Skydeep were all very young. Even the oldest were only in their twenties, not yet in their prime.

"Yes. Choosing to take your people in must have been the Xianzhou's second-best decision."

After gently settling his fellow clansman against the wall, Zhang Xiu clapped his hands, dispelled the flames, and turned to Kafka. "Let's go."

The two continued onward, chatting about all sorts of everyday matters. As they neared the prearranged location, Zhang Xiu could no longer contain his curiosity and asked Kafka:

"Earlier, when you told Stelle she could call you Mom whenever she liked, did you really intend to treat her as your daughter? Or was it something else?"

"Hmm... I don't mind either way. Playing a mother seems rather nice, after all." She stopped walking. "All right, shall we fight? It wouldn't look very good if they found you being so relaxed around me."

"Ha, of course. I've actually been looking forward to fighting you. How should I put it... I seem to have developed a taste for fighting." Zhang Xiu shrugged and summoned his Greatsword again.

Several meters separated them. Kafka stood with her back to Zhang Xiu, her head tilted slightly upward and a faint smile on her brightly painted lips.

The next instant, a submachine gun appeared in her right hand, and countless bullets poured toward him with the roar of its muzzle!

Zhang Xiu dodged repeatedly, but even so, bullets grazed his skin, drawing flecks of blood.

Yet to an Abomination of Abundance like Zhang Xiu, this was nothing at all. The bullets couldn't remotely keep up with his regeneration.

As he closed in on her, Kafka swung the sword in her left hand down at Zhang Xiu!

Clang! The ringing lingered in the air. Their contest of strength lasted only an instant; almost in the blink of an eye, Zhang Xiu prevailed.

But Kafka was a seasoned fighter. Finding herself overpowered, she moved with the force of Zhang Xiu's strike and slipped aside.

As Greatsword swept toward her, she bent backward, planted both hands on the ground, and snapped her shapely legs around his neck.

Her supple body threw him off balance. With a twist of her waist, she hurled Zhang Xiu toward the wall behind her.

His body slammed into the wall with a deafening boom!

Yet Zhang Xiu walked out of the billowing dust completely unharmed, looking a little embarrassed.

"Uh, you should use that move on Stelle instead. We'd better not get too physical. I already have a wife."

That lethal grappling move felt more like a reward to Zhang Xiu. With a body as tough as his, he could plunge into a star and emerge unscathed.

"Oh my, how impressive. You've certainly made me see you in a new light." As Kafka spoke, she switched to a submachine gun in each hand and rained bullets down on Zhang Xiu.

"Thanks for the compliment."