Little Starflower

A motorcycle burning with Vermilion-Gold Flame raced through Guixu Harbor City.

After devouring the Glacio Rider, Ling An had gained his ability to manifest his power as a motorcycle.

Countless Tacet Discords scrambled out of the way.

Upon returning to Jinzhou City, Ling An took Mimika back to Wuwu Logistics.

After hearing about their exploits, Tang Manliu insisted on giving Ling An a premium membership card for Wuwu Logistics.

From then on, wherever Wuwu Logistics operated, he would be entitled to priority delivery.

Unlike the recognition of Jinzhou's Border Fortress, a political organization, this was a high-level commercial privilege.

Ling An gladly accepted Tang Manliu's gratitude.

He left the Wuwu Logistics base and stood at the entrance to the Training Camp.

"You're back?" Instructor Yan Yan seemed rather surprised.

He knew something of the situation in the Flaming Sea and had not expected Ling An to return to Jinzhou so quickly.

In that short time, he felt that something about Ling An seemed to have changed.

Ling An nodded. "The matter in the Flaming Sea is over. I'd like to see someone."

Yan Yan understood. He called into the Training Camp, "Jingming, fall out!"

At the entrance, Ling An looked at the boy, drenched in sweat and brimming with determination.

He had come to the Training Camp for no other reason than to pass along a message.

Jingming looked at Ling An with a broad smile, unsure why Ling An wanted to see him.

Their eyes met, and Ling An slowly said, "Your brother... he said he had no regrets."

At those words, Jingming froze, disbelief written all over his face. "Sir Ling An... did you see him?"

Ling An silently nodded. "He was a true Night Warden."

Then he turned and headed into the city.

There was nothing more he needed to say to Jingming.

Behind him, Jingming's impassioned voice rang out. "Sir Ling An, I'll become as strong as my brother and you!"

Ling An paused for a moment and smiled. "I'll be waiting."

Leaving the Training Camp, Ling An went to the meeting place he had agreed on with Yinlin.

It was the same pavilion as on that moonlit night. Yinlin leaned languidly against the railing.

Seeing Ling An arrive, she could not help exclaiming, "That fast?"

She had given Ling An the bounty notice, so naturally, she had a fair idea of the Glacio Rider's strength.

She simply had not expected Ling An to return so quickly.

Puzzled, she asked, "Little guy, you didn't borrow the money somewhere, did you?"

Ling An curled his lip. "Now that's something I don't like hearing."

"Hehe." Yinlin chuckled. "In all of Jinzhou City, you could probably count the people capable of dealing with a Rumbling Tide-Class Tacet Discord so quickly on one hand..."

Her words abruptly cut off before she could finish.

She stared blankly at the little pink flower Ling An held out.

"I picked it in the Flaming Sea. The place has been purified. It might even become a tourist attraction someday," Ling An said casually.

Yinlin took the flower and gazed at it in a daze for a long time.

She had been to the Flaming Sea and understood the danger of Flameblooms all too well.

This flower looked similar to a Flamebloom, but it was no longer poisonous.

After a long silence, she slowly said, "In Huanglong, giving a girl flowers carries a special meaning."

"Really?" Ling An asked, puzzled.

"Of course." Yinlin smiled faintly.

"Then that's exactly what I meant." Ling An decisively puffed out his chest.

"Pfft!" Yinlin burst out laughing at his antics. "I don't have any particular interest in little cats."

Ling An smoothly transferred the money to her, thinking, If I returned to my true form, I'm afraid I'd give you a fright.

Although he very much wanted to do that, unfortunately, Tide Sis would not allow it.

Thinking of Tide Sis's face, Ling An obediently chose to keep quiet.

An overpowered protagonist was not someone to mess with.

What if she really turned into a yandere?

He did not want to become the first imprisoned Tacet Discord class.

"Fine, one thing at a time. You really are impressive." Yinlin placed the stack of photographs in front of Ling An.

"I happened to discover these while tracking the Fractsidus. I think they have some connection to the Black Shores."

Delighted, Ling An readily promised, "Don't worry. You've put so much effort into helping me. How could I possibly leave you without a reward?"

"Oh? What reward?" Ling An's words piqued Yinlin's curiosity.

"A hug of approval." Ling An spread his arms.

What awaited him was not a soft embrace.

It was a flick to the forehead from Yinlin.

"In your dreams. More like I'd be rewarding you." Yinlin gave him a lovely roll of her eyes.

She stood and elegantly straightened her clothes. "Keep it on your tab. I'll be collecting."

She gave Ling An a meaningful look, then strode away on her long, slender legs.

In truth, she had only given Ling An that bounty notice to test his abilities.

She had already achieved her goal for this trip.

Ling An chuckled and rubbed his head.

That was just how Yinlin was. She talked tough, but once someone could spout more nonsense than she could, she was helpless.

Still, could she hold back a little next time instead of hitting so hard just because he was strong?

Fortunately, he now had a Tacet Discord class skull.

He began looking through the photographs Yinlin had left behind, delight spreading across his face.

That was why professional work was best left to professionals.

The photographs showed many different scenes.

But they all had one thing in common.

Black petals fluttering through the air.

Ling An studied the petals carefully. They were exactly like those in the photograph of the Black Flower that Tide Sis had.

These photographs definitely had something to do with the Black Shores.

Ling An kept looking. Dates were marked on the photographs, and he flipped to the most recent one.

The scene in the photograph was very familiar.

After thinking for a moment, Ling An remembered where it was.

Somewhere on Screen Court Mountain, in the Back Mountain behind Jinzhou.

It seemed this was where a member of the Black Shores had last appeared.

Ling An put away the photographs and headed for the Back Mountain.

He wondered how Tide Sis and Yangyang were getting on with gathering clues about the Black Shores. He had already found a lead.

Beyond a waterfall lay the path into the Back Mountain.

As Ling An walked along the path, little flowers suddenly blossomed on either side.

They seemed to be guiding someone.

Should I go investigate?

Ling An considered it for a moment, but ultimately could not contain his curiosity and followed the flowers blooming along the path.

Following the little flowers, he suddenly found an immense flower field spread out before him.

Ling An could not help stopping to admire it.

Unlike the sea of Flameblooms, all kinds of flowers competed in splendor here.

A tiny figure in green clothes, with pale yellow twin ponytails, was crouching in the flower field.

Ling An peered over curiously. The girl raised her head, seemingly noticing him too.

Ling An recognized her immediately!

Verina!

"A kitty? What are you doing here?"

She walked toward Ling An, her large, clear eyes blinking as she stared at him curiously.

"I'm Verina. What's your name?"

When Ling An did not speak, Verina reached out with both hands and picked him up.

She crouched among the flowers and set Ling An on her knees, held together, watching him curiously with her big, blinking eyes.

Ling An's nose twitched softly.

Verina carried a natural scent, as fresh as a flower bud covered in morning dew.

For some reason, a phrase suddenly popped into Ling An's mind:

Little Verina, so tiny, so fair, so tender, like a bunch of Starflowers...

Ling An looked up just as Verina lowered her head. Her adorable face still held a little baby fat, and her eyes narrowed into an innocent smile.

How lovely. Ling An felt the oppressive weight of the Flaming Sea vanish in an instant. No wonder she had been one of the characters he most wanted to pull back when he played.

He silently gave her a thumbs-up.

Suddenly, his mind jolted, alarm bells ringing.

Wait.

This girl...

She looks like a minor.

Although Ling An was admittedly rather shameless, his boundaries were still very clear.

He hurriedly pressed the switch. "I'm Ling An, a Patroller of Jinzhou."

"Ah!"

Startled, Verina quickly set Ling An down. "Are you the kitty Patroller everyone's been talking about lately?"

She studied him curiously, her gaze falling on the Miniature Gourd he wore.

After thinking for a moment, she decided to reach out and touch it with a finger, as though trying to check whether it was real.

Unfortunately, however...

Her finger landed on the Gourd's audio switch.

"Hug me!"

Verina smiled affectionately. "Sure."

She picked Ling An up again.

Ling An froze.

No, wait-

Officer, hear me out. You really can't blame me this time!

This wasn't voluntary!