Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 170 Dog Spell! Loyalty! Honesty!
Inside the Soul Storage Place.

Elon knelt down, burying his head deep in his hands.

This veteran hunter, who had remained unfazed during countless ground missions, was now utterly powerless in the face of Red Heron's questioning and irrefutable accusations.

Xuefeng and Haji were deathly pale as they looked at the kneeling instructor, then at the frosty-faced Honglu, and the Guiyuan warriors standing around with their guns.

They had no doubt that as long as Honglu gave the order, they would immediately become the new "collection" in this soul-storing pool.

Red Heron's gaze shifted from Elon to Xuefeng, Haji, and the silent Kunjie, Jeff, and others beside him.

"Fear?"

“Back in headquarters, my men experienced a much deeper fear than this.”

She walked to the huge crystal jar that emitted a faint blue glow, reached out her hand, and touched the cold wall of the jar with her fingertips.

She turned to Elon again: "Elon, you said you were powerless. Then I ask you, what about now? Now you see the true face of the earth, you see the absurdity and cruelty of Morgan's laws... Now, are you capable of making different choices?"

Elon slowly raised his head, opening his mouth: "What...what should I do? Red Heron...tell me, what can I do to...atone?"

"Atonement?" Red Heron repeated softly.

"Elon, death is the simplest relief."

Her words sent a chill down Elon's spine.

"Now that you see me, do you still have the face to face Hongkou?" Honglu finally declared.

When Red Hair was mentioned, Elon's expression became even more complicated: "Me..."

Red Heron took one last look at Elon, who was kneeling on the ground.

“I won’t let her bear this choice.” Honglu’s voice was very soft. “She has already endured enough.”

Elon jerked his head up, as if to say something, but his lips moved only to a sigh before he lowered his head again.

He accepted his fate.

Honglu stopped looking at him and turned her gaze to the four Guiyuan warriors who stood like statues. In the instant their eyes met, she nodded slightly.

next moment.

Several gunshots rang out in the empty soul storage area.

The gunshots were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

The red egret never looked back at that scene from beginning to end.

The echo of the gunshot still seemed to linger, but she had already turned around, started walking, and headed towards the entrance of the Soul Storage Hall.

The metal door slowly closed behind her, completely isolating her from the trial hall where the vigilante justice had just been carried out, and also from the smell of blood.

Outside the door, the waiting Guiyuan warriors straightened up immediately when they saw Honglu come out.

The red egret's face was expressionless.

"Clean it up," she ordered casually.

"Recycle the source material."

"Yes!" the soldier replied in a deep voice, without the slightest doubt.

Red egret said no more and left directly.

……

Inside the flamingo's habitat.

Hongkou's crying had gradually subsided, and Poxiao held her tightly.

Drake stood to the side, his brow furrowed.

"Why...why didn't you tell me sooner..." Hongkou said sullenly, burying her face in Po Xiao's arms.

Drake sighed: "What good would it do to tell you?"

“I never expected it to be Elon who came. Red Heron doesn’t want to see you like this. She just wants you to live, to live well.”

“But now that I know, I’m in even more pain!” Hongkou raised her head, her eyes red and swollen. “I’ve been like a fool! I was kept in the dark by everyone! And I even treated them as trustworthy seniors!”

"That's not your fault, Red Bloom," Dawn whispered, trying to comfort her.

He's completely numb; you wouldn't guess it from our usual interactions. He even has the leisure to joke around with me and Hongkou.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Honglu walked in.

The three people inside the room immediately looked at her.

"Sister!" Hongkou broke free from Poxiao and threw herself into Honglu's arms, hugging her tightly. "They...how could they..."

Honglu gently patted her younger sister's back: "It's all in the past, Hongkou."

"What about Instructor Elon and the others?" Hongkou looked up and asked, her eyes blurry with tears.

Honglu looked into her sister's eyes calmly, but didn't say a word.

"Them??" Hongkou was taken aback.

She couldn't continue.

The hatred is real, but the memories of fighting side by side and receiving earnest guidance are equally real.

"Don't think about these things." Honglu patted her head.

She wasn't the only one who died during that cleanup.

There were too many city garrison troops and innocent protesting civilians.

Moreover, many of those people from back then are still living in the village.

As dusk settles over Hisakawa City, the city lights begin to twinkle.

Little Yuekui, who had been playing all day, had fallen asleep on Yang Chen's back, her little face pressed against the back of his neck.

Bai Yuetian, looking utterly hopeless, carried Xiao Yuetian, who was also fast asleep.

Yang Chen chuckled and bounced the little Yue Kui on his back, then whispered to Bai Yue Kui beside him, "Looks like you got tired of playing when you were little."

Bai Yuekui looked at the tiny version of himself on Yang Chen's back and smiled.

She reached out and gently brushed the stray hairs that had fallen onto Xiao Yuekui's cheek behind her ear.

"How's the supplies ASH coordinated coming along?" she asked in turn.

As Yang Chen felt the little guy's warm breath behind him, he replied, "The progress is faster than expected. ASH just sent a message saying that everything will be in place by tomorrow morning."

Hearing this, Bai Yuetian chimed in, "So you two are going to the lighthouse tomorrow?"

Yang Chen pondered for a moment: "It will probably take a few more days. Let's go back and talk to the people in the second village again. We'll send those supplies back tomorrow."

Bai Yuekui nodded slightly.

“Since the supplies will be ready by tomorrow,” she said, looking at Yang Chen, “then let’s go back tomorrow.”

Yang Chen had just finished discussing business with Bai Yuekui when he felt the little guy's eyelashes brushing against the back of his neck, making him feel itchy.

A mumbled, indistinct voice came from behind.

"...I want to go...to play with Maido too..."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chen couldn't help but chuckle, turning his head slightly to ask softly, "So you're not going to study tomorrow?"

He waited for a while, but received no response.

Listen closely, and all you can hear behind you is the sound of even breathing.

It seems he's fallen asleep again.

Bai Yuekui glanced at them and said in a low voice, "Let's go, take them back."

Bai Yuetian bounced the heavy little Yuetian on his back, listlessly agreeing.
The group said no more, returned to their car, and headed towards the Bai family villa, bathed in the dim lights of Jiuchuan City.

The car drove into the garage of the Bai family villa, and everyone got out.

The living room was brightly lit, and Bai Jingyu was sitting on the sofa, rubbing his temples. His face showed obvious fatigue, clearly indicating that the whole day's press conference had been very tiring.

"You're back?" He looked up when he heard the noise.

Her gaze first fell on Xiao Yuekui, who was sleeping soundly on Yang Chen's back, and her eyes softened considerably.

"Yeah, I was having so much fun I fell asleep on the way," Yang Chen replied in a low voice.

At this moment, Teresa also came down from upstairs upon hearing the noise. When she saw her sleeping daughter with her rosy cheeks, a loving smile appeared on her face.

She gently took Xiao Yuekui from Yang Chen's back. Bai Yuetian also quickly lifted the equally unconscious Xiao Yuetian from her back, and together with Teresa, they took the two little ones upstairs to settle them in.

For the time being, only Yang Chen, Bai Yuekui, and Bai Jingyu remained in the living room.

Bai Jingyu picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip to relieve the dryness in his throat, and then looked at Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui to talk about serious matters.

"The supplies coordinated by ASH have been confirmed by the transport team and will all be delivered to the designated distribution point by tomorrow morning."

Yang Chen nodded: "We understand, Dad. Yue Kui and I will go back tomorrow to bring these supplies back."

Bai Jingyu simply nodded slightly in response.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "There's one more thing. After today's press conference, I had a private conversation with the Coastal Alliance and tried to request a batch of weapons from them, mainly to test ASH's defensive capabilities."

He paused, then said helplessly, "However, it was politely declined. The Hela Empire, out of consideration for our cooperative relationship, is willing to provide a portion of the police version as support."

"But when it comes to active military versions of weapon systems... they said they need to consider it carefully."

Clearly, the Coastal Union remains quite cautious about the functionality of ASH.

Besides, what would someone who started a tech company need so many weapons for?
Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui exchanged a glance, not too surprised by the result.

"As expected," Bai Yuekui said calmly. "They'll change their attitude later."

Bai Jingyu agreed with his daughter's judgment, nodded, and steered the conversation toward another, more ambitious plan.

"Yes, waiting for the right time is indeed the best option right now." He sat up slightly.

"In addition, the qualifications and site for the AFU Aeronautical Research Institute have been officially obtained. According to the current progress, the ASH-led orbital space station project can begin construction of the first phase next month."

This news touched both Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui slightly.

The near-Earth orbit space station is not only one of the pinnacle symbols of old-world technology, but also an important fulcrum for combating the Mana ecosystem and monitoring global situations in the future.

A hint of reminiscence and consideration flashed in Bai Yuekui's eyes as she continued, "After the Mana ecosystem fully erupted, our alliance's space station fleet lost ground support and is still drifting in near-Earth orbit, with most of them now in hibernation."

However, since the ASH space station that Bai Jingyu built before the disaster was still intact after the disaster, he did not spend time repairing and improving the other space stations.

She paused slightly: "At this point in time, being able to advance the project so much ahead of schedule is already far beyond our expectations."

Bai Jingyu nodded. Not only the space station, but also the Swift spacecraft needed to be put into mass production as soon as possible.

These all need to be used with ASH to achieve their maximum functionality.

An experienced ASH player is undoubtedly the biggest advantage for him, allowing him to avoid many pitfalls.

He glanced at the time and said, "It's getting late. You need to get back early tomorrow, so you should get some rest too."

“Okay, Dad, you should get some rest too,” Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui replied at the same time.

The three had just finished their conversation and were about to go back when they heard a series of footsteps on the stairs.

"Hey! You two! Have you forgotten about me again?!"

Bai Yuetian stood at the top of the stairs, one hand on his waist, looking resentful, glaring at Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui.

"We agreed to bring them back together, and then what? So I'm just a full-time mover and background character? Not even a thank you for your hard work!"

Yang Chen slapped his forehead, realizing he had indeed overlooked this hardworking and conscientious laborer.

He quickly laughed and said, "Oh dear, it's our fault, it's our fault. Thank you for your hard work, Brother Tian."

Bai Yuekui merely glanced at his older brother indifferently.

Bai Yuetian looked at his sister's "I have read this" expression and knew he wouldn't hear anything nice from her.

"Alright, alright, I'm magnanimous and won't hold it against you." Bai Yuetian waved his hand helplessly. "Remember to call me tomorrow."

The group left the Bai family villa and returned to their apartment in Jiuchuan City.

As soon as he entered the apartment, Yang Chen felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he collapsed straight onto the soft bed.

"Ah—the bed is still the most comfortable..." he sighed contentedly.

Bai Yuekui looked at him like this, said nothing, and went straight into the bathroom.

Not long after, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Bai Yuekui emerged wearing a comfortable silk nightgown, her short, silvery-white hair still slightly damp, and her skin glowing a pale pink from the hot water.

She walked to the bedside, looked at Yang Chen who was lying motionless, and poked his shoulder with her index finger.

"To take a bath."

Yang Chen grumbled, unwilling to move: "Just a little longer... just five more minutes..."

Bai Yuekui looked at him quietly without saying a word, but the finger that had been poking his shoulder turned into his whole hand, and he gave him a light push.

"orange."

"Yang Chen".

Yang Chen reluctantly opened one eye, only to meet Bai Yuekui's gaze.

He blinked, met her gaze for two seconds, then seemed to suddenly realize something, looked away, and buried his face in the pillow.

"I just washed it yesterday."

Bai Yuekui gave it another push: "Go quickly."

"I've played all day, I'm tired, let's call it a day..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuekui raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

She leaned down, her silvery-white hair falling down, carrying the fresh scent of a recent bath, and lay on Yang Chen's back.

"You have talismans, why are you tired?"

"The talisman has failed. The loyal dog has become disloyal."

Seeing his obviously hypocritical expression, Bai Yuekui could no longer hide the smile in his eyes, and it spread out slightly.

She stopped arguing with him, got up, reached out, grabbed the back of his collar, and pulled it outwards with a little force.

"Stop talking nonsense and go take a shower."

Yang Chen was rendered speechless by her somewhat commanding actions.

Or rather, the desire to shirk responsibility was never firm to begin with.

His movements were no longer hesitant; he nimbly rolled over and sat up in bed.

"I'm going to wash now..." he muttered, but his feet didn't stop. He quickly walked into the bathroom, and this time he didn't dawdle.

Soon, the sound of rushing water filled the bathroom, seemingly even more rapid than usual.

Bai Yuekui listened to the sound of water, walked to the bedside and sat down, twirling the soft fabric of the nightgown in his hands, his gaze falling on the bathroom door.

Not long after, the sound of water stopped.

The bathroom door was opened, and Yang Chen walked out, his body steaming with heat and water droplets.

Instead of drying his hair or looking for his pajamas as usual, he went straight to the bedside.

Bai Yuekui raised his head and met his gaze; beneath the calm surface, there seemed to be undercurrents surging.

Before she could say anything, Yang Chen leaned down, placed his hands on the mattress on either side of her body, and confined her to his own space.

"I'm done washing," he said softly.

Then, without giving her any time to react, he suddenly lowered his head and captured her slightly parted lips.

After a moment of stunned silence, Bai Yuekui raised her hand and wrapped it around his neck, responding enthusiastically, her fingertips digging into his damp hair.

She's been leaving early and returning late these past few days, spending almost all her time in the lab.

The desire that had been building up for a day, or rather, several days, could no longer be suppressed.

When the kiss ended, both of them were a little out of breath.

Bai Yuekui pressed against him again, grabbing the hem of his clothes with both hands, his movements swift and decisive.

The bedside lamp was swept by someone's hand and flickered, dimming.

A game of competition has now begun.

Yang Chen gripped the controllers with both hands. After years of playing together, he knew all the rules of the game and skillfully executed combos.

After a short break, Bai Yuekui asked, panting.

"Is the dog charm loyal now?"

(End of this chapter)