Transform into a human

The day after the hearing, a familiar visitor arrived once again in Tang Xiao's office.

"This trial has only just begun, and the turmoil it has stirred up will be difficult to quell for years to come."

"Thanks to you."

Tang Xiao looked helpless: "What does this have to do with me?"

From inside the teddy bear's belly came Love's voice: "The Grand Tutor didn't put you in the police station to cause trouble. I thought we were friends."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

When Love was the mayor of Chifu, she and Tang Xiao were close allies, but this time she suffered a setback at the police headquarters, and the long-term plan ended before it even began. Tang Xiao is her biggest suspect.

Only you know my habits.

"Uh... what do you mean?"

"To observe the fate of the coming day at dusk each day."

On the night Yue attacked and killed Hou Fan, someone interfered with Luo Fu's perception of fate, which caused her to make a mistake in the endgame.

Tang Xiao looked at him with a "What nonsense are you talking about?" expression and angrily retorted, "I'm just a humble servant, what right do I have to interfere with you?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to say."

"I've never understood why, even though Jing Shu Star is that person's 'dojo,' and to show due respect, none of the three major systems would send constellations to reside there permanently, the Neptune's Crown is such an important scheme, why would the Imperial Preceptor and the Grand Tutor hesitate to send several high-ranking nobles?"

Although the empire has vanished and "Grand Tutor" and "Imperial Preceptor" are merely historical terms, those within the imperial faction still habitually refer to them in this way.

The teddy bear leaning forward, a gesture Love usually uses to exert pressure during conversation, now appears somewhat comical on another body:

"There's only one possibility: a powerful figure has been lurking in the shadows for a long time, and you've been staying at the Flower-Piercing Inn for far too long, Principal Tang."

"Listen to what you're saying." Tang Xiao's eyes widened, his small eyes full of innocence—observing the expression of a seasoned liar wouldn't yield any results.

"Since when becoming a Grand Marquis has become such a simple matter!"

Love was too lazy to waste any more words with him; she wasn't here to settle scores—she was willing to accept defeat.

"Whatever we do is an internal matter of the empire. What I'm trying to say is, someone's got their eyes on you."

"what?"

At this moment, Tang Xiao looked just like a college student with clear, bright eyes.

Love really wanted to slap him now, but she could only patiently explain:

"If you really don't know... then there's only one possibility: you're deceiving yourself, Tang Xiao."

Tang Xiao was taken aback: "Self-deception?"

Unlike the first four realms, each with two paths, the path of the Constellation Realm is unique, while the swindler's nine paths are called "self-deception".

The teddy bear nodded:

"Although I don't know the rituals for con artists to break through the constellations, you should already be on your way. First, you deceive your own memories, and then you deliberately get involved in various major events... It's too much like some kind of ritual."

Tang Xiao frowned. He indeed had no relevant memories, but Luo Fu's speculation seemed reasonable and well-founded. Most importantly, he believed in an embroiderer's intuition about fate.

As for Lof taking revenge on him... if it really involves her breakthrough to the Star Constellation Realm, this is a major event within the Imperial System, second only to the Saintly Position. Lof wouldn't dare to mess around with it, and besides, she's not someone who lacks a sense of the big picture.

"You're saying someone's watching me?"

"The escape of Neptune's Crown is too suspicious. The Grand Tutor kept you in the Security Center to keep an eye on divine authority, so you must have given yourself a hint that you would have to restore your strength when the situation collapses to a certain extent."

"If Yue Lai hadn't inexplicably grabbed the Zhenhai Sword that day, your ritual would have failed and turned into something else entirely."

Tang Xiao broke out in a cold sweat. If it was true, he really should kowtow to Yue Lai.

"But if I'm deceiving myself, with my current strength as the Flower-Wearing Hermit, what right do I have to interfere with your observation of the Lake of Destiny?"

Love sneered, "Have you forgotten your nickname?"

"A thousand people, a thousand faces, Tang Xiao!"

Tang Xiao was startled. He didn't know when it started, but he had a gap in his self-awareness. If Luo Fu hadn't mentioned it, he would have always intentionally ignored his "persona"!

"Your other face is probably a backup plan, but as for whose face it will appear in... I don't know."

"But he must have misunderstood me and thought I was the one trying to ruin your plans."

Tang Xiao suddenly realized: "I thought you were looking out for me, and I was wondering where you got so much kindness from. Turns out you're here to clear up the misunderstanding."

Love didn't say anything more, which clearly meant she agreed.

Tang Xiao went on and on, hoping to resume cooperation with Luo Fu, but she never responded. Only then did he realize that the teddy bear had long since turned back into an inanimate object.

……

……

"That congresswoman is actually your own mother?!"

Yue Lai was slightly shocked.

Li said sullenly, "She was busy climbing the ladder of her career, and I've been living alone since I was very young."

Yue Lai didn't ask her father. Considering the relationship between Li and Zhenhai Sword, it was best not to inquire about this matter unless the other party took the initiative to tell him.

The two were on their way to the back mountain of Xinggang. Ji Yungui had no children, so Li asked Falken to scatter Ji Yungui's ashes in the place where he had once lived in seclusion. Only a few pieces of clothing were placed in the martyrs' cemetery of the police headquarters.

Before long, Li arrived at the wooden house where he used to skip school to play as a child. All the sailing warships on display had been recovered by the police, since those "models" were quasi-war machines and could even be used to arm a sizable fleet.

Of all the works he left behind, only one remains: the "Homecoming" ship.

Without people and models, familiar places suddenly feel strange.

The atmosphere gradually turned somber, and Yue Lai tried to change the subject:

"Do you know what Ji Yungui wanted to entrust to me back then?"

Li shook his head: "Grandpa Ji rarely talks to me about the past, but I've already asked the boss to ask the old folks in the branch. Considering your profession, it should be related to some kind of relic."

"I'll let you know as soon as I have the results."

After saying this, the two fell silent. Li knew that the time for parting had come.

Before long, a sailing warship appeared faintly on the horizon, plunging headfirst into the back mountain, before abruptly stopping at the very last moment.

From the bow came Mo's excited shout:

"Yue Lai—the checkpoint let me in!"

Yue Lai turned to look at Li, who mustered her courage, her eyes darting around as she pretended to be nonchalant: "Um, thank you."

"Hey, why are you thanking me? You helped me a lot too, and I successfully completed the task."

He eventually found the real fountain pen.

"Hmph, then I take back what I just said."

Just before boarding, Yue Lai pulled out a gift box from somewhere and handed it to Li:

"Here, a farewell gift for you."

The policewoman's heart pounded: "What...why the sudden gift?"

Although she expressed a little disdain, she still honestly accepted the gift box, but was stopped by Yue Lai just as she was about to open it:

"Wait until I leave to see."

"Tch, why all the mystery?"

Yue Lai smiled, then leaped up and stood steadily at the bow of the boat.

Jasmine waved frantically:

Goodbye, Officer!

Watching the returning ship gradually disappear into the distance, Li Mo felt a sense of loss. Although she had only spent a short month with Yue Lai, the experiences she had had were more memorable than all the events of her previous life combined; she had experienced so many firsts.

With a pure heart, I glance at him and see him go far away.

Sleeping beneath the hazy trees, my lingering dreams accompany my thoughts of the distant horizon.

In just one month, she was no longer the naive graduate of the national university.

Just then, a noise came from behind, and the other three members of Falken's team walked over. Wander said sourly, "You're leaving, why leave a gift?"

Li recovered from the somber mood and then remembered that she still had gifts to open.

So she opened the gift box in front of her teammates, and a white lace fabric was placed inside.

It's a triangle style, too.

The room fell silent. Donald said nothing, but his eyes said it all—you young people really know how to have fun.

Looking into his teammate's extremely complex eyes, Li felt a familiar feeling return.

She looked up at the illusory image of the Returning Home ship and let out a long howl:

"Aaaaaaah!"

"Yue, come here—!"

"I'm going to kill you!!!"