Love, Gun, Cupid

Du Juan's hair transformed into ropes that bound Lin Jiade. She opened the door, and Mu Mian glanced up at her before being drawn to the immobile Lin Jiade behind her.

Cupid used the same method to bind Kapok. Kapok struggled for a few more seconds than Lin Jiade, but was eventually bound by Azalea. The bodysuit-clad monster lunged at Lin Jiade with both hands and feet, but was entangled by the chains.

"Miss Dujuan?"

"Her mania stems from your contract, which is similar to the one you made with Gladiolus, creating a mutual attraction between you: the swordsman longs to hold his sword, and her sword longs to return to the swordsman's hand."

Then, you used an energy shock on her, causing her confusion—after all, you are a divine protector in a broad sense, inheriting some of the special properties of the person who gave you divine protection.

And I am Cupid, the embodiment of joy, pain, resistance, and submission. Naturally, the effects of your spreading energy inherit my characteristics; thus, you cause the kapok tree to thirst, and thirst is a type of pain.

Du Juan deftly absolved herself of any responsibility in the matter. Lin Jiade, not in the mood to ponder her words, asked urgently, "How can we resolve this issue?"

Du Juan glanced at the disheveled Kapok. This was a good opportunity to deal with her. Who would have thought that Kapok's resistance in the mental realm was negative? Cupid had only slightly tampered with Lin Jiade's celestial weapon, and Lin Jiade had already dealt her a critical blow.

Thinking of this, Du Juan said, "Mu Mian's predicament is largely due to her negative mental resistance. She is too sensitive, so even a slight stimulus can cause her to have a severe breakdown. Therefore, we need to introduce desensitization therapy for her."

Desensitization...therapy?

"Since it's inevitable that she'll be aroused by your desires, let her get used to them and only have desires for you."

Du Juan grasped Lin Jiade's hand and said, "Imagine you are a CPU manufacturer. In order to make money effortlessly, you decide to slightly improve the performance of each new product you release."

Kapok is your user, and your energy is your product. Start by stimulating her with a basic level, and once she can remain rational under that stimulus, gradually increase the intensity until she can still remain rational even when you exert all your strength.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Lin Jiade's Chains

Lin Jiade hesitated, while Du Juan fanned the flames from behind: "You want to elevate Kapok, who is in the same camp, to a high position, thereby gaining powerful allies and protection, and putting my teachings into practice. That's fine, but you've forgotten one thing."

The kapok tree doesn't belong here; it belongs in the City of Brilliance. Although she hasn't shown any sign of this, it doesn't mean she'll stay in your life forever.

"Senior Kapok, she, Senior Kapok..."

Du Juan interrupted Lin Jiade: "She disappeared twice, didn't she? During those two disappearances, did you have the means to find her? No, all I saw was that she could easily sever ties with your life, leaving you to wander in a life without her."

She doesn't belong to you; she's an independent and free individual with her own thoughts, her own past, and her own secrets. You've never even seen her face. Given your inability to control or find her, the probability of her completely disappearing from your life after becoming a high-level magic researcher is even higher.

Lin Jiade defended himself: "She had no reason to run away. We've already talked it out. I no longer care about her secrets, and I'm also involved in her team. We see each other every day."

"Is there really no reason?" Du Juan asked. "She's been hiding from her family in Brilliant City. Will she one day do something even more extreme to escape family pressure?"

"Senior, she..."

"Or perhaps she fled to pursue power; or perhaps she was sent by the empire on a dangerous mission and never returned; or perhaps she met her true love and lived a happy life."

Du Juan crossed her fingers: "Don't say it's impossible. From childhood to adulthood, how many people have you known disappeared from your life without you even realizing it?"

Du Juan's words stirred a sense of panic in Lin Jiade—about the possibility that Kapok might disappear from his life. He glanced at Kapok, and Du Juan hugged him from behind, whispering in his ear, "To ensure she stays in your life, you can't hope, you can't pray, you can't give the initiative to her."

You must become more important to her, you must make her unable to leave your life... There must be a chain between you and her, so that when she tries to break free, you can pull her back into your life with a strong tug.

Think carefully, what do you have that can be made into chains? Your strength, intellect, family background, and wealth are all at a disadvantage, but right now, the kapok tree has revealed a rare weakness to you. If used properly, she will be unable to leave your life.

A pink chain appeared between the kapok tree and the azalea, and at the end, Lin Jiade and the azalea held hands, their arms linked. The azalea gently pulled Lin Jiade's hand, and the kapok tree on the other side passively crawled forward a step.

Immoral, ugly, criminal behavior... but filled with an unparalleled sense of security, that's all the young people felt at that moment.

Du Juan released Lin Jiade from his restraints. Lin Jiade walked over, looked down at her disheveled appearance, and whispered, "Senior, you shouldn't be like this."

"Get away!" Kapok whispered.

"I'd like to know, what would you do if you encountered a similar attack in the future?"

"I can... handle it!"

“No, you can’t, because the lines on my belly are glowing.” Lin Jiade shook his head. “Most importantly, you have the ability to leave me and make myself impossible to find.”

“You’ve lost your mind…” Kapok said, “Wait until we all calm down…”

Lin Jiade took off his coat and draped it over Mu Mian, then hugged her. The confusion spell simulated the feel of the latex suit, and Lin Jiade tightened his grip on Mu Mian's body even more. He was filled with desire, and the energy within him was transferred to Mu Mian through the shortest path.

In order to keep the other in his life, the young man began to torment the kapok tree, while the cuckoo stood behind him with a smile, enjoying the kapok tree's pain and pleasure.

From afternoon to evening, the desensitization training left the shower room feeling damp, with empty bottles of soda scattered everywhere. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, as Lin Jiade unleashed his full energy with desire, Mu Mian didn't try to pounce on him, but instead said, "That's enough."

Lin Jiade immediately stopped, and Du Juan's restraints automatically came off. She stood up weakly, her feet slipping as she leaned on Lin Jiade's shoulder. Remembering what he had done and the silk threads that Du Juan had used to pull him, she bit Lin Jiade, but did not break through his skin.

Lin Jiade pleaded, "I am a swordsman, and you are a precious sword. I feel that our relationship can be defined as such. Please don't suddenly disappear from our lives, okay?"

Mu Mian didn't want to answer; she didn't have the strength to push Lin Jiade away. After being held by him for a while, she said, "You were the one who ran away first... When I mustered up the courage to take off my clothes in front of you, you couldn't wait to run away from me."

What, now that you've calmed down, you think I still have value to you, that you can use me, that I can be a vessel to fulfill your desires, so you don't want me to leave your life anymore?

Is your reason for keeping me in your life love?

“In the name of Cupid, I can attest that there is indeed love between you two,” said Du Juan. “Your affinity score has reached 50, and the thread of fate connects the two of you; none of this can escape my eyes.”

You might say you don't feel love and think I'm lying, but love is a wheel of joy, pain, resistance, and submission. By elevating your emotions through any of these four paths, you will generate the feeling of love.

Lin Jiade's phone rang. He let go of the cotton tree and saw that it was Jasmine calling. He hesitated for a moment, then a sense of guilt made him put the cotton tree down and go outside to answer the call.

Kapok kicked the empty bottle and said to Azalea, "Aren't you going to keep up the act anymore?"

“I should leave those words to you. When it comes to changing Lin Jiade and manipulating his life, you are still my senior.” Du Juan pinched the hem of her skirt and bowed. “Consider those words my gift to my senior.”

“You harbor deep hostility towards me and shouldn’t want me to get involved in Lin Jiade’s life. But you’re trying to tie me and Lin Jiade even closer together. Why?” Mu Mian asked.

"Why should I tell you the answer? Maybe I'm interested in enslaving people I hate? Lin Jiade used to be yours, but now he's mine, and I've used him to enslave you... Just thinking about it gives me a sensual pleasure."

When Lin Jiade returned, Du Juan had already kindly helped Mu Mian up, and her figure disappeared from the spot. Mu Mian looked at Lin Jiade, who tensed up and said, "Go ahead and hit me if you want, but I promise that if I have a similar opportunity, I will do it again."

Kapok punched Lin Jiade, pushed him away, and disappeared into the night without looking back.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Qi Yanli (30→29)

This incident became a secret between Lin Jiade and Kapok. On Friday night, Lin Jiade took the high-speed rail, but due to a small mistake when buying the ticket, he did not sit with the Kapok team.

Beside him was a fair-skinned woman wearing a woolen hat. She was tall and slender with striking features and was quite beautiful, but he had no time to think about it.

Jasmine couldn't come, of course. Recently, the teachers have been using evening self-study time to give lectures to the students and help them organize the knowledge points—and importantly, it's free.

Jasmine is fairly wealthy, but she has to be careful with her money because the cost of the Lionheart Potion, which crosses the magic system, is around six thousand denars... This spell requires some lion materials, and lions, as protected animals, are only decomposed to supply materials after they die naturally. The production is low, so the price is high, and there is always demand but no supply.

Gladiolus's plan for Jasmine's dragon body restoration is roughly divided into nine stages. The cost of the first stage alone exceeds 50,000 dinars. Jasmine's lifestyle of living off her inheritance is unlikely to withstand such expenses.

Lin Jiade could still count on the Empire to provide subsidies and reimbursements. Junior magic researchers received a monthly subsidy of 1500 dinars (700 dinars per month before being promoted), and 20% of the cost of learning magic could be reimbursed. But Jasmine didn't feel any such warmth... unless the Magic Registration Department revised its political review evaluation of her next year.

Until she and Lin Jiade find a stable and sustainable way to earn W, they must cut back on expenses. For this reason, the points in Lin Jiade's account are temporarily reserved for emergency use when funds are insufficient.

Therefore, Jasmine stopped paying for online classes by the hour and enjoyed the pleasure of getting free lessons at the public school... although to most students, this was nothing more than an extension of torture.

Another important figure, Jianlan, was also unable to accompany him due to his job duties. Lin Jiade operated two devices simultaneously, his fingers flying across the virtual keyboard, as focused as if he were playing a game. When he got off the bus, the passenger next to him chuckled softly.

Lin Jiade didn't care much. When he got off the bus, he went to meet up with Mu Mian and the others. When he found them, the team members, led by Mu Mian, looked at him with cold eyes. Lin Jiade thought that his affair with Mu Mian had been exposed. Du Juan pointed, and he turned around and saw the passenger who had been sitting with him on the bus following behind him.

"Looks like the intelligence is good, about Kapok and her team, right?" the passenger said.

"And who are you?" Lin Jiade asked.

“I have information on your competitors. Are you interested?” the passenger asked.

Everyone looked at each other, feeling that the man's eagerness to deliver the information was somewhat suspicious. Mu Mian made the decision, saying, "If you don't mind, let's talk at the hotel I booked."

“Okay, but I won’t accept any of your checks,” the passenger said.

“If you’re carrying bombs, bugging devices, or anything that will cause chaos for our team, then we’re in for a lot of trouble,” Kapok said.

“I can accept such an inspection, I mean, as long as you don’t spy on my condition.”

"Are you a contestant?"

"Because that's who I am."

The female passenger removed the headpiece, revealing long, golden hair cascading down her back, and pointed ears emerging from it. The crescent shape in her pupils gradually became clear, along with her facial features. Lin Jiade felt she looked even more beautiful than she had on the bus.

"A diamond elf?" Lin Jiade asked.

The elf frowned at the title and said, "I will not reveal the information unless you accept my conditions."

After a few seconds of deliberation, Mumian nodded in agreement. The Diamond Sprite was known for its arrogance, so it was understandable that it wouldn't tolerate being spied on. Mumian's team joined forces with Hehuan's advance party, and after undergoing a check-up, Mumian and the Diamond Sprite sat down facing each other in the room.

“Qiyanli, this is my registered ID in the Empire,” the diamond elf said. “I don’t like to hide things. My motivation for following you and telling you information is because I have a grudge against Kalxa.”

"How so?" Kapok asked.

Qi Yanli said, "As you probably know, Karksa is an ugly, thin, and unattractive woman because she is a hybrid of goblin and human."

"Goblin?" Lin Jiade asked.

Kapok explained, "A race that was not particularly strong in combat or technology, they were mainly active on the Third Continent. At their most glorious period, they established more than a dozen kingdoms, but were wiped out in the Great Expedition of mankind under the banner of Glorious Mandate. Subsequently, they caused great trouble in the areas controlled by mankind."

"Guerrilla warfare?" Lin Jiade asked.

"No, goblins don't have that kind of brain. What their race is proud of is their ability to ignore reproductive barriers and interbreed with any race to produce offspring. To complement this characteristic, they have evolved the ability to arouse other races with their bodily fluids."

The natural ratio of male to female goblins is 3:1, so there is never enough female goblin population. During mating season, driven by restlessness, single male goblins gather together to rob and plunder fertile females from other races.

Those females who are abducted usually suffer a terrible fate. I once saw one; she was abducted to a goblin's lair at 14, and when she was rescued at 18, she was already the mother of seven half-goblins. She looked like she was thirty, and the goblin's bodily fluids had completely destroyed her mind.

Qi Yanli nodded: "Generally speaking, female goblins and mixed-race female goblins are harmless, but there are always exceptions. For example, Karksa, although she is a woman, she always considers herself a man."

Lin Jiade tried to say, "So, like a male goblin, she also has a predatory desire for women?"

"Yes, that's her main tactic. She'll do everything she can, by any means, to splash her bodily fluids on her opponent, making them lose their fighting ability for... that reason. Then she'll drag them back to her residence and do that... that disgusting thing."

Qi Yanli didn't say it explicitly, but Lin Jiade probably understood what had happened to her... assuming her words were credible.

After the Diamond Elf left, Mumian gathered her team members and explained the information. Everyone felt that what Qiyanli said was true, so Mumian would encounter a tricky battle. Among the items they carried, only a gas mask was barely useful, and they didn't know if it would even be effective.

Lin Jiade and Mu Mian exchanged a glance; the former's expression was subtle, while the latter looked away. After the meeting, he stayed behind and whispered to her, "Promise me you'll only get excited about me, okay?"

France 2-2 Portugal, no extra points added.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Passing the Baton

"What exactly do you take me for?" Kapok asked coldly.

"My senior, my friend, my sword, if you could turn back into a woman, you would be the girlfriend I want to pursue." Lin Jiade licked his lips. "For tomorrow, shall we continue the desensitization training?"

What nonsense are you talking about?

"If what that diamond elf said is true, would you be willing to lose the match in such a humiliating way, senior?" Lin Jiade opened his arms wide: "Victory or freedom, which is more important?"

Kapok chose victory, and so Lin Jiade's room remained empty all night. The next morning, as Lin Jiade tiptoed back to his room, he saw Hehuan on the balcony at the end of the corridor.

Hearing the voice, Hehuan turned around, saw Lin Jiade, and said, "Good morning."

Lin Jiade replied somewhat guiltily, "Good morning."