Love, Gun, Cupid

"Do I have to pay more?"

"What are you thinking?"

Du Juan tapped Lin Jiade's forehead with her finger. Lin Jiade was anxious, but not so anxious. He suddenly felt that if he couldn't resist, it wouldn't be bad to just accept it.

Reed Warbler might not be a remarkable figure in the celestial realm, but here it's a matter of dimensional subversion. While she's interested in him, even if another Korobochka-style disaster were to strike, he could simply summon Reed Warbler and win effortlessly.

"But she's your sister," Lin Jiade said in his final moments of lucidity. "In your celestial eyes, Homo sapiens are pretty much like cats and dogs, aren't they? Are you sure it's right for her to have feelings for me?"

“Ah, that doesn’t matter. Seventy thousand years ago, the first generation of Oracles appeared on the planet. Do you know how they came to be?” Dujuan said.

"Ah, could it be..."

"Yes, the Celestials and Homo sapiens mate like animals. Celestial beings are transformed into energy and enter the bodies of the men and women who mate. Then, they are reborn as Homo sapiens offspring, thus circumventing the restrictions of the interstellar treaty and participating in human history as tribal leaders."

Afterwards, when human lifespan reaches its limit, they reassemble themselves into their own bodies and return to the heavens. Sharing their experiences with their companions is like a life simulation game, and players usually find it very enjoyable.

Therefore, at that time, divine protectors were also known as celestial agents.

"So there's such a history..." He swallowed hard. "If the reed warbler had feelings for me, she would have merged with me and then been born as my offspring?"

Lin Jiade couldn't imagine that bizarre scene. Du Juan shrugged: "But you're overthinking it. My sister's feelings for you are more about competitiveness and control. At most, she sees you as a brother. Think back, has she ever made any ambiguous gestures or expressions towards you?"

Lin Jiade thought for a moment and realized he didn't, so he was able to sleep peacefully with Jasmine in his arms that night. After hearing about his past, Jasmine forgave him out of sympathy.

“I have nothing to do with Reed Warbler,” he said. “She’s somewhat interested in me, but only to get ahead of Kapok. As for Kapok, I don’t think she’ll ever let herself become a woman again.”

Jasmine pinched him, then slowly let go. She turned her back to Lin Jiade, who hugged her from behind, his nose brushing against her hair. He didn't intend to do anything, because Jasmine had school the next day.

On December 3, Fuxing City experienced its first snowfall of the year. Looking out the window of the martial arts classroom, the snowflakes melted as soon as they landed, leaving only small remnants on the eaves.

Kapok leaned against the corner of the wall, lost in thought. At Hehuan's request, Lin Jiade brought her a cup of hot cocoa, while the rest of the people were busy in the club room.

Because the draw for the official tournament arranged the groups all the way up to the finals, on Sunday, Mumu already knew that her opponent in the round of 16 was Tianlong, a mysterious person who wore armor.

Tianlong is the favorite in this professional title promotion competition, a seeded player. The odds offered by betting agencies for Tianlong to win the championship are 2.56, ranking second among all 50 players.

According to the analysis of Tianlong's match video, he has mastered a rare witchcraft, which is manifested in the form of shadows: the shadows he manipulates can be transformed into materials such as cold weapons and protective gear, or into magic such as teleportation portals to allow him to make short-distance leaps on the battlefield, and can wrap around his body to enhance his physical attributes.

He can even control his opponent's shadow, restricting their movement. When necessary, Tianlong can also treat his own injuries.

A warrior without weaknesses – that's the conclusion after watching Tianlong's first match. Tianlong defeated his opponent in a net time of only 3 minutes and 56 seconds, the shortest time among the 16 matches in the first round of the main tournament.

The only advantage that Kapok has over Tianlong is that the competition venue has once again been drawn in Linhai City, which is practically her home turf. Tianlong, on the other hand, comes from the Fifth Continent, and both the previous and current rounds of the competition have been held in Linhai City. Therefore, he has to stay in an unfamiliar place, hastily searching for a training ground to maintain his condition and gather intelligence on Kapok.

However, the competition for promotion is not just about the contestants' strength. Tianlong is strong, but that doesn't stop him from attacking Kapok's only advantage—the advantage of having half a home field. He protested to the competition organizing committee and applied to change the venue.

Tianlong may be ignored if he speaks out alone, but when he is backed by arms companies, manufacturing groups and chemical companies betting on him, these behind-the-scenes bigwigs may put pressure on the organizing committee.

The supporters on Kapok's side come from FN Corporation, new energy companies, the internet industry, and the Hehuan family's connections. Compared to the military-industrial complex that supports Tianlong—the old money of the empire—the nouveau riche in new energy or the internet are more speculative, which makes their support for Kapok less significant.

Moreover, these investors do not bet on a single player, but choose to hedge their risks by placing bets on multiple players. Although FN Company, with the Kapok Brothers at its helm, has promised to support Kapok to the end, the subtext is not that they are solely supporting Kapok, but rather that they are giving Kapok more resources than others.

Perhaps Tianlong also harbored the intention of using underhanded tactics to confuse his opponent, but Mu Mian remained unmoved. At this moment, she only had eyes for Lin Jiade, her gaze fervent, like a child looking at a beloved toy.

“Tianlong is the most troublesome enemy so far. If I can defeat him, I am confident that I can make it to the finals and get a guaranteed promotion spot.” Mu Mian hesitated for a moment, “So, so… I need to rely on your strength.”

"I understand. Let me become your weapon to fight, right? Okay, I'm here to help you win anyway."

“You look like you have something on your mind,” Kapok said.

"It's nothing, just a small matter, come on."

As Mu Mian approached Lin Jiade, a silver light emanated from her lower abdomen, illuminating Lin Jiade's vision through the confusion spell. Lin Jiade felt the same longing rise within him. When Mu Mian's hand slipped inside his robe and touched the silver markings on his stomach, his desire to fight alongside her reached its peak.

"I've caught a good time."

Lin Jiade turned around and saw Wei Ying carrying a soccer ball she had somehow gotten her hands on, walking slowly and deliberately to the martial arts classroom, and closing the door. She hugged the soccer ball with both hands and said, "I've been slacking off a lot before, and since you two are each other's reflections, I've become quite interested... This time, let me make up for it with a lesson."

Chapter 50 Sweet or Salty? (Bonus Chapter)

The green flames enveloped the football, and in an instant, it transformed into a one-handed sword in the hands of the reed warbler. Meanwhile, the palm of the kapok tree was pressed against Lin Jiade's stomach, and in the light, it pulled out the half-sword that Lin Jiade had transformed into.

Upon seeing the "Lin Jiade" with its flashy, postmodern paint job, Wei Ying smiled, stood with her hands behind her back, and thrust her sword towards the direction of Kapok.

The reed warbler stood still, but the surging blade ignored the principle of leverage and stabbed straight towards the kapok's forehead. The kapok raised its sword to block, and the moment the two weapons made contact, the front of the reed warbler's weapon deformed into a rope that lassoed "Lin Jiade" and quickly flung him into the air.

"Wow!"

Kapok and Lin Jiade flew towards the ceiling together, Lin Jiade's scream echoing in Kapok's mind. She had conducted some tests on Lin Jiade's performance, so she knew that Lin Jiade was unharmed, just a little frightened.

The magic on Kapok was activated, and the air currents enveloped her body, forcibly twisting her in the air. She pushed off the ceiling, turned around, and pounced on Reed Warbler at an even faster speed. The magic illuminated her arm, allowing her to strike Reed Warbler with the force of wind and thunder.

With one hand raised, Wei Ying deftly parried the attack. With a flick of her arm, she flung Mu Mian away. As Mu Mian adjusted her stance, Wei Ying casually swung her sword, and a gate of flames opened in front of her and behind Mu Mian.

Kapok hurriedly used magic to turn around, barely blocking a sword thrust out from behind the door. The Reed Warbler didn't pursue, but instead caused the blade to grow even larger, heading straight for Kapok's heart. Kapok barely managed to catch it, trying to steady herself against the wall, but the fiery door reappeared behind her.

At the same time, Lin Jiade was also having an encrypted call with Mu Mian. He said, "Wei Ying... simulated Tianlong's fighting style. She started with a normal attack when she was fighting, and when she felt that she couldn't attack, she would use a light cannon."

"I know this is both a training exercise and a demonstration," Kapok replied.

What are some good strategies to defeat the enemy?

"There are flaws, but we haven't had time to come up with a solution yet."

The reed warbler kept knocking the kapok tree away from the ground, preventing it from landing or using the wall to steady itself. Lin Jiade felt that his combination with the kapok tree was a bit like volleyball, the kind with the prefix "dead or alive".

The sword took shape in the reed warbler's hand, attacking the kapok tree in various ways, like a cat playing with a mouse. The relentless attacks and oppressive atmosphere left the kapok tree with no time to think of a countermeasure. So when her energy was more than half depleted and her physical reactions were slowing down, the reed warbler pinned the kapok tree's shadow to the wall, thus pinning the kapok tree to the wall.

“You lost,” said the reed warbler.

The warbler lowered the kapok tree down. Her sword transformed into flames, then reformed into a soccer ball within the flames, which she casually tossed aside. The kapok tree, leaning on "Lin Jiade" for support, struggled to stay upright, but her trembling body betrayed her current weakness.

"Your close-quarters combat on the ground is top-notch among your peers, but once it becomes three-dimensional warfare, and the enemy expands their attack angles, your response becomes awkward, especially those angles that wouldn't pose an attack threat to you on the ground—such as below, which are your vulnerable points exposed in mid-air."

My suggestion is that you either go find that cool, big woman (Gladiolus) to give you a better view so you can see what's behind you, and then practice specifically to deal with attacks from below.

Alternatively, you can entrust your back and lower space to your partner. Lin Jiade is your sword, but also your swordsman. Taking him into battle is equivalent to two against one. Without breaking the rules, you should make good use of your AI weapon.

After Wei Ying finished speaking, she flicked her wrist, and "Lin Jiade" slipped from Mu Mian's grasp and landed in Wei Ying's hands. "Lin Jiade" tried to escape, but Wei Ying held him in her arms, caressing the sword's blade. A warm current flowed through his body, as if he were being caressed by Wei Ying.

"It seems that in battles below the level of advanced magic researcher, there's no need to worry about you becoming an artificially stupid weapon. Although the Homo sapiens race has primitive technology, they can always come up with some interesting things."

Reed Warbler played with the counterweight ball on the hilt of the "Ling Jiade" sword. The sword in her arms trembled slightly with joy. Then, she poured energy into the sword, making it hotter and brighter. Finally, a beam of light shot out from the tip of the sword, leaving a carefree trace on the ground.

"The injected energy is stored in the counterweight ball. Once a certain amount is accumulated, it can be sprayed towards the enemy using a special technique."

The reed warbler returned the sword to the kapok tree, saying, "Therefore, it is also a magical weapon. In order to make its projectile range longer and its energy value greater, you must train it well."

"You take care of his upbringing and training at school; elsewhere, I'll do that."

Reed Warbler offered well-intentioned advice in an aggressive manner. Kapok remained silent for a while before replying, "Lin Jiade is an independent individual. He has dignity, his own values, ideals, and thoughts. You can't treat him like a toy to be played with."

Who turned him into a sword?

In a flash of light, Lin Jiade returned to his original form. When his feet touched the ground, he felt extremely uncomfortable, as if being held by a beautiful girl holding the hilt of a sword or being embraced by a beautiful girl was the way he moved.

This reminded him that he couldn't stay in one transformation for too long, or he would be affected by his greatsword form. After he steadied himself by holding onto Mu Mian's shoulder, he laughed and said, "Alright, alright, even just being swung at like that takes a lot of energy. What do you want for dinner? It's on me."

"Sweet rice dumplings," said Kapok.

"Salty rice dumplings," Wei Ying replied.

"If I may ask, what about tofu pudding?"

"Savory tofu pudding," said Kapok.

"Sweet tofu pudding," said Wei Ying.

"??? What's wrong with your tastes?"

"And what about you?" Kapok asked.

Lin Jiade replied, "I eat plain zongzi and tofu pudding with vinegar and chili, but I don't eat either of those very often."

“You’re the one with the weirdest taste,” Kapok said.

“That’s the only thing I agree with,” the reed warbler complained. “You should really try his cooking. You Homo sapiens are living in an era with abundant ingredients and seasonings, yet he prefers coarse grains, low-fat ingredients, and bland flavors.”

Lin Jiade declared righteously, "I'm afraid of getting fat!"

Tofu pudding is common, but zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) are not. After not finding any near the school, Lin Jiade had no choice but to treat them to pan-fried buns.

The superiority of celestial beings over humans was evident: while eating pan-fried buns filled with chives and eggs, Wei Ying also ate a lot of garlic, but when she leaned close to Lin Jiade to talk, her breath had no odor.

Meanwhile, Mu Mian, sitting opposite, looked at the pan-fried buns with chive and egg filling and garlic filling with a hesitant expression, wanting to eat them but ultimately choosing to put them down and eat the crab roe filling instead.

This chapter is an extra chapter following Belgium's 1-0 victory over Portugal.

Chapter 51 New money

To test his limits, Lin Jiade was carried on the back of Mu Mian in the form of a sword. What seemed like a perfectly normal scene to outsiders was a kind of immoral one to him – he was intimately touching Mu Mian's skin in front of everyone.

Soon, Lin Jiade's strangely shaped sword attracted the attention of others. As Lin Jiade's girlfriend, when Jasmine asked Mian for the sword, Mian had no right to refuse.

Jasmine held it in her hand and played with it for a while. Unfortunately, apart from Kapok, no one else could communicate telepathically, so she quickly lost interest and handed it to Sword Orchid.

Jianlan didn't understand swords, but she was very perceptive when it came to data. Lin Jiade sensed a lingering, ambiguous look in her eyes when she looked at the counterweight and the hilt.

"If I keep my virginity as a human being, then I've kept my promise to Jasmine."

Leaving behind this ambiguous remark, Jianlan handed the sword to Dujuan. Dujuan looked with satisfaction at the large expanse of pink covering "Lin Jiade" and asked, "Are you interested in 'him'?"

Hehuan felt that Dujuan was implying something, so she forced herself to answer "yes." Dujuan then smiled and tossed the sword to Hehuan, who caught it in a fluster and held it in her arms. She quickly realized that this was equivalent to holding Lin Jiade, and blushed with embarrassment.

However, she showed no sign of letting go... until the unfamiliar business representative arrived. Lin Jiade finally landed, transformed back into human form, and sat between the kapok and mimosa trees.

“Someone from the finance industry,” Hehuan said softly.

"How so? Maybe I have a bias against finance. Finance is speculation, right? So, this kind of competition, which is full of uncertainty but whose outcome can be predicted to a certain extent, is also a good time for speculation. If you happen to bet on a benefactor, the hidden returns you will receive in the future will be incomparable to the few dollars you have now."

“I don’t have a good impression of them, especially this financial investment company in front of me, which is known as the Vulture. They love to take advantage of people’s misfortunes, signing betting agreements with companies to provide them with emergency funds. The companies are mostly the losers, and then the winners start to break up and auction off the companies they have acquired—using both legal and illegal means to squeeze out the last bit of value from the corpse.”

Lin Jiade immediately tensed up: "So, they came here because they don't want to see how Senior Mumian performs in this series of matches, and they're planning to create some kind of betting agreement to control Senior Mumian and exploit her to the fullest extent?"

"If they really had this intention, then these vultures must have been involved in investing in Tianlong and instigating the use of off-the-books tactics. You might be thinking that Kapok has the power and connections to be above these vultures?"

However, these vultures wouldn't be so brazen if they didn't have connections in the Senate. Every year, they receive substantial legal donations, bribing everyone from the Senate down to the city council.

"Senior Hehuan...does she know them very well?"

“The financial backers behind my family… cough, they’re partners, mostly people in the local chemical, building materials, and seafood processing industries. They’re very averse to anything related to new money,” Hehuan said.

"The financial industry is considered new money? This is something that has been written about in history textbooks; it's a long-established industry."

"The definitions of 'old money' and 'new money' vary from person to person. For some, the media industry, especially the new media industry backed by the internet or the media industry that is transforming to the internet, is considered new money... Wait, the media industry?"

He Huan hurriedly took out her phone and randomly accessed a few websites through her browser. Lin Jiade admitted that he was attracted by the other party's spectacular curves, but he accidentally saw He Huan's search history. He didn't expect that she was also a fan of some questionable female-oriented novels.