Love, Gun, Cupid

“This is our internal affair, yet you and your greedy girlfriend interfere, deceiving the unsuspecting Ice Cave into serving you. Ice Cave, you'd better think about what will happen to you once you've lost your usefulness,” Henrietta said.

After they finished speaking, they rode on their magic wands and took off into the air. Lin Jiade took out his phone and started taking pictures of them. Then he opened his photo album and found that all the pictures he had taken were of the night scene.

"Sure enough, they possess magic that allows them to evade video recordings, which is why Jianlan cannot find their identities in reality..."

Lin Jiade turned around: "And you?"

Ice Cave held down her skirt and clamped her legs together: "I... I'm fine."

"Are your relatives here again?"

"No, when Henrietta pulled out the pillar of light just now, my power dissipated, and I shifted slightly towards a more masculine state..."

Lin Jiade was shocked: "Your penis has been reborn?"

"No, that's not it!" Ice Cave stomped his foot heavily. "It's just... I've grown a beard."

"You have a long beard, but you don't have a chin... Pfft."

Lin Jiade, having grasped the meaning of Ice Cave's words, laughed heartlessly. Ice Cave angrily kicked him. He stepped forward, grabbed Ice Cave's hand, and pointed to her chest, saying, "What about here?"

"It's alright."

"Let's go to the hospital."

Ice Cave looked dejected: "We have to go again."

"Be good, listen to me."

The rapid response team arrived, and they were all senior members of the gang whom Lin Jiade knew. Lin Jiade exchanged pleasantries with them and handed the scene over to them. The guardians of the holy land had fled in a hurry and had forgotten about the companions that Lin Jiade had knocked down. Now, Jianlan had another card.

“The guardians of the Holy Land seem far too weak,” Lin Jiade asked the ice cave. “How is it possible that your organization has managed to protect the Holy Land for so many years?”

"It's just that they don't get along. Guardians can control monsters, monsters can control superhumans, and superhumans can control guardians. It's like rock-paper-scissors between the three."

Don't you think it's ingenious? The Guardians can defeat monsters by exploiting their superior strengths and weaknesses, but if the Guardians have any ulterior motives towards the secular world, they can't defeat the superhumans and can only try their best to block the news and prevent people from knowing the location of the Holy Land.

The only downside here is that if an extraordinary person is intelligent, ambitious, and capable, they can easily defeat the guardians by exploiting the power dynamics. If they can find a breakthrough, they might be able to use worldly power to challenge the Holy Land's might.

Henrietta and I have broken off all ties, but she was right about one thing: Lingard, does your girlfriend Korobochka harbor any intention of using me as a stepping stone to seize the Holy Land?

Just as Lin Jiade was about to lie, sadness began to well up in her icy brown eyes. She said, "You're not very good at lying, because you hesitate for too long before you can weave a lie."

"Sorry, I saved up some money to curry favor with you in order to save Teacher Yang..."

Ice Cave crashed into Lin Jiade's arms: "I know you're not that kind of person. I don't want you to be caught in the middle. Take me to meet your girlfriend. I'll talk to her directly."

Chapter Forty-Nine Responsible

Lin Jiade didn't want to be caught in the middle, so he immediately agreed, thinking that after the examination at the hospital, Bingdong would go straight to the police station, but he was wrong.

After completing the check-up, it was already early morning. Ice Cave decided to go home and dress herself up beautifully before meeting Sword Orchid. According to her, if she lost in terms of appearance, then she had already lost halfway from the start.

He didn't understand, but the ice cave was indeed not a suitable place to meet Jianlan while she was all dirty. So, as she ran towards the bathroom, he calmly picked up the clothes she had taken off outside, sorted them, and prepared to throw them into the washing machine in batches—of course, the underwear and bra were to be hand-washed.

The frosted glass on the bathroom door reflected the image of an ice cave, and her voice was slightly distorted with shyness: "Lin Jiade, could you help me with something?"

"what?"

"Razors, manual razors, and the like."

"What do you need that thing for? You don't even have a beard... Ah, you do need it."

Lin Jiade thought for a moment and said, "Wait a minute, I have an unopened set. I bought it but found it too troublesome, so I'll stick with an electric shaver."

"Hmm," the ice cave responded softly.

Lin Jiade quickly found it, knocked on the door, the ice cave opened, and an arm reached out, the damp heat mixed with a fragrant aroma wafting towards him.

Lin Jiade handed it over, and the ice cave caught it, closed the door, and hesitated, saying, "This thing... how do I use it?"

Don't ask me.

"I'll get blocked if I try to do it myself," the voice from the ice cave suddenly became ambiguous. "How about you come and help me?"

"A joke?"

"The truth."

"That was a joke, Ice Cave. You should know what that invitation meant."

"If one day I am no longer your springboard to seize the holy land, what reason can I use to stay by your side? Probably only my body."

You might think I'm cheap, but honestly, I'm really attracted to your muscles. You give me an unparalleled sense of security... At first, I wanted to resist, and I convinced myself to strengthen my masculine awareness and maintain a friendly distance so that everyone could be better off.

But no, this body has already degenerated into a female form. Because you care about me so much, take care of me, and protect me, I'm not made of wood. How could I not feel anything at all?

How many times have I cried in front of you? With each tear, I felt myself taking another step closer to becoming a girl. These feelings accumulated, and when I think of your name, my chest swells. The thought that you have a girlfriend makes me feel pain and melancholy.

These chaotic feelings can only be calmed when you hold me, and only when you hold my hand can I find happiness... just like last night.

You turned me into this. If it weren't for your fatal curiosity, you wouldn't have discovered my identity. We would still be Lin Jiade and Lao Mu, gradually losing contact after graduating from university, until we never saw each other again.

Because of you, I was forced to get involved in your troubles; because of you, I didn't take sides with the holy land, which was seen as an act of betrayal, and I was fixed as a girl. It was also because of your care that my consciousness accelerated its feminization.

It was you who accompanied me to say goodbye to the past and to the pain. Your embrace was warm, so I was determined to start anew—from then on, there was no more Muxiu, only the Ice Cave.

作为圣地守护者的冰洞只存在了16天（4x12x8/24），和你一起生活的时间已经超过10天，可以说，我的一小半生命都被你填满了。

I know you might not agree, but Lin Jiade, after today, don't use Mu Xiu as an excuse to reject me anymore. And I don't want my feelings for you to be used by others. Our matter... is for us to decide."

Ice Cave drew a heart on the frosted glass and then turned on the shower. Lin Jiade hurried away, somewhat bewildered by Ice Cave's confession, and also excited by Old Mu's female fall.

This joy comes from conquest; he can slightly intensify the pleasure of manipulating other people's lives like a cunning cuckoo, realizing how enjoyable it is to change others.

His House of Lords had morality and restraint, but the House of Commons did not. If he were acting on instinct, he would have already teleported in and confronted the ice cave, using up all his skills... But reason told him not to.

What a joke! He opened the door to a new world here, and Jasmine might open the door to a new world for him tonight.

Who knows what resources Reed Warbler and Jasmine shared about Moon Girl 2, that made Jasmine look at his butt with a dangerous gaze for a time, and last time when they took a bath, she even gestured with his tail.

Lin Jiade gave Jasmine a stern warning, but Jasmine sensed his fear in his words. So she made a deal with him: Lin Jiade's family could only have a new member if she, Jianlan, and Kapok all voted in favor. Otherwise, her tail would be happy to open the door to a new world.

Lin Jiade went to do laundry and happened to run into Teacher Yang, who was yawning as she came out. He stopped and said, "Good morning, Teacher Yang, were you crying?"

"I had a nightmare and woke up with tears streaming down my face."

"The dream of older single women?"

Teacher Yang kicked the other person, then looked at what was in Lin Jiade's basin and asked with a complicated expression, "You're washing clothes?"

“I do most of the housework. In life, one person earns money to support the family, and the other puts in the effort to take care of things. It’s normal. Besides, now that we have smart washing machines, these things are just trivial but not tiring.”

Teacher Yang gestured towards the ward with her lips, and said with a hint of jealousy, "There is someone willing to help you, though."

“Senior Hehuan? No, this kind of rough work is not suitable for her. Of course, it is not suitable for you either. If you don’t mind, I can wash your clothes along with hers.”

Lin Jiade's tender and protective expression was written all over his face, which made Teacher Yang extremely jealous. She looked at Lin Jiade with envy and melancholy, thinking that if he were her boyfriend, she would be responsible for earning money and he would take care of the household affairs. What a warm and harmonious life that would be! And she, who lacked life skills, could be lazy to her heart's content.

Aside from her parents, no one in this world would love her for no reason. All love involves exchange, but what could she exchange with Lin Jiade?

Lin Jiade is the hero in the story, while she is the passerby he casually saved. The same event will become the passerby's eternal memory and the hero's fleeting recollection, before quickly disappearing.

"If one cannot be a hero's lover, cannot unite with him as a lover, then there is another way to be remembered by the hero and to have offspring—"

The whispers in her ear made Teacher Yang turn around, but there was no one behind her. Her mind in turmoil, she returned to the ward. A few seconds later, the ice cave door opened, and she frowned and asked in confusion, "Why did I feel the monster's power just now?"

Chapter Fifty Negotiation

At 10 a.m., Lin Jiade brought the ice cave to Jianlan's office. He had already coordinated the schedule with Jianlan in advance, and they had four hours to discuss the matter.

After Lin Jiade took his leave, Jianlan examined the ice cave and noticed that she had piled up all the elements that highlighted beauty on her body, and thus understood the other party's intention to show off.

"How are you getting along with Lin Jiade?" Jianlan asked.

The ice cave replied curtly, "Of course, we get along very well."

What are your impressions of his family?

"It's very cozy."

"That's good. You know, Lin Jiade has a wish..."

Ice Cave interrupted him: "I know his wish: to kill the monster and save Teacher Yang. But the monster always hides in the 'Revival City of Non-Existent Time,' causing him to fail at the last minute. Therefore, he needs to have the ability to open the Holy Land... which is me."

Jianlan raised an eyebrow, and Bingdong continued, "I trust him; he doesn't crave power, but the people around him cannot be guaranteed."

Jianlan waved the materials in her hand: "Henrietta Eck has lodged a strong protest with us, demanding that I hand over you, the traitor. In their eyes, you are no longer the guardian of the Holy Land, so why are you protecting them?"

"I am not protecting them, but the holy land."

Even if the Holy Land punishes you?

"It is both punishment and blessing."

Jianlan rested her elbows on the table, her hands clasped together, her chin on the back of her hands: "I think I understand: on the one hand, you're worried that I'll use the Holy Land for bad things; on the other hand, the Holy Land is currently in your favor, and you're afraid that changes to the Holy Land will cause changes to your interests."

Ice Cave shook his head: "I'm considering responsibility and justice, while you're considering interests. The Holy Land is of paramount importance. The safest way to protect the peace of Fuxing City is to maintain the status quo and keep the Holy Land secret and closed off."

All you've been talking about is self-interest. People will do anything for profit, good or bad, and self-interest itself cannot restrain your actions, especially for someone as powerful as you. What would you do with the Holy Land to advance further? The consequences of all your changes to the Holy Land will ultimately be borne by the people of Fuxing City.

Gladiolus's lips curled into a mocking smile: "Justice? Maintaining the status quo? Can you explain why the elusive monsters have turned Fuxing City's defenses into a mess? What exactly is the status quo that the Holy Land Guardians are maintaining?"

If you consider the Holy Land as the light side you hold onto and the dark side from which monsters constantly emerge, then it is clear that people in reality have already dabbled in the power of the dark side.

You must have seen humans using monster-like powers to fight, and you've also seen monsters descend to support those humans. You've seen it, yet you selectively ignore it, so you can hypnotize yourself into thinking that the guardians of the Holy Land are capable of handling all of this.

Clearly, those of you who play hack-and-slash games year after year are completely incapable of handling more complex situations, so you are completely unaware that real-world humans use and command monsters.

As you've seen from Lin Jiade's example, the guardians of the Holy Land have an absolute advantage against monsters, but struggle against humans... If those who command monsters were to enter the Holy Land, do you think the guardians would be able to handle it?

"Those who can enter the timeless city of Fuxing either possess the power of a guardian or the power of a monster. If they can actually enter, then fighting the guardians of the holy land with their monster powers would be no different from suicide."

"So you forgot that among the unidentified humans you fought, besides those who could use monster powers, there were also those who could manipulate fire... that's the power of the White Dragon."

These two groups are mixed together, and there's a high probability they'll form an alliance. If one group leads the other into the Holy Land…

Ice Cave's breathing became erratic. She wanted to drink some water to calm her emotions, but Sword Orchid cunningly refused to provide any, allowing the anxiety to linger in Ice Cave's heart.

"Wouldn't bringing you in have the same result? The Holy Land would both become the private property of one side. Besides, I dealt with Henrietta and the others last night, and it seemed like nothing happened to them, which proves that the possibility you proposed has not materialized."

The more she talked, the more anxious she became. She instinctively felt that she and Jianlan were not compatible—not because Jianlan was someone Lin Jiade liked, but because she sensed an evil aura about Jianlan that made her uncomfortable.

There is an explanation for this—Korobochka is a sorcerer, and one of the most renowned among them. Since sorcery is essentially a copy of other races' spells, every sorcerer is tainted with an evil aura, and the higher their power, the stronger their sense of evil.

However, Ice Cave sensed that Korobochka's evil was more profound than any monster she had ever seen, and if it weren't for Lin Jiade's girlfriend, she would almost suspect that something had possessed her body.

Jianlan raised her arm, and Bingdong thought that the other party was already impatient and was going to force her to submit by brute force. But Jianlan simply took out her phone from her inner pocket and used magic to send it to Bingdong. The phone was playing a video of Bingdong secretly using a friendly spell on Lin Jiade.