Love, Gun, Cupid

Secondly, she has a wealth of magical knowledge, and her upgrade of Lin Jiade's detection spells proves her practical ability. With her around, Lin Jiade's weapon upgrades will be faster. I don't like relationships that are only in name.

Thirdly, Lin Jiade and I are only so-so at cooking, while Jianlan is an excellent cook and very good at housework. In the future, when Lin Jiade and I have many children and are too busy to take care of them, she can be of some help.

Du Juan sighed, "You're trying to squeeze every last bit of value out of that lich. This isn't a face that Lin Jiade should see."

Jasmine replied coldly, "I'm almost an adult now, and I've been through so much. It would be strange if I were still as innocent as a child."

When you like someone, you'll think about them and naturally want to show them the way you like them most, hoping to capture their heart.

Just like Lin Jiade has desires for you, for Gladiolus, and for Albizia, but in front of me, he pretends to be a perfect gentleman. I know, but I pretend not to. How could I punish someone just because I have such thoughts?

"What if it's true?" Du Juan asked.

"Gladiolus and similar plants pose very little harm to our lives and are very helpful. As for others, it depends on the situation."

No matter how much Jasmine resembles a human, her way of thinking is completely different from that of humans. That's why Du Juan initially had Lin Jiade target non-humans for romance, so that she could draw more energy from more complex relationships.

Du Juan turned to the television screen and saw Lin Jiade's troubled face and Jianlan floating beside him, comforting him. She assured him, in the name of Cupid, that Jianlan's gaze towards Lin Jiade held a deep desire, but a thirty-year-old woman wouldn't open her arms to a man simply because of desire.

As for Lin Jiade, did he really only want to keep her in his life out of pity? He knew the answer himself, but he just didn't want to admit it.

But it doesn't matter. No matter what he says, the more he suppresses his emotions, the energy continuously transmitted through the chains will not lie.

Du Juan tilted her head to look at Jasmine. Jasmine's eyes were drawn to the TV screen. She watched for a few seconds, her expression slightly changed, and she said in a low voice, "What a waste of time. Go back to studying."

“You’re not as magnanimous as you say. You just don’t want to lose to me.” Du Juan smiled. “Jealousy, huh? That’s a wonderful feeling.”

Jasmine, you're jealous of Gladiolus because she can captivate Lin Jiade; Jasmine, you're jealous of Lin Jiade because Gladiolus shows him tender maternal instincts, and tender maternal instincts are something you, who have suffered so much hardship since childhood, crave.

Jasmine, her secret exposed, stopped in her tracks, her body trembling. Azalea smiled and added, "Are only those who enter the Mirror Realm allowed the choice between birds and worms?"

Jasmine, you face the same choice: will you compete with Lin Jiade for the Gladiolus's bird, or with the Gladiolus for Lin Jiade's worm?

"What nonsense!"

Jasmine turned around, strode over, grabbed a champagne glass, and splashed the liquor onto Du Juan's face. Before it even touched Du Juan's face, the liquor trembled and coalesced, first forming a water ball, then freezing, and gently falling into Du Juan's palm.

“You are the biggest loser,” Jasmine said coldly. “Your position as a mentor has been challenged by Gladiolus. He has begun to waver, and you can no longer get him to carry out your orders wholeheartedly as you used to.”

"Is that how you see it?" Du Juan smiled. "You've got one thing wrong, Jasmine. The teachings of Gladiolus were precisely the tools I used to solidify Lin Jiade's trust in me."

Chapter 57 Birds Gather (Bonus Chapter)

Lin Jiade was greatly surprised when Jianlan rejected him. He had thought that Jianlan liked him very much and would accept his invitation, but on the contrary, Jianlan was angry at his immaturity.

Gladiolus's questions left him flustered and unable to answer a single one. None of the lessons he had learned from the Jasmine incident were of any use; a seventeen-year-old girl was completely different from a thirty-year-old woman.

At the same time, he felt a little wronged, feeling that his good intentions had not been reciprocated with equal kindness. As if sensing his emotions, Jianlan said, "I'm sorry, I went too far. Just as you made those suggestions for my own good, I also said those things for your own good."

But even if you hate me, I'll still say it. I've ruined your life, and perhaps I can't undo the negative impact, but at least... I won't let you continue making mistakes.

Lin Jiade patted his cheeks and stomped his feet. This was how he forced himself to calm down when he got carried away on the court.

“I will take this as your final test for me, madam,” Lin Jiade said. “If I can give you a satisfactory answer, then, am I entitled to ask you for an equal reward?”

His gaze was intense, a mixture of unyielding resilience and burning desire. Under that gaze, Jianlan felt a part of her body melt.

“I will,” she said. “I will give you whatever I can… as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.”

Lin Jiade is flawed, and so is Jianlan, so in the end, it became her compromise with Lin Jiade. After it's all over, what will Lin Jiade ask of her? Jianlan dares not imagine.

The quarrels were the beginning of intimacy; their relationship was evolving from acquaintances to family. Lin Jiade was completely unaware, while Jianlan vaguely sensed it.

At that moment, a new aura appeared at the doorway. Jianlan and Lin Jiade looked towards the door at the same time. Jianlan said, "Strange soul flames, like a patchwork."

"Oh, they're residents of the small town."

After saying that, Lin Jiade raised his voice towards the door: "Who is it?"

The door was soundproof, and the person outside spoke terrible Imperial Standard English. It took Lin Jiade quite a while to realize that the other party wanted to barter.

Remembering Kapok's advice, Lin Jiade became very interested in Amanda Stone. He needed to store energy using external objects, but unfortunately, according to the technology blockade regulations, he had nothing to exchange for Amanda Stone.

Judging from the voice and the blurry figure, Lin Jiade imagined that it was a young girl outside the door. They had been talking for so long, and he had kept her waiting outside; at least when refusing, he should have communicated face-to-face and expressed his sincerity.

The young man made a mistake: a person's voice can be deceiving; a person with a sweet voice may not have a sweet appearance. He opened the door, and the instant he saw the "girl," he automatically assumed a defensive stance, almost pulling out the gun from his pocket.

He was recommended a short comic called "Twin Tails in Love" by a silly netizen in a chat group. Judging from the title, which included "love" and "twin tails," it seemed to be quite anime-oriented. He clicked on the link, and his young heart was blown away.

Damn it, how did anime become like this?!

Now, the monster heroine from "Twin Tails of Love" has been brought to life in 3D and reappeared before Lin Jiade's eyes, awakening those shocking memories.

But Lin Jiade has matured, so when faced with a "girl" whose sanity was instantly shattered just looking at her, he could still manage a smile and reply, "Sorry, I don't have anything to sell you. However, miss, you have a very nice voice. Have you ever considered becoming a VTuber?"

"Sorry to bother you."

The other party left disappointed. Lin Jiade closed the door, let out a long sigh, and turned back to see Jianlan covering her mouth, the shape of her eyes betraying her amusement. He sighed and said, "Madam, you really have a bad heart."

"Judging by appearances is not a good thing, Lin Jiade. You are too easily deceived by people's appearances... Pfft."

Gladiolus finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter that only Lin Jiade could hear. However, her joy didn't last long before she suddenly looked in a certain direction.

"what happened?"

"I don't know, that feeling I had when I first entered the town came back."

"Let's go, let's get to the bottom of this!"

Lin Jiade pushed open the door, the rotten stairs creaking under his footsteps. Gladiolus floated behind him, her expression bewildered, like a kite being pulled along. But as soon as he went downstairs, he was caught by the kapok tree in the courtyard.

"Where are you going?" Kapok asked.

"Take a turn."

Kapok's helmet tilted slightly toward Lin Jiade: "Are you sure you want to explore an unfamiliar environment alone?"

"I...have something very important to do."

“Wait a minute,” said Kapok, “they’re coming soon.”

"They" naturally refers to the other five teams belonging to the Empire. Lin Jiade reluctantly withdrew Jianlan to his revolver. Soon after, the captains of the other five squads arrived one after another, each bearing some wounds.

The captain of the 15th district team, Lao Can, was dressed like a bird-beaked doctor, carrying a first aid kit with a bell attached to his side. He moved silently, but the bell rang clearly.

His bells had a kind of magical rhythm that captivated Lin Jiade. Seeing this, Mu Mian slapped Lin Jiade's bottom, which brought him back to his senses.

Tang Ao, the captain of the 16th District team, was dressed like an immortal from a fantasy novel. His long robes flowed and were tied with a yellow belt. He carried a long sword with the words "Lu Lu" written on it.

Lin Jiade vaguely remembered his Chinese teacher saying that "Lu Lu" was a metaphor for a beautifully crafted and unparalleled sword. However, the Lu Lu in front of him had neither beautiful color nor the sharpness of a sword. It looked like a ruler with a sword hilt, decorated with twelve flowers.

Cyrus Smith, the captain of the District 17 team, was dressed like a scholar. He was thin, with short hair and a gray beard on his chin, but his eyes were so bright that it was hard to look directly at him.

At the same time, his team was the most united and had the highest morale among the six squads. Three strong men of different ages and a boy looked at Cyrus with longing eyes and followed his lead.

Jim Hawkins, the leader of the District 19 team, is a teenager who is not yet in a position to command respect. A man dressed as a pirate and a doctor simultaneously put their hands on the teenager's shoulders. This team is also the most divided of the six teams.

The team from District 20... Lin Jiade rubbed his eyes. He saw that the captain of the District 20 team, Buck, was actually a dog, and the four team members behind it were standing behind the dog with expressions of complete trust.

Is the world too crazy, or am I too ignorant?

Lin Jiade glanced at Mu Mian. His captain's helmet and bodysuit were practically a tribute to Celty from Durarara!!, making him quite the oddball.

Could it be that eccentrics are the mainstream in the world of magic researchers? Lin Jiade wondered.

I owe 69 chapters in total, have paid 21, and still owe 48.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: One More Thing

The three mercenaries of the Kapok Squad guarded the three entrances and exits, with only Lin Jiade accompanying Kapok. After the other squads had seen the strange man in the tight suit, their gazes turned to the ordinary-looking young man.

“His registered name is Lin Huang,” Mu Mian introduced. “He is a candidate for Dragon Knight, an unofficial disciple of Tiantai Zen Temple on Shiwang Peak of Jiuhua Mountain. He contributed seven assists in two battles. I personally have high hopes for his future.”

Senior Kapok, are you sure you're talking about me?

Lin Jiade was completely bewildered, while Mu Mian spouted nonsense with a straight face: his registered name was Lin Huang, his girlfriend was the red dragon Jasmine, and he preferred to be on top, so he was a dragon knight in another sense.

As for the Ten Kings Peak of Jiuhua Mountain, that was the school of swordsmanship that Mu Mian taught him using her master magic. He was an unnamed disciple, which, in other words, meant that he studied in the void and had no contact with either side.

His seven assists in two appearances are impressive, but all seven of his assists came from playing alongside others.

Teams from other regions, unaware of the inside story, immediately believed the description of their team member given by Mian, the leader of the non-establishment magic researchers in District 18. All eyes were on him, putting immense pressure on the young man.

"Senior, why flatter me to death?" Lin Jiade whispered to Mu Mian. "I don't have that ability. If people expose the truth, I'll be laughed at."

Kapok replied, "There are quite a few socialites among magic researchers. The army, militia, and police are bound by iron discipline, but these temporary teams do not."

If they deem you worthless, don't expect them to be good teammates on missions. In some cases, they might even sacrifice the weak to speed up the mission.

If you feel guilty or worried, then strive to become a magic researcher worthy of that title. Whether you like it or not, I will stop at nothing to make you stronger.

Mu Mian had said similar things to Lin Jiade many times, making Lin Jiade uneasy every time, wondering what he had done to deserve such an obsession from Mu Mian.

If this is considered a strategic investment, then Kapok has almost bought ten years of his life.

Mu Mian didn't communicate with him any further. The man in the tight suit and other equally strange captains held a meeting, while Lin Jiade went out with other team members.

An hour later, they were spat out by the Mirror Realm.

Lin Jiade rubbed his stiff legs. Du Juan said, "I will organize the meeting minutes and send them to your mobile email addresses. You know which phone number it is."

Lin Jiade patted the other person's arm: "Don't work too hard."

Mu Mian nodded. Lin Jiade was already very tired. He went back and fell asleep immediately. This time, he did remember to release Jianlan.

Suddenly, Du Juan's smiling face came into his view.

“I’m awake… no, I’m dreaming,” Lin Jiade said.

“Yes,” said the cuckoo, “guess who I brought?”

In a flash, Jasmine appeared before Lin Jiade. The red dragon offspring was dressed in a black and white maid outfit in the dream, with cat ears on her head. Her short skirt was slit up to her thighs, and her calves were covered with white stockings with black cat patterns. Between the lace hem and the white stockings was a slender, fair, absolute territory.

"Lin Jiade... do you like this kind of thing?" Jasmine asked.

Lin Jiade gave a thumbs up: "I couldn't be better!"

"But this thing is so light... and the skirt is so short, it's a bit chilly down there," Jasmine said uncomfortably. "It seems like if the wind blows a little stronger, my underwear and butt will be exposed."

Du Juan mocked, "Jasmine, do you know why your boyfriend can tell the difference between a good cat and a bad cat?"

Because you lack distinctive features and a unique symbol that makes you instantly recognizable, he can easily distinguish you once another version of you enters his life.

However, he prefers the person impersonating you.

Jasmine turned around and saw that Azalea had transformed into her likeness for what seemed like the umpteenth time. She lifted her skirt, stood on her left foot, and tapped her right foot back on the ground. With her movement, her thin gauze dance dress swayed slightly, making her look like a swan spreading its wings.

“Of course Lin Jiade knows the difference. I’m not as promiscuous as you,” Jasmine said coldly.