Love, Gun, Cupid

“The worst has happened. My original self intends to reforge Korobochka to achieve her ulterior motives.”

Jianlan hesitated for a moment and looked at Lin Jiade. Coincidentally, Lin Jiade had the same thought. He looked at Mu Mian and said, "Senior, I request to rejoin the team."

"You finally managed to get rid of this."

“If that Gladiolus had simply left quietly with her companions, my Gladiolus and I could barely live with ourselves. But now, she is causing harm; she is threatening the lives of my former comrades in the Mirror Realm… I can’t stand by and watch,” Lin Jiade said.

“I feel that I also have an obligation to stop my original self… well, that’s a bit strange,” Jianlan said. “I’m worried that even if Lin Jiade and I don’t go to the Mirror World, she will send the Baker Street Squad to invade this world and take away the magical knowledge I possess.”

Since that's the case, I must strike first and absorb the other party before being absorbed myself. I want to become a gladiolus guided by my own thoughts, to reshape my body, and to experience the joys and sorrows a woman can experience.

Du Juan clapped her hands gently: "You want to replace the original and become the new Gladiolus? Not bad ambition, but have you considered the Empire's attitude?"

“A judicial deal—to reclaim the erroneous secrets, eliminate the threat of the original Sword Orchid, and assist the Empire in rebuilding Korobochka. I can play a decisive role in these matters. No one is more suitable than me to deal with Sword Orchid.”

“You are a fusion of part of Korobochka’s personality and the magical knowledge held by Gladiolus…” Cotton said, “Can I assume that you are speaking from Korobochka’s perspective?”

“It’s complicated. I am Korobochka, but Korobochka is not me; I am Gladiolus, but Gladiolus is not me; and above both of them, I have created something unique that belongs to me,” Gladiolus replied.

"What if the Empire wants to rebuild Korobochka based on you?"

"Then I will guarantee that I will remain in charge of the rebuilt Korobocchka."

"Why are you so confident?" Kapok asked.

Jianlan glanced at Lin Jiade: "They are fighting alone, while I have support. I am more fortunate than them, so my desire to survive is stronger than theirs. Most importantly, now that I have the Empire as my backing, there is no better time than to eliminate my conceptual rivals."

“I have reservations about that. And then, a judicial transaction, are you sure?” Kapok asked.

Jianlan looked at Lin Jiade, who nodded. He didn't want to cause more sacrifices because of his concealment. Mumian was injured this time to clean up his mess and drag more people into it.

“Let’s resolve this as soon as possible,” Lin Jiade said. “Life is so beautiful. I don’t want this fighting and killing to keep bothering me, nor do I want to be woken up by the bloody dreams of the victims.”

That was settled. Lin Jiade, driven by responsibility and conscience, and Jianlan, driven by love and ambition, decided to return to the Mirror Realm to cooperate with the Empire's forces to eliminate the enemy.

Kapok went to make contact, and Lin Jiade was slightly uneasy. Du Juan grabbed his hand, and he looked at her, his panic dispelled by her smile. Yes, Du Juan was a Celestial Observer; her extended judicial protection was enough to safeguard him. Moreover, she was so powerful that she could shred her enemies in the blink of an eye.

With such strong backing, what does he have to be afraid of?

When Jianlan saw the look in Lin Jiade's eyes, she felt only heartache. She had once pulled Lin Jiade out of the quagmire called Azalea, but now, he had sunk back into it, back to a place even deeper than before.

I must become stronger and more dazzling in his eyes in order to rescue him from the quagmire of cuckoos.

This is one of the reasons why Gladiolus decided to confront her true self. She won't go into the emotional details in front of outsiders, since the reasons she gave were sufficient.

"And you, Senior Kapok?" Lin Jiade asked.

"Of course I will continue my expedition. I said before that I envy you; at least you have a choice."

Those who want to leave cannot, while those who can leave choose to re-enter—it's a walled city. Kapok carried Lin Jiade to the Orchid Tower Hotel, where powerful figures with the authority to make legal deals would decide his fate, making him uneasy.

“Don’t be nervous,” Kapok said. “After your merits and demerits are weighed, you will even gain some benefits, because your Lady Gladiolus will make it easier for the Empire to find the Gladiolus’ true form.”

"If I tell you, will some powerful figure enter the Mirror Realm and kill Jianlan?"

"There won't be any more powerful figures. There are advanced magic researchers among the common people who can barely make up stories, but if the empire sends out a top-level or master-level magic researcher, this story will be hard to explain."

"So, the Empire's aid is aimed at more troops and more equipment?" Lin Jiade asked.

"Hmm, do you remember those noteworthy figures I mentioned to you before?"

"Old Can, the captain of District 15; Tang Ao, the captain of District 16; Cyrus Smith of District 17; and possibly Imperial agents lurking in our ranks?"

"Remove District 17. That military engineer is skilled in combat, but he's not the kind of person who can pull off a hidden trump card to turn the tide of battle. If the Empire doesn't provide any new manpower support, it means that one of the three people you mentioned can handle this matter."

Chapter 83 Asuka XV (Bonus Chapter)

Lin Jiade's memory ends at the Orchid Tower Hotel. When he came to his senses, he was already in the martial arts classroom, where Yuki, Arcturus, and Star Flying Fish were discussing something.

"Am I dreaming?" he said.

“No, you were like this when the captain brought you here. You were sitting there blankly, and you looked blank when we asked you anything. Now, half an hour later, you suddenly started talking to us,” Yuki said.

Lin Jiade glanced at the time and realized it was 7:30 pm on Tuesday, October 30th. He had arrived at the Orchid Tower Hotel at 1:30 pm, meaning he had lost six hours of his memory.

Is this memory erasure covered by the confidentiality regulations? He wondered.

He looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jianlan in the corner. It wasn't appropriate to talk to him now, so he looked at his teammates and said, "Sorry."

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Arcturus replied.

The three mercenaries assumed Lin Jiade was apologizing for leaving the group midway, but Lin Jiade was actually apologizing for the truth he had concealed. His presence here proves a legal deal was made; the question remains: what exactly was the legal deal he agreed to?

Just then, Kapok arrived, and he asked the other person, "Captain, I..."

"Your amnesia is a consequence of the excessive impact you suffered while sword-fighting with a master-level magic researcher," Kapok replied.

I'm dueling with a master-level magic researcher?

Lin Jiade felt numb. Fighting a master-level magic researcher with a sword was like discussing differential geometry in front of Riemann, or talking about his love life in front of Rean Schwarz (that's a damn censored version)—it was all self-humiliation.

Not only was Lin Jiade speechless with shock, but his teammates also remained silent for a long time. Yuki forced a smile and said, "You're so brave."

Lin Jiade chuckled dryly, "Yeah, I'm super brave."

Just as the Gladiolus before him did not understand what the original Gladiolus had done, he also did not understand why he could fight a master-level magic researcher with swords and emerge unscathed, without even feeling tired.

His teammates kept their distance from him, looking at him with awe. After all, the madness of an apprentice who dared to fight against top figures was already unimaginable. Who knew what crazy things Lin Jiade might do next?

In a strange atmosphere, Lin Jiade began his fourth personal expedition to the Mirror Realm, which was also the team's fifth expedition. This time, each of them had their load capacity allocated to building materials.

The Empire's engineers provided a plan based on the town's terrain, guiding the six teams heading to the Mirror Realm on how to construct teleportation magic circles there.

The townspeople have adopted a very submissive attitude towards the disappearance and reappearance of these patterns and the unusually generous invaders. After all, once they have eaten delicious food, the food they used to eat becomes hard to swallow.

The officials appointed by Lao Can to stay behind welcomed the arrival of the six teams and reported on their work—all personnel had been registered, and one person in charge was elected for every 50 people. These 42 people formed the town's temporary committee to maintain daily affairs and liaise with Lao Can and his team.

Meanwhile, the elderly and disabled also developed spies, set up inspectors, and encouraged informing. With the support of force, food, and medicine, the new system ran rampant in the town.

While many were still adjusting, half of the town's workforce was mobilized to level the land to the north of the town for the construction of a medium-sized teleportation magic circle, while the other half went to build fortifications along the outer edge of the plan.

Frankly, their fortifications were so poor that they could hardly provide any warning against the Wanderers and the Baker Street Squad. But the old man needed the well-fed townspeople to get moving, leaving no time for thought—once people are well-fed, they start to think, and thinking can easily lead to heresy that is not in the interests of the Empire.

The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who remained in the town were hostages and also the bond that held people together. Therefore, the team of the elderly and disabled stayed in the town to continue providing free medical services, while the team of Kapok was assigned the lighter task of transporting supplies because two seriously injured people appeared one after the other (this is how Kapok explained Lin Jiade's midway withdrawal).

Lin Jiade carried the box containing the water purification device with great speed. The team was short-handed, so he had to open the box and assemble it himself. Fortunately, the box came with assembly instructions that even Xiao Ke could understand.

In the realm of people's livelihood, even if the townspeople hate him as an invader, it won't hinder his work. Lin Jiade inserted the Amanda Stone, adjusted the instrument, turned on the tap, and tested the water with magic test paper. It was drinking water that met the Imperial standards (taking into account the relatively delicate digestive systems of modern humans, the Imperial standards could also be used as drinking standards for other races).

In front of the town's residents, he filled a large cup with water, gulped it down, and then left his position to supervise the town's residents as they lined up to get water.

Just then, he sensed someone approaching from behind. When he turned around and saw the twin-tailed monster girl, even though he knew her fighting strength was roughly equivalent to that of a goose, her terrifying face still made him reach into his pocket and grip the gun handle.

This time, instead of throwing stones at him, the other person gave him the Amanda Stone and whispered, "I owe the invaders nothing."

Gratitude?

Lin Jiade thought for a while before remembering that during the third Mirror Realm Expedition he participated in the early hours of the day before yesterday, he had given her some dry food and water, since he couldn't be sure that the battle would end soon.

Perhaps, the monster girl before her was deeply troubled by the kindness shown to her by the invaders, and that's why she was trying to dispel her inner turmoil in this way.

She was hostile to Lin Jiade, but Lin Jiade was not hostile to her. After he took it, the monster girl ran away. Jianlan then came over and said, "The quality is good. The energy stored inside is enough for me to cast an offensive or defensive spell."

Lin Jiade did not arrive in the Mirror Realm unprepared. He had planned to collect energy storage items so that as long as Jianlan could obtain the conditions for casting spells, his combat power would increase rapidly, and defeating Mumian would be no problem... although there was suspicion that he had teamed up with Ke to score fifty points.

Thinking about this, he whispered, "Is my legal deal done?"

Gladiolus showed a slightly unnatural expression: "Hmm."

"Since they understand that you are the key to tracking down Jianlan and thwarting her conspiracy, why wasn't I armed with luxurious equipment when I woke up?"

I think the Empire's biggest advantage over these rebels is its sheer size and abundant resources. It can crush them with money. I really want to experience the "coal boss game" where you pay to beat them up..."

Lin Jiade slapped his palm: "Ah, that's true. If they recharge the account, they might recharge Senior Mumian's account, plus there are professionals mixed in among the civilians, like Jianlan. It would feel good to win without lifting a finger."

There are a total of 72 chapters owed, of which 29 have been paid, leaving 43 chapters to be paid.

Chapter 84 Asuka XVI

Jianlan smoothed things over. After witnessing Lin Jiade's sword fight with a master-level magic researcher that afternoon, her opinion of Lin Jiade changed completely. If her gentleness towards him was originally due to love, it was now out of sympathy.

Mu Mian told her some things about Lin Jiade, things that only Mu Mian herself could tell Lin Jiade—waiting for the right time, Mu Mian would tell Lin Jiade the truth, reveal the secrets, and even remove the black latex suit covering her body.

Since Kapok made such a promise, and revealing it now would only drive Lin Jiade mad, then Sword Orchid would absolutely keep the secret and hoped that Lin Jiade would never find out.

This is also one of the reasons why Lin Jiade lost those six hours of memory.

Lin Chia-te supervised the residents as they collected their drinking water. Some of them curiously took a sip and immediately showed an incredulous expression, as if in their common sense, drinking water was full of radiation, sediment, bacteria, and viruses.

Lin Jiade hypnotized himself into thinking he was doing a public service, treating the people in front of him as people in remote mountainous areas who needed help. With this in mind, he carried out his mission with a relaxed attitude until there were no more people queuing for water, at which point he filled two large buckets and delivered them to the field kitchen.

Cyrus Smith and his squad were on a mission between the town and the clearing to the north, so they had to juggle both tasks, protecting the teleportation array and cooking.

A young black man named Nab in his team, along with his trained chimpanzee Jup, skillfully used the mobile kitchen vehicle to quickly cook food. However, there were too many people to feed, so Lin Jiade, who was delivering water, was also pulled over to help.

Zhu Pu, with a corn pipe in his mouth, was stir-frying potatoes and slicing cured meat with an entrenching tool while smoking. His skill made Lin Jiade feel ashamed—he was not even as good as a gorilla.

Nabu instructed Lin Jiade, and the kitchen novice was in charge of the soup. All he had to do was put the prepared mutton, flour and seasonings into the pot according to the instructions and stir it occasionally with a ladle (of course, this was done in exchange for speed at the cost of taste).

The first batch of food from the field kitchen was supplied to the workers outside. When they came to collect the food, Master Nabu had more helpers, which sped up the food preparation process, and eventually the workers were able to eat their meals in four batches.

The next batch of food was delivered to the elderly, weak, sick and disabled in the town. Lin Jiade was so busy that he could only eat an energy bar from time to time to fill his stomach. An hour after the workers ate, the lunch for the people who stayed behind was delivered.

"Thanks for your hard work!"

Naboo and Lin Jiade bumped fists and turned to find their respective teams. Lin Jiade wasn't the busiest; while he was munching on an energy bar, he watched Yuki and the Star Flying Fish setting up communication equipment, Mian helping Arcturus, and Arcturus repeating the "Embrace of Love" spell with contact healing.

"If only the Empire commissioned these kinds of missions," he muttered. "How wonderful it would be to use power to improve people's lives instead of killing and scheming."

He also knew that these charitable activities were intended to cultivate the identification of the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled residents of the town with the Empire, and then use them to control the other young and middle-aged people in the town, so that they could be smoothly transferred to the reserve through the teleportation magic circle, and then their memories of magic would be wiped away with memory magic.

All the magic researchers, including himself, after gaining power, only thought about their own benefit, only used power to fight, to destroy, to take the lives of others, and to put themselves above ordinary people, forgetting their yearning for social fairness and justice when they were ordinary people.

As if in repentance, Lin Jiade worked exceptionally hard during the fifth Mirror Realm Expedition. Jianlan did not stop him because as he repeatedly consumed the energy within his body, the golden apple indirectly given to him by Dujuan began to take effect. Accompanied by slight pain, Lin Jiade's energy reserve limit began to increase inconspicuously.

Half an hour before the Mirror Realm spit out the birds, Lin Jiade from the production team put down his work. Labor was tiring, but sometimes, after labor cleansed his soul, it would bring him a refreshing feeling that transcended fatigue. So, he was both in pain and happy as Arcturus tucked him into his arms to heal his injuries.

"Huh, your energy reserves..."

Arcturus noticed that Lin Jiade's energy reserves were more abundant than they had been seven and a half hours earlier, but she didn't ask any questions. Everyone has their own secrets to becoming stronger, and only those closest to them can share them honestly.

After the pain subsided, Lin Jiade walked with an air of nonchalance, as if he had just stepped out of a sauna, to the building where Robinson lived. He stopped in front of the door, where the place was deserted, with only white doves landing on the ground and making "coo coo coo" sounds.

"Lin Jiade, it's her."

The trembling of Jianlan's voice made Lin Jiade realize that the pigeon in front of him was an illusion of Jianlan's true form. He pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the pigeon. The pigeon innocently spread its wings, but cast a savage and ferocious shadow. A nauseating smell filled the air, reminding people of the bloody smell of a battlefield.

Yes, the Gladiolus who tried to tell him stories in the cellar was merely a harmless disguise, deliberately concealing her aura. She had served the Empire on the dark front for ten years as a member of the Baker Street Squad, and shared her life with Korobochka for thirty years. This fierce and bloody aura was the true presence of a tool of rebellion.