Chapter 918: When Outside

“That’s it.” Dr. Jia raised an eyebrow and got into it, “I started studying the relationship between the Mist and the Heavenly Way long ago. I said before that the Mist has been encroaching, while the Heavenly Way retreats and endures, cleaning up the mess as it goes.”

“For example, when the Mist claimed a plot of land from the Heavenly Way, not only didn’t the Heavenly Way fight back, it rationalized it and covered it up, making sure that the shrinking isolated island would continue to function normally.”

Dr. Jia made an analogy. “Isn’t it just like the kind of wife who’s abused by her husband, but takes it and maintains the pretense of a loving family so as to not hinder her son’s college entrance exams?”

"What humiliation!" Nainai's fingers twitched, clearly fighting the urge to leap onto the boulder and strike a dramatic pose. "The day this Empress' divine power is unsealed is the day the Mist will be dispersed!"

Qing Ling ignored her, studying the desert with distant eyes. According to Dr. Jia, his laboratory lay somewhere in that wasteland. They'd move once the tourists cleared out. For now, they had to maintain their cover and wait for nightfall.

The sun sank faster than expected. Qing Ling nursed her water bottle while Nainai and Dr. Jia carried on their characteristically one-sided conversation on both parts. As evening descended, the hot wind cooled against their damp skin. Behind them, the Ni River stretched clear and quiet, dotted with blue ferries and white boats. Across the water, white houses fluctuated in height, their narrow streets alive with crowds and chatter.

Before them sprawled an endless tropical desert. The crimson sun hung low, bleeding red across the horizon. The colors shifted like a cosmic cocktail. Light gray bleeding into blue-gray, deep blue, brown, and finally black. Though sunsets looked similar everywhere, here in the desert's desolation it held a particular beauty, almost hypnotic enough to make them forget their purpose.

The wind lifted Qing Ling's hair. She closed her eyes for five seconds, and when they opened, Little Qing Ling looked out at the world. The older sister knew her younger self would appreciate this moment; she always loved it when the wind rose.

“A lone smoke rose above a vast desert, the round sun set below a long river.”

Little Qing Ling was suddenly reminded of the poem.

Nainai, struggling to find appropriately dramatic words for once, settled for taking photos instead. Meanwhile, Dr. Jia crushed his empty water bottle, squinting as he tried to recall his laboratory's exact location.

Night crept in. The tourists began their retreat from the stone hill.

"Let's go," Qing Ling said, taking control once more as she rose.

"Hmph, Green Snake, you're getting sloppy!" Nainai crossed her arms. "Five o'clock."

Qing Ling turned to find three men openly staring, elbowing each other. Catching her eye, they sauntered over.

"Pretty ladies, want to be friends?" The leader, sporting close-cropped hair, attempted a smooth smile. "Three of us, three of you—that's fate, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," his companions echoed.

"Not interested," Qing Ling's voice could have frozen the desert.

The leader faltered, then forced a laugh. "Aw, don't be shy."

His gaze shifted to Dr. Jia. "How about you, older sister? There's a nice bar nearby. Care for a nightcap?"

The short-haired man had long taken notice of the older woman who seemed to be a parental figure to the other two. She seemed like the bold sort and was still beautiful. She was obviously a player. It would be smart to start with her.

When Dr. Jia didn’t say anything, the short-haired man continued, “Don’t worry. We’re not the big bad wolves. We don’t eat people, haha.”

Amused, Dr. Jia opened his mouth, “Ha, I don’t think you can take me even if you want to.”

Nainai hadn’t adjusted his vocal cords.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The three young men were stunned. They thought they were hallucinating. Why would the voice of an old man come out of the mouth of this woman?

Pleased with the three men’s reaction, Dr. Jia slapped his thigh and propped himself up by his knees. Then, the two clumps of flesh on his chest dropped back to his belly—while Nainai had reinforced the change to her best, it wasn’t very effective.

The men gaped.

“Haha, boys should protect themselves outside. What if you run into a big bad wolf?” Dr. Jia grinned lecherously on purpose.

“Gah! Monster!”

“Help!”

“Holyshit!!”

The three men bolted. With a curl of her finger, Qing Ling sent a Black Gold dart to knock on the back of their heads in quick succession, knocking them out.

"I told you to shut up." Qing Ling's frown deepened, a headache building. She studied the unconscious men, weighing the risk of letting them live after what they'd witnessed.

Reading her thoughts, Dr. Jia kicked off his heels and pulled off his wig. "Leave it to me. I just comprehended Memory Tailor yesterday. Let me try it out."

At Qing Ling's nod, he crouched beside the short-haired man. "Haha, you met three gorillas in the desert. They chased you, trying to have their way with you. You ran until you had to jump into the river. The current carried you to shore where you passed out."

He glanced up. "How's that?"

Qing Ling nodded curtly, then turned to Nainai. "Take them across the river."

"What?!" Nainai bristled. "You want this Empress to handle such insects—"

Qing Ling's hand drifted to her blade hilt.

"Yes, ma'am! Right away, ma'am!"

...

Under cover of darkness, Nainai rode the wind, depositing the men on the far bank before rejoining Dr. Jia and Qing Ling in the desert.

After thirty minutes of searching, Dr. Jia pointed to a low hill. "Should be under there."

Qing Ling's eyes narrowed. "Should be?"

"I deliberately placed it ten kilometers from the Mist barrier." He shrugged. "If it's not here, the Mist must have claimed it."

Qing Ling turned to Nainai. "Turn big."

"What for?!" Nainai's voice pitched higher.

Qing Ling nodded at the dune. "Dig."

"How dare you! Asking this Empress to perform such menial labor! This Empress' mercy has limits! Woman, you're playing with fire!"

One minute later, a four-meter giant Nainai was digging on all fours like a dog, kicking up a dust storm that rivaled the desert wind.

Dr. Jia and Qing Ling watched from a nearby slope. Suddenly, Qing Ling spoke up.

"Help me, Dr. Jia."