Chapter 318 Watching Fireworks on a Boat

At night, a lone boat rests in the middle of a lake. The lights on the boat are bright, and the silhouettes of the people sitting around are reflected on the bamboo curtains, while steaming smoke drifts out of the window.

“Is the food I cook really that bad…?”

Ji Huaisu lay on the table with lifeless eyes. Everyone around him turned their heads away, unable to utter a word of comfort.

As soon as Chu Hengkong opened his mouth, a puff of black smoke came out like a demon. He quickly closed his mouth and said in a soothing voice: "Don't say anything, eat the pot first."

"I don't believe it! This time I failed because of my lack of experience. I'll practice more--"

"No way." "Give up." "Please don't." "It would be better if you never go into the kitchen again." "Don't ask me to taste your food."

Miss Ji was pierced through the heart by the uniformly coordinated verbal blades, falling to the ground like snow-white ash. Fander sang loudly, "Brothers and sisters, bear witness! An evil soul has been annihilated here!"

"I'll scald you to the bottom of the pot, stinky squid."

"I told you you're evil, but you still don't believe me. Oh! It's so tight!"

Vander scrambled across the table, dodging Ji Huaisu's long chopsticks, maneuvering between dishes of sugar and jam. A large cauldron of chocolate was boiling in the middle of the table, and slices of various fruits and vegetables were piled high, like colorful ice bricks.

While chocolate fondue might sound like a dark culinary experience, it's actually a traditional Feiyan specialty. Local gardeners have ingeniously cultivated a variety of fruits and vegetables that are perfect for dipping in sugar. These "Feiyan fruits" are bland when eaten dry, but when paired with syrupy chocolate or other ingredients, they create a texture similar to potato chips and sugary oil, making them a must-try.

"If you eat it frozen, it's like high-quality sashimi..." Sai Silun froze a plate of thin fruit slices. "When you put them in the pot, they make a 'boom' sound. The little animals love it."

Qingxia put the fruit slices into the pot. The smoke rising from the confluence of cold and hot water fixed on the top of the pot and turned into a short-lived ice sculpture.

"Oh, this is fun!"

"Your control over the water element has improved. You've made progress." Ji Huaisu praised.

Sai Silun touched his head and smiled innocently: "I am also practicing... a little bit at a time, to control myself now..."

Fander grabbed a piece of fruit peel and chattered, "Last time, Qingxia was away, and this time, I don't know where Shizhong has gone. Every time we have hot pot, there are never all the people together."

"Shaxx wasn't here twice..."

"Next time we meet, just invite him along."

"Who knows when we'll get together next time?" Qing Ye swirled his wine glass. "Let's ignore those who are absent. The most important thing is for everyone present to have fun~"

The lights reflected in the lake, their shadows swirling in the evening breeze. She sat by the window, gazing out at the nightscape, feeling a sense of leisure and contentment. They were all eating at leisure, as the fireworks display wasn't due to begin for another hour. They'd grabbed the best seats early, waiting to enjoy the view from the lakeside after their meal and drinks.

This kind of good time without anyone rushing you is the essence of the holiday, where you can enjoy chatting or playing games.

"It sounds like we're all going to go our separate ways." Chu Hengkong smiled.

"That's the reality, right? Gulibo and Saislun will stay in the city-state, and the others have their own goals. Once this matter is over, everyone will separate again." Qingye said, "Only the three of you, Mr. Chu, will stay together."

"Not necessarily." Ji Huaisu said lazily, "I still have an important mission to carry out. Maybe one day I'll discover an ancient knight's legacy and fly over there in a flash."

"Your important mission doesn't seem to be making much progress." Qingxia poked her face. "It's still the same as when you left."

"Take your claws away, it's annoying." Ji Huaisu rolled his eyes. "I'm different from you Guiyi barbarians. When we Knights reach level 4, we have to bind the wind element outside our bodies..."

"Isn't it...turning the body into wind?" Sai Silun was stunned. "Free Wind, it's all elemental."

The Supreme Path Sephiroth 4, the Free Wind, can be called the most free Sephiroth in the world. Its unique characteristic is that it can become a gust of wind that can travel between dust islands. This group of people can move much more easily than the neighboring roads. No need for cars or wings, they can just go wherever they want. During the few months at the amusement park, Sethren had hosted several Free Wind guests, all of whom were colorful elementals. He had never seen a single one with a physical body.

"That's the general situation, but my profession is special. It emphasizes self-discipline. I'm a pure elemental body, so what's the point of discipline if I can't control myself?" Ji Huaisu sighed, "So if you want to level up to level 4, you have to seal your power in your mount and use it when you need it. Either find a mount that matches your needs, or start from scratch and create elemental creatures yourself."

"I always thought that the path of us Canxin people was very torturous, but I didn't expect that Sister Huaisu was no less miserable." Qingye ate melon.

"That's right! Why do I have to have a mount? I've never ridden a horse since my debut, and now I'm suddenly talking about wanting an animal companion that imbues me with my power. What's the big deal?" Ji Huaisu complained bitterly. "Besides, I'm too powerful. Even if a level 3 or 4 beast is willing to be my mount, it can't handle it!"

"Considering that you've become even stronger after your transformation, the physical fitness of this Sealed Wind mount might have to be close to level five..." Finder's eyes looked strange. "Are you interested in asking the big seal if he wants to work for you?"

"The store manager wouldn't be a mount. He'd get tired after running 500 meters."

"Rather than hoping for a divine horse to drop from the sky and sign a contract with me, it's more practical to make it myself..." Ji Huaisu took a big sip of chocolate, "But I don't know biology. Biology is so difficult..."

Chu Hengkong recalled the large number of animal illustrations the girl had bought and realized that Ji Huaisu had been preparing for his transformation. It seemed that Orlek's words had come true. Ji Huaisu was extremely powerful at the Sephiroth 3 stage, but his strength made it difficult for him to transform.

"I think we should change our thinking," Chu Hengkong said. "The strange beasts in the book are far away, but there are specimens worth studying right next to you."

"What are you researching? You? I'm so amused by your ridiculous body parts. What reference value do they have?"

"Study the one across from you."

"?"

Ji Huaisu looked up blankly. The red-haired lady opposite the table puffed out her chest and looked up, looking energetic, with a face full of "Look at me, look at me".

Qing Ye reacted: "Ah, so this guy is..."

"Always at the peak of fighting spirit! First-rate adaptability! And an extremely strong ability to evolve!" Qingxia covered her face with her hands, "I, Qingxia, am the perfect creature who can always reach the highest point!"

"Fuck, even though she's a bit cocky, it's true..." Ji Huaisu exclaimed, "Theoretically, they can even learn the Discipline Seal on their own! The compatibility is super high!"

Qing Xia put her hands on her hips and said, "Whatever, if you come to me now and beg me, I don't mind sharing some of your biological information~"

"Oh, little Qingxia, we've been through so many life and death situations together, why are you talking so strangely..." Ji Huaisu flexed his claws and pounced on her, "Give me these photos if they're important!"

"Oh, you dared to approach me instead of retreating?"

Three seconds later, Inspector Ji was pinned to the ground with a thud, and Qingxia was lying on her back, whistling.

"He fell down in just three seconds. What a loser."

"Get out of my way, you're so heavy..."

"What's wrong with her that she wants to compete in arm wrestling with Cheng Kongyi?" Vander squinted.

Chu Hengkong gloated: "Someone seems to have always had an unrealistic imagination about her arm strength. Maybe it's an illusion from her previous arm wrestling victory."

"Fuck you, you're so petty! I won once and you still remember it!"

Ji Huaisu suddenly turned over and clashed with Qingxia, their golden and red fur rolling around in the cabin. Qingye was afraid of being infected by the weak intelligence field and quickly looked away: "But is this really feasible? If I copy Qingxia's words, there will be a risk of information pollution."

"Copying it directly won't work. It's always possible to ask Qingxia to modify it," said Fan De. "Have Ji Huaisu collect more of the biological information he wants as material, and simulate it for Qingxia to run a design. Then she can make some personal adjustments based on the technique."

The two women who were playing around stopped when they heard this. Qingxia blinked and said, "Fander, you seem to be very experienced..."

"How many times do you think I've collaborated across disciplines when writing papers? I'm an expert, so you can just listen to me."

"Then Ji Huaisu, you can only pay with your body."

"Hey! Go away, Se Ma. When you level up, I'll give you some relics."

"Pick and poke~"

Chu Hengkong moved aside to avoid being caught in the tumbling of the two people. He looked at Qingye: "How are you?"

"At this stage, I haven't honed everything to perfection yet. I plan to upgrade to level 4 later." Qingye slurped his noodles. "After reaching level 4, I'll leave Huilong City and join the Moon Watching Tour. When I reach level 5, I'll return to Shura Island."

Chu Hengkong smiled and said, "You are going to attack the general directly. You are ambitious."

He was well aware of Qingye's talent and determination. She was a once-in-a-millennium genius, had inherited Ye Xing's legacy, and had even comprehended Chongming's Huangtian Flow. After ascending to Sephiroth Level 5, this girl could definitely fight a Sephiroth Level 6 general. Qingye said she wouldn't return to the island until she reached Sephiroth Level 5, so she was probably going to make a big move once she returned to Shura Island.

"If we can't even defeat a general, it's nonsense to think we can change Shura Island." Qing Ye wiped his mouth. "For matters at the Martial Honor level, the head of the family will take action. If we can't even change the situation below the Martial Honor level, how can we have the face to go home?"

"Good! Xiaoye, you really are courageous!" Qingxia gave a thumbs up, "But aren't you going to the Heavenly Prison?"

"We have to take care of Shura Island before we can go to the Heavenly Prison," said Fander. "The fact that we were able to fight our way out of the wilderness is because I gave you all the time. But the upper level is their territory, and they won't let us off easily.

"It won't just be a few of us fighting, but the entire righteous alliance will be out in force. But to resist the enemy, we must first stabilize the country! With Shura Island, which is plagued by internal strife, in the rear, how can we spare the energy to attack the Heavenly Prison?"

Ji Huaisu applauded: "Master Fan, that's brilliant."

"Tall ass! Chu Hengkong can see it clearly, but you guys are too lazy to use your brains to tell me." Fander sighed, "When are we going to hire a real staff officer? I'm a writer and I don't want to use my brains..."

"You don't have a brain either." Chu Hengkong reminded.

"I have no brains, but I'm still explaining the situation to you. Where are your brains?"

Fander was furious and ate three large pieces of melon rind. Gulibo quickly picked up his plate and said, "Don't take my food!"

"Gulibo...what about you?" Sai Silun was curious. "Will you also...travel in the future?"

"That one trip was enough for me!" Gulibo jumped up in shock. "I'm going to continue studying for certification in Jingsha. I passed the first-level gardener exam last week. After two more years of preparation, I'll take the special-level exam."

"This guy said something amazing without making a big deal out of it."

"Once I pass the special exam, my salary will definitely increase!" Gulibo said with anticipation. "After that, I'll just work honestly in the bookstore. I won't ever go to... that crappy place again!"

"Oh, really?" Vander squinted.

"After all, Gulibo doesn't have much fighting power. He shouldn't be unlucky enough to be dragged into this again... right?" Ji Huaisu said hesitantly.

"Why are you using such an uncertain tone? I definitely won't do that!"

At this time, the voices of the crowd outside the boat were heard, and a faint light was seen in the sky. Everyone looked at their watches and realized that an hour had passed without them noticing.

They hurried out of the cabin, just in time to see dazzling fireworks burst into the night sky, petal-like streams of fire illuminating everyone's eyes. The laughter died down at this moment, and everyone quietly gazed at this peaceful beauty.

"It's great." Qingye whispered, "Looking throughout the Shendong world, there's no other place where we can have fun without worries."

"This is the unique Jingsha." Ji Huaisu stretched lazily, "It's worth coming here once~"

Qingxia brought out the wine bottle and everyone poured themselves a glass, leaving behind a lingering firework in the air. As she handed Chu Hengkong his glass, she suddenly asked, "Chu Hengkong, what are you going to do after you find the person you're looking for?"

Everyone looked curiously at this man who went with the flow. Chu Hengkong looked at his wine glass and smiled when he heard the words.

"In life, there are only a few things we should do: cultivate ourselves, regulate our families, govern our country, and bring peace to the world."

"I am in good health, and am in no hurry to start a family, nor do I intend to govern the country. I will wait until my personal affairs are settled..."

He drank the wine in his cup in one gulp: "Why not go and pacify this world!"

(End of this chapter)