The morning sun filtered through the dappled shadows of the trees onto Xiang Fan's dilapidated courtyard. A few fallen leaves twirled gently in the breeze. A pile of worn-out spare parts and mecha components in a corner swayed in the wind, making a soft metallic clang. The air was thick with the faint scent of motor oil, a stark contrast to the surrounding birdsong and the majestic, ethereal atmosphere of the distant Lingxiao Sect.
Xiang Su stood at the gate of the courtyard, straightened his back, patted his waist, and said with a firm face: "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious. Your father is in good health! Hurry and work, don't dilly-dally."
Xiang Fan stood at the door, his arms folded across his chest, his brow furrowed as he stared at his father's limping figure. He said helplessly, "Are you sure you're okay? The doctor told you yesterday that you needed to rest for a few days. Psychic backlash is no joke."
Xiang Su waved his hand dismissively, his tone revealing stubbornness: "Rest for nothing! How will we eat if we don't make money? Do we expect to rely on your pitiful spirit stones?" After saying that, he snorted, dragged his injured leg, and strode out of the yard. He even pretended to walk steadily, for fear that his son would notice any flaws.
Xiang Fan sighed helplessly, watching his father walk away, shook his head, and muttered softly: "You're being stubborn again... I've already told you that I can support myself." He picked up the rag on the ground and planned to go back to the house to tidy up the mecha cabin. However, just as he took a step, a light sound of footsteps was heard.
He was instinctively stunned, then his scalp went numb and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.
As expected, the gate gently opened, and a familiar figure stepped into the courtyard. Lu Qingli was dressed in a long white dress, the hem of her skirt fluttering gently in the breeze, her dark hair cascading like a waterfall, rising slightly, like a fairy in a painting. However, her expression held a sly smile, completely different from her usual cool and indifferent demeanor.
"Junior brother," she said softly, her tone slightly playful, "Shouldn't I explain it clearly to you today?"
Xiang Fan turned around and saw Lu Qingli standing at the gate with a smile on her face. He was suddenly startled: "Lu... Senior Sister Lu? What's the explanation?"
Lu Qingli narrowed her eyes, looked at him with a half-smile, and raised her eyebrows slightly: "Pretending to be stupid?" She crossed her arms and walked slowly into the courtyard. Her eyes swept around the courtyard and finally fell on the dilapidated mecha in the corner.
Xiang Fan followed her gaze and suddenly his scalp went numb. He immediately stood in front of the mecha: "Senior Sister, it's a nice day. How come you have time to come to my shabby place? Do you want some tea? Do you want some spiritual fruit? I don't have anything here, but I can pick some -"
"Oh?" Lu Qingli looked at his obvious panic, and the smile on her face deepened. "You're so nervous, does that mean there's some incredible secret hidden in this mecha?"
"No! Absolutely not! This is just an ordinary broken mecha that has been in disrepair for many years and will even fall apart on the battlefield!" Xiang Fan spread his hands and talked nonsense with a serious face, trying to get away with it with a firm look.
However, Lu Qingli didn't give him a chance to quibble. With a single step, she moved as lightly as a swallow, her sleeves fluttering as she landed steadily next to the mecha's cockpit. Xiang Fan's eyes widened, trying to stop her, but he was too late.
Lu Qingli held onto the hatch with one hand and leaped lightly into the cockpit. She pressed the start button casually, and the old mecha emitted a sharp hum. Years of accumulated dust in the cabin instantly scattered everywhere, causing her to frown slightly and wave her hand to clear it away.
Xiang Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed forward almost reflexively: "Senior Sister! Don't touch that!"
However, Lu Qingli had already skillfully activated the psychic network connection device. Runes emerged, and the core system of the mecha lit up with a faint blue light. Then, a crisp mechanical sound rang out in the cabin -
"Spirit Realm Battlefield connection successful. Legendary King, Zero, do you need to log in?"
The air instantly fell into dead silence.
Xiang Fan's steps abruptly stopped, his expression changing from terror, shock, helplessness, to utter despair in less than three seconds. He covered his face with one hand, took a deep breath, and internally roared in despair, "It's over! I can't wash myself clean even if I jump into the Yellow River!"
Lu Qingli slowly turned her head, her eyes full of smiles, like a cat playing with a mouse, the corners of her mouth slightly raised: "Legendary King, Zero... Junior Brother, how do you explain this?"
Xiang Fan: “…”
He stood there stiffly, feeling as if his whole body was about to break apart.
Lu Qingli leaned leisurely against the edge of the cockpit, tapping the mecha's hull lightly with her slender fingers. She looked at Xiang Fan with a half-smile: "Didn't you say this mecha was just scrap metal? How come it welcomes a legendary king?"
Lu Qingli crossed her arms, tilted her head slightly, and a meaningful smile hung on the corner of her mouth: "Explain it, Junior Brother Zero?"
Xiang Fan froze instantly, his eyes flickering, and his mouth opened and closed several times as if it was blocked: "I...I...I'm not..."
Lu Qingli raised an eyebrow, seeming to enjoy watching him struggle. "Not Zero? Oh, then what happened to that mecha just now? Was it the mecha shouting on its own?"
"Uh... maybe... maybe it's a system failure?" Xiang Fan tried desperately to think of an excuse, his fingers unconsciously twisting on the corner of his clothes, like a child caught doing something wrong.
"Really?" Lu Qingli dragged out her tone, feigning contemplation, her eyes seeming to see through him. "So, Ming Xuanzi's inner demon tribulation was also caused by a system malfunction?"
Xiang Fan: “…”
He finally gave up struggling, sighed deeply, and lowered his head like a deflated ball, muttering softly, "Alright, you win."
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