Chapter 110 - The Eccentric Bishop with Yin and Yang (3 more - s for full subscription)

Their eyes met—no sparks, no hostility, only a faint calmness."Hello, Lord Qiao Xing, my name is Lu Luo. It was Ms. Han Shiyu who sent me to learn swordsmanship from you." Qiao Xing nodded, pointing to the bench beside him. "Come in and have a seat." Qi Xinzhu was a bit surprised. According to Han Shiyu, the idea was to try every possible way to have Qiao Xing teach Lu Luo. She knew Qiao Xing’s rigidity and thought she would need to expend some effort to convince him before establishing some connection between Lu Luo and Qiao Xing. Unexpectedly, Qiao Xing didn’t show any impatience towards them, which made things a bit smoother than anticipated. "Alright, Lord Qiao Xing." Lu Luo was much quicker to react than Qi Xinzhu. He promptly sat down on the bench, smiling cheerfully at Qiao Xing, waiting for the renowned figure to speak. Qiao Xing pointed at the Li Ming Emblem. "Why are you looking at me? Didn’t you come here to pray?" Lu Luo was stunned. Qi Xinzhu was also stunned. Pray? How could someone like Lu Luo pray? It was questionable whether he could even finish the first page of the holy scripture. But Qi Xinzhu had clearly underestimated Lu Luo’s determination to learn advanced Martial Arts. To acquire the Church’s complete Holy Radiance Cross Swordsmanship, a prayer was nothing. If you’re willing to teach, even doing a handstand while taking a dump is fine by me... Lu Luo sat on the bench with a look of utter devotion, feet together, hands clasped, head bowed, eyes closed, and began to pray. The Holy Light shines upon the earth, and those bathed in its radiance shall always receive the blessings of dawn. "The Holy Light shines upon the earth, and those bathed in its radiance shall always receive the blessings of dawn..." Lu Luo couldn’t recite the holy scripture from memory, but he had the Observer. Isn’t reciting just a matter of speaking? Qi Xinzhu, standing aside, was astonished; Lu Luo had actually memorized the holy scripture. Did he memorize it knowing he would come here to train? Unexpectedly, this guy is quite diligent. However, Qiao Xing remained indifferent to Lu Luo’s performance. Only after Lu Luo had finished reciting a standard prayer did Qiao Xing give his assessment. "So hypocritical it feels genuine. If Li Ming were still alive, he’d probably be moved to tears by you." Lu Luo looked bewilderingly at Qiao Xing. Could this really be the Archbishop of the East Ring? I am not alone in my ways! "Ah, Lord Qiao Xing, you’re too kind. It’s not a big deal; just being serious is enough." "If you think my previous comment was praise, then let’s call it praise." What? This man is so overbearing! No, I’ve finally made it here. Stay calm. Lu Luo thought. Qi Xinzhu also tried to defend Lu Luo. "Lord Qiao Xing, Lu Luo is actually a good person, a trustworthy partner. He’s just unfamiliar with the Church, which is why he speaks like that." Qiao Xing’s sharp tongue wasn’t a single-target attack but an area-of-effect one. As soon as Qi Xinzhu spoke up, she entered Qiao Xing’s attack range. "Saintess, do you understand him then?" "My understanding of Lu Luo? Of course. We’ve been outside the walls together and fought side by side." "So, Saintess, to what extent do you understand your companion? Do you know his depths and lengths?" Lu Luo was already dumbfounded. Is this man really the Archbishop of the East Ring? "Depths and lengths? Well, I guess I do!" Qi Xinzhu didn’t quite grasp Qiao Xing’s meaning. "Depths and lengths" are typically used to describe strengths and weaknesses. They had fought side by side, which, to her, counted as understanding. Lu Luo was sharp-tongued, but he still had many strengths. Having spent ten days in close company with him, she had a sufficient understanding of Lu Luo’s combat abilities and various other strengths. Qiao Xing paused, giving Qi Xinzhu another look. Still a Saintess, and still a virgin, yet she’s lying. "I’m afraid, Saintess, that you’ve misunderstood my intent. It seems you don’t have a thorough understanding of your companion." Lu Luo, standing to the side, was already aghast. Qiao Xing, can you please stop talking? Are you sure you’re a member of the Church? "Uh, Lord Qiao Xing, I feel that there is a certain rapport between Qi Xinzhu and me. After all, we’ve fought side by side; we are comrades-in-arms." Seeing Lu Luo call her a comrade-in-arms, Qi Xinzhu felt a strange happiness bloom inside her. "See, Lord Qiao Xing, even Lu Luo thinks so. We are not just companions but comrades-in-arms, the close kind." "Ah, poor Han Shiyu. If she heard that this is what you call a comrade-in-arms, that woman would probably cry out of frustration," Qiao Xing continued his venomous comments. "Uh, Lord Qiao Xing..." Qi Xinzhu lowered her head; she wasn’t foolish. Han Shiyu had already hinted multiple times for her to get close to Lu Luo, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Qiao Xing looked at Qi Xinzhu calmly, seemingly dissatisfied with her reaction. "Saintess, purity shouldn’t mean naivety. You need to grow up faster. The Inner Ring has protected you too much. Hasn’t Han Shiyu taught you how to understand this world?" How to understand this world? Indeed, Han Shiyu had discussed this question with Qi Xinzhu more than once. Han Shiyu’s opinion was that being with Lu Luo would allow her to truly understand this world. But could she really tell Qiao Xing that answer? With Lu Luo also here, blurting it out would be so embarrassing! Just as the prayer room fell into silence and none of the three spoke, Qiao Xiao Mi’s clear voice came from the doorway. "Daddy! Daddy! I brought you an umbrella." A five-to-six-year-old child darted in. "Xiao Mi, slow down." Bai Yuetong followed behind Xiao Mi. Upon hearing his daughter’s voice, Qiao Xing’s expressionless face finally showed a hint of a smile. He walked to the doorway and immediately picked up Qiao Xiao Mi, who was rushing towards him. "Xiao Mi is so good, solving a big problem for Daddy!" In truth, with Qiao Xing’s abilities, he had no need for an umbrella. It was just his wife, Li Lan, who knew Qiao Xiao Mi wanted to see her father, so she always used the excuse of rain. "Of course! I am Daddy’s good helper," Qiao Xiao Mi said proudly, beaming from Qiao Xing’s praise. In her mother’s words, Daddy Qiao Xing was a very powerful man, their family’s pride. Although Qiao Xiao Mi didn’t know exactly what made her daddy so powerful, it didn’t stop her from admiring him. And Qiao Xiao Mi knew that their family was particularly poor, much poorer than her deskmate Wang Xiaohua’s family. Even so, in Qiao Xiao Mi’s world, Daddy was the greatest man. Bai Yuetong, following behind Qiao Xiao Mi, looked at the affectionate father and daughter with an envious expression. "Miss Bai Yuetong has also come." "Lord Qiao Xing, hello. I had nothing much to do during the day, so I came along with Xiao Mi," she said. At that moment, Qi Xinzhu and Lu Luo also came out from inside, and their eyes met. The Church’s Qi Xinzhu! The Council’s Bai Yuetong! This was just the rivalry between the women. When Lu Luo saw Bai Yuetong, the atmosphere turned instantly awkward. Isn’t this the woman he had fought last night? Bai Yuetong... that name sounds familiar. Isn’t she related to Qiao Xing? It’s over! I assaulted Qiao Xing’s relative; there goes learning swordsmanship! The woman who made your Mechanical Arm is named Bai Yuetong. You two have communicated over the phone, but it’s unclear if she’s the same person as the one before you. Bai Yuetong naturally noticed Lu Luo as well. Compared to him, her expression was far more complicated: surprise, embarrassment, and a great deal of dissatisfaction and indignation! However, the two had an unspoken understanding; neither mentioned last night’s incident. Qiao Xing held his daughter and glanced over the three people, who were now looking at each other. "You haven’t had lunch yet, have you?" Lu Luo, Bai Yuetong, and Qi Xinzhu all hurriedly nodded. "Yes, we haven’t eaten yet." Qiao Xing also nodded. "Well, I didn’t bring your lunch, so just watch me eat." Lu Luo, Bai Yuetong, Qi Xinzhu: ??? Lu Luo nudged Qi Xinzhu next to him and quietly asked, "Has Lord Qiao Xing always spoken in this... unique tone?" "Uh, probably." "Fair enough." The three of them obediently watched Qiao Xing eat. He would occasionally feed Qiao Xiao Mi a bite, but otherwise, there was no other conversation or action from anyone. But none of the three left. Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu wanted Qiao Xing to teach them swordsmanship. And Bai Yuetong wanted to have a deep conversation with Lu Luo. Even though Lu Luo had embarrassed her with a punch last night, compared to her vision for construct technology, it was a minor matter. Not to mention, if Lu Luo’s previously mentioned jet-powered omni-directional mobility gear could be realized, it would be a significant advance in construct technology. Since he had to chat with Qiao Xiao Mi, Qiao Xing ate slowly, seemingly intentionally leaving the three of them waiting. "Alright, I’ve finished eating. Xiao Mi, next time, could you secretly tell Mom that her cooking is too salty, alright?" "Sure, I’ve actually been wanting to say that for a while." After a few laughs, that afternoon, the trio simply played with Qiao Xiao Mi, doing practically nothing else. Bai Yuetong and Qi Xinzhu, because of their status, were somewhat reserved, but Lu Luo was different. Although he initially played with Qiao Xiao Mi only to get closer to Qiao Xing, after a while, he actually began to immerse himself perfectly in the fun. Just like a King-ranked player blending perfectly among Silvers. After playing games like eagle catching chicks and hide-and-seek with Qiao Xiao Mi, Bai Yuetong, and Qi Xinzhu, he also told her a few mythological stories. Both Bai Yuetong and Qi Xinzhu started looking at Lu Luo differently. "Is this guy really good with children? Has he had kids before?" they whispered. They weren’t the only two. Even the usually cold Qiao Xing, seeing his daughter’s pure smile, looked at Lu Luo with a trace of warmth in his eyes. His logic was simple: perhaps Lu Luo did have an ulterior motive, but at least he showed sincerity. Compared to those arrogant and rude reserve members of the Four Knights Group who only touted their family names, Lu Luo was at least willing to genuinely play with Qiao Xiao Mi, and they both clearly enjoyed it. It was getting late, and the afternoon swordsmanship lesson was about to start. Lu Luo clapped his hands to get Qiao Xiao Mi’s attention. "Xiao Mi, big brother is going to learn from your dad soon. Shall we play again next time, okay?" Qiao Xiao Mi looked at Lu Luo reluctantly, then at Qiao Xing, and nodded with a mix of sadness and mature understanding. "Alright then, I’m off!" "Go ahead, Miss Bai. Thank you for your trouble," Qiao Xing said to Bai Yuetong. At that moment, Bai Yuetong actually didn’t want to leave, but she couldn’t refuse such a request from Qiao Xing. "Alright, Lord Qiao Xing, I’ll take Xiao Mi back then." "Be careful on the road." As Bai Yuetong turned to leave, she gave Lu Luo a pointed look, but Lu Luo kept his gaze fixed ahead, pretending not to notice. Qiao Xing led Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu back to the swordsmanship instruction area. Lu Yang, who had been watching in their direction, was staring at Lu Luo, who was walking behind Qiao Xing. It really is Lu Luo! How is that possible? And he’s so close to Lord Qiao Xing! No, I must find a chance to ask him. Qiao Xing stood before the lectern in the swordsmanship instruction area. Just as he was about to speak, a dull roar suddenly echoed from the sky. BOOM! The already overcast sky became even darker. The changing weather made Qiao Xing pause and look up at the sky. In the Wasteland, rain was hardly unexpected. Qiao Xing wasn’t worried about the Transcendents in front of him, who seemed to have only muscles for brains. He was worried about his daughter, who had just left. She had given him her umbrella, so now she was without one. He wasn’t afraid of getting wet, but Qiao Xiao Mi was. While Qiao Xing was worrying about Qiao Xiao Mi, Bai Yuetong looked up at the gloomy sky, her face full of pleasant surprise. This rain was a timely blessing! She pulled Qiao Xiao Mi back into the instruction area. "Xiao Mi, it’s about to rain. Why don’t we go back to your dad?" Qiao Xiao Mi was tempted but hesitant. "Dad said that the instruction area is a special zone of the Church, and we are not allowed to stay here during class sessions. He is the Archbishop; he should adhere strictly to that rule." Bai Yuetong tilted her head, pondering for a moment. "Although that’s what he said, we don’t have an umbrella now. Getting caught in this rain could cause mutation, which is very dangerous." "Yes, Miss Yuetong is right. It’s too dangerous to go back now. Let’s go find Dad!" After figuring this out, Qiao Xiao Mi ran off like the wind towards the inner part of the precinct. By now, it had started to pour, and heavily at that. Qiao Xing was still staring blankly at the sky, showing no intention of going indoors. Some of the students in the swordsmanship class chose to remain standing, using powers like Holy Light, Dark Energy, or Qi He to shield themselves from the rain. Others simply retreated under the eaves, seeking shelter as a matter of course. Only Lu Luo, with a mournful expression but joy in his heart, hurriedly and secretly absorbed some rainwater, trying to restore as much energy as possible. "Dad! Dad! Why are you getting soaked in the rain? It’s a terrible thing; it can cause mutations! If you become a monster, then I won’t have a Dad! Boo hoo hoo!" Qiao Xiao Mi, who had sprinted back, hugged a pillar under the eaves, crying as she yelled out to Qiao Xing. Only then did Qiao Xing snap back to reality. He looked at Qiao Xiao Mi and couldn’t help but chuckle. The other students also wanted to laugh, but they didn’t dare. Moreover, what Qiao Xing said next sent shivers down many of their spines. Qiao Xing waved at his daughter. "Dad is very strong, so Dad isn’t afraid of the rain." "Really?" "Really," Qiao Xing nodded. ROAR! His smile vanished. Qiao Xing turned his head to look at the swordsmanship students sheltering under the eaves and said indifferently, "You all can go back. Don’t bother coming tomorrow." This statement struck the students like a bolt from the blue. Many were bewildered, some ashamed, but most were incredulous. "Lord Qiao Xing, I am..." "I don’t care who you are. Get out! Now!" The face of the student who had spoken turned pale, then flushed. He wanted to say something defiant, but remembering Qiao Xing’s reputation, he didn’t dare. In the end, this group of students who had sought shelter under the eaves was eliminated by Qiao Xing’s single sentence. Lu Luo watched the departing crowd, many of whom were members of the Four Knights Group, and felt a slight shock. The selection... it’s already begun?