On one side of the pedestrian street, inside a dessert shop with a rather cute and warm decor... a neatly dressed waiter gently placed the milk tea, ice cream cups, and various dessert cakes from the tray in his hand onto the table, then immediately moved far away...
"Don't you think villains always die because they talk too much? They're on the verge of success but always love to spout nonsense..."
"Dialogue is for fleshing out the characters! And from the villain's perspective, it's a form of triumph, as well as a chance to leave room for a plot twist..."
"Brother, you can't say that... that's too cliché, you have to think about innovation!" Li Xuan's finger tapped heavily on the table as he spoke with a serious expression.
"You could actually consider some new tropes, like the protagonist having the soul of an old grandpa helping him behind the scenes! Or picking up some kind of heavenly treasure..." Li Xuan suggested tropes that were already overused in his previous life.
"Even if you're drawing Homu, you could have a major plot twist... Homu's lover, Houmei, is suddenly discovered to be Homu's biological sister! That would definitely be a breath of fresh air!"
"Oh, oh, oh! That's so terrible!" The mangaka, Muyue Rendong, was shocked by Li Xuan's ideas. His eyes widened as he furiously jotted them down in his small notebook...
"Brother, you're a genius..." Muyue, seemingly very moved, reached out and tightly grasped Li Xuan's hand, saying excitedly...
"Not at all, not at all... I've just watched a lot of anime and read a lot of novels. This is all stuff we've seen standing on the shoulders of giants..." Li Xuan said, his eyes sharp as he looked at Muyue, a smile playing on his lips.
"What's the optimal time to steep instant noodles?!" Muyue Rendong suddenly asked.
"Four minutes!" Li Xuan said almost without thinking, a reflex. This question was like asking him his age... He was a man who could eat instant noodles for an entire summer vacation...
"My friend!" Muyue became even more excited.
"This cake is so delicious..." Yaoye, holding a plastic spoon, dug a large scoop from the golden cake and put it in her mouth. The sweetness on her tongue made her narrow her eyes... like a small cat basking contentedly in the sun.
"..." Yae Sakura picked up her matcha milk tea, her cherry-like lips holding the straw as she gently sipped the drink she had never had before... However, her gaze was currently fixed on Li Xuan and Muyue Rendong's tightly clasped hands...
"Ahem... that's about it..." Li Xuan had clearly noticed Yae Sakura's gaze. He coughed lightly and pulled his hand back from the excited otaku friend before him... He wasn't gay...
"Ah, buddy... I got too excited," Muyue Rendong said, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. His already handsome face became even more charming with the smile...
"It's fine, it's fine..." Li Xuan's mouth twitched. He was beginning to suspect that this new friend he'd made was actually gay... Lately, things around him had been getting suspiciously gay. What to do? Waiting online, it's urgent...
"Xuan-kun, your girlfriend is really beautiful..." Muyue Rendong raised his head and saw the smile that inadvertently appeared on Yae Sakura's face as she watched Li Xuan. He remarked with admiration, that smile was truly beautiful... It made one envious...
"Doesn't Rendong have a girlfriend?" Li Xuan chuckled, feeling a sense of pride at the compliment...
"No..." Muyue Rendong said shyly, "But, I like the mature older sister type...."
"Tsk tsk..." Li Xuan glanced at Muyue Rendong's pretty face and rather slender figure, easily coming to a conclusion... this friend of his was definitely a bottom...
"Where are you guys planning to go play later?" Muyue Rendong asked curiously, intending to tag along with his new friends. "I know an ACG merchandise shop and an internet cafe that are awesome..."
"Ahem... sorry, Rendong... we're going to the library later..." Li Xuan said apologetically after taking a sip of his milk tea. "I plan to look up some information..."
"Oh? What are you looking up?..." Muyue Rendong asked with great interest. "As a famous mangaka... I won't be easily defeated when it comes to history and culture..."
"Uh... this..." Li Xuan paused. Speaking of which... would it be a problem if he talked about investigating Jiuyou? Most people wouldn't know about it anyway...
"Actually, I want to find the location of 'Jiuyou' from the myths and legends..." Li Xuan shrugged. Muyue was Japanese, so he probably didn't even know what 'Jiuyou' was...
After the state sealed off information about the 'Honkai', the historical battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou, which had been passed down among the people, became nothing more than legend and myth... The truth had long been buried under layers of historical dust...
"Jiuyou, huh..." Muyue Rendong lowered his head, as if watching the ice cubes in his milk tea slowly melt... His slightly long bangs hid his expression...
"Jiuyou... I know about it..."
"Huh?!"
.........................
In a certain sea area... on a battleship bearing the 'Anti-Entropy' insignia...
"Lady Cocolia, as you predicted... the fish has taken the bait..." Adjutant Xiyue said, holding a document, to the woman with curly blonde hair standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Mm, then let my lovely 'daughter' begin..." Cocolia said with a slight smile.
"Yes..." Xiyue nodded obediently. She picked up another report and said with a wry smile, "Also, there's one more thing..."
"Hmm?"
"This morning, the cleaning staff... discovered that Lord Walter was missing... According to the ship's surveillance footage, it seems he secretly slipped away..."
"Sigh!~" Cocolia covered her smooth forehead in frustration. She muttered in a voice only she could hear, "A copy... is also so hard... to control..."
"Alright... don't worry about him, just proceed with the plan... He'll come back when he's tired of playing..."
"Yes…"
Sunlight streamed in through the ship's floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a tattered silk scroll, of which only half remained, casually placed on a wooden table. It reflected a dazzling white light in the warm sunlight...
(End of Chapter)