Chapter 154: Esdeath’s Transformation — Mission Complete-Infinite Immortal(His given name was Qi, and his courtesy name was Fangyuan.)

"Still claiming you weren't looking? Such a hypocrite," Hong Meiling sidled up to him once more. "Go on, take the rest off. Why is a man's chest so solid and full of explosive power? That's one advantage you have over us."

"Not every man is as well-built as my Kaitian, and besides..."

Esdeath and Hong Meiling bantered about these delicate topics while efficiently stripping Qi down to absolute nothingness.

"Oh, my! What is this?" Hong Meiling asked in surprise.

"What... are you two doing?" Qi opened one eye—no, he widened both eyes in sheer disbelief. What on earth was going on here? Even his perfect brain briefly experienced a system crash. He had only stepped away for a moment, how did it come to this...?

"Just now..." Hong Meiling's eyes darted evasively, "a crab crawled inside your clothes, so we took them off to find it. We finally got it."

Could you possibly come up with a lazier lie? No, wait, Qi immediately willed a layer of opaque material to cover his body, blocking their line of sight entirely. "Esdeath, aside from Wave who got blasted away, the rest of your Jaegers have been practically wiped out. Are you still planning to return to the Imperial Capital?"

Obsessing over such details was the behavior of a fool. Smoothly glossing over it and changing the subject was the clever path to take.

"Of course. I will return and wait for your arrival. Only combat, war, and the battlefield are suited for me, and only there do I find the scent I love," Esdeath replied without a moment's hesitation.

"Then I can't just let you go back at will. You are staying right here until the Empire is destroyed," Qi stated firmly.

"Once I find my bearings, I can tame a flying Danger Beast. You can't stop me."

"Can't you fight Hong Meiling every single day here? Besides, she is even stronger than you. Does your pride only permit you to bully those weaker than yourself? Isn't continuous battle and growing stronger your ultimate pursuit?" Qi pierced straight to the core with his persuasive reprimand.

Esdeath paused, lowered her head in deep thought, and then burst into hearty laughter. "Being the strongest for so long had blinded me, making me forget that only the strong are true hunters. Since an existence stronger than me has appeared, it is only natural to lie low and train myself to become even stronger until I can hunt her down.

"I am grateful for your awakening call. As expected of my lover, we truly are a match made in heaven. Very well, until I defeat her and you, I will not return to the Empire. After all, we still have a wager between us."

Qi let out a sigh of relief and flashed a radiant smile. "I have no intention of losing."

"I have no idea what you two are talking about at all! But I'm starving. Good guy, didn't you say you'd cover my food and drinks? Let's go eat something," Meiling said, utterly bewildered, as she flicked her twin braids.

"Right, since I made a promise, I will keep it. I'll head into the forest in the middle of the island first to see if there's anything edible. You two can keep playing in the sea or have another bout if you like. Meiling, keep an eye on Esdeath for me and make sure she doesn't slip away."

Even though Esdeath had claimed she wouldn't leave, one could never be too cautious against potential threats.

"Meiling, just call me Meiling. Back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Lady Remilia, Sakuya, and even Lady Patchouli never call me by my name; they just call me China, even though they all know my name is Hong Meiling," she muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction and despondency.

"Don't worry, I won't leave. We'll come with you to take a look; otherwise, I'd worry that you might use the opportunity to abandon the two of us alone on this deserted island," Esdeath said with an elegant flick of her azure hair, offering a faint smile.

"I'm coming too! I'm coming too! Foraging sounds so fascinating," Meiling chimed in, raising her hand excitedly.

You've been guarding a gate for four or five hundred years, of course you find everything fascinating.

After thoroughly searching the island, the trio set up a bonfire by the shore alongside three crude little wooden huts.

"Wow, this is so good! Even though no special seasonings were added, it tastes even better than what Miss Sakuya makes," Meiling said, her eyes welling up with tears of pure bliss as she continuously shoved roasted Danger Beast meat—along with some unknown but non-toxic vegetables—into her mouth.

"Oh, Kaitian actually has this skill as well. I remember Bols once saying that to capture a lover's heart, you must first capture their stomach. Unfortunately, when I tried cooking a few dishes, I ended up freezing the entire meal solid. But this time, it seems you've successfully captured mine instead."

Esdeath made no attempt to hide the profound affection in her eyes, leaving Qi with a wry, helpless smile.

"Eat up and then go to sleep. I still need to head back and check on the situation. I wonder if they've finished their assassinations. Without you Jaegers around to block them, it should have been quite easy."

...

"Things went even smoother than we anticipated. Once the religious uprising of the Peaceful Faith begins, our plans can officially commence. Without any top-tier powerhouses left in the Imperial Capital, it is no longer a den of dragons and tigers. Even just the few of us could storm the imperial palace and cause a stir," Najenda said with a chuckle as she took a puff of her cigarette.

"Then we wait. However, there is one thing we must pay attention to: the young Emperor might still hold a trump card. Even after losing General Budou, he still sent Esdeath and Hong Meiling far away from the capital to pursue us. The most likely explanation is the legendary Supreme Teigu. I heard some rumors about it during the assassinations, so it shouldn't be false."

Qi had no desire to work this hard and make it all this far, only to stumble over a little brat at the critical moment. That would be far too frustrating.

"Even if it's the Supreme Teigu, with you plus that Hong Meiling you just sweet-talked over, you should be able to handle it, right? And with Esdeath's loyalty won over by your charm, she won't help them even if she doesn't help us," Mine said, pouting.

"Hiss, so sour! Did little Qi accidentally knock over a jar of vinegar?" Chelsy teased with a lollipop in her mouth, wearing a strange smile.

"Chelsy, I'm going to rip your mouth apart!" Mine instantly flew into a rage, and the two girls with the lowest physical stamina started chasing each other around the room.

Qi maintained a calm expression, serene as an old monk in meditation.

"Little Qi..." Sheele walked over.

That immediately broke his composure.

"Hahahaha, it's time to set off back to the base! Everything is ready, and we only lack the east wind. Once the Revolutionary Army reaches the gates of the Imperial Capital, we will overthrow this rotten empire in one fell swoop. After killing the Prime Minister, the people can return to a life of peace and joy." Najenda laughed as she stood up and took the lead.

...

"Esdeath?"

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you sleeping in your own room? What are you doing sneaking into mine?" Qi, who had just returned to keep an eye on these two most dangerous and powerful women, opened his eyes to find Esdeath slipping under his covers.

"Didn't we always sleep together before? What are you shy about?" The tall Esdeath pulled the fifteen-sixteen-year-old boy into her embrace, wearing an expression of pure bliss. "Before, there were blocks of ice between us, but now I can hold Kaitian tightly. It's so warm. By the way, I asked Bols what lovers are supposed to do. Let's have a baby."