Love Travels through Time (My father who traveled through time and space to cultivate immortality came back to pick me up) - Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Side Story—Modern Chapter (Part 3)
After retrieving the case files from the police station, Qu Yue received a phone call saying an emergency mission had suddenly come up, so she parted ways with Xiang Haikui.
This was merely a pretext, of course. Qu Yue accompanying them on this trip served only as a guide to familiarize Xiang Haikui with the Special Department personnel’s field operations.
As for “solving the case,” Qu Yue had no intention of helping.
Even though Xiang Haikui was a top talent whom the Minister was eagerly trying to recruit, she still needed to prove her capability to the rest of the team.
And as a seasoned corporate worker, Xiang Haikui understood this principle all too well.
She also knew that Qu Yue certainly hadn’t left, instead hiding nearby with that bizarre husband of hers to observe her progress in secret—ready to step in and save the day should she make a major mistake or cause any trouble.
In the police station’s conference room, Xiang Haikui flipped through the case file.
“This isn’t just an opportunity for you to make up for your misdeeds through service, but also my very first mission after joining the Special Department. We absolutely cannot screw this up.”
Sitting to her left, Yin Changli asked with a smile.
“How does it look?”
“Not great.”
Xiang Haikui read through it carefully twice.
“The scene of the incident was at an outdoor hot spring pool halfway up a mountain. A guest in one of the pools suddenly melted away, like ice cream under a blazing sun…”
Thinking that Yin Changli might not know what ice cream was, she changed her metaphor, “Just like tossing a piece of candy into boiling water. The temperature of the hot spring water didn’t change at all, and according to the Special Department’s testing at the scene, there wasn’t a single trace of residual spiritual energy fluctuation either—which is why it was classified as the work of a Shadowless Beast.”
Yin Changli nodded.
Xiang Haikui closed the case file and stood up.
“Armchair quarterbacking is meaningless. Let’s head to the scene. Where in the world could a ‘Shadowless Beast’ come from anyway? Didn’t you say it before? Even if something is a consciousness body, so long as it exists, there will surely be a trail left behind. The reason it can’t be detected is simply because we don’t have the corresponding perception for it yet.”
This indicated that the Shadowless Beast was not a creature native to Earth.
Appearing in several cities at the same time also suggested that these invading creatures arrived in a group, hailing from the exact same race.
As long as they figured out their characteristics from a single one, the rest would have nowhere to hide.
Relying on Yin Changli’s vault of knowledge, it shouldn’t be much of a problem—otherwise Qu Song wouldn’t have handed it over to the two of them to handle.
Yin Changli nodded once more, pressing his palms against the tabletop before standing up.
The police station assigned a car to escort the two “Celestial Masters” to the scene of the crime.
On the way, Xiang Haikui was continuously recalling all the strange species she had ever encountered.
Yin Changli, on the other hand, turned his head to gaze out the window.
Whenever Xiang Haikui pulled herself out of her thoughts to question Yin Changli, he could always turn his eyes back a step ahead of time, meeting her gaze to listen to her question.
Yet Xiang Haikui still noticed that when Yin Changli gazed out the window, he wasn’t admiring the modern city—he was lost in a daze.
Because in the split second he turned back to look at her, the worry in his eyes couldn’t be dispersed in time.
Xiang Haikui understood—he was worried about Bai Xingxian.
Time on Earth and time in that world were not synchronized; one year on Earth equaled twenty years over there.
This short car ride right now was enough for a fierce battle between the Shanhai Clan and the Celestial Clan to take place over there.
…
After arriving at the hot spring resort, Xiang Haikui circled around the troubled pool several times.
The pool was outdoors, the water still the same pool of water from the time of the incident, exuding not a single trace of bloody odor.
There were no surveillance cameras around the pool, but there were eyewitnesses who clearly stated that the guests soaking in the water at the time rapidly melted away like ice men, fusing with the hot spring water in the pool.
Yin Changli pulled up the hem of his robe, squatted down by the edge of the pool, gathered energy at his fingertips, and reached his hand into the water.
As if sensing something, his brows knit together slightly.
“Stop right there.”
Xiang Haikui saw that he had made a discovery and halted him.
“What’s wrong?”
Yin Changli paused his movement, looking up at her.
“Don’t worry about this matter, and don’t help out when we fight later either.”
Xiang Haikui gestured for him to withdraw his hand from the pool and stand to the side to stay cool, saying with utter solemnity, “The leaders of the Special Department are surely evaluating me right now. Please allow me to enjoy this moment of glory all to myself.”
Yin Changli’s brows knit even deeper.
Xiang Haikui raised one eyebrow.
“What, do you think I can’t handle it on my own?”
Yin Changli shook his head.
“Of course not. I’m thinking about the reason behind your sudden ‘arrogance.’ ”
Xiang Haikui usually disliked using her brain—him investigating the cause while her taking action was what made sense logically.
“This is my future job. I can’t bring you along every time I go out to work, so right from the start, I have to adapt to this rule.”
Xiang Haikui winked at him.
“Just like back then when you brought me to your world, gave me intensive training, and kicked me down into the hyena’s den without a shred of mercy, forcing me to adapt to the rules of your world.”
“Women truly do love bringing up old scores,” Yin Changli pinched the bridge of his nose.
He understood clearly in his heart—it was surely the emotions he had let slip when he suddenly thought of Bai Xingxian during the car ride that she had sensed.
In the near future, Yin Changli would inevitably have to run back and forth between the two worlds. She was afraid that after he returned to the Shanhai Clan, he would worry about her just like he worried about Little Bai, so she figured it was better to put his mind at ease right from the beginning.
Yin Changli felt she was overthinking it.
Bai Xingxian was like his child; no matter how old he grew, parents would always worry about whether their child had the capability to handle difficulties.
As for Xiang Haikui’s “strength,” he understood and respected it; he wouldn’t worry excessively about her safety, only miss her excessively.
And missing someone had no cure other than meeting again—no matter how she proved herself right now, it was to no avail.
Yin Changli didn’t argue with her, obediently getting up to stand to the side, offering only a single reminder.
“Little Kui, this thing isn’t easy to deal with.”
“Not easy to deal with just means it can be dealt with.”
Xiang Haikui mimicked his posture, squatting down to reach her hand inside, probing with spiritual energy—yet probing out nothing at all.
She opened her sword case once more and unsheathed Tian kuang.
Piercing the tip of Tian kuang into the water yielded no sensation either.
“Mm.”
Xiang Haikui felt a bit of a headache coming on.
…
Just as Xiang Haikui had guessed, Qu Yue hadn’t left.
Having arrived a step ahead, she had installed an “eye” near the pool.
This eye was currently staring at Xiang Haikui’s every move, transmitting it back to the Special Department’s headquarters in real-time.
A crowd of high-ranking officials watched the screen without blinking an eye.
The Shadowless Beast was indeed a disaster; not being able to figure out what species it was made everyone very curious, for one.
Secondly, their curiosity regarding Xiang Haikui was even stronger.
This girl who had been abducted to the alternate world a year ago and turned the alternate world upside down—just how exceptionally intelligent and peerlessly formidable was she?
They then saw Xiang Haikui draw Tian kuang back, raising her middle finger toward the pool of water.
“Coming to our place to commit evil, do you have any understanding of our civilization? Do you know what this gesture means?”
“Don’t get it? Let me explain it to you…”
“What kind of hero hides around in the shadows? If you’ve got the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one! No, come out and see how I single-handedly wipe out your whole nest!”
Evolving step-by-step from somewhat civilized to a shrew hurling abuse on the street, the group of high-ranking officials listened until the corners of their mouths twitched uncontrollably.
Is she planning to anger the Shadowless Beast into revealing itself voluntarily?
A powerhouse who had just exited secluded cultivation and was receiving the civilization of modern society from all angles chuckled.
“The alternate world Miss Xiang was abducted to—could it be called Zu’an?”
…
It seemed poking its anger was of no use.
Xiang Haikui shot Yin Changli a meaningful look.
Yin Changli was caught somewhat between tears and laughter.
What she meant was: “It seems this race isn’t as powerful as your Shanhai Clan; they can endure quite a bit. Otherwise, if it were your Shanhai Clan, being pointed at the nose and cursed at for so long, you would have shot out like a firecracker long ago.”
Fortunately, her verbal barrage skill was merely intended to progress step-by-step.
Xiang Haikui’s speech rate gradually slowed down.
“Hmm? Can you understand my words? If you get it, turn up a splash of water?”
She stared at the water surface without blinking, her lips curving into a contemptuous arc.
Recalling in her mind was the image of Emperor Jing Ran.
As part of the Celestial Clan, considering himself an exalted race, looking down upon any other species.
“So, for a race like you that can’t even comprehend the human language, what kind of lowly existence are you in these vast Three Thousand Realms?”
Xiang Haikui spoke unhurriedly, imitating the intense sense of superiority in Jing Ran’s expression vividly and impeccably—even that mocking, pitying tone was carved as if from the exact same mold.
So much so that even Yin Changli was lost in a daze for a split second, faintly recalling his past embarrassment when he was suppressed by the Emperor, hiding all over the place like a stray dog.
Promptly lowering his eyes, he stared intently at the pool water, a black orb of light condensing at his fingertips.
A ripple surfaced on the pool water—it truly couldn’t hold its temper anymore.
A mist of water flew from the pool straight toward Xiang Haikui.
Xiang Haikui unsheathed her sword almost simultaneously, yet didn’t slash toward the mist. Instead, with a flick of her sword tip, surging sword aura scooped up the soil from the surrounding flowerbeds, sweeping it around herself to construct an earthen shield.
Yin Changli turned his head slightly, looking toward the distant hidden “eye”.
“These ‘Shadowless Beasts’ are actually single-element creatures. The one in this pool is a water element; any water, it can merge into and possess.”
A human body also contains water, so it could merge into a human body, consume the person, and turn back into water to return to the pool. Thus, it looked as though the victims had melted away.
Once it merged into the element, forcing it out was exceptionally difficult.
Yin Changli had a method and knew Xiang Haikui could think of one as well, yet the method Xiang Haikui used was one even he hadn’t thought of.
…
“An unknown species—once its traits are understood, I can take on a hundred of them by myself.”
Leaving the cleanup work to other personnel in the Special Department, Xiang Haikui and Yin Changli left the hot spring pool, walking side-by-side down the mountain since they had nothing else to do.
“Mm.”
Yin Changli echoed with a smile.
“In a bit, the Special Department will find a way to use the corpse of this water element beast to lure the element beasts from other areas here, then activate the city’s security array to catch the turtles in a jar.”
Halfway down the mountain, with the scenery of the entire city in full view, Xiang Haikui lamented, “Shortly, a fierce battle will take place in this city.”
When the fight broke out then, it would certainly be impossible to hide from the citizens, “However, once it’s over, the security array will emit a hypnotic spiritual energy wave, completely erasing this piece of ‘fantasy experience’ from their minds.”
Xiang Haikui patted her head, muttering whether she too had experienced fantasy events when she lived on Earth before, only to be hypnotized afterward and forget all about it.
“Mm.”
Yin Changli nodded once more.
“What’s wrong with you?” Xiang Haikui had been talking chatterbox-style all the way, clearly sensing that Yin Changli was entirely out of it.
“Ever since coming out of the bathhouse, you’ve been putting on a forced smile. Were you hurt just now?”
That shouldn’t be; Xiang Haikui had kept an eye on him the entire time while fighting.
Still, she pulled up his arm to inspect his condition.
“I’m fine.”
Yin Changli shook his head, lowering his eyelashes as he looked down at the city.
“I was merely thinking—shortly, you will fight bloody battles for them, yet they will not remember. In many people’s memories, you will even remain a wanted fugitive, a lunatic who pushed her beloved senior off a cliff just because her confession failed…”
“What does that matter?” Xiang Haikui waved her hand, not bothering to think about this question at all.
Wait, no, this doesn’t sound like something Yin Changli would ponder over either.
“Does it not matter…” Yin Changli’s tone carried no waves, yet a smile remained hanging at the corners of his lips.
Xiang Haikui could tell—it was a fake smile.
Was he angry?
Why was he angry?
Xiang Haikui carefully recalled what she had said, which sentence had offended him.
Oh, she got it!
He had heavily emphasized “beloved senior,” yet she had offered no reaction.
Moreover, he minded that in everyone’s memory, she would always exist as a lunatic who harbored an unrequited crush on Jing Ran.
Just as Xiang Haikui was about to roll her eyes, laughing at him for being overly dramatic, she felt something was still off—his mood seemed to have been somewhat off even before this.
Connecting it to Jing Ran, Xiang Haikui experienced a sudden epiphany.
“You’re jealous.”
Her smile instantly took on a hint of teasing as she balled up a fist and lightly tapped his shoulder.
“My imitation of Jing Ran’s aloofness was too spot-on, so you’re jealous.”
The fake smile on Yin Changli’s face gradually faded as he nodded seriously.
“Yes.”
It was indeed far too spot-on.
Even if this kind of aloof, high-and-mighty posture was something Xiang Haikui despised, she could still imitate it without a hair’s breadth of difference.
One could well imagine just how clear this first love remained in her mind.
“For someone so good at reading human minds, how did you suddenly turn so foolish?”
For the first time in front of him, Xiang Haikui felt a sense of intellectual superiority, giving him a side-eye.
“You should be happy instead.”
“Oh? How so…” Yin Changli adopted a posture ready to hear her quibble.
“For a long time before, he was blurry in my mind.”
Xiang Haikui crossed her arms, tilting her head down slightly.
She felt there was a self-defense mechanism inside her body that actively worked to forget people or things that would bring her pain.
“But now, I can recall him at will, and he grows clearer and clearer—which proves he can’t affect me anymore…”
Yin Changli was slightly dazed. Feeling suddenly enlightened as if awakened from a dream, his expression softened somewhat.
“Fine, I shall tentatively believe you.”
“What do you mean ‘tentatively believe’?” Xiang Haikui felt a bit annoyed, stopping in her tracks and turning to point behind them.
“Do you know? My home is in that direction.”
She cast a spell, transforming her sword aura into a little bird that traversed half the city and landed atop a dilapidated tenement building.
Yin Changli’s divine sense descended alongside that little bird.
“I lived there from the time I was born. The house was rented, and after my parents passed away and I was sent to the orphanage, the house became a haunted house with terrible Feng Shui. The landlord put it up for sale at a low price, but it took a long time to sell…”
Xiang Haikui’s voice lowered, “After growing up, I would often walk over there, lingering at the door for a while to solidify my goal—to work hard, make plenty of money, and one day buy that house.”
What was a haunted house in other people’s eyes held the happiest period of her life.
“Little Kui…”
The jealousy piled up in Yin Changli’s chest vanished entirely, leaving him with only thoughts of how to comfort her.
“Minister Song has already transferred a sum of money to my bank card—my pay for joining the Special Department.”
Xiang Haikui drew a large circle with her hand.
“Though he said the pay wasn’t high, it’s enough to buy that entire street.”
Yin Changli reached out his hand, placing it on her shoulder and patting it gently.
“Yet you probably don’t want to buy it now. There’s no point—it would be better donated to the orphanage.”
The word “father” was something she currently wanted to evade.
As long as she didn’t think about it, she wouldn’t have to ponder whether Xiang Heng would choose her or Xiang Tianqing at a moment of life and death.
He understood now.
Xiang Haikui was using this example to show that she truly didn’t care about Jing Ran at all anymore.
Only when this thorn was pulled out from her heart could she imitate him so accurately.
Realizing he had indeed acted foolishly, Yin Changli inevitably felt self-reproach for causing her to recall those unresolvable matters just to draw a comparison.
Yet there was no need for apologies; his girl wasn’t that fragile. Taking her hand on his own initiative, he continued walking forward.
“Then let’s buy a high-rise apartment to live in.”
“What high-rise apartment? So unknowledgeable—around here, living in a low-rise detached villa is what makes you rich.”
Xiang Haikui walked forward alongside him.
“And then?” Yin Changli guided her to plan for the future, throwing that bad mood behind her as quickly as possible.
“Didn’t Qu Yue mention it? Jing Ran’s disappearance can’t be explained smoothly, so it’s best if I go live in another city. Let’s see how capable the Special Department is and whether they can transfer me to another school. I want to finish university—after all, I put in a lot of effort to pass the entrance exams, and I’m someone who likes to finish what I start.”
Lacking the support of Tian kuang’s sword aura, the spiritual bird shattered with a boom, scattering a sheet of gloom that enveloped the old house.
Xiang Haikui looked down at the neon lights gradually lighting up below the mountain. A thin layer of mist rose in their surroundings—the vibrant warmth of the mortal world, bustling and noisy, yet soothing to the human heart.
(T/N:finalllllyyyyyyy…huhu…this novel is complete…)
