"Uh... long time no see."
Ai Qing raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. "Weren't you always in Xinhai? Mr. Liu DongLi, Astronomical Society Fourth Class Military Officer and Shadow Inspector."
Liu DongLi's smile became even stiffer.
His first thought was that Huai Shi had let something slip. However, her expression wasn't one of annoyance from someone who had been deceived for a long time and suddenly found out. Instead, she was as calm as if she had known from the beginning.
In a way, my job as a 'second fifth' seems like a bit of a failure, doesn't it?
He felt somewhat dejected.
"When did you start suspecting me?"
Ai Qing retorted indifferently, "You should be asking when I ever trusted you."
"Being too wary of others isn't a good thing."
Liu DongLi shook his head and sighed. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and took a couple of heavy drags. "Not everyone is out to get you."
"Most of them are, and that's enough."
Ai Qing calmly put away her weapon and extended her hand towards him. "Got any red tincture? White or yellow would do as well."
"I have them all. Just a moment."
Liu DongLi walked over listlessly. He bent down to check Ai Qing's arms and neck, frowning at her protruding veins. "How did you end up like this? An automatic skeleton? Are you insane? Don't you even know its side effects? If the electrical overload damages your central nervous system, you could be paralyzed for life!"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Ai Qing looked towards the distance and couldn't help but sigh softly. "If I've learned anything recently, it's that I can't always rely on others."
She said, "One must take matters into one's own hands, right?"
Her words seemed to ponder some truth, yet also carried a subtle irony, making Liu DongLi—the one who had shirked his responsibilities to play spy—feel a bit restless.
After a brief examination, he sprayed a white mist onto Ai Qing's wounds. This was the white tincture, an emergency medicine issued by the Astronomical Society for external injuries. It was followed by the yellow tincture for nerve coordination and the red tincture to prevent internal bleeding.
All three had a stimulant effect.
Visibly, Ai Qing's complexion improved considerably.
"We've been thoroughly played," Liu DongLi said, sitting beside her. He listened to the distant roar of battle and remarked softly, "The Social Security Bureau must have been prepared for this long ago, right? The upper echelons in Jinling probably caught wind of it too, yet not a hint leaked out. They clearly view those underlings fighting desperately as less than human."
"The Astronomical Society of today is long past what it used to be. You've been an Inspector for so long; surely you're not still one of those naive sweethearts you only see in anime, are you?"
Liu DongLi shrugged.
The current situation was clear. Who knows how many years ago Dongxia began guarding against anyone coveting Magic City. It seemed a mere information blockade would suffice. However, the reality was a covert vigilance and strict defense that had trapped many unsuspecting individuals.
Regardless of whether The Purified People's grand scheme had any chance of success, Dongxia itself had countless countermeasures hidden away, likely prepared in secret long ago.
Otherwise, how could the Kylin—ranked first in the Dongxia Genealogy and among the top Fifth Stage Sublimators worldwide—have appeared on the battlefield so quickly? According to internal intelligence, it was said they had already clashed fiercely over the East Sea with the Imperial Guard Hunting Legion, the personal forces of the Destructive Element·Ranch Owner.
They even seized an opening to build a direct highway to the Paradise of Bliss, clearly a long-planned blitzkrieg.
By now, both sides were probably engaged in a massive brawl in Hell. It wouldn't be surprising if the Ranch Owner himself decided to intervene this time.
Currently, Kylin·Fu Canlight, ranked first in the Genealogy, held sway over the overall situation. White Emperor's Son·Zhu Qingyu, ranked second, had broken into the Paradise of Bliss. Sky Destiny Xuan Bird, ranked fifth, was sweeping the battlefield, crushing those lunatics lurking in various cities one by one. It wouldn't be surprising if one of them suddenly appeared in Xinhai.
Even if other guardians were needed to defend the borders, Kua Fu, Di Ting, and Bai Ze—whose combat prowess was rumored to be even more formidable than the Kylin's—had yet to act.
They were as steady as an old hound.
After all, they were among the universally acknowledged top three of the world's six major Genealogies. If they were ruthless enough this time, even the Ranch Owner might find himself in a tight spot.
Dongxia Genealogy, Rome Genealogy, Egypt Genealogy, Russian Federation Genealogy, American Genealogy, India Genealogy...
Apart from the Abyss Genealogy, which had fragmented and fallen with the collapse of the former Utopia, the current Astronomical Society Five Constants virtually controlled all six of the world's recognized major Genealogies.
This was the source of the Five Constants' confidence.
The Dongxia Genealogy is a lineage inherited for thousands of years, continuing from several previous epochs to the present. It is considered long-lasting and flourishing, with numerous internal branches, and can even directly represent the nation.
Originating from the first dynasty of the primal epoch, the Egypt Genealogy has perpetuated its lineage through blood. It even directly rules the Two River Basin under the names of God Spirit incarnations, the patriarch, and the son of the God Spirit.
The Rome Genealogy and the Russian Federation Genealogy were products of the Stigma Genealogy—a behemoth that once controlled the entire West—after its split.
One branch took control of many Sublimation paths. It was based on the former Rome Genealogy and integrated the miracles of the Greek states, becoming today's Rome Genealogy. The other branch revered a void God and established the Orthodox Genealogy. It was further supplemented with various Mythological Source Texts, forming today's Russian Federation Genealogy.
The widely branching India Genealogy originally had the potential to break into the top three, even vying for first place. However, due to the lack of a strong leader to suppress internal divisions, it fractured into three.
For four hundred years, the Destructive Genealogy, Creatory Genealogy, and Maintaining Genealogy have been mired in ceaseless infighting and protracted civil war. Consequently, they have become the weakest among the six major Genealogies.
The American Genealogy, on the other hand, is the New Generation Stigmata Genealogy. It was formed after wandering outsiders and border creatures united with the Inca Genealogy. It is the most recent and weakest of the genealogies. Without the support of a living God Spirit, it would find it difficult to maintain its independence.
As for the Abyss Genealogy, once known as the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, it has long since declined.