Qiluo always feels that Burning Steel City is like a super large floor heater. The cold steel that builds the city is constantly generating heat due to people's activities. The melting ice and snow around the city rumbles into steam and rises up. Soon, it turns into snowflakes and falls due to the severe cold at high altitude, just like the bunker of a fighting race in a fantasy work. The life here reminded her of her hometown in the northern part of the empire, where it was cold outside in winter and the house was as warm as summer. Everyone wore cool clothes and chatted in front of the TV. From time to time they shouted that the floor heating was too hot. There were only a few martial arts practitioners. Only then did I dare to go out of the house and build up strength in the snow.
However, Burning Steel City is much more beautiful than the rustic northern countryside. The most indispensable thing here is the majestic mixed steel and stone buildings. A series of long-standing large sloping tent-style spiers stand under the sky in the city center. The red brick and white painted exterior walls are outlined with religious relief paintings in extremely meticulous brushstrokes. The interior decoration of the building is so luxurious that it is almost trivial. The decorative paintings on the walls are inlaid with gem-carved eyes. The wealth gathered by force fills every corner of this city, but there is little sense of showing off like a nouveau riche, and people admire the local prosperity.
"I always feel that this city is super 'powerful'..." Qiluo muttered on the bed, "Alandia will think that this place is rich, right?"
"The nobles of the kingdom always despise the style of Hezhong, but in my opinion there is no essential difference between the two sides." Alandia answered casually. She was writing and drawing at the table, "They are all about showing off wealth and history. between elegance and vulgarity.”
"I'm going to make a fortune in a tacky way first." Qiluo clicked on the screen, "Stop it! The total income has reached 70 million kri!"
You can also place bets off-site on casino games, but you will be charged a large commission by the organizer. Qiluo rubbed her hands happily, thinking about what to do with this huge sum of money, when she turned around and saw a flash of blue light in the room. The tightly wrapped Huanyue Zun brought two large boxes of ore into the house and was quickly taking off his clothes.
"Oh my god, the temperature difference, I'm going to catch a cold sooner or later if I stay in this crappy place for too long!" Rei Shigure struggled to pull off his cotton hat.
"Did you really go dig cold steel with your own hands?"
"Otherwise, I want you to run errands for me as a little girl?" Shigurei grabbed two cups and hesitated whether he should drink hot or cold drinks, "Alandia, what are you drawing?"
"A sketch of your telepathic weapon." Alandia said casually, "I made 317 design ideas based on your fighting habits. You can pick one you like and we will slowly refine it."
Shigurei held the cup blankly and grinned: "...I didn't tell you that I wanted to be armed, right?"
"Yes."
"It's okay, I shouldn't ask this stupid question, thank you." She took a sip of water, "These materials..."
The Dawn Knight glanced at the ore: "It's enough to make another set of military uniforms for Miss Qin, but I don't think she wants to wear extra armor."
Shigure Rei nodded silently, opened his mouth several times without knowing what to say, and finally asked: "Where are those two idiots?"
"I am enjoying the luxurious and luxurious upper-class life in Burning Steel City." Qiluo pretended to be sour, "The head of the family took his childhood sweetheart to lively and debauched, leaving us to guard the empty room in the hotel! If I were you, Rei Shigure, I wouldn't watch it. Go over there and let’s go play some pranks!”
Rei Shigure banged her head: "You know, girls who interfere with other people's love will be kicked by horses. Stop being an idol and change your career. You're jealous. You'll know it all the time."
Qiluo glanced at the situation over there through her mobile phone and rolled on the bed: "Ugh! I'm so sore!"
·
In the Gray Rabbit Restaurant high above the city center, Gongsun Ce was overlooking the night view of Burning Steel City.
This reservation-only restaurant has a mesmerizing panoramic glass skylight. From the tables and chairs, you can have a panoramic view of whether it is the red dome of the cathedral or the white walls of the city hall building. When Gongsun Ce came across this store on the software, he thought that the eldest lady would definitely like it, because in addition to the beautiful view, it also has a unique decoration. Oil paintings with rabbits as the protagonists are hung on the walls, and the gray rabbits in the paintings are Either wearing a military uniform or a formal dress, the serious rabbit face makes people laugh.
As long as customers can ignore the numbers on the bill, the store is a pleasant place to be. Generally speaking, to dine here, you have to go in advance to get a seat, so Gongsun Ce asked the male eldest lady in the casino for a little help.
"No problem, dear~" the male eldest sister bowed her head as she spoke, "You are the VIPs of the casino. If you want to have dinner at the president's house, we can help you."
Gongsun Ce was shocked: "You just brag about the mayor, and now he's the president?"
"Master Champion is their good friend. Isn't that why you are here?" The male eldest sister winked, "I wish you a good date. Remember to change your clothes and don't dress stupidly in casual clothes."
The eldest lady didn't like to book a seat alone, so Gongsun Ce simply asked for a seat with a good view. Nowadays, his dress is straight and his hair is waxed. He is looking down at the street scene with a glass of pre-dinner wine in one hand, feeling very satisfied that he has become a high-class person. He took a sip of wine and said elegantly: "How do you feel, Miss?"
"The meat pie is delicious." Qin Qianbai worked hard on the pork pie on the plate with a knife and a fork.
"Is that it?"
The eldest lady forked a piece of shrimp to taste, and said happily: "The shrimp is not bad."
"There's no upper-class romantic atmosphere at all!"
Gongsun Ce quickly put down his wine glass and went to grab the can of braised shrimps without any pretense. Otherwise, he would probably lose his share of this small can that was like a work of art in three seconds.
Today they are all ordering famous dishes from the North, including deep-fried shrimps stewed in sweet and sour sauce, mixed vegetable soup with the essence of various vegetables, and a variety of exquisite cold cuts and breads. Each dish contains the necessary calories for living in extremely cold places. The main dish is a pork patty mixed with bread, onions and garlic. Pan-fry until both sides are browned and you can see the transparent juice when you serve it. The aroma of the mixture of starch and refined meat seeps into your mouth as you chew, making people scream. Enjoyable.
Gongsun Ce's mouth was full of oil after eating: "It's really good. Can we make this stuff at home?"
"The principle is very simple. If you add less spices and ingredients, you can reproduce 70% of the taste." Qin Qianbai put down the knife and fork gracefully and wiped his mouth, "It's a great restaurant. Why did Ace think of this kind of restaurant?" Is there a place?”
On weekdays, the two of them go out to eat at either fast food restaurants, food stalls or canteens, or small restaurants with local specialties, but they rarely go to such high-end restaurants. Gongsun Ce scratched his chin and said seriously: "I realize that I have never had a serious relationship with you even after we have been dating for so long, so I plan to take the opportunity to be romantic."
"Ace, please wipe off the oil on your lips first before you get romantic." The eldest lady snickered.
Gongsun Ce quickly wiped his mouth: "No kidding, I feel bad for you if you don't eat something good after being beaten for two days. You can eat without worry and I will ask them to add another portion. This is not enough."
Qin Qianbai hummed happily, picked up the knife and fork and ate it happily. The well-trained waiters removed the empty plates and replaced them with new dishes. Gongsun Ce put down the tableware halfway through the meal and looked at the girl at the opposite table with his face raised.
"What's wrong?"
"Remembering things from the past." Gongsun Ce smiled, "Miss, do you remember that you were short of money when you first entered high school?"
"Ah..." Qin Qianbai muttered awkwardly.
That was when I was in my first year of high school. Before leaving, Mr. Qin made a special trip to the city to investigate the average living expenses of high school students in Cangdu, and allocated an amount of 500 to his granddaughter based on the average. It stands to reason that the old man's survey data is correct, and the extra 500 yuan will be enough for the young lady to eat and drink well, but Qin Qianbai was embarrassed to say that all the furniture and clothes in the house were bought with money borrowed from the gray-haired neighbor...
As a result, Miss Qin lost most of her living expenses by repaying the loan in installments, and the rest was barely enough for three meals a day. But this girl always has an unshakable lifestyle habit. She has tea in the afternoon and supper in the evening. So Qin Qianbai went to the canteen to buy the cheapest Dorayaki, cut it in half, and ate half of it in the afternoon and half of it in the evening to meet his basic needs. At that time, there was a night self-study for the first year of high school. Gongsun Ce was doing his homework there when he heard the clicking noise next to him. He turned around and saw his deskmate holding half a piece of snack with cherished expressions and nibbling on it. He laughed until his stomach hurt on the spot. He would think of this every time he watched Qin Qianbai eat, so he found it very interesting every time.
"Ace, you were still laughing at that time." Qin Qianbai said angrily, "The whole class turned to look at me!"
"I brought you some snacks to apologize to you the next day, okay? Besides, you're not a bystander and you can't imagine how interesting that scene was." Gongsun Ce couldn't stop laughing, "I thought at the time, wow, this girl is so cute. She has been in high school for three years. Studying by yourself at night is a lot of fun.”
"Actually, evening self-study is only compulsory in the first semester. After the first year of high school, it was announced that evening self-study would be canceled under the strong protest of Caldesia."
"Shiyu-kun was working as her follower at that time, handing out leaflets everywhere, with a gloomy face like a cold-faced killer, which scared the Chinese teacher in the class." Gongsun Ce said fondly, "Time flies so fast, in the blink of an eye. We will be a freshman soon."
"We are sophomores, Ace." Qin Qianbai corrected, "College started a week and a half ago."
"It's okay. This trip is to help the principal and get A+ in all subjects!" Gongsun Ce stretched, "I kind of want to go back to the past..."
"Why?"
"Looking back now, I think you were really interesting when you first came here, and I also think I was hopelessly stupid at that time. If I had untied my knot earlier, I would have fallen in love with you a long time ago, right?" Gongsun Ce Said, "In that case, we might be able to fall in love for more than three years. During the day, we would play with our classmates at school and do the course exercises, and at night we would go back to the small apartment to live together. You would wake me up every morning Tell me that Ce is going to school and don’t stay in bed. After I get up, I can help you comb your hair and eat the breakfast you made for me. We will ride bicycles together to welcome a new day... I feel very longing when I think about it, like those Everyday life in the anime is the same.”
Qin Qianbai said expressionlessly: "Look, you see, this is an expression of helplessness. Such a beautiful three years of high school was missed by a big tree. Now there are no childhood sweethearts of the cold-faced high school students, only the childhood sweethearts of the violent and arrogant college students."
"My childhood sweetheart emphasized it twice!"
"Although Sister Maho has known you longer, I am undoubtedly the better in terms of the total time we spend together day and night." Qin Qianbai raised his face proudly, "Isn't it a pity that Ace missed the high school love story?"
"Not at all, you are much cuter now than before." Gongsun Ce said without changing his expression, "That eldest lady who holds back many secrets and doesn't want to tell them is very tiring to get along with. If you are not careful, you will have to worry about stepping on a minefield."
"The same thing applies to Ace. The minefield is three times as big as mine."
"Everyone was an idiot back then..." Gongsun Ce shrugged, "Now that there are not so many twists and turns, I can speak directly. I would rather you lose than get seriously injured, which will make me sad."
"I always speak my mind." Qin Qianbai nodded, "I don't want to lose even if I'm bruised and bruised, and I don't want to lose even if all the bones in my body are broken. That's my character."
"Is winning or losing so important?"
Qin Qianbai's answer was beyond his expectation.
"Winning or losing is not important at all." Qin Qianbai said, "Whether you win or lose, a simple fight cannot produce value and has no corresponding meaning. Only in rare cases can the winner improve his martial arts. But more often than not, what the winner can get is satisfaction, fame, cheers... those are all vain things."
Gongsun Ce scratched his head and sighed: "Even so...?"
"Even so, I want to win."
What he saw was a completely different expression from four years ago. With a mirage-like illusion, a steely stubbornness, but a smile as bright as the spring sunshine.
"Even if it seems like a vain pursuit to others, to me it is a value worth striving for."
"There's really nothing I can do against you." Gongsun Ce shrugged and raised his glass, "Then, I wish you victory in the semi-finals tomorrow!"
"Thank you~"
·
The next day, Cold Steel Arena, Lounge No. 3.
Beretta Ron is dancing with a sword. The swift sword with a simple bowl-shaped gauntlet cut out a path as bright as water, and the silver-white slashes like a violent wind filled the rest room with water, making it a literal death place if you were to get too close.
The maid Fam stood in front of the door holding a towel. She is a short-haired woman with an average build, wearing a purple swordsman uniform and a crystal earring in her right ear. She waited until Beretta sheathed her sword, then stepped forward and said, "It starts in half an hour. You really should rest."
"I'm very nervous. I'm worried that I'll be killed instantly by Flash Snake." Beretta closed her eyes. She said she was confident in front of other opponents yesterday, but in fact she didn't feel confident at all.
"I will help you predict the future——"
"Let me fight by myself this time." Beretta waved her hand, "Qin Qianbai's 'coach' is an extremely scary man. If he goes off to help me, I have no chance of winning."
"Then you want to use the impermanence method?" Fam worriedly asked, "Going all out in the eighth game? You won't be able to survive the rest of the games."
"If you can't defeat Qin Qianbai, there will be no follow-up." Beretta smiled, "Just wish me well."
Fam sighed and stepped forward to kiss her lips.
"Don't think too much about family matters. I wish you good luck in martial arts."
"It's great, now I'm not nervous."
The female swordsman put on a feather hat for herself and walked out of the lounge. She found Qin Qianbai in the box on the second floor. The warriors of the empire were watching an informal fight to warm up. A guy dressed as an aristocrat was fighting against five biochemical lions.
"There are still 23 minutes until the duel." Beretta looked at her watch, "Would you like to chat?"
"Please say."
They chatted briefly and then returned to the lounge. The informal fight ended, and the nobleman was bitten by the lion and ended up with bruises all over his body. Warm-up performances, analysis to encourage betting, introductions of both players, and hot cheerleading girl performances. Then at the last minute, Gongsun Ce stood in front of the lounge and patted the girl on the shoulder.
"Don't lose, miss. Keep winning!"
"Yeah. After this fight, let the casino host change his nickname. The current one is so ugly."
"I think it's pretty good..."
Counting down to 30 seconds, the host’s hoarse shouts echoed in the casino.
"'Competitors from both sides enter!"
"Anyone who dares to get close to me will be instantly killed by Flash Snake! Who else can force her to show her true abilities besides Lord Coldsteel War Beast? The rookie from the imperial capital, 'Snake Lady' Qin Qianbai!"
"Swordsmanship is an art more beautiful than dance! This person engraved this sentence into the hearts of the audience with his extremely fast sword cuts! Another rare female player in the casino, the 'Divine Light Swordsman' Beretta Lang!"
Qin Qianbai entered the venue on time as always. She was still wearing the same dress as usual, with the Wanhua sword swung sideways in her hand, like a majestic heroine coming into reality from the book. Opposite her was Beretta Lang, who was walking quickly. She was dressed in a dark blue swordsman uniform as cool as ever, and her swords in both hands were already unsheathed. This scene is like a battle between warriors from the two countries hundreds of years ago, but it is hard to imagine that it is gamblers competing for their lives in a modern city.
"Qin Family of the Imperial Capital, Qin Qianbai." Miss Qin still reported to the house meticulously.
Beretta closed her eyes, exhaled a breath, and when she opened her eyes, there was no trace of confusion in her eyes.
"Beretta of the Hadrian family, in the name of a member of the Siyuan family, challenges you!"
In an instant, similar looks flashed across the eyes of the two men, and the warriors' struggle was filled with the weight of false fame. The referee sounded the gong and shouted to start, Beretta turned into a dark blue phantom.
Qin Qianbai did not hesitate to start with the Flash Snake, and the strike that had been perfected in long-term actual combat grazed the phantom, bringing out shocking blood. Qin Qianbai flung out bright red and fleshy pieces from between her fingers, but she didn't feel any joy at all. The Shining Snake is intended to defeat the enemy with one blow, but it is by no means a fatal move. There is no reason to kill by focusing on the weak points. The thin snake transformed from the fingertips failed to bite the opponent. It was Beretta himself who hit the snake's fangs with his body!
"The road to God begins with Hongyi..."
A woman's whisper sounded in the dark blue phantom, and the colorful light covered the entire casino and took away Qin Qianbai's vision. The divine light swordsman stabbed straight at him with two swords. Qin Qianbai closed his eyes decisively in the face of danger, twisted his body half a step to the left with his right leg as the axis, slashed diagonally with the long sword in his right hand to pass the approaching sword edge, and when he retracted his left arm, he struck sideways with two fingers to buckle Beretta's wrist.
"A strange appearance appears. The rainbow light wings of the near god!"
There was a crisp sound of fighting in the light, and the Wanhua Sword slashed at Beretta's left-hand sword, but Qin Qianbai was shocked. The opponent's speed ushered in an unprecedented increase at this moment, and the sudden change gave her a gap in her response!
The two bodies passed each other. Beretta drew an extremely steep curve around the edge of the ring and came to an emergency stop. Behind her were wings made of rainbows. The female swordsman's right shoulder slowly oozed blood, and a very tragic scar tore her clothes and almost tore her artery. She was seriously injured, but she had a proud smile on her face.
"I've destroyed your flash snake!"
"Such skills are worthy of the family name."
Qin Qianbai was also injured. A very thin line of blood ran from the left side of her face straight to her temple, just one step away from her head being split in two. At the last moment, it was too late for her to take the swordsman's lifeline again. Qin Qianbai directly hit Beretta's right arm with the back of her hand, causing the supposed fatal blow to deviate from the track and seize life.
Qin Qianbai brushed the blood marks on his face to stop the bleeding with his power, while Beretta pressed her shoulder with one hand and used the impermanence method to heal the wound. Both sides turned around and raised their weapons at the same time, with the same madness on their faces stained by blood.
"Come again!"
