The King of Black Fog

Yang Qinglan really stomped on his foot this time.

"My 119 yuan Erke shoes!"

Yang Qinglan didn't expect that he was actually distressed about his shoes: "I'll buy you the most expensive pair when we get back."

"Really?" Li Changzhou eyed her suspiciously, "Step on me again? Otherwise, I'll suspect you have other intentions for me."

"You're the one with other intentions if you want me to step on you, aren't you? I didn't know you were into that. I'll satisfy you well in the future."

"..."

Li Changzhou found her a bit frightening.

"Brother, brother!" Li Qianxia hurried back, "Brother, you're done for!"

"You're the one who's done for!"

"Done for, done for, you're going to die, I'm really done for!"

...Suddenly becoming so melodramatic made Li Changzhou feel embarrassed.

"In the future, no one will protect me, no one will give me money, no one will give me skills, no one will share value and game coins with me, I won't even be able to have Qing Lan buy things for me!"

Yang Qinglan and Li Changzhou both sighed.

"I'll go release the little radish and the butterfly." Li Changzhou headed towards the bathroom.

"Let's go." Yang Qinglan took Li Qianxia to the store to buy newspapers and look at the items for sale.

In the bathroom, the little radish and the butterfly were released.

"Why are you here again!"

"Whoo!"

"We don't fear danger because we can't perceive it, what are you afraid of?" Li Changzhou lightly flicked her forehead with his finger.

"You promised I only had to be a gardener! You lied!" The little radish covered her head, and upon flying out, she directly found Li Qianxia by smell.

Driven by instinct, she pounced, burying herself in Li Qianxia's embrace, looking very wronged.

"Haha, don't do this. I'm not used to it!" Li Qianxia moved the little radish away from her chest, feeling awkward.

"This instance is about to begin, please board the vehicle in order," the announcement suddenly came over the PA system in the waiting hall.

It wasn't the voice of Xiaoyue.

The three who had been casually chatting became serious.

"Let's go," Yang Qinglan said.

"Mm." The siblings said in unison.

With a hiss, the train's door opened, resembling rows of lathes in a factory, and the players lining up at each door were the materials being fed into the machine.

Three of them entered the compartment suite that Xiaoyue had promised to always reserve for them.

"This bed is so comfortable. I wonder where I can buy the same model," Li Qianxia sprawled on the bed making a spread-eagle pose.

Yang Qinglan furtively glanced over her slender legs, flat belly, and breasts accentuated by her autumn sweater, then looked over at Li Changzhou to make sure he was completely ignoring Li Qianxia before sitting opposite him.

It seemed there really was no need for jealousy, so...

Li Changzhou read the newspaper: "The national team is performing quite well, aren't they?"

"Little Martial Saint in an interview said he's looking forward to everyone becoming the second player to survive an encounter with 'the Master,'" Yang Qinglan said with a smile.

"That guy," Li Changzhou also laughed.

It was unclear whether he was sincere, stuck on a tiger's back, or just recklessly breaking the pot, but now the Little Martial Saint was promoting himself entirely as "the only player to have confronted 'the Master' and survived."

This made him a bit contemptible, but also ensured he wasn't the first target of foreign players, and it also proved his real strength.

"If he uses a 'Duel Token' against me, I'll let him off again," Li Changzhou flipped the newspaper over.

Yang Qinglan poured water for the two of them.

The train's whistle blew, and the scenery outside the window sped past.

A conductor knocked on the door to have the little radish and the butterfly pay extra, but upon seeing Li Changzhou, he smiled and bowed before retreating.

"I wonder which year we'll return to this time, Qing Dynasty? Ming Dynasty? Or Tang Dynasty? I really want to see the Beauty Yang Guifei of the Four Great Beauties," Li Qianxia watched the desert outside the window.

"What Four Beauties of Yang Guifei, Miss Yang is more worth seeing," Li Changzhou said without looking up.

"I heard that in the Tang Dynasty, being plump was considered beautiful. Qing Lan, with your slim figure, you definitely can't compare to Yang Guifei in that era."

"It might as well be going abroad." Yang Qinglan didn't care at all whether she or Yang Guifei was more beautiful.

"Abroad huh... I only know about the Renaissance, the triangular slave trade, the East India Company, the American Declaration of Independence, and the French Revolution--um, that's it."

"Did I waste my time tutoring you in high school?" Li Changzhou said pain-stricken.

"Tutoring is illegal now! Watch out, I'll report you!" Li Qianxia was not scared at all.

"Lawless." Li Changzhou shook his head, unsure whether he was referring to Li Qianxia or his own plans.

He put down the newspaper he had finished reading and reminded her, "Remember, if you go to an era with means of communication, place an advertisement in the newspaper for renting Bird Nest Plain."

"Got it——" Li Qianxia replied, dragging out her tone.

"What about me?" Little Radish sat on the table, curling her legs like a figurine.

"Hide yourself well," Yang Qinglan said, "Move safely and don't come looking for us."

"Okie dokie." Little Radish pouted.

At that moment, a song came through the radio.

(Bus, subway, ship, airplane, just like us, destined to wander.)

(Someday, although we don't know when, we will become our true selves.)

The bedroom quieted down.

"...Everyone, be careful," Yang Qinglan said calmly.

"Yeah!" Li Qianxia nodded.

"Summon me the moment you arrive," Li Changzhou instructed Li Qianxia.

"I get it, I get it, it's so annoying. Can't you be without me even for a moment?"

Li Changzhou hadn't had the chance to reprimand her...

(They were blissfully unaware, firmly believing the world was unchanging and functioning as usual.)

(That is not the case, that is not the case.)

(The world is undergoing irreversible changes in places they do not know.)

◇

Li Changzhou opened his eyes and tried to push the wooden door in front of him.

It didn't budge on the first attempt, and with a little more effort, the "wooden door" was easily flipped open, accompanied by the sound of soil sliding off.

"Baron Zhou Spencer Morgan," a woman dressed as a butler, standing atop the grave, looked at him, "By order of Prince J.P. Morgan, you are to immediately head to Monroe Park to protect Edison. This is your test for promotion to Viscount."

The woods rustled in the night wind, the pale moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the tombstone across, with the moonlight just outlining the words.

[Time: July 12, 1880, 4:00 AM, midsummer]

[Location: United States, New Jersey, town of Monroe Park]

[Background: In 1880, Edison discovered that carbonized bamboo filaments performed better than cotton threads, but in 1854, Henry Goebbels had already used a carbonized bamboo filament to keep a light bulb lit for 400 hours]

[Character: Zhou Spencer Morgan (Vampire Baron)]

[Main Task: Ensure Edison's survival until July 15, 1880, 4:00 AM]

[Notice: Player's 'Ability' has been all converted to 'Blood Power']

[Notice: Acquired temporary skills—Drain Blood, First Embrace, Hypnosis, Aphrodisiac, Super Recovery]

[Notice: Acquired temporary negative status—Blood Feeding, Fear of the Sun, Light-based skills and items cause four times the damage]

Li Changzhou propped himself up on the edge of the coffin and climbed out of the grave.

...

[Current Time Segment All Players Notice]

[Attention! Attention! No Taboos! Player 'Main' return to current time!]

He ruffled his hair and patted the dirt off his clothes, smiling, "Not bad, it saved me the expense and time of placing an ad."