newbobooks Chapter 69, Part 2: "Cohabitation Begins"
Chapter 69, Part 2: "Cohabitation Begins"
Above the vast and boundless sky of Tiangong City, a jet-black sphere streaked across the heavens.
Upon closer inspection, the sphere appeared completely transparent, and inside this transparent sphere, two figures could be clearly seen.
One was Ming, who was wearing the [Tristan] display device, and the other was Nia, who was kneeling and staring intently at Tengu City below.
At this moment, her gaze seemed to pierce through layers of clouds and buildings, landing directly on every corner of the city.
"Wow~ Look! Young man, the city of Tengu beneath your feet is truly magnificent! The pedestrians below are just like trash. No wonder you're a famous magician from England."
Erya's eyes were shining, and she was running around wildly in Ming's solid, free-flowing domain as if she had never seen the world before.
(Note: The barrier created by the elves using spiritual power and the realm of freedom are two different concepts. The latter is based on the Paradise of Reincarnation and is created by using magic to open up the realm they want, so it has many functions.)
Ming looked at Er Ya with a helpless expression. "Can you please be quiet? You're acting like a monkey. Also, don't jump behind me and interfere with my magical levitation flight."
Erya, however, paid no attention to Ming's complaints and continued to look around excitedly.
Suddenly, Erya pointed to a peculiar building in the distance and shouted, "Look over there, boy! What a strange house that is, it looks like a giant mushroom!"
Ming looked in the direction she pointed and snorted, "That's the Heavenly Palace Tower. At this flight speed, it will take less than half an hour to reach the Gangfeng Mansion."
Half an hour later, Ming landed in the alley. Erya looked around curiously, "Is this near your home? It looks quite ordinary."
Ming didn't refute it. He first put away the display device [Tristan], then turned his head and slowly said:
"Take your suitcase and come with me."
And so, Niya followed Ming, dragging her suitcase, looking around. Soon after, they arrived at the gate of the Gangfeng family mansion.
Seeing what was practically the largest traditional Japanese mansion she had ever seen, Nia's eyes lit up.
"That's it! The legendary ancient-style architecture! Wow! You can't possibly see this kind of architecture in Tiangong City!"
"This place was established by my father, Takeichiro, after he became the clan head. Now that the family has split up, my father and mother are in Tokyo, and my younger brother, Kotaro, has also started his own family. All the servants who used to live here have been removed by me, and I am the only one living here."
Ming walked in as he spoke, and Er Ya followed closely behind.
Upon entering the mansion, Erya looked around curiously. The antique decorations, the wooden floors creaking softly, and the sound of the water flowing in the pond all contributed to the allure.
"It feels very historically rich; it would be great to add it to a work," Erya muttered to herself.
As Ming walked, he explained the various precautions in detail to Erya beside him with a blank expression:
"Erya, first of all, don't come into my room unless it's something really important. If you absolutely have to come, remember to knock first. Also, regarding meals, I can't guarantee that I can prepare every meal on time."
"But if you get hungry, you can figure out how to get something to eat yourself. By the way, if you want to find a quiet place to create, just let the publishing house know."
"Also, if you need to go out to run errands or go out for fun, feel free to take a taxi, and I will reimburse you for the cost."
Erya listened to Ming's long list of instructions and nodded repeatedly.
"Okay, okay, kid, you're such a nag."
Ming rolled his eyes at her and continued leading the way, passing the study, Kotaro's room, the servants' room, the family meeting room, Takeichiro's room, the study, the kitchen, and so on...
When they reached a guest room, Ming pushed open the door and said, "You can stay here from now on." Er Ya skipped in and put down her luggage.
Erya had just put her luggage down when Ming, as if remembering something, hurriedly walked outside into the courtyard.
"I have something to do, you can stay here for now. Feel free to wander around the courtyard, or you can go out for a walk." Ming said, and then quickly disappeared from Er Ya's sight.
Inside the soundproofed conference room of the Gangfeng family, Ming sat cross-legged on the floor, looking thoughtfully at the reversed [Second Spirit Crystal] in his hand.
Then Ming began to mutter to himself, "Asmodeus, can this thing be absorbed?"
Black flames slowly emerged from within him, forming a sheep's head, which looked at Ming and sent a deep voice:
"It's possible. With your current body made of pure spiritual energy, you can adapt. However... you probably won't develop a superior consciousness like I did. But you'll also have to bear the negative emotions within the spirit crystal."
Ming Shen exhaled and gritted his teeth, saying, "If it's just pain, then gaining power in return is enough."
As Ming inserted the black, diamond-shaped crystal into his body and began to absorb the [Second Spirit Crystal], a powerful force instantly surged into his body.
But soon, he sensed something was wrong. Countless chaotic negative emotions surged in like a tide, and then his consciousness seemed to be pulled into a dark space, surrounded by a swarm of buzzing flies.
Flies kept swarming towards him, as if trying to devour him.
Ming endured the discomfort, trying to mobilize his spiritual power to resist the negative emotions and the onslaught of flies. However, the flies multiplied, and the negative emotions surged even more fiercely.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Pain permeated my entire body, as if every cell in my body was being destroyed and reorganized; it was a dual torment of mind and body.
Time passed second by second, and no one knew exactly how much time had gone by, but Ming finally slowly woke up from that terrible state of unconsciousness.
As consciousness gradually returned, the first thing he felt was an unusual sensation in his back—a slight itch.
Ming subconsciously reached out to scratch his back, but when his fingers touched that spot, he felt something uneven.
Ming was startled and quickly sat up, turning his head to look at his back.
Upon seeing this, Ming couldn't help but gasp! A bizarre tattoo resembling a fly's wing had appeared on his back.
Those wings were so lifelike, as if they were about to take flight at any moment.
The skin that should have been smooth was now rough and uneven, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding normal skin tone.
Ming's eyes widened, his heart filled with fear and confusion. At that moment, Asmodeus's voice rang out again:
"Haha, you've evolved again. But this was expected. Your body has been subtly altered because of the Demon King. Although this one can't merge with you like I can, it can still evolve."
Ming frowned, his eyes filled with worry. "Will this tattoo have any other effects?"
Asmodeus chuckled, "Who knows? Maybe it'll attract more flies." Ming glared at it speechlessly.
Then, Ming turned his head slightly and looked at the exquisite pocket watch placed not far from him. After a careful observation, he was surprised to find that he had actually been lying there for a full hour!
Realizing this, Ming didn't dare to delay for a moment. He quickly got up from the ground and put on his clothes that were scattered to the side as fast as he could.
Without hesitation, he strode forward and headed straight for the exit of the conference hall.
After leaving the conference hall, Ming was about to return to his room when he found the door open. He immediately lost his composure, his previously cool demeanor replaced by a look of rage as he rushed in.
"Oh no, could it be Erya! That thing absolutely cannot be discovered!"
Ming rushed into the room, only to see Nia standing by the wall, looking extremely puzzled. One hand was awkwardly raised in the air, while the other hand held the "Ultimate Sagami and Fantasy 3" that Ming had drawn himself.
She just wanted to see if Ming had come back. After knocking on the door and receiving no response, she opened the door and was immediately drawn to the gauze hanging on the wall and the photos from different periods.
"I think I told Erya not to come to my room unless it's absolutely necessary."
At this moment, Ming's cold eyes flashed with killing intent, as if he were about to eliminate anyone to silence them.
Seeing the murderous intent in Ming's eyes, Er Ya panicked and quickly explained:
"I really just wanted to see if you were back, but I got caught up in these photos. I'm sorry."
Ming said nothing, stepped forward and snatched the book from Erya's hand. A long spear flew out from a magic circle behind him and was pressed straight against Erya's throat.
"Wait, boy, let me explain... my excuses!"
Ming's face was cold; he had no intention of listening to Er Ya's explanation.
"...Fine, this is the last time. These are for calming me down, so don't touch them if you don't need to."
After much hesitation, Ming finally overcame his impulse to silence her, put away the magic circle, and kicked Erya out of his room.