Inner Destroyer

　But I saw Acorus said very sadly,

　"Miss Lin, his experience...I'm afraid it's even darker than you imagine."

187

　What on earth did she see?

　In fact, the "Exorcist Association" branch in a small place like Aomori didn't have much files on "Rep Zhenren" to show people. After all, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Japan was not that strong.

　If the Japanese branch of the Exorcist Association really needed the help of "Rep Master," they would just do whatever Elaine said. They didn't need to "know" how capable Qi Xing was, let alone his past.

　"Since his youth, he has been trained as a cauldron by the Evil Immortal Family."

　However, at this moment, Acorus said something that she would never be able to see normally.

　"After much difficulty, he finally escaped the shackles of his family, but from then on he became a homeless dog, a lone ranger."

　It’s strange. Where did Changpu sneak a peek at these files that the local “association” branch definitely couldn’t have?

　The answer is actually very simple.

　Although Chang Pu's description seemed quite convincing at first, it soon became increasingly distorted and bizarre: "According to the archives, he would have affairs with different women wherever he went. However, all of those women would suffer various misfortunes, or even die in battle."

　"For revenge, to fight evil, he even volunteered to join the former president of the 'Association's' forbidden artificial demon host transformation program—the 'Solomon Protocol'—becoming the only successful case!"

　"Without a home, without family, unable to leave his lover behind, he lives in isolation, elusive and lonely. Wherever he passes, he ruthlessly kills evil demons and heretics, leaving only a bloody trail."

　The more he talked, the more nervous Acorus could not help but become.

　"Lord Rin, although I think it's a good thing that you're starting to be interested in men, I'm afraid you shouldn't touch a man like that. You'd better stay away from him!"

　Needless to say, everyone probably knows that all of the above increasingly suspicious information was fabricated by Samael.

　She was just a phantom, and it was impossible for her to directly modify the Association's files. But since Qi Xing had already agreed, she could use her "illusion" power to make anyone who peeked at Qi Xing's files see an illusion.

　In reality, the Guild certainly didn't have any plans to create artificial demonic hosts. The Exorcist Guild wasn't the Inquisition of 40K. Even if Amos had the guts, he wouldn't dare actually create something like an artificial demonic host or an enchanted warrior himself.

　Unfortunately, outsiders are completely unaware of all this. After all, most people have a mystical illusion about the Vatican.

　—Hehehe! These little girls, just let me, the great Creator, manipulate you with my wisdom!

　Sasa has thought of everything very carefully - as long as it can be proved that Qi Xing is a lone wolf, and a lone wolf with a tragic life, who has suffered emotional trauma and killed many women along the way, these young girls will definitely be scared away, right?

　So, you little girl with angelic power who doesn't know the details, just get out of here as soon as possible! Scary!

　However, Sasa never expected how Rin would react after hearing what Ayame said.

　“A person like this…ah.”

　Acorus' words were like a pebble dropped into a lake, creating no ripples but stirring up an undercurrent beneath the surface. The miko didn't respond immediately, but simply lowered her eyes, seemingly digesting the subtle emotions brought on by her words.

　lonely.

　This was not an unfamiliar word, she was already accustomed to its weight. But it was the first time she heard it used on someone else... on that man.

　——It turns out we are so similar...

　Thinking of the burden that person was carrying, Rin couldn't help but feel sympathy. It might be rude, but she still shared the heavy emotions she felt on her back with the other person.

　Thinking of this, an indescribable emotion and an incredible feeling suddenly surged in her heart.

　Rather than feeling pain, it was more like discomfort. This was a completely unbelievable feeling she had never experienced before.

　Her lips parted slightly, as if she was about to say something, as if she wanted to ask something, but then she paused. In the end, she just gently closed her mouth again, with a hint of confusion, and let out a soft breath, as if she was afraid to disturb this vague, unprecedented emotion.

　"I see. Thank you, Ayame. I think you're right."

　Her voice was still calm, but less sharp than before, and more gentle than she even noticed.

　After all, you know, ever since the beginning of the world, Samael's "amazing wisdom" and "good ideas"... never seemed to be fulfilled as she wished.

　-

　Let’s talk about the other side.

　Qi Xing had no idea what kind of drama Sasa had pulled on him. Sasa's complaints about his date plan had infuriated Qi Xing so much that he rethought it for hours, thinking it over again, but unfortunately, he still had no good ideas.

　The next morning, although Qi Xing and Elaine were supposed to stay in the same large suite, Elaine said she needed to get ready first, so she asked Qi Xing to wait for her in the hotel lobby.

　For a moment, Qi Xing could only stare blankly in the hall with the mini Sasa floating above his head... "By the way, why are you still a medium-sized mini?"

　"This model is more convenient for watching the fun."

　Mini Sasa, who was twice as big as her, stole an apple as big as her from somewhere. Anyway, there were apples everywhere in Aomori City.

188

　She was watching the fun while chewing - she was the kind of person who forgot the pain once the wound healed. She was scared half to death by the "Fire of Uriel" yesterday, but today she didn't seem to take it seriously.

　"Don't worry, little idiot. I'll stay away from you when you're on a date and won't cause any trouble for you. Hehehe——"

　After saying that, the devil shrank back with a wicked smile, and no one knew where he hid.

　Damn that little female devil. Next time if he gets the chance, Qi Xing will definitely spank her again.

　The next moment, he felt Elaine approaching and immediately turned to look.

　At first glance, Qi Xing found that Elaine was very different today than usual.

　For a long time, Qi Xing had almost only seen Elaine wearing nun's clothes, business suits, or other practical outfits like that.

　Today, however, she wore a vintage-inspired dark blue dress. The waist-cinching silhouette showcased her curves, yet wasn't overly revealing, creating a restrained aesthetic. She wore a thin black cape over the dress, the material soft and swaying gently with her steps. Her shoes, however, were simple black boots, without any stilettos, clearly prepared for any unexpected eventuality.

　Of course, Elaine didn't have the habit of wearing jewelry, but there was still a thin gold chain cross necklace hanging between her collarbones, which was low-key and elegant.

　As for the makeup, Qi Xing had no idea what it was. But at least he could tell that Elaine had gone to great lengths to dress up. For a moment, Qi Xing was stunned.

　"Sorry, this took longer than I thought..."

　As Qi Xing stared at her blankly, Elaine actually felt a little shy. "Today is... a date night. Um, um... don't you have any feelings?"

　Humph, why should I say anything else at this time?

　"You look so pretty in a dress."

　Qi Xing is not a man who is so cowardly that he dares not say such words directly.

　In fact, just as Sasa complained, Elaine, who already had a full-blown affection for Qi Xing, blushed so much she practically smoked just by hearing Qi Xing's straightforward praise. Really... he was so easy to deal with.

　Considering how much thought Elaine usually puts into him, while Qi Xing has only spent so much time on her, the gap is even to the point that Qi Xing feels guilty for a while.

　Come on, Qi Xing, you can’t do this!

　"And then?" Elaine asked with shyness and curiosity, "Where are we going?"

　good question.

　"Elaine, is there anywhere you want to go?"

　So he asked back.

　At first glance, it seemed like a very considerate question, but Elaine was not stupid, and she was too familiar with Qi Xing's style, so she immediately understood: "Sure enough, you didn't make any arrangements in advance?"

　Whoa!

　This voice, which was filled with understanding, sympathy and some regret, made Qi Xing feel more painful than Romani's flying kick!

　But Qi Xing still had his own ideas.

　"I've been thinking about this for half the night, and I feel like if I come up with a rigid date plan myself, I'll definitely never be as good as you. So, why not try a different approach?"

　"Anyway, no matter what you do, you always plan it out and follow the routine. Today, why not try the opposite?"

　"Let's go out and find something to eat first, and then decide where to go while we eat."

　Qi Xing had put some thought into making the unplanned date sound so legitimate.

　Although Elaine was a little speechless, she couldn't help but smile in the end: "Oh, okay... Then after dinner, I want to go somewhere."

　Great. If she had somewhere she wanted to go, that would be great. Qi Xing immediately breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where to?"

　"go shopping."

　Huh? What are you buying? Can you help me carry your bag?

　Qi Xing certainly had no objection. But he still guessed wrong.

　Elaine went with him to a nearby shopping mall food court for a bowl of udon, and then immediately and enthusiastically took him inside the mall. It seemed like today's date was destined to be about shopping.

　(Well, whatever. As long as she’s happy.)

　Qi Xing stopped thinking about all that and just relaxed as he went shopping with Elaine. After all, he had often gone shopping with his mother in his past life, so he had no problem accompanying a woman on a clothing shopping trip.

　In less than five minutes, he realized that something was wrong.

　Because Elaine wasn't here to buy anything for herself.

　Because Elaine took him directly to the floors selling men's clothing!

　"Luckily, I've been in the Northern Hemisphere lately, so it's time to buy you some new clothes. Anyway, try this V-neck sweater and this tweed coat on first..."

　She entered the fashion store, looked around, and finally picked out two pieces of clothing to try on Qi Xing.

　Qi Xing was really shocked: "Why buy it for me?!"

　"Because your clothes are usually terrible."

　Elaine's face showed a rather indifferent expression.

　"The last time I bought you clothes was six months ago. If I had known then, I would have bought you more. Look at what you usually wear? A tight vest with a military coat or cape. And in battle, you often like to rip the military coat to reveal the vest. Is this a normal habit and aesthetic?"

　Alas. A military coat, a tight vest, and a cape—what's wrong with such a strong sense of style?

　"And your hair. If I'm not paying attention, you can use your thunder knife to shave your hair into a flat top. It's fine for people who look good with a flat top, but it will only make them look weird if they don't."

　Are you my mom?!

189

　In fact, until recently, Elaine would occasionally help Qi Xing trim his sideburns and the back of his hair. After all, she was with Qi Xing almost sixteen hours a day on weekdays.

　Qi Xing had no choice but to try on the clothes one by one. Even the store clerk was laughing at him.

　Elaine watched from the side and suddenly couldn't help but feel... it was a little unbelievable.

　In order to help Qi Xing team up with other female heroes and make him popular with decent girls, she used to help Qi Xing manage his image very seriously.

　Now, Qi Xing actually wanted to marry her. This made Elaine feel absurd and ashamed that everything she had done so far was meaningless.

　Because, if she had known she would end up marrying him, she wouldn't have spent so much time helping Qi Xing choose clothes. Anyway, no matter what Qi Xing wore, even if it was just jeans and running around shirtless all day... Elaine probably wouldn't mind, right?

　"But even if the target is me, I would still be troubled if you dress like an elementary school student all day long."

　After saying that, she buried her head in helping Qi Xing choose clothes in the store.

　Although Qi Xing could fully understand what she meant, how tolerant was Elaine towards him? She was too selfless, wasn't she?

　As if she saw through Qi Xing's thoughts, she grabbed Qi Xing's arm midway and dragged him around without any concealment. She was really only thinking about helping Qi Xing dress properly.

　After a while, after wandering around aimlessly and shopping for half a day... the question of "where to go next" came back to Qi Xing's mind again.

　Fortunately, Qi Xing was prepared this time. It was starting to get dark.

　"We will do that next,"

　He began to speak, in a serious and solemn manner,

　"Let's get a room at a love hotel!"

　070: Love Hotel Stands on the Earth

　Go to a love hotel? Get a room?

　"Sigh, this is quite profound stuff. Qi Xing, are you still in your right mind? Have you really gotten carried away and lost your mind?"

　——Some people may wonder when they hear this. They are just an engaged couple who go to a love hotel to book a room. Is it necessary to be so serious?

　Humph, if you think so, you are underestimating this yellow quagmire world created by Samael.

　First of all, Qi Xing had complained before that in this world full of monsters, daily entertainment was already too oriented towards sex.

　The variety of brothels was so diverse that it resembled a certain otherworldly world of prostitutes. Bookstores displayed a dazzling display of novels and comics, a world where too many people sought physical pleasure, aimlessly indulging in pleasure.