Inner Destroyer

　It's over... This man, this terrifying man—he's truly a lone wolf who's hooked up with women everywhere he goes! What will become of my young lady?! What if, like all the other women in the past, she's doomed to die by this unlucky star?!

　While she was wailing and nervous in her heart, she couldn't show it on the surface and had to put on a stiff and polite expression on her face as if she was entertaining guests.

　What made her even more devastated was that her own master, her adoptive father, Linna's already erratic father, was now looking at Qi Xing with interest, and no one knew what he was thinking.

　Just now, when Qi Xing flew to the school to find Lin, Ayame immediately reported the "false information" about Qi Xing to Lin's father, Shinji Kamigo.

　She was originally worried about what would happen if Qi Xing was too strong and killed our young lady. Unexpectedly, when Jingo Shinji found out... he actually seemed to think it was quite amusing.

　"Isn't that great?"

　"Lin is old now, she needs to find a man."

　"Regardless of whether you're a man or a woman, love is like hunting. The more challenging it is, the better."

　He actually said that!

　"Who wants to hunt rabbits when they can hunt dragons?"

　Now Rin and Qixing flew back together, and Shinji Kamigo even waited at the door to see what this kid looked like.

　This made Acorus feel even more stressed!

　"Welcome, Mr. Qi."

　Seeing Qi Xing and his young lady descending from the sky, Chang Pu tried to put on a welcoming smile and greeted him.

　"I already know about the cooperation with the Association. I have already arranged guest rooms for you three."

　"Thank you."

　Qi Xing wasn't a rude or rude person when it came to being polite. He thanked Chang Pu and was taken away by her.

　Rin let out a breath, relaxed her shoulders, and was about to go back to her room... but her father stopped her.

　"Ah Lin."

　I saw this frivolous father asked with a playful smile,

　"Is this the man you chose?"

　Rin: "???"

　While she managed to remain calm in all situations, her father's erratic ways often baffled even the seemingly divine Rin. Perhaps there was some logic to his thinking, but honestly, Rin had always struggled to grasp it. Simply put, common sense simply couldn't predict his father's actions.

　So it took several seconds for Lin to realize what his father was asking. He frowned and said, "That's not that exaggerated. I never thought about that."

　"I've never thought about that?" Shinji laughed even more broadly. "So we're just friends?"

　"only friends."

　"First friend?"

　Lin didn't answer, but just nodded silently.

　She hasn't had a friend since she was seven.

　Of course, Ayame is very nice to Rin, but they can't be considered friends of equal status after all.

　Although Rin would go to school, it would be impossible for her to make friends there. It would be more accurate to say that Rin never intended to do so.

　As for why she still went to school, that was another matter entirely.

　Partly because leaving the village would give her a place to take off her miko costume and relax, and partly because, as mentioned before, schools in this world are often the site of vicious supernatural events. Rin went to school every day, essentially like a lion patrolling its territory. She didn't go there to make friends.

　After all, she couldn't possibly make friends with something that would break if she hugged it too hard...right?

　"I see."

　Dad touched his chin and raised his eyebrows.

　"That's fine... After all, I don't really like that guy."

　This finally surprised Lin: "Huh?"

　"That guy is too heavy.

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　Shingo Shinji shrugged. "My mind is full of complicated things, like 'How can I change the world?', 'I have to take responsibility.' ... Thinking about such heavy things every day, aren't you tired?"

　"Lin, you don't need any heroic beliefs. A lion's nature is a lion. If you act according to your nature and do whatever you want, you are already a hero. If a fool tries to tell you what to do, you know what to do anyway."

　"As for that guy, even though he looks 'similar' to you, you're fundamentally different. Just like Superman and Batman—you have to be careful. If you don't understand this beforehand, you'll be in trouble when you get married, okay?"

　Lin was finally speechless.

　"He and I don't have that kind of relationship. And Dad, if you obviously don't like him, why do you keep fanning the flames?"

　"Because I'm very tolerant of my daughter's standards and aesthetics when it comes to choosing a partner!" Lin's father clapped his hands, a hint of a smile in his tone, but not mockingly. "Also, your progress has been a bit stagnant in the past two years."

　"Now you've started focusing on other things. Whether it's making friends or falling in love, you're breaking your own boundaries. As a father, how can I not be happy?"

　After saying that, Kamigo Shinji hummed a song lazily and walked away - don't forget, he is the chef of the Kamigo family hot spring hotel, and now he has to happily cook a big meal for Qi Xing and the others.

　Lin sighed silently and prepared to go back to her room, take off her shrine maiden costume... and then go soak in the hot spring for a while.

　Shingo Village is a place of great feng shui, situated on a tributary of a spiritual vein that is particularly blessed by heaven in northeastern Japan. The hot springs contain the spiritual power of the earth, and for some reason, the hot springs of the Jingo family are particularly effective.

　Even machines need maintenance to prevent them from breaking down, not to mention that she is made of flesh after all.

　Anyway, let’s go to the hot springs first.

　-

　Although the Jingo family's hot spring hotel is old, it is well maintained and the guest rooms are decorated with an elegant flavor.

　Pushing open the paper sliding door, you step on the soft tatami with a faint aroma of straw. The air is so quiet that you can almost hear the passage of time, bringing a sense of security that you are well surrounded.

　There was a low table by the window, with hot tea and snacks already prepared on it. There were futons spread out around it.

　In the corner stood a wooden clothes rack, next to which were yukata and towels for guests to change into, clearly prepared for guests who wanted to soak in the hot springs. There were no paintings on the walls, only a clean shoji window, through which moonlight and the night breeze filtered in, and the faint sound of the hot spring water could be heard in the distance.

　Elaine has arrived.

　However, the look on her face when she looked at Qi Xing was a little subtle.

　"Qi Xing, are you having fun with Miss Jin Hu?"

　No matter how wooden Qi Xing was, he immediately reacted when he heard his fiancée say such words: "No, no, no, Elaine, I promise I didn't cheat!"

　"I'm not worried about cheating," Elaine sighed, frowning, "at least not in the way most people worry."

　"Qi Xing... What do you think of Kamigorin?"

　This question was too difficult for Qi Xing to answer right now! After all, no matter what, Elaine was the one he was going to marry soon!

　But he was speechless for a moment, and then he honestly admitted: "I like her very much - don't get me wrong, not that kind of like. But I like her lifestyle and her style."

　In a previous life, Qi Xing knew many people who liked to brag about being strong and crazy. While crazy may sound cool at first, they're actually forced to make choices that best reflect their inner selves, largely torturing themselves. The "Sea Tiger" series has a certain Buddhist Zen quality to it. Crazy isn't a healthy mindset.

　Qi Xing was sometimes troubled and distressed, and Sasa would laugh at him about it from time to time.

　But Kamigorin, she had no entanglements or anguish, no hesitations or concerns. She didn't even worship him or rely on him like the women Qi Xing had saved. Because she herself was a completely self-transcending being.

　Qi Xing rarely experienced this kind of relationship.

　If Qi Xing had befriended Captain Gwendolyn, they might have had a similar experience, but overall, it was still very different. Furthermore, as a leader, the Captain of the Holy Lance Knights had far too many things to worry about. They also didn't fully trust "Master Leipu."

　"I envy her a little bit."

　So Qi Xing said,

　"It's a bit of aspiration, that's basically it."

　This made Elaine hesitate for a moment. Then she said, "Qi Xing, if you also want to be like Shingorin, guarding only one place and maintaining the peace of a small or medium-sized country, you are absolutely capable of doing it."

　Yes. Qi Xing actually understood this principle. He had been thinking about this issue for the past two days.

　But then he certainly wouldn't have time to collect thirty silver coins.

　Taking a step back, even without considering the matter of thirty silver coins, Qi Xing couldn't help but think - is it really a good thing to stagnate in the state of protecting an area?

　So he is just thinking about it. So he is still thinking about it.

　Just like Elaine was thinking too.

　What was Elaine thinking? Although she was a nun, a priest, she was practical. She was thinking—since she was powerless to fight, unable to provide Qi Xing with support beyond knowledge and strategies, she had to find a heroic female teammate who could fight alongside him.

　As for

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　What kind of relationship and form of fighting side by side is another matter.

　Although Qi Xing couldn't tell what Elaine was thinking - he couldn't guess because it was too shocking - he could at least see that Elaine was worried.

　Of course, he could only think that Elaine was jealous or frightened, and suddenly became even more nervous: "Elaine, I promise, don't think too much - I have you, it's enough for me. I'm not the kind of scum who would want to start a harem, right?"

　"really?"

　Sasa, who hadn't spoken much for a few hours, finally couldn't help but complain. But Qi Xing ignored her.

　Anyway, the atmosphere at the moment is a bit awkward.

　Finally, it was Elaine who spoke first: "Don't think about such complicated issues today. Let's rest first. I also have some information and materials that need to be sorted out."

　She pointed to the computer screen, which contained some confidential cult material from World War II that had just been sent from the Papal Council, and sighed wearily. While Qi Xing might seem to enjoy fighting and seem fashionable, the logistics staff were also very tired behind closed doors.

　Qi Xing had no choice but to nod.

　Okay, let's take a break first.

　Anyway, he should go to the hot spring first.

　086: Return to hot spring

　The water in the stone-built open-air hot spring pool gurgles, and warm mist slowly rises in the night.

　Moonlight streamed through the eaves, casting a thin layer of silver on the water. A circle of green pines and rocks surrounded the pond, and faintly the chirping of insects and the calls of night birds could be heard in the distant forest.

　Qi Xing was soaking in the water alone.

　He leaned against the pool wall, his shoulders buried in the hot water, leaving only the top of his head exposed.

　In addition to spare clothes and towels, the basket next to him also contained sake in a porcelain bottle, and of course, small wine glasses and snacks.

　"Haaahhh..."

　While soaking in the hot spring, eating edamame and drinking wine, Qi Xing felt so comfortable that he couldn't help but sigh. It was as if black air was slowly dispersing from his body, steaming away all his fatigue.

　He really needs this right now.

　If I were to ask how tiring today's battle was, then of course I wasn't tired at all. I didn't even have a decent opponent.

　But a lot did happen today.

　Infiltrate and investigate a Satanic cult, a guy who calls himself Amaterasu/Ise, torture of prisoners, flying competitions, and some bizarre social pressures that were almost misunderstood.

　"We agreed to go on a pre-wedding trip, but it turned out like this..."

　He picked up a piece of pickled eggplant and ate it, and took a sip of hot wine.

　The sake was a bit bland, not quite to Qi Xing's taste, but it was fine to drink while relaxing in the hot springs. Closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the stone platform beside the hot spring pool, Qi Xing felt as if he were completely immersed in the mist.

　But Sasa came out at this moment, floating in the mist beside her and complained, "So you still remember that you wanted to come here for a pre-wedding trip?"

　"of course I remember."

　"Traveling before marriage and then having fun with other women."

　"Go away, stop talking nonsense."

　Having said that, Qi Xing couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

　He wasn't completely unconscious.

　"Little fool, don't think I don't know what you think in your heart."

　The devil's shadow dodged his poke and floated further away, laughing.

　"Something about 'she flies beautifully' and 'her posture is free'... Then you think about 'she smells so good' and 'she's so soft', and then you start to crave her body, right?"

　"Can you please stop making me sound like a scumbag?" Qi Xing couldn't help but complain.