People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"Notify the Institute for Scientific Development and Planning to find people who have some knowledge of terrestrial civilizations and organize a delegation in accordance with the standards of terrestrial civilizations."

She instructed with great anticipation:

"Land and sea should unite."

Chapter 654 Entanglement and Freedom

Ernst felt that he had different feelings every time he returned to Shelag.

When he first left his homeland, he was more curious about the outside world and looked forward to his future life as prime minister. At that time, he had not yet figured out the anthropomorphic nature of the Terran nations, and when he returned with a few newly recruited employees, he even felt a little guilty.

After all, I had tricked and coaxed these college students, high school students, and female agents into coming to such a poor and remote place as Shelag.

Fortunately, although there were always unexpected events that followed, things continued to develop in a positive direction.

After several departures and returns, he gradually went from being ignored to receiving flowers, applause, welcomes, and cheers. And he himself, every time he saw Sherag, felt as if he had been transported to another world.

No matter how complicated the outside world is, or how exhausting a multitude of big and small matters may be, at least in this land of Shelag, he can still find some rest.

As the advertising slogan for Kjerag, displayed on the billboard at Kjerag train station, says:

"Please rest, the peaceful snow of Shelag will heal the weary heart of every troubled soul."

Looking at the white snowscape outside the window, Ernst was able to relax for a rare moment.

Yes, neither the wars of Londinium nor the grandeur of prehistoric civilizations really had much to do with him.

As Ivangelista XI said, "If peace cannot be given to others, then peace cannot be given to oneself alone," which is why Ernst persevered in traveling all over the world.

[Qi Liu Jiu Yi Si San] Lu Ci Xu Zhe Daigou: In the end, what he cares about is still this snow. Even now, it seems that the effort he has to put in to protect this snow is probably far beyond what he initially expected.

"What's Boss worried about?"

Sitting directly opposite him, Holhaya held a cup of hot cocoa provided by the Snowscape Express VIP box. Ernst's gaze shifted from the snowy landscape outside the window to the feathered serpent in front of him, but the feathered serpent's gaze had been fixed on Ernst for a very long time.

Are you worried about me?

She slightly curved the corners of her mouth into a serene smile, a stark contrast to her usual somewhat unsettling grin.

Holhaya is also someone who can show this kind of smile.

Ernst neither confirmed nor denied it. Holheimia continued:

"Next, we may have to say goodbye for a while. Thank you for granting me leave, and it's even paid. Boss is really generous."

Ernst gave a wry smile.

Horhys was going to get treatment to rid herself of that ancestor who kept nagging in her head. The surgery would be performed by Rhodes Island, along with several directors of Rhine Lab in Kjerag; he had already written to several of them in advance to inform them.

Levi, Palvis, Saria, Muirses, and Kal'tsit. If Kal'tsit is unable to return in time, Dr. Warfarin, whom she has designated, will take her place. In addition, the Sarkaz will send several old and new friends as assistance.

For example, there was Miss Neve, whom Ernst had met, who was skilled in psychic magic, and Professor Fremont, who was knowledgeable in all things and could provide answers to every possible question.

This consultation team can definitely be considered a dream team of experts.

Theoretically speaking, as long as the person isn't dead, even if they've already crossed the line between life and death, they're confident they can bring them back. The success rate of the surgery isn't 100%, but it's over 90%.

Search QQ group: 1燯零→欺:塶汣（懿傘~六 If I had to say what the only drawback is, it would probably be [time].

Despite the information provided by the Tin Man, the data did not mention the specific form and procedures of the surgery. It also did not explain how to remove the implanted consciousness after the surgery; these were things the doctors would have to figure out on their own. And this was brain surgery—no joke—they had no opportunity to "try" it.

It has to be a success on the first try! Therefore, we must be absolutely certain of success!

The preliminary investigation, preparation, and theoretical research must be done to perfection. This requires a sufficient amount of time.

Ernst understood this, so he granted Holhaya a vacation, a long enough vacation with no time limit.

She has ample time to communicate with the medical team, explain her symptoms, and discuss solutions until the surgery officially begins.

She doesn't need to come back immediately after the surgery.

Ernst gazed at the soft, light gray hair on her head—no woman would willingly show her ugly side to someone she cares about.

If the surgery cannot be fully completed on a psychological level and a physical "craniotomy" is required, then according to the reports Ernst had read in his previous life, Horhaya's hair would likely be lost.

With this long vacation, she can wait for her hair to grow back. With Terra's phenomenal medical technology, this shouldn't be too difficult.

Then, she can return to work in perfect, flawless, and as fresh as when they first met.

Just as Horhaya said, he really went all out.

Rhodes Island, Rhine Lab, and the Sarkaz who provided assistance may not want Ernst's money, but that doesn't mean Ernst won't give it to them.

When it comes to favors, it's best to avoid owing them if possible.

Holhayer's paid leave for so many months was also an expense, although not much, but Ernst was always thrifty.

Most importantly, with Horhaya on vacation, there's truly no one left in the Shelag government who understands their true preferences.

Who will make up for his lack of coffee?

I feel like Vina and the others are going to force-feed me a bellyful of Victoria's Red Tea.

However, no matter what, Ernst would still say this to Holheimia.

"I think it's worth it."

"That's enough." Holhaya nodded, quite satisfied with the answer.

She was the one who understood Ernst best. Ernst always weighed the value of everything he did, and getting a "worth it" from him was more reassuring than any other word.

However, she didn't just want to hear that one sentence.

Holhaya stood up and, under Ernst's questioning gaze, walked to his side, squeezed against Ernst, sat down in the seat on his side, and rested her head on Ernst's shoulder.

"Holhaiya?"

"Let me rest for a while."

"Holhaya said softly."

This wasn't some usual teasing that Ernst was already desensitized to; it was a heartfelt request.

“I’m not from Shelag, and the snow in Shelag doesn’t make me feel at ease.”

"But this makes me feel at ease."

Ernst pursed his lips, said nothing, and simply turned his head away.

It wasn't that he was oblivious to romance; he had actually been trying to give Horhaya a heads-up.

First of all, you sat on my tail, and you clamped my tail between your thighs, it really hurt!

Secondly, have you forgotten your own race?

Horhaia's officially registered race is [Liboli]. It's quite strange that the Liberi seem to be ranked higher than other races. For example, Horhaia has a huge Fedia tail, but because she has a pair of huge ear feathers on her head, everyone naturally assumes that she is a Liberi.

And those enormous ear feathers were now brushing against Ernst's nose, swaying gently with Holhaya's breathing.

This was really terrible! The itching was one thing, but more importantly, Ernst really wanted to sneeze!

But when Ernst caught a glimpse of Holhaya's peaceful sleeping face out of the corner of his eye, and recalled how she always toiled alone in her office late at night for Sherag, for Quetzalcoatl, and for countless things that shouldn't have been her responsibility, he softened.

Forget it, I'll just turn my head to the side and bear with it for a bit.

Holhaya had a great figure; although heavy, she was supple and voluptuous, so Ernst wasn't too overwhelmed by her weight. Her hair also had a faint fragrance. Although it hurt and itched, it was a bittersweet experience.

Fighting back the tears welling in his eyes, Ernst bit his lip and closed his eyes as well! (¥946)

He'll need to see a doctor when he gets back; hopefully, his tail won't be ruined.

Meanwhile, in another compartment of the Kjerag Snowland train, separated from them by only one wall, the drunken female poet was eagerly savoring the Kjerag "Spring in the Snowland" cellar collection offered in the compartment.

"Fine wine!"

She commented.

Although you can tell that this wine is definitely not "aged for over thirty years" as the train attendant said, overall, it doesn't taste bad among new wines.

Come to think of it, how could the train possibly offer genuine 30-year-old cellar-aged "Spring in the Snowy Realm"? Just like those advertisements Ernst saw in his previous life, Guojiao 1573, were they all filled with wine from 1573?

Where would so much wine from 1573 have come from? It's just a marketing ploy. They might actually have some wine from 1573, but certainly not the amount sold for hundreds or thousands.

There's no wife in wife cake, no husband and wife in husband and wife lung slices, and no snow or green in Sprite.

The poet understands this well, and therefore looks forward to it even more—if she is fortunate enough to taste the authentic "Spring in the Snowy Realm," then her trip will have been worthwhile.

Oh, right, besides that, how can there be good wine without good poetry?

"I don't know if Nian and Xi have found out the follow-up to that poem for me."

The poet lay sprawled on his seat, muttering to himself, his drunken eyes gradually brightening, revealing a hint of melancholy and loneliness.

"Drunk, I knew not the sky reflected in the water, my boat full of dreams pressed down on the Milky Way. So carefree, so carefree, I wonder when my sister and brother will be able to break free from those shackles."

"I'm afraid it's difficult. After all, how different am I from you? In this mundane world, aren't we also full of entanglements, making it hard to find true freedom? You agree, right?"

She sat up and looked across from her seat.

On the table there was also a wine glass filled with fragrant wine, but the chair was empty, replaced by a chess piece.

Chapter 655 Hope: I know where the problem is, I just can't solve it.

Wang must have followed us secretly.

It wouldn't be accurate to say it was done secretly. Wang was quite certain that Ling had already discovered his presence at least when he followed Ling out of Yan Kingdom's territory.

But she neither exposed him nor refused to secretly accompany him all the way to Shelag.

Ling definitely has that ability.

For the agents of the Year Beast, apart from the eldest brother [Shuo] being indeed stronger than all his other siblings, and the youngest sister [Xi] being weaker than all her other siblings, the differences between the other Year Beast agents are not as great as one might imagine. Seniority does not entirely determine their strength.

For example, Shu, although she is the sixth child, is no less ruthless than Ling, who is the third child, when she gets angry. However, it is indeed a difficult thing to make that kind "elder sister," who boasts that "without me, the family would fall apart," get ruthless.

As for Wang, if he were in his full form, he might still be able to completely deceive Ling and sneak through. But since he had already carefully chopped himself into mincemeat, that possibility no longer existed.

If Ling wanted to shake him off, it would have been simple: a free spirit can traverse a thousand miles in a single step, and he couldn't keep up. But Ling didn't. Not only did she not, she strolled slowly, sipping her drinks and leisurely savoring the fine wines and delicacies along the way, before finally arriving in Shelag. It's hard to say that there wasn't a reason she deliberately waited for him.

So, on this train, the two sat facing each other, no longer concealing their gazes, their auras revealed. The chess piece emitted a black aura, which instantly solidified into a somewhat disheveled figure on the opposite seat.

His hair was dry and brittle, his hairstyle was unkempt, his face was full of fatigue, and his dark circles were almost as dark as those of the regent of Londinium next door. His clothes were also tattered and worn. His appearance was indeed not flattering, but he had a certain charm.

Just like an ordinary beggar is just a beggar, but a beggar with a domineering aura is the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and a beggar with a Buddhist nature is like Ji Gong. Wang's temperament also makes him seem less like a prisoner who just escaped from prison and is plotting some earth-shattering conspiracy, and more like a chess fanatic who is so engrossed in chess that he forgets to eat and drink.

He picked up the wine on the table, said nothing, raised it to Ling Yaoyao, took a small sip, and then put the glass down.

The people of Yan are reserved, which, combined with their love of the carefree and unrestrained spirit of the martial arts world, gives them a touch of chivalry. This is the kind of "thank you" that suits their taste.

Seeing this, Ling smiled knowingly, raised his wine cup in return, drank it, and sighed deeply.

"Second brother, it's good that you still remember this."

"The last time I saw you was five hundred years ago. At that time, you were still wandering among nameless mountains and marshes, seeking your carefree path. When I saw you and greeted you, you solemnly told me that you were a man of the Jianghu, and a man of the Jianghu should have the spirit of the Jianghu: laugh loudly when happy, cry without restraint when sad, and not express gratitude in words, for everything is expressed in wine. If I want to express any joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness next time, I will raise a glass and drink with you, and you will understand everything."

Wang paused, looked at the officer in front of him whose eyebrows were slightly lowered, and slowly said:

"I remember it all."

“I remember my brothers and sisters, their voices, their smiles, their joys and sorrows, every detail.”

"But Ling, do you understand?"

This caused a moment of silence.

Or perhaps everything is contained in the wine; a simple toast and everyone will understand. But did she understand?

What was her second brother thinking? Did she dare say she fully understand? His determination, his plans, the things he was willing to give up—did she dare say she completely comprehended them?

Even if my elder brother came, I doubt he could say, "I understand."

She didn't understand, but she wasn't completely clueless either; she didn't understand even a single detail.

At least, she knew that Wang's actions were for two reasons.

First, to seek justice for my sister Jie who died unjustly. Second, to bring peace to my other brothers and sisters.

That's why she silently ignored Wang, who was following her, and let him come all the way here.

He let out a long sigh and shook his head slightly:

"Back then, I was still too naive. To put it simply, true freedom is being unconventional."

"The martial world is a place of human relationships and worldly wisdom. When I talk about the spirit of the martial world, or that one must drink to understand the truth, I'm actually setting rules for myself, adding a kind of constraint. How can that be considered true freedom?"

She looked at him, her voice earnest and meaningful.

"Second brother, I respect your thoughts. I understand that you want to seek justice for your younger siblings and avenge the blood feud with Yan Kingdom. But second brother, my understanding does not mean that I agree with you or that I am on your side."