Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
Taklimakan, the biggest desert in China, was 337,600 square kilometers big. Its nickname was ‘sea of death’. This desert had a severe lack of water while sand filled its vast space. Only the Euphrates Poplar trees—known as the heroes of trees—could eke out a living here. However, as much as it was a desert, the Taklimakan Desert still had green oases in it.
This was a rather small green oasis. From the looks of it, it was about to disappear soon as well. In the middle of it was a small pool of water that was no more than tens of meters wide and six to seven meters deep. The water inside was rather muddy. However, it wasn’t that unbearable as yet and around this pond, some durable desert vegetation grew. It seemed if the water level continued to drop, even this small oasis was going to disappear.
The reason why I painstakingly described this rather ordinary green oasis was that… I was soaking in its damned pond now!
Why did Lin Xue and Pandora manage to successfully touchdown on land while I had to be teleported into this muddy pond!!
After expending much effort, I finally swam to shore as I shabbily crawled up as Lin Xue was trying her best to suppress her laughter.
“You don’t have to hold it in; you can laugh if you want!” I said curtly to Lin Xue.
Lin Xue played along. “Pfff—”
After flinging the water droplets from my hair, I looked around my surroundings. Of course, I did not manage to get a sense of where we were.
I turned my head and looked at Pandora as I asked, “Pandora, where are we now?”
“We are about 122 kilometers away from the base. I have already used ‘mind-talk’ to inform the special-abilities organization to come and pick us up.”
“En.” I nodded.
It was unbearable being drenched completely like this.
“Pandora,” I called the bored Lolita looking around aimlessly over, “help me to dry my clothes.”
“Oh.” The lass answered as she took out a pillar-sized cannon.
My sweat started to drip as I said, “Forget it, I’ll just wait for it to dry naturally.”
At this time, I realized that Lin Xue was looking at me as I asked curiously, “What’s up?”
“Oh—nothing,” Lin Xue suddenly snapped out of it as she answered, a little flustered. She then muttered to herself and said, “Why does it seem as if I am dreaming…”
“It is hard to accept,” I said, “However, please remember to keep all of this a secret.”
“Naturally,” Lin Xue immediately responded. She then said softly to herself, “I do not wish to be hunted and killed by your alien army.”
I said exasperatedly, “I have said that they do not have malicious intentions. You can treat them as alien sight-seeing visitors. Also, when I was at Sandora’s army base, I didn’t see you around; where did you go?”
“Of course, I went to look about as much as I could. It is an alien base after all; when would such an opportunity arise again?! Speaking of which, you have not told me how you had become one of their Emperors. Can you tell me now?”
“If you ask me, who am I supposed to ask? One day, I woke up, suddenly became a Xyrin Emperor, and conveniently took in a Lolita. Come to think of it, I seemed to have reaped immensely from this, right?”
Lin Xue did not conceal her look of contempt as she said, “As a strange uncle, you indeed have gained much!”
“Big Brother,”—Pandora tugged on my sleeve as she asked—”what is a Lolita?”
Based on my understanding of Pandora, she was purely trying to mess with me now. From this point, I could tell that this lass was becoming more human every day.
Time passed as we continued to chat idly. Just as I was getting a little impatient, the special-abilities organization’s desert buggy’s low thunderous sound could finally be heard from afar.
After the buggy stopped, a slender figure immediately opened the car door and rushed out, charging straight into my embrace. Qianqian’s crying voice traveled to my ears: “Ah Jun! Wuwuwu… this is great… you’re alright… you guys disappeared all of a sudden, I thought that…”
“Alright, alright,” I comforted Qianqian by patting on her shoulder as I cast a venomous look at Lin Xue who was enjoying the show. I continued, “Aren’t I fine now? You forgot that I am a person with special abilities, a rather powerful one at that!”
Qianqian sobbed as she said, “I know, I know that you are formidable; but I was still worried…”
I had just wanted to say something when a ‘cough’ suddenly traveled from near us. I turned and saw a middle-aged man with a beard standing in front of me and looking at me and Qianqian with a warm feeling in his eyes.
“Ah, Uncle Xu!” I exclaimed as I speedily let go of Qianqian.
“It’s alright, it’s alright.” Uncle Xu hurriedly gestured, “Continue, continue, I have already agreed to the two of you…”
“Father!” Qianqian also composed herself at this moment. Hearing her father’s words, she blushed and said, “What did you agree to?! Ah Jun and I… en…”
Seeing Qianqian stuttering and unable to continue, Uncle Xu laughed openly and said, “Alright, do you think I cannot see what’s going on between you two? Don’t worry. Based on the fact Little Jun came to rescue me, I agree to him being my son-in-law!”
I immediately stood up straight as I bowed, “Greetings to father-in-law, good fortune to you, father-in-law!”
“The two of you…” Qianqian looked at me and Uncle Xu, half-laughing and half-angry. She then stomped her feet as she turned and returned to the buggy.
“Little Jun,” Uncle Xu suddenly said, “I heard from them that you are a person with special abilities as well?”
I nodded, “I am.”
“It’s really unexpected,” Uncle Xu sighed, “I had thought that it was all pseudo-science that people had concocted; persons with special abilities really exist. The things I have seen these few days are akin to stuff from movies and dramas; until now, I am finding all of this hard to accept. This matter this time has served as a lesson for me; I should really be more open-minded from now on…”
I nodded and said nothing. However, I thought internally: Hard to accept all these? I have many other things that would be even more unacceptable!
Although many things had happened during this operation—since Uncle Xu and company had been successfully found, it was considered a success. Of course, Lin Xue knowing about my secret was an accident. I had initially thought that only Qianqian and my Big Sister could know about my secret in this world; I had not expected that this person who was at loggerheads with me would be the first one to find out.
Besides successfully saving Uncle Xu and company, to unexpectedly get to know Xyrin Emperor Sandora was also an added bonus that was very welcome. Not only had we rescued a big group of Xyrin Empire soldiers, but I had also managed to confirm that my ridiculous identity as a Xyrin Emperor worked throughout the entire Xyrin Empire. At least from now on, I wouldn’t have to be worried about being wiped out ‘righteously’ by other Xyrin Emperors.
Speaking of Sandora, she was probably leading her Xyrin Warriors in battle now, right? I wonder how they were going to integrate into the human world. According to my agreement with Sandora, they would not harm humans and would not disrupt the order in human society. However, to be honest, I was constantly on tenterhooks regarding these trouble-making Xyrin Apostles.
“Ah Jun, why are you in a daze again?” Big Sister’s concerned voice traveled over, and I hurriedly snapped out of it. “Are you ill? You seem to be in a trance every now and then.”
“Oh, I’m fine.” I shook my head and answered.
It seemed like my habit of constantly getting into a trance had to be changed; if not, my Big Sister was starting to worry.
“A few days ago, your school teacher had suddenly called and said that Qianqian and you were going to attend some exchange; that surprised me very much.” Big Sister saw that I was paying attention as she raised the matter of that ‘exchange’. “I was thinking that since you guys were so close to home, why couldn’t you just come back and tell me in person first?
“What exchange was so urgent? I had even thought that something had happened to you two in school; it scared me badly. Fortunately, that night, your form teacher had personally come to explain to me the situation…”
Seeing Big Sister’s face that was now full of relief and hearing her nagging, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“Big Sister,” I suddenly interrupted, “I’m sorry for making you worry…”
“What are you talking about?” Big Sister smiled a little as she then flicked my forehead gently like old times. “You don’t have to apologize; as long as you are well…”