Xyrin Empire-Chapter 657: Shopping with a Group of Gods is Terrifying

Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Shopping with a Group of Gods is Terrifying

Among the gods walking the earth, mixing and mingling joyfully with all people at the marketplace, a King of Mankind led the gods around showing them the creations of mortals. Suddenly, a woman by the king’s side cried out in shock, startling the king...

"Wood?" A clear, pleasant female voice rang out nearby.

And just like that, Lin Xue appeared.

At that moment, I was genuinely stunned: No matter how far my relationship with this girl had progressed, the impression she gave as a walking disaster was hard to shake off, especially now when Sandora and I were busy keeping a close eye on a bunch of mobile disasters...

I turned to see Miss Prophet standing not far away, dressed in a bright yellow coat and a matching cotton dress, Lin Xue’s favorite color that ensured she was always noticeable wherever she went. Coupled with her carefree smile, Lin Xue truly looked vibrant today. Next to her stood a petite girl who looked underdeveloped like a high school student, someone we all knew: Ding Ling.

It seems these besties... ahem, close girlfriends came out shopping together and just happened to run into us.

Despite being distinguished misses, Lin Xue and Ding Ling were wild from a young age. Plus, both sets of parents favored civilian-like education focused on fostering independence in their daughters. Whether shopping in department stores or hunting for discounts, they were typical young women who mostly window-shopped without making purchases...

Apparently, the Lin Family even had this household rule for family members over eighteen: "You can live in luxury at home, even extravagantly, but outside, even if you buy a pancake, those two yuan must be your own earnings."

Thus, running into Lin Xue and Ding Ling wandering around the department store’s discount section was nothing out of the ordinary.

Lin Xue, pulling Ding Ling along, approached us looking like any other girls out shopping. She glanced at Sandora beside us. Miss Prophet teased me with a twinkle in her eye, "Out shopping with Sandora? You’ve been running around with Qianqian these past few days, finally remembered you have another girlfriend to keep company?"

Her words threw me a bit. When did I ever not accompany Sandora...? Wait, was Lin Xue hinting there was someone else here needing attention too?

I eyed her suspiciously, only for her to roll her eyes at me dramatically, so much so that her gaze ended up on a group of Divine Race beings selecting clothes for No. 123 in the discount men’s section, which immediately shifted Demi Immortal’s expression.

"I was wondering why I couldn’t see your whereabouts—of course, I was just bored and curious to see where this blockhead was wandering—how come you brought them all out? This might lead to huge trouble, you know!"

"A bunch of immortals, full of energy, how could I keep them confined forever?" I glanced at the exasperated miss, feeling somewhat accomplished at troubling her, "No worries, they’re well-traveled and have seen more of the Mortal World than Dingdang has hung up his science credentials. They know how to interact with mortals. Bingdisi has promised me no trouble will come from them."

"Wait, wait, wait," as Lin Xue and I talked, a confused Ding Ling finally couldn’t help interrupting, "I’m getting more confused the more I listen. What huge trouble? What mortals? Are those people your friends? Or are they... from your side?"

Ding Ling spoke cryptically, but I more or less guessed her meaning.

She was one of the few "ordinary" people privy to the existence of the Xyrin Empire, albeit only superficially.

She knew there was this incredibly powerful Xyrin Empire headquartered in the parallel space of this universe but had no clue about her best friend running around with the empire’s leader on god-shaking, ghost-sobbing missions. Now, she simply took Bingdisi and the others as empire people touring the Human World.

After thinking it over, I saw no need to hide it from Ding Ling. I shifted slightly, chin pointing towards Bingdisi and transferred my spiritual connection into Ding Ling’s mind, "They are gods, allies of the empire, descended from the Divine Realm due to some slight troubles with the world. But you can think of them as just on a company-funded trip."

Ding Ling was initially startled by the voice that suddenly resounded in her head: among superpower users, some had special abilities like telekinetic conversation, and during our limited encounters, she had experienced direct speech through spiritual connection. However, compared to people like us who almost treated spiritual connection as a second form of daily conversation, she was still not quite comfortable with this method of communication. After calming down and realizing what I was talking about, she froze.

"Eh?!"

A slightly husky young voice let out a cry of surprise, and Lin Xue quickly covered Ding Ling’s mouth before shooting me a glare. Once this lady, capable of dismantling tanks with her voice, started screaming here, the clean-up crew of the Superpower Team wouldn’t need to do anything else for the next two months.

"Are you that surprised?" Seeing Lin Xue’s annoyed expression made me feel a lot better. Then I said to Ding Ling, "You’ve already seen ghosts and angels, haven’t you?"

"You guys are awesome," Miss Ding shrank her neck, looking at us, "I know all of you are not human, but... um, Brother Chen, are you really telling the truth?"

Lin Xue, Sandora, and I all nodded.

Due to Lin Xue’s connection, Ding Ling, who didn’t interact much with us, was actually considered a friend by the high ranks of the Empire, it’s just that she hadn’t been able to enter our circle. We usually got along well, but Ding Ling was somewhat reserved; seeing her restrained expression now, I could tell she wanted to leave.

"I think I’d better go back," Ding Ling stuck out her tongue at Lin Xue, "I won’t meddle in the affairs of you big shots."

Lin Xue grabbed her abruptly: "What big shots? Just a bunch of wood—hey, you don’t mind if the two of us join you for shopping, right?"

What else could I say? It’s not like my dissent would matter.

At that time, Bingdisi and the others were finally done shopping. 123 had been enthusiastically dressed up by his lively sister and the ever-chaotic Bingdisi into who knows what. Some people are just born to be mannequins, and this enviable, jealousy-inducing guy looked good in anything. Despite the trio of goddesses (don’t forget Lin!) having questionable taste, they’d dressed him like a nouveau riche. Yet, he somehow resembled a post-modern decadent musician in all that mismatched attire...

Ding Ling curiously watched the group, surprised by Bingdisi’s PS-like cursed beauty, and especially by Yelsen, while also wondering: Are these people really gods?

She didn’t doubt my words; it’s just that these few, aside from looking somewhat otherworldly, just seemed like a bunch of young people out buying clothes!

"Ah, Chen, how about we pick out a couple of outfits for you?" Bingdisi, with a gesture that made the other girls grimace, tugged at her own "tight" casual wear, curiously eyeing me, "I’m really curious, as the King of Mankind, why do you only wear these thirty-dollar clothes?"

...How could this female hooligan identify knock-off apparel and their prices so quickly?

Bingdisi’s strange way of speaking made Ding Ling give her a sidelong glance. Monina curiously looked at this unfamiliar mortal and nodded in greeting, "Hello, mortal."

The salespeople waiting for several members of the Divine Race to check out thought we were speaking in code.

Bingdisi’s suggestion was strongly supported by Sandora. Although I didn’t care much about what I wore, Sandora seemed quite interested. She immediately pulled me toward the men’s clothing section, followed by a huge crowd. It was the first time the salesgirl saw a group shopping for clothes, and she wanted to follow, but Lin Xue seemed to remember something and a few words made her leave.

I never thought buying clothes could be so troublesome. Normally, if I shopped alone, I’d just grab whatever fit and maybe pick a color I liked. But now, surrounded by 3000 ducks, they all started chattering and commenting...

I had no idea what to buy anymore.

"Dingdang, come out for a second."

While Sandora helped to distract onlookers from our direction, I sneakily lifted the pocket on my upper body, and a tiny head immediately peeked out, curiously looking at the surroundings.

"What do you think about these clothes?"

Everyone immediately quieted down, eager to hear the opinion of the little goddess we treated as a mascot—I still had to keep an eye on Ding Ling to prevent her from suddenly going berserk and kidnapping Dingdang.

"Um, Ah Jun’s clothes," Little Thing nodded seriously, "the pockets must be plentiful!"

I: "..."

"The pockets must be big!"

Everyone: "..."

"Just that one is fine! Dingdang likes the new house!" Little Thing pointed her finger, choosing her target with astonishing efficiency.

Following the direction she was pointing, I took one glance and almost burst into tears, "Little Thing, that’s a rack for hanging handbags..."

"Mm! Let’s buy it for Dingdang! Mercury Lamp and the others all have boxes..."

The problem is how do you expect me to stuff that thing into my pocket!

Faced with Dingdang’s bizarre suggestions, we reached an agreement at an amazing pace, positioning Little Thing back as our mascot.

After a noisy half a day, leading this group of hyperactive gods and two equally bored misses, I wandered around the shopping center until nearly evening. We even made a clean sweep through the restaurant upstairs in the shopping center (mainly to feed Sandora) before finally satisfying all the female members of our group: Shopping with one woman is hell, shopping with a bunch of women is purgatory, so what about shopping with a bunch of goddesses?

Thinking that I was still alive, I suddenly felt unbelievably incredible.

Most of the things had been sneakily stashed in our personal space, but to avoid drawing attention, a few of us men still carried loads of big and small bags. Yelsen was holding a bunch of clothes, half of which belonged to Bingdisi; Lady Goddess really isn’t picky about brands, purely choosing what she likes. The pile ranged from thirty-one sets to three thousand per piece. I was carrying odds and ends bought for the family, like toys for Little Baobao and a scarf for Qianqian. Uncle Kenser had it worst, carrying three sets of tableware, a chopping board, two pairs of kitchen knives, and even hoisting a couple of stainless steel pots on his shoulders, with soy sauce bottles clinking inside...

All those were picked by Monina, and there was even a set to be given to Anwina.

Though I had long heard that Uncle Kenser, who looked like Odin, was the dedicated shopper in Dingdang Team, seeing him picking pots and pans, oil and vinegar in the second-floor supermarket, I was completely gobsmacked—his proficiency indicated he had definitely done this countless times in other worlds!

Moreover, seeing such a solemn-faced uncle fervently shopping among oils and condiments like a passionate housewife, I could finally confirm that the last trace of dignity in the Dingdang Team had vanished, right?

When our large group finally left the shopping center, we attracted countless stares. This time, it wasn’t all about Bingdisi’s flamboyant style: a group that had swept through the shopping center over half a day, systematically buying out every single section just like line-by-line scanning, demanded respect.

"I feel like I’m almost dead."

On the way home, walking ahead of a bunch of still energetic gods, I spoke listlessly.

We absolutely could not let the Tiaozi Five walk ahead; if they spotted something interesting again, I would never make it home alive! Heaven knows, 123 and Kenser, both men, were incredibly skilled shoppers too!

"I feel the same..." Lin Xue beside me was also a picture of despondency, muttering with a sigh, "How can they still have so much energy?"

You’re telling me—you started off energetically too! But seeing you now, it seems mortals just can’t keep up with gods, huh? Who would have thought the human-god gap would manifest in this way!

But looking at the few behind us, all wearing happy expressions, well, let’s just chalk it up to bad luck today since they are our guests, after all.

"Speaking of which, has Ding Ling received the invitation?"

As we approached the intersection where we would part ways, the thought suddenly struck me, and I casually asked Lin Xue.

"Invitation?"

Both Ding Ling and Lin Xue uttered in confusion.

"Carnival," I winked at Lin Xue. "Perhaps we could let Ding Ling and your brother join in the fun too. They are practically insiders, and it’s such a rare occasion. Wouldn’t it be a pity if they couldn’t participate?"

"Huh? Can they?" Lin Xue looked at me in astonishment, not believing her ears. I was even more surprised than her: "Aren’t you a prophet? You get surprised too?"

"Nonsense!" Lin Xue shot me a glance. "I didn’t think about that at all initially. How could I predict anything without a target? If I could see every minute detail of the future in front of my eyes, I would have gone nuts already!"

"What are you guys talking about?"

Ding Ling, who had been listening by the side and could hardly get a word in, couldn’t hold back her confusion and finally spoke up.

"Carnival," Sandora approached from behind, her look thoughtful as she regarded Ding Ling. "It’s the grandest festival soon to be hosted by the Empire, where countless worlds will open their doors to each other during the festival period. But as for you, just think of it as a marvelous experience—I never initially planned on involving Earthlings in this event. Early exposure to certain things could disastrously impact your civilization. However, if it’s just you and Lin Feng attending the celebration as Lin Xue’s special guests, it could be feasible."

Sandora’s explanation might have been somewhat unclear to a Ding Ling unfamiliar with the rule of the Empire, but even the bits she could grasp were enough to hugely pique the interest of someone who, like Lin Xue, loved excitement and bargains. Her eyes lit up immediately: "Eh eh eh? Can I also join? Your festival? Where is it? When? Is it fun? Are there souvenirs?"

Ding Ling’s barrage of questions forced Lin Xue to face-palm, as she quickly intervened to stop her best friend’s gauche behavior: "You’ll see when you get there. You and my good-for-nothing brother have always been curious about what kind of worlds I usually deal with, right? Both Wood and Sandora have personally agreed now, so you guys will just have to see for yourself."

Sandora nodded in agreement: "But one thing, you must ensure absolute secrecy. You probably can’t imagine the scale of this carnival; it’s nothing like any celebration humanity could conceive. Ah Jun and I must ensure this grand event goes without a hitch. Understand?"

"Of course, of course!" Ding Ling hurriedly nodded her head. "Keeping things confidential is what I do for a living!"

Allowing Ding Ling and Lin Feng, the "outsiders," to participate in the carnival was a spur-of-the-moment idea for me but not entirely impulsive, knowing some of what they do. Interacting with them would naturally put Lin Xue in a difficult position. I knew Miss Lin’s character; though she appears carefree, she is incredibly sensitive about certain principles and stubborn to a fault. Without my permission, she wouldn’t casually disclose our affairs even to her own brother. Rather than having Lin Xue fret about this, it’s better to let Lin Feng and Ding Ling know a bit more, to spare Miss Xue the mental stress from their wild speculations.

Perhaps guessing my intention, Lin Xue looked this way with a meaningful expression in her eyes, seemingly a bit touched and thankful.

After a brief explanation to Ding Ling, the two groups separated at the next crossroad, but...it turns out Miss Lin followed us.

"That’s right! I came to freeload a meal!"

The unprincipled prophet admitted unabashedly.

Bingdisi nodded again and again: "I like this personality."

Kenser: "Very good, very good."

You few, stop making trouble! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please cast your recommendations and monthly votes at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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