Xyrin Empire-Chapter 718: Sorry for Exposing You to the Dark Side of Society

Chapter 718: Chapter 718: Sorry for Exposing You to the Dark Side of Society

Before the people of Fantasy Land set sail to return, I had made arrangements, notifying Artemis to prepare for the construction of the Residence and real estate promotion. For various reasons, I really hoped to have more residents of Fantasy Land settle down in Avalon. Being able to save a significant amount on demolition compensation and reducing a lot of trouble was an important reason. Another reason that couldn’t be ignored was that the kids’ mom was really making a fuss— you simply couldn’t imagine how many irresponsible statements she dared to publish in the Imperial Daily under the status of "legitimate wife," which could have a devastating impact on my reputation.

The small town that was set up in a short period of time proved that Artemis had executed my orders very well. When the tour group led by Boli Lingmeng entered the town, what met their eyes were not hastily completed shoddy buildings and flashy but superficially attractive quick settlement homes, but neat and orderly independent houses, broad and clean yet not dull pebbled paths, naturally charming trellis streetlamps, and large, lush green grasses. Buildings nearby were adorned with elegant Elf Secret Text and mystic Goddess Runes—moving from a busy, crowded city to such a hidden-like small town must be a dreamy affair. Even the demons of Fantasy Land, who had always been living an idyllic life, showed satisfied expressions at the sight of these Residences. Although most of the demons present, aside from Kappas and Tengu, were not included in the scope of this demolition compensation, they still showed great interest.

I was also feeling content because of the serene environment here, but regrettably, this good mood didn’t last long. When everyone arrived at the sales center in the center of the town, a hugely stressful scene unfolded.

Such a large town would definitely be very quiet if uninhabited, but the streets near the sales center seemed exceptionally lively. To everyone’s surprise, there was an assembly of countless street vendors, even forming an embryonic version of a food street, a discount street, a counterfeit street, and a certificate street— the magnificent home viewing group had just entered the area when they were surrounded by vendors who had sensed the opportunity from all directions.

A dozen vendors selling barbecue and snacks led the offensive with their carts, aggressively enclosing the demon Lolies headed by Cheng Miao. Among these guys waving lamb skewers trying to coax money out of Lolies’ pockets, I recognized at least five army officers and three warship captains.

Cheng Miao Loli was captivated by the irresistible aroma of squid at the first moment, Remilia curiously observed the cooking method of blood tofu, while Flandre bit a sugarcoated hawthorn stick vendor with curiosity—almost breaking half a tooth, but that didn’t dampen Flandre’s spirits at all. Instead, she became more excited; the little girl, who’d always been kept at home by her sister and had never come out to play, was now overjoyed, even laughing while clutching her mouth and tears swirling in her eyes.

A quartermaster in a robe over his uniform stopped Youyouzi, marketing various jade pendants on a big rack: "This lady, seeing your pale complexion and unsteady walk, you must have an excess of yin and a deficiency of yang. This humble monk has jade pendants consecrated by the Archbishop of the Vatican that could balance yin and yang..."

Youyouzi unfurled her folding fan to cover her mouth and nose, showing a nuanced expression. She pushed the unlucky Yao Meng in front of her: "This child has been frail with a weak constitution since childhood, haunted by ghosts. If you really have a method, go ahead and read her fortune."

The quartermaster didn’t say another word, laid down the pendants, took off his robe to reveal a Taoist robe underneath, and set up the Eight Diagram of the Zhou Yi right there on the ground, beckoning: "Young friend, please sit down. Would you like a character reading or to draw a fortune stick? By the way, that balloon you’re holding is pretty unique..."

Wenwen was stopped by a few guys in white coats claiming to be promoters from a certain tech company, intermediate officers, one of whom was holding a suspicious-looking spray and began introducing it to the Tengu Girl: "Please wait, miss, your black and shiny feathers with such a vivid color make one envious, but it’s a pity that the tips seem to be thinning. This is the ’One-Spray Spirit’ feather regrowth water our company has recently developed. Just spray it on your wings every morning and evening, and your feathers..."

"Tengu’s wingtips are naturally blunt," stated Wenwen, who stepped back half a step nervously but immediately looked at the regrowth water curiously. "Why are there so many labels on this bottle?"

The man in the white coat hadn’t managed to explain yet when the Tengu Girl picked up a small bottle from a basket nearby and began peeling the labels layer by layer: "’One-Spray Spirit’ feather regrowth water, ’Yisaling’ hair loss treatment essence, ’Gold Kela’ crop growth booster, ’Hao Qingjing’ all-purpose shower gel, ’All Flavors House’ nutrition oil... Is there anything in the world that this can’t do?"

"Heh, it’s not going to kill anyone. Coming out to do a bit of peddling isn’t easy, gotta occupy oneself with something between battles— even if it doesn’t work for hair loss, taking it back home to cook is not bad either!"

With a trembling gaze, I looked around, and the scene before me made me involuntarily recall everything under Erli Bridge. Under the pristine blue sky of Avalon, such a bunch of bastards had actually appeared— I’d bet an even bigger bastard was lurking nearby!

And sure enough, after a brief scan, I found that Uncle B and Shi Liu Ye, along with a few others, had already been stopped by a man in a full black suit and sunglasses radiating an aura of integrity: "Gents, fancy a round?"

Uncle B quickly glanced in Ilya’s direction and shook his head repeatedly: "With kids here, it’s not suitable."

Shi Liu Ye and several other demon girls curiously leaned in, "What’s a disc?"

Uncle B broke into a cold sweat, "It’s really not suitable, not at all! You girls keep away from this guy!"

"No problem, no problem," Uncle Hei Chao waved his hands as he opened his shoulder bag, "I’ve got stuff that’s suitable for kids here. How about some censored Hu Luwa, perfectly harmonious! I also have things here that would be suitable for you girls to watch. They say it’s for young female audiences. I haven’t dared to watch it myself..."

Berserker was almost in tears, a heavy sense of duty to save the ignorant girls from the BL Abyss weighed upon his heart. Despite his continued refusal, Uncle Hei Chao eventually had to give up on trying to push his CDs onto Shi Liu Ye and the others, shaking his head and sighing, "Ah, if I had known it was going to be all girls here, I would’ve brought my Eight Diagram set instead. That kid from logistics is going to get a good deal... Hey, do you want to get a permit? No need for a permit, either? What about receipts? I also have train tickets, and if all else fails, how about a couple of packets of cockroach powder? Our boss is strict, so this stuff isn’t toxic, but it’s good for cooking with... Alright, alright, looks like that’s not useful either. But I was already prepared for market expansion—check this out! Antiques! Genuine, bona fide antiques, a Redwood chest from over seven hundred years ago! An official Jingde Town blue and white porcelain from eight hundred years ago!"

"Antiques? Let me have a look!" The demon girl called Nazling immediately jumped up. Not knowing enough about the Empire, she was oblivious to the nature of the man before her. And this guy happened to be Fantasy Country’s most famous Treasure Hunter, which hooked her instantly, "This... It really is an extremely old handcrafted item, the craftsmanship is definitely of a treasure level. What is this Redwood chest for?"

Sicaro, seeing someone take the bait, was beaming with joy, "Come come, let me open it for you. This lady really has an eye for authenticity. Look, there are three compartments, the big compartment is to put a mobile phone, this small compartment is for the charger, and this one for spare batteries. Our experts have analyzed that this must have been mobile phone packaging from back in the day."

Seemingly unaware of what mobile phone packaging was, Nazling was simply excited looking at the remaining antiques, "And this one? This porcelain looks really valuable!"

Sicaro solemnly introduced, "This is a limited edition blue and white porcelain Gundam model that came from the Jingde Town official kilns at that time. Look, the arms and legs can move!"

"And this one?"

"Tang Bohu’s ’Dazed Beauty.’"

"And this one?"

"A Han Dynasty brocaded tailcoat."

"And this one?"

"A solar-powered electric razor used by Zhou Wenwang himself—see, these small characters on the base are Zhou Wenwang’s own signature in Oracle Bone Script!"

"And this one?"

"Now you’re getting to the good stuff—this is a disc! Want one?"

"I can smell the scent of a treasure!" Nazling clasped her hands to her heart, visibly excited.

Uncle B slapped his forehead, "I can’t even watch this..."

Not just you, anyone with a shred of conscience at the scene couldn’t bear to watch Sicaro deceive the little girl. However, as I was about to take action, Ling Meng, the Red and White Witch beside me, reached her limit first, briskly stepping forward and slapping Sicaro on the back, "Hey! You! Don’t underestimate the city management. I’m still on duty!"

What followed was a very enthusiastic exchange, accompanied by all sorts of grappling and combat moves with Ginseng Roosters—too bloody to detail, but you can take it as a reference if you go to the usual corners where city management and street vendors are found.

Still, Sicaro, having honed his impressive combat skills against the city management, managed to keep his defense and offense under control even when faced with Ling Meng, the God of City Management. The Red and White City Management couldn’t get the upper hand in the fight. Thus, not long after, I too eagerly joined the campaign to refurbish this counterfeit vendor, turning the tide of battle instantly.

The Imperial Leader and the God of City Management were overflowing with enthusiasm and innovation during the law enforcement, taking the practical approach of kicking someone when they’re down—a heroic feature that must be highlighted. It must be said that during this process, Sicaro also put up a brave resistance and lasted a good thirty seconds before finally being kicked to the ground by a sudden joint attack from Pandora and Visca.

"Boss! Listen to my explanation! Our operation had a purpose this time!"

"Your purpose every time is nothing more than to give the City Management Team of several thousand members cramps in their legs," I flipped through Uncle Hei Chao’s treasured black shoulder bag, spilling an array of bizarre items on the ground, causing him to look as if he was grieving for his dead ancestors. "Don’t even get me started—I’ve had to establish a city management team of over a thousand people just to deal with your bunch! Just think how great it would be if they could do something else—by the way, why is there no HD version?"

Big Sister immediately gave me a karate chop without any courtesy, and Qianqian and Sandora each bit into their own arms.

"Boss, I think so too... General, don’t kick my face! Calmness is the virtue of an Imperial Soldier!"

"Fine, you may explain now."

With two Lovers of Steel clinging to my arms, I made an effort to pat Pandora’s little head and signaled Visca to continue kicking. A minute later, I managed to ask the question as I endured the throbbing vein on my forehead and the soreness in my arms. The guy had the gall to recreate the glory of the Erli Bridge Market right on the Imperial Leader’s unavoidable path with his unscrupulous troops. If it weren’t for Pandora’s kick to his head, he really might have had some plans. But I still thought it appropriate to beat him up first, a righteous revenge for the City Management Team at all levels who had suffered at the hands of Sicaro’s gang.

"Isn’t this what you wanted?" Sicaro frantically scrambled to collect his shoulder bag, clearly disheartened by the unprecedented failure of the operation. When he opened his mouth, he gave me a real scare, "Didn’t you order the establishment of towns for the residents of Fantasy Country in Avalon?"

"What has that got to do with your messing around here?"

"Then you also ordered that the town should have a strong sense of daily life, ideally reflecting the human environment and social activities of Earth and the usual activities of the Imperial Capital."

Me: "..."

"Your subordinate thought about it for two hours, and still felt that the social environment of Erli Bridge best met your requirements. Isn’t the confrontation with city management the perfect embodiment of the endless fighting spirit of Imperial Soldiers..."

"Pandora, Visca, keep on kicking, don’t mind me."

Crack, thwack, boom, bam—the two Little Loli Generals, unable to restrain themselves any longer, started fixing up this stubborn bootleg fanatic in a rhythmic 4/4 time.

The countless small sellers and street vendors who had gathered in front of the sales center had already scattered like birds and beasts when their leader was being dealt with. When I turned back, the scene was littered with debris, and only a handful of officers were still pushing their carts, selling snacks, handicrafts, and taking pride in their fleeing compatriots, smiling smugly. Then they pulled out their business licenses and health permits to display on their carts: selling snacks and handicrafts are the only two trades that still somewhat conform to moral standards led by Sicaro, the No Morals Commander of the Empire, though most of the time, my desire to execute them isn’t much less than for Sicaro himself.

"You wouldn’t know it... but you guys are actually such jolly folks when you’re not at war," Youyouzi said, lightly twirling her fan as she appeared beside me. "The cold aura your soldiers carried around at first was quite unpleasant."

"Don’t use the minority to represent the majority," I said expressionlessly. "The majority of Imperial Soldiers are highly disciplined; these guys are purely the result of mutations when they arrived on Earth!"

"But if it weren’t for your tacit approval, I believe no one would dare to be so unruly."

Yukari Yakumo laughed softly as she picked up the conversation, with an "I see through everything" look on her face, "You, you really do care for your subordinates."

I spread my hands in a non-committal gesture, but basically, I was conceding to this cunning Big Demon’s statement.

Indeed, although Sicaro and his bootleg Empire and vendor army often turn Shadow City upside down, and occasionally even make the K city smoggy, it’s undeniable that I permit it: during wartime, their ruthless bloodshed is enough; in times of peace, it’s better to be more humane than to always be a war machine. I like this stark contrast in joyful atmosphere among my subordinates during peacetime, even if sometimes certain individuals take it too far.

But what can I say? Although I feel a bit moody about it, the Demon Girls around me all seem cheerful, not caring whether the things they bought are good or bad. What makes them happy is the opportunity to see the colorful world outside. Even the more mature and stable ones enjoy themselves.

After this slightly chaotic but amusing incident for the immigrants from Fantasy Country passed, Artemis, who had heard the news, teleported to the town with her subordinates. She has now fully settled into her role as the head of the Avalon Community Committee, busying herself every day with numerous trivial issues that arise in this new world due to MOD conflicts. Recently, she was also nominated by me and a group of boisterous Heroic Spirits as the mayor of the Ideal Country—a title that was quite fun to bestow under the circumstances. It’s just a pity that Senjin Lin Zhizhu, the "mayor" of Fantasy Country, must still be in another world, overwhelmed with resident registration issues; otherwise, the two mayors would have had a historic meeting today.

"I’m very sorry I’m late," Artemis hurriedly approached me, "Cu Chulainn’s landing pod didn’t slow down when he went to execute a mission in ESD487E31F15 world, and I’ve just come back from the Heroic Spirit Hall."

"If this keeps up, that poor kid’s mission completion rate will be zero again this month," I remarked with sweat trickling down my face.

"No, he completed his mission this time: Cu Chulainn’s task was to prematurely detonate an active volcano to correct a historical discrepancy that had arisen in that world due to excessive information projection. His landing pod happened to fall into the volcano, and three seconds later, he was ejected along with the pod. Now he has become the Heroic Spirit who completed his mission the fastest this quarter, even surpassing last month’s record set by Leonidas, who was trampled by hundreds of mammoths in thirty-five seconds and successfully altered that world’s mammoth extinction timeline."

I couldn’t shake the feeling that Artemis reported this situation to her boss with a very subtle mindset.

Ah, speaking of Artemis, I suddenly remembered something: Among the Atlantians, there’s an Artemis who stands at two and a half meters tall and can knock out two Terminators with a single punch—a giant girl; yes, a girl. Ignoring her exceptional height, old individuals in decline or those whose appearance would disturb the public aesthetics are rare among the Atlantians. Artemis, despite being tall enough to dwarf the Pandora Sisters stacked up, is still a girl—I am now most curious about what kind of entertaining collision it would cause if this Artemis here ever met her giant doppelgänger. There are just too many such troublesome situations in our circle.

(New Year greetings! But no second update... Crawling through work during the New Year)(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to rate and vote on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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