Chapter 476: Watch My Four-Line Operation, Never Capsize

Qingxue had grown accustomed to Fang Cheng’s petting in her cat form, but this was her first experience as a human.

Her body stiffened slightly, yet she offered no resistance as he squished her cheeks. “Lord Cheng,” she asked with her usual cold tone, now undermined by her comically distorted face, “what are you doing?”

Fang Cheng, encountering the jelly-like softness of her human cheeks for the first time, kept kneading them. “Isn’t it obvious?” he grinned.

After a pause, Qingxue deadpanned: “Though I’m not human, you’re truly a dog – can’t even leave cats alone.”

Fang Cheng stared blankly. Being roasted by a cat was new. Her joke fell painfully flat, yet he admired the effort.

Withdrawing his hands reluctantly, he asked: “Did you need something?”

“Are you planning monster hunts soon?”

“Not this year.” Fang Cheng needed to address Ye Yuqing’s soul tearing problem, which might take uncertain time. Still, he resolved to maintain his hunting habit later – those accumulated Life reserves had been crucial against Isis.

“Then I’ll take Chuxia for training.” Qingxue’s fists tightened. She’d felt useless during Fang Cheng’s recent crisis, especially seeing Kanzaki Rin, Sato Hayato, and Ye Yuqing surpass her.

“Fine,” Fang Cheng shrugged, “if you can convince that fat cat.”

“I’ll…persuade her thoroughly.” Qingxue’s itching fist promised determination.

At nightfall, dinner’s aftermath saw Kanzaki Rin, Ye Yuqing, Takeda Masumi, and Nangong Saye retreating to their rooms with transparent excuses. Fang Cheng knew their true destination – the secluded woods beyond Mechanical City’s farms and factories.

While they anticipated secret meetings, Fang Cheng smelled potential disaster. Yet canceling felt cowardly. Confident in his multi-tasking skills, he prepared to navigate this romantic minefield.

Locking his room, he slipped through the window, beating them to the preserved hunting forest. The scenic isolation that once served aristocrats now hosted his complicated love life.

Before potential clashes occurred, Fang Cheng acted. At the forest edge, blood pooled in his palm, solidifying into Kamikawa Takumi’s likeness – a fusion of Blood Source ability and Blood Beast Nest.

The Blood Beast Nest could only transform into animals, but after merging with the Blood Source, it obtained limitless potential.

Fang Cheng had been training hard with this ability these past few days, discovering new applications – human transformation being just one.

The created Kamikawa Takumi perfectly resembled the original, even gaining vivid coloration instead of remaining monochrome blood-red. The only flaw lay in slightly stiff facial expressions and gaze compared to the genuine article.

“Abah abah!”

Under Fang Cheng’s control, this imitation big brother began vocal adjustments, soon achieving ninety percent similarity to the original’s voice. Anyone not intimately familiar wouldn’t notice anything amiss face-to-face.

“I’m counting on you tonight, big brother.”

Fang Cheng handed him a new phone and gave his shoulder a pat. The counterfeit big brother nodded before concealing himself with the device.

Takeda Masumi’s figure soon appeared beyond the city walls – first to arrive. Fang Cheng had contingency plans regardless of who came earliest.

Seeing Fang Cheng waiting at the small woods’ edge, Takeda Masumi blinked in surprise. “You’re earlier than me?”

“Couldn’t wait any longer.”

Fang Cheng urgently pulled her into the woods, his Tactical Master already detecting approaching figures a kilometer away.

“Why the rush? Stop tugging!”

His apparent eagerness flushed Takeda Masumi’s cheeks with misunderstanding. She offered minimal resistance as he led her deeper.

Minutes later, Nangong Saye reached the woods. As she prepared to text Fang Cheng, a sparrow emerged from the darkness onto her shoulder.

“Saye.”

“Ah Cheng? You became a bird?”

“Minor issues to handle. Follow me.”

The sparrow flew woodland-bound with Nangong Saye trailing.

Ten minutes later, Ye Yuqing crept to the woods. Another sparrow alighted on her shoulder.

“Yuqing.”

“Ah Cheng? How’d you turn avian?”

“Handling something. Wait inside – I’ll come soon.”

Ye Yuqing entered the trees behind the sparrow.

Half-hour later, Kanzaki Rin arrived. The little sparrow appeared before her.

“What’s wrong with you?” Kanzaki Rin frowned.

The little sparrow didn’t dare use trivial matters as an excuse since it’d be too obvious. She had to say, “Mirai’s been clinging to me. I’ll come find you after I lose her.”

Kanzaki Rin didn’t question this and entered the woods with the sparrow.

Three sparrows guided the girls to separate spots to prevent them meeting.

Rewinding thirty minutes earlier, Fang Cheng dragged Takeda Masumi into the forest.

The woods retained their primal state with no artificial traces.

Fang Cheng found a flat place and formed benches through blood creation, making Takeda Masumi sit.

Takeda Masumi felt nervousness creeping in. With no witnesses around, screaming her lungs out wouldn’t help if Fang Cheng tried anything.

Though truthfully, she’d already steeled herself for potential developments before coming.

Yet Fang Cheng showed no urgency after sitting. Instead, he produced two beer cans from his shadow, handing her one. “Why drag me here at midnight? What’s so important?”

Not knowing whether to feel relieved or disappointed, Takeda Masumi took the beer. After a swig, she murmured, “I want to get stronger.”

Fang Cheng halted mid-sip. “Why suddenly bring this up?”

“It’s not sudden.” She drank again, voice low. “I’ve been thinking since we left Tokyo. I just…watch helplessly whenever things happen.”

When Kanzaki Rin went for revenge alone in Tokyo, she couldn’t stop her.

During the Mechanical City power struggle, she’d been reduced to background cheering.

When Fang Cheng faced dangers, she couldn’t even assist – just hide in shelters awaiting outcomes.

“I used to call people useless.” Takeda Masumi gave a bitter smile. “Now I’m the useless one. You wouldn’t understand.”

She didn’t mention how everyone around her had received her training.

Though their teacher, she could only pick on Sato Mai and Uka Mirai now.

This feeling of being left behind hurt worse than outright rejection.

Sensing her bitterness, Fang Cheng realized this seemingly lazy woman still harbored competitive spirit.

He drank before asking, “You want my help?”

“Exactly!” Her gaze burned into him. “Only you can help me.”

Fang Cheng chuckled. “There’s more to it, right?”

There was. Though loath to admit, Takeda Masumi subconsciously saw others – even Kanzaki Rin – as competitors.

Thus she could only ask Fang Cheng.

When she stayed silent, Fang Cheng didn’t push. “No solutions now, but I’ll look during my next trip.”

Takeda Masumi nodded. “I’ll wait however long needed.”

“Can’t have that! You’re already ancient. Wait few more years and you’ll become granny!”

“Shove it! I’ll stay cute even after ten years!”

Fang Cheng checked the timeline and asked, “Cute lady, did you drag me out at midnight just to discuss this?”

Takeda Masumi bit her lip, nervousness suddenly creeping in.

“I couldn’t assist during your troubles earlier. After much thought, I’ll give you a reward as compensation.”

She gulped down beer before pressing her lips against Fang Cheng’s, pushing him onto the benches.

Fang Cheng tasted her rosy lips mixed with beer for the first time, finding it novel. His restless hands began exploring.

Takeda Masumi grabbed his wandering hands. Though her assets weren’t small, Fang Cheng’s constant teasing had dented her confidence. She guided his hands downward.

Below the waistline, she felt assured – workouts couldn’t boost chests but sculpted curves.

The reward lasted awhile, but when Fang Cheng tried advancing further, Takeda Masumi halted him.

Panting, she licked her lips: “Reward ends here. Beyond this requires payment.”

Fang Cheng snorted: “Who can’t afford this? Give me ten bucks’ worth!” His hands kept searching through valleys and streams.

With flushed cheeks, Takeda Masumi breathily resisted.

A phone ring interrupted. Fang Cheng sighed inwardly – her resistance felt token. If Others weren’t in the small woods, he’d have upgraded to VIP membership tonight.

Answering the video call, Kamikawa Takumi appeared: “Fang Cheng! Where are you? Come now!”

“You pick this exact moment?”

“Stop arguing! Move it!”

After hanging up, Takeda Masumi urged: “Go handle business. I’ll return myself.” She missed the dazed look on big brother’s screen.

Fang Cheng bid reluctant farewell.

One down. Choosing big brother wasn’t random – with no ties to Takeda Masumi, the lie held.

Outside small woods, big brother’s form changed to Kanzaki Rin’s, voice shifting through guttural adjustments.

After cleansing his scent, Fang Cheng rushed to another woods corner.

Ye Yuqing had waited fifteen minutes, chatting with a sparrow. She pouted: “Why so late?”

Fang Cheng silenced complaints with his mouth. Her light punches melted into whimpers.

In quiet woods, Ye Yuqing sat in his lap. Fang Cheng asked: “Why summon me here tonight?”

She gripped his hands: “I dreamt of Tsukimi Narumi. After soul-healing, she demands we find her mother’s soul.”

“What?”

“Track mother’s soul whereabouts.”

Fang Cheng startled – he’d expected mother’s body. If soul remained, did life persist?

Reading his expression, Ye Yuqing asked: “I agreed. Problem?”

Fang Cheng hugged her fragrant body: “As Tsukimi’s proxy, you can’t refuse. Don’t worry – we’ll search together.”

“Mm.” She glared playfully: “Rascal.”

Fang Cheng’s heart burned. With better timing, paid content’s second season would’ve premiered.

Perfectly timed, his phone rang. Kanzaki Rin appeared: “Where are you? Urgent business.”

Ye Yuqing butted in: “Talk tomorrow!”

Kanzaki Rin’s light glance held authority: “Official business. Don’t interfere.”

Asaka Akihime seized body control: “Go, Cheng-kun!”

Fang Cheng thumbs-upped the considerate proxy. “Tomorrow then.”

After he left, Ye Yuqing punched a Large Tree: “Infuriating!” Their hard-won private moment outside town still got ruined by mistress.