Chapter 557: Chapter 45 Demon

Won.

The Demon won.

Gongsun Ce won.

The struggle that swept across the city from Thorn District to Cangshou District had finally determined a victor.

There were no more reasons to object, no more courage to object. The dissenters became neutrals, and the neutrals turned into supporters. The terror and fear jointly cultivated by the Demon and the Supreme Crown underwent a dramatic reversal at this moment, transforming into admiration and shock in people’s hearts.

From the ordinary citizens at the bottom to the bigwigs of the institutions, all the onlookers nervously waited for the outcome, for the dust to settle and the decleration of the end.

In the refuge of the white coats, Xingli gazed at the young man on the screen, reverence shimmering in her eyes.

“He’s so amazing! He really defeated all his opponents, every single one!”

She looked at the adults who were too shocked to speak and mischievously asked, “That person now, is he still the Demon?”

“President!” A member of the intelligence troop said anxiously on the other end of the phone, “Shouldn’t we come up with a new nickname for Mr. Gongsun as soon as possible? I reckon calling him the Daoist Master like before isn’t fitting, but I’m afraid to call him Demon in case he flips my house over!”

“Shh… easy there, let me put my brain to work,” Chi Zijing covered the phone and turned to ask, “Brother Mo, what do you think Gongsun Ce’s new moniker should be?”

Mo Yuankai stroked his head, seriously suggesting, “Destructive God?”

“If your little brother gets saddled with that nickname, going out for fun will be quite the scene,” the President shook his head and said, “Just imagine, Gongsun Ce walking down the street, and a whole street of students shouting ‘Destructive God’…”

“Wow, that would indeed be hard to bear,” Mo Yuankai scratched his head and finally said after straining for a while, “Previously he was the Demon… both are pretty bad… Demon person… how about Demon?”

The President snapped his fingers, “That’s good, simple to remember, rolls off the tongue! Ah Xing, the new nickname is ‘Demon’ then!”

A member of Marine Stars, sitting in the car, nodded repeatedly and in a cadenced voice announced to the entire city, “The strongest battle beneath the heavens has been decided just now…”

“The invincible and majestic Demon, has arrived at his loyal Dragon Head tonight!”

With that, the intelligence troops cut the broadcast feed, killed all the cameras and listening devices, and then one by one, jumped out of the cars, “Wrap it up, folks, time to go home and sleep~!”

Gongsun Ce didn’t hear this citywide broadcast; his battle had destroyed all the nearby amplifying equipment. He teetered on the verge of collapse at the top of the Cangshou District’s central office building, temporarily forgetting whether it was day or night.

“…Hah.”

His perspective suddenly flipped, and the sky was reflected in his eyes. The glittering stars dimmed gradually as if something unseen was covering the brilliantly bright sky.

Did I shatter something during the fight? He thought hazily. It seemed like someone was talking… Was it an imaginary friend made of air? How lame… With such severe injuries this time, I need to seek Sister Zhenfan for help… I’m about to fall, just need to hold on a little longer…

His fading telekinetic powers finally cushioned his fall, allowing the gray-haired youth to land safely. He swayed on the ground and then toppled to one side as if losing consciousness.

Then, a girl who had rushed over caught him.

“Ah. Thanks.” Gongsun Ce mumbled unclearly, “Can you check the time for me? My watch is in my pocket. The time…”

Qin Qianbai took the miraculously unscathed pocket watch out of the pocket on the black clothes. She felt that this little accessory didn’t match Gongsun Ce’s style; it didn’t seem like something he would like.

“Midnight.” Qin Qianbai said, “It’s a new day.”

Such a long fight. Nearly killed me. Gongsun Ce tried to wipe his face, then remembered he was missing an arm.

“Such a bummer.” The young man chuckled wryly, “Sorry. After all that tough talk, you end up seeing my embarrassing side.”

“Not at all,” the young girl said, supporting his shoulder, “Compared to when you took me out before, I think Gongsun Ce is even more handsome now.”

Don’t be so straightforward; Mr. Gongsun will get embarrassed.

“Hah… Miss, are you all right?”

“Besides superficial scrapes, just most of my internal organs are shattered. It’s nothing serious.”

I see. Since you can still talk normally, it doesn’t seem to be that great of an injury. Even the Miss who knocked down that marauder head-on is quite something…

Gongsun Ce’s blurry consciousness gradually became clearer.

“………Hah?”

Fatigue and exhaustion vanished as if they were illusions, and at this moment, Gongsun Ce felt as if he had chugged three bottles of mint oil, full of energy. He widened his eyes and grabbed the girl’s shoulder, “What did you say?!”

Qin Qianbai indignantly knocked his hand away, “You impudent fool!”

Gongsun Ce frantically yelled, “Now isn’t the time to say that! An injury where most of your organs are shattered can be spoken of with such a tone? You get yourself to a doctor for treatment right now!!”

“A person like Gongsun Ce who hasn’t even dropped an arm after being chopped into three pieces has no right to speak,” the Miss retorted, “You’re the one who should be seeking treatment.”

“Mr. Gongsun, I am capable of healing myself, can you?!”

“My constitution has always been far superior to ordinary people like you; I’m not afraid of such injuries.”

“Don’t show me such a deadpan superior attitude from a big family in this kind of weird situation!”

Qin Qianbai tilted her head back, “Look at you, that’s a smug expression.”

“There is no expression! But I can see the smugness, and that attitude is so infuriating!!”

The two severely injured bickered heatedly, completely ignoring the onlookers nearby. Kardesia leaned on the doctor’s shoulder, yawning and saying, “This isn’t good, feels like the noise around here is going to double…”

The doctor reached out to tickle his little sister’s chin, “You’re quite the noisy one yourself.”

“Not at all~ I’m a dignified and elegant young lady~”

Mo Yuankai was about to step forward to greet them but noticed the main doors of the Cangshou District’s central office building opening at this moment. A heavy feeling sank in his heart as he braced for an unexpected situation, but instead of the officials he had anticipated, a handsome imperial youth whom he did not recognize emerged.

This attractive young man, wearing a long coat and army green trousers, was none other than Qin An, unseen for an entire night.

“…!”

As Qin An stepped out, Qin Qianbai swiftly hid behind Gongsun Ce, using the neighbor as his human shield.

Gongsun Ce almost burst out laughing.”What’s with that startled look? You’re like a little girl who’s been caught by her parents after running away from home. Seems like your older brother holds quite the authority in your heart, huh.””Mr. Qin…” Gongsun Ce said with a weak smile, “Sorry, I encountered a string of unexpected events today and forgot to contact you. What brings you here?””It’s okay, I’ve looked over many places, and one more day makes no difference,” Qin An replied with a laugh, “I just took this opportunity to have a cup of tea and chat about old times with someone I know.””Oh. Oh.”Gongsun Ce nodded absently, thinking to himself that this acquaintance must be some high-ranking official, given the location for tea.”Alright then, Mr. Qin, shall my lady and I first…?”Behind him, Qin Qianbai tightened her grip on his clothes. Only then did the distracted Gongsun Ce remember that this unfortunate child had run away from home! Having been seriously injured and now facing family members, any emotional provocation could trigger a disaster!In a panic, he tentatively asked, “So, Mr. Qin, you’re not going to…””Ah!”Qin An sighed deeply, his four brothers silently moving behind him, all looking very serious. Gongsun Ce knew at a glance that the situation was grim.”Within the family, there indeed are some maladies. Initially, I supported Little Qian living on her own…”Qin An spoke slowly, “But observing over the past few days, I’ve realized that security in the Capital of Sky is quite chaotic. The battle tonight was truly an eye-opener. Even someone as skilled as Little Qian ended up grievously injured to defeat her opponent.”The Qin brothers all started to move about, giving off the air of someone ready to forcibly impose family discipline.Standing with his hands behind his back, Qin An solemnly said, “It’s worrisome for a frail young lady like Little Qian to live by herself. Tell me, how could I rest easy letting her live here all alone?”Finito, it’s all over!Qin An had changed his mind; he wanted to take the young lady back home! But he now had no reason to chide others for being pedantic. Which older brother wouldn’t worry seeing his younger sister injured like this and leaving her to stay alone outside? It’s only because the Qin family is thick-skinned that they’re still able to talk; in any other family, they would’ve grabbed the girl and left by now!Qin Qianbai was completely silent while Gongsun Ce’s mind was a mess. The gravely injured young man couldn’t think of any clever retorts. He was anxious beyond measure, unable to think of an objection, but his mind was filled with opposition. He felt he just couldn’t stand by and let this happen, he absolutely couldn’t let them take the girl away.In his urgency, Gongsun Ce shouted, “She’s not living alone! I will take care of her!””Oh?” Qin An raised an eyebrow.Gongsun Ce pounded his chest, shouting, “I guarantee it! I will look after her well… I won’t let her get hurt again! I, will definitely protect her properly!”Qin An gazed at the young man before him. The youngster with grey hair was barely able to stand, yet he was still defiantly shouting, making a promise with his battered body.”Good!”Qin An’s brows eased, and he said aloud, “A promise made by a gentleman is unbreakable by even a team of horses. With your word, I’m reassured!”The Qin brothers all showed smiles.Gongsun Ce sighed in relief, then whispered softly, “There, I’ve helped you get through this. Now it’s your turn to step up. Miss, you better talk to your big brother quickly and make sure he doesn’t complicate things.”Qin Qianbai peeked out from behind the young man, giving him a very peculiar look.Silently, she said to Qin An,”…Grandpa.”Gongsun Ce tripped over his own feet and stumbled to the ground.He barely propped himself up, straining his neck as he exclaimed, “Grandpa?!”Qin An remained composed, accepting the term with grace.Annoyed, Qin Qianbai stomped on her neighbor’s foot and continued to quietly exchange greetings, “Second Grandpa, Third Grandpa, Fourth Grandpa, Fifth Grandpa…”Looking at the Qin five brothers, who didn’t look a day over 35, Gongsun Ce almost coughed up blood, “This… what? Huh?!”Qin Wu, the burly brother, frowned and said, “What’s this, you thought I was Little Qian’s brother?””These five brothers… such brothers?!”Gongsun Ce wailed, “Mr. Qin… Mr. Qin! Don’t you think you’ve been a bit underhanded?”Qin An looked down at him, chuckling, “When did I ever say I was Little Qian’s older brother?””I’ve called you that many times and you never denied it!”Qin An calmly responded, “Nor did I ever confirm it.”Gongsun Ce rolled over, agony on his face, as he suddenly understood why Qin Qianbai was so eccentric. No wonder this girl could be so stunned… your entire Qin family, starting from the oldest ancestor, has never been quite serious!Exhausted, both in body and soul, Gongsun Ce weakly inquired, “May I ask, old sir, how old are you this year…?”Qin An pretended to count for a while, frowning, “Ah, I really can’t remember clearly. Little Qian, how old is grandpa this year?”After pondering for a moment, Qin Qianbai earnestly replied, “Grandpa was born in the Xingwen Sixteenth Year, which makes him exactly four hundred and forty-one years old this year.”Gongsun Ce felt his head spin.”…Your, your grandfather’s father, is over four hundred years old?””Grandpa is the grandfather to everyone in the family,” Qin Qianbai corrected, “My father’s father is my grandfather.”Gongsun Ce let out an inexplicable cry, rolling on the ground. Mr. Qin laughed heartily and walked away with his brothers.Mo Yuankai saw the group leave in a rush, squatting next to Gongsun Ce and saying with a mischievous smile, “Ah Ce, the old man seems quite amiable, huh?””I swear the Qin family is the most marvelous family I’ve ever seen in my life,” Gongsun Ce said weakly, “There’s none other.”The downpour stopped, and the night sky became clear. Mo Yuankai dragged his own little brother along and got into the car with the team’s new member.Chi Zijing had disappeared without a trace long ago. Onowell was busy on the phone with some high-ranking officials from an unknown party. Kardesia was eagerly gossiping with the young lady about “those handsome guys from your family.” The doctor arrived with his medical kit, and Gongsun Ce’s screams began as the treatment commenced.The insane battle that engulfed the entire city came to a close amidst the most ordinary commotion.