novelraw Chapter 172
Chapter 172
Chapter 172: We’re Going Back to Azure Continent
Half a month passed in a blink of an eye.
The weather hadn’t rained again during this time, and the average temperature had warmed up by a few degrees, mainly because of the sun during the day.
For a basin like Sichuan Province, it’s rare to have a sunny day in winter.
Whenever the sun starts to peek out, a large group of kittens, puppies, elderly humans, and human cubs will naturally ‘grow’ on the flower beds downstairs in the apartment complex and on the lawns of the park outside.
It’s especially lively under the warm winter sun.
The elderly brought small stools and chatted about their families, children on winter vacation chased their own shadows, and adults who were busy sneaking in some leisure time lay directly on the flower beds, enjoying the short-lived sunshine.
Everything around them was unexpected, yet inexplicably beautiful.
Listening to the bustling voices downstairs, the sunlight was like a Virginia creeper growing wildly, quickly covering the entire house.
Xia Li turned over, covering himself with the quilt. This usually quiet and deserted old apartment complex only became lively when the New Year was approaching.
『Brother, brother. 』
『Are you asleep?』
Feeling a cat paw poking his face, Xia Li mumbled sleepily.
“I’m awake now.”
『Oh, then you can go back to sleep. 』
Xia Li: “?”
Xia Li sat up and saw the calico cat, dyed in a variety of colors, sitting on top of his head, its eyes staring straight at him.
Wuqi lowered his nose and sniffed at Xia Li’s head.
『Brother, you smell so good. 』
“Are you sick or something?”
Xia Li sat up and looked at the time; it was already noon.
The evil dragon hadn’t woken up yet…
Well, they had read until late last night, and Lucia probably stayed up late too, so neither of them woke up on time this morning.
『It’s only been a few days, and your family status has already dropped so low?』
Wuqi jumped down and landed on the coffee table.
He glanced down at the books on the coffee table; the messy human knowledge on them wasn’t something he, a little kitty, could understand.
『Did you have a fight with Dragon Sister?』
Wuqi looked up at Xia Li again.
His nightlife was rich, and he had several female cats to deal with, so he basically wouldn’t appear around here at night.
But in Wuqi’s impression, Xia Li should be sleeping in the same room as his girlfriend.
Why was he sleeping on the sofa today?
Could it be that they had a fight, and he was kicked out?
If it were an ordinary petite girl, Wuqi wouldn’t have this kind of association.
After all, this house nominally belonged to Xia Li, so it should be the girl who gets kicked out after a fight.
But…
If it were Dragon Sister…
Then it was hard to say.
Brother Xia didn’t need to lean against the wall when he went out, which Wuqi already admired.
“What fight…”
Xia Li rubbed his messy hair, sleepily saying,
“I stayed up late reading last night, and I fell asleep accidentally.”
『So that’s how it is. 』
Wuqi’s voice was full of regret. He pushed away the books piled up under his paws with his claws, and the expression on his face was somewhat shocked.
『You’re really working hard… Other veterinary students have to spend four years to get this certificate, and at your speed… how long do you plan to spend?』
“Half a year,” Xia Li answered immediately.
『Half a year??』
Wuqi opened his mouth silently.
After all, he was the kind of slacker who went to black internet cafes during high school, and he only felt admiration for the idea of ‘learning someone else’s four-year major in half a year’.
“The next qualification exam is in June, so the fastest is half a year,” Xia Li added.
The biggest advantage of online learning is that the time is flexible, unlike full-time universities where daily chores waste a lot of time.
If you focus all your energy on one thing every day, don’t slack off, don’t be perfunctory, then achieving success is inevitable ━ this is the learning experience Xia Li has summed up from his three years in another world.
Plus, he now has a junior schoolmate studying with him, and the junior schoolmate cooks and washes clothes for him every day.
This motivation is directly full.
『You… are a pervert. 』
Wuqi held back for a while, at a loss for words, and couldn’t find a suitable one, so he could only awkwardly praise him.
“Right,” Xia Li was almost fully awake and remembered the serious matter he had been wanting to ask Wuqi about these past two days.
“That ‘family reunion visa’ you mentioned last time…”
『Hmm?』
“Do you have any other ideas?”
Wuqi thought for a moment and said: 『You can check it online. I heard about it from a client at the hospital.
That client’s wife is a foreigner, and they applied for this visa not long after they got married. It’s said to be equivalent to a foreigner’s ID card in China… I don’t know the details, you have to find out yourself. 』
“I’ve looked into it. It requires two things: proof of relationship and proof of foreign identity.” Xia Li frowned, his tone helpless.
“Compared to the two, a foreign ID card might be easier… Some small countries can make you a legal citizen with money.”
『Hmm…』 Wuqi nodded as he listened, putting himself in Xia Li’s shoes.
『So, the biggest problem now is lack of money?』
“Indeed, there’s no money.” Xia Li confessed directly.
“And another thing, I need to get Lucia abroad first…”
『Don’t you have magic? Just teleport magically, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. 』
Wuqi waved his cat paws, boldly imagining it.
“That would require too much magic power, and teleportation magic can only teleport to places you’ve been.”
Xia Li’s words woke the cat from his dream, and Wuqi looked at Xia Li speechlessly.
『The magic in your world… is so useless. The superpowers in our world can directly choose the destination with our minds. 』
“Different worldviews, no way around it.” Xia Li shrugged.
『Then what do we do?』
Wuqi thought about it and found that there was really no way to break this situation.
Xia Li’s face darkened, and he hesitated for a moment.
Actually, he originally wanted to discuss this matter with Lucia.
But Lucia was a dragon with no opinions. If he asked her, she would only say ‘Okay, okay’, ‘I’ll listen to Xia Li’, and couldn’t think of any risks for him, so he could only come to Wuqi to talk about this.
“But, there’s a kind of magic scroll that can directly open a two-way portal…”
『Oh! Then we have to go get the magic scroll now!』
Wuqi got a little excited.
It’s like playing a game, accepting a quest, and then going to a designated location to complete the quest.
“If we want to obtain identity through legal means, then there’s only one way…” Xia Li continued.
Wuqi nodded: 『Tell me, where do we go to dig for treasure?』
“Go back to Azure Continent.”
Wuqi: 『??』
“After we go back, not only can we get all kinds of magic items, but also…”
Xia Li’s eyes lit up, “We can also get back a large number of magic crystals, the magic power stored in them can allow us to go back once more, and then bring back more things, it’s a virtuous cycle.”
As he spoke, Xia Li’s gaze glanced at the Demon Repelling Sword hanging on the wall.
Wuqi took half a step back.
Why…
Why did he suddenly enter invincible mode?
Didn’t he say we had to accept a quest and then submit it?
Why did he directly activate a cheat code?
Going back to the magic continent to get things…
This, this will have a big impact on Earth… Isn’t that a direct dimensionality reduction attack?
“Of course, this is under smooth circumstances.”
Xia Li put his attention back on the books on the table.
If things didn’t go smoothly, he would still honestly open a shop and run it diligently with Lucia.
If society couldn’t recognize Lucia, then he would frankly tell his parents. Now his parents knew Lucia, and they liked her very much. Xia Li thought that even if he told them the truth, they would be able to accept it now.
It didn’t matter if society didn’t recognize her, as long as his parents did.
There was no need for a wedding, a family of four would have a meal and eat hot pot.
If they couldn’t get married because of her lack of identity, then Xia Li would never marry. If he was worried that Lucia’s body wouldn’t be able to go to the hospital, then they simply wouldn’t have children… This was being responsible for the mother and for the child itself.
A half-human, half-dragon child would never be able to leave the house. Rather than that, it was better for him and Lucia to live like this, depending on each other for life.
Xia Li had thought of all these outcomes.
Of course, this was the worst-case scenario.
Now, there was still a bright path to take…
It was what he had just said.
Go back to Azure Continent.
That way, all problems could be easily solved.
『Then how are you going to go back?』
『Why do I feel… that the trouble of you going back to the magic world is even more difficult than smuggling?』
Wuqi was puzzled.
“No, going back is easier than smuggling.” Xia Li said.
After all, smuggling was illegal, and Xia Li didn’t plan to go that far.
If something went wrong, Lucia’s situation couldn’t withstand investigation.
Besides, they couldn’t get identities from the small countries around China, and they might even get their kidneys scammed and removed.
They could only go to farther places, which was not only more dangerous but also had countless variables along the way.
In comparison, the possibility of returning to Azure Continent was higher.
“Since I can transmigrate once, I can transmigrate a second time… At least this kind of transmigration magic has been proven in practice.”
“And it’s been proven twice.”
He went there once and returned to Earth once.
If you count the cat in front of him, that’s four times.
Using magic teleportation to go to a place he hadn’t been to before wouldn’t work; Azure Continent didn’t have that kind of magic.
◈◈◈
But there really was magic to teleport to Azure Continent.
Xia Li could feel that kind of pull from the Demon Repelling Sword.
It wasn’t really his wishful thinking to use magic to locate Azure Continent.
Xia Li didn’t have any hope for this kind of thing before, always feeling that magic was too far away for Earth.
But now, they could collect magic power.
What else was impossible?
After changing his way of thinking, Xia Li suddenly saw the light.
He felt that life was becoming more and more hopeful.
『Alright…』
Wuqi thought for a while and felt that Xia Li’s proposal was indeed more feasible.
Compared to taking illegal paths in this strict society, it was obviously more scientific to use magic.
『At least there’s a goal now, which is a good thing. 』
『I’ll give you the Golden Bell. Anyway, it’s more useful on you than on me. 』
Wuqi jumped off the coffee table and slowly went to his bowl to eat and drink water.
He hadn’t been back for a few days and had eaten a lot of junk food outside, so he missed cat food a little now.
Crunching on his food, Wuqi muttered to himself.
『But no matter what, money is the first thing you need… So you’re not wrong to learn this. 』
『Don’t look at me being a cat now, but my way of thinking is still human, and I can still understand the importance of ‘money’ in human society…』
『It’s one thing to let Dragon Sister live a good life, and you’ll also need it when you buy a foreign identity in the future. 』
『Speaking of which, I heard that there are some places in Europe where you can even buy titles with money. Why don’t you buy one and try it. 』
Wuqi’s face was full of longing.
Xia Li waved his hand: “Don’t bring up things that aren’t possible right now. Let’s wait until I get my qualification certificate and get the first batch of start-up capital.”
After talking to Wuqi for so long, his mood had improved a lot.
He was more motivated to study now.
He was a little hungry.
It would be nice if he could have a bowl of hot porridge made with love by his girlfriend at this time.
But the hardworking little dragon was still sleeping, so he probably had to make the food himself.
Xia Li added another spoonful of cat food to Wuqi’s bowl and took out a cat treat stick, splitting it in half for Mianhua and Wuqi.
Then he went to the kitchen and put on his apron.
Every time Wuqi saw that pink ultra-short apron hanging on Xia Li, he found it funny.
『What are you making today?』
Wuqi licked his nose and walked over to take a look.
As usual, when Xia Li cooked, he could get a bite.
“Stewed pork ribs, do you want some?”
Xia Li took a piece of pork ribs from the refrigerator.
He had bought it at the supermarket two days ago, and had asked the aunt to chop it into pieces. Now he just needed to wash it, blanch it to remove the fishy smell, and then stew it directly, which was very convenient.
『Yes, yes, yes, give me two pieces, and I’ll take one to Cuihua. 』
“Okay…” Xia Li washed the ribs and looked at him again.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to ask: “Did you get her?”
『Got her. 』
Wuqi nodded and raised his cat paw, indicating a number.
『Three. 』
Xia Li: “…”
He couldn’t even handle one, how could this neutered cat get three?
“Can you even handle it?”
『Who are you looking down on!』
After washing the ribs, he cut two pieces of ginger and some green onions and put them in a pot with cold water, added cooking wine, and turned on the heat.
While waiting for the water to boil, Xia Li turned around and asked the cat on the floor.
“I’ve always been curious, do you like human girls more, or cats more?”
『I like them both. 』
“Have you ever thought about turning back?” Xia Li asked again.
『This… is impossible, right?』
『I’ve been a cat for over twenty years and I’m used to it. And if I turn back… I have neither identity nor family. 』
“Lucia doesn’t have an identity either, but she’s working hard for it now. We can get one for you too.”
Xia Li could see the loneliness in the cat’s eyes.
Xia Li was too familiar with this kind of duplicitous look.
Wasn’t that him in the past?
『Why bother, it’s easier and more enjoyable to be a cat. 』
Wuqi raised his paw for a look, then slowly put it down.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about this.
The main thing was… he couldn’t face it.
He didn’t even dare to face the fact that he was alone now, let alone go home and take another look, so how could he dare to turn back?
Besides, it was impossible.
He didn’t even know why he had become a cat.
At least Xia Li knew how he had transmigrated; he had been summoned by a summoning spell. But Wuqi himself had transmigrated inexplicably and then inexplicably turned into a cat, with no clue at all.
“We can try.”
Xia Li suddenly thought of a possibility.
“If, you turning into a cat is a kind of magic, and you’re still under the effect of this magic…”
Coming to the side of the Demon Repelling Sword, Xia Li grabbed it.
With a sharp metallic scraping sound, the Demon Repelling Sword was slowly unsheathed by him, revealing its deep blue blade.
“This sword of mine is called the ‘Demon Repelling Sword’, which can dispel all magic.”
“Come here, I’ll give you a slash.”
The deep blue light mixed with the sunlight reflected on the floor, shining together on Xia Li’s chiseled side profile, making his face look unpredictable.
Wuqi felt like his fur was about to explode, he forced himself to swallow a mouthful of saliva, and his body retreated again and again.
『Wait, wait, don’t do this, I’m not ready yet…』
Xia Li took two steps forward.
“You’re a modern human after all.
People always have to face these things… To put it bluntly, it’s cleaning up the mess. Even if your parents are gone, your relatives are still there. Avoiding it will only deepen your obsession, and you’ll only be left with regret in the future.”
Xia Li was saying this to force Wuqi to make a decision.
If he knew he would regret it from the beginning, it was better to regret it sooner.
Regretting it now still had room for maneuver. Wuqi wasn’t old, and his parents might just be elderly.
But if he waited another few decades, he would really miss the chance.
Just like him and Lucia.
If he had hesitated or avoided it midway, instead of choosing to be with Lucia without hesitation…
The outcome would have been completely different.
Even if Wuqi couldn’t turn back with the Demon Repelling Sword, he couldn’t escape the attachment he had as a human.
Dispeling demons, dispelling not only the curse of transformation, but also one’s own inner demons.
『But… wait, wait, wait. 』
“Meow ah!!”
Wuqi’s face was full of terror, and he screamed.
『Don’t do this!』
Just when he was backed against the wall, with nowhere to retreat…
Suddenly, his cat ears twitched, and he heard footsteps.
Then, with a ‘creak’, the door opened.
Lucia was wearing green dinosaur pajamas, and her already fair face was made even fairer by the dark green dinosaur.
She was holding a large sheep plush in her arms, rubbing her eyes, and murmuring softly.
“Xia Li, what time is it…”
“Meow!! Meow!!!”
“Wuqi?”
Opening her eyes, Lucia saw the calico cat pressed against the wall, looking at her with pleading eyes.
Looking up again, Lucia saw Xia Li holding the unsheathed Demon Repelling Sword, in a stance ready to strike.
Xia Li’s gaze was sharp, and his sword-holding posture made the dragon’s heart pound.
Su━ such a dangerous move!
If this were in Azure Continent, Lucia would run away immediately upon seeing Xia Li like this!
“Xia Li, are you… are you going to kill the cat?”
“Meow!! Meow!”
『Yes, he’s going to kill the cat!』
『Dragon Sister, save me!!!』
“That… that’s not good.”
Lucia overcame her fear of the Demon Repelling Sword and tremblingly walked over, pressing down Xia Li’s sword-holding hand.
“Bl━ bl━ blood will splatter everywhere…” the evil dragon stammered.
“Meow!”
『Exactly!!』
『Dragon Sister, there are still many good dragons in the world!』
“I’ll, I’ll do it.”
Lucia rolled up her sleeves. She had a move that could knock someone out without bloodshed.
“Wait, I’ll go get a kitchen knife…”
After saying that, the evil dragon turned and left.
Leaving Wuqi in shock, unable to react for a long time.