Chapter 110: The Interdimensional Necklace

A commercial street in a retro style, not particularly wide, but preserved for its early-twentieth-century atmosphere.

On a sunny afternoon, it looked just like the filming location of a Japanese romance drama from the last century, full of ambiance.

Lu Mingfei felt it had the kind of style you'd find in Chrono Crusade.

The shopkeepers were pretty clever too, selling goods with a certain vintage flair; the roadside stalls offered common folk foods, and they'd even wrap your takeout in oiled paper.

Hui Liyi had a huge appetite. In just half an hour, she had already eaten three red bean daifuku, two portions of takoyaki, and a serving of soy sauce fried noodles, and now she was holding two korokke in her hands. Lu Mingfei was carrying the little toys and souvenirs she had bought, looking every bit the attendant.

She wanted to pop into every shop and pick up and examine every item at every stall.

Now she was at a Westerner's roadside stall, curiously browsing through jewelry.

The stall owner was a young man with blond hair, blue eyes, and shoulder-length hair. To be honest, at first glance Lu Mingfei thought it was that bastard Fingal who'd come to Japan to make some extra cash.

Both his look and his salty, fly-attracting vibe were spot on; he only perked up to start hawking his wares when he saw a customer approach.

"Are your goods authentic?" Lu Mingfei asked skeptically, holding a gemstone necklace in his hand: "Dare to charge this much?"

"Who on this commercial street doesn't know the name Salier Alastel? I only sell the real thing!"

The blond man picked up another necklace. To be honest, the craftsmanship was quite exquisite, but there was no way to tell whether the piece was genuine or not.

"Besides, this necklace has quite a story behind it..." the man lowered his voice, looking all mysterious.

This gave Lu Mingfei a bad premonition. Back home, some scenic-area merchants would definitely spin you a yarn before selling you something at a high price, like how Emperor Qianlong or Empress Dowager Cixi "bestowed a name" on it.

Or cite some unofficial historical record. Anyway, once they finished talking, the item would gain an extra layer of cultural value or brand premium.

"You're not going to tell me this thing is the Heart of the Ocean from Titanic, are you?" Lu Mingfei's mouth twitched as he cut off the stall owner: "This gemstone is pitch-black, not blue."

To his surprise, the stall owner shook his head with a solemn expression. "Do you know Deidara? The one who blew up the toilet."

"You call that a toilet too... wait, what does this necklace have to do with that anime character?" Lu Mingfei was a bit speechless. That was a stretch. If he hadn't known that Deidara was Su Lin cosplaying, he really would have been taken in.

"It was a dark and windy night, and I personally saw Deidara shatter the dimensional wall!"

Lu Mingfei nearly burst out laughing. What the hell, a dimensional wall—this blue-eyed, blond-haired foreigner was actually a middle-aged chuuni otaku, hahahaha.

But seeing Hui Liyi's eyes light up beside him, he sighed inwardly. There was still a naive one over here.

"When Deidara crossed over into this world, he triggered a dimensional rift. This necklace is something I picked up beside that rift, so it must be something from another dimension!"

"2,000 yen." Lu Mingfei named a price on the spot. If he let this guy keep talking, it would spin out into an entire fanfiction novel.

"Thanks for your patronage!"

He'd just said 20,000 yen a moment ago. This guy couldn't have gone to study at some antique market in the Celestial Empire, could he...

Lu Mingfei placed the necklace around Hui Liyi's snow-white swan-like neck and watched the girl excitedly rub the gemstone, which was the color of black sesame paste.

He glanced at the foreign man happily packing up his stall and understood that the thing probably cost less than 200 yen to make.

He asked curiously: "Where do you source your goods?"

"Yi... wu." The man uttered the syllables.

"Yiwu?!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, that's the place." He grabbed his stool and ran into a small alley, afraid Lu Mingfei would chase him down.

"Thank you, my lord Su Lin." Zhao Huai Gu raised his fair, baby-smooth arm and thanked Su Lin.

"Mm." Su Lin nodded and walked toward a room.

A group of guards stood outside the room. Seeing who it was, they didn't stop him and let Su Lin open the door and enter.

"You've come." Old Lu's figure was illusory, like a phantom; Su Lin could even see the bookshelf behind him through his body.

"What's going on?" Su Lin asked.

"It's about to end." Old Lu paused. "The thousands-of-years-long struggle between the hybrids and the dragon race is about to come to a close."

"I will awaken from within Lu Mingfei, sweep aside the obstacles for him, and purge the heretics."

"So you've been busy with this all this time." Su Lin suddenly understood and said: "I thought you'd keep your current body, like a clone."

"I've split with Lu Mingze. Some things he took back." Old Lu didn't mind. "I can probably forcibly control Lu Mingfei for seven days."

"Seven days is enough. Leave Zhongli to you, Su Lin."

Su Lin nodded and said: "Since the contract is signed, I will naturally help you to the end."

"But what if I can't beat him? What if the Earth is destroyed by the fallout?"

Su Lin wasn't keen on using divine-tier spells to fight Zhongli. That would mean increased wear on his divine spark, but facing the current Zhongli without divine-tier spells...

"I have my own arrangements." Lu Mingfei said with a smile: "No need to worry. Go all out."

"The hybrids still don't understand what kind of horror they're facing, hehehe..."

"I am merciful. I will likewise give them one chance to shake the tree like a mayfly, but after they fail, they shall be subjects for eternity."

"Oh, right, how's my Su Xiaoqiang? Has she met the past me?"

Old Lu abruptly changed the subject and began concerning himself with Lu Mingfei's romantic storyline.

"She was interfered with by Miss Kelaien. She didn't find him." Su Lin said truthfully: "Compared to a Shura arena, I'd rather just enjoy the CP for now."

"Lu Mingze is stirring things up..." Old Lu ignored Su Lin, thought for a moment, and said: "He probably sensed something, but it doesn't matter. I don't believe my script can be worse than his."

"So are those memories and subplot heroines really necessary?" Su Lin walked to the bookshelf, opened a book, and found it was full of philosophy he couldn't understand.

"That way Lu Mingze will think I have to use those girls to achieve some purpose, but actually, as long as I don't make a move and just accumulate power, the goal is achieved." Old Lu was quite pleased with himself, his tone excited. "And I've even trapped Miss Kelaien."

Su Lin felt that Old Lu now wanted to play a game with Lu Mingze while altering the past.

It was just that the brothers' game board was a bit large.

"As long as you're happy." Su Lin said, "Once this is over, what about Uesugi Erii? You want her to be the Empress?"

"That's right." Old Lu nodded. "The main wife."

His eyes suddenly sharpened, because the corner of Su Lin's mouth had curved up slightly.

"You..." Old Lu paused. "You're not going to betray me, are you?"

"What are you saying, boss." Su Lin smiled and waved his hand. "I won't jump ship to help Lu Mingze. Want me to swear on my Dao heart?"

"That's good." Old Lu nodded with relief. "My friend."

"I'll try to wrap it up before the New Year on your side."

Old Lu finished speaking, thought for a moment, and said: "You can start swearing now."

"..."

After finishing the oath, Su Lin pulled open the door and walked out, falling into self-reflection as he went.

When exactly had his credibility started to drop with Old Lu? Where had that harmonious "you handle it, I trust you" relationship from the beginning gone? Where had the trust between people gone?