Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

After listening, Xu Xingguang was even calmer than Ying Ziyao, ”So, on the last night of this month, he will appear in the Toy Pool as a toy doll, becoming the object of players’ bets?”

”Yes.” Xu Xingguang’s calmness affected Zheng Qin.

Zheng Qin also calmed down thoroughly. He relayed Huo Wen’an’s instructions to Xu Xingguang: ”Madam, before leaving, the Pilot asked me to call you and invite you to place bets together.”

”...The more, the better.” Zheng Qin said the last four words softly.

At this moment, Xu Xingguang was at Medicine Field No. 18. She was only working a half-day today, leaving at noon. When Zheng Qin’s video call came through, Xu Xingguang was requesting leave at Elder Tan Nan’s gate.

”I understand.”

Zheng Qin saw that Xu Xingguang was quite busy and sensibly ended the call. ”I’ve completed the Pilot’s task, now it’s up to Madam’s decision.”

Ying Ziyao nodded, ”Xingguang is reliable in her work.”

Elder Tan Nan had just heard Xu Xingguang speaking in an unfamiliar language with someone; she didn’t understand a single word and asked Xu Xingguang, ”Were you talking to those two fellow interns who came to the Divine Martial Realm with you?”

Elder Tan Nan didn’t know that Zheng Qin, Ying Ziyao, and Huo Wen’an had also snuck into the Divine Martial Realm with them.

”Yes.” Xu Xingguang explained her leave request to Elder Tan Nan, who was particularly surprised, ”Taking leave? For how many days?”

”A short four or five days, a long ten days.” Last night, she had gone over maps and strategies and found that Bai Ze Island was quite far from Cattle Hump, requiring three days just for the round trip.

The main issue was the journey to Bai Ze Island from the mainland, which neither had planes nor levitating trains, only boats, privately operated black-market ones at that.

”That long?” Elder Tan Nan frowned, concerned about the unattended medicine field, ”You’ll be gone so long, what about the medicine field?”

”I’ll have Dongfang Yi come to handle pest control, besides that, there’s nothing else.”

”Is that kid reliable?” Elder Tan Nan pondered hiring some people to help.

”Where are you taking leave to go?” Elder Tan Nan asked as she pulled out a leave form, assuming Xu Xingguang was going to Medicine King City or the Divine Hidden Continent Emperor City for a visit.

To her surprise, Xu Xingguang said, ”Going to Bai Ze Island.”

Elder Tan Nan was utterly shocked, ”Where are you going?” She suspected her hearing was failing.

”Bai Ze Island.”

No mistake.

Elder Tan Nan’s old face wrinkled like a pug’s skin, folds upon folds, ”Do you know what kind of place Bai Ze Island is? What is a young girl like you going there for?”

”Even I’ve never set foot on Bai Ze Island in my whole life; it’s a place that swallows people whole!” Elder Tan Nan threw the leave form into her desk drawer, ”This leave is denied.”

Xu Xingguang said, ”Ming Feng Curator will accompany me.”

Ming Feng Curator was like a universal manual, very useful.

Upon learning that Ming Feng Curator would accompany her, Elder Tan Nan felt somewhat reassured. She glanced at the calendar on the table, thoughtfully asking Xu Xingguang, ”It’s almost the end of the month. Are you going to the Combat Doll Tournament?”

The words ’Combat Doll’ caught Xu Xingguang’s attention.

”Combat Doll Tournament?” Pretending to be clueless, she asked Elder Tan Nan, ”What’s that?”

Seeing that Xu Xingguang didn’t know about the Combat Doll Tournament, Elder Tan Nan patiently explained, ”It’s said to be a bloody competition; the combat dolls participating are all people, living people. As for the specifics, I’m not sure.”

”Black Island is under the joint governance of the Three Great Alliances, making it the most securely monitored place in the Divine Martial Realm. Conversely, Bai Ze Island is uncontrolled by any continent, a no-man’s land, the perfect refuge for all kinds of villains.”

”Naturally, an event that enjoys long-term popularity among wrongdoers isn’t going to be a regular sports competition, is it?”

Xu Xingguang became pensive.

”If you’re not going to watch the Combat Doll Tournament, then what’s your purpose?”

Having limited knowledge of Bai Ze Island, Xu Xingguang only said, ”Ming Feng Curator mentioned seeking an item, a family heirloom, and thus is bringing me along to broaden my horizons.”

”I see.” Elder Tan Nan continued, ”There could be a black market auction on Bai Ze Island; perhaps Ming Feng Curator plans to take you to the auction.”

Elder Tan Nan approved the leave, watched her leave, then tilted her head and mused to herself: Ming Feng’s family is so large, full of talent, is there really a need to bring Xingguang?

But Xu Xingguang had already disappeared from view.

*

Located at the northernmost end of the three continents, Xu Xingguang had to take several transfers to make her way to the seaport city at the northernmost part of the Central Yu Alliance, in order to reach Bai Ze Island.

That place was called Beiwang Cape, a port city inhabited by the native Green Blood People.

Beiwang Cape had no high-altitude airport, only a levitating train station. Xu Xingguang took a flight to Medicine King City, then switched to a levitating train, arriving at Beiwang Cape at nine in the evening.

The temperature was still cold in Beiwang Cape, and the city streets at night were nearly deserted. She wore a dark green belted coat, black pants, black combat boots, and walked with her hands in her pockets down the chilly streets.

After walking a long way, she finally saw two ’people.’

They were the legendary indigenous Green Blood People—tall but lean, with a light brown, rather than black, skin tone, a rather rare complexion.

Their appearance was not too different from the people of the Divine Martial Realm, except their ears were small, appearing only as large as cat ears, with pointy tips and very mini ear flaps.

So cute.

Xu Xingguang looked at them, and they looked at Xu Xingguang.

In an instant, the two men withdrew their gaze first and, like gentlemen, made way for her by stepping onto the road, leaving the sidewalk for Xu Xingguang.

Xu Xingguang suddenly felt a sense of goodwill towards them.