The Geared Immortal

Chapter 555

(Unedited)

…

Shin City

The busy street of Shin City can be viewed as futuristic and at the same time with a tinge of fantasy and magical theme are combined together. This is because in the city, one can see hundreds of vehicle of every kind on the road while some are hovering in the air.

Beside the vehicles, one can also see people riding their flying artifacts going to a certain direction. And judging from their clothes, one can tell that the person is going to his work along with others just like them.

Shin City is an industrialized city which provides hundreds of thousands of people their own livelihood. In this city, mortals, cultivators, mages, beastmen, and demon kind can be seen all over the place as they lived in harmony. This is also the reason why the city has grown to this extent as it is the only place where one can find peace in this chaotic world where the strong ruled and oppress the weak.

In this bustling city a sudden loud explosion was heard near the northern part of its outskirts. This immediately alerted a lot of their peacekeepers and most people on the streets.

"What happened?"

"That was a very loud explosion… what do you think happened in that place?"

"Isn't that the place where most of the mages lives?"

"Haha… I'm guessing that there is another mishap in their experiment…"

"Yeah, I agree… those people would almost always blow their houses up while doing experiments."

"Hey, they might be crazy people, but they are the reason why we live comfortably in this city you know."

A hubbub of discussion immediately began to reverberate throughout the streets as many people look at the rising black smoke in the air.

However, the people were once again dumbfounded when they heard another explosion and then followed by three more with almost the same intensity.

With this they all knew that the explosion is not some simple alchemical accident. It might actually be an attack. But from whom and why, they dare not try to pry deeply.

Meanwhile, at the conference room covered in a barrier, Qian Li saw the district where a couple of thick black smokes slowly raise up in the air. And her expression immediately turned solemn.

She already knew what is happening especially when she saw where the last explosion happened.

Her headquarters is not some simple place where a cultivator can just come and go. It is actually full of traps and advance detection system. But for someone to be able to destroy such a place, she only knew one man. And this man she dare not face.

Biting her lower lip, she turns her glance at Qin Lou who is looking at her calmly.

This calm look from her friend and sworn sister made her feel uncomfortable. But then something deep in her mind is whispering to her, it's like a very sweet and enticing tone which made her feel anger, jealousy, distrust, malice, and murderous combined.

She didn't know where these emotion came from, but ever since that day that she met the black cloaked Shin Jiao, she felt this way. She was at first repugnant to their meeting, but soon, for some unknown reason she agreed and made the plan to kidnap Susan Tang and trap her master, Shin Jiao. She agrees with this plan, because she thought that they would not hurt Shin Jiao and that he would only be trapped. The other Shin Jiao promised her that she can have him after their plan succeeded.

The sweet temptation made her mind and emotion seems muddled as she agreed. She felt bliss at that time, and could not calm down. She thought that even if she cannot have him, at least having his child would already be fine.

And so her mind drifted towards this direction until now.

"Hahaha… Sister Qin… oh, Sister Qin… You found me out… I guess there is no need to play the innocent card anymore." Qian Li said as he calmly sits on her chair while looking out of the window.

"Let me just tell you something… No matter what you do, I will do all I can to have Shin Jiao… or even if it is just a part of him… I will already be contented…" she said with a smile.

Everyone in the room was silent. Of course they knew how much she loves Shin Jiao. But how could she do this?

"Sister Qian… this… this is not you… How come you're acting this way?" Phoenix (Meng Shiaoning) on the side suddenly asked.

This is also the same question that's inside the minds of the other women in this room. These past few days, they noticed that something is wrong with Qian Li and that she is acting really weird. But as their sworn sister and their general they still trusted her.

But now, they saw and hear her words, so how can they not ask this question?

"You are right, she is actually not herself… she is being enticed by the shadows, the same shadows that has controlled the demons at the war." Qin Lou suddenly said.

"Pfft!!! Me enticed? Haha… Maybe? Or maybe not… Hihi…" Qian Li said as he suddenly activated her suit while jumping up and pushing her seat.

Her body was suddenly covered in sliver metallic armor.

"Sister Qian Li!" the four original members of the Shadow Squad shouted in unison.

But they too didn't hesitate and immediately activated their own exoskeleton suits. And soon five metallic figures can be seen facing each other inside the room, while Qin Lou just stood there looking at Qian Li's figure.

He mind still recalls the conversation she had with the old man inside her room. She learned of the existence of the Shadow Beings and the silent war being fought for millions of years in the universe between the forces of the deities and the shadows beings and their demons.

But when she heard of Shin Jiao's predicament, her heart was stirred and the last thing she saw when Shin Jiao suddenly banished many years ago came back to her mind. The pain she felt back then came crashing towards her heart and she could not help but cry.

She admits it now… she still loves him and she could not forget about him. Even… even after she and him have different lives now.

But she can only bottle this love in her heart and never show it. This is the price she had to pay to save her family, the people who cared for her and also she cared for.

"Stop me if you can…" Qian Li said with a sneer as the metal mask on her suit covered beautiful face.

Then with a move, she suddenly rushes towards the strongest of the four women, Phoenix.

Clang!

The sound of two metals hitting against each other echoed throughout the room.

Phoenix donned in her bright red armor was quick to activate her energy shield and was able to block that powerful punch from Qian Li. However, she staggered back a few steps. This shows how strong Qian Li is and also the difference in their physique.

As a Magus warrior it is inherent that Qian Li is physically faster and more powerful than Phoenix who is a mage. But Phoenix herself is confident of her own mana pool which has now reached the Grand Magus stage.

With her mana pool and quick thinking she is able to react and quickly materialized a flame blade. Without a second thought she immediately swings it towards Qian Li's arm. She didn't want to hurt Qian Li badly so her only option is to stop her movements.

The other on the side didn't just watch this and also made their move. They simultaneously attacked Qian Li on all side.

Bang! Clang! Clang! Bang!

The sound metal and debris echoed throughout the area and the conference room was immediately turned into ruins. Luckily the formation that was built to imprison Qian Li is very strong and was able to hold her ground even after being hit by the strength of the women wearing their battle suits.

Meanwhile, Qin Lou just watches as if she is waiting for something.

The destruction in the room didn't faze her as she just stood on the spot. The projectile that would come her way would only be deflected by some unknown force.

Soon, the commotion inside the room died down as the figure of Qian Li, who is already growling like an angry beast (under her metal mask) in contrast to her calm demeanour, is being held by a petite woman wearing a green suit. Serpent (Ruby Lee) was able to sneak behind Qian Li and grasped the chance after Vermillion Bird (Cho Chan) was blasted to the wall by Qian Li's powerful shoulder blaster.

Qilin (Beiwei Tang) also grab this chance to hug Qian Li on the front while holding down her arms.

With the two women holding her down, no matter how strong Qian Li is, she still could not move. All she can do is growl at them like a madwoman.

Her action and growling pained the hearts of her sworn sisters and swore in their hearts that once this is over, they will hunt down that despicable fellow who caused this.

Due to their love for their master, and that person sharing the same face and name as the man they respected the most. The group just let him be and didn't bother with him.

If they knew that he could cause such a thing to happen and let them not see their master again, they would have already caught that guy and executed him in secret.

But it is already too late to regret. All they can do now is to stop more problems from arising. And of course they need to cure their sworn sister first from this accursed situation.

When Qian Li was subdued Qin Lou still didn't move on the spot which made everyone a bit confused.

"Sister Qin… what should we do next?" Phoenix asked with an anxious tone.

"Sigh… we… we can't do anything yet… all we can do is to wait… wait for…"

Before Qin Lou's words could finish, a figure suddenly appear inside the room beside her. It was a figure of an old man carrying an unconscious woman in his arms.

"Senior… you've already saved her."

With a nod, the old Hermit once again disappears.

Not long later, he appear again besides Qin Lou while looking at Qian Li who is still growling like a beast in the arms of the two women holding her down.

He wanted to say something, when suddenly he felt a weird sensation in his heart.

"Sigh… he has done it… But at a cost…" he muttered which confused the rest of the women in the room.

However, the expression of Qin Lou is different. This is because she knew what the old man's meaning is; she knew what the word 'cost' mean. And this word is like a stabbing blade plunging deep in her heart.

Her eyes could not help themselves but to release her deep emotions.