CHAPTER 446
Solving the Case
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Meanwhile, Su Cheng and Xiao Ai had already dealt with Shen Rui. Su Cheng had been holed up in the mansion for over half a month.
"Xiao Ai, any news about Qinghan and the others?"
Su Cheng heard the door open and lifted his gaze to inquire about progress.
"Master, what if Xiao Ai says she can't find them?"
Su Cheng was speechless. What could he do if they were truly lost?
Back then, when Mengdie and Xinyè were by his side, "can't find them"? Ha! Nothing was impossible!
But times had changed. He was now a traitor, the target of everyone's hatred.
Xiao Ai sighed helplessly, shaking her little head.
"News has come—they're no longer in this world."
"Impossible! Xiao Ai, I demand to see them alive or their bodies dead!"
"Master! You'd better come to your senses! Haven't you had enough?"
Xiao Ai's usually cheerful, chubby little face now bore a hint of seriousness—a rare expression for her.
"Xiao Ai, are you scolding me now too?"
Su Cheng felt no anger. He understood what Xiao Ai was saying and knew she meant well.
But such words wouldn't silence Xiao Ai.
"Xiao Ai wouldn't dare. Xiao Ai is merely a personal attendant—how could I be so impudent?"
"Xiao Ai belongs entirely to my master. How could Xiao Ai harbor any other intentions? Every word and deed is for my master's sake."
"Using spatial authority as the driving force, Xiao Ai anchored the mansion as a reference point and scanned tens of thousands of worlds within its vicinity. Countless duplicate entities were discovered across the observed worlds, yet there was no trace of the three young ladies or Su Muchan."
"A month and a half has passed without a single trace. What this signifies, you understand better than I do, don't you?"
Su Cheng was speechless. Xiao Ai had done everything possible, both in reason and in compassion.
"Yes, asking you to find four people lost to the Void Blueprint was indeed a tall order."
Even moments ago, Xiao Ai hadn't been angry, but now she truly was!
"Master, how could you say such things? Do you want Xiao Ai to cry for you?"
"For my Lord, Xiao Ai fears not even death. How could I fear trouble or exhaustion?"
"For you, Master, even if Xiao Ai were to work herself to death in the vault, she would have no complaints. She simply cannot bear to see you looking so gloomy and listless day after day!"
"My Lord, what we are doing, what we must do, is to slay the gods!"
"We've already lost so many on this path, and we may lose many more!"
"If we halt our progress for the sake of a few, would that not betray those who have already fallen?"
"My Lord, surely you would not betray Lord Xunye, betray Lord Bingling, betray all those…"
Su Cheng exhaled deeply. Her beloved Xiao Ai had always been her most capable personal attendant.
Her words were so reasonable, it was impossible to argue back.
"Wait, Xiao Ai, you've reminded me—I recall something."
"What has come to mind, my lord?"
Su Cheng abruptly rose and walked to the window…
"When you mentioned the three young ladies earlier, I was about to say there were four—there's also Su Muchan. Then, when you brought up the Void Blueprint, it suddenly reminded me of some past events."
"That Void Blueprint—at first, there was only one fragment, brought by Xun Ye. And the ones who brought that fragment were also four people. They were trapped within a spatial fissure."
Xiao Ai looked slightly surprised. How come she hadn't heard a single word about this?
"So you mean they're trapped in the Mirror Space?"
"Yes, and they were sent back in time. I'm certain they're still alive, but this seems to be the only possibility."
"Trapped in the past? Not only is the power of spatial authority ineffective in the mapping space, but even if it were, how could anyone be rescued from the past?"
Xiao Ai was starting to feel overwhelmed. Should she say, "No wonder they're the three young ladies"?
The places they're trapped in are all so bizarre!
Never mind the location—being trapped in the past? How could anyone rescue them?
"Master, if the young ladies truly did travel back in time, do you recall how this matter ultimately concluded?"
Su Cheng froze. Damn it, he hadn't followed up on this matter at all!
"Xun Ye only said it was handled… But what does 'handled' mean? Did they send them back? Or…"
Su Cheng and Xiao Ai exchanged glances, both seemingly recalling what kind of person Xun Ye truly was…
Lord Xun Ye, Lord Xun Ye—was he some gentle, kind-hearted saint?
The phrase "taken care of" most likely meant they had already…
Su Cheng was clearly panicking now, his urgency written all over his face, his speech even a bit…
"Xiao Ai, can you think of a way?"
At those words, Xiao Ai—who had been slightly annoyed—couldn't help but laugh!
"But, Master, you…"
"You've made me laugh! Are you suggesting we go back in time and bring the three young ladies back?"
"If we could go back in time, there'd be so many things Xiao Ai would want to do!"
There were so many people Xiao Ai wanted to save!
"That's most likely due to Shiyu's abilities. It seems the Chaos Bell and the Void Blueprint are influencing each other."
"Master, Xiao Ai has been meaning to ask—where do you get all these strange and wondrous things?"
Su Cheng couldn't help but laugh.
"Xiao Ai, stop fooling around. You know perfectly well that sometimes my mouth just can't form the words."
"Xiao Ai also wants to see if her master is a fake~"
"What if you find out I am an imposter?"
"Xiao Ai would make her wish she were dead. Xiao Ai's pre-service training was personally conducted by Lord Xunye. No one else could withstand Lord Xunye's methods—Xiao Ai is confident of that."
Su Cheng chuckled. "Well then, I'd better put on a convincing act, lest Xiao Ai catch me out, right?"
With the conversation reaching this point, Xiao Ai understood perfectly.
"No need to pretend. You've always been Xiao Ai's one and only king."
"Such kindness."
"It truly is deep affection. Xiao Ai has always loved you, my Lord~"
"Is that what Hakkou taught you?"
"Hm? My lord knows about that?"
Su Cheng merely smiled, then proceeded to tidy the desk—though there was nothing to tidy—and settled the unease in his hands before leading the way toward the storage chamber.
Before the dozen or so Godslaying Kings, Su Cheng summoned Zero Two once more and explained the current situation.
"Zero Two, do you have a solution?"
"Yes. Meet in the Netherworld."
"Wait, Zero Two! Can you speak properly?!"
But what Su Cheng hadn't anticipated was that Zero Two had lost his temper too!
"Speak properly?"
"I'd fucking love to talk properly! You just do something human first!"
"I'm the authority of world destruction. When you've called me, has it ever been for anything serious?"
"My wife's gone missing, and you're calling me? That's fucking insulting!"
"Am I your damn military dog?"
"Damn it all to hell! Got nothing better to do than waste my time? Think you can just toy with this lady?"
Xiao Ai stood nearby, giggling silently, watching Su Cheng coax a sword…
"Zero Two, so you're saying if I summon you, it must be for something apocalyptic? To destroy the world?"
"I'm the god of destruction. If you want to be a saint, why come to me?"
"Fine, fine, fine! I can't win an argument with you, but I don't care—you've gotta come up with a solution!"
"…Su Cheng, why don't you take a look in the mirror? See for yourself—where's the slightest trace of a king's aura in you?"
Su Cheng grew even more defiant!
"I don't give a damn about being a king! I want my good disciple back!"
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