002. Selecting a Candidate for the Bio-Enhancement
Yavanna gazed at Li Aozi.
After a long silence, she slowly spoke:
"That's why I can't resist the faint stirring in my heart..."
She wrapped her arms around Li Aozi's neck, stood on her tiptoes, and her web-filled eyes glowed faintly pink. She rested her head on his chest, whispering softly:
"I didn't stay by your side to please you. I stayed because I wanted to find my purpose in life, to keep chasing you and use you as my example...Doesn't that sound more like an independent woman, without the male gaze?"
"My lady, we're not in Frost-Plated anymore. Why worry about all that?"
Li Aozi shrugged.
"You don't seem like the kind of person who's interested in love," Yavanna said quietly, tracing circles on Li Aozi's chest with her finger. "But as your follower, I can stay by your side forever."
"Not interested in love?" Li Aozi was surprised. "Why do you think that?"
Yavanna turned her head slightly and glanced at him playfully, her voice teasingly sweet:
"Oh, isn't it because you found yourself a 'bride' but left her behind when you went to space?"
Li Aozi's expression stiffened slightly.
"That's not the kind of bride you're thinking of."
"Then what kind of bride was it?" Yavanna intertwined her fingers with his, placing his hand on her chest. She said dramatically, "If you reject me because of another woman, I can accept that—but why did you choose to go to space alone?"
"Don't overthink it. The jealousy in the air is thick enough to be a sauce for dumplings," Li Aozi said, throwing up his hands.
"Only a boyfriend would think this was jealousy—on the surface, you reject me, but deep down, you're thinking something else, aren't you?"
"Don't make stuff up. I didn't accept Alexia either."
"What about Nomi, Qiu Ran, and Du Zexin? Did you accept any of them?"
"Two of them are dead, and I'm not interested in machines. What do you think?" Li Aozi retorted. "You're getting so close to me—aren't you afraid you'll end up dead too? Once Alexia's gone, the four of you could play mahjong in the underworld."
"It seems like you've already accepted that any woman who gets close to you will die."
Yavanna couldn't help but laugh at her own words:
"—Hahaha, thank you, Aozi. I feel much better now."
"Think whatever you want. Either way, I'm heading out now."
Li Aozi gently pushed Yavanna away and turned to leave the ruins. Without looking back, he waved:
"See you later, Yavanna."
"I'll be here waiting."
Yavanna pulled her cloak back over her head, watching him walk away as she said:
"I'll keep waiting, waiting forever—but if it takes too long, I'll come looking for you."
"Take care of yourself first before making promises like that."
Yavanna didn't argue, turning back to continue her work.
Suddenly, Li Aozi spoke again:
"Even alien universities have summer and winter breaks."
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Li Aozi left the ruins and entered the forest. After days of walking, he finally reached his destination: a small village nestled on the mountainside.
Due to the magical nature of the civilization, the village looked underdeveloped, with few mechanical devices. The villagers still used primitive livestock to plow the fields.
However, the livestock were a bit more advanced—giant ungulates, standing five meters tall, with hammerhead shark-like heads. One shove from them could dig a deep furrow, working just as efficiently as any machine.
Many villagers knew basic magic and used water-summoning spells mixed with pesticides to rain down evenly over the crops. A magical civilization doesn't lack production tools; they just look different.
The village had little sign of magical modernization, aside from a white jade tower and floating surveillance elements scattered around. This simplicity suited Li Aozi's needs perfectly.
After observing the village for a while, Li Aozi noted its conservative nature. The villagers relied mainly on farming and selling magical materials at the market to sustain themselves.
This slow-paced life clearly didn't appeal to the younger generation. From a hilltop, Li Aozi watched as some young people rode public flying carpets toward the city, only returning after a day or two of fun.
When they returned, they carried large bags and often had dyed hair and bright, stylish clothing—like rural kids visiting a county town for the first time.
Of course, rural life wasn't all harmony. Even in a magical civilization, there were always local bullies.
Li Aozi noticed that the young people returning from the city always hurried home. If they were too slow, a tall, muscular, idle blond youth would bump into them.
The blond youth would throw an arm around their shoulders, chat for a bit, then casually snatch some of their goods. Sometimes, he'd even blatantly demand money. Anyone who refused would get beaten up.
One black-haired youth caught Li Aozi's attention. Though he was thin and weak, he always stood his ground against the blond bully. Even when he was knocked to the ground, being stomped on, he refused to back down. His eyes burned with a fierce determination.
"That's quite the look. He even knows a bit of magic, though he can't use it in battle and gets beaten easily."
Li Aozi nodded, satisfied with this young man.
—He had some magical aptitude, a fierce personality, and a refusal to submit. His rebellious nature set him apart from the others.
He was the perfect candidate.
So, Li Aozi turned his gaze toward the blond bully:
"This is a great opportunity. You're the one."
Choosing the blond bully wasn't particularly important. Both had similar magical aptitude, and there wasn't much difference between them.
The key factor was that, according to Li Aozi's observations, the black-haired youth had loving parents, a house, a sister, and even a childhood sweetheart. On one hand, Li Aozi felt it would be difficult to impersonate him without getting caught.
On the other hand, taking his body would leave many heartbroken.
The blond bully, however, had no parents. With his nasty personality—kicking every dog he passed—playing his role would be effortless for Li Aozi, with no pressure at all.
"A mere bully? I'll play that role with ease."