Chapter 45: Real-Life Captain America

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Real-Life Captain America

"I can’t help but feel that my image is beyond saving," Shen Yun said, a bit helplessly.

"Well, you are someone who travels with a personal little maid," Xiao Jiu said with a giggle.

"...True," Shen Yun replied, rendered speechless.

But looking at Xiao Jiu’s perfect figure and flawless face as she stood so prettily before him, waves of satisfaction still welled up in his heart. Being true to one’s nature was always better than being overly coy.

"I’ve made such a huge sacrifice." Shen Yun walked over and pulled Xiao Jiu’s soft, delicate body—which he was quite infatuated with—into his arms. He took a greedy breath of her scent and teased in her ear, "Shouldn’t you properly compensate me?"

"Master..."

Xiao Jiu let out a soft, breathless gasp, her eyes already growing hazy with affection.

While Shen Yun felt completely satisfied, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

If it had been him in the past, he probably would have treated Miao Yun as a goddess and pursued her with obsessive devotion.

But now, he didn’t know if he had made Xiao Jiu who she was, or if Xiao Jiu had made him who he was. Regardless, it reached the point where, when they were preparing to head back the next day, Shen Yundu was still slightly in a daze, his mind completely filled with lingering memories and a tiny touch of melancholy.

He thought, "If the future companions who undergo Enlightenment are also like Xiao Jiu... I’m doomed! If I don’t show some restraint, I’ll be doomed sooner or later!"

"Master."

A noticeably nervous voice from ahead brought Shen Yun back to his senses.

Looking over, he saw Luo Ying standing in the main base wearing a light pink dress, her eyes full of determination.

Shen Yun recalled the words Wei Er had spoken during their farewell.

"Based on our experts’ analysis of Luo Ying’s personality and upbringing, we’ve concluded that our world might hold immense appeal for her. Our inclusive culture will also help build a sense of belonging in her heart, which is beneficial for the future of both worlds..."

He had babbled on a lot. To sum it up, it meant that as her master, Shen Yun had to work hard to help his disciple shape a harmonious worldview. Wasn’t this deliberately preventing him from enjoying some alone time with his girl?

Now, looking at Luo Ying’s silent expression, he could only sigh inwardly.

"After you arrive, someone will teach you some basic common sense. Observe more, think more, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, make sure to ask," Shen Yun instructed.

"Yes, this disciple will strictly follow Master’s teachings." Luo Ying stood perfectly straight; the only thing missing was a formal salute.

Over the past few days, she had learned some unbelievable news—there were Cultivators from another world! Even now, it still felt somewhat like a dream, but those videos had clearly told her the truth. That was a magnificent world with a brilliant civilization and a population of nearly seven billion!

The master standing before her, a top-tier Grandmaster powerhouse, was actually the same age as her. And Martial Aunt Miao Yun was only nineteen years old! A nineteen-year-old Grandmaster...

"Well then, take a short nap." Shen Yun took out the Tripod Cauldron magical treasure and directly absorbed Luo Ying into it.

For the short term, the location of the Bronze Ancient Hall still needed to be kept as secret as possible.

Arriving at the great hall, he activated the Teleportation Array and returned to Earth with a bountiful harvest.

After saying goodbye to Miao Yun and the others, and sending Luo Ying to a military base to receive her education in common sense, Shen Yun was once again escorted back to his old family home by a helicopter.

During his absence, the place had been closely guarded by the military. Otherwise, spies or certain audacious Cultivator criminals definitely would have sneaked in to pull some petty tricks.

Because of this, the news that Shen Yun had been picked up by the military and left for more than half a month was already widely known. Now that he had returned, the news was posted online at the very first opportunity.

However, Shen Yun had long since prepared himself mentally for being a public figure.

"It’s still most comfortable in my own home." The moment he walked through the door, he lay straight down on the sofa.

"The place needs a good cleaning," Xiao Jiu said as she consciously walked into the bathroom. Suddenly, she walked back out. "Master, there’s breaking news online. That John just held a press conference announcing his decision to come to Huaxia to participate in the Cultivator Tournament."

"Let him come. Are we supposed to be afraid of a mere Divine Thought Stage who isn’t even at the Golden Core?" Shen Yun didn’t care in the slightest.

"We aren’t afraid, but they are." Xiao Jiu explained while searching for more information. "In just a short period, the entire Western Society has expressed strong opposition and concern, fearing that we might take the opportunity to secretly assassinate their only inheritor."

"They must have persecution paranoia. He can come or not; I don’t care." Shen Yun rolled his eyes.

They had always been like this in the past, each and every one of them terrified that once Huaxia grew strong, it would attack them. Following the revival of Spiritual Qi, this anxiety had multiplied several times over. The internet was flooded with so-called experts exaggerating the Huaxia Golden Core threat. They even claimed that a Golden Core powerhouse was equivalent to a nuclear weapon, and if a Golden Core went to another country to cause destruction, a nuclear counterattack must be launched. This theory had actually gained the approval of quite a few countries. What utter nonsense.

"There’s more news." Xiao Jiu continuously received network signals. "John believes that inheritors from the East and West should increase communication and strive for win-win cooperation. He is willing to place absolute sincere trust in Huaxia’s generosity and genuinely hopes to build a bridge of communication between Eastern and Western Cultivators at this grand tournament, for the sake of jointly developing the future..."

"That sounds even better than what we usually say."

Shen Yun sat straight up, feeling a bit surprised and finding it somewhat comical.

The tables had truly turned completely. Now that Huaxia was the strongest, Westerners were starting to preach about peace and cooperation?

"Something is slightly off." Within her data processing core, Xiao Jiu compiled all the videos and images related to this John, magnifying them for data analysis. "His micro-expressions and the look in his eyes... are way too sincere and righteous! Is he really a Black Mage?"

"...What about his past background?" Shen Yun gradually started to pay attention.

"Perfect. No criminal record, no racial biases, excellent academic performance, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and even went to third-world countries in Africa as a volunteer... Master," Xiao Jiu couldn’t help but quip, "I think I might be looking at the real-life hero of the United States, Captain America."

In reality, John’s reputation had skyrocketed at a phenomenal rate in this short span of time. More and more people in Western Society were indeed beginning to view John as the new generation’s spiritual leader, placing their hopes for the future squarely on the shoulders of this hero. And John’s behavior in public over the past ten or so days seemed completely worthy of such a title. He was strong, brave, and resourceful. Now, he was even demonstrating his fearlessness.

"Even when an excited female fan stripped naked right in front of him, his eye-tracking data didn’t fluctuate in the slightest," Xiao Jiu added, unable to resist sticking out her pink tongue in a cute, exasperated expression.

"That’s completely unrealistic," Shen Yun said, similarly clicking his tongue in amazement after hearing Xiao Jiu’s briefing. "How can reality be the same as works of fiction? Besides, even the image of the United States’ Captain America was the result of propaganda, yet this guy is actually acting from the bottom of his heart? Could there be the soul of a Saint hiding beneath his Black Mage exterior?"