Instantly, Luo Pipi was shot and fell to the ground.
To be honest, Shi Tou is quite good-looking. She used to be petite and cute, but now she's grown up more than three years and is a beautiful 16-year-old girl. Her face shape hasn't changed much; at most, her chubby cheeks are gone, replaced by a slightly pointed oval face.
Her facial features have hardly changed, but her figure has changed drastically.
Actually, East Asians' figures are generally not as good as Westerners', and Stone was no exception. However, she used her excellent forging skills to create a super-sized shaping bra tailored to her. How so? In her previous life, in that carefree world, shaping bras could turn a transvestite into a busty woman. Even with Stone's less-than-ideal figure, she was still far from being flat-chested.
Therefore, in Luo Pipi's eyes, her carefully cultivated new image was seen as that of an incredibly alluring social butterfly.
"Luo Pipi, even if my sister saw me like this, I'm sure she wouldn't recognize me!" Shi Tou was quite satisfied with her new appearance. She had reached a bottleneck in her Nine Heavens Shocking Technique, and given her mediocre talent in battle qi, it was unlikely she would advance to become a nine-star battle qi master. However, the benefits of practicing the Nine Heavens Shocking Technique were still quite obvious.
Her already good figure, combined with the consequences of her deliberate self-destructive behavior, made her look like a beauty with a loli face and a seductive figure. Of course, this image is blatant seduction for men. But in the eyes of women, well…
No wonder Luo Pipi and Linda looked like they couldn't stand it.
"Hey Stone, what's gotten into you? So... slutty..." The last word was practically squeezed out between his teeth.
"Tsk tsk tsk!" Stone extended her index finger, revealing her blood-red nails, the color of her period drip: "You're wrong, women aren't demons, and sexy isn't slutty~~~"
puff!
Luo Pipi and Linda both collapsed! What did this guy eat?!
"Stone, please, spare us! If you really don't want to go to the Fallen Nether Empire, then we'll go somewhere else. Okay?" Luo Pipi's bitter face was almost dripping with tears.
"Actually, I really want to go back to human society!" Stone relaxed her expression. Judging solely by her expression, she seemed quite like a little girl. But considering her figure and clothing…
It's so bright it'll blind a dog!
“But, you look like this…” Luo Pipi hesitated, unable to finish her sentence. She was too ashamed to go out with a stone like this.
Actually, Stone felt that she had already gone easy on her. Originally, she wanted to make herself the first Sister Feng in the other world. But unfortunately, she had very few tools at her disposal, and she was helpless!
“Luo Pipi, think about it, the three of us plus Liuliu, don’t we look like a family? You know, your identity is one thing, but my identity cannot be exposed. Linda was implicated because of me, and Liuliu has no identity at all!” Shi Tou walked to the dining table with lotus steps, swaying his slender waist and pert buttocks, and sat down: “Come, come, sit down and have a good talk.”
“Stone, if you’re worried about your identity, it’s not a big deal. In any case, my father is the lord of a city, so getting you an identity in the city is absolutely no problem.”
"My dear Luo Pipi, have you forgotten? It's best not to reveal your current identity."
Luo Pipi looked surprised: "Why? I didn't kidnap the imperial princess!"
“But you were involved in beating up the Imperial Prince! And you even risked everything to abduct the future Princess.” Stone looked at Luo Pipi with a sly smile, a smile that resembled that of the wolf in sheep’s clothing who tricked Little Red Riding Hood.
Luo Pipi was stunned for a moment at first, but then she went berserk: "Shitou! Isn't that all your fault?!"
Shi Tou nodded decisively: "Yes, yes, so we're all in the same boat now. You don't want to be hunted down by Yi Siyue, do you? So, there's no other way, you'll have to change your identity too."
After hesitating for a while, Luo Pipi finally gave in helplessly.
"Since you look like a man, Luo Pipi, why don't you just say you're a man? Hmm, you can be the head of the household, I'll be your wife, and Liu Liu will be our child. What do you guys think of my idea?"
Looking at the stone with stars in its eyes, Luo Pipi really couldn't object. So what if it's like a man? She'd been raised as a boy since she was little anyway.
“But…” Linda said weakly, “Miss, what should I do? Should I still be your maid?”
Stone shook his head immediately: "No, that would make us too easy to be exposed. Hmm, let me think, how about Linda, you become Luo Pipi's lover?"
Linda stared at the stone with a dark expression, saying nothing. Luo Pipi was stunned by the stone's creative idea: "Are you sure?"
"It's alright, what noble family doesn't have a mistress!"
"But the problem is, are you sure we're going to be playing the role of a noble family? The problem is, all noble families are on file in the city lord's mansion, so even if you want to play the role of a fallen noble family, it's still recorded."
That's a problem. Stone scratched his head, racking his brains: "I've got it! Let's play a blacksmith's family. Luo Pipi, you're the head of the household, and I'm your flirtatious wife. Liu Liu, well, he'll still be our son. As for Linda, she'll be the maid, the maid who's having an affair with the master!"
Linda silently wiped her sweat. A maid is a maid, after all, she was a servant. But why add this annotation? Does she really look like the kind of woman who would seduce men?
Luo Pipi objected again: "No way, what blacksmith's wife looks like you? And if she did, how stupid would the blacksmith have to be to give up such a beauty like you and go after his own extremely ordinary maid?"
Linda broke out in a sweat again. What had she done to deserve this? Utterly ordinary? Luo Pipi, could your mouth be any more nasty?
"What should we do? I can't think of anything. Luo Pipi, you figure it out yourself!" Shi Tou was fed up and slumped onto the table, weakly ordering Linda, "I'm hungry. Linda, go cook something for me."
Linda resignedly got up. She figured she might as well just get back to work; being with the stone was just too stimulating.
Luo Pipi's idea was much more mature than Shi Tou's. After thinking for a while, she confirmed the identities of the group: "Shi Tou, your idea is not bad either. First of all, you have the forging skills. But if we do this, won't it attract the attention of those people in the capital?"
"No. I have forged some weapons before, but most of them are not my specialty."
"Your special skill?"
“Strictly speaking, my forging skills are specifically for forging cold weapons, that is, weapons used by Qi Masters. The Huo family's Explosive Flame Rocket Launcher was not actually forged by me, but rather by those machine tools left behind by the real Irene in this ring space... well, just think of it as mass production.”
Luo Pipi frowned: "But the Qi Master Guild has already fallen into decline, not to mention the Blacksmith Association. If you only forge cold weapons, you might not find anyone willing to buy them."
"Why should I let them pay for it? Do you really think we've reached the point where we have to rely on our skills to make a living? For one thing, when I left the capital, I took quite a lot of gold coins with me."
"Alright then, following your original plan, we're a blacksmith's family. I'm the head of the household, you're the wife, and Liuliu is our child. As for Linda, she'll remain a maid! But don't let her appear with us from the beginning. We can do it like this..."
After Luo Pipi told Shi Tou her whole idea, Shi Tou was full of praise. At this time, Linda's late-night snack was ready. When she came in with the tray, she saw Shi Tou giving her a strange smile. In an instant, cold sweat broke out on her back.
While Shi Tou was eating and drinking heartily, Luo Pipi quickly told Linda what they had planned. After listening, Linda remained silent for a long time. Only after Shi Tou had finished eating and drinking did she weakly ask, "Can I object?"
"We object, but we definitely won't take it!" Stone pushed his bowl away, wiping his mouth with a flourish. "Now, go change your clothes, get your outfit ready, and prepare your lines. Alright, the operation will officially begin first thing tomorrow morning!"
Outside the ring space, the historic city of Kodak, shrouded in night, exuded an extraordinary sense of history. However, it was unaware that a terrible conspiracy was brewing beneath its thick walls.
Ahem, calling it a conspiracy might be too much. Let's put it this way: in the days to come, Kodak City will not be lonely, for it will experience the most devastating and joyous period of its life. (Your support is my greatest motivation.)
Chapter 244: Buying a House in Kodak City
"Honey, is this Kodak City?" Outside Kodak City, a young woman sat on a dilapidated handcart, holding a sleepy child in her arms. She looked up at the tall city walls, then turned to ask her husband who was pushing the cart behind her.
The poor husband, who was doing hard labor, wiped the sweat from his forehead and squinted at the city wall: "This is it. I hope we can make a living here."
It was barely dawn, and there was still some time before the city gates opened. There were quite a few people waiting outside the city gates, so the family of three didn't seem out of place.
Not far from the family of three, a little girl squatted in a corner, rolling her eyes at them. Linda, who was originally about the size of a rock, was still tiny now that the rock had grown bigger. At only thirteen years old, she sat pitifully in the corner, silently cursing the bastards who had actually abandoned her.
The bastards who were being cursed didn't feel the slightest discomfort and followed the crowd inside after the city gates opened.
Kodak City is located on the border of the Fallen Empire. It is neither a political center nor an economic center, nor a tourist city.
Hundreds of years ago, Koda City would have been considered a relatively important city, as it wasn't far from the former orc kingdom and was attacked by orcs almost every year. The problem is that now, in an era where orcs are on the verge of extinction, Koda City's status within the Fallen Empire has plummeted.
It used to be an indispensable strategic city, but now it's just a small, dispensable town.
Moreover, due to historical reasons, the people of Kodak City are generally known for their fierce and warlike nature. And because of the prevalence of martial arts masters in the past, the residents here frequently engage in gladiatorial combat. Well, to put it more politely, they find a place for a fair duel.
As a result, two industries have become particularly developed here: the medical industry and the forging industry.
In a duel, injuries and fatalities are inevitable. The advanced medical industry is hardly surprising. And the advanced forging industry is even less surprising. The reason is simple: while the Fallen Nether Empire has many mages, this doesn't include small border towns like this one; most residents here primarily practice martial arts. And since they are martial arts practitioners, they naturally need weapons, which is why Stone felt she had chosen the right place.
"Liuliu's Mom, where do you think we should find a place to rest?"
Stone suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Was he really going to call her that? She'd thought of several titles beforehand, like Madam, Wife, Darling, etc., but Luo Pipi had rejected them all outright. In Luo Pipi's view, how could a blacksmith from the lower class possibly address his wife in such a refined manner?
She originally wanted to call Stone's wife, but after Stone punched her, she decisively abandoned that common term. "We can't call her 'wife,' that's too impolite. How about 'Liuliu's mom'?"
"Liuliu's Dad! Let's go check out the trading area." As revenge, Shi Tou gritted his teeth and called Luo Pipi "Liuliu's Dad."
Luo Pipi didn't mind at all; she accepted the nickname quite readily.
Since it was his first time here, Luo Pipi wasn't familiar with the layout of Kodak City. He had no choice but to turn around and ask passersby for directions. After getting the exact information, Luo Pipi reluctantly pushed his cart towards the trading area in the city center.
Liu Liu, nestled in Shi Tou's arms, stirred. This child was a heavy sleeper; usually, no one could wake him up without him waking naturally. Judging by the time, it wasn't yet his usual wake-up time. Shi Tou shifted his position, making Liu Liu more comfortable, then squinted and began to survey his surroundings.
Several hundred years ago, Kodak was a relatively important city, so its defensive facilities were quite complete; however, it also had a distinctly historical feel. Well, actually, it was old and dilapidated!
Tapping the handcart beneath her, Stone lay back contentedly in the sun. This handcart was her own creation; she'd used some wood from her ring space that was originally intended for firewood, pieced it together a bit, and added two wooden wheels—and a makeshift handcart was instantly complete. [~]
The handcart was just too rudimentary; the wheels were terrible, and it was quite bumpy to ride in. But whenever Shitou felt uncomfortable, she would turn to look at Luopipi, who was covered in sweat, and that would make her feel better.
Tsk tsk, people are always comparing themselves to others. Stone feels a sense of satisfaction when he sees others worse off than himself.
Fortunately, Kodak City wasn't very big, and even though the trading area was in the city center, it wasn't too far away. Luo Pipi pushed the cart aside and let out a long sigh of relief: "Finally here."
"Liuliu's dad, you hold Liuliu, I'm getting out of the car to stretch my legs." Shi Tou casually handed Liuliu to Luo Pipi, and she got out of the car to loosen her arms and legs: "Sigh, sitting in the car all the time is so tiring!"
Luo Pi's piercing gaze fell on Shi Tou. "Why didn't you move around earlier? Nobody forced you to sit in the car! That was such a steep slope, even if you weren't going to help, you could at least have gotten out and made it a little easier for her!"
Stone, completely unaware of Pipi's feelings, stretched his limbs and felt a little better, then strode towards the trading area: "Liuliu's dad, you watch the cars with Liuliu, I'll go in and take a look first."
Luo Pipi watched Shi Tou enter the trading area with a dark face. It was just a broken-down car like this; even if he left it here, no one would want it!
Fortunately, Stone came out not long after and walked up to Luo Pipi, who complained, "Sigh, everything here is so expensive!"
Expensive my foot!
Luo Pipi gritted her teeth. An ordinary family here wouldn't spend more than one gold coin a year! She didn't know how much a stone was worth, but as the second young lady of the Huo family, one of the six great families of the East, she couldn't possibly be without a single gold coin!
“I’ve inquired, and the cheap houses are all in the working-class areas.” Stone looked tired, and then he even rubbed his lower back with his hand: “Sigh, I’m getting old, my back hurts.”
Love you my foot!
Luo Pipi felt that her black makeup this morning was a waste of time. She was convinced that if she washed off that black makeup now, her face would be even blacker than it was now!
"If your back hurts, walk around for a bit!" After stuffing Liuliu into Shitou's arms, Luopipi turned around to push the stroller. But before she could push the stroller from the corner to the main road, Shitou picked up Liuliu and sat on it.
"Sigh, the working-class area is in the east of the city, so far away!" Shi Tou sighed softly, looking at Luo Pi Pi with a mournful expression: "Liu Liu's dad, other people's postpartum wind hasn't gotten better yet, and they feel tired when walking."
Screw your postpartum fashion trend!!!
Luo Pipi's eyes widened in disbelief, wishing she could just rush forward and scratch that shameless brat to death. But then, glancing at the constantly moving crowd around her, she…
She endured it!
The character for "tolerance" has a knife above it, and she feels so much pain below her chest!
After much effort, they finally arrived at the working-class district. Most of the houses there were made of wood, but not of good quality. After looking around for a while, Stone decided to settle down in the artisan district instead!
“Liuliu’s dad, since you’re a craftsman anyway, why not move to the craftsmen’s district instead of settling down in the commoners’ district? I just asked around, and the mercenary guild is right next to the craftsmen’s district.” Stone sat on the handcart, rubbing his knees.
Liu Liu has already woken up. At first, he was a little confused when he saw the stone, but fortunately, he was well-behaved by nature. After seeing the familiar Luo Pipi, he just sat quietly in the car.
Luo Pipi glanced at Liuliu. She had been worried that Liuliu wouldn't be able to resist her, but the moment Liuliu glanced at her, she immediately became obedient. This made her wonder if her disguise skills were really that bad.