Chapter 594: Balls of Steel

    The medical technology in this world was quite advanced, and in less than half an hour, Jin Jiuchi left the examination room with a brand new gleaming arm attached to his shoulder. He should have felt excited for this unique body, but after seeing Noir’s data, his entire person deflated like a wilted eggplant, feeling like he had lost in every aspect.

    Eighty-eight percent degree of mechanization, with a body weighing half a ton... damn, how cool was that?!

    Why hadn’t he been the one to assume that identity instead?!

    When he returned to the waiting area and spotted Noir sipping tea with a calm and composed look, he couldn’t resist shooting a bitter, scathing glare at the man.

    Noir didn’t raise his head – whether he noticed Jin Jiuchi’s glare remained to be seen – but their cheap father did notice Jin Jiuchi’s animosity, though he never uttered a single word.

    Both of his sons had been competitive since young, which was caused by his subtle guidance and influence, and that was the main reason why the two of them grew up so excellently. Competition was the crucial key to improvement. Without a rival, there would be no reason to push one’s limits. As long as the two of them didn’t kill each other, Master Nasser was more than willing to turn a blind eye to their occasional clash.

    Overall, he was very satisfied with the two of them. His eldest son carried himself with grace and maturity befitting of a leader, while his second son, albeit a little hot-headed and reckless, was born to be a general with his bravery, wits, and charm.

    "Sit," he gestured at the empty seat across from him, and once Jin Jiuchi settled down, he no longer beat around the bush, asking, "You’ve gone on an expedition to the deep sea this time. What have you discovered?"

    Jin Jiuchi paused. He went to... where? The deep sea, as in the territory of the sirens??

    Why didn’t he know— augh, it must have happened before he entered this body! Why didn’t he arrive a little earlier? He could have searched for Shen Nianzu along the way! Jin Jiuchi’s frustration was evident on his face, but before he could blurt out something like ’I forgot, why don’t I make another trip there?’, the floating screen popped up in front of him.

    [Present your discovery.]

    There was no option, only a single instruction.

    Begrudgingly, Jin Jiuchi resigned to follow the script this time because he also wanted to know more about what his body had discovered. He clicked on it, and in the next second, an invisible force took over his body, words flowing out smoothly of his mouth without him being able to control it.

    "The sirens have become more powerful again," he began.

    Not only the Master, but Noir also set down his teacup to listen attentively, making Jin Jiuchi feel a little smug. Although it was his own body, he adopted the behavior of someone watching the show with relish. "They’ve set up a magic circle around their kingdom which is capable of detecting the presence of the submarines. I suspect it must be the sea witch’s doing! My team barely made it to the perimeter before our submarines started malfunctioning. But good news..." he felt his lips stretching into a teasing smirk as he drawled on his words, "I managed to capture one of the sirens. A male— very strong, feisty, and beautiful. I’ll present him as a betrothal gift for you, brother."

    As soon as the last sentence left his mouth, both he and Noir were visibly taken aback.

    Wait— what kind of gift???

    If possible, he would like to pause and ask himself to repeat it again, but it was obvious that his body was no longer under his control. And neither was Noir, for his chiseled features morphed into a scowl in the next second. "If you only want to humiliate me, forget it."

    "Forget it?" Jin Jiuchi retorted seamlessly with a scoff. "How can you deny my good intentions, brother? I caught a siren for you so we can present a scrumptious feast during your betrothal banquet. Those garudas have been suppressed by the sirens for centuries, don’t you think their Young Master will appreciate tasting their delicious flesh for once?"

    Noir sneered softly, "I dare not accept your ’good’ intentions. Do you think their diet is the same as ours? It’s already good if we don’t make them feel disgusted."

    Sensing the atmosphere turning heated, Master Nasser finally intervened, "Stop."

    He shot a faint warning glance toward Noir, "Don’t be so mean to your younger brother. I’m sure he meant well. And you," his gaze shifted to Jin Jiuchi, and the depths of his pupils gleamed in a way that made Jin Jiuchi think his cheap father was going to shoot laser beams from his eyes. "Don’t tease your elder brother anymore. You know how important this union is going to be for us. Your brother is right— we must exercise prudence. The garudas already look down on us, and we can’t give them any reason to think we’re boorish. Keep the siren for now. Whether you want to play with him or torture him, it’s up to you. Just keep his flesh fresh."

    The way he talked about the siren was extremely dismissive and nonchalant, as though treating them like a pet or fresh sashimi rather than a creature with their own thoughts and will.

    "Sure~" Jin Jiuchi drawled lazily, though inwardly he was thinking about the captured siren. Could it be his Nian’er??

    Master Nasser’s expression turned thoughtful. "The sea witch, huh? I didn’t expect the sirens to have another trump card up their sleeve. I’m very interested in knowing what the sea witch is capable of. We should hunt them down later, but for now, nothing is more important than the banquet tomorrow." He stood up and gave an encouraging pat on Noir’s shoulder. "I have high hopes for you, son. The future of our land is in your hands."

    Beside them, Jin Jiuchi let out a loud scoff.

    Nasser showed a slightly helpless look before patting Jin Jiuchi on the shoulder as well. "And you too, good job. You’re the vanguard in our mission to expand our territory. Rest well in the next few days. I’ll be counting on you."

    Nasser walked away with his hands clasped behind his back, and it wasn’t until he disappeared from sight that Jin Jiuchi and Noir regained control of their bodies. The two of them slumped in their seats, trying to process the information they had heard earlier.

    Noir had his lips pursed tight, thinking about the betrothal banquet he was going to attend soon. He turned his head and was about to talk to Jin Jiuchi when he saw the man inching closer.

    "Bro," he whispered in a gossipy face. "Have you checked your body in the mirror? I’m curious. Eighty-eight percent mechanization degree is so freaking high ah! Tsk tsk, have your balls and little brother down there turned into steel too?" He swept his gaze over Noir’s lower abdomen, his brows wiggling playfully.

    "..."

    Just like that, all the serious words got stuck in Noir’s throat, unable to be uttered any longer. His expression darkened in an instant, his knuckles cracking.

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    A/N: sorry for the Chapter title, I can’t resist BWAHAHAH Noir’s bp is spiking