The next day, the two sisters found themselves entwined in Luo Hong's bed, wearing expressions that defied description. Luo Hong's primary principle, after all, was fairness.
Yesterday it was the Duckie; today, it was the sister-flowers.
Cangxuan: Level 10 → Level 13 (NEW!) | 93 → 75
Danzhu: Level 10 → Level 13 (NEW!) | 85 → 67
Though their numbers hadn't plummeted to 50 like Bronya's, they felt battered, as if they had spent the night enduring strikes from an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
"Has Otto contacted you yet?" Luo Hong asked, sitting by the bed as the sisters caught their breath. "Theoretically, he wouldn't miss a chance to interrogate you. In his eyes, you are the dead returned to life."
"He probably thinks we're a trap," Cangxuan replied calmly. Through Luo Hong, she had learned quite a bit about this man from the future. He was a rare genius, but it was a pity his intellect wasn't used for a righteous cause.
"True," Luo Hong nodded. "He's waited five hundred years. It would be insulting his intelligence to think he'd rush in without a solid lead. So... do you really have a way to resurrect Kallen?"
Danzhu asked the question that had been weighing on her. Kallen was truly dead, unlike them. According to their research, a dissipated consciousness could not be reconstructed.
"Of course not. That's just for you to use as bait," Luo Hong said with a smirk and a clear conscience. "Even if he suspects a trap, he'll take the bait because I successfully 'revived' you. If he'd stop causing so much trouble, Kiana and the others would have an easier time defeating the Honkai. So, just use the news of Kallen to keep him occupied."
"I see..." Before learning about Otto's life, Danzhu would have found Luo Hong's methods shameless. But now that she knew most of the world's tragedies stemmed from Otto, she found Luo Hong's actions quite "just."
"But he's smart. How long will he believe it?" Cangxuan frowned. "I suspect he'll eventually flip the table to test your true power, or threaten Kiana and the others to force your hand."
"We'll have a few months," Luo Hong calculated. Giving Otto a few tasks would buy more than enough time.
"I hope so," Cangxuan warned. "You have all the data on him, but you are facing the real man now. Don't be careless. He feels incredibly dangerous."
"Thanks for the concern, Cangxuan." Luo Hong hugged her gently. "But I'm not underestimating him. After all—" A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "The path I recommended for him is a dead end."
He spoke of cruelty in a lighthearted tone. Otto's "collision with the Tree" was part of the original plot, so he saw no issue with that being Otto's exit. If Otto was prepared to get his hands dirty to save Kallen, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself when the time came.
"Preparing for the Tree takes time. I think he can wait." To reach the Tree, Kiana needed to fully master the Herrscher of the Void's power—something Luo Hong could actually help with... provided Kiana could enter his world.
"So that's your plan," Cangxuan said, her brow relaxing. "I'm relieved then."
"It's a guaranteed win." Luo Hong smiled at her and turned to Danzhu. "Have you contacted Fu Hua yet?"
"No," Danzhu answered honestly. "We plan to head to Mount Taixuan to dig up the Book of Fuxi, charge her up, and then take her to see Hua. Anything else would just confuse her." She knew the power of Fenghuang Down too well; simple emotions weren't enough to fight it.
"Hua is in a bad state. Forcefully waking her memories is a poor move," Cangxuan added. "If she comes to your world and you restore her health, then we can reunite with her."
She no longer cared if Luo Hong "targeted" Fu Hua. She'd noticed that while they were away, the "Chiyuan" skin was already at [Level 15], higher than their own. It was clear Chiyuan had received plenty of his "favors."
"Then let's hope she arrives soon," Luo Hong smirked. "That's enough for today. But tomorrow, there's no shifting shifts with Bronya. Also, only four days left. Those numbers on your bellies are getting dangerous. If you don't resist more, I'm just going to take you both down!"
He grinned, wanting to see panic or defiance on their faces. But to his surprise: "Understood," Cangxuan said calmly and went [Offline]. "Got it," Danzhu followed suit, looking equally indifferent.
"Heh... interesting." Luo Hong realized Cangxuan had caught on to something. Fine, then I'll focus on Bronya. He felt Bronya was on the verge of cracking. As for the sisters, he'd need a new plan.
As he reached for the soulless Danzhu doll to "study" her weaknesses further, he noticed a newcomer going [Online]. Sensing that Bronya and Mei were also online, he got dressed and teleported.