Chapter 70: If You Wish to Return, Intimacy Is Required

“Impudent monster, reveal your true form at once!” Qi shouted, his voice thundering as he raised his fist toward the infant girl in his arms, whose body crackled with electricity, leaving her in a state of utter disarray. But as he prepared to strike, he caught sight of her flushed, red face, steam rising from her head, her eyes spinning in dizzy spirals, and the lightning surrounding her only grew more intense.

What was this?

Qi instinctively halted his fist, hesitated for a moment, then slapped his storage bag and pulled out his own shirt, ignoring the sparks as he draped it over the child. Earlier, he’d been caught off guard and shocked mercilessly, but now, prepared, he could manipulate his own currents and even absorb the energy from her lightning.

Once wrapped in the shirt, the infant finally calmed from the brink of frenzy. Her cheeks remained crimson, but the spirals vanished from her eyes, and the wild lightning around her faded substantially.

Damn it, why did this feel so familiar? Isn’t she just a little lightning demon? Only the hair color, gender, temperament, and appearance had changed.

“Why are you acting shy, little baby?” Qi murmured, almost to himself.

Her response was a bolt of lightning, a spear of electricity moving faster than light—impossible to dodge. But Qi, struck, calmly slapped her tiny backside, the sound ringing out sharp and clear. “So mischievous at such a young age. What trouble will you cause when you’re grown? Here’s a little lesson for you.”

The baby’s furious gaze blazed, and lightning attacked Qi from all directions, daring to punish him for his insolence.

This time, Qi was shocked so violently his whole body convulsed. Reflexively, he let go, and the baby fell. Yet she seemed prepared, controlling the electromagnetic field to form a mound of metallic sand below. She touched down just three inches from the ground, buffered safely by the sand.

“Eeya, eeyaa ya ya.” The electric arcs around her never faded, and now they burst forth even brighter as she chased after Qi. Though she couldn’t yet walk, the baby moved atop the metal sand, propelling herself forward with electromagnetic force.

Qi tried several times to turn and knock her down with a punch, but each time he saw her tiny infant form, he sighed and ran off once more.

The chase lasted a quarter of an hour before the baby finally slowed, the arcs around her dissipating, the metal sand spreading out. Her little mouth opened as she panted softly.

“Ya, eeya ya,” the baby scowled, tugging at the oversized shirt. She pointed a finger at Qi, then at the ground before her.

Qi’s expression remained blank as he walked over, grabbed her, and without a word, stuffed her back into the prince’s belly. Then, still expressionless, he kicked the prince back into the stream and turned to leave.

The seamless series of actions left even the baby stunned.

Once gone, Qi immediately unfurled his wings, ready to depart from Mount Qiqi.

Soaring into the sky, Qi frowned as dark clouds gathered overhead again, faster than before. He didn’t know what this third cloud formation signified, but his instincts told him to flee.

With a rumble, a brilliant bolt of lightning lit the cloud-shrouded mountains, then the clouds scattered miraculously. The moon shone once more, and Qi glimpsed a giant bird plummeting into the forest, struck by the lightning.

“You think kicking me out like a nuisance is acceptable?” the infant stormed over, riding a wave of sand, demanding answers from the smoldering, black-feathered bird.

Qi exhaled a puff of black smoke, his charred skin flaking off, his hair relaxing again. He stood, his gaze flat as he looked at the indignant child. “Frankly, you are a nuisance.”

The baby protested in her childish voice, “I’m the one who feels troubled! What kind of experiment was that? No warning, and why did I become like this? Most importantly, at least give me clothes! Forcing a young girl to be naked... is your sense of propriety so twisted? Even if your scientific research doesn’t care about such things, I am a blossoming maiden! I have perfectly normal emotional values...”

Qi’s lips twitched. The girl’s endless chatter made him truly want to leave her behind. But from her Japanese and her words, she seemed to be from another world, like the black cat, and her world must be one shrouded in mystery.

“Hey, why are you stepping back? You haven’t answered me yet...” The baby’s brown hair sparked again, her expression full of discontent.

“I’ve got the gist. First of all, congratulations on your transmigration.” Qi clapped, expressionless, as if in celebration.

“Huh? Is this some new technology to experience transmigration? Then why turn me into a baby?”

“Secondly, you’re no longer in your world. This is a harsh realm where immortals defy fate for longevity. But that doesn’t concern you; I can send you back right now. Just think of this as a dream.” Qi summoned the Qidian, floating it before the baby.

“How can that be? What, do you think this is a comic? But it is different here—the moon is huge, the space so wide—this technology is impressive. At least I’ll be able to use my powers to the fullest here, maybe fight monsters and level up, experiment with combat...”

Qi rubbed his brow, then pressed the Qidian against her chattering mouth, silencing her and testing how many softgirl coins she needed to return.

—Condition not met. Transmigration temporarily impossible. Must remain in intimate contact with the Qidian’s owner for one hundred days to locate the world of origin.—

Seeing this message, Qi’s calm, expressionless facade instantly crumbled. Was this a joke? Never mind whether he dared be intimate with another woman—she was an infant! How depraved could this get? Was this some sickly maiden raising scheme? Child bride?

—Intimate contact means simply skin-to-skin touch: hugging, holding hands, so long as the total time reaches one hundred days, the world can be located.—

Qi wiped a cold sweat, irked at his own—and at Qidian’s—poor word choice leading him astray.

The baby still regarded him with intense dissatisfaction, watching his succession of breakdowns, frustration, helplessness, and eventual return to blankness as if witnessing a masterful performance of changing faces. She clapped her hands. “That was brilliant. Do it again.”

(It’s raining now; everyone, wear less, and your girlfriend will bring you clothes—then…burn them all.)