Zodiac Guardian

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"You... you smoke too?" Ji Mingming's dislike for Qi Yue intensified, she hurriedly rolled down the car window, but her actions were a bit slow, and she couldn't help but cough."

Qi Yue chuckled and said, "Driver, do you want one too? Although it's not a good cigarette, you may not be able to get it in Tibet. What's wrong with smoking? How many men don't?"

Ji Mingming coldly responded, "It seems like you're quite adept at these bad habits. Smoking is slow poison, didn't you know that?"

Qi Yue snorted with contempt, "What slow poison? My former Boss, Smoky Man, once said, 'a man who doesn't smoke or drink might as well be a dog.' I think there's no truer statement. Of course, I don't mean spiritual practitioners like Master Zagru, I'm referring to ordinary people."

The driver, a Tibetan and not a monk, listened to Qi Yue's words and really wanted to smoke, but with Ji Mingming beside him, he decided against it. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but ask, "Young man, why do you say that?"

Ji Mingming irritably replied, "Don't listen to his nonsense, it's probably some misguided logic."

While continuing to smoke, Qi Yue said, "Misguided? This is the quintessential principle of life. You don't have to listen to it, but I'll tell our driver here. Yes, women have a hard time giving birth, but it's a temporary hardship. Men, on the other hand, work hard all their lives. In most families, the man is the breadwinner, the primary source of income. Although gender equality is preached, how many men don't work? And how many women stay unemployed? Men must strive to support their families, the pressure they bear is far beyond women's comprehension. Men are symbols of strength, we can't be like you women, crying to relieve stress. We must bear it alone. Everyone knows smoking and drinking are bad for the body, but it's the only coping mechanism men have - a single method of stress relief. If a man doesn't even choose these two ways to relieve stress, how tired must he be during his life? Doesn't that make his life worse than a dog's? Am I wrong in what I'm saying?"

Ji Mingming was stunned. At first glance, Qi Yue's words seemed misguided, but, pondering over them, they made sense. Wasn't that the situation at her own home? Her father is the head of the household, bearing pressures from all sides; he never talks about it, but the gradual greying of his hair tells her how heavy this pressure is.

"Young man, you're absolutely right! Could you give me a cigarette to try? Men are destined to work, how many of us are born with silver spoons? Just for our wives and children, we have to keep striving. No successful man who has achieved it on his own hasn't put in more effort than an ordinary person."

Looking at these two men proudly puffing on cigarettes, Ji Mingming was at a loss for words. At this point, she had no chance to stop this self-poisoning process.

Qi Yue laughed, "Driver, your Holy Buddha Temple is quite rich, right? I mean with all your Lincolns and Cherokees."

The driver smiled and replied, "Young man, you're mistaken, the Holy Buddha Temple is sacred in Tibet. The cars you see were all donated by the government, not bought by the temple itself. As a national tourist spot, it earns a lot each year. However, Master Zageru donates all of it towards building schools in Tibet and supporting our military posts. He only keeps a minimal amount for the maintenance of the temple. He lives a simple life; it's something most people can't imagine."

The car sped along the highway, and after two hours, they re-entered Lhasa. Qi Yue once again saw the magnificent golden edifice of the Potala Palace, but his mood was completely different from before.

"Mingming, how should we go to the Capital City? Should we take the train?"

Ji Mingming shook her head and replied, "The train is too slow, we'll take a flight back. We've got a lot of arrangements to make once we get back there."

"A plane? I've never been on one in my life, I feel more comfortable with the train, it's too expensive." As he spoke, Qi Yue subconsciously touched his bag.

Ji Mingming glanced at him and answered, "People from the Holy Buddha Temple can fly on any airline for free."

Qi Yue's eyes lit up and he said, "That's a different matter then. It would be good to experience flying. Flying through the sky, must feel great." As he spoke, he instinctively snapped his fingers. A strange thing happened - a small red flame suddenly appeared on his thumb, startling him.

"Wow, why is my hand on fire?" He quickly slapped it, extinguishing the flame immediately. What puzzled him even more was that the flame seemed to have no temperature at all, he didn't feel any burning.

Ji Mingming gave Qi Yue a look, and Qi Yue glanced at the driver in front of him, holding back his doubt without asking.

Soon, the driver drove them to the airport. Qi Yue generously gave half of his remaining cigarettes to the driver, then entered the airport with Ji Mingming.

"Mingming, what just happened? Can you tell me now?" With no driver around, Qi Yue couldn't wait to ask.

Ji Mingming whispered, "That should be the initial awakening of your Kirin skills. You're the Four Auspicious Clouds Kirin, also known as Four Auspicious Kirin, fire is one of your powers. However, your cloud power is too weak right now, you can only release such a small flame. Only through constant cultivation, when you reach the Initial Cloud realm, can the flame release sufficient attack power."

"Then why can't I feel the heat myself?"

"Because that's your own Kirin True Flame, of course you can't feel it. Kirin flame is much hotter than ordinary flame, be careful in future so as not to start a fire. Also, we Zodiac Guardians should not display our capabilities in front of ordinary people, to avoid bringing unnecessary trouble. You must remember this. Now your Kirin bloodline is initially awakened, you need to adapt to the initial awakening skills on your own understanding. I think, not only fire, you should also have the powers of thunder, wind, and water. After we get to the Capital City, I'll teach you the Rising Kirin Decision, you should be able to use it then."

Although he could only make a small flame, Qi Yue was still extremely excited. Thinking about his superpower, he couldn't help but laugh, snapping his fingers unconsciously. As expected, a thin flame appeared and Qi Yue shook his hand, extinguishing the flame naturally.

Ji Mingming looked at his complacent expression, she couldn't help shaking her head helplessly and headed straight to the VIP waiting hall.

There were lots of passengers at Lhasa Airport, mostly tourists or business travelers to Tibet. Ji Mingming quickly finished the procedures at the VIP waiting hall, and in an hour, they would take a flight from Lhasa to the Capital City of Yan Huang Republic.

Sitting on the comfortable sofa in the waiting hall, Qi Yue was ecstatic! A faint fragrance from Ji Mingming kept wafting over, making him feel as if he was on a cloud, hormones secreting rapidly inside. His heart was restless. His eyes kept wandering over Ji Mingming, thinking to himself, if only his Kirin power included X-ray vision, that would be even better."

"Mingming, how old are you this year? Is your home in Capital City?" Qi Yue asked with a grin.

Qi Yue's attention was a little too much for Ji Mingming to bear. She shifted away and said, "I just turned eighteen, and yes, my home is in the Capital City."

"Oh, so we are from the same hometown. It seems our fate is really deep. Mingming, can I borrow your mobile phone? I forgot to bring my charger, and my phone's been dead for a while now."

Although Ji Mingming was unwilling, she thought about their collaboration in the future and didn't want to make the relationship sour. She reluctantly took a small white mobile phone out of her pocket and handed it to Qi Yue. With this perfect opportunity, Qi Yue deliberately brushed against Ji Mingming's finger as he took the phone.

Ji Mingming, feeling like she was shocked by electricity, quickly withdrew her hand, glaring at him and turned her head away.

Qi Yue, satisfied, began dialing a number. He had spent over a month in the Holy Buddha Temple, equivalent to being missing for a month. He knew he would be returning soon, so naturally, he wanted to establish contact with his good friend first.

"Field Mouse, it's me." As soon as the call connected, Qi Yue couldn't wait to speak.

"Boss, finally, you called me. Huh, whose number is this?" Field Mouse was overjoyed to receive Qi Yue's call.

Qi Yue said, "It's a friend's number. How's everything on your side? How's YanXiaoyi?"