Dragon Ball: Being able to revive means you're courting death? How naive!

Chapter 376 The Red Ribbon Army

The salty sea breeze of Guixian Island whips up waves that crash against the rocks.

Inside the Turtle Hermitage, however, was an ambiguous, hot atmosphere.

Master Roshi was sprawled in a wicker rocking chair, his long, slender fingers clutching a crumpled magazine about beautiful women, his cloudy eyes almost glued to the color pages.

His Adam's apple bobbed, drool spilled from the corner of his mouth, wetting the edges of the magazine, his peach blossom eyes narrowed into slits, and he murmured, "Yes, yes, that's it, it's so beautiful."

The round, chubby Oolong squatted on Master Roshi's bald head, its pink pig nose almost touching the magazine, its fluffy tail wagging excitedly: "It really is! It's so beautiful!"

Before he could finish speaking, Oolong's hoof suddenly slipped, his round body lost its balance, and he knocked Master Roshi to the ground.

The two of them tumbled and rolled onto the tatami mat, but as if bound by a spell, they remained staring intently at the magazine with their limbs spread wide, uttering satisfied murmurs.

"Squeak-"

The wooden sliding door was suddenly pushed open, and the blinding sunlight cleaved through the darkness inside the room like a sharp sword.

A slender figure entered gracefully, her wooden clogs making soft, rustling sounds. The breeze stirred by her skirt carried away a few wisps of ambiguous fragrance from the magazine.

Master Roshi propped himself up on his elbows and slowly moved his gaze up along the pair of wooden clogs embroidered with cherry blossoms. His wrinkled old face suddenly turned bright red: "So it's Ma Rong!"

Ma Rong, her pearl-adorned hair cascading down her back, seemed completely oblivious to the comical figures on the ground. Clutching her skirt, she paced anxiously around the room, her almond-shaped eyes glistening with tears: "Kelin, where are you?"

Master Roshi let out a low growl like a wild beast, his calloused hands rubbing against the tatami mat, and pounced on the beautiful figure like a hungry wolf: "It's definitely more enjoyable to see her in person! Let me appreciate her properly!"

At the critical moment, Ma Rong suddenly turned around and walked towards the bronze lamp in the corner.

Master Roshi couldn't stop in time and ended up hugging the cycad bonsai next to the lamp base tightly. His rough cheeks rubbed back and forth between the sharp branches and leaves, and fine beads of blood seeped out, staining the emerald green needles red.

But he remained in the embracing posture, with a foolish smile on his face.

Until Ma Rong's slender fingers pressed the lamp switch, the warm yellow light emanated once again, and that tearful cry rang out: "Kelin, where are you?"

A warm yellow glow enveloped the room.

Ma Rong stared blankly at the empty surroundings, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, her expression filled with loss and regret: "Is this what people always say, 'You only know how to cherish something after you've lost it'? After this incident, I finally understand that the person I truly love is you, Klin. Klin, where are you?"

Ma Rong searched frantically around the house.

Lift the toilet curtain.

Open the wooden door of the wardrobe.

They even opened the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.

He then peered behind the television.

Every movement revealed anxiety and helplessness.

Ma Rong kept calling out, "Klin, where are you? Where are you? Klin... Klin..."

Inside the Turtle Hermitage, Oolong squatted on the tatami mat, his round body swaying with each word, his pink ears twitching nervously.

"Kling went to kill the androids created by Dr. Gro, the remnant of the Red Ribbon Army. Those monsters are incredibly powerful, and if they get out of control, the whole world will be doomed! He risked his life to save the world!"

Ma Rong's previously downcast eyes suddenly lit up, and the pearl pendant at the corner of her eye swayed gently with her excited movements. Her voice was full of surprise: "Ah, Klin prepared a red ribbon for me as a gift!"

She subconsciously raised her hand to touch the hair ornament at her temple, a sweet smile curving her lips, as if she could already see her lover holding the silk.

On the tatami mat, the dumpling's bun-shaped head trembled up and down with his movements, his round eyes wide open, his face full of disbelief.

Master Roshi leaned on his cane, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, his gray eyebrows twisted into a pretzel.

Wulong fell to the ground with a thud, its four hooves in the air, its pig nose twitching, and it let out a muffled groan.

Having recovered his senses, Wulong scrambled over to Ma Rong, gesturing wildly in the air with his short hooves: "The androids are killing machines created by Dr. Gro, a remnant of the Red Ribbon Army! Their goal is to destroy the whole world, not to be a gift!"

Dumpling clasped her hands together and added solemnly, "This was told to us by a boy from the future who witnessed the apocalypse..."

Master Roshi, leaning on his cane, stood up shakily, wiping his face with his calloused hands: "Krillin and the others went to defeat the Androids and save the world."

A rare hint of worry flashed in Master Roshi's cloudy eyes, but it was quickly dispelled by Ma Rong's bewildered expression.

Ma Rong slumped on the bamboo stool, her head tilted to the side, her fingertips unconsciously twirling a strand of hair, a blush rising on her cheeks: "I don't understand what you're talking about. Klin went to save the world for me, right? What's the Red Ribbon Army?"

Ma Rong's eyelashes trembled slightly, her tone carrying the unique innocence of a young girl.

Master Roshi gazed at the pearl swaying in the girl's hair, a familiar smile curving his aged lips. He tapped his cane on the ground with a "thud": "Oh dear, what a simple girl you are. It's alright, let this old man explain it to you slowly."

Master Roshi, his back hunched, approached Ma Rong shakily, his cloudy eyes gleaming with an unusual light.

Lost in her fantasies, Ma Rong muttered to herself, "What's there to explain?"

It wasn't until Master Roshi's wrinkled hand touched her shoulder that she exclaimed as if waking from a dream, her cheeks flushed, and she playfully tapped Master Roshi's chest with her fingertips, "Oh dear, Master Roshi, you lecherous old man, you're so annoying! Let go of me!"

Ma Rong twisted her body, the beads in her hair jingling, the crisp sound mingling with the sea breeze and dissipating into the salty, damp air.

Master Roshi sat cross-legged on the ground, his cloudy eyes slightly narrowed, his wrinkled hands gently tapping the table, and a low sigh escaped his throat: "This story begins when Goku was searching for the Dragon Balls as a child..."

He suddenly straightened his hunched back, and his withered fingers drew an arc in the air.

"Back then, those guys from the Red Ribbon Army were driving around in their metal junkies, stealing Dragon Balls. Their ambition wasn't just to conquer the world, but to completely destroy it!"

Oolong squatted in the corner, its pink pig nose twitching uneasily, its two front hooves tightly holding onto the watermelon, while its ears stood straight up.

The dumpling floated in mid-air, its chubby hands folded in front of its chest, its round face full of solemnity.

"That guy named Tao Pai Pai."

Master Roshi suddenly slapped his thigh, making the teacup next to him jump.

"Known as the world's number one assassin! He can pin a person to a wall with just his tongue!"

He imitated Tao Baibai's movements, sticking out his tongue in an exaggeratedly long way, which startled Wulong so much that he almost dropped the watermelon on the ground.

"But who is Sun Wukong?"

Master Roshi grinned, revealing a proud smile through his missing front tooth, and slammed his calloused fist heavily into his palm.

"They beat that assassin so badly he was running for his life!"

Master Roshi suddenly stood up, assuming a fighting stance on one leg, but stumbled due to the sudden movement and had to hold onto the table to steady himself.

"The Red Ribbon Army's stronghold has been turned upside down by Wukong!"

Master Roshi spoke animatedly, his aged voice suddenly lowering as he began to speak.

"But a guy named Gro escaped..."

He held up his index finger and shook it from side to side, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

"This guy's been hiding in the shadows, creating androids, and worst of all, they're causing chaos everywhere! Krillin and his companions are risking their lives to stop them!"

Ma Rong tilted her head, her fingertips twirling a strand of hair, a gentle smile playing in her peach blossom eyes. She rested her chin on her hand, her eyelashes fluttering: "Wow! Is that so? But I still don't understand..."

Ma Rong's words were like a heavy hammer blow to the air.

Master Roshi's hand holding the pipe froze in mid-air, his smile instantly solidified, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, yet he couldn't utter a word.

With a "thud," the watermelon fell to the ground, its four short legs buckling and collapsing into a pinkish lump of flesh.

The dumpling's round eyes widened like copper bells, and its levitation power suddenly gave way, causing it to slam down onto the tatami mat with a "thud".

The three looked at each other, and finally fell straight backward, as if all their strength had been drained away.