Hey? Are you asleep? Wanna chat for a bit? Are you studying? So focused, huh, that’s amazing. You’ve gotta teach before the next exam, okay? Have you had dinner? Want to grab a al together next ti? You there? If you see this can you reply? I’ve got sothing I want to tell you. Don’t get wrong, I don’t an it like that, I just want to have a proper talk with you, why aren’t you saying anything...
Huai Shi raised his hand, and a hundred thousand all-direction, no-blind-spot, simp-dog-style harassnt ssages started flooding the screen—this is why typing with your mind is so fast, this Astronomical Society function is aweso, he was already thinking of getting one installed on himself when he got back.
Aside from the fact the other side didn’t reply to him, this plug-in was basically flawless.
After harassing her for ages, Ai Qing still hadn’t replied.
A hundred thousand ssages and not a peep back; to his surprise, Huai Shi felt a strange emptiness in his chest. A bit of hope mixed with disappointnt, a bit of sourness in the waiting.
"No way, is she really just going to ignore ?"
"What exactly do you expect to say?"
Ai Qing’s displeased voice finally sounded: "The ss you made, can you please clean it up yourself? I already went to all that trouble to mop up that pile of crap for you, and you still expect to help you reach the peak of life on the Extre Path?"
"No, that part I can handle."
Huai Shi scratched his head awkwardly. "I’m just worried I might go a little overboard."
Ai Qing’s brows knit, instantly on guard. "What are you planning to do?"
"Emmmmm... that depends how we’re going to handle it."
After pondering for a mont, Huai Shi said, a bit embarrassed, "If we’re just giving him a little slap on the wrist, then when he gathers his believers for a prayer eting, I’ll rush in, nail the guy to a cross in front of everyone, and have him repent.
But if he’s really doing cris so vile he deserves to die a thousand deaths, then we might as well let his believers take communion."
Huai Shi weighed the two plans in his head and felt like either one was going to blow up big. If he slipped up even a little, after this wave he’d probably end up on a nationwide most-wanted list.
He should really get approval first, at least have the Astronomical Society ready to take the fall.
Silence. A long silence.
After a long ti, he finally heard Ai Qing sigh.
"Huai Shi..."
"Mm?"
"Have you noticed that your interest in doing cris and shady shit is getting a little too high?" she asked sternly. "Ever since that black-on-black stunt in Xinhai, did you get a taste of the good life and now you just can’t stop down this road?"
"What black-on-black? I don’t know what you’re talking about." Huai Shi protested loudly. "I’m doing this all for peace in the Current Circumstances, okay? I’ve even infiltrated Green Day on behalf of the Astronomical Society. Can’t you guys make things a little easier for ?"
"What kind of ’easier’ do you want?"
Huai Shi thought for a mont, then probed, "A mis...sile?"
"...Huai Shi, you’ve already pissed off Deer’s Sing Hall beyond forgiveness, can you please not also get yourself on the Jurisdiction Bureau Yingzhou Branch’s blacklist?"
Hearing that, Huai Shi’s eyes went wide. "Wow, they’re all bombed cultists either way. You had such a blast back then, but now that it’s my turn suddenly it’s not allowed? What’s wrong with this world, we tools..."
He’d barely gotten the first combo of his rant out when Ai Qing coldly cut him off. "Huai Shi, if you want to have a serious discussion about this, I’m happy to oblige.
But can you please not make things harder for a woman whose temper hasn’t been so great lately?"
"Listen carefully: if you want to help you keep the scope of this under control, then take him out as quietly as possible. It’s fine if you don’t kill him, but you’d better not nail him to a cross. And you definitely cannot conduct a terrorist attack on Yingzhou soil and use a missile to blow a locally famous religious figure to dust!"
"Got it."
Realization dawned on Huai Shi; he smacked a fist into his palm and reached a conclusion. "Then I’ll just livestream behea—...Okay, my bad, I respect the law, I’ll think of sothing else, okay?"
He’d barely gotten the words out when a sense of crisis surged up inside him, like soone already had a sniper rifle trained on him with their finger resting on the trigger.
Huai Shi instantly changed his tune and admitted fault, never ntioning it again.
Instantly chickened out.
Everyone, just let it slide like nothing happened.
"You’re undercover, not at war. The Astronomical Society can only give you limited support from the shadows—assuming you don’t want everyone to know you’re their mole."
Ai Qing suddenly asked, "And, do you still rember why you’re undercover in the first place?"
"Obviously it’s for subli... ahem, that one, what’s her na, God City...sothing?"
Huai Shi racked his brain for a long mont before finally rembering the na. "God City Future!"
"...Anyway, as long as you rember. We’re already behind the other teams’ progress."
Ai Qing rubbed her brow and sighed tiredly. "If we can get into the upper ranks of the Hybrid Alliance, maybe information will co easier. I’ll write my report to the higher-ups that way and hope we get more support and resources."
After a pause, she asked, "Na?"
"Huai Shi."
"I’m not asking about you! The one from Light Illumination’s Church, what’s he called?"
"Mm, let see... Sanship Longma."
"Found him."
Through the Astronomical Society’s database, Ai Qing used her clearance to directly pull up the Yingzhou Branch’s intel.
"High Priest of Light Illumination’s Church in the Kyoto district, male, forty-seven."
She glanced at the file on the screen and said aningfully, "That’s honestly impressive. In just five years, he managed to claw his way up from a bankrupt real-estate agent to this position, and he’s even being hailed as the earthly projection of the Holy Spirit from the Ninth Dinsion.
Looks like once so people stop doing anything good, they can really take off on the road of breaking the law and committing cris."
"Hold up, did you just roast again? Also, what Ninth Dinsion what Holy Spirit what projection?"
Huai Shi felt a hundred thousand question marks floating up from his forehead, incredulous. "Did we just silently add a whole new lore block in here?"
Wait, that couldn’t be right. He lowered his head and snuck a glance at the Book of Fate, only to find there was nothing like that recorded.
"Makes sense, anyone who sees this crap would think it’s pathological."
Ai Qing said, "Just treat it as one of those fairy tales the Light Illumination’s Church made up, where so bigshot god reincarnates among mortals.
Besides the Holy Wife chosen from among the Believers, he’s got six mistresses, eleven illegitimate kids. Mm, four of those are actually his. The ratio’s not bad, really.
Seems he’s quite popular with middle-aged female followers, always ’enlightening’ so female Believers and injecting them with spirituality. Rumor has it that eight tis out of ten they can see the Cosmic Cathedral, with all the gods smiling down."
"Seriously?"
"What do you think?" Ai Qing sneered. "As long as you pop enough pills, you can see whatever you want. Man‑made Miracles have always been cheap—can even do wholesale."
"When do you think is a good ti to make a move?"
"No ti today, and tomorrow’s out too. He’s got a golf ga with the people from Deer’s Sing Hall. If you don’t want to get sat on by the Yingzhou authorities, don’t get frisky."
"Fine. No. 2 goes to listen to the sermon and stays at a hotel at night, No. 3 goes to the restaurant, so what about No. 4?" Huai Shi asked. "Is he free the day after tomorrow? I’ll pay him a visit."
"Day after tomorrow doesn’t work either. He’ll be at the largest Church of the Light Illumination Sect in Kyoto, attending a ritual personally presided over by the Pope..."
"Isn’t that perfect?" Huai Shi was overjoyed.
"Hey, don’t get reckless."
Ai Qing paused, then said seriously, "The Pope of the Illuminating Association is a Fourth Stage Sublimator, and things are really tense lately. All their higher-ups have Sublimators guarding them. You’d better be careful."
"Relax. Even if the Astronomical Society can’t help, I can think of other ways."
Huai Shi looked down at Lawrence’s number on his phone and smiled. "Besides, I’ve already got a new friend, don’t I?"
In this world, is there anything that can deepen a friendship more than committing cris together?
No!
He picked up his phone and dialed that number.
His tone was gentle.
"Hey, you there?"
.
.
Two days later, in the Tobio Family’s courtyard.
In the cramped, narrow tea room, a dignified old man and a distracted middle‑aged man were kneeling on the long tatami mat. Outside, in the blazing sunlight, a listless Shiba Inu lay lazily in the rock garden’s shade, tongue lolling as it panted.
The dry landscape garden, dotted with fresh green, cald the mind.
As the kettle began to boil, the matcha, stirred by the tea whisk, bled into the water with a soothing green that quieted the spirit.
In the upper seat, the tea master, fad in Kyoto, solemnly raised the tea bowl in his hands and presented it with both hands.
In the silence, the two n lifted their bowls, tasted the bitterness, offered their words of praise, and then the tea master bowed low, packed up his tools, and withdrew.
In the quiet tea room, only the two facing each other remained.
"We’ve had our tea, we’ve done our little performance. Old sir, if you don’t mind, I’ll take my leave now."
"Leaving already?" Tobio tapped his folded fan against his own head, puzzled. "Was my hospitality lacking?"
Chiba Ryouni sighed impatiently. "The tea was decent, but that damn dog barking is driving nuts. Can’t you keep it down next ti?"
"Looks like you really are at the end of your rope lately, hahaha. No matter how world‑shaking a Hero you are, you still can’t escape a woman’s tears. But seriously, you’re almost fifty, aren’t you? Ti to rein it in. Knowing how to take care of your family is what makes a good man."
Chiba Ryouni lifted his eyes and shot him a glance. "You invited for tea just to laugh at ?"
"Co on now, we five bigshots are all in the sa boat—when one prospers, all prosper; when one falls, all fall. How could I be so bored?"
Chiba Ryouni’s mind turned, then he suddenly got it. "I heard that Lihua is back. Don’t tell you’re starting to arrange a marriage for her?"
Tobio’s expression instantly turned wary. "What are you thinking? That kid of yours eats, drinks, gambles, whores around—five poisons all in one, exactly like you when you were young. How could I possibly discuss that kind of thing with you? This Old man still wants my adorable little daughter to keep company a few more years."
"So it’s not that, and not this either... you old bastard... Don’t tell you’ve got sothing on and you’re here to bargain?"
Chiba Ryouni narrowed his eyes. "Let guess—this flashy All Spirits Drug everyone’s talking about lately? Or the Order of Nothingness? You specially ca to find ... is it about Light Illumination’s Church?"
"Tsk, only when it’s about yourself do you start taking things seriously. When are you ever going to fix that selfish personality of yours?"
Tobio tapped his fan against his head, troubled. "As for Light Illumination’s Church, this Old man really did rack his brains to help you strike back."
"You’re definitely up to no good, so don’t expect to owe you one." Chiba Ryouni said coolly, "My family matters are none of your business."
"Relax. It’s not , and it doesn’t need you to take responsibility either. If you don’t like it, you can just not appreciate it."
Tobio tapped his palm with the fan and looked up toward the hanging curtain raised in the tea room, behind which sat a TV that looked completely out of place here.
"Look, the show’s starting."
As he spoke, the screen slowly lit up, revealing a handso face—and two curved horns on its forehead.
Facing the two viewers in front of the screen, the corner of his mouth curled in a devilish grin, full of an almost demonic charm.
Only, as soon as he opened his mouth, the vibe collapsed.
"Hey? Can you see ? This thing’s not broken, right? It’s on already? High‑tech, huh!"
The face leaned in close, peering into the cara. He huffed a breath onto it, then wiped it with his sleeve twice until it shone. Clicking his tongue, he marveled, "As expected of the Alliance—truly masters of core technology!"
"Hey, cut it out, that’s a DJI we bought from Tai Qing Heavy Industries..."
Watching Huai Shi start waving the drone around while going ’whooo whooo’ with his mouth, Lawrence, smoking to the side, couldn’t take it anymore and pointed at the Mountain Road below the hill.
"They’re almost here."
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