Chapter 127: Ambush

In a world of gray and white, a man and a woman were speeding along.

"Brother Dongfang, your vision is truly profound. When you mentioned opening a branch base, I thought you meant developing in another continent, but I never imagined your true intention was to venture beyond this planet!"

Lin Zhongqing spoke with deep admiration, her eyes fixed on the man beside her, filled with adoration and reverence. This was her man! A systematic avatar unique in the entire universe, unparalleled in the heavens and unmatched on earth! He represented the strongest and most mysterious collection of laws from ancient times to the present, and his wisdom was equally profound.

"Indeed, Earth is merely a small pond," Dongfang Yitong said calmly. "Since these mysterious, evil beings have migrated from the depths of the universe, if we wish to contend with them, we cannot limit ourselves to Earth alone."

Lin Zhongqing nodded. "You are right, Brother Dongfang. Our goal is the sea of stars."

"Oh, we have arrived," Dongfang Yitong said, looking toward the distance where a faint light had appeared. "A little further ahead is the manor you encountered last time. We shall lie in ambush here and capture those who approach the grounds to interrogate them on how to reach other planets."

"Agreed. To know oneself and the enemy is the key to victory in every battle. That is the oldest and most timeless wisdom of the East," Lin Zhongqing replied.

Simultaneously, the two employed the "Heavenly King’s Jade-Controlling Technique" to conceal their forms. For the butler system, Lin Zhongqing’s level of mastery was automatically its own, as she trusted it completely. Her skills could be freely extracted and applied to this systematic avatar.

Time ticked by. For others, waiting would be unimaginably dull and unbearable, but for these two, it was far from tedious. The butler system possessed no concept of boredom, and for Lin Zhongqing, waiting while whispering to her beloved made her wish the moment would last forever. How could she possibly feel bored? She had once failed to understand the "seven-year itch"—why people insisted that love could only last for seven years. She had once feared she might suffer the same fate. Later, after she visualized this man, she finally understood why.

It was because others’ lovers were merely human—mortals with weaknesses, fluctuating emotions, limited patience, and the tendency to grow weary of the old and crave the new. When two people spend a long time together, their flaws are exposed in full. Even those deemed "celestial" become mundane, and that is when the endurance of both parties is tested. If one side falls short, separation is the only conclusion.

Love may bring two people together, but it cannot sustain them forever. For mortals, only blood and family ties are truly inseparable; people often show more patience toward their kin than their partners. If they cannot evolve into "family" within the expiration date of their love, they are destined to fail.

But her lover lacked these flaws. He was constantly evolving and growing stronger. He possessed no true weaknesses, never felt anger, and was eternally patient. She had to refine herself, shedding her mortal existence and those tedious shortcomings, so that she could remain with her lover for eternity.

As the two were discussing the romanticism of the Wei and Jin periods from classical literature, a disturbance appeared in the distance.

"Someone—no, a sphere is coming," Dongfang Yitong remarked, his tone somewhat peculiar.

Lin Zhongqing, curious, looked up from his embrace and saw that, indeed, a sphere was rolling toward them. It moved with great speed, seemingly talking to itself. Listening closely, they caught what it was saying.

"It really hasn't been easy. After half a year, I finally have the power to return to this familiar world. It took so much effort to trick that silly dog into falling asleep just to sneak in. I hope the Boss still has the position of strategist waiting for me."

The iron sphere sighed as it rolled. It clearly believed no one could possibly be eavesdropping, which was why it spoke so freely.

"It’s going to be tight, though. The competition was already fierce, and after I failed in that battle of wits, I’ll likely be demoted several ranks. But that’s not my fault! It was those subordinates of mine—they were incompetent, scrambling for credit and ruining my deployment, which led to me being decapitated and ultimately defeated. The Boss must still be thinking about launching a counterattack; he surely needs my wisdom. It must be so. The others only care about carving out territories and acting like turtles in this small pond called Earth. I, Tian Bai, am absolutely different from them."

"It’s a pity about that object. If it still existed, I wouldn’t be coming back to eat my own words; its potential was far beyond the Boss's, beyond measure. But for now, I have to start with the Boss and see if there’s a way to restore it."

Although the iron sphere was muttering to itself, it kept the true secrets hidden. Halfway through its monologue, it suddenly felt a chill and stopped. Seeing the light ahead, it grew excited and accelerated.

Then, it could roll no further. A slender hand had pinned it firmly to the ground.

...

"What—what do you want? Let me tell you, I have backing!" Xiaobai stammered, looking at the two "immortals" before it.

"Oh, aren't you the sphere that belongs to Valley Master Fan? He truly is no ordinary person if even the sphere by his side has such a background," Lin Zhongqing said with composure.

"Valley Master Fan? That sand-sculpted idiot is a fool!" the iron sphere, Xiaobai, spat with hatred. "He doesn't worship me like an ancestor; instead, he makes me play with a dog every day! It’s outrageous! He deserves to miss out on the true great opportunity!"

Lin Zhongqing nodded. "In that case, I don't need to be polite. I was worried since we were 'acquaintances,' and I felt bad about laying a hand on you..."

She pressed down gently, and five distinct fingerprint indentations appeared on the iron sphere.

"Uh, actually, I was just joking," Xiaobai quickly changed its tune. "My friendship with Old Fan is no ordinary thing! We eat together and sleep together every day. I’m like a brother of flesh and blood to his pet, Dabai, so I spoke a bit too freely. Please, don't do anything rash!"

"Rest assured," Lin Zhongqing said coolly. "As long as you explain the origins of everything you just mentioned clearly, we won't do anything reckless to you."

Xiaobai didn't believe this woman for a second. It had learned a lesson from its previous failures: never trust anyone. Others’ words had a shelf life of only three days—and that was if they were being honorable. It turned its body to look at the man who resembled an immortal. This guy clearly wasn't a mortal; he lacked that filthy scent that seeped from the bones of common men.

"You must swear that if I confess everything honestly, you will let me go," it said seriously.

"You are in no position to make demands, only to answer questions," Dongfang Yitong said calmly. "And do not think of lying. We were able to ambush you, and we can ambush others as well. We will cross-reference your answers."

The iron sphere felt a chill run through it. As soon as this man spoke, it knew: he was devoid of emotion, a man of absolute coldness. He would certainly be far more ruthless than Old Fan or Dabai. At least those two were warm-blooded; they wouldn't truly torture it, merely toss it around. They wouldn't toy with its soul. But this one? He certainly would.

Xiaobai sighed inwardly: *Alas, it seems I must play the traitor once again.*