Chapter 133: Relocation

However, the frail young man thought for a moment and shook his head with persistence.

"You are too cold-blooded. I will not defect to you, nor will I help you harm others."

"I didn't say I wanted you to harm others; I only wanted you to be my military advisor. You ask why I don't save people? I am not of the same kind as you; why should I save you for no reason? Would you save an ant starving to death by the roadside? Besides, once they die, don't they make perfect fertilizer?" The fierce female voice seemed very keen on winning him over, even going so far as to offer an explanation.

"Supreme Sovereign, I beg you, save my son." Wang Hai continued to plead; it seemed as though that was the only sentence he knew how to say.

The fierce female voice said coldly, "And what value can you provide me?"

"I can kill. I can do anything, as long as you save my son!" Wang Hai shouted madly.

"Fine. Seeing as you use that saw quite well, it should be enough to frighten them."

Soon, this bloody patch of land was covered by dense weeds. The sins vanished, digested by nature, just as they had been before, just as they are now, and just as they have always been...

The next morning, the sun rose as usual.

Outside Fan Bei’s tent, an orchid stretched its slender leaves toward the morning sun.

"Uh, you're back so soon?"

"Yes. I was afraid you would be too lonely by yourself, with only a dog to keep you company."

The orchid remained silent upon hearing this. She always had the feeling that these words were not meant for her. This fellow was too strange; his thought process was impossible to fathom, making him truly unapproachable.

"Then, thank you very much," the orchid said listlessly.

"Don't mention it. After all, I still need your help with something."

"Uh, I am so weak. What could I possibly help you with?"

"My cultivation technique is complete. Now, I need to turn you into a sweet potato. It might be a bit painful in a moment, so I need your cooperation."

"Why turn into a sweet potato?" the orchid asked, feeling depressed. "Can't I be a potato?"

"Because I happened to hear him say once that the sweet potato is some kind of magical tool for farming in troubled times..."

"Forget it. A sweet potato it is."

The orchid silently underwent evolution, the genes harvested from a wild sweet potato fusing into her own genetic chain.

Compared to animals, genetic modification in plants is much easier. In fact, there are countless similar examples in nature, spanning a wide range of possibilities.

At 2:00 AM, Dabai returned in a panic from the Forbidden Land, wearing its collar.

As it ducked into the tent, it glanced at the orchid and noticed she had suddenly grown into something a bit strange, but it didn't pay much heed, rushing into the tent instead and shouting:

"Master, it’s bad! The monsters inside aren't respawning anymore!"

Hearing Dabai burst in, Fan Bei began to withdraw his energy.

He wasn't surprised by the news, only nodding as he thought to himself:

"It seems the game can no longer be played; it looks like the servers are shutting down."

He stood up and said to Dabai, "Pack up our things and bring the orchid. We can't stay here anymore."

Dabai didn't ask why; it simply ran outside and used its collar to retrieve the orchid, which was still undergoing its evolution.

Only then did it notice the anomaly, exclaiming in surprise, "Master, the orchid seems to have changed. It’s turned into sweet potato leaves?"

"Oh, look at how diligent she is at cultivation—she’s already surpassed you, capable of shifting at will. Yet you, you fish for three days and dry nets for two. You haven't even mastered the technique your Brother Tong taught you," Fan Bei seized the opportunity to lecture.

"Understood," Dabai said, feeling glum.

The man and the dog left the Evil Spirit Mine, which had already become a place of danger.

Looking back at the monster-grinding spot where he had spent over three months, Fan Bei felt no attachment.

He had been prepared long ago. Under the cover of night, he summoned the mist to lift the man and the dog, departing through the air.

When he arrived, it had taken several days of crossing mountains and ridges, but when he left, he flew directly over the peaks, as if truly riding the clouds and mist.

In less than half an hour, he had covered the ninety-kilometer straight-line distance, returning to the Fengming Valley Shelter.

He could have flown faster, but Fan Bei was worried that Dabai might get airsick, so he kept the speed steady.

…………

That same night, at the Evil Spirit Mine, there was nothing but wailing and confusion.

Only a few knew the truth and managed to jump ship in time.

However, the next day, after seeing that the Star Chamber of Commerce had evacuated overnight, those who were slow to realize or those clinging to hope finally began to leave as well.

After Lin Zhongqing returned to Copper Fortress overnight, she was notified by her butler that someone from the Silver Chamber of Commerce had secretly arrived and had been waiting for several days.

Because they had been unable to reach her, they had had to let the visitor continue to wait.

"Let him in," Lin Zhongqing said, sitting in her office.

A man in his forties, led by the silver-haired butler, walked into the office.

"Greetings, Chairwoman. It is truly an honor for me, Luo, to see the Chairwoman's true face," the middle-aged man said, bowing.

"Alright, Mr. Luo, please sit. If you have something to say, you may speak directly to me," Lin Zhongqing said, sounding somewhat impatient.

Dongfang Yitong was currently in the system space, researching how to relocate. She was in a very bad mood about having dragged the other party into this.

"I am here under the orders of President Li to express his friendly intentions. We hope that our two houses can turn hostility into friendship, make progress together, and contribute our efforts to improving the fate of humanity," Mr. Luo said earnestly.

"Understood. You may leave now," Lin Zhongqing said with a wave of her hand.

"Uh..." Mr. Luo was taken aback. The other party's reaction left him utterly confused, but with his wisdom, he immediately realized that something beyond his control must have occurred.

He nodded, apologizing, "My apologies for disturbing the Chairwoman. I shall take my leave now."

Now was not the time to pry; he needed to first figure out what had happened and then adjust his plans accordingly.

Otherwise, he would only draw the other party’s ire.

Seeing him be so sensible, Lin Zhongqing felt a slight twinge of regret, so she added, "Go back and tell Li Xing that I don't care about his little affairs at all. In the eyes of some, the so-called struggle between us is nothing more than ants fighting."

Mr. Luo's expression shifted slightly. He gleaned a great deal from that single sentence, then bowed deeply and turned to leave.

"Hoo..." Lin Zhongqing let out a breath. She felt that the way things were developing was already beyond her control.

This made her, who was always proud and composed, feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Damn it!" She slammed her fist onto her desk. The luxurious desk shattered instantly, scattering into dust across the floor.

The silver-haired butler was startled, looking at her with concern.

"It’s fine. You may leave," Lin Zhongqing swept her hand, and all the dust vanished, as if no desk had ever been there.

…………

Three days later, another person arrived at Copper Fortress.

He was pale, with long hair draped over his shoulders, looking as if he had stepped out of a painting.

Looking up at the fortress, his gaze flickered slightly.

"A familiar scent. It seems to have been created by the people I sent out, but the master has already changed. Sure enough, the creators never get to enjoy their own achievements."

He said this, walked a distance along the outer wall of the fortress, stopped at an ordinary-looking spot, and pressed a few times on the wall. Suddenly, a secret passage appeared in the wall, and he walked inside.