Chapter 63
Chapter Sixty-Three
Upon returning to Tianji Star, Xiao Liunian immediately went to see the new and different 'Sima'.
When they arrived at the cell, Sima was lying on the bed, staring blankly at the candlelight on the table, looking quite relaxed and at ease.
According to the guards' report, of all the outsiders detained here, Sima Guo was the most comfortable and at ease, and he even made some requests to the guards to make himself more comfortable.
For Sima, being imprisoned was like simply living in a different place.
"What was your name before?" Xiao Liunian asked directly and bluntly.
"How do you know I'm not the original Sima?" Sima asked, lying on the bed. Had his disguise failed so badly?
“We have interrogated your system,” Xiao Liunian said.
"System, it can interrogate?" Sima finally sat up in surprise from the bed.
"Yes." Xiao Liunian picked up a cup of tea, blew on it to cool it down, and then took a sip, looking just like an old man drinking tea.
"My name is Mu Qingqing, and I come from Blue Star. And who are you?" Sima asked.
“Lin Mu, if we’re from the same time and space, then we must be from the same hometown,” Xiao Liunian said.
"Fellow villager?" Sima rushed to the cell door and pried at it, trying to get closer to Xiao Liunian, as if that would confirm the truth of what Xiao Liunian said.
Xiao Liunian recited his home address, and based on these place names, Sima believed nine-tenths of what Xiao Liunian said.
"There are rich kids everywhere, why is she the only one missing!" Mu Qingqing thought enviously.
Xiao Liunian and Sima then talked more about Blue Star.
Mu Qingqing's last bit of doubt was dispelled.
"You've been delaying the mission, haven't you?" Xiao Liunian suddenly asked.
"How did you know?" Mu Qingqing asked instinctively.
"Because the people who came to invade Tianji Star this time don't seem to be as strong as before," Xiao Liunian said.
"Before?" Mu Qingqing asked, puzzled.
"Besides being a transmigrator, I am also a reincarnated person," Xiao Liunian said without reservation.
“Rebirth, sister, your experience is just too…” Mu Qingqing tried to find a word to describe Xiao Liunian’s experience, but couldn’t find one for a long time.
"Interesting? Or complicated? Or bizarre?" Xiao Liunian tried to find a word for Mu Qingqing.
"I'm also miserable. I haven't done anything bad or good. I just want to spend my family's money peacefully to satisfy my hobbies."
"Who knew that just because I slept in, I would be brought here by a so-called destruction system and given a mission to destroy the world."
"Because of this, I can't even sleep soundly when I try to sleep in."
Mu Qingqing talked a lot, but it was incoherent, and she just said whatever came to mind.
"I don't know where I can complain about this kind of thing. Bringing me here without my consent is practically kidnapping!" Mu Qingqing was furious. Her wonderful life had been interrupted. Who could she complain to?
"And that system forced me to do missions that destroyed the world, and if the mission progress bar didn't move for a long time, it would give me electric shocks," Mu Qingqing continued.
“I can unbind the Destruction System from you,” Xiao Liunian said.
"Really?" Mu Qingqing asked excitedly.
"Waiter, release Miss Mu's system," Xiao Liunian said to the waiter.
"You have a system too? What is your mission?" Mu Qingqing asked.
"To safeguard world peace," Xiao Liunian said.
"And also, to become an outstanding Phoenix Pride," Thirteen added from the side.
After returning to Tianji Star, Thirteen gave himself a new look—Garfield.
"You have two systems?" Mu Qingqing remained shocked.
This fellow villager is really amazing. He has two systems. One is the system to protect world peace, which Mu Qingqing has only ever seen in chuunibyou anime. The other is the Phoenix Overlord System, which sounds incredible.
"I will not unbind!" said System 19, the Destruction System that was released.
"So you can unbind yourself from the host now," Xiao Liunian said.
This system seems easy to fool, Xiao Liunian thought to himself.
"Unbind me, or I'll destroy you!" Xiao Liunian said.
"Impossible!" System 19 denied.
"Then let's give it a try." Xiao Liunian released his energy, surrounding System No. 19.
System 19 felt that all functions were unusable, and at the same time, an energy was invading the system.
As this energy invaded the system, System 19 felt itself being electrocuted.
"I cannot unbind. If I unbind, I will disappear completely." System No. 19 gritted its teeth and insisted, still refusing to unbind.
If this mission fails, System 19 will be completely destroyed.
“Then I’ll bind myself to you and help you complete the mission, how about that?” Xiao Liunian suggested.
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
All three systems were taken aback by Xiao Liunian's proposal.
Xiao Er and Thirteen wanted to say something, but were temporarily calmed down by Xiao Liunian's telepathic message.
"Are you really willing to help me complete this mission?" System No. 19 didn't quite believe Xiao Liunian. How could someone with a peace system help a destruction system complete a mission?
“We can protect world peace first, and then destroy the world. The two are not contradictory. As long as the order is correct, both tasks can be accomplished,” Xiao Liunian explained.
"Either choose me, or you'll be imprisoned by us until the mission time expires, and when the time expires, it means your mission will fail." Xiao Liunian tempted and threatened at the same time.
"I'll count to ten, and you decide for yourself. No exceptions!" Xiao Liunian issued his final ultimatum.
"10, 9, 8, 7." Before Xiao Liunian could count down, System No. 19 gave the answer.
"System binding is being unbound."
"The binding has been removed."
"System is binding."
"System successfully bound."
Xiao Liunian acquired a third system—System No. 19, a system whose mission is to destroy the world.
"I'm free!" Mu Qingqing shouted excitedly.
A model young man was brought here and threatened by the system, forced to kill someone. Mu Qingqing was helpless. After being locked up here, Mu Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, at least she was no longer forced to kill.
After the initial excitement subsided, Mu Qingqing squatted down again, burying her face in her arms, her shoulders trembling.
“Miss Mu, you may have to endure this for a few more days. I will release you after everything is over,” Xiao Liunian said after Mu Qingqing’s emotions had calmed down a bit.
"I'll have someone renovate this place later to make you as comfortable as possible. You can tell me any requests you have, and I'll try my best to fulfill them." Xiao Liunian looked at Mu Qingqing, recalling when she first came here. It seemed she had cried like this before, but it was no use.
"Aren't you going to release her?" Thirteen asked.
"Not for now. Apart from the system, there is no evidence to ensure that everything Mu Qingqing said is true," Xiao Liunian said.
It's always good to be cautious in everything you do.
"Nineteen, where is the original 'Sima'?" Xiao Liunian looked at the black coal lumps floating to the side.
"He's dead. He exploded from absorbing too much energy at once," Nineteen said.
"After Mu Qingqing completes her mission, will you really send her back to Blue Star?" Xiao Liunian asked again.
“No, she will perish along with this world,” Nineteen said.
"Then how can you guarantee you'll be able to leave here after you complete the mission?" Xiao Liunian continued to ask.
"The main system will arrange it," Nineteen said.
"After you came here, has your main system contacted you again?" Xiao Liunian continued to ask.
"Of course," Number 19 affirmed.
"Retrieve the video recording of your communication," Xiao Liunian demanded.
"This is a prepared answer, not real-time communication. We are still out of contact with the outside world," Xiao Er said after watching the recording.
"Impossible!" Black Coal Ball exclaimed excitedly.
"Looks like there's an even dumber system here." Garfield covered his eyes with his paws, not wanting to see this even dumber system.
"Why don't you try again?" Xiao Liunian suggested.
System 19 kept trying to contact the main system, but the responses remained mechanical.
"It's okay, we're all in the same boat," Garfield comforted System 19. Since they were all stuck here and unable to contact the outside world, they were in the same boat and could be considered new partners, so it was best to offer some comfort.
"Lin Mu, are you really going to complete the mission of System 19?" Xiao Er asked.
"I haven't decided yet!" Xiao Liunian himself was unsure whether he wanted to complete the mission to destroy the world.
"Mumu!" Garfield felt a little excited as his premonition that his host was the villain seemed to be coming true.
Even if you want to destroy the world, you need to make preparations beforehand. Can you just destroy it like that? These are two planets, not two eggs that can be broken with a touch.
"Nineteen, when you were assigned here, did you bring a mission guide with you?" Xiao Liunian asked, since System No. 19 should be the system that knows the most about missions.
"What mission guide?" Number Nineteen asked.
"It's about how to help the host complete tasks and things like that," Xiao Liunian said. She had a bad feeling; every system she encountered seemed unreliable!
"No." System 19 searched again but found no mission guide.
There are no mission guidelines for the destruction mission, and no specific methods for the mission to protect world peace; everything requires Xiao Liunian to improvise.
So what exactly is the function of the system?
Xiao Liunian stopped worrying about it, and after resealing the teleportation channel, he returned to the palace. On his first court session after returning, Xiao Liunian issued an edict appointing the crown prince.
Leaving aside the noisy ministers in the court, Xiao Liunian announced the end of the court session.
"Grand Tutor, this? This is simply outrageous!" A minister expressed his disapproval of the imperial edict to Wen Heng.
"The imperial edict has been issued, and everything is settled. Lord Li, please be careful with your words!" Wen Heng said.
Wen Heng had previously guessed that His Majesty would always hold a ceremony to acknowledge the ancestral lineage before appointing the Crown Prince, so that Cen Rou could be rightfully appointed as the Crown Prince.
Who would have thought that His Majesty would make such a move today as establishing a crown prince? But that's exactly in line with this unconventional emperor.
Wen Heng had always felt that His Majesty, sitting on the dragon throne, was always disconnected from everything around him; he seemed to be in the court, but in reality, he was not.
“Grand Tutor Wen, His Majesty’s actions completely disregard ancestral rites and laws. Although the Prince is also of the Xiao clan, he has not yet been recognized as a member of the clan. How can he be made the Crown Prince?” another official said.
"Ancestors? Whose ancestors?" Wu Yan asked.
Wu Yan, the youngest Minister of Justice who had just been transferred back from Yuan County.
“Of course it belongs to His Majesty,” said Lord Wang, who had just spoken.
“Since they are His Majesty’s ancestors, and His Majesty doesn’t mind, why should Lord Wang mind?” Wu Yan said.
"Lord Wu, you can't say that!" Lord Wang retorted.
“Then go ask the Xiao family ancestors and see if they will oppose His Majesty’s move!” Wu Yan said.
"Lord Wu, you!" Lord Wang turned and left.
Gradually, most of the important officials left, and the rest also left the hall one after another.
On the other side, just as Xiao Liunian arrived at the study, someone outside announced that His Highness the Crown Prince requested an audience.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Cen Rou entered and bowed.
"Cen Rou, are you sure you can do it?" Xiao Liunian looked at the new Crown Prince.
"Your subject agrees!" Cen Rou bowed deeply. Although she had guessed that Xiao Liunian would have such plans, this was too fast.
"Let's prepare for the succession as soon as possible," Xiao Liunian dropped another bombshell.
"Your Majesty?" Cen Rou felt a little unsettled. Ascend the throne? Such a rapid pace. Cen Rou couldn't understand why Xiao Liunian was doing this. Many thoughts appeared in Cen Rou's mind.
"Please sit down," Xiao Liunian said.
"Mumu, has it gone mad?" Thirteen licked its paws beside him.
"Now that I'm telling you, you're going to be the main system. What are your thoughts?" Xiao Liunian asked.
"No way. Being the main system is too tiring. It's better this way." Thirteen said after careful consideration.
“Sometimes being a free spirit is indeed the most comfortable thing to do,” Xiao Liunian agreed with Thirteen’s statement.
It might take Cen Rou a while to fully recover. Xiao Liunian picked up the memorial and slowly began to read it, waiting for Cen Rou to calm down as he read.
"Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail Your Majesty or the people." Xiao Liunian had barely read a few lines of the memorial when Cen Rou had already calmed down.
"Cen Rou, my time is running out. If you need my help, just say the word," Xiao Liunian said. He had to take responsibility for the person he had chosen.
"Your Majesty!" Cen Rou exclaimed in surprise. What do you mean by "time is running out"?
"Don't misunderstand, I'm fine. I just don't like being in this position," Xiao Liunian said.
“Your Majesty, may I ask why it is me?” Cen Rou asked.
Cen Rou didn't understand. Why her? The Xiao family bloodline? She wasn't the only one in the world with the Xiao family bloodline.
Or is there another reason?
"Because you are Cen Rou, and because I find you pleasing to the eye," Xiao Liunian said.
“Because of your abilities, because you will be the one to bring good days to the people,” Xiao Liunian said.
"From now on, these tasks will be entrusted to you." Xiao Liunian pulled Cen Rou to sit on the dragon throne and pushed all the memorials in front of her, allowing the future legendary emperor to familiarize herself with the work content and environment in advance.
In the following days, some ministers still had objections to Cen Rou's appointment as crown prince and submitted many memorials. Xiao Liunian suppressed these memorials and did not take any action.
However, not long after, these ministers were imprisoned for various reasons. Emperor Xiao Liunian's reputation as a tyrant once again began to circulate widely among the people.
After a few days of stalemate, the Crown Prince personally pleaded with His Majesty, and the imprisoned ministers were finally able to return home safely.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Cen Rou submitted a memorial in court on the matter of 'reducing the tax burden,' which was highly praised by His Majesty and the court officials.
Compared to Xiao Liunian, the newly appointed Crown Prince was given the title of 'benevolent ruler'.
Someone in the court reported to His Majesty that he was a "benevolent ruler," but Xiao Liunian thought the rumor was good, so those who secretly wanted to cause trouble ended up failing.
In the court assemblies that followed the next year, Xiao Liunian's most frequent remark was: "Crown Prince, you handle this. Crown Prince, you resolve this."
A year later, Xiao Liunian abdicated in favor of Cen Rou and left the palace.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com