"Damn it!" Han Feng cursed. Time ticked by, but his progress was negligible.
"If we can't create a permanent clone, does that mean we have no choice but to risk splitting up and acting separately...?"
He rejected the idea as soon as it crossed his mind. The three families' laboratories were less than five kilometers apart, and if one were attacked, the other two would immediately go on high alert. He had to ensure that all three laboratories were destroyed at the same time.
On his ninth attempt, Han Feng suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He no longer viewed the clone as an independent entity, but rather as an extension of his own meridians. The power of the stars constructed a complex network within the clone according to the pathways circulating within his body, like drawing another nervous system.
The sphere of light twisted and deformed, making the outline of the clone even clearer this time, with even the finest strands of hair clearly visible. When the face that looked exactly like Han Feng opened its eyes, Zero's tone became somewhat unnatural: "This time it actually condensed successfully, and it lasted for almost half an hour." There was also a hint of surprise in his tone.
"Success!" Han Feng couldn't hide his excitement. The clone smoothly completed a series of fighting moves, with each move synchronized with the main body by as much as 90%. Although it only lasted for half an hour, it was enough to carry out the surprise attack mission.
In the following period, Han Feng continuously optimized the energy transmission efficiency. He permanently severed a portion of his consciousness and implanted it into the clone's core, enabling it to make autonomous judgments without relying entirely on the main body for control.
Han Feng then began the final test: the maximum distance between the clone and the main body. The two clones flew in opposite directions, and when they were about three kilometers away from the main body, the connection began to become unstable. This data perfectly covered the location distribution of the three laboratories.
"Hoo..." Han Feng finally finished his practice, and the three bodies merged back into one. A sharp headache immediately struck, as if someone were hitting his temples with a hammer. The side effects of excessively splitting his consciousness began to appear.
Zero's voice came urgently: "Quickly calm your mind and actively absorb the power of the stars; it can nourish your soul!"
Han Feng immediately followed Zero's instructions, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing the power of the stars.
Meanwhile, on a street, Aya Ikegami pulled down the brim of her baseball cap to make sure it covered her face. She was dressed in a hoodie and jeans typical of ordinary college students, and even her gait was deliberately casual—a stark contrast to the elegant young lady of the Ikegami family she usually was.
"Turn left three times, turn right twice, and cross the shopping street..."
She mentally rehearsed the route indicated by the mysterious text message, glancing behind her every few steps using the reflections in the shop windows. Three families were at war, and her father had sent twice as many people to monitor her as usual.
The "Blues" café on the street corner looked unremarkable, a typical spot for office workers to take a break. Aya Ikegami pushed open the door, the wind chimes tinkling softly. She went straight to the corner booth, where a figure shrouded in shadow was already seated.
"You're late." The figure's voice carried a familiar chuckle. "But considering your current situation, it's understandable."
Aya Ikegami's fingers trembled slightly under the table. That voice... impossible...
"Aren't you going to sit down?" The figure pushed over a steaming cup of matcha latte. "You used to love it."
The booth lights suddenly flickered on for a moment, just enough for Aya Ikegami to see the other person's face clearly—the same Asian face that had shared a dorm room with her three years ago on a campus in the United States.
"Xiao...Xiao Xiao?" Aya Ikegami's voice caught in her throat. "Is it really you?"
Mu Xiaoxiao stirred her coffee with a smile, the snake-shaped bracelet on her wrist gleaming coldly under the light: "Long time no see, Xiaoling. It seems the pressure from the family is greater than I imagined."
Aya Ikegami collapsed into the booth as if all her strength had been drained. She never imagined that her strange roommate from three years ago, who always sneaked out of the dorm late at night, would now become her last lifeline.
"Have you thought it through?" Mu Xiaoxiao cut to the chase. "Do you want to join us?"
Aya Ikegami's fingertips unconsciously scraped against the rim of the cup. Three days ago, when she first received Mu Xiaoxiao's secret letter, she thought it was some kind of cruel joke. It wasn't until her father told her personally that the Elders' Council had decided to marry her off to Watanabe Village next month, a man five years older than her father, simply because the Watanabe family had promised to support the Ikegami family in the council.
"Can you guarantee..." Aya Ikegami's voice was barely audible, "that after I join, the family will no longer be able to control me?"
Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly chuckled, but the sound sent a chill down Chi Shangling's spine: "Darling, what you should be asking now is whether the Chi Shang family can even survive after this turmoil."
Aya Ikegami considered the current predicament of the three families: Kenichi Miyamoto remained in a coma, and his family's businesses were frozen by the council; the Makino family was experiencing internal divisions, with several elders pressuring Yuta Makino to abdicate; and the Ikegami family...
"The Matsui family has already begun to fully intervene. How long do you think you and the Makino family can hold out?" Mu Xiaoxiao took a sip of her coffee. "The Watanabe family has already submitted a letter of intent for a marriage alliance to your father. Do you know why?"
Aya Ikegami shook her head blankly, her silvery-white pupils widening slightly.
"Because that person has already intervened." A glint of vengeful fire flashed in Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes.
"So... the war between the three families was all orchestrated by this Zhang Qian?"
Mu Xiaoxiao shrugged noncommittally: "Instead of calling him Zhang Qian, it's better to call him by his real name, Han Feng!"
Ignoring Chi Shangling's astonishment, Mu Xiaoxiao continued, "The important thing is that this is your last chance to choose. Come with me, or go back to Watanabe Village and be a caged bird for the rest of your life."
Aya Ikegami's mind conjured up Watanabe Mura's wrinkled face and his fat hand that had wantonly groped a waitress's buttocks at the banquet. A wave of nausea rose in her throat, and she gulped down half a glass of latte, but the warm liquid could not dispel the chill in her heart.
Do I really have a choice?
For three years, she witnessed her father gradually become a puppet of the elders. As the sole heir of the Ikegami family, she was raised from childhood to be a perfect tool for arranged marriages. She was proficient in tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and even the family's cultivation techniques allowed her to develop a unique Moon Eye, yet she had no say in family affairs.
"I..." Aya Ikegami's nails dug into her palms. "If I join, what do I need to do?"
Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up: "Use your talent. Your 'Moonlight Eyes' are an ability we desperately need." She leaned closer and whispered, "Imagine a world where you're no longer bound by family. You can be anyone, do anything..."
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