Chapter 151 The Threads of Fate
Not long after, Su Qianqian sent a second message: "Shuyin, I've decided to give up my status as a free navigator and try my luck at the Star Palace."
One hour later.
The two aircraft sped to the Star Palace's dedicated gravity docking area.
This is an ancient building that, from a distance, looks like a diamond floating in the void.
It is said that this original builder was the founder of the permanent anti-gravity array. She also created the Star Palace, a mysterious organization upon which the Alliance navigators rely.
However, unlike most navigators who live to a ripe old age, this founder passed away when he was just over a hundred years old.
The variables of life seem to become unpredictable within this magnificent hall.
"Come with me, let's go find Instructor Jiang Yao first." Su Qianqian took Ning Shuyin's hand.
They crossed the covered bridge and entered the Star Palace. Their footsteps echoed in the empty and silent hall.
Su Qianqian often takes on free missions at the Star Palace, so she is very familiar with the place.
But when she submitted her visit request on the reception screen, she only received an automated reply.
[Dear Navigator Su Qianqian, Mentor Jiang Yao is currently in silent retreat and will not be receiving any visitors during this period.]
"How could this happen..." Su Qianqian's face darkened.
Ning Shuyin suddenly felt a scent of sandalwood brush against the back of her neck.
Turning around abruptly, I saw a figure dressed in a white robe appear out of nowhere.
The figure stood still like a ghost; its age and gender were impossible to discern.
His eyes, however, seemed to have already seen through their intentions.
Su Qianqian was clearly startled, but after recognizing the figure, she quickly bowed and greeted him.
"Elder Yunxi."
"Please follow me, ladies." Yun Xi led the way without even asking their purpose.
Until we sat down in a tea room.
"You want to request the use of the Star Palace's prophecy ritual to find someone?" Yun Xi brewed them some tea. "The prophecy ritual can indeed pluck the strings of cause and effect and reveal the trajectory of fate. However, each activation requires the joint presiding of three elders, and the requester needs to offer something of equal value for the fate of the alliance."
Su Qianqian had already thought it through before coming and knew the price of the Star Palace.
“I do,” she said.
Yun Xi turned on his personal computer and brought up Su Qianqian's personal file.
"Su Qianqian, S-level perception and S-level healing ability. The Alliance fleet commissioned the Star Palace to find a top-notch navigator, but after a year they still haven't found a suitable candidate. Your talent, if used to protect the Alliance, can save countless lives."
A Navigator [Formal Contract] appeared before Su Qianqian's eyes.
The contract is for a long term. The other party has already signed their name, four characters written in a bold and elegant style.
It was none other than the Alliance Marshal, Situ Linchen.
Ning Shuyin's heart suddenly clenched. This was a scene from the original novel.
Su Qianqian will sign a formal contract with Situ Linchen and become his fleet navigator.
However, in the original novel, Situ Linchen achieved the bond through some insidious means, which Su Qianqian was unwilling to accept.
Ning Shuyin had never thought the threads of fate would intertwine. Yet, this knot had inexplicably been tied.
Is this just an uncontrollable force of the plot?
Ning Shuyin's first reaction was even to sign the contract on Su Qianqian's behalf. But the unpredictable rules of this world line made her dare not speak.
After a few seconds of thought, Su Qianqian decisively signed the contract without the slightest hesitation.
Elder Yunxi's eyes flashed: "The contract is effective immediately. Please follow me to the ceremony venue."
This is a magnificent octagonal hall.
The dome and floor were both vortex-shaped with energy. As soon as the two stepped on them, a circular platform rose from the center of the vortex.
Two other white-robed elders stood silently around the platform.
The three elders exuded an ancient and mysterious aura, making it difficult to discern their true appearances.
"Su Qianqian, please tell me the name of the person you are looking for."
The three elders simultaneously stretched out their hands, palms facing upwards, as if supporting nothingness.
"I am looking for Gu Lei."
The moment Su Qianqian uttered Gu Lei's name, a surge of energy rose from the palms of the three elders out of thin air.
The energy diffused and expanded into a Union Star Map.
"The star trails have appeared; let's trace their origin." Elder Yunxi's voice became ethereal.
A scene appeared at the center of the star map on the platform. On a gloomy altar, Gure was bound in the center by chains, his elegant scholar's robe was tattered and his body was covered in blood.
A dark figure, whose face was obscured, held a dagger aloft.
The scene seemed to be in slow motion. The dagger fell with murderous intent, piercing Gu Lei's heart, and the light in his rare pink eyes went out.
Ning Shuyin stood there, stunned, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Gu Lei is dead? If so, this fictional world should have completely collapsed, and she should have been wiped out.
But now, the system in her mind cannot detect whether Gu Lei is alive or dead.
Is that why she's been able to live to this day?
Su Qianqian, who was beside her, almost collapsed, but Ning Shu quickly caught her.
"No! This isn't true, you're lying to me!" Su Qianqian struggled in Ning Shuyin's arms, tears streaming down her face.
The still, calm voice of Yunxi Ancient Well resounded: "Calm down, child. What you see is not the present."
Su Qianqian raised her tear-streaked face and looked at the image again, but she only glanced at it before lowering her head, unable to look any longer.
Yun Xi slowly explained: "Cause and effect are like a long river. What we are seeing is the most likely ending point in the lower reaches of this river."
"What do you mean?" Ning Shuyin asked, her voice tense as she supported Su Qianqian.
"It means he's still alive. We need to start from the predicted death and work backward to find out where he is," Yunxi replied.
The nebula reverses, and the scenes of death on the altar are replayed.
Su Qianqian cheered herself up.
Finally, two points on the star map in the sky became unusually bright. "The location has been marked on the star map."
Yun Xi pointed to one of the points: "The Meteorite Dragon Plain near the asteroid belt on Planet A, or..."
She then pointed to another point: "On the edge of the Alliance's heartland, the K100 ruins, a military restricted zone on Gamma Star."
"Elder Yunxi, how can there be two places?" Su Qianqian asked.
“Fate has diverged in the retrospect, and there is a probability that Gu Lei exists in both places. The match between the Meteor Dragon Plains and Gu Lei is 80%, and the match between the K100 Ruins and Gu Lei is 20%.” Yun Xi’s voice became increasingly ethereal. “Both of these nodes are still three days away from the final death node.”
The lights in the hall gradually dimmed.
After the star chart was deciphered, it completely dissipated. The three elders withdrew their clasped hands, their voices becoming extremely weak.
"Good luck, kids."
The platform sank into the vortex, leaving only Ning Shuyin and Su Qianqian.
The two exchanged a glance.
"Qianqian, let's split up," Ning Shuyin said.
She looked down and opened the miniature star map on her computer, zooming in on the map of the K100 military restricted area.
That area was kept secret from the outside world, and public maps became extremely blurry when zoomed in, while 3D models were also heavily blurred.
If we want to go there, we'll probably have to ask the fleet for help again.
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