Chapter 120 Yin Peach Blossom (50) "Your conditions, the Order has already..."
The cat slipped inside first, following Xie Tan's feet, and nimbly jumped onto the table, peeking out at the documents Jiang Linji was working on.
When Student Number 7 isn't sleeping, he's just like Xie Tan's pet kitten, keeping him company while he eats, sleeps, and pets him. He's no different from a real kitten, and he's also a comic update reminder. Outside, he can even be Xie Tan's guide cat, except that he's more elusive and can speak human language.
But its slumber seems to be getting longer and longer, especially in this story, where it's almost always asleep.
Cat No. 7 was quite pleased with itself. It explained that it was because Xie Tan's popularity was rising, and this episode's in-depth unraveling of the world's mysteries brought about a great leap forward. It gained more power and needed more sleep to "digest" it.
So it didn't have as much time to cling to its host as before, and the kitten was quite resentful. But Xie Tan could tell it understood everything. During the time after he left the tomb, when he was with Lu Jinzhao, the kitten would deliberately avoid him and wouldn't come out. A few times, when it was playing, Lu Jinzhao would suddenly appear, and it would look at them, sigh, and then run away on its own.
The kitten wasn't surprised that its host had found a boyfriend; it only showed maturity.
A silly little kitten, acting all grown-up.
Speaking of which, Number 7's fur is indeed fading more and more noticeably, making it look like... well, a caramel-colored jaguar cub?
Xie Tan's gaze followed the system cat and also glanced at the documents on Jiang Linji's desk.
"Returning books?" Jiang Linji gestured for him to sit down, still reviewing documents. He only glanced at him briefly. "Didn't you attend the lecture?"
There were fewer people on the street today because Mr. Xia Changfeng, the general manager of Changsheng Group, came to discuss with the school the possibility of donating more money to renovate the old building of the university, as well as setting up a special scholarship, donating cutting-edge laboratory equipment, and giving a speech to the students.
That's Changsheng Group. Students went to the lobby early to reserve seats or went back to their dorms to watch the live broadcast. The cafeteria closed earlier than usual, allowing the late-arriving couples to have a rather peaceful meal.
After Xie Tan woke up, he heard Lu Jinzhao recount the rest of the story. The cult was prepared, and the followers were dispatched after receiving instructions from the vice leader. With Su He gone, the remaining black goats were no threat, and Xia Changfeng was rescued.
Later, Xie Tan read the comic and saw the specifics. It turned out that the blind old woman from the Little Ghost arc personally took action, while the believers who were supposed to go to the tomb to help Yun Song complete the human sacrifice ritual instead sneaked into the Summer Garden and sent the dying Mr. Xia to his death.
Although Black Goat was at odds with the cult, Su He himself was also annoyed with his own people. His subordinates obviously listened to him more. The one who investigated Xie Tan's intelligence was named Su Ping. She had followed Su He for many years and knew her boss's temper quite well.
In his own words, he knew exactly what Su He's farts tasted like. He could tell that his boss was still not serious about the mission, so he didn't risk his life. When he saw the cult coming in aggressively, he fought a few rounds and then decisively led the team to retreat.
Xie Tan fell silent upon seeing this. To become Su He's confidant, he must have some skills. To say that his file was fake, he thought this guy's performance was even more fake.
How could Su He tolerate such a carefree personality?
Then, he paused slightly when he saw the forum discussion.
Every time I see Pingzi, I can't help but laugh. Who would have thought that Wolf Dad's trusted subordinate would be such a chattering person? And they get along so well? Won't Wolf Dad kick her out?
[You might also like to see: Sixth Sister]
[Wow, I get it!]
[This is what the father-son duo is like: lazy and listless, finding nothing interesting, lounging in a dark corner, indifferent to the end of the world, but completely doomed the moment they encounter true light. They are destined to be attracted to this type of person, making it an obsession. This adds another piece of evidence that Bad Cat is the son of Wolf Dad.]
[Ah Tan: Refined.]
[RuiRui, who received the TD message: Really? My fellow members, please look me in the eyes and say it again.]
[No wonder Wolf Dad was quite nice to Lu Lu at first, much gentler than when he scolded the family head, hahaha]
But Ah Tan's existence is the true example of loving someone because of their loved ones.
[So Wolf Dad's goodwill towards Lu Lu quickly vanished, it's hilarious!]
[Wolf Dad: Let go of my cabbage!]
And so, the tug-of-war between the Black Goat and the Order over the Xia family came to an end, with neither side's attempts to possess the Xia family succeeding.
Xia Changfeng had no good feelings towards either side, and the sect's final decision to save him was only due to new circumstances on Xia Wujin's side, which led to a change to a conciliatory strategy.
In his eyes, only his sister's friends and the witch girl resembled human beings; the others were far removed from humanity.
But with the gods fighting so fiercely, the Xia family doesn't have the ability to remain a steadfast third party. If anyone casts a hook, the Xia family's business empire might not necessarily collapse, but it's hard to say what will happen to the three siblings. Moreover, at that time, it's unknown who will take over Changsheng, but it will inevitably become an all-purpose tool for one side to carry out conspiracies and rule.
But... he still couldn't make a decision.
Finally, Xia Wujin was exceptionally decisive. Black Goat had to die. They were the ones who were desperate and resorting to desperate measures. Since she had resolved the crisis of possession with Xie Tan's help, and the biggest conflict with the cult had disappeared, there was no need to hold onto it. They didn't necessarily have to join the cult, but at least let the cult know that they also had a zero-tolerance attitude towards Black Goat.
The young lady appears calm and composed, but she actually has a keen sense of current affairs and people, just like her evaluation of Lu Jinzhao and Xie Tan.
She realized that this tomb raiding was probably a collaboration between the cult and Xie Tan. The reason was already obvious. Her friends were all extraordinary, and many were on the cult's side. Choosing the Black Goat now would be digging their own graves.
She's right. Xia Changfeng sighed; his sisters were actually more decisive than he was.
Thus, with the help of Xia Mianfeng of the Oasis Charitable Foundation, and with the church's assistance, the "Youth Heart Project" was restarted as a friendly beginning.
Today's speech includes a section about the Youth Heart Project.
"Students who want a good job would love to see President Xia and listen to his speech." Xie Tan wasn't a first-timer. He got himself a disposable paper cup of water and sat down opposite Jiang Linji. "I'm different. I don't want to work."
Jiang Linji chuckled: "How are your club's preparations going? You'll be putting on a show for the carnival. I heard that many students who live off-campus have gone back to their dorms recently, but don't let it interfere with your studies. Final exams are less than a month after the holiday. With your level, getting a scholarship shouldn't be difficult."
This time, it was Xie Tan who chuckled: "Director Jiang, I haven't taken the exam yet."
"Based on your usual grades, this is a reasonable guess," Jiang Linji teased. "Besides, you're a regular at the library. The books you read are things that even juniors and seniors might not understand, but you read them as extracurricular reading."
Xie Tan: Are you aware that the book you recommended is beyond the scope of the curriculum?
“I’m not really interested in any of this,” he said listlessly.
“But you must have studied the most diligently.” Jiang Linji’s pen continued to move, and his voice remained steady, “just like when she named you.”
Not to mention the office, the entire second-floor office area was deserted at this time, except for Jiang Linji. It was quiet and peaceful. When Xie Tan walked this way, it felt like he had fallen into a layer of the world.
The twilight outside the window had already fallen, but it wasn't quite night yet.
The sky, sandwiched between two dense colors, is a somber, dark blue that might give the illusion of dawn.
Xie Tan thought that perhaps in this world, it really was dawn.
Because the night belongs to the black sun.
The room was dark, but still bright enough to see clearly, though the air seemed cold in the dim light.
Jiang Linji was in his forties, but looked only in his early thirties. He was still well-dressed and had a calm demeanor. When talking about schoolwork and sixth grade, there was no change in his attitude or pause. It was as if he was still being spoken to as the counselor.
But Xie Tan knew that she was now the vice leader of the Mirror Cult.
Xie Tan knew that Xiao Liu wouldn't scribble on the books in the library. The book "The Source of Mountains and Rivers" was either donated by her later, or it shouldn't have been on the library shelf at all; it was put there by the person in front of her.
He recalled that everything was traceable, from the umbrella that Director Wu had given him at the beginning, to the folk books in the Art Harbor before the vacation, to the book "The Source of Mountains and Rivers" with the handwriting of Xiao Liu, to the time when she led Lu Jinzhao away, and coincidentally, Xia Wujin used a passing wild goose to send him greetings, and finally to his forged file.
Each time, she appeared in a seemingly insignificant position, guiding him in a crucial way.
Jiang Linji said, "My senior was very troubled. She almost turned the library upside down and searched through it all. That's how we got to know each other. Since it's her book, it's now back to its rightful owner."
Director Jiang is well-read and has a refined demeanor. Given Xiao Liu's personality, he would likely take the initiative to approach her, strike up a conversation, and ask for her advice.
"Thank you." Xie Tan flipped through it. "But what about the last part?"
“She was like this when she was placed with me, I’m sorry,” Jiang Linji said again. “The Order already knows your conditions, and she is your bottom line.”
Xie Tan was filled with questions. What were his conditions? And he even mentioned Xiao Liu…
"Does your sect have any grievances? You may speak frankly." Xie Tan said with a half-smile.
"It's already a certainty, so there's no need to comment. Besides, since the Order needs the power of the Eye of Observation, it naturally has to respect the Eye of Observation's requirements. That's what cooperation is all about."
Xie Tan's heart stirred. Her words made it sound as if he had already met his conditions and didn't intend to discuss them with the cult; he was simply informing the cult of the outcome.
And it was for Xiao Liu.
He recalled a point that was still being hotly debated on the forum: had he really set his course? Had he truly abandoned that path of destiny just to see Xiao Liu?
Most comic book readers don't believe it.
In their eyes, even if Xie Tan traveled to the past, his most important thing was indeed to see Xiao Liu, but he wouldn't do nothing.
If the witch's divination not only foretells his purpose but also the result he wants to achieve, then what exactly is the trajectory set?
Orbit determination.
This question is very similar to the discussion between Jiang Linji and Xi Rui: among countless timelines, which one is the only reality?
Since in Jiang Linji's eyes, he is doing this for Xiao Liu, then setting the track for Xiao Liu means finding the timeline where she can survive.
Many on the forum speculated that he wanted to change his original fate trajectory by setting a new course, and to bring Xiao Liu back to life.
But Xie Tan still felt something was strange. "Change" was a somewhat laughable word for countless timelines; it could only be called moving from one timeline to another.
He reconsidered the intelligence and details, as well as what Jiang Linji had said, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him.
Jiang Linji said "become inevitable", not "become a result".
Isn't "inevitability" simply a predetermined, unique trajectory?
Judging from the time Xie Tan returned, Xiao Liu was still too young. She should have lived long enough to go to university. If he returned to such a distant past to save her at the moment of her death, then the clock's position would be meaningless.
Besides, this is just one timeline; who can guarantee what will happen in the others? Which one will become reality?
So, for Xiao Liu at that time, the most important thing was to escape from Black Goat.
After all, in the other timelines he "observed," Xiao Liu was unable to escape.
But the mirror god said that line had been discarded...
Xie Tan's heart suddenly trembled. Why were there so many world lines? Did they exist from the very beginning?
Or did the god born in the smoke mirror deduce countless possibilities?
Although Xiao Liu had countless timelines before the birth of the God, the Mirror God was in a state of complete disregard for time. He could look down on the entire timeline and, at the moment of his birth, used it as the origin to instantly spread to the past and future.
If the premise of countless worldlines is the birth of the Mirror God, then we can deduce from the present situation that the Mirror God must have been born.
In this timeline, the key to Xiao Liu's escape was that she caused the birth of the Mirror God.
Orbit determination may not be about setting a specific world line... but rather a node that causes all trajectories to converge towards, inevitably passing through, this point.
The birth of the Mirror God is due to this.
If he were to set the course for Xiao Liu, then he should... set the point that "Xiao Liu must have given birth to the god in the Mirror of Smoke," thus binding Xiao Liu to the birth of the Mirror God.
In this way, she will be able to escape no matter which timeline she's on.
As she said, freedom is more important than the end of the world... more important than death and destruction.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
