Night had grown deep.

The underground gambling den was in full swing.

A curvaceous woman carrying a dessert tray swayed her hips as she walked down a long corridor.

Suddenly she felt something brush past her. The woman was startled and by the dim yellow light on the wall, she saw clearly it was a bee.

Slightly larger than an ordinary bee, with a glossy black head.

The woman hurriedly covered her tray with her hand, afraid the sweets on the plate would attract the bee.

But the bee paid no attention, flying past her silently. In the faint light, the woman vaguely saw a flash of light on top of the bee’s head.

She didn’t think much of it, saying in puzzlement: “This bee doesn’t even like sweets.”

…

“This bee doesn’t even like sweets.”

This low murmur was simultaneously transmitted by the bee drone to the amplifier in front of the silver-clothed people, and the woman’s puzzled expression was very clear on the computer interface.

A mechanical voice requested: “Drone suspected of being discovered. To protect scarce resources, suggest eliminating bystander.”

“Suggest eliminating bystander.”

“Agree to eliminate.”

…

The woman carrying the tray discovered that bee had actually flown back again.

It stopped right in front of her, wings vibrating at high speed, a pair of black compound eyes facing directly toward her forehead.

Being “watched” by this bee, the woman felt inexplicably uncomfortable all over. While covering the desserts, she laughed: “Sure enough, bees still like sweets.”

Before her words finished.

The bee’s black head suddenly cracked open.

A point of green light burst from the crack, shooting straight into the woman’s forehead.

The woman fell silently.

In her forehead was an extremely thin penetrating hole.

A few drops of red and white splattered on the ground.

…

Pingzong, who was meditating, suddenly opened her eyes.

She was face to face with a bee.

This bee was slightly larger than ordinary bees, hovering in front of her, wings vibrating at high speed, a pair of black compound eyes facing her forehead.

Pingzong quite liked insects and tilted her head to look at this bee, suddenly feeling something was off, but couldn’t figure out what.

She glanced at Tie Ci, who had her eyes closed, and reached out to catch the bee.

She thought she had caught it—there was no insect in this world she couldn’t catch.

However, when she opened her palm, it was empty.

Pingzong looked around incredulously and saw the bee still hovering in front of her, as if it had never moved.

This bee was faster than her hand?

Pingzong suddenly remembered what was wrong.

This bee made no sound whatsoever.

Insects flapping their wings always made some noise.

Pingzong grew even more curious and reached out again to catch the bee.

…

A pool of silver liquid silently flowed in through the door crack.

The liquid was like mercury, rolling in the shadows on the ground, flowing along the wall corner all the way toward the bed.

Jingxu was resting, and Pingzong’s attention was all on that bee—no one saw that pool of liquid suddenly gather and integrate again near the foot of the bed, continuously rising up, finally forming into a small human shape.

A square head with complete hands and feet.

The small figure flowed up along the bedpost like a pool of water slowly spreading, leaving no traces wherever it passed.

…

“Alert, alert, drone about to be attacked, suggest eliminating target. Suggest eliminating target.”

“Agree to eliminate.”

“Nano programming module robot in position. Inquiry: Execute mission?”

“Execute mission.”

Yun Buci wanted to speak but stopped.

…

Pingzong reached out her hand, faster this time. She was confident she could definitely catch this strange bee.

Just as her fingertip was about to touch the bee, there was a faint flash of light, yet it also seemed like light coming from outside.

But at this moment, Tie Ci let out a moan.

Pingzong immediately turned her head.

As she turned and shifted to the side, a green light grazed past her temple.

Jingxu, who was meditating on the other side, suddenly opened his eyes.

The green light instantly disappeared.

Behind Pingzong, a hole had silently appeared in the wall.

Pingzong vaguely sensed something and reached to touch her temple, found nothing, and forgot about it, leaning forward to check on Tie Ci.

Tie Ci slightly opened her eyes, the depths filled with confused suffering, a thin layer of sweat beading on her forehead.

Pingzong followed Jingxu’s previous instructions, taking a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, then went to the table to pour water.

She wasn’t used to taking care of people and was clumsy. With one turn, her bottom bumped into the small table beside the bed, and the wet handkerchief in her hand flung out, landing right on the head of the robot that had just climbed up to the head of the bed and was hiding behind the bedpost.

…

A field of static appeared on the distant display screen.

“Report, imaging components are damp, visual lost.”

Rui was about to say the visual loss didn’t matter as long as it didn’t affect the operation—they just wouldn’t be able to see images for a short time.

Then he saw the static image shake violently.

…

Pingzong turned to pour water.

The silver little figure climbed behind Tie Ci’s pillow, raised both hands, connected them, fused them, forming a bright silver small knife about the length of a palm.

Looking at the blade, it gave a feeling of being able to cut through anything.

The small knife aimed at the back of Tie Ci’s head.

Just about to stab in.

Tie Ci suddenly began coughing.

She coughed harder and harder, shaking the nano robot so that its thin little knife couldn’t maintain its grip.

This thing was very light, and light weight meant insufficient force. Originally it could transform into various sharp weapons and could be remotely operated, so this minor flaw didn’t matter.

But now its imaging component was damaged, the remote commanders didn’t know the situation and couldn’t direct it. The key issue was that Tie Ci was coughing too violently, causing Pingzong to be unable to support her properly. The cup in her single hand spilled carelessly, and a whole cup of water splashed onto Tie Ci’s pillow.

Just as the blade flashed, a deluge came down.

A pile of bright silver water flowed down the bed legs.

Speaking of who was miserable.

The robot was miserable.

…

On the distant display screen, with a snap, the screen went completely dark.

Rui: “…”

Not knowing what had happened or what followed, but from the fact that the red dot representing Tie Ci was still glowing on the display, the nano robot that had never failed before had clearly suffered its first defeat in this backward civilization.

If this got back to the Management Department and Council, eyeglasses would probably drop all over the floor.

The nano robot’s full name should actually be nano module programming robot, shortened to nano robot because the connections between its molecules and atoms used nano nylon fasteners, allowing it to be soft or hard and transform into any shape in the world.

Nano robots had evolved to the third generation, using extremely rare materials that were almost extinct in their place, so each robot used meant one less available.

If it was really broken, he’d have to write a self-criticism when he returned.

Rui punched his own leg.

No choice—none of the things in front of him could be smashed. They were no longer in the era when their family was wealthy and powerful, financially robust, able to casually use anti-aircraft guns to swat mosquitoes. With extremely scarce resources, before this continent was completely conquered and before finding replacement resources, they had to tighten their belts.

When it rains, it pours.

“Report: Eighteen Gui Qizhai in the capital are currently under attack by rioters. Request: Should we counterattack? Request: Should we counterattack?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Rui and Yun Buci looked at each other.

After a long moment, Rui frowned: “You want to use weapons against civilians? That violates cosmic conventions.”

“Still talking about cosmic conventions now.” Yun Buci laughed. “Cosmic conventions also forbid using weapons that surpass the era in inferior civilizations—have you followed that?”

“Then from what position are you mocking me?”

“I’m laughing at how you want to have your cake and eat it too.” Yun Buci said. “‘Wild Game’ has been used, ‘Mischief Makers’ are prepared, ‘Sweet Rain’ is being urgently retrieved, photon cannons blasted Ningfang Pavilion, scanners swept countless fake emperors, laser drones scattered like they’re free, insect drones and nano programming robots have all been deployed, and now you’re telling me not to harm civilians?”

“That was to pursue the Da Qian emperor. You also said she understands us best and has sufficient power and prestige—she’s the person who poses the greatest threat to us!”

“So I want to use our advanced weapons to intimidate the people in the shortest time, suppress civil unrest, make them hurt, afraid, and terrified, so they won’t dare raise any thoughts of resistance before our might. Only this way can we ensure that whether it’s the Da Qian people or ourselves, we can minimize meaningless casualties. Otherwise, if this drags on, they’ll be incited by the emperor and ministers, they’ll discover our insufficient strength, they’ll counterattack, and we’ll have all Gui Qizhai destroyed, face ubiquitous assassinations and resistance, and lose more resources dealing with them.”

“Absurd! People in the cold weapon era, where even swords are controlled items—how could they resist us! If we use force to suppress now, it will only more quickly provoke assassinations and resistance!”

“The current assassinations and resistance we can still handle, still calm the situation at the fastest speed. Da Qian has a phrase: long nights lead to many dreams.”

“Don’t talk like I don’t read ancient texts. But looking at Da Qian now, who can give me nightmares? With these unarmed savages, or with your emperor disciple’s army that can only wave iron clubs? Yun, you’ve made great achievements this time. The Management Department will have a place for you sooner or later. Isn’t that enough to satisfy you? Must you exaggerate danger and elevate your emperor disciple to add luster to your glorious accomplishments?”

Yun Buci stopped talking and took out a handkerchief, forcefully blowing her nose at Rui.

Rui glared at Yun Buci, feeling like he had become that snot, viciously blown out by this ill-mannered woman.

Yun Buci casually threw away the handkerchief and strode forward.

“Where are you going!”

“I’m going to cancel all Gui Qizhai supplies to you—won’t argue with idiots, even if it makes you starve!”

“Stop! In extraordinary times, you’re still not considering the big picture!”

“Which bastard isn’t considering the big picture—stop pinning labels on me!” Yun Buci spat. “If I really wanted to enter the Management Department, I should have stayed home originally. After twenty years, with my family background, it wouldn’t be your turn to boss me around now, and I wouldn’t need to risk tearing through space alone, bringing that bullshit mission to swindle and deceive that little girl!”

“What, from your tone, you haven’t gotten soft-hearted toward that inferior civilization’s dictator, have you?”

Yun Buci looked at the darkened screen and let out a long sigh.

“No, since I’ve already stopped being human, there’s no need to pretend with fake tears and repentance. When heaven wants rain and people need food, survival of the fittest, law of the jungle—it comes down to life or death. Besides, being soft-hearted now would be seeking death, because my disciple…”

She smiled.

“Would definitely want me dead first.”

…

Tie Ci opened her eyes, still unable to move for the moment.

Pingzong hurriedly got up and with a snap, removed Tie Ci’s pillow, causing Tie Ci’s head to hit the bed heavily.

Jingxu showed a miserable expression but didn’t move his bottom at all.

Anyway, he wouldn’t kindly serve Tie Ci—emperors were never good people.

Pingzong also didn’t care about Tie Ci’s poor head. She shook the water from the pillow, glanced around, and said “eh” in surprise: “The water on this floor is a bit strange.”

She reached over and picked up a layer of mercury-like bright silver substance, shaking it in her hand. Seeing the thing randomly change shapes in her palm, she immediately became interested. Forgetting to change Tie Ci’s pillow or pour water, she pinched and played endlessly, sometimes shaping it into a mouse, sometimes into two eggs with a fried dough stick.

Jingxu watched from across the room, his eyes slowly widening.

Was he still in Da Qian?

Why, from last night when he encountered Tie Ci, had he been seeing so many bizarre things?

The nano robot was temporarily waterlogged and black-screened, but the bee drone was still there. That bee circling around had never found a suitable angle to attack Pingzong, but faithfully transmitted this scene to the remote end.

Rui in front of the display screen saw that shape and twitched.

Finally gave up having the bee drone continue the mission.

Preserve what they could.

The unsuccessful drone and the robot that had fallen into enemy hands put Rui’s mood at rock bottom.

“Request: Target confirmed, nano robot failed. Should we dispatch robots again or directly destroy the target?”

Rui stared at the bizarrely shaped robot in the screen and suddenly showed a cold smile.

“You want to immediately intimidate them, make them afraid, so they won’t dare act rashly?”

He said: “Destroy directly. Target: the entire underground gambling den.”

“Confirm order: directly destroy the entire underground gambling den.”

“Estimated time needed: three seconds. Countdown begins: three…”

…

Tie Ci opened her eyes and saw that pool of silver in Pingzong’s hands.

Currently shaped like a duck.

Then it changed into a bald chicken.

This ever-changing shape made Tie Ci’s pupils contract. She said with difficulty: “What is that thing!”

“Found it.” Pingzong pointed under the bed. “Been puzzling over it for ages, don’t know what it is.”

“Help me up…” Tie Ci said with difficulty. “Go!”

“Hm?” Pingzong said in surprise. “You still need two quarters of an hour before you can move!”

“Go!”

Jingxu moved faster than Pingzong, grabbing Tie Ci and slinging her onto Pingzong’s back.

Suddenly there was commotion outside the door, someone shouting: “How did Qiao Qiao die in the corridor!”

Tie Ci: “…Ask for the fastest, most hidden route to leave here!”

Jingxu kicked open the door and grabbed a running person: “What’s the most hidden, nearest route to leave here!”

Tie Ci weakly raised her wrist toward that person, the token dangling on her wrist.

The house operator only glanced once and said: “That kind of route isn’t for people like you to take.”

He went inside, moved the table, and when it shifted aside, revealed a crude tunnel entrance. “Below is a section of the Fushou Canal entrance, leading directly to the moat. The grating here has been cut through. The rest is up to you.”

The Fushou Canal was the city’s sewage drainage system. The capital had three drainage systems: one was the palace garden water system connected to Taiye Pool and Jinshui River, relatively cleanest and regularly maintained and cleaned; one was the transportation system formed by three rivers around the capital, responsible for transport and providing water for most people; one connected to the moat, the tunnel system for city drainage, of which Fushou Canal was the last type and also the longest underground waterway.

As soon as the opening appeared, an indescribable rancid stench rushed out. Pingzong covered her nose, her face pale: “No way, I’m a grand princess—how can I walk through sewers? I’m not a rat!”

Tie Ci kicked her bottom: “I’m still the emperor!”

Pingzong stopped talking, grumbling: “Don’t vomit on me.”

“Going or not? If not, I’m going first!” Jingxu jumped down first.

Pingzong was about to follow when she suddenly felt brightness overhead.

At the same time, Tie Ci suddenly kicked her knee.

Her boot tip seemed to contain something very hard. This strike to the knee made Pingzong’s legs instantly go soft, and she fell flat down.

With her falling and Tie Ci on her back, the opening was small, so Tie Ci got stuck horizontally in the entrance.

Fortunately the entrance was low, and once down she could stand on solid ground. Pingzong looked up and reached out, her pupils instantly dilating.

She saw an extremely bright white light sweep over Tie Ci’s head.

Like large masses of white fog or rolling clouds, instantly filling the space. Then the roof, beams, utensils… everything under the white light suddenly disappeared.

She saw the surrounding earthen walls explode thunderously, turning into large gray-yellow dust clouds that filled her entire vision. In that gray-yellow mass, countless fine red light points continuously flashed and disappeared.

Tie Ci above saw even more clearly.

She saw large masses of white light sweep across the entire room and then the entire gambling den.

She saw the ground instantly torn open, the gambling den’s top sheared off, countless mahjong tiles and dice along with human figures sucked up into the sky, then half disappearing in the white light while half fell to the ground with powder and blood.

She saw countless people in the white light unable to escape or even cry out, leaving only their final shadows in life in the white light. Because the disappearance was so fast, human bodies went from existence to becoming pools of blood in the blink of an eye, finally turning into fine red light points in the white light, like bloody rainbows.

Countless lives—just moments ago fresh, noisy, cursing, fighting, joking lives—disappeared in an instant.

She saw one sweep of white light shear off the ground exposing the gambling den, one sweep of white light cut across consuming all standing and sitting gamblers and operators, then a third white light appeared.

This time at an even lower angle, sweeping flat across the ground.

This meant the three white lights were arranged from high to low, bound to harvest all life in this gambling den completely.

That light almost appeared and swept to her face, like the first wave of snow in an avalanche touching her boot heels.

And she still couldn’t move, still stuck in the entrance in an awkward position.

Pingzong was still in a daze.

Tie Ci closed her eyes.

The next instant her waist tightened, and she was pulled into the entrance in a V-shape.

The white light immediately swept over the entrance like a tide.

The entrance instantly lost a layer.

Pingzong fell holding the rigid Tie Ci, not knowing where they landed. Water splashed as she screamed.

Jingxu stared up blankly for a long moment before saying: “What happened… up there?”

His voice echoed continuously in the underground waterway, sounding deep.

Tie Ci didn’t answer. Pingzong said softly: “They should all… be dead.”

Jingxu fell silent, his palm missing a finger slightly convulsing.

Just one ray of light.

So many people.

Tie Ci was also silent.

So many people, so many lives.

When Master wanted them, she took them.

In their eyes, what exactly did the people of Da Qian count as?

After a moment, she said: “Let’s go.”

The pipes here were of brick and stone construction, with stone slabs on the bottom and both walls, white lime daubed in the cracks, and green brick vaulting on top.

There was shallow standing water on the ground, sticky, shapeless debris everywhere, with rats occasionally scurrying underfoot, making hollow squeaking sounds.

That malfunctioning nano robot was now tied to her waist, swaying back and forth, currently in mouse shape. Pingzong felt this strange silver mouse might actually scare real mice.

The spacious underground waterway echoed with pat-pat footsteps. Walking along, Pingzong gradually felt secure—walking on the surface, she constantly had to worry about beeping sounds, watch for monsters circling overhead, guard against ubiquitous Gui Qizhai, and bear the pressure of causing innocent deaths. Compared to that, now it was just a bit smelly.

Thinking this, she felt like she heard beeping sounds again.

She thought it was auditory hallucination, but then Tie Ci patted her shoulder.

Jingxu had already turned back.

Ahead was endless darkness, and behind was the same. In that thick darkness behind them, several green lights faintly flickered.

Seeing green light, Pingzong instinctively relaxed—red and white lights felt more dangerous. But then her expression grew serious.

Those lights were constantly approaching. Soon they weren’t rat eyes as she’d imagined—rats weren’t that fast.

At this time the three were walking to a section of grating. Gratings appeared at intervals, fine for blocking people and beasts, but couldn’t stop these three. Pingzong froze it then burned it, managing to bend it open.

But it still took some time.

Earlier they hadn’t been urgent, but now with several mysterious things chasing behind, it was different.

She had just frozen the grating when those things reached them.

This time they were several disc-like objects, with green lights as small dots on top, flashing like eyes.

Pingzong cursed: “What things, like round bats!”

From last night on, doubting life every moment.

Tie Ci: “Hit their eyes.”

She knew they were lights, but saying it this way was easier for Pingzong and Jingxu to understand.

Whoosh whoosh—several sounds as golden needles shot out, immediately extinguishing the green lights.

But the next instant, a wind howled over, striking directly at Jingxu’s waist. Jingxu flipped, spinning around the circular tunnel.

That thing actually spun with him, clinging to the wall, sparks flying wherever it passed, the grating sounds making scalps tingle as brick and stone debris showered down.

The entire tunnel was actually cut in a circle this way, the cut reaching half a foot deep.

Hitting the lights only destroyed image transmission but didn’t affect its killing ability, and also affected Pingzong and Jingxu’s ability to track its position.

Jingxu was chased by this bone-attached maggot until he lost his temper. Fortunately, Pingzong had opened the grating and crawled through, shouting: “Come over!”

Jingxu leaped over the grating. Pingzong quickly folded the broken grating horizontally to block the breach. The pursuing disc crashed into the grating with a clang.

But ultimately the broken grating wasn’t dense enough—discs still found gaps to squeeze through, so Pingzong, who had just been about to laugh heartily, suppressed her smile, cursed once, and ran frantically.

Tie Ci lay on her back looking behind.

Pingzong suddenly stumbled.

The discs also paused.

Pingzong dodged a protrusion and shifted sideways, and the discs also tilted.

Those discs seemed to follow human movement patterns—whatever trajectory the target took, they took the same trajectory.

Tie Ci immediately said: “Pingzong, run while jumping up and down!”

“Why? No way! It wastes time and looks ugly—I’m a grand princess!”

Tie Ci didn’t urge, because she knew her niece—mouth said no, but body was always honest.

Sure enough, Pingzong immediately performed a spinning stunt.

Bang—a disc hit the vault.

Pingzong ran up the walls, her body almost ninety degrees to the stone wall. Tie Ci dangled dangerously on her back, only able to hold tightly to her waist.

One disc stupidly spun on the stone wall too, sparking a trail and drawing wave patterns on the wall through Pingzong’s undulating steps, grinding off an entire outer layer before exposed wires short-circuited and it fell into standing water, flashing a few weak, pitiful sparks before completely breaking down.

Pingzong leaped to the vault, standing upside down.

Clang—a disc crashed 180 degrees onto the ground stone slabs.

Also falling was poor Tie Ci, who still hadn’t recovered movement ability. She lay face-down in the stinking water, having lost all will to live.

Pingzong shouted: “I’m going to leap, Old Jingxu, you carry her!”

Jingxu: “Men and women shouldn’t touch!”

“You’re already half-buried in dirt, what are you afraid of!” Pingzong consoled. “His Majesty wouldn’t fancy you anyway!”

Jingxu: …Thanks so much.

He carefully stepped over Tie Ci.

Anyway, he wasn’t carrying her.

Even if this one didn’t mind, he was still afraid of that maniac from Da Feng.

Pingzong made a forward ground slide, frog-like gliding through the sewage for a zhang, her nose only a finger’s width from the ground before using waist strength to suddenly rise at the last moment.

Behind her, a disc also frantically slid forward through the sewage, then completely buried itself in the standing water.

Silence fell all around.

Pingzong was overjoyed, ran back to carry Tie Ci, “All solved, let’s go!”

…