Two figures gazed at each other through an interstellar communication screen.
One sat within a large office, a sleek computer before her, behind her a vast floor-to-ceiling window shrouded in mist. The other perched atop an immortal mountain peak, a Telepathic Mirror hovering gently in front of him, a carefree pavilion at his back, and two cranes soaring gracefully past.
Though worlds apart and so clearly different, the pair were old acquaintances who’d interacted for over a century.
“This account of mine is freshly created, purely for the sake of peace and quiet,” said the venerable elder through the communication interface. He stroked his beard, looking astonished. “Not even my closest disciples know about it. Director Bai Li, how did you uncover me? Could it be that the privacy clause of your Frontier Network is merely for show…?”
“It has nothing to do with that,” Bai Li Qing replied casually. “I deduced it myself; your account names are always predictable. Besides, let me mention something, and you’ll understand—this morning, someone delivered an unusual ‘sample’ to the Special Affairs Bureau: a mysterious piece of cloth, its origins unknown.”
At this, comprehension dawned upon the old immortal’s face. He stroked his beard, nodding in understanding. “Ah, I see. Has he delivered it to you already? Indeed, I recently made a new internet acquaintance. Although we’ve just met, he seems blessed with remarkable fortune, having twice found peculiar items that even I cannot identify. Fascinating, truly fascinating! This second discovery closely resembles something my Senior Brother brought back many years ago. It seems he’s mentioned our exchanges to you as well—no wonder.”
As he spoke, the elderly immortal cheerfully picked up a jade teacup from his side table, sipping with clear delight.
Bai Li Qing quietly observed the aged Immortal Yuan Ling, hesitating briefly before speaking again: “Do you remember the encrypted message Borderland sent yesterday to various leaders—the unprecedented ‘Angel’s Descent’ incident?”
Hearing this, Immortal Yuan Ling hastily swallowed his tea, nodding vigorously. “Naturally! When that news broke, several old fellows could barely sit still. Even Celestial Maiden Shuang Hua, currently in seclusion, nearly broke her cultivation prematurely—only her fellow disciples’ desperate pleas restrained her. Even without public disclosure, this news has stirred restlessness among the high-ranking figures everywhere…”
Immortal Yuan Ling had not even lifted his next sip before suddenly spewing tea across the table.
Eyes wide in shock, he sputtered, “Truly… truly?!”
Yet he immediately waved his own words away without waiting for confirmation. “Of course it’s true; you wouldn’t jest about such matters! This… is truly destiny—such remarkable fate!”
As excitement overcame him, Immortal Yuan Ling stood abruptly and paced hurriedly within the view, muttering, “I must personally visit! Such an Eminent One undoubtedly holds great destiny; meeting him face-to-face would be extraordinary. Yes, a personal visit—it’s only proper…”
But barely a few seconds later, he paced back again, shaking his head in frustration, “Ah, impossible! Grand Void Spiritual Axis is currently at a crucial stage of ‘Star Anchoring.’ Of all the times—I simply cannot leave, truly cannot…”
The elderly immortal swiftly returned to his white jade table, sitting down with youthful agility. “In that case, Director Bai Li, let me send my most trusted disciple to meet this Eminent One instead. Ah… would that be acceptable?”
Only then did Immortal Yuan Ling realize the impulsiveness of his proposal. With a slight embarrassment coloring his face, he quickly added, “Forgive my rashness, forgive me… Could your side provide some assistance? I understand Borderland is surely chaotic following the ‘Angel’s Descent’ incident. Yet I share a certain fate with that Eminent One. Please, if you could aid me… Of course, ultimately it depends on him. After confronting a Dark Angel, he must have suffered significant depletion. If he is unable or unwilling…”
Bai Li Qing, whose expression was normally impassive, now struggled slightly to maintain her composure. Interrupting his polite but lengthy request, she said plainly, “That ‘Eminent One’ you speak of is exceedingly approachable. You’ve already chatted extensively with him; surely you’ve sensed it yourself. His affairs aren’t within the Special Affairs Bureau’s jurisdiction, so there’s no need to ask me. Simply message him directly. If he’s agreeable, send your disciple—I can assist in arranging the reception.”
Immortal Yuan Ling froze briefly, looking like a glitch on the screen. After several thoughtful seconds, he raised his head, solemnly nodding to Bai Li Qing, “Very well. I will discuss it with him. Should this come to pass, I’ll rely upon your assistance, Director Bai Li.”
“No need for courtesy,” Bai Li Qing replied calmly. “Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain has always been a good friend to the Special Affairs Bureau.”
A faint smile appeared on Immortal Yuan Ling’s face. Just before ending the communication, his expression turned peculiar as he asked, somewhat awkwardly, “…Is this old man’s secondary account really so easy to guess?”
Bai Li Qing answered with complete seriousness, “Very easy.”
Immortal Yuan Ling stroked his beard thoughtfully, then suddenly laughed out loud, carefree as a child. “Hahaha! Well, that’s fine, perfectly fine! Perhaps I’ll simply create another account later…”
The faster-than-light communication that spanned the stars finally ended. The swirling lights and shadows on the Telepathic Mirror’s surface slowly faded away. Sitting before the white jade table, the old man reached out a hand, and the mirror floated gently into his grasp.
He brushed his hand lightly across its surface, and new images and characters appeared—an emblem from the Special Affairs Bureau bloomed like spreading ink, swiftly forming a screen almost identical to the Frontier Communication interface.
Above it appeared the words: “Frontier Communication – Cross-Boundary Edition.”
Immortal Yuan Ling tapped the mirror lightly, swiftly finished his operations, then exhaled softly. He tucked the mirror into his sleeve and gazed thoughtfully outside the pavilion.
Cloud roads twisted gracefully between mountain peaks veiled in mist and clouds.
Looking out over the rolling sea of clouds, the old man calmed his mind, then casually called out, “Xuan Che!”
His voice was not loud, yet it resonated gently throughout the mountains and clouds, echoing softly between heaven and earth.
Instantly, a radiant glow soared from a distant peak, crossing the cloud sea and landing in front of Immortal Yuan Ling. From within that brilliance, a handsome young man in a blue robe embroidered with cloud patterns appeared. He knelt respectfully, “Master, did you call for your disciple?”
“Xuan Che, you recently traveled abroad; are your passport and Borderland entry permit still valid?”
Xuan Che appeared momentarily confused but quickly replied, “Yes, Master, they haven’t expired yet.”
“Good. Prepare yourself in the coming days; you might need to visit Borderland and stay there for a short while.”
Xuan Che blinked curiously, puzzled, “Borderland? Master, what do you wish me to do—”
Immortal Yuan Ling spoke with a solemn expression, “You’ll go meet an Internet Friend in my place…”
On the attic floor of Wutong Road No. 66, Yu Sheng sat at the large table previously used for making Irene’s body, carefully stitching a tiny garment.
This task wasn’t easy for a beginner, but thankfully the little dress’s design was simple, and he only needed to alter a small part. He felt confident he could handle it.
If only someone weren’t chattering nonstop beside him.
Irene sat cross-legged on the table next to Yu Sheng, propping her chin on her hands. She watched him sew while chattering endlessly—
“Hey, Yu Sheng, are you really okay doing this? Maybe we should ask for help. I heard Long Haired Girl Princess is good at sewing…
“That silly Fox can really eat! Did you see those two cafeteria Masters’ faces? Absolute despair! Just serving her food is practically manual labor.
“Why haven’t they unbanned my account yet? It’s already the next day… Hey, do you think if I secretly registered a new one with Foxy’s ID… Okay, fine, don’t glare at me like that.
“Can you make me a new body in a couple of days? Didn’t we get tons of top-quality alchemy materials from the Special Affairs Bureau? How about making me one that’s around 1.67 meters tall this time…
“I used to have a great figure, better than Foxy’s even!
“Yu Sheng, are you really okay doing this…?”
Yu Sheng lifted his head, glaring fiercely at the babbling doll.
“One more word and you sew this yourself!”
Irene shrank back immediately, muttering under her breath, “Fine, fine, won’t talk anymore. Hmph.”
Yu Sheng sighed and continued stitching the uncomfortable “doll dress.”
Irene quieted down at last. Leaning on her hand, she watched Yu Sheng intently with her crimson eyes, occasionally giggling foolishly to herself for no apparent reason.
At that moment, the phone placed on the table vibrated gently.
Irene quickly picked up the phone, glancing at the screen before holding it up to Yu Sheng, “It’s yours—a system notification from Frontier Communication. Seems you’ve received a message from an unknown user.”
“Hold on,” Yu Sheng quickly finished his final stitches, biting off the thread and setting the sewing kit aside before grabbing his phone. “Unknown message… Who’d message me…?”
He unlocked the phone, opened the Frontier Communication app, and immediately noticed the new contact with an unread private message.
The sender’s name was “Four Thousand Wicked Disciples,” and two messages had arrived. The first one read, “Greetings, Daoist Friend. It’s me, Three Thousand Wicked Disciples; this is my new account.”
He quickly glanced at the second message:
“I am deeply intrigued by the mysterious artifacts you’ve discovered recently, and I’ve also heard of some of your activities. It seems we share many interests, and it’s truly a pity we haven’t connected sooner. I originally planned to visit you personally to discuss these curiosities in depth, but unfortunately, mundane affairs bind me here at the moment. Conveniently, one of my disciples will be heading to Borderland soon on business. He, too, excels in the mysteries of artifacts and Otherworldly phenomena. If convenient, could he visit you on my behalf? Should this request trouble you, please forgive my boldness.”
Cold sweat instantly trickled down Yu Sheng’s back…
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation