Prepared for Every Eventuality

Boom! The instant the shockwave erupted, it came to a screeching halt. The explosion occurred, and the explosion froze... In the subterranean workshop beneath the facility, countless shards hovered motionless in midair before reversing as though turning back time, snapping back into their original places. Restored to perfection, intact and undamaged. Only the mercury spiders were crushed flat by invisible pressure, their residual spirits annihilated, vanishing without a trace. Then, a torrent of invisible power rushed downward, spreading in a flash, chasing along the lingering trails, sweeping over them again and again—yet yielding nothing. Only a maze of intentionally confounding footprints. And a cluster of spiders dragging shoes as they scuttled everywhere... "Where did you hide her?" Kanemoto asked expressionlessly. "Who? Beats me." Ji Jue smiled nonchalantly. "A grand Master like yourself shouldn't toss around wild accusations, or I'll report you to the Vortex for slander, you know... Besides, didn't you just say it yourself?" He said, "It always pays to be prepared." Always have a backup plan. In fact, always have a backup for the backup plan. In a situation like this, no amount of trouble or convoluted effort was too much. Deus Ex Machina was indeed versatile, but under Kanemoto's watchful eyes, it was merely child's play. A prepared artisan was the truly omnipotent one, and a prepared artisan within his own workshop was practically limitless. Ji Jue could not be certain where his plan might slip up or reveal a flaw. Much less could he let Plant and the others end up as a plus-seven in Kanemoto's material stock because of his own mistake. His only choice was to think of more contingencies. At this moment, Kanemoto's finger twitched slightly. Instantly, a projection materialized, revealing the requisition lists for materials and items drawn from the subterranean Reclamation Department over the past two days, along with the records of submitted creations. The instant the two were cross-referenced, numerous gaps and discrepancies became glaringly apparent to the Master's eyes. His fingers tapped against the armrest. Sudden comprehension dawned. After a brief moment of surprise and bewilderment, he could no longer hold back; he clapped his hands and roared with laughter. Doubled over, rocking back and forth. *** Before this—several minutes earlier, outside the workshop. Amid the ruins of the dark Quancheng, heavy steel was dragged out of the sewers. Mercury spiders clambered over it, tightening screws and dragging welding torches to complete the final steps. The mercury puppet lifted Lou Yanyue and placed her into the pre-fashioned recess, conveying the creator's message: "Give Plant my regards. And also—see ya never, fuckers!" Snap! The hatch slammed shut, and the welding torch swept across, sealing it airtight without a seam. Then, the puppet stepped back and looked at the launchpad before it... and the missile assembled from heaps of scrap metal and spare components! Executing command—stand with hands on hips, followed by a sigh of admiration: "I'm so fucking awesome!" Then, it slammed down on the ceremonial big red button! Accompanied by the rumbling detonation echoing from the distant workshop, On the launchpad, flames suddenly erupted and burst forth from the rear of the 'knockoff missile.' A howling gale swept through, a thunderous roar swelled, and with a shriek, it shot into the night sky! Like a distant speck of starlight flaring to life. Beneath the eerie night sky swirling with iridescent light, it flashed past. Then, its tail section detached and exploded with a crash. Shielded by the dazzling fireworks, the remainder of the rocket—propelled past the speed of sound through the brute-force method of sheer excessive fuel—hurtled crookedly toward its chosen destination. Or rather, plummeted... Hurrying toward freedom. *** Boom! Amid the shaking ruins, a deafening blast rang out as a shockwave swept outward. Little Niuma, who had been waiting in the surrounding shadows for who knew how long, darted forward the moment it crashed down. With telekinesis digging rapidly, the battered wreckage of the missile was quickly excavated. Amid the leaking buffer mercury lay the Deadlock crystal. Having endured horrific acceleration, an explosion, supersonic flight, and a crash landing, cracks had already surfaced on the crystal. Lou Feng was the first to lunge forward, using hands and feet to wrench open the warped iron plates. His face was deathly pale. Only when he saw Lou Yanyue coughing behind the cracked crystal did a trace of color finally return to his cheeks. Half crying, half laughing, his lips quivered, unable to form words. Overwhelmed by immense surprise and terror, he was lost for words. "Ji, thank you! "Thank you and your ancestors for eight generations..." Yet seeing the horrific wounds on his aunt's body, his eyes could not help reddening. And then... With a yowl, he clutched his stomach and rolled aside. "What are you crying for? Asking for a beating?" Lou Yanyue retracted her fist irritably, tilting her head slightly, her pitch-black eye sockets turning toward Tong Shan. "Secretary Tong? Thanks. If you ever get sick of Xu Chaoxian, come find me." "Just you?" Tong Shan's expression was grim as he repeatedly searched through the debris. "That kid..." Lou Yanyue coughed and sighed. "He's probably in deep trouble right now." Tong Shan said nothing. He bent down and picked up a piece of scrap iron surviving from the missile, carved with words: [Situation changed spotted have another plan don't come for me] Snap! The metal twisted under his fury, collapsing into a lump and grinding into powder. "Should we turn back and hit them?" Having just escaped danger, Lou Yanyue showed not the slightest inclination to rest on her laurels. Blood seeped from the cracks on her face as she smiled venomously. "You can leave that old bastard Kanemoto to me." Tong Shan shook his head expressionlessly. He glanced at the eerie rainbow light flowing across the sky and quickly pulled his gaze back. "We move first." He took off his coat, draped it over Lou Yanyue, and hoisted her onto his back. Silently, they vanished into the darkness. Gone without a trace. *** Inside the workshop, in the prolonged, dead silence, no one dared to speak. Ji Jue stood with his hands at his sides, staring silently at Kanemoto. "All right, everyone clear out," Kanemoto waved a hand, dismissing the panicked, grim, and sullen faces. "I'll keep this young hero company for a chat." At once, the crowd dispersed in a rush. The last few to leave even grabbed Sun Ci by his legs and dragged him away. Leaving behind not a speck of debris or trash. Ji Jue watched in marvel. Artisans truly were of exceptionally high caliber! By now, he could only comfort himself with sarcastic banter; there was nothing else he could do. Glancing around, his gaze flicked toward President in the corner, sweeping past calmly, merely signaling it not to step forward. "What's the matter?" Walking ahead, Kanemoto suddenly asked, "Where did that supreme confidence from just now go? Why so quiet?" "You truly are a Master. Having your toilet blown up and staying so calm—I genuinely admire that." Ji Jue followed closely behind, his eyes scanning everything around him. He couldn't find a single flaw to exploit, nor did there seem to be any escape route left. He could only sigh. "Truth be told, I don't even know how I blew my cover. Would you be merciful enough to enlighten me? At least let me die knowing what got me caught." Without turning his head, Kanemoto asked, "Do you think an artisan would mistake the materials at his fingertips?" *Well, great. Artisans really do pray for fellow artisans to die, don't they?* *Turns out, from the very first day he stepped into the workshop, he'd already been marked as material...* Ji Jue sighed ruefully. These days, the average moral caliber of artisans was just too damn low. "Out of the three hundred-odd people in this workshop, and among the two hundred-plus apprentices, I know precisely who is usable and who is hopeless mud that cannot support a wall," Kanemoto said slowly. "No matter how blind I might be, I wouldn't mistake fine jade right under my nose for broken bricks and rubble. Only a fool like Cunling, blind to the 'present,' would talk to me about a promising 'future.'" Ji Jue glanced at him. "So you were dropping hints at me back then?" "And at him." Kanemoto pushed open the door to his private workshop and sighed. "A pity he didn't understand, and neither did you." Ji Jue followed behind, chest out and head high, marching in. Since he was going to die anyway, he might as well die with arrogant swagger. Without a trace of reserve, he looked left and right, touching this and tapping that, putting on the act of an unsophisticated bumpkin who had never seen the world. Unfortunately, not a single damn object responded to him. Instead, Kanemoto stood nearby with his hands behind his back, eyeing him. A faint, knowing smile played on his lips. *Touch all you want. If you can coax a single reaction out of anything, I'll take your surname.* Even Deus Ex Machina had been seen through. Ji Jue pulled his hands back with regret. "You seem to admire me quite a bit, Master?" "Why wouldn't I?" Kanemoto chuckled. "Daring to play tricks right under my nose, daring to infiltrate my workshop for someone you've never met before—neither overestimating your own strength nor blinded by greed. Meticulously organized, remarkably sharp, and even bold enough to return right under my eyes afterward to prepare for the future... Talent, adaptability, audacity—you lack none of them." Kanemoto countered, "Why shouldn't I admire you?" "Putting it like that makes even me admire myself," Ji Jue laughed loudly. Then, his laughter abruptly died in his throat. An invisible force froze him in an instant, hoisting him into midair. Layer upon layer of scans searched him from the tips of his hair to the heels of his feet, missing not a single crevice. From outside to inside, piercing deep into his soul. "That was hardly praise. Compared to your inherent uniqueness, all of that isn't worth mentioning." A monocle manifested in Kanemoto's hand. Spiritus light flared and interwove, thoroughly laying bare all of Ji Jue's secrets: "Stagnant Rot, White Manor, Frenzied Slaughter, Abyssal Void... You should also be a Cursed One of the Desolate Ruins... Mmh, remarkably, there are even the Tower Unborn Yet Arising, and the Wolf Unbegotten Yet Soon to Be? "Four of the Manifest Evils have already marked you, and all three of the Unmanifest Evils have their auras intertwined with yours. Not to mention the imprints left on you by nine Sovereign Virtues... And Mo? Non-Offensive?" He clicked his tongue in wonder. "To gather so many chaotic elements in a single body, you truly are... heh, a gathering of heroes, with boundless prospects ahead." *What the hell?* Ji Jue's heart stalled; his vision blackened. He felt as though he had lived his entire life only to suddenly discover that he'd been walking naked in public the whole time—and that his ass was stamped full of official certifications... So he was a damn stamp album! What kind of 'Handpicked by Sovereign Virtues, Mastercrafted by Great Evils' bullshit was this? Stagnant Rot and White Manor he understood, but Frenzied Slaughter, when did you... Oh, when he cultivated corruption venom using the corpses of the Swarm, was it? And Abyssal Void? Right, the super-rocket tipped by the Evil Transmutation Cult! Struggling to keep his expression calm, Ji Jue could only manage a flippant reply: "The Master flatters me." Having finished his inspection, Kanemoto waved his hand. Ji Jue immediately plummeted to the floor, grimacing in pain, unable to get up for quite a while. His mercury exoskeleton had been stripped away, and his legs were still broken. Watching him writhing in agony, Kanemoto grinned soundlessly, seemingly amused. "Who is your teacher?" Ji Jue sneered. "Since you know so much, why not take another guess?" "Does it even require guessing?" Kanemoto said, "So many people came from the Association outside, but only a handful could possibly teach you. That self-pitying hardhead Duan Mu couldn't teach a slick successor like you; Zhou Chong only knows how to exploit apprentices and would never let such a useful tool wander around freely; Kong Qingyan has some backbone, but her need for control couldn't suppress your rebellious streak... "The rest are mediocrities. Not one is worthy of fine material like you, nor could they teach you. "In the end, only one remains. "Besides, that trick of yours for dismantling alarm sequences is one of a kind." He declared definitively: "Your teacher is Ye Xian, isn't she?"