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Translator: CinderTL
Feng Qi completely understood Mu Qing's skepticism.
After all, before he could travel through time, if someone had claimed to be able to do so freely, he would have assumed they were either a fool or mentally ill.
Such delusions would have warranted immediate treatment at the neighboring Star City Psychiatric Hospital, with aggressive medication.
The ability to traverse time itself defied all existing knowledge and understanding.
Looking at Mu Qing's astonished face, he nodded solemnly once more.
"Senior Sister, I'm not lying to you."
"I believe you, but I don't trust anything you say while you're under mental control. Let's discuss this after I've dealt with the domain creature controlling you." Mu Qing frankly expressed her thoughts and turned to leave.
"Senior Sister, time is short. I'll be brief."
At this, Mu Qing froze. A flicker of worry crossed her eyes, and she turned back.
She wouldn't have bothered with anyone else.
But Feng Qi was different.
She had two reasons for staying in this world: like all scavengers, she sought vengeance for her ancestors and loved ones by annihilating every domain creature.
Every scavenger had once been a city dweller, forced to wander the ruins only because of the Domain Field's arrival.
During this time, countless people lost loved ones and homes.
The souls of their relatives and friends now lay buried in the ruins of what was once their city.
Hatred for domain creatures was etched into the very blood of every scavenger.
Mu Qing was no exception.
From childhood, she learned from her parents about the deaths of her grandparents and other elder relatives.
She understood her parents' deep-seated hatred for domain creatures.
And her own parents had also died at the hands of a Domain-Transcending Creature.
During a migration, they were attacked by a Domain-Transcending Creature. Her parents were poisoned, their bodies slowly decaying.
Even with the help of the Star City Defense Force, current technology offered no cure for the poison; it could only slow its spread.
It was then that her parents voluntarily joined the Rune Modification Plan initiated by the Scarlet Research Institute.
They made this choice before their deaths for two reasons.
First, they hoped that the young Mu Qing would receive protection from the Scarlet Research Institute. They asked for nothing more than for her to live a life of security and comfort in Star City, free from the need to wander.
They even secured her a spot at Star City Academy.
Secondly, they yearned to contribute to scientific research and help humanity defeat the Domain Force sooner.
Mu Qing inherited both her hatred and her parents' longing for a better world.
One of the driving forces in her life was to fight the Domain Force and dedicate her entire being to humanity's rise.
Her other spiritual anchor was Feng Qi.
This devotion was clearly recorded in a diary entry from another timeline:
I never understood why people placed their hopes in those ethereal deities. They don't exist and can't change reality. But later I realized that when despair and helplessness engulf you, even a single spark of starlight piercing the darkness can warm the entire world.
This anchor allowed her to feel the warmth of a safe harbor behind her even as she charged into battle.
This feeling had nothing to do with romantic love, but could be called "faith."
When she was most lost and helpless, Feng Qi had given her warmth.
The friendships she later formed with Lin Ran and others were built upon that warmth.
It was Feng Qi who had told her to be confident, and Feng Qi who had assured her that humanity would inevitably triumph in the future.
She had no doubt that without Feng Qi, he would have completely succumbed to the darkness in his heart.
He would have become a killing machine, a mindless automaton driven by hatred, slaughtering endlessly without end.
It was Feng Qi who helped him regain his humanity, preventing him from becoming a monster consumed by hatred.
From the moment she could remember, she had been wandering the world with her family.
Her most cherished memory was the time she spent studying at Star City Academy with Feng Qi and their friends.
During that period, she briefly forgot her hatred and discovered the joys of life.
She was willing to sacrifice herself to carve a path of hope for humanity.
Yet, for Feng Qi, she would also willingly sacrifice herself.
The day her father's harmonica shattered, the white one Feng Qi had given her filled the void, becoming her most treasured possession, more precious than anything else.
Facing Feng Qi, she couldn't bring herself to be harsh; she would rather give him countless chances to explain.
With this thought, Mu Qing took a deep breath, then raised her head, her gaze firm as she looked at Feng Qi, waiting for his explanation.
She had already made up her mind.
Even if Feng Qi were truly under mental control, even if that control couldn't be broken, she would protect him.
No matter who came, she would not let them take him.
Feng Qi sighed, looking at Mu Qing, whose expression was complex, as if she were caught in an internal struggle.
He could largely understand her feelings.
He had experienced something similar himself.
When he first learned that Wang Jinsheng was the Lord of the Mist, his faith collapsed.
It was Wang Jinsheng who taught him courage, fearlessness, and sacrifice.
More importantly, Wang Jinsheng showed him that steadfastly pursuing one's ideals was a romantic ideal.
Wang Jinsheng was his hero and the guide who solidified his resolve to save the world.
It was like losing one's faith.
The collapse of faith brought pain and despair.
But fortunately, he still had time to explain everything.
With this thought, he looked at Mu Qing, who stood before him, more confident and mature than he remembered.
"Senior Sister, it's like this—when I was at Star City Academy, I developed many cultivation techniques, remember? Actually, I didn't develop those techniques at all..."
Next, Feng Qi explained in detail how he could traverse timelines.
However, he concealed the secrets of the Scarlet Research Institute, Lin Ran, and other matters.
He trusted Mu Qing, but she had a spy by her side.
These details could be inadvertently leaked, potentially ruining his entire Sacrifice Line.
He could also tell Mu Qing about the spy and urge her to be wary.
But this spy might not be by Mu Qing's side now; they might only appear when the Dawn Army is formed in the future.
Should Mu Qing be made to guard against every comrade who joins the Dawn Army in the future?
This would inevitably lead to major disruptions in the formation of the Dawn Army.
And that, in turn, would cause massive changes in history.
Whether this change would be for better or worse was uncertain, but if it turned out to be for the worse, this Sacrifice Line would be completely ruined.
There would be plenty of opportunities to catch the spy by Mu Qing's side in the future.
But this Sacrifice Line had more important intelligence to deliver to his future self, who would exist 1,500 years later.
When Mu Qing asked why he was lurking by the Lord of the Mist's side, he explained:
He had traveled through the timeline and seen the Lord of the Mist in a world 1,500 years in the future, after humanity's extinction. That's how he knew the Lord of the Mist held many secrets.
His current infiltration was meant to investigate these secrets through the Lord of the Mist.
Finally, he added:
No matter where this Sacrifice Line ends up, he asked Mu Qing not to interfere.
Not even if he were sent to the execution block.
Only in this way could the future of this Sacrifice Line remain unaffected and within his control.
After hours of conversation, Mu Qing understood the full story, her eyes filled with shock.
At that moment, she chose to believe Feng Qi.
Taking a deep breath, Mu Qing finally smiled. She reached out and patted Feng Qi's shoulder.
"Feng Qi, you did well. You didn't disappoint me."
"Senior Sister, you're not bad either," Feng Qi replied with a smile, mimicking her gesture as he patted her shoulder.
Only then did he realize that the petite senior sister, who had once only reached his shoulder, was now nearly his height.
(End of the Chapter)
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