Chapter 134 Old Friend

"If it weren't for Gu Changzhi, I wouldn't be who I am today… The journey back here from the fallen mothership was a long one. He was on a mission at the time and brought me with him. It was a difficult journey, and it took a lot of effort."

Qianye smiled.

She said softly, "To me, he is the only ray of light left in the dilapidated ruins of the old world."

If it weren't for Gu Changzhi, she would have died in the wreckage of the mothership when the hibernation pod opened.

"..."

Chu Ling listened quietly, somewhat moved, but she didn't know what to say.

No wonder Qianye was willing to wait twenty years in the cemetery just to wait for Gu Changzhi to appear.

In her world, he might be the only person left worth waiting for.

"The reason I stay in Qingzhong is because I have nowhere else to go."

Qianye said softly, "I'm used to being alone. This world is vast, with five continents that stretch as far as the eye can see, but none of them are home to me… I'd rather wait where he is, even if I can't see him, it's enough."

This was her willing heart.

Fate was truly messing with them…

The one who waited bitterly only met him at the moment of his death.

Compared to them, she was an exceptionally lucky one.

Chu Ling looked at Gu Shen under the tree in the distance, her eyes softening.

"Regarding your secret… I actually guessed a large part of it."

Master Qianye said with a smile, "I want to ask you a question. If I leave the cemetery, would you be willing to spare some of your mental energy to take charge of the array patterns in this cemetery for me?"

Chu Ling was slightly stunned.

The tomb keeper's words were very conservative.

Guessed a large part… that probably meant she guessed everything.

After all, her biggest secret came from the Deep Sea.

Chu Ling didn't deny it, but smiled frankly and nodded, "Of course, even if you didn't ask, I would have taken over the array patterns of the cemetery."

In fact, there was no need to hide this secret from Qianye.

Moreover, the matter of the array patterns was not troublesome for her.

The spirit of the [Source Code] could be divided into countless parts as long as the computing power allowed.

Even without a physical body—

As long as the "spiritual link" within this cemetery was connected.

Her consciousness could infiltrate this place through 001, taking charge of the array patterns, which was not a difficult task.

It only required a little mental energy.

Moreover, simply maintaining the daily operation of the cemetery would not consume much mental energy.

For Chu Ling, she only needed to borrow a small portion of computing power from the [Deep Water Zone] to easily complete this task.

If the San Suo Wu Da Jia (Three Ministries and Five Great Families) of Changye knew that the cemetery could be controlled through the [Deep Sea], they would probably be very happy.

Qianye received this answer.

She looked solemn and said to Chu Ling, "Thank you."

"It is I who should thank you."

Chu Ling shook her head, "I have no way to repay your care for Gu Shen this past year, and your kindness to me…"

Being able to learn the ancient characters on the cemetery's array patterns, and the divination techniques that guide fate… were things she never dared to imagine in 001.

Qianye reached out a hand and gently rubbed Chu Ling's head.

The movement was gentle and warm.

She smiled and said, "I'm very proud to have a disciple like you."

Chu Ling also smiled.

But there was a hint of bitterness in her smile.

On her first day as a human, she had to experience "separation"… This feeling was very uncomfortable.

"Although you… are extraordinarily gifted, there are still some things I need to say." Qianye said softly, "Divination is by no means a benevolent art. Those who use such forbidden arts of foreseeing the future and peeking into fate will have to pay the price sooner or later. Even if you have special methods to avoid some of it, there will always be a day when you have to bear it."

Earlier, she had seen Chu Ling using divination.

Golden threads of fate were being peeled away from this body.

But because the body was "special."

The pain of physical dissection, which was difficult for mortals to bear, seemed to be nothing to Chu Ling.

Those golden threads could even return to their original positions after the divination was over.

It seemed like she hadn't paid any price.

But in reality… it wasn't like that.

"I know."

Chu Ling nodded slowly.

She lowered her head and looked at her palm. At this moment, her snow-white, lotus-root-like fingers showed subtle signs of uncontrollable dissipation.

Her body was not a human body.

It was pieced together from "transcendent source matter."

So, in principle, the "flesh and blood" price that needed to be paid for using divination was ineffective for Chu Ling.

Her spirit was eternal, and her body was immortal.

But… fate marks the price on every gift it gives, and you can't just run away without paying.

"Your body seems to need a lot of transcendent source matter to support it." Qianye said meaningfully, "If I'm not mistaken… this body cannot last in the world for long, but that doesn't mean you will die."

Chu Ling smiled.

She hadn't had time to tell Gu Shen about this yet.

That was indeed the case.

The "divine embryo" of Shenci Mountain had been successfully hatched, but once it left that mountain realm and didn't receive the black flower's replenishment, the body would slowly dissipate, and using divination undoubtedly greatly accelerated this process.

Mortals have birth, old age, sickness, and death.

But she… seemed to have none, at least for now. The price of divination would not really kill her.

"You must be careful… The price of using divination is not so easily escaped."

The tomb keeper said earnestly, "Perhaps you and Gu Shen will come into contact with other forbidden arts in the future… Each one has unimaginable negative effects."

Divination, sacrifices flesh and blood.

Prayer, feeds on lifespan.

Besides these, there were other forbidden arts?

Chu Ling also said earnestly, "Okay, I'll remember that."

……

……

"Mr. Gu Changzhi, my 'Pure Land' can keep Tie Wu… Can't it keep you as well?"

On the other side.

Gu Shen stood shoulder to shoulder with Gu Changzhi, asking with some reluctance.

"Are you talking about that apostle of the Dionysus Throne… We are not the same as him."

Gu Changzhi turned his gaze to the distance. He seemed to see through the spiritual barrier of this world, vaguely glancing at Tie Wu, who was being held in the distance.

Gu Changzhi chuckled softly, "Pure Land can indeed carry the spirits of the dead, and spirit is something that has no unit of measurement. Adding a wisp increases the cost of bearing it exponentially…"

At this point, Gu Shen understood.

It wasn't that Pure Land couldn't carry Gu Changzhi and Qianye.

It was just that he was not strong enough now.

"Wanting to carry my spirit is much more difficult than carrying a thousand of him."

Gu Changzhi patted Gu Shen on the shoulder and smiled, "This is something that even the previous Hades could not do. But… anything is possible. Perhaps one day in the future, you will be able to do it."

This was a very effective analogy.

Gu Shen stopped talking.

Gu Changzhi's spirit… he had personally experienced it in the golden divine realm.

It could only be said that Pure Land was far from being able to accommodate the soul of such a figure.

As for Master Qianye, if Gu Changzhi was destined to dissipate, then she would not live alone.

"I… I don't understand."

After a long silence.

Gu Shen raised his head, looked into Gu Changzhi's eyes, and asked seriously, "How could such a powerful being as you die like this?"

Sleeping in Qingzhong for twenty years.

This sleep would last a lifetime.

Who could have imagined that such a radiant figure would vanish like this…

"I want to know what happened twenty years ago!"

Gu Shen took a deep breath and said, "Was it because of that battle with the former Hades in the old world?"

Now, those waiting outside the cemetery didn't know the news of Gu Changzhi's death!

They might still be celebrating Gu Changzhi's defeat and repulsion of the two Thrones of the Source Tower with his own strength!

Once this news of death spreads… it would be an unparalleled and enormous impact on the Gu family, on Changye, and on the entire Dongzhou!

Seeing Gu Changzhi remain silent.

Gu Shen gritted his teeth and drew out the Ruler of Truth, "Is it because of this? If this is an evil artifact, I can destroy it!"

Gu Changzhi shook his head.

"It has nothing to do with the ruler."

A complicated expression appeared on his face, and his voice was a little hoarse, "My battle with Hades… was not that complicated. The Dionysus Throne did glimpse some scenes of the divine war, but the truth is not what he thought."

"I fought the out-of-control Hades for three days and three nights in the dilapidated ruins outside Beizhou."

"In the end… he himself broke free from the 'out-of-control' state and took the initiative to request that I kill him."

Gu Shen was stunned.

The amount of information in this sentence was simply too great.

Hades lost control… and took the initiative to break free from the state of being out of control?

Breaking free from being out of control already violated the transcendent iron law recognized by the Federal government!

"Killing a Throne is not easy. Hades and Dionysus are not opponents of the same level."

Gu Changzhi lowered his eyes slightly and said softly, "It was because he begged for death that I was able to kill him… And after the great battle, I brought this kindling back to Qingzhong Cemetery. In that battle with Hades, I only suffered some minor injuries, which were not fatal."

"So… you returned to Changye, really just to sleep…"

Gu Shen murmured.

Gu Changzhi shook his head again.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Before fighting Hades… I was destined to be a dead man."

"???"

Gu Shen's pupils constricted.

"Twenty years ago, the Federal government dispatched an SSS-level mission to me through the [Deep Sea]."

Gu Changzhi was silent for a moment, and laughed self-deprecatingly, "The mission was to leave the Beizhou Fortress and go to the [Old World] where order had collapsed… to capture an unprecedentedly heavyweight fugitive."

"SSS-level…"

Gu Shen didn't know what to say anymore.

He understood the [Deep Sea]'s mission rating system. Fugitives at the Sealed Lord level were already enough to be defined as "S-level." This was the most dangerous mission that could be assigned to professional agencies. Improper handling could lead to the destruction and ruin of an entire city.

The Operation Luanxiao, which was classified as "S-level," consumed a great deal of the Dadu District's mental energy and personnel to resolve.

SS-level, Gu Shen had never even heard of it… Was this a threat to an entire region?

Then what about SSS-level?

He couldn't imagine that, looking at the Five Continents, who was qualified to be called a "heavyweight fugitive" by Mr. Gu Changzhi.

"The whole world knows him."

Gu Changzhi said softly, "My old friend, Alan Turing."

……

……

(ps: That's all for tonight, adjusting my biological clock.)