Chapter 121

Chapter 23: Wu Bian – The Psychic Anchor

　　After receiving a message from Yuan Xiaoling, Wu Bian and Liu Yaohua headed to the meeting room. It was just the two of them; everyone else was busy executing Blonde-haired Maiden’s arrangements.

　　Entering the meeting room, they saw Yuan Xiaoling fiddling with a projector while tapping away on her tablet computer.

　　”Perfect timing,” she glanced at Liu Yaohua, “sit down first.”

　　The duo didn’t have time to ask more before sitting down. Then they watched as Yuan Xiaoling pointed at the screen projection and said,

　　”First, let me introduce someone to you. This is Li Yuehong—Old Liu might recognize her, she’s currently the Director of the Countermeasures Office and Dai Hengzhu’s wife.”

　　Liu Yaohua nodded, “Yeah, I know, but we’re not very familiar.”

　　Yuan Xiaoling wasn’t really asking him anyway, continuing right after,

　　”Li Yuehong graduated from Tianhai University and entered public service soon after, but she was quickly reassigned, and her file became classified. Based on the timeline and other evidence, we have reason to believe that her workplace was…”

　　She pointed to an image on the screen.

　　Four Squares Academy.

　　Liu Yaohua seemed to understand what she meant, “Li Yuehong was the original leader of Four Squares Academy and the main person in charge of this project. Dai Hengzhu merely took over later.”

　　”Or maybe there was no takeover, just a shift in focus,” Yuan Xiaoling added, “For all these years, she dedicated herself to the cause of Four Squares Academy until a year ago…”

　　Wu Bian and Liu Yaohua realized they were reaching a crucial point and focused intently, waiting for her to continue.

　　”Dead.”

　　”…Dead?”

　　Yuan Xiaoling operated her tablet a bit, pulling up a photo outside a cemetery showing a black car driving in, with someone nearby carrying flower baskets.

　　”A year ago, during the unknown ‘Four Squares Academy Incident,’ Li Yuehong, both Dai Hengzhu’s wife and a leader at Four Squares Academy, died in the accident.”

　　”Afterward, Dai Hengzhu disbanded most of the original Four Squares Academy institutions… Of course, this probably wasn’t his personal decision but followed instructions from higher-ups. After the disbandment, the Countermeasures Office was re-established. Following the collapse of the Chamber of Commerce, based on the information I obtained, Dai Hengzhu acted unilaterally, forcing the Yun Family into a desperate battle with us.”

　　This was the entire timeline pieced together from the known information.

　　The few people in the meeting room thought it over. Wu Bian slammed the table, “Revenge! He wants revenge for his lover!”

　　Raging for beauty might sound childish when applied to adults, especially those in their forties or fifties.

　　But for Spiritual Energy Manipulators, it’s never too late.

　　Liu Yaohua also nodded in agreement but then had a strange look on his face, “Wait, why does his revenge concern us?”

　　”That’s the problem. Who he seeks revenge against, and what goals he aims to achieve. If we can start from Li Yuehong and uncover the truth, we’ll understand Dai Hengzhu’s real intentions. Knowing his intentions gives us the upper hand, and we might even be able to use it.”

　　After saying this, Yuan Xiaoling looked at Liu Yaohua, her beautiful aquamarine eyes staring at him.

　　”What? Why are you looking at me? I’m not familiar with her. I don’t know Dai Director well, let alone his wife,” Liu Yaohua threw up his hands, “The staff there probably knows more than I do.”

　　Yuan Xiaoling thought about it and agreed, waving them out. She pulled out her mobile phone and made a call.

　　Ding-dong, ding-dong.

　　”Hello, this is the Tianhai City Spirit Countermeasures Office. This is Li Li. How may I assist you?”

　　Yuan Xiaoling hesitated slightly, “You don’t have my number saved?”

　　”I know, I know, I’m just saying this for others to hear. I’m in the office,” Li Li lowered her voice, “Alright, now I’ve stepped out. What do you need?”

　　”Big deal, something very important,” Yuan Xiaoling asked directly, “Do you have anyone who knows about Li Yuehong?”

　　”Li Yuehong?”

　　Li Li certainly knew; that name belonged to Dai Hengzhu’s wife, instantly making her heart race.

　　Have they already traced this far?

　　”Fang Miss, the situation is severe. If I communicate with you too frequently, I’ll get discovered.”

　　The subtext was that this matter was too significant, dangerous enough that she dared not say much, unsure of its extent since others weren’t speaking either.

　　Yuan Xiaoling considered this and told her, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t tell me. Anyway, your director is planning something big. If anything happens, you’ll bear the consequences.”

　　”Eh eh eh, don’t.”

　　Upon hearing this, Li Li panicked, “I really don’t know everything… Let me find someone who knows the inside scoop. I’ll bring some documents tomorrow as an excuse to meet you.”

　　After hanging up, Li Li quickly walked back, scanning the room. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

　　The clerk Xiao Su responsible for meeting records had been the one who spilled the beans last time.

　　”Xiao Su, come on, prepare yourself. We’re going on fieldwork tomorrow.”

　　”What’s going on, Sister Li?”

　　”Just delivering some documents, it’s nothing major.”

　　…

　　After the meeting, Yuan Xiaoling spent some time pondering on the balcony but came up with nothing. She returned to her room.

　　As soon as she entered, she noticed Bai Ling had arrived earlier and was sitting by the bed lost in thought.

　　”How did you come back?” Yuan Xiaoling quietly sat beside her, kicked off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed, “Did you finish analyzing?”

　　Bai Ling rolled her eyes, “Not that easy.”

　　Even the Yun Family spent ten years trying to piece together the timeline without success. Even if she was a genius, it still required time.

　　”You’re Fifth-tier, aren’t you? An old Fifth-tier at that. Why so slow at something within your expertise?” Yuan Xiaoling shook her head, “Not good.”

　　Bai Ling wanted to mention that she wasn’t exactly “old.” In the previous timeline, she barely broke through to Fifth-tier before engaging in a Bloody Battle for Three Days and Three Nights, only to die and be reborn, totaling just a few months.

　　But she figured even if she said that, Ning Ning would likely find another reason to mock her.

　　”Just blaming me, how about you?” Bai Ling asked, “How’s your side progressing?”

　　To counter Ning Ning, the chesty little devil, you can’t follow her rhythm. You must fight back.

　　”My side… it’s okay. If things go smoothly, there will be progress tomorrow.”

　　Sure enough, Yuan Xiaoling temporarily set aside her critique of Bai Ling and began defending herself:

　　”Today, I summarized all clues related to the Four Squares Academy Incident from a timeline perspective, pointing out the correct guideline that ‘uncovering the truth will reveal the opponent’s intent, and discovering the intent will give us control.’ This strengthened our team’s determination to work hard, and I’ve also contacted key informants.”

　　Impressive, right?

　　Bai Ling nodded and responded,

　　”Today, through interacting with people, I summarized all manifestations of the Inner Stone of the Mind fragments, pointing out the core guideline that ‘finding the crux of the issue will solve critical problems.’ We now have a clear goal, and I’ve also connected with useful personnel.”

　　At first glance, this sounded reasonable, as if both had made extraordinary progress.

　　”Nope, you’re imitating me,” Yuan Xiaoling caught on.

　　”No, it’s true.”

　　”I don’t believe it. Tell me more.”

　　”Alright,” Bai Ling calmly said, “Today, I interacted with the loved ones of ghosts on the battlefield, summarized the performances of the Inner Stone’s power, and discovered a critical clue.”

　　She stopped playing word games and seriously explained,

　　”The power of the Inner Stone completely absorbs a person’s spiritual consciousness to strengthen itself. To do so, it must first shatter the person’s consciousness, destroying emotions and memories alike before it can absorb them. Do you understand this?”

　　Yuan Xiaoling nodded, “Understood. Like turning it into rice porridge for easier digestion.”

　　Though this analogy was accurate and fitting, Bai Ling felt a bit weird about it.

　　”The Inner Stone successfully absorbed many people, but failed with some individuals. I met a few of them.”

　　Such as Gong Tao, who miraculously survived, and the young man with self-awareness and memory.

　　”The Inner Stone wouldn’t make exceptions. They could resist its power because they shared similarities. For instance, the one I met today, according to my guess, resisted due to the deep attachment in his heart. A certain memory he refused to forget became a psychic anchor.”

　　While explaining, Bai Ling turned around and noticed Yuan Xiaoling struggling to put on her pajamas. Her small pink-white pajamas got stuck on her large breasts.

　　Ning Ning struggled with “heyo-heyo,” unable to pull it down.

　　”Yes, like you. The Inner Stone’s assimilation process got stuck on their psychic anchors, leading to failure,” Bai Ling stared at Blonde-haired Maiden’s assets and continued, “Investigating along this line might uncover ways to counteract the Inner Stone.”

　　”You, keep talking, why are you staring at me?” Yuan Xiaoling blushed, “Pervert!”

　　Not because she was embarrassed about being seen but because she couldn’t even wear her pajamas properly, which was embarrassing.

　　And upon reflection, Bai Ling’s findings seemed more concrete today, articulated clearly, surpassing her own.

　　Blonde-haired Maiden puffed her cheeks, “Then you can rest assured. You definitely won’t be assimilated.”

　　Bai Ling remained silent.

　　”…Didn’t you say having attachments and anchors would stop it?” Yuan Xiaoling questioned.

　　What does that mean? Could it be that you don’t care about my pair of assets?

　　”It’s not that simple. Besides attachments, we must consider the backlash of negative emotions,” Bai Ling softly explained.

　　Recollections filled with pain, sorrow, anger, or hatred, the brain naturally tries to forget them. This is a bodily regulation mechanism common even among ordinary people.

　　Selective amnesia, stress trauma… Unfortunately, in terms of negative memories, Bai Ling stood out.

　　And the concept of a psychic anchor requires the most prominent memory. However, she wasn’t sure which exact moment was the deepest in her heart.

　　Surely not the assets, right?

　　No, unlikely. That should just be the most credible moment.

　　Yuan Xiaoling didn’t think too much, feeling that Bai Ling’s life had been too smooth lately.

　　This wasn’t baseless criticism because—

　　[New Weekly Task Released: A Hard Knock.

　　Following a period of stability and the warmth you provided last time, the protagonist’s days have become increasingly pleasant.

　　However, as a powerful and wise antagonist, you should understand the art of tension and balance—last week she enjoyed sweet rewards, so this week it’s time to cool down her comfortable life.

　　Mission Requirements: Deliver a hard knock to the protagonist.

　　Reward: Half a level of Spiritual Power.]

　　The task refreshed early this morning with broad requirements. If others saw this task, they might interpret it symbolically, such as beating Bai Ling up, ruining her plans, or inflicting psychological blows—all called “hard knocks.”

　　But for Ning Ning, a hard knock could literally mean just that!

　　At this moment, Bai Ling was debating whether to say something to comfort Yuan Xiaoling, who seemed unhappy, when she heard the soft voice of the girl say—

　　”You once promised lifelong devotion, admiring the moon from afar, but alas, the person has vanished like smoke, hair turning white in an instant, reincarnated as a youth…a maiden. Love reveals its depth only after parting, the beloved gone, hair lost.”

　　Huh? What’s this?

　　”Twelfth Style, Look Up!”

　　Upon hearing Yuan Xiaoling’s words, Bai Ling instinctively raised her head. She saw a pair of angry buns filling her entire vision.

　　Then—Bang!

　　A direct collision, heading straight for her forehead.

　　The White-haired Maiden swayed a few times, dizzy, and softly collapsed.

　　In her daze, she seemed to hear the girl humming an ancient (from 16 years ago) folk song, with countless white flowers floating in the sky, as beautiful as a dream.

　　Bai Ling blinked her blurred eyes, waiting for the illusory white flowers to gently descend.

　　Was that…dandelions?