Era of Mist

Chapter 219: Chapter 218: Destiny Mission, Heart of Freedom

”Tax evasion?”

”That’s right. He thinks he’s been flawless, and I’m letting him believe that. I’m not here for revenge. Officially, I’m just here to investigate his tax evasion. I haven’t gone out of my way to avoid him, which actually helps me fly under his radar.”

”This is a legitimate, officially filed tax investigation with a proper case file and records. No matter what connections he uses, that’s all he’ll ever find. When he sees me, he’ll think I’m really just here to investigate his taxes. Right now, he wants nothing more than to chase me off or buy me off. Barring that, he’ll just give me the cold shoulder. Why on earth would he go out of his way to provoke me?”

”You have to understand, the motherland I represent, while it may have its own parasites, is ultimately flourishing and immensely powerful.”

As he said this, a proud smile finally appeared on Officer Gao’s face.

”In this tiny corner of the world, he’s just clinging to a wretched existence.”

”The current standoff won’t last forever. This island nation, Japan, will one day bathe in sunlight under the red flag.”

Shi Tiexin looked at Officer Gao. He had no more questions.

After they quickly discussed a few more key issues, Shi Tiexin saw Officer Gao off.

To be cautious, he didn’t personally see Officer Gao to the door, which reduced the chance of them being spotted together. Instead, Shi Tiexin stood on the third floor, peeking through the blinds. As he watched Officer Gao’s departing figure, a peculiar feeling stirred within him.

That back was already slightly stooped. He wasn’t tall or muscular, his hair was streaked with gray—he didn’t look like a movie hero at all. But he was a warrior, one who had come here all alone, ready to risk everything to avenge his beloved daughter.

’Is this what a father is like?’

Shi Tiexin didn’t know.

He then thought of Officer Gao’s daughter, the young woman who died in the prime of her life fighting drug traffickers. She was gone, but her sacrifice had not been in vain. At the very least, the Ouyang brothers, who had once been so successful back home, were now forced to live in hiding in Japan.

It was hard to say exactly how much of the credit belonged to her. But the powerful nation that made Officer Gao so proud couldn’t exist without the sacrifices of people like her.

”Undercover...”

Shi Tiexin murmured the word, mulling it over. He took a deep breath, pushed the thoughts aside, and focused on the path before him.

’Ouyang Hong, Ouyang Shun... In another worldline, compared to those two, I wouldn’t even be a speck of dust. Even in this worldline, if we were in a place with proper law and order, I’d be powerless against them for a long, long time.’

’They’re like lofty Celestial Gods. All I could do is gaze up at them, our paths never meant to cross.’

’But now, here in Japan, things are suddenly different.’

Wang Xingshun wanted to be a snake swallowing an elephant, and Shi Tiexin had his own goals as well.

Even setting aside profit, promotion, and everything else—even setting aside the Mandate Mission—there was one thing he wanted to do from the bottom of his heart.

Under the constant pressure of just trying to survive, he’d never had a thought like this before. To stay alive, he had to be pragmatic, had to pinch every penny. He was like the receptionist at Xiongan, who lacked the energy for a genuine smile.

But at this very moment, he didn’t want to worry about all that anymore.

To be precise, he no longer wanted to fixate only on the things he ”should do.” He was starting to consider the things he *wanted* to do.

HUMMMMM—an inexplicable emotion suddenly began to resonate within him, and the conscious mass in his mind vibrated once more. This vibration was more violent, more powerful than the last two times. It felt as if his two consciousnesses were beginning to harmonize, to understand each other on a much deeper level.

SWOOSH! A brilliant light tore through the chaotic fog, and familiar words appeared on his vision system once more.

[Mandate Mission Activated!]

[Mandate Mission 3: A Free Heart.]

[Description: Do what you will, and do not what you will not. That is freedom.]

[Completion Conditions: To be discovered.]

[Completion Reward: To be discovered.]

’Mandate Mission 3? The third one in this worldline? This is the first time I’ve activated one at such a deep level.’

And this mission was clearly related to the Ouyang brothers.

”The intel matches up. It seems the Wang Xingshun of this worldline didn’t lie to me.”

’Since Wang Xingshun didn’t lie to me... if others treat me with sincerity, I’ll naturally return it.’

Shi Tiexin shifted his gaze, looking toward a skyscraper in the distance.

’This small, three-story shop is me. That skyscraper over there is the Ouyang brothers. The comparison is laughable—an ant trying to shake a great tree.’

’But... it’s not entirely hopeless.’

”It’s all up to you, Brother Fa.”

CLATTER. Shi Tiexin released the blinds. He left the small shop and silently resumed his cultivation of the Essence Nourishment Technique.

He had been eating and drinking well lately, causing a daily backflow of essence. Under the pressure of this backflow, his Basic Essence Nourishment Technique was strengthening rapidly; he had already reached Profound Level 34. In another two weeks, he should be able to reach Profound Level 99.

At that point, the Celestial Golden Light he had been accumulating would come into play. He was eager to see what kind of attribute would be unlocked when the Basic Essence Nourishment Technique reached the Perfect stage.

Aside from his progress in the Basic Essence Nourishment Technique, his greatest strides were with his False Core. He was harvesting seven wisps of essence with every meal. Layer by layer, the essence wrapped around the False Core, causing it to grow daily at an unprecedented rate. The energy he had spent fighting the hard-skinned black man a few days prior was replenished in the time it took to eat half a meal. By continuing to hoard essence over the last few days, his False Core had already grown to the size of a fava bean.

Over the next few days, Shi Tiexin secretly began to move his pieces into place, but on the surface, he remained quiet and his routine unchanged.

When Sanfan invited him to dinner, he went, using the opportunity to practice with his False Core.

When Wang Dafu invited him to a calligraphy and painting exhibition, he went, harvesting a few Rhetoric Little Stars in the process.

The Head-Shaking Four Celestial Kings, bobbing their heads, invited him back to the Smile Comprehensive Entertainment City, and he tagged along. Each time, Ah D would specifically request Xiaowei’s company, and Xiaowei would dutifully and delicately wait on him. Despite the language barrier, it seemed like something was brewing between Ah D and Xiaowei.

Shi Tiexin, however, no longer frequented the smoke-filled, stifling private rooms. He would usually go to the third floor and extravagantly spend five hundred to play pool with Miss Red Skirt.

He didn’t even know Miss Red Skirt’s name.

She never told him, and he never asked.

Still, he was treated far better than that playboy from the other day. Although he stood no chance of beating Miss Red Skirt at pool, he at least got to hold the cue a couple of times. It wasn’t much—just two shots—but it was enough to feel the difference between being a somebody and a nobody in her eyes.

The two of them barely spoke, their interactions minimal, but Shi Tiexin thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

A few more days passed. The False Core continued to swell until it finally reached the next critical point—one Shi Tiexin had never reached before.

Another seven wisps of essence poured into the False Core, and its volume swelled to the size of a quail’s egg. Before this, the False Core had been irregular, its surface even pocked with dents. But in this instant, it suddenly became perfectly round and smooth.

HUMMM. It seemed to have broken through to a new stage. The False Core in his abdomen trembled, and at the same time, Shi Tiexin felt a tingling itch spread all over his body.