Chapter 243: Tiyette
After the two “guests” left, Qi Yanxin looked at Xu Zhi as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite bring herself to. She had more or less understood that the two had come to recruit Xu Zhi. Though she didn’t know the deeper details, she could guess that before long, Xiao Zhi would be leaving this place.
Although Xu Zhi had once said she would try her best to take her along, over these days Qi Yanxin had clearly realized that her current self was nothing more than a “burden.” She had even begun to wonder whether she should take the initiative to say she would no longer leave with Xu Zhi, to avoid increasing her load.
But she couldn’t do it.
Right now, Xu Zhi was her only spiritual pillar for struggling to stay alive. Even though a voice in her heart kept telling her that perhaps she shouldn’t follow Xu Zhi—that she would only cause her trouble—when it came time to speak of parting, she simply couldn’t open her mouth. She even found herself hoping that, even if she was now a burden, Xu Zhi wouldn’t just abandon her.
That was truly too despicable.
Beside her, Xu Zhi keenly sensed that something was off about Qi Yanxin’s mood. She stepped a little closer. Though her expression remained calm, her tone carried a hint of concern.
“What’s wrong? Not happy?”
Qi Yanxin raised her eyes to look at this “younger sister.” Her gaze flickered slightly. After struggling internally for a long while, she finally spoke.
“I’m sorry, Xiao Zhi. I think I’m being too despicable.”
“But… can you not leave me behind?”
There had once been a brief period when Xu Zhi might not have survived without her. But that time had not lasted long. Now the situation had reversed—the one who might not survive if separated had become her.
In truth, even if Xu Zhi left, Qi Yanxin could return to her former life and continue living numbly, barely getting by. But that kind of life was too terrifying. It was like a pitch-black tunnel with no visible end. One crawled through it with difficulty. Physical exhaustion was not the most frightening part—the most frightening part was the erosion of one’s will.
She could no longer return to that kind of life.
Seeing Qi Yanxin’s sorrowful expression and slightly humble tone, Xu Zhi was momentarily speechless. Only then did she realize that perhaps she did care about Qi Yanxin—but that care had been so faint she hadn’t even noticed that Qi Yanxin’s mental state might have developed serious problems.
She could see that Qi Yanxin was in an unhealthy, abnormal state at this moment. But Xu Zhi was no psychological expert, nor was she good at comforting people. However, there was a good solution at hand.
Xu Zhi nodded. “I’ll take you with me. I can’t even cook. You’re the one who folds the blankets. If you don’t come with me, what will I do?”
In truth, none of that was important. The upper districts would naturally provide more convenient living conditions. At worst, she could handle those things herself. But at this moment, Xu Zhi felt Qi Yanxin needed a reason—one that showed she was temporarily indispensable.
Sure enough, after Xu Zhi finished speaking, the panic in Qi Yanxin’s expression gradually subsided, returning to her usual gentle appearance.
This false sisterly relationship had been unusual from the start. Now it had even taken on a faintly twisted undertone. Xu Zhi could sense it, yet didn’t particularly care. After all, she herself had never experienced any normal family affection. Wasn’t this fine as it was?
“So, have you decided which one to choose?” Qi Yanxin asked.
“Yes… which one should I choose?” Xu Zhi sighed.
None of them were good choices.
At first glance, the Consortium seemed like a relatively good option. But in Xu Zhi’s view, the Consortium was the most hypocritical of them all.
They spoke of sincerity and goodwill, yet when it came to what Xu Zhi would actually need to do, they vaguely described it as “making some small contributions.” The Consortium was certainly generous—but would capitalists truly give without demanding anything in return?
The more generous they were, the greater their ambitions.
The more they gave her, the more they would try to squeeze out of her in return.
Unless absolutely forced, Xu Zhi truly did not want to choose this seemingly beautiful cake.
As for the Celestial Heart Association, that was something Xu Zhi wanted even more to avoid. Judging by the conditions offered, as long as one passed the Celestial Heart Association’s “inspection,” it would be the best option afterward. But unfortunately, Xu Zhi’s identity truly had skeletons in the closet. Though she often took risks, she could still distinguish which dangers were better not touched at all.
As for the lifelong system at the Light Institute, it wasn’t a contract written in black and white—so it wasn’t entirely impossible to break free from.
Given that, the only remaining options were the organization behind that doctor, and the Light Institute?
“So the Council is late, and now you want to blame us first?”
Inside the largest tent, the people seated around the round table were no longer military officers, but several “important figures” from the Upper District.
At the central seat sat a man in a platinum-white uniform. At this moment, he was clearly being challenged.
“Late? I recall the Council clearly sent out a notice. I arrived within the agreed time. That does not count as being late. It is merely that you all ignored the Council’s orders and completed the final examination of the corpse before my arrival. Wouldn’t that be somewhat disrespectful to the Council?”
“If we hadn’t arrived in time and conducted the tests early, reported the results, and concealed certain information that should not be made public, the city would already be in an uproar by now. Instead of thanking us, the Council still has the nerve to blame us?”
After several rounds of sharp verbal sparring, neither side gained the upper hand.
“It can now be confirmed that this person picking up the blade was purely accidental. There is no organization behind him, nor anyone directing him. At present, there are no other… Transcendents in the Plains District besides him. The news has already been suppressed. Other cities will not learn of it for the time being. If any information leaks, everyone present should be careful.”
The one who spoke was Chi Qiusheng, a lower-level military officer. No one knew why she was able to sit at the same table as these figures, even speaking in front of members of the Upper Council.
“At present, the most urgent matter is to confirm… where this blade came from, and from whose hands.”
After saying this, her gaze turned to the man whose sleeve bore the emblem of a heavy hammer.
“I’ve examined it. The craftsmanship of this blade is extremely precise.”
“It doesn’t look like it was made by human hands. It resembles mechanical production. There’s no personal temperament, no style—just a standardized horizontal blade.”
“The forging material is extremely special. I haven’t found a match among any known materials. It seems wooden, but not ordinary wood. Yet if you say it’s the root of some Transcendent plant, that doesn’t quite fit either…”
As he continued speaking, he seemed to stray from the main point. Someone interrupted.
“So you’re saying your Gods’ Heavy Industry can’t determine the origin of this blade?”
“Of course not!” the man retorted forcefully.
“Any object, as long as it enters the furnace, can have its origins traced! I only need to take this blade back, and I’ll uncover everything!”
“Why should you take it back? The furnace isn’t the only thing capable of tracing origins!” someone else shot back.
The noise rose once more. In the end, it was the councilor seated at the center of the table who made the final decision.
“Enough. Time is short. Tiyette is already making preparations. Results will be out within twelve hours. Before that, the item will first be taken to the furnace by him to trace its origins.”
At the mention of the name “Tiyette,” the room immediately fell silent.
