Embers Ad Infinitum
chapter-869-30041322

"That's right. What about the bloody disaster?" Long Yuehong was rather sensitive about this matter.

The Old Task Force members didn't even suffer any injuries during this operation. The most serious blow they suffered was slamming into a rock when falling asleep on the ground.

Bai Chen—who was driving—turned her head to look at Long Yuehong beside her. Her gaze lingered on his chest for two seconds. "Is this considered a bloody disaster?"

As he had shot Qiao Chu at close range, Long Yuehong's clothes were splattered with blood as if he were injured.

Recalling the redness after Qiao Chu fell to the ground, Long Yuehong hesitantly replied, "I guess so…"

Could it be that we aren't the ones suffering the bloody disaster but Qiao Chu and Professor Qin? The blood Shang Jianyao saw actually came from them?

Jiang Baimian deliberated for a moment and said, "I can only say that it barely counts. Therefore, we can't let down our guard until tomorrow, lest the prophecy comes true in an unexpected way."

"Baimian has always been careful." Shang Jianyao applauded and praised her.

Jiang Baimian glared at him before saying, "Are we going to discuss the allocation of the spoils with Gitis's avatar later, or are we going to find her directly after we are done with other matters?"

"You should ask Gitis," Shang Jianyao pointed out.

The next second, they heard the voice of Gitis's male body. "Meet me tonight at the safe house I prepared."

She had a day off work today and didn't need to go to the Fire & Iron Hotel.

"Alright." Jiang Baimian smiled and nodded.

She felt that with Gitis's style, it was impossible for her not to monitor their internal communications at this moment to prevent them from burning the bridge after crossing it.

The Old Task Force returned to the Fire & Iron Hotel and entered the suite with their spoils of war.

They were in no rush to verify the two items' functions. Instead, Shang Jianyao recounted the information he had obtained from Professor Qin's Sea of Origins in detail.

After repeated confirmation, Genava took out the Old World's map and tapped somewhere in Icefield. "The Eighth Research Institute should be here."

He then unfolded the crude map he had made and compared it.

"Yes, I roughly know the exact location." Jiang Baimian nodded. She then pondered for a moment before saying, "Our mission regarding the Eighth Research Institute ends here. The next step is to report the location to the company and let the board of directors decide how to deal with it."

"I hope they can join forces with other large factions and destroy the Eighth Research Institute directly!" Shang Jianyao had a look that said: "I want to participate too."

"That's right, that's right." Long Yuehong had a very bad impression of the Eighth Research Institute.

Furthermore, the Old Task Force had been attacked by the Eighth Research Institute several times.

Long Yuehong couldn't be completely at ease unless this organization was destroyed—unless he returned to the underground building and never stepped out again.

Jiang Baimian immediately got the team's radio transceiver out and sent back the Eighth Research Institute's exact location. She also requested the Security Department to confirm it with a password in the shortest time possible to prevent them from suffering interference and not knowing that they had failed to send the message.

After a few minutes, Pangu Biology replied and confirmed the Old Task Force's contribution in code. The company then told them that the biological agents they had previously applied for were in stock in the White Knights' sphere of influence. They could be sent to Gesterbourg in three days at most.

"The company actually has those two biological agents stored in the White Knights' sphere of influence?" Long Yuehong was a little surprised.

Although this was one of the situations the Old Task Force had expected, he didn't believe that it would really happen.

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said, "Maybe the diseases of Gitis's parents are relatively common in the White Knights. The company's intelligence personnel specially prepared some and uses them to bribe people at critical moments."

Long Yuehong felt that his team leader's reason was rather convincing when he thought of the terrible environment in the factory area, the air quality in Gesterbourg, and how the laborers worked long hours.

Jiang Baimian then replied to Pangu Biology's telegram and reported her subsequent schedule and plans. The content was very simple—the Old Task Force would head to Ceningmis to search for the whereabouts of Shang Jianyao's father's team.

This was something they had informed the higher-ups of before setting off. Coupled with the fact that it involved Shang Jianyao's father, nobody could find fault with their decision.

…

Gitis's male body drove the dark-red SUV toward the block where he usually was active.

In a room there, Gitis had already waited for a while, prepared to retrieve the Subhuti figurine.

Before long, Gitis's male body found a place to park in a quiet alley.

Just as 'he' opened the car door and walked down with the Subhuti figurine, a figure suddenly appeared in the empty space beside him.

This figure was female. She had an oval face and willowy eyebrows. Her facial features were extremely symmetrical as if they had been specially polished by an artist.

She wore a white shirt, a blue denim coat, and a wide felt hat with a high brim. In her hands were two United 202s.

As she appeared, two black muzzles were aimed at Gitis's male body.

With two bangs, blood splattered as Gitis's male body was torn apart. Before 'he' could react, 'he' fell to the ground with heavy injuries and entered a dying state.

The assailant fired two more shots at his head, leaving blood everywhere. It was a tragic sight.

She then put away her pistols, bent down, quickly picked up the Subhuti figurine, and left the scene from the other end of the alley.

In a room 100 to 200 meters away, Gitis 'saw' the scene of her avatar being attacked.

All of this happened so suddenly that she couldn't react in time or use her abilities. She was then enveloped by the pain transmitted by her avatar's consciousness.

She let out an uncontrollable scream as her body convulsed before she collapsed and curled up.

After she returned to normal, she felt a splitting headache and felt listless as she worried about her other avatars.

The Subhuti figurine was already relatively far from her; she couldn't sense it anymore, much less control it. However, the effects of Divine Mirror Connection and Destiny Connection could still be maintained for a period of time, preventing her other avatars from dying on the spot.

Knowing that this couldn't last long, Gitis was angry and anxious. However, she still maintained her basic calmness and allowed the bodies to enter the process of 'death.' This allowed the people around the avatars to be prepared for what would happen next and not be too shocked.

This was a problem that Gitis had long considered.

…

At 8 p.m., Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian met Gitis in the safe house.

"What? The Subhuti figurine was snatched?" Shang Jianyao had a look of shock.

The honest him quickly added, "Don't tell me you think we did it?"

"If it were you, there would've been plenty of other opportunities. You could've killed me as well." Gitis's expression was gloomy and a little hesitant.

"Did you see the assailant?" Jiang Baimian asked.

Gitis recalled and said, "Yes."

She informed the Old Task Force of the attacker's appearance and general appearance.

"We've seen this person before!" Shang Jianyao replied enthusiastically. "She's also from the Eighth Research Institute and is good at stealth and assassination."

Jiang Baimian tersely acknowledged it. "Qiao Chu and Professor Qin's collaborator? If she had taken action back then, the outcome might've been completely different."

She wasn't exaggerating. Although the Old Task Force was wary of this assassin, there were still too few ways they could deal with her.

"She came late, so she tailed Gitis's avatar and stole the Subhuti figurine. She plans on using it to deal with us?" Shang Jianyao guessed boldly.

Gitis hesitated for a moment before saying, "I feel like she was waiting for my avatar from the beginning…"

"That's a little strange," Shang Jianyao said on Jiang Baimian's behalf.

…

Gesterbourg, in the room above Gitis's apartment.

Xu Lan—who had snatched away the Subhuti figurine—turned on the radio and tuned it to a certain frequency. After doing this, she closed her eyes and patiently waited.

Before long, Wu Meng's voice sounded from the radio. "Did you succeed?"

"I obtained the figurine," Xu Lan replied.

Wu Meng laughed. "Very good. You only need to send it to Ruin 13 and to me. Then, you can be free. At the same time, I'll also bestow you with the Asymmetric Dao. As the saying goes, the way of the heavens is to win without competing. Asymmetry is also the greatest symmetry…"

Xu Lan nodded and said, "Alright."

She then sighed. "Your judgment is really accurate. I followed that team and indeed encountered the figurine. If not for the fact that I had to wait until they finished off Professor Qin and find the research institute's exact location, I would've long taken action. Don't tell me he was influenced by you, considering how Professor Qin was in such a rush to carry out the ambush and claim credit?"

Wu Meng smiled leisurely. "The Dao can be told, but the Dao is not immutable…"