Chapter 189: The Husky Mixed in a Wolf Pack
Chapter 189: The Husky Mixed in a Wolf Pack
“A stack of documents for Elder Chen! All, as requested, retrieved and ready.” A sturdy, middle-aged man placed a box of paper materials beside Chen Xiyi’s desk.
“No trouble at all. Much appreciated.” Chen Xiyi smiled kindly in return.
At the headquarters of the Temporal Response Bureau, Chen Xiyi had achieved the title of Elder through some simple maneuvers just that morning.
The Bureau operated on an Elder system, with countless Elders, numbering close to a thousand.
Of course, distinctions existed among them based on their division of labor, positions, authority, and other factors.
Chen Xiyi’s rank as Elder placed him at the very bottom of this hierarchy. Yet for anyone outside the Bureau, he stood at the top of the food chain.
After the man departed, Chen Xiyi opened the box. He took out the materials inside.
“Computers and calculators haven’t surfaced. Despite the passage of so much time, they stick solely to paper? What pathetic tech advancement. It’s all put into warfare.”
Chen Xiyi was certain this crooked tech tree and stunted development had Wandering Light written all over it.
Apart from the bizarre, war-focused internal energy weapons, the overall tech level lingered around that of the millennium era from his past life—sometimes dipping lower.
For example, communications relied on a hybrid invention, something between a telegraph and a phone. Chen Xiyi had seen it before. Crucially, it charged using internal energy, not electricity.
With internal energy ever-present, electricity never found its spark. Instead, steam-based tech developed well.
“The boost in martial arts power comes as a gift from the Mythic Era.”
Chen Xiyi scanned the documents in hand, searching for the reason why this world teemed with Xiantian and Grandmaster Martial Artists.
Even the Temporal Response Bureau’s research indicated some exploration into the cause, though little was uncovered.
Records from past dynasties only allowed estimations pointing to this phenomenon beginning roughly twenty-thousand years prior.
It wasn’t until the Temporal Response Bureau came into existence that the process stabilized.
“So, the Bureau makes sure martial artists’ condition remains stable. But in turn, Grandmaster became the hard ceiling everyone hits.”
Beyond that was the Longevity Martial Artist level. Chen Xiyi knew achieving Longevity didn’t require actually being immortal.
Yet now, this realm was sealed shut, forcing every grandmaster to hit their limit.
“Shared potential? Or maybe bioengineering techniques?”
Potential varied wildly among individuals. It was inconceivable that everyone reached Grandmaster rank, especially considering other heavy weights: resources, effort, all acquired later in life.
Chen Xiyi finished flipping through the entire box of documents. Almost nothing useful turned up.
The data sounded similar to how forest-dwelling apes evolved into humans. Everyone accepted the Mythic Era’s arrival enabled effortless ascension to Grandmaster-level power, but no one knew the precise cause. Only one recorded line stood out.
Chen Xiyi hunted for the solution within that line’s hidden secrets.
“The Bureau definitely holds more detailed records. Archives room perhaps?”
These superficial papers—handpicked from the Bureau’s publicly accessible stores—amounted to general knowledge material.
For classified information, the archives room was his destination.
After dutifully returning the documents and arranging their collection, Chen Xiyi headed toward the archives room.
Don’t be fooled by the Bureau’s modest-sounding suffix. As the supreme governing body, its footprint was vast—especially this central office, sprawling as large as a city.
No way to manage global affairs otherwise.
An internal population close to 300,000—the Bureau’s management crew. Military forces camped beyond the walls pushed the count to three million, an overwhelming total.
The archives room wasn’t remotely close to Chen Xiyi’s so-called ‘office’. Which, realistically, was an entire building. Even the lowliest Elder held that basic privilege.
“Hold! Present your relevant clearance papers and proof of identity!” An officer stationed outside halted Chen Xiyi.
“Not recognizing me?” Chen Xiyi’s voice held a curious note.
The officer didn’t know Chen Xiyi and instinctively readied a forceful dismissal. A patrol captain further down hurried forward, intercepting.
“Elder Chen! Honored greetings! Assumed you’d be settling into your new duties today. What brings you to review our archives?” The small captain offered an easy escape.
Truthfully, the captain couldn’t recall Chen Xiyi either. Yet moments ago, information about the new Elder suddenly surfaced clear in his mind.
“Elder Li Zhi handles core matters deftly, of course. Leaves me quite free. Time-killing archive browsing it is,” Chen Xiyi excused smoothly.
“Understood completely! Step right ahead!” The captain signaled toward the door system controllers behind. They opened the barriers, permitting Chen Xiyi access.
“Duties call! Carry on undisturbed.” Chen Xiyi strutted straight past into the archives without further delay.
Relief flooded the unit captain immediately. Staring at the clueless colleague blocking Chen Xiyi’s path, reproach laced his whisper.
“Usually perceptive! What were you thinking? Trying to block an Elder? Nearly sank this entire patrol unit aiding your error!”
The officer appeared utterly lost.
“There isn’t any Elder that young! Pull any random Elder, age fifty or higher at minimum?”
Partially bought into his own confusion, the captain added, “Brand new! Stop ignoring the daily reports, would you?” He himself struggled recalling the newest Elder. Entry already given: the identity must stand. An associate beside the blocked officer spoke up.
“I vaguely recall… Appointed just this morning. Calendar Department, right? Indifferent department. Plus, Grandmaster Li Zhi monopolized its decision-making space. Fellow must have snagged the Elder title without rights attached. Requires additional tenure building.”
Having heard this summary, the blocking officer released a nervous breath. “Lucky Elder Chen didn’t feel above us. Else definite trouble and shame.”
Back inside, Chen Xiyi strolled amongst numerous archive personnel chatting among themselves unnoticed.
Despite its façade suggesting merely a confined reading space, this repository rose into a building-sized structure. Footprint easily matching—maybe doubling or tripling—Chen Xiyi’s former multi-level office space. Actual scope escaped his estimation; the place was immense.
Greeters existed too.
“Greetings! Clearance for official record retrieval?” An attendant approached him.
Surprisingly few visitors peppered the space, packed instead with almost one hundred staff members. Not everyone qualified—nor had justification—to dig through classified documents. Administrative responsibilities weren’t archival research.
This, however, didn’t soften regulation compliance. On the contrary, controls felt overwhelmingly rigid.
Chen Xiyi produced zero permissions paperwork. Subtle intervention became essential.
Technically, Elders possessed such clearances. Problem: Chen Xiyi operated invisibly, lacking formal Bureau registration. Any request to verify identifies him instantly as unauthorized.
Exactly as predicted: no Elder existed anywhere near his supposed age bracket.
“Understood. I shall create an access entry for you.” Holding thin air confidently, the clerk performed imaginary motions. Fellow staff observed completely unmoved, as if concrete documents sat visibly in her grasp.
Stranger still: reported activation happened purely in metaphor. Zero actual registration occurred.
Patiently, Chen Xiyi scanned the scene awaiting her fictional procedure’s completion.
‘True surveillance gear? None present. Hardware distortion feels actually jarring.’
‘Consider this, though: minimal electricity spreads, so advanced monitoring vanishes.’
Instead, archival chambers relied entirely upon candles. Special-made creations emitted illumination rivaling early light bulbs—bright and lasting.
“Access activated successfully! Elder Chen, directions?” The aide surrendered a fragment of nothingness toward him. Some login artifact, supposedly.
Accepting promptly, Chen Xiyi moved toward deeper queries.
“Perhaps orientation first? First-time visitor, wholly inexperienced here.”
“Excellent! Brief overview awaits then.” Years of familiarity loosened the assistant’s tongue; archive layouts flowed swiftly.
Continuously drilling down: each floor’s thematic collection group? Unique manuscripts? All surfaced.
Certain documents earnestly received recommendations too.
Never showing frustration, Chen Xiyi absorbed summary information without pause.
Five minutes passed before the attendant came back to reality, apologetic.
“Excuse me, Elder Chen! Someone asks about materials; my tongue reacts autonomously.”
“Nonsense! Clear command stands over archives holdings! Exactly the staffing Bureau leadership seeks!” Compliments cost nothing; Chen Xiyi paid liberally.
“Excessive kindness! Merely fulfilled foundational role—result of collective institutional cohesion, Elder Chen.”
“Impressive indeed! Proceed duties freely. Self-directed exploration suits me fine.” Slipping past subsequent attempts at further aid ensued immediately.
Methodically pacing parallel to book-lined passageways triggered something else. Shifting lights ignored, specters peeled outwards from Chen Xiyi’s own shadow realm. Silently targeting record-heavy storage cubicles sprawling beyond.
Hand-copying this archive expanse? Impossible within finite time.
Accurate recording alone sufficed—proper analysis waits homebound.
One month stretched between now and predetermined harvest.
Already infiltrating Fallen Land and New World widely, Force-Devouring Gu parasites festered quietly within countless martial artists. Later shockwave events triggered unavoidable force consumption. Zero leisure room remains.
Action meant pushing onward; Wandering Light could flip the metaphorical gameboard at any instant. Returning afterward risks finding foundational documentation incinerated beyond salvage.
Compact archives now provided crucial safety duplication. Later research follows wherever he surfaces.
Once secure knowledge returns home deeper digestions advance.