Section 298: Who Is Playing Whom?
Feng Su sat on a chair in a daze, while Rui Bing lay quietly on the bed beside her. Those knocked unconscious by this method would fall into a deep sleep and would not wake up on their own without strong external stimulation. From the first time she had used this technique until now, she had never failed.
What exactly was the reason the higher-ups had called her back this time? Ever since she had been dispatched to the Five Great Star Domains, this was the first time the higher-ups had recalled her.
A week ago, she had entered the Heyue Star Domain. Long-distance flight was truly exhausting, even for someone with her exceptional physical condition. The passage from the Five Great Star Domains to the Heyue Star Domain was long and complex, making space jumps impossible. She could only rely on conventional flight.
The moment she entered the Heyue Star Domain, she let out a long sigh of relief. Although the accident rate within the passage was not high, if anything were to go wrong, struggling would be futile. One could only watch helplessly as death approached. In the face of the vastness and mystery of the universe, how insignificant an individual's strength truly was.
She piloted a small, heavily reinforced starship, incredibly sturdy. However, precisely because of this, its comfort was severely lacking. Every trip was a torment, earning it the nickname "The Can" among her tribe. Yet, its performance was outstanding: astonishing speed, excellent maneuverability, agile directional changes, and equipped with a top-tier optical computer. In relatively safe environments, it could even operate on autopilot.
Additionally, the starship was stocked with ample nutrients, enough to sustain the pilot for a considerable time. Although it wasn't armed, every part of the ship had been reinforced, giving it first-class defensive capabilities.
Small starships couldn't perform space jumps. She first had to reach Qingyuan Star, where a tribal base was located. There, she would transfer to a specialized starship to reach the tribe.
Right now, she had just passed Yuemang Star, with a considerable flight time still ahead. Before being dispatched to the Five Great Star Domains, she had frequently visited this black-market planet, often finding all sorts of peculiar items there. Under normal circumstances, she might have made a detour to check it out. But now, she was eager to return, yearning to reach the tribe as soon as possible.
What exactly had happened in the tribe? Her heart couldn't help but grow somewhat anxious.
Ah, there was no use worrying now. Letting out a self-mocking laugh, Feng Su stood up and stretched, her perfect curves fully displayed in that instant. Long flights were exhausting, especially solo journeys like this one.
Just then, a sudden numbness struck her waist. Startled inwardly, she showed no outward expression. As a top-tier Shiite of the Xifeng Tribe, she had faced far more dangerous situations than this. She did her utmost to remain calm.
Who?
A face, jade-like and cold as ice, appeared before her, showing neither anger nor joy.
How was this possible? Feng Su couldn't help but cry out inwardly. How could she have woken up? It was absolutely impossible! The technique she used would plunge the victim into a prolonged state of deep unconsciousness. Without the unique tribal method to stimulate awakening, it was simply impossible to wake up.
"Who are you? Why did you attack me? Where are you taking me?" Rui Bing coldly stared at the beautiful woman before her. Undeniably, Feng Su's beauty was something no one, regardless of gender, could overlook. In terms of facial features alone, Feng Su even surpassed Rui Bing by a margin. Paired with her elusive eyes and an ethereal aura, she was absolutely captivating to all.
Feng Su's mind raced. It seemed this woman before her had many unusual traits. Though she didn't know how the other had awakened, she was certain her technique had been flawlessly executed. That left only one possibility: the other party had a unique method to counter it.
She would never have guessed that Rui Bing had already stepped into the realm of a Jie Zhe. Moreover, the Rui family's combat techniques were equally incomprehensible to outsiders.
"Ouch!" Feng Su's face contorted in pain. Soon, beads of sweat the size of soybeans formed on her flawless face, evoking an involuntary sense of pity.
Rui Bing watched her coldly, her expression unmoved. "There's no need to pretend. Tricks like this are useless in front of me." Rui Bing's voice held no fluctuation. If a Jie Zhe couldn't even gauge the severity of her own strikes, it would be the greatest joke.
Rui Bing's will was exceptionally firm. Once she confirmed something, she remained utterly unswayed by external influences. No matter how much pain Feng Su feigned, Rui Bing showed not a hint of emotion.
"Since you enjoy acting, you can keep it up." Rui Bing indifferently tossed out these words, then turned and scanned the room. She quickly located the bathroom. Even as a Jie Zhe, she was still a woman, with the same sensitivity to cleanliness.
Without so much as a glance at Feng Su, she strode into the bathroom. Moments later, the sound of running water echoed through the room.
Feng Su felt both amused and exasperated inwardly. This woman was truly no ordinary character. In the past, this trick of hers had deceived countless people. A woman of such beauty, in such agony—who wouldn't feel a twinge of compassion? Some would even half-doubtfully release the restraints on her, wondering if something had gone wrong. Who would have thought this woman would be completely unmoved? Was she as sharp and perceptive as ice, or as cold and stern as frost?
Whichever it was, for Feng Su, it was not good news. The restraints on her body worked in a similar way to the technique she had used. Right now, the only part of her she could move was her mouth.
A full half hour later, Rui Bing finally emerged from the bathroom, her damp hair casually draped over her shoulders, giving her a refreshingly striking appearance. The white training suit she wore was spotless, clearly having been freshly washed.
"Go on, why did you knock me out?" Rui Bing's voice carried a relaxed tone.
"I just saw you practicing with your mecha and thought you were amazing. I wanted to spar with you, but I was afraid you'd refuse, so I had no choice but to resort to this." Feng Suen put on a pitiful expression.
Rui Bing's expression softened slightly. In the combat world, such situations were common; the thrill of encountering a skilled opponent was a natural emotion for every expert.
Feng Suen was highly skilled at reading people. Seeing Rui Bing's expression soften, she couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
"I really meant no harm, big sister! You're truly incredible. I've never seen any female warrior perform such techniques! Even male warriors would find such moves difficult." Feng Suen's face showed genuine admiration, and her words were sincere. It was hard to tell who was older between them, but Feng Suen deliberately flattered her by calling her "sister."
Her elusive voice seemed to carry a magical charm, making it hard not to feel goodwill toward her.
Rui Bing suddenly let out a cold snort. Feng Suen felt a ringing in her ears and couldn't help but feel shocked.
The subtle changes in Feng Suen's speech were actually a highly advanced technique. Her other disguised identity in the Five Major Star Domains was that of a singer, so she had naturally put great effort into music. This was a skill she had developed herself—using control and variation in syllables to bewilder the mind. Even the resolute Mentality Masters of the Zong Sect, when first encountering this technique, would blush and lose their composure. If she deliberately tried to charm someone, no one had been able to resist so far. It was with her striking looks and this skill that she thrived in the entertainment industry.
Yet this woman was immune to it and could even detect the trickery. How could Feng Suen not be utterly shocked? Her body was now unresponsive, and no matter how many tricks she had, she couldn't use them, leaving her with no choice but to rely on this technique.
How could she not recognize the warning hidden in the other party's cold snort?
Rui Bing was also greatly troubled. The person in front of her was cunning and unpredictable, with endless tricks up her sleeve. If she wasn't careful, she might fall into her trap.
"Now, I don't want to know anything," Rui Bing said calmly after making up her mind. She then walked up to Feng Suen and, under her unwilling gaze, raised her hand and lightly struck the back of her neck. Feng Suen immediately lost consciousness.
Rui Bing picked up the unconscious Feng Suen and placed her where she herself had been lying. Feng Suen wouldn't wake up for twenty days. Of course, if she were a Realm Master, that time would shorten to ten days. However, Rui Bing was certain that although this woman had decent combat skills, she was far from being a Realm Master.
Walking to the control panel of the starship, Rui Bing began to operate it clumsily. In the past, she would have been completely clueless and at a loss when faced with a control panel. But now, having become quite familiar with operating mechas, she could roughly figure out the starship's controls through some exploration.
When she opened the star chart, Rui Bing was taken aback. The star chart was utterly unfamiliar to her, with not a single planet she recognized. The Five Major Star Domains were nowhere to be found.
Where exactly is this? Rui Bing couldn't help but wonder. Glancing at the unconscious Feng Suen, she immediately dismissed the idea of waking her up for interrogation. After checking the starship's current location, she found that it would take only a day to reach Moonlight Star at full speed. According to the star chart, Moonlight Star was an inhabited planet. After a moment's thought, Rui Bing set her course for Moonlight Star.
As long as there are people, things will be manageable, Rui Bing thought.
A day later, the starship finally arrived at Moonlight Star. Rui Bing piloted the starship at a low altitude, and the holographic screen clearly displayed the scenery below.
The starship gradually slowed down and landed in an uninhabited valley. The landing spot was in the shadow of a concave cliff, making it difficult to detect from above.
Climbing a hill and glancing at the distant valley, a rare, mischievous smile appeared at the corner of Rui Bing's lips.
Her Phantom mecha was gone, leaving Rui Bing no choice but to travel on foot. However, before leaving, she had taken several precautions. She had removed every piece of equipment from Feng Suen, including her space button and even any accessories she had. There were no mechas prepared on the starship. To prevent this troublesome woman from causing more trouble upon waking, Rui Bing had taken all the energy cells from the starship and destroyed them violently. The starship was now nothing more than a tin can, completely immobile.
Before leaving, Rui Bing closed the hatch. This way, unless someone inside actively opened the hatch, the only way for outsiders to enter would be to violently break through the starship's outer armor. Of course, if Feng Suen woke up, getting out wouldn't be easy either.
Unfortunately, a space button couldn't summon a mecha without its owner. The only way for Rui Bing to use it would be to kill Feng Suen first. The space button was utterly useless to Rui Bing, so when she passed by a large river, she casually threw the space button and the accessories she had taken from Feng Suen into the water.
Poor mecha Nie Yu, once renowned and formidable, was now effortlessly discarded into the river.
Thinking of that beauty who had caused him so much trouble, his counterattack must have given her some trouble as well. Rui Bing's usually cool and indifferent face couldn't help but show a hint of childish憨态—the kind of silly satisfaction a little girl might have after pulling off a得意的事.
"Some trouble?" If Feng Su woke up and knew Rui Bing was thinking of it so lightly, one wonders what he would think?
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Ye Zhong had already been holed up in his room for three full days. The purchased light mecha model was placed on the table in front of him, with many delicate tools arranged beside it.
The light mecha model was now almost unrecognizable—its back shell had been removed, revealing the intricate machinery inside.
When it comes to the developmental stages of light mechas, there are many theories. One of them divides the evolution into two phases: mechanical light mechas and optical-circuit light mechas.
The earliest light mechas operated entirely through mechanical transmissions, which is why many people also referred to them as "mechas." However, it wasn't until three hundred years ago, when optical circuits were invented, that they replaced mechanical transmissions. This breakthrough led to a qualitative leap in the performance of light mechas, and only then were they truly recognized as "light mechas."
The model in front of him was a genuine antique—a product from 350 years ago, the peak era of mechanical light mechas. During the mechanical light mecha era, due to technological limitations, all light mechas adopted mechanical transmission systems. Yet, even with this foundation, the mechanical light mechas developed during that period still featured many admirable designs.
In the eyes of most people, this was merely an antique, a display piece, or perhaps only useful to those studying the history of light mechas. However, in Ye Zhong's eyes, this item was priceless.
The compatibility of bone materials with optical circuits had always been a headache for Ye Zhong, ever since he began studying bone-made components. But back in Sang Village, the impact light mecha he built had given him a completely new perspective. Due to a lack of tools, Ye Zhong had no choice but to adopt a mechanical transmission system for the impact light mecha. Yet, the power of what he considered a rudimentary impact light mecha far exceeded his expectations.
Especially in the hands of the Sang tribesmen, whose formidable physical prowess allowed them to execute highly complex flight maneuvers, the simple attack methods proved surprisingly effective. This had, for a considerable time,颠覆了 Ye Zhong's understanding of light mechas. In an era where diversified attack methods were constantly pursued, these primitive yet simple and effective tactics gave Ye Zhong a new perspective on light mechas.
However, his understanding of optical circuits far surpassed his knowledge of mechanics—a fact he found rather frustrating. It was like discovering a new path but only having a vehicle that could travel on the old one.
The reason this model was so precious in Ye Zhong's eyes was that it represented the pinnacle of mechanical light mecha technology. He hoped it would bring him inspiration.
When he opened the back shell of the light mecha model, Ye Zhong was immediately stunned by the精致复杂 intricate and sophisticated mechanisms inside!
For three whole days, Ye Zhong had been immersed in calculations. He was now extremely grateful for his solid foundation in basic principles, which had allowed him to decipher the internal mechanics of this light mecha model over the past three days.
He couldn't help but feel profound admiration for the wisdom of the ancients. Many seemingly unimaginable designs were, in fact, incredibly ingenious. Comparing the model in his hands to his own work, Ye Zhong once again realized how crude and简陋 rudimentary his impact light mecha was.
He believed that once he fully understood this model, the performance of his modified impact light mecha could be elevated by several levels.
However, this thought only flashed through his mind momentarily before he immediately immersed himself back into studying the light mecha model.
This model was crafted entirely based on the actual machine. If its internal structure were scaled up, it would become a fully functional light mecha with a very complete structure. The difficulty of creating such a model was no less than that of building an actual light mecha. Moreover, Ye Zhong could tell that every component inside this model was handmade, rather than mass-produced.
Who would go to such great lengths to create a model that served no practical purpose?
Compared to the seven 500-year-old light mechas displayed in Sang Village, this model was undoubtedly far more advanced. Whether in terms of design philosophy or structural optimization, this model represented the peak of mechanical light mecha technology.
However, he still had so much to explore. Apart from some basic theories, Ye Zhong's knowledge in this area was virtually a blank slate. Mechanical theory and optical-circuit theory belonged to two entirely different fields, forcing Ye Zhong to embark on a long and arduous journey of摸索 exploration.
The road ahead is still very long!
Under the lamplight, Ye Zhong's face was filled with专注 focused concentration.