The Trouble Came Knocking

The glaring red warning box on the computer screen was like a cold spell, freezing the strange "heat" the game had brought to the room. Banned for 365 days? Lin Fan saw the words, and his vision went black. He nearly passed out. It wasn't because he was heartbroken over his account (though that was part of it); he had a premonition of the storm about to come.

The aura that had just drawn inward around Tong Tian as he focused now surged forth like an unsheathed sword, turning cold and sharp once more—more concentrated than before. He stared at the words "cheating software" and "illegal program" on the screen, his brows furrowing as frost spread through his deep eyes. It was as if he had suffered some tremendous insult.

"What does this mean?" He turned, fixing Lin Fan with a gaze that felt almost tangible. His voice was low, carrying the oppressive weight of a storm about to break. "'Cheating software'... What is that? Why have you cut off my path to the Dao?"

His path to the Dao?! Lin Fan's mouth twitched. In this man's eyes, getting banned from a game had somehow become an obstacle to his cultivation? Where was he supposed to go to argue his case?

He hurriedly swallowed, then carefully explained, "Master Tongtian, please don't get angry. This 'cheating software'... well, it's a kind of tool that alters game data to make a character especially powerful, which disrupts the game's balance. The game's administrators... um, the people who maintain order in this 'virtual world'—detected that your gameplay data was too... too far beyond what's normal, not something an ordinary person could produce. So they decided you were using cheating software and banned your account."

"Cheating?" Tong Tian seized on the word, and the coldness in his eyes deepened. "I relied on my own reactions and deductions. How can that be called cheating? Are this realm's 'guardians of order' so incapable of distinguishing right from wrong that they would cut off another's 'opportunity'?"

His tone brimmed with displeasure and the pride of someone who had been insulted. He was Master Tongtian, who had roamed the Primordial Era, acting solely as his heart dictated. When had he ever suffered such "unfair" treatment? Even when he listened to the Dao in Zixiao Palace and vied with the other Saints, he had done so openly and honorably!

"Well... your gameplay was just too good, beyond what they could understand." Lin Fan grimaced, feeling like he was talking to a brick wall—or, no, explaining modern algorithms to a Saint. "They think only a machine or a cheating program could perform like that..."

"Hmph! Ignorant fools, unable to do it themselves, judge others by their own limits!" Tong Tian snorted, clearly disdainful of the game company's standards. He glanced at the dark screen and red warning box, looking almost as if he wanted to follow the network cable and "discuss the Dao" with the game's developers.

Nüwa, who had been quietly watching, gently shook her head and spoke in a soothing voice. "Senior Brother, this is how the mortal world defines its rules. It may be crude, but it is necessary to maintain order here. Since we are in this realm, for now we must... do as the locals do."

Her voice carried a peculiar calming power, slightly soothing the restless sword intent around Tong Tian. He stopped staring at the screen, but his expression remained sour. He clearly wasn't ready to let the matter go.

Lin Fan had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say something else to placate the Saint whose gaming addiction had ended in a ban, when a series of urgent, forceful knocks rang out without warning!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The sound was steady and carried an unmistakably official air. It wasn't an ordinary neighbor or delivery person.

All three of them instantly tensed!

Lin Fan's heart gave a violent leap, nearly jumping into his throat. They were here! They really had come!

Tong Tian and Nüwa both looked toward the door, their eyes sharp. The coldness that still lingered around Tong Tian suddenly gathered, while a hint of gravity entered Nüwa's gentle gaze.

The sense of being watched from outside the window became unmistakable, pressing in on them.

"Are... are those people?" Lin Fan asked hoarsely, looking at Tong Tian and Nüwa.

Tong Tian gave a slight nod, his eyes cold. "Their aura is the same as that of the watcher outside. They have finally run out of patience."

"Lin Fan, answer the door," Nüwa said softly. "See how things unfold."

Lin Fan took a deep breath and forced down his panic. If it was his fate, he couldn't escape it. He straightened his clothes, tried to make himself look normal, then went to the door and peered through the peephole.

Three people stood outside. The woman in front was Chen Jing, whom he had met the day before. Today she wore a neat business suit, her expression stern and her eyes sharp. Two tall men stood behind her. They were dressed casually, but their posture was straight and their gazes keen. They radiated competence; it was obvious they weren't ordinary people.

What was meant to happen had happened.

Lin Fan gritted his teeth and opened the door, forcing a stiff smile. "M-Ms. Chen? What brings you here?"

Chen Jing's gaze was sharp as a knife. It swept across Lin Fan's face, as if trying to see right through him. Then her eyes passed over his shoulder and into the room.

When she saw Tong Tian sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat in the corner, his black hair loose and his eyes closed, an invisible pressure radiating from him, and Nüwa seated on the floor nearby, her bearing gentle and otherworldly as she calmly met Chen Jing's gaze, her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

Although she had already seen footage of the two through surveillance, being this close to them still shook her. They possessed an extraordinary bearing utterly at odds with modern society. The long-haired man in ancient robes especially made her feel an inexplicable pressure, as if it came from a higher order of life, even with his eyes closed.

"Mr. Lin, sorry to trouble you." Chen Jing withdrew her gaze. Her tone was official, but left no room for refusal. "There are a few things we need to ask you and your two... friends about. May we come in and talk?"

She said they wanted to "ask a few things," but her tone and posture made it clear that they expected his full cooperation.

Lin Fan groaned inwardly, but couldn't refuse. He stepped aside to let them pass. "P-please, come in."

Chen Jing entered with her two subordinates. The already cramped rental apartment suddenly felt even smaller and more confining. The two men took up positions on either side of the door, subtly blocking the exit. Their wary gazes swept the room before settling on Tong Tian and Nüwa, full of scrutiny and caution.

Standing in the middle of the room, Chen Jing looked at Tong Tian and Nüwa again. This time, she addressed them directly, her voice steady. "What should we call you?"

Silence filled the room.

Tong Tian remained seated with his eyes closed, as though he hadn't heard her question at all. He treated her as if she were nothing but air. That utter disregard was more oppressive than open hostility.

Nüwa, however, had her eyes open. She looked at Chen Jing with a gentle gaze, but one that seemed to see through everything. She didn't answer either. She merely inclined her head in greeting, the gesture clearly that of an elder acknowledging a younger person.

The atmosphere instantly grew awkward and tense.

Sweat beaded on Lin Fan's forehead. He hurried to smooth things over. "Ms. Chen, this is Mr. Tong Tian, and this is Ms. Nüwa. They... they're a little reserved and don't talk much." He had racked his brain to come up with "reserved" as a way to describe two Saints.

Chen Jing clearly didn't accept that explanation. Looking at Tong Tian, she spoke more firmly. "Mr. Tong Tian? Ms. Nüwa? According to our investigation, there are no identity records for either of you in our country. Can you explain where you came from and why you're in Mr. Lin's home?"

It was a question that left little room for evasion.

Lin Fan's heart leaped into his throat.

Just then, Tong Tian, who had been sitting with his eyes closed and saying nothing, finally opened them.

His deep eyes were like two cold pools, devoid of emotion as he calmly looked at Chen Jing. There was no overt menace or pressing sword intent, but his pure, condescending calm made even the battle-tested Chen Jing feel a chill rise from within.

"Where we came from is none of your concern," Tong Tian said. His voice was calm, yet held the natural indifference of an immutable law. "The master of this place has allowed us to stay. That is reason enough."

His answer skirted the question, yet carried such matter-of-fact authority that it rebuffed Chen Jing's official inquiry.

Chen Jing's brows drew together. His reaction was nothing like she had expected. He wasn't frightened, and he wasn't cooperating. That utter disregard, rooted deep in his bones, made her realize this would be far more troublesome than she had imagined.

"Mr. Tong Tian, watch your attitude," Chen Jing said coldly. "Under our country's laws, anyone entering the country must follow the relevant regulations and cooperate with the authorities' investigation. Your identities are unknown and your behavior is unusual. We have reason to suspect you may be involved in activities that threaten national security!"

"Threaten national security?" Tong Tian repeated. A faintly mocking curve seemed to touch his lips. "The 'national security' you speak of is but a patch of sand in my eyes. If I wished, I could overturn it with a snap of my fingers. Why would I need to hide in this shabby room?"

The moment he said it, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet!

The two silent, wary men instantly tensed their muscles. Their right hands moved instinctively toward their waists, their eyes sharpening like hawks that had locked onto prey. The air filled with the tension of a drawn bow.

Lin Fan was terrified out of his wits. Good grief! You can't just say things like that! You're only making it worse!

Chen Jing's face darkened. The arrogance in his words—his contempt for everything and dismissal of the country—deeply offended her and stirred a faint unease. The way he said it had been far too calm to sound like a boast. It was more like he was stating a simple fact.

"Arrogant!" One of the men behind Chen Jing snapped, unable to hold back. He stepped forward, his presence imposing. "State your real identities and purpose immediately! Otherwise, we'll be forced to take action!"

His gaze fixed on Tong Tian, as if he were about to strike at any moment.

Yet in the face of the threat and the hostility hanging thick in the air, Tong Tian didn't even lift an eyelid. He simply closed his eyes again, as though all this was nothing but the noisy chatter of ants, unworthy of notice.

That extreme contempt finally infuriated the man. He looked to Chen Jing, waiting for her order.

Chen Jing was torn. Their behavior was too strange, and their abilities unknown; taking action rashly was risky. But if she backed down now, what would become of the authorities' standing? How could they proceed with their work?

At that critical moment, Nüwa, who had been quietly observing, let out a soft sigh.

The sigh was faint, yet somehow reached everyone's ears, carrying a power that soothed their agitation.

She lifted her eyes and looked at Chen Jing. Her gaze was clear and accepting, her voice ethereal and gentle. "Guardians of this realm, we understand that you are fulfilling your duty. Yet our arrival here was an accident. We mean no harm, and have no intention of disturbing this realm's order."

Her voice seemed to possess a peculiar magic. The anger and hostility rising within Chen Jing and the two men faded involuntarily.

Nüwa continued gently, "My name is Nüwa, and my senior brother is called Tong Tian. You may find our names difficult to believe. But I can tell you that we are not of this world. We come from... a lost land, left behind after a cataclysm. We have drifted here only to find a place to live and wait for... an opportunity to return."

Her words were candid and direct. She even revealed that they were "not of this world," but the information was so astonishing that Chen Jing couldn't take it in at once. She could only assume they were speaking metaphorically.

"Not of this world?" Chen Jing frowned, trying to make sense of it. "Are you extraterrestrial life forms? Or... from another dimension?" That was the closest explanation she could think of based on current scientific knowledge.

Nüwa gave a slight shake of her head without answering directly. "You may understand it that way. But the details concern our origins, and we cannot say more."

She paused, then glanced at Lin Fan with a hint of kindness. "Young Lin Fan is kind-hearted. He took us in, and we owe him for that. Please don't make things difficult for him."

Her tone remained gentle, yet held a sincerity that admitted no doubt and a... note of admonition from a being who seemed to stand on a higher plane.

Looking into Nüwa's compassionate, clear eyes, Chen Jing found herself momentarily dazed. The warmth radiating from this woman, her all-embracing aura as if she had given birth to all things, was unlike anything Chen Jing had encountered before. It was impossible for an ordinary person to fake!

She drew a deep breath and forced down the tumult in her heart. The information she had received today was too astonishing and too fragmented. They admitted they were "not of this world," but refused to reveal where they came from. They seemed cooperative, yet revealed nothing. The man called Tong Tian was dangerous and inscrutable; the woman called Nüwa was gentle, but just as unfathomable.

If she tried to force the issue, she might gain nothing—and could provoke consequences no one could predict.

"Ms. Nüwa, I'll make a record of what you've said." Chen Jing's tone softened a little, though it remained stern. "But we still have to find out your identities and purpose. Until we reach a clear conclusion, I hope you won't leave this city and will remain reachable, ready to cooperate with our investigation at any time."

It was a temporary concession: instead of taking them in by force, she was placing them under surveillance at their residence.

Nüwa gave a slight nod. "Agreed."

Tong Tian kept his eyes closed, neither agreeing nor objecting.

Chen Jing gave them a long look, then glanced at Lin Fan, who looked close to collapsing from nerves. She said no more, only signaling to her two subordinates.

The three of them left as briskly as they had arrived.

The door closed softly behind them.

Lin Fan's legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath. He felt as though he had just returned from the gates of death.

"They... they're gone?" he asked, still shaken.

Nüwa looked at him and said gently, "For now, everything is fine. The guardians of this realm still have reason."

Only then did Tong Tian slowly open his eyes. A flash of cold light appeared in them and vanished. "If not for Junior Sister stopping me, hm..."

He didn't finish, but the icy implication left Lin Fan in no doubt: if they had actually fought, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Senior Brother, this is not the Primordial Era. We must be cautious," Nüwa advised softly. "Besides, young Lin Fan is here. We mustn't involve him."

Tong Tian glanced at Lin Fan and fell silent for a moment, which was as good as accepting what Nüwa had said.

Lin Fan had just managed to catch his breath when his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and saw that it was his company's project manager.

A fresh wave of dread washed over him. His hand trembling, he pressed the answer button.

The manager's cold, emotionless voice came through the phone:

"Lin Fan, come to the office right now and bring your personal belongings. You're fired."