Trouble Comes Knocking

The glaring red warning box on the computer screen was like a cold, inscribed curse, instantly freezing the peculiar "warmth" that had filled the room due to the game. "Account suspended for 365 days?" Seeing these words, Lin Fan's vision went black, and he nearly passed out. It wasn't because he was heartbroken over the account (though there was a bit of that), but because he foresaw the storm that was about to break.

The aura that had been contained around Tong Tian due to his focus now unleashed like a tempered sword, becoming cold and sharp again, even more solid than before. He stared at the words "cheating software" and "illegal program" on the screen, his brow furrowed. An icy chill permeated his deep eyes, as if he had suffered some immense insult.

"What is the meaning of this?" he turned his head, his gaze falling on Lin Fan like a physical entity. His voice was low, carrying the oppressive weight of an approaching storm. "'Cheating software'... what is it? Why does it sever my 'path to the Dao'?"

Path to the Dao?! Lin Fan's mouth twitched. He was just playing a game and got his account banned, but in this person's eyes, it was actually blocking his path to the Dao? Where was he supposed to find logic for this!

He quickly swallowed, carefully explaining, "Senior Tong Tian, please don't be angry. This 'cheating software'... well, it's a type of cheat tool used to modify game data, making characters incredibly powerful and disrupting the game's balance. The game administrators... uh, the people who maintain the order of this 'virtual world,' detected that your operational data was too... too far beyond normal, not something a normal person could achieve, so they judged that you were using 'cheating software' and suspended the account."

"Cheating?" Tong Tian caught the keyword, the coldness in his eyes intensifying. "I rely on my own reactions and deductions; how can this be called cheating? Are the 'Order Maintainers' of this realm so indiscriminate? Do they sever a person's 'fortune'?"

His tone carried a deep displeasure and an offended pride. He, Master Tongtian, who had roamed the Primordial Era and acted according to his own heart, had never received such "unjust" treatment! Even when he listened to the Dao in Zixiao Palace and vied with the Sages, it was all done honorably!

"This... it's mainly because your operations were too powerful, exceeding their scope of understanding," Lin Fan said with a bitter expression, feeling like he was playing the lute to a cow, no, explaining modern algorithms to a Sage. "They thought only machines or cheat programs could achieve what you did..."

"Hmph! Those who live in a well and look at the sky, the incompetent, judge others by themselves!" Tong Tian snorted coldly, clearly disdainful of the game official's judgment criteria. He glanced at the dark screen and the red warning box, seemingly having the urge to follow the internet cable and 'discuss the Dao' with the game developers.

Nüwa, who had been quietly observing, gently shook her head and said in a soft voice, "Brother, this is the method by which the mortal world sets rules. Though it may seem crude, it is necessary to maintain its order. Since we are in this realm, for now, we must... follow local customs."

Her voice carried a strange calming power, causing the restless sword intent around Tong Tian to subside slightly. He stopped staring at the screen, but his expression remained displeased; clearly, he wasn't going to swallow this insult easily.

Lin Fan, who had just breathed a sigh of relief and was preparing to say a few more comforting words to appease the Sage who was suffering from withdrawal symptoms and had his account banned, heard a rapid and forceful knocking at the door, which rang out without any warning!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The sound was steady, carrying an undeniable official air, definitely not from an ordinary neighbor or delivery person.

The three people in the room instantly tensed!

Lin Fan's heart leaped, almost jumping out of his throat! They're here! They're really here!

Tong Tian and Nüwa looked towards the door almost simultaneously, their eyes sharp. The lingering chill around Tong Tian suddenly condensed, and a hint of solemnity appeared in Nüwa's gentle eyes.

The feeling of being spied on from outside the window became incredibly clear and oppressive at this moment.

"Are... are those people?" Lin Fan's voice was dry as he looked at Tong Tian and Nüwa.

Tong Tian nodded slightly, his eyes icy. "Their aura is the same as the one spying from outside the window. Have they finally lost their patience?"

Nüwa said softly, "Lin Fan, go and open the door. Act according to the situation."

Lin Fan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the panic in his heart. What is fated to happen will happen. He adjusted his clothes, trying his best to make his expression look normal, walked to the door, and looked out through the peephole.

He saw three people standing outside. The one in the lead was Chen Jing, whom he had met yesterday. Today, she was wearing a neat professional suit, her expression serious, her eyes sharp. Behind her stood two tall men in casual clothes, but their posture was upright, their gazes piercing, and they exuded an aura of competence, clearly not ordinary people.

What was coming, was ultimately coming.

Lin Fan gritted his teeth and opened the door, forcing a slightly stiff smile onto his face. "Miss... Miss Chen? What brings you here?"

Chen Jing's gaze was as sharp as a knife, instantly sweeping over Lin Fan's face, as if trying to see through him completely. Her gaze then moved past Lin Fan's shoulder, looking into the room.

When her eyes landed on Tong Tian, who was sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat in the corner, his black hair spread out, his eyes closed but exuding an invisible pressure, and on Nüwa, who was sitting on the floor on the other side, her demeanor gentle and ethereal, calmly looking back at her, her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

Although she had already seen images of these two through surveillance, the extraordinary presence, so out of place in modern society, that washed over her at such close proximity still shocked her. Especially the long-haired man in ancient attire; even with his eyes closed, he made her feel an inexplicable pressure, a pressure originating from a different level of existence.

"Mr. Lin Fan, I apologize for the intrusion," Chen Jing withdrew her gaze, her tone professional but with an undeniable authority. "We have some matters that require us to understand from you and your two... friends. May we come in and talk?"

Her wording was "understand the situation," but her tone and posture clearly indicated "you must cooperate."

Lin Fan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart but couldn't refuse. He stepped aside, creating a passage. "Please... please come in."

Chen Jing entered with her two subordinates. The already cramped rental room instantly felt even more crowded and confined. The two men stood on either side of the door, subtly blocking the exit, their eyes vigilantly scanning the room, finally settling on Tong Tian and Nüwa with looks of scrutiny and caution.

Chen Jing stood in the center of the room. Her gaze fell on Tong Tian and Nüwa again. This time, she spoke directly, her tone steady. "May I ask your names?"

The room was silent.

Tong Tian remained seated with his eyes closed, as if he hadn't heard her question at all, completely treating her as air. This utter disregard was more pressuring than outright hostility.

Nüwa, however, had her eyes open. She looked at Chen Jing, her gaze gentle but with a calm understanding of everything. She didn't answer either, merely nodding slightly as a form of greeting, but her posture was clearly that of an elder acknowledging a junior.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward and tense.

Lin Fan's forehead beaded with sweat. He quickly tried to smooth things over. "Miss Chen, this is Mr. Tong Tian, and this is Ms. Nüwa. They... they are a bit introverted and don't talk much." He racked his brain to come up with the word "introverted" to describe the two Sages.

Chen Jing clearly didn't accept this explanation. She looked at Tong Tian, her tone intensifying. "Mr. Tong Tian? Ms. Nüwa? According to our investigation, you two have no identity records within our country. Can you explain where you are from? And why you are at Mr. Lin Fan's residence?"

This was almost an accusation.

Lin Fan's heart was in his throat.

Just then, Tong Tian, who had remained silent with his eyes closed, finally slowly opened them.

Those deep eyes were like two cold pools, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, merely looking calmly at Chen Jing. There was no sharp edge, no imposing sword intent, but it was this pure, condescending calmness that made the seasoned Chen Jing feel a chill rise from the bottom of her heart.

"Where we come from, what business is it of yours?" Tong Tian spoke, his voice flat, but carrying a natural, almost rule-like indifference. "The master of this place allowed us to stay temporarily; that is the reason."

His answer, while avoiding the main point, carried an inherent assertiveness, directly deflecting Chen Jing's official inquiry.

Chen Jing's brow furrowed. The other party's reaction was completely beyond her expectations. Neither panicked nor cooperative, this thorough, ingrained indifference made her feel that the situation was far more troublesome than she had imagined.

"Mr. Tong Tian, please mind your attitude," Chen Jing's tone turned cold. "According to our country's laws, all entrants must comply with relevant regulations and cooperate with investigations by relevant departments. Your identities are currently unknown, and your behavior is abnormal. We have reason to suspect that you may be involved in acts that endanger national security!"

"Endanger national security?" Tong Tian repeated the phrase, a barely perceptible mocking curve appearing at the corner of his lips. "The 'national security' in your eyes is but a sandy land to me. If I wished, I could overturn it with a flick of my finger; why would I need to hide in this humble dwelling?"

As soon as he said this, the temperature in the room seemed to drop sharply!

The two men, who had been silently vigilant, instantly tensed. Their right hands instinctively moved towards their lower backs, their gazes becoming incredibly sharp, like eagles locking onto their prey! An atmosphere of imminent confrontation filled the air!

Lin Fan was so scared he almost lost his mind! My ancestors! Is that something you can just say?! Isn't that just pouring oil on the fire?!

Chen Jing's expression also completely darkened. The other party's arrogant words, which dismissed everything and treated the country as nothing, made her feel extremely offended and... a hint of unease. This was because the tone in which the other party spoke was too calm, so calm that it didn't sound like boasting, but like stating a simple fact.

"Arrogant!" A man behind Chen Jing couldn't help but shout sternly. He stepped forward, his imposing aura radiating, "Immediately reveal your true identities and purposes! Otherwise, we will take forceful measures!"

His gaze was locked onto Tong Tian, as if he were about to attack at any moment.

However, facing this threatening reprimand and palpable hostility, Tong Tian didn't even lift an eyelid. He even closed his eyes again, as if everything before him was merely the clamor of ants, not worth a second glance.

This extreme contempt completely enraged the man. He looked at Chen Jing, awaiting orders.

Chen Jing's mind was in turmoil. The other party's demeanor was too strange, their abilities unknown, and rashly acting carried immense risk. But if they backed down now, what would become of the official authority? How would the subsequent work proceed?

At this critical juncture, Nüwa, who had been quietly observing, let out a soft sigh.

The sigh was very light, yet it strangely reached everyone's ears, carrying a power that soothed agitation.

She raised her eyes and looked at Chen Jing, her gaze clear and inclusive, her voice ethereal and gentle. "The guardians of this realm, your duties are known to us and my senior brother. However, our arrival in this realm was an accident, and we have no ill intentions, nor do we intend to disrupt the order here."

Her voice seemed to possess a strange magic, causing the anger and hostility rising in Chen Jing and the two men to involuntarily dissipate somewhat.

Nüwa continued in a gentle tone, "My name is Nüwa, and my senior brother's name is Tong Tian. Whether these names are true may be difficult for you to believe. However, I can tell you that we are not from this world, but from... a land lost after a great catastrophe. We drifted here, merely seeking a place to settle and await... the chance to return."

Her words were frank and direct, even revealing the information that they were "not from this world." But this information was so earth-shattering that Chen Jing found it difficult to process, thinking that perhaps the other party was using some kind of metaphor.

"Not from this world?" Chen Jing frowned, trying to understand. "Are you extraterrestrial beings? Or... from another dimension?" This was the closest explanation she could think of based on her current scientific knowledge.

Nüwa shook her head slightly without answering directly, only saying, "You may understand it this way. However, the details concern our origins and are inconvenient to discuss further."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lin Fan with a hint of goodwill. "Young friend Lin Fan has a pure heart and kindly took us in; he has shown us kindness. We hope you will not make things difficult for him."

Her tone remained gentle, yet carried an irrefutable sincerity and... a counsel from a seemingly higher-level existence.

Chen Jing looked into Nüwa's compassionate and clear eyes, momentarily becoming somewhat dazed. The warmth and inclusiveness emanating from this woman, like the aura of nurturing all things, were completely different from any target she had encountered before. This was by no means something a mortal could fake!

She took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the turmoil in her heart. The information received today was too shocking and too fragmented. The other party admitted to "not being from this world" but refused to reveal their specific origin; their attitude seemed cooperative, but in reality, they were watertight; the man named Tong Tian was dangerous and unpredictable, and the woman named Nüwa was gentle yet unfathomably deep.

Acting forcefully would likely yield no benefits, and might even trigger unforeseeable consequences.

"Ms. Nüwa, I will record your words," Chen Jing's tone softened slightly, but remained serious. "However, we must ascertain your identities and purposes. Until a clear conclusion is reached, we hope you will not leave this city and will maintain open communication, cooperating with our investigation at all times."

This was a temporary concession, changing from forceful removal to monitored residence.

Nüwa nodded slightly. "Agreed."

Tong Tian still had his eyes closed, offering no comment.

Chen Jing gave the two a deep look, then glanced at the nervously near-collapse Lin Fan. She said no more and signaled to her two subordinates.

The three turned and left as decisively and neatly as they had arrived.

The door was gently closed.

Lin Fan's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the bed, gasping for air, feeling as if he had just narrowly escaped death.

"They... they left?" he asked, still shaken.

Nüwa looked at him and said softly, "For now, there is no trouble. The guardians of this realm still possess reason."

Tong Tian slowly opened his eyes at this moment, a cold glint flashing in his pupils before disappearing. "If my junior sister hadn't stopped me, hmph..."

He didn't finish, but the chilling implication made Lin Fan have no doubt that if they had truly acted, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Senior brother, this realm is not the Primordial Era; we must act with caution," Nüwa gently advised. "Moreover, young friend Lin Fan is still here; do not involve him."

Tong Tian glanced at Lin Fan, remained silent for a moment, and then seemed to accept Nüwa's words.

Just as Lin Fan caught his breath, his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and saw it was his project manager.

A bad premonition surged in his heart again. He tremblingly pressed the answer button.

On the other end of the line, the manager's cold, emotionless voice came through:

"Lin Fan, come to the company immediately and bring your personal belongings. You're fired."