EP.2·[Timelines · Timeline]

Foreword:

Teachers are the engineers of the human soul.

[--Joseph Leo Stalin]

[Part ①·FE33031]

"The time is 0:27 in the morning on July 29, 2025."

"There are still forty-seven hours until Bu Liuxing's birthday. Hmm, I remember it very clearly. In the FE33031 Timeline, he was born on August 1st, a Leo."

"His mother, Bu Mei, made a different choice at the yacht party because of some [unexpected] --"

"--Looking from the stern of the yacht, we can see a bartender, two wealthy young men from factory-owning families in the Southern District of Hung Hom, and a waiter."

"I can't see the waiter's face clearly, I don't even know if he's male or female, human or ghost, but in FE33031's field of vision, this guy changed something, something crucial!"

"It was because of him that he said one more word to Bu Mei, one more sentence: 'Miss, you are beautiful enough as you are, you don't need so many people to fawn over you, you are beautiful enough' -- and so Bu Mei took a piece of baked milk from the waiter's plate instead of the salted lemon slice from FE204863."

"And then everything changed! Everything changed!"

"Because of the cloying sweetness of the baked milk, she asked the bartender to add four ice cubes to the whiskey, instead of the usual two."

"The difference between these two blocks of ice is merely one hundred milliliters of water, which dilutes the intoxicating spirit into an ordinary condiment for pleasure."

She went straight to VIP lounge number fourteen, instead of starting from cabin number one.

"The final result was that, ten months later— Bu Liuxing Quack in the delivery room."

"He became our archenemy. He was the soul of [JoeStar]. Without him, let's look at the horizon observation results of FE204863. Let me tell you about your life."

In first class, the Bolivian woman, who had just been let in by flight attendant Butch, sat back down in a dark corner.

She crossed her arms and legs, looking solemnly at the distinguished guest in the shadows.

Her spirit was connected to the mysterious person at the opposite table, seemingly trying to transmit all her senses and thoughts into the other's brain.

"At first, I didn't understand why the Little Brotherhood valued you, a scavenger, so much. It wasn't until I saw your face clearly, and my Soul Power [Timeline] began to re-examine and scrutinize you—as the censor of the Grey Robe Monk, I must see everyone's past and future before I can determine whether new brothers and sisters are qualified to join our society."

"To my surprise..."

The spirit's tentacles, resembling those of White Snake, gently tapped the light switch next to the observation window.

"Our newsboy actually picked up this person."

Under the lights, the mysterious person revealed their true face.

His skin resembled withered leaves, and the wrinkles on his face and his dark eyes made him look like a zombie who had just crawled out of a coffin but wasn't quite dead yet.

He wasn't tall, and looked to be in his fifties, but his eyes immediately lit up when light shone into them.

The woman continued.

"You've come to the right person. Among the many sects and branches of the Madness Butterfly Sect, the cultivators shaped by our Feathered Serpent Holy Blood, the astrologers or feng shui masters in the Little Brotherhood, are the most skilled in the application of drugs and poisons, and in the research of the brain and Inspiration —I can see countless futures in you."

"There's no need for the sales pitches from pyramid schemes," the mysterious man retorted in a hoarse voice. "Go on, continue. Let's get back to Bu Liuxing's topic."

The woman bent down and continued with great interest, "In FE204863, you are Jiang Xueming, but this time, Bu Liuxing is not in your life. Because Bu Mei ate salted lemon slices at the stern, she added a little extra honey to her cocktail. She got completely drunk, and later, due to preeclampsia, the fetus died. This boy, or rather, the little girl of FE204863, was not born safely."

Mysterious man. "Hmm."

An eerie light shone from the woman's eyes, like a videotape frantically rewinding, occasionally speeding up, pausing, rewinding, or skipping.

Images flooded her mind, and within seconds, she began to lose her senses due to the massive influx of information, with blood flowing from her mouth and nose.

But the lady showed no sign of stopping; she still wanted to unleash her spiritual power to fully understand the origins of this distinguished guest.

"Jiang Bailu was still infected with the Vita Imprint. With nowhere else to turn, you received an invitation from the station and met 9527. Due to the lack of a suitable partner, the temporary border crossing was changed from [Sweet Wind Fang Feng] to [Soul Weaver]. The destination was supposed to be a wilderness settlement near Edinburgh, United Kingdom, but in another story, in your life's journey, it became a haunted workshop in the underworld near Czechoslovakia. The journey from six hours to fourteen days was extended."

"You're very unlucky, extremely unlucky. There wasn't much useful information on this journey. You set off in the summer and didn't return to the station until winter. In the spring of the following year, you finally returned to the Cheung Sha Wan Sanatorium with the Universal Elixir and saw Bailu's tombstone."

"You can't understand all this because Jiang Bailu was just talking to you via video call not long ago. The Vita Imprint in her body seemed very stable. The virus outbreak shouldn't have been so short-lived. The BOSS saw the photos your sister sent and judged from the extent of her abdominal swelling that the medical staff at the station said she was very healthy."

"But you discovered something extraordinary. After the Hand of Omnipotence Vita Imprint on Jiang Bailu, it has been lurking by her side. When you were taken away by the waiter, the ring finger and middle finger infiltrated the nursing home's staff. They have been taking care of Bailu, trying to awaken the Inspiration within her with White Lady, trying to forge her into the next little finger."

"Jiang Bailu suffered inhuman torture and was mentally controlled to record voice messages to let you know she was safe. She died before spring arrived, her abdomen ruptured, and she turned into a butterfly."

"You almost went crazy after hearing the news."

"If Bailu had only died of illness, perhaps you could have had a proper and solemn farewell to her."

"If Ming De's medical team could have detected the abnormalities in Bailu's body through the cold electronic screen, perhaps she wouldn't have died."

"If they could return to the station within six hours, the Hand of Omnipotence's subsequent operations might not have gone so smoothly."

"If you have Bu Liuxing in your life, you're incredibly unlucky."

"Shall we skip this part?" The mysterious man raised his hand, his soul power bursting forth with a dark light, and the dense black mist quickly condensed into a solid form, tightly gripping the Bolivian woman's neck.

"Ugh!" The Little Brotherhood's inspector was nearly choked to death by this uninvited guest, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets. It took him a long time to recover. "Excuse me. I didn't mean to offend you, Jiang Xueming."

The mysterious person corrected. "According to you, it should be called FE204863—if you find that too complicated, then just call me Sixty-Three."

"Okay. Sixty-Three." The Bolivian woman extended her hand, cautiously and respectfully stating her real name, hoping to gain the favor of the important figure. "My name is Claudia, Claudia Ars Duran."

Sixty-Three: "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Duran: "My Soul Power is very special; it has almost no combat capability. That's what makes it special."

Sixty-Three: "Can it see the past and the future? Does it live in a higher dimension?"

Duran: "That's right, it has helped me escape danger countless times."

Sixty-Three allowed the White Snake spirit to pierce his flesh, wanting to reveal his primordial essence to this wondrous diviner.

"Watch your words, Duran, continue."

"My lord, let me rest for a while, just a short rest." Duran's face was pale, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans dripped from his forehead. "Deciphering information from another world, from another parallel universe, from another time and space—this massive flow of information is almost bursting my brain."

A few minutes later.

Just as Wood Plark, disguised as a flight attendant, was preparing to stage a hijacking of the plane with Jiang Xueming of FE33031.

Ms. Duran wiped the blood from her mouth and nose, finally freeing herself from a severe headache.

"After losing Bailu, you've been wandering the railway system, trying to find an opportunity for revenge—you've become involved with the Blood Butterfly Loan Shark, and you quickly realized your talent, a very dangerous and deadly talent, the talent of [disassembling the body]."

"You've become a henchman for the Hung Mun in the underworld. Your mission is to find the most powerful intelligence network, track down Ming De and the Hand of Omnipotence, and uncover their Gate of Death."

"You found the right opportunity to woo 9527, ultimately killing her and sacrificing your servant. From then on, you wore a Steel Heart on each hand—this perfectly symmetrical chiral combination made you stronger, colder, more mechanical, and cruel."

"You will make Ming De pay the price—because it despises your life and Bailu's."

"You will make the Hand of Omnipotence pay the price—including the Madness Butterfly they worship."

"Forty-one years have passed, and you did not receive the blood-offering ceremony, but instead became the most terrifying and cold-blooded murderer in the eyes of the Blood Butterfly Cult or the train station. Not a single one of the Hand of Omnipotence remained; they all became wailing ghosts in your hands. You trapped their spirits in your radiant stone, torturing these ghosts with various instruments, and you could only sleep peacefully when you heard the wails of your enemies."

"Until the next harvest season arrives, your terrorist attack on the Nine Realms Station will Ming De, steal most of its spiritual essence, and take away its Red Mountain Stone Life-Protecting Talisman. It hopes to go to Heaven to find a place of eternal happiness, peace, and joy."

"So, your soul power responded to you. It absorbed the energy of Ming De, allowing your morpho butterfly to evolve once more, and sent you here, to FE33031—I remember you said, in your world..."

"Wood Plark." Sixty-Three rubbed his messy hair. "His train was heading to the unknown location FE204863, not FE33031 as written on his current identification—he is the strongest enemy I have ever encountered in my life."

"When our newsboy first brought you back from the ranks of scavengers," Ms. Duran said in surprise, "I couldn't believe that a Morpho butterfly could be found wandering the wastelands of District 19, living among these poor wretches who live on loans."

"We are born without the opportunity to choose our gender, appearance, family, life, or wealth," said Sixty-Three. "Being with these people reminds me of the days I spent with many people who didn't know who I was, who no longer recognized me. For example, Blake, who went with me to apply for a job at the aluminum factory, has become a woman in this world. It feels very strange, extremely strange. It's chilling to even think about."

[Part ②·FE204863]

"What surprised me even more was," Ms. Duran poured water for Sixty-Three, "That you actually come from another universe. This is something I couldn't have imagined. The first time my soul power communicated with you, the first time we exchanged ideas, the strange spiritual pressure almost drove me crazy. Perhaps having this superpower is a burden for me."

"Ignorance is bliss." Sixty-Three picked up the cup and immediately saw the microbial community in the water. His spiritual essence and soul essence had reached a state of perfection, and he could almost see the cilia on the single-celled organisms. However, he was already used to it and drank it down in one gulp.

Ms. Duran exclaimed, "You're a criminal genius, Jiang!"

Sixty-Three: "Sixty-Three."

Duran changed his tune. "Sixty-Three, it is a great honor for our sect to have the favor of such an important person as you. In another timeline, you almost overturned the entire underground world, chasing and fighting with Guangling Zhixi and the Lapis Lazuli Guards for more than forty years, while also opposing the people of the Madness Butterfly Sect. I am really very curious, your body does not look like it has been bled. Without the help of the calamity beast, you must possess a very powerful soul might."

In that instant--

The plane seemed to freeze for a moment.

Duran acted as a parrot.

"Sixty-Three, I am extremely honored to receive the favor of such an important person as you—you are on another timeline."

This beautiful woman of mixed Latin and South American descent from Bolivia suddenly began to tremble with full lips.

She couldn't imagine what had just happened; in the brief moment between breaths, it seemed as if something had been snatched away by the mysterious guest before her!

Her throat was dry, but she found that the water glass was full again, as if no one had ever drunk from it.

Her cold sweat slid down her cheeks, near her chin, and the water stains on her thighs disappeared completely.

She finally saw the bead of sweat, which landed on the fabric of her long dress. When it touched the skin of her right leg, a chill ran through her.

Sixty-Three picked up the water glass again and drank it all in one gulp.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Please continue."

Duran: "You're on another timeline."

Sixty-Three: "The car overturned the entire underground world."

Duran: "He chased and fought fiercely with Guangling Zhixi and the Lapis Lazuli Guards."

Sixty-Three: "Unlike you said, which is only forty-odd years, for me it's been over a hundred years."

Ms. Duran then understood--

--The reason why the Sixty-Three chose the Little Brotherhood was not because the Grey Monks were lucky enough.

She immediately unleashed her spiritual power, and the White Snake -like spirit bit her neck tightly.

From the seemingly real yet illusory images, the bizarre scene from before is recreated, and the events that happened to Duran himself are replayed.

If Duran's guess is correct--

--Jiang Xueming, from universe FE204863, possesses the ability to reverse time!

Is it a few seconds? Or hours? Days or months?

As for this information, Ms. Duran had no idea.

But without a doubt!

Just now, her [Timeline] did indeed detect a spacetime disturbance!

Only she could perceive this change; only she, with her shared Soul Power in the Fifth Dimension, could sense the Soul Power ability of the Sixty-Three.

It's a near-invincible superpower!

"What do you wish to do, sir?" Ms. Duran was overjoyed. Regardless of this guy's origins, with such miraculous soul power assisting him, every member of the Little Brotherhood would rise to prominence. From then on, Lady Luck would forever favor them, and all randomness would become inevitable!

"You used the power of the Red Mountain Stone to come to FE33031! You must be trying to steal something, right?! Is it Jiang Xueming's essence? Do you want to be reborn? To have your life recreated?"

Duran pressed on with his questions, excitedly speculating.

He possesses things you don't have! They are all worldly treasures!

"His friends, his sister! And his lover!"

"A teacher worthy of respect! A kind and approachable boss! A seat on the council of elders! A backbone of Ming De!"

"You must have come for the Red Mountain Stone he has!"

"Otherwise, why would they specifically commission us to calculate his weakest, most helpless, and most lonely moment, and then intercept him on this plane?"

"Don't worry, Elder Sixty-Three. We can rejuvenate your frail body through blood transfusion or with the Immortal Lune."

"I think that's what you're planning too."

Duran sat down next to Sixty-Three, his face full of fawning smiles.

"You must want to kill Jiang Xueming silently, kill this Jiang Xueming of FE33031 who is so happy that he makes people grit their teeth in hatred, and then take away all the favors he has received, taking his place without anyone noticing! Is that right?"

She tilted her head back, almost fainting from excitement.

"Sixty-Three, I've already thought of your wedding speech for your wedding with 9527! What gift would be appropriate for you? If you control the Red Mountain Stone, this miraculous soul power that reverses time can evolve again, unleashing the divine power that disrupts spacetime once more. I..."

Suddenly--

--That strange and inexplicable psychic energy fluctuation pulled Duran back to the back of the chair opposite him.

Time reverses again, and so it is said at the Sixty-Three.

"Stay away from me, I'm not comfortable talking to people at this distance."

It was a long time before Ms. Duran realized what was going on. Only after repeatedly probing the historical data of the physical body with her soul power did she understand Sixty-Three's intentions.

--It seems that this incredibly powerful extraterrestrial visitor has other unknown secrets, and there are many, many things he is unwilling to reveal.

Having finished discussing church matters, Miss Duran now had to talk about what the future might hold.

"No matter what you're planning, Sixty-Three —I'm telling you, in the FE204863 Timeline, your thorn in the side, your archenemy Wood Plark, is right now with another version of you, preparing to wreak havoc in economy class."

"Six minutes and thirty seconds later, they'll run into their first ungrateful bastard. This guy seems to be from District 38. I don't know him. Maybe he's some clueless madman from the Madness Butterfly cult who was incredibly unlucky to get on this plane. He was exposed after handing over his phone, and Wood Plark killed him on the pretext of not cooperating with the robbery."

"Next came two newcomers from the Sixth Row Little Brotherhood. They came to this plane with us. One was named Billy, and the other was named Fuyanni. When the gunshot rang out, Fuyanni was still eating a wafer. Crumbs fell into his trachea, causing him to cough a couple of times, which caught Jiang Xueming's attention. Billy couldn't draw his gun as quickly as Jiang Xueming, so he panicked and used his spirit to attack. This kid... another you... beat him into a pulp with iron elbows and steel fists."

"Under Wood Plark's interrogation, Fuyanni dared not cry, nor dared to sweat nervously, for fear that his pheromones would be exposed to others. He secretly injected himself with a sedative, but due to an excessive dose, he eventually died of a slow heart rate and blood clots."

"Like them, Flavia, who was shot in the head in the luggage rack—Wood called her Butch, and she was the first to die."

"Your soul power can change all of this! It can reverse all of this! It can conquer all of this! It can rule all of this!"

The clock ticked away, ticking forward second by second.

Ms. Duran covered her head; the timeline she could explore forward was limited to this.

She is very good at researching historical documents of a particular organization, but she is not good at predicting the future at all.

Because there are many unpredictable variables that are constantly changing the future.

Being able to foresee events that would occur in the next ten minutes or so in the FE33031 universe had already drained all of her mental energy.

At this very moment, in the customer service room--

Jiang Xueming finally finished rehearsing his lines and calmed down to prepare for departure.

"Mr. Wood, please!"

Wood Plark snapped his fingers, creating sparks, and sent his smoky fingers toward the fire alarm device.

"Teachers are the engineers of the human soul. Gunsmith, you've always called me 'teacher,' but I've suddenly changed my mind. I will never let you down."

In an instant, the entire plane's alarms blared.

Xue Ming felt a strange sense of surprise.

"Professor Wood! Did you just say that..."

Just half a second too late, Xue Ming emerged from behind the curtain, gun in hand, and asked in a low voice.

"Have I said it once?"