Federal Investigation Bureau Director Shi Xing

"Xinghe, don't we have an undercover agent in the Evil Spirit Cult? What is the point of controlling the Dark Earl?"

Gu Yuena watched Meng Xinghe use his methods to control the unconscious Dark Earl and asked in confusion.

Meng Xinghe replied, "An undercover agent is like money. No one ever thinks they have too much money; they only think of ways to earn more."

Gu Yuena nodded, seeming to understand.

She had been wealthy since birth and had never needed to earn money herself. She rarely even spent it herself. Basically, anything she needed was prepared for her by others. Therefore, she truly had no concept of human money.

To her, wasn't money something you could have whenever you wanted it?

Besides, human lifespans were so short, and money could not be taken with them after death. She truly did not understand why humans were so obsessed with it.

Meng Xinghe understood Gu Yuena's thoughts. "Humans are not like you."

"Some people live to enjoy life, while others live merely to survive. Those with money belong to the former; those without it belong to the latter. You have never needed to worry about money or earning it, so naturally, you cannot truly understand humanity's obsession with money."

With that explanation, Gu Yuena understood.

She still understood the difference between living and surviving.

Weak soul beasts hunted in order to survive, because they would starve to death if they did not hunt. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion hunted in order to live, because even if she did not hunt, the other ferocious beasts would prepare her favorite foods for her.

For humans, money determined whether they lived or merely survived. That was why they were so obsessed with it.

"Xinghe," Gu Yuena continued along the subject of the Evil Spirit Cult.

"Who is our undercover agent in the Evil Spirit Cult?"

Meng Xinghe raised his head toward the sky, and Gu Yuena followed suit, looking up as well.

It was dusk. The sun had sunk behind the western mountains, and a bright moon hung faintly in the sky. If one's eyesight was good enough, one could even see one or two stars glittering in the not-yet-darkened heavens.

"Our undercover agent in the Evil Spirit Cult is..."

Federal Investigation Bureau, East Sea Branch.

Outside the chemistry laboratory, Wu Changkong and Long Bing waited with Tang Wulin in the corridor. Xie Xie had not stayed to accompany his best friend, because his father had taken him away.

Through the glass window, Tang Wulin watched inside the laboratory. His mother skillfully prepared a chemical agent while his father assisted at her side.

"Student Wulin, don't worry." Long Bing comforted Tang Wulin, her gentle manner like that of a caring older sister.

"I asked my father about the situation. The reason the Evil Spirit Cult captured your parents was most likely a type of agent they developed years ago. Now, the Federation needs your parents to recreate that agent, determine its exact effects, and infer why the Evil Spirit Cult needs it. Only then can we better protect your parents."

"Mm." Tang Wulin responded, forcing a smile onto his face.

That shouldn't be it. How could it be an agent?

Tang Wulin's thoughts were in disarray.

He had already guessed that his father was an advanced mecha repairman. He was somewhat surprised that his mother was a pharmacist, but that was all.

But shouldn't the reason the Evil Spirit Cult captured them have been the Golden Dragon King's God Core? How could it be some agent?

Moreover, Tang Wulin realized that his parents seemed completely unaware of the God Core inside his body, just as they did not know of Brother Huo's existence.

Then who had placed the Golden Dragon King's God Core inside him? And who had set eighteen seals within his body?

"Brother Huo, do you know?"

"I do," Huo Yuhao instantly replied. "But you are still too young. Some things can only be told to you once you grow up."

At that moment, footsteps sounded in the corridor. Na Nali walked toward the laboratory, accompanied by a middle-aged man in a plaid shirt and monocle.

Recognizing him, Wu Changkong and Long Bing promptly rose and saluted. "Director Shi."

Tang Wulin also stood and politely said, "Hello, Director Shi."

"Mm." The middle-aged man gave a slight nod.

His name was Shi Xing, the current director of the Federal Investigation Bureau. He possessed the cultivation of a demigod, and his martial soul, the Time Flies Clock, possessed a rare and powerful time attribute. He was known as the strongest beneath the quasi-god rank.

(Yes, he was the Shrek City Lord who had once been Schrödinger. As for why Shi Xing had appeared in this era, everyone should understand.)

Shi Xing looked at Tang Wulin and said, "You're little Tang Wulin, right? Come, stand before Uncle."

As he spoke, he took a silvery-white pocket watch from his pocket. Its cover snapped open. One end of the chain rested in his hand while the watch face hung down, performing a free fall through the air before swinging from side to side. Waves of silvery-white ripples spread through the air.

After the invisible, intangible power of time circled Tang Wulin once, a moving image of time reversing formed behind him.

Through the reversed-time image, Shi Xing, Wu Changkong, and Long Bing personally witnessed the entire course of this evil soul master incident.

Tang Wulin was not drawn to the scene behind him, because something before him was even more eye-catching.

What am I seeing? Nine soul rings are circling that uncle. That is the mark of a Titled Douluo, but why are the colors of his soul rings...

Tang Wulin thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He rubbed them and looked again, but nothing had changed.

That uncle's nine soul rings came in only two colors: red and orange-gold.

There were six red soul rings and three orange-gold soul rings...

The Spirit Pagoda's Soul Spirit Handbook said that a hundred-thousand-year soul spirit could provide a soul master with five soul rings, while a ferocious beast soul spirit could provide six.

Six red and three orange-gold. Such a soul ring configuration meant that this uncle possessed at least two hundred-thousand-year soul spirits and one ferocious beast soul spirit.

Tang Wulin was deeply shocked—was this the director of the Federal Investigation Bureau? He truly was terrifying!

Compared to him, Deputy Director Na Nali's soul ring configuration was far inferior. The four black and five red rings that had amazed Tang Wulin this morning now seemed like nothing much beside Director Shi Xing's configuration.

"Director, did you find anything?"

Na Nali asked. Outsiders like them could only see the reversed-time scene, but as the user of the soul skill, Shi Xing could sense far more through his martial soul.

Shi Xing shook his head regretfully.

In truth, he had discovered Dai Mao, who had been hiding in the shadows at the time. However, this likely involved the Heavenly God's plan, so he naturally could not reveal it casually.

"Perhaps the key to the answer lies in..."

A piece of electronically printed material appeared out of thin air in Shi Xing's hand. "Tang Ziran was once a resident of the Star Luo Empire. As a child, he immigrated to the Federation with his family. Young Tang Ziran had no parents, and the one who helped prepare his immigration documents was the clan head who had taken guardianship of him."

"If we want to uncover the truth behind this incident, we need to understand Tang Ziran's past in the Star Luo Empire."