"Mountains and Rivers Classic"

Qianlong robots were divided into three major categories.

The first were Class A robots—combat robots that carried out all kinds of combat missions: hand-to-hand fighting, gunfights, street battles, wilderness battles, and so on. Their shells were incomparably hard, and they had been implanted with the finest combat neurons. They did not necessarily have to be humanoid, but they were formidable in battle. Of course, that strength was only relative to ordinary people. Against genetic experts, robots were ultimately somewhat slower to react, and their materials were not especially durable either. Thus, they were currently only used in conventional combat and could not rise to high-level battles.

The second were Class B robots, like Xiao Luo. They knew all kinds of knowledge, could cook, wash clothes, stew soup, and excel in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They were an excellent servant template. Under special circumstances, they could even take a bullet for their master—note, that taking a bullet was perfectly proper.

The third category was Class C, which carried out special missions. Their tasks were singular, and so were their functions—for example, diving robots and mine-sweeping robots...

There was actually no fourth category, Class E, in the Qianlong dictionary. The representative brand of Class E robots was "Catwoman," which solved people's entertainment and physiological needs. That fell under commercial goods; anyone could place an order online and buy one.

Qianlong did not manufacture them specifically.

Because Qianlong's people had basically cast off lowbrow tastes.

But if someone truly still had such lowbrow tastes and insisted on modifying their personal attendant in that regard, it was an exceedingly simple minor operation for an engineer. Dig a hole, add some gel, implant a few neurons, add some moans and whimpers into the vocal system, and wouldn't that do it? What a big deal.

An application would basically be approved as well.

It was just that among all the people in Unit 101, no one had actually submitted such an application. Everyone still wanted to save a little face...

Lin Xiaosu looked at the censored images floating in the air, then at Xiao Luo's innocent eyes before him. He felt a little embarrassed himself. Better leave—he should go back to the library and keep reading.

At midnight, Lin Xiaosu held a book and stared blankly into space.

The book was called "Mountains and Rivers Classic." It recorded all kinds of ancient myths and strange beasts: 360 peculiar objects and 360 exotic beasts.

Section seventy-eight of "Mountains and Rivers Classic" recorded a giant bird called the Sky Gu. The bird was a hundred zhang long, with a wingspan of three hundred zhang. Its sharp claws had three talons, capable of splitting mountains and cleaving rocks. Three scales grew upon its forehead, bright red in color...

The book was clearly very old. Its pages had yellowed, and it was thread-bound. The writing inside was not printed type, nor was it even movable type—it had been written by hand.

Judging by its contents alone, it was a bona fide myth.

Yet an image surfaced in Lin Xiaosu's mind, filling him with incomparable dread...

It was the scene he had seen through the Sky Window when he had stayed overnight at Willow Grove Temple for the second time, on Celestial Change Day: a giant bird crossing lofty mountains and great rivers as it flew toward that ancient stone stele. The bird had been incomparably enormous, and the three scarlet scales on its forehead had been so striking...

"Didn't you want to add some functions to Xiao Luo? Why didn't you submit an application? If you dared apply, I would really dare approve it!" A voice came, accompanied by a faint fragrance.

Lin Xiaosu nearly sprang up. "Damn! Is there no privacy at all? You even know about that?"

Changye stood behind him. She smiled gently. "Didn't you know that robot is connected to the network? As long as my clearance is higher than yours, I know everything you do to her."

Lin Xiaosu tilted his head back. "I really should be glad I'm an upright gentleman. Otherwise, I'd have embarrassed myself all the way to Qianlong headquarters!"

"You call yourself an upright gentleman, yet you asked about the ultimate functions?" Changye burst into laughter. "What are you doing? Hmm, reading mythological stories. Not bad—you know when to tighten and when to loosen..."

"What do you think of this mythological story?" A glimmer flashed through Lin Xiaosu's eyes.

"What else is there to think about a mythological story? You admire the author's bizarre imagination, I suppose. But this one is far too scattered. It can't even be called a story." Changye had naturally read this book as well.

"Could it be... that it isn't actually a mythological story?" Lin Xiaosu said.

"Not a mythological story? Then what is it?" Changye asked.

"For example... a true record from some parallel world."

Changye stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled radiantly. "You came too late. If you had come ten years earlier, perhaps you could have found someone who would have spun endless vivid tales with you on this subject. Unfortunately, he is no longer here."

"Who was he?"

"An old Taoist priest with blind eyes. He lived here for ten years and left behind this book. I met him when I first joined Qianlong. He grabbed hold of me and started talking, and what he said truly let his imagination run wild like a celestial horse soaring through the skies. Unfortunately, I had no time to chat with him, so I never entered the world he spoke of..."

"What was his name?"

"His surname was Lu. I truly don't know his given name. Xin Yue's grandfather invited him here; he himself was not part of Qianlong."

Surname Lu!

Lu Yun?!

Lin Xiaosu's heart gave a violent leap. "Can I meet Xin Yue's grandfather?"

Changye sighed softly. "You came too late again! This time, eight years too late!"

Eight years ago, for the Trojan Horse Project, he had traveled far to Luoba Prefecture to "help" an enemy country improve its genetic program, leading that country's genetic program astray. After the enemy saw through him, they cut off his head and sent it back to his homeland...

When he left Qianlong, he could not rest easy about Xin Yue, who was only ten at the time. He asked the organization to care for the orphan of this martyr, and he also asked Changye to look after her.

That was why Xin Yue had grown up in Qianlong.

That was why she and Changye were as close as brother and sister.

As she spoke of that head crossing the seas and returning to its native soil, Changye grew somewhat despondent. As a member of Qianlong, she had seen comrades die often enough, but whenever she witnessed another sacrifice, grief still surged through her...

"Traveling to a foreign land to carry out a top-secret mission, only for his head to return home, body and head forever separated... all one can say is that generation after generation of Qianlong people truly command respect," Lin Xiaosu said. "Did you ever find out what that Taoist priest surnamed Lu truly came to Qianlong for?"

"I once vaguely heard something called a warning, but what warning he was giving, I do not know."

A warning!

Great waves churned in Lin Xiaosu's heart.

He understood!

Everything became clear!

Taoist Master Lu Yun had walked the same path Lin Xiaosu once had. He believed the Primordial Ancient World would descend. He had told Second Uncle at Willow Grove Temple, but telling Second Uncle was useless—Second Uncle was just an ordinary man. Even if he believed him, what could he do?

So he found Qianlong, the strongest organization in this world.

He warned Qianlong!

He hoped Qianlong would take it seriously and make plans to deal with it in advance.

Whether Qianlong had taken him seriously, Lin Xiaosu did not know.

Whether Qianlong had any response plan, Lin Xiaosu did not know either.

But this Taoist Master Lu had done everything he was supposed to do...

"Where else could he have gone?" Lin Xiaosu asked. "Don't you have a system that can find people anywhere in the world? Can't you search for him?"

"I already told you—the system has one major prerequisite for finding someone. They must either be registered, have a signal source on them, or have appeared under surveillance cameras. And after he left Qianlong, he never appeared again. Oh, right. Before leaving, he left behind a final remark... Demons hide overseas, natives stir beneath the earth's core, the Primordial Ancient seeks to shatter its seal and reappear. Where will this generation of civilization go?"

"Demons hide overseas, natives stir beneath the earth's core, the Primordial Ancient seeks to shatter its seal and reappear... How did you interpret that?"

Changye said, "I understand the part about demons hiding overseas. Most Western nations have been infiltrated by Hydra. They wear the name of humanity's beacon, yet what they do is worse than bandits. Rotten from top to bottom, they have indeed posed a great threat to this generation of civilization. But what exactly the natives and the Primordial Ancient are, no one knows..."

Suddenly, her voice cut off.

Because a tall figure appeared at the entrance to the library.

The man strode over, carrying a powerful aura of killing intent as he headed straight toward Lin Xiaosu.

Lin Xiaosu raised his eyes and met his gaze. The moment their eyes locked, Lin Xiaosu had a feeling: this man must have killed many people, because a murderous aura clung to him. The feeling was somewhat mysterious...

"This is Hidden Dragon No. 88," Changye said.

Lin Xiaosu stood and scratched his head. "Do I need to salute?"

Number 88's cold, solemn expression was washed away by that one remark, and a faint smile was squeezed onto his face. "You are not yet an official Qianlong member, so there is no need to salute. Sit. I have something to discuss with you."

He sat down. Lin Xiaosu casually poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

Number 88 accepted it and set it on the table. "Lin Xiaosu, Changye and I have both observed your performance. As the two assessors, we unanimously agree that you have passed the assessment and may become a reservist. I came today for two purposes. First, to tell you the basic rules for reservists..."

He raised a hand and passed Lin Xiaosu a tablet.

Five large words appeared on the tablet: Reserve Corps Regulations.

Reservists were in the probationary stage for Qianlong's gold badge.

Everyone received 100 initial points. Meritorious deeds earned point rewards, while violations of Qianlong Regulations deducted corresponding points.

The Qianlong Regulations were also displayed in full, a total of 327 clauses of every kind.

Lin Xiaosu quickly flipped through them, then raised his head. "What is the second purpose?"

"The second purpose concerns a sudden incident. You may take part..."

Changye looked up. "What sudden incident?"

No. 88 said, "No. 325 sent a message from Prison Mountain yesterday, saying he had made a major discovery. But today... today was the agreed time, yet no message came. We suspect something happened to him."

"He is the most meticulous person. He has never broken his word." Changye was greatly shocked.