When he asked that question, Han Nan’s face froze in place. A long time passed before his expression returned to normal.
Finally, he clasped his hands together on his desk and smiled. “Why would you ask that all of a sudden?”
In truth, Ye Zichen regretted the question as soon as he asked it. He was afraid that, if Han Nan confirmed his suspicions, his entire worldview might come crashing down around him.
But he still longed to hear the answer, besides….
He’d already considered the worst possible outcome.
“I want to know.”
When he met Ye Zichen’s determined gaze, Han Nan nodded in understanding. “It’s cyclical!”
Ye Zichen’s scalp numbed. He shivered from head to toe, as if he’d come down with a nasty case of malaria.
Han Nan smiled and continued, “We call them eras, but really, it’s just another repeat of the same cycle. The first Master of the Stars calculated that everything in the world repeats every 129,600,000 years, down to the smallest detail. That is to say, whenever something happens, the same thing will happen again in the same place 129,600,000 years later. Even the people will be the same.”
“The Modern Realm you speak of should just be a repeat of the Outside formed countless years later in this recurring cycle. Do you understand?”
A new cycle.
Ye Zichen pushed himself out of his chair and rushed up to the window. He looked through it, his breathing ragged. From time to time, he dry-heaved.
He felt as if someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart, as if his heart might explode with grief at any moment.
The weight on his shoulders instantly increased to unprecedented heights.
Yang Jian wanted to approach him, but Han Nan stopped him.
There were some things Ye Zichen needed to face and accept on his own. He’d only just learned the truth and might still have trouble believing it. Still, Han Nan had faith that Ye Zichen would get through this.
As for why he felt that way, he didn’t want to say it.
This continued for a while. Ye Zichen’s eyes were bloodshot and snaked with blood vessels. The veins on his neck and forehead bulged too. He clenched his fists and clutched his jaw…. “I want to meet your era’s Minister of the Left.
“My apologies, but you can’t. At least, you can’t do so yet.” Han Nan chuckled and shook his head.
“Then I want to know his name!”
“I’m sorry,” said Han Nan with that same apologetic smile.
Ye Zichen slammed his hands against the desk, then glared at Han Nan with those bloodshot eyes. He seemed utterly vicious.
Just as Yang Jian stepped forth to hold him back, Ye Zichen burst into laughter. “Haha… Hahaha….!” He laughed, but there was no humor in it at all.
He leaned back into his chair and looked into the sky. Tears welled up in his eyes, but none fell.
“Please calm down. The Minister of the Left is waiting until the time is right. When the time comes, you can naturally meet with him. For now, let us return to the key question: how to seize celestial fate and transcend. Let’s let your era, as well as ours….”
“If I bring you back with me, won’t that truly bring about Upheaval?” A mocking grin flashed across Ye Zichen’s face, and his bloodshot eyes flashed with bizarre light.
Han Nan was stunned, but Ye Zichen soon got his expression back under control. “It’s nothing. We’ll each attend to our own affairs without any mutual interference.” All of a sudden, Ye Zichen seemed to have become someone else, He tilted his body, his arms against the back of the chair, and drummed his fingers against the desk.
“How are you going to help me?” Although Ye Zichen suddenly seemed like a different person, now that their conversation had gotten back on track, Han Nan naturally wouldn’t complain.
“We absolutely cannot afford to let anyone rob you of your celestial fate, so we’ve arranged for someone to protect you,” said Han Nan seriously. With that, he reached for his office phone. “Send her in.”
Before long, the door swung open, and a beautiful girl walked inside.
“It’s her!” When he saw her, Yang Jian was visibly stunned, while Ye Zichen arched his brows. He reached for his pocket.
Pu Jingwan.
This was none other than Pu Jingwan, the woman he’d run into on his way here. She’d even left him her contact information.
“Mister cosplay, it seems we were truly fated to meet.” Pu Jingwan stepped inside and chuckled. She nodded to Yang Jian, then walked up to the desk and took out her identification papers.
“Hello! It’s me, Pu Jingwan.” After putting her documents away, she saw Ye Zichen sitting beside the desk.
“No way! Is my mission this time protecting that handsome costumed boy I met earlier? The heavens are truly looking out for me!”
Ye Zichen’s eyes filled with bewilderment. He glanced at Han Nan, who sensed his gaze and grimaced back.
“This is Pu Jingwan. She’s the bodyguard we’ve arranged for you, alongside Yang Jian, your old friend. They’ll both stay by your side and ensure your safety.”
“She….”
The Modern Realm’s Pu Jingwan was a streamer. He hadn’t realized this Jingwan was so strong.”
“Handsome costume guy, what’s that look in your eyes supposed to mean? Do you see my documents? I’m a gold-ranked, top-class bodyguard slash mercenary. I’ve completed over ten thousand missions to date without so much as a single slip-up. So long as you offer enough incentive, I’m downright invincible.”
“….”
On second thought, she really was quite different from the Modern Realm’s Pu Jingwan. Ye Zichen rubbed his nose.
“Can we hire someone else?” All he could think of was the Pu Jingwan he’d once known. Having her protect him felt strange.
“No.” Han Nanfirectly refused, then whispered, “I spent a lot of money finding her for you. She’s both beautiful and strong. This was based entirely on what Yang Jian said you’d wanted. If you really want me to send her back, fine, but you have to return my money.”
Yang Jian subconsciously glanced at Yang Jian.
“Isn’t this good? Come on, bro, don’t be picky!” said Yang Jian.
Pu Jingwan was speechless. She suddenly undid her top button, put her hand on Ye Zichen’s shoulder, and pressed up against him like glue.
“Mister cosplay, could it be that you haven’t taken a liking to me?”
Ye Zichen was in a daze, and his heart clenched. He never would have guessed that Pu Jingwan was this impressive. He hadn’t gotten that sense back in the Modern Realm.
He cleared his throat. This was no time to worry about that. He hurriedly looked away and nodded. “Alright, she can stay. But this isn’t enough. I also need you to supply twenty rulers, as I’ll have to build a faction in the God Realm.”
“Alright!”
“And I need resources….”
“Alright!”
“And I want….”
“So long as you need it and we have it, we’ll give it to you without any restrictions.” They’d given Ye Zichen and he’d tried to take a mile. Just listening to his list of demands would scare even the God Emperor half to death. And yet, Han Nan didn’t so much as bat an eye. “All you have to do is transcend. So long as you do that, we’ll…. Give you whatever you want!”
