https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-316-First-of-the-Celestial-Ladder/12551223/
Chapter 315: The World is a Shoddy Production
Chapter 315: The World is a Shoddy Production
Li Hui elaborated on the other privileges, which included unrestricted access to visit the Head of State, seeking assistance from other members, receiving a confidential intelligence briefing in one's mailbox every three days, and even deploying a platoon of Tauren warriors in emergencies.
Ji Xinghuo listened intently.
Any one of these privileges would be incredibly valuable to those with ambition or a drive to advance their station.
For instance, the ability to visit the Head of State at any time was a dream come true for countless individuals, and if utilized well, it could grant one immense influence.
However, Ji Xinghuo remained unfazed and indifferent.
The most attractive benefit, in his opinion, was still the resources of the Starry Heaven Department.
The efficiency and scope of resource gathering by a nation far surpassed what he could achieve alone, saving him countless time and energy.
"Director," Ji Xinghuo asked, "is there a specific term or designation for people like us?"
"No," Li Hui shook his head with a smile, "as you might have already guessed, these privileges are special and go against the grain of the law. Naturally, they can't be formalized in official documents, nor are there dedicated institutions or distinct titles associated with them."
"We are neither a political party nor a family."
"Everything we do operates within reasonable rules. We heed the leadership of the Head of State and serve the country."
Ji Xinghuo immediately understood the underlying implications.
It was all about following the rules, keeping quiet about their actions, and maintaining a tacit understanding among those in the know.
"Have you heard of the Saint-Making ideology?" Li Hui asked.
Seeing Ji Xinghuo nod, he continued, "The Head of State laid out this plan many years ago, integrating the Saint-Making ideology with the philosophy of endurance. The goal is to both concentrate resources on cultivating exceptional individuals and breaking through to the Saint realm, while also vigorously researching and developing technology to elevate Earth to a Level-5 civilization."
"We are part of this Saint-Making plan, but we don't strictly adhere to the Saint-Making ideology; there are some differences."
Li Hui did not elaborate on the specifics of these differences.
"The Head of State truly has foresight," Ji Xinghuo sighed. "Director, how many members do we have?"
"You're the 67th," Li Hui replied, his face bearing a hint of regret as he seemed to recall the past. "However, only 35 of us are still alive, and not everyone has achieved success or holds a high position. Some have withdrawn, content with their current situation, while others have gone missing. You won't be able to contact more than 20 of them within the country."
67 people, yet only 20 remained.
Nearly half of them had made the ultimate sacrifice, a loss ratio far beyond Ji Xinghuo's expectations.
Ever since he learned of this "family's" existence, he had a hunch. "Could Ren Jie have been one of them?" he wondered.
After some consideration, he finally asked, "Director, do you know an exceptional individual by the name of Ren Mian?"
"No," Li Hui shook his head immediately. "Who is this?"
"A friend of mine," Ji Xinghuo replied.
Noticing that Ji Xinghuo didn't elaborate further, Li Hui wore a thoughtful expression but didn't press the matter any further.
"Alright, I've told you everything the Head of State instructed me to pass on," Li Hui said, his tone turning serious. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment. "What's the current situation with the Qian Yuan Society?"
As Li Hui spoke, he placed his hand on the desk, causing a projection of archival data to appear. "Their roots within the country have been completely eradicated. Take a look for yourself."
Ji Xinghuo quickly scanned through the information.
This file was still being updated, as the swordsmen of the Sword Bureau synchronized the interrogation results to Li Hui's terminal.
Just glancing through the first few pages of the summary was enough to shock Ji Xinghuo.
The Qian Yuan Society had been lurking on Earth for over 30 years, dating back to the early 1990s. Their organization was spread worldwide, infiltrating major countries.
Within the Asia-Pacific Federation, the American Federation, the Western Alliance, and the New Roman Empire, the Qian Yuan Society had spies in both high-level government positions and civilian enterprises.
Their infiltration methods were straightforward.
They targeted exceptional individuals with promising talents who hadn't yet achieved noteworthy accomplishments. By providing ample resources and information, demonstrating their strength, and establishing merit, these individuals would rise to high positions within their respective countries.
Driven by their desire for power and strength, these individuals gradually fell under the control of the Qian Yuan Society.
Moreover, the Qian Yuan Society had a very powerful psychic hacker among their ranks, who imprinted the minds of key members with a spiritual brand.
However, this method wasn't foolproof.
Shen Yucheng was a notable exception, as his spiritual brand inexplicably failed. On the verge of exposure, he fled to the Starry Heaven Department.
Ji Xinghuo scanned a list of spies working for the Qian Yuan Society—over three hundred names!
Su Qingqiu and Ye Tongjun, both of whom he recognized, were among the highest-ranking members. There were also two other key figures.
One was a three-star general and army group commander within the Asia-Pacific Federation's military, who had perished during last night's capture operation.
The other name caused Ji Xinghuo to pause when he saw it.
"Shi Daoyuan!" he exclaimed.
According to the information, the Qian Yuan Society had established several companies and non-profit organizations within the Asia-Pacific Federation, three of which were mentioned by Shen Yucheng.
Shi Daoyuan was the actual controller behind these companies and institutions.
"It's actually him," Ji Xinghuo muttered, feeling that this revelation was both expected and unexpected.
Shi Daoyuan was the eldest son of Shi Hongyi and the heir to the entire group's industries, with a net worth of hundreds of millions. Yet, he was also a member of the Qian Yuan Society and held a high position within the organization.
However, was Shi Daoyuan the only one connected to the Qian Yuan Society? Ji Xinghuo had always suspected that Shi Hongyi was one of the controllers of the Qian Yuan Society, but the results of the psychic interrogation indicated that only Shi Daoyuan was involved. Neither Shi Hongyi nor his family group had any ties to the society.
"Keep reading, and you'll find out," Li Hui replied.
As Ji Xinghuo continued reading the psychic transcript, he was left speechless. It turned out that Ji Zongbang had been dispatched to Chang'an from the Fusang Autonomous Province, where he came into contact with an exotic research institute under Shi Daoyuan's name. On a whim, he stole the "Rotating Magnetic Field."
This exotic species was originally intended for Shi Daoyuan himself.
As a martial artist, he wanted to take on the side job of a magnetic field fanatic to advance to the rank of Magnetic Storm Martial Saint.
But to his dismay, it was stolen by one of his spies.
Shi Daoyuan, unable to locate Ji Zongbang, came up with a rather clumsy plan—he sent an anonymous letter to the Security Bureau, reporting the theft.
His intention was to use the Security Bureau to find Ji Zongbang and then have another spy within the bureau secretly inform him of their progress.
However, his plan went awry.
The Sword Bureau found Ji Zongbang before the Security Bureau, and Yan Xiao led a team to capture him, but he escaped and eventually encountered Ji Xinghuo, who killed him with three arrows.
By the time the Security Bureau arrived, the Rotating Magnetic Field had fallen into Ji Xinghuo's hands.
After finishing the report, Ji Xinghuo was left speechless.
The truth behind a spy case from a few years ago was something he never could have imagined.
Shi Daoyuan's letter had accused Ji Zongbang of being a spy for the American Federation, which caught the attention of the Sword Bureau. They dug deeper for several months, eventually uncovering Shen Yucheng and leading to the exposure of the Qian Yuan Society and the subsequent chain of events.
"Outsmarted by his own cleverness," Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but find the situation amusing.
"Sometimes, reality just doesn't follow logic," Li Hui sigthed, having already read through the report.
"Yeah..." Ji Xinghuo nodded in agreement.
Shi Daoyuan had been driven mad.
He had finally obtained a Rotating Magnetic Field, only to have it stolen by one of his own spies, causing him to act impulsively in a fit of rage.
The Magnetic Storm Martial Saint was an incredibly powerful advanced profession, and anything related to an exotic's evolutionary path rarely led to calm and rational decisions.
The world, in its essence, was a stage full of changes and uncertainties.
Or, to put it another way, the world was like a makeshift troupe of performers.
Even those in high positions of power, with immense authority, or possessing extraordinary abilities as exotics, often acted in ways that defied comprehension, sometimes even resorting to very base and irrational behaviors that left others questioning their sanity.
"Director," Ji Xinghuo asked, "do you really think the rest of the Shi family isn't involved?"
"They shouldn't be," Li Hui replied. "The Head of State has already conducted a psychic interrogation on Shi Daoyuan, and he couldn't have kept any secrets after that."
As the most powerful psychic hacker in the world, the Head of State had the ability to extract every secret from anyone who underwent his interrogation.
Last year's assassination attempt at the Tian Qin Stadium and the attack by the omnipotent war guard "Ghost Wolf" were both orchestrated by Shi Daoyuan, but the Shi family was unaware of his actions.
Shi Daoyuan, Su Qingqiu, and Ye Tongjun operated independently, unaware of each other's true identities.
However, they all shared a common superior.
Although they didn't know the true identity of this superior, the information they had collectively gathered pointed to one person.
A Heavenly King Exotic.
"Star-Strider" Wei Tianyuan, ranked 22nd on the Heavenly King List, was elusive, low-key, and held no official position or title.
Upon seeing this name, Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat.
Everyone on the Heavenly King List was a household name, and their stories were well-known.
Wei Tianyuan, at 76 years of age, was a citizen of the Asia-Pacific Collective. He started as an unknown, becoming an exotic at the age of 21 and choosing the "Ranger" profession. Even as a novice exotic, he ventured into the Starry Realm, and at 38, he ascended to the rank of legend, stunning the world.
Even after gaining fame, Wei Tianyuan mostly continued his solitary ways, occasionally teaming up with other exotics for hunting expeditions.
According to the ADC's investigations, Wei Tianyuan's advanced profession was likely "Edgewalker."
This was the advanced form of a ranger with the flying step ability.
However, Wei Tianyuan also displayed the abilities of a "Hunting Master," as he possessed three incredibly powerful battle pets.
Thirteen years ago, at the age of 63, Wei Tianyuan ascended to the rank of Heavenly King, and his power only continued to grow. His ranking on the Heavenly King List soared, climbing from the bottom to the 22nd position in just over a decade.
Wei Tianyuan did not involve himself in any Earthly affairs, spending most of his time adventuring in the Starry Realm. He only returned to Earth occasionally, living a life that many admired and aspired to.
Hence, he was known as the "Star-Strider," one who roamed the stars.
There was a time when Ji Xinghuo had also yearned for such a life, but now he found out that Wei Tianyuan was the mastermind behind the Qian Yuan Society.
"30 years ago..."
"Star-Strider rose to prominence around the time the Qian Yuan Society was founded. The timing matches."
Ji Xinghuo agreed with the Sword Bureau's speculation.
Unfortunately, Wei Tianyuan's whereabouts were unknown, and his last visit to Earth had been half a year ago.
"The Qian Yuan Society probably has more than one Heavenly King, and I suspect there are at least three. As for the number of hidden legends, it's likely even higher," Li Hui said.
"I think so, too," Ji Xinghuo nodded, recalling the two legendary powerhouses Ye Tongjun had brought with him the night before, who turned out not to be Xuanyuan Swordsmen. "Director, now that we've dealt with the Qian Yuan Society within the country, what about their foreign operations?"
(End of Chapter)
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