Banquet

“I’m going to do what I must. Don’t try to stop me. The people of the Frontier Nation are all unconscious. Whether you kill them, cripple them, or do whatever else you wish, it’s up to you,” Qi Xi said. At this moment, the border of the Frontier Nation was already faintly visible directly ahead of their vehicle.

Qi Xi drove straight in.

Just then, a clever young man suddenly spoke up, “These people really are all unconscious! Brother Qi Xi, was this your doing?”

Everyone was stunned by these words. For thousands in the Frontier Nation to fall unconscious at the same time—what a terrifying power! Was it truly Brother Qi Xi’s doing? How could anyone believe it? Was it true, or just a rumor?

“Brother Qi Xi did this!?”
“Brother Qi Xi, was this really you?”

Qi Xi was somewhat surprised by the youth’s keen insight—what an impressive young man. However, without any gene serum, he couldn’t turn them into evolved beings, nor did he want to drag these people into his circle. That might be exciting, but it would also be quite dangerous.

So, seeing the anticipation in their eyes, Qi Xi simply smiled and shook his head. “How could I possibly have such power? Xiao Mizi, you must be joking.”

Brother Qi Xi would never lie—this was a belief the boys held as unshakeable truth. So when Qi Xi shook his head and denied it, they all believed him. Only the one nicknamed Xiao Mizi remained half-convinced.

The boys ransacked the Frontier Nation, and during their stay, Qi Xi taught them how to drive and maintain their firearms. Then he left.

Qi Xi’s plan was to incite the various factions into attacking the Rockefeller family. The plan was simple, but executing it would be far from easy.

First, Qi Xi ambushed a Rockefeller family gene marshal. He didn’t kill him; instead, while the man slept, Qi Xi sent him into an even deeper slumber, then drew his blood and acquired his ability—Void Detonation. If not for the fact the man was a gene marshal, Qi Xi’s power to extract memories might have been discovered. Otherwise, Qi Xi would have thoroughly searched his genes.

Now armed with Void Detonation, Qi Xi disguised himself as the man and ambushed other factions: the Red Army, the Taiping Army, the White Cross, the Black Knights, the Soviet Army, the War God Army, and the White Angel Association. Within just a month, Qi Xi had “taken care” of all these groups.

His weapon of choice was the advanced ability: Void Detonation.

But he didn’t kill them; instead, he used sleep manipulation to trap them in endless dreamlike slumber. Against the attacks of Qi Xi, now a high-level gene marshal, they were utterly defenseless—his success rate was nearly perfect.

Coupled with the damage from Void Detonation and their deep unconsciousness, it was as if two opposing sides had clashed, and one came out slightly stronger, leaving the other on the brink of death.

Unfortunately, a month passed and still not one of these factions made a move against the Rockefellers.

Qi Xi had underestimated the situation.

In the days that followed, he replicated more Rockefeller abilities—Spatial Severance, Illusion, and others—then continued his ambushes on the various factions.

He rarely killed, leaving his victims only comatose. These were all high-ranking members of the factions. The reason Qi Xi spared them wasn’t out of mercy—he was not so kind. Rather, he wanted their lives in his hands, to hold as leverage in case the truth of his attacks was exposed. If it came to that, he could use them to blackmail the factions into attacking the Rockefellers.

Another month slipped by.

In that time, not a single attack on the Rockefellers occurred. Instead, the other organizations were on edge, living in constant fear that they would be next. Tension was thick in the air, but even so, war did not break out as Qi Xi had hoped. Instead, a strange standoff persisted. The truth was, the Rockefellers were so powerful that the factions were uncertain if they could succeed, so despite their outrage over the attacks, none dared take decisive action.

The Rockefellers finally responded, publicly declaring that the attacks were not their doing, but rather the work of someone else trying to incite a coalition against them. They warned everyone not to fall for this wicked plot. Though their words sounded rather defensive, they were in fact true. Many among the other factions, though still tense, began to accept the Rockefeller explanation.

If time were allowed to pass, tempers would cool, and the all-out war against the Rockefellers would be indefinitely postponed.

Qi Xi felt a headache coming on. His plan of sowing discord, though flawless in design, had underestimated the restraint of these people and overestimated their ambition. It was a failure.

Moreover, in all this time, Qi Xi had found no trace of Melon.

But things were far from over—this was no time to admit defeat!

“The air is still thick with tension. All that’s missing is a trigger, a fuse! If I provide that fuse and drive one faction to unbridled fury, they’ll attack the Rockefellers first. Then a second, then a third will follow!” Qi Xi murmured, narrowing his eyes. At this moment, he stood atop Mount Everest in the Himalayas. The mountain’s snow had long since melted, leaving the bare rock exposed. Yet compared to the scorching forty-degree temperatures below, here the cool twenty-something degrees felt refreshing—a fine place indeed. And naturally, such a fine place had a master: a Taiping Army general who had built a manor on this very peak.

Through his illusions, Qi Xi controlled the general and moved in openly.

“The Taiping Army is holding a ‘Central Banquet’ tonight,” said the general, whose name was Qiu Yan. Despite the feminine-sounding name, he was a towering two-meter-tall gene general. In his eyes, Qi Xi appeared as his former superior—the one he respected most.

“Oh?” Qi Xi arched his brow, setting aside the oddly flavored juice and accepting the yellowing paper. It listed the banquet’s location, guest list, and related details.

“Only those of at least gene general rank may attend. It’s truly a high-level gathering for the Taiping Army’s leadership.”

Qi Xi chuckled at the requirements. “Interesting. If I cause a scene at this banquet… Hm? The host is the Taiping Army’s ‘Thorned Rose’? Ha… Thorned Rose? The person is over a hundred years old and still goes by such a flamboyant name. That certainly makes things more interesting.”

At this, Qi Xi rose to his feet, smiling. “Perhaps this Thorned Rose will be the fuse to ignite the entire incident!”

A flash of resolve appeared in Qi Xi’s eyes. Now was the time for necessary sacrifices. At the banquet, disguised as a Rockefeller leader, he would kill the Thorned Rose. The Taiping Army would surely erupt in fury! Even if it was a rash attack, they would strike at the Rockefellers. And once the first blow was struck, the situation would spiral out of control.

At his side, Qiu Yan nodded. “You’re right, sir. Our plan will definitely succeed. That damned Heroic Alliance must pay a dear price for humanity’s suffering!”

Qi Xi’s plan was nothing shameful. Against the Rockefeller family, who had brought humanity to such a state, he had no qualms sharing it with Qiu Yan. To the general, Qi Xi appeared as his most revered leader, and he now followed with fanatical devotion.

Night fell in the blink of an eye.

They left the mountain by car in the afternoon and traveled until darkness had completely settled, finally arriving at the banquet.