CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 27 ZHANG HENG

Kyoto, headquarters of the Otherworld Bureau.

Lin Qianxuan and Chen Long’Er got off the plane and proceeded under the guidance of Nie Yidong.

He surveyed his surroundings, which were quite similar to what he had seen in the game. The style was somewhat futuristic, with many things unseen even in movies.

Especially from the surrounding staff who occasionally passed by in a hurry, Lin Qianxuan could vaguely sense something unique about them.

No need to guess, they were probably Transcendents.

For Chen Long’Er’s peculiarity, they also seemed accustomed to it, at most glancing once and then moving on their own way.

"Don’t be nervous, Director Zhang is very easygoing. He also arranged for me to pick you up from Chao Li Country this time." Nie Yidong said as they walked.

Lin Qianxuan nodded slightly to show he understood.

He had seen Zhang Heng in the game.

A middle-aged man easy to talk to, who appeared to be in his forties or fifties, but was actually over seventy. However, being a Transcendent, he was incredibly robust.

The other seemed to value him and Chen Long’Er highly and offered a compromise when he said he didn’t want to join the Otherworld Bureau, allowing Lin Qianxuan to maintain his freedom as much as possible.

Incidentally, Lin Qianxuan also knew that Zhang Heng’s strength was "Third Heaven of Earth Rank," though the specifics were unclear, his strength wasn’t top-tier in the Otherworld Bureau.

The director of the Otherworld Bureau, Jiang Mengli, boasts a Celestial Rank of Ninth Heaven, a top-level figure who seldom manages affairs.

The other deputy director, Li Xi, has a Celestial Rank of Fifth Heaven and also rarely appears in the bureau, usually out on missions.

This information was divulged by Nie Yidong through his promise to join the game.

Comparatively speaking, Jiang Mengli and Li Xi served more as martial power, rarely managing or making decisions, while Zhang Heng was the true manager.

Lin Qianxuan and others took the elevator downwards, turned a few corners, and finally arrived outside Zhang Heng’s office.

Nie Yidong pressed the doorbell and said, "Director Zhang, it’s me, I’m back."

"I saw, come in."

A middle-aged man’s voice came from inside, followed by the automatic opening of the door, revealing a large office.

The office had several rows of bookshelves, a long tea table in the middle with sofas on either side, and a desk at the back with a foldable laptop on it, where Zhang Heng was brewing tea by the sofa.

Unlike most who casually pour hot water and wait to drink,

he was practicing Kung Fu tea art. Although Lin Qianxuan didn’t understand it, his every movement was fluid and pleasing to the eye; it seemed impossible to replicate without skill.

"Xiao Nie, and you two, please sit and have some tea, it’s new this year."

Zhang Heng invited the three to sit and poured each a cup of tea.

After finishing, he took a sip first.

Nie Yidong was not reserved, gulping it down, then grabbed the teapot to pour himself two more full cups, drinking them all, leaving Zhang Heng with a somewhat bemused expression.

Tea is meant to be savored, and Nie Yidong’s bovine approach clearly made Zhang Heng uncomfortable.

"It’s refreshing, a great thing, Director Zhang," Nie Yidong remarked.

"If you like it, I have two more cans in the cupboard, feel free to take them," Zhang Heng said.

"Then I won’t be polite," Nie Yidong replied.

He stood up and fetched the tea leaves from the cupboard.

With the tea in hand, Nie Yidong said, "I’m going out for a smoke."

"Go on, go on," Zhang Heng said.

Only after Nie Yidong left did Zhang Heng’s gaze fall on Lin Qianxuan and Chen Long’Er.

His eyes were complex, filled with appreciation, surprise, and even shock.

"I’m older than you, so I’ll call you Xiao Lin," Zhang Heng said, looking at Lin Qianxuan. "I’m Zhang Heng, you can call me Old Zhang, or by my title, Director Zhang."

"Director Zhang," Lin Qianxuan nodded and said.

"Xiao Lin, can you tell me about this young lady’s situation?" Zhang Heng asked Lin Qianxuan.

"Her name is Chen Long’Er, she returned from Ni Country...."

In a few words, Lin Qianxuan briefly recounted Chen Long’Er’s past.

"I see, no wonder. She really has suffered, we’ll find a way to handle this."

After hearing this, Zhang Heng somewhat understood why the Dragon Bloodline awakened in Chen Long’Er.

Compared to ordinary people from Xuan Country, Chen Long’Er endured more, aligning with the Dragon’s Will; it was only natural the Dragon Soul chose her.

However, Lin Qianxuan also had the Dragon Bloodline, and awakening to this extent was rather unique.

"Do you know what your extraordinary power is?" Zhang Heng asked.

"Is it the Dragon Bloodline?" Lin Qianxuan said.

"Could you be more specific? Do you know its origin and the details?" Zhang Heng continued.

Lin Qianxuan shook his head, and Chen Long’Er appeared dazed.

Zhang Heng explained, "Actually, the Dragon Bloodline has always existed throughout history as a power condensed from the shared belief of the descendants of Yan and Huang. It seeks out someone most in tune with its will at the right moment, granting them extraordinary power."

"Is that really true?" Lin Qianxuan couldn’t help but ask.

Earlier, he casually made up a story with Golden Mary, which was not far off from the truth.

"Could those ancient emperors who called themselves True Dragons actually be them?" Lin Qianxuan asked.

"Not all of them," Zhang Heng shook his head and said, "Only a few of them were, most of them were drowned in history and didn’t create much of a ripple."

Saying this, Zhang Heng paused slightly before continuing to Lin Qianxuan, "Isn’t it strange that such a powerful Dragon Bloodline didn’t leave much of a trace in history?"

Lin Qianxuan nodded slightly.

Zhang Heng said, "Actually, that’s because in ancient times, it wasn’t as powerful as one might imagine. At most, it allowed people to have a photographic memory and the strength to lift giant objects. Although impressive, it was still bound by mortal limitations. They needed to grow, and at the time, with low productivity and scarce food, growth was difficult. If they were unlucky and encountered a famine year, there could even be Dragon Bloodlines starved to death."

Lin Qianxuan thought it made sense.

With Chen Long’Er’s appetite, eating for eight is no problem.

In ancient times, unless one came from a wealthy family, getting enough to eat wasn’t easy.

But could the Dragon Bloodline in ancient times only manage to achieve such feats?

Lin Qianxuan felt that controlling water to lift a battleship is no problem at all for him.

Curious, he asked about it.

"We seem stronger than the ancient Dragon Bloodline, how come?" Lin Qianxuan asked.

Zhang Heng took a sip of tea and said, "That ties into another matter. Have you seen the moons in the sky?"

Lin Qianxuan nodded, "I have."

"Those dozens of moons are actually different worlds," Zhang Heng said.

Lin Qianxuan’s eyes widened suddenly.

He hadn’t heard Zhang Heng mention this in the game.

With limited playthroughs, he focused on checking the game character’s attributes and wanted to quickly get through the tests.

His chats with Zhang Heng were limited mostly to understanding the situation of the Otherworld Bureau.

"Dozens of moons are all different worlds? Is the planetary intersection mentioned online true?"

Lin Qianxuan found it hard to believe that something internet folks randomly guessed was closest to reality.

"Saying it’s a planetary intersection isn’t entirely accurate; those worlds and ours aren’t merging but more like big fish eating small fish, devouring each other," Zhang Heng said, "But this process of devouring takes a long time, at least tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of years to complete. During this devouring, the rules of the worlds influence each other, leading to changes in certain things; your Dragon Bloodline is one such affected change."

Lin Qianxuan was enlightened, suddenly thinking of something, he asked, "Could this lead to people crossing over between two worlds?"

"That’s exactly one of the issues troubling us. Whether it’s Otherworld invasions or normal citizens suddenly disappearing due to crossing over, it’s difficult to handle. Fortunately, such events aren’t frequent, and after connecting with the Otherworld, they can often travel freely between two worlds. Without too much exploration of the Otherworld, there’s usually no life-threatening danger. Currently, we are planning to gradually make information public. The ’Transmigrator’s Manual’ released online earlier was compiled by us. With citizens being prepared and our assistance, the chances of incidents can be reduced," Zhang Heng nodded.

It was confirmed, Ye Mao certainly traveled to the Otherworld.

That ’Cyan Fruit’ was definitely something he brought back from the Otherworld.

With his aggressive nature, that world might have had many wild beasts; his staying like a savage for a while isn’t surprising.

Also, the senior from his university days might have had a similar experience.

By the way, the ’Transmigrator’s Manual’ wasn’t just something official playing around with?

When Lin Qianxuan first saw the video, he thought it was the officials playing along with the trend.

"Director Zhang, when did the world’s mutual devouring start?" Lin Qianxuan asked.

"According to research, signs appeared thousands of years ago, but the wide-ranging influence likely started forty-five years ago," Zhang Heng replied.

Lin Qianxuan had thought it began a few years ago when multiple moons appeared, but it turned out to be much earlier.

.....

After a lengthy chat with Zhang Heng, Lin Qianxuan learned a lot about the Otherworld Bureau.

Basically, as long as Lin Qianxuan asked questions that didn’t involve strictly confidential matters, Zhang Heng would answer without hesitation, not hiding anything.

This made Lin Qianxuan feel a bit embarrassed.

After all, he didn’t plan to officially join the Otherworld Bureau.

"I’ve arranged rooms for you here. Stay for a couple of days, and once we’ve set up the place, you’ll need to undergo a level test and register some information. Chen Long’Er’s identity issue will also be resolved in these two days, so there’s no need to worry," Zhang Heng said as he was about to leave.

"Thank you, Director Zhang," Lin Qianxuan said.

"It’s just my duty, no need for thanks," Zhang Heng waved it off.

Lin Qianxuan didn’t offer any more formalities, he just kept these in his heart silently.

Outside the door, Nie Yidong, who had been waiting, extinguished his cigarette and said, "All set? Come with me, the temporary accommodation prepared for you is this way."

"Thank you, Brother Nie," Lin Qianxuan said.

Nie Yidong nodded and led the way directly.

Watching the figures of Lin Qianxuan and Chen Long’Er walking away, Zhang Heng quietly poured himself another cup of tea.

"The Longsi Family? Hah!"

At this moment, his face was full of grim determination, completely different from the amiable manner he had while chatting with Lin Qianxuan and Chen Long’Er.