reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

"You left traces?" Nian asked, puzzled. "I remember you turned on all the shielding devices?"

“Contrails, I left behind contrails using my aircraft.”

This was something Bai Ye deliberately didn't erase. Although the traces would disappear, Bai Ye even used his powers to prolong the process, intentionally leaving it for them to observe.

By following the trajectory of the contrail, they can determine the approximate direction of the aircraft's journey, from Lungmen to the core city of Chernobog.

Do not doubt the patience of these candle bearers at the Lunar New Year's Altar. They are people who work for the sake of giant beasts. They are not even afraid of giant beasts, so what is this little difficulty?

"Is it appropriate to involve the core city and the Ursus Empire in this?" Nian continued to press.

"As long as it aligns with the interests of all parties and brings benefits, even if it's forced into involvement, we'll be happy to do it. Besides, we have a very good personal relationship. The Speaker of the Ursus Empire Council is also a friend of Old Wei, so he can put in a good word for us."

Bai Ye's expression was still somewhat unnatural when Wei Yanwu was mentioned; in any case, he couldn't avoid talking about him.

Thinking of this, Bai Ye couldn't help but sigh again.

"In short, everyone has their own troubles... I hope everything goes well," he concluded.

"It's best to resolve this before those troublemakers return. Otherwise, it will become more complicated, and when they flood into Yan Country in large numbers, those people might think I'm the one stirring things up behind the scenes..."

—Especially since this version is almost completely open, adding many new spawn points, players will definitely be running around everywhere again.

To be honest, this land would feel a bit strange without players.

Bai Ye habitually opens the game system panel every day, but the forum section remains locked.

Time is a strange thing. For players, it's just a 6-hour update, but in Terra, it takes a whole month.

Chapter Seventeen: Secret Visit

"Young Master Zuo, isn't it a bit presumptuous of you to have chased him all the way here?"

This time, it was Taihe who hesitated.

They were now standing outside the buffer zone of the Ursus Empire, and even taking just one step forward could lead to an irreversible situation.

Therefore, they stopped outside this line.

Zuo Le shook his head:

"While there is indeed a possibility of provoking a conflict between the Ursus Empire and the Great Yan, compared to the matter of the giant beast, this kind of friction that can be resolved through other diplomatic means is a minor matter."

"The Grand Tutor once said that the duty of the candle bearer is to illuminate the shadows of giant beasts and to patrol and observe the dangers facing the nation. Therefore, it is also my duty to act according to the circumstances now."

"Moreover, by deliberately leaving traces in the sky, they probably intended to invite us here."

Taihe nodded:

"Do you have some idea who did this?"

“I’m afraid it’s Bai Ye.” Zuo Le answered without hesitation. “He and that year were already acquainted, and he certainly has the ability to take Xi away without us even noticing.”

The two of them still vividly remember what happened when they met last year.

“The Directorate of the Years is also suspected of dereliction of duty.” Taihe sighed. “However… we all know that we can’t stop them by relying on just those people.”

Zuo Le took out the terminal:

“A month ago, three people applied for entry from Longmen. I guess they should be the incarnation of the Sui Beast and Bai Ye’s group.”

"The day before Xi left Huiqi Mountain, a small conflict broke out in front of a martial arts school in Gouwu City. A group of martial arts practitioners were attacked by passersby and instantly lost consciousness. I have read their statements, and the characteristics of the passerby match Bai Ye's."

"It's a pity that we can only find these clues and hints after the fact. Without the hindsight perspective, I'm afraid no one could connect these small things with the Sui beast."

Zuo Le said, putting away the terminal and shaking his head.

"Let's go." With that, he lifted his leg to take a step forward.

However, Taihe reached out and stopped him:

"I'll go first."

As he spoke, he stepped into the buffer zone of the Ursus Empire before Zuo Le could.

After that kick, everything calmed down, and nothing happened.

Zuo Le breathed a sigh of relief:

"It seems I'm overthinking it."

"Young Master is too happy too soon." Taihe raised her head and looked at the sky not far away.

After the two stood there for a while, the roar of an engine rose from the horizon. The sound grew louder as it approached; it was an aircraft.

As it approached, the aircraft gradually slowed down and then landed in front of Taihe and Zuole.

The hatch opened, and Bai Ye stepped out. He slowly began to speak:

"You two have come from afar, you must be tired."

Taihe and Zuole exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected Bai Ye to be waiting here. It was no coincidence.

"You don't seem to have the legal permits to enter the Ursus Empire, do you?" Bai Ye asked expressionlessly.

Taihe nodded.

"Then you two will have to stop here."

Bai Ye paused for a moment, then changed the subject and said:

"However, if you two are willing to become friends with me, I would be happy to invite you to visit the Marquisate of Talulah."

"I would be happy to be friends with Mr. Bai Ye." Zuo Le understood and, along with Tai He, followed Bai Ye onto the aircraft.

"There's no need to be so formal. We can treat each other as equals. After all, I'm only in my early twenties."

Bai Ye smiled.

He wasn't lying, but if you factor in his age before he transmigrated, he'd probably be approaching thirty.

Taihe looked at the aircraft with some curiosity. The Great Yan Dynasty did have such things, but their construction was different. This aircraft's design was obviously more convenient for transporting goods and aerial drops, which the Ministry of Works could learn from.

"Bai Ye, how did you predict that we would appear here at this time?" Zuo Le noticed that the aircraft's outer shell was clean and shiny. If it had been waiting in the wilderness for a long time, it obviously wouldn't be this clean.

This aircraft must have just taken off not long ago.

In other words, Bai Ye must have accurately grasped their speed of movement.

“I originally guessed it would take you half a month to get here from Gouwu. But you only took less than a week. Such speed truly impresses me,” Bai Ye said with admiration.

Bai Ye already knew when Zuo Le and Tai He arrived at Longmen. He then closely monitored their movements; they first drove away from Longmen, then switched to walking as they approached the buffer zone.

In fact, starting in October of last year, White Night began to work on a mobile base station project, using Chernobog's core city and Lungmen as starting points.

This is a massive and expensive project, but overall, the results are quite good. Currently, network coverage has been achieved between Lungmen and the core city of Chernobog.

"It was just some minor tricks from the Celestial Masters, a speed-traveling talisman," Zuo Le said, patting his calf.

Bai Ye nodded knowingly. He could then attach a speed talisman, allowing him to move with incredible speed; he used to enjoy using this item. However, it wasn't suitable for combat, as it only increased speed in a straight line, not improved his ability to maneuver and dodge.

"Are the two avatars of the Year Beast, Nian and Xi, currently in the territory of Marquis Talulah?" Zuo Le asked impatiently after boarding the aircraft.

"That's true." Bai Ye didn't hide anything.

Taihe said in a deep voice:

"The transformation of the Year Beast is a matter of great importance to the Great Yan Dynasty. In any case, I hope Mr. Bai Ye will think it through before making any plans."

"That's why I invited you to the core city for a talk. We need a place and environment where we can sit down and have a clear discussion."

"Is it not allowed within the Great Yan territory?" Zuo Le asked.

"That's a bit nerve-wracking. What if we're in the middle of a conversation and suddenly a hundred or eighty old masters surround us? Wouldn't that be terrible? Having a knife to your throat isn't exactly a good conversation."

“The Great Yan doesn’t have that many old Celestial Masters…” Zuo Le said with a wry smile, “Now it’s us who are on tenterhooks.”

“Unlike the Year Beasts, they are helpless and alone, while you at least have the Great Yan behind you. No matter what we do or say, we will think twice before acting,” Bai Ye reassured.

At this point, Taihe and Zuole were temporarily relieved.

At least, it would be enough to figure out the other party's intentions. Next, Bai Ye piloted the aircraft back to the core city. Throughout the journey, Zuo Le sat in the cockpit, curiously watching Bai Ye's actions.

Taihe, on the other hand, closed his eyes to rest and remained silent.

Chapter Eighteen: The Terrace of the Year

"This is the famous Ideal City..." This was Zuo Le's first time visiting the core city of Chernobog.

He never imagined that one day he would set foot here in this way and with this identity.

"Since the undead have temporarily left, there are only infected people here now. I hope you two will not react or do anything rash," Bai Ye reminded them.

After all, not everyone is kind to those who are infected.

“We have no prejudice against the infected, but in Da Yan, the infected also need some control measures, after all…” Zuo Le stopped mid-sentence.

"It's alright." Bai Ye smiled. "This is normal, or rather, you've already done quite well. At least you haven't oppressed the infected or treated them like expendable resources."

"Mr. Bai Ye shouldn't be an infected person, right?" Zuo Le asked.

"Yes, that's not true."

"I heard that you traveled around when you founded this city and almost single-handedly took it over for the infected. Your magnanimity is truly admirable."

Zuo Le wasn't lying. He was considered one of the best among the younger generation, but compared to Bai Ye, he was like a firefly compared to the bright moon—there was simply no comparison.

"Actually, it's probably harder to hold onto this place than to create it. The core city has existed for quite some time now, and every moment of its existence has made some people hate it to the bone and see it as a thorn in their side. The battles, both overt and covert, are happening every moment."

Although Bai Ye's words were plain and unremarkable, the listener could sense an endless storm of bloodshed within them.

During their casual conversation, Bai Ye led the two through the standard sightseeing route, and then took them to a teahouse.

Talulah wouldn't let the two of them see it, after all, that guy's bloodline was something that couldn't be exposed to the light of day, and Bai Ye didn't want any unnecessary trouble.

……

"Please sit down. This is my friend's property, but recently all the non-dead people have temporarily left, and business hasn't been very good, so she has temporarily closed it down. It's the perfect place for a private meeting."

Bai Ye poured tea for the two of them. He was quite familiar with the customs of Yan Kingdom, which dictated that tea was the seventh part of the day, rice the eighth, and wine the eleventh, which surprised Zuo Le and Tai He.

"Mr. Bai Ye, are you also from Dayan?" It's no wonder Zuo Le asked this question. Whether it was his habits or his accent, Bai Ye seemed to be a native of Dayan.

Bai Ye nodded:

"I am from Longmen."

Well, his identification showed it was there, so there was nothing that could be done about it. After all, that's how he hacked in, and Wei Yanwu eventually accepted it. It's considered official verification.

Bai Ye continued:

“However, at this moment my identity has nothing to do with Lungmen. I represent Marquis Talulah and the two Year Beast incarnations, Nian and Xi…” Bai Ye said, looking at the two envoys from Great Yan, “And you, could you represent Great Yan?”

"My name is Taihe, Deputy Censor of the Censorate."

"I am Zuo Le, the candle bearer of the Suitai. We are fully responsible for the issue of the Sui beast's incarnation, so we can represent the Great Yan at this moment. However, we also need to submit today's conversation to the court. This matter will be decided by the higher-ups, and we cannot directly express our attitude."

"Who is Zuo...Zuo Xuanliao to you?" Bai Ye suddenly asked.

“That’s… my father,” Zuo Le whispered.

Bai Ye raised an eyebrow:

"Good guy..."

Sure enough, this guy's identity is quite extraordinary; he could probably write a book called "My General Father."

Bai Ye knew that Zuo Xuanliao had served as the Marquis of Pingchong and later became the garrison commander of Yumen Pass. However, he did not know that the Zuo Le in front of him was his son.

"Since you can represent the Great Yan, let's not beat around the bush anymore. You state your position, we will raise our demands, refute some of your views, and then report to the court. That will resolve the matter." Bai Ye no longer dwelled on the issue of their identities.

Zuo Le nodded:

"The Great Yan's attitude is simple. This land is in constant turmoil, and there are also undead running rampant. I'm afraid the world is about to descend into chaos. Before we make any preparations, we need to deal with the problem of the giant beasts first."

"How do you plan to solve this?" Bai Ye pressed.

"Si Suitai wants to solve the problem once and for all." Zuo Le paused for a moment, then continued, "If this were decades or hundreds of years ago, Si Suitai would not have paid any attention to their actions as long as they did not break the rules."

"But things are different now. Not only has the situation changed, but you've also become close to Nian and taken Xi away from the mountain without permission, which has greatly angered Si Suitai. How can Da Yan be sure that there's no earth-shattering conspiracy behind their gathering?"

"Do you, the Ursus Empire, have ulterior motives for getting involved? Are our neighboring countries plotting dangerous schemes? These are all things we need to consider. Moreover, your identity is indeed very special."

Bai Ye's identity is difficult to define or represent with a single word. This complexity and uniqueness makes Si Suitai very worried.