himself too thin, it would only backfire.
With the existing intelligence, he could steadily push forward this battle line without wasting energy on multiple fronts.
Stability was the key to victory.
After finishing his shower, Feng Qi changed into a fresh set of clothes and left the training room's partitioned section.
Next, he headed to the corner of the training room, activated a screen, and began reviewing the latest reports from various research institutes.
Intelligence always came first.
The more he understood, the more advantageous it would be in future timelines.
His ability to survive this far was entirely due to piecing together intelligence from different timelines.
However, incomplete intelligence could sometimes lead to misleading conclusions.
For example, he had initially suspected that the Crimson Research Institute was an enemy faction.
Only after piecing together various clues did the real truth become clear.
That was why the more intelligence he gathered—the broader and more complete his understanding—the better he could pave the way for future timelines.
While sifting through reports, one particular piece of news caught his attention.
This intelligence came from Li Xingchen in Future City.
Li Xingchen had sent over an action report detailing the recent movement routes of three battle squads under the Institute of Technological Research.
For Feng Qi, this was undoubtedly good news.
The war with Future City was on the verge of breaking out, and taking down a few of the shadow faction's subordinates in advance would significantly improve their chances of victory.
After carefully analyzing the movement report, his gaze locked onto one particular squad.
In a few days, this squad would be heading to a domain field to transport supplies.
And it was a squad he was all too familiar with—the Devouring Wolf Domain Combat Squad.
During the timeline where he had infiltrated the Institute of Technological Research, he had even climbed the ranks to become the leader of the Devouring Wolf Squad, so he knew them well.
In the previous timeline, Old Mist had slaughtered the entire upper echelon of the Devouring Wolf Squad to frame the Crimson Research Institute and monopolize Star City's research resources.
Looking at history, in the timeline where he joined the Institute of Technological Research, he was able to ascend to the position of squad leader thanks to Old Mist's secret assistance.
As he contemplated the next steps of his plan, time passed quickly.
Glancing up at the electronic clock on the training room wall, he saw that it was already 6 p.m.
Tonight was a special occasion. He had arranged to meet Lin Ran and Mu Qing to visit the temple fair in Star City.
Leaving the Tiger Soul Research Institute base, he waited for Lin Ran and Mu Qing to arrive.
Instead of using an official Tiger Soul Research Institute vehicle, Feng Qi opted to book a ride through his phone after stepping out of the base.
Even though he now had full authority over Tiger Soul Research Institute, he strictly separated personal matters from official duties.
The temple fair was held in the eastern district on Temple Fair Street. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw red lanterns strung together by iron wires, illuminating the entire street in a festive glow.
The crowd was dense, and the atmosphere was lively.
Temple fairs had a long history.
Even after the Cataclysm, human civilization had entered a new era, yet many traditions from the old era had not been forgotten.
This was also a form of cultural inheritance.
In fact, the new era had even given rise to unique variations of traditional temple fairs.
Since early Star City was formed from the merger of multiple cities, temple fairs here featured cultural performances from various regions.
Walking forward with Lin Ran and Mu Qing, they encountered lion dances from the north and south, dragon dances, stilt-walking performances—everything one would expect from a grand festival.
The festive atmosphere was intense. Firecracker sounds echoed from the distance, and fireworks occasionally lit up the night sky, adding to the immersive experience.
Everywhere they looked, people had joyful expressions on their faces.
Turning his head to the side, Feng Qi noticed Mu Qing's gaze lingering on the street food stalls.
"Mu Qing-jie, if you want to eat something, go ahead. The most important thing tonight is to have fun," he said with a smile.
With that, he stepped toward a vendor and called out, "Boss, three sticks of candied hawthorn."
"Got it!" The vendor smiled and skillfully plucked three skewers from a wooden stand before handing them over.
After scanning to pay, Feng Qi turned and handed one skewer each to Mu Qing and Lin Ran.
Mu Qing's eyes reflected nostalgia as she looked at the candied hawthorn.
"It's been a long time since you had this?" Feng Qi asked curiously.
"Mmm. The last time I ate one was when I was little. I've mostly forgotten the taste, but my memories tell me it was something really delicious. When I was a child, I wished I could eat it every day."
As she spoke, Mu Qing took a small bite.
The sweetness spread through her mouth, and she instinctively closed her eyes, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
Lin Ran, hearing this, took a large bite as well. After a moment, he frowned and muttered, "This isn't even that good."
"It's not about the taste. It's about the memories," Feng Qi chuckled, taking a bite of his own.
They continued walking through the festival.
Before long, their hands were full of snacks they had bought along the way.
Finding a less crowded section of the street, they sat on a stone bench by the roadside, taking their time to enjoy the food.
As Mu Qing watched the smiling faces of the people around her, she murmured, almost to herself, "I really don't want to ruin the peace Star City has now."
Feng Qi fell silent.
Once the war against Future City officially began, the peaceful lives of Star City's residents would be shattered. That was inevitable.
Mu Qing continued speaking, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
"When I was little, I envied the lives of people in the cities. I knew cities had everything one could ever want, but I was born a scavenger. By the time I came into the world, the cities had already been destroyed by domain forces. From a young age, I wandered with my parents, relying on aid from different cities just to survive."
"I was luckier than the previous generation. My grandfather was one of the first scavengers, among those who escaped when the cities were first overrun by domain creatures. I've heard him talk about how horrifying those times were."
"The domain creatures slaughtered everyone in the cities, and only a handful managed to escape. My grandfather's family was one of those few survivors. Back then, the major cities were already struggling to stay afloat, and they had no resources to spare for people like us."
"My grandfather once told me that during their days of wandering in search of resources, my great-grandfather once fell seriously ill. The pain was so unbearable that he was barely conscious. Lying in their makeshift tent, he wept as he told my grandfather, 'If you can't afford to keep Dad alive, then just put some medicine in my food. I'll eat it without question.'"
"That's when we scavengers learned from a young age that stability never comes easy. But we also understand that sometimes, sacrifices must be made to achieve true peace."
Feng Qi and Lin Ran fell silent upon hearing her words.
Scavengers harbored an innate hatred for domain forces, but from Mu Qing's words, they sensed another kind of sorrow unique to scavengers—a profound grief carved into their bones. And they could feel, even more deeply, the immense hatred scavengers bore toward domain creatures.
It was a hatred that would never fade, an unending grudge passed down through generations, etched into their very existence.
As they empathized with her words, looking at the smiles of passersby, Feng Qi and Lin Ran felt the beauty of this fleeting peace.
"Let's keep walking," Feng Qi said, breaking the silence.
"Mm." Mu Qing nodded immediately. She took another big bite of her snack and then tossed the wooden skewers and other trash into a nearby bin.
The three of them continued walking eastward.
As they wandered, they arrived in front of the Martial God Temple.
"Qi-ge, let's go in and take a look. Maybe the Martial God will bless us with a smooth journey ahead."
"Alright." Feng Qi had no objections and nodded in agreement.
The Martial God Temple was dedicated to the Martial Sage Emperor and was one of the liveliest places at the festival.
As soon as they entered, the flow of people increased dramatically. The temple was packed with residents holding incense sticks, coming to pay their respects.
The temple's popularity at the festival was closely tied to the era they lived in.
The horrors of the frontlines were well known, and casualties remained alarmingly high every year.
Many of those who went to war were the children, parents, or elders of the city's residents.
For the people coming to pray, the Martial Sage Emperor was a symbol of hope. They wished for the safety of their loved ones on the battlefield, for victories to be won, and ultimately, for the war to end so that they could reunite with their families.
In this era, the temple had become a spiritual pillar for the citizens of Star City, which naturally made it one of the most popular attractions at the festival.
Following the crowd deeper into the temple, they passed by vendors selling incense, their enthusiastic shouts ringing out one after another.
Eventually, they pushed through the densest part of the crowd and arrived before the statue of the Martial Sage Emperor.
The process of paying respects was simple.
Facing the statue, the three of them bowed solemnly. Sincerity was all that mattered.
Just as they were about to leave, Lin Ran noticed a divination stick container nearby and suddenly became excited.
"Qi-ge, let's draw a fortune before we go!"
Feng Qi turned to look at the container of divination sticks. Smiling, he nodded.
"Alright, let's see what fate has in store for our battle ahead."
Lin Ran eagerly stepped forward, picked up the large wooden cylinder, and began shaking it enthusiastically, mumbling words under his breath as if he were truly seeking divine guidance.
After a while, a bamboo stick fell from the container.
Lin Ran set down the container and picked up the stick.
On it, a line of ancient script was engraved:
Ji Jia—Supreme Auspicious: Strive diligently, pursue your goals with unwavering effort, and you shall be rewarded.
Seeing this, Lin Ran immediately beamed with joy and tossed the stick back into the container.
Mu Qing's eyes sparkled as she stepped forward and picked up the container.
"I'll give it a try too."
Imitating Lin Ran, she shook the container a few times.
Moments later, a bamboo stick fell out.
To their surprise, her fortune was identical to Lin Ran's—also a supreme auspicious sign.
Feng Qi couldn't help but chuckle at this.
At this point, he strongly suspected that most of the sticks in the container carried similar fortunes, just to make visitors feel happy.
"Qi-ge, it's your turn."
Feng Qi wasn't particularly superstitious, but he didn't refuse.
He took two steps forward, picked up the container, and gave it a few shakes.
A bamboo stick tumbled out.
When he picked it up and read it, his expression froze.
The words "Great Misfortune" were clearly engraved on the stick.
For a brief moment, Feng Qi remained silent.
Then, without hesitation, he threw the misfortune stick back into the container, casually shuffled through the sticks, and deliberately pulled out one engraved with "Great Fortune." He clenched it in his fist.
Mu Qing: …
Lin Ran: …
"My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of the heavens. Our battle line's fortune is excellent—great fortune!" Feng Qi declared with a smile.
Seeing his smug expression, Lin Ran immediately gave him a thumbs-up.
"As expected of my Qi-ge. 'I shape my own destiny, not the heavens!' Absolute respect!"