81.What’s Feibo?
Ji Mingzhu was originally unsure, but when he called out Huo Zai’s name, the other’s obviously problematic reaction had already indicated something.
Huo Zai choked on his water and began coughing uncontrollably.
“Do you two know each other?” Wei La’s father looked puzzled.
Ji Mingzhu looked at Huo Zai coughing and remained silent.
After all, his relationship with Huo Zai could be considered hostile. He was caught by the Calamity Control Bureau precisely because Huo Zai betrayed him by reporting him to Jin Qing. And he immediately retaliated by reporting back and even used Huo Zai’s ministerial key privileges to discredit him.
He hadn’t expected to see Huo Zai again so soon, and under these circumstances.
Ji Mingzhu narrowed his eyes and quietly activated the Asura Mode, entering a state of vigilance.
“…Kind of,” Huo Zai recovered and said to Wei La’s father, “Ji Mingzhu is a Titan pilot from the Calamity Control Bureau.”
“Such a young Titan pilot?” Wei La’s father looked at Ji Mingzhu in surprise.
“Former Titan pilot,” Ji Mingzhu added expressionlessly, then asked, “Why are you here?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Huo Zai felt that Ji Mingzhu was the one who started the trouble. “How come you’re here?”
Both of them looked at each other warily, neither answering the question first, and a strange atmosphere filled the air.
“Dinner’s ready.”
The woman in the apron brought out several dishes and called out.
“Alright.”
The old man spoke up, interrupting the eerie atmosphere. “No matter what grievances you two have, since you’re both here, sit down and have a good meal. Whatever issues you have can wait until after dinner.”
“Here, chopsticks.” The woman handed Ji Mingzhu a pair of chopsticks.
“Thank you.” Ji Mingzhu took the chopsticks.
Huo Zai across from him also took the chopsticks without saying anything more. Ji Mingzhu rarely saw Huo Zai act this way during their time at the Calamity Control Bureau, indicating that Wei La’s family must hold a special status for him.
“Grandpa, how long have you been living here?”
During dinner, Ji Mingzhu couldn’t help but ask.
Huo Zai glanced at him. “Just eat. Why do you ask so many questions? Finish your meal and leave.”
Ji Mingzhu retorted, “I didn’t ask you.”
“It’s alright, they’re all guests.”
The old man waved his hand, then pondered for a moment. “How long have we been living here… Let me think, we moved out of the satellite city when Wei La was two years old, so it’s been about thirteen or fourteen years.”
“Thirteen or fourteen years living in the wilderness?” Ji Mingzhu exclaimed, “Don’t you think it’s very dangerous?”
“Do we look like we’re in danger?” The old man chuckled. “Compared to the wilderness, living in the satellite city is the most dangerous for us.”
Ji Mingzhu pressed on, “Why?”
Huo Zai interjected, “Are you done? So many questions? Some things aren’t beneficial for you to know. Finish this meal, then continue running for your life.”
Ji Mingzhu glanced at him sideways. “Aren’t you a wanted criminal too?”
“Who caused it?”
“You reported me first.”
“I…”
Seeing that the two were about to argue again, the old man interrupted them.
“There’s nothing you can’t know.”
The old man sighed lightly. “Since you’re not a lackey of the Sky City or the Calamity Control Bureau, then you don’t conflict with our stance. If we can have one more friend, then we have one more strength.”
“You’re also with the…”
Ji Mingzhu wanted to ask if the old man in front of him was a member of Feibo Organization but was stopped by a glance from the old man.
“Wei La, why don’t you go play outside for a while.”
The old man said to Wei La, “Let your parents take you to the town for a stroll.”
“Okay…” Wei La obediently responded.
After they left, there were only Ji Mingzhu, Huo Zai, and the old man left.
“Sorry, please forgive me,” the old man said. “Wei La is still young, and there are some things I don’t want her to be involved in.”
Ji Mingzhu nodded. “I understand.”
After a pause, he asked, “Are you also a member of Feibo Organization?”
The old man nodded slowly. “Yes, I am.”
“Over a decade ago…”
The old man showed a reminiscing expression. “I was still a university professor in the satellite city. I taught history, and Wei La’s father studied the habits of exotic creatures. Although our family couldn’t be considered wealthy, we lived comfortably in the satellite city.”
Ji Mingzhu didn’t interrupt him but listened quietly.
“You know, in the satellite city, nobody cares about history, and nobody needs to study history. Our job is simply to occasionally write textbooks according to the instructions of the Sky City and compose praises about the Sky City.”
The old man continued, “Unfortunately, I’m someone curious about history, a researcher, you see, such people always have this common ailment.”
With that, the old man stood up, walked to a nearby cabinet, and took out a worn-out small box.
After opening it, there were some finely crushed tea leaves inside.
“Tea?” The old man asked the two.
“Thank you,” Ji Mingzhu nodded.
The old man poured a pot of tea and served it to the two. In the lingering white mist, he continued, “Later, through various channels, I began to learn about the history of the Sky City. But just because of that, I brought disaster upon my family.”
“In the process, the Deputy Minister of Calamity Control Bureau, that is, Huo Zai, found us,” the old man continued, “So under his arrangement, our family left the satellite city and continued to live in this town.”
The old man’s words were brief, but Ji Mingzhu could sense the meaning behind them.
Once you know these histories and secrets, it will bring disaster upon yourself.
“Do you still want to hear more?” Huo Zai asked.
Ji Mingzhu looked at him, “Isn’t my current situation dangerous enough?”
“It’s different.”
Huo Zai shook his head, “The Bureau of Impermanence and the Calamity Control Bureau, although these two organizations are large, compared to the Sky City, they are nothing. Once targeted by the Sky City, that is the real danger. Do you know what the Immortals are?”
“Artificial intelligence.”
“What?”
Huo Zai and the old man were both stunned, looking at Ji Mingzhu with a calm expression.
“The Immortals on the Sky City are not human but a group of artificial intelligence, right?”
The two looked at each other.
Huo Zai, “You know?”
“I know many things,” Ji Mingzhu said, “This is just one more. So, do we share the same stance now?”
Huo Zai sneered without saying anything.
His reaction puzzled Ji Mingzhu.
Did he say something wrong?
“Since you want to know, then telling you won’t hurt.”
After a moment of silence, the old man spoke, “You are a Titan pilot. Although young, you have abilities. You can do more than I can. I’m just an old man with one foot in the grave. I still have family. Even if I know some things, my abilities are limited, and I can’t change the world. I’ll tell you what I’ve learned, and after hearing it, how you choose your stance is up to you.”
“I have my own judgment,” Ji Mingzhu said.
Shao Qing, the old man, began to narrate.
“In our era, about six hundred years ago, there was once a prosperous time.”
“Although the technology was not as advanced as it is now, there were no Aberrations at that time. Human footsteps covered every corner of the world. There was no satellite city; instead, regions were divided by countries. Most of the culture, architecture, language, and even political and economic systems that we have preserved now are products of that era.”
“We call it the old era, and the people of that time, we refer to them as the old humanity.”
Clearly, the old man was talking about the era before Ji Mingzhu’s time.
“Originally, the trajectory of the world’s development should not have been like this, but due to the arrival of a meteorite, everything changed.”
The old man said, “In the process of investigating history, I noticed many documents from the old era and the contents of newspapers at that time, all mentioning the existence of the meteorite. For the old humanity of that time, the meteorite represented an opportunity, but it also symbolized disaster.”
“The Sky City, artificial intelligence, as well as mechs, Titans, all these were gifts brought by the meteorite to the old humanity of that time. Of course, there were also Aberrations.” The old man continued slowly, “But the old humanity of that time only saw the hope of technological progress from the meteorite, neglecting the hidden dangers behind… No, maybe they sensed the dangers behind, but as has been the case since ancient times, humans couldn’t resist the temptation of technological progress. So they opened a corner of Pandora’s Box, ultimately causing a catastrophe leading to extinction.”
“An extinction… catastrophe?”
“You once asked me if Aberrations are actually humans, right?” Huo Zai suddenly spoke.
Ji Mingzhu nodded.
He did ask Huo Zai that question before.
At that time, he speculated that Aberrations were humans corrupted, explaining why he saw complex emotions in the eyes of Aberrations when killing those Cataclysm-class Aberrations. And when he asked this question, Huo Zai’s response was:
“With this self-proclaimed righteous appearance, no matter how you disguise it, you cannot hide the sinful core within you. Just standing on this land already makes you bear original sin.”
Looking back at this statement now seemed to carry additional meaning.
“Your guess is only half correct.”
Huo Zai said coldly, “Yes, Aberrations are transformed from humans. All Aberrations, including me, were once old humanity of that era.”
Ji Mingzhu stared blankly at him.
A tremendous panic enveloped him.
“Do you know why our organization is called *’Feibo’?”
*this is what I was refering to as “striker” in pinyin. Originally I tried to find a direct translation of this but couldn’t so I went with what I got when I asked chatgpt to give me a translation of the word. Individually it’s: Fei – fly bo – barge/lighter(ship). So something like air ship. I should have just left it as the pinyin since what I used seems way off the mark. I’ll start using Feibo now. Sorry for that.
Huo Zai said, “Feibo is the name of a bird. This bird is no longer seen now, and it also has another name, magpie. Dove occupying the magpie’s nest… we are the magpies that have occupied the nest.”
“And you, along with all humans standing on this land.”
Huo Zai revealed a cruel smile, “You think that by donning the skin of humans, you become true humans? No, you are not. The Aberrations that came to this planet with the meteorite… it’s you.”
81.What’s Feibo?
Ji Mingzhu was originally unsure, but when he called out Huo Zai’s name, the other’s obviously problematic reaction had already indicated something.
Huo Zai choked on his water and began coughing uncontrollably.
“Do you two know each other?” Wei La’s father looked puzzled.
Ji Mingzhu looked at Huo Zai coughing and remained silent.
After all, his relationship with Huo Zai could be considered hostile. He was caught by the Calamity Control Bureau precisely because Huo Zai betrayed him by reporting him to Jin Qing. And he immediately retaliated by reporting back and even used Huo Zai’s ministerial key privileges to discredit him.
He hadn’t expected to see Huo Zai again so soon, and under these circumstances.
Ji Mingzhu narrowed his eyes and quietly activated the Asura Mode, entering a state of vigilance.
“…Kind of,” Huo Zai recovered and said to Wei La’s father, “Ji Mingzhu is a Titan pilot from the Calamity Control Bureau.”
“Such a young Titan pilot?” Wei La’s father looked at Ji Mingzhu in surprise.
“Former Titan pilot,” Ji Mingzhu added expressionlessly, then asked, “Why are you here?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Huo Zai felt that Ji Mingzhu was the one who started the trouble. “How come you’re here?”
Both of them looked at each other warily, neither answering the question first, and a strange atmosphere filled the air.
“Dinner’s ready.”
The woman in the apron brought out several dishes and called out.
“Alright.”
The old man spoke up, interrupting the eerie atmosphere. “No matter what grievances you two have, since you’re both here, sit down and have a good meal. Whatever issues you have can wait until after dinner.”
“Here, chopsticks.” The woman handed Ji Mingzhu a pair of chopsticks.
“Thank you.” Ji Mingzhu took the chopsticks.
Huo Zai across from him also took the chopsticks without saying anything more. Ji Mingzhu rarely saw Huo Zai act this way during their time at the Calamity Control Bureau, indicating that Wei La’s family must hold a special status for him.
“Grandpa, how long have you been living here?”
During dinner, Ji Mingzhu couldn’t help but ask.
Huo Zai glanced at him. “Just eat. Why do you ask so many questions? Finish your meal and leave.”
Ji Mingzhu retorted, “I didn’t ask you.”
“It’s alright, they’re all guests.”
The old man waved his hand, then pondered for a moment. “How long have we been living here… Let me think, we moved out of the satellite city when Wei La was two years old, so it’s been about thirteen or fourteen years.”
“Thirteen or fourteen years living in the wilderness?” Ji Mingzhu exclaimed, “Don’t you think it’s very dangerous?”
“Do we look like we’re in danger?” The old man chuckled. “Compared to the wilderness, living in the satellite city is the most dangerous for us.”
Ji Mingzhu pressed on, “Why?”
Huo Zai interjected, “Are you done? So many questions? Some things aren’t beneficial for you to know. Finish this meal, then continue running for your life.”
Ji Mingzhu glanced at him sideways. “Aren’t you a wanted criminal too?”
“Who caused it?”
“You reported me first.”
“I…”
Seeing that the two were about to argue again, the old man interrupted them.
“There’s nothing you can’t know.”
The old man sighed lightly. “Since you’re not a lackey of the Sky City or the Calamity Control Bureau, then you don’t conflict with our stance. If we can have one more friend, then we have one more strength.”
“You’re also with the…”
Ji Mingzhu wanted to ask if the old man in front of him was a member of Feibo Organization but was stopped by a glance from the old man.
“Wei La, why don’t you go play outside for a while.”
The old man said to Wei La, “Let your parents take you to the town for a stroll.”
“Okay…” Wei La obediently responded.
After they left, there were only Ji Mingzhu, Huo Zai, and the old man left.
“Sorry, please forgive me,” the old man said. “Wei La is still young, and there are some things I don’t want her to be involved in.”
Ji Mingzhu nodded. “I understand.”
After a pause, he asked, “Are you also a member of Feibo Organization?”
The old man nodded slowly. “Yes, I am.”
“Over a decade ago…”
The old man showed a reminiscing expression. “I was still a university professor in the satellite city. I taught history, and Wei La’s father studied the habits of exotic creatures. Although our family couldn’t be considered wealthy, we lived comfortably in the satellite city.”
Ji Mingzhu didn’t interrupt him but listened quietly.
“You know, in the satellite city, nobody cares about history, and nobody needs to study history. Our job is simply to occasionally write textbooks according to the instructions of the Sky City and compose praises about the Sky City.”
The old man continued, “Unfortunately, I’m someone curious about history, a researcher, you see, such people always have this common ailment.”
With that, the old man stood up, walked to a nearby cabinet, and took out a worn-out small box.
After opening it, there were some finely crushed tea leaves inside.
“Tea?” The old man asked the two.
“Thank you,” Ji Mingzhu nodded.
The old man poured a pot of tea and served it to the two. In the lingering white mist, he continued, “Later, through various channels, I began to learn about the history of the Sky City. But just because of that, I brought disaster upon my family.”
“In the process, the Deputy Minister of Calamity Control Bureau, that is, Huo Zai, found us,” the old man continued, “So under his arrangement, our family left the satellite city and continued to live in this town.”
The old man’s words were brief, but Ji Mingzhu could sense the meaning behind them.
Once you know these histories and secrets, it will bring disaster upon yourself.
“Do you still want to hear more?” Huo Zai asked.
Ji Mingzhu looked at him, “Isn’t my current situation dangerous enough?”
“It’s different.”
Huo Zai shook his head, “The Bureau of Impermanence and the Calamity Control Bureau, although these two organizations are large, compared to the Sky City, they are nothing. Once targeted by the Sky City, that is the real danger. Do you know what the Immortals are?”
“Artificial intelligence.”
“What?”
Huo Zai and the old man were both stunned, looking at Ji Mingzhu with a calm expression.
“The Immortals on the Sky City are not human but a group of artificial intelligence, right?”
The two looked at each other.
Huo Zai, “You know?”
“I know many things,” Ji Mingzhu said, “This is just one more. So, do we share the same stance now?”
Huo Zai sneered without saying anything.
His reaction puzzled Ji Mingzhu.
Did he say something wrong?
“Since you want to know, then telling you won’t hurt.”
After a moment of silence, the old man spoke, “You are a Titan pilot. Although young, you have abilities. You can do more than I can. I’m just an old man with one foot in the grave. I still have family. Even if I know some things, my abilities are limited, and I can’t change the world. I’ll tell you what I’ve learned, and after hearing it, how you choose your stance is up to you.”
“I have my own judgment,” Ji Mingzhu said.
Shao Qing, the old man, began to narrate.
“In our era, about six hundred years ago, there was once a prosperous time.”
“Although the technology was not as advanced as it is now, there were no Aberrations at that time. Human footsteps covered every corner of the world. There was no satellite city; instead, regions were divided by countries. Most of the culture, architecture, language, and even political and economic systems that we have preserved now are products of that era.”
“We call it the old era, and the people of that time, we refer to them as the old humanity.”
Clearly, the old man was talking about the era before Ji Mingzhu’s time.
“Originally, the trajectory of the world’s development should not have been like this, but due to the arrival of a meteorite, everything changed.”
The old man said, “In the process of investigating history, I noticed many documents from the old era and the contents of newspapers at that time, all mentioning the existence of the meteorite. For the old humanity of that time, the meteorite represented an opportunity, but it also symbolized disaster.”
“The Sky City, artificial intelligence, as well as mechs, Titans, all these were gifts brought by the meteorite to the old humanity of that time. Of course, there were also Aberrations.” The old man continued slowly, “But the old humanity of that time only saw the hope of technological progress from the meteorite, neglecting the hidden dangers behind… No, maybe they sensed the dangers behind, but as has been the case since ancient times, humans couldn’t resist the temptation of technological progress. So they opened a corner of Pandora’s Box, ultimately causing a catastrophe leading to extinction.”
“An extinction… catastrophe?”
“You once asked me if Aberrations are actually humans, right?” Huo Zai suddenly spoke.
Ji Mingzhu nodded.
He did ask Huo Zai that question before.
At that time, he speculated that Aberrations were humans corrupted, explaining why he saw complex emotions in the eyes of Aberrations when killing those Cataclysm-class Aberrations. And when he asked this question, Huo Zai’s response was:
“With this self-proclaimed righteous appearance, no matter how you disguise it, you cannot hide the sinful core within you. Just standing on this land already makes you bear original sin.”
Looking back at this statement now seemed to carry additional meaning.
“Your guess is only half correct.”
Huo Zai said coldly, “Yes, Aberrations are transformed from humans. All Aberrations, including me, were once old humanity of that era.”
Ji Mingzhu stared blankly at him.
A tremendous panic enveloped him.
“Do you know why our organization is called *’Feibo’?”
*this is what I was refering to as “striker” in pinyin. Originally I tried to find a direct translation of this but couldn’t so I went with what I got when I asked chatgpt to give me a translation of the word. Individually it’s: Fei – fly bo – barge/lighter(ship). So something like air ship. I should have just left it as the pinyin since what I used seems way off the mark. I’ll start using Feibo now. Sorry for that.
Huo Zai said, “Feibo is the name of a bird. This bird is no longer seen now, and it also has another name, magpie. Dove occupying the magpie’s nest… we are the magpies that have occupied the nest.”
“And you, along with all humans standing on this land.”
Huo Zai revealed a cruel smile, “You think that by donning the skin of humans, you become true humans? No, you are not. The Aberrations that came to this planet with the meteorite… it’s you.”
