I changed the world.

“I know…I know it’s a good opportunity…but this time…it’s really dangerous…”

“...Beacon tower...demon…”

"...Xiao Er is strong-willed...but I'm really scared..."

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Soon, she roughly understood what had happened, and it was indeed related to her second brother. She knew that her second brother's current position was a squad leader in the Special Operations Team of the Fourth Division of the Special Crime Investigation Bureau. In fact, not long ago, she had secretly helped him, intentionally or unintentionally, when he was on duty.

This matter is also inextricably linked to the second brother's position. Judging from the tone of her mother's voice, the person on the other end of the phone should be her father. From the information revealed in the conversation, it seems that the Suifenhe, one of the three experimental ships that were widely reported by the media to be conducting deep space voyages, has returned, but it has brought with it some unknown demon. Now, Fengsui Fort is almost completely overrun.

The national leadership has been alerted and the fleet has been deployed to blockade the area. At the same time, His Majesty has ordered the Special Crime Investigation Bureau's Fourth Division to select elite troops to accompany the expedition. Second Brother was directly selected because of his excellent performance in handling previous issues. Moreover, Second Brother himself seems to value this opportunity highly and has shown a positive attitude.

Of course, since Zhu Xuting came from a prominent family, and in some people’s eyes he was there to “gild his resume”, someone would naturally inform the Jingbei Marquis’s mansion about such a risky matter that everyone knew was extremely risky.

Zhu Yingwei then understood why her mother was acting this way. Since her father was often away serving as an official, her mother was in charge of the household affairs. As the wife of the Marquis of Jingbei, Zhu Wangshi was not from a humble family; her maternal family was quite influential in the military.

Therefore, such things could not be kept from her. As a member of a high-ranking noble family, Zhu Wangshi had heard about the strange and terrifying things about demons and monsters. As a result, she had been visiting Xingqing Temple outside the city more frequently recently, and had even donated a sum of money there not long ago.

Zhu Yingwei eavesdropped for a while longer and managed to sort out the matter. Originally, Zhu Wangshi thought that although entering the Fourth Division of the Special Crime Investigation Bureau was dangerous, it was still manageable. After all, he was the second son of the Marquis of Jingbei, and he wouldn't be involved in truly extremely dangerous missions.

Especially since it is said that this institution is highly favored by His Majesty and will soon become independent, at which point it is inevitable that all its members will rise to power. Such an opportunity is extremely rare even in the eyes of the nobles. Therefore, despite the danger, many nobles have openly or secretly placed their sons into it, mostly their second or third sons.

However, this matter is obviously extremely risky. What kind of place is Fengsui Fortress? It's on the frontier of the solar system. If the demons on Earth are already so unpredictable, then the dangers in deep space are self-evident. Especially since it's said to be on the verge of falling, this matter is definitely not to be taken lightly.

Although Zhu Wangshi was born into a noble family, she had lived in peace for a long time, and upon hearing this news, she was already intimidated.

However, Zhu Xuting was extremely enthusiastic about it and readily agreed.

To say that Zhu Xuting was reckless would not be entirely true. He did have a gambler's mentality, after all, the organization was about to become independent, and this incident was said to have reached the highest levels of government and was extremely important. The Fourth Division had drawn its best troops from all over the country, and the division chief, Li Weihan, personally led the team. Clearly, the division chief also wanted to make a name for himself.

In this situation, it is conceivable that if one wants to gain a place in the new organization in the future, then there is no room for retreat this time. Since ancient times, wealth and honor have been sought in danger. Even if one is born into a noble family, at crucial moments, if one wants to rise to the top, one still has to take a gamble.

Chapter 570 Seeking Help from Senior Brother (Part 1)

As a boy, he heard his father talk about it more than once. In the eighteenth year of Emperor Huanzong's reign, during the second Northern Expedition, the Battle of General Temple took place. The fierce general Zhuoertai of the Lin Hu led the Red Armor Army's iron cavalry to break through the central army and charge straight at Emperor Huanzong's banner. At that time, some officials advised the emperor to retreat temporarily. However, everyone knew that if the emperor retreated at the critical moment of the battle, the entire army would collapse.

At this moment, Zhu Dingbian, the personal general guarding Emperor Huanzong, smeared his face with blood to encourage his soldiers: "You are all northerners. Since the Lin Hu invaded, they have destroyed our fields and houses, killed our parents, and humiliated our wives and daughters! We men are ready to die for what we have done today!"

Afterwards, he led the charge, charging forward with his troops and engaging in fierce fighting, effectively halting the advance of the Red-Armored Army and ultimately annihilating this elite Linhu force within their ranks. In this battle, Zhu Dingbian sustained more than ten wounds, changed horses twice, and was ranked first in merit after the battle. After the recapture of the old capital, Zhu Dingbian was awarded the title of Marquis of Jingbei for his accumulated merits.

As a son of a noble family, Zhu Xuting knew that, often, the crucial choices made at critical moments determine the height a person can reach in life.

As the second son in the family, he knew that the title of Marquis of Jingbei was irrelevant to him, since his elder brother was the heir apparent. Therefore, this opportunity might be the greatest endorsement for his future position in the new organization.

He was right to think that way, but in his mother Zhu Wangshi's eyes, so-called achievements were far less important than the safety of her children. There was no right or wrong in this; it was simply a difference in perspective and choice.

Zhu Yingwei listened intently, her brows furrowed. It sounded like her father, though somewhat worried, was generally encouraging, urging her mother to respect her second brother's wishes...

In the end, the mother was probably persuaded by the father. Obviously, the mother was just worried, but as someone from a noble family, she knew what her son was thinking.

Zhu Yingwei quietly got up and left the rooftop, returning lightly to a spot not far from her room like a shadow before finally going back to her room in front of the maid.

Recalling the news she had just heard about the crisis unfolding at the beacon tower, she felt a pang of worry. She didn't want to lose her second brother. Compared to an ordinary person like her brother, she knew all too well just how terrifying those strange beings truly were. Beings capable of traversing space couldn't possibly be just level one; they were at least level two, or even level three…

Such a terrifying being must possess countless bizarre and unpredictable methods...

He really wanted to go and see, but this time it was in space, not on Earth, and her cultivation level was far from being able to traverse space.

What to do? Zhu Yingwei sat at her desk, biting her fingers in frustration...

She thought of her friend Wei Chengguang, but immediately shook her head, dismissing the idea. His cultivation level was about the same as hers; if she couldn't do anything about it, he certainly couldn't either.

In her mind, the one truly capable of resolving this matter was her master. However… troubling him with such mundane matters… seemed a bit…

Deep down, Zhu Yingwei still held her master in high esteem. In her eyes, her master was a true immortal master. She still felt a sense of unreality about her entry into the immortal sect and dared not bother him with such a "trivial matter".

Oh, right... Senior Brother!

Suddenly, he thought of a calm and unassuming young man. Compared to his master, his senior brother was undoubtedly much more approachable. Besides, her and Wei Chengguang's basic skills were actually taught by his senior brother.

Since they entered the sect, the senior brother would occasionally take time to come to Jiangling to guide her and Wei Chengguang's cultivation. Therefore, rather than saying that their cultivation was taught by their master, it is more like the senior brother accepted them as disciples on behalf of their master.

In their eyes, the eldest brother was much more down-to-earth than the master. Although he was equally unfathomable, he could joke around with people and was naturally friendly.

After thinking for a while, Zhu Yingwei finally made up her mind. She took out her phone and found an app called "password." This paid, secure communication software was her current method of contacting her senior brother.

Her contact list contained only a few people, among whom was a black and white yin-yang symbol—that was her senior brother. After a slight hesitation, she dialed the number.

The phone rang for a while before being answered. A gentle male voice came from the other end: "Hello, is this Yingwei?"

"It's me, Senior Brother. How are you?" Zhu Yingwei subconsciously stood up straight, her voice slightly restrained: "I'm so sorry to disturb Senior Brother's rest at this time."

"It's alright, is there something you need?" The voice on the other end was still gentle, which made Zhu Yingwei feel slightly relieved. After organizing her thoughts, she said, "It's like this, I just heard some information. I wonder if you've heard of the beacon towers in the ancient planetary fragment belt on the edge of the solar system, Senior Brother..."

However, before Zhu Yingwei could finish speaking after uttering the words "Beacon Tower Fortress," she was immediately interrupted by the other party.

"Don't say anything more, just wait a moment..." With that, she hung up the phone.

Zhu Yingwei froze on the spot. Thinking of her senior brother's obviously serious tone at the end, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Had she said something wrong and made her senior brother angry?

No way? It seems I didn't say anything wrong...

Just as Zhu Yingwei's mind was bubbling with all sorts of thoughts, feeling anxious and unsettled, she heard a rhythmic tapping sound coming from the roof tiles above her head, three times in a row.

Zhu Yingwei was taken aback, then she thought of something, carefully opened the window, looked out, and then climbed out of the window and onto the roof.

But all they saw was a figure dressed in a Taoist robe, standing lightly on the roof.

Zhu Yingwei recognized the visitor at a glance and quickly bowed respectfully, saying, "Senior Brother, how could you trouble yourself to come here in person?"

As he spoke, he hurriedly invited the other person into his room.

The visitor was Zhang Jing. After sitting down in Zhu Yingwei's study, he didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I know everything about the Beacon Tower incident."

"This is a critical moment, and to maintain secrecy, I should come over myself."

Shortly before Zhu Yingwei called, Zhang Jing had already received the message from both the Celestial Master's Mansion and Yunxiao Mountain. At the same time, he also judged that, if he was not mistaken, his test would most likely take place here.

Originally, Zhang Jing was already preparing to set off with Zhang Taihe. Just then, Zhu Yingwei called.

Although in theory, software like "password" provides peer-to-peer communication and leaves no backups on the server, this incident was far too significant, so Zhang Jing stopped Zhu Yingwei from continuing and chose to come over himself.

Chapter 571 Seeking Help from Senior Brother (Part 2)

Zhang Jing's reaction clearly surprised Zhu Yingwei. In her mind, such a matter must be extremely secretive, information that only certain special departments of the empire and a few high-ranking officials would know. She never expected that her senior brother had already obtained it.

However, she quickly understood. The sect had a deep foundation, and the senior brother was also incredibly powerful. It seemed that the sect also had a keen and accurate source of information regarding such a demon invasion.

Truly a divine skill!

"Senior Brother, I wonder... what kind of beings are those demons that invaded Fengsui Fortress?" Zhu Yingwei asked hesitantly. Her knowledge of the demons at Fengsui Fortress was limited to snippets of information her mother had given her over the phone; she knew nothing about whether her second brother was in danger, or to what extent.

"As far as I know, it's not the kind of thing to be trifled with. If I'm not mistaken, it should have been summoned from the void by that experimental ship." Although Zhang Jing was also unsure of the type of demon, he had a general idea. Something used as a test for the wish book couldn't possibly be a minor character.

"You've already grasped the basics, so you should know without me explaining. Warp and Void are just different names. The principle behind spatial jumps is to use the ceaseless turbulence in the Void Ocean to propel itself forward. Once a starship enters the Void, it's like a person jumping into a rushing river. Compared to the still riverbank, it will naturally be carried to a much farther place quickly."

"However, the void is vast and boundless, and it is also home to countless strange beings, many of which are difficult to deal with. Although technology is developing rapidly nowadays, if one enters it without any precautions, it is like entering a body of water full of hungry monsters naked, and one will inevitably end up with a result similar to today's."

"In a way, this may not be a bad thing. It serves as a reminder to governments around the world that deep space is far from being as peaceful as it seems on the surface..." Zhang Jing tapped the armrest of his seat lightly with his fingers and said calmly.

Zhu Yingwei listened attentively like a good girl, and in her heart she was even more impressed by her senior brother's extensive knowledge. Although she had begun to make initial contact with the void sea as her cultivation deepened, her understanding of the actual situation in the void was far less thorough than that of her senior brother.

"Senior Brother, do you think those soldiers can handle this situation?" Zhu Yingwei twisted her fingers together, looking somewhat worried. "I heard that the fleet has already been deployed... Won't many people die?"

"They won't cause any major trouble; someone will handle it when the time comes." Zhang Jing's face remained calm.

To Zhu Yingwei, this composure was like having a thunderous storm brewing on one's chest while maintaining a calm and collected demeanor...

I used to think that my senior brother's cultivation was extremely high, but now it seems that he is several levels higher than I imagined...

Seeing Zhu Yingwei's hesitant and reluctant expression, Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel curious. He knew that his junior sister came from a prominent family, so it wasn't hard to understand why she had access to information about the Beacon Tower incident.

However, judging from her current expression, it's clear that this phone call wasn't just a simple notification.

So he simply said gently, "Yingwei, we are fellow disciples, there's no need for reservations. Just speak your mind."

Upon hearing Zhang Jing's words, Zhu Yingwei no longer hesitated and mustered her courage to speak: "Senior Brother, to be honest, my second brother has been a close friend of mine since childhood..." Zhu Yingwei then did not hide anything and honestly told Zhang Jing everything she had heard about her second brother working in the Fourth Division of the Special Crime Investigation Bureau, including how she discovered his letter to her in the morning and how she found out about it.

After hearing the story, Zhang Jing understood that Zhu Yingwei had sought his help because she was worried about her second brother's safety and hoped to find a way to save his life.

Zhang Jing did not answer immediately, but pondered for a moment. Zhu Yingwei sat upright to the side, looking at him with a nervous expression.

“Cultivators should not get involved in worldly affairs. The sect will never get involved in matters at the government level. Do you still remember this precept?” Zhang Jing’s smile faded as he slowly spoke.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yingwei glanced at her senior brother, feeling increasingly uneasy. She cautiously replied, "This is a great precept, and I dare not forget it for even a moment."

"It's good that you understand. As a member of a government agency, it's not our place to interfere with what the authorities do, nor can we interfere," Zhang Jing said calmly. His tone wasn't harsh, but to Zhu Yingwei, it still sounded like a warning.

"Senior Brother's reminder is correct... This matter... I was too worried and almost broke the sect rules..." Zhu Yingwei felt a little frustrated, but she didn't dare to argue and honestly bowed her head to admit her mistake.

"It's good that you know your limits..." Seeing her attitude, Zhang Jing's eyes finally softened: "There's no need to worry too much about your second brother's matter..."

"Alright, I'll go to Beacon Tower later to see what kind of demon it is..."

"Ah!" Zhu Yingwei was taken aback at first, then her joy was instantly overflowing. She jumped up from her seat and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle: "Thank you, Senior Brother!!!"

Zhang Jing looked at the two swaying buns on her head and laughed, "Our Xuanmen has always been irreconcilably opposed to such demons and monsters. This has nothing to do with your second brother..."

"Yingwei understands!" Zhu Yingwei puffed out her chubby cheeks playfully. She naturally understood that if it were truly unrelated, her senior brother wouldn't have needed to make this trip in person. He only said that to show that no rules had been broken. This clearly meant he had granted her request.

"By the way, Senior Brother, isn't it dangerous?" Zhu Yingwei belatedly realized that she was starting to worry about Zhang Jing again.