Chapter 57: Full of Doubts

Seeing his future self executed, Feng Qi's heart was filled with anguish.

Every time he traversed into the future, it marked a timeline where another version of him became a sacrificial pawn for trial and error, bearing immense pressure and pain.

This was why, before his death, his future self would say that death was a release and that Feng Qi should not feel guilty.

But seeing the crowd cheering with joy as his future self lay beheaded on the execution platform, how could he not feel guilt?

The final moments of the execution broadcast revealed a figure stepping onto the platform.

Though the person's appearance had changed—scars now marking his face—Feng Qi immediately recognized the man as Hui Xu, the monk.

Hui Xu had donned his tattered robes once more and slowly ascended the platform. Sitting cross-legged beside Feng Qi's lifeless body, he closed his eyes and began chanting, seemingly performing a ritual to guide his soul.

Feng Qi hadn't expected this. While the relationship between him and Hui Xu in this timeline remained unclear, it was shocking that the seemingly unreliable monk would come to bid him farewell.

Stones thrown by the crowd struck Hui Xu's body, but he remained unmoved, hands pressed together in prayer, lips murmuring his chants.

When military personnel arrived to clear the scene, Hui Xu gently ran his hand across Feng Qi's face, closing the eyes that had remained open.

The broadcast's final scene showed soldiers cleaning the site. However, a team of black-robed individuals arrived.

This time, Mu Qing's silhouette was absent. The black-robed figures appeared to negotiate with the military personnel and ultimately carried Feng Qi's body away.

The video ended. Feng Qi exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as he tried to calm his storming emotions.

Even so, he couldn't completely suppress the turmoil in his heart. But he reminded himself that now wasn't the time for sentimentality. Every second in the dream realm was precious, and he needed to make the most of it.

Without hesitation, he activated the search function and entered the name "Hui Xu."

After a brief pause, relevant information appeared.

Hui Xu (The Master)

Lifespan: 219 years.

Profile:

The 239th abbot of Golden Immortal Temple. A distinguished graduate of Star City Academy. Though he was aimless in his early years, Hui Xu experienced a transformation in middle age when he assumed leadership of the Prajna Domain Combat Squad. Under his command, the squad achieved numerous commendable victories. In his later years, he relinquished his role as commander and traveled the world, spreading the spirit of resilience and inspiring countless individuals to fight for humanity's future. He was posthumously revered as "The Master."

Netizen Comments:

Blue Horizon of the Future:

"To be honest, Hui Xu Master's early life was riddled with hardships. He almost got dragged into the Feng Qi incident, which led to years of public ridicule. But from historical records, I've found that Hui Xu Master's transformation seems directly related to Feng Qi. I don't know the specifics, though."

Soul-Cleaving Blade:

"If we're debating what caused Hui Xu Master's change, I believe it had to be Feng Qi. Hui Xu once considered leaving the Buddhist order, but on the day Feng Qi was executed, he returned to his ascetic robes and completely changed. After performing rites for Feng Qi, he returned to Golden Immortal Temple and later joined the Prajna Domain Combat Squad. His journey is both inspiring and tragic. I don't think Hui Xu ever believed Feng Qi betrayed humanity."

Unyielding Resolve:

"Hui Xu was once Feng Qi's student. His appearance at the execution was simply a student's farewell to his mentor. I doubt Feng Qi influenced him much. One became a traitor; the other, a spiritual leader. It's hard to draw a connection between the two."

Foodie Li:

"Historical evidence proves Hui Xu Master's bond with Feng Qi. During his time at Star City Academy, Hui Xu was far from being a 'master.' Even after graduating, he was still aimless. For many years, he lived in self-pity, far from the figure people admire today.

But on the day of Feng Qi's execution, Hui Xu returned to his ascetic robes. That's when the true 'master' was born. He changed completely after that. While we can't understand his inner world, it's clear that Feng Qi's death had a profound impact on him."

After reading Hui Xu's biography, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. The seemingly unreliable monk had transformed into a spiritual leader admired by many.

Whether Hui Xu's transformation had anything to do with him, Feng Qi couldn't be certain.

He hadn't lived through the events of that timeline, so the answers could only be found in his private email account.

Before accessing that, Feng Qi still had one remaining search permission. He typed in "Mu Qing" in the search bar.

After a few seconds of loading, the information appeared:

Mu Qing (Rebel Leader)

Profile:

Formerly a student of Star City Academy, Mu Qing joined the Howling Wind Domain Combat Squad after graduating, where she excelled as a domain warrior. Her outstanding performance earned her rapid promotions, and in just six months, she became the squad's vice-captain. Under Mu Qing's leadership, the squad advanced to an A-rank combat squad.

Three years after graduating from Star City Academy, she abruptly left the Howling Wind Domain Combat Squad despite attempts to retain her. She then established the "Dawn Domain Combat Squad," which eventually became one of the top ten combat squads.

Dawn's exceptional track record, including numerous victories and contributions, earned Mu Qing the title of a "Historic God of War" candidate.

However, following Feng Qi's death, Mu Qing underwent a drastic personality change. During a domain combat squad meeting initiated by the Crimson Research Institute, she killed several prominent squad leaders. Subsequently, she recruited scavengers and founded the human rebel faction "Dawn." She also restarted the Rune-Enhanced Human Project, ultimately opposing humanity.

Her actions stained her hands with the blood of innocents, leading rebel forces to slaughter several cities. Her infamy solidified her legacy as a traitor in history.

Cause of Death: Classified (Top Clearance Required).

Tags: Rune-Enhanced Human, Leader of the Dawn Rebels, Human Traitor.

Personality Traits: Ruthless, cold-blooded, willing to do anything to achieve her goals.

Netizen Comments:

Mourning the Lost:

"Mu Qing was definitely one of the strongest warriors of her time. If she had followed the normal trajectory, her talent would have made her one of the era's greatest God of War figures. But she deviated after Feng Qi's death, choosing to betray humanity and repeat his path. She became a traitor to humankind."

I Walk Alone:

"I can't believe this! That dog Feng Qi caused so much havoc! The fact that his influence corrupted people like Mu Qing just proves he was a complete menace. It's a good thing he died early; otherwise, who knows how much more damage he could've caused."

Blood Like Dragons:

"When you dig into history, things don't quite add up. Everyone says Mu Qing betrayed humanity because of Feng Qi, but I think there might be more to it. Before the Crimson Research Institute's meeting, Mu Qing's actions still aligned with fighting against domain invasions. The betrayal happened so suddenly—it feels like there are hidden layers to this story."

Reading through the evaluations of Mu Qing from the future, Feng Qi couldn't help but sigh.

His future self had willingly gone to his death, refusing Mu Qing's attempt to save him, because he thought that moment was her closest chance to change.

He believed that as the leader of the Dawn Domain Combat Squad, Mu Qing would one day assist in the rise of human civilization. But she still ended up walking the same dark path.

And once again, the Crimson Research Institute's shadow loomed behind her betrayal of humanity.

"Could Mu Qing's betrayal have been orchestrated by the Crimson Research Institute?" Feng Qi muttered to himself.

But as he pondered this, he found the theory didn't quite hold.

If Mu Qing were the Crimson Research Institute's secret weapon against humanity, why allow her the freedom to act independently instead of keeping her under their direct control?

It all seemed to circle back to that fateful meeting.

With these lingering doubts, Feng Qi returned to the search bar and began looking for records about the meeting in question.