CH 18

Unedited

“Du Huai’an, or rather, Fang Jingmo. Uncle, is what I said right?”

The system was silent for a moment, “……How did you find out?”　

“How could there be two people who are so alike?” Bai Zhi voiced. “Even the smell of their souls are exactly the same.”1

System: “I……”

“It’s fine, Uncle. I trust that you won’t hurt me,” Bai Zhi smiled. “I won’t ask why you’re hiding this matter, I’ll ask you another question.”

“What question?”

Bai Zhi paused for a moment, opening his mouth, “Does he remember me in every world?”

“He doesn’t remember,” the system simply uttered. “You can interpret them as reincarnations.”

“Is that so?” Bai Zhi pursed his lips, smiling. For the last time, he looked at Du Huai’an who lay dormant.2 His tone had softened a bit, “Then let’s go, head to the next world.”

“Okay.”

The system materialised its form, opened its galvanized iron belly, stuffed Bai Zhi into it, then immediately disappeared from the spot. 

When Bai Zhi had opened his eyes, he felt severe pain in his abdomen. He took a deep breath and had barely opened his eyes3 when he saw a man kicking him. He instinctively prepared to fight back, but Bai Zhi suddenly recalled his task.

He still hadn’t learnt about this world, he should not act rashly. 

Bai Zhi immediately clenched his teeth. He stiffly received the attack from below and immediately rolled back from the kick. 

The sound of sneering promptly came from ahead. Bai Zhi lifted his head and realised that the man previously attacking him was not human. 

Although the thing had a human body shape, it had a long horn on its head, its face was covered with scales, and it seemed very terrifying. 

Bai Zhi lowered his eyes in surprise and the voice of the system came through in his mind. 

“The host is in danger, forcibly starting Protection Mode. Di4, Protection Mode has started. Forcibly transferring the plot——”

Bai Zhi inhaled through his nose. After the voice had spoken, he no longer felt that intense pain. It was substituted by a large number of words that drilled into his mind, passing over his eyes one by one. 

This world was different from the previous world. AD 5000, science and technology is highly developed and the Earth’s natural resources have nearly been exhausted. A colossus had emerged in the galaxy, the Empire. And thus, a war for natural resources had begun. The Aliens that had evolved under extreme environments and the Zerg that had a lower amount of combat power yet could not be underestimated. After centuries of wars over resources, the human race used their absolute advantage of outnumbering them and having relatively advanced science and technology to temporarily suppress the Aliens and Zerg. The three parties signed a peace treaty, announcing a truce.5

However, resource plundering still existed. The so-called ‘truce’ was nothing more than some pretty words on the surface. Bai Zhi licked the bloodstains on the side of his mouth, gloomily sighing. Wasn’t he involved in the conflict between the Zerg and Empire now?

This time, the identity of the one Bai Zhi had transmigrated into was not ordinary. He had transmigrated into a member of the imperial family, the young prince, Shao Luo. However, this character was written very little about in the original work. The reason for this was very simple. Not only is Shao Luo a prince, but he is also a member of the Imperial Army, the lieutenant of the Imperial General, Wen Zhu Zhi. To show the incompatibility between the Empire and the Zerg, the author begins describing a battle in which Shao Luo and Wen Zhu Zhi’s fleet had faced a sneak attack on the journey back. Shao Luo had died and Wen Zhu Zhi had serious injuries and was captured. 

But now, he was not dead. Instead, his hands and feet were tied up. Bai Zhi pondered over it for a while, feeling that it was probably thanks to the system. 

Although nothing was threatening his life now, his situation was still just as bad. According to the surroundings he sees, Shao Luo was most likely caught. Bai Zhi blinked and lay on the ground with his eyes closed, resting. The monster that was kicking him just now had already left, but their appearance had left a deep impression on Bai Zhi. 

“The monsters here are even uglier than demons,” Bai Zhi had rested enough and slowly got up. “What did they grow up eating?”

“The Zerg eat ore, occasionally eating the Imperial people6.”

“The Imperial people7?”

“Those that are just like you,” the system uttered.

Bai Zhi shook at hearing what it said, “Oh no8, then won’t we be in danger here?”

“Yeah. By the way, just a friendly reminder, your9 big brother is also in danger.”

Bai Zhi: “Big brother?”

“Wen Zhu Zhi, he was also caught.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes brightened at what it said.

According to the synopsis, this world’s male lead is the imperial commander, the female lead is the princess, and the villain is the Imperial General, Wen Zhu Zhi. This time, there was no ‘because of love, hatred is born10’ story. Wen Zhu Zhi was able to become a villain because he was simply not an upright soldier. 

This general led a rebelling army at a later stage, and after carrying out a life-and-death struggle with the male and female lead, who guarded the Empire, he ended up being defeated by the protagonist’s halo.

As for why he wanted to rebel and when he had begun to arrange it, it was not mentioned in the original work. Bai Zhi also had no way of knowing right now.

“Let’s go save Wen Zhu Zhi first and see if that person is here or not whilst we’re at it.”

“Which person?”

Bai Zhi stood up, clenched his teeth and issued a force. Stiffly tearing off the chains that confined him, he exhaled, “Du Huai’an. Huh? That Zerg’s chains are surprisingly firm. It’s the first time I’ve had to use so much force to tear chains.”　

“The Zerg aren’t like ordinary humans. Even if you’re a great demon, you still need to be more careful,” the system warned.

“En,” Bai Zhi nodded. “I understand.”

Using the system’s navigation map and signal blocker, Bai Zhi, who was more scared than hurt11, escaped the jail cell. His objective was to head straight for Wen Zhu Zhi’s direction. 

“There is a patrol unit ahead with ten people. It is estimated they will pass by this area in one minute and twenty-four seconds, a head-on confrontation is not recommended.”

The words of the system’s notice sounded out in his head. Bai Zhi’s steps paused, he immediately changed directions and climbed over the wall. 

“Wen Zhu Zhi is in a sealed off warehouse located in the Southwest. Two people are guarding it, you can break through it by using force.”

A smile showed on Bai Zhi’s face, “Finally, we can get started.” After saying that, he hid his body and quietly went over to search. And as quickly as lightning, he successfully snuck in.

The system was very helpful and cracked the password to the sealed off warehouse with great speed. The warehouse door slowly opened and Bai Zhi was about to go in when he suddenly felt that the sound of air being cut had come from behind his body. He quickly turned around and prepared to fight back, but he unexpectedly saw a face he was familiar with. 

“Gen, General?”

Wen Zhu Zhi was also a bit surprised. He reacted very quickly and put his weapon away, his pale face somewhat apologetic.

“Sorry12, I……”

Wen Zhu Zhi still had not finished speaking when he suddenly lost his voice and fell forwards. Bai Zhi was startled and went over, hurriedly helping the man up. When he saw his tightly closed eyes and motionlessness, his heart was a complete mess.

“Uncle, Uncle, what happened to him!”

The system inspected him for a while then spoke, “Don’t worry, he fainted. Wen Zhu Zhi had serious injuries before, he mistook you for an enemy and was about to do a sneak attack on you just now. He was physically exhausted and then collapsed.”

“His life isn’t in danger, right?” Bai Zhi was still a little uneasy from hearing what it said. 

“For now, it isn’t. Anyway, you must escape right away.”

“I got it,” Bai Zhi sighed. He searched for weapons from two Zerg soldiers he had knocked out and carefully carried Wen Zhu Zhi on his back, deeply sighing. Soon after, he heard a deafening alarm.

“What is that?”

“The Zerg’s alarm. I just looked and it seems like they’ve discovered that you’ve come here.”

Bai Zhi: “……???”

He went through various challenges. He hid to the left and ran to the West. Bai Zhi found the time to look at the map, and seeing the enemy troops surrounding him more and more, his heart became colder and colder. 

“Uncle, I think I might get caught.”

“Don’t panic, Nephew. You still have Uncle!”

Bai Zhi blinked, “What can you do?”

“I can be very awesome, huohuo13!” Just as its voice fell, the system’s figure suddenly appeared. It opened its belly with a ‘bang’, shouting, “Quickly, quickly, quickly, jump in!”

Bai Zhi was dumbfounded as he jumped in, he also brought Wen Zhu Zhi in whilst he was at it. The soldiers chasing after him immediately threw themselves at him. The system swiftly pulled its belly close with its hand and disappeared with a ‘woosh’. 

Bai Zhi, who had met with the system’s coolness for the first time, “……Wuwuwu, Uncle, you’re amazing!”

“Of course I am!”

Bai Zhi was moved to tears and was about to praise his family’s Machine Uncle when he suddenly heard the sound of electricity.

Bai Zhi: “……?”

System: “……Cough cough.”

Before he could react, Bai Zhi suddenly felt a strong force. He was then sent out of the system’s galvanized iron belly, and somersaulted in the air a few times then sat on the floor with a dumbfounded face.

The little demon with a dumbfounded face: “What happened?”

System: “I have good news and bad news.”

“The bad news.”

“The good news is that we’ve succeeded in escaping the pursuit and attacks of the Zerg14.”

“The bad news.”

“The bad news is that I don’t know where we’ve landed.”

Bai Zhi patted his clothes and stood up, looking at Wen Zhu Zhi, who was to the side with second degree injuries, a little worried, “You just tossed him like that?”

“It doesn’t matter,” the system pretended to be calm. “At worst, he’ll be out for a few more days.”

Bai Zhi: “???”

“Then, then, then, should I make an exception and give him a spiritual pill?” the system was also a bit worried.

“Let’s just give it,” Bai Zhi scratched his head. 

The system very carefully spit out a spiritual pill, a little distressed, “I only have one bottle, use it carefully……”

“Okay, drop15,” Bai Zhi took it. He pried Wen Zhu Zhi’s mouth open, shoving the spiritual pill in. 

After finishing that, the system and Bai Zhi simply sat down. A demon and a machine propped up their cheek, motionlessly gazing at a certain general with closed eyes.

Under the scorching gazes, or with the said spiritual pills that played a key role, Wen Zhu Zhi’s eyelashes slightly trembled. The system’s figure instantly disappeared and the general slowly opened his eyes. 

Sunshine, the sky, had he escaped?

“Wen Zhu Zhi! You’re awake!”

A voice rang out from his surroundings, the words overflowing16 with happy emotions. Wen Zhu Zhi slightly turned his head to the side, seeing a pair of bright eyes.

Shao Luo?

Zenne: Woo! Interstellar arc! Any ranks (like ‘general’, ‘commander’, etc) mentioned so far might be changed later…

Also, I always put that Bai Zhi is a demon because the author uses ‘妖’ frequently, but the author sometimes uses ‘妖怪’ instead. The term is usually used in Chinese mythology and folklore. 

妖怪 = Yaoguai (In Japanese, it’s known as ‘yokai’ which you might’ve heard of before.) Any previous mentions of Bai Zhi having non-human characteristics should make sense now…

Basically, Bai Zhi can be referred to as a ‘monster’, but not the type of ‘monster’ you’re thinking of…