Seventeen. Seventeen.

Yuan Hanshuang had a long, long dream.

In her dream, she was back at the World Martial Arts Semifinals. It was the destination every martial artist on Earth dreamed of reaching, and the ultimate goal for which she had struggled so bitterly in her past life.

During this semifinal match, she successfully executed the seventh form of Baji Quan—"The Oriole Follows Behind."

In truth, on the entire planet, let alone the eighth form, no martial artist had successfully performed even the seventh form in nearly a hundred years.

Because of this, when Yuan Hanshuang unleashed it, everyone at the venue stood up in excitement.

The judges at the referee's table, the spectators in the stands, and even the commentator broadcasting the match all fell speechless for a moment. The next second, the venue erupted into thunderous cheers and applause that lasted for an eternity.

"The Oriole Follows Behind! It’s the seventh form of Baji Quan, The Oriole Follows Behind! The conditions to execute this move are incredibly harsh; I never imagined I would be lucky enough to witness it on a competition stage!"

"A genius! Our nation’s martial arts world has produced yet another genius!"

Unfortunately, the light of this genius did not shine for long. After this match, Yuan Hanshuang was involved in a car accident.

When she woke up after emergency surgery, the finals were long over. Because of her accident, the final match never took place; the other competitor simply walked onto the stage to claim the trophy.

It wasn't that no one suspected hidden motives behind the accident, but every investigation pointed toward it being a mere coincidence. Fortunately, Yuan Hanshuang had previously taken out a large insurance policy, and with various compensations and social attention, living a life free from poverty was not an issue. Yet, none of this could fill the massive void in her heart.

And then, there was the rebirth.

Although this life had been a bit austere, she had relatives who loved her and a healthy body. Yuan Hanshuang was already very content. She was grateful for all of this, and she wanted to climb to the pinnacle of this world to get a good look at the scenery.

The dream ended there. She opened her eyes, feeling something tapping against her face.

As she blinked, a feather-like fin pressed against her, covering her eye like a smooth mask.

"What is this?"

Yuan Hanshuang swept away the long hair scattered across her forehead, only to find herself staring directly into a massive fish eye.

After three seconds of silence, her consciousness returned.

"Why have you grown so big?!"

Yuan Hanshuang could never have imagined that the koi, which had been barely the size of an arm before she lost consciousness, had now surged to a size nearly equal to her own body! It nearly gave her a heart attack.

The blonde girl rubbed her head. "What happened?"

The moment she ate the silver apple, Yuan Hanshuang had felt completely stuffed.

The energy contained within that crystal core far exceeded what she could currently digest. A massive accumulation of energy had caused her to lapse into a coma.

The little black bird had undergone a magnificent transformation on the spot. According to those two unlucky souls, it had ascended from a common mimic to a mythic mimic.

The koi seemed to have been less affected; aside from growing larger, its appearance remained almost unchanged.

Logically, a dual-mimic should ascend together. Yet Yuan Hanshuang only felt the drastic change in the little black bird and could find no trace of the koi ascending from a common to a mythic mimic.

If it weren't for the intense, clearly genuine conflict between the Black Prince and the Holy Son of Light, she might have even suspected she had obtained a counterfeit product.

But she dared not ask anyone for advice.

It was a treasure she had snuck away with; she dared not speak of it, nor did she dare to ask.

Yuan Hanshuang could only comfort herself: "It doesn't matter. The little black bird definitely evolved, that's for sure. Great! Now I am an S+-level prodigy holding a mythic mimic!"

With that in mind, she stood up slowly.

She didn't know what had happened in this ancient ruin after she passed out. Dirt and stone were scattered everywhere, the surroundings were a mess, and a large section of the corridor had collapsed.

Yuan Hanshuang was lucky enough to be wedged under a fragment of a triangular ruin slab. The glowing patterns that had once shimmered on the slab were now completely dim, and looking around, everything was pitch black.

"My luck isn't bad; I wasn't crushed to death on the spot."

She skillfully pulled a few crystal cores from her space button to calm her nerves, then retrieved a flashlight and began to crawl out.

Perhaps all her luck had been spent on not being crushed, for once Yuan Hanshuang crawled out from under the slab, she realized that both sides of the corridor were blocked by collapsed earth and rock. The only path led outside the deep pit.

And her current position was infinitely close to the bottom of the pit. Looking up, the sky was framed by the circular pit like a deep blue ring, at least several dozen meters away from the ground.

"How did it collapse so thoroughly? And there’s no signal. Looks like I have to climb out."

Yuan Hanshuang turned off the rescue communication device on her wrist and glanced at her mimic, lost in thought.

If the mimic had self-awareness, it might have seen a glimmer of pity in the eyes of its usually mature and steady master.

Hours later, she finally struggled her way out of the ancient ruins.

She hadn't climbed out with her hands. Growing larger certainly had its benefits, such as carrying people.

It was deep in the night, and looking out, the dense forest was utterly silent.

She walked slowly all night, finally exiting the Third Mountain Range. Perhaps because of the emergence of the ruins, she hadn't encountered a single Zerg on the road until she neared the mountain border.

In the distance, at the junction of the Second and Third Mountain Ranges, Yuan Hanshuang saw the emblem of the Temple of Light.

***

Yuan Hanshuang felt a sense of guilt.

The fact that she had casually picked up a mythic crystal core—one capable of upgrading a mimic’s quality—while two major powers fought tooth and nail for it was already embarrassing enough.

The worst part was that after her little koi mimic ate that "silver apple" crystal core, it changed into another form right on the spot. She couldn't stop it; it flapped its wings and flew out, undergoing a magnificent transformation after shedding its feathers, its long cry piercing the clouds.

The more handsome its nirvana transformation was, the uglier the expressions of the two bystanders became.

Yuan Hanshuang felt incredibly awkward at that moment.

They say one should not show off one's wealth, but not only had she displayed it, she had done so in a way that looked like bragging. Wasn't that a blatant slap in the face to the future leaders of those two major powers?

"Good thing I am a dual-mimic."

Since the little black bird had been exposed, she would have to keep that form hidden from now on.

When you're out in the world, you’re not always in control of your own fate.

Even if it was an ownerless object, first come, first served—but if you can't afford to offend someone, you just can't.

So Yuan Hanshuang decisively changed her route; after all, all roads lead to Rome.

With this in mind, by noon on the third day, she finally dawdled her way back to the starport.

Strange to say, there were far fewer people in the starport than when she had arrived; only a few scattered individuals remained.

Yuan Hanshuang wandered around and noticed that the 1999 Star Primary Academy’s logo was missing from the starport’s posting board. Feeling suspicious, she grabbed a passing cargo handler.

The handler was even more surprised than she was: "Didn't you read the news? An SSS-level ancient ruin emerged a month ago. Many people went missing or were injured; not many people have been coming here lately."

"What? A month ago?" Yuan Hanshuang was dumbfounded.

After the handler left, she took a closer look. Sure enough, the date on the notice board was exactly thirty-one days later than when she had first arrived on this polluted planet.

The sense of dissonance she had felt along the way was finally explained.

No wonder the weather had turned so cold; she had slept from autumn into early winter.

Yuan Hanshuang was dazed. "I was unconscious in the underground ruins for a month? That's impossible, right?"

Although mimic advancement did require time, a month seemed a bit exaggerated.

After further inquiries, Yuan Hanshuang learned that because of the revival of the SSS-level ruins, many factions had planned to send personnel to this polluted planet to openly recruit research teams. However, for some unknown reason, the ruins had triggered a self-destruct mechanism on the second day of their revival and collapsed, causing the preparations of all parties to come to a screeching halt.

Search teams had dutifully searched for the missing for over half a month, but they had officially stopped yesterday, listing those who hadn't been found as dead.

Yuan Hanshuang: "?"

She woke up to find the world had changed, and she had even suffered a "social death." That was just great.

However, she didn't have a light-brain, and she couldn't remember the contact numbers for the teachers at her primary academy. She could only buy a ticket back at the starport, planning to go to the police station to cancel her death record once she returned to 1999 Star to avoid being de-registered.

Her identity ID card wasn't important; what mattered was her status as a welfare recipient of the Empire and her right to receive that monthly allowance!

"I haven't been back for over a month; Dad must be very worried."

Standing on the starship, enduring the nausea of space travel, Yuan Hanshuang felt extremely anxious.

She had never been away from home for this long since she was born in this life. If her father were a normal adult, she wouldn't be this worried, but the problem was that her father's mental age was about the same as hers. Although he could handle basic living, she was afraid something might have happened to him.

Perhaps because she was so eager to return home, the time on the journey passed exceptionally quickly.

As soon as she stepped off the starship, Yuan Hanshuang darted to catch a hovercar.

After waiting anxiously for a long time, she finally arrived at the entrance of her familiar residential complex.

The elevator stopped at her floor, and she pushed open the door: "Dad, I'm home!"

The room was silent.

Was he not home? Yuan Hanshuang closed the door, feeling puzzled. She took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, frowning.

A moment later, she instantly synchronized with her mimic, assuming a defensive posture.

Something was wrong.

The house was in shambles.

Yuan Hanshuang only needed one glance to see the traces of countless people breaking in. Holding a knife, she carefully hugged the wall to patrol the rooms. After confirming that no one was home, she began to take stock.

All of her father's belongings had vanished.

As for her wardrobe and bookshelf, the contents had all been dumped onto the floor.

In the end, all that remained in the house, aside from the large furniture that couldn't be moved, were the preschool spelling boards and educational toys she used for training, and one box.

Inside the box were only a few scattered Star Yuan coins, and next to them, written in clumsy, ugly handwriting, were the words "600" and "gloves."

Every time her father correctly identified a word or finished his homework, Yuan Hanshuang would give him a one-coin reward.

Seeing the coins in the box, she didn't think much of it, assuming her father had used his reward money to buy his favorite candies.

***

Yuan Hanshuang could not have imagined that the money originally stored here had long since been carefully removed, intended to buy a gift for his beloved daughter while she was away. In the end, he never got the chance to give it to her.

The only thing she knew for sure was that her father would never have left without saying goodbye.

After confirming there were no clues in the house, Yuan Hanshuang turned and went out, running to the tavern where her father worked. However, the tavern, which was usually open twenty-four hours a day, was tightly shut, with a "For Sale" sign posted on the door.

Yuan Hanshuang clenched her fists, turned the corner to the next street, found a shop specializing in crystal cores, bought a bag of cheap ones, and asked as if casually: "Why is the tavern across the street sealed off?"

"Got into trouble, that's why," the shopkeeper said lazily. "You know about that 3S-level fugitive, the Peregrine Falcon, that the Third Legion caught a month ago? Who would have thought that even after they held a press conference, he’d be able to escape from prison after being transported to the Capital Star? Word is that the Peregrine Falcon had ties to the tavern owner, so they dragged both the people and the shop away for interrogation. Obviously, they can't do business anymore."

The shopkeeper, who ran a store on a remote planet, was used to people around him not having light-brains and not caring about current events, so he tapped the air a few times to display his light-brain screen. "Here, see for yourself."

The pale blue light screen expanded in the air, with several eye-catching headlines.

【SSS-level fugitive Peregrine Falcon captured, only to escape from the Central Prison.】

【The Empire's Third Legion escorted him with the full army, accompanied by Saint-level executors. He was wearing a full set of restraints and sealed in a cryogenic pod when put on the warship. How could the capture of the Peregrine Falcon fail repeatedly?】

【In-depth analysis: The 'Star of the Empire' from ten years ago, the youngest Saint-level talent—what level of strength is required to escape from the Central 'Hell' Prison?】

【The Hai family refuses all interviews, claiming the Peregrine Falcon was disowned long ago and they have no connection to him.】

But that was as far as it went.

Regarding everything about this fugitive, the Empire had issued the highest level of information block. Even when the news media published reports, they would only provide text and no pictures.

What remained on the interstellar web were the old, spirited photos of the Peregrine Falcon from before his defection.

Although over half a month had passed since the news of his mysterious escape, the discussions about him on the web had not diminished; instead, they were intensifying.

The incident happened a month ago. The Empire had caught the Peregrine Falcon and thought they had victory in the bag, but they had failed again.

Even the Third Legion, which had been full of spirit and planning to accept commendations, hadn't expected that after finally capturing him and escorting him back to the Capital Star, they would let him escape the day before his military tribunal.

The Parliament had previously unanimously passed the announcement of the good news of his capture, but who could have expected they would be slapped in the face again? The approval ratings of many radical congressmen plummeted.

It could be said that among the most embarrassing events for the Empire in decades, the Peregrine Falcon was responsible for two, making the imperial high-ups hate him with a passion.

Yuan Hanshuang read carefully, her sense of unease growing heavier.

With the situation now burning her eyebrows, she couldn't afford to contemplate the vague sense of familiarity she felt when seeing that photo. Her sharp sixth sense told her that her father's disappearance was likely deeply connected to this news.

But how could a vicious SSS-level criminal be connected to her silly father?

Could it be that because her father was implicated in the Peregrine Falcon case, he had been taken away by the military for questioning?

To confirm her thoughts, she made up a lie, saying she had come from a long way to find a relative, but the relative was gone, and she wanted to ask about the situation.

"Suddenly missing? Then it's highly likely he was taken away by the military."

The shopkeeper had also spent time in the Black Market and understood the military's methods well. "That's just how the Empire operates: they take people away for interrogation without a word, and only release them after the questioning is done."

He looked at the small, blonde child and comforted her: "Don't be too anxious. Once the interrogation is over and they confirm there's no suspicion, they will release him. They won't wrong a good citizen."

"I see... Thank you, boss."

Returning the screen to the shopkeeper, Yuan Hanshuang turned and left.

Although her guess and the shopkeeper's explanation were reasonable, a lingering unease remained in her heart.

Her father's clothes and even his personal belongings had all been searched and taken.

It was understandable for the Imperial Legion to take relevant personnel for investigation. But they shouldn't have disregarded Imperial law and infringed upon a citizen's personal property to search an innocent person's home from top to bottom without any proof of guilt.

Looking at the empty street, Yuan Hanshuang felt a rare sense of bewilderment.

"How could Dad be connected to a vicious interstellar fugitive?"

Her father was a silly father. Even the doctor said he only had the mental age of a ten-year-old.

But although he was silly, he was very good to her. He would rather go hungry himself than fail to buy the best milk powder for her when she was a few months old, would run several blocks to buy her treats, and would clumsily giggle while holding his daughter's report card.

Perhaps her mood was too turbulent, causing faint ripples of mental power to spread in her surroundings.

Sensing her master's mood, the little black bird, which had just ascended to a mythic mimic, poked its head out into the ripples. Yet, because of Yuan Hanshuang's orders, it didn't dare to appear openly, and only a few feathers shimmering with dark light could be seen in the ripples.

Yuan Hanshuang came back to her senses. "Right, how could I forget this?"

She turned a corner, as if she had finally found her target, and hurried toward the Black Market.

If there was one place where information was most accessible, it was undoubtedly the Black Market. There was a specialized intelligence agency there, and it was said that as long as you could pay the price, they could provide you with everything you wanted to know.

At this moment, Yuan Hanshuang could not have imagined that from this day forward, her silly father would not return for five whole years.

Five years later, her college entrance exam results were released, and she prepared to set off to study at an advanced academy in the Central Star System.