Chapter 153: Poppy

I said to Qin Tian, "I am fine. Just now, I saw the scenery on the Nether Ruins Star; Murong Xue and the others are very likely on that planet."

"What did you say? You saw them?" Qin Tian raised his head to gaze at the Nether Ruins Star. Lacking the ability of the Heavenly Eye, he naturally could not see it. Moreover, that strange celestial body of the Nether Ruins was surrounded by a layer of mist. Although the distance from the ground was not high, it had already entered the atmosphere. From the ground, one could only see the surface of the Nether Ruins, but nothing upon it. It was a circular celestial body like any other, the difference being that, apart from the moon, it was the closest celestial body to Earth. I wondered if the people of the twenty-first century could see this strange celestial body, and even more, whether the planet inhabited by people in this era of the Continent of Gods and Demons and the Primeval Age was also called Earth!

"Stop looking. I merely sensed Murong Xue. For a brief moment just now, it was as if I saw her battling a giant creature. The scene differed from the Continent of Gods and Demons, so I guess that must be the Nether Ruins Star. Furthermore, a wisp of my divine consciousness was once absorbed by the Nether Ruins Star, so I am certain it is indeed the Nether Ruins Star!"

Qin Tian cupped his chin in his hand, appearing to ponder something. "In that case, did that idiot Chu Jun transfer them to the Nether Ruins? What is his purpose?"

"That is also what I want to know. Given Chu Jun's character, he would never do something so harmful to others and unprofitable to himself. I believe he must harbor some unspeakable secret." Of course, this was merely my conjecture. Whether it was actually the case could only be understood and answered by getting close to Chu Jun. For now, this matter was temporarily set aside; the most important task at hand was to enter headquarters and scout out the whereabouts of the spirit fox. If I failed to fulfill the promise I made to the Blue-Eyed Spirit Fox, I feared it would harm my Feathered Clan once again.

Therefore, I told Qin Tian, "Forget it, let's put this matter on hold for now. After all, neither you nor I possess the strength to ascend to the Nether Ruins. We should go to headquarters first and play it by ear." I had already discussed this with Qin Tian before coming: if Chu Jun did not make things difficult for us, that would naturally be for the best; if he did, we would fight him to the death, and if we couldn't win, we would figure out a way to escape.

The two guards stationed at the entrance immediately blocked us the moment they saw us trying to enter. "Halt, what is your business?"

I produced the token. "We have matters to discuss with the Alliance Master."

"Wait here, I will go announce your arrival," one of the guards said after inspecting the token.

"Do not trouble the two of you, we will just go right in," I hurriedly called out to stop the guard. This token was given by Leng Wushuang, and Chu Jun did not know about it yet. I did not want him to know we had already arrived at the World Alliance, as we were in cahoots with Murong Xue and the others, and I feared he might take unfavorable actions against us. With Qin Tian's and my current strength of a little over 1-star, we stood no chance against his 2-star might! 1-star was level 12, and 2-star was level 24. Chu Jun's abilities were rising rapidly, and Qin Tian and I needed to grow strong as quickly as possible. The only way to rapidly grow stronger was through the magic crystals of high-level exotic beasts, but such magic crystals were often extremely difficult to obtain!

"That hardly seems appropriate. Should the Alliance Master place the blame, we cannot bear the responsibility!" The tone of one of the guards was exceptionally firm, leaving seemingly no room for negotiation.

I snatched the token back from his hand and gave a light cough. "We have vital matters to discuss with the Alliance Master. If we miss the hour, I am afraid you will bear an even heavier responsibility!"

Hearing me speak thus, the two guards instantly grew somewhat nervous. They exchanged glances, temporarily at a loss for how to respond.

Paying no mind to their reactions, I walked straight inside with Qin Tian. "Alright, you have both been very dutiful. I take full responsibility for whatever happens."

The two guards were completely bluffed by me. In truth, I had no pressing matters to discuss with Chu Jun at all; I had barely exchanged a few words with him, and could even be said to stand in opposition to him. Upon entering the headquarters of the World Alliance, the view suddenly opened up before us. What met the eye was a vast plaza, surrounded by all manner of exotic plants, ahead of which stood a magnificent building resembling an imperial palace. The entire courtyard was as vast as hundreds of acres of farmland. Strangely enough, the courtyard of the headquarters was completely deserted, appearing somewhat desolate.

Qin Tian and I quickened our steps, reaching the front of the building in mere seconds. A hundred-meter-long flight of stairs presented itself before us. Ascending the steps, Qin Tian and I arrived at the entrance of the building. I poked a hole through the paper window with my finger and looked inside.

The interior was neatly furnished, yet completely devoid of people. Having checked several rooms in this manner without finding a single shadow, I intended to go around to the back of the building to investigate. Surely a headquarters this large could not possibly consist of only these few rooms! Just then, a chorus of neat shouting reached my ears.

I strained my ears to listen. The sound resembled troops drilling, originating from the rear of the building. I signaled Qin Tian to follow me, and we crept forward stealthily. Qin Tian followed close behind me, his cautious demeanor reminding me of invaders entering a village.

Remaining on the ground was unsafe; I intended to call to Qin Tian so we could fly up to the roof to observe at our leisure. At that moment, a faint sound came from a side room nearby. I hastily halted, suppressed the true qi within my body, and quietly approached the room from which the sound emanated.

Anyone with cultivation possessed a flow of energy within their body, and those with high cultivation could sense this intangible energy. I suppressed the true qi in my body precisely to avoid being detected. Qin Tian evidently knew this as well, and almost simultaneously, we reined in our externalized energy. I poked a hole through the paper window and looked inside.

Leng Wushuang, the woman Qin Tian yearned for day and night, was currently seated in the room. Qin Tian had also seen Leng Wushuang and was about to push the door open when I quickly pulled him back, because I had seen a seed husk resting on Leng Wushuang's desk. I had seen such seeds before—they were poppies.

Leng Wushuang was pouring some powdery substance from a small vial and washing it down with boiled water.

"Poppy? What is she doing?" Qin Tian's emotions instantly became agitated. I imagine very few people from the twenty-first century were unaware of poppies; Leng Wushuang was clearly "taking drugs."

Human ancestors recognized the poppy in ancient times. Archaeologists state that poppies were accidentally discovered by Neolithic people while roaming the mountains of the eastern Mediterranean coast. The Sumerians of over 5,000 years ago piously called it the "plant of joy," believing it to be a divine gift. Ancient Egyptians also used it as a miraculous cure for infant night-crying syndrome. By the third century BC, detailed descriptions of opium had appeared in ancient Greek and Roman writings. The great poet Homer called it the "herb of forgetfulness," Virgil called it a "hypnotic," and some slave owners even cultivated a few poppies, though naturally only to admire their beautiful blossoms.

However, when the wheel of history rolled into the nineteenth century, people finally discovered that the poppy was a Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of humanity. Because while it cured human ailments and made people forget pain and fear, it could also cause human lives to wither away in anesthesia and perish in illusion. Tragically, human selfishness and greed once again triumphed over rationality and morality. Early colonists, while banning their own people from smoking opium, inflicted disaster upon the entire human race. (This content is adapted from Baidu Baike.)