Free Web NovelChapter 188: Chapter 188: Bai Yunshen’s Question
Bai Yunshen requested a private academic exchange the next morning.
Yu Qingmei almost refused, but the request came through official channels, included clear topics, and allowed supervision. Qin Yuheng accepted.
The meeting took place in Central Academy’s temporary study hall. freēwēbnovel.com
Bai Yunshen had prepared three topics:
Commander-class consent mechanics.
False authority pattern recognition.
Safe archive reading protocols.
Qin Mo came along for the third topic and looked far more interested than he wanted to admit.
Bai Yunshen began with commander-class theory.
"Most commander-class skills fall into four categories," he said. "Aura enhancement, order transmission, morale stabilization, and authority suppression. Yours appears to include the first three, but resists becoming the fourth."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"That is accurate enough."
"Is the resistance innate, chosen, or class-shaped?"
"Chosen first. Class-shaped later."
Bai Yunshen seemed pleased.
"That matches your Fourth Gate banner definition."
Qin Mo looked at him suspiciously.
"You researched that?"
"The public record says recognized Banner Path. Your observed skill behavior suggests anti-domination principle. The rest is inference."
Qin Mo whispered, "Smart people are annoying."
Bai Yunshen smiled.
"Frequently."
The second topic turned to false authority.
Bai Yunshen showed a diagram of several known authority imitations: false crowns, false suns, false gods, false ancestral seals, false military banners.
"False authority differs from corrupted authority," he explained. "Corrupted authority twists a real source. False authority imitates legitimacy without possessing it. Shattered Sun appears to involve false solar authority supported by witness shadows."
Qin Yuheng asked, "Can false authority become real?"
Bai Yunshen’s expression became serious.
"Yes. If enough systems accept it, enough people obey it, or enough rituals feed it. Many false gods began as frauds and ended as disasters."
That line mattered.
False sun required witnesses.
Shadows were witnesses.
If enough shadows bowed, the false sun gained direction.
This matched the evidence.
Qin Mo wrote quickly.
The third topic involved archives.
Bai Yunshen shared Central Academy’s safe reading principle:
Do not read unknown records directly. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Read container, context, author, damage pattern, seal reaction, and only then content.
Qin Mo looked enlightened.
"So read around the book."
"Exactly."
Qin Yuheng thought of every time a title itself had become dangerous.
This method was useful.
Bai Yunshen then asked a question that seemed casual but was not.
"Do you intend to investigate Shattered Sun after the assembly?"
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
"Not recklessly."
"That is not no."
"No."
Bai Yunshen nodded.
"Central Academy will likely investigate related archive patterns. If your academy wishes to exchange non-sensitive findings, I would support it."
Qin Yuheng did not answer immediately.
Bai Yunshen added, "Not an alliance. Academic exchange."
Yu Qingmei, supervising, said, "Heavenly Gate Academy will consider official channels."
That ended the topic safely.
After leaving, Qin Mo admitted, "He is useful."
"Yes," Qin Yuheng said.
"That makes him dangerous."
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Duan Xirong challenged Bai Yunshen.
The fight drew massive attention.
Combat brute force against analytical adaptability.
Duan pressed hard, but Bai Yunshen used battlefield rule manipulation, prediction arrays, and controlled counters. In the end, Duan won by narrow margin through overwhelming pressure, but Bai Yunshen forced him to reveal a hidden martial step.
The ranking did not change dramatically, but it showed both were formidable.
Qin Yuheng watched carefully.
Duan was improving through challenge.
Bai Yunshen was collecting patterns through defeat.
Both were dangerous in different ways.
Later that day, Jiang Yuexuan entered a free challenge against Meng Shaoyan of the Meng Ancient Flame Clan.
Her water-star river suppressed his ancient flame without extinguishing it directly. She defeated him with elegant precision, revealing slightly more of her control.
Qin Mo looked at Qin Yuheng.
"She is still hiding a lot."
"Yes."
"Everyone is hiding."
"This assembly would be foolish otherwise."
The next event was reward selection for candidates who had reached certain contribution thresholds.
Qin Yuheng qualified for the highest available tier below final champion rewards.
The reward hall offered many treasures.
Class skill refinement stones.
Gate stabilization crystals.
High-grade body tempering materials.
Anti-corruption seals.
Rare command manuals.
Then Qin Yuheng saw one item locked behind restricted glass.
[SS Grade Sleeping Seal Observation Lens]
Effect:
Assists in observing dormant seal structures without awakening them.
Restriction:
Requires supervisor approval.
His heart stirred.
This was useful for Qin Zhengyuan.
Too useful to ignore.
Also possibly placed deliberately.
Qin Mo saw it and whispered, "Bait?"
"Maybe."
Yu Qingmei inspected the item record.
It had been in assembly inventory for years, not newly added.
That reduced risk.
Jiang Yuexuan, passing nearby, saw the lens and said quietly, "That item is safer than most. Observation only. Not treatment."
Qin Yuheng selected it.
His reward credits covered the cost.
The lens was sealed and registered.
Mo Cangyan later learned of the selection.
He was silent for a long moment.
Xue Rong asked, "Did we place that?"
"No."
"Then?"
Mo Cangyan smiled slowly.
"Even better. Not all useful steps need our hand."
The game continued.
