Star Railway: The Pioneer's Journey

Chapter 148 The Past of Spies

The moment the illusion shattered, Yunzhi heard a scream beside her ear.

It's like being suddenly woken up from a dream.

"Lan?"

His eyes regained their clarity: "What happened to me...?"

Memories of the time before I fell into a coma flooded back into my mind.

Yunzhi: ...

I was caught off guard by a tiny little sunflower... I'm so ashamed to face anyone.

But now is not the time to be ashamed to face anyone.

He sighed.

Lan helped him to his feet: "Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

"no."

Fortunately, I didn't say anything offensive in the illusion, otherwise I would have had to carry the Star Train and leave the Immortal Ship overnight.

At this moment, Yunzhi was unaware that the three judges who followed him in had already searched through almost all the fan fiction books in the military camp.

However, there's no need to feel terrible about this. After all, this kind of thing has been known throughout the Immortal Ship for thousands of years without his knowledge. At most, those picture books have some historical value, since they were written in the same era and can have some... uh, similarities in character personalities.

Therefore, it is probably the first choice for historians of all kinds.

Yunzhi looked at the sun.

In the endless void where the illusion shattered, Suiyang's small flame appeared exceptionally dazzling.

"What's your name?"

Yun was very polite.

Lan looked at Suiyang with a somewhat frightened expression.

Suiyang flinched in fright:

"Huan... Huanming."

A name that instantly brings joy.

But Suiyang is not happy at all right now.

The pressure is too much, really too much.

My Lord Suihuang, save me!!!

Yunzhi and Lan exchanged a glance.

Lan nodded gently to him.

Yun closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his eyes filled with a dangerous glint.

"You came to see me disguised as that person, surely you have something to say. I'll give you a chance to speak up yourself, otherwise, I have plenty of ways to keep you from saying a word."

The yang energy is an aggregate of energy that can split and recombine, and of course, it can also be directly destroyed.

Perhaps it was Yun Zhi's tone that was too frightening, or perhaps it was Lan Wusheng's threat that truly chilled Sui Yang to the bone.

The ball of flame was so frightened that it spun around in the air several times.

Then it suddenly stopped.

Like a restless prisoner, pacing anxiously in jail, unsure whether to confess, finally making a decision after much unease—

"I'll talk, I'll talk!!!"

----------------

The story of espionage isn't actually as dramatic as you might think.

In order to ensure victory in the war, Yun Zhifeng Lan ordered the training of a group of spies to gather intelligence.

At that time, the technology of the Immortal Ship was already quite advanced. If the enemy it faced was not too powerful, intelligence could be obtained easily.

However, in a relatively civilized world, an enemy who understands the importance of network and communication security will naturally know how to take precautions. In such cases, there is really no other way but to send someone infiltrate.

If it's just a spy infiltrating, it's not a big deal, as long as the skills are up to par.

However, going undercover is a brutal task.

After all, being an undercover agent means climbing up the ranks by stepping on the trust of others.

He must kill those he has entrusted with his trust at any time, and kill his own compatriots and civilians in order for the enemy to believe him... He must even guard against being betrayed from behind and used as a pawn.

Betrayal is the hallmark of an undercover agent; many spies, even after returning to their own side, find it difficult to regain trust.

After all, nobody likes an undercover agent.

The protagonist in Suiyang's story is also like this.

Long before the war even began, when there were only some minor disturbances, Yunzhi sent him to infiltrate the enemy army and gather intelligence. He killed someone and took that person's place to enter the enemy army.

There, he worked hard to climb the ranks, eventually becoming a staff officer, enjoying a very prestigious position. Of course, this was inseparable from the secret maneuvering of Lan and Yunzhi; otherwise, he would have just been cannon fodder in another place.

However, he remained loyal to Lan and Yunzhi and never forgot to pass on intelligence.

Until the most crucial battle...

Before the battle of Yun, he said he would recommend him for credit.

However, even after all the remnants of the enemy army had retreated, no news came that he should withdraw.

Fortunately, he didn't get carried away at that time and remained careful to conceal his identity, so he wasn't exposed.

He didn't understand why this was happening, why General Lan and Lieutenant Yun hadn't kept their promise, but he still chose to believe Yun Zhi and continue his infiltration, just like an undercover agent in hibernation, diligently collecting intelligence, hoping it would come in handy someday.

A year later, he encountered a Suiyang that had escaped but was on the verge of death.

"Is that Suiyang you?"

Yun interrupted briefly.

Suiyang rolled around, seemingly nodding: "When I first came out, I was thinking of going outside to take a look, but after I completely flew out of the immortal ship's range, I found that my energy was almost exhausted."

"I needed food, so I landed on a nearby planet, and then... I met him."

Yun Zhi narrowed her eyes: "And then?"

"Don't tell me you've actually possessed someone else's body."

"No, no, no, absolutely not, absolutely not!"

Suiyang swayed like a candle flame that would go out at any moment: "I just ate a little bit of his emotions to replenish my energy, and then I followed him."

Sui Yang paused for a moment: "Sometimes when he killed someone, and the guilt made him feel ashamed, I would eat that guilt."

This also serves to some extent to prevent him from revealing his pent-up emotions.

Yun nodded: "And then?"

"One day, he suddenly asked me about General Lan and Lieutenant Yun."

Suiyang continued, "I didn't realize it at the time, so I told him that General Lan had been forced into hibernation because of his opposition to 'divine gifts' and 'disrespect for God,' and that Lieutenant Yun was imprisoned with him. I don't know if he's still alive."

Humans are social animals after all, and a considerable amount of time has passed since then. Normal people would have committed suicide long ago because they could not bear the boundless darkness and loneliness.

However, Yunzhi still managed to survive for over four hundred years.

Yunzhi's eyes dimmed.

"I'm the one who wronged him..."

Even if he betrayed us, it would be understandable.

Suiyang saw through Yunzhi's thoughts and swayed from side to side: "He didn't betray us."

"What?"

"I said, he did not betray us. He continued to faithfully carry out his mission, gather intelligence, and transmit it to the Immortal Ship."

Suiyang's answer surprised Yunzhi, and Lan was also shocked.

The identities of the undercover agents sent out were verified by Lan and Yun. At that time, they were no longer around, which meant that even if the spy returned, no one could prove that he was an undercover agent.

So even if he betrayed us back then, it didn't matter. Nobody knew he was an undercover agent. Our side would treat him as an enemy, while the enemy would treat him as a comrade.

But he did not betray.

"I don't understand human thoughts, but he certainly didn't betray us. After I told him about it, he started traveling between different worlds, constantly sending information about the enemy to the Immortal Ship."

He did it for decades.

He did not receive the blessing of the Jianmu tree and did not achieve immortality.

Suiyang followed him until he died, turning into a handful of yellow earth on a certain asteroid.

Later, Suiyang boarded a company spaceship and returned to Luofu, where he was sealed in the Creation Furnace.

Until recently, when the Creation Furnace malfunctioned, it escaped and settled in Suiyuan with the other Suiyang. There, it encountered the creature that its old owner had been talking about.

It wanted to tell them about it, but it didn't dare to talk to Lan. Seeing Yunzhi go out to explore alone, it came up with this terrible idea.

"That person said at the end..."

Suiyang reminisces about the past—

"I will always believe in General Lan and Lieutenant Yun. Their opposition to immortality could not possibly be out of personal motives, but must be for a more important reason. I believe that the people on the starship will soon understand the good intentions of the general and the lieutenant. As for me... an insignificant soldier who once received the lieutenant's favor, I should repay him."

He was once just an insignificant soldier at the bottom of the ranks, with no talent whatsoever. Even if he made a contribution, it was easily taken away by higher-ranking soldiers.

He was just the lowest-ranking cannon fodder, the kind who wouldn't even leave a name even if he sacrificed himself.

Until one day, Yunzhi found him and asked him if he would be willing to be a spy.

Yun discovered his talent and gave him hope.

For him, Yunzhi was his mentor, while Lan was the soldier to whom he served.

A scholar will die for one who understands him.

The story ends here.

It's really interesting that a few minutes can summarize a person's entire life, and just a few words can cover up the hardships he has experienced.

Yunzhi felt as if a giant hand was gripping her heart tightly, making it hard for her to breathe.

He slowly squatted down and covered his face.

Lan was behind him. She raised her hand and pressed it on his shoulder, feeling the body under her palm tremble slightly.

The clouds are weeping.

—What is it that allows him to continue being a spy who can't see the light of day?

Why do people have to keep toiling away when they have the chance to live a peaceful life for the rest of their lives?

—Even if it means defecting to the enemy, why insist on it?

The cruelty of human existence is not just about separation by death, nor is it limited to narrow misunderstandings about love.

Instead, they gave up wealth and honor, abandoned everyone who trusted them, all for a recall order that was impossible to fulfill, and a simple "Come work for me" that froze their passionate enthusiasm into cold, hard ice.

He kept infiltrating and betraying; how did he get through it all?

For a moment, only Yun's suppressed sobs remained in the air.

------------

What am I writing?