IW: Chapter 264 - Might Guy: Do you like me? Liang Bing: I was here first!
"What scholars?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Liang Bing's eyes. She had been so completely absorbed in the lab's equipment and data charts these past few days that she had no idea what was happening in the wider Angel Nebula.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Kaisha briefly explained the recent events to her younger sister.
Not long ago, a group of scholars from the Super God Academy had arrived in the Angel Nebula. They had proposed a deal: they would share their advanced scientific data in exchange for a stable, sovereign research environment within Angel territory.
Kaisha was actually highly tempted by the offer, but she hadn't agreed to their proposal yet.
On one hand, she had already aligned her faction with Bai Ye. How long had it even been since they shook hands? It felt deeply unethical and politically risky to allow a rival cosmic force to settle in the Angel Nebula right under his nose.
On the other hand, her dilemma was that these foreign scholars could provide her with immediate, invaluable technology. If she relied entirely on Bai Ye for her civilization's genetic evolution, she feared she would be left completely at his mercy later. So, she had been deeply conflicted recently, keeping the academy representatives in limbo—giving them neither an absolute acceptance nor a flat rejection.
"Those scholars... they actually claimed they'd provide the complete data on the First Generation Divine Body?" Liang Bing asked, her brow arching.
"Yes, the First Generation Divine Body. They seem to possess incredibly advanced, cutting-edge technology!" Kaisha nodded, her hesitation laid bare.
This was the core of her inner struggle. This group of scholars seemed to hold the keys to the future. Although Bai Ye had demonstrated before that his own god-like power didn't rely on something as basic as a Generation 0.5 Divine Body, this was a fully realized First Generation framework they were talking about—a massive leap forward for the angel race.
"But... we've already successfully researched that," Liang Bing said, her tone suddenly turning deadpan.
"What?" Kaisha froze, staring at her sister in utter disbelief.
"What?!"
When Kaisha heard Liang Bing say that, she was instantly flustered.
No way?!
Bai Ye had only briefly mentioned possessing First Generation Divine Body technology during their last conversation. Back then, Kaisha had naturally assumed he was merely talking about a rough prototype or a highly theoretical blueprint that would take decades of grueling trial and error to materialize.
But now, her sister was casually telling her it was practically a finished product?
"We are already on the absolute cusp of completing the First Generation Divine Body," Liang Bing clarified, her eyes shining with professional pride. "Bai Ye provided us with a flawless, complete dataset from his personal archives. With that kind of guide, our practical research has been moving at a terrifyingly fast pace."
"In that case... it looks like those Academy scholars have absolutely no reason to remain in our territory," Kaisha said, her voice instantly hardening into a tone of decisive authority.
Since they already possessed the coveted First Generation Divine Body technology within their own labs, she made her decision on the spot. There was no longer any tactical or genetic incentive to let the foreign delegation set up shop inside the Angel Nebula.
Actually, she was starting to realize that her initial wariness of Bai Ye might have been entirely misplaced.
"Indeed. Although the conditions those scholars proposed seemed less exaggerated on the surface compared to Bai Ye's, I feel their long-term presence would have a highly toxic effect on our people," Duke Hofman added, nodding in deep agreement.
The old Duke had been highly skeptical of the Academy representatives from the start. He was a traditionalist, and he could easily foresee that if those manipulative scholars were permitted to establish a permanent enclave, they would inevitably spread their radical, disruptive doctrines. Over time, those alien ideas would systematically erode the foundational culture of the Angel civilization.
Consequently, Hofman had never been supportive of their bid.
In hindsight, while Bai Ye's initial demands—asking for absolute final say on the succession of the throne—had seemed staggering and dictatorial, the reality of his occupation had been incredibly benign. If one analyzed his behavior objectively, the traveler's actual footprint was miniscule. He strictly demanded raw resources and a stable, quiet research environment, choosing to stay entirely out of internal Angel politics and daily administration.
During this entire post-war transition, Bai Ye had practically vanished from public view. He made a deliberate, conscious effort to downplay his presence among the populace, spending every single hour tucked away in his sanctuary of a laboratory.
This hands-off approach had gradually worked wonders on the paranoid Angel nobility. Many of the lords who had originally been trembling with unease were now starting to believe that the traveler's initial claims were entirely genuine: the man truly did not covet their crown or care for secular power. Even the factions who had harbored deep resentment over the fall of the old guard were losing their hostile edge.
After all, having a god-like entity anchored in their sector who never interfered with their sovereignty, who could act as an ultimate deterrent against external threats in a crisis, and who casually handed out world-changing technological advancements to their scientists...
From every conceivable angle, the Angels weren't being exploited. They were turning an absolute, astronomical profit.
The Academy scholars, however, were an entirely different breed of trouble. Since their arrival, the subtle, condescending way they pitched their ideological frameworks had made Hofman realize that if they weren't forcefully intervened with, a significant portion of the younger generation of Angels would inevitably fall under their psychological sway.
"I'll go draft the dismissal and speak with them directly," Kaisha said, turning toward the door.
"Wait. Why don't we consult with Bai Ye first before you take action?"
Hofman raised a hand, stopping Kaisha in her tracks. From her sharp demeanor, it was obvious his daughter wanted to summarily evict the scholars and wash her hands of the matter.
But in the old Duke's seasoned diplomatic opinion, a blunt, unilateral dismissal wasn't the smartest play on the board. If possible, it would be infinitely better to run the situation by Bai Ye first, present the scholars' presence to him, and see what the strategist had to say about it.
After all, he was their ultimate partner now.
"Find him?" Kaisha paused, her hand hovering near her side as she pondered her father's words.
Actually, the main reason Kaisha had wanted to bypass Bai Ye and directly dismiss the scholars was a simple matter of guilt. She was the one who had quietly permitted this group to set up camp in Angel City in the first place.
If she were to walk into Bai Ye's laboratory now to consult him, wouldn't she essentially be hand-delivering her own confession of distrust? The mere thought of it left her feeling deeply embarrassed. But now that her father had explicitly voiced his suggestion, refusing to go would make her hidden motives far too obvious.
Faced with no other logical choice, Kaisha could only swallow her pride and agree.
Meanwhile, Liang Bing was caught in her own hilarious state of internal conflict. She had just managed to escape the suffocating, backseat-driving aura of that laboratory to catch a breath of fresh air. And now, barely a few hours later, she was being dragged right back to the den?
The two sisters, each wrapped in their own wildly different, tense thoughts, slowly made their way back to the facility.
"Liang Bing? You're back already?"
Upon seeing Liang Bing slide back through the heavy laboratory doors, Hexi's face flashed with a look of pure, unadulterated surprise.
She's back? Already?!
Noticing Kaisha walking right behind her, Hexi immediately assumed the younger sister had been forcefully apprehended and dragged back to her station like a truant student.
"Mhm..." Liang Bing mumbled, keeping her eyes glued to the floor.
With Kaisha standing right there, Liang Bing did her absolute best to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible. After all, she still hadn't confessed to her older sister that she had spent the last several weeks being absolutely brainwashed and played like a fiddle by Bai Ye's "temper-strengthening" psychological experiments.
"I came to speak with you about an ongoing matter," Kaisha said, stepping forward to address Bai Ye directly.
Since she had already made the trip, she had no intention of dancing around the issue. She laid out the entire situation cleanly, explaining how a foreign delegation of wandering cosmic scholars had arrived in the Angel Nebula, actively seeking an alliance and proposing a technology trade.
As the final words left her mouth, Kaisha felt an involuntary, tense tightness grip her chest. She held her breath, waiting for the fallout. What she had done—allowing an outside faction to pitch their tech behind his back—was a glaring, undeniable sign of baseline distrust toward Bai Ye.
"Scholars carrying the complete data of the First Generation Divine Body?"
Bai Ye raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine interest dancing in his eyes.
So, the representatives from the Super God Academy have officially made contact.
Personally, Bai Ye didn't harbor a single shred of affection for the manipulative, bureaucratic directors of the Super God Academy. However, he possessed a massive, burning interest in their ultimate crown jewel: The Grand Clock. The sheer volume of cosmic data, spatial coordinates, and advanced genetic blueprints stored within that celestial computer was virtually limitless. If he could use these scholars as a stepping stone to get his hands on its archives, it would fast-track his multiversal research by centuries.
"Where are they currently located?" Bai Ye asked smoothly.
"They... they are currently staying in the diplomatic quarters of Angel City," Kaisha replied, blinking in surprise.
She stared at him, completely caught off guard. Bai Ye didn't look angry. He didn't look betrayed. In fact, he didn't exhibit a single trace of the hostile, possessive reaction she had braced herself for.
Does this man truly not care about political betrayal at all? she wondered, a strange mix of relief and profound awe washing over her. To a god-like entity who looked down upon the universe from the heights of absolute power, the petty, paranoid schemes of mortal rulers truly weren't even worth a second glance.
"Take me to see them."
Bai Ye's mind was already racing past the immediate political drama. His eyes remained locked on the bigger picture: the Grand Clock. If he could somehow secure that supreme celestial computer—or even clone its primary database—he would instantly acquire an unfathomable ocean of cosmic data, saving his own research decades of theoretical work.
"Alright," Kaisha replied, a quiet sigh of relief slipping past her lips.
This traveler was unexpectedly straightforward. He didn't dwell on her breach of trust or play petty mind games. Although Kaisha was still slightly taken aback by his sheer indifference to her plotting, she had no logical ground to refuse his request. She rationalized it to herself: Perhaps, as fellow high-level intellectuals, they simply have things they wish to discuss.
However, after following Kaisha to the diplomatic enclave and sizing up the delegation, Bai Ye felt a sharp wave of disappointment wash over him.
The group standing before him was merely a secondary vanguard of the Super God Academy.
"Kiran isn't among you?" Bai Ye asked, his voice flat.
"Principal Kiran has traveled to the Deno Star System," one of the lead scholars answered truthfully, looking surprised. "You... you know of Lord Kiran?"
Upon hearing this powerful stranger casually drop the name of their esteemed founder, the academic delegation felt a sudden surge of optimism. If this influential figure was on speaking terms with Kiran, their chances of securing a permanent sovereign research zone within the Angel Nebula would skyrocket.
"No, I've merely heard of him," Bai Ye replied dryly.
What a waste of time...
The Grand Clock wasn't here. As long as Kiran was off navigating the stars, the supreme engine of cosmic computation would naturally remain with him.
Still, Bai Ye noted that the timeline was holding steady. According to the original cosmic trajectory, Kiran had indeed led his first wave of scholars to the Deno Star System to establish the earliest iteration of the Super God Academy. Only after their scientific overreach eventually sparked a catastrophic war that destroyed Deno would they migrate to the Angel Nebula—where, after a brief period of cooperation, Kaisha would ultimately banish them for attempting to undermine her rule.
Wherever the Super God Academy went, catastrophic war inevitably followed in their wake. They were, in the most literal sense, a cosmic plague disguised as enlightened educators.
Currently, these scholars were completely, pathologically obsessed with their brand-new, terrifying hypothesis: the Ultimate Fear (the Void). Ever since the sudden, violent collapse of the highly advanced Kamigawa (Shenhe) civilization, they had been deeply embroiled in this existential dread, preaching the inevitable doom of the universe to anyone who would listen.
But Kaisha was entirely dismissive of their doomsday theories.
While a younger Liang Bing would eventually find herself deeply drawn to the forbidden allure of Void science, the future Holy Kaisa had zero patience for their alarmist rhetoric. She believed in tangible order and progress, not bowing down to an unseen, theoretical monster in the dark.
"In that case, honored lords... are we permitted to establish our research facilities here?" the head scholar asked, turning back to the pressing matter of their survival.
"You are asking the wrong person," Bai Ye said, casually pointing a thumb toward Kaisha. "I am not the King of the Angel Nebula. If you wish to stay and set up camp, you should be begging for her opinion."
Without Kiran and the Grand Clock on the table, Bai Ye lost every single ounce of interest in the conversation. He was more than happy to toss the hot potato back into Kaisha's lap and wash his hands of the administrative headache. He knew exactly what she would choose anyway.
Hearing Bai Ye effortlessly surrender the final decision to her, Kaisha's eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise.
For the first time since they had met, she felt a profound, unexpected sense of being respected as a sovereign ruler. He wasn't treating her like a puppet, nor was he using his god-like power to dictate her foreign policy. He was letting her lead.
Steeling her resolve, Kaisha turned back to the expectant scholars, her gentle demeanor instantly vanishing, replaced by the cool, unyielding authority of a future queen.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Kaisha declared coldly. "The very fact that your academy chooses to approach us in scattered, separate factions proves that you are not truly here to cooperate with the Angel race. You may pack your equipment and depart our borders."
Kaisha made her decision with absolute, razor-sharp finality, directly slamming the door on any possibility of the Super God Academy establishing a foothold in their territory.
From the brief exchange between Bai Ye and the delegation, she had drawn a cold, unshakeable conclusion. These academics were not here for a genuine, mutual partnership. If they truly respected the Angel race, they wouldn't be hedging their bets across the cosmos, split into factions, with their main leadership already deep in negotiations with the Deno Star System. To Kaisha, they looked less like partners and more like opportunists scouting for backup options.
"But... honored lady, please understand..."
One of the younger, more zealous scholars stepped forward, desperate to salvage the deal, but a heavy hand on his shoulder cut him off.
An older-looking scholar stepped to the front, his expression deeply worn and solemn. "We harbor absolutely no ill will toward the Angel race. We are merely searching for a stable, quiet environment to continue our research. We once possessed a beautiful home, but it was utterly consumed by the shadow of the Ultimate Fear... We are not your enemies. In fact, in the grand scheme of the cosmos, we share the exact same threat."
The veteran scholar spoke with deep, heavy gravity, trying to paint a vivid picture of the Ultimate Fear in hopes of shifting Kaisha's perspective. In his mind, they were natural allies. If his calculations were correct, all of their civilizations would eventually be forced to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to fight the encroaching void. The Angel civilization might look incredibly strong and radiant right now, but in his eyes, they would prove tragically fragile the moment the true weight of the Ultimate Fear pressed down upon them.
"I don't think we have any need to lose sleep over things that may or may not happen in the distant future—whether it's the Ultimate Fear or anything else," Bai Ye chimed in, turning his gaze toward the speaker.
Knowing the future trajectory of this world, Bai Ye couldn't help but find their panic a bit premature. Decades, even centuries would pass, and the Ultimate Fear would still remain a distant, theoretical shadow. He had more than enough time to build his foundations and wait. Besides, the actual manifestation of the Void was deeply tied to Karl's future mad-scientist experiments. Right now, running around panicking about it was entirely pointless.
"I see..." the older scholar sighed softly.
It was glaringly obvious that neither the powerful warrior nor the young angel leader had any interest in dissecting their warnings. To think they were being summarily evicted from the nebula despite hand-delivering revolutionary genetic technology...
A bitter, weary smile flashed across the middle-aged scholar's face. He turned back to his team and gestured toward the door. "Let us gather our papers and pack our instruments. We are leaving. It is time to regroup with Kiran."
There was no point in arguing further. The Angel Nebula had made its stance clear; they were no longer welcome here.
As they began packing their belongings, they finalized their flight plans for the Deno Star System. Kiran's encrypted messages had already reached them earlier that week—the Deno authorities had enthusiastically agreed to host their academy. If the proud angels refused to see the light, Deno would gladly reap the benefits of their cosmic intelligence.
Watching the silent procession of scholars carry their heavy crates out of the grand hall, Bai Ye turned his head toward Kaisha, his brow raised in genuine confusion.
"You're... really not going to keep them?"
In all honesty, Bai Ye had been almost certain that Kaisha would find a way to keep this group around. He knew her character; she had been deeply uneasy about his presence and his terrifying, unchecked power from day one. He had clearly seen the quiet suspicion in her eyes.
From a purely tactical standpoint, allowing the Super God Academy to settle in her territory would have given her a perfect counterweight to balance against him. It would have given her leverage. When Bai Ye deliberately stepped back and handed her the absolute authority to make the call, he fully expected her to play that card. After all, he had promised not to meddle in her sovereignty; she was the de facto King of Angels, and he was content to stay in his laboratory.
Furthermore, if the academy stayed, Kiran would have eventually visited. That would have given Bai Ye a golden, effortless opportunity to intercept the Grand Clock right on his home turf.
But Kaisha's swift, blunt rejection had completely thrown a wrench into his quiet layout.
"Did you... actually want me to keep them?" Kaisha asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked up at him.
She had honestly assumed Bai Ye would be pleased with her decision. Why else would he look at her with such a thoroughly baffled expression?
"No, not particularly," Bai Ye replied, rubbing his chin. "I just... find it highly out of character for you."
"And what exactly is my character in your eyes?" Kaisha asked softly, lowering her head as the weight of his words sank in. A trace of vulnerability flickered across her face. "Am I truly just a deeply calculating, paranoid politician to you?"
She realized exactly what he was implying. Bai Ye was incredibly sharp; he undoubtedly saw the political advantages she could have gained by playing the Academy against him. But to realize that he viewed her as someone who would resort to such petty, underhanded scheming...
Was her image in his heart really that cold and untrustworthy?
"Because wouldn't having them here make you feel a lot more at ease?" Bai Ye asked, his voice carrying a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
"I think the way things are now is perfectly fine," Kaisha replied, looking him straight in the eyes. "This nebula only needs one research institute. And I think you're pretty good. At the very least... you have truly kept your word."
Her voice was quiet, but entirely sincere. The way Bai Ye had carried himself since the fall of the palace—deliberately stepping back, refusing to claim the crown, and leaving the governance to her—had earned her profound respect. Up until now, Kaisha had felt incredibly insecure. Her position of authority was entirely self-made and technically illegitimate, and she had spent sleepless nights wondering if Bai Ye's "indifference to power" was merely a polished lie to keep her compliant.
But seeing him actually live out his words, the very last trace of her paranoid suspicion had vanished.
"So that's how it is," Bai Ye chuckled, a soft, amused smile breaking on his face. "It seems you're not completely hopeless after all."
He had honestly assumed she was going to march down the path of the uncompromising, cold Holy Kaisa without ever looking back.
"It seems my standing in your eyes wasn't very high to begin with, huh?" Kaisha remarked, a light, teasing note entering her voice. Then, almost subconsciously, she paused and asked, "So... when you said 'I like you' before... was that actually genuine?"
The moment the words slipped past her lips, Kaisha froze. A sudden flush of heat rushed to her cheeks, and she quickly reached up to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, trying desperately to look composed.
I shouldn't have asked that. Not here.
The silence in the room became absolutely deafening.
Standing just a few feet away, Hexi and Liang Bing both stared at Kaisha with wide, completely round eyes—looking exactly as if they had just witnessed a ghost materialize in broad daylight.
Both of them knew Kaisha intimately. She was fiercely proud, intensely rational, and practically wrapped in an armor of regal dignity. To hear her casually ask a man if his confession of affection was "genuine" was nothing short of a cosmic anomaly.
Furthermore, Hexi's mind was racing. Did these two actually patch things up?
Liang Bing might still be slightly in the dark, but Hexi had been front and center for the quiet, icy rift that had formed between Bai Ye and Kaisha. It was a rift built entirely on Kaisha's deep-seated distrust, leaving them completely misaligned. Yet here they were, practically flirting in the middle of a laboratory.
"Well, well. It seems I have a little tattletale bug whispering in people's ears," Bai Ye said, slowly turning his head to lock his gaze onto Liang Bing with an incredibly amused expression.
Under his sudden, piercing scrutiny, Liang Bing's soul practically left her body. Shaking with guilt, she immediately snapped her head upward, intensely studying the metallic ceiling tiles of the laboratory as if they held the secrets to the universe. She absolutely refused to make eye contact.
Are you kidding me?! she screamed internally. I am never, ever telling Kaisha anything again!
She had literally just gossiped to her older sister about Bai Ye's past comments, and Kaisha had instantly, mercilessly sold her out in front of the man himself!
But more importantly... what on earth did Kaisha's question even mean?!
Likes her?!
If Bai Ye actually liked her sister, did that mean Kaisha was destined to be his guardian angel?
But... wait. I was the one who joined his lab first! Liang Bing's thoughts suddenly swerved into a panicked, tangled mess. Wait, wait, wait... why the hell am I even thinking about that?!