by <unknown>
"It meant that even if they did build a biological weapon, it would not deal a heavy blow to the Imperium and could only savage one or two of their starships. Therefore, the virus was not of much military significance.
"However, it was very hard to manufacture the special drug on our starship.
"Therefore, the specialists began to build the biological weapon for a new purpose. The final result was quite satisfactory. The virus would spread fast and be quite inconspicuous and lethal. It targeted Cultivators and ordinary people at the same time. Once it spread in a fully-enclosed starship through the air circulation system, a chunk of the population would be reduced instantly without a sound. Most critically of all, the virus boasted a distinctive feature that we called the 'half-life period'. After a few generations, the virus would perish automatically and stop spreading.
"Also, the half-life period of the virus was controllable. It could be either long or short.
"In other words, this was a biological weapon designed for a 'precise attack'. As long as the half-life period was controlled and the total population to be infected was learned, it would be possible to calculate in advance how many victims the virus would kill. After the number of the deceased met the requirement, the virus would decay and vanish, without leaving any more aftereffects.
"Such a virus was named the Rebirth Virus, which was the key to the Rebirth Plan. Perhaps it would bring rebirth to Firefly when it was on the verge of destruction."
Tang Dingyuan found it hard to believe his ears. Looking at Cui Lingfeng in a daze for a long time, he exclaimed, "You—you developed a biological weapon in secret, not to deal with the enemy, but to kill your own people, your compatriots, everyone that you swore to protect! Was what you tried to do any different from the Immortal Cultivators' doings?"
"Yes, it is," Cui Lingfeng said calmly. "Assume that you are an Immortal Cultivator who is in charge of the Rebirth Plan. Think about it. What exactly will you do? Of course, you will separate the cabins of the ordinary people—the humble 'hominoids'—from the cabins of the Immortal Cultivators—the 'true human beings'. Then, you will project the virus only into the cabins of the hominoids. Or maybe you will ask all the Immortal Cultivators to take the special drug beforehand. You can even try to weaken the virus' aggressiveness to those whose spiritual root has awakened when the biological weapon is still being developed so that the virus will only infect the ordinary people but not the Immortal Cultivators, right?
"After all, in the eyes of the Immortal Cultivators, ordinary people are all garbage, useless redundancies. Because of the shortage of resources, it's only necessary to reduce the amount of garbage.
"But we were not going to do it in such a way. I can disclose the whole implemental procedures of the Rebirth Plan to you right now. We did not intend to separate anyone or ask anyone to take the special drug in advance. Moreover, for safety reasons, our ancestors had long destroyed all the special drugs and the materials to make the drug.
"Once I decide to project the virus, the virus will instantly spread throughout Firefly and kill the random prey that it has got its eyes on. Nobody will survive, be they Cultivators or ordinary people, including myself. I may be infected and eventually die, too.
"Do you understand now? The ancestors who made the decision did not consider themselves to be 'transhuman' who could decide the fate of 'mortals'. Whether you are a Cultivator or an ordinary person, everybody will be equal when they listen to the ruling of their destiny. Many people will die, but still more people will take over their responsibilities and continue walking, further deep into the deep, dark universe.
"You may be thinking that those who drafted the Rebirth Plan were merely fooling themselves, but I believe that this is the biggest difference between them… between us and the Immortal Cultivators."
It was extremely difficult for Tang Dingyuan to breathe. He gritted his teeth so hard that one would think that even a starship would have been bitten into pieces if it had been put into his mouth. "However you defend yourself, I still find it unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable!"
"Then, tell me about it, Brother Dingyuan. What would you do?" Cui Lingfeng sighed and said, "Assuming that, as the captain, you know very clearly that the resources onboard are only enough to make a hundred people survive, but we have two hundred people on the starship, two hundred mouths and bellies that are waiting to be fed but can never be filled. What would you do?"
Tang Dingyuan was deep in thought and lost for words. His voice was much lower than before. "Cultivators, Cultivators shouldn't—shouldn't—"
"If you think that Cultivators shouldn't be so dark," Cui Lingfeng said casually, "that's because somebody else is standing before you, helping you do the dark, dirty, and cruel work first, my captain."
Inside the prison cell, Ding Zhengyang cackled like a crow. "Captain, you know the truth of the 'Rebirth Plan' now, don't you? Is your belief still alright? Tell me about it. Were the guys who proposed such a plan still real Cultivators? No. I am not the first Immortal Cultivator on Firefly. This starship has long been inhabited by Immortal Cultivators. It has long been occupied by the Immortal Cultivators!"
"Ding Zhengyang," Cui Lingfeng said coldly, "we never implemented the 'Rebirth Plan' from the beginning to the end. Firefly survived all the disasters."
"Yes, it did. But that's only because you were fortunate enough to never run into any 'Level-Ultra Crisis'!" Ding Zhengyang laughed. "But your luck will not stay with you forever. If you hadn't encountered the claw fleet of the Imperium and the Star Glory Federation, Firefly would've continued drifting to the unknown land that had never been visited by human beings before in the deeper part of the universe. As the starship aged slowly, in another few hundred years, a 'Level-Ultra Crisis' was bound to happen!
"Don't you argue with me on that. As the Chief Mate, I know the whorl of every screw on the starship as clearly as I know the back of my hand!
"What I'm saying is that, even if the Imperium never caught Firefly in the hundreds of years to come, Firefly would still have been consumed by darkness on its own and turned into a minor civilization of Immortal Cultivators!
"Do you get it now? One day, we would all have become Immortal Cultivators. I only went one step ahead of the rest!
"This is Lu Qingchen's theory. Cultivators are just a 'special mutation form' in a stable environment where there are sufficient resources. However, in the dark universe, a shortage of resources and drastic changes in the environment are a regularity. Therefore, Immortal Cultivators are the general form of the 'transhumans'!"
Chapter 1634: Big Bai Fleet |
Glancing at Tang Dingyuan who was already slightly stunned, Cui Lingfeng interrupted Ding Zhengyang's speech. "Enough. Is this the so-called 'Immortal Cultivator 2.0' proposed by Lu Qingchen?"
"This is only part of it," Ding Zhengyang said. "There is more, concerning the relationship between the Immortal Cultivators and ordinary people."
"Relationship?" Cui Lingfeng said coldly. "What relationship can there possibly be other than slavery and exploitation?"
"Then you are wrong, Speaker Cui," Ding Zhengyang said. "The ultimate purpose of the true path of immortality is to facilitate the continuous evolution and development of mankind, not to bring pain to ordinary people. For the 'true human beings', the 'hominoids' are more like kitties and puppies. Other than perverts, who would intentionally torture kitties and puppies every day?
"No. Enslaving and exploiting ordinary people is not the original purpose of the Immortal Cultivators. It is just a measure that has to be taken because of the shortage of resources and the invincibility of the enemy! Didn't we say that 'unusual times require unusual approaches' a lot on Firefly, too?
"In fact, a lot of slavery and exploitation targeting the ordinary people is for the purpose of obtaining more resources. However, as the technological boom takes place, the civilization of mankind has been rising exponentially. The clumsy labor work such as mining can be replaced by machinery a
nd automatic systems.
"It means that if the Imperium of True Human Beings completely crushes the Alliance of the Holy Covenant one day and unifies the entire universe, after the very advanced system of automatic machines driven by spiritual energy is developed, the ordinary people will no longer be enslaved or exploited. Their quality of life quality will be greatly increased. It will be much better than the lives of the citizens of the Star Glory Federation, not to mention the 'hominoids' in the past!
"However, for the day to arrive sooner, the ordinary people living within the Imperium must work hard and devote themselves for the future of the civilization of mankind. They should try to collect more resources so that the Imperium can win this war!
"Firefly and the Star Glory Federation should stop competing with the Imperium, too. Our ill-considered resistance will only diminish the Imperium's strength and delay the day when the Imperium unifies the entire universe. The later the day comes, the more tantalizing the good days of the ordinary people will be!
"If the Cultivators on Firefly and from the Star Glory Federation really consider protecting ordinary people to be their responsibility as they claim, they should surrender to the Imperium, join the Imperium, help the Imperium unify the universe, and try to improve the ordinary people's treatment in the Imperium from the inside. That is the real solution!"
Cui Lingfeng had been listening quietly the whole time. While he listened, he carefully observed Ding Zhengyang's face. At this moment, he suddenly said, "Ding Zhengyang, tell me about it. Do you really believe everything that you said just now? Do you have absolute faith in the true path of immortality?"
Ding Zhengyang was talking excitedly and enthusiastically, but Cui Lingfeng's question that was mixed with feeble spiritual energy halted him as if he were a toy whose spring had broken. He was dazed for a long time, and he resumed his half-dead appearance in the beginning. He mumbled, "I don't know. In the past, I had absolute faith in the true path of immortality, but I found that I've been fooled. Lu Qingchen talked about his true path of immortality as if it were a real thing. But who cares? I believe everything now, and I believe in nothing. I only want to survive. I only want to live to see my offspring to live on!"
"It is a miracle that your belief has still not collapsed even with such controversial thoughts," Cui Lingfeng remarked.
Ding Zhengyang smiled miserably. "Perhaps my belief collapsed ten years ago when I was told that my entire family had been killed in the battle. Right now, my belief is simply to survive. As long as I can live on, as long as my bloodline can be passed on, I can confess anything. As for exactly whether the Cultivators or the Immortal Cultivators are right, and which of them will win eventually, I don't give a f*ck about that right now."
Cui Lingfeng nodded. "Alright. If it is proved that you are not lying, we will allow you to live on and may even consider allowing you keep your bloodline. Now, talk about the rebellion. Tell me your specific plan. What did you plan do you exactly?"
"Our original purpose was simply to get rid of Captain Tang so that I could control the bridge," Ding Zhengyang said. "Then, with me in the bridge and Cheng Xuansu on your side, we would be able to completely control Firefly and play a vital role in the war between the Imperium and the federation to come.
"But later, you grew suspicious about the whole event and noticed the tricks we played on the polygraph. We were left with no choice but to get rid of you, too. Although a lot of trouble would be raised when you were killed, it would better help us gain control over Firefly."
"What kind of 'vital role' did you want to play in the war between the Imperium and the federation?" Cui Lingfeng continued asking expressionlessly.
"To lead the way for the Black Wind Fleet and help them jump over smoothly as their lighthouse, of course!" Ding Zhengyang said.
Cui Lingfeng glanced at Tang Dingyuan and Li Yao again.
Hearing such a piece of astounding news, even Tang Dingyuan had to put down the sophisticated upgraded version of the true path of immortality. He pricked his ears and listened carefully.
"Is the Black Wind Fleet truly here?" Cui Lingfeng asked.
"Yes, it is already here," Ding Zhengyang replied. "It is lurking in a mysterious space zone not far away from the Star Glory Federation, waiting for the best opportunity to launch a critical strike!"
"However, due to the lack of a 'space gate' made of an enormous number of star beacons to provide navigation, they can't directly jump over, right?" Cui Lingfeng asked.
"Exactly," Ding Zhengyang said. "Without the navigation of a super large 'space gate', the best they can do is project some minor infiltration fleets, spies, and special agents into the country. The main body of the fleet cannot be teleported as a whole. If they jump recklessly without considering everything, it will take at least one day for the fleet to recover from the weakness and disorder after the jump and to unfold into the battle formation.
"The capabilities of the Star Glory Federation are slightly higher than the Black Wind Fleet's expectation. One day's time will be more than enough for the federal fleets to assault the Black Wind Fleet, which has yet to stand on their feet. They can even prevent the jump of the subsequent starships by projecting the bombs that will release space ripples. That way, the Black Wind Fleet will be divided and devoured one piece after another!
"If the battle goes on, it will most likely become a protracted attrition war. For the Black Wind Fleet, which does not have a base in the rear, even if it secures the final victory, victory will certainly come with a great price, which is not the future that they are looking forward to.
"What the Black Wind Fleet wants is a quick, neat victory, a battle that is finished instantly. They hope to crush and annihilate the main force of the Star Glory Federation all at once!
"Therefore, the Black Wind Fleet is still waiting for the special agents that they sent into the federation earlier to collect intelligence and guide the way together with the 'CFIA', the organization of local Immortal Cultivators, so that they can find an opportunity to strike a telling blow!"
"Are you implying that not just Firefly and the Dragon Snake Space Zone, even the seven Sectors in the homeland of the Star Glory Federation have probably been infiltrated by a lot of agents of the Imperium of True Human Beings, who are looking for the federation's weaknesses and trying to establish secret 'space gates'?" Cui Lingfeng asked. "How did you believe such important intelligence without valid proof?"
Ding Zhengyang hesitated for a moment before saying, "At first, I did not want to raise a rebellion on Firefly at such risk. So, Lu Qingchen told me the information to convince me that the Imperium was a sure winner and the federation was doomed to failure! Although he did not show me any concrete evidence, I carefully studied every piece of information that he told me, and there did not seem to be apparent loopholes. If you don't believe me, I can repeat exactly what he told me."
"Sure…" Cui Lingfeng, Tang Dingyuan, and Li Yao looked at each other in bewilderment, all aware of the importance of the new intelligence.
They were about to urge Ding Zhengyang to continue, when Tang Dingyuan's mini crystal processor suddenly buzzed. He raised his wrist to check it, only to put on an even weirder expression.
Cui Lingfeng frowned. "Something's wrong?"
"Yes. The bridge just sent me a message about the federation," Tang Dingyuan said. "A federal fleet is currently having a regular drill of 'secret submerging' near the Dragon Snake Space Zone. However, they were unfortunately caught in a space storm. It is said that they have suffered grave losses. Most of their fuel and supplies are lost, and a lot of the soldiers are seriously wounded. Not allowed to enter the Dragon Snake Space Zone for medical treatment and maintenance, they are requesting to stop by our docks to run simple maintenance and to refill the supplies so that they can return to the federation."
The Star Glory Federation and the government-in-exile were allies now. Since they had been caught in an expected cosmic storm, it sounded like a reasonable
request.
But Cui Lingfeng sneered. "Is it a coincidence that a federal fleet 'happened' to arrive the moment after a large rebellion of the Immortal Cultivators took place on our starship? Let me guess. This is what the screenplay should be next…
"After the federal fleet really enters our docks, it is only necessary for the commander of the fleet to talk to the highest commander of Firefly to express his gratitude. Then, the commander of the fleet will discover, 'to his surprise', that the highest commander of Firefly is neither Tang Dingyuan nor Cui Lingfeng, but either Ding Zhengyang or Cheng Xuansu.
"After that, he will certainly investigate what happened on Firefly. Through a series of 'fortuitous incidents', he will see through the Immortal Cultivators' scheme.
"Since the federal fleet is now out on a drill, it must've brought a lot of weapons and ammunition with them, and it is ready to go into battle anytime.
"In the end, the brave Cultivators of the federal fleet will march into Firefly and take care of all the Immortal Cultivators on our side, turning into great heroes who have saved Firefly!
"As a result, not only will they figure out the internal conditions of Firefly, the new administration of Firefly will also be grateful to them, just like we are grateful to 'Team Red Lotus' right now.
"If such a thing does happen, Firefly will definitely join the Star Glory Federation without any suspense, and it will have absolutely no leverage during the negotiation."
"Speaker Cui, what—what are you suggesting?" Tang Dingyuan frowned deeply. "We are allies with the Star Glory Federation. I think you should have more trust in them!"
"More trust in them?" Cui Lingfeng smiled and said unhurriedly, "Let me guess. The federal fleet that has appeared out of nowhere must have a lot to do with Jin Xinyue, the leader of the Ministry of Equality and Development and president of the Dim Moon Fund, right?"