He continued to ask, "What exactly went wrong in your experiment? Also, where are your Freemasons' higher-ups now? Do they have any other plans?"
The White Robe People was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The accident during the experiment... some experimental subjects became uncontrollable after coming into contact with this energy. Their power exceeded our control, causing immense destruction to the Geocentric Base. Many people lost their lives because of this. As for the whereabouts of the higher-ups, I really don't know."
As the White Robe People spoke, he looked up and saw Zhou Qi staring at him with a serious expression, and immediately stopped speaking.
Just as he was about to lower his head, an invisible wave, like sharp steel needles, pierced into his mind with overwhelming force.
The pain brought by this wave was indescribable, as if countless fine needles were wildly stirring in his brain, or like a sharp scalpel repeatedly scraping memory fragments from his mind, each stroke bringing piercing pain, leaving him in agony and torment, his body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Zhou Qi's eyes were fixed on the words "Number One" written on the White Robe People's chest, his face as cold and stern as frost, the authority revealed in his gaze seemed capable of seeing straight through a person.
He didn't say a word, but a powerful aura emanated from his entire being, continuously unleashing his mental power, like an invisible giant python, slowly, yet with immense pressure, delving deep to probe the other person's memories.
Zhou Qi mused to himself: From the various signs in this White Robe People's words and actions, his unreserved speech, the conspicuous "Number One" mark on his chest, and the respectful attitude of the other White Robe People towards him, even when captured in such a desperate situation, all indicated that this person's identity was far from simple.
Now delving deep into his memories, indeed, many astonishing secrets were discovered.
As Zhou Qi's vast mental power invaded like a tide, the memories of the Number One White Robe People, like vivid movie scenes, flashed through Zhou Qi's mind at an extremely fast speed.
What greatly shocked Zhou Qi was that this guy was actually born during the Queue Dynasty, his real name was Yuan Mei, and he was an old monster who had lived for several hundred years.
From a young age, he had no interest in traditional official careers like the imperial examinations; instead, he was wholeheartedly obsessed with seeking immortals and inquiring about the Dao, keen on traveling around famous mountains and great rivers, yearning to find the secret to eternal life and transcendence among the landscapes.
During an exploration of Mount Zhongnan, Yuan Mei was walking along a winding mountain path, his heart filled with anticipation for the mysterious sights within the mountain.
Suddenly, he saw in the distance a tall person wearing a round hat, standing not far away, waving at him.
In this desolate, silent mountain wilderness where only the sound of wind and insects could be heard, the sudden appearance of a human made Yuan Mei both surprised and curious.
Driven by curiosity, he didn't think much, happily believing he had met a fellow traveler, so he quickly sped up his pace and walked towards that person.
But as he gradually approached, the sight before him instantly made him feel as though he had fallen into an ice cellar.
It wasn't a human at all, it was clearly a massive black bear with a large piece of dung on its head!
The black bear was covered in fur, its massive body exuded a wild deterrence, its small eyes flickered with a faint light in the darkness, and it was staring at him menacingly.
Yuan Mei was instantly so scared his face turned as pale as paper, his eyes, originally full of anticipation, were instantly filled with fear, and his legs were also as if nailed to the spot, so weak he couldn't move an inch.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest, as if it would burst through his ribcage, cold sweat continuously poured from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks, and vanishing instantly when it dripped onto the dry ground.
Just as he thought he was about to lose his life here and his heart was filled with despair, a magical yet bizarre sight appeared.
A ginseng about half a meter tall, resembling a human child, slowly emerged from the nearby grass.
This Ginseng Doll could not only walk nimbly, its movements and demeanor were no different from a normal person's, each step steady and firm; moreover, its entire body exuded a strange spirituality, as if shrouded in a layer of mysterious light.
It looked at the black bear with its intelligent eyes, and then, as if having made a decision, extended its small hand, plucked a root from its body, and handed it to the black bear.
After the black bear received the ginseng root, it merely sniffed it simply, then turned and left without looking back, walking with heavy steps, slowly disappearing into the mountain forest, as if it had completely forgotten that a person named Yuan Mei was standing nearby.
Yuan Mei was still recovering from his shock, his heart was still pounding violently, but his attention was quickly drawn to the Ginseng Doll.
With a mix of apprehension and curiosity, he followed the Ginseng Doll, wandering in the mountains.
Along the way, he was surprised to find that everything around them seemed to hold this human-shaped Ginseng Doll in awe.
Whether it was the birds hopping on branches, or the wild rabbits darting through the grass, or the various small animals hidden in the shadows, not a single creature dared to approach them on its own.
Even the tall trees, under the caress of the breeze, the direction in which their branches and leaves swayed seemed to be deliberately avoiding the Ginseng Doll.
During the days he spent with it, Yuan Mei gradually discovered that although this Ginseng Doll was highly respected by the surrounding creatures, it actually had no combat ability; it merely possessed an innate aura that made other creatures not dare to offend it.
Its eyes were always so pure and innocent, and it was full of kindness towards everything around it.
As time passed, the greedy thoughts in Yuan Mei's heart began to grow like weeds.
He observed the Ginseng Doll's habits every day, and finally seized upon a night.
That night, there was no sun in the sky, the entire mountain forest was shrouded in darkness, appearing exceptionally quiet. Yuan Mei knew that this was when the Ginseng Doll was most tired and weak.
Yuan Mei took out the dagger tucked at his waist, his eyes flashing with unconcealed madness and greed, and without hesitation, stabbed the Ginseng Doll repeatedly, he didn't know how many times.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze, the entire mountain forest fell into a deathly silence, only the dull thud of the dagger piercing flesh and the Ginseng Doll's weak groans of pain could be heard.
In the Ginseng Doll's intelligent eyes, an extremely complex emotion instantly flowed out: there was confusion towards Yuan Mei's actions, the pain of life about to vanish, and even deeper despair towards this world, as well as a hint of reluctance towards the beauty of the world, almost imperceptible.
That gaze looked directly at Yuan Mei, but could not speak, as if questioning him why he was so cruel.
This scene was deeply imprinted in Yuan Mei's mind; even after hundreds of years had passed, it was still as clear as if it had happened yesterday. Every time he recalled it, it brought a trace of unspeakable emotion to his heart, but this could not stop his frantic pursuit of power.
