Chapter Eighteen · Undercurrent Reflected
Chapter Eighteen · Section One · First Draw of the Undercurrent
[HEX64 Primary Hexagram Binding]: ☰[Heaven]
[Philosophy]: Qian Yuan, the great beginning; when it moves, it is the movement of the heavens. Even before the situation is fully formed, the mind is already far-reaching. Only those who lay plans before taking action can master the storm.
The night in the ruins was cold and silent, like a slowly tightening noose.
Jason Carter leaned against a rusty signal pole beside the abandoned railway in the Southern District, his expression indifferent, hood half-covering him, his eyes hidden in shadow. In the distance, the broken tracks were jagged under the moonlight, like a sleeping steel snake, coiled, waiting for an unknown storm.
[HEX64 System Prompt]
Peripheral node screening initially completed. Core team stability factor being detected. Recommendation: Initiate preliminary sub-net guidance, solidify the faith dark network.
A string of small data streams flashed across Jason's left eye interface, clearly listing the two most critical names currently:
[Zhao Mingxuan]——First Generation Peripheral Core Master Controller, Momentum Inducer. [Lisa Peng]——First Generation Peripheral Core Collaborative Support, Undercurrent Scheduler.
They were not ordinary peripheral nodes. But—— The very first sparks, naturally condensed in the ruins before the empire was even declared.
Jason slowly breathed out, his gaze falling towards the depths of the Southern District ruins. There, was exactly the first area of "micro-belonging" they had spontaneously organized——Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng. On the surface, it looked like a free market, a league of ruin scavengers, In reality, it had already, soundlessly, become the first nerve ending of the [Heart of the Abyss] network.
They had done well. Actively gathering peripheral detached individuals, setting up their own screening thresholds, Guiding nodes to voluntarily converge rather than coercing, Simultaneously applying subtle emotional interference to TRACE peripheral scouts, Making the entire Southern District peripheral situation, Outwardly chaotic, but inwardly slowly converging.
Jason withdrew his gaze, a nearly imperceptible curve lifting at the corner of his lips. This kind of—— Action that requires no command, no explicit words, just the change in atmospheric flow to consciously adjust trajectories, Was the kind of "seed" he truly wanted to cultivate.
[Fuxi Prompt]
Heaven acts with vigor. A gentleman strengthens himself unceasingly. Not controlling people by force, but guiding momentum by the Way. Minor achievements rely on pushing, great trends rely on guiding.
Jason's heart moved slightly, his fingertips lightly tapping three times on the seam of his pants, Emitting an almost inaudible metallic echo. It was a code. A silent summons belonging solely to the first generation core.
A few minutes later—— Zhao Mingxuan appeared, his figure capable, his pace steady, faintly followed by two peripheral backbones. Lisa Peng also appeared, holding a heavily worn terminal tablet in her hand, a hint of subtle sharpness in her brows.
They did not speak, Just with an almost instinctive tacit understanding, Stood respectively in positions behind and to the left and right of Jason, Forming a natural triangular covering structure.
This moment, Beneath the ruins, An unproclaimed alliance, Had already taken shape.
Jason nodded slightly, a form of affirmation. No extra words, No extra explanation. Because true members of the Heart of the Abyss, Do not need language to confirm belonging. They completed their vows with trajectory, with action, with silence.
Moonlight cut across the shadows of the three figures, stretching them long and long, As if announcing a destined event: The empire, in the initial ashes of the ruins, Had quietly sown its heart.
[HEX64 System Prompt]
First generation core team stability up to standard. Permission granted to initiate the next phase plan for "Node Undercurrent Weaving."
Jason narrowed his eyes, looking at the faintly crimson skyline of the ruins in the distance. A true undercurrent, Was slowly rising, In the wind he had personally woven.
Chapter Eighteen · Section Two · Undercurrent Probing
[HEX64 Main Hexagram Binding]: ☴ [Xùn for Wind] [Philosophy]: Wind moves over water, first without form, then by penetration. He who controls the undercurrent first moistens things soundlessly, then rides the waves to rise.
Night deepened, and the wind in the Southern District ruins became more erratic.
Jason, along with Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng, soundlessly passed through the edge of the broken tracks, Entering a hidden area of an abandoned parking lot. Here, was the first peripheral integration experimental site Zhao Mingxuan had screened out. On the surface, it was still a free trading zone for scattered scavengers, In reality, it had already quietly woven a crude but real network of belonging.
Jason walked slowly, Each step falling on the dilapidated pavement, the sound precisely controlled below the wind, As if his very existence was part of the undercurrent.
[HEX64 Prompt]
Current momentum flow perception: External node fluctuation increased by 12%. Potential dark line observation: TRACE peripheral scouts subtly infiltrating. Suggestion: Do not directly repel, induce diversion with a mist-like layout.
Zhao Mingxuan, half a step ahead, lowered his voice, Reporting briefly to Jason:
"In the Southern District periphery, four small groups have spontaneously approached. Two groups are observing, one group is inclining towards us while watching, and another group... is waiting for an opportunity."
Lisa Peng took over, Her gaze sharp: "There is also one group——seems to be a 'soft bait' placed by TRACE periphery, deliberately approaching to probe." She quickly operated the terminal tablet, pulling up a simple trajectory map. Lines flowed, intertwined and tangled, yet in Jason's eyes, they showed a faint pattern.
Jason nodded slightly. ——That's right. The truly dangerous ones were not direct enemies, But those who pretended to be drifters.
The Fuxi System whispered in his earpiece:
[Fuxi Prompt]
Wind on the water's surface, hidden and revealed are not entirely trustworthy. Can be induced, cannot be welcomed; can be disturbed, cannot be broken. Conceal the true form with mist, hide the true intention with motion and stillness.
Jason's fingertips lightly tapped three times on Zhao Mingxuan's temporary terminal. Just three taps, But Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng quickly understood.
——Do not discern true from false. ——Do not rush to screen. ——Let all who think they are smart expose themselves.
Because, truly qualified allies, Are not picked out by questioning, But are the ones who naturally reveal themselves through momentum, who can still stand firm after being repeatedly washed over by the situation.
Jason narrowed his eyes, quietly watching the people flowing and intersecting in the parking lot.
Their desires, fears, greed, Rolled in the ruins like a tide, And he—— Just stood quietly outside the tide, Motionless, Letting all the waves crash against the reefs on their own.
Suddenly, a deeply hidden undercurrent trajectory pulsed slightly on the HUD. A thin youth mixed in the crowd, Pretending to fiddle with the worn communicator in his hand, In reality, Was scanning the surrounding node movements at an extremely low frequency.
TRACE peripheral reserve scout.
Jason's thoughts moved, The system immediately synced the optimal counter-strategy:
[HEX64 Countermeasure Suggestion]
Do not expel. No direct contact. Deliberately release a low-level resource transaction false signal in their monitoring area. Induce misjudgment, cause them to report the Southern District as a low-activity area, delaying external vigilance.
Jason silently tapped a short command. Zhao Mingxuan immediately cooperated, Taking the peripheral backbone team to stage a minor "resource conflict" disturbance, Extremely naturally acting out a false scenario of "slight disturbance but no true integrative force."
The TRACE scout recorded all of this as desired, Leaving with the false impression, Like harmless ants who believed they had completed their covert mission.
In Jason's eyes, the light was deep as the night.
"Blind the eyes with wind, trap the form with water."
He softly murmured a broken ancient proverb in his mind. Not all enemies are worth engaging directly. Some enemies, The best response, Is to give them the illusion they desire, Then, At the moment the illusion collapses, Reap everything they have.
[HEX64 Prompt]
Southern District peripheral undercurrent guidance completion: 38%. TRACE peripheral intervention successfully delayed, estimated interference window pushed back 7-10 days.
Jason slowly withdrew his gaze, His coat hem fluttering in the breeze, As if his entire being, with the night, with the ruins, with this turbulent and uncertain flow, Was completely integrated.
Beneath the undercurrent, the true empire's network, Was weaving its net in silence.
Chapter Eighteen · Section Three · Covert Flow Surfacing
[HEX64 Main Hexagram Binding]: ☵ [Zhūn for Difficulty at the Beginning] - Water over Thunder [Philosophy]: Those who move initially in chaos conceal their form and form a situation. True strategists do not directly break the situation, but use chaos as a shell to nurture new order.
Night deepened, and the air was filled with a subtle sense of restlessness. The small groups on the periphery of the parking lot began to disperse and withdraw, Carrying their shallow alliances, their shallow desires, back into the depths of the ruined city.
And Jason, Zhao Mingxuan, and Lisa Peng, Did not follow the main flow, But soundlessly infiltrated an abandoned tower behind the parking lot.
Here, was a natural hidden node Zhao Mingxuan had secretly scouted earlier—— An abandoned network center building, powered down and paralyzed for years, but its internal framework was still intact, Especially the basement level, which could effectively shield against weak scanning fluctuations.
Jason stood under the moonlight filtering through the dim cracks, slowly taking out a communication core he had kept hidden for a long time. As his fingertips slid, the system interface surfaced:
[HEX64 Prompt]
Secondary covert flow node preparing to activate. Suggestion: Use "Drifter Gathering" mode, low frequency natural attraction of peripheral potential nodes. Situation cannot be pushed hastily for now, suitable for planting stones in water, concealing momentum with chaos.
Zhao Mingxuan said in a low voice, reporting:
"In the peripheral area, six retreat paths were set up, three of which are false nodes, Only one true passage remains, the southern rear stairwell, which is extremely covert."
Lisa Peng quickly confirmed flow interruption monitoring: "TRACE peripheral listening nodes, the signal doesn't reach here."
Jason nodded, walking slowly towards an abandoned server rack in the center of the tower. There, it had been simply modified into a rudimentary "Drifter Stronghold"—— Concealed beneath tattered cloth were basic supplies, rough communication equipment, And——an old broadcaster modified into a dark frequency emitter.
He bent down, flipping the switch. A subtle but steady low-frequency oscillation began to spread.
Not a summons, Not a command, But a kind of——vague yet real inducement.
Pheromones spread through the air like scent, Subtly infecting those—— Who wandered in the ruins, longed for belonging, yet were wary of all authority.
The Fuxi System prompt synced:
[Fuxi Prompt]
At the time of Zhūn, conceal the edge and do not reveal it. Move without form, achieve naturally. The covert attain their way, the restless burn themselves out.
Jason sat quietly cross-legged beside the server wreckage, His figure integrated with the dilapidated iron frame, as if part of the ruin itself.
He closed his eyes, Sensing the extremely weak momentum change in the air—— On the other side of the city, In the corners of the ruins, In the scavenging alleyways of abandoned streets—— Certain potential nodes, unconsciously, Were being pulled by this invisible "covert flow," Gradually approaching.
Zhao Mingxuan lowered his voice, slightly exhilarated: "Someone has already made contact with the peripheral beacon signal."
Lisa Peng's gaze was deep: "But we cannot directly contact them. We must let them choose for themselves."
Jason slowly opened his eyes. A thread of cold light passed through the depths of his pupils. ——Yes. Belonging is not given. It is——born of yearning.
He slowly stood up, his steps extremely light, In the empty, dilapidated center of the tower, he walked a few steps quietly, His fingers brushing over every place that could become a potential "hiding place" for future nodes.
[HEX64 System Sync Prompt]
Covert flow inducement effectiveness achieved: 32%. Preliminary belonging intention nodes pre-captured: 7. Suggestion: Maintain formless guidance, do not forcefully push for aggregation.
Jason remained silent.
The night wind blew in from the broken wall, stirring the hem of his black trench coat, In the half-light, half-darkness, He seemed not like a lonely youth, But a silent empire ghost, traversing the heart of the ruins.
[Fuxi Philosophy Insight]
Deep divers do not contend for the wave crest, nor chase high waves. Only in the dark water, Quietly sow seeds, When the flood recedes, Only the forest he has sown, Will thrive endlessly.
Jason whispered, his voice so light it was almost inaudible:
"True belonging, Is not by strength, Is not by words, But by——silent resonance."
Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng stood tacitly on either side of him, Shoulder to shoulder, the three of them, In the heartland of this ruin, Quietly sowed, the first batch of covert flow seeds for the future empire.
And the Southern District, Beneath the surface calm, Had already begun, Slowly and irreversibly, To give rise to true undercurrent surging.
Chapter Eighteen · Section Four · Drawing the Tide to Break the Deadlock
[HEX64 Main Hexagram Binding]: ☳ [Héng for Duration] - Thunder over Wind [Philosophy]: Heaven and earth move without cessation, the enduring respond to change with change, not holding to one corner, not drifting with the current, only then can one stand firm at the crest of the tide in turmoil.
Dawn, the edge of the ruined city's skyline was tinged with a blurry iron-grey. A new day was about to arrive, and the Southern District——was destined to no longer be as it was yesterday.
Inside the tower, by the rudimentary communication station, data streams flickered faintly. Jason sat quietly on a worn metal box, His fingertips sliding rapidly on a small encrypted pad, The Fuxi System and external environment perception interface unfolded simultaneously.
[HEX64 Prompt]
Peripheral node fluctuation map updated. Potential belonging momentum curve: Rapidly rising to 41%. TRACE peripheral listening density increased by 2%, warning threshold still safe. Recommended action: Draw the tide to break the deadlock, initiate localized surge probing.
Jason slightly frowned, contemplating for a moment. He knew that relying solely on covert flow attraction, while able to screen loyal individuals, If the momentum lingered in the "observing" stage for too long, It would be extremely easy for TRACE peripheral forces to seize the opportunity to insert intervention nodes.
The tide must be drawn. But it must be controlled—— Cause fission, but not explosion; activate variables, but not lose control.
Zhao Mingxuan quickly handed over the newly compiled local peripheral movement report, saying in a low voice:
"Three small groups have already begun privately contacting the dark frequency signal, their movements are splitting."
Lisa Peng quickly added: "And one group——seems to be deliberately guided by TRACE periphery, be vigilant."
Jason's gaze turned cold. It was time to act.
He tapped the communication terminal with his fingertips, Assisted by the Fuxi System's projection, Set up an extremely covert, "self-combusting" chain of information. The content was simple—— An anonymous signal about "the Southern District will be reshuffled, and the earliest responders have priority speaking rights," Would be precisely delivered to nodes on the verge of wavering.
The trigger needed not be much. In the ruins, even just a little illusion of the future, Was enough to drive half the drifters mad.
The instant the signal was sent, The Fuxi System prompt surfaced:
[Localized momentum fluctuation about to be triggered.]
[Expected to form micro-node reorganization within 36 hours.]
[TRACE peripheral risk temporarily controllable.]
Jason leaned against the metal box, quietly closing his eyes, Silently reciting the Fuxi insight in his heart:
[Fuxi Philosophy Insight]
He who is not constant in his virtue cannot long endure. The enduring respond to change to stand firm, adapting to circumstances without losing their heart. There is no need to compel the masses by force, only to lure them by momentum.
He said softly:
"The wind rises from the tip of the qingping grass, The tide surges from the beginning of a tiny ripple."
Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng silently exchanged a firm glance, Without needing more words, they fully understood Jason's intention and the rhythm of the layout. Not forceful seizure, not recruitment, But—— Drawing the tide, letting them come on their own, Then, before the storm has even formed, soundlessly taking control of the tide's crest.
Outside the tower, the first thread of morning wind blew through, Carrying the unique scent of dust and rust from the ruined city. On this grey land of the Southern District, Those individuals who had not yet belonged, Those who drifted, struggled, longed, Would, within the next thirty-six hours, Undergo the most profound trial of faith in their lives.
Jason stood up, straightened his trench coat, and stepped into the faint morning light. His shadow stretched long and split on the broken wall, And quietly converged in the wind into a firm silhouette.
He said to himself in his heart:
"The tide has arrived. What I want is not obedience. What I want is—— The will that can still converge beneath me, even in the storm."
The Fuxi System synced like a whisper:
[Situation Phase Update: Drifter Trial Period · Officially initiated.]
And the empire, Amidst the silently converging tide, Quietly took, its first step towards true territory.
Chapter Eighteen · Section Five · Oath of the Floating Tide
Moonlight was cold and indifferent, quietly flowing on the broken teaching building plaza, casting a layer of hazy silver-white on the messy ground.
Jason Carter stood at one end of the abandoned balcony, his black coat slightly fluttering. Behind him, Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng stood silently to his left and right, like two suppressed yet clear dark shadows. Between the three, there were no words, yet they naturally formed a miniature gravity field.
[HEX64 System Prompt]slowly surfaced in the depths of his consciousness:
"Suí Hexagram's initial movement: Guide hearts with momentum, guide tides with hearts. Those who belong will return on their own, those who resist will disperse on their own."
On the plaza, scattered here and there stood more than twenty people. They were Greywing remnants, discarded members from fragmented groups, lonely wandering free students, of varied forms, with complex expressions. Some lowered their heads, clenching their teeth; some trembled slightly, fingers gripping sleeves; some had eyes cold as ice.
The air seemed frozen, the tide had not yet started, but the kinetic energy was latent.
Jason neither spoke nor moved. He just stood there, letting the world flow on its own.
Zhao Mingxuan slightly turned his head, catching the plaza's movements, his breathing still steady; Lisa Peng quietly relaxed her clenched fingertips, her palms damp with cold sweat.
The tide, in silence, completed the first round of natural screening.
Ultimately, standing under the moonlight, converged before the balcony, there were only fifteen people.
In their eyes, some carried confusion, some fear, some a faint light.
At this moment, no one spoke.
But in this moment, Jason slowly stepped forward.
Jason stood firm, his shadow stretching long under the moonlight with Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng, like three silent yet sharp long spears, pointing directly at the silent and uneasy crowd.
He did not shout slogans, nor make false vows. He simply scanned each face with calm eyes.
[HEX64 System Philosophy Prompt]surfaced in the depths of his consciousness like a whisper:
"The Way of Suí: Born from momentum, moved by the heart. Those whose hearts belong stand with the tide; those whose hearts doubt disperse with the flow."
Jason was silent for a moment, his voice low and steady, sounding:
"Here, there are no oaths."
The fifteen people on the plaza, some furrowed their brows slightly, some their eyes flickered. They instinctively expected some kind of ritual, some declaration; But Jason's words were like a basin of cold water, washing away all their preconceived notions and fantasies.
Jason slowly raised his hand, pointing towards the endless night outside the ruins:
"The world is in chaos, the tide is about to rise."
He lowered his hand, his gaze as deep as stars:
"Those who stay, ask not the reason. Those who leave, leave no trace."
Wind passed through the broken buildings, stirring up a gust of dust, blurring the distance.
Belonging is not in words, not in oaths. Belonging exists only in, those who still choose to stand before him, in the ruins.
Some clenched their fists, some bit their teeth, some lowered their heads, trembling slightly. But no one retreated. This moment, fifteen people stood silently under the moonlight, they were not summoned, not kidnapped, but——moved by momentum, stood by their hearts.
Jason slightly nodded, an extremely faint ripple passing through his heart.
[HEX64 System Prompt]:
"First sequence belonging nodes stably completed. Suí Hexagram stage preliminarily closed loop."
Deep within the ruins, an invisible tide seemed to slowly converge, carrying the world's most secret, most subtle order, silently beginning to aggregate.
Jason turned, his back to the moonlight. Zhao Mingxuan and Lisa Peng followed soundlessly. Fifteen figures, closely following, merged into the cool night.
An alliance without oath, the tide initially formed.
Jason walked at the very front, his steps steady.
The ruins' night wind threaded through collapsed steel bars and gravel, howling like a whisper. Footsteps were scattered, yet unconsciously, they slowly converged into an invisible network, winding and spreading behind him.
He did not look back. He did not need confirmation. Those who belong will naturally come with the tide.
In his heart, he said to himself in a low voice:
"The tide has just begun. What I want is not blind obedience. What I want is—— Souls that can still converge with a faint light, even in the ruins and silence."
[HEX64 System Prompt]in the depths of his consciousness, whispered:
"Situation Phase Update: Drifter Trial Period · Officially initiated."
And the empire, Amidst this silently converging tide, Quietly took, its first step towards hidden territory.