Hong Fei had long considered the possibility of the Ancient One seeking him out. Ever since their fleeting glance during his first operation—and even before that—the thought had crossed his mind. But back then, there had been no alternative. Certain actions had been necessary, regardless of the consequences.
Hesitation and indecision weren't luxuries he could afford. Without boldness, he wouldn't have navigated his path so smoothly. For someone like him, armed with knowledge of countless plot points and character arcs, fear of powerful entities disrupting the storyline or diminishing his foresight advantage was a liability he couldn't entertain.
In truth, the moment his soul—Hong Fei—had appeared in this world, the fabric of reality had already shifted. Even the smallest change was still a change, let alone the exaggerated ripple effects of the "Butterfly Effect."
Master Hong had never been one to fear altering the course of events. As long as the action benefited him and the conditions were right, he acted decisively and confidently. Worrying only invited trouble. Instead of fearing Thanos might come for him, he'd rather find a way to eliminate Thanos first.
The same logic applied to other threats.
The Ancient One stood before him now, a faint smile gracing her lips, her demeanor relaxed as though meeting an old friend after years apart. Master Hong's mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but his expression remained composed. He set down his fishing rod, stood, and greeted her with a faint smile of his own.
"Sorcerer, long time no see."
If that brief glance could even be called a meeting. The Ancient One fanned herself lightly with the small fan in her hand.
"You seem to be living quite comfortably."
"It's alright," Hong Fei replied, his tone casual. "Just an idler in the mountains, stealing a bit of leisure time."
His mind, however, was already dissecting her words. What was her purpose here? Did she think he was too comfortable and wanted to stir up some excitement? Or was there something deeper beneath her words?
The Ancient One gave no indication of noticing his inner turmoil. Her gaze drifted downward, settling on his Ten Rings. Following her line of sight, Hong Fei lifted his arm and activated the Rings. Golden light erupted from them, and one ring detached, floating into the space between them. With a gesture, he guided it upward, its physical form dissolving until only a delicate, intricate golden pattern remained.
"You turned it off," the Ancient One observed.
Hong Fei nodded.
"But the signal has already been sent out once," she added.
His brow furrowed.
"When it was first forged?"
She nodded again.
"Does it have any impact?"
"Before coming here, I went to find Xu Wenwu first," she replied.
Hong Fei's gaze sharpened.
"His Ten Rings clearly haven't sent out a signal."
"Why?"
"Because he hasn't received 'recognition' yet."
"Recognition?"
"Yes. For the Master of the Ten Rings, obtaining 'recognition' means unlocking greater power. But for this planet, it might not be a good thing."
Hong Fei fell silent, his mind racing. The Ancient One, however, didn't allow him much time to dwell.
"But a brief signal might not necessarily cause changes. At least recently, I haven't detected any threats."
By "recently," did she mean the past or the future? Hong Fei considered her words carefully before speaking.
"I've already turned it off. Perhaps there's a plan to turn off Xu Wenwu's as well."
The Ancient One's smile deepened.
"I've already done it."
"Thank you, Sorcerer."
"You're welcome."
The Ancient One acted very familiar, but at this moment, she curiously asked: "What plans do you have for the future?"
Hong Fei was stunned, not understanding why she would ask that. But standing before him was none other than the Sorcerer Supreme, whom he still couldn't defeat, so for the sake of her power, he would give her an answer.
"The most direct plan is, of course, to continuously improve myself."
The Ancient One immediately pursued: "What is the reason you want to improve yourself?"
"This... well, actually, I don't think one needs a specific and clear goal for everything. Because in my mind, there is only a general concept, and 'improving myself' can be said to be a simple summary of it. If there must be a reason, then I think it's because I enjoy the process of 'improving myself.' It brings me a continuous sense of achievement."
The Ancient One paused slightly and added: "Then what if one day you suddenly discover that you can no longer improve?"
"Find the reason."
"How so?"
"If I can't improve, either the road has reached its end, or I've taken the wrong path. If the road has reached its end, then there's nothing wrong with taking a break and paving the path forward myself; if I've taken the wrong path, it's simpler: just switch to a new road."
"And if you can't pave it?"
"Then I'll just call it quits. I'll do whatever I want and find some enjoyment for myself."
"Won't you feel disappointed and regretful?"
"No."
Hong Fei shook his head decisively.
"Why?"
"Contentment brings happiness. Not everything can be mine, and I can't do everything."
Hearing this, the Ancient One suddenly laughed, shaking her head while laughing. Hong Fei was very puzzled by this. A moment later, the Ancient One gave the reason: "From the time you started acting until now, you have never failed."
Hong Fei didn't need to recall, as he had a fresh and clear memory of his past actions, so he smiled modestly: "It's just luck. The smooth sailing isn't entirely due to my own ability."
Speaking of which, he turned his head slightly and pointed to the people behind him who were still fishing: "They, and those who aren't here right now, each possess their own unique abilities. From the very beginning, I rarely acted alone. As the saying goes, many hands make light work. The achievements at present are not something I could have accomplished alone; each of them has made specific contributions."
The Ancient One nodded gently: "Hmm, you are right, but can you endure failure one day in the future?" Hong Fei replied without hesitation: "No."
Before the Ancient One could ask again, he took the initiative to explain: "I can admit my failure and accept the consequences of it, but I cannot endure failure. After any failure, I will definitely find a way to regain victory while eliminating the adverse effects of the failure as much as possible."
The Ancient One still didn't make any extra comments, she just thought for a moment with her usual light and breezy manner, and then asked the final question.
"Then what if you are faced with only Death and failure?"
Seeing that Hong Fei was about to shake his head again, the Ancient One couldn't help but interrupt in advance and smiled: "Alright, I know you are very confident and you would never view problems so negatively. But this is a hypothetical scenario, only these two outcomes, nothing else."
You woman, how savage. Hong Fei thought for a moment and gave his answer.
"I can lose, but I cannot die."
Hearing this, the Ancient One finally couldn't help but laugh. If the order of this sentence were reversed, it would definitely sound much more heroic: I can die, but I cannot lose. But right now, Hong Fei said he could lose, but he could not die.
Although it followed the old proverb "As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood," it invisibly lost the heroic spirit that the world values more. After a while, the Ancient One gave her assessment: "As expected of you."
Hong Fei smiled after hearing this, but in his heart, he was completely puzzled. What does this mean? It's as if you know me very well.
Have you been peeping at me all this time? But why didn't you come to find me? Are you trying to assassinate me? At this moment, the Ancient One waved the small fan in her hand, and instantly, Hong Fei clearly saw the space around him rapidly fold and flow. Even though the two of them hadn't taken a single step, in the blink of an eye, they were already standing on the rippling surface of the lake.
What a great Mirror Dimension magic, and the Portal from just now, and the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, and the Sword of Vishanti, and many magic artifacts like the sentient cloak of levitation, and the Time Stone—the good things in Kamar-Taj were simply too numerous to count.
If he could lock the Ancient One up and farm skill cards every day, then even if he did nothing from today on, when Thanos came in the future, he would probably be able to beat Thanos until he called him Daddy. The Ancient One suddenly looked into his eyes: "You seem to be thinking about something very impolite?"
Hong Fei immediately shook his head rapidly, denying it quickly: "No, impossible, I am thinking about a problem."
"Thinking about what?"
"Why did you come to find me now?"
The Ancient One sighed and said: "Actually, I shouldn't even be here right now."
Hong Fei was puzzled again.
"From the beginning of its establishment until now, the duty of Kamar-Taj has been to deal with invasions from other dimensions, especially the Dark Dimension. As long as the human world doesn't involve magic and the Dark Dimension, we do not participate in any non-destructive people or events."
Hong Fei, however, said: "That's just you not wanting to participate, not that you can't. You should possess absolute initiative, but you voluntarily gave up these rights."
"That is indeed the case, but I am not as noble as you imagine. The more one participates, the more things change, and in the end, one might lose even more. So the best method is to watch from the sidelines. To use your words, if you are still powerless regarding the future in such a situation, at least it will be more decent."
Hong Fei: When did I say something like that? The question flashed through his mind, and just as he was about to ask, the Ancient One unexpectedly added: "Alright, look at your feet."
Hearing this, Hong Fei lowered his head and saw that beneath the lake surface, at some unknown time, a magic circle constructed of squares, circles, and diamonds had lit up. Looking up again, the Ancient One said: "You have the power of time on you. I don't know to what extent you can use it now, but every change in time will cause a reaction from the Eye of Agamotto. From the first time you used that power, it has warned me many times. And this magic circle can erase the aura of time that has stained you."
"Aura?"
"Yes, the aura of time will bring you enemies you are currently unable to fight against. The aura you have accumulated on your body in the past is about to attract the attention of those people. In the future, it is best that after every time you use that ability, you come here and stay for a while."
Hong Fei nodded slightly, lost in thought.
"Alright, I should be going."
"Wait."
Hong Fei suddenly called out to her and quickly asked: "Have you seen the future me?"
"No."
"Then have you seen many things about me in the future?"
"Neither."
"Then..."
"Alright, if you have time in the future, you can come to Kamar-Taj to visit. I know there are many things there that you like, if you can take them."
Having said that, the Ancient One turned around, a Portal instantly covered her, and she disappeared quickly.