Chapter 219: The Real Bai Fu, the Benefits of Super Popularity
Secret Tower, Headquarters.
Clang!
The sound of a cup shattering came from the office. Everyone standing at the doorway or passing by fell silent, not even daring to breathe.
Although the Chief Steward inside the office hadn't said a word, everyone knew why he was furious.
It was all Bai Fu’s fault!
Just a few minutes ago, the Star Web’s spokesperson held a press conference to briefly explain the attack incident on Shudun Star.
The chaos had immediately drawn widespread attention as soon as it occurred.
And for good reason—Shudun Star was located in the core territory of the Star Web’s domain, only a few hours' standard flight away from the Star Web’s home planet, Azure Sky Star.
If the Secret Tower could reach Shudun Star, then didn’t that mean they had the capability to strike directly at Azure Sky Star?
Many believed so, and thought this attack initiated by Bangula was a demonstration against the Star Web—showing them that they had the ability to conduct a decapitation strike and annihilate the Star Web’s upper echelons in one fell swoop.
The implications of this were extremely grave.
Many major corporations from other civilizations who had dealings with the Star Web immediately contacted its Department of Commerce after seeing the breaking news, demanding a reliable explanation. Otherwise, they would consider temporarily pulling out from the Star Web. No one wanted the industries they had painstakingly established to vanish under a Secret Tower assault.
But just as panic peaked—
News broke that the chaos on Shudun Star had already been quelled. And the one who had resolved it was the famed “Saintess Bai Fu”!
What? Bai Fu again?
Those who received the news were stunned, unable to understand how Bai Fu appeared on Shudun Star, let alone how she had thwarted the Secret Tower’s invasion.
With the Star Web’s press conference, and with the spokesperson releasing Bai Fu’s battle footage and connecting live with her on the spot, everything became clear.
It was unbelievable!
It was already outrageous that Bai Fu had gravely injured Bangula, an S+ rank Psionicist, with just one strike. But that was nothing compared to what came next—taking a direct hit from a ship’s cannons with her bare body!
Damn it, since when could Psionic Priests, known for being fragile, withstand ship cannons? Fine, she tanked it—but why didn’t she even have a scratch?
Everyone was in uproar.
Some reporters, caught off guard, pulled exaggerated expressions on live camera.
But no one blamed them for lacking professionalism—viewers of the news livestream were too shocked themselves to care what faces the reporters were making.
“I think this investment is about to pay off big time.”
Andras, the current head of the Origin Consortium who had recently given Bai Fu ten million, lost his composure at that moment. He stared intently at Bai Fu answering questions, feeling there was no need to observe her for another year.
“I didn’t think too much at the time, I just instinctively jumped in front of those two ship cannons.”
“You’re asking what it felt like to be hit by them? A bit painful, like when Anya scrubs me during bath time and uses a bit too much force. Does that sound exaggerated? Haha, maybe a little. At least when Anya scrubs me, she doesn’t scrub my shoes off.”
Her witty responses and youthful, radiant smile left a deep impression on the news audience.
【Bai Fu】
The name shot to the top of the trending searches on both the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster and the Player community.
Everyone was talking about Bai Fu.
Instinctively jumping in front of the ship’s cannon showed she was kind-hearted, not acting.
Saying getting hit felt like a bath showed she was incredibly strong—maybe even Disaster-level.
【Strong strong strong, unbeatable, that’s Fu-fu for you, absolutely badass!】
【So jealous of Anya, I want to scrub too】
【What brand are Fu-fu’s shoes? They survived a ship cannon hit. Indestructible. If I could collect a pair, damn, I could play with them forever—any way I want】
To catch players’ attention, an NPC had to be attractive, powerful, have iconic lines and epic moments. Bai Fu blocking the ship’s cannon with her body to save the Ulyssians was an epic moment among epic moments!
Players who had joined the Quiet Garden felt proud and full of promise.
【Does your faction’s Vow Master have this kind of power?】
Even players who weren’t initially interested in Bai Fu were reconsidering.
【Bai Fu’s not even packing a huge X, which doesn’t fit my XP at all, but… screw it, brothers, wait for me—once I get to the Star Sea, I’m joining you】
【Bushi Gomen, she’s got a D and you still say not huge? What game are you even playing?】
Riding Bai Fu’s surge in popularity, the Star Web’s spokesperson also announced that “Bangula was captured alive.” As for Representative of the Keura Tribe, Reynolds’ collusion with the Secret Tower, that was brushed off—he was said to be under internal investigation, results to be disclosed later.
An S+ rank Psionicist from the Secret Tower getting captured alive made the already explosive news even more shocking.
Most people in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster felt exhilarated at the news—Secret Tower’s downfall felt imminent.
But for a small few, such as those in the Secret Tower, it was agonizing.
Actually, it wasn’t just the Chief Steward—Secret Tower’s master was even angrier. But since the Chief Steward rarely lost his temper, his outburst scared nearby members into trembling silence.
Contrary to popular belief, the Chief Steward didn’t lose control and smash things because Bai Fu beat Bangula.
Even when he saw Bai Fu’s smiling face on the news and heard her say that getting hit by ship cannons felt like a bath, he was angry but could still hold it together.
But when the live footage played, and Cersia suddenly appeared on screen—attacking Bangula to help Bai Fu, and panicking so much her head looked like it was smoking—the Chief Steward’s head started smoking too.
He nearly passed out from rage.
How long had Cersia even known Bai Fu? Barely over a year at best, and probably less than three months of actual contact. Yet within that short time, Cersia had completely become Bai Fu-shaped. What terrifying charm was this?
The Chief Steward felt utterly humiliated.
Losing control, he smashed the cup in his hand. Afterward, he calmed down—briefly. But that didn’t last long, because he realized something else.
Although Reynolds claimed this Bai Fu wasn’t the real one, all signs and footage from the news confirmed that the Bai Fu on Shudun Star was indeed the real Bai Fu.
Thus, a shocking realization dawned on him—
Bai Fu wasn’t the saint she appeared to be!
How could a real saint threaten Reynolds like that? She had to be acting all along—putting on a show in front of everyone, making them believe she was a saint, when in reality, she was a vile and shameless villain!
Thinking this, the Chief Steward suddenly found answers to all the questions that had troubled him.
Why had Cersia transformed into Bai Fu in just a few months?
An inexperienced, pure girl who only knew how to kill was tricked by society-hardened, cunning, wicked Bai Fu!
Who wrote those two essays slandering the Secret Tower’s master?
Judging from Bai Fu’s tactics in threatening Reynolds, most likely Bai Fu herself!
“Arghhhh!”
The Chief Steward roared in fury.
He had thought he was on the fifth layer, while Bai Fu was on the second. In truth, Bai Fu was on the tenth. He had been played—just like Cersia!
He was truly a fool.
Back during the Jingu Star Defense Battle, he even tried using Bai Fu’s own tricks to defame her. What a joke—like that could ever work.
How hateful!
“Bai Fu, Bai Fu, Bai Fu…”
The Chief Steward kept chanting Bai Fu’s name.
As he muttered, he opened his communicator, typed out a long passage, and sent it to the Secret Tower’s official PR personnel.
“Chief Steward, in the current climate, no one’s going to believe this stuff if we send it out, right?”
“Just send it. The rest isn’t your concern.”
“Yes, sir.”
Soon, a post began circulating across major forums in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster.
【Bai Fu isn’t any kind of saint—her saintly persona is all an act. She’s a fraud through and through】
The post laid out a detailed argument. At first glance, it seemed reasonable and well-supported. The problem was, none of the “evidence” could be verified.
For example, the article referenced Reynolds and things he supposedly said to prove Bai Fu was a villain. But Reynolds was now suspected of colluding with the Secret Tower. Could his words be trusted? Or even confirmed at all?
The article, clearly prompted by the Chief Steward, drew a lot of attention online. But in terms of impacting Bai Fu’s image, it barely made a dent.
All of this had actually been within the Chief Steward’s expectations.
First, the Secret Tower's reputation was already in the gutter. When such an article appeared, everyone would naturally assume it was released by the Secret Tower and dismiss it as untrustworthy.
Second, Bai Fu’s popularity was at an all-time high. The battle on Shudun Star had, in a short period, gilded her image with divinity—no amount of slander could tarnish it.
The reason he instructed his men to publish that article was primarily to indirectly remind Cersia, to make her see Bai Fu’s true nature. Even if she didn’t fully realize it, planting a seed of doubt in her heart would be enough.
After the article was posted, the Chief Steward immediately met with the Master of the Secret Tower to discuss the faction’s next move.
The existence of the Parasites had already been exposed. They now had to accelerate their operations. Fortunately, even before Reynolds acted, they had already secretly deployed Parasites in multiple locations. So, even if the Star Web and other civilizations had heightened vigilance, the impact would be limited. After all, it had taken them decades to develop the Parasites. There was no way the Star Web or similar forces could decipher them in a short time.
“The top priority is that we have two matters to handle.”
After receiving the Master’s approval, the Director of the Special Operations Bureau, Alexis, began his report.
“First, continue deploying Parasites and prepare for the Great Uprising.”
“Second, plan an assault on the Sanctification Order to be executed during the Great Uprising. We must resolve this in one strike and seize the True Spirit Pillar.”
The Master of the Secret Tower nodded. “That will be our focus moving forward. But in addition to these two tasks, we have a third…”
He looked around and announced his decision.
“Kill Bai Fu!”
The power Bai Fu had shown was already enough to pose a threat to the Secret Tower. She could no longer be allowed to roam freely. She had to be eliminated quickly, or who knew what surprises she might throw at them next time?
This time, the Chief Steward didn’t oppose the Master. He agreed that the time to kill Bai Fu was now.
And so, after thorough discussion, eliminating Bai Fu became one of the Secret Tower’s top three priorities.
They developed detailed plans. Relying solely on their own agents for assassination would be too inefficient and too risky. So, they decided to issue a high bounty externally and simultaneously accelerate their plan to use Parasite-infected Players to sabotage Bai Fu.
Everything was in place on the Secret Tower’s end—now they just needed Bai Fu to cooperate.
But Bai Fu wasn’t playing by the rules at all. She had simply settled down on Azure Sky Star. Day in and day out, she was either giving interviews or meeting with various factions, networking like crazy. She appeared on the news practically every day.
This left the Secret Tower agents waiting in ambush with no opening to act.
A direct raid on Azure Sky Star?
The Secret Tower had the strength, sure—but the risk was immense. If they got entangled, they would face attacks from all directions. One Star Web wasn’t scary, but once reinforcements from forces like the Tide Civilization or the Eye of Heaven Alliance arrived, the Secret Tower might just be done for.
“Is she planning to stay holed up on Azure Sky Star forever? Or is she waiting for someone to pick her up?”
The Chief Steward grew irritated.
With nothing better to do, he could only have his people keep stirring rumors that Bai Fu was a wicked woman.
Unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain, because Cersia hadn’t even been online lately and had no clue what he was up to.
Before Bai Fu and the Star Web fleet rendezvoused, everyone except Bai Fu and Yulia had already quietly left Shudun Star aboard a ship. Their target was Wood, whom Reynolds had exposed.
“We’ve arrived on the planet where Wood left his signal.”
“We’ve already left a signal for Wood.”
“We…”
Every day, Scarlet Leaf and Cersia updated Bai Fu on their progress. They were seasoned operatives. Though they didn’t seem too bright, dealing with someone as weak as Wood was not difficult. Besides, they had the clever Anya offering strategies. And if they still couldn’t figure it out, Bai Fu could always lend a hand.
On the eighth day after their split, Bai Fu received a message from Scarlet Leaf.
“We’ve successfully captured Wood. After a quick interrogation, he revealed the location of the Base Sample.”
It had begun!
Bai Fu clenched her fist.
Wood held a significant position in the Secret Tower, with an especially critical role. It wouldn’t take long for the Secret Tower to realize he had gone missing.
She hoped all she had done over the past days had successfully drawn the Secret Tower’s attention, buying as much time as possible for Scarlet Leaf and Cersia to retrieve the Dissociative Agent Base Sample.
If they failed, the only option left to complete the Dark Domain Insect Queen’s mission might be a direct attack on the Secret Tower. And with Bai Fu’s current strength, that would be suicide. The Secret Tower had Disaster-rank powerhouses guarding it.
Bai Fu waited anxiously.
As she waited, several pieces of good news arrived in succession.
First, Andras from the Origin Consortium contacted her again, saying her performance had completely won him over and that he wanted to enter deeper cooperation.
The god of wealth was knocking on her door, and of course Bai Fu had no intention of refusing. But she did raise a new request—she wanted access to the Origin Consortium’s knowledge base in addition to financial aid. Any type of advanced knowledge would do. Even if she couldn’t use it, she could sell it to Players.
Naturally, what she most desired right now were advanced Body Cultivation and Psionic stream knowledge—only with those could she complete her next Class Transfer.
“You mean you’re not yet Disaster-rank, but as long as you collect two sets of advanced knowledge, you’re confident you can advance within a year?”
Andras was so shocked that he didn’t even blink.
If he remembered correctly, Bai Fu had only displayed A-rank power when she first arrived in the Star Sea. In just over two years, she had gone from A-rank to Disaster-rank? Either she had hidden her strength before, or she was a never-before-seen genius capable of making even the Vow Master break into a cold sweat.
Andras pondered for a long time before deciding to take another big gamble.
He chose to trust Bai Fu and granted her access to the knowledge base.
Disaster-rank knowledge was tightly controlled by major factions. Making such a decision meant he would face enormous pressure. If Bai Fu failed to advance as she claimed, the board would definitely hold him accountable. After all, the Consortium wasn’t entirely united.
But if he won the bet, both he and his family’s position within the Origin Consortium would be secured for good. Those challengers who had always tried to unseat him—who would dare make a move then?
“This level of sincerity is off the charts.”
Seeing how quickly Andras agreed, even Bai Fu couldn’t help but marvel.
Since arriving in the Star Sea, aside from Scarlet Leaf, this was the first time someone had been willing to invest in her so heavily.
Truly, strength and fame could complement each other!
Not long after wrapping up her conversation with Andras, Bai Fu received a message from Sui Xi, the conductor of the Sacred Choir of the Sanctification Order.
Sui Xi had come to issue a commission—on behalf of the Sanctification Order, she wanted to hire Bai Fu to deal with the Secret Tower and reclaim the “True Spirit Pillar in their possession.”
According to Sui Xi, this was a long-term commission. The Sanctification Order wasn’t in a rush. She offered a high reward and personally traveled to Azure Sky Star to meet with Bai Fu as a sign of sincerity.
This surprised Bai Fu slightly.
Normally, this kind of diplomatic task was handled by Elron. Why had it suddenly been taken over by the ice queen Sui Xi?
Confused as she was, Bai Fu still accepted the commission.
“I’ll stay with the Dark Moon Tide until the task is completed. This isn’t surveillance—I just believe you’ll find my abilities useful when dealing with the Secret Tower.”
Sui Xi was an expert at extracting information from enemies. Bai Fu considered it and agreed.
On the third day after accepting the commission from Sui Xi, Bai Fu received another explosive update.
A massive uprising had broken out on Besse Star of the Star Web. Besse Star was a vital transportation hub linking the Sea Lion Galaxy and the Tide Galaxy. If Besse Star fell, travel time between the two galaxies would increase by several days. To keep the hub secure, the Star Web immediately dispatched reinforcements.
“It’s the Parasites—they’ve been activated!”
Upon hearing about the civilians involved in the Besse Star uprising, the Dark Domain Insect Queen firmly confirmed her judgment.
It was happening—the main storyline of the Sea Lion Galaxy!
The Secret Tower had finally played their trump card?
Bai Fu immediately contacted Scarlet Leaf to check on the progress with the Base Sample.
“We’re still missing the last one. That group sensed danger in advance. By the time we arrived, they had boarded a ship with the Base Sample and were trying to flee. We’re in pursuit now.”
A chase?
In such a situation, there was no way the Secret Tower wouldn’t react.
“Send me the coordinates—I’m coming over.”
Bai Fu couldn’t sit still anymore.
This would decide everything.
If they succeeded, Scarlet Leaf could soon advance to Disaster-rank, and that in turn would help Bai Fu ascend.
If they failed, their confrontation with the Secret Tower could drag out much longer.
Scarlet Leaf quickly sent the coordinates. Just over ten minutes after receiving them, Bai Fu took Yulia and transformed into Wraith form, secretly boarding a ship departing from Azure Sky Star.