I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

The information Feng Qi uncovered only deepened his confusion about why Mu Qing betrayed humanity.

The Crimson Research Institute's domain combat squad meeting, held at the time of the incident, involved numerous squad leaders and was not classified.

However, no video recordings of the event were available—only written records remained.

According to the documents, the meeting primarily focused on strategies for effectively dispersing domain fields. Everything proceeded as expected during the discussions.

Mu Qing also presented her views on domain field dispersion during the meeting.

But just as the meeting was about to conclude, Mu Qing suddenly erupted into violence, killing several renowned squad leaders.

Even under attack by multiple squad leaders, Mu Qing killed more individuals before escaping unscathed.

From that point onward, her trajectory shifted completely.

She began recruiting scavengers, eventually forming the Dawn Rebel Army, and proceeded with a series of city massacres, becoming the apocalyptic overlord history condemned.

Feng Qi carefully studied the information and felt it riddled with inconsistencies.

If Mu Qing was indeed turned into a secret weapon by the Crimson Research Institute during the meeting, the plan seemed fundamentally flawed.

A meticulous plan shouldn't leave room for uncertainty.

If Mu Qing was meant to serve as the Crimson Research Institute's secret weapon against humanity, they would have maintained tight control over her, not given her the freedom to act independently, risking uncontrollable variables.

However, if Mu Qing wasn't controlled by the Crimson Research Institute but discovered their secrets during the meeting, her subsequent actions also didn't make sense.

If she had uncovered the Crimson Research Institute's true agenda, why did she attack several renowned squad leaders instead of targeting the Institute directly?

Based on Feng Qi's understanding of Mu Qing, her core desire was humanity's triumph. If she wasn't under control, why would she turn to city massacres?

Unless… the massacres were fabricated.

A terrifying hypothesis began to take shape in Feng Qi's mind.

Perhaps Mu Qing had never betrayed humanity at all. Perhaps she had discovered numerous hidden organizations like the Crimson Research Institute within human society, which led her to form her own force to eliminate them.

History is a liar.

In the future evaluations, Feng Qi himself was branded as a human traitor. Could it be that Mu Qing's supposed betrayal of humanity was another historical distortion?

Twisting history doesn't require altering events themselves.

Take humanity's relationship with bees, for example:

Humans cultivate honey and harvest it.

Humans enslave bees.

Bees selflessly contribute.

Each interpretation paints a vastly different picture, yet all describe the same situation.

Mu Qing's "massacres" could similarly be twisted into various narratives.

However, as Feng Qi delved deeper into related records, even this explanation began to fall apart.

The question returned to square one.

If Mu Qing's rebellion was an effort to purge hidden organizations like the Crimson Research Institute, why was there no documentation of her launching any attacks against the Institute?

If Mu Qing truly sought to eradicate these "tumors," the Crimson Research Institute should have been her primary target.

Could the impenetrable defenses of Star City have thwarted her efforts?

Feng Qi immediately dismissed the idea.

The Crimson Research Institute wasn't limited to Star City; it operated in multiple cities with branch offices spread across the region.

If Mu Qing were determined, she could have targeted these branches.

The fact that none of the Dawn Rebel Army's operations targeted the Crimson Research Institute's branches suggested that Mu Qing bore no hostility toward the Institute.

None of the plausible explanations fit.

If Mu Qing were controlled by the Crimson Research Institute, why was she granted freedom?

If she wasn't under their control, why would she betray humanity?

If she discovered the Institute's secrets and led her army to cleanse hidden threats within human society, were the "massacres" merely propaganda? Why, then, was there no evidence of her confronting the Institute directly?

Every possibility led to an impasse.

The simplest conclusion pointed to Mu Qing genuinely betraying humanity.

But Feng Qi couldn't accept that as the truth.

Mu Qing had no reason to betray humanity.

If she did so because of him, it would contradict the promise they shared beneath the willow tree.

And even if she broke that promise, her first target would logically have been the Crimson Research Institute—the likely orchestrator of Feng Qi's demise.

If Mu Qing's rebellion was motivated by avenging him, she would have inevitably uncovered the Institute's role in his death. Her priorities would logically involve dismantling it first, rather than ignoring its existence entirely.

Each hypothesis carried glaring flaws, and none brought him closer to an answer.

Time was short, and Feng Qi knew he needed to redirect his focus.

He entered his private inbox code into the database and was greeted by a pop-up screen displaying the mailbox interface.

After inputting a 12-digit password, the inbox opened, revealing a series of messages.

The messages were diverse—some related to critical information, while others were amusing musings on his future life:

"Life gets harder each day. Sure, I can keep recycling the teachings of Tiger Fist and other techniques, but it's not sustainable. Teaching is tough work."

"I've decided—self-study is the way to go. No problem is insurmountable when you're determined."

"Every day feels fulfilling, but I haven't forgotten my secret mission to build a resistance against the Crimson Research Institute. Plans are already underway."

"My students are well-connected. If I can bring them into the organization, they could become invaluable assets in the fight against the Institute. But I must ensure they're trustworthy."

"Of all my students, Hui Xu is the biggest headache. He's utterly unreliable. While others come to learn, he seems to be here for free meals. I need to reform him. Old Wang once told me to never give up on a single student."

These lighthearted entries offered a glimpse into the struggles and joys of his future self's daily life.

Feng Qi skimmed over the trivial entries until a critical message caught his attention:

"I've decided to let Mu Qing and Lin Ran go. I once thought of recruiting them into the organization, but I've realized that, without my future insights, I lack the ability to guide them to their full potential. Keeping them close would only limit their growth. I will continue to monitor them as long as I'm alive."

"The organization has officially formed. Including myself, there are 11 members. Hui Xu left after graduation, but the remaining members—all my students—passed my tests and proved their loyalty. We've begun investigating the Crimson Research Institute, but safety remains our top priority—no more reckless moves."

"Mu Qing has established the Dawn Combat Squad. I'm planning to attend her celebratory banquet. This timeline's Mu Qing has taken a completely different path. She won't repeat past mistakes. Lin Ran, Old Wang, and others will also be attending. I'm in great spirits today."

"The banquet is over, and I drank myself sick. During the party, Mu Qing invited me to join the Dawn Combat Squad. I declined—I have more critical matters to handle. With her new direction, Mu Qing has a brighter future. I avoided involving her in the organization for fear of pulling her back into her old ways."

"Oh, and I had a long chat with Lin Ran at the party. He promised me he'd give up pursuing cultivation theories. Of course, I know he's lying."

"Lin Ran taught me an important lesson: No amount of advice can make someone truly awaken. Only personal experiences—mistakes, regrets, and pain—can lead to a breakthrough."

"Honestly, if I could beat some sense into that stubborn fool, I would've done it ages ago. Why waste words when brute force works better?"