I don't want to come up with a funny book title anymore.

Xie Xinghe knew he had a younger brother when he was very young, even though he had never met him.

The family's explanation to the outside world is that he is unwell and has been sent to another place for recuperation. If they don't want others to see him for some reason, that's understandable.

But it wasn't just Xie Xinghe himself; he deduced from some clues that his parents had never met this younger brother either.

When he was still quite young, he wondered if his younger brother was a figment of his parents' imagination because they were sick.

But when he grew up and learned the truth behind it, he realized that it was a sad story.

To be honest, he didn't feel anything at first when he heard this story.

At most, a fleeting thought like "this fellow countryman is so pitiful" would cross my mind.

He was still a child himself, and his parents did not diminish their love and care for him because of the loss of his younger brother.

He wasn't a very empathetic person, so naturally he wouldn't have thoughts like, "Oh, then I must find my brother."

Gu Huanyan and Xie Liuguang wouldn't put that kind of pressure on him. They had been searching for so many years without success, and in their hearts, they were already inclined to believe that Xie Fengnan had met with misfortune.

But it was this "what if" thought in his heart that kept him going year after year.

Or perhaps they just want to get an answer, to see the person alive or dead.

Over the years, they have certainly not come away empty-handed.

They obtained information from the traitor within their organization that Xie Fengnan had been taken away as an experimental subject.

However, given Dr. Gao Zhi's cautious nature, he would naturally not leave such obvious consequences. Therefore, he only knew the news and had no idea about the size or location of the laboratory.

Over the years, the couple has investigated many planets, but without success.

Let's get back to the topic.

The thing that changed Xie Xinghe's mind was a brother and sister he met one day when he was preparing to return to school to report after completing a guidance task assigned by the school.

It was a very ordinary scene: under the magnificent sunset, the older brother doted on his younger sister by buying her a toy. The younger sister's face was filled with a happy smile as the two walked hand in hand towards home.

A thought suddenly popped into Xie Xinghe's mind: if his younger brother were still alive, would he have done the same?

As time passed, that scene would occasionally resurface in Xie Xinghe's mind. He began to wonder what his younger brother looked like, what his personality was like, and whether he was still alive.

This curiosity, which grew over time, prompted Xie Xinghe to actively search for clues about Xie Fengnan, which led him to the Time Mirror.

Xie Xinghe also knew the detailed information about the Time Mirror; his personal terminal was not the temporary terminal like Xie Fengnan's.

Temporary terminals have very low privileges; most specific information is not accessible to them, and their hardware configuration is not advanced.

Because they are relatively easy to obtain on the black market, the Empire, the Federation, and the theocracy all take strict precautions against the leakage of information from such terminals.

In addition, the Xie family also had their own information channels, so obtaining this intelligence was not difficult for them.

He just didn't expect to encounter the Time Mirror so soon. Although it would come at a price, Xie Xinghe still wanted to get his hands on this special piece of equipment.

There aren't many people competing for this item, but there are still some. The top elites know some information, and they naturally won't do anything to harm their own interests without a reason, let alone something like the Time Mirror that requires risking one's life.

Therefore, the people competing with Xie Xinghe were all second- or third-tier figures. Some of them were there because of information asymmetry, while others had ulterior motives.

However, Xie Xinghe was quite confident in himself, and he would not lose to others no matter what form the trial took.

Xie Fengnan was still pondering what could have prompted Xie Xinghe to personally come and retrieve the mirror.

What does he want to see? What does he want to know?

Although he didn't know much about the Xie family's current situation, he still didn't want Xie Xinghe to get this thing.

There are so many better options available, yet they choose this kind of sinister thing instead. It's really hard not to want to stop them.

Just as Xie Fengnan was considering a feasible plan, the trial of the Time Mirror suddenly stopped.

Several people, including Xie Xinghe, were teleported out of the trial space. They were puzzled and had no choice but to give up.

Xie Xinghe frowned, a rare occurrence for him. He hadn't expected the trial to end on its own.

Seeing this, Xie Fengnan blinked. "Sister? What's going on?"

Although I had thought it would be better if the trial stopped so that no one could get this thing, I never thought it would actually come true.

The tomb spirit glanced at the Xuanyuan Sword that Xie Fengnan had casually draped over the armchair, and shook his head.

Xie Fengnan noticed this undisguised action and didn't press the matter further. It seemed that the Xuanyuan Sword held many secrets he didn't know.