Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 159: Tianjin
11/23, Guizhou.
When they stepped into the purple vortex, the five friends simultaneously heard the paid intelligence provided by Mr. Fan echoing in their ears.
[11/23, Owl will send you into a crime scene from the Republic of China era. Most of them are homicides, with the occasional oddity, supernatural tale, or other miscellaneous cases. But the essence remains the same—dispel the fog and uncover the truth.]
To the friends, the words “deductive reasoning” was synonymous with “bonus level”. With Wu Sheng among them, following the deductive path, even if they wanted to be pessimistic, their hearts couldn’t help but bloom with joy. Upon closer inspection, each petal was a test paper, all marked with “correct”, 100 points.
With smiles of confidence, their vision cleared.
A pure white chamber, futuristic, like a space capsule.
The five friends: “……”
The identical scene gave them an instant sensation of time reversal, as if they had returned to the hell inside their minds on 9/23, awaiting the next dark prompt to pop up.
“Click—”
Indeed, it popped up as expected.
Chi Yingxue’s expression was darker than the darkness. Clearly, this setting held no fond memories for him.
The other four companions’ faces weren’t much better. Is this the Republic of China? Is this solving a case? Is this deducing? If Fan Yebai didn’t come up with a “seven-day no question asked + express refund + 10% compensation for every fake” luxury package, they’re absolutely going to give bad reviews to everyone they meet in the Endless Sea!
[Owl: Welcome to the chaotic Republic of China!]
Just as they finished criticizing the seller in their minds, the earpiece’s prompt vindicated Mr. Fan of his grievances.
The group paused, listening intently.
[Owl: The rules are simple. The Dark Agent No. 1 will receive a mission, complete it, and submit their paper. Dark Agents No. 2–5 will ensure their own survival until Dark Agent No. 1 submits their paper. During the process, if they meet each other, Dark Agents No. 2–5 may assist No. 1 in submitting their paper. Remember, first, each person can only use stationery only once—any further use is invalid; second, if any one of the five dies, it’s considered a submission failure.]
[Owl: You have three minutes to choose your Dark Agents. Countdown starts now.]
The friends looked at each other. Obviously, this level had been updated in form and was likely a recent addition, hence Mr. Fan’s lack of timely updates. But the core, still, was Republic of China + puzzle solving.
According to the rules, Dark Agent No. 1 is the absolute key player of this level.
Eight eyes fell on Wu Sheng, almost without hesitation.
With great power comes great responsibility. The advisor didn’t shirk, but he had instructions. “The rules mention ‘if you meet’, indicating we five will be separated. ‘Ensure your own survival’ means No. 2–5 will face dangers, so unless it’s feasible, don’t forcefully try to find me. Ensuring your own safety is the priority.”
Xu Wang nodded for the three companions. “Understood.”
Understanding is one thing, but in the chaotic times of the Republic of China, how could they let their advisor venture alone!
……
Republic of China, Tianjin, 5th Avenue, Bai Mansion.
“Mr. Bai, I dare not say this money is remuneration. Just take it for some tea. Once you find my brother, I will have a substantial reward!”
The speaker was a young man with a sincere face and a sturdy build, dressed in a traditional Chinese long robe, exuding an air of martial vigor. He cupped his fists and bowed to Mr. Bai, who was sitting on the sofa, and spoke with sincerity; every word was sonorous.
The owner of the mansion, Mr. Bai, a modern and handsome young man with meticulously combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, was dressed in Western attire. He stood in stark contrast to the visiting Mr. Xue, as if representing two different worlds.
“Rest assured, Mr. Xue, I’ll take the case.”
After listening to about fifteen minutes of “case presentation”, Mr. Bai had been quietly contemplative, making Xue Qingshan nervous. Now, finally speaking up without any fluff, just a clean and clear “I’ll take it”, it was like a rain shower for Xue Qingshan.
“Then I’ll leave it to you!” Xue Qingshan expressed his immense gratitude as if he wasn’t the one paying but rather receiving money.
Mr. Bai smiled, accepting the client’s pre-emptive thanks, even though he hadn’t started working yet.
After sending off Xue Qingshan, Mr. Bai returned to his study, surrounded by various books and several “investigation notebooks” on his desk. He envied the “contractors” of the Republic of China. In such chaotic times, as long as you have real skills, you could be assertive. If those skills were extraordinary, no amount of money could “hire” you, only “request” your services.
Mr. Bai, a “young detective” from a wealthy family, had set up this Bai Mansion on the most prosperous 5th Avenue, taking on all kinds of challenging cases—not for money, but as a hobby. Unexpectedly, he made a name for himself. The recent visit from Young Master Xue was out of admiration, bringing enough money to tempt any detective into danger, just to find someone—his sworn brother, Du Jinnian, who had disappeared.
However, at this moment, Mr. Bai wasn’t really Mr. Bai.
Inside his body was the soul of Advisor Wu.
Wu Sheng had calculated everything but didn’t expect this to be a transmigration scenario. It was all because of the similarity to the dark room in 9/23, which made him assume it was still the same as last time—though it was consciousness navigating the challenge, he would still be in his own form.
Now, he turned out to be someone else, and so would his four companions, each with different appearances and identities. Even if they met head-on in the street, they probably wouldn’t recognize each other.
As Wu Sheng pondered, he lifted his arm again.
He entered as Dark Agent No. 1, the sole task executor for this level.
Now, no, as soon as Xue Qingshan arrived, his mission was issued—
[Cheat Sheet]: Accept Xue Qingshan’s commission to find Du Jinnian.
……
Republic of China, Tianjin, by the Hai River, Guajia Temple.
Xu Wang hadn’t opened his eyes yet but first smelled the incense—quiet, solemn, instinctively calming.
This was the only moment of peace he had that night.
Then, he opened his eyes, saw this world, saw the courtyard full of monks, saw himself in monk robes, and in the reflection of the lotus pond, saw his own face—though his lips were still red, his teeth were still white, and he still had lively eyes, they were all entirely unfamiliar.
His emotions surged from then on, wave after wave crashing against the shore, each slap dizzying him with confusion.
Until an older monk came over to scold him. “What are you dazed about? Get moving.”
Xu Wang asked blankly, “Where to?”
As he spoke, the courtyard gradually emptied—the monks who had been in the yard had already left in succession, forming a procession of ascetics on the streets as night fell.
“To the Cheng family,” the monk said, pushing him towards the door. “Old Master Cheng has passed away. Tomorrow is the third day, and a ritual must be performed.”
Xu Wang was confused. “The third day?”
“Three days after death, it’s believed that the deceased ascends to the Lookout Platform to gaze upon their homeland. At this time, chanting scriptures to help the soul transcend lets them know that their family has been waiting for them for three days. Since the deceased cannot return to life, this ritual also serves as their last farewell to their family. When the master performs the fire offering, just follow the other monks in chanting.”
Xu Wang: “……”
What’s a fire offering? His knowledge system was blank in this area!
“Hurry up—” Seeing that the courtyard was about to be empty, the monk pushed him hard on the back.
Stumbling to the doorway, Xu Wang gritted his teeth and jogged to catch up with the procession of monks ahead.
Thinking positively, being a monk in the chaotic times of the Republic of China meant at least there was no risk to his life. The monastery provided sustenance, and even if he couldn’t reunite with his friends, enduring until Wu Sheng completed the task should be possible.
As the night fully descended and the moon rose, the air grew cooler.
Xu Wang looked up at the moon, and as he watched, it turned into Wu Sheng’s face.
He said in his heart, “You better finish the task quickly. These hairless nights are too cold.”
……
Republic of China, Tianjin, the Cheng family.
The night deepened, but the mourning hall still had white candles burning. The filial sons and grandsons had finished their crying during the day, and now only a few servants stood guard. They were all young and sturdy, dressed neatly but plainly, with sun-tanned skin, clearly from humble origins.
Qian Ai was among them.
Upon opening his eyes, he was faced with the mourning hall, and then a breeze blew, flickering the candlelight, illuminating the paper effigies of boys and girls, horses, and sheep, more thrilling than inhaling menthol.
What was truly terrifying was the feeling that he had made eye contact with those two paper effigies of children. He inexplicably felt that the two paper figures were watching him, and once this feeling arose, it couldn’t be erased. No matter how he shook his head from side to side or turned around in place, he felt those pairs of eyes following his every move.
A square-faced servant next to him, tired, noticed his discomfort and muttered in confusion, “What’s up? Possessed by a ghost?”
Before Qian Ai could respond, another round-faced servant disapproved, his eyes full of the will to live. “Brother, isn’t it bad to joke about that here…”
Qian Ai really wanted to give Round Face a thumbs up.
Talking about possession in a mourning hall was simply asking for trouble!
Square Face paused, looking at the mourning hall, white candles, and paper effigies, and fell silent.
But it was too late; he too began to feel the paper effigies watching him, following Qian Ai’s path—swaying his head and turning in circles.
……
Cheng family’s back garden, outside the courtyard wall.
“Master, have you ever thought about changing professions?” A young boy, around fifteen or sixteen years old, handed a grappling hook attached to a rope to the middle-aged man beside him.
“Change to what?” The middle-aged man threw the grappling hook onto the wall, pulled it, and the rope tautened securely.
“Like… stop being a thief.” Both the young man and the middle-aged man were dressed in black. Their heads were covered, and they wore masks, making them unrecognizable to even their own mothers.
“Quit being a thief? And starve?” The middle-aged man leapt up, his movements light, climbing the rope smoothly onto the wall. He then moved aside, lying low on the top of the wall to avoid attracting attention, and urged, “Come up.”
The young man, failing to persuade his master, had no choice but to grab the rope and slowly climb up.
The middle-aged man waited for a long time, only to find that his disciple had climbed just halfway, rendering him speechless. “Tuck in your stomach, take a deep breath, focus on your feet, and use the momentum to lift yourself… I didn’t ask you to swing on a swing!”
The middle-aged man was usually calm and could suppress his temper well, but tonight he was truly frustrated. His disciple, for some unknown reason, had been incessantly nagging along the way, and though he had tolerated his urging to reform, now the disciple couldn’t even climb over a wall. What use was such a useless disciple!
“Have you eaten all I taught you?” Unable to bear it anymore, the middle-aged man reached down and yanked the disciple up.
With the help of the rope and his master’s pull, the young man finally made it onto the top of the wall.
Under the cover of the dark night, master and disciple successfully entered the Cheng family’s property.
With the Cheng family busy with funeral arrangements and the comings and goings of many people focused on mourning, it was the perfect time for “sneaking into the night with the wind and stealing quietly”.
Kuang Jinxin had transmigrated into the body of a burglar’s apprentice. His twenty-three years of law-abiding life were slipping into the abyss of crime.
……
Republic of China, Tianjin, South Market (lawless area).
“Brother, it’s your turn.” As soon as Chi Yingxue opened his eyes, he saw someone handing him a draw tube.
There were six sticks left in the draw tube.
He quickly surveyed his surroundings—a shabby, sweaty-smelling shack and a group of young men with a dubious air but serious expressions. This was clearly an illegal hideout.
“Draw.” The person holding the draw tube urged him.
Chi Yingxue, utterly confused, reached out to draw, then realized something was off. Although this hand was also beautiful, it wasn’t his.
He felt his hair, pinched his face, and checked his chest under the clothes. Indeed, this was someone else’s body.
“What?” The draw tube was nearly shoved into his face. “Hurry up and draw!”
Chi Yingxue, bewildered, randomly pulled out a stick—the bottom of the stick was red.
The air suddenly went quiet.
The people in the room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but their faces remained tense.
“Brother, accept your fate.” The person put down the draw tube, sighed, and patted his shoulder.
Chi Yingxue frowned, posing his first question after waking up. “Accept what fate?”
The man frowned deeper than Chi Yingxue, his voice dropping. “Drawing the black and red sticks is the rule here. It’s all up to fate. You think you can refuse?”
Chi Yingxue quietly observed him for a moment, deciding not to compromise. “Whether I accept or not, we’ll see. First, tell me, who am I? Where am I? Why do we have to draw? What happens if I draw a red stick?”
The roomful of young men: “……”
The one with the draw tube, now pale with anger, threw the draw tube down, ignoring him, and walked out the door. “Master Jiu, the red stick has been drawn. It’s Cat Five.”
Chi Yingxue: “……”
Is this a code name? A mission name? A gang name?
“Cat Five, don’t hold a grudge against your brothers.” Two hands, one on both sides, each grabbed his arms. Before he could react, someone came up behind him, binding his hands firmly behind his back.
Oh, so Cat Five was his name here. Truly… there couldn’t be a more unpleasant name.
And the clothes were ugly too.
Chi Yingxue looked down at himself, then up at a room full of “demons and monsters”. His fanciful imagination of the Republic of China era’s charm was shattered to dust.
The person with the tube returned inside, followed by a very dignified-looking man. He looked to be around forty years old, was tall and slender, and wore a long robe and jacket that looked antique and steady, with exquisite buttons, and the cuffs were embroidered with patterns. His face was handsome—the years had hardly diminished his beauty—but they had deposited an indelible aura of sternness in his brow, and his eyes were sharp, with a hint of ruthlessness difficult to detect.
Upon entering, his gaze fell on Chi Yingxue.
“Whatever your request, just make it. Once it’s done, you can go on your way peacefully. Don’t worry about your family; someone will take care of them.” The man’s voice was cold, and even such gentle words felt chilling to the listeners.
The young hooligans in the room, usually bullies, didn’t dare to meet this Master Jiu’s eyes, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Chi Yingxue, however, felt indifferent.
Wu Sheng had said that since the Owl required No. 2–5 to survive until submission, danger was undoubtedly ahead. Now, as soon as he arrived, he was to be sent off, which fit the scenario perfectly. No problem there.
“Can you agree to whatever I request?” he asked, full of doubt and without a hint of respect in his tone.
The room went pale with fright.
Yet, Master Jiu merely smiled gently, looking quite amicable. “Anything but your life.”
Chi Yingxue nodded, deciding to trust him this once. “Who am I? Where am I? Why do I have to draw lots? What happens if I draw a red lot?”
“……” The barrage of questions momentarily stunned Master Jiu.
“Answering these questions, that’s my request.” Chi Yingxue thoughtfully clarified.
Master Jiu: “……”
The room of hooligans: “……”
The one with the tube said, “Master Jiu, he might have gone mad from drawing the red lot…”
Master Jiu raised his hand.
The person with the tube immediately fell silent.
After a moment of contemplation, Master Jiu answered, “You’re called Cat Five, a member of our Fushou Gang. The Fushou Gang killed someone from the Hai Gang, and now the Hai Gang has come for retribution. The old rule is to draw black and red lots; those who draw a red lot have to die for the gang. Any more questions?”
Chi Yingxue looked at him for a long while, then sincerely said, “Your clothes look good. Can you get me a set too?”
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