“The boss told me there’s a local saying here, ‘Three days without sour food, and you’ll find yourself hopping around while walking.’ So, my iron buddies, if you come to Guizhou, you must order the sour soup fish!”
“What? There’s a location now? You must have just started following me… Ah, thanks to ‘Chop Off My Hands If I Order Takeout Again’ for answering for me. Yes, I, Lao Qian, have already broken through Beijing and ventured across all of China…”
“Back to the point. I ordered two kinds of fish today. The one on my left hand is a carp, and the one on my right hand is a catfish…”
At a large round table for ten, Qian Ge occupied the southern hemisphere alone, while Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue all stuck to the northern hemisphere.
Having been through levels together up until now, everyone had become accustomed to automatically entering “live broadcast mode” whenever they ate.
Xu Wang and Wu Sheng discussed the next level among themselves, completely undisturbed; Kuang Jinxin, on the other hand, ate while watching Qian Ai’s live broadcast, clearly a loyal viewer.
Kuang Jinxin used to like sitting under the TV in the school cafeteria because he found it made meals more enjoyable. If there was no TV, he’d watch his phone. But since starting the levels, watching Qian Ai during mealtime sufficed; Qian Ai alone was more entertaining than a TV drama. Watching Qian Ai eat while interacting with his buddies, Kuang Jinxin found it particularly joyful, sometimes even sneaking into the live broadcast as an anonymous little fan.
Chi Yingxue was indifferent to the “background music” of eating. As long as he didn’t want to participate, everything around him might as well not exist, unable to disturb him at all.
But today, for the first time, he became curious.
Because Kuang Jinxin was watching Qian Ai. Whenever Qian Ai cracked a joke with his buddies, he laughed along, looking very amused. From Chi Yingxue’s perspective, he could only see his side profile but still found it very attractive.
So, Chi Yingxue became curious to see what this “live broadcast” was all about, even seriously considering starting his own “Chi Yingxue Eats Across China” if it could make Kuang Jinxin smile at him every day.
Once Chi Yingxue sets his mind to something, he does it.
In the blink of an eye, he had gotten up and moved closer to Lao Qian to take a serious look at the phone.
For the fans of “Lao Qian Eats Across China”, a stranger suddenly dropped from the sky and entered the frame in a second.
Then, the live broadcast went wild.
[Ahhh, what kind of celestial beauty is this!]
[Three minutes. I want all the information on this man!!]
[Lao Qian, if it weren’t for you for comparison, I would have thought a perfect filter was turned on!!!]
[……]
That night, Qian Ai first learned that he had so many female fans lurking for years.
That night, Chi Yingxue unexpectedly became the substitute host. He didn’t even need to speak; just eating fish was enough, thus bringing the highest traffic and donations to “Lao Qian Eats Across China” since its creation.
Back at the hotel, Chi Yingxue was still dazed. He didn’t remember the taste of the sour soup fish or whether Xiao Sijin had looked at him or smiled. He only remembered the dizzying array of gifts and the frenzy of comments, feeling more than ever that live broadcasting is an unfathomable field.
It was then that Chi Zhuolin’s call came.
“Where to next?” Chi Zhuolin got straight to the point as soon as he spoke.
Chi Yingxue quickly recalled the information their team had bought from Mr. Fan. “Jiangxi.”
12/23, in Jiangxi.
Chi Zhuolin had already adapted to this hopscotch style of travel. “When are you leaving?”
Chi Yingxue: “Not decided yet.”
Chi Zhuolin: “Okay, send me the details once you’ve decided. I’ll arrange the hotel and the pickup.”
Chi Yingxue: “Oh.”
Never pushing away things that could make him comfortable was a virtue of Classmate Chi.
Normally, this would be the end of the call, and Chi Zhuolin, as always, waited for his younger brother to hang up first. But after waiting for a long time, the other side was still there.
Chi Zhuolin keenly raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”
“Chi Zhuolin…” Sure enough, the other side began speaking in a low voice.
Chi Zhuolin, who had already gone to bed, unconsciously sat up straight, then heard the question from the phone asking, “Am I lonely?”
“……” The formidable President Chi was stumped by the question.
If Chi Yingxue had asked, “Are you lonely?”, he could perhaps introspect a bit, but his younger brother was asking, “Am I lonely?” which was a question too profound for an immediate answer.
“Did something happen to you?” Unable to answer such a mystical question, President Chi instantly saw through to the essence.
Lying in bed, Chi Yingxue raised an arm to his forehead, blocking the glaring light from above. “I want to date someone, but he doesn’t want to date me.”
President Chi’s hand shook, causing him to drop his phone onto the bed. Luckily, due to the soft landing, it made no sounds.
Taking a deep breath, he picked up the phone again, asking calmly as if nothing had happened, “Why doesn’t he want to date you?”
“He says I don’t like him, that I’m just lonely.” A hint of indiscernible grievance colored the voice on the other end.
“Is that true?” President Chi was already finding it hard to remain seated, asking while beginning to pace back and forth in the bedroom.
After a pause, Chi Yingxue admitted, “I don’t know.”
Pacing helped President Chi regain some composure. The sharp thinking he was known for in business slowly returned. “Okay, then let me ask differently. Why do you want to date him?”
Chi Yingxue: “If we were dating, he would always be by my side.”
President Chi: “Why do you want him always by your side?”
Chi Yingxue: “It’s comfortable.”
President Chi: “Is it comfortable for you or for him?”
Chi Yingxue: “……”
President Chi: “If you make him feel comfortable too, then he will be yours.”
After a long silence, Chi Yingxue asked, “How do I do that?”
President Chi was stunned, hearing such a vulnerable tone from Chi Yingxue for the first time since their father’s death.
As much as it pained him, President Chi still didn’t give in. “You have to figure it out yourself.”
As a brother, he could give his sibling the best of everything, but more than that, he wished for his brother to become a man who knows how to fight for what he wants.
Chi Yingxue had been trapped in his childhood for too long. It was time to grow up.
At the end of the call, President Chi asked, “What’s his name?”
“Xiao Sijin.” Chi Yingxue’s tone seemed to brighten with these words.
President Chi immediately thought of the young man he had met a few times, who wasn’t very talkative but had a warm smile… For a moment, he was stunned. He didn’t know whether to worry about how his brother’s orientation had gone astray or to be relieved that it wasn’t someone strange.
As Chi Yingxue hung up, Chi Zhuolin was still in turmoil. The last thought that crossed his mind was that Chi Yingxue’s habit of giving nicknames for things he likes, a habit he’s had since childhood, might never change.
……
While Chi Yingxue was trying hard to think of “how exactly to make Xiao Sijin comfortable”, separated by a wall, Captain Xu was taking inventory of the team’s remaining stationery supplies with Advisor Wu.
“Let’s go to the Endless Sea for a few more days,” Wu Sheng suggested, looking at the list of stationery on the paper.
The stationery was running low, and they were about to face 12/23. They preferred to wait a few more days rather than retreat and start over.
Xu Wang had the same thought. “Let’s communicate with them. If everyone agrees, we can leave tomorrow.”
With more than two hours left until midnight, Xu Wang washed up and went to bed to catch up on some sleep. However, after lying down, he felt something was off. Turning his head, he found Wu Sheng on the next bed, propping up his arm and looking at him with a face full of deep thought.
Feeling uneasy under the gaze, Xu Wang hurriedly asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Wu Sheng said, “I’m wondering if I’ve caught up with you?”
Xu Wang was puzzled. “Huh?”
Wu Sheng seriously asked, “I said I would pursue you, so have I caught up? Are we dating now?”
Xu Wang: “……”
They had kissed eight hundred times, and now he’s asking if they’re dating?!
“I think we should be. You felt it when I kissed you,” Wu Sheng said, looking at his face and smiling reminiscently. “You would hug me, respond to me…”
“We’re dating! Consider it dating!” Xu Wang decided on the spot to prevent this bastard from saying anything more embarrassing!
“Really?” Wu Sheng’s eyes lit up, almost as if a magpie was dancing on his eyebrows.
Curious, amused, and feeling a bit of happiness and sweetness, Xu Wang said, “Really.”
Wu Sheng immediately got out of his bed and, with the speed of someone using acceleration gear, squeezed onto Xu Wang’s single bed.
Xu Wang only felt a whoosh of wind, and then he was being hugged tightly. Any movement from him, and the other person hugged even tighter, as if afraid he would run away.
“I won’t do anything. I just want to hold you and sleep for a while,” Wu Sheng whispered in his ear, his lips lightly brushing against his earlobe.
Xu Wang shivered.
Although Wu Sheng wasn’t a dawdler, being so assertively proactive was rare for him. Xu Wang always felt he was inspired by something or someone, but the atmosphere was too good, and he didn’t want to ask.
After quietly holding each other for a while, Wu Sheng felt his breathing become heavier, but it was almost time to enter the Owl, and he also didn’t want to scare Xu Wang, not intending to take any further action for the time being.
He somewhat regretted overestimating his willpower, but since he had already squeezed onto the bed and hugged him, there was no reason to give up now. So, he tried to divert his attention, raising his hand to touch Xu Wang’s head. “If you can’t sleep, let’s talk.”
He knew Xu Wang wasn’t asleep.
Xu Wang’s head gently rested on his chest, murmuring, “Talk about what? How bad your personality was in high school, how annoying…”
Wu Sheng smiled. “Yet you still like me. You must have poor taste.”
Xu Wang scoffed. “I’m sacrificing myself, so you won’t trouble others…”
Wu Sheng: “What do you like about me?”
Xu Wang: “……”
Wu Sheng: “Hm?”
Xu Wang gritted his teeth. “Classmate, it seems like you were the one pursuing me…”
Wu Sheng wisely shut up, not challenging the captain’s authority further. After a while, he slowly said, “About that choice, what do you think?”
Upon hearing this, Xu Wang knew what he was asking.
Since buying the intel from Mr. Fan, no one had talked about it again. It seemed everyone tacitly agreed, “It’s possible to leave early”, but it also seemed like everyone couldn’t help but think more about it.
Facing Wu Sheng, Xu Wang didn’t want to hide. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Wu Sheng understood. Hesitating meant consideration. “Do you want to close the pathways to the first thirteen levels?”
Xu Wang said softly, “Mm. I hope no one else will be drawn in, but I don’t know… what the cost of making this choice would be…”
What if it meant they had to stay in the Owl forever? What if there was an even more terrible cost?
Not knowing is why it’s frightening and why there’s hesitation.
“Then stop thinking about it. When we get to 13/23 and have everything figured out, it won’t be too late to consider.” Wu Sheng decisively made the decision for him.
Pausing, he added softly and seriously, “No matter what you choose, I’ll be with you.”
…..
A week later, the five friends, having gathered some stationery, left the Endless Sea and arrived at 12/23.
According to Mr. Fan’s intel, they would enter a small town celebrating Halloween. Amidst a “trick or treat” festive atmosphere, they were to capture five fierce ghosts with different backgrounds, forms, and skills and then take them to the town church for a collective exorcism ceremony.
The types of fierce ghosts are frequently updated. Mr. Fan encountered the “plasma type” in his year. In recent years, through exchanges with those coming for intel, there have been “ghost type”, “monster type”, “werewolf type”, “vampire type”, “urban legend type”, “high-tech type”, and the like. It was truly a wide variety and endless emergence.
Barto returned to his tent, pushing aside the wine bottles on the table—if nothing else, the wine in this world was genuinely good. Back in the novice village, he could only afford cheap barley beer. Since joining the Alva Merchant Group, high-quality red wine was available in abundance.
For logistical work this time, Barto had specifically picked out some high-quality cheese and the best ham to accompany the wine.
As long as it wasn’t too outrageous, as long as he, a “Player”, asked for it, the Alva Merchant Group would provide. Barto thought this was what he considered the smartest use of resources. Why wouldn’t those fools try it?
Barto sat at the table and took out a slender case from the system’s item bar.
This was the focus of this logistical work, the transport of a special magical item. Just by bringing this item along, he could earn a personal transport fee of ten gold wheels.
It was said to have been specially ordered by someone in Amazon. Barto had heard the introduction beforehand. This item was rare, potent, and very expensive. However, in terms of practical value, it wasn’t anything significant.
[Wanted by Fate: Effective radius 50 km. Provide your impression, and it will summon the person you wish to see.
※Valid for 5 days. Please ensure the person you are looking for is capable of movement and not too far away.]
The item description was ordinary, which didn’t change the fact that it was a black magic item.
It must be some girl wanting to find a man she fancies, going through the trouble of getting such a complicated item. Barto could only think of using it to find rare quest targets, but sadly, the item was too expensive, and it was a loss no matter how he thought about it.
The case was specially made, and it could only be opened within a hundred meters of the employer. In theory, Barto shouldn’t touch it… But who cares? A look wouldn’t hurt, as long as he didn’t tamper with it, right?
Barto pulled the scroll out of the case, weighing the expensive item in his hand, when he suddenly noticed his palm was a bit wet.
Sniffing, there was a faint smell of blood in the air. Barto frowned and decided to open the sealed scroll. Then, his hand shook, nearly dropping the scroll to the ground.
To activate this item, a clue for the person being sought was required. A realistic painting, a photograph, a video clip—the more realistic the impression, the better the effect.
At that moment, the activation bar of the item was stitched with a withered eyeball. It was covered in blood, and the pupil was a beautiful ash gray. And the moment Barto opened it, the scroll activated automatically.
A cool magical ripple spread out, like ripples caused by a stone falling in water.
…What’s happening?!
Barto hurriedly tied the scroll back up and put it back into the case as it was. That was when Barto noticed that the “recipient” written on the box had already blurred.
It wasn’t his fault; it was the Merchant Group’s issue!
Even if he hadn’t impulsively opened it, to find this recipient with a blurred name, he would have had to open the case to confirm! It wasn’t his mistake!
Well, at worst, it would just attract some random person nearby. After all, Amazon would clear the area, and unrelated people would be discovered sooner or later.
Let it be, then. If the client asks, just say the Merchant Group didn’t package it well.
Barto, frustrated and confused, threw aside the case and opened another bottle of red wine.
……
That night, Nol held Teest as usual as they slept.
He liked to cuddle Teest’s head in his arms or rest his head on Teest’s arm. This person was literally his “security”. As long as he saw that silver hair, he always felt there was hope.
But that night, he couldn’t sleep, no matter what.
The discussions of the day were still swirling in his head—writing a script, persuading Amazon. It sounded not too difficult, but he had this nagging worry—a sense that “something is missing”.
Maybe the plan wasn’t detailed enough, Nol thought.
According to his current idea, he planned to first collect some items that could serve as rewards, then use the reputation of “Hero Drake” to his advantage. Then, they just needed to cooperate with the undead dragon to stage a grand play, providing a sufficiently peaceful ending.
Next, as long as he could persuade the Players and the dragon race to interact, he could figure out a way to shift the “Demon King” identity onto Star Stealer Sol.
A standard plan. If all went well, he could even save the undead dragon.
…But the subtle unease still lingered. What was the problem?
Nol couldn’t help but hug the sleeping Teest tighter, his nose brushing against the other’s long hair. The infamous Mad Monk emitted a very warm scent.
Better not to overthink for now. Nol closed his eyes, telling himself it was best to wait until dawn and discuss it with everyone.
Wait and discuss with everyone at dawn…
■■■■■■■■■■■■■……
Teest woke up early in the morning.
He felt a sudden chill for no reason and instantly opened his eyes. There were no malevolent visitors in the cave; instead, there was one less presence.
Nol wasn’t by his side.
Next to the stone bed, Nol’s boots were gone. His cloak was still neatly folded on the stone platform, indicating he had likely left in his pajamas. The black candle was also securely placed on the table, still soundly asleep.
Dracoliches decomposed the food they ate into magic, so there was no need for Nol to get up at night… Could it be the same situation as before? Thinking of Nol staring blankly in front of Lynn’s cottage, Teest quickly put on his cloak and stepped into the night.
Outside the room, nothing. In the distant cave, nothing. On the spider-web-like mountain roads around, nothing.
The Dragon’s Lair was terrifyingly quiet. Nol’s presence was nowhere to be found. Telepathy felt like throwing a stone into the abyss, with no response whatsoever. Teest summoned Ben, who sniffed around and whined in confusion.
So, Teest made a swift decision and headed straight for Painter and Lynn’s place.
“Do you remember a person named Nol?” The Mad Monk got straight to the point.
First, he needed to clarify if this was part of Star Stealer Sol’s domestication process.
“Of course. What’s the matter?” Lynn, having been woken up before dawn, had a face full of unspoken curses.
“He’s gone,” Teest said succinctly. “There are no signs of a fight. He left on his own.”
Lynn’s last bit of sleepiness vanished instantly, and Painter tensed up. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. There was nothing unusual last night. If there were invaders nearby, I would have definitely woken up… But if Nol wanted to leave without me noticing, I indeed wouldn’t have detected it.” Teest crossed his arms, his fingertips tapping his arm restlessly.
Painter lowered his gaze, thinking for a few seconds.
“This is the Dragon’s Lair, protected by ancient magic. Star Stealer Sol couldn’t have directly intervened.” The former pope said solemnly, “He must have used some method to lure Mr. Nol out of here.”
‘To get him away from [God’s Forsaken],’ Teest added in his mind.
“How did that thing know Nol was here?” Lynn’s face turned even uglier, as they had all thought the Dragon’s Lair was absolutely safe.
“It might have some understanding of Nol, knowing he would come. It might want to create an incident that forces Nol to show himself.” Teest hummed. “Regardless of the situation, I must find him quickly.”
He needed to be by Nol’s side.
Without Nol, he felt a very subtle discomfort. It was like waking up to find oneself missing a leg or an arm.
For half a year, his [Betrayal Overture] buff had been deactivated for the first time. Strength and something else… were drained from his bones, leaving only a continuous cold, which Teest disliked intensely.
“The Claw Scar Mountains,” Teest said.
“This Villain thinks so too.” Painter nodded.
Lynn twisted her brows in frustration. “Please, explain.”
Teest glanced at her. “Intuition.”
“Ordinary divination only provides a very vague direction. To effectively search for an unknown target, there are only four things in the world that can do it—Oracle, Witchbone Horn, Bloody Spindle, and the Wanted by Fate.”
Painter patiently explained.
“Let’s not talk about the oracle. The last three are very powerful dark magic artifacts. The first two have strong curse properties and are almost impossible to find on the market. The ‘Wanted by Fate’ is somewhat better. It doesn’t take the user’s life or organs but brings great misfortune to the user.”
“Mr. Nol is very powerful and wouldn’t be taken away by simple magic. The person being searched for leaving on their own is very much like the effect of [Wanted by Fate].”
Lynn let out a long sigh. “Continue.”
She thought [Wanted by Fate] must be a system item. The current Nol indeed couldn’t resist the system’s power.
Painter: “Here’s the problem. The stronger the power of the artifact, the greater the restrictions and costs—these three items all have a range limit. They require your target to be within a certain distance of you. Otherwise, the effect doesn’t work, but the cost is still taken.”
So that’s it. The most likely stage nearby to cause an incident was only the Claw Scar Mountains.
Facing the level of power of Nol and Teest, this kind of sneak attack could only be done once. Star Stealer Sol wouldn’t just drag Nol to a desolate place to take a look. There must be a scheme.
“I understand,” Lynn said. “Let’s go now.”
Her words had not yet fallen, and Teest was already gone.
The Mad Monk even forgot to wear shoes, she thought with mixed feelings as she quickly put on her cloak.
“Do you have a way to find Nol? He’s not an ‘unknown target’ to you.” Lynn packed her suitcase within half a minute and turned to ask Painter.
Painter’s smile was a bit bitter. “If that person managed to deceive even the Mad Monk, I have no way either. To be honest, I’m more worried about what’s about to happen than Mr. Nol himself.”
“First, Mr. Nol’s abnormal frequency of occurrences, being guided all the way to the Dragon’s Lair, and then the Claw Scar Mountains issuing a quest. All of this is too coincidental… Really too coincidental.”
Before Painter could finish, Lynn suddenly frowned.
In front of her, the system pop-up appeared again.
[The regional environment has changed.]
[You have triggered a time-limited regional quest: Necromancer’s Curse [Hell Mode]]
[Quest completion conditions: Kill the wandering undead dragon Telistam and its master in the Claw Scar Mountains.]
[Quest rewards: Highest level +5; the Lost Dragon Clan’s treasure; permanent buff “God’s Blessing”.]
[※Quest introduction: Brave warriors, the Demon King has discovered your movements. It has sent its sharp minions to fight alongside the evil dragon Telistam. The Demon King’s curse has corrupted this land. The living cannot leave, and the dead will have their levels reset to zero, suffering the permanent debuff “Agony”.]
[※Combat recommendation: Second-job transfer full level; number of people ≥100]
Lynn’s face instantly darkened.
The good news: Star Stealer Sol didn’t yet know that the person it was looking for was the “Demon King” himself. It probably didn’t expect the Demon King to personally run around with his family, only considering Nol as the Demon King’s “right-hand man”.
The bad news: she could probably guess what Star Stealer Sol wanted to do—as Nol wanted a “peace without war”, Star Stealer Sol intended to throw Nol into a battlefield filled with his compatriots. The nearby area was forcibly locked by the system, and Players couldn’t even leave before the mission ends.
Nol would die if he didn’t resist, and if he did resist, he was likely to destroy his compatriots. All this assuming Nol himself was sober and rational… At this point, they couldn’t be sure if Nol himself was sober.
Star Stealer Sol was sharper than they imagined. If this was a “true domestication” that was about to begin, it was too cruel.
Lynn didn’t know how bad the permanent debuff “Agony” was, but Lynn knew of Players who were tortured in the hunting lodge until they chose to “log off” on their own, and she didn’t hesitate to make the worst guess.
“It seems our quest this time isn’t to write a script.” She sighed. “We have to tear up the script.”
Painter: “Miss Lynn?”
Lynn pursed her lips, looking at the powerful former Pope beside her. After a brief thought, she quickly made a decision—
“Godfrey Painter. Given the special circumstances, I, as a representative of Paradise, request to make a deal with you,” Lynn said.
Painter was surprisingly calm. He didn’t speak but looked at her with his light green eyes.
“‘The truth and protection of Paradise’ in exchange for ‘cooperation without concealment’.” She said, “From now on, we have no room for mistakes in what we have to do, and we can’t distrust each other internally.”
Lynn trusted her judgment of character. She had to bet on this— the Mad Monk wouldn’t care about anything other than Nol, so someone had to make decisions for Paradise.
“This day came faster than I thought.” Painter stared into Lynn’s eyes. “No problem, as long as you promise one thing.”
“What?”
“Do not sacrifice this world. Otherwise, This Villain… will betray immediately.” Painter was succinct. “My cooperation with you is not because ‘I like you’, but because I want to escape from that False God who treats war as a toy. I hope you understand.”
“Deal,” Lynn said.
She walked into Nol and Teest’s room, picking up the staff they had forgotten.
At the same time.
Nol was walking under the moonlight.
His head was filled with all sorts of thoughts—normal and abnormal, tiny and large. They buzzed like a blender, turning even his brain into mush.
He shouldn’t be walking here. Amidst the chaos of thoughts, Nol struggled to stay sober. He should be by Teest’s side. Without [God’s Forsaken] nearby, such behavior was very reckless.
He shouldn’t be walking here. But his legs dragged him forward. The sky gradually twisted, and the shadow of the only moon gradually blurred. Soon, he would leave the shelter of the Dragon’s Lair.
He shouldn’t be walking here. Since he couldn’t resist… he had to think of other ways…
Right, the plan. His plan. He had his script.
Nol stretched his body, trying to morph into the appearance of Drake. Accompanied by the creaking sound of flesh twisting, the shadow cast by the moonlight twisted into a bizarre shape. Five arms waved aimlessly while two heads wobbled.
It felt like a thousand people were talking in his head, with continuous tiny screams. Nol bit his lip—probably his lip—forcing his thoughts back.
No, no…
This won’t do.
By the way, what do humans look like again? Four arms and four legs? Five arms and three legs?
How many heads? How many eyes? How many mouths?
Damn, can’t remember.
But he couldn’t maintain his original appearance. He couldn’t just expose himself like that. Star Stealer Sol would see. Star Stealer Sol would find out. He must protect Paradise, protect the Players… He must protect Teest…
Nol walked under the moon, and the shadow on the ground gradually changed its shape.
Miss Dorothy, the leader of the Amazon Players, began to feel a headache coming on. Standing before her was Barto from the Alva Merchant Group, who was the support representative for the battle’s supplies.
She had known that the Alva Merchant Group would send someone. Compared to the logistics of the Homeward Saints, which were almost entirely managed by the Temple of Life, the neutrally positioned Amazon had far fewer options.
The Claw Scar Mountains were already close to Old Gemino, nearest to the city center. Even swapping for a local would have been better, yet the Alva Merchant Group had sent this troublesome guy over again. Perhaps they didn’t want to send their own people to the frontlines, betting on Players “not dying easily”, Dorothy thought helplessly.
Needless to say, Barto himself would definitely interpret it as “the Merchant Group has high hopes for me, letting me snag a rare quest on the side.”
“Happy cooperation.” Indeed, “Miss” Barto spoke with a subtly self-satisfied tone.
“Our Miss Dorothy is setting up camp again. It seems no matter how big the setup, women are just timid. Last time in the Brick Mountains, you didn’t dare go in to rescue anyone. What are you waiting for now? For the undead dragon to come out on its own?”
“You’re so proactive, you should join our investigation team.” Dorothy spoke with a smile. “The investigation team went to analyze the undead dragon’s behavior patterns. Given how brave you are, you can collect a lot of attack intelligence for us—surely you wouldn’t refuse, right?”
Barto choked up a bit, then stiffened his neck. “I’m not one of Amazon. Why should I listen to you? Besides, as a support, can I charge in by myself?”
Dorothy: “Oh, hearing how confidently you command, I thought you were an advisor to Amazon.”
Barto glared at her discontentedly.
“The logistics are settled. You’re not a member, so there’s no need for you to stay in my tent.” Dorothy’s voice was steady, pointing towards the tent entrance. “Please leave.”
Barto didn’t move. “Come on. You know why I’m here, and I know why the Saints have given the quest to you—you’ve brought ‘that thing’ here. I want to see it.”
Dorothy’s eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but her expression remained unchanged. “She doesn’t see visitors.”
“Name your price. I’m not saying I won’t pay,” Barto said. “It’s just a monster. I couldn’t kill it in front of you if I tried.”
Dorothy was strictly businesslike. “No.”
“Come on. We’re all modern people here. Are you playing feudal with me?” Barto’s beautiful face reddened with anger. “I just want to ask about my future. What’s wrong with that? Just because I said a few words to you before, do you have to be so obstructive?”
After saying that, as if he thought of something, he lifted the corner of his mouth. “Logistics is under my control, including your drinking water and food. Think it over before you reply.”
Alright, this person was worse than she thought.
Dorothy had no doubt that once a fight broke out, this person really would dare to tamper with the water supply. Since Players couldn’t die and could still level up, Barto wouldn’t feel guilty.
Directly attacking Barto would offend the Alva Merchant Group. She needed to find a legitimate way to control this person.
“You know the rules. Only one question.” Dorothy said, “If you don’t want your prophecy to be ‘spiced up’, keep a respectful attitude.”
“Do you have to say it?”
Dorothy walked to the tent’s entrance. She pulled out a brightly colored key that looked as if it had fallen into a paint palette. She thrust the key into the air, twisting it left and right, then immediately put it away into the system inventory.
The entrance to the tent was no longer the scene of Players coming and going, but another room.
The room was filled with candles of varying heights, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of burning incense. A silver platter was loaded with ham, bread, and fruit, and a large pile of silk cushions was stacked on the thick carpet.
Above the cushions, sleeping… was a monster.
Its lower body was that of a bright red serpent, with a long and powerful tail—the fine scales shimmering with a poisonous luminescence. Its upper body, however, was that of a young girl—
The girl’s face was beautiful, with long black hair that was soft and winding.
Her face had four eyes with dense yellow irises, characteristic of the vertical pupils of reptiles. The faint red skin of the human-like part still reflected the light pattern of snake scales.
If Nol were here, he would recognize this rare monster at a glance—the Priest Serpent Clan.
The common serpents in Tahe were mainly the Lena Serpent Clan. Like other beastmen, the Lena Serpent Clan was known for powerful venom and physical attacks, but there was nothing else special about it.
The Priest Serpent Clan was different, residing in the sparsely populated Endless Swamp. Its members were rare, all possessing terrifying magical talents.
The appearance of the Priest Serpent Clan in the inland areas only led to two scenarios. The serpent people either became priests at the altar’s side or rare magical materials on the altar.
This serpent seemed to be the former.
There was a heavy collar clasped around her neck. Bright red runes fluttered around it—undoubtedly a magic seal.
“Hm.” Noticing a visitor, she lazily propped herself up. “Another fool curiously prying into fate uninvited.”
“Good morning, Lilith.” Dorothy’s expression was serious.
“Good morning, Dorothy. So, it’s this one…” She glanced towards Barto, her four eyes narrowing. “This gentleman wishes to peer into fate?”
With his identity seen through, Barto’s posture instantly straightened up. “Yes, Miss Lilith.”
“Knowing your fate will not bring you peace.” Lilith’s voice was husky and sweet, and her pronunciation carried a strange rhythm. “You will only try to understand it and twist it, ultimately stepping onto the predetermined path—your various struggles and rebellions will only become the stairs leading to the road of fate.”
Barto’s facial muscles twitched.
It was all mumbling nonsense, in one ear and out the other. Considering he still needed something from this creature, Barto dared not to show his disdain too obviously.
Prophet Lilith, a bizarre creature born from the Priest Serpent Clan. She believed in an obscure god passed down within her clan for generations and possessed the talent to divine fate.
Currently, this creature was controlled by Amazon. This group of fastidious women worry about this and that all day, and it was said they use her very cautiously. Countless Players outside yearned to hear their own fate but couldn’t even get a chance.
If Barto wasn’t in charge of Amazon logistics by chance this time, he admitted he wouldn’t have caught this opportunity.
“I have made up my mind.” Barto coughed twice, trying to sound sincere. “Alright, you can go now, Dorothy.”
Dorothy crossed her arms and looked at him with a half-smile, without any intention of moving. Barto gritted his teeth, but he still didn’t dare force her out.
Serpent Lilith chuckled lightly, slithering off the cushion and circled around Barto. The snake scales brushed against the carpet, making an ominous rustling sound.
“Are you sure?” she asked again, with an inscrutable smile on her face.
Barto: “Sure. So how much do you want?”
“Knowing your own fate, that’s the price you have to pay.”
Lilith returned to the center of the room. She took a deep breath and opened her arms.
Those four bright eyes suddenly darkened, and something seemed to twist on the surface of her eyeballs. Just as Barto tried to take a closer look, his head felt as if it had been scooped out and hammered—the pain was unbearable.
“Perradat, I call upon you.”
She changed to the Priest Serpent Clan’s language, emitting a chilling hiss. The candles in the room suddenly brightened, and the flames elongated into something resembling a nightmare.
“Perradat, I call upon you. Please allow me to kiss the hem of your robe, to be imbued with your might, to witness the trajectory of this dust settling.”
Something quietly changed in the air. The temperature remained the same, but Barto felt a chill. His skin felt as if it’d been rubbed with sandpaper. Lilith and Dorothy’s mouths didn’t move, yet Barto heard a young girl’s light sigh.
Perradat, what kind of wild god is that?
Barto had only heard of the Goddess of Life, Tilia, and the Eternal Son, Anstis. Perhaps it was just a fictitious god of the Priest Serpent Clan—it was said that Shiva was filled with numerous beastmen, many of whom had “ancestral niche gods”. Such beliefs were entirely maintained through bloodlines, never amounting to much.
“I see your insignificant fate…”
Lilith’s hoarse voice carried a strange echo. “…A despicable villain, a puppet manipulated. You have abandoned a better possibility with your own hands and are destined never to have a good dream…”
…What is this?
…Anyway, it definitely doesn’t sound like a good thing.
Barto held his breath, waiting for the rest of the prophecy. The darkness in Lilith’s eyes dissipated, and she looked at Barto with her bright snake eyes, which held some vague cruelty in them.
“That’s it?” Barto couldn’t help but speak out. “What bullshit is this?”
A sense of unease began to flow through his veins. How could his fate be so negative when he has been climbing up all along?
“This is all you asked for.” Lilith smiled mysteriously. “Normally, prophecies are neutral. This is the first time I’ve seen something like this for such a… cough, someone like you.”
“Playing games with me? It’s all bullshit. Just you wait.”
Barto was in no mood to pay attention to that suspicious pause. He turned around and left, clearly not intending to accept his prophecy.
Dorothy watched Barto leave the tent space. After his figure disappears, she and Lilith both sigh in relief.
“That was close. I almost blurted out ‘loser’.” Lilith lost her mysterious demeanor, patting her chest and taking a long breath.
She casually pulled off the “collar” around her neck, twirling it with her fingers. “Sister, do you have anything tasty? It’s bread here every day. I want to eat dumplings… or fried dough sticks…”
Dorothy chuckled. “We’re preparing for battle now. We’ll make something when we get back.”
“Okay, call me if you need anything!”
Lilith flopped onto the cushion. Her ghostly demeanor was gone, looking like a listless data cable. “I’ve been putting on this act for a while now, might as well make some cheats.”
Dorothy looked at the serpent stretching on the cushion, her lips pursing. “Have you really considered Paradise? It would definitely be more stable than with Amazon… As long as you’re willing, I can have someone escort you there anytime.”
“No thanks.” Lilith buried her face in the pillow, waving her hand nonchalantly. “You helped me a lot back then, sister. It would be wrong for me to just abandon you guys and escape on my own.”
“Adults have their own ways,” Dorothy said earnestly. “You’re still too young…”
Lilith turned a deaf ear. “If the prophecy given to me by our people wasn’t wrong, I would ‘get what I wish for through trials and tribulations.’ Sister, if I were to go to that Paradise, it wouldn’t come true.”
“Although I don’t believe in that Perradat or whatever, the prophecies It gives are frighteningly accurate. I feel safer running around with you guys…”
Dorothy couldn’t help but sigh again. This little girl was like a stubborn snake.
“Then take good care of yourself and don’t ever leave the tent. There are many like Barto out there, and they wouldn’t hesitate to turn you into material.” She continued earnestly, “Tell us if you need anything.”
“Oh, and I’ve finished reading the books you gave me last time. I was getting bored.” Lilith’s expression turned flattering. “Sister, give me some new ones, preferably something more exciting, you know—”
“You’re underage.”
“…Tch.”
Dorothy became serious. “Lilith, was that prophecy you told Barto made up to deceive him, or was it a real prophecy?”
Lilith pouted. “I was planning to concoct something to fool him, but his prophecy turned out to be just like that.”
“Anyway, I think ‘the despicable villain’ is definitely realistic, but from ‘the puppet being manipulated’, it’s hard to say. A puppet of the Alva Merchant Group? A puppet of some mastermind behind the scenes? …Or some chaotic puppet? It’s all possible.”
“As usual, don’t expect an accurate interpretation. These things are really hard to tell.”
Dorothy nodded. She casually tidied up the cushions on the floor, and before she could even look up, she heard a terrifying gasp from Lilith.
“Lilith?!” Dorothy broke out in a cold sweat.
This little girl had made many prophecies, but never had such a terrifying anomaly occurred!
Lilith fell to the ground, her body struggling nonstop and her throat emitting a whistling, sharp sound. Her four eyes and mouth were wide open, filled with bright light like white flames.
[Where dragons are born, where mistakes converge.]
[The Master of the world returns to the start of the dream, and He will grant you the way home.]
Lilith almost screamed out; her voice was so shrill that it didn’t sound like her own.
[Lost knowledge is reset, and pursued desires are fulfilled. You will receive the aid of fate and witness a noble sacrifice.]
A prophecy.
A prophecy that was triggered automatically, without anyone asking.
Before the prophecy was fully pronounced, Dorothy rushed over to Lilith, lifting the girl’s slender body. As the prophecy was uttered, the blinding white light in Lilith’s eyes and mouth gradually faded, leaving only the marks of burns. She fell into an exhausted slumber, her breath tinged with the chaos of magic depletion.
Thankfully, it wasn’t serious enough to have lasting consequences… Dorothy cast several healing spells in relief and wiped Lilith’s face.
…What exactly was that prophecy?
The same question echoed in Barto’s head.
Before leaving the tent, Barto had deliberately thrown an expensive eavesdropping button on the ground. Who would have thought that these Amazonians would be so difficult to deal with? The eavesdropping magic was suppressed by the protective magic in the tent, and Barto could only hear them speaking but not the content.
Until that roaring prophecy.
The power it carried was so immense, and the self-declaration of desire was so urgent. Through the barely functioning eavesdropping button, it drilled into Barto’s ears.
Even now, Barto’s ears were still aching.
It was mostly Dorothy and the snake woman fooling him together, but the real prophecy came knocking. Yes, this was more like his own prophecy—
Some benevolent existence would take them home!
As for the “lost knowledge” and “noble sacrifice”, Barto didn’t care, nor did he want to. Just being able to leave this damn place was enough.
Just wait a bit longer, to figure out the specifics, and he must become the important figure who “informs everyone they can go home”.
Thinking of this, Barto’s mood improved.
Well, first of all, he should sort out the remaining communication crystals.
…..
Lynn directed two puppets to layer soft cloth on the bed.
No choice, the living conditions in Paradise were too good. After going out and then facing this stone bed again… Just looking at it for a bit longer, Lynn’s lower back began to ache.
“Let’s think about the situation now.” Painter sat on his own stone bed, chewing jerky. “The four of us need to find a way to persuade Amazon to willingly give up the lucrative quest without letting them see the mistake… Great, another easy and pleasant day.”
If it weren’t for Teest showing off in front of the dragons, they might have had more room to maneuver—whether human or dragon, higher expectations were always placed on the strong.
“Sometimes, laying all your cards on the table isn’t a good idea.” Lynn looked at Nol, implying something.
Nol knew exactly what she meant.
For a second, Nol understood Kando’s feelings.
If he told Amazon, “Hello, this isn’t a game but reality. Everyone’s being played by a powerful False God, and we won’t know the way home until we defeat it but defeating it might not reveal the way home” …Not to mention whether the leader of Amazon would believe it, the subsequent proof and negotiations would still be difficult.
To this day, every time he made a move, he had to be prepared not to look back.
Unlike Kando, he didn’t have time to stay by the Amazon leader’s side to assess her character. What he faced wasn’t just the Amazon leader alone.
If the Player community became fragmented because of this and Star Stealer Sol noticed something amiss and interfered, the Players would quickly become scattered.
“I know. We need to think of a better way.”
Nol massaged his temples and spoke in a somewhat erratic tone. “It would be nice if killing Star Stealer Sol would directly drop a spell to return home.”
Teest: “How about making an example by sacrificing the leader of Amazon—”
Nol: “No.”
Test: “Sacrificing the high-ranking Amazons—”
Nol: “No.”
Teest: “You like me—”
Nol: “I do. So, can we think of other plans? Ones that don’t involve killing someone.”
Teest shifted his gaze away. “Honey, this is a war. You can’t expect there to be no sacrifices.”
“I’m being willful,” Nol calmly replied.
Teest hummed in his throat. “Alright, let me think…”
Then he ran out of words. Teest leaned on Nol’s shoulder, deep in thought. For a clever Mad Monk, “how to save people” was always a century-old problem.
During this time, Painter and Lynn looked at the sky and the ground, respectively. They turned their gaze back only when they were sure Teest was done muttering.
“From my experience, to entice others to act, you must offer a more tempting ‘compensation’.” Lynn cleared her throat.
“And a likable narrative.” Painter stroked his chin’s stubble. “Most of the time, people are willing to give up something for a good story… As far as This Villain knows, that kind of side quest that contradicts each other should exist, right?”
Package the [Expedition Against the Undead Dragon] as a side quest?
It seemed feasible, but the question was how to set up the stage and plot next.
Lynn was right. As long as a tempting guarantee was provided, the Amazon Players wouldn’t be unreasonable.
Fortunately, this was the Dragon’s Lair, and Nol knew all the quests and rewards. He had plenty of treasures that could match the system’s tasks.
More importantly, the story… He needed to make his story more credible. They must become representatives of “goodwill” and then offer a grand finale where humans and dragons coexist.
Nol mumbled to himself, suddenly hearing a light laugh. Teest was chuckling by his ear, his breath bringing a warm soft heat.
[What are you laughing at?] Nol was curious.
[You’ll definitely have no problem,] Teest said. [This is how you’ve come all this way.]
Nol’s heart skipped a beat. Indeed… Wonderful guarantees, representatives of goodwill, perfect ending. They were the foundation of Paradise, and the signposts of his journey so far.
Are you sure there are no lies buried underneath them?
That tiny voice echoed in Nol’s ears again. This time, you’re going to lie, aren’t you? You’re going to deceive your compatriots. Is this really the first time you’ve lied? You’re even less honest than Kando.
Bad guy, bad guy.
Bad guy.
Seeing Nol suddenly hold his head, Teest jolted in place. “Nol?”
“…I’m fine.” Seeing the worried expressions of his companions, Nol instinctively wiped his nose.
This time, he didn’t see blood. Strange. Should he have seen blood? Why did he think of that? Really strange.
Why would he see blood? What is blood?
Lots and lots of blood.
[I just got lost in thought. You’re right,] Seeing Teest tense up, Nol quickly said to reassure, [I’ll definitely have no problem. I’m best at this sort of thing.]
[It will go smoothly this time. I promise.]
Teest gave him a smile that could be described as radiant.
[I reserve my opinion,] he said.
The author has something to say:
I feel like some of my protagonists could double as horror movie leads (×
Nol: (Ambiguous mumbling)
Teest: Turns out I’m the most normal person in this family (CosmicCat.jpg)
Captain Lu took action on three fronts: sending someone to perform an autopsy on Old Master Cheng—the poisoning case of Old Master Cheng; sending others to search the entire Cheng family mansion for clues on Du Jinnian’s disappearance; and he himself continued to oversee the front courtyard, maintaining control. As for Cheng Xiaonan being poisoned and the “kidnapping suspect” from the Fushou Gang that Hai Yunlong had just brought over, Captain Lu didn’t seem to be in a hurry to interrogate.
Taking advantage of the police’s widespread search and the resulting panic, the five friends quietly gathered.
Without time for pleasantries, Kuang Jinxin immediately shared his side story experience.
He had been following a master thief surnamed Chen, who was rumored to have stealthily entered the heavily guarded Marshal’s mansion one night. Instead of stealing any gold or jewelry, but not wanting to leave empty-handed, he managed to steal a bag of rice, earning him the nickname Chen Yidou*.
*Depending on context, in this case, his nickname can be thought of as “One Bag (of rice) Chen”.
Last night was their first reconnaissance of the Cheng family, where Chen Yidou skillfully stole a box of antique paintings and calligraphy. Today was their second, but Chen Yidou only had Kuang Jinxin keep watch outside, not disclosing what else he intended to steal.
“He just said it was for the same client, owing that person a favor, and he had to help whether he wanted to or not.” Kuang Jinxin managed to gather only this much information.
“The same client…” Wu Sheng mused. “So Chen Yidou was reluctant to come back?”
Kuang Jinxin nodded. “Yeah, he said it’s risky to act during the day and that something big was bound to happen at the Cheng family today. If he got caught, it would mean death.”
“And he still had you keep watch.” Chi Yingxue, who had been casually listening, suddenly turned serious. There was a flash of displeasure in his eyes.
“I can’t scale walls or roofs, so I could only do this…” Kuang Jinxin scratched his head awkwardly. His words were directed at Chi Yingxue, but his eyes were still on Wu Sheng, as if intently waiting for the advisor to decipher the connections.
Chi Yingxue lowered his gaze and said no more.
Xu Wang looked back and forth between them, unsure if he was overthinking or if there really was a subtle tension in the air.
What exactly did Chen Yidou still want to steal? And why didn’t he steal it all last night?—Wu Sheng was completely immersed in his deductions, oblivious to the subtle dynamics around him.
From the memorial hall—the autopsy site—a young police officer ran out to whisper something to Captain Lu.
Captain Lu’s face darkened, and his gaze swept around before announcing, “Old Master Cheng was indeed poisoned to death.”
The entire front courtyard fell deathly silent.
Captain Lu whispered to another officer. “Bring him up.”
The officer quickly left and returned, pushing a person into the center of the courtyard—it was Dr. Gong.
“I did visit the Cheng family last night…” Dr. Gong, obviously unaccustomed to such rough treatment, looked distressed and disheveled.
“What kind of visit?” Captain Lu asked sharply, as if interrogating a criminal.
Doctor Gong honestly replied, “A poisoning induced by aconite in alcohol.”
Captain Lu: “Did you see the medicated alcohol?”
Doctor Gong hesitated. “No, I didn’t.”
Captain Lu nodded, his gaze returning to Cheng Xiaonan. When he spoke again, his tone was devoid of politeness. “Cheng Xiaonan, your father’s death is suspicious, and you didn’t report it. You were poisoned, and you still didn’t report it. This seems hard to explain.”
A wind suddenly rose in the courtyard, as if heralding an approaching storm.
“Captain—Captain—” The police searching the Cheng mansion returned. “We found a body in the well in the backyard! Judging by the body’s build, it looks like Du Jinnian!”
The crowd was shocked, immediately buzzing with speculation.
Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes, skeptical of the too-convenient developments.
Captain Lu stood with a fierce glare, his face tightened with anger, yet if one looked closely into his eyes, the dark clouds had dispersed, shining brightly, and his voice carried an uncontrollable excitement. “Summon the men. Surround the Cheng family’s residence, lock the main gate, and let no one out!”
His excitement was too apparent, and his orders were too urgent. Not just Captain Xu, who was good at observing people, but even Advisor Wu could see—he had been waiting for this moment.
Cheng Xiaonan could no longer stand, falling to the ground with a crash, even with support.
“It’s over. The Cheng family is finished…” This sentence floated over amidst the noisy whispers.
Before Wu Sheng could look for the speaker, Xu Wang had already given Qian Ai a look, who, understanding, moved precisely next to an old maid who had spoken. With a dark and honest face, he seemingly struck up a casual conversation. “There’s no evidence saying it was the Master who did it. Spend some more money, and in a few days, they’ll be released…”
“That money is of no use,” the old maid whispered back, her voice filled with regret and sorrow. “The Cheng family has been targeted by the police department, just like the Du family back in the day. They’re after all your family’s assets…”
Qian Ai was startled. “The Du family? Du Jinnian’s family?”
“Yes, exactly. Haa, in these times, whether you’re a big family or not, those with guns make the rules. They can just find any excuse, arrest you, seal your house, take what they can take, occupy what they can occupy, and no matter how big the family business, it will fall into ruin… It’s better to leave early…”
Perhaps it was the old maid’s tone, so full of sorrow, or maybe because the chaos of war felt too close, Qian Ai felt a bit distressed. “Where can we run to? There will be wars everywhere in the country…”
The old maid didn’t hear the rest, responding only to the first few words. “To Hong Kong. The Du family has relatives in Hong Kong. I heard they’ve been wanting them to move there too. Alas, they were still a step too late…”
As Qian Ai was uncovering new information, the police had already moved the corpse to the front yard.
The body was swollen, and the face was so decayed it was unrecognizable, but the police said it resembled Du Jinnian, and no one dared to question it.
But Wu Sheng knew it wasn’t.
If it were, he would have given up his submission.
Captain Lu deliberately placed the body in front of Cheng Xiaonan, leisurely watching him.
Cheng Xiaonan’s face was bloodless. “Impossible, this is impossible… He came to me that day to ask about Lao Er. I didn’t know anything. We barely spoke before he left—he really left!” He almost pleaded with Captain Lu. “I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t kill him…”
Obviously, Cheng Xiaonan had determined the body to be Du Jinnian’s, but the body’s condition made it unrecognizable. The only identifiable feature left was…
Wu Sheng’s eyes flashed behind his glasses—the clothes.
“It seems Mr. Cheng has recognized the body, saving us some trouble.” Captain Lu smiled, causing his face to pile together. “Then, Mr. Cheng, please tell us what happened, to save you some trouble when we get to the station.”
“I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t kill anyone…” Cheng Xiaonan repeated, over and over.
Captain Lu’s face fell as he called to his men. “Take Cheng Xiaonan back—”
Going back to the police station would mean the police would lose all their politeness. Cheng Xiaonan knew it better than anyone. This whole affair was meant to doom him.
As he was being lifted, his lips suddenly trembled, as if he wanted to shout something, but before he could open his mouth, someone else spoke first—
“Captain Lu, have you forgotten something?” Hai Yunlong had been patient up to now, not wanting to break ties with the police station, but the situation no longer allowed him to stand by. His form of address* showed he could no longer afford politeness.
*He started using (你) instead of (您) which is the polite form of you.
Captain Lu glanced at the still prostrated, utterly shocked brother of the Fushou Gang. The impatience on his face was evident by his frown, his whole demeanor screaming “I don’t want to deal with this”, while his gaze drifted towards Ying Jiu.
Ying Jiu stepped forward. “This matter, the Fushou Gang should give an explanation.”
“Second Master Cheng’s kidnapping was done by a few shortsighted boys without the Fushou Gang’s knowledge. Someone paid a large sum of money to hire them for the kidnapping, with the ransom split fifty-fifty. After the deed, it was this kid who sent the ransom note…” Ying Jiu’s tone was calm and systematic, not like a suspect defending himself but more like a teacher lecturing. “When I found out, I immediately had them release Second Master Cheng and made sure he reached his doorstep before withdrawing…”
“I regret Second Master Cheng’s ordeal. But the Fushou Gang neither took the ransom nor killed the man. We admit to the kidnapping, and I will personally deliver those kids to the police station.”
His last statement was directed at Captain Lu, who immediately responded, quite courteously, “Thank you, Mr. Jiu.”
Anyone with a discerning eye could see what that attitude implied.
Hai Yunlong understood even better, but the Hai Gang wasn’t to be trifled with. Accustomed to being domineering, he certainly wouldn’t allow anyone to flaunt their power in front of him. “Captain Lu! If Cheng Xiaonan is a suspect, you take him in, yet Master Ying Jiu has already admitted that the Fushou Gang kidnapped someone, but you’re being polite. What kind of reasoning is this?!”
Captain Lu indeed had no ground to stand on, so he rested his hand on the gun at his waist, ready to intimidate, but Ying Jiu gently patted his shoulder.
“Young Master, don’t rush. I haven’t finished talking.” Master Ying Jiu smiled slightly, as if he was having a chat over tea. “The murderer of Second Master Cheng, we’ve already caught them. Please take a look.”
With that, a young man, bound tightly, was brought forward, and upon seeing Hai Yunlong, he burst into tears. “Young master—”
Hai Yunlong was both shocked and angry. “Ying Jiu, what’s the meaning of this?!”
Master Ying Jiu remained silent while a brother from the Fushou Gang who was beside him raised his leg and kicked the bound man.
The young man shuddered violently, clearly having been tortured. His eyes were filled with fear, and he began to spill everything.
It turns out, after Cheng Jiming reached his doorstep and the Fushou Gang brothers had withdrawn, some members of the Hai Gang who had been watching took him for the second time. They were the ones who collected the ransom, killed, and disposed of the body. The Fushou Gang, who had released the victim, was wrongly accused.
As for the mastermind behind the scenes, the young man explicitly identified Hai Yunlong.
The young man was a familiar face of the Hai Gang and especially close to Hai Yunlong, which left Hai Yunlong unable to deny his identity. He could only insist that Ying Jiu had bribed him to frame him. “Ying Jiu, you have no proof. Don’t try to throw dirty water on me!”
“No proof?” Master Ying Jiu looked leisurely at the young man.
The young man shuddered again and suddenly shouted, “I have evidence. I have evidence—”
In a short while, police who had gone to dig for evidence on the back mountain returned, bringing back a bag of silver dollars wrapped in a ragged piece of clothing.
The silver dollars, taken by the young man in a moment of greed, were part of the ransom. Though the words “ransom” weren’t written on the silver dollars, the ragged clothing wrapping them was what Second Master Cheng was wearing when he was kidnapped.
Several maids from the Cheng family could testify that the pattern on it was stitched by them, needle by needle.
With both testimonial and physical evidence available, Captain Lu’s face nearly split with a smile, and even his voice became gentler and patient. “Young Master, we’re not saying you definitely ordered this, but looking at the current situation… you might have to come back to the station with us.”
“I won’t go—” Hai Yunlong stepped back abruptly, looking at Ying Jiu and then at Captain Lu. As if realizing something, his eyes filled with rage. “This is a setup. You’re trying to frame me, frame the Hai Gang—”
He understood.
So did Wu Sheng.
But Wu Sheng saw something more—Cheng Xiaonan began to yawn, one after another, unnaturally frequently, looking around as if searching for something, yet his gaze was unfocused.
He was having a bout of opium withdrawal.
Captain Lu saw it too and immediately seized the opportunity, stepping forward to Cheng Xiaonan, asking with feigned concern, “What’s wrong, Master?”
Cheng Xiaonan grabbed him like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline. “Let me have a few puffs… Just a few…”
Captain Lu shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. The case is still unclear, Master. You’ll have to come back to the station with us.”
“It’s clear. It’s clear!” Cheng Xiaonan’s fingernails were almost digging into Captain Lu’s flesh. At this moment, he didn’t seem human but more like a ghost. “It was Hai Huiping who poisoned my father. It was Hai Huiping who had someone kill my brother. It was all that bitch’s doing. She even wanted to poison me! Quick… give me some opium…”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Hai Huiping, who had been hiding among the Cheng family members in mourning attire, became hysterical, screaming shrilly.
Immediately, two junior officers rushed to her side, but they didn’t arrest her and just stood guard.
Cheng Xiaonan had completely lost his mind, turning back to yell at Hai Huiping. “It was you! You seduced me, saying my brother never touched you and that he wasn’t a real man! I just wanted to make some money. I never wanted my brother to die—”
“Cheng Xiaonan, you’re slandering me!” Hai Huiping was trembling all over, whether from anger or fear.
Cheng Xiaonan couldn’t hear her anymore, continuing to sob and wail to Captain Lu, no longer resembling the Master of the Cheng family. “I really didn’t kill anyone. I just wanted to make some money… My father wouldn’t give me any… I’m the eldest son. Why should all the inheritance go to my brother…”
Captain Lu, disgusted, was about to push him away when Master Ying Jiu handed him an opium pipe from the side.
Captain Lu paused, then, understanding, took the opium pipe and waved it in front of Cheng Xiaonan.
Cheng Xiaonan, like a dying man seeing a panacea, reached out eagerly.
Captain Lu raised the opium pipe high, teasing him like teasing a monkey, while provocatively asking, “She instigated the murder of your brother. Did she also instigate the murder of your father? The Old Master was close to uncovering the truth. You then poured water in front of his door to make ice, failed in one attempt, and then poisoned him. Are you even human?”
Cheng Xiaonan’s eyes darkened, clearly more stimulated by the mention of “father” than “brother”, but at this moment, it was unclear whether he was truly coming back to his senses or descending into a deeper frenzy. “I didn’t expect the old man to be so tough… It’s all because he was partial… Because he was partial…”
Towards the end, he actually laughed. Despite his face being covered in tears and snot, his smile was twisted and bizarre.
With that, the situation became clear.
Cheng Xiaonan and Hai Huiping hired the Fushou Gang to kidnap someone—of course, they definitely didn’t reveal their identities. Cheng Xiaonan, as he said, likely just wanted to make some money, hence the ransom split fifty-fifty; but Hai Huiping might have wanted Cheng Jiming dead from the start, so when she found out the Fushou Gang had released him, she directly hired people from the Hai Gang for a second kidnapping, and after receiving the ransom, they killed him.
Whether Cheng Xiaonan was willing or not, and whether there was any affair between him and Hai Huiping, became irrelevant. A life had tied him, Hai Huiping, Hai Yunlong, and even the entire Hai Gang together on the same boat.
When Old Master Cheng commissioned Mr. Bai to investigate Cheng Jiming’s death and was close to the truth, Mr. Bai received a warning note from the Hai Gang, Old Master Cheng slipped on ice, and from then on was bedridden, likely poisoned little by little from that time.
Hai Huiping wanted power, Cheng Xiaonan wanted money, and Hai Yunlong likely wanted to swallow the entire Cheng family. The three, each with their own schemes, orchestrated a series of tragic events.
All these were within Wu Sheng’s deductions. The only thing he hadn’t expected was—Master Ying Jiu and Captain Lu seemed to know the case better than him, the “detective”.
From the moment the police stormed into the Cheng family mansion, first claiming to investigate, then step by step, link by link, they brought out Cheng Xiaonan, Hai Huiping, and Hai Yunlong.
Although far from “irrefutable evidence”, just inviting the three to the police station for “tea” would likely lead them to confess everything, whether they were guilty or not.
This wasn’t a situation formed by fluke.
If Xu Wang hadn’t been “possessed” to scare that Fushou Gang brother, Ying Jiu could have directly thrown out the bound young man from the Hai Gang, claiming the kidnapping was entirely the Hai Gang’s doing, completely skipping over the Fushou Gang’s framed charge, making the situation even more perfect.
Or to say, closer to some original plan.
This was a grand play of cooperation, both overt and covert, with Ying Jiu and Captain Lu in the open and another hand in the dark.
Wu Sheng pulled over Chi Yingxue, whispering a few words.
Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow, not understanding his purpose, but still turned to leave.
“Arrest them all. Seal the Cheng family mansion. During the investigation, no outsiders are allowed in or out—” With the case clear, Captain Lu’s order was resolute.
Before the policemen in the yard could act, those guarding outside rushed in. “Captain, the Hai Gang and Fushou Gang are fighting outside!”
Captain Lu glanced at Ying Jiu without doubt but with a bit of worry.
Master Ying Jiu gave him a reassuring smile.
Captain Lu was relieved and yelled at the stationary junior officers, “What are you standing around for? Arrest them!”
“Yes!” The junior officers, now with orders, had no hesitations. Regardless of whether they were a master or a young gang leader, they were arrested without discrimination.
The Hai Gang’s young leader wasn’t so easily caught. Outside the Cheng family mansion, a fierce battle ensued.
But the Fushou Gang wasn’t to be underestimated. If the Hai Gang brought people to rescue, they brought people to block. It became a standoff over who could outfight whom—after all, it was clear which side the police station was on.
The Fushou Gang alone against the Hai Gang had no chance, but Fushou Gang + police station…
Wu Sheng, watching Master Ying Jiu’s calm demeanor, thought that if this were a segment of history that could continue, from then on, Tianjin might no longer have the Hai Gang.
Chi Yingxue hurried back with the news. “Didn’t find Cheng Yixin.”
Wu Sheng nodded, the last bit of doubt in his mind settling.
The fight outside eventually spilled inside, turning into a grand melee. The five friends used Xu Wang’s offense stationery + Qian Ai’s defense stationery to escape the chaos.
Once in a safe area, Qian Ai scratched his head. “The case is all clear now, but what about Du Jinnian?”
Wu Sheng said, “I know.”
……
In front of Cheng Jiming’s grave.
A young man in a plain, long robe was speaking softly to the grave’s occupant. He didn’t burn paper money but just spoke quietly, as if he was saying goodbye rather than paying tribute.
“I’m leaving now, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to return. But rest assured, I will treat Xin’er as my own daughter…”
He spoke for a long time, so long that he checked his pocket watch repeatedly, and upon the third check, he finally stood up, took one last reluctant look at the tombstone, and turned to leave.
But he had barely taken a step when he froze.
Five people were approaching.
One in a suit, handsome and refined; one in monk’s robes, bald and shining; one in a long robe and jacket, with a serene yet somehow menacing air; one young and naively charming; another dark-skinned, with a powerful build.
The five walked side by side in brisk steps with varying heights, dressed in different styles, making it difficult to discern what kind of organization they might belong to.
As they came within a few steps of each other, four of them suddenly stopped. Only the handsome, refined young man in a suit took a half step forward, naturally drawing the focus to him.
“The body of Old Master Cheng, it was you who intentionally carried it away and gave it to Ying Jiu and Hai Yunlong…”
The young man adjusted his glasses, speaking clearly and logically.
“Your move gave Ying Jiu an excuse to enter the Cheng household and also implicated Hai Yunlong. Even if he didn’t go, with Ying Jiu refusing to leave the Cheng residence, Hai Huiping would have called her brother to stand guard…”
“Cheng Xiaonan thought it was Hai Huiping who poisoned him, but it wasn’t. It was you. You needed the Cheng family’s case to be as complicated as possible—the more cases there are, the more reason the police have to search the place…”
“Targeting Hai Huiping and Hai Yunlong is equivalent to targeting the Hai Gang. The Fushou Gang couldn’t do it, nor could the police department, but together, they could. Once the Hai Gang was scattered, the Fushou Gang would take the territory, and the police department would benefit. You, who used their hands, killed three birds with just one stone—Hai Yunlong, Hai Huiping, Cheng Xiaonan—all to avenge Cheng Jiming.”
Taking a deep breath, Wu Sheng pulled out a seal from his chest.
The young man in plain clothes showed a flicker of surprise. “How did it end up with you?”
“Sorry, I searched the Cheng family mansion earlier than the police.” Wu Sheng smiled, but his eyes were cold. “If this seal ended up in the hands of the police, the matter of Du Jinnian dying at the Cheng residence would be confirmed, right?”
The young man in plain clothes remained silent.
Wu Sheng sighed. “For revenge, you didn’t hesitate to harm another life?”
The young man was startled, then shook his head. “I didn’t. He was a poor soul from the mass graves. When I found him, he was already dead. I merely borrowed his body.” Lowering his eyes, the young man’s voice carried apology and shame. “If I meet him in the underworld, I’ll apologize to him…”
Wu Sheng was taken aback by his response, pausing before saying, “Xue Qingshan commissioned me, saying his best friend had disappeared and asked for my help to find him. Money was no object; he was just afraid something had happened to his friend.”
The doubt that had lingered in the young man’s eyes now dissolved into understanding, and his look towards Wu Sheng became less guarded, tinged with a wry smile. “I did say I was going far away… Ah, please apologize to him for me.”
Wu Sheng sighed. “In just a short while, you’ve wronged two people.”
The young man, not expecting to be teased, seemed to want to laugh but couldn’t, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Jiming died too horribly. I couldn’t let him go without clarity. I originally wanted to seek revenge through the Fushou Gang, but later discovered the real culprit was someone else. I’m not afraid of Cheng Xiaonan, but I couldn’t take on the Hai Gang alone…”
Wu Sheng: “So you used Ying Jiu? The Hai Gang thug who embezzled the ransom, you gave him to Ying Jiu, right?”
“It’s not about using.” The young man said, “My little tricks couldn’t deceive Master Jiu. He was just happy to go along with it.”
Wu Sheng: “Where is Cheng Yixin?”
The young man, caught off guard, looked at Wu Sheng incredulously.
Wu Sheng shrugged. “The items Chen Yidou stole were for leaving a way out for Cheng Yixin. You knew that once this matter came to light, the Cheng family would fall, just as your family did, so you had to leave enough money for her—enough for you and her to live in Hong Kong…”
“Actually, you didn’t want Chen Yidou to probe into the Cheng mansion, but there was no choice. This time, you were stealing a living person. If Cheng Yixin disappeared the night before, the Cheng family would surely be in chaos, which would affect the subsequent steps, so Cheng Yixin could only disappear the next day, quietly amidst the chaos in the front courtyard…”
The young man fell silent, having nothing to add.
“These stars are not those of last night, for whom do the wind and dew stand deep into the night?” Wu Sheng pulled out the note found in Cheng Jiming’s study, reciting it softly.
A complex emotion welled up in the young man’s eyes.
“This is from Huang Jingren’s ‘Qi Huai’ poem number fifteen*. I’m not good at literature, but I’m good at love poems.” Wu Sheng spoke naturally, his confidence seamlessly integrated into his demeanor. “I’ve always wondered what the red crescent mark at the end of the note meant. Until just now…”
*It is work fifteen in “Qi Huai”, which is a collection of sixteen poems by Huang Jingren. I’ll provide my analysis of this and how it applies to this instance in my Kinky Thoughts.
He unfolded the note towards the young man, the other hand holding Du Jinnian’s seal with “Yu Sheng” engraved on it, gently pressing the bottom of the seal onto the red crescent. The edge of the seal fit perfectly with the crescent’s edge; even the tiny chip on the seal was clearly imprinted on the crescent’s edge.
“This isn’t just any crescent moon, but a seal. The person stamping it regretted it the moment it touched the paper.”
So, only half of the red edge was stamped, not the letters.
The young man’s eyes reddened, whether from the emotions he’d invested or the memories of those gone.
Wu Sheng had only one last question—not crucial but still curious if the other party was willing to answer. “Is it because of you that Cheng Jiming doesn’t touch Hai Huiping?”
“No.” The young man didn’t hesitate before shaking his head. “We were just friends. The letters I wrote…” He smiled bitterly. “I never received a response.”
Taking a deep breath, he calmed his gaze, devoid of any bitterness, only resignation and remembrance. “His heart had room only for Lanxin, and no one else could enter after her.”
Zhou Lanxin, Cheng Jiming’s official wife.
Cheng Yixin, Yi, Xin*.
*Clarity: His daughter is named Yi Xin (忆欣) which translated would mean to recall/remember Xin (his wife).
“Aren’t you leaving?” Wu Sheng suddenly urged. “The ship to Hong Kong is about to depart, isn’t it? Any later, and Chen Yidou might worry about not being able to deliver the hard-stolen young lady.”
“You’re not arresting me?” The young man in plain clothes was astonished.
Wu Sheng adjusted his glasses, smiling. “We’re not police. Why would we arrest you?”
After saying this, he looked back.
A young monk behind him stepped forward confidently, pointing at the young man in plain clothes, putting a conclusive stamp on this tumultuous saga—
“Du Jinnian, we finally found you!”
[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 11/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]
……
Back at the hotel, just as he was about to fall asleep, Xu Wang remembered to ask, “What exactly is Master Yan Yi carrying on his shoulders?”
Wu Sheng, even more sleepy, muttered with his eyes closed. “Not sure…”
Xu Wang, persistent, pressed, “Then share your guess.”
Wu Sheng, struggling to keep his eyelids up, asked, “What’s the reward for telling?”
Xu Wang raised an eyebrow. “None. But there’s a punishment for not telling.”
Wu Sheng: “……”
Negotiations are all about who can hold out longer, and clearly, Advisor Wu was outmaneuvered.
“I guess he might have seen Cheng Jiming’s body being dumped; maybe he even recognized someone from the Hai Gang, but he didn’t want to cause trouble, so he kept quiet…”
“It seems like he feels guilty…” Xu Wang, recalling his observations of Master Yan Yi throughout the night, somewhat agreed but added, “Could it be something else? Are you sure it’s about witnessing Cheng Jiming’s body being dumped?”
Wu Sheng: “I’ve asked around. When Cheng Jiming was kidnapped last year, Master Yan Yi was meditating in the mountains. Later, the mass grave where Cheng Jiming’s body was dumped was on that mountain.”
Xu Wang: “……”
You’ve asked about that too? What else hasn’t his advisor considered?
Wu Sheng: “……”
Since his sleep was already disturbed, why not… pull him closer, tackle him, and get down to business?
“Why are you still looking at me? I’ve asked everything I wanted to. Let’s go to sleep. When we wake up, let’s go have Changwang noodles and sour soup fish!”
“…Mm.”
Kinky Thoughts:
Oh, what a bittersweet instance. Wu Sheng, you need to be more assertive!
The full poem is:
Many a time, beneath the flowers I sit and play the flute, the Milky Way and red walls enter my distant gaze. These stars are not those of last night, for whom do the wind and dew stand deep into the night. Entwined thoughts exhaust as I draw the remaining cocoon, my heart aches as I peel the banana from the back. Three to five years, three to five months, pitifully, the cup of wine has never faded.
The poem represents the poet who is sober, knowing that the past won’t reappear, and it is precisely this soberness that he falls into despair. All his illusory comfort has disappeared, leaving only a lonely person to maintain the posture of looking at the moon (one of longing).
The poet continues to stare into the sky while the cold dew of night wets his clothes. He knows that this kind of waiting has no fruition and tries to “peel” away from his longing and disillusionment, yet he can’t help but still longs.
As the years pass, from three to five, the fine wine has now become bitter, illustrating how he can’t break out of the gap between the past and reality.
This basically represents Du Jinnian’s one-sided love for Cheng Jiming. He knows the reality, yet he can never escape his feelings for him. Even as he tries to move on, the bitterness of his unrequited love lingers.
When Kuang Jinxin was caught, Chi Yingxue was drinking mineral water.
Today was the day of the Old Master’s encoffinment, yet Ying Jiu had the brothers from the Fushou Gang wandering around the Cheng family mansion. Ostensibly, they appeared to be helping the bereaved family by guarding the house, but secretly, they were ordered not to let anyone from the mansion escape.
Chi Yingxue had a premonition that something was about to happen, so he delegated the task of analysis and deduction to the advisor in the front courtyard and then leisurely strolled around the Cheng family mansion, even managing to get a bottle of mineral water.
It was essentially soda with a hint of mint. It wasn’t very delicious, but it was sweet and refreshing.
The person was caught under the wall in the back garden. Chi Yingxue happened to be strolling nearby, heard the commotion, and came over, seeing a boy about fifteen or sixteen years old surrounded by three brothers from the Fushou Club.
“Young Master Wu—” Seeing him approach, the three brothers respectfully greeted him.
“Mm,” Chi Yingxue responded indifferently.
This classmate was naturally talented at being a young master; without any pretense, just by being his true self, he embodied the persona of a young master.
The boy surrounded by the three was of average appearance, the kind that would blend into a crowd unnoticed, except for his large, round eyes that were bright and clear. His clothes, however, were extremely ugly, seemingly scavenged from somewhere, and matched the color of the wall so well that he almost became invisible against it.
The fact that he was discovered despite this camouflage, the brothers from the Fushou Gang indeed had sharp eyes.
As Chi Yingxue thought about these random things, he casually asked the three brothers from the Fushou Gang, “Trying to run?”
Ying Jiu had ordered them “not to let a single one escape”, so Chi Yingxue naturally assumed that the boy was from the Cheng family and was trying to escape over the wall for some ulterior reason.
Unexpectedly, one of the Fushou Gang brothers said, “He’s been lurking around the wall for a while now. He doesn’t seem like one of the Cheng’s. We asked a few maids and servants, and they all said they didn’t recognize him.”
Another brother interjected irritably, “I said earlier, there’s no need to ask. This one’s clearly a little thief, sneaking in to take advantage during the chaos…”
Chi Yingxue hadn’t been paying much attention, planning to hand the boy over to Ying Jiu and tell Wu Sheng about this incident. As for how to deal with the boy and whether this side story was useful, that was for those two to worry about.
But the word “thief” struck a nerve.
[Qian Ai said he saw a thief that might be him, but he ran away without catching him.]
Chi Yingxue looked at the boy again, this time seriously observing him.
Ignoring everything else, he just looked into the boy’s eyes.
Those eyes were looking back at him.
A bit panicked, but not afraid. Instead, there was a bit of calculation hidden behind that panic, orderly and progressive.
Chi Yingxue’s eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled lightly.
That’s it.
Everyone thought Xiao Sijin was naive and without schemes, but that wasn’t the case; he was cunning in a very quiet, harmless way that wasn’t easily aggressive. Thus, he could successfully remain invisible among Xu Wang’s eccentricity and Wu Sheng’s flamboyance, just like the clothes he was wearing now.
“I’ll take him to see Master Jiu. You guys look around some more and see if there are any accomplices.” Chi Yingxue smiled faintly, his smile quietly receding.
Kuang Jinxin followed the Young Master Wu who had caught him, walking a distance, and seeing that they were heading towards a secluded area with no one around, he suddenly used his shoulder to bump into the side of the person next to him!
The side of the waist is tender and least resistant to bumps; if hit directly, it could easily cause a strain.
Kuang Jinxin, afraid of seriously injuring the person, didn’t use full force, just aiming to buy some time to escape. If this bump wasn’t enough, he was ready to use his stationery—his escape plan was well thought out.
His master had asked him to scout, and he had complied, but now that he had failed, he needed to ensure his own safety—his safety was one of the conditions for the advisor to successfully complete the mission.
Kuang Jinxin believed the surprise attack would catch the other off guard, but the other party, as if anticipating it, dodged.
Kuang Jinxin missed and stumbled forward, about to fall, but was pulled back just in time, and before he could steady himself, he was handed a bottle of mineral water.
No, half a bottle.
Holding the mineral water amidst the faint mint scent, Kuang Jinxin looked bewilderedly at the person in front of him.
From the moment he was caught, he had only thought about escaping, never really looking at this person.
But as soon as his gaze fell on him, the person across said, “Ugly.”
Kuang Jinxin was stunned. “Huh?”
The person frowned. “Your clothes—they’re too ugly.”
Kuang Jinxin was momentarily dazed, then a tentative, careful joy appeared in his eyes. “Xiao Xue?”
Chi Yingxue was a bit unhappy about being recognized so late, until he saw the joy in Kuang Jinxin’s eyes and felt quite important. Thus, “I’m very important” outweighed “I’m hard to recognize”, and Chi Yingxue’s mood also lightened.
“Are the captain and the others here too?” Kuang Jinxin looked around. Both he and Chi Yingxue appearing at the Cheng residence didn’t seem like a coincidence.
“They’re in the front courtyard.” Chi Yingxue gave a definitive answer, then succinctly introduced everyone’s roles. “The captain is chanting sutras, the advisor is investigating the case, and Lao Qian is keeping vigil.”
“……” Kuang Jinxin wanted to see Qian Ai first. Even if he couldn’t offer warmth, lending a hand would be good.
“Mineral water.” Chi Yingxue’s voice came from above, like a child eager to please.
They were standing face-to-face, already close enough for whispering, but Chi Yingxue, for some reason, had moved even closer. Kuang Jinxin, much shorter than Young Master Wu, had to tilt his head up to look at Chi Yingxue’s face.
But he didn’t tilt his head.
Instead, he cooperatively took a big gulp of the mineral soda and then exhaled a breath of cool air. “Mint flavored.”
Chi Yingxue, expecting a smile in return, felt a bit disappointed, as if the joy seen in the other’s eyes when they recognized each other was just an illusion.
Kuang Jinxin hadn’t smiled at him for several days—not since that night.
The rejection was his; the one who couldn’t distinguish between liking and loneliness was him, yet he was the one being avoided.
Moreover, Kuang Jinxin didn’t blatantly avoid him; he would still talk to him and discuss tactics with no apparent difference on the surface. But if it was just the two of them, every conversation would end with a grand excuse for him to run off, faster than a loach!
Chi Yingxue had never been fixated on anything; he only took what was easily within reach, what could be touched with a mere extension of his hand, effortless and carefree. He would hold on if he wanted to and let go if he didn’t, and in fact, he had never really wanted to hold on to anything.
Kuang Jinxin was initially in front of him.
He didn’t even need to reach out; by simply lifting his eyes, he could see that person smiling at him.
But that person smiled at everyone, and he wanted to keep him by his side, to look at only himself.
……
Chi Yingxue wanted to talk more with Kuang Jinxin, even if just about the side story of why he came to the Cheng residence, but Kuang Jinxin suggested they go to the front courtyard together to find Wu Sheng and talk to the team.
Chi Yingxue couldn’t find a reason to object, so he tied up a servant, took his jacket, put it on Kuang Jinxin to cover the original color of his clothes, and then hurried to the front courtyard together.
But upon entering the courtyard, they stumbled upon a spectacle—a little monk performing the ritual had been possessed by Old Master Cheng’s spirit.
The courtyard was packed, three layers inside and out. Despite the horrifying situation, the presence of “many people generating strong yang energy” didn’t deter the servants’ enthusiasm for watching the excitement.
As Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin squeezed forward through the crowd, the little monk in the memorial hall was pointing at Cheng Xiaonan’s nose, cursing.
“How did I give birth to such a beast—”
“Poisoning your own father… cough cough… worse than a beast—”
“Lao Er*, where are you! Your father has come to find you—”
*Second brother (老二). In this case, he’s referring to the second born son.
The curses were full of vehemence and tears. His voice was lowered to a rough and aged tone, complemented by intense coughing, making it impressively vivid. Not only the listening crowd outside who couldn’t see, but even those who could see the little monk’s face were convinced they were hearing Old Master Cheng himself.
Moreover, Old Master Cheng’s body was still nearby, adding to the impression with his appearance and smile—the ritual had just begun, and Old Master Cheng’s soul had returned, but his body hadn’t yet been placed into the coffin and still lay on the funeral bed.
Cheng Xiaonan’s face was already pale. He had forced himself to come to the ceremony—since the deceased was to be encoffined, it was the duty of the filial son to carry the coffin—arriving with unsteady steps. Now, after being scolded fiercely, he was both angry and afraid, his mouth quivering for a long time, barely able to utter a sentence.
No one dared to speak up or come forward to stop it—who would dare to intervene when a ghost was possessing someone?
Even Ying Jiu and Hai Yunlong were just watching from the side, one with deeply furrowed brows, the other with a panicked look.
Master Yan Yi was also there with an expression that remained unchanged throughout the entire process, focusing solely on chanting sutras.
After the little monk had finished his tirade, he suddenly turned his head, giving Master Yan Yi a deep look.
There was a momentary pause in Master Yan Yi’s chanting.
The little monk fell to the ground with a thud, as if his soul had been pulled out, completely unconscious.
Qian Ai, mingling in the front lines of the servant crowd, was astonished.
Using possession? Their captain was truly an acting genius.
The entire memorial hall fell silent, everyone looking at each other, no one daring to move. About two or three minutes later, Cheng Xiaonan seemed to regain his breath. With a deathly pale complexion, he shouted to the people below, “Come, someone… take him away!”
A few braver servants, looking at each other, cautiously approached.
Just two steps forward, the little monk who had been lying unconscious suddenly sprang up like a carp flipping over, lively and bright-eyed, rushing to Old Master Cheng’s funeral bed and wailing loudly, “Dad, I’m back! Lao Er is back—”
The servants approaching fell to the ground, one after another.
The crowd around the memorial hall gasped in shock.
Old Master Cheng’s ghost had really called his second son back from the underworld!
Possession 2.0 was even more dramatic than 1.0 because, after crying over his father, “Second Master Cheng” suddenly rushed towards the entrance of the memorial hall!
The crowd, originally packed tight, screamed and scattered at the sight of someone charging at them.
“Second Master Cheng” burst out of the memorial hall, and in the ensuing chaos, no one noticed a servant quietly raising his hand.
And “Second Master Cheng” ran straight towards that servant, ultimately tackling a brother from the Fushou Gang right beside him!
“Why did you harm me! Give me back my life—” “Second Master Cheng” cried out miserably, his eyes bloodshot!
Qian Ai, who had been tracking this person while enjoying the spectacle, quietly blended into the crowd. The task assigned by the advisor was completed, and now he could focus on the show.
“Ahhhh—” The man struggled to shake off the “ghost” on top of him. He screamed, “Don’t find me! Don’t find me! I did tie you up, but I didn’t harm you—”
Ying Jiu, making his way over, paused at these words, his face turning completely somber.
The objective was achieved.
Xu Wang hid his delight, ready to start the third part against Master Yan Yi, when suddenly a gunshot rang out above the Cheng family mansion.
Xu Wang instinctively dropped to the ground, covering the Fushou Gang brother beneath him, playing dead—scene over, work done.
Wu Sheng, blending into the crowd, watched as a large group of police officers rushed in from outside, quickly surrounding the entire front courtyard.
The leader was a man with a rugged face in his thirties, the one who had fired the gun. Though he was wearing a police uniform, he looked more like a bandit at a glance.
Seeing the situation under control, he scanned the crowd, quickly nodding subtly in a certain direction, then turned towards Cheng Xiaonan and said to the Cheng family members, “Someone reported that Old Master Cheng died of poisoning, and the Master was also deliberately poisoned last night. Du Jinnian also disappeared in the Cheng family—”
Wu Sheng clearly saw that the man was nodding at Ying Jiu.
Here, Cheng Xiaonan, supported by the maid, came forward to greet them with an apologetic face, but his underlying panic and irritation resurfaced. “Captain Lu, could there be a mistake? We didn’t report anything…”
Captain Lu smiled. “Master Cheng, someone did report, and matters of life and death are paramount. It looks like your funeral might have to be postponed…”
“Captain Lu.” Hai Yunlong stepped forward.
Captain Lu feigned surprise. “The Young Gang Leader is also here.”
Hai Yunlong didn’t bother with pleasantries. Today’s situation was clearly targeting the Cheng family, which meant disrespecting the Hai Gang. He cut to the chase. “Since you’re investigating, why not look into my brother-in-law’s case as well.”
Captain Lu didn’t expect him to bring this up; Cheng Jiming’s kidnapping and murder case from last year still had no resolution, and they couldn’t really assert themselves on this matter but still kept it separate. “We’re still investigating Second Master Cheng’s case. Actually, we’ve got some leads. It’s just not convenient to reveal yet…”
Hai Yunlong waited for him to finish his act, then signaled someone nearby.
Soon, the “unconscious” Xu Wang was dragged aside, and the brother from the Fushou Gang underneath him was brought before Captain Lu.
“It just so happens, I’ve got some leads here,” Hai Yunlong said with an icy gaze. “This brother from the Fushou Gang just admitted in front of everyone present that he was the one who tied up Second Master Cheng. Captain Lu, would you like to let this little brother continue speaking, or—” he raised his eyes, looking past the crowd to Ying Jiu. “Does Master Jiu have something to say?”
This turn of events wasn’t in Wu Sheng’s plan, but he was more than happy to see it.
In a deadlock, chaos creates opportunity. He had Xu Wang perform the possession act for this reason. More importantly, the police explicitly mentioned the “disappearance of Du Jinnian”.
All the connected clues finally aligned with the main mission.
……
Wu Sheng and Qian Ai, taking advantage of the moment when everyone’s attention was on Hai Yunlong and Captain Lu, pretended to be concerned bystanders and gently helped Xu Wang up.
Captain Xu then “woke up”, looking around bewildered. “Huh? What happened to me?”
Kuang Jinxin, having watched a horror movie turn into a mystery and then a cop drama, was a bit lost.
Chi Yingxue, making use of the crowd pushing against each other, naturally put his arm around Kuang Jinxin’s shoulder. His mind wasn’t following the plot at all. Whether it was possession or gunshots in front of him, he was undisturbed, eventually even taking back the mineral water he had given to Kuang Jinxin and taking a serious sip.
When they embraced, Nol often whispered in his ear. These whispers were mostly soft and gentle, like velvet brushing against the ear. This time, however, it was closer to an ice pick scraping the tip of the ear. Teest turned his head, unable to resist sniffing the air.
Fortunately, he didn’t smell any suspicious stench of decay.
Nol smelled of herbs, mild soap, and sun-warmed linen. He looked at Teest honestly, again having no idea what he had done… Or did he really have no idea?
Whenever Teest thought he had grasped this person, the Nol between his fingers would become ethereal again. He had accompanied Nol all this way, and upon reflection, it seemed that no one in Paradise had truly seen him.
…Maybe Nol sealed the harmful knowledge within himself, which allowed him to live normally.
…Maybe Nol is fake, just a puppet of some existence. This image is its tool, and “self” is just part of the disguise.
…Maybe all the events were arranged by Nol, such as neutralizing the concept of the “Demon King”, such as gathering forces to fight against Star Stealer Sol. Maybe Star Stealer Sol is the “hero” who painstakingly domesticates humans and suppresses the Demon King with all his might. Who knows?
Everything was ambiguous.
Teest’s mouth tasted bitterness. He couldn’t help but sigh, his fingers brushing through Nol’s slightly long black hair. Nol, oblivious, smiled at him, a smile Nol always liked, as if to say, “It’s okay. The difficulties will pass.”
Surrounded by many possibilities, Teest could only be sure of one thing. In his life, he would never again encounter such an enchanting and heart-wrenching mystery—
A delicious and soft god, seasoned with the bitter spices of fear and danger. Maybe with added alcohol. Otherwise, the burning sensation in his chest, like frostbite, couldn’t be explained.
“It’s not a big deal.” Teest kissed the tip of Nol’s nose. “I believe you are aware of your anomalies. The dragon has already proposed a solution, and it won’t delay the important matters.”
Nol breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
To be honest, the back of his head was still a bit numb, and his heartbeat was a bit irregular. He knew he had forgotten something but couldn’t remember what.
What was it?
“In the worst case—if you were to destroy the world, I would still be with you, so there’s no need to worry.” Teest offered a rare sincere comfort.
Nol: “……” It was so considerate, he almost agreed.
And judging by the expressions of Painter and Lynn not far away, his anxiety might have transferred to them.
Miraculously, his irregular heartbeat gradually calmed down.
……
The next day, in the Dragon Council Chamber.
This was the largest cave in the entire Dragon’s Lair. It was located at the highest point of the Dragon’s Lair, with three-quarters of it open to the outside, supported by smooth stone pillars, offering a vast expanse of blue sky.
As promised, Red Dragon Granatum brought them in front of Subelbot.
Subelbot was the oldest dragon in the entire Dragon’s Lair.
He was twice the size of a typical adult dragon, with a snow-white body, and his scales shone as beautifully as pearls. Surging magical power flowed along those scales, creating dream-like halos. He had a pair of silver-white eyes like moonlight, with dragon horn tips nearly transparent, as if they glowed on their own.
At this moment, it lowered its head, looking down at the four unexpected guests.
This white dragon was as beautiful as Nol remembered.
[I recognize this head.] Teest’s very anticlimactic comment came through. [Haven’t seen it in half a year. Kinda miss it.]
[You better not mention this.]
Nol was on high alert. Back then, he had jammed the white dragon’s head to beat the Lord of Whitebird City. Fearing that Subelbot would recognize him, he didn’t dare bring Kando with him.
[Alright, I’ll just laugh secretly.] Teest cooperated, showing no sign of last night’s low spirits.
“State your name, Dracolich.”
Subelbot ‘s voice was deep, with no emotion in his vertical pupils. From the moment they entered, he only stared at Nol and Teest, as if the others were just insignificant dust.
At the same time, Red Dragon Granatum also looked over curiously. It was evident that he had wanted to ask earlier but didn’t due to hierarchy.
Good. His bet was right.
“Nolerwin.” Nol confidently said.
One of the oldest members of the Black Dragon clan, the author of the foundational theories of dragon magic, one of the few dragons Subelbot respected. Its ending was disappearance, leaving behind an unknown last work—a side quest of the Dragon’s Lair.
Sure enough, Subelbot narrowed his eyes, silent for two seconds.
The Red Dragon stepped forward with understanding. “That’s great. If I had known it was you, I would have proposed a knowledge exchange yesterday. This generation has a child of mixed red and blue dragon lineage, and their magic system is quite…”
“If the parents are of the same tier, their powers negate each other. It’s possible to remove one side’s magic through medication before the baptism. Since they’ve undergone the baptism, the only option is to destroy the core of both magic systems and manually forge a new circuit.”
“If you can’t perform such a surgery now, I’ll do it myself—I guess that’s what you want to hear.”
Nolerwin did indeed exist, but in the end, all of this was his creation. Of course, he could replicate it perfectly.
Nol raised his head, releasing a bit of his aura at the right moment.
“As a bargaining chip, I can also tell you the location of the last work.”
Strictly speaking, this world seemed to have a lifespan of only about 200 years, but to these dragons, Nolerwin indeed disappeared over 600 years ago. No matter how strong a dragon was, being separated from the clan for more than 500 years was considered abandoning the clan. Even if he claimed the title of dragon ancestor, an “outcast” trying to command the current leader with seniority was absolutely impossible.
Moreover, he was essentially different from the giant dragons, being a Dracolich.
Nol’s only goal was to make the arrogant Subelbot willingly and equally cooperate with him.
“The legacy of the Dragon’s Lair originally belongs to the Dragon’s Lair.” As expected, Subelbot didn’t compromise immediately, his pupils narrowing to a slit. “We have hundreds of years to continue searching. The dragons will not lower their heads for such small favors, outcast.” The other giant dragons stood silently by his side, unmoving.
“Bringing these humans here specially is because of the matter with the White Dragon Telistam. I can’t smell the scent of revengeful liquor… Offering treatment, pointing out the legacy, you want to excuse humans, outcast.”
Subsequently, Subelbot continued with a determined tone.
“They killed Telistam, they must pay the price. The dragons will not ignore the death of their kin.”
Damn. Nol’s back tensed with nervousness, yet he had to force a profound smile on his face. Even knowing Subelbot’s character, this guy was indeed not easy to deal with. The dragon leader wasn’t like the Red Dragon Sage, who had desires that were easy to grasp.
“I see.” Lynn timely took over the conversation.
“Silence, little worm.” Subelbot moved his huge head. “This is a conversation between dragons.”
“I am Mr. Nol—Nolerwin apprentice.” Lynn bowed respectfully. “Your stubbornness has greatly disappointed my mentor, who prefers not to converse with the obstinate. Hence, I shall speak on his behalf.”
Nol watched Lynn excitedly. To be this unflustered, truly a strong person refined by traditional big corporations!
“May I ask Lord Subelbot, which is more important: Telistam, who has been an outcast for over 200 years, or a newly born dragon?”
Anger tinged the White Dragon’s tone. “You dare to compare the lives of dragons…”
“Please answer me directly, to prove my foolishness,” Lynn said with a smile.
“No thing can measure the life of a dragon.” Subelbot proudly lifted his head. “Nor can anything buy the glory of the dragons.”
“I understand. Anyone who dares to harm an innocent dragon must be properly punished,” Lynn firmly agreed. “Those who uphold the glory of the dragons also deserve the best rewards.”
Subelbot: “Yes.”
“What kind of punishment, and what kind of reward?” Lynn asked.
“Those who harm the innocent must pay with blood. Those who uphold the glory will have their kindness remembered by the dragons and receive a fitting reward.”
Lynn’s pale red eyes narrowed. “Then please, make your blood payment.”
“…What?”
“Half a year ago, you ordered the Red Dragon Granatum to execute an innocent. You were convinced he was influenced by the False God, showing aberrations—that was a Chosen One of our God, and you executed him without giving him a chance to defend himself.”
Lynn bowed slightly. “My mentor and I come from Paradise. I believe you are aware of its existence. Not long ago, Paradise eliminated the Demon King, dispersing the ominous shadows over this land.”
“A Chosen One?” Subelbot’s head lowered slightly. “You have no proof.”
Lynn stepped forward, intentionally allowing the other giant dragons to see her clearly. She slightly opened her arms, raising her voice. “The False God only chooses humans from other worlds as their weapons, our God chooses beings from this land. Those chosen by the False God as aberrations can’t be killed. The chosen of our God still obey the cycle of life and death.”
“He even chose two from the dragon race. My mentor and that black dragon. They symbolize death and rebirth, yet you rejected the grace of God and destroyed one of them… You tell me, does this not warrant punishment?”
Subelbot remained silent, still full of skepticism.
Lynn changed the subject. “Just a few days ago, a Chosen One of our God awakened Telistam, allowing it to personally destroy the human tribe that murdered it. If you do not believe, you can let us contact Telistam at any time—it remembers the grace of God. Otherwise, it would have torn us to pieces.”
“Paradise has upheld the dignity of the dragons. What kind of reward do you think is appropriate?”
While Subelbot pondered, Lynn gave Nol an “OK” sign with one hand behind her back.
Nol caught on immediately.
He quietly released the aura of a False God, adding some light effects to the environment with [Creator].
The dim cave suddenly became exceptionally bright. Under the suppression of a False God-level aura, Subelbot’s gaze gradually grew solemn. The giant dragons became somewhat restless, with hundreds of eyes turning towards Subelbot.
“My God is merciful.” Nol bit the bullet and started boasting about himself. “God won’t ask you to give up your hatred. You need to apologize to those innocent departed and leave the upcoming war to the care of Paradise—I will not let the blood of my brethren be spilled in vain, and I am confident in converting those followers of the False God.”
“Since Telistam has been recalled to the living world by Paradise, I will protect it until the end.”
In any case, first talk nonsense to prevent the dragons from meeting the Players!
The leaders of the Players weren’t fools. As long as there was no conflict, there would still be room for redemption.
Subelbot scrutinized the few people before him and didn’t immediately agree. “You seem to know a lot about gods.”
“Oh, do you even need to mention it?” Teest said with a smile. “He was secretly killed by the False God and fell, leading to the Demon King’s loss of control, and magic becoming twisted… To counter the Demon King, Star Stealer Sol brought a group of outsiders from another world, causing chaos in this land.”
“My God only wants to reclaim His world and restore the balance of all things. Over the years, He has always been protecting you. How could the dragon race not have His Chosen Ones?”
“I deserted the Temple precisely because I discovered the true face of the False God,” Painter timely interjected. “Even if, in your eyes, I’m just an insignificant pope.”
Nol was surprised to find that he was the least capable of making up stories among the four present.
Before the stage was even set, this group was fabricating grand tales. Nol doubted that given another half-hour, they could concoct an entire scripture of the God of Paradise on the spot.
“Language is just language,” Subelbot said slowly. The stubborn old dragon refused to yield. “Then you handle the matter of Telistam and prove your words are true—if you really can convert those followers of the False God, in the upcoming battle, the dragons will hear the voice of Paradise.”
“Of course.” Lynn smiled and bowed.
“Um, I have a personal request.” Teest raised his hand. “Nol—I mean, Nolerwin is experiencing some abnormalities in his body, and I need your assistance to investigate.”
“You’ve got one thing wrong, worm.” Subelbot turned his eyes towards him. “We do not entrust the war with humans to you out of cowardice. This is merely an opportunity to prove yourselves—not a transaction. Dragons don’t entrust tasks to the weak.”
It wasn’t yet time. Nol shook his head gently at Teest. Teest smiled at him, touching his lips with his fingertip.
The next second, the light in the Dragon’s Lair vanished.
The blue sky that should have existed turned into a vast void of darkness. The temperature dropped rapidly, and the breath turned frosty instantly. Shadows spread, and an ominous black corruption crawled over the dry stone surface. Accompanied by Teest’s nearly brutal aura, a faint smell of blood spread.
A wild provocation.
Subelbot’s silver eyes filled with anger. He instinctively wanted to shatter this aura but was brutally suppressed in place.
“I need your assistance.” Teest looked at Subelbot, repeating with a smile. “Of course, after the war—if you really can’t think of anything you need help with, this wish can be put on credit.”
His tone was incredibly light.
For the first time, Subelbot’s gaze showed wariness. “I only negotiate with allies,” it stated firmly, ultimately leaving some leeway.
“Good.” Teest bowed, not too respectfully.
[What are you doing?!] Nol was shocked and angry.
He was shocked because Teest had gone to such lengths—even if his own condition was strange, it shouldn’t have been such a high priority.
Angry because Teest’s current strength wasn’t enough to completely suppress Subelbot. To reach this point, he must have overdrawn his body—Nol had already smelled an abnormal scent of blood.
[Let’s go quickly. Be careful not to let that dragon notice any flaws.]
Teest, with bloodshot eyes, looked over and tilted his head.
[I just wanted to get to know you a little better, honey.]
The Mad Monk truly lived in the shadows, yet up until now, his way of life was simpler and more straightforward than most—identify a problem, solve it, or abandon it. From moving to an unknown street from his preferred butcher shop to rooting out the False God hiding behind the veil of the world, his approach to solutions was no different.
As for those moments of joy and dissatisfaction, they were just fleeting bonuses. He would move past their outcomes, as he always did.
Even when Nol wanted to choose a different path, Teest never panicked. Because Nol knew what he was doing, and he understood Nol.
Regardless of whether Nol admitted it or not, Nol was a born master. As for Teest himself—everything was within the reach of his golden thread and just needed to be solved as usual.
But this time, Teest’s mind went blank.
He looked at Nol, whose figure seemed frozen, and his time stopped with him. For the first time in his life, his thoughts were like gears that had snapped and stuck, unable to logically find a solution. The hair on his back stood up and cold sweat dripped from his palms.
Strangely, his heart felt as if it was caught by a golden thread, unable to find its rhythm with each beat.
When he came back to his senses, he found himself standing in front of Nol. Nol looked up at him gently, as usual, his pupils as clear and beautiful as ever.
“If you have no questions, let’s go back,” Nol said in his usual tone.
“Can’t you hear it?”
Teest held Nol’s face with both hands, stubbornly saying, “There are other seals in your head, knowledge seals, or made by the system—you must have forgotten something, Nol!”
“Let’s go back,” Nol just repeated, seemingly unable to comprehend Teest’s words.
Painter’s expression turned grave. “Enough. This seal is obviously more powerful than we understand.”
It could even suppress Nol, a False God. There was an eight or nine out of ten chance it was related to the system.
“…The cost,” Teest said hoarsely.
Painter: “What?”
Teest turned around to face the Red Dragon Sage directly. His tone was as calm as before. Previously, it was like a breeze over calm waters, but now it was closer to the sea before a storm.
“Dragon, to figure out this seal, what’s your price?”
“Calm down, little boy.” Red Dragon Granatum grinned, baring his too-sharp teeth. “I told you, it’s impossible to undo it. But to merely explore its surface… with a bit of dream magic, Lord Subelbot might be able to do it.”
“Unfortunately, Lord Subelbot isn’t interested in the knowledge of outsiders. You’ll have to propose a more satisfying trade for him. Hmm, with your strength, there might be a sliver of hope.”
Teest laughed briefly. “Trust me, there’s plenty of hope.”
Granatum ignored Teest’s sarcasm. “How arrogant. Are you sure you want to explore? Such a strong seal isn’t set up just for fun.”
“Just a few minutes ago, I told you, some knowledge is poisonous—I see this guy is in good shape, healthy, and mentally sound. What else do you expect?”
Painter stopped joking and adopted the most solemn expression he’s ever had. “Teest, be careful.”
After the initial panic subsided, Teest found some footing again. He ignored the inexplicable numbness in his chest. “Just a few sentences ago, you also said you can’t undo the seal, only explore—that’s exactly what I want. Understanding is enough.”
“Or are you saying, the dragons will give up when they see the slightest bit of danger? Then I have to question their determination to confront the False God.”
Granatum’s leisurely expression vanished, and he frowned slightly in displeasure.
“I’ll report to Subelbot, of course, including what you just said. So, the knowledge as a price—”
“Star Stealer Sol.” Teest laid down a piece of truth. “Those four moons in the sky is the False God ‘Star Stealer Sol’. Abilities unknown, true name unknown.”
……
That night.
Nol was somewhat puzzled. He thought their conversation with the Red Dragon went fairly smoothly.
The Red Dragon Sage, under Subelbot’s instruction, killed one of his neighbors. Saying Nol didn’t care would be false, but with a great enemy ahead, any power that could restrain Star Stealer Sol was crucial. He wouldn’t stir up conflict with the dragons for it.
As the Master of Paradise, he now had even more compatriots to protect behind him.
Thus, Nol suppressed his emotions and exchanged information as calmly as possible. For some reason, Teest’s mood seemed even more downcast than his.
Upon returning, Teest just quietly prepared food, behaving somewhat abnormally. Painter no longer joked around but looked thoughtfully at them.
“I’ve heard everything.” Lynn attempted to break the eerie atmosphere. “The dragons are on our side. That’s good news. Since Nol claims to be Ye Meng’s teacher, we can bring her back to Paradise.”
With an additional dragon in the Lost Tower, its safety would surely increase significantly. Compared to the native dragons here, Ye Meng would definitely prefer to stay with her real compatriots.
“I’ll take Ye Meng away. According to Subelbot’s temperament, just saying ‘I’ll take her out for a journey’ should suffice. This won’t be too difficult.” Nol picked up the conversation. “The hard part is getting it to give up on targeting humans. The White Dragon Telistam is its kin. In its view, humans provoked first, and the provocations continue.”
Being provoked over and over again, even the Border Collie village chief would get angry, let alone the noble dragon leader.
After speaking, Nol looked expectantly at Teest, waiting for his knight to continue. But Teest just looked back, clearly distracted.
“Nol.” A few seconds later, he said seriously, “Let’s sleep together tonight.”
What’s Teest saying? Haven’t they been sleeping together for the past half year? Nol glanced quickly at Lynn, his face heating up. “Okay.”
Painter’s eyebrows twitched. “You’re not going to—”
“I have my ways. If I can figure it out myself, there’s no need to owe those dragons any favors.” Teest said, “Just tonight, I need you and Lynn to lend a hand.”
“You’re crazy,” Painter said tiredly.
“Did you forget my nickname?” Teest sneered. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. In this room, the person he wants to harm the least is me—figuring this out is good for everyone. It’s a good thing, and if…”
He didn’t finish.
But Painter understood his implication. The whole thing was too strange, hard to distinguish between good and evil. If the seal was a ticking time bomb, they absolutely couldn’t ignore it.
Nol: “…?”
What are these people talking about? He couldn’t quite understand.
Soon after, Teest came over with a bowl of soup. The soup was thick, and Nol could smell a strong medicinal scent. It didn’t smell very appetizing, and he instinctively dodged.
Teest opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound.
He suddenly didn’t know what to say to Nol. With that knowledge seal in place, he couldn’t accurately explain the situation to Nol and could only unilaterally ask for Nol’s cooperation.
“Do you trust me?” This coming out of his mouth would sound more like a joke than reassurance. “You can entrust your life to me?” …But he had never offered loyalty.
The opportunity for the “ending” he wanted was here, yet Teest was somewhat reluctant. He didn’t want their ending to be so hasty.
…How could he express this delicate emotion?
Holding the cup of special deep sleep medicine, Teest fell into contemplation. Suddenly, there was added warmth on the back of his hand.
Nol’s hand covered his, looking still puzzled, but then, leaning on Teest’s hand, he lowered his head and slowly drank the entire cup of medicine.
He even specifically lifted his own resistance, allowing the magic in the medicine to spread throughout his body.
The next second, Nol slumped forward, caught by Teest. The Dracolich fell into the deepest sleep. He breathed evenly, his body relaxed, showing not a hint of guard.
Teest pursed his lips. “Let’s begin.”
Lynn sighed. “You’ll dive into his dream. If things go south, I’m responsible for physically separating you two. Lao Pain will handle the magical barrier… Is that right? Any details we need to add?”
“I was hoping to get some additional support.” Teest looked towards Kando in the corner.
Since entering the Dragon’s Lair, it had become eerily silent. Now as well, it watched them with its slit eye, saying nothing. Teest stared persistently at it for five minutes before it finally flickered its flame.
“My knowledge comes from Loser, but even it isn’t omniscient.” The candle’s voice was quieter than a mosquito’s, as if afraid of alarming any dragon hundreds of meters away. “It only lost the battle with Star Stealer Sol. What you seek, the answer, might be from even earlier—frankly, Loser chose to assist Nol because the situation’s benefits far outweigh emotions and understanding.”
Teest hummed, still staring. “You say you know nothing, but you don’t seem to be stopping us.”
“…The knowledge seal is truly a dreadful thing.” Kando continued bitterly, “I’m doing these absurd things just for those memories unrelated to power. What stance do I have to stop you?”
“Seems like you’re of no use again.”
Teest gently held Nol, placing him on a stone platform covered in a soft cloth. Nol slept deeply, his face showing nothing but calm.
Nol’s throat was thus exposed, open to him. For the first time in a long while, Teest somewhat detested their marriage contract. If not for that “absolute inability to harm each other”, maybe he could enjoy this moment more.
Teest couldn’t resist and touched Nol’s neck with his knuckles. “Nol wanted to come here, partly to explore your identity. I thought ‘Loser’ had arranged something too.”
After all, it gave them an oracle with all its might.
…Where dragons are born, where mistakes converge. Thisundoubtedly pointed to the Dragon’s Lair.
…The Master of the World returns to the start of the dream, and you will find what you have lost. Lost knowledge is reset, and pursued desires are fulfilled. You will receive the aid of fate, and you will find the answer you seek.
How wonderful it sounds. Was he part of this “aid of fate”? Teest couldn’t help but wonder.
The stone platform was narrow, only big enough for one person to lie down. Teest sat at the edge of the platform, holding one of Nol’s hands tightly, his head gently resting on it.
“We can start now,” he said to the two behind him without turning back.
If lost knowledge hid in the crevice between dream and reality, then [Dream Manipulation] at the False God level might allow him to find a clue. To ensure Nol’s consciousness remained stable, he specifically used the deep sleep medicine to disperse any meaningless, shallow dreams.
Teest closed his eyes, deeply diving into Nol’s spirit.
Even fully relaxed, Nol’s mental defenses were unimaginably strong. If others’ mental barriers were like paper soaked in rain for three days, Nol’s were like the three-meter pure gold walls of a dwarf’s vault.
Fortunately, Nol’s subconscious seemed to recognize Teest’s presence and didn’t resist his intrusion.
Without the messy fragments of shallow dreams, Teest walked in a void of nothingness. This place was like a land completely covered in snow. Everywhere was white—endless white.
There was no direction or path, and he could drift anywhere at will.
Where would the seal be?
Such a strong seal would definitely affect Nol’s dream world. Teest moved forward in the void, trying to find a flaw in this world.
This search lasted over five hours.
If not for Teest’s extraordinary sense of direction, he would definitely get lost in this void. Fortunately, his hard work paid off. Just when Teest’s spirit began to scatter, he finally found a speck of impurity in the white world.
A figure—his Nol.
Nol wore very unfamiliar clothes, and his skin wasn’t the overly pale of the dead. His pupils weren’t the bright blue typical of will-o’-wisps but a clear black.
This Nol sat in front of a strangely shaped chair, focused on an even stranger… magic screen? He sat very upright, his hands rapidly tapping on a rectangular magic tool.
The magic screen was filled with a heart-palpitating black. In this all-white world, it was unbearably conspicuous.
Teest approached quietly. This Nol was unaware of his presence, just clicking away at those square keys.
There was no hostility, not even an unusual aura. Was this really related to the seal? Teest held his breath, getting closer.
This time, Nol noticed him.
He turned his head in a manner… not quite like the living, expressionless, with only emptiness in his eyes and brows. Although his head turned, his hands kept clicking the keys, not stopping for half a second.
“Go back, back.” His voice was fragmented and chaotic; his face was sometimes clear, sometimes blurred.
“It’s me, honey.” Teest smiled, spreading his hands. “Your husband, your knight, your pope… Have you forgotten?”
“I mean no harm, and I cannot hurt you. I just want to understand your situation.” Teest quietly stepped closer, his voice even softer and sweeter.
“You don’t have the permission, permission, permission.” Nol was unyielding.
“I’ll say it again. I just want to understand the reason for your existence. I have no intention of prying into what you guard.” Teest’s voice became even lighter, soft like a demon’s whisper. “Once I understand, I’ll leave immediately. I promise.”
That “Nol” finally showed an expression, his features bizarrely twisting as if he was smiling.
“You don’t have the permission, permission, permission.” As he spoke, his entire left eye twitched exaggeratedly up and down, as if unsure where to stay on his face.
He pointed a finger at Teest. The extended index finger flickered between one and two fingers, with new fingers sprouting from the joints occasionally. Amidst his movements, Teest smelled a strange yet familiar scent… A scent that shouldn’t be here.
The stench of decay.
The next second, Teest felt as if he was stuffed into an oak barrel on a stormy ship. The dizziness was enough to cause him to faint. He tried to resist but couldn’t withstand that deadly repulsion.
The scene in front of him shattered abruptly, like a broken mirror. That “Nol” dispersed into the mirror fragments, and the faint stench of decay also faded away.
Teest clenched his fist, striking hard at his chest.
At the same time, in reality, Teest’s body twitched.
Painter and Lynn acted at once. Teest was instantly pulled away from the stone platform by Lynn’s puppet, while Painter’s holy light barrier activated in the same second.
Teest’s back hit the stone wall not far away. He found that his clothes were soaked with sweat at some point, and his nostrils were filled with the smell of blood. He wiped under his nose, and sure enough, it was blood.
The symptoms were similar to Nol’s.
Teest cast a cleansing spell on himself, removing the blood and sweat. Nol was still deeply asleep, no different from when he first dove in.
“How did it go?” Painter asked tensely.
“I found something, but I can’t understand it.” Teest took a sip of water. “All I can say is, I don’t think it’s anything good.”
Painter hummed. “‘Might explode at any moment’ kind of bad, or ‘should maintain the status quo’ kind of bad?”
“…I don’t know.”
It seemed that this time, he would have to make a deal with the dragon leader. To further understand the seal, he had to withstand that powerful “expulsion”—relying solely on his own strength, obviously, wasn’t enough.
Teest gently woke Nol up and handed him water to ease the medicine. He didn’t wish for the seal to take advantage of the situation, causing his husband to sleepwalk in the middle of the night again.
“Um…” After swallowing the cool and refreshing water, Nol gradually woke up.
“Is it over?”
“It’s over.” Teest finished the rest of the half cup of water.
“It seems the result isn’t very optimistic.” Nol moved closer, sniffing Teest. He smelled the residual scent of blood.
Looking at this peaceful scene, Painter couldn’t help but bitterly smile. “You really are at ease.”
“You guys wouldn’t knock me out and package me up to send to Star Stealer Sol… Since everyone agrees, it means that this matter really needs to be done. There must be a reason for keeping it from me.”
Nol sat up from the stone platform. His body was still a bit weak, and he could only lean on Teest.
At this point, he turned his head and rested his chin on Teest’s shoulder.
“…Moreover.”
After a brief pause, Nol continued in a voice that only Teest could hear, his breath suddenly becoming icy.
“You don’t have the permission.” His voice was like a murmur in a dream.
The author has something to say:
Hehe (?
“Mentally Balance”, the final Boss’s terrifying value ←
Usually, a crucible needed to be heated for use, so one couldn’t directly touch its contents with their hands; some tools were necessary for assistance.
Even considering from a magical perspective, after adding ingredients to the crucible, a tool was likely needed for stirring.
Therefore, the crucible probably didn’t exist independently. When the wizard created it, he likely also made a tool to go with it.
What could this tool be?
Zhou Qian asked Wu Ren, “When I arrived, did I see you holding a big spoon?”
“Yes. I found it near the crucible. It’s convenient for moving bodies,” Wu Ren replied. “Could it be…”
Before Wu Ren could finish, Zhou Qian asked, “Have you used both ends of the spoon?”
“I have. But it doesn’t seem to have any extra use,” Wu Ren said. “At least I didn’t feel any.”
“Hmm,” Zhou Qian mused. “I’ll go out and check again later. But the spoon probably doesn’t have any use. Because I think I’ve guessed what the real tool is—”
Changing the topic, Zhou Qian looked at Wu Ren and asked with a smile, “Wu Ge, give me a straight answer. You failed to become an emperor in the instance. After I take you out of here, have you considered… hmm?”
Wu Ren: “…”
Zhou Qian: “This is the third time I’m asking. It’s hard for you to refuse now.”
Three minutes later, Wu Ren seemed to finally give up struggling and looked at Zhou Qian resignedly. “Honestly, I’m quite impressed with you. You’ve only been here for a few minutes… and you’ve already found so much key information. So, I just have one question—”
“Later, do I still have to move 50 bodies by myself?”
Zhou Qian immediately said, “Both my son and I can help you.”
“…?” Wu Ren was very surprised, with almost three question marks appearing on his forehead.
“You-Your son? Oh… who did you owe this romantic debt to?
“Right, as the saying goes, ‘Women love bad men.’ Maybe some girls like bad boys like you. I just didn’t expect you to even have a son. Is it from a girl in the game or outside the game?
“You didn’t abandon her, right? If you’re irresponsible, I won’t join your team!”
Zhou Qian asked in surprise, “Do I look like the type to be frivolous and let people down?”
Wu Ren nodded affirmatively.
Zhou Qian: “…”
“Let’s get back to the point,” Wu Ren said. “Anyway, I’ve already agreed to you. I’m not as slick as you. Either I don’t agree, or if I do, I keep my promise. So now—”
“What do you think is the real solution to clear the level?”
After looking around the interior of the crucible, Zhou Qian said, “To help the emperor and provide him with an endless supply of soldiers, the wizard created a magical crucible and a tool to activate it.”
“Now, you haven’t successfully resurrected, unable to return to the real world to help the emperor. However, at the same time, you also didn’t go to the real hell but is trapped in the ‘Crucible World’, in a state of neither living nor dying.”
“So the crucible actually worked, but only half its function. So what’s really going on is now clear—”
Looking at Wu Ren, Zhou Qian said, “I think the tool to activate the crucible was swapped. Someone stole the tool and replaced it with a big spoon.
“The emperor, unaware, put the bodies of the 51 soldiers into the crucible and tried to use this spoon to activate it.”
“The swapped spoon, of course, couldn’t activate the other half of the crucible’s function. So you couldn’t go back. What we need to do now is find that real tool.”
“So… who and for what purpose would steal that tool?”
“And what tool could help that person reach the ‘Crucible World’?”
Without needing Zhou Qian’s explanation, Wu Ren already knew the answer.
With the limited information in the instance, there was only one answer—the person who stole the tool to activate the crucible could only be the “god” who opposed the “last emperor”.
Wu Ren immediately said, “I know! It’s the scepter!”
“The tool that goes with the crucible can only be the scepter in the god’s hands! It’s also because the scepter’s power matches that of the crucible that the god being can enter the Crucible World through it!”
The scepter was very large, as long as the diameter of the crucible. Moreover, whether it was the red rain or the beams, all were emitted by the scepter. The key to the problem undoubtedly lay in the scepter.
The god stole the scepter that could activate the crucible and replaced it with a giant spoon.
Thus, the emperor’s attempt to resurrect his soldiers failed.
Even so, the god, still uneasy, repeatedly entered the world created by the crucible using the scepter, wanting to kill the general completely.
Wu Ren couldn’t help but look at Zhou Qian and ask, “But with the god controlling it, the scepter will attack us! How can we truly activate the crucible with its help, allowing us 51 people to return to the human world?!”
Zhou Qian said, “The crucible and the giant spoon that exist in reality have their counterparts in this ‘in-between life and death’ world, to assist players in solving puzzles.
“So, there should be information about the scepter as well. It’s just that you didn’t have time to find it. Every time you return all the bodies to the crucible, it takes you almost an hour.”
“I’ll move the bodies now. You go find it!” Wu Ren said.
“Actually, there’s no need to search specifically. This is where off-scene information becomes important.”
Zhou Qian yawned and asked Wu Ren, “Do you know about a god named ‘Dagda*’?”
*An important god in Irish mythology. One of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Dagda is portrayed as a father-figure, king, and druid. He is associated with fertility, agriculture, manliness and strength, as well as magic, druidry and wisdom. He can control life and death, the weather and crops, as well as time and the seasons.
Wu Ren decisively shook his head.
Zhou Qian explained, “Dagda is known as the ‘good god’ and is said to control the fertility of the Irish people. So you see, you misunderstood; I’m not a playboy. Dagda is the real womanizer with a string of lovers.”
“Dagda has two very magical treasures, one of which is a rebirthing crucible that provides an endless supply of food, and the other is a gigantic club.”
“Dagda’s club has powerful effects; one end can cause death, and the other can bring life.”
A few seconds later, Wu Ren fully understood.
“The club in our instance corresponds to what we thought was the god’s scepter! The red rain and beams are emitted from one end of that scepter. Are we supposed to find a way to use the other end of the scepter?!”
“Exactly. But this is just my speculation based on mythological stories. Ideally, there should be clues in the instance to further confirm this idea. So—”
“Brother Wu, you continue moving the bodies, and I’ll look for clues.”
As he said this, Zhou Qian muttered to himself, “My son should have recovered some by now.”
Reaching into his bag, Zhou Qian pulled out a scale, rubbed it three times with his finger, and a deep blue little dragon popped out.
Hopping over to Zhou Qian, the small dragon tilted its head and rubbed his trouser leg with its head, making a cute “yip” sound.
“Good boy.” Zhou Qian patted the little dragon’s head. “Can you grow bigger and fly me? If you can, let’s go find the clues quickly.”
Hearing this, the little dragon quickly grew to the size of a person. Its tail swung over, lifting Zhou Qian up and then placing him on its back.
Zhou Qian patted its head again. “Use your treasure-hunting abilities. Let’s find the clues quickly so we can go see your dad soon. I’m starting to miss him.”
Small Dragon: “Yip!”
Zhou Qian then took out three small bottles of medicine and threw them to Wu Ren. “Wu Ge, replenish some health. My son is still young and can only carry me. You’ll have to climb out yourself.”
After saying this, the small dragon swung its tail and flew Zhou Qian to the top of the crucible, disappearing from Wu Ren’s sight.
Wu Ren was stunned for a moment but quickly consumed the medicine. After regaining some health, he hastily started climbing out, determined to collect the bodies quickly.
Having fought the “god” six times, his health was too low, causing his brain to be a bit slow to react.
It was only after climbing out from the bottom of the crucible that Wu Ren belatedly realized something was off.
Wait, why did Zhou Qian tell his “son” that they were going to find “Dad”?
……
The small dragon carried Zhou Qian, quickly circling the entire world.
They flew left all the way and eventually returned to the starting point.
This world was clearly circular.
The circle was surrounded by impenetrable red mist, and the dark red clouds at the top of the sky were also untouchable.
Thus, the investigation seemed to further prove that they were indeed inside a pot; the sky was an unreachable pot lid, and the surroundings were impassable inner walls.
The crucible in this world and the continuous cycle of life and death of those 50 bodies were like a repeated scene from the real world.
These soldiers had died for the emperor in reality and “died” again and again for their general in this “in-between life and death” world.
They together formed an imagery, perhaps with the real purpose of awakening the general’s memory—
General, you have died in battle, but the emperor in the human world is still waiting for your help.
Now, the god is still trying to enter the “in-between life and death” to kill you completely. He even fears your spirit!
Such a powerful general, please recall everything. Lead us to take back the scepter and return to reality! Please fight for the emperor. Avenge us all!
With 10 minutes left before the god’s next arrival, Zhou Qian and Wu Ren were again with a pile of bodies.
Wu Ren asked Zhou Qian, “So, did you find that clue related to the scepter?”
“I did.” Zhou Qian handed Wu Ren a piece of cowhide.
The edges of the cowhide were charred, and it was covered in mud; it was dug up by Zhou Qian after the small dragon smelled it. It was fortunate that it was buried deep below and wasn’t destroyed by the red rain.
The cowhide had several drawings.
The first drawing depicted the wizard creating the crucible. In the image, what was placed in the crucible wasn’t a spoon but a gigantic stick, which was the “god’s” scepter.
The second drawing on the cowhide was also interesting. A cloaked wizard raised the scepter towards a fish belly-up in the water, clearly dead.
The following third drawing showed the fish swimming in the water.
The cowhide was old and ancient, but the fish in the drawing was vividly alive, flipping its tail and stirring up countless droplets, as if they would leave the water and splash onto one’s face any moment.
The last two drawings clearly indicated a fact—the scepter indeed had the power to resurrect.
“Phew… just as I thought. But for a single-player instance, this is too difficult.”
After quickly examining the drawings, Wu Ren couldn’t help but say, “It’s impossible for one person to collect so many bodies…”
“Yes. The mythology of Dagda’s system is relatively obscure for us. Without knowing this off-scene information, it’s very hard for a single person to complete it alone.”
Zhou Qian asked Wu Ren, “What’s the difficulty level of your instance? Why haven’t I encountered it?”
When selecting single-player instances, Zhou Qian looked through each option several times, but he indeed hadn’t seen this ‘Magic Crucible’.
Therefore, if not for Wu Ren pulling him in, he wouldn’t have come here.
Wu Ren said, “I played several instances in Blue Harbor City, and once when I opened a treasure chest, I got an item that could summon teammates. After that, I was able to see this instance. I… I was eager to accomplish something, so I was indeed a bit hasty. The success rate of this instance is only 5%.”
Zhou Qian: “I have such an item, but it still didn’t open for me. Is it because my stats are too low?”
Wu Ren: “If you don’t use your full power when you’re critically injured, under normal circumstances, my output is three times yours. Besides, there are defense and other factors…”
“Alright. So basic attributes are one hurdle to enter this instance. The summoning item is another hurdle.”
Zhou Qian said, “Can it be understood that this instance is only open to you when you can summon teammates? So…”
“Perhaps this can be seen as a kind of hint.”
“What hint? How to deceive the god into using the other end of the scepter to resurrect us. Do you have an idea?”
After Wu Ren asked this, Zhou Qian’s gaze suddenly became more profound.
Wu Ren felt a sudden jolt in his heart. “What do you mean?”
Zhou Qian said, “I mean, actually, the system is being kind to players. It thinks this instance is one you can only pass with a summoning card. You can’t complete it alone.”
“Your HP is only 5,000 now. But you said that when the god arrives in this world, his first move has a 100% hit rate. Even if you completely dodge it, you will still lose 8,000 points of health.”
Wu Ren: “The health restored by the small potions is little, but still barely—”
Zhou Qian: “But it seems we can’t directly take the scepter from his hand. He has the power to fight an emperor with numerous soldiers, not to mention the enhancement from the scepter. Moreover… he can leave this world and return to reality at any time. Can we delay another hour?”
“Once he discovers we know the secret of the scepter, will he still dare to come?”
“Perhaps if we fail to snatch the scepter, we will be completely trapped here!”
By this time, Wu Ren had fully understood what Zhou Qian meant. “You want to… use my death to trick him and get his scepter.”
“Correct,” Zhou Qian said. “This is the hint I mentioned from the instance—you need someone else to help you through this level. Otherwise, you will definitely die.”
“This also means that after you die, the god will let his guard down, which is a certain plot development.”
“Then, your teammate, seizing that opportunity, can take the scepter and then use its other end to resurrect you and the other 50 soldiers.”
“Now the teammate you summoned is me. I’m the only one who can help you.”
“But it’s also possible…”
Wu Ren gave a bitter smile, sat down against the inner wall of the crucible, with two charred corpses beneath him.
The dim light made his normally gloomy eyes squint, and his pupils were deeply black.
“It’s also possible that after I die, the god will kill me, this war god, and then leave. You are not part of the story. Perhaps you can naturally leave.”
“You yourself said that we can talk to each other… This doesn’t fit the setting. It’s outside the story logic.”
“Wu Ge, if you still think like that now, I’m really going to get angry.”
“First, your idea is completely wrong. If you die and I ignore you, I’m afraid I’ll also be trapped here. Although we can talk to each other because of the summoning item, since I can enter the Crucible World in the story, it’s very likely I’m also dead. Second—”
Looking into Wu Ren’s eyes, Zhou Qian’s expression became unprecedentedly serious. “I haven’t met many good people before. But since entering this game, I’ve met quite a few decent people, and you’re one of them. So, Wu Ren—”
“I came to save you, not to kill you. I won’t abandon my king.”
“Do you trust me?”
Staring into Wu Ren’s eyes for 30 seconds, Zhou Qian stood up and said, “If you trust me, then use your death to trick the god into a ‘relaxed plot’.”
“In the story, you’re actually already dead, so you won’t truly die.”
“In the story setting, I’ll use the scepter to bring you back from ‘in-between life and death’ to reality. You’ll return to the human world as a ‘knight’ and fight for your emperor.”
After a pause, Zhou Qian raised his Rib of God, tried to make the little dragon exhale some purple mist, and suddenly white smoke rose from the bone.
The smoke formed a human shape and then dispersed.
Then Zhou Qian clearly saw the astonishment in Wu Ren’s eyes.
Zhou Qian said, “If you trust me, now help me fish out two more bodies.”
Wu Ren quickly understood Zhou Qian’s meaning. “You’re worried that the crucible can only resurrect 51 people at a time?”
The war might have been large-scale, so there could be countless casualties, not just the ones Zhou Qian and Wu Ren saw.
The reason there were only 51 people in this world might be because the crucible could only resurrect 51 people, so the emperor only put 51 bodies into the crucible to try to resurrect them. After all, there were only 51 soldiers carved on the inner wall of the crucible.
Seeing Zhou Qian nod, Wu Ren quickly asked, “I understand your meaning. You were summoned here by an item, so whether you have an identity in this instance is an uncertain matter…”
“So, if you are considered a character in the story, like me, already dead in reality… you’ll need to replace a soldier’s resurrection slot. That way, the two of us can return to reality together.”
“But if that’s the case, I only need to throw out one body. Why two?”
“Did you see the white smoke just now?”
Zhou Qian glanced at the Rib of God and smiled at Wu Ren. “He used to be my teammate and died in someone else’s scheme. He’s temporarily become my bone spirit, maybe just one step away from resurrection.”
“So, I want to try and see if this crucible with the power of rebirth can realize some kind of resurrection for his spirit. Perhaps the resurrection crucible is just a setting of the instance and won’t have much effect, but I’ll try my best. So, Wu Ren—”
Putting away his smile, Zhou Qian became serious again. “You’re right, I asked you to be the so-called ‘king’ because I need your abilities.”
“But in this game, isn’t being teammates about complimenting each other, cooperating, or, in other words, ‘using each other’?”
“You have to believe that I will take you all out alive.”
“I won’t let go of any scum, but for decent teammates, I won’t abandon any. I have that confidence.”
“Wu Ge, maybe I will use you in the future. But now, it’s your turn to use me. You must seize the opportunity.”
The author has something to say:
The crucible, giant club, and Dagda ‘the good god’ are all from the Celtic mythology~
“This is the current situation.” Wu Sheng transmitted all the known clues to Chi Yingxue at the fastest speed, listing them one after another like a massive database.
After listening, Chi Yingxue blinked and said, “Oh.”
Wu Sheng said, “I know it’s a lot of information, but you don’t actually have to remember all this. Just keep an eye on Ying Jiu. He deliberately sent the body back and insisted on not leaving. There must be a reason.”
“No need to remember, yet you tell me…” Chi Yingxue complained.
Wu Sheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Then pretend I didn’t say anything.”
“It’s too late.” Chi Yingxue took out the remaining four and a half oranges from the fruit plate, mumbling to himself—
The first orange: “Old Master Cheng survives a fall but dies from poison.”
The second orange: “Cheng Jiming gets kidnapped and dies, but the Fushou Gang refuses responsibility.”
The third orange: “Du Jinnian comes for tea and vanishes from the face of the earth.”
The fourth orange: “Cheng Xiaonan gets poisoned by alcohol and can’t get out of bed.”
The last half-orange was split into three segments: “Now both the Hai Gang and the Fushou Gang are refusing to leave. You should hurry up and look for the badge while searching the Cheng residence.”
Four oranges and three segments, neatly lined up by size, meticulously arranged by Chi Yingxue.
“All remembered, can’t be erased,” he said with a serious and distressed face, like a user unfortunate enough to have redundant information taking up memory that couldn’t be deleted.
Wu Sheng didn’t know whether to be astonished or delighted. “When did you awaken this skill?”
Chi Yingxue skeptically raised an eyebrow. “This counts as a skill?”
“Of course,” Wu Sheng said. “Although I am well-rounded in intelligence, martial skills, agility, and defense, most of the time, it’s ‘intelligence’ that decides the outcome.”
Chi Yingxue thought for a moment. “What about looks?”
“……” For a long time after sending off his teammate, Wu Sheng couldn’t figure out whether the question “What about looks?” was simply asking “Don’t looks matter?” or had a deeper meaning of “Can’t you have some shame?”
……
The Cheng family arranged four rooms in the guest house for the Fushou Gang. Ying Jiu and Xiao Wu each had their own room, with the remaining two rooms allocated to other brothers.
As soon as Chi Yingxue entered the room, he felt something was off. Someone was inside.
In the unlit room, only a faint, barely visible frost was illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the window, with Ying Jiu sitting behind it, his face obscured.
“I didn’t know you knew Mr. Bai.”
“He’s my… friend.” Chi Yingxue didn’t think it was a big deal, but when he said the last word, he couldn’t help but curl his lips, feeling proud and haughty.
“What kind of friend?” Ying Jiu’s voice was calm and steady yet unfathomable, like a deep river with a smooth surface but turbulent currents underneath.
Unfortunately, Chi Yingxue didn’t catch any of this, as he was fiddling with an oil lamp with interest. “One I clear levels with.”
“What levels?” Ying Jiu frowned in the darkness.
“You wouldn’t understand if I told you.” Chi Yingxue unilaterally ended the conversation and then shook the exquisite oil lamp at Ying Jiu. “Do you know how to light this?”
Ying Jiu lit the oil lamp for his subordinate, and when the room was illuminated, his face was completely dark, unwilling to admit what he had just done.
Chi Yingxue was still engrossed in planning for the Cheng family. “We should pull the electric wires over to the small building. Using electricity is so much more convenient…”
Master Ying Jiu didn’t want to stay a second longer, smoothing out the wrinkles on his long robe and walking towards the door.
Seeing Ying Jiu about to leave, Chi Yingxue quickly put down the oil lamp and asked, “Was the ransom provided by the Cheng family not enough? Why kill Cheng Jiming?”
Ying Jiu stopped in his tracks. He was silent for a moment, then turned around. His eyes, for the first time, revealed undisguised defiance and murderous intent. “Kid, no one has dared to talk to me like that.”
Chi Yingxue looked at him worriedly, not quite satisfied with the response—was Cheng Jiming killed or not?
Seeing this little brother drifting off again, Ying Jiu felt exhausted both in body and mind.
Killing someone with a gunshot meant nothing to Ying Jiu, but he could foresee that even if he did kill the other party, it wouldn’t resolve the frustration in his heart.
Moreover, he didn’t really want to make the move.
“Do you know why I let you follow me?” Ying Jiu rarely shared his feelings, but tonight was an exception.
Chi Yingxue: “Because I’m skilled?”
Ying Jiu glanced at him disdainfully. “You think too highly of yourself.”
Chi Yingxue frowned. “Then why?”
Ying Jiu quietly looked at him, as if seeing through him to the past. “Because you remind me of myself when I was young.”
“Impossible,” Chi Yingxue said without hesitation. “You’re not as good-looking as I am.”
“……”
When Ying Jiu left Young Master Wu’s room, he felt that not going on a rampage tonight must have been the work of a ghost—the kind that endures, made of steel.
……
Wu Sheng used stationery to make him invisible to search the entire Cheng mansion thoroughly, not sparing even the Western-style small building.
In the end, he found the [Chaos Badge] underneath the “stove” as indicated by the badge handbook and discovered the following clues in three other locations—
Cheng Jiming’s study was left as it was. In a book on the lowest shelf, there was a note with different handwriting than his own. The note featured the verse, “These stars are not those of last night, for whom do the wind and dew stand deep into the night?” It had no name, only a crescent moon-shaped red mark.
In Old Master Cheng’s residence, a letter was found with the signature of Mr. Bai, whom Wu Sheng had transmigrated into. The letter stated that the matter Old Master Cheng asked him to investigate had made progress and needed a face-to-face discussion.
In the study of Cheng Xiaonan in the Western-style building, Wu Sheng found a cylindrical seal under the carpet beneath the bookshelf, likely rolled there accidentally. The seal, adorned with a finely carved little lion with a hint of black resembling blood, was inscribed with “Yu Sheng”—Du Jinnian’s courtesy name.
The badge wasn’t difficult to find, but the clues were terrifying upon closer inspection.
Wu Sheng tucked the note, badge, and letter into his arms and slipped out of Cheng Xiaonan’s room, which was the last spot that he searched. He planned to return to the Bai Mansion under the cover of night—Old Master Cheng’s commission for Mr. Bai to investigate was likely related to Cheng Jiming’s kidnapping, and there might be more information and clues in Bai Mansion.
As soon as he stepped out of the study, he smelled a strange odor coming from Cheng Xiaonan’s bedroom.
In front of the bedroom, brothers from the Fushou Gang and the Hai Gang stared with eagle-like vigilance that not even a fly could enter. However, two of them seemed unsettled by the smell, cursing quietly. “Damn, it’s making my cravings kick in.”
Wu Sheng quietly returned to the study, leaping from balcony to balcony towards the bedroom, moving like a chess piece, eventually landing on the bedroom balcony.
The curtains weren’t fully closed, leaving a narrow gap that let out light.
Peering through the gap, he could see everything in the brightly lit room—a maid sat by the bed, skillfully delivering an opium pipe to Cheng Xiaonan’s lips. Her movements were practiced; clearly, this wasn’t her first time serving. Amid the swirling smoke, with an IV drip hanging, the bedridden master of the Cheng family struggled to turn his head, lazily and contentedly inhaling.
Even though he was poisoned, it didn’t deter him from smoking opium. Wu Sheng suddenly felt that the act of poisoning was superfluous—someone like Cheng Xiaonan could bring about his own downfall. If there was a grudge, one only needed to wait.
Upon returning to Bai Mansion, Wu Sheng glanced at the clock and was shocked to find that five hours had passed since his transmigration!
He had spent the entire night dealing with various people and searching for clues in the Cheng family residence without realizing how much time had elapsed! He had planned to search the Bai Mansion next and then think about the save point issue.
However, it seemed that time here didn’t flow at a 1:1 ratio with reality, a situation that had occurred both in the ancient castle in 7/23 and in the inner hell in 9/23. Often, more than five hours had passed in-game, but not in real time.
When it slowed, he could be at ease.
Wu Sheng stopped pondering these things and dove into Mr. Bai’s study, filled with documents, starting his massive search.
He searched until dawn, to no avail.
In the entire sea of documents—murders, robberies, adulteries, stolen cows, lost dogs—all kinds of cases were documented, except for anything related to the Cheng family; not even a single word.
This was very strange.
Even if Old Master Cheng’s commission wasn’t related to Cheng Jiming’s kidnapping but to something else, there should have been a record. The only explanation for such a void was that the records had been taken or destroyed.
It could have been done by Mr. Bai himself or by someone who didn’t want him to continue the investigation…
Because Wu Sheng found a note sandwiched in an inconspicuous poetry notebook that was probably Mr. Bai’s original work.
Luckily, the characters were large and few, so he could barely make them out—Meddlers, die.
The note was signed—Half-fallen plum blossoms in the pond have faded away.
Half-fallen plum blossoms…
Wu Sheng stared at the signature, slowly deciphering a word. “…Hai.”
……
All the clues connected because of this word that surfaced.
The mysteries shrouding the two deaths were gradually clearing, revealing a coherent trail, but—
Wu Sheng pulled out the seal found in Cheng Xiaonan’s study, suspected of being stained with blood, and frowned deeply.
Where exactly was Du Jinnian?
After rushing back to the Cheng family residence, day had broken. The courtyard was already set up for funeral rites, with monks taking their places and servants bustling about.
The news of Old Master Cheng’s resurrection had spread throughout the Cheng family residence overnight; on the way back, Wu Sheng even heard the nearby neighbors discussing it. For outsiders, it was merely a spectacle, but for those within the Cheng mansion, it was a real fear—whether servants or guards, strong or weak—everyone looked frightened, trying to stay as far from the memorial hall as possible. The elder was still lying in there, soon to be buried in his coffin.
Watching the atmosphere, Wu Sheng quietly formed a plan.
He didn’t know where Du Jinnian was, but after investigating this far, he at least needed to shake out the truth—for the unjustly deceased Cheng Jiming—to provide an explanation.
“Mr. Bai, I’ve finally found you—” Accompanied by a loud voice, his teammate walked over openly.
Wu Sheng stood still, watching Qian Ai, dressed in a simple short jacket, approach. “What, your lord is looking for me?”
Qian Ai came up and whispered, “I’m looking for you.”
The courtyard’s noise drowned out their conversation. To bystanders, it looked like a servant speaking with Mr. Bai, but in reality, Lao Qian was passing on the gossip gathered overnight about Cheng Jiming’s second marriage history.
Cheng Jiming’s first wife, Zhou Lanxin, died in childbirth. The daughter survived, but the mother didn’t. Afterwards, Cheng Jiming swore never to remarry, rejecting all matchmakers, until one day, after becoming intoxicated at a social event, he woke up to find Hai Huiping beside him.
Cheng Jiming, a gentle and mannered man, would have taken responsibility for Hai Huiping even without the pressure from the Hai Gang. Thus, Hai Huiping entered the Cheng family. Officially, it was a drunken mistake by Cheng Jiming, but rumors suggested it was a trap set by Hai Huiping. After all, the Hai Gang had attempted to make marriage arrangements several times—clearly Hai Huiping had set her sights on Cheng Jiming first.
Wu Sheng had already pieced together the main story, and Qian Ai’s information added more details.
As Qian Ai blended back into the crowd, Wu Sheng scanned the many monks in the courtyard, locking onto the most agreeable one.
With a look, the young monk approached; with the ongoing chaos, no one paid attention to their movements.
“What do you need me to do?” Xu Wang asked upon arrival.
Wu Sheng smiled. “Aren’t you going to ask about the progress of the mission first?”
Xu Wang lifted his shaved head. “As long as you can eventually submit the paper, the process is illusory.”
[If you like him, then just tackle him and get down to business.]
The inappropriate mantra from a teammate last night flashed through his mind.
Wu Sheng quickly focused, saying, “Indeed, I have a plan and need you to play a key role.”
Xu Wang nodded. “What do I need to do?”
Wu Sheng said, “Become possessed by the spirit of acting.”
Under the faint moonlight shrouded in thin mist, everything appeared hazy and desolate.
Qian Ai remained silent for a long while before asking, “Is your mission to find Du Jinnian?”
Wu Sheng nodded.
Qian Ai looked at him, struggling a bit to say, “Did they specify whether they wanted him alive or dead…?”
Wu Sheng sighed and didn’t answer, as if he also couldn’t clarify.
Qian Ai felt a chill run down his spine. The old man false corpse, the disappeared Du Jinnian, and Second Master Cheng who died last year… These pieces of information just obtained wove into a dark net, casting over the entire Cheng family estate. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it; such information processing definitely required a brain like Wu Sheng’s.
Watching Qian Ai hurry back to the memorial hall, Wu Sheng stood alone in the night for a while longer.
In just this short time, the complex clues formed a network—
Three disappearances: Cheng Jiming’s death; Old Master Cheng’s death; Du Jinnian’s disappearance.
Three remaining members of the Cheng family: Cheng Xiaoxan; Cheng Jiming’s second wife, Hai Huiping; Cheng Jiming and his first wife’s daughter, Cheng Yixin.
Social relations: Du Jinnian was close to Cheng Jiming; Hai Huiping is the younger sister of the young gang leader of the Hai Gang, Hai Yunlong.
Doubts:
Old master Cheng fell last year and died this year. Is there anything suspicious about this?
Cheng Jiming was kidnapped, and the ransom note was denied by the Fushou Gang. Did they really not do it, or are they just denying it?
Why did Du Jinnian suddenly visit the Cheng family, and what exactly did he discuss with Cheng Xiaonan in the living room of the small building?
The information gathered was like pearls scattered on the ground, and Wu Sheng needed to find the thread that strung them together.
Returning to the western-style building, unexpectedly, Hai Yunlong came with people.
Wu Sheng didn’t recognize Hai Yunlong, but from the way he brought a group of people with him, the slight resemblance to Hai Huiping in their eyes and brows, and the conversation with Master Jiu, he understood—Fushou Gang was imposing on the Cheng family, and Hai Huiping had called her brother to take charge.
However, what puzzled Wu Sheng was that Hai Yunlong seemed to harbor a greater hatred towards the young man by Master Jiu’s side. His eyes were fixed on the young man’s fair face with a gaze like the fires of hell.
The fair-skinned young man, on the other hand, appeared indifferent, not even looking at Hai Yunlong. He had a calm and self-satisfied demeanor, occasionally yawning.
Amidst the undercurrents, Ying Jiu spotted Wu Sheng standing at the door, hesitating to enter, and immediately became amiable. “Mr. Bai, you went to enjoy the moon, didn’t you?”
If one didn’t look into the depths of Ying Jiu’s eyes, he would seem like a very refined person. Even his teasing was done with a benevolent appearance.
Knowing he had been away for a while, Wu Sheng smiled and accepted the tease without explanation, to avoid making things worse.
Meanwhile, his gaze fell on Hai Yunlong, as if he had just noticed him, raising his eyebrows slightly with a mild surprise.
Hai Yunlong narrowed his eyes, snorting coldly with a sneer. “Mr. Bai.”
“……” Great, another “acquaintance”.
Wu Sheng suspected that this Mr. Bai he had transmigrated in was a social butterfly of Jinmen. Otherwise, why would all these big shots recognize him?
The more one talks, the more mistakes one makes, so facing the two big shots, Wu Sheng remained silent, just politely smiling.
Cheng Xiao Nan took the opportunity to join in the conversation, inviting everyone to sit. Fortunately, the living room sofa was large enough to accommodate the four of them while maintaining a polite distance.
Hai Yunlong left four people standing behind him, and the rest were sent outside, giving his brother-in-law’s family some face.
The long night was dragging on, signifying a sleepless night. The four engaged in an awkward conversation that looked like they were sitting in silent judgment rather than talking.
Ying Jiu and Hai Yunlong, being familiar with the underworld, could sit still, but Cheng Xiaonan, merely a wealthy son, wasn’t so adept at handling pressure. He had his servants bring a whole bottle of foreign wine, and in less than a quarter of an hour, he had refilled his glass several times.
Initially, Hai Yunlong was drinking tea but was tempted by the other’s actions. When Cheng Xiaonan poured another drink, Hai Yunlong shouted to a servant for an empty cup, saying he’d join the young master for a drink.
The servant hurried to comply, but just as he turned to fetch it, Cheng Xiaonan’s glass suddenly dropped to the floor. The thick glass didn’t break but made a dull thud upon landing on the carpet.
Looking at Cheng Xiaonan, his mouth was agape, and he was breathing rapidly with one hand clutching his throat and the other pointing at the half-empty bottle of foreign wine on the table. His eyes were filled with disbelief and terror. “The wine… the wine… is poisoned…”
Hai Yunlong, who had been leaning forward to examine the label on the wine bottle, trying to guess its country of origin, saw Cheng Xiaonan poisoned and instantly retreated, slamming back into the sofa to get as far away as possible!
Wu Sheng instinctively looked at Ying Jiu, who was also looking at him. Their eyes met, each lost in thought.
Cheng Xiaonan suddenly bent over, furiously gagging himself. Within seconds, he vomited out all the wine he drank in the evening until only bile was life. Struggling, he raised his head and hoarsely shouted, “Quick… go find… Dr. Gong… Tell him… it’s… aconite poison…”
As the servants rushed off, Cheng Xiaonan grabbed the teapot on the table, gulping down its contents directly into his throat, truly flushing it out.
After drinking, he put down the teapot, gagged himself again, and continued to induce vomiting.
This cycle of drinking and vomiting resembled a stomach wash. Wu Sheng watched this “proficient self-rescue procedure”, his gaze flickering slightly behind his glasses.
Aconite, a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, can cure diseases if used correctly but is highly poisonous if misused.
Soon, Dr. Gong arrived, equipped as a Western doctor, and from the conversation, it was clear he was an old acquaintance of the Cheng family.
Cheng Xiaonan was coughing and wheezing, barely able to speak. But upon seeing the mess on the floor, Dr. Gong knew he had vomited and immediately had Cheng Xiaonan moved to a room to lie down, then started treatment with injections and IV fluids.
The living room was left with the three parties, and all of their positions were awkward by default—they were imposing on the host, and now the host had been poisoned.
“Was your master drinking medicinal liquor?” Master Ying Jiu suddenly turned and asked the servant beside him, who was already scared stiff.
The servant took a long while to respond, then shook his head vigorously. “No, it was just foreign wine, not soaked with any herbs!”
Master Ying Jiu nodded, tapping his finger lightly on the armrest of the sofa, his gaze shifting to Wu Sheng. “Mr. Bai, don’t you find it strange? How was Master Cheng so sure that he had been poisoned with aconite?”
Wu Sheng indeed found it strange, but since he was unclear about Ying Jiu’s intentions, he cautiously said, “It’s common for people to be poisoned by aconite-infused liquor. It’s not surprising for Master Cheng to have seen it and recognized it.”
“What do you mean by that?” Hai Yunlong, naturally speaking up for his sister’s family, said, “Could Cheng Xiaonan have poisoned himself? Is he tired of living?”
Suddenly, a shadow flashed at the stairway.
Wu Sheng instinctively looked over. At the corner of the stairs leading to the second floor, a little girl was hiding in the shadows.
Wu Sheng couldn’t make out her face. He could only see her medium-length hair and, in the darkness, a pair of cold, piercing eyes.
Noticing Wu Sheng’s gaze, the child turned and ran upstairs, her footsteps almost inaudible.
Cheng Jiming’s daughter, ten years old this year—Wu Sheng recalled the information collected by Qian Ai.
About half an hour later, Dr. Gong came out of the bedroom and told them that the amount of aconitum poison Cheng Xiaonan ingested was likely small, and with the correct method of inducing vomiting, he was out of danger but needed to rest in bed and continue with IV fluids to cleanse the toxins as soon as possible.
After saying this, he also kindly advised, “Medicines are poisons in their own right; not everything should be infused in liquor.”
There was no aconite-infused liquor to begin with; it was just ordinary foreign liquor that had been poisoned.
This fact was already clear, but Ying Jiu and Hai Yunlong remained silent. Wu Sheng then changed what he was about to say to, “Dr. Gong, let me walk you out.”
Dr. Gong insisted it wasn’t necessary, but Wu Sheng still escorted him out of the building, all the way to the front yard.
However, just before reaching the gate, Wu Sheng took a turn, effectively dragging him to the memorial hall under the guise of using reason (intimidation) and emotion (enticement), half-forcing him to examine the corpse of the Old Master Cheng.
Wu Sheng initially suspected he might know some inside information, but after observing, he felt it was unlikely, thinking this person was probably just a doctor who had dealings with the Cheng family, so he decided to take a risk.
In the quiet of the night, the vast memorial hall was empty—no one dared approach the recently “resurrected” old master—except for only a few white candles, a table full of offerings, and the lonely figure of Old Master Cheng.
Doctor Gong couldn’t perform a real autopsy; he only examined the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and limbs, but the more he looked, the graver his expression became. Finally, he said, “Mr. Bai, you might be right. Old Master Cheng likely died from poisoning.”
“Possibly?” Wu Sheng wanted “certainty”.
Doctor Gong shook his head. “Unless we analyze the gastric contents, no doctor can make a definitive diagnosis with just the naked eye.”
After sending Dr. Gong off, Wu Sheng pondered as he slowly walked back to the building. Just as he approached the entrance, he was pulled into the bushes by someone. Before he saw the face, he noticed the bald head.
Wu Sheng unconsciously curved his lips. His heart, which had been tense since Cheng Xiaonan’s poisoning, finally felt a breeze of relief. “You’re not sleeping properly. What are you wandering around for?”
Xu Wang said righteously, “How could I leave you alone to follow the mission thread?”
Wu Sheng laughed, deliberately asking, “Then let me hear; how can you help?”
“……” After a moment of silence, Xu Wang tiptoed and pecked his cheek. “Good luck?”
Wu Sheng felt this encouragement was good, and it was worth continuing.
“Do you suspect Cheng Xiaonan poisoned Old Master Cheng and that the poison was the same as what he was just poisoned with?” After hearing Wu Sheng’s summary, Xu Wang understood his meaning.
“Yes,” Wu Sheng said. “Otherwise, he couldn’t have reacted so swiftly and accurately after being poisoned.”
“But why would he harm his own father? And who poisoned him? What does all this have to do with Du Jinnian’s disappearance?” Xu Wang was still confused.
“We don’t know yet,” Wu Sheng honestly admitted. “But I always feel that the key lies with Cheng Xiaonan. The last person Du Jinnian saw was also him.”
Xu Wang asked, “What’s he doing now?”
Wu Sheng replied, “Lying in the bedroom with an IV drip.”
Xu Wang: “……”
Wu Sheng reassured, “Don’t worry. The Fushou Gang and the Hai Gang both have people guarding. If anything happens to Cheng Xiaonan, those who insisted on staying here tonight can’t escape responsibility, so they are more concerned than anyone.”
Xu Wang was surprised. “How do you know I was worried?”
Wu Sheng smiled. “Because according to typical detective movies, the prime suspect, by this time, should have been killed by the murderer.”
Xu Wang: “……”
There was no movement from Master Yan Yi; he had already gone to sleep. Xu Wang mainly came to ask about Wu Sheng’s situation and to offer some help, but since Wu Sheng himself had no clues, he told Xu Wang to go back to rest and then returned to the building himself.
Just as he reached the entrance of the building, he saw a servant sneaking around behind a column, peeping out at a Fushou Gang brother smoking not far away. He was so focused that he didn’t notice Wu Sheng walking straight towards him.
Only when Wu Sheng approached the column did he let out a startled “ah”, as if caught in the act of wrongdoing.
The Fushou Gang brother, hearing the noise, looked over, puzzled.
Wu Sheng saw no one in the living room and directly asked, “Where are Master Jiu and the young gang leader?”
The servant, taken aback by his question, stuttered for a moment before finding his voice. “Resting, resting.”
“They didn’t leave?”
“No, they’re resting in the guest room.” The servant finally spoke a bit more fluently.
With the host poisoned and unable to rise, the guests indeed had no reason to continue chatting over tea. However, it seemed they were determined to root themselves in the Cheng family.
After a moment’s thought, Wu Sheng said, “I’m also tired. Could you arrange a guest room for me?”
“Of course, sir. This way, please.” The servant immediately led the way.
Wu Sheng followed him to a guesthouse near the small building. Until they were alone, Wu Sheng suddenly asked, “Why were you looking at him?”
The servant stopped in his tracks, his expression a mix of fear and confusion. “Ah?”
Wu Sheng looked at him steadily, this time affirmatively. “You know that Fushou Gang brother.”
The servant shook his head vigorously. “I don’t know. I don’t know!”
“Okay.” Wu Sheng shrugged. “I’ll ask Young Master Hai to inquire. You’ll probably recognize him then.”
Wu Sheng could tell; the entire Cheng family estate was quite wary of Hai Yunlong. If Master Ying Jiu was an unwelcome guest, Hai Yunlong was more like a domineering presence from the mother’s family.
“Don’t, sir. I really don’t know anything. I just, just… caught a glimpse of it…”
Wu Sheng’s heart tightened, his tone becoming unconsciously stern. “Caught a glimpse of what?”
The servant was on the verge of tears. “Last year, after the second master was kidnapped, the kidnappers sent a child to deliver the ransom note… I was the one who opened the door… When I received the note, I saw him peeking from the alley. Our eyes met, and he ran away… Sir, you must not say it was me who told you… The Fushou Gang kills without blinking an eye…”
After repeatedly reassuring and comforting the servant, Wu Sheng sat in the dim and cold guest room, deep in thought, for a long time.
Could it really be the Fushou Gang that kidnapped Cheng Jiming, demanded a ransom, and then killed him?
He had always thought not, but that “testimony” just now made him waver.
“Did the Owl give you the task to investigate the case?” In the quiet night breeze, a voice slipped through the door crack, and then the person pushed the door and entered, as naturally as if entering their own home.
Wu Sheng stared blankly at the young man by Master Ying Jiu’s side, who sauntered in and casually sat opposite him, realizing, “Xiao Xue?”
“You’re wearing glasses now.” Chi Yingxue picked up an orange from the fruit plate on the table and started peeling it for himself.
“When did you recognize me?” Wu Sheng was curious.
Chi Ying Xue popped a segment of orange into his mouth. “When you entered the courtyard with a group of monks.”
“And then?” Wu Sheng didn’t believe he recognized him at that time, as he hadn’t spoken at all while the Fushou Gang was confronting the Cheng family from the perimeter.
Chi Yingxue frowned and tilted his head to look at him, as if to say, “It’s so obvious. Why do I even need to explain?”
“You and one of the young monks were exchanging glances, using the same set of eyes you use when you flirt with the captain.”
Wu Sheng: “……”
Which set is that?!
“Do you like the captain?” Out of nowhere, he threw out this question.
Without hesitation, Wu Sheng replied, “Of course.”
“If you like him, then just tackle him and get down to business.” Chi Yingxue stared at him, asking very sincerely, “Isn’t it frustrating to just satisfy yourself with looks?”
Wu Sheng: “……”
There wasn’t a hint of indecency in his eyes. It was just a straightforward, almost innocent question.
But it was precisely this kind that it was harder to answer!
“Hm?” Not getting an answer right away, Chi Yingxue urged.
Wu Sheng surrendered, throwing out the truth. “I didn’t before, but now that you ask like this…”
It all went unsaid.
Chi Yingxue was very satisfied with this answer that matched his expectations.
“By the way, Qian Ai is also here.” Wu Sheng remembered he had forgotten about a comrade. “He’s a Cheng family servant, now guarding the memorial hall.”
Chi Yingxue nodded and continued to look at him, as if waiting for something.
Wu Sheng adjusted his glasses; behind the lenses, it was all confusion.
Chi Yingxue couldn’t wait any longer and directly asked, “What about Xiao Sijin?”
Wu Sheng then realized. “Still don’t know. Qian Ai said he saw a thief who might be him but didn’t catch him as the person ran away.”
Chi Yingxue threw the orange back into the fruit plate, not eating anymore. His delicate eyebrows wrinkled out of shape. “We’re all here, and he’s not. Did the Owl glitch out again?”
“……” Wu Sheng lamented that he was inferior to this domineering logic of attributing everything that doesn’t go as planned to a bug.
Kinky Translations 