First things first (five Chapters tomorrow).

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"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

The doorbell rang.

Yan Jing opened the door to find Shen Youran outside, still in her classic outfit.

An old padded pajama set and slippers.

Ever since the two of them moved out here to the countryside, this had been her constant look. Their circle of activity was small anyway; if she wasn't at her own place, she was at his.

"Xiao Yanzi!"

Yan Jing sidestepped to dodge the woman's pounce.

"Would Teacher Shen like some tea?"

He turned and walked toward the living room.

"Yes!"

Shen Youran nodded vigorously. "Are you brewing it yourself?"

"No."

Yan Jing sat down on the sofa. "If you're having some, order a cup for me too while you're at it."

"..."

Shen Youran ground her teeth together, then plopped down on the sofa across from him.

She pulled two differently packaged bags of powder from her pocket and placed them in front of him.

"This is what you asked for, Xiao Yanzi. Under a heavy dose, a First Tier will sleep for about three hours, and a Second Tier for ten minutes. The scent is very faint, but if they use Weird Energy to scan for it, it can still be detected."

Then, her expression turned serious.

"To prevent anyone from looking into what your next Dungeon is, I had someone protect your computer's browsing history in advance."

"But that isn't a foolproof plan. After all, there's no shortage of Inner World items that can predict another person's next Dungeon."

"So, I did a reverse trace to see if anyone else has Sun-Swallowing Tower as their next Dungeon."

"I found these two. Both of them will be entering Sun-Swallowing Tower with you tomorrow."

Yan Jing took the documents she pulled from her pocket, studying the photos of the two men and their profiles.

Across from him, Shen Youran spoke.

"The first is Mu Rao, from the Mu Family of the Eight Great Families. He is a true heavenly prodigy of their newest generation."

"When he was born, the Mu Family tested him. If any item from the 'Sin'—'desire' Pathway is used for his Ritual, its energy efficiency increases by fifteen percent."

"With a constitution like that, he would be highly sought after even in the Central Municipality."

"For his sake, before every Dungeon entry, the Mu Family specifically uses an Inner World artifact passed down through their generations to predict the Dungeon with the best development route for him. Then, they use a Dungeon Selection Voucher to send him there."

A Dungeon Selection Voucher.

Yan Jing's expression remained calm.

After a crash course in Inner World knowledge from Shen Youran over the past few days, he already knew that the geographical locations in the Surface World corresponded to Domains in the Inner World.

For example, Ling'an and its surrounding regions corresponded to the Old Sin City Domain in the Inner World.

If the Inner World was left to choose a Dungeon randomly, there was an overwhelming probability that people from this region would only be assigned to Dungeons within the Old Sin City Domain.

But there were exceptions to everything. A Dungeon Selection Voucher, for instance, could alter the location of the next Dungeon.

Much like the Quality Appraisal Voucher he had obtained before, this item wasn't bound, which meant it was tradable.

They went for about 300,000 to 400,000 Surface World Currency each.

However, their usage came with certain restrictions.

Once a voucher was used, the difficulty of the next Dungeon had to be greater than the originally scheduled one for the transfer to succeed without side effects.

If it was used forcibly, extra missions would be assigned to increase the difficulty.

"I don't seem to have any connections with the Mu Family," Yan Jing said, looking at the photo of the man with peach-blossom eyes and a gentle smile.

"True, but we still can't rule him out completely." Shen Youran nodded. "The reason he's a suspect is that, according to the files, all of Mu Rao's previous Dungeons have been in a large Domain belonging to the 'desire' Pathway. Yet this is the very first time he has chosen a Gluttony Domain."

"There's no specific information on his Day Selection Ritual yet. All we know is that it's of yellow quality, and one of its two abilities enhances his charm toward women."

Yan Jing nodded, shifting his gaze downward to the wild-looking face on the next page. "An old friend," he remarked.

Shen Youran sighed. "Yes, Mo Nagu, whom you ran into during your last Dungeon. He also used a Dungeon Selection Voucher to choose this Dungeon."

"His constitution allows him to stimulate his body with Weird Energy, entering a brief state of frenzy."

"Honestly, it would be fine if it were just him, but Qianjin Investment Bank's Mu Wan is undoubtedly going into the Dungeon with him."

"In fact, both of them—Mu Rao included—will definitely be bringing teams into the Dungeon."

"So, that's why I'm worried."

She looked up at Yan Jing, undeniable concern showing in her eyes. "Furthermore, this is only what I managed to dig up. There's also the Lin Family, the An Family, the Wu Family... maybe even your own Yan Family. Any of them could send someone into the Inner World to make a move against you."

"The danger level of Sun-Swallowing Tower is obvious to everyone. If they dare to come, they're definitely prepared."

Meeting her gaze, Yan Jing finally noticed that Shen Youran's fox-like eyes were thoroughly bloodshot.

She must have stayed up all night.

"It's fine. Didn't you secretly arrange people for me too?" Yan Jing smiled. "As for the people you mentioned, I'll take them seriously."

With that, he stood up and walked over to the tea table behind him. "Tieguanyin or Silver Needle?"

"Silver Needle!"

Seeing that Yan Jing was going to brew tea for her, a smile returned to Shen Youran's face.

She remembered telling him that Silver Needle was her favorite.

Five minutes later.

Yan Jing picked up Shen Youran, who had fallen sound asleep on the sofa, carried her over to her own house, and closed the door as he left.

"The medicine works well. A five-minute onset time is just about right." Yan Jing looked up at the moon overhead.

It seemed to be the middle of the month.

The bright moon hung like a halo, shedding a faint, pearlescent glow across the night. Accompanied by the chorus of cicadas in the treetops, it washed away traces of the sweltering heat.

"A moon like this... I need to make sure I live to see a few more years of it," he murmured.

Then, he turned and walked back toward his house, preparing to thoroughly review the files on all the people and potential threats Shen Youran had just mentioned.

...

...

The next day.

Early morning.

Yan Jing put on the mask Shen Youran had given him, the Ghoulish Veil. Before his eyes, the long-absent Inner World System notification appeared.

[Stage A of the mission is about to begin]

[Current mission location: Old Sin City - Sun-Swallowing Tower]

[Welcome back, esteemed player]

When the wave of dizziness passed, Yan Jing opened his eyes.

Looking at the winding corridors and the brown doors lined up one after another, each bearing a photo and a job title, he immediately recognized where he was.

The 6th floor of the Tower, the office area.

A female Inner World resident in professional business attire stood directly in front of the assembled players.

Aside from her normal lips, she had a second mouth growing out of her chin. Both mouths opened and closed in unison: "Everyone, step forward to collect your uniforms and Employee Handbooks."

She then began to outline the Tower's regulations.

By the time all the standard procedures were completed, Yan Jing noticed that the players, now dressed in their waiter uniforms, had neatly split into several groups.

The leaders of two of those groups were the exact people Shen Youran had highlighted last night: Mu Rao, and the duo of Mu Wan and Mo Nagu.

Yan Jing surveyed the remaining three teams, but could only identify the background of one of their leaders—Chen Dalang, the leading figure of the latest generation from the Chen Family among the Eight Great Families.

As for the last two teams, he didn't spot anyone memorable.

They likely weren't from Ling'an City, or perhaps they were just scattered players who had teamed up in advance.

Beyond that, there were eight or nine solo players, himself included.

Counting everyone up, there were about thirty people in this Dungeon.

Compared to the Novice Dungeon in Rotten Vegetable Village, the numbers were significantly lower.

Watching those prominent, well-known leaders from Ling'an, Yan Jing felt that something wasn't quite right.

Sun-Swallowing Tower was a Dungeon with an official mortality rate above ninety percent.

No matter how confident these heavenly prodigies were in themselves, there was no way their backing families would permit them to choose this Dungeon without a very good reason.

"At midnight, we will tally the number of guests each of you served and the evaluations they gave. I suggest you avoid racking up too many bad reviews or slacking on the job." The two-mouthed woman pushed up her glasses. "Now, start your shifts."

With that, she turned and walked away.

She showed no intention of supervising them.

Yan Jing immediately headed toward the stairwell.

Calculating the time, Rose and One-Eye should already be waiting at the front of the shop. He needed to get his tasks done and go open the place for business.

Suddenly, a figure approached him from the crowd.

It was a rather chubby, short man who had to wipe sweat from his forehead almost every few steps. "Hey buddy, want to team up?" he asked.

"Sorry, I prefer to work alone," Yan Jing replied.

Refusing to give up despite the rejection, the man pressed on. "Buddy, this Dungeon is incredibly difficult! You probably don't know this, but those people teaming up are all heavenly prodigies from the major families. You're from Ling'an or the surrounding cities too, right? Haven't you heard of Mu Rao? Even he formed a three-man squad!"

The man continued, "We aren't like them. We were sent here purely out of bad luck, which means we have an even greater need to huddle for warmth."

"Setting everything else aside, there's no way we can beat them when it comes to fighting over food. We could very well starve to death later on!"

"I wanted to form a group beforehand, but most of the people I found had already made teams. Right now, it's just the two of us. What do you say? Want to join?"

"It'll give us a slightly better chance of surviving."

Yan Jing followed the man's pointing finger and saw a girl standing there with an anxious, lost expression.

She looked to be in her early twenties, with a delicate and slender build.

Yan Jing shook his head, rejecting him once again. "Sorry."

With that, he simply turned and walked away.

Seeing Yan Jing repeatedly refuse, the man clicked his tongue. He looked visibly annoyed, but he ultimately shook his head and walked off toward the others in the crowd without another word.

Yan Jing reached the stairwell landing and tilted his head slightly, checking behind him from the corner of his eye.

Seeing no one following, he picked up his pace and soon arrived on the second floor.

His reserved room was right by the stairs. After first scanning the surroundings with Weird Energy, he darted to the door in a flash. His fingers blurred as he rapidly punched in the passcode, and he slipped inside.

"Growl— Growl— Growl—"

His stomach was already complaining. Yan Jing picked up a bowl of luxurious food from the table—left out because it couldn't fit in the fridge—and headed toward the kitchen.

No matter what kind of bloody storm was brewing outside, he still had to finish his meal first.

After a hearty meal, Yan Jing took out a few photographs he had brought in from the Surface World and switched to the Cameraman.

Instantly, his perspective shifted. He was lying on a bed, staring up at the ceiling.

With a slight curve of his lips, he sat up.

He examined the photographs he had brought one by one, committing them to memory.

The pictures had been taken with a camera Shen Youran bought; they showed the guest list and profiles she had provided earlier.

Once that was done, Yan Jing headed out.

This morning, he needed to finish the bar's daily performance quota and conduct a small experiment on the side.

He took the elevator to the third floor, where he found Rose and One-Eye squatting by the entrance to the bar.

The two were staring blankly at the floor, lost in thought.

From a distance, they looked like a pair of puppies left home alone, their silhouettes distinctly lonely.

Only when they saw Yan Jing approaching did they stand up, joy flashing in their eyes.

"Good morning, Boss!"

"Sorry I'm late, Xiao Mei, Xiao Yan."

Yan Jing smiled.

"We have quite a few new guests in the Tower today. Let's work hard and try to clock out early this afternoon."

"If you do a good job, lunch is on me."

"Yes!!!"

...

Throughout the morning, Yan Jing tuned everything else out and focused entirely on the business. It took him only two and a half hours to meet the daily performance quota.

When lunchtime arrived, he used his Walkie-talkie to tell Old Liu and the others he was busy. Then he returned to his room and switched back to his original body.

He rubbed his stomach. He didn't feel hungry at all.

"Just as I thought..."

Yan Jing's eyes flickered.

He had previously noticed that if he spent a long time in the Inner World without logging out, his original body wouldn't feel hungry upon returning to the Surface World.

However, if his body was already hungry before entering the Inner World, he would still be hungry after exiting.

This was the exact opposite of how sleep worked.

If he had gone a long time without sleep before entering the Inner World, taking a nap inside would cure his mental exhaustion upon returning to the Surface World.

It was as if his mental state—linked to sleep—was shared across both worlds, while his physical body operated on an independent track.

Now, this had been proven once again.

Since the deluxe meal contained weird energy, Yan Jing directly placed a portion into his Inventory.

At present, his seven Inventory slots held:

[Mysterious Skull, Mental Immunity Potion (Bound Item), Sleep Powder, High-Nutrition Bread, Deluxe Meal, Homemade Voice Recorder, Order Promissory Note]

In addition, he was wearing the combat suit Shen Youran had bought, along with the Ghost Veil.

Rather than rushing out, Yan Jing walked to the foot of the bed, lifted the pillow, and reached under the sheets.

He pulled out the small white cube he had obtained from the Amusement Park.

"I hope this doesn't disappoint me..."

He smiled, then mobilized the weird energy within his body and injected it into the white cube, beginning a Tidal Circulation just as he remembered.

Once, twice... The number of circulations steadily climbed.

Very quickly, it broke past fifty cycles.

Then fifty-one, fifty-two... one hundred!

And it still didn't stop.

Yan Jing had his eyes closed, but an ocean constructed of dark weird energy seemingly appeared before him, its waves swaying beneath a high, bright moon.

With every breath he took, the ocean ebbed and flowed, washing over the beach again and again with an ethereal sound.

Gradually, Yan Jing forgot to count the cycles of the Tidal Circulation. He felt as though he was standing before that dark sea.

His heart was incredibly peaceful.

Eventually, a pang of hunger from his stomach roused him.

He checked the clock on the wall. Without him noticing, another hour had passed.

The white cube he had been holding in his hand had vanished, turning into a mark shaped like a Dice on the back of his hand.

Stunned for a moment, Yan Jing tried channeling weird energy into the mark.

With a burst of eerie light, streaks of "white" energy surged from the mark into the air, floating and circling him like ribbons of white silk.

At the same time, the phantom image of the Fear Sapling uncontrollably materialized behind him.

The moment the phantom appeared, the "white" energy condensed and transformed back into the shape of the white cube.

"Whoosh—"

As if attracted by the cube, the phantom image of the Fear Sapling was pulled inside it.

Out of its six originally blank faces, one now bore a black mark.

The mark started from a single point and branched out like twigs. Beneath each withered branch hung a tiny black dot.

It was unmistakably a stick-figure sketch of the Fear Sapling.

Immediately after, with a single thought from Yan Jing, the cube transformed once more.

Violent weird energy surged, ultimately manifesting as a bracer wrapped in Thorns that attached to his right arm.

Yan Jing looked at the bracer.

Dark Thorns and white branches intertwined, covering everything from his forearm down to his palm. In the gaps between them, tiny, starry flowers could be seen blooming.

The flowers were split into two colors: black and white.

The black flowers looked exactly like the decadent blooms resting on sharp Thorns, while the white ones were the exact opposite—their petals lush and brimming with life.

"Swish—"

Yan Jing gave his right arm a gentle wave, but a fierce aura instantly erupted, and the table in front of him shattered with a loud crash.

Amplification.

Yan Jing could feel the function of this bracer.

Although the boost to his strength and destructive power wasn't exceptionally high, that was only because the white cube was of white-tier quality.

If he were to choose it as The Vessel...

Its quality would upgrade as he advanced...

A hint of joy surfaced in Yan Jing's eyes.

It hadn't been a waste to go out of his way to ride that roller coaster.

Afterward, Yan Jing dismantled the bracer, and the white energy returned to the mark.

He could sense that unless the bracer was broken, this white energy wouldn't deplete; it was much more durable than weird energy.

"I'm finally just about ready."

Yan Jing took a deep breath and walked out the door.

He had made extensive preparations for this Dungeon, all to guarantee nothing would go wrong.

From here on out, no matter who tried to stand in his way, he had absolutely no intention of backing down.

The residents on the second floor were all Inner World residents, so Yan Jing opted not to take the elevator, using the emergency stairwell instead.

But he had only gone down a few steps when he felt a fluctuation of weird energy in his surroundings.

He looked up alertly, only to find that the area had transformed into an enclosed space.

The railings and the space behind him had turned into black walls. All that remained was a short flight of descending stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs stood a man dressed in a staff uniform.

The man had his hair tied into a small, artist-like braid, giving him a dashing air. He looked up at Yan Jing and smiled faintly.

"Those guys are running around like headless flies trying to find you, but it's actually quite simple. All I had to do was pick between the elevator and the stairs and wait."

"It seems my gamble paid off."

He extended his hands, conjuring two sharp blades in his palms. Holding them in a reverse grip, he walked toward Yan Jing.

"You're smart enough to wear a mask, but unfortunately, your disguise is still lacking."

As the man drew closer step by step, Yan Jing didn't make a move. He simply asked in a soft voice, "Fear, but no Ritual. Inner World Pathway?"

The man smiled and nodded.

"Someone put a bounty on your head on the Inner World network. Blame it on your own bad luck. I happen to have a Dungeon coming up soon, and I had just enough money on hand to buy a Dungeon Selection Voucher."

Yan Jing nodded.

"So 'those guys' refers to people from the Inner World Pathway? Like the Wild Dogs or something."

Hearing the Wild Dogs, the man chuckled.

"You know quite a bit. As expected of someone from a major Clan."

"Alright, if you have anything else you want to say, then—"

"Bang!!"

With a loud crash, the man's voice was abruptly cut off.

Yan Jing pulled back his fist and deactivated the bracer.

The enclosed space around him vanished, reverting to its normal appearance.

He quickly made his way down the stairs.

It was getting late; he needed to hurry.

Behind him, the man's head was deeply embedded into the adjacent wall, leaving his entire body dangling in the air.

Blood splattered across the wall in a radial pattern, pooling at the corner before trickling down the steps.

Drip, drop.

Arriving on the first floor, Yan Jing first went to the restroom to wash his hands.

The bloodstains thinned under the rushing water and vanished, leaving behind only a faint metallic scent.

"Long time no see."

Yan Jing looked up at Chen Nian, who had suddenly appeared in the mirror, and smiled.

Chen Nian was currently wearing a Cleaner's uniform and cradling a disc-shaped object in his hands.

"Long time no see."

His eyes calm above his mask, Chen Nian set the disc on the floor.

Dark weird energy surged from his hands into a cube atop the disc.

"Whir—"

The patterns on the disc lit up. As if jolted to life, it began a slow crawl toward the toilet stalls ahead.

Wherever it passed, the clinging grime vanished, leaving behind spotless streaks.

Upon reaching a corner, the disc actually folded itself, clinging to the wall as it continued to clean.

"An impressive invention."

Yan Jing said in admiration.

Chen Nian did not continue the topic, instead saying slowly, "You've become much stronger than the last time we met."

"People always improve."

Yan Jing smiled.

"But you still haven't given me what you promised last time."

Chen Nian's tone was calm.

"True. I was a little short on luck, so I didn't manage to record anything."

Yan Jing sounded regretful. "But I happen to have your item with me, so I can return it."

"Forget it. There's no need."

Chen Nian shook his head. He was no longer interested in the relationship between Yi Ji and Mantou.

He wasn't blind.

As for the voice recorder, it wasn't a rare item.

But Yan Jing remained resolute. He pulled out the voice recorder and tossed it to Chen Nian:

"Returning this to its rightful owner. Until next time, sir."

With that, Yan Jing turned and left.

Yan Jing soon stepped out of the restroom.

Chen Nian stared at the voice recorder in his hand, hesitating again and again.

Finally, he pressed the play button.

"Five minutes. By the time those foolish idiots get here, you'll already be a pile of meat. Don't worry..."

This was...

Listening to the recording, Chen Nian's pupils suddenly shrank.

...

Meanwhile, as Yan Jing walked toward the main reception hall, a system prompt surfaced before his eyes.

[A certain Inner World entity's favorability toward you has greatly increased.]

Looking at the new prompt, a slight smile curled the corners of Yan Jing's calm mouth.

When he reached the entrance of the reception hall, he was surprised to find that Old Master Liu wasn't among the welcoming team today.

Remembering what the old man had said during their meal yesterday, Yan Jing felt an inexplicable, ominous premonition.

"Don't cause too big of a scene, Old Master..."

Stepping into the reception hall, Yan Jing gazed toward the dining area.

The banquet had not yet begun, so the number of dining guests was noticeably smaller than in the evening.

But since there were fewer than thirty players present, there were still more than enough guests to go around.

With a single glance across the room, he saw that almost all the players had already formed their teams.

The short, fat man and the Slender Girl who had invited him earlier had teamed up with a gloomy-looking man to form the sixth group.

The remaining four or five stragglers had grouped together to form the seventh team.

Now, aside from Yan Jing himself, only the Squinting Man remained entirely on his own.

"Time to get to work."

Yan Jing searched for a target and quickly homed in on a customer he already had information about.

So, after making some preparations, he walked over.

"Hello, madam. I noticed you don't have a dedicated waiter yet. Might I have the honor?"

Yan Jing smiled at the Inner World resident before him, who had an octopus atop her neck.

"Mhm."

The Inner World resident nodded. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Yan Jing produced a warm, damp towel from behind his back and smiled.

"I believe you might need this."

The octopus woman froze. She had indeed wanted to ask Yan Jing for a wet towel to wipe and moisturize the tentacles around her neck, but she hadn't known how to ask.

Yan Jing smiled slightly.

"I've been observing you for a while, and you seemed a bit troubled."

"Shall I help you? Or would you prefer to do it yourself to control the pressure..."

"I—I'll do it."

A trace of fluster crept into the octopus woman's voice.

For some reason, even though the waiter in front of her was human, she felt a strange sensation in her heart.

She had certainly heard plenty of stories from her friends about crossing paths with humans...

But she couldn't do that.

As she wiped her face with the towel, she sneaked a quiet glance up at the masked Yan Jing.

By now, Yan Jing had brought over a damp napkin, taking the initiative to help roll and tie up the tentacles she had wiped down.

This scene made the octopus woman's heart pound. Whenever she got carried away during meals, her tentacles would thrash around and accidentally touch her food.

Very few people usually noticed this about her...

[A certain Inner World entity's favorability toward you is steadily increasing.]

In Yan Jing's mind, the information about the octopus woman surfaced piece by piece.

[Personality: Shy, gentle, innocent, slightly boy-crazy.

Craves romance, does not reject physical contact.

Notes: The target is very self-conscious about her face and will look favorably upon anyone who notices this. She requires a warm, damp towel while dining and prefers waiters with gentle temperaments...

Demands: If the target is in a bad mood, she will demand the waiter wipe the tentacles on her face, and require that the process cause her absolutely no discomfort.

If the target is in a good mood, she will merely ask the waiter to chat with her for a while to demonstrate her approachability.]

Soon, his thirty-minute service shift was over.

The octopus woman stared at Yan Jing, completely transfixed. Her eyes were practically glued to him, carrying an indescribably tender expression.

"Madam, thank you for listening to my stories, and thank you for the positive review, but now I must continue working."

Yan Jing smiled gently. "Though I don't know how this task of mine will turn out, I am very glad to have met you."

With that, Yan Jing turned to leave.

"Wait—"

The octopus woman suddenly called out to him.

"You said earlier that as long as you get five positive reviews, you'll be fine, right?"

She twirled a fingertip around one of her tentacles, her voice dropping a fraction lower.

"I... I happen to have a few friends dining here as well. I might be able to help."

"No, there is no need to trouble you."

Yan Jing looked back at her, his expression turning earnest. "I can manage on my own. Please, just enjoy the rest of your journey."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a wistful octopus woman who gazed at his retreating back.

"He's different from the others."

The octopus woman murmured to herself, "He doesn't know my identity, and he isn't here for some special purpose. He's right. I shouldn't make the relationship between us too complicated."

Meanwhile, Yan Jing secretly let out a sigh of relief.

It was his first time operating like this, and he hadn't quite grasped the right limits. He would have to be more careful next time.

Although the octopus woman was essentially going to give him several positive reviews for free, it clearly didn't come without a price.

Once he provoked unnecessary trouble, the losses would far outweigh the gains.

Soon, he locked onto his next target and walked over.

"Hello, Miss. I noticed you don't have a dedicated waiter yet. Might I have the honor?"

In a corner of the main reception hall, Mu Wan lounged in a chair, tracking every move of the players who had entered this dungeon.

After a morning and half an afternoon of work, she had already met her quota of serving five guests.

She hadn't earned five-star ratings from all of them, but the dungeon's evaluation didn't matter to her.

As an investor, she cared only about the dungeon yields of the player she was backing.

Choosing this dungeon had cost her dearly. She had paid a heavy price to coax the intel out of the Chen family: there was a chance that The Vessel, perfectly suited for Mo Nagu, might appear here.

She just hadn't expected Mu Rao to choose this dungeon too, let alone the Chen family's Chen Dalang.

That complicated things.

She was confident Mo Nagu wouldn't lose to Chen Dalang, but Mu Rao...

The Mu family had poured too much blood and sweat into him.

He already carried an aura incredibly close to the heavenly prodigies from the Central Municipality.

All he lacked was a slightly deeper foundation.

Furthermore, aside from their three factions, two other teams had formed in advance. She found herself watching one of them, nagged by a sense of familiarity—as if she had seen them somewhere before.

Their flawless coordination proved they weren't just a band of scattered solo players.

Among the players who hadn't formed teams, she paid close attention and actually spotted several putting on an impressive showing.

A squinting man, a guy wearing a mask, and a rather hefty fat man...

Especially the guy in the mask.

Every time he finished serving a guest, he transitioned almost seamlessly to his next target.

She had been watching him for a long time. Every single guest he served gave him a five-star review.

That was simply terrifying!

Even Mu Rao, whose charm drew women like a magnet, hadn't secured five-star reviews across the board.

Everyone had their own peculiar quirks and specific demands. It was practically impossible to cater to every tiny detail perfectly; avoiding a bad rating was usually the best anyone could hope for.

Yet the guy in the mask had served nearly ten people by now without a single misstep.

If it wasn't just blind luck—if the few profiles he gathered didn't just happen to belong to the guests who showed up today—then... it meant he held detailed dossiers on at least several hundred guests.

She frowned at the thought, realizing just how absurd it sounded.

Who could possibly compile that much detailed information on inner world residents? He would have to know their exact dining preferences and aversions.

It had to be luck.

She let out a soft sigh.

From the looks of it, this dungeon was going to be much harder than she had imagined.

It all depended on how many people had come for The Vessel.

...

"Thank you for the good review."

Mu Rao smiled warmly at the guest before him.

"It's no big deal."

The woman ran a hand through her large, wavy hair, struck what she clearly thought was a seductive pose, and said in a cloying voice, "Do you have time tonight?"

"I could give you my room passcode."

Mu Rao looked at the middle-aged woman. She had to be in her fifties, and her tight evening gown couldn't quite contain the loose rolls of fat around her stomach. Without a change in expression, he said, "If the opportunity arises, I'll be sure to let you know."

With that, he turned and walked briskly away.

Approaching a short-haired girl, he smiled. "Xiao Ai, what's the count?"

"Seven five-star reviews, six four-star reviews."

Xiao Ai gazed at him with unconcealed adoration. "Boss, you're amazing! A dungeon of this difficulty is basically a walk in the park for you!"

Mu Rao chuckled. "Don't get careless. The S-rank evaluation for this task is only awarded to the single best-performing waiter. We still need to see how the others are doing."

Just then, a classic beauty with long, straight black hair walked over to him.

Mu Rao greeted her with a smile. "How is it, Meng'er? Are there any formidable players in the other groups?"

To his surprise, Meng'er wore a grim expression.

"Rao, we might have a problem."

"What's wrong?" Mu Rao blinked. "Is another player getting close to my review count?"

"Not close."

Meng'er shook her head and pointed toward Yan Jing in the distance.

"That man in the mask has served ten guests so far."

"All of them gave him five stars."

Hearing this, the short-haired girl's eyes widened in shock.

"How is that possible?!"

"Sister Meng'er, did you make a mistake?"

Meng'er shot Xiao Ai an icy glare. "If you doubt my words, we can always swap jobs."

Clearly, the two girls weren't particularly close.

They were practically at each other's throats.

Seeing tears welling up in Xiao Ai's eyes, Mu Rao chuckled and intervened.

"Stop fighting, both of you. If you keep arguing, I'll bring Yun'er and the others on the next dungeon run instead."

Hearing that, the two girls finally stifled their brewing conflict.

"So, Rao, what do we do now?" Meng'er looked toward Yan Jing, a cold light glinting in her eyes. "Should I go take care of him now?"

But Mu Rao raised a hand to stop her, a faint smile on his lips. "It's fine. I'll handle him personally later."

Seeing their surprised expressions, Mu Rao rubbed his nose. "I owe someone a favor. Taking care of this guy will be my way of paying it back. Just to be safe, I'll do it myself."

"Still..."

He lifted his gaze to look at Yan Jing and smiled. "His cousin isn't as useless as he claimed."

...

...

Yan Jing remained completely oblivious to the commotion.

By now, he was wholly immersed in his job as a waiter.

Flawlessly fulfilling every guest's needs, securing their praise and top ratings, and watching their eyes widen with pleasant surprise—it was actually quite satisfying.

Whenever he felt hungry, he would pull out a meal to eat, and once finished, he would get right back to work. By the time evening approached, Yan Jing had smoothly served twelve guests. All of them gave him five stars.

Such a stellar performance naturally drew the attention of the other teams. So, when Yan Jing finally wrapped up his shift and headed toward the Employee Cafeteria...

A group of people blocked his path at the stairwell.

It was the seventh team, formed by four or five leftover solo players.

"Brother, could we have a quick word?"

The man leading them was tall and burly, sporting a scar across his face. He offered a smile.

"Sure."

To the scarred man's surprise, Yan Jing nodded and smiled placidly. "There are fifteen minutes left until the Gluttonous Ghost Banquet begins. You have three minutes to tell me what you want."

"Nothing much. We just wanted to borrow some of your intel, brother."

The scarred man flashed a seemingly simple, honest grin. "A few guys in our team have gotten too many bad reviews. We were hoping you could do us a solid and let us farm a few good reviews tonight."

As he spoke, the men around him slowly shifted positions, boxing Yan Jing in.

Faced with their encirclement, Yan Jing remained relaxed, not showing a hint of tension.

"Who put you up to this?"

"Huh?"

The scarred man's face stiffened, his smile turning strained. "I don't really get what you're saying, brother."

Yan Jing didn't say another word.

He took a step forward.

Seeing this, the scarred man immediately scrambled backward to create distance. But his vision blurred, and Yan Jing was already right in front of him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

The speed of it terrified the man, and fine beads of sweat instantly broke out across his forehead.

The others tensed up, looking as if they were facing a mortal enemy.

"I'll ask again. Who's behind you?"

Yan Jing's smile hadn't faded.

These guys couldn't be stupid enough to think someone who had raked in good reviews all afternoon was a soft target. The most likely explanation was that someone else was pulling their strings.

And whoever was commanding this temporary team was definitely another player in the dungeon.

Just as the scarred man was panicking over what to do, a voice rang out from behind a pillar around the corner.

"It's me."

The squinting man slowly stepped out from behind the pillar, smiling.

"I was the one who wanted them to test your skills."

"I suppose it worked. Your performance was certainly beyond—"

He never got to finish that sentence. Yan Jing blurred, leaving behind an afterimage as he vanished, only to appear instantly in front of him.

His right arm, coated in black-and-white armor, smashed heavily toward the squinting man's chest.

The squinting man clearly hadn't expected Yan Jing to be so fast. For a split second, his perpetually narrowed eyes widened in shock. He instantly crossed his arms over his chest to block, a blinding dark light exploding from his right arm.

Boom!!!

Like a cannonball, the man was blasted brutally into the wall. Spiderweb cracks fractured across the surface, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"Now you've seen it, Mr. Peacekeeper."

Yan Jing turned around and walked right past the shell-shocked mob, heading straight for the Fifth Floor Employee Cafeteria.

It wasn't that he intentionally spared the man's life, even if he did belong to the Public Security Association.

It was simply because the squinting man had chosen his timing very cleverly.

Finishing him off within ten minutes would have been highly difficult.

There was still plenty of time left in the dungeon. Eating came first; eating was the most important thing.

"Cough, cough—"

Not long after Yan Jing left, the squinting man stepped out of the dust cloud.

Aside from a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, he didn't appear to have suffered any serious injuries.

However, his originally normal right arm had transformed into a black blade.

Gazing in the direction Yan Jing had disappeared, the man's smile turned somewhat bitter.

"This guy is a bit different from what Xiao Xu described."

"Did Xiao Xu set me up on purpose? That was incredibly embarrassing."

Yan Jing arrived at the Employee Cafeteria.

The place was already crowded.

The inner world residents who got off work early had staked out spots at the food windows, waiting for service to start so they could get the first hot bites.

Drool dripped from their mouths, pooling into a long, wet trail at their feet.

Yan Jing stepped over the puddle. He didn't line up, nor did he head toward the Gluttonous Weird meals. Instead, he walked to the Restroom.

Locking the door behind him, he ran an Anomalous Energy Detection sweep and immediately switched to his Cameraman avatar in the single standard room. Then, he made his way up to the fifth floor, heading for the Gluttonous Ghost Banquet.

At the large round tables, the Gluttonous Weirds were waking from their slumber, drooling as they stared hungrily at the center of each table.

For most Gluttonous Weirds, their daily lives practically never took them away from these tables.

Unless ordered to leave, they simply collapsed onto the tables to sleep once full, then woke up and waited to eat again.

Yan Jing blended into the crowd. With a casual stroll, he arrived at the kitchen doors of the Gluttonous Ghost Banquet he had scouted yesterday.

Right now, six inner world resident waiters stood by the door.

Each carried a massive platter piled high with worm-like inner world creatures drenched in a red sauce.

There were seven round tables, which meant there should have been seven waiters.

But one waiter seemed to have gone off to do something else, leaving a lone platter resting on a nearby table.

"Hello, is the Restroom this way?" Yan Jing approached one of the inner world resident waiters, stopping right next to the table with the abandoned platter.

"No, sir. The Restroom is over there."

Assuming Yan Jing was a lost guest, the waiter helpfully added that this entire floor was the Employee Cafeteria.

"Thank you," Yan Jing nodded. "I appreciate your patience, sir." He then turned and left.

It was a minor interruption, and the waiters thought nothing of it. Right now, they just wanted to finish serving so they could eat their own dinners.

A short while later, the substitute waiter rushed over, apologizing profusely.

"Sorry, so sorry! I'm late."

No one paid him any mind.

Serving the Gluttonous Ghost Banquet delayed a worker's own meal, so it was handled through rotating shifts. They rarely interacted with one another.

Seeing no response, Tiger didn't feel embarrassed. He picked up the platter left on the table.

Yan Jing had given him two very simple tasks. The first was to place the platter on the table and leave for fifteen minutes.

He didn't need to worry about anything else.

As for the waiter originally scheduled for this shift, rumor had it he had mysteriously fainted near the stairwell last night and tumbled down the steps, forcing him to take a few days off.

Having volunteered, Tiger easily secured the job.

He looked toward the third round table where the Gluttonous Weirds sat and straightened his collar.

Honestly, doing this kind of shady work for the first time was a little exciting.

...

...

Yan Jing hurried into the stall next to where his original body waited in the Restroom, locked the door, and switched back.

He quickened his pace, swiftly returning to the Gluttonous Ghost Banquet and taking a seat directly at table three.

"Hungry, hungry..."

The Gluttonous Weirds ignored the human squeezing in among them. They simply scooted aside, unwilling to get too close to the halo of light surrounding Yan Jing.

At the neighboring tables, the other players also began taking their seats.

Seven teams (Mu Rao, Mo Nagu, Chen Dalang, the two pre-formed groups, the Fat Man, and the Scar-faced Man) naturally corresponded to the seven tables.

At least, that was how it should have been.

But the final team to arrive was the group led by the Scar-faced Man—the same ones who had blocked Yan Jing at the stairwell.

And so...

They took one look at Yan Jing at table three.

Without a word, the entire group came to a tacit understanding and walked over to table six, where the Fat Man's team sat.

"Can't you see this table is almost full?"

The Fat Man frowned in displeasure. "You've got the wrong table."

"We want to sit here," the Scar-faced Man replied gruffly.

The Fat Man's expression darkened. He wanted to say more but swallowed his words.

At the same time, the Squinting Man strolled over from a distance.

He stood before Yan Jing's table, hesitating for a moment, before finally choosing to walk toward Mu Rao's table.

"May I sit here?" the Squinting Man asked with a smile.

"I'm afraid not, sir. It's already quite crowded."

Mu Rao returned the smile.

"Is that so? But I feel like there's just enough room for one more."

Ignoring Mu Rao's warning, the Squinting Man sat right down.

Seeing this, Mu Rao stared deeply at the man. Eventually, he raised a hand, signaling for the short-haired girl and the long-haired woman beside him to stay put.

Though the Squinting Man looked perfectly ordinary and sparked no recognition, those eyes reminded Mu Rao of certain rumors.

That guy was indeed due to enter a Dungeon recently...

But what baffled him was why this squinty-eyed fellow didn't just sit with Yan Jing, who was completely alone.

"Tsk, this is getting more and more interesting," he muttered under his breath.

...

Soon, the waiters emerged carrying the massive platters.

Tiger approached Yan Jing's table as agreed and placed the spiked platter right in the center.

Yan Jing made a token effort to reach for the food, but the Gluttonous Weirds instantly blocked him out with a wall of bodies. In no time at all, the entire platter of worms vanished.

Yan Jing watched the Gluttonous Weirds gorge themselves until grease smeared their faces, his expression utterly calm.

He then shifted his gaze to the other round tables to observe the different teams' tactics.

Mo Nagu's table used the most straightforward and brutal method.

Relying purely on physical strength, Mo Nagu swatted away the hands of the Gluttonous Weirds beside him, forced his way through their fleshy barricade, grabbed a massive handful of worms, and tossed them to his teammates.

Such an action undoubtedly lowered one's Mental Immunity Value, but the halo around him showed no signs of dimming.

He must have consumed a Mental Immunity Potion.

Fifteen minutes was plenty of time to scarf down a few items.

Then there was Chen Dalang's table and the two pre-formed player teams.

Their tactic relied on one person using their Inventory to smuggle in food steeped in weird energy from the outside. They used it to draw the Gluttonous Weirds' attention, creating an opening to snatch food off the table.

This method was quite demanding.

Not only did the person bringing the food need deep pockets, but it also required flawless teamwork to trade limited bait for as much table food as possible.

If any food was wasted, someone on the team would inevitably fall short of eating the mandatory two items.

Next was the Fat Man's table.

The two teams sharing that table employed the exact same strategy.

They relied on players with crowd-control Rituals to temporarily stun the Gluttonous Weirds, sacrificing their Mental Immunity Value to grab the food.

The primary controller for the Scar-faced Man's team was a man whose Ritual was a Pocket Watch. Its ability caused the surrounding Gluttonous Weirds to momentarily lose focus.

The controller for the Fat Man's team was that frail-looking girl.

Her Ritual was a Folding Fan. It was hard to tell exactly what it did at a glance, but as she fanned herself and spoke, the movements of the nearby Gluttonous Weirds noticeably slowed.

Finally, there were Mu Rao and the Squint-Eyed Man.

Mu Rao's method of getting food actually surprised Yan Jing.

The moment he showed a desire for the food, the two Gluttonous Weirds beside him actually hesitated, as if debating whether to yield their portions to him.

This meant those two Gluttonous Weirds were female.

What impressed Yan Jing wasn't that Mu Rao could charm female Gluttonous Weirds, but that he could even tell their genders apart in the first place.

As for the Squint-Eyed Man...

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, and the food in the platter flew straight up. Moving as fast as lightning, he snatched the worms out of the air in a blur.

He was so quick that even the Gluttonous Weirds couldn't react in time.

Brilliant. Truly brilliant. Yan Jing couldn't help but marvel.

The players who made it into this Dungeon really all had their own tricks. It was very much like the eight immortals crossing the sea, each showing their divine powers.

Unlike him—he was just completely ordinary.

He watched for a bit longer until a series of thuds echoed around him. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze and look at the platter in the center of the round table.

All around him, one Gluttonous Weird after another slumped over the table, snoring soundly.

Amid the deafening snores, his gaze remained indifferent. He pulled out the disposable chopsticks he had swiped while passing the cutlery station, casually rubbed them together to remove the splinters, and slowly reached for the platter.

The show was over. Now, it was time to eat.

As time ticked by, the players at the table gradually felt an immense pressure bearing down on them.

The methods they had employed worked at first, but each had its flaws.

For example, the team using their own food as bait found their rations running low.

The team relying on coordinated crowd control inevitably made mistakes, causing their Mental Immunity Values to drop steadily.

Even Mu Rao's gaze turned grim.

This was the Domain of Gluttony, after all. Seduced by plate after plate of food, the two female Gluttonous Weirds beside him were gradually shaking off the effects of his Ritual and growing wary of his movements.

The Squint-Eyed Man sitting across from him wasn't faring much better.

Snatching food midair was bound to fail eventually, and every time he brushed against a Gluttonous Weird's arm, his Mental Immunity Value dropped.

Eventually, the Squint-Eyed Man stopped.

His Mental Immunity Value had fallen to a critical level. To play it safe, he couldn't take any more risks.

Although Mental Immunity Values would reset in Stage B, he still had to survive an entire night before then.

He had to leave himself a margin for error.

It was only then that he noticed Yan Jing.

His squinted eyes instantly flew wide open.

All the Gluttonous Weirds surrounding Yan Jing had fallen fast asleep.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing was unhurriedly picking at the food on the table with his chopsticks, wiping his mouth with a napkin after finishing each dish.

What the hell?!

He stared at the scene in disbelief.

A Ritual from the Laziness system?

The thought flashed through his mind.

But he immediately dismissed it.

It was impossible. The Pillow had already appeared at an underground auction; everyone knew that.

Moreover, putting this many Gluttonous Weirds to sleep simultaneously should have severely drained Yan Jing's Mental Immunity Value.

So... what the hell was going on?

At the same time, the others also noticed the anomaly at Yan Jing's table.

Shock rippled through the crowd.

Soon, a few grew restless.

Yan Jing couldn't possibly finish that mountain of food by himself, and he was completely alone...

Although they knew this man—who had acted so abnormally all afternoon—was no pushover, the pre-formed Fifth Team was the first to cave.

Having exhausted their own food supply, they slowly approached Yan Jing.

"Hello, mind if we join you?"

The Fifth Team's leader, a woman dressed like a college student, offered a bright, sunny smile.

"As long as you pay."

Yan Jing wiped his mouth and smiled.

"..."

The woman took a deep breath. Still harboring a trace of wariness, she kept her smile and asked, "About how much would that be?"

"Forty thousand Wanli currency a head."

Yan Jing picked up a fresh bite of food served by Tiger and placed it in his mouth. "There are six of you. I'll round it down—two hundred thousand."

The moment the words fell, the group's expressions shifted.

A man standing behind the woman darkened with anger and snapped, "Who the fuck do you think you are, asking us to pay?"

With that, he reached out and snatched at the food on the plates.

But before his hand could reach the plate, a terrifying force clamped down on his wrist like iron tongs, halting him completely.

Then, the force shifted, dragging his arm violently downward.

"Ahhh!!!"

The man screamed in agony as his wrist snapped.

Before his teammates could even react, a dark blur flashed through the air like an artillery shell and slammed into the man with a heavy thud.

Amid the kicking dust, a fist rose, then hammered down.

Bang!

The screaming stopped.

Taking a direct punch to the face, the player lay unconscious with his eyes rolled back, blood streaming from his nose and mouth.

It all happened in a flash. Many players didn't even catch what went down before they saw Yan Jing back in his seat, smiling.

"One hundred and sixty thousand."

Yan Jing picked up his chopsticks and smiled at the pale woman. "Of course, if you want to pack his portion to go, it's still two hundred thousand."

After a moment, the woman quietly swallowed hard and nodded.

"One hundred and sixty thousand. We'll pay."

The transaction concluded, and the five took their seats.

Yan Jing resumed eating.

Right then, a bold voice rang out.

"I'll pay forty thousand. Can I join?"

Yan Jing looked up at the standing Chen Dalang.

He wore coarse cloth garments and cloth shoes. He had a massive build, but unlike Mo Nagu's bulging muscles, Chen Dalang kept his limbs covered in a long-sleeved shirt and pants. Even so, he looked incredibly robust.

"Sure."

Yan Jing nodded.

As far as he was concerned, money was money.

"Thanks."

Chen Dalang nodded, found a gap between the Gluttonous Weirds, and squeezed his way in.

The Gluttonous Feast had twenty dishes in total. Yan Jing had missed the first two. After tasting the sixteenth, he stood up and turned to leave.

The onlookers were puzzled.

As it stood, the Gluttonous Weirds showed absolutely no sign of waking. Yan Jing just needed to wait and he could sample every remaining dish.

If he did that, his rating for the task would naturally skyrocket.

However... his departure was undeniably a stroke of luck for the crowd.

Soon, people from other tables began getting up and heading for this table.

With Yan Jing gone, the food on that table had become "ownerless."

Seeing this, Chen Dalang considered mimicking Yan Jing's method, but to his surprise, both Mu Rao and the Squint-Eyed Man stood up at that exact moment.

Within minutes, the third table descended into total chaos.

Consequently, no one noticed that the remaining four dishes for this table were never served.

Yan Jing silently tracked the time before walking over to a table near the kitchen.

Four plates sat waiting here.

Each plate held just enough leftover food—neither too much nor too little.

Tiger was a reliable guy, indeed.

Then again, it might have been because Yan Jing was still holding onto his Zipper Button.

After taking a bite from each of the four dishes, Yan Jing dumped the plates into a nearby trash can and walked away.

...

That night, in the main reception hall on the first floor.

Yan Jing resumed his role as the "perfect waiter," steadily racking up five-star reviews.

Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure.

Old Liu had changed into a black tunic suit and stood with his hands behind his back next to a woman who looked to be in her fifties or sixties.

Judging by his demeanor, he was clearly acting as the woman's bodyguard.

Yan Jing remembered this woman's profile—she was a very wealthy VIP.

The corners of Yan Jing's mouth curled up.

No wonder the Old Man had been acting so secretive these past two days. He'd run off to cozy up to a rich patron.

A short while later, Yan Jing watched the woman speak to Old Master Liu.

Instantly, Old Master Liu grew visibly excited, his long silver-white hair trembling slightly.

Knowing Old Master Liu as well as he did, Yan Jing recognized this as a state of extreme thrill.

Next, Yan Jing saw Old Master Liu retreat to a corner, digging through his pockets and glancing around.

Yan Jing withdrew his gaze, moved to a different corner, and pulled the Cameraman's Walkie-talkie from his pocket. He hid it in his cuff, waiting for Old Master Liu to transmit.

The Old Man must have gotten some good news and wanted to use the Walkie-talkie to show off.

He needed to be ready to applaud the moment it happened.

Beep! Beep!

Sure enough, the Walkie-talkie buzzed.

Yan Jing pressed the button, and Old Master Liu's suppressed, thrilled voice drifted out.

"This is 'Old,' this is 'Old.' I have major news to announce!"

Just as expected.

Smiling, Yan Jing raised his hands, ready to clap on cue.

"Boys, it's reliable intel."

"There's a bomb in the Tower!"

There's a bomb... Heh, not bad, not bad.

At first, it didn't register. Yan Jing kept his genial smile, ready to applaud.

But a second later, his hands froze midair. His smile vanished, and his eyes widened.

Wait a minute...

There's a... a what?!

After Old Master Liu finished speaking, the group on the walkie-talkie channel fell silent.

Finally, Chen Nian was the first to break it.

"Is it April Fool's Day?"

Deep exhaustion bled through his voice.

For a Cleaner who had spent the entire day working like a dog, hearing this news was like a boss patting him on the shoulder and saying, "You've worked hard today."

And just as you racked your brains for a flattering response...

...the boss followed up with, "You can happily clock out as soon as you defuse this bomb."

If the next sentence wasn't, "Just kidding, have a good evening," Chen Nian was genuinely going to break down.

"What's April Fool's Day?"

Old Master Liu asked, momentarily confused.

...

"Is there still time for us to run?"

The exhaustion in Chen Nian's voice deepened.

After learning that the Tower was already on partial lockdown to search for the bomb...

He sighed.

"Shouldn't they organize an evacuation if there's a bomb?"

"That's right..."

Old Master Liu finally reacted, punching his fist into his open palm.

"Why wouldn't they evacuate? There's something fishy going on!"

Silence fell over the walkie-talkie.

Chen Nian waited for the guy who usually had the final say, but after a long pause, Yan Jing never answered.

Finally, he spoke up again.

"Yi Ji probably didn't bring his walkie-talkie. Let's finish our shifts and meet at his shop."

"See you at twelve."

...

...

Tucking his walkie-talkie back into his sleeve, Yan Jing massaged his temples.

Ever since hearing the Slicked-Back Hair Man mention in Rotten Vegetable Village that this banquet was tied to the chaos in Old Sin City, he had known this trip to the Tower wouldn't be simple.

But he hadn't expected it to be this complicated.

Bombing the Tower...

The last time he'd heard a phrase like that was in a TV drama from his past life.

Now, he was standing right inside the target.

He glanced at the clock. The hands pointed to 11:00 PM.

Although he could squeeze in two more customers, he clearly had no time to worry about his quota now. He immediately headed for the door.

Near the entrance, he turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of something behind him out of the corner of his eye, and promptly quickened his pace.

At the same time, Mu Rao smiled, apologized to the female customer asking for his continued service, and strode out the door.

The Squint-Eyed Man, who had been dozing in a corner, moved at the exact same time, along with a few other inconspicuous figures.

Next were Mu Wan, Mo Nagu, the Fat Man, and the Slender Girl...

It was as if Yan Jing were the eye of the storm. The moment he moved, all the other players followed suit.

Yet when they stepped outside, none of them could find a single trace of him.

Walking at the forefront, Mu Rao watched the inner world residents coming and going around him, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

Just moments before, he had been less than ten meters behind Yan Jing.

But after turning a corner, the guy had vanished, evaporating into thin air.

"Tch..."

The smile he'd been maintaining faded slightly.

If he couldn't force Yan Jing out of the game before the night was over, his waiter task rating likely wouldn't reach S-grade.

Coupled with a mediocre task rating for the Gluttonous Ghost Banquet, Stage A of his current Dungeon run would be a massive failure.

Ultimately, however, he looked at the crowd rushing up behind him and abandoned the thought of searching for Yan Jing.

"The Dungeon is still long. Let's hope you can run this fast next time," he muttered.

His signature smile returned as he faced the arriving players.

"Why did everyone come out? Are you all trying to speed up the Dungeon's progress?"

As soon as he finished speaking...

Instantly, the surrounding atmosphere grew extremely tense, ready for an imminent clash. Vigilance filled everyone's eyes.

...

...

At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall was already incredibly tense.

But obviously, it still couldn't compare to the atmosphere in a certain bar.

Twenty minutes later, inside the Rose Bar.

Most of the chairs had already been stacked upside down on the tables. Four figures sat gathered around a single table in the very center.

Only a single white light behind the counter remained on. Its faint illumination wasn't enough to light their faces, but it stretched their shadows long, making the empty bar feel even more desolate.

The stark contrast of black and white made the scene look like a vintage film.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

The figure sitting on the inner side of the table had his back to the light. His entire face was hidden in shadow as he propped his head up with his left hand and tapped the table with his right.

"There's no way to evacuate the guests."

The person on the left spoke from the shadows, his voice deep, hoarse, and aged.

"The guy who sent the Advance Notice said there's more than one bomb. If the Tower arranges a large-scale evacuation, he'll detonate them early."

"Moreover... several factions have been preparing for this banquet for a long time. They won't cancel it over an Advance Notice of unknown origin."

"Besides, those VIPs all have experts protecting them. A few mere bombs won't do much."

When he finished, the figure on the right spoke. His voice was deep, magnetic, and perfectly calm.

"That's exactly the problem."

"If the bombs can't kill these VIPs, what's the point of planting them?"

The figure on the left replied.

"It could be to cause a commotion, to take revenge on society, or it could just be a lunatic."

"We have too little information right now."

The figure on the right fell silent.

It was true. They only knew there were bombs in the Tower. Trying to catch the culprit based solely on that was virtually impossible.

"What do you think?"

He looked at the figure in the center.

The figure on the left and the figure across the table immediately followed his gaze.

The tapping stopped.

"How do I see this..."

Sitting with his back to the light, Yan Jing looked at their solemn faces and sighed.

"You guys only turned on one light. How do you expect me to see anything?"

"I just have one question. When did we start trying to catch the bomber?"

Old Liu on the left and Chen Nian on the right both froze.

Chen Nian, in particular, looked stunned.

Right. Why was he trying to catch the bomber?

They were just tourists here.

Ensuring they didn't get blown up should be the priority.

He was the one who hated trouble the most...

Realizing this, he glanced at Old Master Liu across from him and rubbed his forehead in shame.

He had let this old man lead him completely off track...

Yan Jing turned his attention to Old Liu.

"Bringing this news back is a massive contribution, sir, but this isn't our turf. Some things just aren't our problem."

Old Master Liu nodded thoughtfully. That did make sense.

Next, Yan Jing looked at Mantou and said sternly, "And you, Mantou. You're so young, you shouldn't learn from these two and frown all the time, or you'll get wrinkles. Also, fix your posture. It's bad for your bones."

"Oh, oh... I know... S-sorry... Yi... Ji."

Mantou obediently relaxed her brows and sat up straight.

She had only wanted to match the atmosphere.

Yan Jing let out another long sigh.

"Of course, you can still gather related information, like how many bombs there are and how powerful they might be. But our ultimate goal is just to minimize our own risk."

"Finally, once news of the lockdown gets out, the bombs won't stay a secret. Commotion in the Tower will be inevitable."

"Add the banquet on top of that, and the real storm is about to hit."

"We came out here for a happy tour, so we need to go back just as happily."

"Aside from gathering information, don't run around blindly. Restrict your movements, avoid crowded places, and stay away from anyone with high status."

The rest of them nodded.

Yan Jing's instructions summed up the rules for evading the bombs with crystal clarity.

If there really was a bomb, whoever planted it definitely did so with a specific purpose in mind.

Either they wanted to incite a riot, or they wanted to assassinate someone of high status.

They couldn't possibly have gone through all the trouble of planting a bomb in the Tower just to blow up four country bumpkins from Rotten Vegetable Village.

Therefore, as long as they stayed away from crowded areas and high-status individuals, they could minimize their chances of getting caught in the blast.

As for searching for the bomb.

If the Tower's own people weren't dealing with it, it was pure fantasy for four outsiders to try.

"Hear that? Stop dreaming about clinging to someone's coattails, old man."

Driven by embarrassment and frustration, Chen Nian found Old Master Liu particularly grating at the moment, delivering his words in a flat tone.

"What do you mean, clinging to coattails?"

Old Master Liu was highly dissatisfied with Chen Nian's phrasing. "Madam Gu recognized my strength and specifically invited me to be her bodyguard!"

As he spoke, he tapped the employee badge on his chest with a smug smile.

"See this? Special Hire E1. Once I get promoted to Grade D, even I'll be a minor supervisor."

Even now, the old man was still obsessed with the position of 'supervisor.'

"Did this Madam Gu mention who received the Advance Notice?"

Yan Jing chimed in, interrupting their daily bickering.

"It was Dandelion Manor."

Turning to serious matters, Old Master Liu spoke earnestly.

"Just tonight, the people from Dandelion Manor and Sleepland officially moved into the Tower. VIPs like them are all staying in the VIP area on the eighth floor."

"And less than three hours after they settled in, word came from Dandelion Manor that they'd received a bomb Advance Notice."

Yan Jing nodded and looked back at Chen Nian.

"Old Chen, is it possible for someone in this Domain to create a bomb triggered by a remote signal? Or an electronic time bomb?"

Chen Nian shook his head.

"The possibility is extremely low. In this Domain, the more precise and compact a device is, the more unstable it becomes. If it were either of the two types you mentioned, there would be no way to accurately control the detonation time."

A dark gleam flickered in Yan Jing's eyes, half-hidden in the shadows.

"So, it can only be controlled by Weird Energy."

"And if it's controlled by Weird Energy..."

"Then the culprit must be inside the Tower!"

Old Master Liu muttered excitedly.

However, two pairs of eyes simultaneously turned to stare at him.

"Safety first!!"

"I was just saying..." Old Master Liu shrank back and mumbled softly.

"It's not like I don't know it's dangerous..."

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. We'll gather information tomorrow and regroup at lunch."

Yan Jing made the final call and dismissed the group.

The lights went out, and the group went their separate ways.

Yan Jing returned to his room. After sweeping the area with Anomalous Energy Detection, he chose not to switch identities. He lay down and quickly fell asleep.

He slept straight through until the next morning.

Seeing that it was about time, he switched back to his original body.

A short while later, an Inner World System prompt appeared before his eyes.

[Dungeon Sun-Swallowing Tower Stage A Completed]

[Dungeon Evaluation in Progress]

[Task 'Perfect Waiter' evaluation: The player has served a total of 21 guests and received a total of 21 five-star reviews. Based on a comprehensive assessment, the task rating is: S (Highest rating is S-grade)]

[Task 'Feasting is All About Hand Speed' evaluation: The player has consumed a total of 18 types of dishes. Based on the quantity of dishes, the task rating is: S (Highest rating is S-grade)]

[Overall Dungeon Rating: S]

[Reward Calculation in Progress]

[Basic Rewards: 3% Experience, 10,000 Eerie Coins]

[S-Grade Bonus Rewards: 20% Experience, 10,000 Eerie Coins, Mental Immunity Potion (Bound Item) x1, Item Quality Appraisal Ticket x1, Inner World Box Key x1 (Bound Item)]

[Now Issuing Stage B Tasks]

[Task 1: Building That Could Explode at Any Time]

[Task Description:

A minor 'situation' seems to have arisen within the Sun-Swallowing Tower, making this already unsafe Domain even more dangerous.

Please identify the source of the danger on your own and survive inside the Sun-Swallowing Tower for over 48 hours.

Note: There is no additional penalty if this task is failed.]

[Task 2: Become a Qualified Bodyguard, Waiter!]

[Task Description:

As the saying goes, a waiter who doesn't want to be a bodyguard is not a good waiter.

The Tower has become dangerous. Therefore, the Tower has decided to promote you waiters to bodyguards to protect the guests who have traveled from afar.

And the reason you were chosen is, of course, because you outsiders are the least likely to have orchestrated this danger.

Each of you will be assigned a corresponding VIP to protect. If your VIP dies, you will also receive severe punishment.

Note: Due to the high difficulty of the task, there has been some interference in the assignment of your VIPs to ensure as much compatibility as possible between you and your charge, guaranteeing a good interactive experience.]

[Note: Stage B tasks are subject to change. The actual tasks will be based on the situation when Stage B begins.]

[Stage B will officially begin in one day.]

[Countdown to exiting the dungeon: 00:05:00]

Looking at the task prompts before him, Yan Jing nodded.

At least the task wasn't to defuse the bomb.

Switching to the Cameraman's identity, he went to the bar and left a note on the counter, informing Rose and One-Eye that he would be two hours late.

Then, he exited the Inner World.

Upon returning to the Surface World, he dialed Shen Youran's number, telling her that he had passed Stage A. He also explained the basic situation and mentioned a few important players.

He hung up. Three minutes later, hurried knocking sounded at the door.

Yan Jing opened the door to see Shen Youran standing there with a laptop in her arms. The thong of her right flip-flop had completely snapped.

The moment she saw Yan Jing, she grabbed him and started inspecting him from head to toe. "Are you sure you're not hurt? Do you feel off anywhere?"

After confirming Yan Jing was uninjured, she immediately opened her laptop.

"I'll send the player information to you right now, Xiao Yanzi. Take a look. Tell me the Stage B tasks, and let me know whatever else you want me to look up."

Without any dilly-dallying, Yan Jing said, "The Stage B tasks are..."

"Also, help me look up information related to the Dandelion Manor and Sleepland dungeons."

"Got it."

Their brief exchange ended there.

One person began reviewing the player information, while the other started searching for data.

For a moment, the only sound in the living room was Shen Youran typing on her keyboard.

Yan Jing looked over the player information.

He had already learned about Mu Rao and Mo Nagu prior to Stage A.

The document currently in his hands pertained to two other individuals.

One was Chen Dalang.

This leading figure of the Chen Family's new generation had originally been in a situation quite similar to Yan Jing's; he was also the only son of a declining branch family.

The reason he had attained his current status was because his Novice Dungeon had been assigned to a New Domain outside of Old Sin City.

In that New Domain, a stroke of luck had led him to take a highly skilled Inner World Resident as his master. From then on, his rise had been meteoric, and he had effortlessly crushed all opposition within his family.

And the reason he had entered this dungeon this time was because the Chen Family had established a superficial connection with the Sun-Swallowing Tower. There was supposed to be an exceptional 'Vessel' here.

Because of this, Chen Dalang had even specifically asked someone to use a Dungeon Selection Voucher to inform his master in that Domain that his return would be delayed by two months.

Only after that did he come here.

"I don't have any informants over at the Chen Family, which is why I didn't get this news right away,"

Shen Youran said. "Also, there's the Inner World Network. It was created by a mighty figure from the Inner World Pathway, and you must belong to the Inner World Pathway to log in."

Her tone was heavy with self-reproach.

She felt her intelligence gathering hadn't been comprehensive enough.

"It's fine. It's not too late even now."

Yan Jing continued to the second player's profile.

Compared to Chen Dalang, this one clearly intrigued him much more.

"Based on the clues you provided—like the squinting eyes and the Public Security Association—the big data search found the person you're looking for. It should be him."

Shen Youran continued, "Actually, we didn't even need big data. Those two traits you mentioned are very distinct. This person is quite famous in Ling'an."

Yan Jing looked at the document. The man in the photograph was squinting with a smile on his face, just like the man in the Inner World, but his physical appearance was completely different.

His nose bridge was higher, and his features were sharp as if chiseled by a knife, radiating an aggressive edge. Even his constantly smiling eyes carried a faint hint of murderous intent.

'Fan Jue'

That was his name.

"Fan Jue."

Yan Jing looked at the man's profile.

Twenty-eight years old. He had been unexpectedly selected to enter the Inner World three years ago and had successfully reached the First Tier.

He had also joined the Surface World's Public Security Association, becoming a Peacekeeper.

In just one year, he had become the strongest First Tier in the Association.

Unlike others who relied on seniority to climb the ranks in the Association, Fan Jue's path to promotion was paved with blood and ruthless methods.

Despite his perpetually smiling face, this man was absolutely ruthless. Whenever he was in charge of a mission, the targets of his enforcement met exceptionally miserable ends.

Losing an arm or a leg was considered lucky.

"He has a quirk."

Shen Youran multitasked, speaking as she continued to search for information:

"He always feels that people keep their distance because his face is too sharp and unapproachable."

"So he deliberately uses an Inner World item to disguise his face every time, though his habit of smiling with his eyes narrowed is hard to change."

"Based on the timeline, he should be on the verge of advancing to the Second Tier. If not in this Dungeon, then the next."

Saying this, Shen Youran paused and looked up at Yan Jing.

"While looking into him, I also found information on someone else."

"Who?"

Yan Jing didn't even lift his head, his eyes glued to their files and Rituals.

"Your friend, Xu Weizhou."

Shen Youran said, "He joined the Public Security Association a little over a week ago."

Yan Jing raised his head.

"Wei Zhou joined the Association?"

"Yes."

Shen Youran nodded. "He used a yellow-green item for his Day Selection Ritual and passed their assessment."

"He should be undergoing closed-door training for these two weeks."

"According to unconfirmed reports, Fan Jue might be his instructor."

Yan Jing nodded.

That made sense.

If Fan Jue truly wanted people to get close to him, as the files claimed, then someone with Xu Weizhou's personality would make the perfect friend for him.

"Then it seems I hit the wrong person,"

Yan Jing muttered to himself.

"Hit the wrong person... Who did you hit?"

Shen Youran's hands paused over her keyboard. She looked up, staring at him in disbelief. "You hit Fan Jue?"

Yan Jing nodded. "He seemed to want to test my skills."

Her eyes went wide.

"And you said you didn't get hurt?"

Yan Jing's lips curved upward. "He didn't take it seriously, so I really didn't."

"Have you found the rest of the files, Teacher Shen?"

Shen Youran lowered her head and resumed typing.

"I'll send you the information on Sleepland first. There's not much on Dandelion Manor, so I need to dig a little deeper."

"All right."

Yan Jing opened the Sleepland file.

It was quite lengthy. Like the Terror Bus, this was a Dungeon many players were frequently assigned to.

Short on time, he skimmed past most of the general Dungeon details and skipped straight to Sleepland's management.

[Mayor of Sleepland]

[Manager of Sleepland. Appears as a very amiable-looking old man.]

[His daily activities are confined to the largest building in Sleepland, which houses the biggest bed in this Domain.]

[He has a wife and one son. Additionally, he has three siblings and their respective families, who collectively make up Sleepland's management.]

[Deeply loves his son.]

[However, in recent years, no player has seen his true face. He seems to be busy with something.]

[Strength: Unknown.]

[Inner World Pathway: Sin - Sloth.]

[First Tier Ability 1: Rapidly recovers stamina while sleeping, gains immunity to mental abilities, and significantly increases physical resistance.]

[First Tier Ability 2: Can induce fatigue in targets. If the target has poor mental resistance, they can be forced into a deep sleep for a short duration.]

[Second Tier Ability: Unknown.]

[...]

Having finished the summary, Yan Jing had a general understanding of Sleepland's structure.

Unlike the Sun-Swallowing Tower, the class hierarchy in Sleepland wasn't quite as pronounced.

Even the Mayor of Sleepland didn't usually act like a typical leader, carrying himself more as a man of the people.

Immediately after, Shen Youran sent over the file on Dandelion Manor.

[Dandelion Manor]

[A Domain of the Life Pathway.]

[Managed by Madam Yu, who appears as a plump noblewoman. Strength: Unknown.]

[Upon entering this Dungeon, Madam Yu leads players on a tour of the manor's front courtyard, designating it as their primary activity zone.]

[As for the manor's buildings, aside from the players' living quarters, the rest are semi-restricted areas that can only be entered with her permission.]

[The backyard is a completely restricted area.]

[As a Domain of Life, Dandelion Manor is inhabited exclusively by Madam Yu and her children.]

[The most frequent activity in this Domain is reproduction.]

[Madam Yu shows favoritism toward children with superior reproductive capabilities.]

[Life Pathway Abilities: Unknown.]

Compared to Sleepland, this was all the information available on Dandelion Manor.

Because...

"The vast majority of people who make it out of that Dungeon are unable to disclose its contents."

Shen Youran said.

"After leaving, they're reduced to lunatics who only know how to seek mates and breed."

"Judging from their fragmented ramblings, it really is a mad Domain."

Yan Jing nodded.

"This is enough."

Shen Youran closed her laptop with a sigh.

"Based on the mission description you gave me, Stage B of this Dungeon is going to be incredibly difficult."

"And what surprises me even more is just how many experts are going in this time."

"For a Dungeon with a ninety-percent mortality rate, it sounds like hardly anyone died during Stage A."

Yan Jing paused.

"Ah, no, quite a few probably died."

On his way to the bar today, he had overheard some of the Tower's staff mentioning a massive brawl that broke out among the humans in the living room last night.

Many Inner World residents had stopped to watch the spectacle.

Though it hadn't lasted long, rumor had it that rivers of blood had been shed.

"I just don't know who exactly died."

With that, Yan Jing stood up to see his guest out.

"We'll stop here for today, Teacher Shen. Thanks for the files."

Shen Youran sighed.

"Yes, yes, I'm going."

She was already used to his secretive nature. With their contract binding them, she wouldn't let her curiosity get the better of her.

She walked to the door and pushed it open. She stepped out with her right foot, but her left lingered behind.

"See you in two days, Xiao Yanzi," she said softly.

"See you in two days, Teacher Shen,"

Yan Jing replied gently.

After she left, Yan Jing entered the Inner World.

Pushing open the doors to the bar, he saw Rose and One-Eye sitting around the central table, both looking utterly miserable.

"What's wrong, Xiao Mei, Xiao Yan?"

Yan Jing smiled as he walked over and sat down.

"Why the long faces?"

"You haven't heard, Boss?"

Rose cupped her cheeks in her hands and said gloomily, "A bomb has been brought into the building!"

"When I heard the news this morning, I lost my appetite."

"So, did you finish your breakfast?"

Yan Jing asked.

"Of course I finished it!"

Rose's eyes widened.

"What kind of question is that, Boss? Who doesn't finish their breakfast!"

Next to her, the little boy, One-Eye, looked even more depressed. He blinked his large eye rapidly, his hands resting politely on the table as he sighed non-stop.

"Are you worried about the bomb too, Xiao Yan?"

Yan Jing asked with a chuckle.

One-Eye heaved a long sigh, his voice carrying the clingy whine of a child.

"You'll understand once you reach my age, Boss."

Yan Jing laughed.

"It seems the bomb has caused quite a stir. No wonder business across the entire third floor has been so slow today."

"I was just considering whether we should close for the day, but our quota is a problem..."

Just as he spoke, a voice drifted in from the door.

"Don't close just yet."

The three of them looked over to see the glassy-eyed man standing in the doorway, gripping the amiable-faced man.

"Don't be so quick to close. We'll give you some business."

Yan Jing smiled.

"There are rumors everywhere that a bomb is in the Tower. Aren't you afraid, sir?"

"I am."

The glassy-eyed man nodded, dragging the fiercely struggling man into the bar.

"That's why we had to come here for a drink."

He looked at Yan Jing, his gaze sincere.

"Whoever planted the bomb would never place it here, because blowing you up has zero value."

Although he knew the man was telling the truth, Yan Jing had to admit that the truth was sometimes very unpleasant to hear.

"Have a seat, gentlemen. Only a fool turns down business,"

Yan Jing said with a smile.

"Xiao Mei, serve these two gentlemen a glass of mouthwash. Xiao Yan, play 'Today I'm Going to Marry You'."

He stepped behind the bar.

"The usual two special Whiskey Sours?"

The man with the vacant stare nodded.

"Hold the 'dizzy'."

The two drinks were ready in no time, and Yan Jing personally served them.

"I am truly sorry for disrupting your business, sir."

The kind-faced man looked quite ashamed as he spoke.

"It's fine, sir. Business is slow right now anyway, so I'm just counting on you two to help keep up appearances."

At that, the kind-faced man finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The man with the vacant stare took a sip of his drink and smacked his lips.

"Have you considered opening a branch? You could come to Virtue Bridge, and I'll help promote you."

The kind-faced man nodded.

"Yes, I can help too. Your drinks are excellent, sir."

Yan Jing laughed.

"I don't even know if I'll make it out of here alive, so I'm not thinking that far ahead. Besides... my two employees are part of the reason the drinks are so good, and I can't exactly take them with me."

He smiled and pointed at a rather embarrassed One-Eye and Rose.

"There's no need to be so pessimistic."

The man with the vacant stare waved his hand. "The elder visiting from Virtue Bridge this time is from this guy's lineage here. That elder loves to meddle, and he's already out searching for the killer. It should be resolved very soon."

"That's right."

The kind-faced man smiled. "Elder Kindness has always been very kind. He will definitely solve the problem."

Just as he expected, Virtue Bridge was here too.

Yan Jing mentally tallied the factions attending the banquet at the Tower.

Virtue Bridge, Amusement Park, Dandelion Manor, and Sleepland, plus the Tower itself. These alone accounted for more than half of Old Sin City.

Moreover, there were probably others he didn't even know about yet.

"Gentlemen, is this Elder Kindness very strong?"

Yan Jing asked.

When it came to sudden emergencies like this, he naturally hoped for a swift and proper resolution.

The kind-faced man took a sip of his drink and chuckled.

"Although Elder Kindness's strength doesn't stand out much among the elders, a large part of that is simply because he's so kind. He voluntarily yielded many resources and opportunities to the others."

"Furthermore, he is the most amiable of them all. He doesn't put on any airs..."

After listening to the man ramble on, Yan Jing came to a conclusion.

Elder Kindness was the weakest elder from Virtue Bridge.

This wasn't exactly surprising. Kind people were often in a weaker position.

Especially in the Inner World, which had hardly any rules or order to speak of.

This gave him a faint premonition of disaster. He used his walkie-talkie to notify the others to stay safe and make themselves scarce if they spotted any important figures.

The group waited like this for several dozen minutes.

"BOOM!!!"

A massive explosion rumbled up from below.

The people inside the bar exchanged glances.

"They must have found the culprit."

The man with the vacant stare took a sip of his drink and said,

"A final, desperate struggle."

Was it really that simple?

Highly skeptical, Yan Jing walked toward the restroom, preparing to use the walkie-talkie to check on Chen Nian and Old Master Liu down on the first floor.

But when he pressed the button and sent a message, no one on the channel answered.

Yan Jing's heart immediately sank.

Just as he was about to head down to the first floor to check on the situation, the wind chimes at the entrance rang once more.

He looked up and saw Tiger, clad in his staff uniform, panting heavily.

"Mr. Yi Ji!"

Tiger let out a long sigh of relief upon seeing Yan Jing, though the panic on his face remained obvious. "May I come in?"

"Come in, Mr. Tiger."

Yan Jing said, "You aren't here to hide from the bomb too, are you?"

Tiger nodded vigorously.

"Yes, yes, and I have news."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Then come in and have a seat, though I was just about to head out."

The kind-faced man looked at the deeply shaken Tiger and offered some comfort.

"Relax, sir. Elder Kindness from Virtue Bridge is handling the matter. It should be resolved very soon."

Unexpectedly, Tiger's eyes widened at the man's words. "The elder from Virtue Bridge?"

"You don't mean... the one who just got blown up, do you?"

?!?!?!

Those words shocked everyone present.

"Where did the explosion happen?"

Yan Jing demanded.

"At... at the entrance to the main reception hall..."

As soon as Tiger spoke, a blur flashed past his eyes. Yan Jing had already vanished.

Before he could even react, two more blurs flashed past.

Both the man with the vacant stare and the kind-faced man sprinted outside.

"W-Why did everyone leave?" he muttered with a grimace.

He had come here specifically to cling to Yan Jing, but now the man was gone.

"Forget it."

He dashed out the door as well, running in the direction Yan Jing had left.

"Mr. Yi Ji, wait for me!!"

Nothing in this place was secure; clinging to that man was his safest bet.

He would never forget the sight of Yan Jing single-handedly turning the tide in the Amusement Park:

Standing in the center of the battlefield with a gun in his right hand, the enemy leader's corpse lying at his feet. Both his hands were stained with blood, yet his eyes were as calm as if he had just gone for a walk.

After Tiger left, One-Eye and Rose looked at each other.

"What do we do now?"

Rose sat on a table, looking down with a sigh. "The boss is gone."

"..."

Hearing no response, she looked up.

"Why aren't you saying anything—"

She stared blankly at One-Eye, who was already standing by the door.

"You're going to follow them?"

One-Eye nodded. Even though his voice was still childish, his expression was entirely mature.

"Following him offers the highest probability of survival."

With that, One-Eye left as well.

This left a dumbfounded Rose staring at the empty bar.

For some inexplicable reason, the place suddenly felt eerie.

Especially the unlit storefronts beyond the glass—the darkness seemed to be spreading.

Shivering, she stood up and chased after One-Eye.

"Xiao Yan, wait for me!"

...

Inside the stairwell, Yan Jing gripped the walkie-talkie tightly, his expression solemn.

He sprinted all the way down to the first floor.

The walkie-talkie had crackled to life just a moment ago.

Mantou and Chen Nian both said the explosion had thrown everything into chaos, so they hadn't heard him immediately.

Only Old Liu hadn't replied.

Everyone had agreed to rush over to the main reception hall.

Frowning deeply, he pushed his speed to the absolute limit. He was nothing but a dark blur weaving through the chaotic crowd.

The people around him only felt a gust of wind brush past. When they turned to look, they saw nothing, leaving them utterly baffled.

Finally, Yan Jing spotted the gold-trimmed doors of the main reception hall.

The entrance was already in total chaos.

The red carpet had been blown into shredded strips, leaving a sizable crater in the ground. Blood splattered everywhere, from the doorframe to several meters beyond the doors, and severed limbs were scattered about.

But there was no sign of Old Liu.

He didn't see Chen Nian or Mantou either. Clearly, Yan Jing was the first of their group to arrive.

"Old Liu—"

Just as Yan Jing was about to shout, a hand reached out from the crowd and grabbed his arm. An immense force yanked him straight into a corner of the hall.

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

Old Master Liu, who appeared completely unharmed, pressed an index finger to his lips, signaling for Yan Jing to keep his voice down.

Without waiting for Yan Jing to speak, he whispered, "I saw him!!!"

Under Yan Jing's bewildered gaze, he muttered, "I saw the person with the bomb!"

Faced with Old Master Liu's words, Yan Jing did not respond for a moment, still a bit dazed.

Seeing Yan Jing's expression, Old Master Liu coughed twice and said, "Let me state this right up front: I followed your advice to the letter! The moment I saw that bald guy in a robe surrounded by his entourage, I immediately stayed far away!"

"But who would have thought it would actually blow up!"

"I just didn't get far enough away, so my arm took a bit of damage. I'll reflect on that. Next time, I'll definitely run even further!"

"But! Just listen!"

Perhaps feeling that Yan Jing didn't believe him, Old Master Liu held up his slightly scraped right arm. "I swear, I really did take cover!"

"Mm."

Finally recovering his wits, Yan Jing nodded. "You did well," he said calmly.

He pointed to the Walkie-talkie at Old Master Liu's waist, a gentle smile on his face.

"But why didn't you answer the Walkie-talkie, sir?"

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Old Master Liu finally realized what had happened. He hastily pulled the Walkie-talkie from his waist. Its green light was flashing rapidly—the voice messages had obviously piled up.

"This, well, this... there's a reason for this."

Old Master Liu lowered his voice.

"Didn't I just say? I saw the person who planted the bomb!"

"Where?"

Yan Jing asked, his expression turning serious.

"Already dead."

Old Master Liu kept his voice down. "It was the little girl diagonally across from my stall."

"Right before the bomb went off, that bald guy walked past her. I saw with my own eyes as she reached into her pocket for something, and I felt a surge of weird energy!"

"And then, it blew up!"

Yan Jing frowned.

"That little girl across from you—where was she from?"

"She's from right here."

Old Master Liu recalled, "I chatted with her before. She's been in this Tower ever since she was born."

Yan Jing's frown deepened.

In other words, the girl was a tower inhabitant.

But that hardly made any sense.

A tower inhabitant was born with only one purpose: to eat. Why would she suddenly decide to plant a bomb?

Let alone bomb the very building she was born in.

Furthermore, how could an ordinary waitress manage to run up to the eighth floor and drop off an Advance Notice?

If what Old Master Liu saw was true, then it was highly likely that someone else was pulling the strings behind this girl.

While Yan Jing was deep in thought, Chen Nian and Mantou also arrived, one after the other.

A moment later, having grasped the situation, Chen Nian dragged Old Master Liu off to the side, and the two immediately started bickering over the core issue of "why didn't you answer the Walkie-talkie?"

Mantou stood by and listened, treating it as a lesson to strengthen her safety awareness.

Yan Jing, meanwhile, watched Tiger and the others arrive late to the scene. He walked over to Rose and asked, "Xiao Mei, if someone asked you to plant a bomb in the Tower right now, and it would likely cost you your life, would you agree to do it?"

"That's impossible."

Rose answered blankly.

"What if they offered to treat you to a luxurious meal?"

"Still impossible."

"What about ten luxurious meals?"

"Absolutely impossible."

"A hundred free premium meals?"

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible."

Rose wiped a line of drool from the corner of her mouth and shook her head repeatedly. "It's impossible."

Yan Jing nodded.

It seemed it really was impossible.

"What if it were a different situation? Say, your superior threatened you and put pressure on you?"

Rose looked a little confused.

"That's impossible too. That counts as blatant workplace oppression. You can report it to the disciplinary inspection team. As long as they're caught, not only will that person be punished, but you'll even get a food reward."

"Besides, why bomb the building? Every boss I've had seems to genuinely love the Tower."

"Without the Tower, we would starve to death."

"I see." Yan Jing nodded.

He hadn't expected the Tower to have a workplace disciplinary inspection team—and one that actually did its job, making it much better than some companies in the Surface World.

Putting it that way, the chances of the Tower itself being behind that girl were rather slim.

So, what could drive a young girl whose sole purpose in life was eating down the path of no return as a suicide bomber...

Yan Jing furrowed his brows tightly. While he hadn't wanted to get involved in this bombing case before, his mindset had shifted somewhat now.

There were many reasons he hadn't wanted to participate initially. First, this wasn't their home turf. Second, they didn't have a suitable identity to meddle in this matter. Third, the opponent's strength, identity, and motives were all unknown, and there were zero leads. The difficulty level was simply far too high.

Now, however, his reason for wanting to get involved was simple and cliché: the bomb had hit his own people.

Although catching the culprit directly would be difficult, they now held a small clue. If they just assisted in solving the case—like they had back in Rotten Vegetable Village—it might actually be doable.

Only, it clearly wouldn't be an easy task, either.

That 'Kindness' elder had only just begun investigating the culprit and was already blown beyond recognition. Now, he was surrounded by a bunch of people from Virtue Bridge, all crying their eyes out.

At this thought, Yan Jing walked over to a corner on the other side.

A glassy-eyed man and a kind-faced man stood together there. There were simply too many people crowded around the elder ahead of them; they couldn't squeeze in. Even now, they hadn't been able to see what state their elder was in.

They could only hear the sobbing of the crowd.

"How is the situation, gentlemen?"

Yan Jing asked, his expression full of regret.

"To be honest, sir, I'm not too sure. We arrived too late," the glassy-eyed man said. "But judging from the weeping of those guys from the 'Kindness' Pathway, I'm guessing the situation isn't terribly bad."

"Excuse me, but do you mean... it isn't terribly good?"

Yan Jing said, listening to the rising and falling sobs around them.

"No, you haven't seen what it looks like when things are truly bad, sir."

The glassy-eyed man shrugged. "That kind of scene could only be described as a river of tears."

"But honestly, I never expected the 'Kindness' elder to fall here."

Yan Jing took the opportunity to ask, "What tier of existence is the 'Kindness' elder?"

"Almost at the Second Tier."

The man said slowly, "The Great Elder once said that the 'Kindness' elder's advancement would be this year."

"Now, it looks like it might not be at the beginning or middle of the year, but probably pushed to the end of the year."

Yan Jing nodded. Now that he knew the elder's strength, he just needed to look at the 'Kindness' elder's injuries to figure out the exact destructive power of the bomb.

Before long, a group of people dressed in white robes rushed over from the distance.

Regardless of gender, every one of them was exceptionally beautiful. They wore extremely loose robes, leaving not a single inch of skin exposed other than their faces.

The person leading them was a woman who looked to be pushing forty. Even though faint wrinkles had already appeared on her face, they didn't hide her beauty in the slightest; instead, they added a unique, mature charm. She had an excellent figure that even the loose robe struggled to conceal.

"Make way, make way."

The white-robed group began to clear the area, but the effect wasn't great. Those 'Kindness' people still sat clustered around the elder.

A moment later, some of the white robes were actually affected. They inexplicably began to feel that their actions were wrong and wanted to join in weeping for the injured person in the center.

That was, until someone spoke up:

"These people from Dandelion Manor are here to save them. Don't get in the way."

"Whoosh—"

The crowd gathered around the old man instantly scattered.

It was then that Yan Jing finally saw the injured state of the 'Kindness' elder.

Right now, his eyes were shut tight, his lips trembling. One half of his body was a mangled mess of blood and flesh, making it impossible to make out his actual appearance. The other half looked utterly miserable as well, his skin densely covered in black veins where weird energy flowed.

'To be able to heavily injure an old man near the Second Tier...'

Yan Jing came to a conclusion.

After observing the old man's injuries, Yan Jing shifted his gaze to the woman preparing to treat him and the person beside her.

"I'll do it."

The rather handsome young man standing beside the woman spoke up.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with bright eyes and white teeth. His eyelashes were exceptionally long, fluttering slightly like silver feathers when he spoke. Although he couldn't quite compare to Mu Rao, he possessed a distinct youthful charm.

Yan Jing had only taken note of the man's appearance because he noticed that the relationship between him and the woman seemed unusual.

They stood closer to each other than anyone else, and they omitted all honorifics when they spoke.

Even though there appeared to be a twenty-year age gap between them, the looks they exchanged were enough to prove they shared an intimate relationship.

"Mm."

The woman nodded and made room for him.

The man crouched down and opened his hand.

Fleshy sprouts burst from his palm, eventually forming a sharp-tipped flesh tentacle that plunged straight into the elder's forehead.

Clusters of dim light rapidly transmitted through the tentacle into the old man's body. At the same time, streaks of black Weird Energy were drawn out.

"What Yu Mo is performing right now is the 'Nursing' technique, an essential part of reproduction."

The woman beside them, who was nearing forty, explained, "This method can heal another person's injuries by expending one's own life essence."

It was one of the First Tier abilities of the Life Pathway.

Standing to the side, Yan Jing made a mental note of this.

He could sense the Weird Energy fluctuations radiating from the man. It felt within the bounds of the First Tier, but there was no telling how far he was from the Second Tier.

Suddenly, he raised his head in alarm, feeling a gaze fixate on him from within the crowd.

He quickly scanned his surroundings but didn't spot anyone suspicious.

Even Rose and her group were staying over on the other side with Old Master Liu.

Who could it be?

He trusted his intuition; someone had definitely just been watching him.

It could only be someone from the crowd around him.

Either from Virtue Bridge or Dandelion Manor.

While he pondered, the man's healing treatment reached its end.

After Yu Mo retracted the flesh sprouts back into his palm, Yan Jing noticed that his pitch-black hair now held quite a few strands of silver.

This was likely the price of the ability.

As for the old man lying on the ground, his condition had visibly improved. Though his eyes remained tightly shut, his complexion was much rosier, and his expression was no longer twisted in pain.

"There is a limit to the nourishment a recipient of 'Nursing' can endure. We can only heal him to this extent."

The woman spoke up, "Given Elder Kindness's current injuries, he should be fine after resting for nearly a month."

"The most pressing matter right now is to send him somewhere safe to recuperate."

"I'm afraid that won't do."

At that moment, a voice thick with exhaustion drifted in from the doorway.

It was a man in his forties wearing pajamas covered in stars and moons, and a triangular nightcap on his head.

His very presence seemed to radiate drowsiness. Soon, a wave of yawns swept through the crowd.

The man approached, looking toward the woman leading the Dandelion Manor group, and spoke through a yawn. "Ma'am, you should know what this banquet means to us. While I deeply regret that Elder Kindness was injured in the explosion,"

"I'm afraid we still can't rule him out as a suspect."

As soon as he said this, the Virtue Bridge residents glared at the man with righteous indignation.

Yet the man didn't panic in the slightest. He wiped away the tears squeezed out from his yawn and drawled, "Ms. Yu Mu, right? Although you've been managing Dandelion Manor on her behalf for the past few years, Madam Yu must have given you some instructions."

"If she hasn't, then you'd best listen to me, because my brother has been leaving me with instructions all these years."

The implication was clear: the management over at Sleepland maintained a much tighter relationship.

He was privy to far more secrets.

Yu Mu's expression shifted at his words.

"Mother naturally left instructions regarding this banquet as well."

"Is that so?"

The man chuckled. "My brother told me that Madam Yu would be too occupied to look after you all. It seems his intelligence was flawed."

Yu Mu's face darkened even further at this remark.

Anyone could hear that he was subtly hinting that Madam Yu, the manager of Dandelion Manor, was embroiled in some sort of trouble.

Listening to their exchange, Yan Jing's eyes flickered.

If he remembered correctly, the mayor of Sleepland hadn't made a public appearance in years either.

The timeline seemed to perfectly align with Madam Yu's absence.

Although the man and woman had clashed right from the start, they quickly reached an agreement regarding whether anyone could leave:

They would maintain their original strategy and forbid anyone from leaving the building.

Going by their conversation, this banquet was of extraordinary importance. It wasn't just a marriage alliance between the two factions, but carried a profound symbolic meaning that affected the entire landscape of Old Sin City. It had been in the works for years.

If they threw themselves into chaos over a petty bomber, the banquet's symbolic weight would be severely diminished.

The man also guaranteed that he would ferret out the bomber in short order.

"It's a bit of a hassle, but let's go with that."

With the matter settled, the man and the woman led their respective groups away.

Yan Jing took it all in before turning and heading back to his corner.

Soon after, Chen Nian, who had just finished giving Old Master Liu a scolding, walked over.

The first thing he said upon seeing Yan Jing was a solemn, "I've somewhat changed my mind."

He had prepared a whole slew of arguments, fully intending to persuade Yan Jing.

But Yan Jing simply said mildly, "What a coincidence. So have I."

...

...

Shortly after, the Second Rose Bar Meeting convened in secret.

This time, in addition to the four main participants, there was also a recorder: Tiger.

Guarding the door were Rose and One-Eye.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Rose and One-Eye; Yan Jing just didn't want to leak his plans to too many people.

The larger the group, the easier it was to draw attention.

There were countless ways to pry a person's mouth open, and not everyone could withstand them.

He would ask for Rose and One-Eye's help if necessary, but they couldn't be core participants.

As for Tiger, he was included because Yan Jing still held his Zipper Button.

"Anomalous Energy Detection complete. All clear."

"The meeting begins."

Old Master Liu excitedly declared the commencement of the Second Rose Meeting.

"Based on our past experience,"

Yan Jing tapped his finger lightly against the table. "Solving a case requires five elements: the motive, the method, the time, the location, and the murder weapon."

"As it stands, the time, location, and weapon are all confirmed, but the motive is unclear and the method is unknown."

"And we only have one clue."

Yan Jing pointed to the simple sketch of a woman on the piece of paper in the center of the round table.

"And that is this waitress."

Though he didn't want to interrupt at such a critical moment, Chen Nian couldn't help but frown as he stared at the drawing.

"Isn't this just a stick figure?"

"What stick figure?"

The artist, surnamed Liu, was not pleased. "Have you ever seen a stick figure with boobs?"

At this, even Yan Jing was dumbfounded.

"Hold on."

"Weren't those bombs?"

The debate over whether it was a bomb or just her chest quickly came to an end.

Yan Jing steered the topic back on track.

"Based on what Old Liu saw, the waitress pulled out something resembling a bomb, and then he sensed a surge of Weird Energy."

"Right after that, the bomb went off."

Yan Jing's eyes were calm as he said, "First of all, there's a suspicious point here."

"Which is whether the surge of Weird Energy you felt was actively triggered by the waitress herself, or by someone else hiding in the distance."

"Do you remember, Old Liu?"

Hearing this, Old Master Liu furrowed his brow.

"I was a bit far away, and it all happened so suddenly. I didn't get a clear read on it..."

Chen Nian looked at Yan Jing.

"So, you think there's someone else behind this waitress."

Yan Jing nodded, sharing his previous speculations with the group.

"The residents of the Tower consider eating to be the entire meaning of their lives. Without outside interference, it's almost impossible for them to do something like blowing up the building."

Yan Jing said softly, "Rose once told me that if the Tower ceased to exist, they would end up either starving to death or being killed."

Chen Nian nodded.

"Then it's quite simple."

"We investigate the waitress's social connections and follow the trail to find any outsiders who recently came into contact with her."

He said flatly, "I'll go ask the Cleaning Department this afternoon to see what they think about the victim of the bombing."

"Because their main working area is the restrooms, they know a lot of the inside gossip among the staff."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Old Master Liu, you should also ask the other waitstaff if this waitress had been acting strangely lately."

"You got it."

Old Master Liu waved a large hand, gesturing for them to leave it to him.

"Next is the motive."

Yan Jing pointed at the stick figure in the center of the round table.

"Why did the person behind her want to bomb the Elder of Virtue Bridge?"

"Because the Elder of Virtue Bridge wanted to investigate the killer. This was a warning."

Old Master Liu answered without thinking.

It seemed like an obvious answer.

Yan Jing looked at Old Master Liu.

"But the result is that the Elder of Virtue Bridge didn't die, and the ones taking over the investigation are the much stronger Sleepland and Dandelion Manor. Moreover, rumor has it that a more powerful elder from Virtue Bridge, Elder Honesty, is currently hurrying toward the Tower."

"If I were the killer, I absolutely wouldn't choose to escalate the situation at a time like this."

"We all know that the major factions originally didn't care about this bomber at all."

"And Elder Kindness, who insisted on investigating, is nothing more than someone who can be easily handled."

After Yan Jing finished speaking, everyone at the table frowned.

Indeed, putting it that way, the killer had made a wrong move. Not only had they exposed clues, but they had also worsened the situation.

In fact, hearing Yan Jing's analysis, Chen Nian and Old Liu both felt that this bomber was a bit too stupid.

But... was that really the case?

Around the table, everyone sat with tightly furrowed brows.

Looking at Mantou's little face all scrunched up as she blended in perfectly with the others, Yan Jing couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Mantou, are you also trying to figure out who the killer is?"

"N-no..."

Mantou spoke up sheepishly.

"Mantou... d-didn't understand..."

She had been frowning from the very beginning because she was completely and utterly confused.

It wasn't just her; even the voice inside her body was dizzy and lost.

[Motives, methods, murder weapons... what the fuck is all this mess?! Damn it, I don't understand! Why not just kill them all!]

"S-sorry... Y-Yan... J-Jing... I'm... t-too stupid... I can't b-be of any help..."

Mantou's small face was flushed red.

"You aren't stupid, Mantou."

Yan Jing chuckled.

"Everyone has things they aren't good at. Mantou, you have a task of your own, too."

"R-really...?"

Mantou's eyes lit up.

"Yeah."

Yan Jing smiled warmly. "I have some things to take care of tomorrow, so I'm trusting you to keep everyone here safe."

"Mantou... w-will try her best!"

Mantou nodded emphatically.

"Everyone here, of course, includes yourself."

Yan Jing added an extra reminder. "Your safety is the most important of all, Miss Mantou!"

"O-okay... Mr. Y-Yan... J-Jing..."

Mantou's face grew even redder.

[Favorability +1]

The available clues were truly limited, so their discussion about the case could seemingly only go this far.

Before they adjourned, Yan Jing looked at Old Master Liu.

"Old Liu, do me a favor this afternoon..."

...

...

That afternoon, Yan Jing wasn't idle, either.

Since the bar's minimum performance quota hadn't been met, he, Rose, and One-Eye kept the bar open for the entire afternoon.

Of course, they weren't just running the bar.

"Wonderful, sir, truly wonderful. Thank you for the drink. I feel much better."

Several Virtue Bridge residents of the Kindness Pathway couldn't stop thanking Yan Jing.

This was because Yan Jing had claimed to deeply sympathize with the ordeal of the Virtue Bridge Elder.

To soothe the grief in the hearts of the Virtue Bridge residents, today's drinks were seventy percent off for them.

But there was a condition: a maximum of five people could enter the bar to drink at a time.

Thanks to the promotion by the man with the staring eyes and the kind-faced man, all the Virtue Bridge residents soon arrived at Rose Bar, lining up for a taste.

After serving the very last guest from Virtue Bridge, Yan Jing announced that they were closing early.

Rose locked the bar's doors and sat off to the side with One-Eye to rest.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing sat on the single-legged stool behind the bar counter, his eyes flickering in thought.

Nothing.

He had locked eyes with every single Virtue Bridge resident.

Yet he hadn't found the feeling of that morning's gaze from any of them.

That gaze from the morning had felt like it wanted to swallow him alive, filled with undisguised, brimming malice. But among all the people this afternoon, not a single one gave off that feeling.

A gaze like that couldn't be hidden. Yan Jing was absolutely certain, because the moment those eyes had landed on him, he had felt a certain thrumming quietly awaken within his body.

It hadn't been a conscious reaction of his own will; rather, this body of his had reacted uncontrollably.

The owner of that gaze must have known the Cameraman in the past.

And shared a very deep bond with him.

As long as Yan Jing saw that person's face again, he should be able to recover the corresponding memory.

To avoid being overwhelmed or missing anyone, he had deliberately limited their numbers. This ensured he could observe them carefully while also using Anomalous Energy Detection to make sure no one was carrying a bomb.

But there was no one.

Which meant... it was highly probable that the gaze had come from Dandelion Manor.

At this thought, he remembered the thick, heavy wall at Mad Amusement Park.

On the other side of that wall, at the very end of the Unstable Domain, lay Dandelion Manor.

Was there some connection between the two?

Beside his ear, the long-absent narration voice of the Ghoulish Life Role-playing Game grew louder once more.

[You are getting closer and closer to the dying wish of that dead man.]

[In the exact moment of his death, what was he thinking about? What did he want to accomplish? What was he so unwilling to let go of?]

[No one knows.]

[Perhaps, only you can know.]

At dinnertime, the group packed up their food and brought it back to the bar.

It was a critical period.

Every time they entered or exited the bar, everyone had to undergo Anomalous Energy Detection.

It was precisely this point that made Yan Jing suddenly realize something while he was eating.

"I think I've figured it out."

Yan Jing paused, his chopsticks slipping. The piece of potato and beef brisket he had picked up was about to hit the floor when Rose dashed in from the doorway, caught it, and swiftly stuffed it into her mouth.

One-Eye, a step behind her, let out a sigh.

He had experienced his former boss's speed around food a long time ago.

Now, it seemed she had gotten even faster.

"Figured what out?" Chen Nian asked from the side.

"The killer's general process."

Yan Jing replied, "And, very likely, the process for their next crime."

"What process?" Old Master Liu put down his chopsticks and asked quickly.

"After the Advance Notice, the Tower responded by having security guards conduct Anomalous Energy Detection in crowded locations. Following this explosion, that Anomalous Energy Detection has been intensified, expanding the focus from locations to individuals."

"It isn't just the security guards, and it isn't just the arrivals from Sleepland and Dandelion Manor. Even when we go out, Anomalous Energy Detection can happen at any time."

"Under these circumstances, carrying a bomb on your own person is extremely dangerous."

"Therefore..."

"Therefore, the best method is to plant the bomb on someone else." Chen Nian's eyes gleamed.

"And this person must be willing, otherwise they would notice it the moment they underwent Anomalous Energy Detection."

"Because of that, they would need a concealed handover location that wouldn't attract anyone's attention."

Without pausing, Chen Nian continued, "I asked around this afternoon. There have always been rumors in the washrooms that certain outside guests arrange to meet waitresses they fancy and strike up some kind of flesh trade."

"In this kind of transaction, one party usually offers their body, and the other pays with food."

"And the woman from this explosion seems to have been in exactly this situation."

Yan Jing seamlessly picked up where Chen Nian left off. "Just as Rose said, even food wouldn't be enough to make her willing to carry a bomb, but this arrangement would provide an opportunity for the two of them to be alone."

Chen Nian's eyes glinted. "Which makes it the perfect moment to hand over the bomb."

Finished speaking, the two of them looked toward Old Master Liu. Now, they were only missing his intel.

Unexpectedly, both were taken aback by what they saw.

At some point, Old Master Liu had pulled out his Hongtashan again. A cigarette dangled from his lips, his eyes filled with melancholy.

He exhaled a faint cloud of smoke.

Old Master Liu spoke slowly, "This is a sad story."

???

Exchanging a glance, the others at the table unconsciously shifted their seats.

Originally, the four of them had been evenly seated on all four sides. Now, Chen Nian and Mantou both moved to sit beside Yan Jing, looking across at Old Master Liu, who was already deeply immersed in his performance.

The old man closed his eyes. His voice rose, carrying a rhythmic, emphatic cadence: "The girl who was blown up was named Yunduo, twenty-seven years of age. She was born without a father or mother. She was quite pretty, but in the Tower, being pretty doesn't put food on the table."

"Without parents in this place, you're destined to go hungry from childhood."

"Because she was so hungry, she took to reading. She discovered that once she got absorbed in a book, she would forget her hunger."

"The Tower would invite teachers from Solitude Lane, and she would often beg her teacher to bring a few books over."

"When that teacher realized she loved reading, he found it quite novel—after all, the people in this place only cared about eating. So, he agreed. He brought her books and even went out of his way to offer some guidance."

"Days passed, and five or six years went by just like that. The two of them often discussed the contents of those books. Over time, going back and forth, they gradually developed feelings for each other."

"According to Yunduo herself, that teacher almost eloped with her back then."

"But ultimately, that was only the girl's side of the story; there was no way to tell if it was true."

"What kind of place is Solitude Lane? No one there has ever gotten married! Every resident there is arrogant and haughty—how could they possibly fall for a waitress?"

"Anyway, in the end, she got dumped."

"Because of this, many people mocked her at the time, calling her a toad wanting to eat swan meat."

"Ever since then, Yunduo loved reading even more. She read everything, but she grew particularly fond of romance novels."

"But perhaps because she read too many books, her personality gradually became a bit stubborn."

"A few years ago, a higher-up of Rank C took an interest in her. Although he already had a family, he promised her that as long as she stayed with him, she would never go hungry again."

"If you presented this to anyone else in this building, who wouldn't scramble to accept?"

"But guess what happened?"

"She refused!"

"'I cannot go with you just to eat my fill,' she said. 'I must marry the man I love, and then we will work hard together to eat our fill.'"

"Listen to what this silly girl said."

"Everyone said this girl was finished, that she had read herself stupid."

"However, over the past few days, her roommate noticed that she seemed a bit off."

"Every night after getting off work, she no longer immediately returned to the dorm to read like before. Instead, she dressed up beautifully and went out."

"By the time she returned, it would often be the middle of the night."

"And her smile used to always be a faint, subtle one. But these past few days, it was noticeably different—it was a genuine, happy smile."

"Someone asked her what good thing had happened recently."

"She only smiled and replied, 'A breeze has stirred in my heart.'"

"Many people laughed at her, saying she was dreaming again, but quite a few were also happy for her."

"Yet no one expected that, just a few days later, she would die just like that."

"With a bang!"

"Blown to pulp!"

"At this point, people finally felt pity for her, feeling that her life had been a bit too bitter."

"But that pity only lasted for a moment."

"This kind of thing happens often in the Tower. People have seen too much and heard too much to remember it for long."

"She was like a pretty cloud. When it drifted overhead, some would curse it for blocking the light, while others rejoiced in the shade. But regardless, when it accidentally scatters one day, people just keep walking forward under the sun."

"..."

"A cloud is, after all, just a cloud."

"..."

"Smack!!!"

The Hongtashan cracked sharply against the floor, waking the listeners from the story.

The group exchanged glances, then looked at Old Liu in unison.

It was as if they were seeing the old man for the first time.

"Old Liu, I never expected you to have such a talent."

Yan Jing gave a thumbs up. "As expected of someone who studied poetry at three and mastered the scriptures at eight."

Beside them, Mantou's eyes were slightly red; she had understood the story.

Even Chen Nian couldn't help but offer a word of praise: "To be able to dig up this much, the old guy put on a good performance this time."

But surprisingly, facing their praise this time, Old Master Liu didn't gloat.

He simply kept his eyes closed, recalling the things people had said when he was asking around earlier.

Even the best storyteller couldn't completely recreate the truth.

The story revealed through the words of others was far more moving than what he had just recounted.

Soon, after mentally organizing Old Master Liu's account, Yan Jing spoke up, "So, the general picture is clear."

"Someone deceived this girl's feelings, gained her trust, and then had her carry the bomb."

Chen Nian nodded. "If they plan to use a similar method to plant bombs in the future, then their ability must be related to emotions."

"Otherwise, gambling on someone else's feelings for you without relying on an ability is extremely risky."

Yan Jing's eyes gleamed. "Judging by the bomb's power, this person's Tier shouldn't be particularly high, which can also be seen from their target selection."

"If they had absolute control over their target's emotions, they wouldn't have specifically chosen a girl who yearned for love. They could have found better targets and opportunities."

Finally, Chen Nian spoke calmly, "As far as the Pathways of power in Old Sin City go, the only one capable of doing this at a low tier is the 'Life' Pathway of Dandelion Manor. If I remember correctly, they have a First Tier ability called Reproduction Desire."

"This ability increases the target's reproductive desire," Chen Nian said. "And once they engage in the act, that desire continues to accumulate. Once it hits a certain threshold, they might fall into a state of hollow euphoria."

"Then this is it."

Old Master Liu opened his eyes, slapped the table, and looked at Yan Jing. "What do you think, kid?"

To Old Master Liu's surprise, Yan Jing didn't answer immediately. He pondered for a few seconds before looking up with a smile.

"Yeah, it should be this one."

"So that means the killer is among the group from Dandelion Manor."

Old Liu murmured, "But who should we share this clue with, and how do we make them believe us..."

"That's why the only thing we lack right now is evidence."

Yan Jing reached out with his chopsticks and grabbed some shredded potatoes. "As for how we get that evidence, we might just have to wait."

At those words, Old Master Liu's and Chen Nian's eyes flickered.

Wait.

It was already perfectly clear what they were waiting for—

The next explosion to echo through the Tower.

"Let's eat, let's eat."

Old Master Liu picked up his chopsticks while fishing two pieces of paper from his pocket and tossing them in front of Yan Jing.

"Right, here's what you asked for, kid."

"You got it already?"

Yan Jing's eyes lit up as he picked up the papers.

They were densely covered in a list of names.

"I asked Madam Gu for it."

Old Master Liu picked up a few slices of braised beef. "Just like you said, the Tower is tallying up the VIPs and preparing to assign human bodyguards to them."

"During a special period like this, only human players are guaranteed to have completely clean backgrounds."

"But there's a limited number of humans, so they can only assign them to the most important VIPs first."

Yan Jing nodded, speaking casually as he scanned the list.

"Will Madam Gu be assigned a human bodyguard as well?"

Old Master Liu looked rather smug at the question.

"No, Madam Gu decided to keep this old man right here as her bodyguard!"

"Don't tell me Madam Gu took a fancy to you, old man," Chen Nian remarked flatly from the side.

"Took a fancy to me?"

Old Master Liu paused in surprise, then stroked his beard. "I suppose it's not entirely impossible..."

"That makes things a bit difficult. I already have a wife..."

"..."

Chen Nian took a bite of cucumber, completely expressionless.

He sometimes felt this old man was his natural counter; sarcasm was completely useless against him.

Yan Jing was completely focused on the list in his hands, oblivious to their exchange.

The names on this list were all leading figures from major factions.

They were mainly leaders from Sleepland and Dandelion Manor.

For instance, Yu Mu, the woman who had led the Dandelion Manor group the other day, and the man beside her, Yu Mo, were both on it.

Below them was the name Yu Xiran.

There was a noticeably wide gap between these three names and the rest, seemingly indicating the difference in status between them and the others.

And on the list for Sleepland, the very first name was Meng Shuangsheng.

That was likely the name of the man wearing the star and moon pajamas.

Yan Jing's gaze continued downward. He tried his best to cross-reference the names on the list with the customer profiles in his memory, hoping to find a match.

But very few actually lined up.

For one thing, the customer profiles in his head were strictly regulars of the Sun-Swallowing Tower. Furthermore, he mostly only knew their physical characteristics; very few had names attached.

But just when he thought it would likely be impossible to predict the assignments in advance this time...

An incredibly familiar name suddenly caught his eye.

An Ze (Order Management Bureau Rotten Vegetable Village Branch, attending on behalf of the Bureau's Deputy Director)

Yan Jing hadn't expected to see An Ze's name here. After all, given An Ze's standing, he shouldn't have had enough weight to warrant a VIP seat.

Aside from An Ze, there was another name directly above his.

Lu Miao (Order Management Bureau Rotten Vegetable Village Branch, attending on behalf of the Bureau Director)

Staring at the name, Yan Jing pictured the woman who always wore an icy expression.

After a brief moment of thought, he put the papers away.

A short while later, the group finished the remaining food on the table and prepared to disband.

Before they parted ways, Yan Jing once again emphasized the precautions for avoiding the bombings, though with a few changes from before.

The rule to avoid important figures entirely had been updated: they were now to maintain a safe distance while paying close attention to the crowds around those figures, in hopes of catching a few more clues.

Tiger, who was standing to the side, took the opportunity to hand Old Master Liu and the others the meeting minutes he had taken.

Old Master Liu looked over the notes—which were detailed enough to include every single word he had said—and nodded in satisfaction. He then pulled Tiger aside and whispered a few words into his ear.

Whatever he said made Tiger's eyes light up considerably, a look of joy spreading across his face.

"What did you say to Mr. Tiger?" Yan Jing asked, blinking in surprise.

"That's a secret, a secret..."

Old Master Liu shook his head playfully as he walked away.

The others left one after another, until only Mantou and Yan Jing remained in the shop.

"What's wrong, Mantou?"

Yan Jing asked with a smile, looking at the girl who lingered behind.

Ever since she heard the story Old Master Liu told earlier, he had noticed that Mantou seemed downcast, her eyes rimmed with red.

Suddenly, something completely unexpected happened.

Mantou seemed to make up her mind and squeezed her eyes shut.

She took a step forward and suddenly threw herself into his arms, wrapping her hands tightly around his waist.

"Y-Yan... I... I... one day... if... if I die... will you... will you remember me...?"

Mantou's already slurred voice was even more muffled now, as if she were using all her strength just to force the words out, regardless of whether he could hear her clearly.

Every word was thick with emotion, her voice trembling and choked with sobs.

It was incredibly sudden.

This girl who always wore a naive smile on ordinary days, the girl who would just keep smiling even when people called her "Garbage Lady," had actually shed tears after hearing a story.

Before Yan Jing could answer, Mantou continued, "I... I... I'm scared... that when I die... you... you won't remember... won't remember... me..."

"Y-Yan... I'm scared... that if I die... it'll be just like... like Grandpa said... nobody... will remember me... Will you... will you remember me...?"

"Y-Yan... I've... I've seen... so many people... die... suddenly... die..."

"Y-Yan... I... I might suddenly... die one day too..."

"I... I'm not scared... of dying..."

"But... I... I'm scared... scared that you... won't remember me..."

"Y-Yan... if you... don't remember me... then nobody in the world... will remember me... anymore..."

"Y-Yan... will you... remember... me...?"

"Will you...?"

Feeling the fabric at his chest slowly growing wet, Yan Jing rested his already raised hand on Mantou's head. Pulling the girl into his embrace, he said softly, "Mantou isn't going to die."

"And I'm never going to forget you, Mantou."

"No matter where you are."

"And no matter what I become."

[favorability +5]

Beside his ear, the narrator's voice suddenly became incredibly high and ethereal, as if it had broken out of Yan Jing's mind entirely and turned into a surround-sound echo that even he couldn't hear:

[In the man's memories across two lifetimes, this seemed to be the first time a girl had ever cried so heart-wrenchingly for him.]

[He didn't know what he should say, nor did he know how to resolve the situation.]

[So, despicable as he was, he resorted to doing what he did best.]

[Lying.]

[Perhaps only lies could slow the spread of sorrow, making it crawl just a little bit slower.]

[So that the uncertain future might seem just a tiny bit more hopeful.]

[Even if only by the tiniest amount.]

After Mantou left, Yan Jing called Rose and One-Eye into the bar.

"What's wrong, boss?"

The two of them looked at Yan Jing in confusion.

His expression was more serious than they had ever seen it.

"Are your..."

Yan Jing frowned, speaking slowly:

"...parents still alive?"

"..."

???

Rose and One-Eye exchanged bewildered glances.

"My dad was 'fired' last year, but my mom's still around," One-Eye said.

"My... my parents... they disappeared when I was five or six..."

Rose answered carefully, watching Yan Jing's frown deepen.

"Then..."

Yan Jing's gaze sharpened.

"Have you thought about dating anyone recently?"

??????

The two of them were completely lost.

"I'm too young," One-Eye said.

"I... I suppose I'm at the age where I should be considering it..."

Rose lowered her head shyly and twiddled her fingers, squirming on the spot.

But when she looked up, Yan Jing's expression had turned even uglier.

"Xiao Yan, clock out early. Xiao Mei, you stay behind," Yan Jing ordered.

"Huh?"

Rose stared at him blankly.

"Bye, boss!"

One-Eye waved and bolted, darting out the door in a flash.

A short distance from the entrance, he sat down with his back against the wall.

Inside the bar, Rose watched Yan Jing shut the front door. Left alone with him, she swallowed hard, a sudden panic rising in her chest.

"B-Boss, is there a problem?"

In the gloom, Yan Jing said nothing. He only stepped closer.

"Boss, you can't! I just saw you and Miss Mantou... No, no, no, I didn't see anything, I swear I didn't see anything..."

...

...

Twenty minutes later, One-Eye watched Rose stumble out of the bar with dead, vacant eyes.

"Twenty minutes. Not bad for the boss."

One-Eye asked her:

"Did he promise you anything?"

Rose nodded, her voice completely hollow:

"He said that as long as I don't get a boyfriend or talk to other men for the time being, he'll treat me to a deluxe meal every day."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sounds like he wants to keep you all to himself while he's having fun in the Tower."

One-Eye shook his head. "You're pretty lucky. The boss seems like a nice guy."

"A deluxe meal every day..."

Just thinking about it made him drool.

"But... but he didn't even do anything!"

Rose finally seemed to snap out of it. She clutched her head, her voice thick with bewilderment:

"He just lectured me non-stop about the dangers of early marriage and pregnancy! He told me to stay away from men for a while and claimed he read my fortune—said any romance I find right now is destined to end in disaster..."

She whipped her head up to stare at One-Eye.

"What on earth is the boss playing at?"

"No idea."

One-Eye dug a lollipop out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth.

"I'm just a kid."

He paused, then suddenly seemed to figure it out.

"Maybe the boss just has a weird fetish. Just do what he says. You get free food out of it, anyway."

"Ugh!!!"

Rose groaned, clutching her head in agony.

She hated things that required using her brain.

Inside the bar.

Yan Jing stood in a shadowy corner, watching the tormented Rose with gleaming eyes.

The groundwork was laid. Now it was just a matter of seeing if the fish would take the bait.

...

That night, Yan Jing closed the shop early and headed to the main reception hall. Compared to a few days ago, the crowd had thinned out significantly.

After all, everyone believed this was the most likely place for a bomb to be planted.

To the vast majority, the bomber had somehow managed to plant explosives at the hall's entrance beforehand to injure the Virtue Bridge elder.

Furthermore, rumors were flying around the Tower that not even a Second Tier could detect these bombs.

The spreading rumors left everyone in a state of panic.

Aside from a few residents sitting in the dining area who weren't afraid of bombs, most of the seats were completely empty.

Yan Jing used his Weird Energy to scan every corner and resident.

Under normal circumstances, such an action would be incredibly offensive.

But right now, most people in the Tower seemed to silently tolerate being scanned.

It was the only way to prove they weren't the bomber.

If anyone refused the scan, they would instantly become a pariah boycotted by everyone else.

Soon, however, Yan Jing's Weird Energy ran into an obstruction.

Yan Jing looked over to see a man with a massive head. It was shaped like a giant heart and densely covered in eyes.

A Second Tier.

The man blatantly released his own Weird Energy as a warning.

With that kind of strength, he certainly didn't need to worry about bombs.

It was no wonder the seats around him formed a wide, empty circle. No one dared to sit near him.

Watching this, Yan Jing picked up his Walkie-talkie:

"This is 'Weak'. 'Old', please respond."

"'Old' here."

Old Master Liu's voice came through.

Yan Jing told him everything he wanted to find out.

About half an hour later, Old Master Liu sent word back:

"There is indeed a group of VIPs who, for various reasons, have explicitly refused to undergo Anomalous Energy Detection, nor will they perform it on others."

"Among them, besides the many Second Tier beings, there are also some First Tiers. They believe they have other methods to evade the bombs and don't need Anomalous Energy Detection."

Yan Jing spoke flatly:

"Are there many of them? Is there a list?"

"Not many. Hold on a moment, let me ask around..."

...

...

1:00 AM.

Sun-Swallowing Tower, 6th floor.

The office floor.

The door to an office labeled "David Chen" was pushed open from the inside, revealing a narrow crack.

Three toad heads poked out from the gap, peering left and right down the empty, pitch-black corridor.

Ink-black Weird Energy slipped from his mouths, sweeping toward the shadows to probe.

"Hm..."

He thought he felt the presence of some sort of Weird Energy, but it vanished in an instant.

Like an illusion.

"Ahem!!!"

He stepped out of the office and coughed loudly twice, waking up the overhead lights.

Bright light instantly flooded the long, silent space. He walked all the way to the end of the corridor but found no one.

That near-imaginary trace of Weird Energy didn't reappear, either.

"Just my imagination. Heh."

Chuckling, he turned around and headed back into his room.

Looking at the waitress behind his desk—who was sending him flirtatious glances—he rubbed his hands together and discreetly wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.

"Director, what did you call me here for?"

The waitress looked a little shy.

"To discuss some work."

David Chen approached with a grin and began unbuttoning the first button of his shirt.

Unless he was absolutely starving, he disliked getting his collar dirty while dining.

"Director, was everything you promised me before true?"

The waitress didn't seem entirely opposed to the idea, just keeping her head down as she asked for reassurance.

"Of course it's true."

David Chen stepped up beside her, grabbing her arm with his warty, webbed hands.

He had investigated this waitress thoroughly. She didn't have a Tier, had been an orphan since childhood—parents either fired or eaten, who knew—had a clean background with no backing, and despite working for years, was never valued or promoted.

If someone like her disappeared, absolutely no one would notice.

She posed no threat to him whatsoever.

He didn't rush to take a bite; he didn't want his prey's meat to grow tough from fear.

Faced with David Chen's fondling, the waitress showed slight resistance, keeping her head lowered:

"Director, the Tower isn't safe right now. Everyone is saying there are bombs."

"There won't be any. I've been in the office all day. Aside from you, my little cutie, no one else has stepped foot in here."

David Chen laughed.

He hated the so-called Anomalous Energy Detection. He had too many dirty secrets on him.

That troublesome and tedious procedure gave him zero sense of security.

To avoid the bomb scare, he had stayed holed up in his office for the past few days. This waitress was already the third ration he'd called in.

"That... that's wonderful."

The waitress said softly:

"Just wonderful."

Outside the door, Chen Nian heard the voices inside with perfect clarity through the earpiece connected to his listening device.

He gently adjusted the equipment in front of him to ensure he recorded the conversation clearly.

The bug had been stuck to the sole of the waitress's shoe when she passed by earlier.

Every member of the Rotten Vegetable Village group was responsible for monitoring a potential bombing target. His assignment was the Human Resources Department supervisor who had initially received them.

After listening to their conversation, he vaguely sensed something was wrong and had already told the others to hurry over.

"That's wonderful..."

The waitress's voice faded out.

Suddenly, the toad's alarmed cry came through the bug:

"What are you doing?!"

A split second later, his voice filled with terror:

"Stop right there! Are you crazy?!"

This was bad.

Chen Nian instantly fell back. At the same time, glowing metallic rifts opened across his body, and azure gas sprayed from the cracks alongside weird energy.

His speed spiked!

The next second.

"Boom!!!"

The bug captured one last deafening roar before honorably completing its mission.

Unable to lower his earpiece volume in time, Chen Nian felt his head ringing. The massive noise caused several of his components to briefly lose control; his vision blurred instantly as static crackled in his ears.

Still, he forced himself to drag his body backward, following the path from memory.

A heatwave that seemed capable of devouring everything surged violently from the office door, rapidly spreading in both directions. The temperature skyrocketed as a blinding light erupted. Hard on its heels came thick black smoke, swallowing all visibility in an instant.

By now, Chen Nian had already retreated to the entrance of the corridor. Fortunately, he reacted fast enough to escape unharmed, though certain components had entered a protective state due to overheating and desperately needed to vent.

Seeing that the rest of the Rotten Vegetable Village group was about to arrive, he quickly pulled a roll of bandages from the inner lining of his pure white matte coat.

...

...

When Yan Jing and the others rushed over at the sound of the explosion, what they saw was a "mummy" completely wrapped in bandages.

Every inch of Chen Nian's exposed skin was bound in white bandages. Even his forehead was wrapped tightly.

"How did you end up like this?"

Yan Jing and the others stared with wide eyes.

If his injuries were severe, he certainly didn't appear to be bleeding. If they were light, this getup was simply too exaggerated.

"Just a minor scratch..."

Chen Nian did his utmost to maintain an aloof expression. His heavily bandaged hand fished an object resembling a voice recorder from his pocket as he spoke lightly:

"Mission accomplished."

"All the evidence is right here."

...

...

To avoid drawing suspicion, the group quickly scattered.

The next day.

Early in the morning.

Yan Jing sat up in his bed in the Surface World.

After everyone scattered last night, he hadn't logged out of the Inner World right away. Instead, he waited until the Tower discovered the explosion.

He wanted to see how the various factions would react to the blast.

It was exactly as he expected.

Because the target of this bombing was a high-level manager of the Sun-Swallowing Tower—and because their injuries were said to be far worse than Elder Kindness's, leaving them on the verge of death—the previously noncommittal higher-ups of the Sun-Swallowing Tower were finally furious.

Mr. Giant Mouth even spoke out personally, vowing to catch the bomber.

At this thought, Yan Jing's gaze deepened.

Ever since the bombings started, he had harbored a strange feeling, but he could never quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Last night's explosion finally made him realize what felt so wrong.

It was brazen.

Far too brazen.

For a bomber, sending out an Advance Notice from the very beginning was highly suspicious.

Unless they were the kind of lunatic who treated explosions as a fun pastime, who would issue an Advance Notice beforehand to tell everyone they were going to plant bombs in the building?

Then, they followed up with repeated provocations...

Unless... they wanted to use this to achieve some other goal...

Amid his thoughts, an Inner World system prompt appeared before Yan Jing's eyes.

[Mission Stage B is about to begin]

[The location for this mission is Old Sin City - Sun-Swallowing Tower]

[Welcome back, Lord player]

Yan Jing opened his eyes. His arrival location this time wasn't any floor he remembered.

Every inch of the floor beneath his feet was covered in red carpet, while hanging plants and art paintings alternated along the walls. Overhead, a massive crystal chandelier hung low, sparkling with dazzling light.

The broad corridors, the luxurious furnishings, and the highly artistic architectural design.

This had to be the VIP floor on the eighth level.

Yan Jing looked around. The number of players who had entered this time was noticeably lower than before.

Of the original seven teams, there was hardly anyone left in the team led by Scarface, nor in the fifth team he had eaten with back then.

Additionally, Mo Nagu's and Chen Dalang's teams had both suffered casualties.

What surprised him, however, was that the pre-formed fourth team was only missing a single person.

And the three-person squad composed of the Fat Man, the slender girl, and the gloomy man hadn't lost anyone at all.

"Due to some unforeseen circumstances, your jobs have now changed. You have been shifted from waiters to bodyguards."

Standing in front of the crowd was the same woman with a mouth on her chin:

"As for what those unforeseen circumstances are, your employers should inform you."

"And your mission is to keep your employers safe from harm."

"Everyone's employer has already been assigned in advance."

"Now, everyone come up and draw a number. Once you have your number, go to the corresponding room to meet your employer."

Yan Jing noticed that while the woman was speaking, Mu Rao was staring at him from a distance.

So, he turned to face Mu Rao and flashed a smile beneath his mask.

Were it not for the pressing circumstances, he actually wouldn't have minded having an in-depth conversation with this guy who had been eyeing him since the Dungeon began.

It was just a pity that there were more important matters to attend to right now.

The number tag he drew was 303.

The rooms on this floor were arranged in numerical order, so he quickly found the corresponding room.

He knocked on the door.

Almost instantly.

The door was pulled open from the inside.

A tall silhouette dressed in a uniform appeared behind the door.

Before Yan Jing could even make out the figure's face, an icy, emotionless voice rang out:

"Yesterday's request was made by my subordinate on his own initiative. I do not need a human to act as my bodyguard."

Yan Jing's expression remained unchanged. He had already guessed that this might be the case.

He was already prepared to use his Order Note right here.

But when the woman finally saw him, her reaction defied his expectations.

"It's you."

The woman lowered her head slightly.

Yan Jing's height was already outstanding, yet the woman before him was so tall it bordered on the absurd.

"Come in."

Ultimately, the woman didn't bring up not needing a bodyguard again.

Yan Jing followed the woman into the room.

Compared to a standard single room, this suite definitely looked much higher-end. Although it featured a minimalist black-and-white design, that only highlighted the sheer gap in class.

"Do you know what your mission is this time?"

The woman turned around as she spoke.

"I'm still not entirely clear."

Yan Jing shook his head.

"There has been a bombing in this building."

Her expression hadn't changed from beginning to end. The gaze she aimed at Yan Jing was as cold as if she were looking at a dead object. "And it wasn't just a single incident."

"They didn't originally intend to invite the Order Management Bureau. They only brought us in to solve the case."

With that, the woman sat down, picked up a book from the table, and stopped looking at Yan Jing:

"I presume your mission this time is to protect your employer's safety."

"The reason I'm telling you this is to let you know that I am here to solve the case. I will be facing the culprit head-on. If you stick with me, your rating for this mission won't be high."

Having said her piece, she began reading the book in her hands, waiting for Yan Jing to leave on his own.

But Yan Jing didn't leave; he simply smiled:

"It's true that I'm not particularly good at protecting others."

"But I am rather good at solving cases."

"I believe that if you're willing, as long as you can protect yourself, my rating for this mission won't be low."

At his words, the woman raised her head.

Inside the room, their eyes met.

For a moment, it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Yan Jing looked at the woman. The murderous aura radiating from her face was so heavy it snuffed out any other thoughts.

No one could possibly be interested in this face—man or woman—even if, structurally speaking, it was quite beautiful.

Or so he had thought.

But suddenly, the corners of the woman's lips curled. Though fleeting, a distinct charm bloomed across her features.

"I'll call my subordinate over to brief you on the case."

Lu Miao said mildly, "I hope you truly are as good at solving cases as you claim."

Dark Weird Energy surged in her palm, transforming into a bird that flew out the door.

A short while later, An Ze walked in.

Behind him followed another figure—the squint-eyed man, Fan Jue.

"Hello, Boss!"

An Ze saluted, then smiled at Fan Jue behind him.

"This is my boss."

"Hello,"

Fan Jue smiled at the woman.

Lu Miao didn't even look at Fan Jue. She said coolly, "Make him wait outside."

???

Looking completely bewildered, Fan Jue was ushered out by An Ze.

Before leaving, he cast a puzzled glance at Yan Jing on the sofa, unable to figure out why he was allowed to stay.

To this, Yan Jing simply returned a standard smile.

Returning to the room, An Ze looked at Yan Jing in pleasant surprise.

"We meet again! We really do have fate. That clue you provided last time—"

"Swish—"

As if an invisible blade had sliced through the air, An Ze shuddered and immediately fell into Silence.

"Brief him on the current situation,"

Lu Miao ordered coldly.

"Yes, ma'am!"

An Ze puffed out his chest and immediately recounted the background of the explosions and the details of the two bombings that had already occurred.

Yan Jing, who already knew this information, listened to An Ze's description. He frowned at times, looked deep in thought at others, and occasionally nodded as if figuring something out.

"Based on our bureau's current investigation, the victims of the two explosions had no contact with each other, nor did they share any common social circles. Therefore, we're currently leaning toward classifying the culprit as a pathological killer."

"That is, an offender whose mind has become twisted due to mutation or similar causes, and who commits crimes to seek thrills or exact revenge on society."

Just as An Ze was about to continue, Yan Jing raised his hand.

"Wait a moment..."

"What is it? Did you notice something?"

An Ze looked at Yan Jing with expectant eyes.

Lu Miao also put down her book and looked at Yan Jing.

"Officer, you only mentioned two names when talking about the victims of those two bombings."

Yan Jing asked in confusion, "Did these two explosions only injure two people?"

"Shouldn't an explosion of this scale cause widespread casualties?"

An Ze was taken aback by the question.

"Ah, no, both explosions had other victims. It's just that, based on our judgment, those other victims were considered collateral damage. The culprit's primary targets should be Elder Zhang Deshan and Mr. David Chen, whom I just mentioned."

"Then... do you have the files on those other victims?"

Yan Jing asked.

"Yes, we do."

An Ze immediately ran back to his own room to fetch them. When he returned, he was carrying a stack of documents half as tall as a person.

After a flurry of rummaging, he finally dug out a few crumpled sheets of paper—just before Lu Miao's patience reached its limit—and handed them to Yan Jing.

Yan Jing took them and put on a show of examining them carefully.

A moment later, he held up one of the pages.

"The victims of the second bombing, aside from this Mr. David Chen, included this girl named Compass, right?"

"Yes, that's her."

An Ze nodded. "Actually, we still can't completely conclude whether this waitress died in the explosion. Her corpse was extremely mutilated, and the Weird Energy residue on her body all stems from the blast. Even if she died before the explosion, the result would likely look the same."

"After all, according to our investigation, this David Chen seemed to have some unspeakable fetishes."

"However..."

He cupped a hand to his mouth and spoke at lightning speed:

"This is a scandal. The people from the Tower won't let us talk about it, so don't leak it to anyone."

Yan Jing nodded.

He picked up another sheet from the stack of documents.

"Officer, you just said that the victims of the two explosions had no contact with each other, right? But looking at this... it seems the life experiences of these two women share striking similarities."

At this, a bewildered An Ze took the two sheets of paper Yan Jing handed over and looked down at them.

"Orphaned, ostracized, heartbroken, chronically starving..."

By the end, An Ze's voice grew fainter and fainter as fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Indeed, their social circles, areas of activity, and even their past lives had no intersection whatsoever. But if one distilled their life experiences, the similarities were... practically identical...

Previously, their investigation had focused primarily on the two prominent residents with high statuses and higher Tiers. They had assumed these dead service workers were just unlucky collateral damage; they hadn't considered this angle at all.

Suddenly, An Ze felt his hands empty. He looked up in a daze at the woman who had snatched the papers away, his heart skipping a beat.

Lu Miao stared at the two pages without saying a word, her expression completely unchanged.

Yet inexplicably, both Yan Jing and An Ze could feel the temperature in the room plummeting.

Pitch-black, freezing Weird Energy flowed from the woman, pooling across the floor. It materialized into ghostly shadows that waved their arms, struggling to stand up from the dark mire like buried corpses.

"I'm dead, I'm dead..."

An Ze leaned closer to Yan Jing, breaking into a cold sweat. "Sequence... isn't this an ability you can only learn at the Third Stage? Don't do this, Boss..."

Hearing this, Yan Jing's eyes also filled with vigilance. He readied himself to drink a Mental Immunity Potion.

Fortunately, as time ticked by, the ghostly shadows froze in place before melting away like ice. The darkness receded, and light returned to the room.

Holding the papers, Lu Miao ignored An Ze and looked at Yan Jing.

"I haven't fully mastered some parts of my abilities yet."

An Ze's eyes went wide at this, and he almost cried out in shock.

An explanation?! The boss was actually explaining herself to this human?!

Good heavens!

Was he going to be silenced to keep this a secret?!

Lu Miao continued, "You're right. You really are good at solving cases."

With that said, her face returned to its usual coldness.

"Now go collect a roster of the Tower. See whose abilities relate to emotions. Investigate the previous explosion sites again and find evidence solid enough to secure a search warrant."

She kept her eyes on Yan Jing as she spoke, but An Ze immediately understood who the order was for.

"Understood!!!"

The moment he said that, he bolted out the door.

Inside the room, only Yan Jing and Lu Miao remained once again.

Lu Miao sat down in her usual chair, while Yan Jing sat on the sofa opposite her.

"May I read one?"

Seeing Lu Miao pick up her book again, Yan Jing pointed at the few other books on the small coffee table between them and asked.

Lu Miao nodded without saying a word.

Yan Jing picked up a book titled "History of Old Sin City" and began to read.

In the quiet room, only the sound of turning pages remained.

Time passed bit by bit.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A knock rang out at the door.

Lu Miao stood up to open it. Outside stood a sweating An Ze and the squint-eyed Fan Jue.

"Thirty minutes."

Lu Miao nodded.

Gathering the roster at this speed was considered quite good.

But then, An Ze's next sentence made her eyes narrow.

"B-Boss, I found evidence!"

Tomorrow, the book goes premium.

First things first (five chapters tomorrow).

If possible, I'd like to ask for first-day subscriptions and monthly votes. Thank you all.

If first-day subscriptions surpass 800, I'll release a bonus chapter for every 100 beyond that.

And just like before, thank you to all the readers who have continually supported me.

Thank you for liking this book.

Along the way, I've asked for reads and monthly votes, and you guys never got annoyed, doing your best to support me every time.

Next, I want to thank my editor, Zhenguan (Boss).

If I had taken this book's opening to any other editor, there's a ninety-nine percent chance they wouldn't have signed it.

But I really wanted to write a slower-paced story, so I clung to Boss's thigh and begged for a chance, and Boss actually gave it to me (I really did cling to his thigh, as shown in the picture).

Maybe I really just don't know how to write an opening. Boss was the one who saved my last book, too.

Then, a special thanks to the readers who came over from my previous book.

Including but not limited to 'Pen Name Chosen by Roommate,' 'Enthusiastic Citizen Lu Xiaoshu,' and all the other veteran readers. Thank you so much for your support. Even when my writing was terrible, you never flamed me.

Next, here are some answers to questions about the book's setting:

1. Changes to the reality storyline.

I've already redone the outline, and it will follow a different main plot later on.

2. The female lead issue.

Nothing is completely set in stone, but there won't be more than three. Safety officers obviously aren't all women. This isn't a harem novel, and even if it were, it would be a pseudo-harem.

That's right, the author is a pseudo-human.

3. Switching characters.

They will change once per volume.

4. Setting issues.

The power system and setting of each Domain are different. It all depends on the author's writing ability.

If my writing ability isn't up to par, just join the fan group and scold me.

5. Update schedule.

My day job is being a PhD student, and my working hours are 9 to 10, 6 days a week.

I'll try my best to update three chapters a day. If I'm busy, it'll be two chapters. If I have health issues, I'll take a day off.

But dropping the book is out of the question.

My theory is that if a book is going to be dropped, it should be dropped during the free period so as not to scam my bros out of their money.

Finally, here is my favorite quote from my last book, which I dedicate to everyone here:

[This is a journey with an unknown destination, and no one knows how far you must go for it to be considered far.

Even if you decide to stop and rest on this road, no longer moving forward, I still wish you happiness every day.]

Bros, we're going premium! Charge!!!

——————————————————

——————————————————

——————————————————

Sacrificing two books by my group friends, they're both bros:

American Comics: Bug Arkham, Fellow Patient Batman (a very crazy crossover comic fanfic)

My Castle and I Will Not Lose! (Has Heroes of Might and Magic III and Mount & Blade systems as cheats in a DND setting)

After only a brief moment of surprise, Lu Miao's expression returned to normal.

"Where is the evidence?"

She didn't emphasize the consequences of deceiving her.

After all, no one knew that better than An Ze.

"Right here."

The one who answered wasn't An Ze, but Chen Nian, who stood behind him.

Trussed up like a sticky rice dumpling, Chen Nian produced his newly upgraded voice recorder and held it out to Lu Miao. "This contains the recording of the second bombing," he said flatly.

Lu Miao's gaze flicked past the voice recorder to the familiar trio behind An Ze.

A strange, inexplicable sensation stirred within her.

Why was it these guys again...

Though they were short one person today.

She took the recorder and pressed play. A soft, whispering female voice came through.

"Director, why did you call me here?"

"..."

"Director, things aren't very peaceful in the Tower right now. Everyone's saying there's a bomb."

"There isn't, and there won't be. I've been in my office all day. Aside from a little cutie like you, no one else has come in here."

"..."

"That's wonderful."

"..."

"What are you doing?! Stop right now!"

"..."

"Boom!!!"

"Beep—Playback complete. Thank you for using the Chen Nian brand—"

Chen Nian's expression shifted.

He had forgotten to change that prompt during the upgrade.

He immediately reached for the recorder in her hand.

Lu Miao reacted swiftly. With a light flick of her wrist, the recorder landed squarely in her other hand.

Her right arm then transformed directly into a dark, elongated blade.

The narrow blade gleamed with a cold light under the lamps, pointing straight at Chen Nian's extended wrist.

But to her surprise...

With a faint scrape of metal, Chen Nian's wrist—which had been reaching from the right—suddenly flickered like a phantom to the left.

It was so fast she almost couldn't track it.

Fortunately, she hit the stop button on the recorder, and Chen Nian's hand finally halted.

"Sorry. Stress tremor."

Chen Nian threw out a random excuse.

"..."

Lu Miao took a deep breath, managing to keep her expression perfectly steady.

"You might want to get that checked out at Lonely Hospital."

With that, she turned and walked into the room.

"You were right. Someone provided the evidence. There is a problem with the waitress," she said slowly, looking toward Yan Jing, who was still reading on the sofa.

"Hmm..."

Still absorbed in his book, Yan Jing responded absentmindedly before snapping to attention. He looked up and smiled.

"Sorry, Chief, I was engrossed."

"If you like it, you can keep it,"

Lu Miao said flatly.

"Really?"

Delight flashed in Yan Jing's eyes. Taking her at her word, he tucked the book under his right arm and politely thanked her.

"Chief, you just said there's a problem with the waitress, right?"

Yan Jing pulled the topic back to the bombing. "But I think it'd be very difficult for a single waitress to pull something like this off. There's most likely someone else behind her."

"Yes, I'll have An Ze look into it."

Lu Miao said slowly. "It should be quick. In Old Sin City, there aren't many Inner World Pathways capable of doing such a thing."

Since Lu Miao had mentioned the Inner World Pathways, Yan Jing seized the opportunity.

"I just read the preface to History of Old Sin City, and it mentioned that the current Old Sin City is very different from how it used to be."

"It is quite different."

Lu Miao replied evenly. "A long time ago, the seven major Domains of Old Sin City were divided among the seven Pathways of Sin."

"But later, the leaders of some Pathways left, taking the Pathways in their Domains with them. Many Domains became blank slates. It was only after many years that they were occupied again by other Pathways."

Having finished, Lu Miao turned and walked toward the door.

Clearly, it was a signal that the conversation was over.

"You're my bodyguard today, right?"

Lu Miao asked flatly as she reached the doorway.

"Coming."

Yan Jing stood up with his book and followed behind Lu Miao.

When they reached the door...

An Ze stared at the book in Yan Jing's hand, his eyes widening once again.

If he remembered correctly...

That book was one of Lu Miao's treasured items.

Back when she solved a major case for the Dream Township Branch Bureau, the bureau chief had allowed her to take a few items from his personal collection.

She had chosen those few books.

As the oldest Domain in Old Sin City, Sleepland possessed many ancient texts that had spanned the long River of Time, giving them immense value.

But now...

One of those books had actually ended up in this human's hands!

An Ze swallowed hard. In the end, he could only pretend he hadn't seen a thing.

Some things just weren't meant to be thought about too deeply. Overthinking could get a person killed...

===

It wasn't long before An Ze came running back from his investigation.

"Boss, I've confirmed it. The only ones in the Tower with a Pathway capable of manipulating emotions are the residents of Dandelion Manor."

Having already anticipated this, Lu Miao nodded.

"Where are they?"

The group soon arrived at another door on the eighth floor.

Knock, knock, knock!

An Ze stepped forward and rapped on the door.

A moment later, the door opened from the inside.

The first to step out was the woman who led Dandelion Manor.

Today, she was once again wearing a loose white robe. However, her face was flushed, and her hair was slightly disheveled.

And from the prominent outlines against the fabric, it was obvious she likely wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"Is something the matter?"

She looked at the group gathered outside the door.

Behind her, a man followed her out.

But the moment he caught sight of the people outside, he hastily ducked back into the room.

Seeing this, both Yan Jing and Fan Jue wore highly amused looks.

Because that man was none other than Chen Dalang, clad in a white robe.

Seeing him drenched in sweat, combined with the demeanor of the Dandelion Manor manager named Yu Mu, it wasn't hard to imagine exactly what kind of fierce battle had just taken place inside.

But Lu Miao clearly didn't care about any of that.

An Ze soon laid out all the Order Management Bureau's deductions for Yu Mu.

Hearing what An Ze had to say, Yu Mu's expression darkened.

"Team Leader Lu, are you saying the culprit is someone from our Dandelion Manor?"

"Yes."

Lu Miao's response was concise and straight to the point.

An Ze also spoke up at this moment.

"If you refuse our investigation, we will follow standard procedure and report our findings to Sun-Swallowing Tower, who hired us to come here."

"..."

Yu Mu's complexion worsened.

If this matter escalated to the Sun-Swallowing Tower administration, the consequences would be far more severe.

Moreover, she had to admit there were no holes in the logic An Ze had just presented.

Furthermore, they even had evidence.

Finally, her eyes flickering with hesitation, she nodded and gathered everyone in Dandelion Manor together.

The process was quick, as the daily routine for the residents of Dandelion Manor was simply to stay in their rooms and engage in reproductive activities.

Aside from the girls who were to be married off, the residents they had brought this time were specifically chosen from within the manor for not being pregnant.

Yu Mu turned around, looking at her group of brothers and sisters, and spoke in a cold voice.

"There is now evidence indicating that the bomber is highly likely to be among us."

"Everyone is to stand by where you are and submit to a search by the Order Management Bureau."

Hearing Yu Mu's words, the residents of Dandelion Manor looked at one another in dismay.

None of them had imagined that the bomber they were hunting would turn out to be someone from their own ranks.

"Mu, this shouldn't be a major issue, right?"

Yu Mo—the man who had previously treated the elder Kindness—stepped forward. He leaned in close to the woman's ear and spoke softly.

For some unknown reason, his hand was injured and wrapped in bandages.

But Yu Mu frowned, taking half a step away.

"Yu Mo, mind the occasion."

Yu Mo froze, entirely unprepared for Yu Mu's cold reaction.

After all, back at the manor, he was the one who engaged in reproductive behavior with Yu Mu the most. Their relationship was extremely intimate.

In his memory, Yu Mu had never acted like this toward him, nor should she have any reason to.

This wasn't just his imagination. For those on their Pathway, long-term reproductive behavior continuously accumulated Favorability.

Once Favorability reached a certain threshold, their mutual affection would feel as natural as if they were born with it.

Unless one party found someone they desired to engage in reproductive behavior with even more... At that thought, he looked at the tall, powerfully built human in the white robe standing behind Yu Mu. His brows instantly furrowed.

That shouldn't be possible...

He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.

The room search quickly began. The group, Lu Miao included, walked up to the doors of the Dandelion Manor residents' rooms and used weird energy to probe inside.

Only Yan Jing stood his ground, watching the residents of Dandelion Manor.

This was his first time getting a clear look at everyone from Dandelion Manor.

Although his current body wasn't the Cameraman, and he couldn't use that throbbing sensation to determine exactly who that malicious gaze from the other day belonged to, he still did his best to memorize every face.

Within the crowd, two figures caught his attention.

One was a young girl standing behind Yu Mu, her long hair cascading all the way down to her waist.

The girl's face possessed a unique charm.

It couldn't be accurately described with words like pretty, cute, or seductive. If pressed, Yan Jing felt it was a perfectly balanced beauty.

Her nose, eyes, and eyebrows—none of her facial features were breathtaking on their own, but combined, they formed a face that was just right, making people unconsciously want to draw closer.

Yu Xiran.

The name he had seen that day surfaced in Yan Jing's mind.

Aside from her, the other person who caught Yan Jing's attention was a short-haired girl beside her.

The two looked to be about the same age, but the short-haired girl's features were far more ordinary in comparison.

Yan Jing noticed her primarily for two reasons. The first was the human bodyguard standing behind her.

It was Mu Rao.

The second was that she and the young girl beside her stood together, occasionally whispering intimately and laughing playfully, appearing incredibly close.

They seemed to be best friends.

Before long, the search party returned.

Surprisingly, they had found absolutely nothing.

Let alone a bomb, they hadn't even found any suspicious materials used for making one.

"Team Leader Lu, it looks like you're going to be disappointed."

The corners of Yu Mu's mouth turned up slightly, her tone laced with undisguised mockery and smugness.

"Hmm."

Lu Miao's expression remained cold. "I hope you can find the bomber yourself and deal with them before the people from the Sun-Swallowing Tower arrive."

At those words, the smile vanished from Yu Mu's face.

"You're still planning to report this to the Sun-Swallowing Tower?" A gloomy shadow fell over her otherwise pretty face.

"It's standard procedure,"

Lu Miao said flatly.

Anyone could see that the bomber was among this group from Dandelion Manor.

Finding nothing proved absolutely nothing.

Once the Sun-Swallowing Tower received the news, they would definitely come down to inspect the situation.

And their methods would undoubtedly be far more direct.

Lu Miao understood this, and so did Yu Mu.

As a result, her expression grew increasingly ugly. Just as Lu Miao turned to leave, Yu Mu called out to stop her:

"I will give you an explanation as soon as possible."

"Before dinner."

Lu Miao didn't look back. Leaving those words behind, she led her team straight out.

...

Yu Mu's right hand clenched tightly. She turned her head, her gloomy gaze sweeping over her own people.

Although Yi Ji was busy and absent today, he had left the keys to the bar in advance.

Thus, Lu Miao and An Ze were invited by the people of Rotten Vegetable Village to wait in the Rose Bar.

As for what they were waiting for, it was naturally for Yu Mu to root out the culprit within her own ranks.

But to everyone's surprise, this wait didn't bring them the culprit. Instead, it brought a massive explosion that echoed throughout the Tower.

The roar from above instantly sent violent tremors rippling through the crowd on the third floor. Countless liquor bottles tumbled from the cabinets, shattering on the ground.

When the group rushed up to the eighth floor, billowing black smoke filled their vision.

Cries for help and agonized screams echoed down the corridor. A pungent smell permeated the air, and numerous blood-soaked victims stumbled out of the smoke.

It looked like a living hell.

A few minutes later, under the combined efforts of several factions, the black smoke was finally dispersed.

Once their vision cleared, Lu Miao and Yan Jing rushed straight to the front, charging toward the area where they sensed the thickest concentration of weird energy.

Soon, the two stopped before a familiar door.

Yu Mu's room.

The door had long since been reduced to ash. After a quick scan with their weird energy, they charged right in.

Inside lay a pitch-black scene.

The blast had turned almost everything in the room to charcoal, except for...

"Cough, cough—"

Chen Dalang, his eyes shut tight, regained a brief moment of consciousness through the agonizing pain and coughed twice.

Mental Immunity Value couldn't defend against untargeted accidental damage. The only reason he survived was due to a seed his master had given him.

Once planted, the seed instantly sprouted into a gigantic cabbage that enveloped both him and Yu Mu.

In the end, the cabbage had turned to charcoal, but he and Yu Mu had survived.

Yu Mu was of a higher tier than him, but she had been closer to the bomb. Furthermore, the cabbage had selectively prioritized protecting him, leaving Yu Mu with far more severe injuries.

At this moment, both of them had fallen into a coma.

Lu Miao looked at the scene and spoke slowly to An Ze, who had just rushed over from behind:

"Take these two away. List this woman as a prime suspect for now."

They couldn't rule out the possibility that Yu Mu had bombed herself.

The power of this explosion was far greater than the previous one. The walls on all sides of the room were damaged to varying degrees, and the blast radius had even affected several neighboring rooms.

Bearing the brunt of it were Yu Mo and Yu Xiran next door.

Both of them had suffered significant injuries.

Nearly half of Yu Xiran's body was covered in burns, while Yu Mo had lost his right arm entirely.

According to Yu Mo, he was standing right outside Yu Mu's door, about to knock, when the explosion occurred.

As a result, he caught the severe backlash of the blast.

Soon after, the investigation results came out.

Aside from Yu Mu and Chen Dalang, there was a third person in the room.

A male resident of Dandelion Manor named Yu Wen.

He had just crossed into the First Tier.

He was dead.

In Lu Miao's room, after An Ze finished reporting the investigation's findings, Lu Miao looked toward Yan Jing, who was reading a book on the sofa:

"What do you think?"

Yan Jing set down his book, looked up, and smiled.

"Did this Yu Wen have a human bodyguard?"

"No, he wasn't qualified yet,"

An Ze replied immediately, flipping through the files.

"Then I guess we can declare the case closed,"

Yan Jing said with a smile.

"This bombing was likely caused by Yu Wen's twisted psyche. He used the ability of reproductive desire to psychologically manipulate two female waitresses in the Tower, forcing them to carry bombs for a terrorist act. After being discovered by his leader, Yu Mu, he chose to drag her down with him in mutual destruction."

"Let's close the case with this, Chief."

"By the way, Chief, have you finished reading this History of Old Sin City ? I found some interesting things inside regarding Sleepland and Dandelion Manor."

The bombing case was over.

Because Chen Dalang's injuries were relatively light, he woke up for a brief moment in the afternoon.

Even though it was only for a short time, he still revealed the truth.

Just as Yan Jing had theorized, Yu Mu had called her subordinates into her room one by one for questioning.

When it was Yu Wen's turn, he chose to self-destruct.

He wasn't holding anything at the time. The reason he could trigger an explosion seemed to be that he used his own body as the bomb.

This claim was quickly confirmed by Yu Mo.

With Yu Mu in a coma, he had temporarily become the leader of Dandelion Manor.

The 'Life' Pathway could turn one's own flesh and blood into a bomb through a unique method of channeling weird energy. This was a secret of Dandelion Manor, known only to a very select few even within their own ranks.

And so, Yan Jing's career as a bodyguard came to an end.

That night, the Rose Bar resumed business.

After closing, Rose bid farewell to Yan Jing, who was disguised as the Cameraman.

"See you tomorrow, Boss."

She had dressed exceptionally beautifully tonight. Instead of her usual waitress uniform, she wore a short lace skirt paired with small high heels.

"See you tomorrow,"

Yan Jing smiled as he saw her off.

Soon after Rose left, a dark shadow also slipped out of the bar, choosing to tail her.

After leaving the bar, Rose did not take the elevator back to the fourth-floor staff dormitory.

She was in an exceptionally wonderful mood today. Humming a tune, she took the stairwell, climbing up step by step.

Tonight, she was going to meet someone.

A very important person she had met last night.

"Click—clack—click—"

The sharp tap of her high heels against the steps echoed through the quiet stairwell.

"Beep! Beep!"

Suddenly, an unfamiliar sound rang out in the darkness.

Rose stopped.

She looked behind her in confusion.

He had told her to make sure no one saw them meet; he didn't like having other people around.

Rose didn't like it either. She leaned out over the railing and looked down, checking the stairwell over and over.

"All clear!"

Nodding in satisfaction, she continued upstairs.

An alert girl like her—no wonder he had fallen for her.

Now that the bomber had been caught, they no longer needed to worry about any accidents ruining their rendezvous...

Lost in her wandering thoughts, she soon reached the seventh floor.

This was the VIP breakfast dining room.

She had never been here in her life, but today was different. She had been invited!

The man was exactly like the perfect lover from her dreams.

A faint blush spread across Rose's face.

Because it was night, the breakfast dining room was unlit. In the darkness, the figure she longed for sat at a table.

Even though she couldn't see his face clearly, Rose felt he was smiling at her.

"Good evening."

She greeted him sweetly.

The man didn't speak. He simply waved, motioning for her to sit beside him.

Suppressing her excitement, Rose walked toward him.

But suddenly, a figure slipped out from behind her and delivered a sharp chop to the back of her neck.

Under the heavy blow, Rose's vision went black and her body went limp.

"It's over, Mr. Yu Mo."

As Yan Jing spoke, the overhead lights instantly snapped on.

Sitting at the table opposite them was none other than Yu Mo of Dandelion Manor.

"You!!!"

Yu Mo stared at Yan Jing, who stood by the door in the guise of the Cameraman. A vicious gleam instantly flared in his eyes, but it vanished just as quickly. He said flatly, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"I simply invited this lady to the dining room for a date."

Faced with Yu Mo's denial, Yan Jing smiled. He picked up Rose's limp body and tossed her out the doors behind him.

"Actually, I was just making a joke."

Yan Jing said with a smile.

"Is that so? Well, you just knocked out my date. Why don't you take her seat?"

Yu Mo patted the seat beside him.

Yan Jing neither stepped forward nor answered the invitation. Instead, he smiled and said, "You're actually afraid, aren't you, Mr. Yu Mo? Afraid of what you'll do when Rose wakes up."

Yu Mo's face darkened completely. In an instant, that vicious gleam reappeared in his eyes.

Pretending was useless. The only witness was lying right behind Yan Jing.

Right now, the most crucial thing was to kill Yan Jing.

Facing Yu Mo's murderous intent, Yan Jing didn't look panicked in the slightest. He slowly said, "Everything was supposed to be perfect, Mr. Yu Mo. If you had stopped after the first explosion, all of this would have been a perfect outcome for your Dandelion Manor."

Yu Mo's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Yan Jing in disbelief.

He had thought Yan Jing had merely discovered he was the mastermind behind the scenes.

He never expected Yan Jing to directly expose such a deep secret.

Yan Jing maintained a smile, his tone calm.

"But you were too impatient with the subsequent explosions, making the whole affair very sloppy."

"First, the biggest suspicious point remains the motive. If the killer really was Yu Wen, why would he detonate Sun-Swallowing Tower? And why would he send an Advance Notice?"

"If he wanted to kill someone, he only needed to quietly prepare the bomb and wait for his target. If he wanted to take revenge on society, why would he risk angering Sun-Swallowing Tower a second time just to blow up a single employee?"

"There are simply too many holes in all of this."

"A series of actions without a clear motive. If you insist on pinning the case on him, there's only one possibility—he was a madman."

"He was a madman!!!!" Yu Mo stood up, glared at Yan Jing, and snarled. "Because the residents of our 'Life' Pathway interbreed, our brain structures are highly prone to mutations. Not only are we weak against mental manipulation, but we also frequently suffer from auditory hallucinations. Therefore, going mad is a common occurrence!"

"Didn't you investigate properly? He went mad a long time ago!!!"

Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

"I actually learned about that piece of history today. But what I didn't expect was for you, Mr. Yu Mo, to be so intimately familiar with the matters of your Pathway."

"Not only do you know about the Flesh Bomb, but you also know about the brain mutation issue."

"This is the Pathway of our Domain, after all," Yu Mo said with a dark expression. "If I didn't even know this much, I could never have reached my current position."

Yan Jing finally heard what he wanted to hear.

His smile turned radiant.

"So, why didn't you and Ms. Yu Mu notice that the injuries were caused by a Flesh Bomb when you first treated Elder Kindness?"

Yu Mo's pupils suddenly shrank.

He hadn't expected the flaw to be here.

This hadn't originally been a flaw at all.

If the Order Management Bureau hadn't come knocking later, no one would have suspected Dandelion Manor.

And the secret of the Flesh Bomb wouldn't have been exposed.

But those damn bastards had somehow gotten their hands on an audio recording, ultimately dragging the secret of the Flesh Bomb out into the open.

And when he treated that old geezer, this man across from him had just happened to be present.

That was why Yan Jing suspected their manor had known about the explosion from the very beginning, or had even orchestrated it themselves.

He felt he had figured everything out.

"We genuinely didn't recognize those injuries."

He said calmly.

So what if he outright denied it? Yan Jing had absolutely no proof.

But Yan Jing's smile was gentle.

"Is that so? Then it seems I guessed wrong about that. However, I couldn't have guessed wrong about what you were planning to do to Miss Rose. Once she wakes up, we can just ask her to find out exactly what's going on."

Yu Mo's face turned exceedingly grim.

He finally realized Yan Jing had been leading him by the nose.

Indeed, what Yan Jing had just presented were merely reasons to suspect Dandelion Manor's involvement in the bombings. It wasn't the most pressing issue right now, nor did it require any evidence.

The evidence proving he was the mastermind was lying right behind Yan Jing!

He glared fiercely at Yan Jing. One by one, fleshy buds bulged and sprouted along his arms, ultimately transforming into thick, fleshy tentacles that thrashed wildly in the air.

"Your biggest mistake was coming here alone."

He snarled.

But Yan Jing blinked.

"I don't recall saying I came alone."

???

As Yan Jing spoke, several dark beams shot out from the shadows behind him, streaking toward Yu Mo.

Yu Mo's expression changed, and he hurriedly retreated to dodge. But at that moment, a figure charged into the fray like a thunderbolt and grabbed one of the fleshy tentacles. With mountain-uprooting strength, the immense force yanked Yu Mo completely off the ground and slammed him heavily against the wall.

Before he could react, the opponent closed the distance in a flash and unleashed a frenzy of punches!

The opponent's boxing technique was incredibly seasoned. With every move and stance, Yu Mo was beaten so badly he couldn't fight back at all.

Under the relentless barrage of punches, those fleshy tentacles were quickly pulverized into a rain of blood.

"Argh..." Yu Mo roared at the ceiling in furious defiance. Weird Energy surged throughout his body as he prepared to self-destruct.

But the click of a camera shutter rang out.

In an instant, the world spun, and his surging Weird Energy dissipated involuntarily.

Just like that, Yu Mo fell unconscious in despair and bitter resentment.

When he woke up again, he only felt intense pain and complete exhaustion. The Weird Energy inside his body felt frozen, completely immobilized.

He looked down, only to find his entire body had been pierced by wooden stakes, pinning him to the wall.

"Old man, are these stakes of yours reliable?"

A calm voice rang out.

"Relax. With my acupoint-sealing nails driven in, if he can still use his Weird Energy, I'll drop to my knees and kowtow to him twice."

An aged voice replied.

"Oh? You're awake."

Yu Mo watched Yan Jing walk up to him and forced a smile onto his lips.

"You actually didn't hand me over to the Order Management Bureau. Are you trying to make some kind of deal with me?"

"Of course not."

Yan Jing shook his head. "Officer Lu Miao and the others aren't here because they went to do something much more important."

"But Mr. Yu Mo, even now, haven't you noticed anything abnormal?"

Abnormal?

Yu Mo's expression froze.

Yan Jing didn't directly explain the so-called anomaly. Instead, he looked at the blood-drenched Yu Mo and asked with a smile, "Mr. Yu Mo, it's about time you talked."

"Tell us exactly how you orchestrated the bombings."

Yu Mo stared at the wooden stakes protruding from his body. Resentment flashed in his eyes, but he finally spoke.

"This banquet wasn't just a marriage alliance. It was a public, three-party conference."

"Our primary goal for this conference was to secure the support of the attending guests."

"Everyone wanted the upper hand for this conference. So, Yu Mu orchestrated the so-called bombings."

"The plan was simple. Three steps."

"First, leak that we had received an Advance Notice, sparking panic among the VIPs in the Tower."

"Second, trigger an explosion and kill a few nobodies."

"Third, publicly accuse Sun-Swallowing Tower of poor security to secure our advantage before the conference even began."

"But we didn't expect Virtue Bridge to send 'Kindness' as their elder."

"We had no choice. After some discussion, we decided to make him our first target."

"And so, we triggered the first explosion."

Yan Jing nodded.

"That's where the story should have ended, right?"

Yu Mo clenched his fists.

"It should have. But I never expected those bastards from Sleepland to interfere."

"On the day of the first explosion, Meng Shuangsheng from Sleepland approached me. He casually let slip that they had already found the bomber and handed them over to Sun-Swallowing Tower."

"First thing the next morning, the Tower was going to announce that Sleepland had caught the culprit."

"Those bastards had obviously just found a scapegoat."

"But while we were talking, I realized they seemed to know about our Flesh Bombs. They hinted multiple times that we were the ones who orchestrated the attack."

"They didn't have any evidence, but they were absolutely certain we wouldn't dare trigger a second explosion."

"Meaning, once the scapegoat was turned in, the bombings would stop. That would make their scapegoat the definitive bomber."

"We risked everything plotting this, only to hand them the victory on a silver platter."

A cruel smile twisted his lips.

"How could we let them get what they wanted?"

"So that very night, we orchestrated the second bombing."

"That way, Sun-Swallowing Tower would realize the culprit Sleepland handed over was a fake."

"That's why we specifically targeted a Sun-Swallowing Tower employee. We timed it for the dead of night, when he was completely alone."

"Because only then could we use the smallest disturbance to get Sun-Swallowing Tower's attention."

He let out a long, heavy sigh.

"We just didn't expect you bastards to notice."

"And you tipped off the Order Management Bureau."

"Anyone with a bit of status knows exactly how terrifying that woman, Lu Miao, really is. Once she locks onto you, you're finished."

"She must have been secretly designated as the next head of the Old Sin City Order Administration Bureau ages ago."

"Heh. I'm getting off track."

He took a deep breath.

"Regardless, since you found the evidence, we initiated our next plan: throwing out our own prepared scapegoat."

"That Yu Wen was always a lunatic. Being a fall guy was his greatest use."

"Using his death to put an end to this matter was the perfect choice."

"To make it more convincing, Yu Mu even deliberately injured herself to sell the ruse."

"But I refused to accept it—"

He took a deep breath.

"This conference is more important than you could possibly imagine. Yu Mu was heavily injured, and we were tied to a bombing scandal. The conference hadn't even started, yet we were already pushed to the brink."

"Fortunately, I had set up a few pieces in advance. We still had a chance to turn the tables."

"That waitress who came by tonight was one of them."

His voice gradually faded. He looked up at Yan Jing with a dark gaze.

"That is the entire story."

But what happened next caught him entirely off guard.

The four people sitting across from him actually began to clap in unison.

Loud applause echoed through the breakfast hall. For a brief moment, Yu Mo felt dazed, as if he weren't a prisoner pinned to a wall, but standing in some auditorium.

Inexplicably, he thought of the late Yu Wen.

He also liked breaking into inexplicable applause like this.

Were these bastards a bunch of psychopaths?

Yan Jing smiled.

"An excellent story, Mr. Yu Mo."

"But now that you've laid it all out, haven't you noticed the anomaly?"

The anomaly?

Yu Mo froze upon hearing the word again.

What exactly was the anomaly?

He didn't understand at all.

Seeing this, Yan Jing let out a sigh.

"You said earlier that the people from Sleepland seemed to know about your Flesh Bombs, right?"

Yu Mo's eyes only grew more confused.

Was there something wrong with that?

"So, do you think it's possible that they also knew what was wrong with you in here?"

As he spoke, Yan Jing tapped his own head.

As Yan Jing's words landed, Yu Mo's expression instantly froze. As if cast in ice, his pupils shrank and his mouth fell open.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

In a matter of seconds, countless questions rushed through his mind.

He was right. When he heard that Sleepland had handed over a scapegoat, why hadn't he tried to verify it? Why had he rushed in a panic to set up the next bomb?

When setting up the second bomb, why hadn't he considered how glaringly out of place the time, location, and victim were compared to the first attack?

Why hadn't he considered that the Flesh Bombs were already a massive vulnerability, and instead rushed to sacrifice his hidden pieces?

Why had he been so obsessed with getting even? Now that he thought about it, Yu Mu had even tried to talk him out of it—so why had he acted so impulsively?!

The realization hit him. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared at Yan Jing with wide eyes and trembling pupils.

"You said earlier that the Order Administration Bureau didn't come here. Where did they go?"

Yan Jing didn't answer. He only smiled.

"They went to help you finish what you wanted to do, Mr. Yu Mo. Sleepland is the oldest existence in this Domain. You likely have no idea just how deep their foundation runs."

Beside Yan Jing, Old Master Liu and Chen Nian exchanged a glance.

To be honest, they didn't know much about Sleepland's foundation either.

How was it that this guy had gone out once today, and come back looking like his very eyes brimmed with wisdom?

Eighth floor.

Meng Shuangsheng's room.

Bathed in an orange glow perfectly suited for sleep, Meng Shuangsheng half-reclined on his bed, holding a wine glass in his right hand and taking slow, deliberate sips.

It was deep into the night. Normally, he would have been fast asleep by now.

But tonight was different. Tonight was worth celebrating.

Those brain-dead idiots at Dandelion Manor were probably still completely in the dark.

At the thought, he pulled a Pocket Watch from his pocket with his left hand. He admired it under the light, the corners of his lips curving upward.

His older brother had been right. To deal with those guys, any random item from the Family was more than enough.

He admired it for a while longer. Just as a wave of drowsiness hit him and he prepared to settle in for a good night's sleep...

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

Someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock!!!"

The knocking gradually grew more urgent.

Meng Shuangsheng froze. Carefully tucking away the Pocket Watch, he stood and walked toward the door.

Who could it be this late—

But before he could reach it, a cold gleam suddenly pierced the wooden door. An instant later, the entire thing disintegrated, and a tall silhouette strode right in over the splintered remains.

"Meng Shuangsheng, you are suspected of using special methods to provoke incidents in the Domain, causing chaos and disrupting Order."

In Lu Miao's hand, a dark blade gleamed in the air.

"You have the right to defend yourself, but not right now."

"We have already informed the Sun-Swallowing Tower of our theories. They have called in the relevant personnel to verify the truth of your words."

Relevant personnel?

Sweat seeped from beneath Meng Shuangsheng's nightcap. His drooping eyelids jerked wide awake.

If his guess was right, the Sun-Swallowing Tower must have invited that "Honesty" elder from Virtue Bridge.

At that thought, he reached into his pocket and gripped the Pocket Watch.

But suddenly, weird energy surged from Lu Miao's body like a tidal wave, unreasonably cramming into every inch of the room. Ghostly phantoms radiating hostility struggled to their feet from the floor. In that instant, even more sweat broke out beneath Meng Shuangsheng's nightcap.

"You win."

Yu Mo lowered his head, his smile utterly miserable.

"I didn't expect to be played by that bastard Meng Shuangsheng. No wonder rumors have been going around recently that he's going to take over his brother's position and become the next mayor of Sleepland."

"Did something happen to the original mayor of Sleepland?"

Yan Jing looked at Yu Mo and asked.

Yu Mo forced out a smile.

"I don't know anything about that. Even if you kill me, I still don't know."

"I only know that their mayor hasn't shown his face in a long time. Word on the street is that he's dying."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Then let's chat about what you do know."

Having said that, Yan Jing turned to look at Old Master Liu and the others behind him.

"My dear friends, could you leave me alone with Mr. Yu Mo for a moment? There are a few things I'd like to ask him in private."

Faced with Yan Jing's request, the group felt confused, but ultimately cooperated and walked out the diner's front doors.

"This kid is hiding something,"

Old Master Liu muttered to Chen Nian and Mantou.

"I can secretly record them,"

Chen Nian offered.

"Go ahead and record. Just wait and see if Nizi beats you up for it,"

Old Master Liu chuckled maliciously.

Chen Nian glanced down at Mantou, who was glaring at him, and finally dropped the idea.

Once the group had left the breakfast diner, Yu Mo looked at Yan Jing with a bleak smile.

"Ask whatever you want while I'm still a prisoner."

Wearing a smile, Yan Jing took a step forward and whispered a single sentence into Yu Mo's ear.

In an instant.

It was just a soft whisper.

But Yu Mo's expression drastically changed!

This time, his shock was ten thousand times greater than when he realized Sleepland had tampered with his plans.

A moment later, that shock twisted into ferocity. It was the recklessness of being exposed, the hysteria of a ruined plot, the urge to completely tear Yan Jing to shreds!

"Looks like I guessed right."

Yan Jing smiled.

The sentence he had whispered was:

"Why do you want to kill me?"

Yan Jing looked at Yu Mo, who looked ready to skin him alive and eat him raw, and beamed.

"Your acting just now was quite good, Mr. Yu Mo. Good enough to fool everyone."

"But there were still flaws."

"I think this story might have another version."

In response, Yu Mo only let out a low growl. His eyes overflowed with hatred as he struggled to lunge forward!

Yan Jing backed away a few steps, his smile unwavering, and said softly, "Your first mistake was touching my employee, Mr. Yu Mo."

"What you don't know is that I specifically instructed her a few days ago: as long as she didn't speak to any men, she would get a luxurious meal."

"Like the other girls you chose, that girl lost her parents at a young age. She's a glutton who loves food as much as she loves her own life."

"When she gets hungry, she knocks herself out. When she wakes up, she knocks herself out again."

"She told me once that she would never plant a bomb to blow up the Tower. The Tower is her home."

"The prerequisite for your reproduction desire ability is to actually reproduce, right?"

"Seeing as she wouldn't even speak to you, did you force yourself on her? I made a point to check my employee's skin today, and it was just as smooth and tender as before."

"Furthermore, tonight I specifically had a guest who loves my alcohol ask her, and she swore she absolutely hadn't spoken to a man, nor had she engaged in any reproductive acts."

Yan Jing said this while watching Yu Mo, whose murderous intent was practically spilling over.

"So I was quite disappointed at first. After all, I had specifically set out bait, but the fish didn't bite. That's something any angler hates."

"But to my surprise, there was an unexpected harvest."

"She still came. She came to the appointment."

"So why is that? Mr. Yu Mo, why? I thought about it for a long time on the way here. Why on earth would that happen?"

In response to Yan Jing's questions, the veins on Yu Mo's neck bulged, and he roared, "I'm going to kill you!!"

"Kill you!!!!"

Yan Jing placed an index finger to his lips and murmured, "Keep it down, Mr. Yu Mo. Don't make my friends worry about me."

"Since you don't want to say it, I'll say it for you, Mr. Yu Mo."

"Because it's true she didn't speak to a man. The person she spoke to—"

"Was a woman."

As his voice fell, Yu Mo's roars grew even louder, as if he was screaming with every ounce of his strength.

Even though the wooden stakes around him tore at his wounds, causing them to bleed profusely, even though they had thoroughly shredded his chest, he continued to struggle forward.

Yet Yan Jing just kept talking, his pace accelerating:

"She spoke to a woman, and fell victim to that woman's ability."

"She came to the appointment tonight, but the lights hadn't been turned on, so she had no idea who she was actually meeting."

"Actually, logically speaking, she would have eventually met that person. If I'm right, that woman used to come here too."

"You would meet her together, just like you did with the previous girls. That woman would stand on the sidelines and watch your actions until your ability took effect, and only then would she leave!"

"Yu Mu thought she planned the bombings with you, and Meng Shuangsheng thought he took advantage of your bombings, but neither of them knew,"

"That there was always someone else by your side."

"She didn't alter the outcome of your bombings in any way. She merely pushed the boat along with the current."

"She never expressed an opinion on anything. She just watched you plot with a smile."

"After you discussed the bombings with Yu Mu, after you discussed them with Meng Shuangsheng, and while you were reproducing with those girls,"

"She was always right there beside you. Quietly, smiling, watching. Am I right, Mr. Yu Mo?"

By the end, tears welled up in the corners of Yan Jing's eyes.

It wasn't because he was overly emotional. It was simply the body's natural reaction, because that girl had also once appeared in 'his' life.

[You are on the verge of uncovering the truth behind the so-called lifelong wish. Only the final step remains.]

"So you deliberately chose to set off the first bomb at the entrance of the main reception hall where Old Liu was. Perhaps your original intention was to injure Old Liu and force me into the game."

"Then, exactly as you predicted, we started investigating deeply, and the next person hit by the bombings was Old Chen."

"After that, an accident happened. We caught a lead, and you and Yu Mu had a falling out over the second bombing."

"Let me think. Yu Mu probably never spoke with Meng Shuangsheng in private. In other words, there's a high probability she wasn't influenced by Meng Shuangsheng, and even if she was, the effect would have been much weaker than yours."

Yan Jing sped up once more:

"She might have tried to dissuade you. All of this is just guesswork and not that important. Either way, you made a move against her. You wanted to kill her!!!"

"You just said she chose to offer herself up as bait, right? But that's another flaw. If it weren't for that human player, she would probably be dead by now."

"To blow her up, you must have added fuel to the fire. Was it your right arm? Well, none of that matters anymore, Mr. Yu Mo!"

"What matters is that your next target was my employee! Someone who refused to talk to men, someone who lived only to eat, someone who absolutely did not look like the best choice!"

"Therefore, I was the next target, wasn't I?"

Yan Jing smiled.

"Allow me to be a bit narcissistic. If I'm guessing correctly, no matter how many bombs you set off, no matter how many people you killed, your true goal,"

"Was always me, right?"

"After all, you love her so much!"

After Yan Jing's final words fell, Yu Mo, who had already been sliced to his last breath by the wooden stakes, abruptly ceased his struggles.

After a long moment of silence, he raised his head.

His face was already covered in tears.

But he was smiling.

Because of the words Yan Jing had just spoken.

That's right. He loved her so much.

Therefore, whether it was the bombings or Dandelion Manor, it was all for a single purpose: to kill the man she loved.

And then, to win back her love for him.

"When did you realize something was wrong?"

He looked at Yan Jing, suddenly feeling very glad.

Glad that she had been busy tonight and hadn't shown up.

Otherwise, if she had seen him in this pathetic state compared to the calm demeanor of the man opposite him, she would definitely have fallen even more in love with the other man.

"Starting with that girl named Yunduo."

Yan Jing answered softly.

"She once said, 'The wind has started blowing in my heart.'"

"I've heard a similar line."

"'Looking at you like this, with all my eyes and all this distance, is like the wind stopping, only to rise again.'"

"I found it very hard to believe that a girl like that would willingly go to your room on your very first day just for food, engage in reproductive acts with you, and immediately hit the favorability threshold."

The man chuckled.

"You don't believe it because you haven't seen her ugly side."

"You really should have seen it. The way she was on top of me, shedding tears, all just to please another woman."

"You really should have seen just how vulgar that 'wind' she spoke of truly was."

At this point, the only thing Yu Mo could do was constantly try to infuriate Yan Jing.

But Yan Jing just smiled.

"Mr. Yu Mo, haven't you ever wondered why the woman you love didn't come tonight?"

Yu Mo's smile vanished. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"What am I saying?"

The corners of Yan Jing's mouth curled into an unrestrained grin.

"I'm saying you're pathetic!! Mr. Yu Mo!!!"

"She had such high expectations for you! She expected that the moment you laid eyes on me, you would recklessly kill me—even if you had to blow yourself up, even if you had to sacrifice your own life, you would scatter my ashes to the wind!"

"But you didn't!"

"You are a coward!"

"You even delusionally hoped she would help you control the girl by my side tonight, so that girl would come to me carrying a piece of your flesh and blow me sky-high."

"There are some things you don't dare think about, and cannot allow yourself to think about!"

"Because you are terrified of death! You're afraid, you coward!!!"

"I am not!!!"

Facing Yan Jing's taunts, Yu Mo roared with bloodshot eyes, attempting to prove something with sheer volume.

"You are, of course you are!"

Yan Jing pressed on.

"Otherwise, why didn't you rush at me the moment you saw me!"

"Grab hold of me!"

"And drag me to hell with you!"

"Otherwise, why didn't you charge at me and blow me to pieces the day you saw me at the entrance of the main reception hall!!!"

"Because you don't love her enough! You love yourself more than you love her!!!"

"I love her!!!!!!"

Yu Mo bellowed. Tears had already soaked the front of his shirt. At this moment, he was like a child, arguing with Yan Jing in a desperate attempt to gain some sort of validation.

"Fine, you love her."

Smiling, Yan Jing took another few steps back, seeming to agree with Yu Mo's point.

And then, just as Yu Mo finally felt a sense of comfort and let his tears flow freely, Yan Jing spoke softly:

"You love her, which is exactly why you didn't dare perish together with me."

"Because you love her so much, you didn't dare consider that her absence tonight wasn't for some other reason, but because she deliberately abandoned you here."

"She simply wanted to use your death to kill me."

"You are just a bag of trash she casually threw away, my dear Mr. Yu Mo."

"You are just a bag of trash she tossed away, Mr. Yu Mo."

As soon as Yan Jing finished speaking, Yu Mo's pupils contracted, and his whole body began to tremble violently.

He opened his mouth to retort, but couldn't make a single sound.

He could only gasp frantically for air.

For a split second, his chest ached fiercely, as if something had been hollowed out of him.

He suddenly realized that what the woman had told him might be true.

She had truly fallen in love with the man standing right in front of him.

The two of them were simply too alike.

Their manner of speaking, their indifferent eyes, the way they seemed to have everything under control.

"Dear Mr. Yu Mo, it seems you have finally realized it."

Yan Jing smiled. His scarlet eyes flashed, weird energy surging throughout his body as a dark apple materialized in his palm and he entered the Fear Stance.

A demonic whisper slipped from his lips:

"Don't you hate her? The person who abandoned you just like that, the one who didn't even spare you a single glance when you were on the verge of death."

"Aren't you afraid? Once you are taken away by the Order Management Bureau, you will never see her again. Gradually, you will forget her face, her name..."

"Call it out one last time—"

As Yan Jing whispered, Yu Mo's expression grew increasingly agonized. He shuddered violently, especially after hearing the words, 'Aren't you afraid?'

Before his eyes, that figure seemed to appear once more, standing there and smiling at him.

He could not forget her.

That feeling of dread gradually seeped deep into his heart.

His lips moved, almost uttering that name.

But in the end, he clamped his mouth shut.

"Heh, hehe..."

He coughed up a mouthful of bloody froth, his eyes completely losing focus. In his mind, he recalled the words that beautiful figure had said to him with a smile:

"Ah Mo, if you ever meet him one day and fail to kill him, remember, do not tell him who I am."

"This is the last thing you can do right, Ah Mo."

"Do not disappoint me."

So she already knew this day would come, huh? Hehe... At this thought, he exhausted his last ounce of strength, let out a low roar, and forcefully smashed his head against the thick wooden spike impaled in his shoulder.

But as a camera shutter clicked.

He passed out once more.

Yan Jing calmed the surging weird energy inside his body, quietly staring at the unconscious Yu Mo.

He hadn't gotten the name out of him.

Since he hadn't managed it this time, it would likely be difficult later, too.

After his 'secret talk with Rose' was exposed, the 'Dandelion Manor explosion plot' was exposed, the 'covert tampering by Sleepland' was exposed, and 'the beloved behind him' was discovered—after so many events and such intense mental turmoil, coupled with his own deliberately released Fear Stance, Yan Jing still couldn't make this mentally fragile guy spit out that name.

This was enough to show just how powerful the emotional control of the person backing him was.

However, it was enough.

Confirming that someone actually existed and wanted to kill him meant he had already profited this time.

Yan Jing reflected on the course of events.

Just as he had mentioned earlier, the first point of suspicion was the story about the girl named Yunduo that Old Man had told him.

Back then, after Chen Nian had explained the reproductive desire ability of the 'Life' Pathway, he had subconsciously felt that something was amiss. Would a woman who gave up guaranteed food and clothing from her boss for the sake of pure love really resort to prostitution for food?

Because of this, he had hesitated when Old Man asked him what he thought.

Secondly, there was that malicious gaze hidden within the crowd.

It had put him on guard ahead of time.

Although he hadn't yet realized that the entire bombing case was secretly pointing toward him at the time, that nakedly malicious stare had still prompted him to set up Rose as a bait that wasn't quite a bait.

If, as Chen Nian and the others had said, the killer simply used the reproductive desire ability to control those waitresses, then Rose—who had him providing her with luxurious meals—would absolutely never resort to prostitution, and she would be safe.

And if that malicious gaze had nothing to do with the killer, or if the killer held back and didn't take the bait, then Rose would still be safe.

But the moment he took the bait.

Yan Jing would hook a big fish.

Just as he had said before, a Rose who refused to speak with men was definitely not the best choice. If that person truly chose Rose, it highly likely indicated two things. First, the method used was not reproductive desire. Second, someone was specifically targeting him.

After that, it was his agreement with Old Master Liu and the others to report their clues and deductions to the Order Management Bureau.

Coupled with the suspicious points he had raised as a player.

If the Order Management Bureau could resolve the matter directly after obtaining the clues, regardless of whether the killer was someone from Dandelion Manor as the Rotten Vegetable Village group had deduced, everyone would be happy.

Even if they couldn't solve it directly, they could still use the Order Management Bureau's name to pressure that malicious gaze and the killer's potential location—Dandelion Manor.

As a result, Dandelion Manor couldn't withstand the pressure and handed over the killer.

Actually, they had already exposed a flaw at that time.

Knowing the secret of the Flesh Bomb, yet not showing the slightest bit of doubt during the healing process...

That alone proved Dandelion Manor was inextricably linked to the bombings.

However, since there was no direct evidence, Lu Miao had announced the case closed at his suggestion to avoid beating the grass to scare the snake.

After that came the most critical part.

The book History of Old Sin City he had seen in Lu Miao's room.

That book had answered many of his doubts regarding the case.

Especially when he read about the seven great Domains from before Old Sin City, Yan Jing became firm in his thoughts.

The killer's method was absolutely not reproductive desire, but rather 'Sin'—'desire'.

In the preface of that book, it stated that prior to Old Sin City, the place was composed of the Domains of the seven deadly sins, making it a city entirely built upon the 'Sin' Pathway.

But now, only three of the seven deadly sins remained in Old Sin City: 'Gluttony', 'Sloth', and 'Pride'.

The remaining four sins—'Envy', 'desire', 'Wrath', and 'Greed'—had already left Old Sin City during a great migration.

Logically speaking, there should no longer be any residents of the other four systems in Old Sin City.

But Yan Jing felt that might not be the case.

Because he had personally met a resident of 'Envy'.

He turned to the introduction for the 'desire' Domain.

There were two First Tier abilities.

The first was Special Favorability.

Residents of 'desire' could raise a specific target's Favorability toward them, with the number of targets depending on their Tier.

The second was Desire Release.

This ability could amplify the target's desires regarding romance and affection.

These two abilities seemed fine at first glance, but if the user was skilled at playing with people's hearts, they could rely on them to completely and subtly manipulate and control the other party.

Compared to reproductive desire, this 'Pathway' clearly matched the situation of the waitresses being seduced much better.

And what finally solidified this thought for Yan Jing was a passage in Cameraman's character introduction:

[You were once an accidental creation of Fear, a servant at the skirts of desire, but now you are just an ordinary resident of Rotten Vegetable Village—right?]

[Due to certain reasons, you were killed a few days ago. Following this rebirth, you have lost most of your memories.]

According to Yan Jing's deduction, the desire mentioned here should refer to the 'desire' Pathway.

Once it was determined that the killer's method was not Dandelion Manor's 'Life', it naturally followed that aside from the inextricably linked Dandelion Manor, there was also another outsider involved.

As for the part regarding Sleepland, Lu Miao had deduced that.

Compared to Yan Jing, she clearly understood the inside story of this banquet much better. After seeing the weaknesses of the 'Life' Pathway recorded in the book and the history of Sleepland relying on hypnosis to reach the Summit of Old Sin City, she already had her conclusion.

After she informed Yan Jing, he finally managed to completely sort out the chaos jointly caused by these three parties. Much of the information was still mere speculation, however, so upon seeing a fish take the bait, he didn't hesitate to exploit Yu Mo's mental fragility to verify his theories.

Yu Mo didn't disappoint him, either. The moment the lights turned on, his eyes gleamed with murderous intent at the very first sight of him—even though Yan Jing had investigated Dandelion Manor together with the Rotten Vegetable Village group using his original body that morning.

In other words, the only time his Cameraman identity had ever met Yu Mo was at the entrance of the main reception hall.

This proved Yu Mo had noticed him a long time ago.

Then.

The conversation he just had with Yu Mo confirmed his guesses for the most part.

Yan Jing looked at the unconscious Yu Mo before him and sighed.

It was normal for this guy to have mental issues.

His brain was already somewhat deformed to begin with. Then he was first seduced by the 'desire' Pathway, and later hypnotized by the Sleepland side.

To be able to withstand his Fear Stance under such intensity...

He was quite something.

However, he could tell that after tonight's torture, Yu Mo's mind probably wouldn't work so well anymore.

During the lunch break the next day.

An Ze slipped into the Rose Bar and ordered a Martini. Looking at the crowd inside, he held up two fingers:

"Two pieces of news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"The good one."

Old Master Liu didn't hesitate. He was currently teaching Chen Nian, sitting across from him, how to play Pai Gow.

His luck was pretty good, having won two rounds in a row.

So he decided to listen to some good news to boost his 'Fortune' a bit.

Unexpectedly, An Ze frowned in thought for a moment after hearing that.

"There doesn't seem to be a good one."

"Then the relatively good one."

Old Master Liu flipped over two tiles—a pair of Heaven tiles. He had won this round again.

Across from him, Chen Nian frowned. He suspected the old man opposite him was cheating.

"The relatively good one—"

An Ze's brows furrowed tightly before he finally picked one.

"That Yu Mo from Dandelion Manor, the one you guys caught yesterday."

"Wasn't he sent to our branch bureau today?"

"I heard—"

He lowered his voice.

"He went mad!!!"

"He hasn't been right since he woke up. His eyes are glazed over, and he mumbles nonsense without a single clear word. Plus, he now trembles in fear whenever he sees anything round and black."

Saying this, An Ze noticed Yan Jing mixing drinks and said in pleasant surprise, "Right, right, right! Something exactly like the camera lens on your head, Mr. Yi Ji."

"Do you guys know what happened?" He looked at the few people from Rotten Vegetable Village opposite him.

"No idea." "That is pretty weird. The sun is quite round today..." "I don't know."

"I... I... I don't know—"

This time, there was probably no one there who truly didn't know.

"Aside from that news, what was the other one?"

Seeing An Ze staring at his head in confusion, Yan Jing stopped the Cocktail Shaker in his hands and hastily changed the subject.

"Ah, the other news—"

Sure enough, An Ze's attention was instantly diverted.

Looking over at Old Master Liu and Chen Nian playing Pai Gow, he suddenly shivered.

"It's about the boss."

"Did something happen to Officer Lu?"

Yan Jing strained the ice from the Cocktail Shaker and slowly poured the liquor into a glass.

"The boss is furious right now!"

An Ze's expression was dead serious.

"Why is she angry?"

Old Master Liu asked casually.

He had won again this round. Chen Nian had quit, wanting to switch to poker instead.

"She's looking for someone, but that person disappeared."

Yan Jing's heart skipped a beat at those words.

No way...

"Who is she looking for?"

Old Master Liu dealt the cards. The two were playing the simplest game of high-card.

"A human."

An Ze said.

"Why is she looking for him?"

In the first round, Old Master Liu drew a King, and Chen Nian drew a 10.

"I don't know, but she's definitely searching."

An Ze replied.

"How can you tell she's angry?"

In the second round, Old Master Liu drew a 10, and Chen Nian a 7.

"Because when she went out today and saw the humans following other people, she frowned a total of five times!"

An Ze described it in detail, his expression exaggerated.

"Then she went back to her room to read. While reading, she frowned another five times and scoffed a full three times!"

"That's it?"

Old Master Liu gathered the cards, as Chen Nian didn't want to play anymore.

In the third round, he had drawn a 7, and Chen Nian a 4.

Anyone could tell the old man possessed some sleight of hand.

"Is that not enough?!"

An Ze covered his face with his hands, a terrified look leaking through his fingers.

"I've never seen the boss frown so many times in a single day. The last time she frowned a full four times, she was dealing with a case."

"And then the killer was chopped into six pieces!"

For some inexplicable reason, Yan Jing shuddered.

He placed an olive into the glass and asked, "Did Officer Lu go on a mission and not get enough rest last night?"

An Ze nodded heavily.

"You hit the nail on the head!"

"Let me tell you, the boss was exhausted yesterday!"

"That Meng Shuangsheng guy she fought had an incredible Pocket Watch that could pull people into dreams."

"If it were the boss's usual style, she would have closed the distance right away, delivered a flurry of hand chops to prevent him from using his item, and followed up with an Eye Blade..."

"Forget about using the Pocket Watch—the opponent would have struggled to even channel their weird energy."

"But yesterday was super weird!"

"From start to finish, the boss only used a Sequence she hadn't fully mastered to control shadows and fight Meng Shuangsheng. Even though that method conceals her tracks and prevents injuries, it's not her style at all!"

"In the end, the boss almost ran out of weird energy before finally taking Meng Shuangsheng down, and even then, it was only because he voluntarily stopped fighting."

Crap.

Yan Jing thought he knew why Lu Miao was angry.

Last night, after Meng Shuangsheng and Yu Mo were both captured, the tower's crisis was resolved. The Inner World System had terminated the bodyguard task early, changing it to a different task.

Because of that, he never went back to greet her.

Mainly because yesterday afternoon, when Dandelion Manor pushed out that scapegoat, the two of them had already feigned ending their bodyguard relationship.

Yan Jing had figured that, given Lu Miao's indifferent personality, she wouldn't take it to heart.

But contrary to his expectations, the woman had not only taken it to heart but had even spent the entire night playing the role of a ranged mage instead of a melee fighter, all just to ensure his task rating.

One could only imagine how furious she was.

All that time spent grinding Favorability had gone down the drain.

Yan Jing sighed and walked over to An Ze with the glass in hand.

He had spent all morning thinking about the newly changed task and how to use his Cameraman identity to get a look at the faces of the people from Dandelion Manor.

He never expected such sudden bad news.

"Your drink, Mr. An Ze."

The ability of that person from the desire pathway was too potent. After Rose woke up, she couldn't even speak. She could only gesture pitifully with her hands, her mind still muddled. Thus, he had to temporarily fill in as the bartender.

An Ze nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Yi Ji. You don't look very happy."

"Yeah, there are some things troubling me."

Yan Jing replied.

"Don't fret, Mr. Yi Ji. Word is there are performances to watch this afternoon and evening."

An Ze shared a piece of good news.

Yan Jing nodded, doing his best to force a smile.

"I heard."

That was exactly what was troubling him. Returning to the liquor cabinet, he let out a long sigh.

[Task 2: Become a qualified bodyguard, waiter!]

[The task has now been changed. Since the bombing incident has been properly handled, the VIPs in the tower no longer require humans as bodyguards. You lucky ones can enjoy your remaining day or so of vacation. However, while enjoying your vacation, please be careful of two things. First is eating. Even on vacation, please mind the occasion and maintain your eating habits. Once you fall into hunger, you will quickly lose your protection. The second is your own kind.

The grand melee in the lobby last time received unanimous praise from the tower's guests. Some Players have already reached agreements with the VIPs and are preparing to conduct a Hunting Game within the tower. As hunters, they will receive a reward for every Player they kill. Of course, a hunter could also become prey. PS: This is an extra task and will not affect the final rating. Players with outstanding performance will receive extra rewards.] Yan Jing stared at the task prompt, sighing faintly.

Who was the hunter? Who was the prey? Who to kill, and who to spare? These were all problems.

Once the lunch break ended, the few people from Rotten Vegetable Village went to work. Yan Jing closed up shop early and led One-Eye and the temporarily mute Rose downstairs.

"Ah—ah—ah—"

Rose started making hand signs.

Yan Jing looked at One-Eye.

"She's asking where we're going,"

One-Eye translated.

Yan Jing's mouth twitched.

"Didn't they say there was a performance? Let's go check out the contestants."

The three of them arrived at the first-floor lobby.

It was already packed with a sea of people.

Yan Jing scanned the surroundings but didn't spot any of the white-robed figures from Dandelion Manor.

Ever since Yu Mu was severely injured and Yu Mo was captured, the residents of Dandelion Manor had completely isolated themselves. No one had seen them step out of their rooms.

Even for meals, they just sent one person out to buy everything in bulk, purchasing two days' worth of food at once.

The banquet would begin the day after tomorrow, so that was just enough to last until then.

Yan Jing withdrew his gaze. Under these circumstances, he probably wouldn't be able to verify whether that lingering stare came from someone in Dandelion Manor until that day.

"Ah—ah—ah—"

Rose flailed her arms, tugging at Yan Jing's clothes to point toward an open space across the room. There stood a massive mirror.

Standing beside the mirror was a white-bearded old man.

"That's the elder of our faction."

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd.

It was the man with the staring eyes.

Standing next to him, naturally, was the kind-faced man.

"That mirror is his most prized possession. One of the higher-ups of the Sun-Swallowing Tower asked him to use it to broadcast."

The man with the staring eyes explained, a faint hint of pride in his tone.

After he finished speaking, Yan Jing and the others watched the white-bearded old man mutter something to the mirror before declaring loudly, "Mirror, mirror, tell me, who among the human Players in the Sun-Swallowing Tower is over 1.8 meters tall and has the biggest build?"

As soon as his voice dropped, the mirror rippled like water, revealing a simple, honest face with tightly shut eyes.

It was none other than Chen Dalang, lying unconscious in a bed.

The old man froze for a moment. Then he scratched his head and addressed the mirror again:

"Then who among the human Players in the Sun-Swallowing Tower is over 1.8 meters tall, has the biggest build, the solidest muscles, and is accompanied by a female human Player?"

At his words, the mirror rippled again.

As the ripples settled, this time the mirror revealed the figure of Mo Nagu. Standing beside him was Mu Wan, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

Both of them wore solemn expressions and tight black combat suits, with various pieces of equipment holstered at their waists and strapped to their legs.

"That's the one!"

The old man said gleefully.

Wait, is that right?

Yan Jing's crimson eyes widened.

"This is our elder's 'Honest' Mirror. What do you think, Mr. Yi Ji?" the man with the glassy stare asked.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

Yan Jing nodded.

Whoever came up with this application for the mirror was truly a genius.

"Can you ask this mirror anything?"

Yan Jing asked.

If it could answer absolutely anything, the mirror would be anything but simple. It would be a magic mirror straight out of a fairy tale.

But common sense dictated that such a thing couldn't possibly be in the hands of a Second Tier elder of Virtue Bridge.

"Of course not."

The man shook his head.

"This mirror can only answer questions within a certain radius of itself, and the subjects cannot exceed the Second Tier."

"Furthermore, it cannot answer questions concerning major secrets."

"And it absolutely cannot answer anything from too long ago, anything too broad, or anything too detailed."

"But it is perfectly honest!" the man emphasized, his tone brimming with pride.

"If it doesn't know the answer to your question, it will tell you it doesn't know!"

"I see."

Yan Jing gave a thumbs-up. "Truly an honest mirror."

No wonder it had been repurposed to track the real-time feeds of targets.

It was practically useless for anything else.

Still, Yan Jing had to admit that if a player possessed a Ritual with a similar ability while running a dungeon, it would be an immense asset to their team.

Soon, the image in the mirror shifted.

Mo Nagu, Mu Wan, and one of their teammates had found their first prey.

Scarface.

The moment he spotted Mo Nagu's group, Scarface's expression warped, and he sprinted in the opposite direction.

At the same time, weird energy surged around him, and a bowl of takoyaki materialized above his head.

Three octopus balls bounced out of the bowl and instantly disintegrated, transforming into three tentacles that whipped out to bind his pursuers.

A control-type ability.

In this kind of situation, it was exactly what he needed.

However, yellow light flickered around Mo Nagu, and a beast's head baring two long, sharp fangs materialized above him.

The phantom beast head swayed slightly, opened its jaws, and swallowed all three tentacles in a single bite!

While the beast head chewed the tentacles, Mo Nagu pushed off the ground, surging forward at an unimaginable speed. When he was just a few meters away from the Scar-faced Man, he leaped high into the air and lunged like a fierce beast.

In midair, he drew the Dagger strapped to his leg. Its cold edge glinted in the light, much like a beast baring its fangs.

Even though the Scar-faced Man managed to conjure a broken blade radiating an aura of decay at that exact moment...

The two figures crossed paths.

A string of blood droplets splattered into the air.

Thud—

The Scar-faced Man's body stiffened before he collapsed straight to the ground.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Enthusiastic applause rang out across the hall.

Many inner world residents praised Mo Nagu's maneuver. It had been clean, decisive, and far from simple.

Immediately after, the Old Man standing beside the mirror spoke up again:

"Mirror, mirror, tell me: who among the human players in the Sun-Swallowing Tower has taken the most lives?"

This time, a fat silhouette appeared on the surface of the mirror.

It was none other than the Fat Man who had initially invited Yan Jing to join his team.

No one had expected him to sign up as a hunter as well.

At this moment, he was holding the gloomy man from his team by the head, violently smashing it against the wall.

Once, twice, three times...

Soon enough, the gloomy man's face was smashed into a bloody pulp, and he fell completely silent.

As for the Fat Man, his mouth suddenly stretched impossibly wide, occupying a full two-thirds of his face, and he began to feed—

There were no phantoms or flashing lights, which meant his power system was likely an Inner World Pathway.

Furthermore, it was Gluttony, the one most compatible with this Domain.

Yan Jing's eyes flickered. He hadn't forgotten that he was already on the bounty list for the Inner World Pathway.

Therefore, all Inner World Pathway players who came here could be considered enemies.

Following that, the final team of hunters was shown: the fourth squad that had formed up early. All four of them belonged to the Inner World Pathway.

The slaughter progressed rapidly. Gradually, the situation on the field became clear.

Mo Nagu's team—Hunters. Mu Rao's team—Mu Rao had yet to appear, and his two female teammates were being hunted by Mo Nagu's team. Chen Dalang's team—aside from the comatose Chen Dalang, who was receiving treatment from the Order Management Bureau, the rest were completely wiped out. The fourth team, consisting entirely of Inner World Pathway members—Hunters. The fifth team, who had previously shared a meal with Yan Jing—completely wiped out. The sixth team, Scarface's team—completely wiped out. The Fat Man's team—the Fat Man had become a hunter, the frail woman was nowhere to be found, and the gloomy man was dead. Solos—Fan Jue had yet to appear, and Yan Jing... Yan Jing was currently warming up.

After this round of slaughter, aside from the hunters, practically none of the other players participating in this dungeon were left alive.

Next up would likely be a showdown among the hunters.

It was almost time.

Yan Jing nodded and patted the heads of his two employees, who were watching in utter fascination.

"Don't wander off. I'm going to the restroom."

"This is our elder's 'Honest' Mirror. What do you think, Mr. Yi Ji?" the man with the glassy stare asked.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

Yan Jing nodded.

Whoever came up with this way to use the mirror was truly a genius.

"Can you ask this mirror anything?"

Yan Jing asked.

If it could answer absolutely anything, this mirror would be far from simple. It would be just like a magic mirror from a fairy tale.

But a moment's thought made it obvious that such a thing couldn't possibly be in the hands of a Second Tier elder of Virtue Bridge.

"Of course not."

The man shook his head.

"This mirror can only answer questions within a certain radius of itself, and they cannot exceed the Second Tier."

"Furthermore, it cannot answer questions concerning major secrets."

"And it absolutely cannot answer anything from too long ago, anything too broad, or anything too detailed."

"But it is perfectly honest!" the man emphasized, his tone full of pride.

"If it doesn't know the answer to your question, it will just say it doesn't know!"

"I see."

Yan Jing gave a thumbs-up. "Truly an honest mirror."

No wonder it had been repurposed to track the real-time feeds of targets.

It turned out to be pretty useless for anything else.

Still, Yan Jing had to admit that if a player had a Ritual with a similar ability while running a dungeon, it would definitely provide immense help to the team.

Soon, the image in the mirror shifted.

Mo Nagu, Mu Wan, and one of their teammates had found their first prey.

Scarface.

The moment he saw Mo Nagu's group, Scarface's expression changed drastically, and he turned to sprint in the opposite direction.

At the same time, weird energy surged around him, and a bowl of takoyaki appeared above his head.

Three octopus balls bounced out of the bowl and instantly disintegrated, transforming into three tentacles that whipped out to bind the three people behind him.

A control-type ability.

In this kind of situation, it was exactly what was needed.

However, yellow light flickered around Mo Nagu, and a beast's head bearing two long, sharp fangs materialized above him.

The phantom beast's head swayed slightly, then opened its jaws and swallowed all three tentacles in a single bite!

Then, while the beast's head was chewing the tentacles, Mo Nagu pushed off the ground. He surged forward at an unimaginable speed. When he was just a few meters away from the Scar-faced Man, he leaped high into the air and lunged at him like a fierce beast.

In midair, he drew the Dagger strapped to his leg. Its cold edge glinted in the light, much like a fierce beast baring its fangs.

Even though the Scar-faced Man managed to conjure a broken blade radiating an aura of decay at that very moment...

The two figures crossed paths.

A string of blood droplets splattered into the air.

Thud—

The Scar-faced Man's body stiffened before he collapsed straight to the ground.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Enthusiastic applause rang out across the hall.

Many inner world residents praised Mo Nagu's maneuver just now. It had been clean, decisive, and far from simple.

Immediately after, the Old Man standing beside the mirror spoke up again:

"Mirror, mirror, tell me, who among the human players in the Sun-Swallowing Tower has taken the most lives?"

This time, a fat silhouette appeared on the surface of the mirror.

It was none other than the Fat Man who had initially invited Yan Jing to join his team.

No one expected that he had actually signed up to be a hunter as well.

At this moment, holding the head of that gloomy man from his team, he violently smashed it against the wall.

Once, twice, three times...

Soon enough, the gloomy man's face was smashed into a bloody pulp, and he went completely silent.

As for the Fat Man, the mouth on his face suddenly stretched impossibly wide, occupying a full two-thirds of his face, and he began to feed—

There were no phantoms or flashing lights, which meant his power system was likely an Inner World Pathway.

Furthermore, it was Gluttony, the one most compatible with this Domain.

Yan Jing's eyes flickered. He hadn't forgotten that he was already on the bounty list for the Inner World Pathway.

Therefore, all Inner World Pathway players who came here could be counted as enemies.

Following that, the final team of hunters was the fourth squad that had formed up early. All four of them belonged to the Inner World Pathway.

The slaughter progressed rapidly. Gradually, the situation on the field became clear.

Mo Nagu's team: Hunters. Mu Rao's team: Mu Rao had yet to appear, and his two female teammates were being hunted by Mo Nagu's team. Chen Dalang's team: aside from the comatose Chen Dalang, who was receiving treatment from the Order Management Bureau, the rest were completely wiped out. The fourth team, consisting entirely of Inner World Pathway members: Hunters. The fifth team, who had previously shared a meal with Yan Jing: completely wiped out. The sixth team, Scarface's team: completely wiped out. The Fat Man's team: the Fat Man had become a hunter, the frail woman was nowhere to be found, and the gloomy man was dead. Solos: Fan Jue had yet to appear, and Yan Jing... Yan Jing was currently warming up.

After this round of slaughter, aside from the hunters, practically none of the other players participating in this dungeon were left alive.

Next up, it would likely be a mutual showdown between the hunters.

It was about time.

Yan Jing nodded and patted the heads of his two employees, who were watching in utter fascination.

"Don't wander off. I'm going to the restroom."

"Ah—ah—ah."

Rose didn't even turn her head; she merely waved a hand to signal Yan Jing not to worry.

One-Eye was standing on a dragged-over chair, staring fixedly at the mirror's surface, completely ignoring Yan Jing's departure.

For Old Sin City, which lacked small and medium-sized electronics, the current spectacle was no different from a five-year-old child experiencing television for the first time.

Yan Jing walked over to a nearby corner.

Thanks to his Mental Immunity Value and the fact that this was a live broadcast, he didn't plan on using his Cameraman identity. Instead, he intended to solve the problem using his original body.

After switching back to his true form, he didn't go out of his way to look for anyone.

He simply sat quietly in the empty stairwell.

It wasn't long before a strange noise came from the top of the stairs.

"Found you."

The Fat Man poked his head over the staircase railing.

By now, he was no longer suppressing his body's mutation. A massive mouth took up more than half of his face, its dark red gums packed with crooked, triangular fangs that numbered several times that of a normal human's, thick saliva constantly dripping from them.

He dashed down the stairs. That bloated frame moved exceptionally fast, like a rapidly hurtling ball of meat, and arrived in front of Yan Jing in the blink of an eye.

"You found me."

Yan Jing stood up and dusted himself off.

From watching their Hunting Game just now, he already knew the Fat Man's methods.

His sense of smell seemed extremely developed, capable of tracking whatever he wanted to sniff out.

And being the first one found by the Fat Man was well within expectations.

"Do you have any idea how high your bounty is on the Inner World intranet right now?"

The Fat Man chuckled darkly. "Three million Surface World Currency. My luck is fantastic! I just so happened to have a Dungeon Selection Voucher, and this is even the Gluttony Domain."

He inhaled deeply.

"To be honest, at first I was worried I wouldn't be able to pass the task, but that little broad from my group was quite capable. I was just about to go find her to say thanks, but it seems she's gone and hidden herself."

"No matter. I'll just take care of the important business first."

"Mhm."

Yan Jing nodded. "I'm the opposite of you. I prefer to do the unimportant things first."

Weird energy surged like a tide, the fruit of Fear was swallowed, and a white Dice began to spin.

In a mere instant, Yan Jing's appearance transformed completely.

Rings of dark shadows covered his body. On his right arm, black and white Thorns and branches intertwined and spread out. A scarlet light spilled from his eyes, and mournful wails echoed behind him.

Looking at Yan Jing across from him, the Fat Man's heart suddenly clenched.

'This man across from me looked completely harmless to man and beast just a second ago. How did he suddenly turn into a monster?'

Fighting down the terror welling up in his heart brought on by the Fear Stance, he mobilized the weird energy around him, bracing himself for a head-on clash with Yan Jing.

But the next second, his pupils trembled.

Without leaving him any room to react, Yan Jing's right hand had somehow already arrived right in front of him, slapping flat against the gaping maw on his face.

Boom!

Like a falling meteor, the Fat Man's entire body was lifted along with his head, flying in an arc before crashing heavily onto the stairs. Immediately after, Yan Jing curled his palm into a fist and drove it directly into the Fat Man's massive mouth.

One punch, two punches, three punches—

His mouth full of fangs had long since been shattered into bone fragments. Mixed with bloody foam, they were forcefully shoved down his throat. The Fat Man tried to throw up several times, only for the fists to smash everything right back in.

Punch after punch rained down until, finally, the Fat Man stopped moving entirely.

That giant mouth was completely pulverized. Whatever was left resting atop his neck looked like nothing more than a pile of mashed meat.

Yan Jing deactivated his stance and sat quietly beside the Fat Man.

He hadn't purposely slowed down the process of killing the Fat Man; it was just that he needed to replenish the apple he had consumed.

Trading an ordinary apple for one with Gluttony resistance was a highly profitable bargain.

A short while later, the scattered sound of footsteps echoed overhead.

Yan Jing looked up at the team made up entirely of Inner World Pathway players that had just appeared. He stood up, dusted himself off, and said with a calm expression:

"You found me."

As Yan Jing finished speaking, footsteps echoed from downstairs.

A player on the Inner World Pathway appeared from below, walking slowly toward him.

For a moment, Yan Jing found himself trapped in a three-and-one encirclement.

The leader of this Inner World Pathway team was a man in his thirties with a buzz cut and glasses who didn't seem to talk much.

Upon seeing Yan Jing, he made a subtle hand gesture, and the two men beside him immediately mobilized the weird energy around them.

One man's eyes flashed sharply. Driven by weird energy, the air in front of him transformed into invisible blades that slashed toward Yan Jing.

The other's eyelids drooped, and he suddenly leaned against the wall and began to snore.

Mental power rippled outward with his snores, carrying a heavy wave of exhaustion that threatened to drag anyone nearby into a deep sleep.

The rest of the team had already taken anti-fatigue medication in advance to minimize the effect.

This was clearly a team that had worked together for years, acting with seamless coordination.

Under their watchful eyes, Yan Jing sat beside the headless corpse on the stairs, shrouded in pitch-black shadows without moving a muscle.

Those invisible blades slashed into the shadows surrounding him only to be swallowed without a trace, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.

The snoring grew louder, but since Yan Jing's face was obscured, they couldn't tell if he was affected at all.

The bespectacled man's eyes darkened. He signaled again, and the group halted their advance.

He didn't believe Yan Jing's mental resistance was so weak that he would fall asleep under the influence of a First Tier "Sloth."

It was a trap.

"Heh."

Yan Jing's amused voice suddenly rang out.

The bespectacled man's pupils shrank, and he frantically gestured for his men to fall back.

At the same time, he shifted his feet, moving with the other player to form a defensive line in front of the "Sloth" Pathway user.

But that clearly wasn't Yan Jing's target. He sprinted through the dim light like a pitch-black ghost, charging straight toward the player downstairs.

Seeing this, the bespectacled man breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he led the team, that was only because he excelled at organization and command; in terms of raw combat power, he couldn't possibly compare to the player below.

That guy was a monster he had spent a long time poaching from elsewhere.

This was exactly why he had employed a three-and-one encirclement. That "one" was a deliberate trap.

Seeing Yan Jing rushing at him, the gaunt player raised his fists.

As weird energy surged, his fists revealed their true form:

Each fist was as massive as a thirty-pound watermelon. The thick fingers were entirely devoid of skin, exposing dark red flesh, and on the back of each hand sat a huge blister seething with pitch-black weird energy.

He was a "Fist Cultivator" on the Inner World Pathway from another massive Domain.

To obtain these fists, he had endured torment beyond ordinary imagination.

Watching Yan Jing close in, he immediately swung his fists. His emaciated frame didn't slow his punches in the slightest; a series of sonic booms erupted as he aimed straight for Yan Jing's chest.

Yan Jing dodged sideways. The terrifying fist smashed violently into the wall, instantly blasting web-like cracks across half its surface.

But just as the man pivoted to throw his next punch, his eyes glazed over.

Two or three dark, withered flowers drifted in from nowhere and landed on the tip of his nose.

Suddenly, a chorus of shrill, agonizing screams echoed through the stairwell, blending into a maddening symphony.

Before he could even react, a sharp pain tore through his abdomen.

Looking down, he saw a Black and White Dual-Colored Long Spear piercing clean through his gut.

In the next second, as if vengeful spirits had descended from purgatory, he saw countless hideous ghostly shadows roaring before his eyes, tearing bites out of the flesh of his stomach.

The excruciating pain caused the force of his punch to plummet. When it collided with Yan Jing's bracer-covered right fist, a loud crack rang out, and his wrist bent backward at a sheer ninety-degree angle.

That joint hadn't been tempered to match the strength of his fists; it was his most vulnerable spot, and under Yan Jing's strike, it completely deformed.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" His expression twisted in absolute agony. Veins bulged on his neck as he let out a wretched scream that melted right into the maddening symphony lingering in the air.

Yan Jing's eyes remained calm. Without giving him another chance, he twisted the spear in his left hand, yanked it back, and thrust again—this time burying it deep into the man's chest.

Blood geysered outward, splashing over Yan Jing and pooling before slowly trickling down.

Bathed in crimson, Yan Jing looked like a demon walking out of hell. With a flick of his spear, he shook the corpse off the blade. He looked up at the three terrified figures on the stairs and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"That's one."

Everything happened in a flash. By the time Yan Jing caught up to the final "Sloth" Pathway player and shattered his legs, only a few minutes had passed.

"Are you also here for the 3 million Inner World bounty?"

Yan Jing looked down at the player.

"N-No, not entirely. We also took a private commission."

The man shook like a leaf, his voice trembling violently.

"Do you know who the employer is?"

"N-No, I have no idea. These kinds of things... they're always anonymous."

"I see. How much money do you have on you?"

"H-Huh?"

"I asked, how much money do you have on you?"

Once the man transferred over 80,000 Inner World coins, Yan Jing nodded and, as promised, reached out to snap his neck.

He didn't let him suffer too much.

In truth, he didn't really care who the employer was.

Plenty of people wanted him dead, and that number was only going to grow.

However, he wasn't very satisfied with today's battle.

Although he had utterly crushed the four of them, that was only because they were still in the lower tiers, possessing just two abilities that weren't even particularly strong.

If their Tiers rose in the future, would he still be able to pull this off?

He still needed to work harder.

He nodded to himself, deciding to brew a few more pots of Body-Forging Water once he got out of here.

Still, it wasn't without its unexpected gains. He discovered that when he summoned the Fear Thorn, the white energy inside the Dice clung to it just like his bracer did, providing a significant boost.

The usage count alone had doubled, jumping from five to ten.

Standing up, he headed upstairs.

He knew that many people were watching him right now. Under these circumstances, switching to the Cameraman was obviously impossible. Fortunately, he was planning to use his original body to take care of a few things anyway.

In the hall.

A crowd of inner world residents stared at Yan Jing as he gradually disappeared from the screen, completely speechless.

The vast majority of the inner world residents here were First Tier; the humans on the Inner World Pathway were virtually no different from them in terms of abilities.

In other words, if Yan Jing could effortlessly crush four of those humans, then if he faced them...

"Gulp."

Someone swallowed hard.

This human was a little too strong—so strong that he struck fear into their hearts even through a screen.

Finally, breaking the dead silence, someone in the crowd spoke up:

"Quick, switch the perspective to him!!!"

As soon as the words left their mouth, hundreds of voices chimed in, echoing their agreement.

They all wanted to see what this terrifyingly strong human was going to do next.

Was he going to hunt down the last team of hunters?

"Wait a minute, wait a minute."

The "Honesty" Elder wiped the sweat from his forehead. Using the "Honesty" Mirror for an extended period was a massive drain on him.

After this session, he probably wouldn't be able to use it again for several days.

However, the upper management of the Sun-Swallowing Tower had given him quite a bit of compensation, which was why he had agreed to this in the first place.

Changing to Yan Jing's perspective didn't seem like a difficult request.

"Mirror, Mirror, let me ask you: who is the strongest human player in the Sun-Swallowing Tower?"

As soon as he spoke, the surface of the Mirror shifted, revealing the sight of Yan Jing's back in the stairwell.

"It's working, it's working!"

The crowd looked at the Mirror in anticipation.

In the reflection, Yan Jing arrived at the eighth floor.

"What is he doing on the VIP floor?"

Someone asked.

"He might be contacting the employer from his time as a bodyguard."

Someone more knowledgeable explained, "These humans usually keep in good touch with their employers after finishing their bodyguard duties. Even if they don't get any immediate benefits, those connections might come in handy when they enter Dungeons later."

"Who was his employer when he was a bodyguard?"

Someone asked.

"I think it was Officer Lu."

A voice in the crowd replied.

"That woman needs a bodyguard?!!"

The speaker had clearly witnessed Lu Miao's ferocity before.

"I advise you to watch your mouth."

"Alright, stop arguing!! Look, he's at Officer Lu Miao's door!!!"

Someone shouted.

The crowd nodded. Sure enough, he was looking for Lu Miao.

"He's knocking, he's knocking!"

These inner world residents were reacting like children from the Surface World watching television for the very first time. They were completely thrilled, providing a nonstop running commentary.

"The door is opening!!!"

"Officer Lu is out!"

"They're talking, but we can't hear them!"

"Oh? Oh? They stopped talking! Why does Officer Lu look so angry?!"

"Holy shit, why did Officer Lu just pin him against the wall?!"

At this moment, everyone in the hall stared at the scene in the mirror, their eyes wide.

In the mirror, Lu Miao had suddenly spun around, pinning the masked Yan Jing directly against the wall.

She pressed her right hand against the wall and lowered her head slightly, completely blocking Yan Jing's face from view.

"Good heavens!"

Someone could not believe their eyes.

"Mom, what are they doing?"

A tourist hurriedly covered her child's eyes.

Fighting was one thing, but some things were not meant for young eyes.

Yet right now, the most panicked person was the "Honest" Elder standing beside the mirror.

Lu Miao had previously gone to Virtue Bridge for a mission.

Because of that, he knew exactly what kind of personality the woman on the other side had.

Suddenly, he bent over. After a fit of coughing, the weird energy surging around his body dissipated. The image in the mirror vanished along with it, returning to an ordinary glass surface.

"No more watching, no more watching," he said to the complaining crowd.

"Elder Zhang, did you do that on purpose?" someone asked.

"Yes," the elder replied. He could not lie.

"Coward!" someone shouted.

"Come out here. Come on!" the elder shouted at him.

He was, after all, a Second Tier elder of Virtue Bridge. Even if he could not defeat Lu Miao, that was a completely separate matter.

"—"

The crowd immediately dispersed in an uproar.

Meanwhile, on the eighth-floor VIP level.

"Officer Lu, what are you—" Yan Jing blinked, looking at Lu Miao in front of him.

They were less than a fist's width apart, her murderous, icy face practically touching his.

He had only wanted to come up and apologize to Lu Miao. But right after he explained that he hadn't said goodbye because he was preparing for the next phase of the Hunting Game, she had pinned him against the wall.

She controlled her actions perfectly. Neither her strength nor her movements triggered the protection of his Mental Immunity Value.

More importantly, the Inner World System had determined that Lu Miao harbored no malicious intent.

Lu Miao looked calm. She slowly pulled back the hand she had pressed against the wall.

"No one should be watching us now."

Yan Jing instantly understood and gave a slight nod.

"Thank you, Officer Lu."

"You came up here to find me," Lu Miao said, looking at Yan Jing, "just to apologize?"

"Yes. Thank you for looking after me," Yan Jing said.

He could not let all the time he spent grinding her favorability go to waste. He still held an IOU from her, and he needed to mitigate the risk of her refusing to acknowledge the debt later.

"Mhm. I accept it." Lu Miao nodded.

She had always spoken directly. Saying this was equivalent to admitting she had genuinely been angry yesterday.

"Alright, I'll be leaving then. I won't bother you any longer." With his goal achieved, Yan Jing turned around to leave.

"Wait," Lu Miao called out from behind him.

Yan Jing turned back in confusion.

"You did me a huge favor this time. Is there anything you need my help with in return?" Lu Miao asked.

Yan Jing's eyes lit up. There actually was something.

Soon, An Ze brought the information Yan Jing wanted.

"I've verified it with Sun-Swallowing Tower. The partner assigned to that human named Mu Rao is Yu Xiran, the bride in this arranged marriage," An Ze said.

"Mr. An Ze, it isn't that I don't believe you, but this information is very important to me. Are you sure there's no mistake?" Yan Jing asked.

"Of course." An Ze nodded, lowering his voice. "Don't worry, I specifically asked several people and checked the list. That is indeed his assignment."

"Alright. Thank you." Yan Jing nodded, his gaze growing profound as he looked down.

That was a bit strange.

Based on what he had seen earlier, Mu Rao had been standing next to that short-haired girl. This completely contradicted the assignment list.

The list assignments this time were made based on a certain degree of compatibility. Just like him and Lu Miao: because their paths had crossed in Rotten Vegetable Village, and Lu Miao had a high favorability toward him, the two of them were assigned together.

Mu Rao's Day Selection Ritual involved an item from the desire Pathway. Logically, the person he was assigned to should have been that resident of the desire Pathway who wanted to kill the Cameraman.

But now—

What he had seen and the list did not match.

A misdirection?

As he pondered, Lu Miao suddenly said, "You want to find this human named Mu Rao to ask a few things, right?"

Yan Jing blinked. "I do have some questions."

"Alright." Lu Miao nodded.

A moment later.

The group stood outside Yu Xiran's room. Lu Miao knocked on the door.

Soon, the door opened from the inside.

The girl inside had waist-length hair and exuded a unique charm. It was none other than Yu Xiran.

Only now, half of her body was coated in a special pink ointment, and she wore a veil over her face. Faint black scars could be seen beneath the fabric.

In this bombing, aside from Yu Mu, Yu Wen, and Yu Mo, she had suffered the heaviest injuries.

"Hello, Officer Lu. Is something the matter?"

This was Yan Jing's first time hearing Yu Xiran speak. Her voice was very gentle. Much like her appearance, it made it difficult for anyone to refuse her.

"I want to find your previous human bodyguard to ask a few questions," Lu Miao said.

"He is not my bodyguard," Yu Xiran said, shaking her head. "I don't need a bodyguard. I forgot to inform the Tower earlier, so I gave him to my friend."

As she spoke, a faint trace of sorrow appeared in her eyes.

"Officer Lu, are there still unclear details in the investigation of the bombing? I am truly sorry about what happened, and I hope you will forgive us.

"Brother Yu Mo and Aunt Yu Mu have already received their corresponding punishments. I only ask that you be magnanimous. We have already said everything we know."

Lu Miao's expression did not change. "This is unrelated to the bombing. Apologies for the intrusion."

With that, she led Yan Jing toward the other end of the corridor. The room of the short-haired girl, Yu Ling, was right there.

On the way, Lu Miao said slowly, "If it didn't involve Yu Xiran, whatever you want to ask would probably be very easy to find out.

"This girl is not easy to touch. Even though Dandelion Manor made such a massive mistake this time, it still wasn't enough for Sun-Swallowing Tower to cancel the banquet.

"To outsiders, it looks like it's because Sleepland was also involved. But in truth, the real reason is that this banquet is extremely important.

"It is so important that even if problems happen to everyone else, as long as these two children from both sides are present, the banquet will proceed.

"This represents the future fate of Old Sin City."

This was Yan Jing's first time hearing Lu Miao speak so much, let alone to him, a human player.

He looked at the woman's back, unable to figure out the purpose behind her words.

Perhaps only An Ze knew.

Soon, the group arrived at Yu Ling's door.

As before, Lu Miao knocked.

However, the person who opened the door was not Yu Ling.

Mu Rao stood behind the door wearing a loose white bathrobe, steam rising from his muscular body. He smiled. "Hello. Can I help you? Miss Yu is currently taking a bath."

Suddenly, he noticed Yan Jing standing behind Lu Miao. His smile widened. "Or rather, do you have some business with me?"

Yan Jing nodded. "Yes, I have business with you."

Lu Miao stepped aside for Yan Jing, allowing the two to speak directly.

"What do you want?"

Mu Rao chuckled. "You have pretty good luck. I've been in a good mood lately, so I didn't go looking for trouble with you. But to think you'd come knocking on my door yourself..."

"I saw your two teammates being hunted by Mo Nagu. Did the Tower not invite you to be a hunter?" Yan Jing asked.

"They didn't." Mu Rao shook his head with a smile. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "Hunted? Xiao Ai and Meng'er?!"

"Yeah," Yan Jing said with a smile.

As he spoke, he stared intently at Mu Rao's expression.

If Mu Rao chose to go save them, it meant he would have no choice but to forcefully join this Hunting Game.

And if Mu Rao chose not to save them, then things would be even more interesting.

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Mu Rao's expression shifted, but his smiling facade quickly returned.

"How do I know if what you're saying is true?"

He looked at Yan Jing with a smile.

"You've already worked this out with Mo Nagu, haven't you? You're just waiting for me to walk out that door."

"If you think you can use Xiao Ai and her friend as bait, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I'm not as close to them as you assume, and they aren't nearly as important."

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Leave. Your cousin Yan Yun did ask me to teach you a lesson so you'd realize just how weak you are and hurry back to the main family. But you're in luck. I'm genuinely busy right now, so I don't have time for this."

Yan Jing smiled.

"By 'genuinely busy,' do you mean sleeping with Miss Yu Ling?"

"I do. Care to join?" Mu Rao said with a smile. "Miss Yu Ling possesses a unique set of skills when it comes to reproduction. I could have her do you the same favor."

Just then, Yu Ling emerged from the bathroom behind the door.

She wore nothing but a bath towel, but surprisingly, a veil covered her face.

"A'Rao, did something happen?"

Yu Ling stepped forward and naturally wrapped her arms around Mu Rao's.

She gazed up at him, her eyes brimming with a clinging affection. A moment later, the two began kissing right in front of Yan Jing and the others, entirely unbothered by their audience.

When their lips finally parted, Mu Rao looked at Yan Jing with an upturned smirk.

"Well? Care to join?"

Still clinging to Mu Rao, Yu Ling turned to glare at Yan Jing. Vigilance flickered in her eyes as she stepped forward, shielding Mu Rao behind her.

If Yan Jing chose to strike now, he would inevitably touch Yu Ling and suffer a drop in his Mental Immunity Value.

On the other hand, if he consumed a Mental Immunity Potion, there was no guarantee he could finish the fight within its fifteen-minute window—and doing so would undoubtedly draw out Dandelion Manor.

Yan Jing stared at the couple.

If he didn't know Yu Ling might be a resident of the desire pathway, it would simply look like Mu Rao had seduced the short-haired girl through his Day Selection Ritual.

But knowing she might be a resident of the desire pathway changed everything.

It was hard to say who was the hunter and who was the prey.

"You really are something," Yan Jing said with a laugh.

His original plan had been simple: if Mu Rao left to save them, Yan Jing would find an opportunity to 'consult' him on a few matters. If Mu Rao abandoned them, it would prove he had already fallen under the influence of desire.

But faced with Yan Jing's verbal trap, Mu Rao had found a perfectly reasonable excuse to stay, delivering it without a single flaw.

While Yan Jing leaned toward the belief that Mu Rao was already being subtly manipulated by desire, looking at the current situation, he couldn't be absolutely certain.

Calm, resourceful, adaptable, and ruthless enough to abandon dead-weight comrades—he truly lived up to his reputation as the leading figure of the Mu Family's new generation.

During this Dungeon run, both Mu Rao and Chen Dalang had showcased the deep foundations and methods of their respective clans. It let Yan Jing see the massive gap between them and an unpolished 'genius' like Lin Mian.

Because of this, Yan Jing decided to raise the stakes in Mu Rao's Dungeon.

Just as Mu Rao and Yu Ling were about to shut the door, Yan Jing threw out one final question.

"I heard your previous Dungeons were all located in a different desire Domain. Why come to the Sun-Swallowing Tower this time?"

"No comment," Mu Rao replied with a smile, giving Yan Jing no opportunity to press the issue further.

The door promptly clicked shut.

"You didn't seem to get the answers you wanted," Lu Miao noted.

"No, that was plenty," Yan Jing said with a faint smile.

Making sure Yu Ling heard those last words was enough.

Shortly after, Lu Miao and Yan Jing prepared to go their separate ways.

"Goodbye, Officer Lu. Thank you for looking out for me," Yan Jing said.

"I wouldn't call it looking out for you."

Lu Miao turned and walked back toward her room. With her back to Yan Jing, she spoke slowly.

"I heard you say earlier that you can choose your own Domains."

"Don't choose Old Sin City next time."

With that, she closed her door.

Out in the hall, An Ze stared at the closed door. Suddenly, he reached out and tugged on Yan Jing's sleeve, gesturing for him to step aside for a chat.

"What is it, Mr. An Ze?" Yan Jing asked, looking at the suddenly secretive man.

"Did you know the boss has taken a liking to you?" An Ze whispered.

"Hm?" Yan Jing blinked in confusion.

"The boss rarely talks, but on the way to find that guy just now, she said a lot to you. Did you notice?"

Yan Jing nodded. "Yeah. It's the first time I've heard Officer Lu speak that much."

An Ze pursed his lips and patted Yan Jing on the arm.

"Knowing her as I do, there's only one reason she'd say that much to you."

"She thinks this is the last time she'll ever see you."

After speaking, An Ze sighed.

"Sir—I'll just call you that. Even though I don't hear much inside information, I've followed the boss for a long time. From her passing remarks alone, I can tell that Old Sin City is about to undergo a massive upheaval."

"When that time comes, the several Domains of Old Sin City might all face shifts. The great historical migration might even repeat itself."

"Forget about you humans—even we might not be able to save ourselves."

"The boss spoke to you so much because it's highly likely she feels she won't be able to see you again. She was treating it as your final conversation."

"..."

"Sir," An Ze said, looking at Yan Jing. "Among the Inner World Residents, I belong to the group that doesn't hate humans. And among the humans I've met, you're the type I feel rather favorably toward."

"But humans are humans. After you leave the Inner World this time, it'll likely be very hard for us to meet again."

"I wish you all the best, sir."

With a wave of his hand, An Ze turned and walked away.

As he watched An Ze's retreating back, a strange feeling welled up in Yan Jing's heart.

He had always felt that whether he was the Cameraman or his original self, he was ultimately still just himself.

He could leave the Dungeon today, drop back in at any time tomorrow, and meet up with this group of friends.

But perhaps from the perspective of Lu Miao and An Ze, it was completely different.

In their eyes, he was just a human player; the day would inevitably come when he left the Dungeon.

Perhaps it was just as An Ze said: Old Sin City was about to undergo an upheaval, and everything would change. After he left the Dungeon here, he would go to the next Dungeon, while Lu Miao and the others would embark on a new journey alongside Old Sin City.

After that, they would never see each other again.

"May everything go well."

"For us all."

He spoke the words softly, then turned and headed for the stairs.

Right at that moment, he happened to cross paths with Mo Nagu, Mu Wan, and their group coming from the opposite direction.

Were they here to hunt him?

He narrowed his eyes as the Weird Energy around him slowly mobilized.

At the same time, dark light bloomed around Mo Nagu. He watched Yan Jing vigilantly, the phantom of a savage beast's head flickering in and out of existence behind him.

He appeared to have taken some injuries; his arms were covered in blade marks, slowly oozing blood outward like fish scales.

Mu Wan's expression shifted. She grabbed Mo Nagu and hastily called out to Yan Jing.

"We don't want any trouble! We aren't here to hunt you!"

With that, the group gave Yan Jing a wide berth, looping around him as they walked to the other end of the corridor.

As they walked, they kept glancing sideways to ensure Yan Jing wasn't chasing after them.

Only when Yan Jing finally disappeared into the stairwell did Mu Wan breathe a sigh of relief.

Beside her, Mo Nagu finally let out the breath he had been holding, his tightly wound body suddenly relaxing.

Instantly, the cuts along his arms ripped open one by one like bursting scales. The slow ooze of blood turned into an outward gush.

Mu Wan sighed. "We shouldn't have provoked Fan Jue. Having us beside you only dragged you down."

"I wouldn't call it being dragged down. Fighting is the only thing I know how to do; if I can't even do that right, then I've failed in my duties," Mo Nagu said.

"Fortunately, that guy didn't have any murderous intent just now."

The tension in Mu Wan's voice was palpable. "Otherwise, we probably would have been left dead right there."

"After Stage A, I tried looking into his identity. Thinking about it now still surprises me."

Recalling the utterly miserable corpses they had just seen in the stairwell, a chill crept into Mu Wan's heart.

"Fortunately, he didn't have any murderous intent just now," she repeated, then let out a soft sigh.

"One thing is foreseeable: he is going to rise to prominence in Ling'an."

The abandoned son of the Ling'an City Yan Family. After this battle, he would bear a fearsome reputation.

In the silent stairwell, Yan Jing headed down alone, pools of dark blood staining the floor around his feet.

The corpse that had laid here was now chewed beyond recognition, leaving behind only a scattered pile of white bones.

This was the Domain of Gluttony.

There would always be lowly "vultures" unable to resist a delicious human, even a corpse.

Because of the strength Yan Jing had displayed earlier, those "vultures" had hovered and watched for a long time before finally snatching away the rotting flesh.

"Come out."

Yan Jing suddenly paused, turning toward a shadow at the corner of the stairs with a smile.

As he spoke, the shadow trembled like a black cloth. A slender hand reached out from within, lifting a corner of the darkness.

The heavy shadows seemed to fade significantly in an instant. A slim woman stood in the darkness, looking at Yan Jing with a complicated expression.

"Thanks for stepping in on the stairs earlier."

Yan Jing kept his smile.

He was referring to when he was sitting on the steps, and the Eye Blades unleashed by that Inner World member of the Order Pathway had plunged into the shadows, completely blocked by the woman before him.

"You did that on purpose."

A trace of resentment flashed in the woman's eyes.

At the time, she had thought this man was scared witless by the four-person pincer attack, which was why she struck from the shadows to help him block those Eye Blades.

Because of that, her Shadow Screen had been slashed open in several places.

But Yan Jing's subsequent one-on-four battle made her realize she had been completely wrong.

This guy had clearly feigned weakness just to force her out.

Evidently, the woman in front of him was the person Shen Youran had arranged to secretly help him.

"I wouldn't call it intentional."

Yan Jing blinked. "But I figured the task was almost over, and you needed to be of at least some use so you could report back to Shen Youran."

His lips curled into a faint smile.

"She told me that you had a difficult personality, but your strength was quite good."

"So I wanted to see if she was telling the truth."

"Looking at it now, your strength might be a bit inflated."

He pointed at the tears left by the Eye Blades on the black cloth.

Hearing this, the woman's face fell, making her displeasure obvious.

"If you look down on me, why did you agree to let me come?"

She still remembered what Shen Youran had said when calling her.

That phrase, "he agreed," had stuck in her craw ever since.

Entering the Dungeon this time, she had fully intended to see exactly how powerful this man was to dare look down on her.

Only to find out...

He really was quite powerful.

Yan Jing smiled faintly.

"For the sake of her sleep."

"If I hadn't agreed to let you come, she probably wouldn't have had any peace of mind."

"Also, please do me a favor and brag about me to Teacher Shen when you get back, so we won't have to trouble you to come again in the future."

He agreed to let me come just so that Shen woman could get a good night's sleep?!

Hearing Yan Jing's words, the woman felt deeply insulted.

Yet, she also knew she genuinely hadn't been of much help in this Dungeon.

The man before her had performed flawlessly in both the task and his display of strength.

Before she could come up with a strong retort, Yan Jing added:

"Of course, if you really want to run Dungeons with me, please work harder."

"Your current strength is still a bit lacking."

With that said, Yan Jing politely thanked her again for her earlier assistance, then turned and walked away.

He left the woman standing there blankly. When she finally snapped back to her senses, she was both angry and annoyed.

"Who wants to run Dungeons with you?! You jerk!"

For a moment, she felt the urge to teach Yan Jing a lesson, but recalling the fate of the group that had just tried to cross him, she fell silent again.

Forget it, she would endure it.

After descending the stairs, Yan Jing walked toward the lobby.

By now, the Inner World Residents in the lobby had long since scattered, leaving only two solitary figures squatting on the floor.

"Ah—ah—ah—"

Rose babbled at One-Eye beside her.

One-Eye sighed.

"Now you're blaming me? Weren't you mesmerized too? You didn't see where the boss went either."

"Ah—ah—ah—"

Rose gestured wildly.

"Yes, yes, yes, you're the patient,"

One-Eye said slowly. Suddenly thinking of something, he let a slightly smug smile appear on his lips.

"But I'm just a kid."

"I'm not necessarily a step below you."

Rose's expression froze. She clearly hadn't expected One-Eye to find such a novel angle for debate.

And so, the two of them immediately began a new round of aba-aba arguing.

Yan Jing watched their childish behavior and gave a helpless smile.

Just as he was about to find a place to switch back to his original body, a familiar wisp of Weird Energy suddenly drifted over from a distance and spiraled around his fingertip.

The Weird Energy circled his finger, seemingly trying to convey a plea for help.

Yan Jing looked at the Weird Energy and recalled the dense, scale-like wounds covering Mo Nagu's arms earlier. He sighed.

"Wei Zhou, you didn't take my things last time, so I'll consider helping you out this time as compensation."

A moment later, in the stairwell, the woman was hiding in the shadows, pondering how she should phrase things to Shen Youran once she got out. Suddenly, a hand peeled back the darkness veiling her.

Her pupils shrank. A Folding Fan instantly materialized in her palm as she prepared to face the enemy, but when she looked up, she found Yan Jing wearing his mask.

He was currently carrying an unconscious figure over his shoulder.

Upon seeing the figure's face clearly, the woman's eyes widened.

Fan Jue.

How did he end up like this...

At this moment, Fan Jue was covered in blood with his eyes shut tight. A small section of his chest had caved in, and with every breath he took, it rattled like a broken bellows.

"You brought healing items, right?"

Yan Jing looked at the woman. "It's impossible for you to be entirely useless, right?"

Despite his words, his eyes were brimming with suspicion.

The woman was completely frantic on the inside.

Then, right after she took out her healing items and took Fan Jue off his hands, Yan Jing simply left.

Before leaving, he nodded and left one last remark:

"I take back my previous assessment of you."

"If you can bring seven slots of items with you every time you enter, you're actually quite useful."

The woman stood stunned for a long time before she realized what he meant.

He was treating her like an Inventory?!

For a moment, she grew even more frantic. In the end, she could only vent her anger on Fan Jue in her arms, viciously pinching his arm a few times.

Yan Jing switched his identity and returned to the lobby. Looking at the two still bickering, he shook his head helplessly and called out:

"Time to go home and eat!!!"

Hearing his voice, the two turned their heads in unison. Upon seeing him, they immediately ran over.

"Ah—ah—ah—"

Rose tearfully complained to Yan Jing about losing her argument with One-Eye.

"Heh heh, the boss can't even understand what you're saying."

One-Eye deployed his ultimate move—refusing to translate.

"Ah, ah—ah— (You're despicable!)"

"Hehe, you got that right."

"Wuu wuu wuu—"

Rose's tears streamed down. She made up her mind; she was going to eat one less bowl of rice tonight.

To show her intense protest against One-Eye!!

Early the next morning, Yan Jing, having switched back to his original body, received a notification from the Inner World System.

[Dungeon Sun-Swallowing Tower Stage B Completed]

[Dungeon Evaluating...]

[Task 'Building That Could Explode at Any Time' evaluated. Based on the Player's degree of injury and their role in the event, the task rating is: S (Maximum rating is S)]

[Task 'Become a Qualified Bodyguard, Waiter!' evaluated. The employer protected by the Player suffered 0 injuries. The task rating is: S (Maximum rating is S)]

[Task 'Hunting Game' is not included in the final evaluation]

[Overall Dungeon Rating: S]

[Calculating Rewards...]

[Base Rewards: 5% Experience, 20,000 Eerie Coins]

[S-Rating Extra Rewards: 20% Experience, 20,000 Eerie Coins, Mental Immunity Potion (Bound Item) x1, Dungeon Postponement Voucher x1, Ritual Blessing Coupon (Bound Item) x1, Inner World Gold Box]

[Task 'Hunting Game' Extra Reward: Your performance has been recognized by the VIPs in the Tower. They have already left your extra reward at the front desk.]

Yan Jing checked his status window:

[Player Name: Yan Jing]

[Player Title: None]

[Player Level: First Tier, Experience (78%/100%)]

[Ritual: Fear Sapling (Purple)]

[Mental Immunity Value: 100]

[Eerie Coins: 326,466]

Yan Jing nodded.

Soon. He wasn't far from the Second Tier now.

Looking at his status window, Yan Jing was highly satisfied with his harvest from this Dungeon.

Not only had he gained over a million surface coins, he had also pushed his experience close to the Second Tier.

The rewards from this run also made it clear that after the Novice Dungeon, base payouts for subsequent Dungeons were extremely low.

Combined, the base rewards for Stage A and Stage B had provided only 8% experience.

This meant that without bonus rewards, relying solely on base payouts to reach the Second Tier would require a full thirteen Dungeons.

Assuming one run every month or two, that would take around two years.

That didn't even account for using a Dungeon Postponement Voucher to delay entry, or the reward penalties for failing tasks.

No wonder many Players remained stuck at the First Tier their entire lives.

After all, the difficulty of each Dungeon escalated compared to the last, and using a Dungeon Extension Scroll ramped up the danger even further. If a Player's personal strength failed to keep pace with the rising difficulty, their only choice was to endlessly burn extension scrolls to buy time, forever losing the chance to enter Dungeons.

However, at Yan Jing's current pace of progression, if he performed exceptionally well in Stage A of his next Dungeon, he should be able to step into the Second Tier right after Stage A of his third Dungeon.

Such a rapid increase in strength would be considered a miracle anywhere.

Next, Yan Jing looked at his Inventory. Aside from the newly obtained rewards, it currently held:

[Mysterious Skull, Mental Immunity Potion (Bound Item) 2, leftover sleeping powder, High-Nutrition Bread, Order Promissory Note, Item Quality Appraisal Ticket 1, Inner World Box Key *1 (Bound Item)]

The Mental Immunity Potions stacked in a single slot, so space wasn't a concern there.

The remaining Dungeon Postponement Voucher and Ritual Blessing Coupon were useless if left in the Inner World; he had to bring them out.

Yan Jing took out the sleeping powder and An Ranran's bread, swapping them with the Dungeon Postponement Voucher and the blessing coupon.

But there was still an Inner World Gold Box...

Yan Jing tried to open it with the key, but a prompt informed him it could only be unlocked after entering the Surface World.

Left with no choice, he took out the Item Quality Appraisal Ticket.

Even so, his Inventory was completely full.

And he still had an extra task reward waiting for him at the front desk.

He would just have to pick it up before making a decision.

If the bonus reward turned out to be more useful in the Surface World, he would take out the Order Promissory Note instead.

Unless he planned to use it for the Second Ritual's Calming Rite, the note was only useful in the Inner World. He could simply carry it on his person using his Cameraman identity the next time he entered a Dungeon.

Provided his next Dungeon was still in Old Sin City.

Then there was the book "History of Old Sin City". For the exact same reason, Yan Jing decided to leave it in the Inner World.

As he pondered, another prompt popped up before his eyes:

[Now issuing the Stage A task for the next Dungeon]

[Task Location: Bianliu County]

[Task 1: Be a Good Shop Assistant]

[Task Description:

Bianliu County is a remote corner within the vast Domain of Minhu. Its local factions are a complex, chaotic mix, and the region is in a perpetual state of disorder.

However, no matter what kind of trouble brews, there is a rule among the factions: in every trade, certain shop assistants serve as the pillars of their business, and these people are not to be killed indiscriminately.

Apothecaries, pawnshops, money houses, restaurants, and more. Please successfully secure a position as an assistant in one of these trades and earn the approval of the shopkeeper.]

[Task 2: Helping Others is a Shop Assistant's True Nature]

[Task Description:

Bianliu County is home to many Cultivators of different trades. However, the advancement conditions for each type of Cultivator are rather unusual. As a good resident of Bianliu County, helping others is only right.

Please select an individual who has not yet begun entering the ranks, and help them do so.]

[Note: For various reasons, the Inner World Residents in Minhu are generally prone to neurosis and speak bluntly. Please exercise caution.]

[The next Dungeon will officially begin in one month.]

[Countdown to exiting the Dungeon: 00:20:00]

Staring at his next Dungeon assignment, Yan Jing paused in surprise. He hadn't expected it to be outside Old Sin City.

This was an incredibly low-probability event. After all, Old Sin City hadn't started its migration yet. According to the principle of corresponding Domains, as long as he was in Ling'an, there should have been a high chance of him being locked to Old Sin City.

Still, it didn't really matter.

At worst, he could just spend a Dungeon Selection Voucher and change the location back.

"Better not waste this Item Quality Appraisal Ticket, either."

He pulled out the ticket.

An appraisal ticket cost around 500,000 surface coins. It wasn't too expensive, and he could always buy another one later.

However, system windows were only visible when in the state of a Player. Thus, his best option was to use it right now before leaving the Dungeon.

With a thought, he summoned the white Dice on the back of his hand.

He then crushed the appraisal ticket in his left hand.

A cluster of white light clung to his palm.

As the white light touched the white Dice...

...an item description materialized.

[Item Name: White Stone Cage]

[Quality: White]

[Tier Requirement: None]

[Effect: Can affix external powers to one of its faces, combining the Power of the White Stone with Weird Energy to provide corresponding buffs.]

[Description: As a rare material from the Inner World, White Stone contains a power diametrically opposed to Weird Energy, making it exceptionally valuable. A chunk of White Stone this large would trigger a frantic scramble in any Domain. Yet, its esteemed owner—who delighted in leisurely travel—paid it no mind and merely used it as a birdcage. Later, when the bird flew away, this cage was left idle.]

A birdcage?

Reading this description, doubt rippled through Yan Jing's mind.

This Dice belonged to Mr. San.

To think its true purpose was actually a birdcage.

Although the power within the Dice could freely transform—making it perfectly functional as a cage—the description claimed White Stone was extraordinarily valuable. What kind of bird would warrant being kept inside such a thing?

Unable to figure it out, Yan Jing dropped the matter entirely and walked out the door.

He arrived at the Tower's front desk and collected the extra reward.

It was a mask printed with a massive, jagged-toothed maw. The blood-red gums were so vivid and bright that it looked strikingly lifelike.

[Item Name: Gluttony Mask]

[Quality: Yellow-Purple]

[Tier Requirement: First Tier]

[Effect: The wearer's mouth will temporarily fuse with the mouth on the mask, greatly increasing appetite and granting the ability to devour some Weird Energy. However, donning the mask incurs the side effect of gluttony, and wearing it for prolonged periods will render it impossible to remove.]

[Description: An invention by Mr. Giant Mouth of the Sun-Swallowing Tower. In order to eat a bit more, Mr. Giant Mouth came up with a way to give himself a second mouth. However, once his own mouth grew noticeably larger than the one on the mask, he discarded the invention. If you walk the Pathway of Gluttony, this item is an excellent choice.]

Useless.

Yan Jing quickly concluded. Still, it could be sold for money.

The funds would allow him to soak in the Body-Forging Water a few more times and mix several doses of Weird Energy control potions.

Thus, he swapped out the Order Note and stowed the Gluttony Mask.

With everything settled, he headed to the seventh floor of the lobby.

The VIP breakfast dining floor.

If he remembered correctly, there was someone who liked to drink a cup of coffee here every morning.

He quickly spotted the figure.

It wasn't difficult, as no one else sat near her.

"Good morning, Officer Lu."

He walked over. Hearing his voice, Lu Miao looked up, momentarily stunned.

She then lowered her head again and continued sipping her coffee.

Her voice was as cold as ever.

"Good morning."

"Why haven't you left yet?"

"I'm about to."

Yan Jing smiled. "I believe I still owe you a goodbye from last time."

Lu Miao's hand paused over her coffee cup. She didn't look up.

"Mm. Go on."

"Then, goodbye, Officer Lu."

With a smile, Yan Jing's figure dissolved into specks of starlight and faded away.

Only then did Lu Miao lift her head. She stared at the spot where the starlight had vanished, her gaze lingering for a long time.

Finally, she spoke softly.

"Goodbye."

Yan Jing opened his eyes. He was already in the Surface World.

Before he could fully gather his senses, urgent knocking came from the door.

"Xiao Yanzi! Xiao Yanzi, is that you? Are you back?!"

Yan Jing walked over and opened the door. Outside stood Shen Youran, her face flushed with excitement.

"Nice! Nice! Nice!!!"

When she saw Yan Jing, Shen Youran pumped her fists. Her excitement was entirely genuine, without a hint of acting.

"Are you really that happy?"

Yan Jing watched Shen Youran spin in circles around him, amused.

"How did you time it so perfectly?"

"I've been waiting at your door for two or three hours!"

Shen Youran lifted her chin smugly, her fox-like eyes crinkling into two thin crescents as she smiled.

"The moment I detected Weird Energy, I knew you were back!"

"Impressive."

Yan Jing gave her a thumbs-up and walked toward the living room. "Want some tea?"

He shouldn't have asked. The question immediately reminded Shen Youran of something, and she bared her teeth like an angry little beast.

"Xiao Yanzi, I can't believe you drugged me!!!"

"You weren't sleeping enough."

Yan Jing filled the kettle, pressed the switch, and turned around. He grabbed Shen Youran by the shoulders, leaned in close to inspect her face, and nodded.

"Yeah, a lot less bloodshot this time."

He turned back to look for the tea leaves, completely missing the faint blush creeping onto Shen Youran's face.

"Did you go to the Inner World just to pick up girls?!"

"Where did you even learn this?"

"Pick up girls?" Yan Jing paused.

"That wasn't my main business."

"Then what was your main business?"

Shen Youran crossed her arms.

Yan Jing thought it over.

"My main business was probably being a bodyguard."

"After that, playing detective."

"And then, prey and hunter."

This only confused Shen Youran more. "What are you even talking about?"

Yan Jing gave her a rough summary of everything that had happened.

By the time he finished, she was completely stunned.

"Chen Dalang is in a deep coma?!"

"Four Inner World Pathway players hunted you down?!"

"Mo Nagu is severely injured? Fan Jue is near death?!"

She swallowed hard. It wasn't that she hadn't experienced brutal Dungeons before, but she had never even heard of one this catastrophic.

And Yan Jing said this was only because the bombing incident had been resolved halfway through. Otherwise, it might have been even harder...

"What about Mu Rao?" she asked.

"I'm not too sure about him."

Yan Jing stood up to pour the tea.

Steam billowed as the water filled the cups, releasing a soothing aroma.

"When I saw him, he was busy sleeping with an Inner World resident."

Yan Jing said.

Shen Youran nodded in deep agreement.

"The Mu Family poured a lot of resources into him, after all. He was bound to have some tricks up his sleeve."

The two drank their tea.

Suddenly, Shen Youran's phone rang.

She picked it up to check. Her hand trembled, nearly dropping her teacup.

"X-Xiao Yanzi..."

Unable to hide her shock, Shen Youran turned the phone around and held it out for Yan Jing to see.

A single sentence was displayed on the screen:

Mu Rao of the Mu Family did not exit the Inner World Dungeon.

When the time was up, any player still alive would be ejected from an Inner World Dungeon.

The meaning behind that sentence was self-evident.

"Yeah."

Yan Jing nodded calmly.

Just as he expected. That woman wouldn't let anyone who caught her interest go.

In the end, Mu Rao couldn't withstand the stakes he had added to the pot.

"Teacher Shen, help me boil a vat of Body-Forging Water."

Yan Jing took out the Gluttony Mask and placed it in front of Shen Youran.

"I need to go into seclusion for a few days to sort out my thoughts."

Soon, the Body-Forging Water was ready.

Inside a massive boiler twice the height of a person, dark green liquid bubbled and boiled. Various strange medicinal herbs floated on the surface.

Yan Jing submerged himself in it. Feeling the scalding medicinal liquid continuously stimulating his body, he closed his eyes and began to think.

Mu Rao was dead.

The identity of the killer was already obvious.

Now it came back to the same question: was the person on the desire Pathway Yu Ling, or Yu Xiran?

The suspect pool was extremely small.

Tomorrow's banquet was the day of the marriage alliance between the two families. When that time came, he could take one look at them in his identity as the Cameraman, and there was a high chance he would recognize her.

Even if the Cameraman's memory of that woman had been deleted, a phantom image should still appear, just like it did at the Amusement Park last time.

But what would he do after that?

He still didn't fully know what the Cameraman's dying wish was.

After pondering for a long time, his tangled thoughts gradually cleared.

Many things—just like this bombing incident—could only be handled one step at a time. Before entering the Inner World again, he had to seize every available moment to rest.

On the living room sofa, Shen Youran watched Yan Jing's furrowed brows slowly relax, and she breathed a sigh of relief as well.

For some reason, she always felt that Yan Jing carried far more burdens than he let on.

The guy was like a nuclear-powered workhorse that didn't know how to rest. He would return from the Inner World just to cultivate and go into seclusion. The moment his seclusion ended, he would enter a Dungeon, and then it was back to cultivation again...

Sometimes she worried deeply, fearing that if he kept this up, he would eventually break down.

That was why she had been nursing a certain idea in her mind, though she hadn't discussed it with Yan Jing yet.

She needed to build a Fortress for him.

Not a Fortress in the physical sense, but an organizational one—a faction with a perfect, smoothly operating system that would free Yan Jing from any rear-guard worries, allowing him to focus entirely on the Dungeons.

Everything within it would center around Yan Jing and serve him. Only then would he avoid losing at the starting line.

Otherwise, while the geniuses of other major powers spent their days solely focused on cultivation, Yan Jing would have to exhaust himself dealing with the Surface World's trash. There was simply no fairness between the two.

She couldn't let Yan Jing waste a shred of mental energy on this; she had decided to take full charge. And to accomplish this in Ling'an, the very first requirement was sufficient secrecy.

The rural location she had currently chosen was hidden enough geographically.

But in terms of comprehensive concealment, it was far from enough.

She knew of an item with supreme concealment properties. It was currently in the hands of someone in a Central Municipality far from Ling'an, and it was capable of shielding an entire area from a Third Tier's search.

Here in Ling'an, the Third Tier was the absolute ceiling. As long as they didn't attract a Third Tier's attention, they would gain plenty of time to develop.

Small places had their advantages.

However, she didn't quite have enough money on hand.

Even factoring in Shen Youran's reputation, it still fell short.

Thinking of this, she gripped her phone, her eyes flickering.

She made her decision.

If worse came to worst, she would just call the person holding the item and plead with them.

She would see if they could lower the price. She still had two death contracts on hand; she could throw those into the deal as well.

Half an hour later.

Having finished his bath, Yan Jing changed into clean clothes, walked into the living room, and looked at Shen Youran.

"What's wrong, Teacher Shen? Why do you look so haggard?"

Hearing this, Shen Youran reached up and rubbed her face. Ultimately, she decided to tell Yan Jing her plan.

"I just need a bit of money. I know we're broke right now, but I still have two death contracts on hand..."

Looking at Yan Jing's calm expression, Shen Youran pursed her lips, carefully weighing her next words. "Or there's no rush. We can wait until we have the money—"

"How much are you short?"

Yan Jing asked.

Shen Youran froze.

"With the money on hand plus the mask, I estimate we're still short about 20 million surface coins..."

Yan Jing nodded. Before Shen Youran's trembling eyes, a Gold Box materialized in his hands.

"Then it's up to our luck, Teacher Shen."

"A box?! A Gold Box?!"

Shen Youran stared at the object in Yan Jing's arms. Her fox-like eyes trembled, and she could barely speak.

"Is... is that an Inner World Box?"

"Yeah, that's what it's called."

Yan Jing placed the box on the table, and a metal key materialized in his hand.

It was about the length of an index finger, shimmering with a faint glow and marked with a triangle at its base.

"These two things took up two slots in my Inventory."

But Shen Youran clearly wasn't listening anymore. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"You can only get an Inner World Box with a Grade A evaluation or higher!"

"Xiao Yanzi, did you get above Grade A this time?!"

Yan Jing nodded.

"I did."

Shen Youran took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but completely failed. Her voice trembled.

"The grade of an Inner World Box depends on how much you impact the course of the Inner World. Is this a Gold Box or a bronze one?"

In truth, the box's color was unmistakable. It gleamed like a pile of gold coins, illuminating the entire table. There was no way to misidentify it.

It was just too shocking, so much so that Shen Youran simply couldn't believe it.

She had originally just prayed for Yan Jing to return safely. Yet now he was telling her that not only had he returned, he had cleared the Dungeon, and not only had he cleared it, he had gotten a perfect score.

No, a perfect score didn't even begin to cover it.

A Gold Box meant that Yan Jing's actions this time had influenced the fate of at least two minor Domains.

For a Player to impact two Domains... at the very least, Shen Youran had never heard of a First Tier Player accomplishing such a thing.

"It should be gold."

Yan Jing spoke as he moved to insert the key into the box.

But Shen Youran immediately stopped him.

"Wait, hold on a second!"

"You can't just open it so casually!"

With that, she jogged all the way back to her place.

Soon, the area around the box was covered with various items: an incense burner, candles...

Finally, Shen Youran shoved the Peach Wood Charm she had obtained from a nearby temple into his hand.

"This, this! This is really effective!"

Yan Jing played along, gripping the Peach Wood Charm in his left hand, and smiled.

"Is it okay now?"

"Mhm."

Shen Youran nodded nervously.

Yan Jing then inserted the key into the lock.

A prompt from the Inner World System immediately popped up in front of him.

[You are opening an Inner World Box, Gold tier]

[This box contains three to five items of various categories. You will receive at least one purple item compatible with the box's owner]

[Good luck, Player]

Yan Jing gripped the key and gently turned it.

Click—

With a crisp clatter of tumblers, the lid of the box opened on its own.

Inside was a scene of chaos, shrouded in a cloud of gray mist that obscured the exact appearance of the items.

Only a faint light bloomed from within, projecting a single number: 4.

This meant there were four items in the box.

Yan Jing reached in and pulled out the first item.

It was a terrifying lump of meat covered in fleshy polyps.

[Item Name: Flesh Heart of a Certain Body Cultivator]

[Quality: Yellow]

[Tier Requirement: None]

[Effect: Can be consumed directly to touch the Inner World Pathway—"body cultivator"—or used as a material to enhance the physique after processing through special methods]

[Description: The body cultivators of Minhu often temper their physiques using weird energy. However, over time, they found that this method led to bodily mutations, making daily life extremely inconvenient. Eventually, they discovered a method to concentrate those mutated parts into a single location, known as the "Flesh Heart"]

"This should fetch a good price."

Yan Jing placed the fleshy lump in front of Shen Youran.

Yellow grade with no tier requirement. It was an absolutely stellar choice for a Day Selection Ritual.

"Around ten million surface coins."

Shen Youran happily offered her appraisal.

"Do you know the Minhu Domain?"

Yan Jing asked.

"I do. That Domain should correspond to the northern side of the Fifth Ring Domain, exactly opposite Ling'an."

Shen Youran said:

"Its biggest characteristic is that the Inner World residents there are very much like humans in terms of personality and habits. For example, they care about their appearance, value etiquette and morality, and follow rules."

Yan Jing nodded, then reached in again.

This time, it was a hand with ten fingers—a yellow-purple First Tier item.

Just like the last one, body parts from Inner World residents were essentially useless. They could only be used for Rituals.

Or sold for money.

"We have enough money!"

Although neither item was very practical, Shen Youran was still thrilled.

Half an hour ago, she had been worrying about money, and now the problem was instantly solved.

Yan Jing nodded and spoke to her.

"Teacher Shen, why don't you draw one?"

He felt like his luck was off, as if he were back to the time when he drew the lesser wandering ghost.

"Alright!"

Shen Youran excitedly ran off to wash her hands before slowly reaching into the box.

Very quickly, she pulled out an item.

Before it was even fully revealed, its purple light had already flooded the entire room.

The guaranteed drop?

Yan Jing looked at the system prompt.

[Item Name: Shattered Mirror of the Attenuator]

[Quality: Purple]

[Tier Requirement: First Tier]

[Effect: Once a week, you can specify the power of a certain Pathway. When the wearer faces that power, they gain a certain degree of effect reduction for 6 hours. After 6 hours, the wearer will suffer double the effect when facing that Pathway's power for the next 6 hours]

[Description: An item from a Pathway that has completely disappeared: "Nothingness." Because the apex entity of this Pathway walked into true nothingness, the Pathway itself vanished entirely, leaving only a few items behind. However, they have already been left thoroughly shattered by the river of time]

"Good stuff."

Yan Jing took the broken mirror from Shen Youran's hand and nodded.

"You never disappoint, Teacher Shen."

Shen Youran was still immersed in the joy of pulling a purple item. Hearing Yan Jing's praise, she grew even happier, blinking her fox-like eyes.

"I guess I'm just lucky today."

"However."

Her expression turned serious. "You have to do the last one yourself, Xiao Yanzi."

"This mirror probably isn't the item meant for you. There's definitely something else good in there!"

With that, she pressed the Peach Wood Charm deeper into his hand.

"With this Peach Wood Charm, you'll definitely get something good!!"

"Is that right?"

Yan Jing smiled helplessly.

He actually felt that this highly practical broken mirror was already the guaranteed drop.

But under Shen Youran's fierce insistence, he reached back into the box.

He pulled out an item.

In an instant.

Both of their gazes locked onto it.

[Item Name: Extremely Impure Source Liquid of Fear]

[Quality: Black-Purple]

[Tier Requirement: None, cannot be used in a Ritual]

[Effect: Can cause entities of the Fear Pathway to undergo a transformation in strength. However, due to its low purity, it may cause unimaginable mutations unless used as a medium for another system]

[Description: A product of the Source of Fear. Even after being polluted and diluted, it remains an extremely rare material. It is enough to drive entities of Fear mad, making them willing to bet their lives on it even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success]

It was a black liquid held in a small, transparent bottle.

The liquid was filled with tiny tentacles, each resembling a pitch-black bug. They curled and squirmed, making the fluid seem as though it was constantly shifting and shuddering, rippling with a gloomy light.

When Yan Jing's eyes landed on the liquid, it was as if some force had forcibly drawn him in. He simply couldn't look away.

Suddenly, obscure whispers echoed in his ears.

It sounded like a high-tier entity murmuring right beside his ear, speaking words he couldn't begin to understand. Even if he didn't want to listen, he was forced to. Gradually, the whispers grew louder and incredibly grating, like needles scraping across his scalp.

An intense, piercing pain spread from the top of his head down through his entire body. It wasn't until an icy sensation burst from his chest that the whispering was finally banished from his ears.

His gaze was finally able to shift away.

He looked at Shen Youran beside him. At that moment, her appearance had grown somewhat terrifying.

Her eyes were fixed dead on the liquid in his hand. Veins bulged from the corners of her eyes all the way to the base of her ears, and her eyeballs bulged as if they might burst at any second.

Yan Jing hurriedly moved the bottle out of sight.

Only then did Shen Youran snap out of it, collapsing back onto the sofa and gasping for air.

Even between pants, she didn't forget to offer reassurance.

"See, Xiao Yanzi? I told you there would be something good. A black-purple item! Even if you can't use it, selling it will get us a massive fortune."

"I know quite a few people. I guarantee this thing will fetch at least twenty million as a starting price."

To her surprise, Yan Jing slowly shook his head.

"No, Teacher Shen, I'm not planning on selling this just yet."

His face was calm, though he was desperately suppressing the phantom of the Fear Sapling within his body.

That tree had gone completely crazy. It continuously contorted its branches into various shapes to curry favor with him, even attempting to fully bloom behind him to reveal its peak form.

Faced with the bottle of liquid, it constantly transmitted a single thought to Yan Jing:

Longing.

“Not selling?”

Shen Youran was a bit surprised, but after Yan Jing promised he wouldn't sneak a bite himself, she nodded.

"As long as you know what you're doing, Xiao Yanzi."

"Then I'll go contact that person!!!"

Shen Youran ran out the door in excitement.

Now that enough money had been gathered, her plan could finally begin.

Once the Shielding Item arrived, this place would serve as the prototype for a safe house.

No mighty figures would pay attention to a forgotten corner of Ling'an like this, and the peak entities within the city wouldn't be able to detect this shielded space. It would become a true ghost zone.

From then on, Yan Jing could focus entirely on clearing Dungeons without worrying about being disturbed by trivial matters.

Once the Fortress was fully developed, everything else could be delegated to others.

Yan Jing's rating from this recent Dungeon only fueled Shen Youran's anticipation for their bright future.

...

After Shen Youran left, Yan Jing took out the bottle of Fear Original Fluid.

Without him needing to say a word, the sapling curled inside his body began performing a highly sycophantic dance.

This time, it conveyed much more than usual.

It insisted it could process the fluid without any accidents.

It also expressed absolute submission to Yan Jing.

...

This was the first time Yan Jing had sensed such strong subjective consciousness from the Fear Tree.

Ignoring its antics, Yan Jing closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and quietly felt the connection between them.

In a trance, he seemed to return to the space where he had initially chosen his Day Selection Ritual.

He was once again before that pitch-black great curtain, with the same cushion and incense burner.

The only difference was the shivering little sapling next to the incense burner.

Yan Jing pictured the bottle of Fear Original Fluid in his mind. Soon, a desire to devour it emanated from the great curtain.

Although those figures didn't surface on the great curtain again, the implication was clear: it wanted Yan Jing to offer the fluid as a Ritual.

Yan Jing opened his eyes and exited the space.

Naturally, he couldn't use the Fear Original Fluid as a Ritual.

But since the great curtain wanted the Fear Original Fluid as a Ritual, it meant the item was still under the great curtain's control.

Thus, he released the phantom image of the Fear Tree.

Instantly, the Fear Tree trembled with excitement. It had long since integrated with Yan Jing, and right now, he could clearly feel its internal thrill and gratitude.

After reaffirming its loyalty, it extended a withered branch and touched the fluid.

The fluid inside the bottle depleted at a visible rate.

Meanwhile, the Fear Sapling's excitement gradually subsided.

It seemed to be concentrating on digesting the liquid.

The entire process didn't take long—just a little over ten minutes.

Behind Yan Jing, a purple light bloomed once more. Accompanied by sharp screams, the Fear Tree stretched its body.

At first glance, it didn't look much different—only slightly taller, and its originally listless dark-red leaves seemed a bit more vigorous.

"It doesn't seem to have changed much. If I'd known, I would've sold it for money,"

Yan Jing remarked as he examined the Fear Tree.

Unexpectedly, this statement provoked the Fear Tree's dissatisfaction. It quivered continuously, urging Yan Jing to look closer.

Finally, under careful observation, he noticed a subtle change:

Beneath one of the Fear Tree's main branches, a vibrant new sprout had emerged.

Its leaves were fresh and tender, and it even bore a tiny flower bud.

But what shocked Yan Jing the most was the faint trace of black light blooming from that bud.

"Black..."

Yan Jing was genuinely startled this time.

Even a mere sliver meant the Fear Tree's quality had breached the bottleneck of the Day Selection Ritual, evolving past purple.

It had squeezed into the ranks of black-purple!

At the same time, the Fear Tree conveyed its grievances and dissatisfaction to Yan Jing:

In truth, its transformation was far greater than it appeared. Due to Yan Jing's own Tier being insufficient, it couldn't advance any further. The bottleneck of the Day Selection Ritual stood in its way, so even with its immense new strength, it couldn't fully display it.

It could only temporarily store part of that power away.

Yan Jing blinked.

So he was the one to blame?

He coughed lightly. Ignoring the Fear Tree's dissatisfaction, he mobilized his weird energy to sense its abilities.

First, the Fear Fruit's recovery capabilities had improved, and its resistance to external powers had increased from 20% to 40%. Additionally, the enhancements to strength, speed, and stamina had all been upgraded.

Next was the Fear Thorn. Although he didn't summon it directly, he could feel it had grown much tougher; it had likely undergone some sort of evolution as well.

Most importantly, the storage capacity for both abilities had increased from three to five uses.

It was a massive qualitative leap.

Dispersing the Fear Tree's phantom, Yan Jing gathered his thoughts.

Now that he had cleared the Dungeon, his next one wouldn't arrive for another month. Right now, the most crucial matters were the Cameraman's unfulfilled wish and Mantou's favorability.

With that in mind, he closed his eyes and started the Ghoulish Life Role-playing Game.

[Loading Character...]

[Have a pleasant journey]

...

...

Despite Yan Jing's tardiness that morning, Rose Bar opened as usual.

When the lunch break arrived, the bar was occupied by Yan Jing's group and a few regulars, just like any other day.

However, today seemed to have the most complete turnout.

Not only were the two regulars from Virtue Bridge present, but also Tiger, An Ze, and even...

Yan Jing carried a glass of wine to a seat in the very back.

"Your special Margarita, officer."

"Mhm."

Lu Miao didn't look up, continuing to read the book in her hands.

According to An Ze, Lu Miao had been like this since yesterday—the book simply never left her hands.

Setting the glass down, Yan Jing didn't return behind the bar. Instead, he sat at the large round table in the middle.

Today, apart from Lu Miao, all the customers were gathered at the round table, engaging in their respective amusements.

Old Master Liu and Chen Nian were currently competing in a headcount game.

The rules of the game were simple:

Sit at the table and count how many people were inside the bar across the street.

Neither could leave their seats, and One-Eye acted as the referee, heading over to verify the exact number.

Such a game shouldn't have taken long. The catch was that while Old Master Liu and Chen Nian only needed a few seconds to declare their numbers, it took One-Eye over half an hour to trudge across the street and finish counting.

Yan Jing shook his head. He had a feeling Chen Nian would lose again this time.

Chen Nian always held back a little.

Next to the two men, Mantou was playing rock-paper-scissors with Rose.

Since Rose temporarily couldn't speak, Mantou had to call it out for both of them:

"R—Rock... paper... sci—scissors... shoot..."

Although this was no different from a sprinter firing their own starting pistol, the two still had a blast.

Ever since Rose lost her voice, she seemed to have found a common wavelength with Mantou, and their relationship was growing closer by the day.

Sitting at the table, Yan Jing looked toward the man with a vacant stare and spoke up.

"Mr. Cheng, the banquet starts tomorrow. How is Elder Kindness doing?"

After spending some time together, Yan Jing had learned the names of the two regulars from Virtue Bridge: one was Cheng Xin, the other was Shan Shan.

"Still unconscious,"

Cheng Xin replied. "Elder Honesty will likely take charge of the banquet this time."

The kind-faced man, Shan Shan, nodded.

"Elder Honesty is already at the Second Tier. With him around, there shouldn't be any accidents."

"Hard to say."

Cheng Xin took a sip of his wine.

"Didn't you see what happened to Yu Mu, the manager of Dandelion Manor? She's at the Second Tier too, and look what state she's in now."

"They had to dispatch two more Second Tier experts overnight just for this banquet."

Shan Shan nodded in agreement.

"To be honest, Miss Yu is quite pitiful. I heard Sleepland is behind this incident. Yu Mo was hypnotized by someone from Sleepland, which is why all this happened."

"That's true."

Cheng Xin nodded. "Rumor has it that Meng Shuangsheng, the deputy chief of Sleepland, paid a massive price to finally settle the matter privately with the Sun-Swallowing Tower."

Finally arriving at the topic he was waiting for, Yan Jing chimed in.

"Hypnosis? Is there a way to resist methods that target the mind? It can't be impossible to counter, right?"

Regardless of who that person from the desire pathway was, he would have to face them eventually. Yan Jing wanted to ask while everyone was gathered, drawing on their collective wisdom to find a viable solution.

"My method is to set up a fixed defense mechanism,"

Cheng Xin explained. "Techniques that target the mind essentially drag you into an inescapable environment."

"At that point, you have to find an opportunity to break the illusion."

"For example, I ask myself a specific question twice every day: Would you lie for a certain person or a certain thing?"

"If my answer is yes, it means I've already fallen under their spell. Even if I don't notice the anomaly the first time, asking this daily ensures my subconscious eventually catches on and finds a chance to break out."

"There's no need for so much trouble."

At that moment, Old Master Liu, who was waiting for One-Eye to return, spoke up.

"It's actually very simple. Just take a two-step approach. Step one: absolute control over your body, including your brain."

"This way, when the opponent affects you, you'll immediately notice—as long as their Tier isn't vastly higher than yours."

"Then, before they can influence you, just blow their head off!"

Beside him, Chen Nian also seemed slightly interested in the topic. "I've encountered pathways targeting the neural network before."

"How did you defend against them?"

Cheng Xin asked.

"I shut down my neural network."

Chen Nian gave his answer.

???

This answer left everyone at the table utterly bewildered, but Chen Nian clearly had no intention of elaborating and simply went back to his drink.

"I don't have an answer to that."

An Ze took a large gulp of sparkling wine, then lowered his voice.

"But I know what the Boss would do."

"What would she do?"

Cheng Xin also lowered his voice.

"The Boss went on a mission to Sleepland before. The culprit tried to hypnotize her,"

An Ze explained. "And as a result, heh..."

"After the Boss was hypnotized, her body automatically determined that she was violating the Order she always followed, and she directly ripped that guy's head off."

Hearing this, the corner of Yan Jing's eye twitched imperceptibly.

Answering oneself honestly, controlling the brain, shutting down the neural network, automatic judgments...

Perhaps it was only in moments like this that he truly realized he was in the Inner World.

No, wait. Even the Inner World shouldn't be this outrageous, right...?

Right then, Tiger chimed in meekly from the side.

"Mr. Yi Ji, I... I think I know a way."

"Oh?"

Yan Jing looked at Tiger. "Please go ahead, Mr. Tiger."

Tiger spoke slowly.

"Zebra said that the former Mr. San once taught them: if someone tries to use mental techniques on you..."

"Just use an even stronger mental technique to crush theirs."

Use stronger mental methods to suppress mental methods.

Yan Jing looked thoughtful as he turned to Tiger.

"Could you explain that in more detail, Mr. Tiger?"

"I'm not exactly sure what it means myself." Tiger hesitated before continuing. "But Mr. San specifically emphasized that this method only works when you are consciously on guard. Once you are deeply affected and can't remember to stimulate yourself with strong mental methods, the method becomes useless."

Yan Jing's eyes flickered at those words.

Mr. San controlled the Fear Domain and was highly likely an entity of the Fear Pathway.

In that case, Mr. San's method should be the most suitable one for him...

Combined with the methods the others had mentioned earlier, he thought he knew what to do.

"Thank you, Mr. Tiger," he said.

Tiger waved his hands repeatedly.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's my honor to be able to help you, Mr. Yi Ji."

"Have Hippo and Mr. Zebra arrived?" Yan Jing asked.

Tiger nodded. "They got here this morning. They told me it was a good thing they didn't come earlier, or they might have been hit by the bombs."

Yan Jing nodded.

"A wise move."

Just then, Yan Jing saw Old Master Liu stand up, walk over to Tiger, and say something else.

Just like after their last meeting, Tiger nodded happily upon hearing it, his eyes shining.

"What exactly is that old man doing?" Yan Jing looked toward Chen Nian.

Chen Nian's gaze remained indifferent.

"Who knows."

"But I do know he's about to lose."

"Heh, impossible!" Old Master Liu had sharp ears. He smugly smoothed down his bodyguard uniform and spoke up.

As they spoke, One-Eye returned.

"How many people? Tell us, Xiao Yan," Old Master Liu urged.

He had bet on 347 people, while Chen Nian had bet on 209.

"209," One-Eye said, blinking.

"Impossible!"

Behind his sunglasses, Old Master Liu's eyes widened.

"Heh."

Chen Nian reached out and shook One-Eye's hand. "The discs and projector I promised you, I'll give them to you in a bit."

"You bribed the referee!" Old Master Liu gasped.

"The rules didn't say I couldn't." The corners of Chen Nian's mouth curled up beneath his mask.

"Isn't there an impartial judge around here to uphold justice?!" Old Master Liu cried out.

"Me." Yan Jing tapped the name tag on his chest. He had already been promoted to Grade D.

"OK, perfect timing!" Old Master Liu swung his right fist and patted Yan Jing on the shoulder. "Yi Ji, my boy, you count them. How many are there exactly?"

Yan Jing then looked carefully across the way.

He soon reached a conclusion.

"209."

"What?!"

Old Master Liu stared with wide eyes, and then watched as Yan Jing and Chen Nian also shook hands.

"You bribed the referee's referee?!" Old Master Liu was furious. "I am very disappointed in the competitive sports of your Domain!"

"Old Master Liu, has no one ever done this where you're from?" Yan Jing asked as he counted the two hundred Eerie Coins he had just received.

"At most, they take performance-enhancing drugs!"

"Tch—"

The crowd scattered—those who needed to work went off to work, and those who ran shops went to open them.

...

...

The next day.

Today, everyone in the Tower was given a day off, except for the staff hosting the banquet.

And the group from Rotten Vegetable Village, acting as special guests, were invited to prepare a dish for the main table.

Naturally, it was the Heavenly Fried Rice.

However, before the evening banquet began, they were free to do as they pleased.

Today, the main reception hall on the first floor was an absolute sea of people.

From early morning, there were performances on the stage, set to continue right up until the banquet started.

Old Master Liu and Old Chen ran off to compete with each other right after breakfast.

Holding Mantou's hand, with Rose and One-Eye trailing behind, Yan Jing walked into the dining area. Using his Grade D name tag, he secured a table near the back and settled in to watch the show.

The performers were mostly Tower employees, putting on a mix of singing and poetry recitations. Yan Jing listened for a while and found them to be strictly amateur; even the good singers were just slightly better amateurs at best.

However, midway through, a singer from Solitude Lane took the stage. The moment they opened their mouth, the entire audience was captivated.

The singing was melodious, brimming with emotion, and beautifully lilting. Faint traces of weird energy seemed woven into the voice itself, making the listeners feel a profound urge to weep.

One-Eye and Rose listened with tearful eyes, a massive pile of used tissues accumulating on their table.

Mantou didn't feel much of anything, as the voice inside her body shielded her from the weird energy.

'The Pride of this Domain is only at this level. At most, it can trick these sheltered Gluttony folks.'

'It's not even as good as that old geezer's stories. They should have invited him up to speak instead.'

"D-don't say that about G-Grandfather Liu..."

Mantou furrowed her brows, suppressing the voice in her mind.

In front of her, Rose, overcome with emotion, turned around and threw her arms around Mantou, bawling loudly.

"Waaaah—waaah—waaah— (It's so touching, Miss Mantou, boo-hoo!)"

Mantou hurriedly patted Rose's back, quietly comforting her.

Just as the hall was filled with the sound of collective sobbing, a sudden, low groan shattered the emotional atmosphere everyone had built up.

The sound was so filled with agony that the crowd couldn't help but turn their eyes toward Mantou's group.

Seeing this, Yan Jing hurriedly clutched his profusely bleeding thigh, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Sorry to disturb everyone. Please, keep listening to the song. Don't mind me."

"Ugh—"

Even as he spoke, a wave of phantom pain washed over him. He couldn't stop himself from dropping his head and letting out another low groan, the veins bulging on his neck.

He had only ever used the Fear Thorn on others before. Experiencing it firsthand, he hadn't expected it to hurt this much.

And this was just from covertly stabbing himself with a thorn from a Fear Seed.

He hadn't expected the Fear Tree's power to increase so drastically after upgrading to the purple-black tier. A single prick had ripped open a massive gash, leaving his mind completely blank for a moment.

Seeing this, Mantou panicked immediately. She and Rose hurriedly ran off to fetch tissues and bandages.

Along the way, she accidentally bumped into a figure draped in a white robe.

"S-sorry... I'm s-sorry..."

Mantou quickly apologized.

"It's fine," the figure replied, then added softly, "As long as you die, everything will be fine..."

"S-sorry... what... what did you s-say... I didn't... didn't catch that..."

Thinking the figure had said something to her, Mantou apologized again.

But the person had already walked away.

"Waaah—waaah— (Don't mind her, let's hurry up.)"

Rose said.

"O-okay... okay..."

Mantou quickly tossed the incident to the back of her mind; right now, Yan Jing was the most important thing.

Soon, the two returned with bandages and wrapped up Yan Jing's wound.

"Y-Yi Ji... does... does it still hurt...?"

Mantou's face was full of heartache as she reached out a trembling hand, using a tissue to wipe the beads of sweat from Yan Jing's neck.

"I'm fine, Mantou."

Yan Jing forced a smile onto his face.

"I tested it out. This method is indeed pretty good."

Hearing this, Mantou pressed her lips together and didn't speak. She simply lowered her head and gently wiped the area around Yan Jing's wound with a tissue.

She was simple-minded and didn't understand the things Yan Jing talked about.

She just didn't want to see Yan Jing in so much pain.

After about ten minutes, the phantom pain wracking Yan Jing's body finally eased.

Although he had suffered a bit, finding a way to suppress desire made it worthwhile.

Now he just needed to find that resident of desire to figure out the Cameraman's unfulfilled wish.

Fulfill the wish.

Max out Mantou's Favorability.

Then this life role-playing journey would be complete.

He could finally draw it to a close.

Nearby, seeing that Yan Jing was fine, Mantou breathed a sigh of relief. Rose approached her, and the two began whispering to each other.

"Ah—ah ah? (Miss Mantou, do you like the boss?)"

Rose nudged Mantou with her shoulder, wearing a mischievous smile.

Mantou blushed instantly and lowered her head.

"Mhm..."

Hearing this, Rose acted as if she had discovered a whole new world. Her eyes sparkled.

"Ah! Ah ah ah! (I knew it! I knew it!)"

"Ah ah? (How did you and Mr. Yi Ji meet?)"

At that, the face beneath Mantou's Electric Helmet turned even redder, her voice dropping to a tiny whisper.

"It was... it was..."

Mantou murmured into Rose's ear, her blush deepening as she spoke.

Seeing this, Rose playfully teased her even more.

"Ah oh, ah oh! (Miss Mantou is blushing!)"

Nearby, Yan Jing was entirely focused on the matter of desire, completely oblivious to whatever the two were whispering about.

Soon, it was time for the midday banquet.

The two marrying parties, who had delayed their appearance for so long, finally showed up.

The people from Dandelion Manor were all clad in white robes.

Yan Jing had originally planned to observe everyone's faces to identify that entity of desire.

To his surprise, every one of them wore a white veil that concealed most of their features.

He didn't even need to think to know whose handiwork this was.

Clearly, that person had spent day and night with the Cameraman, knew that he had once deleted his memories, and knew that seeing specific things could reawaken those memories.

Therefore, they had deliberately set up disguises.

At the very front of the procession stood a man and a woman. They had to be the two new Second Tier reinforcements Cheng Xin had mentioned.

Following right behind them was a figure whose brow and eyes faintly resembled the short-haired girl, Yu Ling.

However, Yu Xiran was nowhere to be seen.

On the Sleepland side, everyone wore pajamas and nightcaps.

Likewise, the groom, who was said to have intellectual disabilities, was missing.

The two main characters likely wouldn't make their appearance until the formal evening banquet.

The midday banquet began. Today's dishes were incredibly lavish, and the regulars of Rose Bar all gathered at the same table.

Yan Jing intentionally chose a table closer to the Dandelion Manor side.

Old Master Liu and Chen Nian, who had been competing all morning, finally returned.

Judging by their expressions, however, they hadn't determined a winner yet.

"It's five to four right now, so I'm in the lead," Chen Nian said flatly.

"That doesn't count. You bribed the referee for one of those rounds."

Old Master Liu refused to accept it. Today's referee had changed from One-Eye to An Ze. An Ze had always prided himself on his principles and absolute obedience to Order, but he had ultimately caved to the temptation of Chen Nian's game console.

He had skewed one round in Chen Nian's favor.

Just as the two were locking horns, Tiger, who had been quietly eating on the side, suddenly spoke up.

"Gentlemen, how about I serve as the referee?"

The two men froze, entirely caught off guard by Tiger volunteering for the job.

"Gentlemen, all this talk of Order and fairness is meaningless. I am the one person here who could never possibly favor anyone."

Tiger said with a serious expression, "Because, gentlemen, I wouldn't dare offend either of you."

"Fear, gentlemen. Only fear is the best method for maintaining justice."

Hearing this, Old Master Liu and Chen Nian didn't entirely agree with his last statement, but they had to admit it made some sense.

"Then you be the referee, Huzi!"

Old Master Liu said.

"One round to determine the winner."

Tiger flashed a sleazy smile and looked toward a spot not far away.

"Why don't we see which of you can lift that lady's veil the fastest? The only rule is that it must be done completely unnoticed."

Chen Nian and Old Master Liu followed his gaze.

There stood a short-haired girl wearing a white veil, holding a plate as she picked out desserts.

"This challenge... it's not terribly difficult... but it certainly has its merits..."

Old Master Liu pondered. "Let's go with this."

"I'm fine with it. The final round."

Though Chen Nian felt the act was a bit unrefined, he was growing tired of their endless competition and decided to finish off the old man in front of him with this single bout.

"A duel staking a Man's Dignity. Gentlemen, the veil-lifting contest begins now!"

Tiger tapped his knife and fork together like a starting bell.

"Ding!"

The moment the chime rang out, everyone at the table focused their attention entirely on Old Master Liu and Chen Nian.

Weird Energy surged in Old Master Liu's hand. With just a gentle wave of his palm, an invisible gust of astral wind swept out, drifting stealthily toward the girl.

But halfway there, the wind suddenly dissipated. The nearby guests picking out desserts only felt a cool, inexplicable breeze.

No one needed to guess—Chen Nian had made his move.

At some point, he had pulled out an odd-looking artifact. Faint, imperceptible ripples of Weird Energy spread outward from it, shattering the astral wind upon contact.

The ripples then continued forward, sweeping the surrounding breeze upward to catch the girl's veil. Just as the fabric was about to lift, her body suddenly swayed as if she had lost her footing. She stumbled forward, and the veil that was about to fly up fell firmly back against her face.

"Heh—"

Old Master Liu chuckled, bouncing his leg slightly.

Their magical duel continued, one move after another, dazzling the onlookers.

Yan Jing sighed helplessly.

Tiger had, of course, made the proposal on his instructions.

But he hadn't expected that having friends who were too strong wasn't always a good thing.

While the two were thoroughly enjoying their battle, An Ze ran over from a distance. Seeing Chen Nian and Old Master Liu still going at it, he was a bit surprised.

"You two really have a lot of energy."

With that, he looked at the referee, Tiger, and snickered.

"What item did Mr. Chen Nian give you this time, Mr. Tiger?"

"He didn't give me anything."

Tiger shook his head. "But they did place a wager this time."

"What kind of wager?"

An Ze blinked.

"A Man's Dignity."

Tiger spoke with absolute solemnity as he informed An Ze of what the two were competing over.

Hearing this, An Ze's eyes lit up.

Next, under everyone's watchful eyes, he dashed right up to the short-haired girl and exchanged a few words with her.

Then, as the crowd stared in utter disbelief, the girl simply took off her own veil.

Immediately after, An Ze darted all the way back.

"I win!"

He happily flashed a peace sign at the group.

"How did you do that?"

Tiger couldn't help but ask.

"I just told her that the Order Management Bureau is currently investigating a criminal, and if she cooperated, not only would she receive the gratitude of the Order Management Bureau, but she'd also get a game console."

An Ze said breezily.

Although he had just lost the game console he had obtained that very morning, it was nothing compared to winning a Man's Dignity.

"..."

"..."

Old Master Liu and Chen Nian exchanged a look.

Both of their faces darkened. They simultaneously picked up their chopsticks and started eating, tacitly agreeing to never mention the bet again.

No one noticed the gloom in Yan Jing's eyes at that moment.

Because, upon closer inspection, he saw that the short-haired girl's face was actually not the Yu Ling in his memories.

Instead, it was a girl he had never seen before, who only resembled Yu Ling around the brows and eyes.

Clearly, someone had arranged this on purpose.

Before long, after everyone finished eating and began to disperse, a waiter handed Yan Jing a slip of paper.

"Sir, a lady asked me to give this to you."

Yan Jing unfolded the note.

[Long time no see, Ah Ji.]

[You are still as cute as ever, but what's different from before is that you have gained a group of even cuter friends.]

Yan Jing stared at the handwriting on the note.

The corners of his lips quirked up slightly as he tucked the paper into his pocket.

In their second exchange, the other side had won a point.

But for the first time in a long while, Yan Jing felt a trace of excitement welling up inside.

"I hope you get the chance to see just how cute my friends really are."

He looked up toward a certain direction and murmured softly.

That afternoon, Rose and One-Eye stayed in their seats to watch the show, while Yan Jing took Mantou for a stroll around the Tower.

Before leaving, Yan Jing instructed Rose and One-Eye:

"Stay in your seats. If anything happens, look for Mr. Chengxin next to you. Remember, no talking to strangers. Do all that, and I'll bring you a surprise gift when I get back. Got it?"

"Ah— Ah—"

Though Yan Jing couldn't understand what Rose was saying, the loud smack of her thumping her chest suggested she was agreeing.

Yan Jing then led Mantou out of the main reception hall.

He figured whoever was hiding in the dark wouldn't make another move against Rose and One-Eye. After all, a fish wouldn't bite the same bait twice.

Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

For the entire afternoon, Yan Jing took Mantou on a leisurely stroll through Sun-Swallowing Tower.

Aside from the first eight floors he had already visited, the two of them explored the sky restaurant on the ninth floor and the massage area on the tenth.

They didn't return until the evening banquet was about to begin, both in high spirits.

Entering the back kitchen, they prepared to make the Heavenly Fried Rice.

Old Master Liu and Chen Nian had been waiting in the back kitchen for some time. Ever since losing Man's Dignity to An Ze at noon, the two had been deeply depressed and hadn't gone anywhere all afternoon.

They only needed to provide one dish for the main table. Chen Nian had already returned to Rotten Vegetable Village to fetch the ingredients, so it was finished very quickly.

Yan Jing placed the plate at the serving station, pressed the service bell, and took off his chef's uniform.

The group returned to their round table from noon. Now, not only was An Ze there, but Lu Miao was as well.

Lu Miao had been specially invited by An Ze at Yan Jing's request. With her present, they should be able to eat dinner in peace.

"Your gifts."

Yan Jing placed the boxes he was carrying in the center of the table. "Open them later, after we eat."

Seeing Yan Jing act so mysteriously, everyone at the table exchanged glances, but said nothing as they quietly waited for the food.

Soon, exquisite delicacies were brought out by the waiters. Ranging from mountain game to seafood, a variety of bizarre, eerie ingredients filled the entire table.

However, just as everyone was about to start eating—

A figure walked onto the front stage.

It was a figure with an extremely high degree of mutation. Even at Yan Jing's current strength, a single glance caused a slight fluctuation in his mental state.

The figure possessed a pair of incredibly "slender" legs and wore no pants, leaving its dark red skin completely exposed like two bent bamboo poles.

Above those two legs was a massive, bloody mouth.

That's right—directly above the legs was a mouth.

An incomparably enormous mouth grew out of a bloody, meaty sphere of a head. It looked to be a full two or three meters wide, and every single sharp fang within it was the size of a grown man's fist, looking as though it could bite a Siberian tiger to death in a single crunch.

Thick, earthworm-like tendons ran across its fleshy lips. Further up sat a pair of exceptionally wide-set eyes.

As those two legs took a step, drops of saliva dripped from the fangs and hit the floor, sending up plumes of green smoke and burning small holes into the ground.

This entire appearance gave Yan Jing an extremely surreal feeling.

It was as if he had seen so many "abnormal people" in Old Sin City that suddenly seeing a "normal person" was hard to adjust to.

"Third Tier."

Old Master Liu said in a low voice, "This is a true expert."

"Where we come from, only those at the Third Tier and above are considered part of the ranks. Anyone below the Third Tier is unranked."

Chen Nian nodded as well.

"Those above the Third Tier are called the Transcendent Tier; that's what we say where we're from."

Beside them, Tiger leaned in.

"After the Third Tier, one can be considered an eerie entity."

"Mr. Giant Mouth is a true eerie entity, just like Mr. San was back then."

Yan Jing's heart stirred, and he took the opportunity to ask:

"What does 'Mr. San' look like?"

"I've never seen him."

Tiger said, "But Zebra mentioned that 'Mr. San' wears a cloak year-round, has tentacles for feet, and carries a birdcage. Boss Zebra has a portrait of him. Mr. Yi Ji, you can go find him later to take a look."

"Alright."

Yan Jing nodded and said no more.

Meanwhile, Giant Mouth on the stage slowly spoke up:

"Respected guests, hello everyone. Welcome, and thank you for gracing Sun-Swallowing Tower with your presence."

Its voice was extremely bizarre. It clearly looked as if it were speaking softly, but the volume was deafeningly loud, distorting its pitch so much that it sounded like an infant who had just learned to speak screaming at the top of its lungs.

"Hehe."

It suddenly began to laugh, making that enormous mouth look even more terrifying.

"This banquet is to celebrate the joyous marriage alliance between two of Sun-Swallowing Tower's steadfast allies: Dandelion Manor and Sleepland. Let us applaud them."

As its words fell, thunderous applause erupted throughout the reception hall.

Waiting for the applause to gradually die down, Mr. Giant Mouth suddenly shifted the topic.

"However."

"Aside from the joy of this marriage alliance, I believe everyone has heard that this banquet also serves as a very important 'meeting' for our Old Sin City."

"A meeting. Yes, I am willing to call it that."

"Because it will be the 'turning point' for our Old Sin City!"

"From here on out, our Old Sin City will enter a brand new beginning!"

Mr. Giant Mouth's voice steadily grew louder, so much so that everyone in the audience couldn't help but feel their scalps go numb.

"And the theme of this meeting is..."

"Returning home."

The moment those two words came out, the people in the audience looked at each other in dismay, having no idea what Mr. Giant Mouth was trying to say.

"Everyone should know that our Old Sin City cannot communicate with the outside world and severed all ties long ago."

"But this... was not what we wished for..."

"In truth, we were forced."

"Many years ago, our Old Sin City was also a Domain upon the Eerie Capital. At that time, it was not called Old Sin City; it was simply called Sin City. It was no different from any other major Domain. They were connected to one another, maintaining mutual contact. But..."

"For some reason, signs of extreme instability appeared in the space surrounding this Domain. Therefore, after a joint discussion among the leaders of this Domain, Sin City decided to begin a great migration."

"But the great migration was a long road. We needed to take this Domain with us and find a safe and stable location. Passing by other Domains along the way, we could even suffer attacks from their residents."

"Moreover, once the great migration began, it couldn't be stopped. Otherwise, if we halted before finding a suitable location for the Domain beneath our feet, we would become completely lost within the Unstable Domain."

"And soon, the great migration ran into a problem."

"The journey was too long. We found several places, but none were truly suitable locations."

"If things continued like that, the Domain might collapse before we even had a chance to settle down."

"It was then that the leaders of a section of the Domain within Sin City secretly convened and decided to abandon this Domain to search for a new one. And what they abandoned, aside from this Domain, was a portion of the people living on it."

"And those people."

"Were us!"

"'Envy', 'Wrath', 'desire', 'Greed'—they abandoned us! They took away the vast majority of the resources to seek out a new Domain, deciding to name that Domain 'New Sin City'!"

"No one knows whether they actually succeeded, and we, the abandoned, became completely lost within the Unstable Domain along with Old Sin City."

"Until several years ago, when I learned a piece of news."

"They really did succeed! They truly established a New Sin City!!!"

"We have completely faded into the past, destined to disappear into dust along with this forgotten land!!!"

"Furthermore, I received some tragic news."

Giant Mouth said, its words revealing a sorrow that was difficult to suppress:

"Our Old Sin City only has its final ten years left."

As those words fell, a massive uproar immediately broke out in the main reception hall!

Ten years!!!

Everyone had originally come here happily for a meal. In the end, before they had even eaten, they were being told that they had ten years to live at most?!

"Ten years?! Absolutely impossible!!!"

The one who spoke was Elder Honesty. He looked at Giant Mouth on the stage:

"Mr. Giant Mouth, do you have any proof to back up those words?"

"Proof? Hehe."

Giant Mouth let out a cold chuckle.

"Could it be that your Grand Elder didn't tell you that the Day of Arrival is approaching?"

"Advent Day?"

Hearing Giant Mouth's words, the guests in the main reception hall exchanged blank looks. The vast majority had never even heard the term.

But the Elder of 'Honesty' grimaced, his expression darkening.

Evidently, he knew something of the inside story.

Seeing his reaction, panic immediately rippled through the crowd.

'Honesty' couldn't lie. If he was reacting like this, didn't that mean the claim that Old Sin City only had ten years left was true?!

Yan Jing glanced at Chen Nian beside him. To his surprise, Chen Nian remained silent. Instead, Old Master Liu spoke up.

"The sky changing in ten years... it seems the rumors are true."

Old Master Liu muttered.

"Old Master, what do you mean by that?"

Yan Jing asked slowly.

Old Master Liu let out a long sigh.

"Where we come from, it's called the Day of Changing Heavens, but it should mean the same thing."

"According to the legends, a massive upheaval will occur in ten years."

"Changing the Azure Heaven, changing the Azure Heaven, changing the New Heaven—this means the structure of the Inner World will shift three times. And these three shifts are actually three opportunities for people to... step into the highest realm and touch the threshold of a Weird God."

"It is a legend passed down since ancient times."

Beside them, Chen Nian finally seemed to snap out of his daze and spoke up.

"Let's use the terminology of the Eerie Capital's Domain. Advent Day is divided into Heaven Revelation, Earth Revelation, and Divine Revelation."

"Among them, Divine Revelation refers to the revelation of the myriad gods."

"Earth Revelation refers to the Domain Revelation."

"And Heaven Revelation refers to the revelation of transforming the heavens."

"Rumor has it that once Advent Day arrives, the Domain War will break out. Various organizations that have crowned themselves as gods will emerge, and the strongest powerhouses of this generation will all reveal themselves."

"They will have only one goal."

"To reach the Summit."

Hearing this, Old Master Liu narrowed his eyes and muttered, "It sounds like something to yearn for. In truth, I had those same ambitions when I was young, but I eventually realized that such things are far, far out of our reach."

"Weird Gods, Lords of the Domain, Heaven Revelation... they have little to do with us. Regardless of whether the legends are true, if that day really comes, even ranking in the top thousand for any of them would be considered a major victory in this treacherous, chaotic world."

Old Master Liu and Chen Nian had kept their voices low, but the others around the round table still caught fragments of their conversation.

For a moment, expressions varied across the group.

Cheng Xin and Shan Shan were in a state of obvious panic.

Tiger kept glancing at Old Master Liu, his fearful eyes tinged with a pleading look.

An Ze and Lu Miao remained silent. They had known all along that this banquet would bring massive changes, but they never expected those changes to be this terrifying.

Rose, One-Eye, and Mantou were all afraid as well, though the three of them didn't seem to entirely grasp the sheer weight behind Old Master Liu's words.

"Don't dwell on it."

Yan Jing looked at Mantou and the other two, speaking in a steady tone.

"Those things are too far removed from us. Just focus on what's right in front of you."

Yan Jing's voice seemed to carry a soothing effect. Though the group still looked frightened, they visibly relaxed, their nerves no longer wound so tightly.

In reality, Yan Jing was merely siphoning away the Fear Power the three of them were generating.

At that moment, Giant Mouth spoke again from the stage.

"Once Advent Day descends, our Domain will either be reduced to nothingness in a raging storm of Weird Energy, swallowed by the expansion of the Unstable Domain, or directly shattered and annexed by other Domains!"

"Ten years! We all had great lives ahead of us, but now we only have ten years left!"

"Honored guests, my friends! Are you willing to become abandoned pawns? Are you willing to just die in despair, discarded like trash?!"

Giant Mouth's words struck a chord, stirring the hearts of many in the audience.

They stared at him, their eyes flickering with emotion.

Giant Mouth continued.

"I know none of you are willing! That is why, a decade or two ago, several of our Domains began plotting together. We had only one goal in mind, and that was... returning home!"

"We must return to the Eerie Capital! We must go back to that stable land! Even with the great era upon us, we have to fight for that final sliver of hope!"

Giant Mouth's voice gradually escalated into a roar. Down in the audience, people began to echo his sentiments. Passionate and riled up, they joined in this grand vision for the future.

"What do we have to do?"

Someone who still retained a shred of calm called out.

"First, we must find the path that allows the Domain to return."

Giant Mouth said slowly, "As far as we know, there are exactly three methods."

"The first is to break through the Fourth Tier."

As soon as the words fell, a trace of despair washed over the faces in the crowd.

Breaking through the Fourth Tier meant shattering the upper limits of Old Sin City's Domain. Giant Mouth and the others hadn't been able to achieve it after so many years; it was nothing short of a pipe dream.

"The second method is to find someone whose Pathway corresponds to a Domain in the outside world. Because Old Sin City lacks a Domain matching their Pathway, their Pathway remains fragmented. If their Pathway can be fully restored and perfected, it will trigger a resonance with that corresponding Domain on the outside."

"That resonance will manifest the path we need."

"The final method is to find someone with the potential for dual Pathways. And the way to do that is to have two exceptionally gifted individuals from completely different Pathways reproduce."

"Which brings us to the purpose of today's banquet."

As he spoke, Giant Mouth swept his two tentacle-like arms toward the Dandelion Manor's side of the hall.

"Miss Yu Xiran! Currently the most outstanding entity of the 'Life' Pathway in Dandelion Manor. She has displayed unparalleled talent within the 'Life' Pathway and is widely regarded as the candidate for the manor's next master."

"Even more praiseworthy is the reproductive power she has demonstrated, which finally makes our plan truly feasible!"

As Giant Mouth finished speaking, Yu Xiran, whose long hair cascaded all the way down to her waist, stood up from her seat and offered a slight bow to the crowd.

Next, he waved a massive hand again, this time pointing toward the Sleepland section.

"Mr. Meng Qianqiu! The eldest son of Mr. Meng Yisheng, the current head of Sleepland. The talent he has shown in the 'Sloth' Pathway is even stronger than Mr. Meng Yisheng's own! Moreover, his physical condition has been evaluated and found exceptionally suited for reproduction!"

This time, over on the Sleepland side, several people worked together to prop up a man whose eyes were squeezed shut and who had drool pooling at the corner of his mouth. He looked to be in his twenties, but there was an obvious disconnect between his face and the clothes he wore. It was blatantly clear that his family had dressed him; his collar was even folded inward awkwardly because of how he tilted his head to sleep.

After his family patted him awake, he stared blankly across the room at Yu Xiran and let out a couple of dopey, simple-minded chuckles.

"Xi... Xiran..."

Having muttered that, he immediately closed his eyes and fell right back asleep.

Giant Mouth extended his arms wide and declared, "Let us offer a round of applause for this perfect couple! For the sake of Old Sin City's future, they have willingly sacrificed themselves! It is truly moving!"

Before his words even fell, thunderous applause had already filled the great hall.

Chen Nian tilted his head and whispered softly to Yan Jing and Old Master Liu.

"He conveniently left out the part where whoever finds that path becomes the Lord of the Domain."

Yan Jing nodded.

"That's exactly why this is a conference."

"The reason Dandelion Manor and Sleepland made such massive moves before the banquet even started is because the potential profits are enormous enough to justify taking such a huge risk."

This meeting seemed like a marriage alliance, but it was actually a declaration.

The three major powers had united to tell every faction in Old Sin City that they were demanding change.

Now, the remaining factions could only choose a side.

To join or not to join—there were many factors to consider.

Compared to the other factions, the three major powers only had to consider how much control they could seize through this alliance.

After all, if Yu Xiran and Meng Qianqiu truly produced a child with dual Pathways, that child would become the Lord of Old Sin City.

An infant was undoubtedly the easiest existence to control.

Yan Jing looked at Lu Miao. She had frowned twice in a row, a sign that she was growing irritated.

The announcement at the banquet had clearly exceeded her expectations.

An Ze's originally cheerful expression had also turned miserable.

"Man, how did things turn out like this? The bureau chief didn't tell us a thing. That old man Liang definitely knows something. No wonder he refuses to let go of that Disguiser from the Envy Pathway."

He hadn't lowered his voice, but even with him openly complaining about their superior, Lu Miao made no move to reprimand him.

After all, given the current situation, the Order Management Bureau had likely issued the bounty on the Envy Pathway's Disguiser on purpose.

According to Giant Mouth, the second method to find the path "home" was to find someone whose Pathway had a corresponding Domain in the outside world. They would help that person complete their fragmented Pathway, using it to illuminate the location of that Domain outside.

And if New Sin City truly existed, then Envy fit the criteria.

The Order Management Bureau was almost certainly planning exactly this.

As for the group from Rotten Vegetable Village, they appeared much more relaxed.

They didn't have the qualifications to choose a side, and barely any of them were even locals.

"If it truly comes down to it and we can't get out, I can take one of you to another Domain."

Chen Nian spoke slowly, "But that place doesn't even compare to Old Sin City."

"Why only one?"

Old Master Liu's sunglasses slid down to the tip of his nose. He looked confused for a moment before sudden realization dawned on his face.

"Ah, I see! You aren't going to take me and Nizi with you!"

Chen Nian glanced at Old Master Liu.

"Because the back seat of my motorcycle only fits one person."

He then lowered his voice to explain.

It turned out that the object in his house—the one covered by a white cloth that had looked like a cow to them before—was actually a motorcycle.

In Old Sin City, a vehicle was incredibly precious. Who would have imagined that a dirt-poor stall owner from Rotten Vegetable Village actually owned a motorcycle?

"I rode that bike to Old Sin City."

Chen Nian continued slowly, "Before I came to Old Sin City, I visited quite a few Domains. Ultimately, though, none of them compared to Rotten Vegetable Village."

He let out a sigh.

"Actually, being isolated from the rest of the world isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"The residents of Old Sin City are relatively honest and simple."

Yan Jing spoke up.

"If it really comes to that, you don't need to take me. I have an attachment to Old Sin City."

As long as his lingering wish was fulfilled and Favorability was maxed out, it didn't matter if this character died. It would be a bit of a pity, but if it truly came down to a life-or-death decision, he would gladly trade this body for the lives of the others.

His identity was fake, but they had gone through so much together. It would be a lie to say he hadn't grown attached to them.

He could switch identities anyway. As long as the others survived, they would eventually meet again.

"Mantou... Mantou doesn't need to go either..."

Mantou offered a goofy smile. "Mantou... will just stay here..."

"Things might not get that bad."

Yan Jing rubbed Mantou's head to comfort her.

"Let's eat first. The world can wait, but a meal can't."

"Makes sense!"

Old Master Liu tapped his chopsticks and let out a hearty shout.

"Let's dig in!"

Everyone at the table paused. After exchanging glances, they all picked up their chopsticks.

He was right. Even if the sky fell, the tall people would hold it up. Eating came first.

As the fear gradually dissipated, their appetites returned. Combined with the Sun-Swallowing Tower's inherent Gluttony rules, the group was soon chatting and laughing. It formed a stark contrast to the gloom hanging over the other tables in the hall.

Yan Jing sifted through the Fear Power he had absorbed from the tops of everyone's heads, ultimately deciding to swap out the few fruits he had on hand.

He kept the apple that had killed Lin Mian unchanged, but swapped the other two for Rose's Sin—Gluttony, and Cheng Xin's Virtue—Honesty.

Just as everyone was happily enjoying their meal—

A sudden, noisy scraping of chairs echoed through the hall.

The group looked over and saw a number of inner world residents dressed in matching black attire standing up from their tables.

They were scattered across various corners of the hall, but they had all risen in perfect unison. It was unclear what they intended to do.

Yan Jing spotted the singer who had performed on stage that morning among them. The man was now dressed in a black silk suit. His expression was icy, and his condescending gaze carried a lofty arrogance, giving off an aura that screamed for everyone to keep their distance.

A young girl in servant's attire stood beside him, smoothing out the wrinkles in his coat caused by him standing up.

"People from Solitude Lane."

Tiger whispered.

"Just as I thought, they aren't going to participate in this so-called 'return home' plan."

Yan Jing swept his gaze over the standing figures. Their clothing was uniformly dark, and their professions seemed varied—there were doctors, teachers, painters, politicians...

Aside from the color of their clothes, they shared two other similarities.

First, almost all of them were accompanied by an inner world resident dressed as a servant. Second, they all carried themselves just like the singer—condescending and aloof, naturally projecting an air of complete detachment.

"Those inner world residents beside them are called solitude servants."

The Old Man, having long since realized that Yan Jing was completely clueless about Old Sin City, took it upon himself to explain.

"Everyone from Solitude Lane is a hyper-specialist. While they're exceptionally gifted in their respective fields, they're completely incapable of handling everyday chores. Their ability to take care of themselves is abysmal."

"That's why these solitude servants exist. Their entire purpose is to manage their daily lives."

"It's an interesting place. I went there once. No one pays any attention to anyone else, and no one cares about what you're doing. Everyone is solely focused on their own affairs."

Yan Jing nodded. He had a pretty good idea of which Inner World Pathway ruled that Domain.

Seeing the group from Solitude Lane preparing to leave, Giant Mouth made no attempt to make them stay. He simply called out to the person leading the group.

"Give your First Ward Chief my regards."

To his surprise, the leader replied, "I have already received it."

Giant Mouth chuckled.

"I wasn't referring to the future First Ward Chief, but the current First Ward Chief."

The leader neither nodded nor shook his head at this. He simply turned and hurried out of the reception hall, following behind the rest of his peers.

"Those people will never accomplish anything."

Cheng Xin remarked, "That's what our Grand Elder always says. They lack a Virtue known as 'Unity'."

Yan Jing figured that Giant Mouth up on the stage probably shared the same sentiment.

"But rumor has it that their First Ward Chief is incredibly powerful."

An Ze chimed in from the side.

"Our bureau chief once said that the First Ward Chief of Solitude Lane is the strongest existence in Old Sin City. It's just that they've somewhat vanished from the public eye in recent years."

Vanished...

Yan Jing's heart skipped a beat. Feigning nonchalance, he asked, "Recent years? You mean six or seven years ago?"

"Not that long."

An Ze shook his head. "More like two or three years ago."

Sure enough, it was that specific timeframe again.

Yan Jing's eyes flickered.

Another leader of a Domain who had stopped appearing around two or three years ago.

Just what exactly had happened in Old Sin City two or three years ago?

Based on what Yan Jing knew so far:

Meng Shuangsheng had mentioned that Madam Yu, the leader of Dandelion Manor, hadn't shown her face in years.

According to Shen Youran's files, the mayor of Sleepland hadn't appeared before players in the last two years either.

The leader of Mad Amusement Park, Mr. Three, had left about three years ago.

And now, the First Ward Chief of Solitude Lane had been added to the list.

One or two absences might be a coincidence, but with so many major figures disappearing at once, that excuse was wearing thin.

One thing was certain: something must have happened two or three years ago to create this situation.

"Alright then, esteemed guests, please enjoy the food to your heart's content. We have other matters to discuss first."

Giant Mouth called for Meng Shuangsheng of Sleepland and the two newly arrived managers of Dandelion Manor, leading them out of the main reception hall.

Clearly, the announcements were over. All that was left was the haggling and the division of profits.

But right at that moment, an agonized scream tore through the main reception hall.

The crowd looked toward the front. A short-haired girl in a white robe was slumped over the main table. Her face had turned blue, her pupils were dilated, and blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth.

The sight left everyone in the hall stunned.

The two Dandelion Manor managers immediately rushed to the girl. Fleshy sprouts erupted from their hands, tangling into tentacles as they began pumping life essence into her chest.

It didn't take long for them to pause. Withdrawing their tentacles in unison, they shook their heads.

The girl was already beyond saving.

Seeing this, the main reception hall instantly burst into an uproar. No one dared to touch their chopsticks.

Some of the weaker-stomached VIPs bent over the floor, frantically gagging themselves to throw up what they had just eaten.

Giant Mouth, who had been about to leave, stopped in its tracks. The eyes hovering above that massive, bloody maw darkened as it spat out a command:

"Investigate this!"

The furious roar echoed through the hall. Very quickly, a group of high-level personnel from Sun-Swallowing Tower arrived. They ran an Anomalous Energy Detection sweep over the dishes on everyone's tables, and before long, they pinpointed the cause of the girl's death.

A high-level manager ran to Giant Mouth's side, whispering into an ear located above the massive mouth.

Giant Mouth's gaze grew even gloomier.

"Announce it."

The manager hurried onto the stage, cleared his throat twice, and spoke.

"Please remain calm, everyone. According to our scans just now, we only found foreign contaminants mixed into a single dish on the main table. This contaminant appears to be a toxin, which is what killed the inner world resident."

"Sun-Swallowing Tower deeply regrets this incident. To apologize to our esteemed guests, we have decided to... Moreover, we guarantee a thorough investigation to find the..."

What followed was a barrage of tedious, long-winded pleasantries. No one at Yan Jing's table was listening anymore; they had all gone back to eating.

When the food at their table was first served, An Ze, Lu Miao, and Chen Nian had all scanned it. They were perfectly confident in what they were eating.

"Officer An, I'd like to ask you something."

Yan Jing spoke up.

"Go ahead, Mr. Yi Ji."

An Ze scooped up a spoonful of fried rice from the table, popped it into his mouth, and chewed a few times before letting out a disappointed sigh.

He had tasted Yan Jing's fried rice; compared to that, this was like dirt next to clouds.

"That Disguiser who framed me last time—how is the interrogation going? Is that something you can share?"

Yan Jing asked.

In truth, there were still a few lingering mysteries regarding the Disguiser incident.

One of them was why the Disguiser had become so overwhelmingly jealous of the Cameraman after learning of his existence.

He hadn't had the time or opportunity to figure it out back then, but after coming to Sun-Swallowing Tower, he finally connected the dots.

Most likely, desire was behind the Disguiser as well.

For someone as easily jealous as the Disguiser, desire only needed to make him fall in love with her, then pretend to have feelings for another man. That alone would be enough to make the Disguiser throw his life away for her.

Hearing this, An Ze clapped his hands in sudden realization.

"Ah, I really should have given you an update, Mr. Yi Ji, since you were the victim. I just got so busy later on that it slipped my mind."

Then, he lowered his voice.

"The interrogation hasn't gone well at all. The guy is a tough nut to crack; he refuses to answer most of our questions."

"The Bureau Chief seems very invested in his situation and checks in from time to time. Thinking about it now, he probably wants to use him to find a way to the outside world. But..."

He shook his head helplessly.

"We basically got nothing out of him."

At that, he suddenly seemed to remember something and tapped his forehead.

"Oh, right. We did get something out of him."

"The Bureau Chief said the guy had an item on him that was very similar to his own ability..."

An Ze explained the item's uses in detail before continuing.

"I have no idea where the Bureau Chief got his intel, but he told us to pry the guy's mouth open and find out where that item went. We ended up using quite a few psychological methods on him before he finally slipped up while in a daze. He confessed that he hadn't taken the item with him; he'd left it in Sleepland."

"But when the Bureau sent people to the location he gave us, they didn't find anything."

"And then, when he heard that news, he got so worked up he started crying. Don't you think that's strange, Mr. Yi Ji?"

Yan Jing nodded.

"It's strange. Incredibly strange."

Leaning close to An Ze's ear, he whispered, "Once the banquet is over, I'll teach you a method, Officer An. You can go back and give it a try—it might just work."

"But if he does talk, I'd like to know if it's possible for me to meet with him. I have a few things I need to ask."

An Ze looked puzzled, but he still nodded.

"No problem, Mr. Yi Ji. The boss has been having a real headache over his case lately, so if I talk to her, it shouldn't be an issue."

"Thank you, Officer An."

Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

While the group was busy eating, a few high-level managers from Sun-Swallowing Tower suddenly approached their table.

"Excuse me."

The speaker was an old acquaintance of Yan Jing's—the woman with a mouth on her chin, the one in charge of assigning jobs to the players.

Right now, she was looking at everyone at the table with a cold, piercing gaze.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there are a few things we need to look into."

"Mm."

Yan Jing nodded.

He already had a pretty good idea of what they were here for.

"Go ahead."

The woman spoke.

"Which one of you is Yi Ji?"

"That's me."

Yan Jing stood up and pointed to the White One work tag on his chest.

"Here's my work tag."

"That's a temp tag for a tourist!"

The woman said sternly. Clearly, she didn't want Yan Jing to have any more ties to Sun-Swallowing Tower.

"Alright then. What can I do for you?"

Yan Jing asked with a smile.

The woman took a deep breath before speaking slowly.

"According to our tests, the deceased Miss Yu Yu'er died because of a plate of fried rice on their table."

"And after looking into the matter carefully, we've determined that you and your companions were the ones who cooked that fried rice, Mr. Yi Ji."

"Because of that, we have reason to suspect that you are the murderer."

"Please come with us!"

These words shocked everyone at the table.

No one expected the dead short-haired girl to have any connection to the people from Rotten Vegetable Village.

For a moment, the atmosphere instantly grew oppressive, the air falling dead silent.

But Yan Jing quickly smiled.

'I imagine, with so many guests sitting here, Sun-Swallowing Tower isn't planning to dictate the verdict all on its own.'

'Of course not.'

The woman spoke sternly.

'We have substantial evidence. But for now, please come with me.'

'Let's go, then.'

Old Master Liu picked up a toothpick from the table, clamped it between his teeth, and said casually, 'They invited us, so we can't exactly deny them the face.'

'Let's go.'

Chen Nian stood up, his eyes calm.

'Miss... Miss Rose... you guys... you guys eat first...'

Mantou comforted a visibly unsettled Rose before standing up as well.

'Let's go, then.'

Yan Jing said with a smile.

By now, the guests in the main reception hall had stopped talking, turning their eyes toward Yan Jing's group.

The group soon arrived at the main table.

'You're the murderers?'

Giant Mouth asked.

Only when he stepped close did Yan Jing realize just how loud its voice was. It practically ravaged his eardrums, accompanied by a thick, putrid stench.

'Not yet. We're merely suspected.'

Yan Jing said softly.

Giant Mouth blinked. The man in front of him gave off a very different feeling.

No, it wasn't just him.

In fact, all four of the people who had walked up gave off an unusual vibe.

If they were ordinary inner world residents, they would be cowering and trembling in front of him, or at least showing some trace of fear.

But of the group standing before him, aside from the young girl whose eyes revealed a hint of terror, the rest were completely calm.

'Very well. Let's hear why you were brought here.'

Giant Mouth said.

Soon, the woman with the double chin began her statement:

'This fried rice was put through Anomalous Energy Detection, and we found traces of poison on it.'

'And on the entire main table, this is the only fried rice dish. According to the banquet menu, we've confirmed this dish was prepared by Yi Ji and the others from Rotten Vegetable Village.'

With that, she placed a plate of fried rice in front of Giant Mouth.

Giant Mouth looked at the fried rice. He sniffed it first, then scooped up half the rice with his tongue, pulling it into his mouth. He nodded.

'There is indeed poison residue.'

Seeing this, the surrounding guests broke into murmurs.

With Giant Mouth confirming it, the presence of the poison was basically an established fact.

Then, the double-chinned woman spoke again.

'Next, we found quite a few eyewitnesses who saw all four of them enter the kitchen to cook. And the dish they cooked was precisely fried rice.'

As she finished speaking, several people wearing aprons were brought over. They all spoke up, confirming that Yan Jing and his group had indeed entered the kitchen.

Then, the woman continued.

'Finally, we investigated the waiter who handled this fried rice between the time it left the kitchen and arrived at the table.'

'We found that he hasn't left the Tower in three days.'

'We also examined him and verified he wasn't under any form of mental manipulation. After investigating his social connections, we ruled out the possibility of him obtaining the poison from anyone else.'

At that, a trembling waiter stepped up to Giant Mouth and stammered, 'N-No, it wasn't me, Mr. Giant Mouth. It really wasn't me.'

'It was him!'

'He was the one who put the plate of fried rice on the serving window!'

As he spoke, the waiter pointed at Yan Jing.

At this, every gaze in the room converged entirely on Yan Jing and his companions.

The evidence was now overwhelmingly solid. If Yan Jing didn't refute it, it would completely cement his guilt as the murderer.

But just as everyone waited for Yan Jing to speak, a faint sob suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked over and saw that it was actually Yu Xiran, her head buried as she wept by the dining table.

Tears fell drop by drop onto the table.

Beside her, the short-haired girl, Yu Ling, was patting her shoulder, whispering comfort into her ear.

In the quiet main reception hall, the sobbing grew louder and louder.

Suddenly, Yu Xiran raised her head and looked at Yan Jing, her beautiful eyes filled with fury and tears.

'It was you!!'

'It was you!!!'

'I saw it this afternoon! It was you guys! You kept staring at Yu'er, and you kept using tricks to mess with her!'

With that, she abruptly stood up and lunged at Yan Jing.

Even Giant Mouth hadn't anticipated this scene.

But his eyes flickered. Not only did he choose not to stop her, he even held back a Sun-Swallowing Tower executive who wanted to intervene, allowing Yu Xiran to throw herself onto Yan Jing.

She grabbed his arm and shook it violently.

As she shook him, she wailed loudly, 'Why... why would you do this to us...'

'Aunt Yu Mu... Brother Yu Mo... they already knew they were wrong...'

'Why... why did it have to be Yu'er now too...'

'Speak... say something!!!'

Eventually, seemingly exhausted from shouting, she slumped right against Yan Jing's shoulder, her sobs gradually quieting down.

She passed out completely.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, no one had expected such a dramatic scene to unfold.

As for Yan Jing, he had maintained a smile from beginning to end, his hands raised high to show he hadn't touched Yu Xiran.

After Yu Xiran fainted by his ear, the smile on his face grew even more radiant.

To outsiders, it seemed as if he had gone mad. That smile didn't just carry mockery toward the unconscious Yu Xiran; it brimmed with smug satisfaction over his crime.

But only Yan Jing himself knew what he was smiling about.

Just a moment ago, Yu Xiran had whispered into his ear:

'Long time no see, Ah Ji.'

That voice seemed different from before, so it hadn't triggered the memories in his mind. But that tone of voice was already etched into the very DNA of this body, telling him that the woman from its memories had returned.

'Do you have anything else to say?'

Giant Mouth had someone pull the unconscious Yu Xiran away, then spoke to Yan Jing in a deep voice.

'I do have a few things.'

Yan Jing smiled.

'Mr. Giant Mouth, you said we entered the kitchen. We admit that.'

'You said we were the ones responsible for making the fried rice this time. We admit that too.'

'You said this waiter saw me put the plate on the table. We admit that as well.'

'However, there is one point we do not admit.'

Saying this, he pointed a finger at the plate in Giant Mouth's hand and smiled, 'And that is, we didn't make this fried rice.'

An uproar broke out.

At his words, the main reception hall exploded into chaos.

No one could have imagined that under these circumstances, Yan Jing would actually deny making the fried rice.

Didn't that mean Yan Jing and his group had gone into the kitchen, bustled around for a while, and then handed someone else's fried rice to the waiter?!

Wasn't that total nonsense?!

Who would do such a thing unless they were lunatics?!!

'Someone just said they saw you cooking the fried rice!'

Giant Mouth said evenly.

'We did make fried rice.'

Yan Jing nodded.

'Then where is the rice?'

Giant Mouth stared intently into Yan Jing's eyes.

Yan Jing then turned his head and called out loudly to Rose, 'Xiao Mei, bring that gift from the table over! Yes, the gift I brought for you all!'

Hearing this, Rose was a bit confused, but she picked up the box from the center of the wooden table and brought it over.

Looking at the Tower's ruler right in front of her, Rose swallowed hard. She was terrified, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Yan Jing smiled.

'Xiao Mei, open the box.'

Rose was even more bewildered. But seeing everyone's eyes fixed on her, she reached out with trembling hands and opened the box.

At the exact moment the box was opened.

A strange, savory aroma drifted through the main reception hall.

This fragrance seemed perfectly suited to the Domain of Sun-Swallowing Tower. It drifted incredibly far. The crowd, who were already mostly full, swallowed their saliva upon smelling it. To their surprise, they felt hungry all over again.

Even Giant Mouth had his eyes glued to the box of fried rice in front of him, completely unable to look away.

'I must taste this.'

Giant Mouth said slowly.

Yan Jing scooped out a third of the large box of fried rice and offered it to Giant Mouth.

Giant Mouth took the fried rice, his eyes gleaming. Then, he tossed the entire plate, rice and all, right into that massive mouth.

Then, he closed his eyes.

A few seconds later, under everyone's intense gaze, he opened his eyes, smacked his lips, and uttered two words:

'Great rice!!!'

The crowd was shocked again. What did this mean?! Could it be that the man in front of them really wasn't the murderer?!!

Right at this moment, Yan Jing handed over several photographs and told Giant Mouth that the people in the photos could testify to the exact appearance and details of the fried rice they had made—because Yan Jing had given them all a taste.

They could verify it.

Immediately following that, before giving Giant Mouth a chance to question him, Yan Jing smiled and said, 'Next, Mr. Giant Mouth, I have a question.'

'Why is it that with so many people at the main table, this fried rice was eaten exclusively by that girl named Yu Yu'er?'

As his words faded.

The entire hall went completely silent.

Right, why was that?

After Yan Jing proved he wasn't the one who had made the fried rice, the thoughts of everyone in the main reception hall quietly began to shift.

And after he posed his question, that shift deepened into profound suspicion.

Right. If that plate of fried rice had been sitting on the table the whole time, why was that young girl the only one who had been poisoned?

"This rice is cold."

At some point, Old Master Liu had picked up the plate containing the half-eaten poisoned fried rice.

He rubbed a pinch of rice between his fingers and spoke.

"It's much colder than the other dishes."

Off to the side, the higher-ups of Sun-Swallowing Tower exchanged glances upon hearing this, their brows furrowing.

An executive stepped forward and touched the rice. He then walked over to the table and touched the rest of the dishes, one by one.

Frowning, he closed his eyes. Weird Energy surged around his body. After a long moment, he said, "Indeed, this rice is colder than the other dishes."

"However..."

Confusion flashed in his eyes. If he remembered correctly, this fried rice was supposed to be one of the last dishes served.

"It must have been cooled down right here."

Chen Nian walked over to a cardboard box sitting on a nearby table. He felt the tabletop with his hand, then lightly tapped the box with his fingertips.

In an instant, electrical currents seemed to run across the surface of the cardboard.

"They used a highly integrated Energy Storage Core to forcibly bypass Old Sin City's restrictions on small appliances, barely managing to power an impeller to generate airflow. Then, they used Weird Energy to freeze water into ice and placed it in front of the impeller to cool the air. The idea is quite old-school, but the circuit routing is flawed. If they modified the Weird Energy interface inlet into a T-shaped circuit, and then at the tail end..."

"...that way, this Energy Storage Core would be more than enough to cool the entire main reception hall."

When Chen Nian finished speaking, the entire reception hall fell dead silent.

Other than a few technicians who dedicated themselves to studying electrical appliances, no one in Old Sin City understood this kind of knowledge.

Even in Solitude Lane, not one of those eccentric geniuses was a master of electronics.

Faced with Chen Nian's explanation, a nearby staff member looked unconvinced and muttered softly, "Who knows if what you're saying is even true."

Chen Nian glanced at him, then said slowly, "The tail end of this Energy Storage Core is partially damaged. Someone probably tried to pry it open to siphon off the Weird Energy inside, but their technique was incredibly crude. You could even say they tried to brute-force it apart."

"Although they stopped immediately upon realizing the Energy Storage Core was at risk of exploding, gaps were still left between a small section of the contact layers. They were never patched up, which led to a Weird Energy leak."

"Furthermore, there are faint marks on the tail section."

Chen Nian looked right at the man, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"They look like bite marks."

The moment he said that, the man shuddered in terror. He stumbled back several steps, his face deathly pale as he waved his hands frantically.

"It wasn't me! I didn't do it!!!"

"My lord, I don't know who did it either!! I really don't!!!"

He looked at Giant Mouth, pleading desperately, terrified that Giant Mouth might lose his temper and swallow him whole on the spot.

Chen Nian paid no mind to Giant Mouth's already exceedingly ugly expression. He continued calmly, "Based on calculations of this Energy Storage Core's operating power and the ice's melting rate, this plate of fried rice has been sitting here for about twenty to twenty-five minutes."

"So, who put it here, and why did they put it here?"

As soon as he finished, Yan Jing smiled.

"I think everyone at this table should be perfectly clear on that."

With that, he walked over to the girl whose face was devoid of all color. He slowly leaned down and said, "This spot is where the dishes are served from, right?"

"Twenty to twenty-five minutes ago would be right before Mr. Giant Mouth announced the turning point for our Old Sin City."

"May I ask, how many of the guests at this table noticed this fried rice?"

At those words, everyone at the table looked at each other in dismay.

Then, a scattered few raised their hands, stating they had noticed a plate of fried rice.

But the vast majority of them had absolutely no recollection of the dish.

Looking closely at the positions of the few who had raised their hands, they were all seated to the left of the dead girl. And sitting to her right was none other than the short-haired girl, Yu Ling.

Yan Jing looked toward the server who had brought out the food, still smiling.

"Sir, was this where you served the fried rice?"

"Yes, y-yes it was."

The server nodded incessantly. At this point, as long as it cleared him of suspicion, he would agree with anything Yan Jing said.

"Then it seems this plate of fried rice never moved with the rotation of the table."

Yan Jing smiled.

"It must have been moved aside right after being served by someone sitting near the serving spot while Mr. Giant Mouth was speaking."

The faces of those seated next to the serving spot immediately changed color.

"Mr. Giant Mouth, I believe Elder Honesty is here, correct? We just need him to question everyone one by one to find out the truth."

Yan Jing looked at Giant Mouth and chuckled.

"Of course, the few of us will accept questioning as well."

Farther away, the heavily bearded Elder Honesty immediately stood up.

"Although a lie-detection test is quite draining, it won't be a problem if the scope is narrowed down to just these few people. In a few hours, I can point out the true culprit!"

Evidently, while this elder wasn't as profusely benevolent as Elder Kindness, who would take everything upon himself, he was still a warmhearted man.

Giant Mouth was just about to agree when, unexpectedly, Yu Ling, who had been sitting quietly the entire time, suddenly spoke up.

"I object!"

She stood up, glaring coldly at Yan Jing.

"Having someone from the Honesty Pathway conduct a lie-detection test is equivalent to allowing his Weird Energy to enter our bodies. For those of us on the Life Pathway, that is absolutely unacceptable."

"Even if that plate of fried rice was placed there, someone else could have poisoned it when we weren't looking. This proves nothing."

"Furthermore, the people seated on the serving side are all from our Dandelion Manor. Your words are undoubtedly implying that we from Dandelion Manor are murdering our own people! And not just implying it—you're trying to humiliate us in front of everyone!"

"Our three factions are about to hold our final summit. Whether or not someone among us is caught lying, your accusations alone will strip us of our bargaining power in the eyes of everyone here!"

At her words, the two leaders from Dandelion Manor immediately stepped forward to voice their refusal of the lie-detection test.

They had also realized that if they let people from other Domains boss them around, none of the guests present would take them seriously anymore.

At the very least, they would be considered a notch beneath Sun-Swallowing Tower.

Just like that, Yu Ling's words successfully elevated the incident from a simple murder case to a political dispute.

Seeing that the lie-detection test was about to be dropped, the people from Sleepland refused to let it slide.

Humiliating Dandelion Manor in public was a great thing for them!

Thus, the scene instantly descended into chaos.

The people from Sleepland and Dandelion Manor began shifting the blame back and forth, each side accusing the other of being the poisoner. This marriage alliance hadn't even begun, yet it had devolved into a screaming match right on the spot. Because of lingering tensions from the incidents over the past few days, there was even a faint trend toward physical violence.

Yan Jing, Old Master Liu, and the others watched the scene with mocking expressions, thoroughly enjoying the show.

Until finally, a thunderous crash brought the farce to an abrupt halt.

Everyone looked over to see Giant Mouth. In a fit of rage, he had effortlessly smashed a massive round table to pieces with a single slap.

"Enough."

Giant Mouth's eyes were gloomy as he glared at the crowd. "This matter ends here."

He couldn't let it go on any longer. This would only turn the three factions into a laughingstock.

He hadn't expected a petty poisoning case to become this complicated just by being tied to the Old Sin City summit.

For a Third Tier expert like him, slaughtering everyone in the room seemed simpler than finding the culprit.

But today, he couldn't kill.

Because of the Third Tier figures backing these people, he couldn't kill. To prevent Sun-Swallowing Tower from becoming public enemy number one, he couldn't kill. And to win the hearts of the people and become the Lord of Old Sin City, he couldn't kill.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiran also seemed to rouse at the deafening crash.

After inquiring about the situation, she shed a few tears before speaking softly.

"Mr. Giant Mouth, today is a special occasion, after all. Since Yu'er's situation still hasn't been figured out after all this time, let's set it aside for now."

"Though it's unfair to Yu'er..."

There was an indescribable sense of desolation in her smile.

"Right now, everything is just conjecture without any real clues. If we ruin such an important occasion over groundless suspicions, then our Dandelion Manor will truly become the sinners of Old Sin City."

"Compared to the future of Old Sin City, everything else can be put on hold."

A heavy silence fell over the crowd.

It was true. Right now, they only had witness testimony with no hard evidence. It was impossible to know how long the bickering would drag on.

In comparison, while the drama was entertaining to watch, Old Sin City only having ten years left was the true crisis.

Just as everyone accepted that this matter would be left unresolved, and just as an imperceptible smile crept onto Yu Xiran's face...

...a strained voice suddenly rang out.

"F-f-found it!!"

The crowd turned toward the sound, looking at where Mantou was.

They saw the Cerebral Palsy Girl, who had always lacked presence within the Rotten Vegetable Village Foursome. At some point, she had run over to a nearby trash can, practically burying half her body inside it. Now, she struggled to her feet, lifting a small handful of ash wrapped in paper. She offered a foolish, simple-minded grin.

"I-it... it... it's this!"

"This is the same... same as the p-poison in the... in the plate...!!"

At those words, everyone's eyes widened.

The exact same... as the poison on the plate?

Did that mean, right now, the girl wearing the Electric Helmet was holding the toxin in her hands?!!

A moment ago they had no clues, and now one had just been found?!

Looking at that massive trash can, and then at the girl's small, thin frame, the crowd found it hard to imagine how she had done it.

Yan Jing's eyes lit up. He ran over, took Mantou's hand, and gripped the paper holding the pinch of ash. He turned to Giant Mouth. "Sir, this ash should be what was left behind after the murderer used weird energy to destroy the toxin. It shouldn't be hard to find the real culprit now, right?"

As he spoke, his gaze flicked across to Yu Xiran and Yu Ling. Yu Xiran's head was slightly bowed at this moment, hiding her eyes, but the hatred radiating from her was already becoming impossible to suppress.

Giant Mouth looked at the pinch of ash in Yan Jing's hand, his eyes lighting up.

"Who will perform the Anomalous Energy Detection?"

He looked at the crowd. This matter involved their three parties; if possible, it would naturally be best to have someone else perform it.

"I will," a cold voice said.

The tall Lu Miao and An Ze walked over.

"Order Management Bureau, Fourth Level executive team leader, Lu Miao," she said flatly.

"I've heard of you." Giant Mouth grinned. "The Order Management Bureau's Anomalous Energy Detection is a specialty. Please, go ahead."

Very quickly, Lu Miao completed the Anomalous Energy Detection.

Now, she only needed to perform an extremely simple Anomalous Energy Detection on everyone to find who had planted the poison.

Of course, for the Order Management Bureau, this also had to follow the rules—it required the other party's consent to proceed.

But... everyone knew that at this point, if anyone refused the simplest Anomalous Energy Detection, it was undoubtedly a confession.

Immediately, everyone's nerves pulled taut, wanting to know who the murderer actually was.

But unexpectedly, before Lu Miao could begin her detection, a figure suddenly went limp and collapsed to the floor.

The crowd looked over to see Yu Ling crumpled on the ground. Tears streamed down her face, soaking through her white veil:

"It was me! I did it!"

"I'm sorry, everyone! I'm sorry!!"

"But I didn't know it was poison... I just thought it was..."

She no longer had her previous impassioned indignation, but trembled all over, seemingly terrified to the extreme.

As she spoke, she raised her hand. Weird energy flared, and she moved to slash her own neck.

But a streak of weird energy struck her neck first. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

The one who struck her was Yu Xiran, standing beside her.

"I've made a fool of myself before everyone," Yu Xiran sighed. "I didn't expect Yu Ling to do such a thing. It seems Dandelion Manor has indeed been poorly managed. For this meeting, we will step down from the primary seats and invite Sleepland and Sun-Swallowing Tower to discuss matters first."

"As for Yu Ling, we will deal with her severely."

"But after all... After all, Ling'er and I grew up together. I hope everyone can show a little leniency."

Saying this, Yu Xiran gave a deep bow to the crowd.

After that bow, she gave another deep bow to Giant Mouth and the people from Sleepland.

Finally, she bowed to Yan Jing and his companions.

"I've caused you trouble."

At this moment, she was no longer the woman who cried at the drop of a hat. She was clear-headed and decisive enough.

She admitted what needed to be admitted.

She entirely cut loose what needed to be cut loose.

And the person who died was, after all, from Dandelion Manor.

Their own people had killed their own people.

Outsiders seemingly had no way to pursue the matter.

Moreover, she was the main character today, the future hope of Old Sin City.

Therefore, the crowd calmly accepted her apology.

Even Giant Mouth did not get angry, merely nodding.

As for whether his lack of anger meant he truly accepted Yu Xiran's apology, or if he was giving some face to Madam Yu, who hadn't appeared in years, that remained unknown.

So the matter was about to conclude just like that.

In this third clash between Yan Jing and this existence of "desire," it seemed Yan Jing had won, but not by much.

This was the inequality of status.

If the one who lost was Yan Jing, then the one who died would also be him.

But the one who lost was Yu Xiran, so the one bowing was just her.

However...

Yan Jing smiled:

"I accept your apology, Miss Yu Xiran."

"And I wish you and Mr. Meng Qianqiu a hundred years of harmony."

"However, I have a question. Why is it that Miss Yu Ling committed the murder, yet you are the one apologizing?"

"She has already fainted," Yu Xiran replied coldly.

"Yes, but she wasted so much of our time and even tried to put me to death, yet... I haven't even seen her face."

Yan Jing sighed:

"I only have one small request, which is to see the face of the person who framed me. For no other reason, I just want to see what the person who framed me looks like."

"I know we are just ordinary residents with no status and no standing, but... to be casually framed like this and not even know what the other party looks like..."

"Sigh... forget it... I know, we are just ordinary residents of Old Sin City."

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Yu Xiran clenched her fists fiercely, her fingertips nearly digging into her palms.

This was her method from just now!!

But now, it was being used by Yan Jing!

Ordinarily, no one would care about Yan Jing's appeal. Just as he said, he was nothing but an ordinary resident.

But today was different.

Sure enough, after Yan Jing's voice fell.

The first to speak were that group of 'Kindness' residents from Virtue Bridge.

"Look at this murderer's face!!"

"Ordinary residents also have human rights!!!"

Next were the other residents of Virtue Bridge.

Coming from the same place, they naturally had to strongly support him.

After that were the two residents from Rotten Vegetable Village who came to cook.

Then, Mad Amusement Park.

Then came the employees of Sun-Swallowing Tower. These naive residents felt a deep sense of resonance with Yan Jing's words.

Following that, the people from the Death Club surprisingly joined in as well.

Then came Sleepland, for no other reason than they wished for Dandelion Manor's death.

Ultimately, everyone's voices gathered into a wave, almost lifting the roof off the main reception hall.

"Look at that murderer's face!!!!"

In this wave, let alone a ship like Yu Xiran, even the ship of Dandelion Manor would be capsized!

And if someone was going to be capsized, naturally someone would seize this wave.

"Let this gentleman see, Miss Yu Xiran!"

Giant Mouth said.

He finally saw the public sentiment he had hoped for, and now, he would grasp it in his hands.

Even if only for a moment.

After Giant Mouth spoke, Yu Xiran clenched her fists, her eyes full of dejection and unwillingness, her whole body trembling.

Finally, with the decisive word from the two persons in charge beside her, the veil on Yu Ling's face was slowly lifted.

Beneath the veil was an incredibly ordinary face.

The instant the veil was lifted, a tide of applause and cheers erupted in the main reception hall.

People did not care what that face actually looked like.

But today, that face had to be seen by people.

In such a carnival, no one noticed Yan Jing's profound gaze after he saw that face.

In his mind, that vague feeling finally descended.

The feeling he once had in Mad Amusement Park now reappeared.

Rings of misty memories rippled in his mind.

"Ah Ji, look at me, am I beautiful?"

"Ah Ji, am I beautiful?"

"Beautiful."

"Ah Ji, here, eat this."

"Thank you."

"Ah Ji, how much longer do we have to stay here?"

"I don't know."

"Ah Ji, why don't you like to smile?"

"Mm."

"You should smile more. You look good when you smile."

"Mm."

"Ah Ji, would you be willing to, for me..."

The voice gradually faded in Yan Jing's ears. That was as far as it went.

The Cameraman must have wiped every memory involving the face before him completely clean.

Those scenes were hazy, entirely devoid of clear details. He could only make out that the two of them seemed to have grown up together.

The Cameraman harbored intense affection for the owner of that face.

Then, once they grew up, the Cameraman left their childhood home with her.

That was all he could discern.

Everything after that was a complete blank.

But... what exactly was the Cameraman's long-cherished wish?

As he pondered this, a wave of intense hatred suddenly erupted in his chest.

And its target pointed straight at Yu Ling's face as she lay before him.

Kill her?

Yan Jing's heart stirred. He immediately lowered his gaze, concealing the murderous intent his body had generated on its own.

Fortunately, he had already turned his body sideways to face the group from Rotten Vegetable Village.

He couldn't kill her. At the very least, he couldn't kill her here.

Besides, she might not even be the one he needed to kill.

Just as he prepared to leave that space within his mind, another scene suddenly appeared before his eyes.

On a patch of pitch-black soil, the Cameraman squatted and buried a box in the earth.

"No one will disturb this place," the Cameraman muttered to himself.

"At least there's a tiny sliver of a chance it will make me remember you."

After saying that, he stood up, turned around, and left.

The surrounding air was a vast expanse of hazy white mist, making it entirely impossible to distinguish the location.

Judging from his words, however, it seemed the Cameraman had found a place to bury something that could awaken his memories.

That was it. Yan Jing's heart leaped.

If the Cameraman still held strong feelings for the owner of that face back then, he definitely wouldn't have completely deleted his memories of her without leaving himself a way out.

And among the Cameraman's memory-related abilities, there was indeed the power to create backups.

It was just a matter of where he had buried those memories...

Yan Jing pondered that phrase: "No one will disturb this place."

An idea formed in his mind.

With that, he exited the space within his mind.

He once again looked at Yu Ling's face before him, and then at Yu Xiran beside her.

At this moment, Yu Xiran's beautiful eyes were filled with resentment as she glared at Yan Jing, looking as though she wished she could swallow him alive.

Yan Jing smiled faintly.

The words Yu Xiran had spoken after throwing herself at him earlier now seemed like nothing more than a lure.

Yu Ling was the true entity of desire.

After all, memories didn't lie.

But... was that really the case?

Yan Jing nodded and said, "Thank you for your generosity, Miss Yu Xiran. I wish you and Mr. Meng Qianqiu a hundred years of harmony."

With that said, Yan Jing led the others away amidst the cheers and applause of the crowd.

Upon returning to their table, Yan Jing individually expressed his gratitude to everyone.

The words of support they had offered just now owed much to the group's active encouragement.

As a reward, Yan Jing opened the box containing the fried rice.

Immediately, the sound of people swallowing saliva echoed around the table.

"There are plenty of ingredients. Once this is finished, I'll fry up some more," Yan Jing said with a smile.

At those words, everyone at the table cheered.

Just like that, the group's meal lasted late into the night.

With fine food paired with good wine, everyone at the table grew a little tipsy.

"Wuu wuu wuu—waa waa waa— (Wuu wuu wuu, the fried rice is so good!)"

Rose wiped away her tears while stuffing fried rice into her mouth.

This was already the fifth bowl she had eaten using the mouth on her face.

Besides those five bowls, she had eaten another five using the mouth on her stomach.

Overcome with emotion, Rose hugged Mantou and bawled loudly, "(Miss Mantou, when you marry Mr. Yi Ji, could you please hire me to work at your house?)"

One-Eye was equally enraptured by the meal.

Though he didn't cry out loud like Rose, after getting Yan Jing's permission, he directly packed up five portions to take back to his mom.

The portion currently in his hands was his seventh bowl.

An Ze and Tiger were completely drunk.

The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, arms linked, singing at the top of their lungs.

"Tonight is a good day, a good day—"

Surprisingly, Lu Miao didn't find the scene too noisy. She sat there quietly and pulled out her book again.

She had also eaten a lot of fried rice and drank plenty of wine.

For her, that amount of alcohol was clearly a drop in the bucket.

However, as Yan Jing mixed drinks, he noticed that while she flipped through the book, she would occasionally pause and zone out.

Cheng Xin and Shan Shan were also somewhat drunk, becoming the second pair at the table to start bickering.

"I think sometimes you're just too kind, too kind. You need to be tougher! Don't just agree with everything other people say."

"Yes, you're right. I am too kind sometimes."

"You mother—%*@#—"

As for the other bickering pair...

They had their arms around each other's shoulders, huddled together in drunken conversation.

"Kid Chen, let me tell you, I've got a big plan."

"Oh? How big?"

"Big, huge, incredibly big! I'm afraid I'll scare you if I say it!"

"What a coincidence. I have a big plan too."

"Then let's compare!"

Old Master Liu's stubbornness flared up.

"Bring it on."

Chen Nian didn't care about anything else, but when it came to competing with Old Master Liu, he never yielded a single inch.

"This plan of mine..." Old Master Liu lowered his voice and spoke slowly:

"...has to do with a god."

After speaking, he sat up straight and looked at Chen Nian, all traces of drunkenness completely gone from his face.

He stared intently at Chen Nian's face, hoping to glean some clue from his expression—such as whether Chen Nian would join his plan, or whether he would be frightened.

After all, the words he had just spoken were shocking enough.

If word got out, people would think he was crazy.

But to his surprise, Chen Nian suddenly smiled.

He looked down at the table and chuckled softly. "What a coincidence."

"My plan has to do with the earth."

At those words, Old Master Liu's eyes lit up.

He suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"I didn't expect that you were a madman too, kid."

"And I didn't expect an old geezer like you, who sounded completely devoid of fighting spirit earlier, to actually harbor such ambitions in your heart."

Chen Nian said calmly, "But ultimately, it still depends on whether a certain someone is interested."

"True, someone has to lead the way."

With that said, both of them simultaneously looked toward Yan Jing, who was mixing drinks nearby.

Under the dim lighting, his slender hands gripped a Cocktail Shaker. With a casual toss, it traced a perfect arc through the air, flipped several times, and landed firmly back in his grip.

The crisp clink of ice cubes against the cup, accompanied by the swish of liquid, evoked thoughts of crashing ocean waves at the height of summer.

The mixing process was a part of the drink itself.

Yan Jing looked up at the two men, who were acting unusually serious and secretive, and paused.

"Why are you giving me that look? Did you taste the cheap soda I used to water down the liquor?"

With that, Yan Jing successfully earned himself two middle fingers.

"Don't worry, it's easy to get this kid on board," Old Master Liu said with a chuckle. "He's the type who can't bring himself to refuse after you've helped him."

"You mean to say..." Chen Nian said.

"Exactly, you noticed it too, didn't you?"

Old Master Liu stroked his beard and spoke leisurely, "We're going to help him kill that woman."

Chen Nian nodded. "Alright."

With that, the two exchanged a smile.

Ever since Tiger suggested lifting that girl's veil that afternoon, both of them had sensed that something wasn't quite right.

It wasn't until just now, when Yan Jing was about to lift the veil again, that the increasingly suspicious duo focused their attention on his face as he turned around.

That was when they caught that fleeting trace of murderous intent.

It was a kind of hatred they had never seen from Yan Jing before.

As for why Yan Jing wanted to kill that woman, they didn't know, nor did they care.

They had lived through far, far too much in their lives.

If Yan Jing wanted to kill her, the two of them would help him do it.

Just like when Old Master Liu had been bombed this time; the group said they would handle it, and they did.

Thus, early the next morning...

"I need to take a trip to Solitude Lane," Yan Jing announced to the group. "I'll leave as soon as the results of the banquet's discussions are out."

Solitude Lane?

Old Master Liu and Chen Nian recalled that Yu Xiran and her group were also heading to Solitude Lane after finishing the marriage alliance.

The two exchanged a glance and spoke up:

"The three of us are going too!!"

Yan Jing looked at the group volunteering to tag along and blinked in confusion. "I have business in Solitude Lane this time. Why are you all coming?"

"We... well, obviously we have business too. As for what..."

Old Master Liu trailed off, elbowing Chen Nian beside him and winking furiously.

"Yeah. I've decided to become a Ward Chief," Chen Nian said.

Terrible at making excuses, Chen Nian never rested until his words startled someone. He added, "This old guy insisted on tagging along. I couldn't shake him off no matter how hard I tried."

"Then what about Mantou?"

Yan Jing turned to look at the completely bewildered Mantou.

Judging by her expression, she had absolutely no idea what was going on.

It was as if she had just been notified on the spot.

But Old Master Liu smoothly covered for her.

"It's Nizi, don't you know? Wherever you go, she's bound to follow."

"Right, Nizi?"

Hearing this, Mantou's blank eyes instantly cleared.

"Y-Yes! Mantou also... also wants to go!"

She nodded forcefully.

No matter where it was, as long as she could spend a little more time with Yi Ji, she would go.

Yan Jing blinked. After a moment of thought, he nodded. "Then let's go together."

And so, the group skipped work for the day, sitting in the bar to wait for the negotiation results.

Before long, An Ze dragged a large burlap sack through the bar doors.

In his other hand, he clutched something resembling an advertisement flyer.

The moment he entered, he raised his hand and waved it in the air.

"The negotiation results are out!"

Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

An Ze dropped the burlap sack.

Holding the flyer with both hands, he cleared his throat and announced:

"This marriage alliance has been a complete success."

"After three-party deliberations, it has been decided: if the child born to Yu Xiran and Meng Qianqiu possesses a single Pathway, they will be raised by either Sleepland or Dandelion Manor, depending on the nature of their Pathway."

"If the child possesses dual Pathways, they will be jointly raised by all three parties. The child will be taken in by Mr. Giant Mouth as an adopted child. Furthermore, during their development, their primary education and living environment from ages 0 to 15 will be provided by Sun-Swallowing Tower. From ages 15 to 25, their primary education and living environment will be provided by Sleepland, while financial support and marriage arrangements will be handled by Dandelion Manor."

"Once the child turns 18, they will obtain complete autonomy. Past the age of 25, the three parties are obligated to help secure their position as the Lord of Old Sin City."

"Prior to the child's birth, all matters will be handled by Yu Xiran and Meng Qianqiu, located in the 18th Ward of Solitude Lane."

"That is all."

Everyone understood the implications upon hearing this.

It was obvious from these results that Dandelion Manor was the absolute loser of the negotiations.

Originally, this marriage alliance should have left the power dynamic as Dandelion Manor equaling Sleepland, with both greater than Sun-Swallowing Tower. But after everything that had happened, Sun-Swallowing Tower had come from behind, forcing Dandelion Manor to the bottom.

"Did it say when Yu Xiran and the others will depart?" Yan Jing asked.

"It should be tonight," An Ze recalled after a moment's thought.

"Good." Yan Jing nodded, then turned to Rose and One-Eye. "Xiao Mei, Xiao Yan, I'll leave this place in your hands."

Points couldn't be traded, but a storefront could.

Yan Jing didn't know how long it would be before he returned. Even if he kept the shop under his name, the Tower would automatically reclaim it after two days of unexcused absence. He figured he might as well transfer the place to Rose and One-Eye.

By the same logic, meals couldn't be stolen, but they could be gifted. Yan Jing used his remaining Points to buy a meal card—enough to provide One-Eye and Rose with a luxury meal every day for the next six months.

As for what would happen after those six months, he figured Old Sin City would have undergone massive changes by then, and it wouldn't be his problem to manage anyway.

"Boss— sob —"

Rose wept, her face covered in snot and tears. Her language faculties had suffered severe damage while she was under control, yet to everyone's surprise, the first word she managed to articulate during her steady recovery was "Boss."

This orphaned girl had rarely eaten a full meal since the day she was born.

All she remembered was that if she ate too much at the foster care center, the staff would beat her palms.

But ever since Yan Jing arrived, the luxury meals had never stopped. He let her eat as much as she wanted, never scolding her once, only smiling and telling her to eat slower.

Coupled with yesterday's fried rice, her reluctance to part with Yan Jing now was entirely understandable.

"Boss— Waaaaah! (No one's ever treated me this well before!)— sob, sob, sob! "

Accepting the meal card, Rose cried even harder, her face a mess of snot and tears as she gasped for breath.

"Alright now, it's not like I'm dead," Yan Jing chuckled, patting Rose's head.

At this, Rose completely lost control of her tears. She hugged Mantou beside her, begging Mantou to make sure she called her over to work for them in the future.

Meanwhile, One-Eye had been acting unnatural ever since he learned that Yan Jing and the others were leaving.

He had just run out, and upon returning, he held a lunchbox in his hands. Stepping forward, he spoke with a hint of embarrassment.

"Boss, this... this is fried rice made by my mom."

"It's not as good as the one you make, Boss, but please accept it."

"You can eat it on the road if you get hungry."

"Alright." Yan Jing nodded, putting the lunchbox away.

Just as they turned to leave, An Ze handed the burlap sack to Yan Jing.

"Mr. Yi Ji, the boss asked me to give this to you."

"She said it's to pay for yesterday's meal."

Yan Jing took the sack and peeked inside.

Inside lay a dense pile of small, black stones—they were none other than Fear Hearts.

"Give Officer Lu my thanks," Yan Jing said, accepting the burlap sack.

He absorbed over a dozen of them on the spot.

He had long since used up the ones he got from the Amusement Park.

These items were indeed incredibly helpful for the advancement of existences on the Fear Pathway, but there was a daily limit to how many could be absorbed.

Yan Jing estimated that if he could fully absorb this entire sack, this body wouldn't be far from the Second Tier.

Rose and One-Eye walked them all the way to the entrance of Sun-Swallowing Tower.

Only then did they reluctantly part ways.

Just as the group was waiting at the Fear Station to catch the bus, a rather shady-looking figure sprinted desperately from the doors of Sun-Swallowing Tower.

"Mr. Tiger?" Yan Jing looked at the panting man in surprise. "Why are you here?"

"I-I'm here to deliver something to you, Mr. Yi Ji."

Breathing heavily, Tiger handed a scroll to Yan Jing.

"This is the portrait of 'Mr. San' you wanted to see."

"Thanks." Yan Jing truly hadn't expected this. Even he had temporarily shelved the matter of the portrait, yet Tiger had actually remembered.

Seeing Tiger hemming and hawing after handing over the portrait, and noticing Old Master Liu winking frantically at him from the side, Yan Jing smiled helplessly.

"Are you planning to go to Solitude Lane too?"

"Huh? ...Ah, oh, right! Yes, yes I am!" Tiger snapped back to reality, nodding happily.

Yan Jing smiled and shook his head. He shifted his gaze from Tiger toward the Unstable Domain in the distance.

"Mr. Tiger, I don't know what Old Master Liu promised you, but I have to make things clear right now."

"Sometimes, the things I do aren't because I want to do them, but because I have to."

"The Old Man and Old Chen tag along because they have the strength to do so. Mantou tags along because she wants to—and whatever she wants to do, I'll support her."

"But you're different, Mr. Tiger."

"Everyone's situation is unique."

"Mr. Tiger, the road ahead is long and rough. If you haven't thought this through, you'd best not get on this bus."

Just as Yan Jing finished speaking, that familiar, practically scrapped bus rattled out of the distant Unstable Domain and pulled to a steady stop in front of them.

Yan Jing and the others boarded the bus one by one. Old Master Liu was the last. He looked at the dazed Tiger, reached out, and patted his shoulder without urging him on like he had before.

Then, he too climbed aboard.

The bus doors were just about to slide shut.

In Tiger's mind, the words Old Master Liu had spoken to him earlier echoed:

"From the moment a person is born, their fate is set. Some people are naturally born above the rest. Others have to beg the heavens just to live like a decent human being. If you want to change your fate, you have to risk everything."

"Right now, the chance to change your fate is right in front of you. If you want to defy the heavens and change your fate, you have to let go of some things and take a gamble."

"And whether or not you place that bet depends entirely on how much you trust this kid."

Thinking back to the Amusement Park that day, Tiger finally gritted his teeth and hopped onto the bus at the very last second before the doors closed.

Damn it, it was just one rotten life.

He, Tiger, no longer wanted to be the guy sent out to test if there was a bomb.

He wanted to be the guy sitting safely at home, lightly tossing out the line, "Good thing I didn't go, or I would've been blown up."

The trip on the Terror Bus went perfectly smoothly.

Nothing happened from the moment they boarded until they got off.

The only minor incident occurred when the long-haired conductor sitting by the door noticed the leftover Fear Heart in Yan Jing's hand—a remnant after a portion had been absorbed—and looked visibly tempted.

But upon sensing the aura radiating from that cloth bag, she pursed her lips and consciously averted her gaze.

Clearly, when Lu Miao took those Fear Hearts back to Rotten Vegetable Village last time, something had happened between her and this conductor.

After disembarking, Yan Jing looked at his surroundings with a hint of surprise.

The Terror Station in this Domain was completely different from those in other places.

A crudely crafted wooden sign was planted askew in the black soil, the station name and route written on it in marker.

Other than that, there was neither a rain shelter nor a platform.

"Those guys in Solitude Lane don't want anyone coming here, so they dismantled the platform."

Old Master Liu, who had been here once before, said, "I heard that from someone inside who calls himself a 'Historian.'"

Yan Jing nodded. He thought of the book in his hand, "History of Old Sin City."

It did mention that during the early days when the Terror Station was first formed, a war broke out between it and Solitude Lane, which had always existed in Old Sin City.

Rumor had it that the war was extremely brutal. Solitude Lane emerged victorious; they smashed the Terror Station's buses to pieces, dismantled the chassis, and threw the tires into the river under Virtue Bridge. The bus they saw today was a restored version.

However, one could imagine the Terror Station must have gained some advantage as well, seeing as they ultimately established a stop in Solitude Lane.

Past the wooden sign lay an empty expanse of black land that stretched endlessly into the distance, meeting the sky like a desolate wilderness. Just looking at it evoked a profound sense of isolation.

The group walked forward along a "path" beneath their feet that could only be described as a faint set of tracks.

After walking for a full few kilometers, they finally saw the first object aside from the black soil:

A wooden sign.

Written on it was:

"Thirty-Third District"

Scattered beside the sign were wooden splinters. The remnants of a foundation and support beams were faintly visible, surrounded by a chaotic mess of footprints.

It looked as though a house had originally stood here, but someone had ultimately torn it down.

Yan Jing recalled the information about Solitude Lane that Shen Youran had given him after he logged out of the Inner World last night.

[Solitude Lane is exactly thirty-three li long and thirty-three li wide.]

[Calculated by its length, for every li of distance, there is a Ward Chief. Ranging from the Thirty-Third Ward Chief to the First Ward Chief, the smaller the number, the higher their status.]

[During Stage A of this Dungeon, Players usually form teams of two. One takes on the role of a Solitude Servant, while the other takes on the role of a Ward Chief. As long as they successfully serve as a Ward Chief in Solitude Lane for five days, it counts as a success.]

[The rule of this Domain is absolute solitude. If there are more than three living beings within a single li of land, after thirty minutes, they will automatically divide into groups of no more than three and generate intense hostility toward any unit outside their own group.]

Old Master Liu was also aware of this rule and immediately explained it to the group:

"This Domain dictates a maximum of three people traveling together. We have to split into teams of two and three to avoid any accidents."

"Alright, then I will team up with you and him."

It was Chen Nian who spoke; the "him" referred to Tiger.

"Then it's settled."

Old Master Liu immediately finalized the decision, pulling Tiger over without caring whether he was willing or not.

"There seem to be two ways to become a Ward Chief, but what were those two ways again..."

Old Master Liu pondered. He was getting old and sometimes suffered from a spotty memory.

"If someone belongs to the 'Pride' Pathway, they can spot which of the thirty-three li of land is vacant, walk onto it, and automatically become the Ward Chief."

"If someone doesn't belong to the 'Pride' Pathway, they need to defeat the Ward Chief they have their eye on. They must either kill him or beat him at his own strong suit."

It was Yan Jing who spoke. He attributed the source of this information to a guest who had visited his bar.

As for which guest, he didn't say, and no one could verify it anyway.

"Yes, that's exactly it."

Old Master Liu looked left and right. "This Thirty-Third District doesn't seem to have a Ward Chief. I wonder if something happened."

Yan Jing knew exactly what had happened.

Because the head of the Thirty-Third Ward Chief was currently in his possession.

But he couldn't say that, so he simply said:

"Let's keep walking. We aren't from the 'Pride' Pathway, so an empty plot of land means nothing to us."

He had come this time to find the memories buried by Cameraman.

The more places he examined, the more confident he would be in pinpointing the exact location.

As for this Thirty-Third District, although it was possible the memories were buried here, the messy footprints on the ground didn't seem to fit Cameraman's description of a place "where no one would disturb it."

The group continued forward along the faint tracks.

A few hundred meters later, another sign appeared on the ground.

Only, unlike the previous wooden sign, this one was made of iron: "Thirty-Second Village."

"If a Ward Chief runs to another Ward Chief's home, it means they are issuing a challenge to that Ward Chief. It's a best-two-out-of-three match. For the first two rounds, each person sets the rules for a competition, and the final round is a fight to the death."

"If someone who isn't a Ward Chief runs to a Ward Chief's home, they either have to beat him and become the Ward Chief themselves, or if they are just passing through, they must accept the other party's entry toll. Otherwise, they cannot move forward."

Old Master Liu explained.

Evidently, this Domain, just like the others, possessed its own unique set of rules.

"If anyone violates the above rules, they will be dragged underground by the black soil beneath their feet and buried alive."

"Rumor has it that this black soil was formed from a few grains of dirt casually tossed by a great existence from ancient times. Because 'Pride' causes inflation, those grains eventually expanded into these thirty-three li of land."

Old Master Liu spoke slowly:

"That 'Historian' specifically dragged me over to ramble about all this nonsense for half the day. That was his entry toll."

As he said this, one could faintly hear his deep-seated resentment toward this so-called 'Historian.'

Sure enough, after finishing his sentence, Old Master Liu didn't even try to hide his intentions as he declared to Chen Nian and Tiger:

"He's in the Twenty-Eighth District. This time, we're going to wreck him!"

"What did he do to you?"

Chen Nian asked, "Just because he made you listen to his gibberish for half the day?"

"No."

Old Master Liu slowly shook his head and took off his sunglasses. His eyes—one black and one white—were filled with fury as he said indignantly, "It's because he talked a lot of trash about my hometown!"

"He said everyone from there is a psycho! He even said my hometown is backward and ignorant! That it's full of local thugs!!!"

"If I hadn't wanted to avoid becoming some brain-dead Ward Chief last time, I would have wrecked him right then and there!"

"I think he's the real psycho here!"

"I'm giving you a heads-up right now. Some people in this place are alright, but a lot of them are extremely obnoxious."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Then let's first see what kind of character this Ward Chief of the Thirty-Second Village is."

The group looked to the right of the iron sign.

There were two houses on the black ground: a tall, sturdy cone-shaped structure and an ordinary-looking wooden cabin.

The tall house had a pointed roof, with four ridges sloping down from the peak, making it look like a pyramid.

Dense clusters of objects were stuffed tightly within the house's four metal frames, coming together to form its four walls.

One wall was made of ghastly white bones.

One was made of darkened flesh and blood.

One was made of all sorts of bizarrely shaped heads.

And the final wall was made of genitals.

The door was set in the wall of white bones. Yan Jing walked up and knocked.

A short moment later, the door opened.

Behind the door stood a man dressed as a servant, his expression wooden.

He led the group into the house.

Immediately after, the group saw the Ward Chief of this plot of land.

He had slightly parted, choppy hair and wore a black plaid shirt. A long severed finger was tucked behind his left ear. The severed base of the finger dripped blood that looked like red ink.

Spread out before him was a massive sheet of white paper bearing the sketch of an unfinished, majestic building.

After the group entered, he raised his head to look at them, his eyes bursting with a sharp glint:

"So many bugs have arrived."

"Good. Good, good, good."

"Do you want to pass through, or do you want to challenge me?"

Yan Jing stood in front of Old Master Liu and Chen Nian, whose faces had already darkened, and said:

"What is the entry toll?"

"The entry toll is leaving behind one of your body parts to become a part of my house!"

The man threw his arms wide open, squeezed his eyes shut, and took a deep breath:

"It is your honor to become a part of such a great building!"

"Come on, choose. Bones? Flesh?"

"Or heads and genitals?"

The man wore an intoxicated expression.

"Then we choose to challenge."

Yan Jing said slowly.

"A challenge?"

The man looked a bit surprised and opened his eyes. "You want to compete with me in building a house?"

"Heh, how truly ridiculous."

He began to laugh, shaking his head as if he didn't take them seriously at all.

Yan Jing also shook his head.

"We don't know how to build a house."

As his voice faded, the sound of gulping echoed in the quiet room.

Tiger hurriedly covered his mouth.

He was a little scared and hadn't been able to hold it in.

"You don't know how to build a house?"

A mocking sneer crossed the man's face.

"I thought you lot were just a bunch of bugs. Now it seems you're not even fit to be called that."

"Even bugs know how to build houses! And they do a decent job of it, too!"

With that, he stood and grabbed the severed finger resting over his ear. In an instant, it stretched into a long, fleshy staff.

"Since you've chosen to fight, who's up?"

He let out a cold laugh. "But only one of you can stay inside the house to fight me. Those are the rules."

"If you're eager to die, you still have to wait your turn."

As his voice fell, Chen Nian turned to Old Master Liu.

"Did you run into this guy the last time you came through here?"

Old Master Liu shook his head.

He had been a little angry earlier, but now he saw there was no point. This guy was a total psychopath.

"When I was here last, there was an old lady about my age. She said her toll was just that we not disturb her painting."

"In fact, the toll for a lot of people around here is just that you leave them alone."

As Old Master Liu finished speaking, the man in the black plaid shirt sneered.

"You mean that old hag? I killed her, of course. Four parts of her body became part of these walls."

"You might not know this, but I used to be the Twenty-Third Li Chief."

"But I was too foolish back then. I didn't realize that if my position was set too far inside, I'd never get enough materials to build the greatest house in the world."

"Now that my position is further out, I finally get to enjoy the perks."

"I get disturbed constantly, but it doesn't matter. Once I kill them all, they naturally can't talk anymore."

"Honestly, you should feel honored. This building of mine follows the optimal proportions..."

"..."

"Did you understand?"

The man lowered the blueprint in his hand. He had just spent a solid seven or eight minutes detailing his magnificent design concepts, hoping the fools sitting across from him could comprehend them. Even if they grasped a mere fraction, it would benefit them for a lifetime.

But...

"A six," Old Master Liu said.

"Seven," Chen Nian said.

"Bomb with threes," Yan Jing said, throwing down four cards.

"You're using a bomb on a seven?!" Old Master Liu complained. He and Yan Jing were the peasants, and Chen Nian was the landlord.

"Don't panic, just watch my big airplane—"

"What are you doing?!!!"

A furious roar erupted behind them. They turned to see the man in a complete rage. Veins bulged on his forehead as he swung his severed-finger staff, the air whistling around it.

"If you want to die, then hurry up!!!"

Yan Jing looked back at the group.

"Who's up?"

"I... I... I'll do it...!"

Mantou took the lead, throwing her small hand into the air with a fiercely resolute expression on her little face.

Yan Jing nodded.

"Alright, then I'll take this one."

"Eh...?"

Before Mantou could react, Old Master Liu grabbed her by the scooter helmet and carried her out the door.

"Finish him off quickly and come back out. We've got ground to cover."

Old Master Liu tossed the remark over his shoulder.

The rest of them walked out the door.

By now, the man standing across from him had been pushed to the absolute breaking point of his fury.

He had always thought of himself as arrogant enough, but now he realized that compared to these people, he had been holding back!

These damn bugs hadn't taken him seriously at all!!!

With that thought, he looked at Yan Jing and gave a cruel smile.

He was going to vent every ounce of his burning rage onto the man before him. That way, when those bugs finally came back inside, he could thoroughly enjoy the looks of sheer horror on their faces.

Thinking of this, he readied the long staff in his hands.

But...

"Twenty-Third Li Chief, Mo Chou. Your specialty is architecture, and your tier is Senior First Tier, on the verge of the Second Tier. Aside from the First Tier abilities of the Pride System, you're also skilled with a long staff. The staff in your hands drips blood when swung, and that blood is highly corrosive. Am I right?"

Yan Jing spoke slowly. The more he said, the wider the man's eyes opened.

"How... how do you know that?"

"Are you a fan of mine?!" he asked, a sudden note of pleasant surprise in his voice.

"I'm your successor."

The Thorn Spear materialized in Yan Jing's grasp. After the Fear Tree ascended to black-purple quality, the spear's appearance had also changed.

The thorns had multiplied, coiling tightly around the shaft to give the originally slender weapon a weightier look, though its balance in his hands remained completely unaffected.

Dark thorns wove together to form a grip right where his hands rested. Rows of sharp barbs spiraled upward to blossom at the spearhead, with pitch-black flowers blooming upon every long spike. Surprisingly, the Power of the White Stone had also followed Yan Jing into the Inner World, transforming into vines similar to the thorns and unfurling lustrous white flowers.

As Yan Jing lightly swung the Black and White Dual-Colored Long Spear, petals drifted down from the air. One of them landed on the man standing across from him.

Instantly, his pupils contracted sharply, as if he had just witnessed something utterly terrifying. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Although this state lasted for a mere half-second, sometimes a half-second was enough to change everything.

This was the Fear Thorn's new ability. When swung, petals of fear would fall from the sky, forcing an opponent to recall their deepest terrors the moment they made contact.

"You're perfect practice material."

The long spear in Yan Jing's hand sliced through the air, leaving behind a dark residual streak of light. He took a massive stride forward, closing the distance in a flash.

Only then did the man scramble to raise his own staff in defense.

Spear and staff clashed, sending ripples of weird energy expanding outward in every direction.

But... in that very same split second, the fleshy staff was cleanly severed in two!!!

The man spat out a mouthful of blood and stumbled backward, staring at Yan Jing in sheer horror.

He hadn't expected to be unable to withstand even a single strike from this opponent.

It was as if the Yan Jing standing before him had completely surpassed the realm of the First Tier.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing kept a loose grip on his spear, lightly tapping the tip against the floor as he slowly advanced, his eyes utterly calm.

Miserable screams echoed from the exact point where the spear tip met the ground.

"Click—"

The sound of a camera shutter rang out abruptly amidst the screaming.

Fear instantly filled the entire room...

A few minutes later, Yan Jing opened the door.

The others filed back into the room to find the man slumped in the corner. There were five bloody holes in his body: one between his eyebrows, one between his legs, one in his waist, and two more between the ribs on either side of his chest.

His eyes were wide open. Even in death, the terror in his gaze hadn't seemed to dissipate. His face was twisted into such a grotesque expression that just looking at it made everyone feel a trace of inexplicable horror.

"Kid... did you get stronger?"

Old Master Liu frowned, looking at Yan Jing with uncertainty.

"A person's always got to make progress,"

Yan Jing replied. He reached down to pick up his unfinished hand of cards from the floor.

"My big airplane of three tens and three jacks—"

"Hold on, don't change the subject!"

Old Master Liu's interest was piqued. He stared closely at the dead man's expression and spoke in puzzlement.

"How did you do it?"

"Even if these guys from Solitude Lane die, they shouldn't have an expression like this."

"Then what kind of expression would they have?"

Chen Nian asked.

"Defiant!"

The Old Man said, "Unless you beat them in their own area of expertise, they'll refuse to concede even in death. They'll just think you used brute force."

"But this guy... why does he look so... terrified?"

Yan Jing looked at the confused faces of the group. He sighed and told the truth.

"He really refused to concede, so I told him his work was extremely ugly."

"And then?"

Old Master Liu prompted.

"I told him that not only was it uniquely ugly, but it was spectacularly ugly."

"And then?"

"He still wouldn't concede, so I told him I was going to take his work outside and show it to everyone, just to let others say how ugly his architecture was."

"And then?"

"Then he smiled and said that other people would definitely say it looked beautiful. So I told him I'd pay people to say his works were ugly."

"And then?"

"Then he said that only proved his work was truly good, and he laughed even harder."

"And then?"

"Then I had no choice but to admit his work was the absolute best."

Yan Jing let out a sigh.

"But you still haven't explained why he's so terrified,"

Chen Nian pointed out. By now, even he was getting curious.

"Like I said, his work really is the best."

Yan Jing sighed again.

"But from now on, this work belongs to me."

"After he dies, everyone will know that this masterpiece is mine. For generations to come, no one will ever remember his name. Slowly but surely, I'll become known as the greatest architect in the world."

"And then he ended up like this."

True pride shouldn't crave the validation of others. In the end, his mastery just wasn't deep enough.

"Good job."

Old Master Liu gave a thumbs-up.

If he had been the one to stay behind, he would have struck much harder than Yan Jing, but he likely wouldn't have achieved such a clean result.

"So you're the Ward Chief of this place now?"

Chen Nian asked.

"Just a little more,"

Yan Jing replied.

As he spoke, streams of Weird Energy, black as ink, rose from beneath the ground. They passed through the floorboards and sank into his palm.

Finally, at his mental command, the Weird Energy condensed into the character for "one" in his palm.

At the same time, a massive, matching character formed from dirt and Weird Energy slowly seeped out of the ward's black soil. In an instant, Yan Jing felt a tight connection forge between himself and the territory.

The Weird Energy radiating from this black soil possessed a unique effect.

It could grant its owner a boost in a chosen field.

Anything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, to astronomy and geography.

And, naturally, combat.

However, there was only one chance to choose. Miss this opportunity, and there wouldn't be another; once selected, it could never be changed.

"Arrogance" bred inflated egos, and this Domain was now demonstrating that point once again.

Without hesitation, Yan Jing chose combat power.

Immediately, Weird Energy surged around him, spreading like ripples across water. It slowly solidified, transforming into a field of shadows—a dark pool that followed Yan Jing's every step.

The Weird Energy from the black soil merged with his own, bringing about a positive transformation.

Watching this unfold, Old Master Liu nodded.

"It seems the 'Historian' was telling the truth. This Domain is highly unusual; once you become a Ward Chief, you can borrow its power."

"However, if you lose the position, this borrowed power vanishes. Even the First Ward Chief is no exception."

"Unless you gain the recognition of this Domain."

"But according to him, this Domain has never recognized anyone, and no one knows how to earn its approval."

Hearing this, Chen Nian gave Old Master Liu a sharp look.

"Why do I get the feeling your attitude toward this 'Historian' is very strange? It's more than just simple anger."

"How could that be?! Impossible!"

The old man adjusted his sunglasses, acting as though he didn't care about a single person in the world. "Just watch, we're going to thrash him later!"

Seeing him act like this only deepened Chen Nian's doubts. However, he just raised an eyebrow and said nothing more.

"Alright, let's go, let's go. We're heading to the next place!"

Old Master Liu waved his hand, calling for Chen Nian and Tiger to move out.

They had already been in this Domain for thirty minutes. If they didn't keep moving, the rule of 'Arrogance' would trigger.

As for Yan Jing and Mantou, they had some other matters to attend to and would catch up later.

"Mantou, come here."

Once Old Master Liu and the others left, Yan Jing gently pulled Mantou to his side. He pushed up the stray hairs on her forehead beneath her helmet and softly pressed his palm against her skin.

Accompanied by a surge of Weird Energy, a burst of dark light bloomed. Soon, a faint mark of the character "one" appeared between Mantou's eyebrows before instantly fading away.

With that, the two of them had formally established a contract within this Domain.

Mantou widened her eyes in curiosity and touched her forehead, but she couldn't feel anything.

It was as if the mark had completely vanished.

Truthfully, she didn't feel any different. There was no sense of being bound like one might imagine; if she had to describe it, it just felt like she couldn't stray too far from Yan Jing.

She blinked and gave a goofy smile.

She liked this mark.

Never mind Mantou—even Yan Jing didn't feel much of a change.

He had originally thought the relationship between a Ward Chief and a Solitude Servant would be strictly master and subordinate, but from the looks of it, there was basically no binding effect.

The only effect was that the person chosen as a Solitude Servant couldn't leave a one-li radius around the Ward Chief.

Sensing this, he looked toward the corner of the room.

That was where the dead man's Solitude Servant had been standing earlier. Now, however, the dull-faced man was already gone.

Shortly after the old man's group left, the man had taken advantage of Yan Jing and Mantou forging their contract to quietly slip out the door.

He thought Yan Jing wouldn't notice, but he had clearly underestimated his vigilance. Yan Jing had caught his every move.

A few minutes later, Yan Jing caught up with him at the entrance to Solitude Lane.

The man was carrying a massive bundle on his back. Upon seeing Yan Jing, panic flashed across his dull face, and he turned to bolt.

Yan Jing took a few light steps forward and appeared directly in front of him. Before the man could react, Yan Jing reached out, grabbed his collar, and hoisted him into the air.

In his struggle, the heavy bundle on the man's back slipped off and hit the ground, spilling its contents with a clatter.

A dazzling array of jewelry was instantly exposed to the air. Rolls of Eerie Coins tumbled out, alongside several glowing Inner World items. The intertwined radiance created a sight that would tempt anyone.

"Sir."

The man's body trembled. Turning his head, his face returned to its previous dull expression as he said in a shaky voice, "You are a magnanimous man, sir, brave and unparalleled. Just treat me like a fart and let me go. I'll kowtow to you. I'll kneel for you."

After Yan Jing dropped him, the man genuinely bent down to kneel, only for Yan Jing to hoist him right back up again.

The fear and confusion in his eyes were obvious.

Clearly, this tactic had always worked flawlessly for him in the past.

To those arrogant fools, displays of submission and flattery likely yielded excellent results.

"I ask, you answer,"

Yan Jing said calmly.

"Alright, alright, alright. Sir, ask away."

The man nodded frantically.

"Where did these things come from?"

Yan Jing pointed at the scattered objects by their feet, but paused in surprise. Mantou was currently bent over, struggling to stuff all the dropped items back into the bundle.

Seeing Yan Jing looking at her, Mantou gave a silly smile and held the bundle out to him.

"One, two... Good... Good... I'll pack it up... for you... Take... take it home..."

Yan Jing smiled and patted Mantou's head without a word, then looked back at the man in his hand.

"They're... they're from the former Ward Chief's room," the man said, doing his best to hide the panic in his eyes.

"Is that so?"

Yan Jing smiled. "Would that guy allow things like this inside a house he designed?"

"Yes, it's true, really."

The man nodded, tears streaming down his face as he played the same trick as before.

"Sir, please! I know you Ward Chiefs are all high and mighty. Don't dirty your hands just to kill a bug like me."

Faced with the man's pleas, Yan Jing didn't answer, still fixated on the contents of the bundle.

"Are you sure you took these from that man's house?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I'm just a bug, how could I ever have things like this?"

The man nodded furiously.

"Then let's go take a look at your house."

Yan Jing smiled. "Let's see what your place looks like."

"Don't... don't go, sir! Please don't! My place is dirty and a mess. Don't soil your shoes! I'm begging you, sir, I'm begging you..."

The man immediately panicked, his dull expression completely vanishing. He clasped his hands together in prayer as snot and tears ran down his face.

But Yan Jing simply carried him all the way back to Thirty-Second Village. He arrived at the short wooden cabin next to the pyramid house and kicked the door open.

In an instant, it was as if a golden light had flashed before his eyes.

This was nowhere near the damp, cold wooden cabin one might have imagined.

Notes of Eerie Coins paved the entire floor. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the calligraphy and paintings on the walls outnumbered even those in the main reception hall of the Sun-Swallowing Tower. Even the coffee table and sofa radiated a green glow—they were actually two Green-tier items.

Even the set of cups resting on the coffee table were White-tier items.

Not even the eighth floor of the Sun-Swallowing Tower was this extravagant.

"This is what you call dirty and a mess?"

Yan Jing laughed, looking at the silent man in his hand. Ever since they entered the door, the man had stopped crying, keeping his head lowered without a word.

Now, questioned directly by Yan Jing, he realized he could no longer keep up the act. He finally tore away his disguise and lifted his head. His previously dull eyes were now filled with malice, and he gave a vicious laugh.

"What are you pretending for? To you psychopaths, isn't a place like this dirty and a mess?"

"It doesn't have a single thing you people like, so isn't it just dirty and a mess?!"

Yan Jing nodded.

"Did you collect all of this?"

The reason he had grown suspicious of these Solitude Servants was because of Thirty-Third District, which had been reduced to ruins.

Logically speaking, given the personalities of those Ward Chiefs, how could they possibly tear down someone else's house and haul it away? Furthermore, judging by the messy footprints, it seemed more than one person had done it.

Compared to those highly arrogant Ward Chiefs, the Solitude Servants at their sides were much more suspicious.

"I wipe the asses of those giant babies. What's wrong with taking a few of their things?"

The man had completely dropped all pretenses. He sneered, "In their eyes, all this stuff is just garbage anyway. We're just taking what we need."

"What use do you have for so many Eerie Coins? It's not like you can spend them."

Yan Jing asked.

"Why the fuck do you care?!"

Seeming to have his sore spot poked, the man roared furiously before breaking into a laugh.

"If you're going to kill me, hurry up and do it! You psychopaths really think you're something special. Let me tell you, now that you're a Ward Chief, you're just another psychopath."

"Whoever becomes a Ward Chief is a fucking psychopath!!"

Yan Jing nodded and smiled.

"Actually, I'm not what you think. I really have no interest in laying hands on a bug like you. Tell you what—just tell me where you hid the previous Ward Chief's paintings, and we'll call it even."

At his words, a look of hesitation crossed the man's face.

In the end, he chose to believe it.

Because he had heard Yan Jing call him a bug.

In his mind, if this person called him a bug, his credibility was much higher. It meant Yan Jing truly didn't take him seriously.

"They're right up in the ceiling,"

he said.

Everything he couldn't take with him had been hidden in the ceiling's crawl space.

And since many of them were paintings, if anyone tried to forcefully tear down the house to search it, those fragile artworks would likely be destroyed.

Following the man's directions, Yan Jing quickly found the paintings.

"Is this all of them?"

"There were a few more, but they were snatched by the Second Ward Chief's Solitude Servant,"

the man replied.

Yan Jing nodded.

"Alright, you can go."

With that, he actually let go. The man was instantly overjoyed. Without a second thought, he bolted for the door, a shrewd gleam flashing in his eyes.

These psychopaths really were easier to fool than the last, he thought to himself. His legs pushed off with all their might, nearly reducing him to scrambling on all fours—a completely ugly display.

However, in the very next second, the sound of tearing paper echoed behind him.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck. Instantly realizing what had happened, he looked down in despair.

Watching blood erupt from his neck like a fountain, he collapsed unwillingly to the ground.

He reached a hand toward the door.

Then, he stopped breathing completely.

Off to the side, Mantou pulled out her prepared rag and began wiping the fresh blood off the floor.

"Mantou, there's no need to wipe it. We aren't staying here."

After Yan Jing spoke, he looked at the thousands of paintings before him, a bright glint shining in his eyes.

In his mind, the information provided by Shen Youran surfaced:

[The Thirty-Second Ward Chief, Jiang Zhaodi. Specialty is painting, Tier is First Tier. Not skilled in combat. She has stayed in Solitude Lane for three years, creating one painting every day to record the novel things she sees or the outsiders who pass by.]

In truth, the title of Ward Chief meant absolutely nothing to Yan Jing.

He had come here for only one thing: to find the memories the Cameraman had buried.

That was why Yan Jing had targeted the old woman of the Thirty-Second Village from the very beginning.

According to Shen Youran's information, the old woman painted every day, capturing anything she found novel and anyone who passed through her territory. Afterward, she would date the back of each finished piece.

If the Cameraman had passed by her home, his bizarre appearance would almost certainly have been recorded.

What Yan Jing hadn't expected was for the old woman to have been killed by someone else, especially since Shen Youran's dossier had been updated just two or three months ago.

Yet it was precisely within these past two or three months that the Architect Guy had usurped the old woman's position.

He had assumed her belongings would have been destroyed along with her, but the Solitude Servant had given him a pleasant surprise.

Looking at the thousands of paintings arranged chronologically before him, Yan Jing started with the most recent works and worked his way backward.

The newest piece was stained with blood. It depicted the Architect Guy in a black plaid shirt, dying beneath his own collapsed building.

Even though Yan Jing didn't know much about art, he had to admit the painting was exquisite. Both the composition and the colors made him feel as if he were actually there.

Perhaps this was the very piece the old woman had used in her contest against the Architect Guy.

According to the challenge rules between Ward Chiefs, each side chose the subject for one of the first two rounds. The old woman had undoubtedly chosen painting for hers.

He continued looking further back.

There were Inner World Residents of all shapes and sizes.

They were likely travelers passing through on their way deeper into Solitude Lane, brought vividly to life beneath the old woman's Paintbrush.

Only a few pieces depicted distant landscapes or the sky.

They showed torrential downpours completely flooding the black earth, as well as an occasional Rainbow.

Yan Jing looked through them one by one, but he soon stopped and snatched up one of the paintings.

"It's... It's... It's Grandfather Liu..."

Mantou leaned in from the side, smiling foolishly as she looked at the Old Man in the long gown depicted in the portrait.

In the portrait, Old Master Liu sat rigidly upright. The collar of his gray gown had been washed until it was slightly faded. The sunglasses over his eyes weren't the fashionable ones he wore now, but rather an extremely old-fashioned style:

Two tiny, round black lenses were connected by metal wire and rested on the bridge of his nose. He looked like a storyteller from a bygone era, or a charlatan fortune-teller working a street stall.

His beard wasn't trimmed short like it was now; instead, he sported a goatee, and his expression was incredibly serious.

More than that, Yan Jing looked at the painting next to it and found that it was surprisingly Old Liu again.

Only this time, Old Master Liu wasn't wearing his sunglasses, exposing his signature mismatched eyes—one black and one white. His expression looked even more solemn and proper.

So proper, in fact, that it was somewhat comical.

It was as if this was Old Master Liu's first time having his portrait painted, and he was taking it extremely seriously.

Yan Jing checked the dates on the back. They were from two consecutive days, two years ago.

In other words, Old Master Liu had passed through this place on two consecutive days, leaving behind portraits of himself.

Based on his understanding of Old Master Liu, the Old Man had definitely done it on purpose just to get two different portraits of himself.

Yan Jing chuckled.

The Old Man hadn't told the truth.

Earlier, he had claimed the old woman merely told him not to disturb her when he passed through, but now he had exposed his own lie.

Yet after laughing, he frowned slightly.

The Old Man had passed through here two years ago. That meant the Cameraman hadn't appeared in any of the paintings from the last two years.

Could the Cameraman have buried his memories over two years ago?

He felt that possibility was very low.

In the Cameraman's memories, he had arrived at Rotten Vegetable Village just a few months ago. The related memories awakened by the Terror Bus also showed that the Cameraman had only ridden the Terror Bus within these past few months. Even in those hazy memories roused after seeing the woman's face, the vast majority were about things that happened before the two of them left the place where they had grown up.

As for what happened after they left, there were only a few sparse details.

Judging by that, the timeframe shouldn't have been that long.

Just as Yan Jing prepared to review the previous paintings again to see if he had missed anything, Mantou's delighted voice suddenly rang out beside him.

"It's... It's... Y-Yan Jing!"

Hearing this, Yan Jing immediately walked over to Mantou and looked at the painting she was pointing at.

It was a painting of a distant landscape.

The painter seemed to have gazed into the distance, spotted the scene, and recorded it.

It showed a vast expanse of black earth. On the land stood a wooden cabin, and next to the cabin was a signpost.

Squatting in front of the signpost was a figure viewed from behind.

Compared to the cabin, the figure's back was extremely blurry, looking like little more than a large black dot. It felt as though the painter had merely tapped their Paintbrush a few times in passing to create the shape and flesh out the composition.

But Mantou smiled happily as she looked at the figure's back in the painting:

"Y-Yan... Jing... It's... It's you!"

Yan Jing picked up the painting and scrutinized it closely. Yet no matter how he looked, he couldn't see himself in that figure. Even the signature camera head was indistinguishable beneath the blurry Brushstrokes.

But Mantou was unyielding beside him, insisting to Yan Jing that it was him.

And so, Yan Jing believed her.

It wasn't just because he trusted Mantou.

It was also because he had thought of a reasonable explanation for exactly where the Cameraman had hidden his memories.

He pulled Mantou along, walked out of the house, and arrived beside the iron signpost on the territory's grounds.

He reached out, and the signpost was effortlessly pulled up.

Then Yan Jing planted the signpost shallowly back into the dirt and asked Mantou to try.

Mantou reached out. No matter how hard she pulled, even with her current identity as a Solitude Servant, she couldn't yank the signpost out. Her large eyes filled with confusion.

Seeing this, Yan Jing's eyes flickered.

It all made sense now.

The Cameraman hadn't appeared in any of those paintings because he had never passed by the old woman's door.

Judging by the other paintings, the old woman—like most Ward Chiefs—generally wouldn't leave her own territory.

Therefore, the landscapes she could gaze upon were nothing more than the Thirty-Third District before her and the Thirty-First Village after her.

Yan Jing could see the house in the Thirty-First Village right now. It was a building equipped with a massive telescope. This matched Shen Youran's information: an astronomer lived there and had resided in Solitude Lane for over ten years.

Therefore, that wooden cabin was highly likely the Thirty-Third District.

The reason the cabin was gone now was because it had been torn down.

As for why it was torn down, it was because there was no longer a Ward Chief there—or rather, the Ward Chief had already died.

Where was the dead Ward Chief, and who had killed them?

Yan Jing searched his memory, finding his recollection of the thirty-third severed head he had seen. He then walked over to the Solitude Servant who had just died and compared the wounds on their necks. They looked remarkably similar.

Suppose the Cameraman had come here, killed the Ward Chief of the Thirty-Third District, and then left.

Because the Ward Chief was dead, he became the new Ward Chief of the Thirty-Third District.

Next, he buried his things beneath that wooden sign.

Aside from the Ward Chief, no one could pull that wooden sign out.

That was why he could leave with peace of mind.

However...

Doubt flashed in Yan Jing's eyes. If the Cameraman was the Ward Chief of the Thirty-Third District, why hadn't Yan Jing felt any connection to the land when he had just stepped into the Thirty-Third District?

Soon after, his gaze flickered as realization dawned on him.

Because the Cameraman had already died once.

When he died that time, who had killed him?

The answer was self-evident.

Therefore, the current Ward Chief of the Thirty-Third District...

...had to be the Disguiser.

Yan Jing never expected to end up right back where he started after such a massive detour.

The starting point of this incident might also be its ending point.

So, after using the Walkie-talkie to tell Chen Nian and the others that he had business to attend to and needed to head back, he grabbed Mantou. The two of them immediately hopped onto the Terror Bus heading back to Rotten Vegetable Village.

Meanwhile.

In Solitude Lane, at the Twenty-Eighth Village.

"Heh, old woman, didn't expect this Old Man to come back, did you?"

Old Master Liu looked at the woman with messy hair across from him. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his military overcoat, he threw his head back and laughed.

The woman wore a white lab coat and looked to be in her forties or fifties. Hearing Old Master Liu's voice, she looked up and froze for a long moment.

Finally, she adjusted her glasses, her face lighting up with pleasant surprise.

"It's you? How did you end up like this?"

"It's this Old Man!"

Old Master Liu kept his hands tucked in his pockets and snorted a laugh. "This time, I've come for revenge—"

"I looked up a lot of material regarding the history of Minhu that you mentioned last time. I verified some of it, but there are still a few things I really couldn't find any records for. I think my version is still the correct one."

Before Old Liu could finish, the woman leaned in close. Her gaze pierced through her thick lenses, practically stabbing into the Old Man's face. Her plump body was almost pressed flush against his, though she seemed completely oblivious to it.

"Heh, impossible."

The Old Man held up a single finger. "In Old Sin City, no one understands the history of Minhu better than I do."

"Then let's discuss it."

The woman pulled the supremely confident Old Man through the door.

This left Chen Nian and Tiger standing outside, completely bewildered.

"What was he just saying?"

Chen Nian's calm eyes carried a trace of weariness.

"The Old Man sounded like he was going to bang..."

Tiger was completely bewildered.

"Which kind of bang are we talking about here?"

...

...

Almost an hour later, in the lobby of the Order Management Bureau in Rotten Vegetable Village.

"Mr. Yi Ji, Miss Mantou?"

An Ze said in pleasant surprise.

He hadn't expected to run into them again so soon, having just parted ways with Yan Jing and the others a few hours ago.

"Officer An, have you tried that method I told you about earlier?"

Yan Jing asked.

"Ah, not yet."

Realizing Yan Jing was talking about the Disguiser, An Ze answered immediately.

They had only been back for a few hours. He hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath—how could he have tried it already?

Thinking about how Lu Miao had finally decided to take half a day off today, he couldn't suppress a smile. It was perfect timing, with his two friends here:

"Right, Mr. Yi Ji, Miss Mantou, let's go sit inside for a bit. I got my hands on some good tea..."

"Let's skip the tea for now. Hurry up and go try it, Officer An!"

Yan Jing patted An Ze on the shoulder in encouragement.

"You can do it! For Officer Lu's future, and for your own good days ahead, Officer An. Think about your unfulfilled dreams of buying a house, your pending promotion, your nonexistent love life, and that bicycle you've been wanting. Go for it, Officer An! You can't afford to slack off now!"

"Eh?"

An Ze blinked, failing to process this for a moment.

Weren't those words a bit off? Why did they sound so hurtful?

Although they were indeed his innermost thoughts, how could his friend know...

Suddenly, An Ze remembered passing out drunk the other night. He vaguely recalled spilling his guts at the table.

Instantly, the young man's face flushed red.

"Shhh, shhh, keep your voice down, Mr. Yi Ji. Don't let my colleagues hear you..."

An Ze lowered his voice and looked at Mantou beside them, offering a pained grimace.

"Miss Mantou, that night, did you also..."

"You... you can do it... Officer... That... that... girl surnamed Bai... you... you can definitely do it..."

Mantou's small face was completely serious. She clenched her right fist, cheering An Ze on.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh!"

Terrified, An Ze frantically pressed his index finger to his lips, his face full of despair. "Did I say anything else I shouldn't have...?"

"You told us quite a few secrets about your Pathway, Officer An."

Yan Jing smiled.

An Ze gulped, then immediately said, "I'll go try it right now. Wait here for me."

With that, An Ze bolted away.

There was nothing more humiliating than having your friends recount your embarrassing secrets. Right now, he just wanted to run as far away as possible.

Mantou's eyes were full of confusion. She had genuinely wanted to encourage An Ze and didn't quite understand why he had reacted like that.

However, this confusion quickly dissipated.

For her, there were simply too many things she didn't understand. Being confused was a common occurrence.

She was already used to it.

There were no seats in the lobby of the Order Management Bureau, so Yan Jing and Mantou sat in a corner to wait for An Ze.

During this time, Yan Jing flipped through his memories once more.

The drawing depicting the Cameraman was dated about a month ago. Calculating it carefully, that would be shortly before the Cameraman was killed.

Judging from the fact that Yu Xiran and Yu Ling had covered their faces, the Cameraman must have told that entity of desire about the memory deletion.

But... he likely never mentioned where they were buried.

Given the Cameraman's life experience of being trapped in one place since childhood, he couldn't have known beforehand that only the ward chief of Solitude Lane could pull up the wooden signs.

Even basic common sense regarding Old Sin City was essentially a blank slate in his memory.

There was absolutely no need to delete that kind of memory; doing so would only arouse suspicion.

Thinking back to that piece of information:

Yu Xiran requested to move to Solitude Lane and settle down with Meng Qianqiu after their marriage alliance...

Therefore, Yan Jing leaned more toward the theory that the entity of desire only knew the Cameraman's memories were buried in Solitude Lane, but didn't know the exact location.

Looking at Yan Jing, who was lost in thought beside her, and then at the empty lobby, Mantou opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, she held back.

[Why haven't you told him yet?]

Mantou pursed her lips and didn't answer.

[Find a chance to tell him. You don't have much time left, you should know this.]

"Mm."

Mantou nodded.

This time, she didn't argue. Her large eyes looked toward Yan Jing, revealing a hint of sorrow.

About an hour later, An Ze returned, beaming with joy.

"Mr. Yi Ji, the method you suggested actually worked!"

"After we showed him the photo of Yu Ling unconscious that you gave us, he became extremely agitated. It's a pity I can't lie during law enforcement operations. Otherwise, I'm sure that if I told him Yu Ling was on the verge of death, he would have spilled everything."

"Right now, even though he still refuses to confess, he has started bargaining with us. He claims that as long as we provide him with more information about Yu Ling, he'll loosen his lips about the details of the cases from over the years."

Hearing this, Yan Jing nodded.

"Keep up the momentum, Officer An."

"As for your inability to lie during law enforcement operations, do it like this..."

Not long after, An Ze returned to the interrogation room, feeling apprehensive.

Behind the iron bars, the Disguiser's abscess-covered body was bound to a chair with chains. He looked toward An Ze with an urgent expression.

"Did you bring news about that person?"

"Yes."

An Ze recalled what Yan Jing had instructed him to say and gave a heavy nod.

"Someone just provided an unverified piece of information."

Saying so, he handed the piece of paper in his hand to the Disguiser.

On it was a single line of text:

Yu Ling is about to marry someone.

Almost instantly, the abscesses on the Disguiser's body began to swell uncontrollably. His breathing grew extremely rapid, and weird energy surged madly from his ugly face, flickering with phantom images.

He looked as if he was about to completely mutate.

But in the end, as the chains around his body flickered with dim light, that berserk weird energy calmed down.

The Disguiser panted heavily, his eyes red as he roared, "You haven't verified it yet?!! Go verify it right now!!!"

"Whether it's verified or not is our business, Mr. Disguiser. This might require an extremely long process. As for whether it goes fast or slow, that depends on your behavior."

As soon as An Ze finished speaking, the Disguiser across from him immediately opened his mouth.

"What do you want to know? Ask! I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything!!"

Looking at the Disguiser's desperation across from him, it felt as though something had just clicked into place in An Ze's mind.

So this... was how cases could be handled...

"...You need to ensure everything you just said is completely true, Mr. Disguiser. We will verify your claims one by one."

An Ze spoke with a stern expression once the Disguiser finished confessing his crimes from the past few years.

"I am certain!"

The Disguiser looked anxiously at An Ze.

"So how soon will you go and verify what you just mentioned?"

"There is no rush, sir."

An Ze slowly put away his notes and looked at the Disguiser.

"Before we do, let's play a game."

"A game?"

The Disguiser was a little dumbfounded. In his experience, the Order Management Bureau never engaged in such frivolous things.

It wasn't just him—even the order officers taking notes outside were a bit confused, unable to understand what An Ze was trying to do.

"Yes, a game."

An Ze coughed lightly.

"It's very simple. Just imitation."

"Imitation? What does that have to do with your verification?" the Disguiser asked in disbelief.

"Hard to say."

An Ze's tone was ambiguous.

He couldn't be too specific. Just as Yan Jing had taught him, he couldn't explicitly link what he was about to do with the interrogation. That was the only way to test the boundaries of so-called Order.

He had suggested playing a game, but he hadn't said they absolutely had to.

He had explained how the game worked, but hadn't explained its relationship to the verification.

Something in his mind seemed to gradually come into focus. It was as if he had previously been trapped inside a framework, and now he was walking along its borders. As long as he didn't try to jump out, there wouldn't be any problems.

"Then let's do it," the Disguiser said impatiently.

All he could think about right now was that face. Desperate for news of that person, he didn't care what he had to do.

He loved her so much.

"Alright, then let's imitate the order officer who supervises you every day."

An Ze named someone they both knew.

Weird energy surged around the Disguiser, converging on his face. Although the chains prevented him from unleashing his full strength, as the ink-like weird energy dissipated, his face transformed into a fat-headed, large-eared man with a big black mole on the tip of his nose.

Although his body remained the same, his entire demeanor shifted the moment he spoke. Setting aside the hoarse voice, An Ze almost believed the man sitting across from him actually was his colleague.

An Ze nodded.

"You win this round."

"Then can you go verify my claims now?"

The Disguiser looked at An Ze with joy.

An Ze neither nodded nor shook his head. His tone remained calm.

"Let's play another round."

Although he found it strange, the Disguiser no longer cared about anything but getting news of Yu Ling, so he agreed.

And so it went.

A second round, then a third.

After those two rounds, although An Ze said nothing, the Disguiser felt like he understood.

If he kept beating An Ze in this game, the interrogation might never end.

Which meant his only option was to...

"For the fourth round, let's imitate our bureau chief. How about it?"

An Ze specifically named the Order Management Bureau chief surnamed Liang.

"Alright."

The Disguiser nodded. Weird energy surged around him again, but ultimately did not form the face of the fat bureau chief. Instead, he slumped in his seat, his face full of exhaustion.

"I'm out of weird energy."

"You win."

"Your imitations are indeed impressive."

Hearing this, a smile broke out on An Ze's face. Clenching his fist, he said, "Nice!"

He recalled Yan Jing's instructions.

First, ask what the man across from him was good at.

Then, coax the man into admitting defeat.

"Rest assured, Mr. An Ze. It's not as hard as you imagine. For certain reasons, he will definitely admit defeat."

Yan Jing had smiled as he spoke. "Just treat it as an exercise. You can definitely do it. As long as you master this method, your future work will be twice as effective with half the effort."

This was the first time anyone had ever encouraged him at work, so An Ze had given it his all, determined to do a good job.

And now, having actually succeeded, he felt an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.

Even his chest felt a little hot.

Wait...

Something wasn't right.

An Ze widened his eyes and looked in astonishment at the Disguiser across from him, who wore an equally shocked expression.

He saw streaks of weird energy surging from the center of the Disguiser's brow and sinking straight into his own chest.

It was that very weird energy making his chest feel so hot.

What was this...

Before An Ze could figure it out, he heard the Disguiser roar from his chair:

"You tricked me!!!"

"You Order guys, how can you not follow order?!"

He was incredibly angry, yet also deeply afraid. The power inside his body was obtained after he had killed that damn man for the first time.

He didn't know what the power was either. But after merging it into his own abilities, he had felt his disguises become far stronger than before.

But now, this power was actually being taken away by An Ze! He was terrified—not of losing the power itself, but because An Ze's actions suggested the shadow of that damn man was very likely looming behind him.

"Damn it!! Did you all not see that?!! He violated the rules!!! Are you blind?!!"

He roared at the frosted glass.

Although he didn't know how An Ze had done it, he knew that as long as someone violated order, they would definitely be severely punished.

But what he didn't know was...

The judgment of order wasn't made by An Ze's colleagues.

Or even An Ze's superiors.

It was made by... the Eye of Order.

If An Ze violated the rules, Lu Miao would punish him, but that would be due to the regulations of the Order Management Bureau.

Not because he violated the Pathway of Order.

And right now, An Ze was completely fine, which meant his actions did not violate the Order stipulated by the Eye of Order.

As for Lu Miao...

She had the day off today.

An Ze ignored the Disguiser. He felt his chest getting hotter and hotter.

In any case, he had already obtained the confession. He grabbed his notes, ran out the door, tossed them to his colleagues, and sprinted straight to the lobby to find Yan Jing.

At this time, Yan Jing was admiring the painting of Mr. San that Tiger had given him.

It depicted an incredibly tall man wrapped from head to toe in a Black Robe. Beneath the hood was a pitch-black expanse, making it impossible to see exactly what was inside. But within that darkness, there was a tiny highlight deliberately painted with white pigment.

At the bottom of the Black Robe, tentacles stretched out from underneath, forming his feet.

In his hand was a white birdcage holding a pure black bird. Dangling from the bird's beak was a black branch.

The white cage should be the Dice, but what was the bird...

While he was deep in thought, An Ze rushed over in a panic, blurting out:

"Mr. Yi Ji, there's a... a problem..."

"What's wrong, Mr. An Ze?"

Yan Jing immediately stood up.

"Just now... weird energy surged from the Disguiser and entered my body. Now, my whole body feels like it's on fire. I feel like I'm half-cooked."

An Ze's face was flushed red with heat, and steam was rising from his head.

Unexpectedly, looking at An Ze's panicked face, Yan Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is perfectly normal, Mr. An Ze. Just as you mentioned when you were drunk, if your Pathway of Order absorbs the power of other Pathways, it will produce a slight rejection reaction."

"The power of other Pathways?"

The steaming An Ze widened his eyes.

"So this is..."

"Pride's power. Congratulations, Mr. An Ze, you are now the ward chief of Solitude Lane."

Yan Jing said.

An Ze was dumbfounded.

"Wasn't that guy from Envy? Why would he be the ward chief of Solitude Lane? What do we do now?"

"It won't stay like this forever, will it? I feel like I can already smell roasted meat on myself!"

Although the rejection reaction wouldn't cause death, this sensation of his whole body being on fire was truly unbearable.

"Of course not, Mr. An Ze."

Yan Jing then told An Ze the method to transfer the ward chief position.

Unexpectedly, after listening, An Ze didn't rush to transfer the power. Instead, a bright light flashed in his eyes.

"Mr. Yi Ji, you are heading back to Solitude Lane now, right?"

"Yes."

Yan Jing nodded in confusion.

"Can I go with you?"

An Ze whispered, looking a bit embarrassed.

"I've only been there once, and that was following the boss on a mission. Now that I've finally become a ward chief, I want to experience what it feels like while she is resting."

"Then let's go."

Yan Jing nodded.

There was no time to lose.

He scooped up Mantou, holding her against his waist with one arm, and the group ran toward the public transit station.

A short while later.

Solitude Lane.

An Ze pulled out a wooden token and handed it to Yan Jing.

"Mr. Yi Ji, is this it?"

"Eh, what is this?"

He looked in amazement at the glowing sphere of light beneath the wooden token.

It looked like a glass sphere filled with quicksand, packed with countless specks of light that continuously circulated and transformed, emitting a brilliant glow.

"Yes, that's it."

Yan Jing reached out and touched the glowing sphere.

In an instant, the sphere of light transformed into thousands of streams of light and vanished into the center of his brow.

"Bloop, bloop—"

The sound of bubbling echoed in his ears. In a daze, Yan Jing felt as if he had plunged into a vast ocean.

Opening his eyes, he found countless spheres of light surrounding him, stretching endlessly into the distance.

Each sphere carried a scene.

Some were still like photographs, while others played like videos.

These were the memories the Cameraman had erased himself.

Just how vast was this collection? Yan Jing felt that if his own memories were a mere handful of sand, the memories before him formed an entire beach.

Yan Jing walked forward until he found the starting point of the recorded memories.

...

"From now on, Ah Ji, you will live with these children."

The speaker was a figure holding the Cameraman's hand.

The Cameraman seemed very young at the time.

From his perspective, the person leading him was much taller than he was.

He couldn't see the figure's upper body. All he could see was the hand holding his—a hand so remarkably pale that the blue veins on the back stood out clearly, like emerald streaks through white jade.

The speaker's voice was very gentle:

"For the time being, I can't stay with you, Ah Ji. Here, these children will keep you company. You need to find the person you are most compatible with as quickly as possible—the one you are willing to spend the rest of your life with."

With that, the figure released the Cameraman's hand and turned to leave.

"Brother."

The Cameraman seemed timid back then. He called out in a childish voice and ran after the figure's retreating back with all his might.

But the Weird Energy in that person's hand manifested as a thin thread that bound the Cameraman in place. With his back still turned, the figure spoke slowly, his voice trembling slightly:

"Ah Ji... I don't want this either... but we have to find a way home..."

"Ah Ji... I'm so sorry..."

With that, he walked out the door.

The heavy door slammed shut behind him.

Inside the room, which was as bright as day, stood a group of girls slightly older than the Cameraman.

Seeing the Cameraman, the girls swarmed around him as if they had just spotted a rare species.

"Who are you?"

"Why are you covering yourself with a robe?"

"Are you like us too?"

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Can we see your face?"

Chattering voices surrounded the Cameraman. Seeming a bit intimidated, he pushed past the crowd and retreated to a corner.

Through the shaking of the view, Yan Jing could feel his deep unease at the time.

He sat in the corner, staring at the closed door for a long time, lost in thought.

The girls around him, as if fascinated by a new novelty, refused to leave him alone.

Before long, they crowded around him again.

In doing so, they blocked that heavy door.

"Go away."

The Cameraman mustered his courage to speak, but it only earned him a chorus of laughter from the crowd.

"What a cute voice. He sounds like a boy."

"Really? Does that mean we have to do... that with him?"

"Hahaha, he's still a little kid..."

Faced with this situation, the Cameraman was completely at a loss. He reached out and shoved hard, trying to push the others away, but it only provoked an escalated response. They reached out and started groping him haphazardly.

Some touched his chest, some touched his thighs, and some even touched more private areas.

Finally, tears welled up in the Cameraman's eyes.

Yan Jing couldn't see him crying, but the scene within the memory blurred.

Just then, a crisp voice rang out.

"All of you, move aside! Can't you see his brother just left him here? He's very sad right now!"

In the blurry scene, the figure of a girl with twin ponytails appeared. Pushing the others aside, she marched right up to the Cameraman and planted her hands on her hips:

"No crying! A real man doesn't cry!"

The girl reached out and wiped the tears from the Cameraman's eyes.

The scene then sharpened back into focus.

She was a very ordinary-looking girl. Compared to the outstandingly beautiful girls around her, she looked like a plain stone placed amidst a pile of gleaming pearls.

Yet precisely because of that, anyone looking would notice that stone at first glance.

That extraordinary stone.

She had squeezed past all the pearls and actively jumped in front of the boy, speaking words he had never heard before:

A real man doesn't cry!

The Cameraman froze. Whether he was startled or affected by the girl's words, he stopped crying.

Soon, the girl reached out and grabbed the Cameraman's hand. Pulling him as she squeezed through the crowd, she marched right up to the closed heavy door, pointed at it, and declared:

"Your brother is gone!"

"We don't know yet whether he just had business to attend to or if he abandoned you... but no crying!"

"Regardless, you have to live with us now. As the only boy here, you need to be strong!"

The girl wasn't much older than the Cameraman was at the time, but she clearly understood much more.

With that, she crossed her arms:

"If they bully you, you can come tell me, but remember, no crying!"

"If someone insults you, insult them back! If someone hits you, hit them back! If someone bullies you, figure out a way to bully them right back! Crying is completely useless, do you hear me?!"

The boy gave a dazed nod.

In the days that followed, everything proceeded normally.

Every day, meals were delivered at fixed times, and people would come to "teach" them.

They would talk about things from the outside world.

Of course, the primary focus was on matters between men and women.

As the days went by, the Cameraman's daily routine consisted of staying with that 'stone'.

He seemed to become her little shadow, entrusting his unease to this girl.

Naturally, their relationship grew increasingly close.

During this time, just as he had said, the Cameraman's brother never returned.

Seven or eight years passed.

The White House.

That was what everyone called this place.

The girls in the White House and the Cameraman began to grow accustomed to this life, and the Cameraman and that 'stone' gradually grew up.

From a young boy and girl, they blossomed into naive adolescents.

The 'stone' gave herself a name: A Si.

Compared to seven or eight years ago, she had become much prettier. Although she still paled in comparison to the girls around her, this 'stone' had at least developed a bit of her own unique charm.

At least, that was likely how the Cameraman felt.

After so many years, the surrounding girls had also realized that the Cameraman was the center of this place.

It seemed they had all been brought here solely for the Cameraman.

Therefore, the girls began to deploy their various tactics.

The passionate ones actively flaunted their best features in front of him; the bold ones intercepted him outside the washroom to ask if he was free on the weekend; even the quiet, demure ones made sure to tuck a stray lock of hair behind their ears whenever he walked past.

"Ah Ji, what are you looking at?"

A Si walked over to the Cameraman sitting in the corner. Mimicking his posture, she tilted her head up to look at the ceiling and smiled.

"Are you wondering again if your brother is secretly watching you from somewhere?"

"Yeah."

The Cameraman nodded.

Compared to when he was a boy, he had grown much taller. He was braver and appeared much more composed, but he spoke even less than before.

"Don't overthink it, Ah Ji. Didn't the 'teachers' say that we get to leave this place the day you turn twenty-two?"

The girl smiled, twirling a strand of hair around her finger:

"When that time comes, you'll have to pick one of us to be your wife."

"You're pretty lucky. We have so many beautiful girls here. I wonder who will end up falling into your lap."

"I'll choose you."

The Cameraman replied, his blunt words instantly turning the girl's face crimson.

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

The girl reached out and lightly punched the Cameraman's arm:

"The 'teachers' said you can only be with the best one of us here."

"That's you."

The young man's words were as straightforward as ever.

And utterly devastating.

"I'm done talking to you."

The girl stood up and walked away, acting like a flustered deer as she nearly bumped into someone on the path.

A few days later, the girl ran over to tell the Cameraman some news:

"Ah Ji, the 'teachers' said they're going to assign us numbers and screen out a batch of people. Only those who pass the screening can continue staying here."

Saying this, the girl broke into a smile:

"If I don't pass this screening, I'll go outside first. I'll come back on your wedding day when you turn twenty-two."

"After so many years, I still haven't seen what the outside world looks like."

To the girl's surprise, the Cameraman reached out and grabbed her arm:

"What screening?"

"I don't know, the 'teachers' refused to say."

The girl laughed. "But they said the process is very simple and won't take much time."

"I want you to stay," the Cameraman said.

"Oh wow, so you still want to keep me tied down here for a few more years?"

The girl reached out and lightly tapped the top of his hood, then smiled:

"It's not up to me. The teachers said this screening is all based on luck. Who passes and who doesn't has actually already been decided."

"However..."

The girl gave a sly smile and said, "I'm in the second batch. So tomorrow, I'll ask Weiwei and the girls in the first batch to see what the situation is like for them."

With that, the girl stood up and clasped her hands behind her back. Her skirt fluttered, making her look as if she were dancing amidst the light and dust. Smiling brightly, she tilted her head proudly:

"Don't misunderstand, it's not that I want to stay."

"But... since it's your wedding, I just want to be the first one to know who your bride is!"

With that, the girl turned and left with a laugh.

The Cameraman never averted his gaze, watching her until she walked away and her figure vanished.

But something unexpected happened.

The following night, urgent knocking suddenly woke the sleeping Cameraman.

"Ah Ji, Ah Ji..."

It was the girl's voice outside the door, trembling and thick with tears.

The Cameraman immediately sat up and opened the door.

The moment the door opened, the girl, wearing a soaked long dress, threw herself right into the Cameraman's arms. For some unknown reason, both her knees were badly scraped and bleeding.

The Cameraman froze for a moment, then wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding the girl close.

"What's wrong?"

At the sound of the Cameraman's voice, the terrified girl seemed to calm down significantly.

She looked up, her tear-soaked eyelashes trembling:

"I went to find Weiwei and the others just now. I wanted to sneak a peek at how they did the screening. But I was late... I saw, I saw..."

The girl's voice gradually trailed off. She buried her face into the Cameraman's chest, her thoughts unreadable.

"What did you see?"

the Cameraman asked.

"I saw..."

The girl paused. Then, she suddenly looked up. With tears still welling in her eyes, she smiled:

"I saw how they do the screening. Rest assured, Ah Ji, I will definitely pass this screening."

Although he didn't understand why the girl was suddenly smiling, the Cameraman still held her tighter against his chest.

And just like that, they spent their first full night together in the same room.

And starting from the very next day, the Cameraman discovered that the girl seemed to have suddenly changed.

Whether the Cameraman had noticed it at the time or not, from Yan Jing's perspective, the girl had definitively changed.

Starting the very next morning, she sought out the Cameraman. Holding a single chopstick, she smiled:

"Ah Ji, didn't you say your older brother taught you how to fight when you were little?"

"He did."

The Cameraman nodded.

"Could you teach me, then?"

The girl pressed the chopstick into the Cameraman's hand and smiled:

"I read in a book that you need a knife to fight, but it doesn't look like we have any here."

She stuck out her tongue and laughed. "I don't actually want to go fight anyone, though. I just want to try it out, so a chopstick should be enough."

"Yeah."

The Cameraman nodded.

And so, for the entire afternoon, the two of them did nothing else but practice knife fighting.

With a chopstick.

Whenever the girl swung the chopstick, her ponytail flew up as she lunged forward. The Cameraman watched, completely entranced, his camera lens focused entirely on her face.

As she swung the makeshift weapon over and over, sweat plastered her bangs to her forehead and dripped into her eyes.

The stinging sensation made her squint, and she missed the plastic water bottle serving as her target several times in a row.

The Cameraman offered her a tissue.

To his surprise, the girl simply leaned her face toward him.

"Wipe it for me, Ah Ji. My hands are all sweaty too."

The Cameraman didn't overthink it and simply wiped the sweat from her face.

But Yan Jing, who was rapidly scrubbing through the Cameraman's memories, sensed something off.

Compared to before, the girl was clearly taking more initiative.

While the two of them had shared intimate moments in the past, she had never actively asked for them. They were usually ambiguous situations brought about by unintentional accidents.

"Long hair gets in the way during a fight. A lot of people who use knives keep their hair short on purpose—especially in the front, so they don't have loose strands flying around."

It was just a casual remark from the Cameraman. Yet unexpectedly, by the time they met again for dinner that evening, the girl had cut her hair short.

"Does short hair look good on me, Ah Ji?"

the girl asked.

"It does."

The Cameraman stared blankly for a moment before answering.

As far as he could remember, this was the first time she had ever asked him how she looked.

Hearing his response, the girl didn't act shy like she used to. Instead, she pursed her lips and said, "Are you just lying to me?"

"No, it really does look good."

The Cameraman replied.

"I don't believe you." The girl tilted her chin up.

"What would make you believe me?"

the Cameraman asked.

The girl didn't answer immediately. She lowered her head, poking at the leftovers on her plate with her chopstick:

"The books say that men always prefer pretty women. Even if a man falls in love with a woman at first, the moment she stops being pretty, he'll stop loving her."

Then, she looked back up at the Cameraman, her eyes filled with innocent confusion:

"Is it true what the books say, Ah Ji?"

"No."

The Cameraman shook his head:

"No matter what you look like, I'll always like you."

The girl finally broke into a smile at his words.

"You're just coaxing me again, Ah Ji."

Despite her words, the girl was smiling very happily this time.

It was as if she had finally confirmed something and could put her mind at ease.

Two more days passed.

The day of the girl's screening arrived.

Over those two days, the girl had bombarded the Cameraman with questions about fighting even more frequently.

She didn't just ask about knife work, but also about technique and how to generate power.

Sometimes the Cameraman actually felt a little anxious. He had only been a five-year-old child when he learned all this, so he hadn't exactly grasped the true essence of it. He was afraid he didn't know enough to teach her properly.

But every time he hesitated, the girl would reach out and pinch his cheek just like before:

"Oh, hush! You're already amazing. Don't look so down!"

It was just that over the past few days, her pinches felt noticeably lighter, and her hands felt smoother. Whenever she let go, the soft pads of her fingers would trace a gentle curve down his cheeks.

On the night of the screening, the Cameraman tossed and turned in his room, unable to sleep.

He had asked her several times over the past few days where their screening would take place, but she had merely shaken her head, her eyes sly:

"It's a secret!"

"You aren't allowed to come looking for me that day, Ah Ji. You have to wait until I pass the screening, and then I'll come find you! Remember that!"

Eventually, giving up on sleep, he got up, pushed his door open, and walked out into the main hall.

He planned to stare up at the ceiling to soothe his anxious mood, just like he always did.

But suddenly, he noticed a sliver of light.

The flash of light was fleeting, practically imperceptible in the massive, gloomy hall, but the Cameraman managed to capture it through his camera lens.

Scrubbing back through his recorded footage and reviewing it, he pinpointed the exact spot where the light had originated and slowly made his way over.

His intuition told him that this might be where the screening was taking place.

Driven by curiosity, he quickly arrived outside a set of doors.

This was the White House's group activity room. It was the largest room in the entire facility, roughly the size of two or three school running tracks according to the books he had read.

Once every three months, the "teachers" would bring the children here to play games and demonstrate what an intimate relationship between a man and a woman should look like.

Aside from that, the room was kept tightly locked at all times.

That was exactly why the Cameraman felt increasingly certain that this was where the screening was being held.

Faint, agonizing screams were drifting out from behind the doors. In the dead silence of the hall, the sound was chillingly real, yet utterly unbelievable.

Feeling a bit rattled, the Cameraman reached out, intending to crack the door open just enough to see what was inside.

But to his shock, right at that very moment, the doors were violently shoved open from the inside!

"Ah Ji."

The girl stood in the doorway, staring at him. She was drenched in blood.

Her short hair clung to her cheeks. She looked like an evil ghost, her eyes carrying an unquelled fury as she muttered his name.

"Why did you come?"

Then, just as the Cameraman opened his mouth to explain, she made a "don't speak" gesture, shut the doors again, and returned to the room.

From the sudden hitch in the footage the Cameraman recorded at that moment, one could see his inner panic.

It was only because the girl's expression had been so completely unfamiliar, as if she had been possessed by a demon. Her eyes had been glacial, her expression furious, and her hands stained with blood.

Gripped by this intense unease, the Cameraman walked away.

He returned to his room, locked the door, and curled up in the corner.

Yan Jing guessed that he had probably regressed to the state he was in when his older brother had abandoned him.

He was terrified that the girl was going to abandon him, just like his brother had.

And Yan Jing's guess was clearly spot on.

It wasn't long before there was a knock at his door. This time, when the girl stepped inside, her expression was far colder than before.

As for the Cameraman, he acted as if he had done something wrong, taking a long scolding from the girl.

It wasn't until the girl's face finally broke into a smile again that the Cameraman's face followed suit with a smile of his own.

"Ah Ji."

The girl threw her arms around him.

"I didn't mean to yell at you just now."

"I was just terrified that if I didn't pass the screening, I wouldn't be able to stay by your side."

"But everything is fine now... It's all fine. I passed the screening. From now on, the two of us are never going to be apart again."

"Yeah."

The Cameraman hugged her back.

At that moment, he stopped thinking about what the girl had just been doing, why she was covered in blood during a screening, or what she couldn't let him see.

He just wanted to hold her tight. He didn't want her to ever leave.

Watching this scene, Yan Jing nodded. Just like in his previous life, every single one of these affectionate, proactive girls had the potential to become a master at dog training.

It was after that night that the relationship between the girl and the Cameraman began to change.

Before, they had just been a boy and a girl experiencing the first stirrings of love, the hazy veil between them still untouched.

But now, the girl was steadily seizing the initiative.

She learned how to act spoiled and whisper sweet nothings, but she also learned how to lose her temper with the Cameraman and wage cold wars.

The art of the push-and-pull was displayed to perfection in her hands. As time went on, her mastery only deepened.

If she previously only possessed a certain talent and potential for toying with emotions, then after that night, this potential seemed fully unlocked, becoming second nature.

Outside the memories.

After watching these numerous scenes, Yan Jing pressed the pause button.

His eyes flickered; he had noticed something amiss.

He suspected that, starting from that night, the girl had truly stepped onto the pathway of desire.

The so-called 'screening' was perhaps not as simple as a mere test.

This wasn't a baseless guess, but a deduction drawn from the changes in the other girls who had passed the screening, as seen through the Cameraman's perspective.

In his view, over ninety percent of the footage centered on the girl named A Si.

To him, the rest of the girls didn't matter at all, so he paid no attention to their changes.

But as an outsider, Yan Jing spotted the differences in the other girls from the corners of those scenes.

Some seemed to have developed narcolepsy, others exhibited a massive increase in appetite, and a small number became extremely rigid and rule-abiding...

In the inconspicuous edges of the Cameraman's vision, these girls displayed entirely different sides of themselves.

Though these were all extremely subtle changes, they were enough to prove the point.

They had stepped onto Inner World Pathways.

"Sloth," "Gluttony," "Order"...

It was no wonder the 'teachers' had said the screening process wasn't complicated. Indeed, finding the right Pathway and testing for talent shouldn't take much time.

So, why was the girl soaked to the bone with scraped knees on the night of the first screening? What had she seen? And on the day of her own screening, why were her hands covered in blood, her expression furious...?

None of this could be known from the Cameraman's perspective.

But what was certain was that he had grown increasingly dependent on her.

Perhaps out of his initial affection for her, or perhaps due to the girl's deliberate design, the Cameraman was now gradually spiraling into an uncontrolled state.

Just like Yu Mo from Dandelion Manor.

Yan Jing continued watching the subsequent memories:

"Ah Ji, am I beautiful?"

The girl began asking the Cameraman this question every single day.

And the answer she received was, naturally, the one she wanted to hear.

Every time she heard him call her beautiful, she would smile like a blooming flower and make some intimate gesture.

She might tap his nose or stroke his cheek.

Just like that, the days passed.

The number of girls in the White House steadily decreased.

A few years later, only fifty or sixty girls remained.

Each girl had her own number, a ranking based on her performance in every screening and test.

The 'teachers' said this screening would continue until only thirty remained.

After that, the rankings would no longer be determined by screenings and tests, but entirely by the Cameraman's personal preference.

When over fifty girls were left, the girl was ranked twenty-fourth—sharing the number four with her name, A Si.

When over thirty girls were left, her ranking jumped to fourteenth.

And when only thirty remained, her ranking became Number Zero.

That day, the Cameraman announced his ranking choices to everyone, skipping number one and placing her at Number Zero.

Furthermore, he declared in front of everyone that this ranking would never change again.

He was tired.

The rankings were fixed from then on.

Right as he finished speaking, he saw a smile on the girl's face unlike any she had ever shown before.

Looking at that smile, the camera of his perspective froze for a long time, unable to look away.

Despite his declaration, the White House did not stop its operations.

Perhaps those 'teachers' believed that matters of the heart were unpredictable. The romance between a teenage boy and girl was as fickle as summer weather—the rankings might change on any given day.

So they decided to maintain the plan until the boy turned twenty-two.

However, the rankings truly never changed again.

The day the rankings were announced each month was the Cameraman's happiest time, because that was the day the girl was happiest.

Her actions became increasingly bold: caressing him, leaning into his embrace, even kissing his cheek.

But she wouldn't let him initiate contact. Whenever the Cameraman couldn't restrain his affection, she would shyly run away.

She finally had him firmly in the palm of her hand.

There were no major turning points in the memories after this, so Yan Jing chose to fast-forward through them.

He really didn't enjoy watching a lapdog's diary.

Because the girl named A Si liked to read, all they did was read together, day after day.

And so, he reached the next turning point.

It was a few months before the Cameraman turned nineteen.

That day, the 'teachers' arrived as usual.

But they didn't hold classes.

Each of them wore a heavy expression, their foul moods palpable.

One of the girls tried to approach and strike up a conversation, but was violently told to get lost.

Even the Cameraman, whom they normally treated with the utmost respect, didn't receive a friendly look.

Still, compared to everyone else, their attitude toward him was relatively good.

During lunch, because he was seated nearby, the Cameraman vaguely overheard their conversation.

"What do we do now...?"

"I don't know. The higher-ups have all cut off contact..."

"Why don't we just deal with them all... and then run...?"

"Are you crazy?! The higher-ups just lost contact, they aren't dead..."

"Then what should we do...?"

"I don't know. Let's just keep things going for now... But without resources, we don't have..."

"But we don't even know what the higher-ups want... We were just told to wait until this kid turns twenty-two..."

The conversation abruptly ended there. The 'teacher' who was speaking glanced at the Cameraman, seemingly noticing he was eavesdropping, and the group quickly relocated.

The Cameraman relayed these words to the girl.

The shift in the 'teachers'' attitudes had left him feeling lost, unsure of what to do.

This time, just like she had over a decade ago, the girl patted his shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry, Ah Ji. Leave it to me. I'll find out what's going on. Don't be afraid."

"Didn't I tell you? If anything happens, I'll take care of it for you."

As she spoke, her eyes curved into crescents, every strand of her hair glistening in the light. To the Cameraman, it was as if he were seeing the same girl who had stood protectively in front of him all those years ago.

But unexpectedly, when the girl came to his door that evening...

...everything had changed again.

"Why is it like this?!"

The moment she laid eyes on him, she spat the words out. Her gaze carried a bone-chilling coldness. As she glared at him, it felt exactly like the night she had returned from her screening.

Her questioning tone made his heart clench, and he hurriedly asked:

"What's wrong, A Si?"

"Heh, hehe..."

The girl didn't answer; she just sneered endlessly.

She looked at him with a gaze full of disappointment, even carrying traces of hatred.

It was as if something she had spent a long time laying the groundwork for had been completely ruined because of him.

This left the Cameraman at a loss, having no idea what he had done.

But the girl offered no explanation. She simply slammed the door and left.

He tried to chase after her, but she left behind a single sentence:

"Don't come looking for me!!!"

And so, the Cameraman spent half the night in a state of deep anxiety.

Finally, a knock came at the door again.

He immediately rushed over and opened it. This time, the girl standing outside had reverted to her gentle self.

The moment she saw him, she threw herself into his arms. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded:

"I'm sorry, Ah Ji."

"Let's leave this place, okay?"

"I don't want to stay here anymore."

Outside the memories, Yan Jing pressed pause. He immediately fast-forwarded to the memory of the Cameraman fleeing the White House with the girl, then silently calculated the timeline.

About three years after this incident was when the Cameraman and the girl escaped the White House.

The time between his escape and the present was very short.

So, three years ago... what had happened back then...?

Yan Jing recalled the words of those 'teachers': "The higher-ups have all cut off contact..."

If any major event had occurred three years ago, he only knew of one. That was... starting from roughly three years ago...

...the leaders of the various Domains no longer made appearances in the outside world.

Following this line of thought, Yan Jing began aligning the Cameraman's memories with the events that had already occurred.

Thinking about it this way, this so-called choosing a girl to marry at twenty-two was awfully similar to the marriage alliance held at the Sun-Swallowing Tower.

Most importantly, there was that line from the Cameraman's brother.

"Ah Ji... I don't want this either... but we have to find a way to go home..."

So 'going home'... most likely meant 'returning home,' returning to the outside world...

At this thought, Yan Jing pulled away from the ocean formed by the Cameraman's deleted memories.

He shifted to the memories stored in his own mind, to the day the banquet was held at the Sun-Swallowing Tower.

He remembered that the Giant Mouth seemed to have mentioned something back then...

Finally, after carefully sifting through his mind, he found that exact scene.

"I know none of you are willing! Therefore, as early as ten or twenty years ago, our several Domains began plotting together. And we have only one goal, and that is... returning home!!"

As the Giant Mouth's impassioned words fell, Yan Jing hit pause.

Not long after escaping the White House, the Cameraman was killed.

Three years prior to his escape, the Cameraman was almost nineteen.

And when he first entered the White House, he was nothing more than a child.

Calculating it carefully, from the time he entered the White House to the present... it was exactly ten to twenty years.

Like perfectly meshed gears, the Cameraman's memories from before his death interlocked flawlessly with everything Yan Jing had experienced since taking on his identity.

The question Yan Jing wanted answered most was this:

Just who was the Cameraman?

How could he have been part of a plan from over a decade ago when he was so young?

As Giant Mouth had said, breeding offspring with dual Pathways to secure a way home required both parents to possess exceptional talent in their respective Pathways.

Since the mother was chosen after rigorous screening from among hundreds of candidates, why would the father be the Cameraman?

The Cameraman's profile stated that he was a Fear creation. Because of this, his ability to freeze a moment in a photograph had been elevated, granting him the added power to inflict lacerations on a target simply by tearing their picture.

But that was only what the Ghoulish Life Role-playing Game claimed.

How could those superiors possibly confirm that a child was exceptionally talented?

Moreover, the child belonged to the Fear Pathway, which was completely different from the Pathway of Giant Mouth and the others.

Just then, a spark of inspiration flashed through Yan Jing's mind.

Giant Mouth wasn't on the Fear Pathway, but someone else was...

A child's talent couldn't be confirmed, but a child had parents.

At that thought, Yan Jing backed up to the portion of memory the Cameraman had deleted, rewinding all the way to the very first scene.

He played the memory of the man leaving the Cameraman behind on an endless loop. He pulled the perspective back, trying to catch a glimpse of the older brother's face.

But it was impossible.

The Cameraman had been far too young back then, and the man beside him was incredibly tall. At best, the memory only captured a view of the man's arm.

Yan Jing refused to give up, scrutinizing every single detail again and again.

Time ticked by.

Then, after reviewing the memory dozens, perhaps hundreds of times...

Yan Jing froze the scene in front of him and started to laugh.

He was currently inside the Cameraman's mind and lacked a physical body, but he was undeniably laughing, laughing so hard he could barely control himself.

He was laughing at himself. Laughing at how rigid his thinking had been.

From a child's height, the perspective was naturally low, making it difficult to see the faces of the adults around them.

But he had forgotten that sometimes... you didn't need a face to identify someone.

He stared at the frozen frame. Beneath the draped cloth robe of the figure standing beside the Cameraman, a few incredibly fine tentacles slipped out from a gap in the fabric.

"Mr. San."

Yan Jing exited the save point in the mind and returned to reality, pulling out the self-portrait of Mr. San.

Ignoring the bewildered stares from Mantou and An Ze nearby, he sprinted straight to the Solitude Servant's wooden house in the Thirty-Second Village. He found a bronze mirror and a strip of black cloth, using the fabric to cover his head.

He then stepped into a dimly lit corner and looked into the mirror.

Obscured by the black cloth, the outline of his camera head became extremely blurred in the gloom.

But the front lens always seemed to catch whatever faint, scattered light lingered in the air, reflecting it back.

It left a distinct gleam in the mirror.

So this was the origin of the highlight on the head in Mr. San's portrait.

The Cameraman... was very likely Mr. San's younger brother.

"Yi Ji."

"San Shan."

"I knew it. That Amusement Park and I were destined for each other the moment I saw it. Especially the ice cream."

Yan Jing muttered, turning to walk out the door.

Outside stood a worried-looking Mantou and an utterly clueless An Ze.

Seeing the confusion in Mantou's eyes, Yan Jing suddenly felt she was even cuter than before—though she had already been plenty cute.

Perhaps he had just read that dog-training diary a few too many times.

"Yi... Ji... Are... are you okay?"

Mantou walked toward him, trembling.

Her attention was so entirely focused on Yan Jing that she didn't even notice the door threshold. She tripped and nearly fell, but Yan Jing hurriedly stepped forward to catch her.

"I'm fine. Mr. An Ze, go have fun. Thank you very much for your help."

Only then did Yan Jing remember he hadn't formally thanked An Ze. "I still have some things to handle. Having Mantou keep me company will be enough."

"Oh, right. Okay."

An Ze nodded blankly. He scratched the back of his head and offered an embarrassed smile.

"Actually, I was just playing around the whole time. Miss Mantou was the one looking after you, Mr. Yi Ji."

An Ze pointed toward the distant Thirty-Third District. Yan Jing had woken up so abruptly earlier that he hadn't noticed, but right now, a number of bizarre structures had appeared across the grounds of the Thirty-Third District.

From banks and stalls to high-rises and even a miniature Ferris wheel.

All of them had been constructed out of the black soil.

An Ze chuckled, wiping his feverishly red forehead.

"What do you think, Mr. Yi Ji? I put a lot of effort into these pieces."

Meeting An Ze's expectant gaze, Yan Jing blinked and gave him a thumbs up.

"They're great. You have a real talent for architecture, Mr. An Ze."

"Really?!"

An Ze's face lit up with surprise. "Then I'll keep at it!"

With that, he dashed back toward the distant Thirty-Third District.

"Be careful not to play too long, or you'll roast yourself!"

Yan Jing shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Got it!"

In the distance, An Ze waved a hand in acknowledgment.

Yan Jing then took Mantou by the hand and led her back inside.

Settling onto the sofa, Yan Jing once again entered the space in his mind where the memories were stored.

He resumed watching from the night the girl named A Si had urged the Cameraman to run away, moving forward in time.

Over the following days...

The two of them constantly debated the viability of their escape plan.

There were Second Tier entities among the 'teachers,' so a frontal assault was completely out of the question. They could only slip away when an opportunity presented itself.

But... the White House had only one door. It was the same door through which the Cameraman's brother had left.

Furthermore, no one knew if the outside world even lay beyond that door.

It was very likely that behind that door was simply another door.

So they had to find another way.

A Si's original plan had been to tunnel out. She had somehow acquired information claiming that the drain in the shower room connected directly to an underground sewer line.

But the Cameraman had hesitated.

"The teachers told us the outside is crawling with Unstable Domains," he'd said. "Once we enter the sewers, we won't have any idea what's happening on the surface. We won't know where to go. If we take one wrong turn, we might never see the surface again."

So, he had proposed an alternative.

"I know a place. We might be able to get out through there."

Taking her by the hand, he led A Si into the boys' restroom, a room only he was allowed to enter. He stepped onto the windowsill, leaped up, and shoved a ceiling panel aside, revealing a pitch-black cavity above.

He grabbed the edge and hoisted himself into the hole first, then reached down to pull her up after him.

Crawling through the darkness, the two of them eventually reached what looked like an air ventilation duct.

From there, the Cameraman led her through a labyrinth of twisting pipes.

An incredibly pungent gas filled the ductwork. Covering their mouths and noses, the two children inched forward on their knees.

After a while, the gas seemed to condense into liquid droplets, making the inside of the pipe damp and slick.

Eventually, the droplets pooled into streams that flowed ahead of them.

Following the trickling water, the pair emerged onto a platform.

From that vantage point, they could see an opening diagonally below them that led down into a pitch-black pool of water.

The pool had been formed by the steady accumulation of the condensed droplets.

Strange, eerie plants that resembled stalks of wheat grew upon the surface of the dark water.

"When did you find this place?"

To Yan Jing's surprise, A Si's first reaction upon seeing a way out wasn't joy. Instead, she questioned the Cameraman in an icy tone.

Perhaps she had never expected the Cameraman to keep secrets from her.

This was very likely a sign that he was slipping out from under her control, and she absolutely refused to let that happen.

As he watched the memory play out, Yan Jing frowned in confusion.

That was a good question. When had the Cameraman found this platform?

Had he... missed something?

When did I miss it?

Yan Jing recalled the memory fragments he had just watched.

Although he had focused on the turning points of major events, he had quickly skimmed through the rest of the scenes.

In Cameraman's memories, he and the girl spent most of their time just reading. Checking the footage from the days before and after was enough to determine whether anything major had happened.

If nothing had, the day could be skipped.

And since this was all unfolding inside Cameraman's head, processing it was much faster than watching a movie on fast-forward.

Because of this, Yan Jing felt he shouldn't have missed something as important as finding the platform.

When questioned by the girl, Cameraman had explained that it happened by accident a few years prior; he hadn't intentionally hidden it.

But he hadn't specified exactly when.

Left with no other choice, Yan Jing could only re-watch the scenes he had skimmed over earlier.

Time ticked by, and soon, Yan Jing noticed something unusual.

He realized that Cameraman's memories were not quite what he had imagined.

He had originally assumed that because the memories were recorded automatically, the footage would remain consistent regardless of how deep an impression an event had left on Cameraman.

Now, however, he discovered that while the recording process was consistent, the playback was not. Scenes that hadn't left a strong impression on Cameraman would fast-forward, flashing by in a fleeting instant.

So... the reason he had missed it earlier likely wasn't because he hadn't looked closely enough. It was simply because finding the platform hadn't been a memorable event for Cameraman.

In other words, the memory of finding the platform was most likely hidden within those rapidly skipped scenes.

Having narrowed down his search, Yan Jing soon found the memory in question:

It happened after Cameraman announced that the girl's designation was Number Zero.

Although he had gotten his wish and the girl grew increasingly close to him, he would still feel sad whenever she deliberately gave him the cold shoulder.

He would constantly overthink, wondering why she treated him that way and whether he had done something wrong.

During these periods of overthinking, he even wanted to stay away from her, afraid of seeing that disappointed, indifferent expression on her face again.

Because of this, he spent that entire period living in a constant daze.

Even his field of vision was angled upward from constantly staring at the ceiling.

It was during a trip to the washroom that, with his head slightly raised, he suddenly noticed a Rift in the ceiling.

Driven by curiosity, he tried pushing aside the ceiling panel with the Rift in it, ultimately discovering the platform.

In the days that followed, whenever he felt heartbroken over the girl, he would spend an hour sitting on this platform and thinking about her.

He had no intention of using this passage to go to the outside world.

Perhaps it was because the White House was more than just a safe zone providing room and board; it also offered the girl's companionship, and allowed him to... wait for that man to return.

Yan Jing found the memory, but he was also somewhat disappointed.

It was incredibly mundane and gave him no further clues.

However, since this concerned the passage to the outside world, he decided to watch Cameraman's time on the platform at a slightly faster speed, just to ensure he didn't miss anything else.

During this process, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he unconsciously hit pause.

A familiar face had appeared in the footage.

It was a dirty little face with a large Electric Helmet perched on top. Messy hair clung wildly to her forehead, and she looked much younger than Yan Jing remembered.

Only those big eyes remained exactly as Yan Jing knew them—just as large, and just as beautiful.

Mantou.

Or rather, a tiny Mantou.

She was lying on her stomach by the opening below, looking up at Cameraman with a curious gaze.

Yan Jing suppressed his astonishment.

He hadn't expected Cameraman to have met Mantou before.

And Mantou had seemingly never mentioned it.

Not even the last time they went to gather Heavy Pollution Herbs.

The Mantou from back then looked much smaller than she did now. Her clothes were even more tattered than when Yan Jing had first met her, but she seemed... much bolder.

"Sir... what... what are you doing... up there...?"

Mantou tilted her head, her big eyes blinking. She pursed her lips and struggled to get the question out.

Hearing this, Yan Jing recalled Old Master Liu getting drunk on the day of the banquet and chatting with him.

"Do you know what that Nizi, Mantou, said first when she begged us to help save you...?"

"She called this Old Man 'Sir'."

Old Master Liu had chuckled. "I never thought there'd be a day when I, Liu Fu, would be called 'Sir'."

Yan Jing also thought of the staff at the Mad Amusement Park.

Because of their status as staff members, they always addressed others as "Sir" right from the start.

Clearly, this silly girl hadn't been taught by anyone; she had secretly learned the habit by mimicking them.

Whenever she faced someone she respected, she believed she had to call them "Sir."

Thinking of this, Yan Jing felt a twinge of sorrow.

In the footage.

Faced with Mantou's question, Cameraman glanced down at her without saying a word.

His mind was occupied with the girl named A Si. As for this dirty little girl, she couldn't even compare to the other girls in the White House.

But Mantou pursed her lips and spoke again:

"S-Sir... are... are you... stuck...?"

She tremblingly reached her small hand into the opening.

"Try... try... grabbing me... just try..."

But Cameraman still said nothing.

Amid the silence, Mantou pursed her lips again and fell quiet.

She didn't leave, however. She stayed sprawled by the opening, staring blankly at Cameraman, her thoughts a mystery.

Being stared at like this irritated Cameraman.

"What do you want?"

Finally hearing him speak, Mantou gave a foolish smile:

"I... I... I'm not... doing anything... Sir... if you're... you're busy... I... I won't bother you..."

Despite her words, Cameraman noticed that Mantou's eyes were fixed on the apple in his hand.

The apple had grown on a small tree in his room.

About half a year ago, the "teachers" had brought the tree, planted it in his room, and told him to eat one apple every day.

"You want this?"

Cameraman held up the apple.

Mantou gave a silly smile and nodded.

But then she spoke up again in a slight panic:

"I... I don't want... want to eat the one in... in your hand, Sir... after... after you finish eating... I'll pick it up... I'll eat that... just to taste it... I... I've never eaten one before... I'm sorry..."

To her surprise, Cameraman simply threw the completely untouched apple down to her.

"Here."

"Don't bother me."

Cameraman spoke, though Mantou clearly hadn't registered his last sentence.

In the footage, she stared blankly at the apple that had landed squarely in her hands, her large eyes shining.

Then, she raised her head and looked at Cameraman:

"For... for me... this... the whole... the whole thing...?"

As if still unable to believe it, she hurriedly reached out, grabbed the apple, and offered it back up toward the hole:

"Sir... did you... did you... accidentally... drop it...? Here... here..."

"It's for you."

Cameraman spoke impatiently. He then stood up and left the platform.

Behind him, Mantou's voice echoed continuously:

"Thank you... thank you... Sir... thank you... Sir... see you next time..."

After that, whenever Cameraman came to the platform, there was a high probability he would "coincidentally" run into Mantou.

"Sir... h-hello..."

The tiny Mantou would always greet him like this, a massive smile blooming on her face.

"Today... it's... it's sunny outside..."

She would always sprawl by the opening and tell Cameraman about the weather outside, even though he had never asked.

As for Cameraman, after shaking off his longing for the girl, he would toss an apple down to get rid of the annoying nuisance.

This was how the encounters between the two of them began.

Over the following period, Mantou continued seeking out Cameraman, but he clearly grew more and more impatient.

Finally, during their last encounter, Cameraman scolded her harshly. He then turned and left, leaving Mantou staring blankly at the empty platform, completely unsure of what had happened.

Seeing this, Yan Jing unconsciously hit pause and frowned.

"Don't ever appear in front of me again."

"You're really annoying. Get lost."

These were the words the Cameraman had spoken to Mantou the last time they met on the platform.

Yan Jing frowned the moment he heard them.

Ever since he started viewing the memories, Yan Jing hadn't experienced any major emotional fluctuations. Neither the Cameraman nor the girl named A Si had anything to do with him.

He was just watching a play.

Even if the play was a melodramatic, trashy mess, it mostly just made him want to mock it.

He had never felt any connection to the Cameraman.

He was himself, and the Cameraman was just a tamed dog.

And a dead one at that.

But hearing the Cameraman scold Mantou like that made him frown.

Because he considered Mantou one of his own.

This silly girl always responded to her fucked-up fate with a foolish smile. Even after being hurt, she would blame herself. She shouldn't be treated like this.

Yan Jing's gaze darkened, especially when he saw Mantou's blank, stunned expression after being yelled at in that final scene.

Perhaps Mantou's current timidity had something to do with this.

After a few seconds' pause, he pressed continue.

That man was already dead. What he needed to do now was take over everything he had as quickly as possible and make him disappear completely.

The Ghoulish Life Role-playing Game stated that fulfilling the dying wish would fully unlock the character. He hoped this 'fully' was absolute.

The memory continued.

After the Cameraman brought the girl named A Si to the ventilation duct, the two didn't rush to leave.

First, where to go after leaving was an issue. Additionally, the White House conducted headcounts every two hours in the morning and held random bed checks at night. How long it would take for their escape to be discovered, and how far they could run in that time, were also problems.

There was also the route to consider after exiting the duct—where they should go, and what identities they would assume to live in the outside world.

These were all problems.

However, the girl took charge of it all.

"Ah Ji, just stay put in the White House and leave everything to me," the girl said.

The Cameraman initially wanted to go with her, but the girl was resolute.

And so, the two plotted for a full year.

Every day, the girl would use the intervals between headcounts to slip out through the duct and quietly scout the route.

During this time, the Cameraman also asked her what the outside world was like, saying that if he ever had the chance, he would like to see it.

"It's terrifying, and extremely dangerous."

Whenever this topic came up, the girl's expression would turn incredibly serious, and she strictly warned him that he must never go out on his own.

"Otherwise, I will get angry, Ah Ji."

Hearing that she would get angry, the Cameraman immediately promised that he would never go out.

And the girl did indeed plan everything out methodically.

"After we get out, we'll go to this place mentioned in the book called Dandelion Manor."

The girl told the Cameraman, "Every year, they leave some of the untalented children at the bus stations of other Domains. When the children grow up, some choose to return, and the people there welcome them back."

"When that time comes, we will pretend to be children who were abandoned outside."

But she didn't elaborate on how they would pull off this disguise or whether they would be seen through.

Regardless, the Cameraman believed her.

He trusted that the girl in front of him could help him solve any problem, just as she always had.

Besides their destination, there was also the escape route. The girl said she had already found the perfect one.

But it was extremely dangerous outside. If the people out there discovered the Cameraman, they would definitely drag him back.

"When the time comes, Ah Ji, take off your outer robe, cover your head with something else, and follow me."

"Even I haven't seen your full appearance under that robe, Ah Ji. They won't recognize you."

"Okay."

The Cameraman nodded.

Finally, during their second year, the two set a date and prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, as the date approached, something suddenly happened in the White House.

An old man with a white beard arrived.

He seemed to have some health issues; he looked exhausted and coughed constantly.

After the old man arrived at the White House, those 'teachers' who had just been coasting along all snapped to attention. Clearly, this old man was no simple figure.

The Cameraman vaguely heard the conversations between those 'teachers' mention the word 'Sleepland.'

He had seen this word in books; it was a Domain in the outside world.

Upon entering the White House, the old man first gave some instructions to the 'teachers,' then swept his gaze over the remaining thirty girls and the Cameraman. Finally, he looked at the girl named A Si as if she were a precious treasure.

After a careful inspection, he publicly announced that she was the most important existence among the thirty girls. He instructed the 'teachers' that it didn't matter what happened to the others, but this Number Zero girl and the Cameraman had to be strictly guarded and treated well.

He even gave the girl a title derived from her serial number—Subject Number Zero.

When this news broke, the Cameraman was very happy, but the girl felt the exact opposite.

She threw tantrums for days, and the Cameraman had to coax her for a long time before she finally calmed down a bit.

Moreover, even at this point, she still insisted on running away.

But the result of this incident was that the two were watched even more closely.

This made the escape plan extremely difficult.

Yet, refusing to give up, the two kept waiting.

During this time, to figure out the origins of this white-bearded old man who seemed to be the mastermind, the girl managed to smuggle in newspapers from the outside world.

The two read the news from various Domains, growing increasingly familiar with them.

Soon, they determined that the white-bearded old man must be one of the leaders of Sleepland.

The White House was likely backed by Sleepland.

One time, the girl pointed at the news about Sleepland.

"Ah Ji, Sleepland is not a good place."

"Look, there's even a serial killer there. How scary..."

"Yeah."

The Cameraman nodded, feeling even more certain that running away was the right choice.

Another year passed before they finally found their chance on a dark, windy night.

The girl brought nothing with her, but the Cameraman brought the apple tree. He harbored the naive thought that if they had nothing to eat, they could just kill people to water the tree with blood and eat its apples.

The 'teachers' drank heavily that day; as the Cameraman's twenty-second birthday approached, they were finally about to be liberated. It was while everyone was dizzy and drunk that the two crawled out of the ventilation duct.

The night was deep, obscuring the surrounding scenery. Just as the Cameraman was preparing to adjust his lens brightness, the girl unexpectedly told him to take off his black robe as they had discussed, and draped an article of her clothing over his head.

This immediately blocked the Cameraman's vision.

"Ah Ji, the path ahead will be terrifying. To keep you from getting scared, if you trust me, grab my hand and run with me."

"Okay."

The Cameraman nodded.

Then, as if to prove the girl right, a massive roar exploded right next to their ears.

The Cameraman, his vision covered, shuddered instantly. While sitting on the platform, he would occasionally hear this kind of noise, but it had never been nearly this loud.

The terror brought on by the deafening sound plunged him into horrifying imaginations, making him believe her words even more. He immediately gripped the girl's hand tight, clinging to the warmth of her palm as his sole anchor.

The two sprinted madly.

After what felt like an eternity, the Cameraman suddenly heard the furious roar of a Lion echo in his ears, accompanied by a foul, bloody wind.

There was actually a Lion here; his heart clenched tightly once more.

However, it seemed the two had already run past the Lion's location. The roar was quickly left far behind them.

A little while later, the Cameraman felt the girl come to a halt.

So, he stopped as well.

"A Si, can I take it off now?" the Cameraman asked uncertainly.

"You can," A Si's voice rang out.

Pulling the clothing off his head, the Cameraman smiled joyfully.

"This is wonderful, A Si."

But to his surprise, the girl suddenly began to cry.

This left him a bit flustered.

"What's wrong, A Si?"

"Nothing."

The girl wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.

"Ah Ji, let's go our separate ways from here."

"Separate? Why?!" the Cameraman asked in disbelief.

"No one has seen your face, but they've all seen mine. If this continues, sooner or later we'll be caught by those people from Sleepland."

The girl smiled through her tears.

"Go, Ah Ji. Go to Dandelion Manor by yourself. I'll head in the opposite direction to buy you time."

"No."

The Cameraman immediately shook his head. He grabbed her shoulders and said earnestly, "Otherwise we'll just go back, A Si. Back to the White House. The outside world isn't that great anyway."

"That's impossible."

The girl shook her head as her tears poured down. She reached out to touch the Cameraman's lens and smiled.

"Ah Ji, do you remember why I got so angry at you that day three years ago? The day the 'teachers' suddenly changed their attitudes."

"Why?" the Cameraman asked blankly.

"Because after you told me what they said at the dinner table, I went to eavesdrop on their conversation that night. They said they had lost contact with the higher-ups, and that it was very likely because of your brother."

"My brother?"

"Yes, your brother."

The girl smiled tearfully. "They said your brother must have discovered the problem with the White House and fought with all those other people. Everyone got hurt, which is why they couldn't be reached."

"What's the problem with the White House? And where is my brother?"

As the Cameraman's voice trailed off, the girl laughed.

"The problem with the White House is that the last remaining girl and you will both die, Ah Ji."

Under the Cameraman's shocked gaze, the girl relayed what she had heard that day.

As soon as the Cameraman and that girl married and had a child, they would both die.

"I got angry with you because I didn't want you to keep burdening yourself with the fantasy of living together with me. But in the end, you fool, you just wouldn't let go. That's why I had to escape with you."

"As for where your brother is, Ah Ji, you'll have to find him yourself."

With tears in her eyes, the girl smiled. "Over the years, I made you read books and newspapers because I hoped you would familiarize yourself with this place. That way, you could survive on the outside and look for your brother. I know you've never been able to forget him..."

Listening to her words, the Cameraman's vision blurred as well.

Right at that moment, a dilapidated bus drove over from the distance. The girl hurriedly shoved her Eerie Coins into his hand.

"Quick, go, Ah Ji, hurry!! Don't worry about me! I'll head toward Sleepland to buy you time!"

Saying this, she reached out and touched the Cameraman's face.

"If you live well in Dandelion Manor, come find me in Rotten Vegetable Village. If I haven't been caught by then, I'll likely settle down there."

"I will never try to look for you, Ah Ji. As long as you're doing well."

"Don't worry, even if I get caught, I won't say a word about you."

"I'll do what you do and hide my memories."

With that, the girl suddenly flashed a playful smile, her tears scattering like crystal beads under the moonlight.

"Ah Ji, I love you."

"From childhood until now, you've always been my favorite."

Saying this, the girl stood on her tiptoes, pulled the Cameraman's head down, and planted a gentle kiss on his lips beneath his lens.

Tears fell upon their lips.

But just as the bus doors opened in front of them, the Cameraman did the unexpected. With a forceful shove, he pushed the girl onto the bus, ignoring her cries of alarm, and bolted toward the opposite platform.

He wiped the tears from his eyes, forcing himself not to look back.

Then, under the cover of night, he boarded the next bus heading toward Rotten Vegetable Village.

He was going to do exactly what the girl had intended to do for him.

And so, he arrived at Rotten Vegetable Village.

He rented a house using his Eerie Coins.

Then, he made a living by selling apples.

To attract the attention of the people from Sleepland, he went to Sleepland and mimicked the serial killer he had seen in the newspaper. He wanted not only to protect the one he loved, but also to avenge his brother.

Then, one day.

As he walked outside, he saw a girl sitting in the corner.

At first, he didn't recognize her as the girl he had seen a few times before. Those brief memories were just the tip of the iceberg in his mind; they barely made a ripple in his life, which revolved entirely around A Si.

But he still walked over.

Because he thought of a plan.

If he was ever caught, those people would definitely ask him where Subject Number Zero was.

He had to be able to produce a Subject Number Zero.

But that person couldn't be A Si.

So he walked over, intending to win the favor of this scavenging girl.

To his surprise, the moment she saw him, her expression shifted from pleasant surprise to a trace of fear.

Finally, the girl looked at the apple in his hand.

It was then that he finally recalled the girl from his memories.

Without any hesitation, he still handed over the apple.

The apple that the girl thought signaled the mending of their friendship was the very apple that marked his decision to 'kill' her.

Next, he went to Solitude Lane and hid his memories there.

Another period of time passed.

One night.

While walking down the streets of Rotten Vegetable Village, with moonlight spilling at his feet, he suddenly froze, staring at the figure at the alley entrance opposite him.

A figure that was inexplicably familiar.

Even though he had forgotten that figure's name and everything that had happened between them, his body still moved forward involuntarily.

Then, he felt a sudden pain in his neck.

Blood gushed out, staining his hands red.

He stared at the figure opposite him in shock.

He couldn't remember who the figure was, nor did he know why they were killing him.

At the end of his life, he only wanted to live. He wanted to take the figure opposite him.

Take that face.

And kill it.

[You have successfully discovered the role-playing character's dying wish: Kill the girl named A Si. Fulfill this dying wish to fully unlock the character and obtain everything he was meant to have.]

Good.

Yan Jing's eyes were calm.

Having such a dying wish was the best thing the Cameraman had ever done.

After watching the Cameraman's memories in their entirety, Yan Jing finally understood the ins and outs of the situation, resolving his lingering doubts.

For example, why the Cameraman had copied the crimes, and why he had given an apple to Mantou while she rested by the side of the road...

It was also after finishing these memories that Yan Jing finally grasped the true meaning of the Ghoulish Life Role-playing Game.

The Cameraman's life was simply... an absolute disaster.

It was so terrible that it was almost sickening.

If you didn't want to be continually sickened by this life, your only option was to take it over through role-playing.

To make everything of his your own, reverse the situation in your own way, and live out a life that was meant to plunge into the abyss.

The only silver lining was that the Cameraman's dying wish wasn't too bad.

If his wish had been to marry that girl named A Si, things would have been a bit difficult...

Yan Jing might have had to take far more ruthless measures, and it certainly would have required a lot more effort.

It was better as it was: simple and direct.

Yan Jing exited the memories.

He looked at Mantou beside him, his gaze perfectly meeting her wide eyes.

"Yi... Ji... you... you're awake..."

A bright smile bloomed on Mantou's face as she sat there obediently.

"Yeah."

Yan Jing patted Mantou's head.

Some people were just blind and couldn't tell good from bad. It was no wonder they ended up dead, leaving the real treasure for him.

He then took Mantou's hand and led her out the door.

Outside, night was falling. The setting sun on the horizon drew back its final slivers of light, and darkness rushed in from the distance, gradually covering the black soil.

He had intended to call for An Ze, but instead saw a tall figure standing a short distance from the door. Beside her was An Ze, shrinking back and too afraid to speak.

"Officer Lu."

A smile appeared on Yan Jing's face.

"Mhm."

Lu Miao nodded. Her right hand instantly transformed into a Dark Blade. "Mr. Yi Ji, do you know what happens to those who touch my people?"

"Boss, it wasn't Mr. Yi Ji..."

The moment An Ze finished speaking, a fresh cut appeared on his arm, sending blood spurting into the air.

An Ze let out a muffled groan. He wanted to continue pleading for Yan Jing, but he suddenly realized that his dangerously high body temperature was actually dropping as the blood flowed out.

He glanced up at Lu Miao and promptly shut his mouth.

He could tell that Lu Miao wasn't truly angry.

"If I had actually hurt Mr. An Ze, the outcome would likely be quite miserable," Yan Jing said with a nod and a faint smile.

"There won't be a next time."

Lu Miao's tone was calm. She then grabbed An Ze and turned to leave.

After taking a few steps, she paused and said,

"Yu Xiran and Meng Qianqiu delayed their departure. They will pass through here tomorrow night."

She had witnessed the conflict between Yu Xiran and the Cameraman—Yan Jing's current disguise—at the banquet, so she was giving him a heads-up.

This was her payment to Yan Jing for helping her extract the confession.

"Thank you."

Yan Jing nodded, then led Mantou away in the opposite direction.

If they were arriving tomorrow night, he had a bit more time to work with. He needed to go find Old Master Liu and the others to discuss things.

Before long, he and Mantou safely arrived at the Twenty-Eighth Village.

The ward chiefs along the way hadn't caused any trouble. Some hadn't even bothered to open their doors, simply shouting out a "Pass" when knocked on.

"Three tens."

Outside the house, Chen Nian flipped over his cards.

Tiger also flipped over his cards. He hadn't looked at them; he was playing blind.

As a result...

"A 2-3-5?!"

Tiger himself couldn't quite believe it. In Golden Flower, a 2-3-5 was the smallest possible hand, while Three of a Kind was the largest. Yet, a 2-3-5 was the only thing that could beat a Three of a Kind.

Chen Nian gathered his cards and nodded.

He finally understood why that old man had insisted on bringing Tiger along.

This guy's luck was a bit too good.

Not just normally good.

Exceptionally good.

"Sorry about that, Mr. Chen Nian..."

Tiger scratched his head with an awkward smile. He had intended to play 'business poker' and intentionally lose, but Chen Nian wanted to play Golden Flower, a game based almost entirely on luck. He couldn't throw the game even if he wanted to, and he had already won five hands in a row.

"How about... another round?"

"No need."

Chen Nian stood up and looked at Yan Jing.

"Finished your business?"

"Finished about half of it," Yan Jing replied.

"Then you can go get busy with the other half."

"Did something happen?"

Yan Jing noticed that Chen Nian's calm eyes were filled with exhaustion.

Beside them, Tiger quickly summarized the situation in a few short words:

After the Old Man followed the local ward chief inside, he hadn't come out all afternoon.

An entire afternoon.

No matter what they were doing, it shouldn't have taken an entire afternoon.

Yan Jing stared blankly for a moment. "Knowing the Old Man's personality, he probably just forgot..."

He stepped forward, preparing to knock on the door.

But as he raised his hand, he suddenly understood why Tiger and Chen Nian hadn't knocked.

Although the possibility of the Old Man 'exercising' for an entire afternoon was slim, given his boundless vitality, it was still a real possibility.

Knocking on the door at a time like this would indeed be a bit impolite.

He turned his head and looked at Chen Nian and Tiger.

"How about..."

"Mantou and I team up, and we switch to playing Fight the Landlord?"

Just as they reached the third round of the game...

Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the inside.

Wearing a bathrobe and a pair of flip-flops, the Old Man rushed out with his hands held high in the air, shouting:

"Kid Chen! I've done it! Good thing you didn't disturb me this afternoon. I came up with a flawless plan. We'll definitely be able to assassinate that girl without anyone ever—"

The Old Man's words caught in his throat.

Because he saw Yan Jing playing cards.

At that moment, Yan Jing was holding a hand of cards, just about to play his signature 'airplane' hand.

Seeing the Old Man come out, he turned his head and asked in confusion, "Who are you trying to kill?"

Behind him, Chen Nian helplessly covered his forehead and let out a long sigh.

...

...

A moment later, the situation had been roughly explained.

Old Master Liu, Chen Nian, Tiger, and Mantou stood in a line, facing Yan Jing.

"So you're saying... you want to help me kill that Yu Ling?"

Yan Jing looked at the group opposite him with a perplexed expression.

The group nodded in unison.

Yan Jing then pulled Tiger and Mantou, both of whom clearly had no idea what was going on, over to his side.

"Stop blindly joining the commotion."

The two remaining instigators now had nothing left but a strictly proper attitude.

"His idea."

Chen Nian chose leniency through confession, directly selling out Old Master Liu.

"Hold on a minute. Listen to my defense."

Old Master Liu held up a finger, signaling for everyone to listen to him.

"Yi Ji, my boy, tell me, are we buddies or not?"

"We are."

"Shouldn't buddies help each other out?"

"They should."

Yan Jing nodded again.

"So everyone's happy, right? You want to kill that girl, so we're helping you."

Defending and explaining—Old Master Liu was purely on the defensive, with absolutely no explaining.

Yan Jing let out a sigh.

"But how did you know I wanted to kill that girl named Yu Ling?"

"Wasn't that it?"

Old Master Liu and Chen Nian both froze. They couldn't have been mistaken about the murderous intent in Yan Jing's eyes when he saw Yu Ling's face back then.

After a few seconds of silence, Yan Jing looked up and chuckled.

"Actually, you're exactly right."

"Then go ahead and tell us your plan, Old Man... We'll set it for tomorrow night."

...

...

The following night.

The five "killers" took their positions in the Twenty-Third Mile and the Twenty-Second Village.

The ward chiefs of these two locations had been dealt with—one challenged by Yan Jing, and the other directly defeated by Chen Nian.

The reason they chose these locations was that as they traveled inward from the Twenty-Eighth Village, these were the only two places where the ward chiefs had accepted their entry gifts.

Simply put, the ward chiefs here had seen their faces.

Therefore, the one who collected gifts as aggressively as the Architect had been wiped out, while the one who took a lighter toll had just been tied up.

Although the group would have preferred to set up their ambush deeper inside, they had to choose these locations to avoid being seen by anyone else.

The main attackers this time:

The Old Man, who had volunteered, and Chen Nian, who had been forced to volunteer, stayed in the Twenty-Second Village with Mantou, their trump card.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing and the scout, Tiger, waited in the Twenty-Third Mile.

The general outline of the plan was as follows:

Once Yu Xiran and his group traveled deep into their territory, the Old Man would step out to muddy the waters first, followed by Chen Nian executing targeted strikes.

And if the target tried to flee out of Solitude Lane, Yan Jing would intercept them.

If any accidents occurred, their trump card, Mantou, would take action.

The Twenty-Third Mile.

Inside a solitude servant's wooden cabin, Yan Jing and Tiger leaned against the window, looking outside. Beside him, Tiger whispered, "Mr. Yi Ji, why did you agree to bring me along this time? Aren't you usually with Miss Mantou?"

"Does this mean you finally acknowledge me?"

Tiger looked at Yan Jing with excitement.

Yan Jing shook his head.

"I'm about to do something major."

"There's immense karma involved, and I don't want those three to be tainted by it."

"Didn't I just tell you to stay with them, Mr. Tiger? You insisted on tagging along, so I had no choice..."

"Immense karma..."

Tiger swallowed hard. "How immense?"

"Very immense."

Yan Jing said calmly, "Immense enough to pierce the sky of Old Sin City."

"I-It can't be that bad, right... Mr. Yi Ji... Aren't we just killing an ordinary resident of Dandelion Manor?"

Tiger tried to force a laugh to ease the tension, but he couldn't quite manage it. Instead, he just swallowed nervously again.

He knew that the man in front of him wasn't likely to lie to him.

Because there was no need to.

His life was in the other man's hands.

Lying required considering the cost-to-benefit ratio, and he figured he simply wasn't worth the effort.

Therefore, what Yan Jing said was most likely true.

As the words faded.

Yan Jing was just about to say something else when he suddenly saw several flashlight beams sweeping toward them from outside the window. He immediately gestured for Tiger to put the cardboard box back over his head.

Then, he unclipped the Walkie-talkie at his waist and tapped it lightly.

Before long, the Walkie-talkie's green light began to flash.

This was their pre-agreed signal.

It meant one thing.

The killers were in position.

Across the boundless black soil, nightfall added a touch of mystery to this desolate and vast Domain.

Yu Xiran and her group had already turned off their flashlights.

It was pitch-black; they couldn't see their own fingers stretched out in front of them. The darkness seemed to conceal some sort of aberration, lying in wait to devour anyone passing by.

"Snap—"

A resident of Sleepland snapped a dead branch beneath his foot, the break echoing as the only sound beneath the pitch-black night sky.

No one expected this single misstep to actually wake the man beside them—someone who seemed like he would never wake up.

"Are... are we there?"

Lying on a resident's back, Meng Qianqiu opened his eyes. He chuckled, looked at Yu Xiran beside him, and threw his arms around her.

"Xi... Xiran... let's... let's go to bed together..."

Yu Xiran smiled at the embrace and pulled him into her arms.

"Not yet, be good... go back to sleep..."

She reached out and gently patted his back.

Her voice seemed to have a calming effect. In just a few seconds, snores rose from Meng Qianqiu's drooping head.

Beside them, Yu Ling said softly, "We've reached Twenty-Second Village. Let's pay a visit to the ward chief here first."

"There are four li of road left. We're almost there. Stay alert; the next few li ahead are a little abnormal."

Yu Xiran nodded. For this trip to Solitude Ward, both Sleepland and Dandelion Manor had done their utmost to send escorts.

Dandelion Manor originally had four Second Tiers. With Yu Mu severely injured, two of the remaining three had come along.

Sleepland had also deployed two of their five Second Tiers.

Four Second Tiers, plus four First Tiers—this team could almost rival some Domains in Old Sin City.

Virtue Bridge, for example, reportedly had only three Second Tiers.

Furthermore, two of these four Second Tiers would remain in Solitude Ward to watch over her and Meng Qianqiu around the clock.

Only Solitude Ward would allow two Second Tiers from other Domains to station permanently within its borders.

After all, the First Ward Chief never believed anyone could stir up trouble on his turf.

However, she was still somewhat worried.

Because of the means that man had displayed at Sun-Swallowing Tower...

That was no ordinary opponent.

Thinking of this, she looked at Yu Ling. If anything truly went wrong, she could only rely on her.

"Everyone, on alert. Conduct Anomalous Energy Detection. After the detection is complete, turn on the flashlights," Yu Ling ordered in a low voice.

At times like this, she always acted as the most reliable helper by Yu Xiran's side.

Before passing through each Domain, they would conduct Anomalous Energy Detection to ensure there was no one on the ground other than the ward chief.

A woman from Sleepland wearing thin silk pajamas yawned and looked at Yu Xiran.

"Miss Yu, there shouldn't be any need for this... We haven't had any problems crossing so many Domains. Like I said before, visibility is greatly hindered at night on this black soil. With the flashlights off, if someone really set up an ambush, they could only rely on Anomalous Energy Detection."

"We would definitely sense it."

"Unless it's a Third Tier."

She was cracking a mild joke. For people like them, perennially sunk in dreams, this was the funniest joke she could muster.

But Yu Xiran did not smile.

"Do as Yu Ling says."

The woman curled her lip. There was nothing she could do; Yu Xiran was highly valued right now. Their superiors had specifically instructed them to obey Yu Xiran's arrangements in everything.

It was just tough on their young master, who slept restlessly during every Anomalous Energy Detection.

Along the way, she harbored her fair share of complaints about Yu Xiran.

Yu Xiran was too cautious, making it very tiring for those of them on the Sloth Pathway.

She had already said it: with the flashlights off, the enemy could only discover them using Anomalous Energy Detection...

"Bang!"

Right at that moment, a fierce blast of wind from a punch erupted out of thin air in the darkness. Accompanied by the twisted roars of dragons and tigers, it accurately pinpointed the group's location.

A gale abruptly surged!

Everyone's clothes were blown taut against their bodies. Terrifying weird energy surged toward them like a tsunami, aiming to execute a precise kill in the dark night.

The target was none other than the recently awakened Meng Qianqiu.

"Swish—"

Sleepland's two Second Tiers instantly stepped in front of Meng Qianqiu. One of them, a male Second Tier, closed his eyes and immediately began snoring like thunder.

Shockingly, his body mutated with every snore. Muscles bulged beneath his sleeves and pant legs, directly tearing his clothes apart. Veins popped across his skin as dark weird energy surged within. Facing the oncoming blast, the seemingly asleep man swung his arms, coated them in tidal weird energy, and threw a punch forward.

"Boom!"

Under the night sky, a thunderous boom erupted from their collision, echoing far and wide. Beside them, the bodies of several First Tiers trembled violently from the aftershocks of the weird energy. Before they could steady themselves, a second blast arrived.

This time, the target was aimed straight at Yu Xiran.

A Second Tier from Dandelion Manor flashed forward, stepping in front of the shocked Yu Xiran. Tentacles sprouted from his lower abdomen, dancing wildly in the air to envelop the blast.

After a muffled groan, he stumbled back a few steps and looked at Sleepland's two Second Tiers.

"A Second Tier, and from an unseen Pathway. In terms of offense, I might not be stronger than him."

His intention was to ask Sleepland to spare one Second Tier to pursue the enemy with him, but the awake woman from Sleepland smiled bitterly and said, "Although our abilities can strengthen our bodies, they only have an automatic counterattack effect. Active pursuit... we haven't reached that level yet."

Before they could finish their conversation, two more blasts rushed at them from the opposite side!

They hastily moved to block in front of Meng Qianqiu and Yu Xiran, but unexpectedly... in the next instant, a nearby First Tier shuddered violently under the blast, his eyes bulging wide as he spat a mouthful of blood.

In almost a split second, blood flowed uncontrollably from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Protect Yu Ling!" Yu Xiran shouted upon seeing this.

Having regained her calm, her immediate priority was to spare a Second Tier to protect Yu Ling.

But none of the Second Tiers moved—not until the blasts arrived again and killed two more First Tiers. Under Yu Xiran's forceful demands, the other Second Tier from Dandelion Manor finally left Yu Xiran's side to stand in front of Yu Ling.

Within the next half-minute, the opponent's fists assailed them like a fierce storm, forcing the survivors back step by step.

The Second Tiers felt extremely stifled. They were confident that in a one-on-one fight, they wouldn't fear this opponent at all.

But right now, the enemy was in the dark while they were exposed. Coupled with the need to protect three weaklings, they couldn't utilize their true strength at all.

"Leave our current position first. Split into two groups and don't make a sound," Yu Xiran ordered, her eyes flashing.

She had figured out how they had exposed their position.

It was the most primitive method possible.

It was sound.

The snap of that wooden branch, followed by the group talking.

It had allowed the enemy to discover their location.

However...

In such an empty expanse, it was almost impossible to distinguish direction from a breaking branch or low whispers. Just how good was this enemy's hearing...

Besides, who would use a wooden branch—a primitive trap that wouldn't even be written about in books?

...

"They ran off separately..." Old Master Liu whispered, looking proudly at Chen Nian beside him.

"I told you this method works well. We all do this back where I'm from."

Chen Nian pursed his lips, surprisingly choosing not to bicker with Old Liu this time.

Simply because, at this moment, Old Master Liu's entire body was covered in dark meridians, including his face. Streams of weird energy were being extracted from his bleeding black-and-white eyes and channeled into his arms. This was exactly why he could blast out punch after punch just now.

The old guy was truly going all out this time.

"I didn't expect you to push yourself this hard," Chen Nian said in a low voice.

The old man chuckled and stood up.

The pajama sleeves on his arms had long since blown apart. At this moment, streams of weird energy fell from the air like liquid gold into his pitch-black eye, eventually gathering on his right arm to form a massive weird energy vortex. It looked like a giant dark moon, threatening to replace the bright moon and descend into this boundless night sky.

Then, he laughed softly and chanted:

"Ask the heroes of the realm, in their endless fray, Who among them does not yearn for lordly sway?

Even if our whitened bones are buried in the sand, With golden seals upon our waists, our glory shall withstand!"

As his words fell, he gave a hearty laugh:

"Which side?"

"The right side."

A faint red light flickered in Chen Nian's right eye.

Old Master Liu swung his massive arm, and that dark moon flew straight toward the right.

"How was my impromptu poem?"

Having thrown his punch, the old man collapsed onto the ground, looking up at Chen Nian with a chuckle.

"Not so great."

"I think that historian was absolutely right."

Chen Nian stood up and spoke slowly.

"That place of yours specializes in churning out lunatics."

With that, he started walking toward the right.

"It's a bit like where we're from."

Leaving those final words behind, his figure gradually vanished into the boundless night.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiran's group was steadily retreating toward the rear right. The two Second Tiers had directly tucked Yu Xiran and Yu Ling under their arms, moving at breakneck speed.

However, when that dark moon arrived at terrifying speed, both of them were startled.

This dark moon was absolutely not an attack that an ordinary Second Tier could unleash.

Their enemy this time was likely unprecedentedly powerful.

The moment this thought surfaced, the Second Tier carrying Yu Ling immediately set her down.

Tentacles frantically sprouted from his abdomen once more, bundling together as they blasted toward the dark moon.

With a deafening boom, the tentacles were ground away bit by bit by the dark moon. Blood scattered like rain under the night sky, plummeting into the darkness and dyeing the black earth crimson.

A wretched scream tore through the heavens, making the blood run cold in anyone who heard it.

Aside from Yu Xiran's group, no one could have imagined that such a miserable shriek came from a Second Tier.

It wasn't until more than half the tentacles on the Second Tier's abdomen were obliterated that the dark moon was finally ground down to nothing.

But before they could even catch their breath, a beam of light suddenly materialized, instantly illuminating the night sky.

Faint, drifting clouds were scattered across the illuminated sky. They looked impossibly distant from the black earth, appearing extremely high and ethereal.

But no one had the time to appreciate the sight.

Because right on the heels of that single beam came an endless, densely packed barrage of countless others.

They plummeted like a torrential downpour, leaving the group with absolutely nowhere to run.

"What Pathway is this?!"

The Second Tier guarding Yu Xiran cried out in shock. Tentacles burst from her abdomen as well, thrashing wildly to form a barrier that intercepted the rain of light.

Sizzle—

Plumes of white smoke billowed the moment the glowing rain made contact with the tentacles, filling the air with the stench of charred flesh.

The Second Tier was not having an easy time either. The light rain seemed to harbor some insidious power; upon landing, it clung to her tentacles and continuously gnawed at her flesh and blood.

However, compared to the fist winds from earlier, this newly arrived Second Tier was noticeably weaker.

And most importantly—the fist winds had stopped.

This seemed like a prime opportunity.

The guard responsible for protecting Yu Ling roared, "Meng Yu! There are two of them in total—go find that earlier Second Tier!"

"Got it!"

From within the dark night came the response of Meng Yu, the Second Tier from Sleepland.

Sleepland had two Second Tiers present. As long as Meng Yu could kill one of the enemy Second Tiers, the remaining one would be entirely at their mercy.

Meanwhile, Chen Nian's eyes flickered. Through his thermal imaging visor, the silhouettes of the group opposite him were laid bare.

His right arm had fully transformed into a pitch-black cannon, continuously firing beams fused with Weird Energy.

Watching the display in the upper right corner of his vision show the first backup energy block gradually depleting, he felt for a split second that he had truly gone mad, acting no different from those drugged-up junkies back in his hometown.

To think he would actually do something this insane.

But upon hearing that the enemy was preparing to take the offensive, his gaze darkened once more.

When the Old Man had made his move just moments ago, the enemy had only known how to retreat. Yet now that he was the one attacking, they actually dared to seize the initiative.

Contrasting the two reactions, the gap in strength seemed rather obvious...

He let out a long breath.

Taking a deep breath, his Weird Energy surged as he chose to directly crank the temperature up by two hundred degrees.

Simultaneously, the firing rate increased by 15%.

Power output rose by 20%.

Weird Energy particle fusion efficiency spiked by 50%.

Ammunition biological factor ratio increased by 30%.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The torrential downpour of beams expanded its area of effect even further. As they pounded the black earth, rolling clouds of white smoke billowed upward, forming a dense fog thick with an acrid, burning stench.

Carpet bombing!

To prevent himself from feeling like a madman again, he simply went ahead and temporarily blocked the neural network systems in his brain associated with crisis processing.

Timer set for five minutes.

The two Second Tiers on the opposing side were now suffering unspeakably.

They had originally assumed this attacker was weaker than the previous one, but they never expected his firepower to suddenly ramp up to this extent!

Swish—

Finally, a beam pierced through the last line of defense of the Second Tier who had intercepted the dark moon earlier, punching a bloody hole straight through his waist.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

That Second Tier shouted at the top of his lungs, deciding to abandon Yu Ling, whom he had been shielding behind him.

To his surprise, however, Yu Xiran vehemently refused.

"Xiran, this isn't the time to act on emotion!" the Second Tier barked sternly.

If Yu Xiran was his only remaining protection target, he could take the initiative to attack like Sleepland's Meng Yu and try to break out of this current predicament.

But Yu Xiran shook her head.

"Are you confident you can defeat them?"

Amidst the hail of gunfire, Yu Xiran's words cut straight to the heart of the matter. Indeed, the strength the enemy was displaying right now was absolutely crushing, and no one could guarantee there weren't even more people waiting in the wings.

Right at that very moment, the group suddenly noticed the faint, hulking silhouette of a colossal giant emerging in the distant night sky.

A furious roar tore from its throat as it slowly advanced toward them step by step.

This sight made the expressions of the two Second Tiers even uglier.

"It's that group from the Mad Amusement Park. Someone among them advanced to the Second Tier?"

If that person wasn't a Second Tier, there was no way they would dare to actively seek them out.

In an instant, the two Second Tiers felt that tonight spelled almost certain doom.

The bombardment of light continued relentlessly.

Yu Xiran spoke slowly, "Let me go. Their target is Yu Ling."

The two Second Tiers were momentarily stunned by her words.

Before they could figure out what she meant, Weird Energy surged from the 'Yu Ling' standing behind the man. She turned her back and stealthily peeled a mask off her face.

Beneath the mask was, shockingly, the face of Yu Xiran.

Looking at the two bewildered guards, the 'Yu Ling' who had just slipped the mask back on said, "This was Mother's instruction. She had Ling'er and me swap identities to ensure no accidents occurred."

"Now, one of you will cover my retreat. The other will help Ling'er escape first, then come back for me."

The two dazed guards exchanged a glance and ultimately chose to believe her.

And so, they split into two directions, each taking one person as they retreated outward.

As expected, the frenzied artillery fire chased after the real Yu Xiran.

Because 'Yu Ling' had hidden behind the Second Tier when removing the mask, and the action itself was extremely discreet, it was naturally impossible for Chen Nian to notice the face swap through their blurry silhouettes.

Meanwhile, an imperceptible glint of smugness flashed through the eyes of the 'Yu Xiran' being carried away by the other Second Tier.

The face swap was her final insurance policy.

And the item she used was, naturally, the treasure the Disguiser had buried in Sleepland.

This insurance allowed her to normally operate under a highly scrutinized, public identity, but when the critical moment arrived, if the enemy wanted to make a move against Yu Xiran, she would simply cease to be Yu Xiran.

This inevitably reminded her of her last encounter with that man in the Sun-Swallowing Tower.

At the time, seized by a sudden bout of playfulness, she had proactively revealed herself by whispering into his ear.

She had originally just wanted to see the flustered look on that guy's face.

But as it turned out, that guy didn't seem to remember a single thing.

Moreover, he seemed to have completely changed.

And he was surrounded by a bunch of weirdos...

The relentless pressure from those people forced her to ultimately reveal the real Yu Xiran's face at the very end—which was, in fact, her own face.

In truth, she hadn't wanted to expose herself. For her, figuring out a way to kill that guy from behind the scenes was the safest approach.

He knew far too many of her secrets.

Her purpose for coming here this time was naturally to uncover the memories he had buried in this place.

She hadn't expected him to push things that far. Left with no choice, she was forced to reveal her trump card.

She had the fake Yu Ling show him her face.

It was the perfect opportunity to test if he had truly forgotten her.

And if he hadn't, what exactly his attitude toward her was now.

If it was hatred, it meant he had lied to her back then and hadn't actually deleted his memories.

Furthermore, he would have learned through the Disguiser that she was the mastermind behind the scenes.

In that case, she would push the real Yu Xiran forward and let that guy kill her.

Once that happened, she would have a legitimate excuse to capture him and execute him openly.

On the other hand, if that guy was still foolishly in love with her like before, then she would have the chance to bring that adorable fool back under her control.

She remembered him saying that even if he deleted his memories, seeing associated things would still trigger vague recollections.

He had even stupidly told her back then that if he ever truly erased his memories, she had to promise to recount all those lost memories to him the day they met again.

Heh, how cute.

But it seemed the guy really had wiped his memories. He hadn't shown any emotional fluctuations upon seeing her face.

Now that was even more interesting...

She began plotting how she would pretend to bump into him later and reenact their whole story from the start. Just thinking about it was highly amusing.

But suddenly, she felt the Second Tier carrying her come to an abrupt halt.

Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly lifted her head and looked forward.

A well-proportioned figure slowly emerged from the rolling white fog. This figure wore a cardboard box with two eye holes cut into it over his head, and in his hand, he carried a black-and-white Thorn Spear.

With a mere flick of the spear tip, both the white mist and the pitch-black night were churned and dispersed like clouds. Currents of air coiled around the weapon, making him look like a divine warrior descending from the heavens.

He exuded an aura of being truly Peerless in this world.

The Second Tier entity holding the fake Yu Xiran looked warily at the newly arrived Yan Jing.

If the person before him was also Second Tier, that made four of them to appear so far.

Where did all these Second Tiers come from?

The tentacles on his abdomen—the ones that survived the dark moon's annihilation—whipped out, dancing wildly in the pitch-black night.

There was no way out, unless he dropped the fake Yu Xiran in his hand.

Before that, however, he had to test the newcomer's strength.

"He's First Tier!"

From his waist, "Yu Xiran" pointed at Yan Jing and shouted.

"He's the Cameraman from the Sun-Swallowing Tower!"

"Yu Xiran" had recognized Yan Jing.

Hearing her words, the Second Tier entity relaxed slightly.

If the man was only First Tier, he could most likely escape today.

Faced with her accusation, Yan Jing offered no defense. He remained entirely silent, simply raising the spear in his hand.

Whether he was First Tier or not couldn't be proven with words alone.

Crunch.

He took a bite of a Fear Fruit.

Bubbling black mist surged around him as his Fear Stance unfolded. The dark fog swirled, rapidly intensifying his mutation until he looked like a monster straight out of hell.

At the same time, the Power of the White Stone surfaced on the back of his hand, transforming into a two-colored Thorn Bracer that boosted his strength.

Next, a pitch-black pool of water materialized beneath his feet, blending with the power of Solitude Lane.

Then, he swung the black-and-white Thorn Spear. Crystalline dark petals drifted down from the sky as shrill, wretched screams echoed, forming a grim background melody.

Finally, the camera above his head locked on in real-time, ready to trigger a freeze frame at any moment.

Having entered his peak state in an instant, Yan Jing advanced step by step, spear in hand, the dark pool following his every move.

If he had to fight a Second Tier to the death, he might not win. But he had seen the strength Lu Miao displayed and was confident he could trade a blow or two.

He needed to strike fear into his opponent instantly—that was the only way to scare the entity off.

That was why he unleashed his strongest form right from the start.

Now, staring at the completely transformed Yan Jing, the Second Tier entity felt an inexplicable sense of panic.

Was this guy really First Tier?

His certainty wavered.

Still, he had to test him with a strike.

The sky full of tentacles converged, weaving into a monstrous, overwhelming palm that slammed down toward Yan Jing.

It was coming.

Watching the giant palm howling toward him, Yan Jing's eyes remained calm. Relying on the muscle memory forged from his Weird killing stance, he raised his spear shaft. He centered his breath, focused his mind, and mobilized his Weird Energy—a single motion that engaged his entire body. And then...

He thrust the spear!

The motion flowed flawlessly, flashing with a dark gleam.

The monstrous palm of flesh crashed down, swallowing that dark light on the spear tip.

Seeing this, the Second Tier entity breathed a small sigh of relief.

But in the very next second, his expression drastically changed.

He felt a terrifying force on the verge of erupting from the center of his giant palm. A chill shot down his spine. He tried to pull back, but it was too late.

Something seemed to have frozen him in place for a split second. His vision blurred. By the time his eyes cleared, a dark pinpoint of light had abruptly pierced through the back of the flesh palm. Almost instantly, that dark spot expanded to engulf the entire hand.

Dark cracks spread like a spiderweb, radiating a gloomy light from within the fissures.

In the next blink, the entire palm crumbled apart, dissolving into chunks of meat that were completely vaporized under the dark light.

Agony flooded the Second Tier entity's mind. Bellowing in pain, he abandoned any further shock and fled frantically in the opposite direction.

The person before him was definitely not First Tier; he was absolutely certain of that now. In fact, this man was even more terrifying than the previous few.

Naturally, the fake Yu Xiran was discarded, dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

Yan Jing didn't hesitate. He strode forward with sweeping steps, aiming his spear straight at "Yu Xiran's" forehead.

Hum.

Just then, a clump of flesh leaped from "Yu Xiran's" palm, instantly transforming into a translucent barrier of flesh and blood that completely enveloped her.

The spear struck the barrier, sinking in only half an inch.

However, as Yan Jing's Weird Energy surged, the tip pushed steadily deeper. Breaking this barrier was only a matter of time.

In four or five minutes at most, the woman's skull would be pierced through.

No matter how high the quality, any item usable by a First Tier ultimately had limited power.

Now, "Yu Xiran" finally panicked.

Frantic, she blurted out, "Why are you trying to kill me?! I don't even know you!"

Looking at the woman still playing dumb at this stage, Yan Jing chuckled.

"I felt like killing you, so I'm killing you. No reason."

As he spoke, the spear tip pushed another half inch into the flesh barrier.

Realizing that act wouldn't work, "Yu Xiran" immediately tore off her disguise. She revealed the face of Yu Ling, staring at Yan Jing with teary eyes.

"Ah Ji... It's me. I'm A Si. Don't you remember me?"

Yan Jing nodded.

"Then I'm killing the right person."

"..."

A Si hadn't expected Yan Jing to be so utterly unmoved. After a half-second of silence, she forced a tearful smile and spoke again.

"Ah Ji... is there some kind of misunderstanding between us... Do you really not remember me?"

"I always wanted to find you... but I couldn't... I looked in so many places..."

"I understand... that's why you hate me, isn't it? You hate me because I didn't come to find you... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

A Si broke down, crying uncontrollably. Her face was a mess of snot and tears.

"Just... just kill me... Ah Ji... I actually... I really missed you too..."

"Every day I kept thinking about... about everything we went through back then... everything from when we were kids..."

Underneath the cardboard box, Yan Jing's expression remained perfectly calm.

"You're about to have all the time in the world to think about it."

By now, the spearhead had pierced more than halfway through the barrier.

Seeing that Yan Jing was still utterly unmoved, the girl named A Si finally showed her true colors.

Her body trembled, her short hair a mess as she screamed hysterically.

"Fine, come on! Kill me then!"

"Yi Ji, do it, kill me! I lied to you! I tried to have you killed! I played with your feelings! I used you and kicked you to the curb! I did it all!"

"Come on! Kill me! Aim right here!"

She stepped forward, pressing herself right up to the spear tip. She pointed at her forehead, glaring fiercely at Yan Jing.

The distance between them was just as close as when she and the Cameraman first met over a decade ago.

"But what did I do wrong?"

She tried hard to steady her trembling voice, locking eyes with Yan Jing through his cardboard box as the spear closed in.

"I just wanted to survive! What is so wrong with that?!"

"Do you remember the day of the selection? I went to find the girls from the first batch and got the location out of them."

"That night, I snuck over to look."

"Do you know what I heard those so-called 'teachers' saying outside the door?"

"They were talking about what to do if we girls failed the selection."

"One of the teachers said there were orders from above. Anyone who failed the selection had to die. The secrets of the White House couldn't be leaked."

"I was so scared. I went looking for you, I wanted to tell you, but then I realized your brother might be one of the higher-ups. So what could I do?"

"Was I supposed to just go and die?! Why should I?!"

"On the day of the selection, everyone was supposed to awaken their talent and begin entering the ranks. I got nothing. So I killed that girl! I killed her!"

"I stabbed her eyes out. With sharpened chopsticks, using the method you taught me."

As she spoke, she laughed, staring at Yan Jing.

"I set foot on the Pathway of desire. I actually loved you back then. Do you believe me, Yi Ji? I loved you. I thought if I just became the one with the highest rank, I could stay by your side."

"But I was terrified you didn't love me. So, I used the power of desire on you."

"Back then, everything was getting better. I thought we were close, that soon I'd be able to stay with you forever."

"But... it was all a lie!"

As she said this, hatred flashed in her tear-filled eyes.

"Giving birth to a dual-Pathway child requires the life essence of both parents. I didn't lie to you about that. Everyone was fooled by that old man from Sleepland, even your brother. That's why your brother went looking for them in the end, only to die at their hands."

"I found out we would die after the child was born, which was why I had to run away..."

"Whether you believe me or not, I never lied to you about that."

She tilted her head up to look at Yan Jing, smiling through her tears.

"Why did things end up like this, Ah Ji? We just... we just had to escape..."

Squelch.

The spear tip finally reached the girl's forehead. This time, it sank half an inch into her flesh.

The girl reached out and grabbed the spearhead. Shivering in agony, her death now inevitable, she still managed to smile as she spoke.

"Ah Ji, if you kill me, they will find you... They don't need Yu Xiran at all. What they need is you and me..."

"Back then, I searched through the White House for so long. I dug through everything, but I couldn't find any girl on the 'Life' Pathway. That's why I... I chose... to go to Dandelion Manor... I was so stupid... I really was..."

She never finished her sentence. The light faded from her eyes, and her pupils lost focus. The spearhead had completely pierced her head, forever silencing a girl full of ambition and drive before she could finish her words.

Outside the barrier of flesh, Yan Jing retrieved the Fear Seed embedded in his thigh and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Glancing down at the fallen girl, he drove his weapon into her a few more times. Only after fully confirming her death did he turn and walk away.

In his ear, the long-absent system narration finally chimed:

[Even at the very end, this girl was still using the power of desire, trying to carve out a sliver of survival from your hands.]

[Indeed. She was a girl who fiercely refused to accept her fate, which was how she managed to lead that foolish boy in escaping that cage.]

[Perhaps, in her final moments, she recalled the day they first met—the girl who yelled at the boy not to cry, the boy of few words. Hand in hand, they had imagined how beautiful tomorrow would be. At the very least, it had to be better than today.]

[Perhaps the greatest fault truly didn't lie with her. As nothing more than a child back then, she only ever wanted to survive.]

[But none of that matters anymore. Some things simply have no right or wrong—only winners and losers.]

[In the end, you won this game.]

[Congratulations. You have fully unlocked the role 'Yi Ji'.]

[From now on, everything of his completely belongs to you.]

[The next role is ready to be drawn.]

[The current body will now begin its destruction and reconstruction.]

[Countdown commencing.]

[Ten, nine, eight...]

[The current body is about to begin destruction and reconstruction.]

Yan Jing remained calm as he listened to the countdown in his ears.

He had thought that after fulfilling the so-called final wish, he would first get to choose one of the Cameraman's abilities.

He hadn't expected the first reward to be a physical adjustment.

To keep the process from taking too long, he pressed the button on the Walkie-talkie at his waist and tapped the microphone: three long taps, one short.

This was the group's agreed-upon signal to retreat.

Soon, the green light on the Walkie-talkie flashed rapidly. Yan Jing pressed the button and heard a flurry of urgent tapping.

Yan Jing's expression abruptly shifted.

That was the signal for an emergency.

He lifted the Walkie-talkie and was just about to speak when he realized his body was dissolving into motes of starlight like drifting sand, starting from his fingertips.

Of all times for this to happen...

Yan Jing could only speak as fast as possible:

"I'm on my way—"

Before he could finish, his body completely dissolved into starlight and dissipated. His vision instantly went black.

When Yan Jing opened his eyes again, the scene before him was as dazzling as a nebula. In the next instant, it turned to pitch-black nothingness, followed by the vibrant colors of an aurora. His surroundings continued to shift.

He looked down at his body and quickly recognized it as his Surface World state, though it wasn't corporeal.

Right then, a system notification chimed in his ear.

[Commencing reconstruction of character body.]

[Selecting original essence.]

A single speck of starlight drifted down from his body and hovered before him.

Then, it abruptly erupted into blinding light.

Clusters of energy-like substance were drawn from the ever-shifting scenery around him and fused into that intense glow.

A silhouette gradually formed within the light, ultimately solidifying into the appearance of the Cameraman.

[Body reconstruction complete.]

Yan Jing looked at the Cameraman in front of him. With a mere thought, he immediately felt the difference from before.

Previously, using the Cameraman's body hadn't felt obstructive, but it had never truly felt like his own. Now, he could sense that the Cameraman before him was like a part of his own body.

A body that truly belonged to him.

Immediately after, the system notification chimed in his ear again.

[Memory editing will now commence.]

[You may perform a limited degree of memory editing regarding the important individuals this character interacted with prior to your role-play.]

[Note: The memories you can edit are those between the character's original self and said individuals—events occurring prior to your role-play. This editing has specific limits. The modification is designed to allow you to completely take over the character's interpersonal relationships.]

As the voice faded, several figures appeared before Yan Jing's eyes.

Mantou, the deceased A Si, and Mr. San.

Yan Jing looked at the figures. His eyes flashed, and he tested them one by one.

He quickly discovered where the so-called limits lay.

For instance, the editable memories were not the entirety of their shared past, but strictly the memories stored within the Cameraman's mind.

This meant there was very little he could edit regarding Mr. San; he could only alter that single scene at the main gate.

Furthermore, he couldn't fabricate things out of thin air; he could only make minor adjustments.

If A Si had approached the Cameraman while they were reading, Yan Jing could edit which specific book they read. He could even barely manage to change it so they did something else entirely. But he couldn't rewrite the memory to make them fight and slap each other, as that would severely disrupt the chain of subsequent memories.

All in all, there weren't many aspects he could change.

Thinking that the others outside might still be in danger, Yan Jing immediately selected a memory segment to alter.

It was the final meeting between Mantou and the Cameraman at the platform.

He changed the final scene in Mantou's mind—where she was scolded—into a mutual farewell.

"Don't ever appear in front of me again."

"You're really annoying. Get lost."

Cross the above out.

Change it to:

"I'm being watched very closely here, so I won't be able to see you for a while. If we have the chance, let's meet outside next time."

"It was nice meeting you."

Moreover, the expressions and gestures accompanying these lines were performed by Yan Jing himself.

This was the only small change.

Originally, Yan Jing wanted to change it to a simple "see you next time," but that would lead Mantou to keep coming to the platform to look for the Cameraman, resulting in countless subsequent meetings. Such a shift no longer qualified as a minor adjustment.

In the end, this was the best Yan Jing could do.

Mantou's reaction at the time also had to be edited. The system made this adjustment automatically, simulating it based on Mantou's state at that moment.

Yan Jing hadn't originally intended to alter Mantou's memories, but out of a touch of selfishness, he still made this tiny change.

He didn't want this silly girl to harbor any resentment toward him.

[Modification complete.]

[You may select one of this character's abilities to acquire.]

Here it was.

Yan Jing had worked so hard for so long just for this extra ability.

Without hesitation, he chose time freeze.

Although automatic recording was also tempting, his original body sorely lacked a hard crowd-control measure. Time freeze had already proven itself countless times as an ability capable of turning the tide of battle.

[You have successfully taken over everything belonging to this character.]

[From now on, they will fully become a part of you.]

[The next character is now available to be drawn.]

In the next instant, the entire world before him shattered. Yan Jing's vision went black once more. When he opened his eyes again, he found that he had returned to Solitude Lane.

He was standing in place, gripping the Walkie-talkie in his hand.

From this moment on, the Cameraman would cease to exist. From the past into the future, there would only be him—Yan Jing.

"Feels good."

He immediately raised the Walkie-talkie to ask for everyone's location. Upon receiving it, he rushed toward them.

A moment later.

Inside the Former Twenty-Second Village Head's House.

Yan Jing saw the group shrouded in heavy silence.

"What happened?"

Yan Jing asked immediately.

Chen Nian silently shook his head without speaking.

Mantou pursed her lips, looking dejected.

Tiger didn't even dare to speak, shrinking into a corner.

Thus, Yan Jing looked at Old Master Liu, who was wearing his sunglasses.

"Old Man, what's going on?"

"There was a bit of an accident..."

The old man spoke, his weathered face flushing red for no apparent reason.

"Huzi, you tell him!"

Tiger looked left and right before finally speaking with hesitation.

"Well... the old man and Brother Chen chased after the person halfway... only to realize that the person they were after wasn't the one you were looking for, Mr. Yi Ji..."

"She seemed... to be wearing a mask... Brother Chen only noticed after getting close."

"The person you wanted to kill, Mr. Yi Ji, might... might have already escaped..."

Tiger's voice grew quieter and quieter. After all, this was his first time participating in a group operation with everyone, and he hadn't expected it to end in failure.

At his words, everyone in the living room fell into a collective silence. The atmosphere grew increasingly stifling.

"It's fine."

Yan Jing's smiling voice broke the silence.

"Everyone went out of their way to help me, and I'm already very grateful for that. Besides... it might not be a total failure."

Hearing this, everyone raised their heads to look at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing smiled.

"I just so happened to run into her outside."

The death of the girl named A Si was bound to be exposed. There was no need to hide it from the group; on the contrary, telling them could liven up the atmosphere a bit.

Although Yan Jing couldn't tell if A Si's final words were true or false, he felt that one of her statements was likely true.

And that was that she had chosen wrong.

She had chosen the wrong place to go.

There were no girls with the 'Life' Pathway in the White House, so she felt that Dandelion Manor wouldn't be one of the masterminds behind the White House.

But she was ultimately too young at the time. She hadn't figured out where so many children had come from.

According to Yan Jing's prediction, those girls were likely children from Dandelion Manor who lacked talent in the 'Life' Pathway, which was why they had been sent to the White House.

So when A Si eventually went to Dandelion Manor, she was essentially walking right into a trap.

Perhaps the marriage alliance between Sleepland and Dandelion Manor had never been about bringing Meng Qianqiu and Yu Xiran together; perhaps it had been about Subject Number Zero all along.

Of course, these were just speculations.

But if they were true...

If the targets of those Third Tier figures were truly Subject Number Zero and himself...

It was entirely foreseeable that a violent storm aimed directly at him was approaching.

Yan Jing didn't want the group to board the same sinking ship as him.

If this body of his died, it just meant changing into a different guise. But if the rest of them died, they would truly be dead.

He looked at the group, whose faces finally revealed a hint of joy, and smiled.

"However, let's just pretend today's events never happened."

He was the one who killed someone, and he would be the one potentially caught.

This was the reason he had sent everyone away earlier.

Just as he had said, this was a massive karmic burden.

It was best for the others not to get involved.

If a torrential storm truly arrived, he would choose to stand in the rain alone.

"Of course,"

Old Master Liu laughed happily.

"Nothing happened today, after all!"

He looked at Tiger.

"Isn't that right, Huzi?"

"Indeed, indeed."

Tiger nodded repeatedly.

Everyone laughed, Yan Jing included.

Aside from Yan Jing, everyone else thought he was telling them to keep the secret.

Only Yan Jing knew his true intention: to let the rest of them feign ignorance and wash their hands of the incident.

"Where did those last few Second Tier experts go?"

Yan Jing asked.

"Once I realized they weren't the ones we were looking for, I fell back. Those two from Dandelion Manor probably escorted the real Yu Xiran away,"

Chen Nian said slowly.

The Old Man chimed in, "That guy from Sleepland came after me. Tried to drag this old man into a dream. But... heh, am I just anybody? I shattered his dreamscape right then and there. He coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood and made a run for it."

"I couldn't tell you were skilled in the mental domain, Old Man."

Yan Jing smiled.

"Heh, but of course! Back in the day, I was studying poetry at three and had memorized the classics by eight. I was all about well-rounded development..."

The Old Man had started bragging again.

But Yan Jing noticed the strange expressions on the others' faces.

Sensing something was wrong, he walked over. Before the Old Man could react, a tendril of weird energy shot out, flicking his sunglasses right off.

"Fuck, my sunglasses!" the Old Man yelled. But his first reaction wasn't to search for them; he immediately covered his eyes.

Even though Old Master Liu moved incredibly fast, Yan Jing still saw.

Those two eyes, one black and one white, had completely turned the color of blood and were caked in thick scabs.

At this moment, the Old Man was likely completely blind.

His hearing had probably been affected, too.

Otherwise, with his reflexes, his sunglasses would never have been flicked off so easily.

"Ah, it's nothing serious!"

Seeing the silence around him, the Old Man chuckled and took the sunglasses Tiger handed over.

"It was an ultimate move. Don't you guys know about ultimate moves? They're in comics all the time. Using one comes with a price."

"Isn't that right, Nizi?"

"Y-yes... Mantou... also has... an ultimate move."

Mantou nodded, trying to suppress the tremble in her voice.

Her eyes had already turned red the moment she saw Grandfather Liu in this state.

"Will you recover?"

Yan Jing asked only this.

After learning the Old Man just needed a week of rest, he nodded.

"Then we'll head home first."

And so, the group hurried back to Rotten Vegetable Village through the night.

At the Old Man's suggestion, they went to Chen Nian's house and even called over An Ze, who had already gone to bed. They hung out until midnight before finally dispersing.

As Yan Jing was leading Mantou home, she suddenly stopped him.

"Yi... Ji... to-tomorrow... you're going to the Amusement Park with Mr. Tiger... can... can Mantou go too?"

Mantou gave a silly smile.

"I... I kind of... want to go... with you."

Yan Jing patted her head and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Mantou. Not this time."

He wanted to take her along, but it just wasn't possible.

He was going to see if he could find any clues regarding Mr. San. If Mantou tagged along, she would only be dragged deeper into a vortex she could otherwise stay out of.

He was glad she had taken the initiative to ask. It proved the little bit of memory he had altered was working.

"O-okay... then, Yi Ji... you... be careful..."

Mantou pursed her lips, a small smile on her face.

"Mantou... will wait for you... to come back... at the village en... entrance..."

"Okay."

Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

"Yi Ji... I... have one more thing... I want to tell you..."

Mantou stared at the moonlight by her feet. For some unknown reason, she had finally mustered up the courage.

She remembered never daring to tell him this before, but today... something seemed to have changed.

She didn't quite understand it. She was too clumsy. But she truly wanted to tell Yan Jing her most important secret today.

"Go ahead,"

Yan Jing said gently.

"Yi Ji... actually... actually, Mantou... can only... live for two more years... oh wait... no, no..."

Mantou grew flustered. She hadn't expected to misspeak about something so important, and she quickly waved her hands.

"I-it's a year and a half..."

She gave a silly giggle.

"Mantou... Mantou has a sickness... that means... I can only live this long..."

"Yi Ji... Mantou... Mantou... is so happy to... to have met you..."

"Yi Ji... meeting... meeting you... is the happiest... thing for Mantou..."

"I... I just wanted to... to tell Yi Ji... this."

Mantou let out a long sigh of relief.

She had practiced this speech privately for a long time. Though she was still a bit nervous, she had finally gotten it out.

She hadn't expected Yan Jing to lower his eyes. His gaze flickered uncertainly in the dim moonlight, and his voice was deeper than ever before.

"What kind of sickness?"

"I... I don't know... even... even the doctors don't know... what sickness it is..."

Seeing Yan Jing like this, Mantou thought he was angry. She said in a panic, "I-I'm sorry... Yi Ji... I... I shouldn't have told you this..."

Just as she finished speaking, Yan Jing raised his head with a sudden smile.

"It's okay, Mantou. Tell me all about it."

With that, he took her hand and led her into his house.

"Maybe it isn't a sickness."

They sat on the bed. Yan Jing spoke to her in an encouraging tone, wanting to know what was going on.

Unexpectedly, Mantou's very first sentence left him stunned.

"Yi Ji... inside Mantou's... inside Mantou's body... there's... there's a bird..."

She looked up at him, as if worried he wouldn't believe her.

"I-it's true... Mantou... Mantou wouldn't lie to Yi Ji..."

"Yeah, I know."

Yan Jing recovered his wits and patted her head.

"And then?"

"That little bird... is very... very amazing... but... but Mantou... Mantou... isn't amazing..."

Mantou looked up with a smile.

"So... so... after that bird dug into Mantou's... body... it said... it said Mantou... could only live for five more years at most..."

"And now... it's already been three... over three years..."

Mantou continued to look at Yan Jing as she spoke, stars and moons seemingly twinkling in her beautiful eyes.

She smiled faintly.

"Yi Ji... I... I'm so happy... that I was able to meet you again... in these final... final five years..."

"You gave Mantou a name... took Mantou to eat ice cream... rode the Ferris wheel... went to very, very tall buildings... and met so, so many good friends..."

"Before meeting you... Mantou... was Garbage Lady... now, Mantou... is... is Mantou..."

"Yi Ji... after Mantou dies... will you... will you remember Mantou?"

"When that time comes... everyone will forget about Mantou... Yi Ji... can... can you remember Mantou?"

As she spoke, she reached out with trembling hands and hugged him.

Moonlight spilled into the room through the window.

On the edge of the bed, the two gently embraced.

"Yeah."

"I will."

"Everything will be okay."

[Favorability +4]

Watching Mantou fall fast asleep, Yan Jing stood up and gazed out the window at the moonlight.

He had never expected Mr. San's bird to actually be inside Mantou's body. Nor had he expected that she had known about her condition all along without breathing a word of it to anyone.

For a girl who smiled so foolishly every day, each passing day was a countdown to the end.

Yet she remained cheerful day in and day out, never showing a hint of sorrow.

No wonder she had suddenly burst into tears that day after hearing the Old Man's story about Yunduo. She must have thought of herself.

But the only promise he could make right now was to keep her in his heart.

The Favorability floating above Mantou's head had reached 99/100. He was on the verge of a perfect graduation from this Domain.

He hoped tomorrow's trip to the Amusement Park would bring him the ultimate answers about this city.

Meanwhile.

Inside Dandelion Manor.

Two Second Tiers hurried up the white spiral staircase, stopping before a vermilion door on the top floor.

One of them stepped forward and knocked gently.

There was no response.

He called out softly, "Mother, it's me. Something happened regarding Yu Xiran."

"Speak."

A woman's lazy voice finally drifted from the room.

The two of them proceeded to recount the night's events in full detail.

After they finished, silence lingered in the room for a long time.

A long while later, the woman spoke again: "You said Yu Ling died. Which Yu Ling?"

"It's... the real Yu Ling..." one of the Second Tiers replied.

The moment the words left his mouth, the door burst open. Several incredibly long, fleshy tentacles shot out from the room and, accompanied by a foul wind, snatched both of them inside!

At the same time.

Sleepland.

Meng Shuangsheng didn't even have time to put on his shoes before frantically dashing out of his house, sprinting toward the largest building in all of Sleepland.

He had just seen his older brother—the chief of Sleepland—in a dream.

Starting three years ago, his brother had completely stopped appearing in public. Whenever there was urgent business, he communicated it by entering a dream.

And this time, judging by his brother's expression, something massive must have happened.

Sure enough, the moment he reached the door, he heard a voice from the other side. It sounded like sleep-talking:

"Go... go to the Death Club... Have them see... who... killed Subject Number Zero..."

"Understood, understood!"

Meng Shuangsheng nodded incessantly. He had just turned to leave when the voice drifted out again:

"And... make a trip... to Terror Station... Go... ask them... if they've seen... a man from the Fear Pathway..."

"No matter what they ask for... agree to it..."

"If... you get an answer... tell me... I will strike personally..."

"Yes, yes!!!"

Meng Shuangsheng nodded again.

Only when the sleep-talking ceased and the sound of snoring resumed did he wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

His nightcap was already drenched.

On a normal day, it was a massive deal for his brother to mutter even a single line of sleep-talk.

But today, he had spoken four lines in a row!

Still, none of this compared to the events of a few years ago.

He remembered how his brother, Meng Dansheng, had left Sleepland for two consecutive years.

Without closing his eyes once!

With these thoughts in mind, he set off toward the bus stop outside the township.

The next day.

Early morning.

Yan Jing and Tiger boarded the Terror Bus together, arriving at the Mad Amusement Park.

The moment they reached the entrance, they spotted Zebra on duty beside the ticket booth.

"Mr. Yi Ji!"

Zebra immediately extended a hand toward Yan Jing and bowed slightly. "I didn't expect to see you today."

"Thank you for taking care of Tiger recently."

Yan Jing shook his hand. "Don't mention it. We're all on the same side."

Zebra paused in surprise, then smiled. "Yes, yes, we're all on the same side."

"May I ask what brings you here today...?"

"I heard from Mr. Tiger that you're one of the oldest employees at the Amusement Park, so I wanted to ask you a few questions," Yan Jing said with a smile.

"Ask whatever you like," Zebra said politely.

"It's about Mr. San," Yan Jing said, looking calmly into his eyes.

The instant he heard the name, Zebra's expression changed dramatically.

He immediately pulled Yan Jing aside and whispered, "Mr. Yi Ji, I'm afraid I can't answer that. You should head back..."

"You have to give me a reason at least," Yan Jing chuckled.

"..."

Zebra looked at him and, after a long while, let out a sigh. "If you insist on asking, it's not impossible, but... we can't afford the consequences."

"Tell me," Yan Jing said.

"You're the one making me say this."

"I am."

Seeing Yan Jing's steadfast demeanor, Zebra lowered his voice. "Mr. San left orders before he departed. He put certain measures in place here in the Amusement Park. If any outsider comes asking about him, they'll be punished. If anyone tries to attack the Amusement Park, they'll be punished too. Mr. Yi Ji, I believe you don't harbor ulterior motives, which is why I'm telling you this, but don't spread it to anyone else."

"So you really shouldn't ask."

"You know, a little over two years ago, an old man came to the Amusement Park and stubbornly badgered us about Mr. San. I was backed into a corner and had no choice. But the moment I opened my mouth, a beam of Weird Energy as thick as a wagon wheel shot out from Mr. San's former residence and blasted straight into the man's chest."

"That old man was no simple figure. He actually survived taking that blast of Weird Energy head-on! We looked into it later. Guess who he was?"

"The chief of Sleepland, Meng Dansheng?" Yan Jing guessed.

"Exactly—wait, no, how did you know?" Zebra stared in shock.

"I guessed," Yan Jing said with a smile. "It's fine, go ahead and tell me. Even if something happens, I'll be the one punished. You don't need to worry on my behalf."

"Then I'm going to say it!"

Zebra stared intently at Yan Jing. "I'm really saying it!"

"Say it."

"Mr. San only arrived in Old Sin City a little over twenty years ago!" Zebra blurted out the secret at rapid-fire speed.

The moment he finished, he threw himself several steps backward, staring up at the roof of the towering haunted house in the Amusement Park.

However...

Nothing happened.

How strange! Zebra widened his eyes.

He looked at the smiling Yan Jing and coughed awkwardly. "Mr. Yi Ji, I truly wasn't lying to you. As you know, we're old friends—"

Yan Jing raised a hand to interrupt him. "Please, continue."

"Then I'll continue."

Seeing that no punishment was coming, Zebra finally relaxed and asked, "What do you want to hear about first?"

"Let's pick up from what you just mentioned—about Mr. San arriving over twenty years ago," Yan Jing said.

Zebra nodded.

"I've only been working at the park for ten years in total. Some of this is just what I've heard from the older staff, so part of it might not be entirely accurate. Please bear with me."

"Mr. San arrived twenty years ago. Back then, the Amusement Park wasn't an amusement park yet; they say it was just a wasteland. There wasn't even an Inner World Pathway on it."

"As you know, in our Domains, the Pathway usually appears first, and then the people come. Since this land had sat here for so many years without a Pathway, everyone thought there was little hope of one ever showing up."

"To everyone's surprise, the moment Mr. San arrived, a Pathway manifested out of thin air."

"Some say Mr. San was so powerful that the Pathway naturally followed him. Others say he brought the Pathway with him."

"The latter is far more likely, though. Old Sin City already had a Domain tied to the Fear Pathway. Logically speaking, it would be extremely difficult for a second one to form."

"When Mr. San came, he wasn't alone. He brought a child with him—probably his son."

"But later on, that child disappeared."

Zebra paused.

"According to the old staff, they only saw that child for a few months. The Amusement Park hadn't even been built yet, and Mr. San had just begun recruiting employees."

"Nobody knows where the child went. All they know is that whenever Mr. San had free time, he would rush outside the park. He would climb up that wall over there and gaze downward."

Zebra pointed at the very same wall Yan Jing had noticed from the Ferris wheel.

"That one right there!"

"Everyone said Mr. San was acting as an overseer up there."

"But even after the Amusement Park was finished, he still liked going up there."

"He would stand there for an entire day."

"There were times when visitors almost mistook him for the Amusement Park's mascot."

"After that... I don't think much else happened."

"Oh, right. The fear plague."

"You know about the fear plague, right?"

Yan Jing nodded.

"Right. About three years ago, cases of the fear plague began popping up in the park."

"To be honest, the park studied the disease. The staff at the medical center combed through a lot of records and concluded that the infection was likely caused by a powerful source of fear completely losing control."

"Because of that, word around the park was that Mr. San was on the verge of losing control."

"It wasn't just baseless gossip. I'd already been in the park for many years by then. You've probably never met Mr. San, but he was gentle, elegant, calm in a crisis, and decisive. Even though his punishments were ruthless, no one had ever seen him lose his temper."

"But during that specific period, Mr. San became exceptionally irritable. Never mind the staff—he would even snap at a stray dog walking past him."

"Then, a little while after that, the fear plague broke out."

"And not long after that, Mr. San vanished without a trace. Isn't that strange?"

Yan Jing nodded. "Strange. Extremely strange."

"Of course, despite all of that, Mr. Yi Ji, I'm not just blowing smoke—I firmly believe there isn't a single employee in this park who doesn't respect Mr. San," Zebra added.

"You might not have met him, so you don't know the sheer charisma he possessed, but if you had, you would definitely agree with me."

"In my entire life, I've rarely seen anyone as outstanding as him, and that includes the leaders of the other Domains."

"Do you believe what I'm saying?"

Yan Jing nodded once more.

He believed it. Completely.

After all, that was his "brother."

"Do you have anything else you want to ask?"

Zebra asked, looking at Yan Jing.

He was genuinely perplexed. He had been standing right next to the Sleepland mayor when that burst of weird energy struck him down as punishment, so he knew exactly how terrifying that power was.

Yet to his surprise, after saying so much just now, absolutely nothing had happened to him.

Mr. San had warned that any outsider asking about these things would face retribution. Could it be that Yan Jing... wasn't an outsider?

"I also want to know, where is Mr. San's residence?"

Yan Jing asked.

Thanks to Zebra's explanation, he had already sorted out most of the timeline.

But if possible, he still wanted to see the place where this "brother" he had never met used to live.

"Mr. San's former residence is on the roof of our haunted house. But now... I'm afraid you won't be able to get in even if you try."

Zebra replied, "It isn't because Mr. San issued a strict order, but because that door has a peculiar keyhole. Without the Key, no one can open it."

"Alright, thank you."

Yan Jing nodded.

He then led Tiger toward the haunted house.

Before leaving, he asked the bewildered Zebra one final question:

"Mr. Zebra, that birdcage Mr. San carried—did he still have it right before he disappeared?"

This question stumped Zebra for a while. He thought it over for several minutes before finally frowning and saying:

"No, I don't think he did."

"Now that you mention it, I do recall something."

"In the beginning, Mr. San had a cage. Inside was a bird, and the bird held a wooden twig in its beak."

"Later on, the twig vanished for some unknown reason. Then, the bird disappeared. Everyone in the Amusement Park was whispering that any day now, Mr. San would probably throw the cage away too. And sure enough, right before he left, the cage was actually gone from his hands."

"Thanks."

Yan Jing nodded.

Before long, he and Tiger successfully made it to the top floor of the haunted house.

The staff generally recognized Yan Jing, so their path was completely unobstructed.

Finally, the two arrived in front of a black door.

"Wait down on the floor below, Mr. Tiger. Don't let anyone come up."

Yan Jing said.

"Okay, okay!"

Tiger nodded vigorously and went down to the stairwell on the lower floor.

He had no idea what Yan Jing was going to do, but he knew listening to him was the right move.

After Tiger left, Yan Jing looked at the door before him.

It looked like an ordinary wooden door, painted entirely black. It had no patterns, no peephole, and no decorations of any kind.

The only strange thing about it was the lack of a doorknob.

He reached out and tried pushing it.

A surge of weird energy seeped from the doorframe, forming a barrier that repelled his hand.

Just as Zebra had said, this was not a door that anyone at the Second Tier or below could open. Even someone at the Third Tier might struggle with it.

The only possibility was the small hole in the center of the door.

It was a diamond-shaped opening.

It looked like something could be inserted into it.

Yan Jing stared at the shape of the hole and pondered for a moment. Finally, a white Dice materialized in his palm.

With a shift of his will, the white Dice slowly sank into the opening.

"Click—"

A crisp sound echoed as the two fit together perfectly, leaving not a single gap.

In an instant, streams of white, silk-like energy flowed from the Dice, intertwining with the dark weird energy. Ultimately, the weird energy barrier slowly melted away like ice under a blazing sun.

Yan Jing retracted the Dice, reached out again, and gave a gentle push.

The door swung open effortlessly.

Behind the door was an extremely cramped room.

It looked to be no more than seven or eight square meters. A Restroom, a bed, a desk, and a chair packed the space full.

The wall behind the desk was plastered with photographs.

Yan Jing glanced over them. The subject of the vast majority of the photos was a small figure draped in a Black Robe.

Having seen the Cameraman's memories, he naturally recognized that this was what the Cameraman looked like as a child.

The photos meticulously documented every little change over the years, from when the Cameraman was five or six years old up until his teenage years.

The corresponding age was written in the top right corner of every single picture.

And in the few photos placed dead center, standing beside the Cameraman was an elegant-looking figure, similarly draped in a Black Robe, holding a birdcage in hand.

Yan Jing walked up to the desk.

Resting on the surface was a notebook.

He opened the first page, which read:

"To my little brother, Yi Ji. Open personally."

Yan Jing gently turned to the next page:

"Ah Ji."

"If you ever have the chance to read this notebook, and I happen to not be by your side, it means that your Third Brother has likely failed in his duty and hasn't taken good care of you."

"Our people are natural masters of memory, but because the brain is not yet fully developed before the age of five, events from that time cannot be recorded."

"But as luck would have it, you unlucky kid had just turned five when I brought you to this remote backwater."

"So, you probably don't remember things back at the Family."

"Actually, it's for the best that you don't know about the Family's affairs, but your Third Brother should still tell you the ins and outs of what happened."

"At the time, you had just turned five. Hearing that I was going to see a friend, you clamored to tag along. The outside world was turbulent back then. The two organizations, the Order Keepers and New Life, were clashing fiercely. Mom and Dad didn't approve of us going out."

"It was my fault. I figured the journey wasn't too far, and even if we really did run into them, if they didn't give us face, they would at least have to give Mom and Dad some face."

"No matter what, it shouldn't have led to any problems."

"But I was wrong. Those bastards from New Life were true lunatics. They moved in for the kill."

"What's more, someone blocked our path back home."

"Left with no choice, I could only flee in the opposite direction. But the Eerie Capital is not like the other major Domains. There are simply too many Unstable Domains scattered across it. In a moment of carelessness, I tumbled into an Unstable Domain with you in tow."

"And we arrived here."

"Time passes so quickly. When we first got here, you were a little over five, and I was twenty-one. As I write this letter, your Third Brother is already thirty-eight."

"At first, arriving in this small-to-medium Domain, I was lost. I worried this might be one of those legendary places teeming with high-tier figures. But fortunately, because it was an abandoned land, the overall Tier level here was very low."

"I also quickly found out that this place was actually the predecessor of New Sin City."

"When I went out to meet my friend this time, I didn't bring anything with me—just a birdcage and the amulet Mom and Dad gave me."

"Thankfully, inside the amulet was the Pathway Seed Mom and Dad left behind."

"So, I found this blank piece of Domain and planted the Pathway Seed."

"I asked you at the time what you liked, and you said you liked Amusement Parks."

"So, this place became the Amusement Park."

"The ridiculous part is, you probably haven't even seen what this Amusement Park looks like."

"It's Third Brother's fault. Third Brother failed you."

"Back then, when the two of us had only been in this Domain for a few months, I was at the Second Tier level, still a bit away from reaching the Third Tier."

"If we had been back with the Family, it would have taken roughly a year or so to hit the Third Tier."

"But in this Domain, it took me six grueling years."

"And it was for this exact reason that, six years later, I chose to continue executing that bullshit plan of theirs."

"I'm getting off track."

"When I first came here, I spent several months building this Amusement Park. The leaders of the other Domains all came knocking one by one to pay their respects."

"I checked their power levels. Every single one of them was very low, and because they cultivated in this abandoned land, their foundations were all riddled with flaws."

“So, originally I didn't want to meet them, but since I was only at the Second Tier at the time and they were already at the Third Tier, I met with them anyway just to be safe.”

“The five or six of us had a meal together.”

“After the meal, Meng Dansheng, the chief of Sleepland, and Yu Yan from Dandelion Manor sought me out. They explained the situation in this Domain. They knew I was an outsider, so they asked me what things were like in the outside world.”

“I didn't reveal everything, but I still told them about New Sin City.”

“They were furious after hearing it.”

“That was when they asked me if I wanted to go home.”

“I said I didn't mind.”

“In truth, I desperately wanted to go home at the time.”

“The Day of Advent was approaching, and staying in this place was no different from waiting for death.”

“When the two of us first arrived here, there were about thirty years left until the Day of Advent.”

“I didn't intend to only live to be fifty-one, nor did I want to be trapped at the Third Tier for the rest of my life. I didn't want to be stuck in this backwater, watching my old friends fight for supremacy in the great world. So I told them that getting out would be incredibly difficult.”

“Either someone with an incomplete Pathway had to complete it and illuminate the road to the outside world, or they had to break through to the Fourth Tier.”

“Both of these options were actually dead ends for me. I only told them to see if they thought there was any possibility.”

“As for the first option, I had already completed my Pathway in my teens, so I had no flaws to mend. As for the second, I tried it later on.”

“At the time, I thought that with my talent, there might actually be a sliver of hope to push through and reach the Fourth Tier within thirty years. But it turned out to be far more difficult than I ever imagined.”

“The Pathways here are all incomplete. How could a flawed Pathway possibly support an existence beyond the Transcendent Tier?”

“It took me six years just to reach the Third Tier. And even now, as I write this letter, I still haven't seen a glimmer of hope for the Fourth Tier.”

“It was after I laid out those two options that they proposed a plan. They said there was a third way back: a dual pathway practitioner.”

“I had heard of this method, but I didn't think it was very reliable.”

“They laid out a lot of evidence in front of me and insisted that it would definitely work.”

“Sleepland, being the oldest location in this Domain, holds many bizarre items that can set a young child on a supreme path, including New Sin City's 'desire', 'Envy', 'wrath', and so on.”

“As for the child, Dandelion Manor could provide one.”

“They spun a beautiful tale, but I only realized later that they had their eyes on you.”

“You are indeed exceptionally gifted, far stronger than me, your Third Brother. Coupled with the fact that both of them were at the Third Tier, they used both threats and promises, and in the end, fool that I was, I agreed.”

“After all, on the surface, it just looked like they were going to let you grow up normally and have a child.”

“Besides, if I managed to reach the Fourth Tier, there would naturally be no need for you to go through with it.”

“Before then, being surrounded by a bevy of beauties probably wouldn't be a bad thing either. That was what I thought at the time.”

“Looking back now, Mom and Dad were right. I really was immature, almost laughably naive.”

“To maximize the chances of success, no one was allowed to interfere with your decision. So none of us ever went to that place. Everything was conducted in the strictest secrecy.”

“But when it took me six years just to break through to the Third Tier, I realized that the path to the Fourth Tier was a dead end.”

“Perhaps relying on you really was the only way.”

“In the time that followed, I kept waiting for the day you turned twenty-two and started a family. Meanwhile, I also secretly investigated this method to see if there were any flaws.”

“And as it turned out, I did find a flaw.”

“A very big one.”

“Giving birth to a dual pathway practitioner is highly likely to put both parents' lives in critical danger.”

“After uncovering this information, I immediately went to Sleepland.”

“But Meng Shuangsheng seemed to have sensed something. He called in Yu Yan and the newly joined Giant Mouth. With the three of them together, everything they said made it clear that the plan could not be stopped.”

“I was confident I could take on two of them at once, but there were three, so I left. I didn't show too much intention to fight, either.”

“Ah Ji, your Third Brother has made many mistakes.”

“But I already owe you too much, and I can't keep making one mistake after another.”

“I had someone deliver the Fear Sapling to you. If I go this time and don't come back, the Fear Sapling will die in your place on the day the child is born.”

“Without the Fear Sapling, the Fear Bird will go completely berserk. When that time comes, it will indiscriminately attack every target in Old Sin City.”

“If you ever manage to get out one day, I drew your favorite painting by the Ferris wheel. You'll know it when you see it. Go ride that Ferris wheel.”

“At the very top of the Ferris wheel, you'll be able to see the White Stone Cage. Only the eyes of our bloodline can perceive its location.”

“Once you get your hands on it—since you're stronger than your Third Brother—you'll definitely be able to capture the Fear Bird in the cage, just like when we were kids. After that, you'll have a means to deter the others here.”

“Coupled with the flaws in the others' Pathways that I've written down at the end of this notebook, with your talent, you'll definitely be able to establish a firm foothold in Old Sin City.”

“And peacefully live out the last ten years.”

“Ah Ji, Third Brother is sorry.”

“I shouldn't have left you alone in that White House just so I could go home, and I shouldn't have brought you here just because I wanted to play around.”

“If I can make it back...”

“Forget it. Ah Ji, the Fear Power I left here—if there is any remaining by the time you arrive, absorb it all. If it's gone, it means someone else got here before you.”

“Ah Ji, I'll stop writing here.”

“I've made far too many mistakes.”

“Ah Ji, Third Brother misses you very much.”

After finishing the letter, Yan Jing calmly flipped to the back of the notebook. Recorded there were the so-called Pathway flaws of Giant Mouth, Madam Yu, and Meng Dansheng.

And as for the Fear Power mentioned in the notebook, Yan Jing finally found it under the bed.

It was a cluster of black mist, and there wasn't much of it left.

Even if Yan Jing absorbed all of it right now, this body would probably still fall a little short of reaching the Second Tier.

It was likely that Meng Dansheng's visit had depleted too much of it.

So, the entire timeline was now sorted out.

San Shan discovered the flaw with the dual pathway plan, so he gave the Fear Sapling from the Fear Bird's beak to the Cameraman ahead of time. Without the sapling, the Fear Bird gradually drifted toward a rampage, and the fear plague broke out in the Amusement Park. Eventually, the Fear Bird flew out of its cage and entered Mantou's body. The fear plague completely erupted three years ago, and Mantou took that opportunity to escape.

Not long after, A Si came to the outside world to find a way to escape. She might have seen the painting on the Ferris wheel that the Cameraman had once told her about. Destroying it would have been too obvious, so when she fled, she made the Cameraman cover his head.

In the end, the painting was most likely ruined by the wind and sun, with no one to maintain it. That was why he had only noticed the dilapidated exterior when he stood in front of the Ferris wheel.

It was also three years ago that San Shan, after leaving behind his contingency plans, went to confront those three.

In the end, all of them had likely suffered injuries.

From the looks of it, Giant Mouth and Meng Dansheng's injuries were perhaps lighter than Madam Yu's.

Madam Yu hadn't shown herself for several years, while Meng Dansheng had even managed a trip to the White House and the Amusement Park before finally being severely wounded by the countermeasures San Shan left behind.

As for Giant Mouth, he could still come out and deliver a speech.

As for San Shan...

He was never able to return.

Twenty years ago, those three should have already been at the Third Tier. Yet twenty years later, San Shan fought one against three and still managed to heavily injure them all. It could only be said that his low opinion of their abilities was entirely justified.

Moreover... perhaps there were actually more than three opponents on the other side.

Yan Jing put away the notebook on the table.

In fact, he felt that San Shan wasn't wrong about many of the things he did.

For a twenty-one-year-old kid who had left home for the first time, to face a group of old foxes at a higher Tier than his own and accomplish all this... it was already no easy feat.

But if he were San Shan, he probably would have sought out the Cameraman back then no matter what.

To tell the Cameraman everything.

Some words must be said in time.

If you just wait, it might be too late.

But the moment the thought surfaced, Yan Jing laughed.

He suddenly felt that he and San Shan were actually quite similar in some ways.

Just like him, he wouldn't choose to tell Old Master Liu and the others about what was happening right now.

If he had truly become San Shan, perhaps he would have also chosen to keep it a secret for the Cameraman's sake.

If... if... Unfortunately, there were no ifs.

"I need to prepare properly."

Yan Jing absorbed the mass of fog into his body, but unexpectedly, a Mutation suddenly occurred.

The moment that mass of Fear Power entered his body, it transformed into a dark robe and draped itself over his shoulders. Immediately after, outside the building, all the facilities across the entire amusement park suddenly began to operate on their own.

Even without any guests, the rides sprang to life, including the long-abandoned attractions in the old district. They dragged their rusty, dilapidated frames along, rumbling and shuddering ceaselessly.

Amidst the deafening roars, it culminated in an incredibly bizarre spectacle.

Yan Jing could feel it. That mass of fog had ultimately transformed into a seed.

A Pathway seed.

The seed of this Domain.

Outside the building, Zebra froze.

He wasn't the only one; everyone else was stunned as well.

There was only one possibility for a scene like this.

Mr. San had returned.

But when they slowly turned to look at the approaching figure, they were shocked to find it wasn't Mr. San at all.

The person's build, height, and overall aura were strikingly similar to Mr. San's, yet beneath the robes were feet, not tentacles.

If it wasn't Mr. San... who was it?

Regardless of who it was, all the staff members immediately bowed the moment they saw him arrive.

If someone could awaken the rides in the old district, that person was the new master of Mad Amusement Park.

This was something Mr. San had instructed before.

Right then, the bowing Zebra suddenly thought of a possibility.

He had just noticed the person being followed by Tiger, who wore a look of pure shock.

And the only person who had gone into the haunted house with Tiger just now was...

Tap.

Suddenly, the black robe stopped right in front of him.

Zebra's heart skipped a beat.

Zebra immediately spoke up, his voice trembling.

"Hello, sir. How should I address you?"

"Call me..."

That familiar voice rang out.

Zebra's body instantly shuddered.

"Call me Mr. Yi."

After saying that, the person slowly walked away.

"From now on, all matters within the park will be the sole responsibility of you, Tiger, and Hippo."

He left behind only those words.

A long while later.

Zebra lifted his head, gazing with complex emotions in the direction Yan Jing had left, and spoke slowly.

"Pass it down. The amusement park has changed hands. From this day forth, the master of Mad Amusement Park is Mr. Yi."

...

...

Yan Jing retracted the robe and returned to Rotten Vegetable Village.

Tiger followed behind him.

He had originally wanted to leave Tiger in the park, but Tiger stubbornly insisted on coming along.

He didn't tell Tiger that when he boarded the Terror Bus today, the long-haired ticket conductor had glanced at him twice.

Once on the way there, and once more on the way back.

During all the previous bus rides, the conductor had never so much as looked at him, glancing at most at the sack of Fear Hearts he carried.

He suspected that Sleepland and Dandelion Manor had already made their moves.

After returning home, he absorbed a dozen Fear Hearts as usual, taking another step closer to the Second Tier.

Two or three more times should be enough.

He found Mantou, cooked lunch for her, and then the two of them just sat in the house chatting.

They didn't do anything else, just pure conversation.

Regardless, Mantou looked exceptionally happy.

During their chat, Yan Jing quietly tried to use the Power of the White Stone, but no strange phenomena appeared.

He didn't know if it was because that bird hadn't come out.

In the afternoon, Old Master Liu suddenly arrived.

He was supported by Tiger as he walked.

Behind him was Chen Nian.

"Old Man, in your condition, what are you doing running out here instead of staying home?"

Yan Jing looked at Old Master Liu in confusion.

"Looking for you to play."

The old man chuckled and pulled out a deck of cards.

"You and Nizi team up. Huzi will deal the cards. We're playing Fight the Landlord."

The old man seemed to be in very high spirits.

But one glance at Chen Nian told Yan Jing that the two definitely weren't just here to play.

Because Chen Nian also seemed to be in high spirits.

This was very abnormal.

"Have your eyes recovered, old man?"

"I could give you a pair of eyes as a handicap, Yi Ji, and still beat you."

"Let's play then."

In the first round, Yan Jing drew the landlord position.

His hand wasn't terrible, but he lost quickly anyway.

Sitting across from him, the old man and Chen Nian coordinated perfectly, their teamwork completely seamless.

Right after, the old man became the landlord, and he lost too.

It looked like he had drawn a terrible hand.

Then, it was Chen Nian's turn to be the landlord.

Unsurprisingly, he also lost.

He was completely shut out by the old man with a Spring hand.

"Hold on."

Yan Jing blinked in confusion, looked at his own cards, then at the cards the old man had played, and turned to Chen Nian.

"Why didn't you play your four Queens?"

"Saving them for the next round."

Chen Nian tossed his cards onto the table, and the old man immediately scrambled the pile. Now Yan Jing understood. He turned to Tiger and said, "I'm the landlord this round. Deal from me first."

"Okay."

Tiger nodded.

"Mantou, which one do you think I should play?"

After picking up his cards, Yan Jing held them out to Mantou and asked.

"Play... play..."

Mantou pursed her small lips and narrowed her eyes, picking with a very serious expression.

The old man had been teaching her the rules these past few days, and she had basically learned them all.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing's gaze was actually fixed entirely on Chen Nian and the old man across from him.

The next second, Yan Jing pointed a finger.

He shouted, "Aha! Switching cards!!!"

"Who's switching cards?"

The old man started whistling.

Chen Nian, on the other hand, silently moved the cards in his hand further back.

Yan Jing smiled helplessly. He could indeed see them switching cards, but he couldn't catch them in the act; the old man's hands were just too fast.

"Just say it. Between us brothers, do we still need to hide things?"

He could tell that the two of them had something on their minds.

The old man chuckled.

"Look here, Yi Ji, my boy. Even though the landlord gets to draw three extra cards, didn't they lose every time?"

"What does this show?"

"It shows that everyone is responsible for boycotting gambling," Yan Jing replied with a serious face.

"Wrong! It shows that fighting alone doesn't work!!!"

The old man declared.

"Then why didn't you just grab a handful of chopsticks?"

Yan Jing's expression turned even more serious. "You made me choke to death on a full Airplane hand in the first round."

"Chopsticks are too outdated!"

The old man pointed a finger, looking disgusted. "Why aren't you trendy at all?"

"Then what's trendy? Tell me."

Yan Jing asked.

"Trendy is when you have something going on, but you're hiding it from us!"

The old man said indignantly, "Today, at least two groups of strangers came to the village market. Normally, we don't even get half a group!"

"And both of those groups stared at your stall several times."

"That's normal. Didn't I kill one of their people?"

Yan Jing smiled. "It's completely normal for them to come knocking."

"It's not normal."

Chen Nian said coolly, "I won't say what we did yesterday was flawless, but we at least cleaned up the battlefield thoroughly enough."

"If they can still trace it to our doorstep under these circumstances, it means the people behind this paid a huge price."

"And the person you killed was merely a friend beside Yu Xiran."

Hearing this, Yan Jing laughed.

He suddenly realized.

He wasn't Mr. San.

And the two friends in front of him weren't the clueless Cameraman either.

"There are some things I can't say, brothers."

Yan Jing smiled. "It's my own business. There's no need for you to shoulder it. Besides, whoever gets involved wouldn't be able to handle it."

"At the very least, you can tell us about it first."

Chen Nian said slowly.

"Exactly. If you don't even say it, who knows if we can handle it or not."

The old man took off his sunglasses in dissatisfaction.

"Mantou, you go outside for a bit. I need to talk about some things with Grandpa and the others."

Yan Jing said gently.

"O-Okay!"

Mantou nodded obediently and slowly walked out of the room.

[Look at that. Why are you the only one who can't listen?! He's isolating you! He doesn't like you!]

[Hurry up and go back! Just listen! Piss him off!]

"No... you're not allowed to speak..."

Mantou frowned. "Yi Ji... is talking about... very important things..."

[...You dummy, he can't hear me anyway.]

"Shh... shh..."

[...]

Inside the room, after watching Mantou leave.

"Third Tier."

Yan Jing suddenly spoke.

As soon as the words fell, the old man and Chen Nian both froze.

The two looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

Tiger's eyes widened even further, leaving him speechless for a long time.

"Are you serious?"

The old man asked solemnly.

"I'm serious."

Yan Jing smiled. "Between brothers, there's no need to lie."

"How many?"

Chen Nian asked slowly.

"Three."

"Are you kidding me?!!"

The old man's eyes bulged as he looked at Chen Nian. "Is today that... that whatever holiday you mentioned last time..."

"April Fools' Day."

"Right, April Fools' Day!!!"

The old man stood up and glared at Yan Jing. "There are no more than ten Third Tier experts in the entirety of Old Sin City!! And you're saying you provoked three of them?!!"

"It seems that way."

Listening to it, Yan Jing almost wanted to laugh. It really was absurd.

...

...

A deathly silence fell over the room.

Eventually, the old man reached out and nudged Chen Nian beside him.

Understanding his intent, Chen Nian said slowly, "I can take you to another Domain."

"We'll leave tonight. No, it's best if we leave this afternoon. Start packing!!"

The old man had always been swift and decisive.

Yan Jing smiled and shook his head.

"If I wanted to hide, I have my ways. But what about you and Mantou, Old Man?"

"If I'm not mistaken, when those two groups came today, besides checking out my stall, they probably swung by your and Old Chen's stalls as well."

Yan Jing smiled and continued, "There's also Mr. Tiger, Officer An Ze, Rose, and the others... What I'm tangled up in isn't a small matter. Because of me, they might turn all of Old Sin City upside down."

Looking at the few of them who had fallen silent once again, Yan Jing kept the smile on his face.

"Brothers, stop asking. There are some things I just have to carry on my own. Especially you, Old Man. Just go back and get some good rest..."

If he wanted to run, he could withdraw from the Inner World right now.

But what would be the point in that?

If this character could no longer log in, it would be no different from dying.

Even if he could somehow log back into this character to scrape by a few years later, without this group of friends around him, the character would basically be meaningless.

In a few years, far too many things could change.

Perhaps by then, this character would just become a dispensable one among his many characters.

Or perhaps, by then, he would have already died in the next Dungeon.

Yan Jing finished speaking.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly quiet.

Something called sorrow seemed to unknowingly diffuse through the air.

"Then let's talk about something else!!!"

Suddenly, the old man spoke up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a Badge.

The cigarettes were Hongtashan.

On the Badge was a symbol Yan Jing had never seen before.

It had a wooden base inlaid with metal, pieced together to form a starry sky, mountains, a river, and the heavens.

And right in the center, a small figure was hand-carved. It had no arms or legs, only a round head on top of an oval body.

The old man rubbed the tip of his nose with his other hand.

"Brat Chen and I want to start an organization for fun. This is the organizational emblem we came up with after thinking about it for a long time."

"It's a bit tacky, but we put a lot of thought into it."

"We came today just to ask if you're willing to join."

"If you are, you can take a high-ranking spot. Plus, the organization doesn't have a name yet."

As he spoke, the old man wore a completely nonchalant expression.

Looking at the crude design on the Badge, the smile on Yan Jing's face grew a bit brighter.

"You want me to name it, old man?"

"If you join, we can consider it."

The old man rubbed the tip of his nose again.

Yan Jing stared at the armless, legless figure on the Badge for several seconds.

Finally, with a gentle smile, he said, "Why don't we call it Tianque."

Seeing their confused looks, Yan Jing smiled and explained, "The Heavenly Dao is flawed, after all."

"This way, our previous codenames can still be used."

As soon as he finished, the others' eyes lit up.

"Then that's what it will be called!"

The old man finalized the decision.

"But is there any point in recruiting me? I'm a dying man."

Yan Jing's crimson eyes narrowed into slits.

"By then, the person ranked ahead of you might be a corpse, you know."

"We've already made it. We're just playing around anyway."

As he spoke, the old man slapped the Badge and the cigarettes right into Yan Jing's hand.

After he finished speaking, the Old Man pulled another Badge from his pocket and handed it to Tiger.

"This one is yours, Huzi," the Old Man said.

"I get one too?"

Tiger stared blankly at the Badge in his hand.

"I made five in total." The Old Man lit his Hongtashan. A wisp of white smoke curled into the room, his expression placid.

"But you'll have to come up with your own title. Ours are Old, Weak, Sick, and Disabled, respectively."

Hearing those titles, Tiger froze again.

He gripped the Badge and said slowly, "Then I'll be... I'll be Bad Luck."

He scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. "I've always felt my luck was pretty bad. Maybe I'm the reason you and Mr. Yi Ji got dragged down."

"Alright, we'll go with that."

The Old Man nodded. Finishing his cigarette, he stood up.

"We're heading out, then."

At his words, Chen Nian and Tiger also rose to their feet.

As they reached the door, Chen Nian paused. "About how long until they make a move on you?"

"I don't know." Yan Jing smiled. "I hope it takes them a little longer."

"Yeah." Chen Nian nodded. "What about Mantou Girl? Aren't you going to tell her?"

"Mantou is a bit simple-minded. I'm afraid she wouldn't understand." Yan Jing smiled gently. "When there are things you can't figure out, it's better to just stay in the dark."

"Alright."

Chen Nian nodded.

They pushed the door open and stepped outside.

Mantou, who had been standing obediently by the door, gave a silly grin when she saw them come out. "G-Grandpa... are you done talking...?"

"Yes." Old Master Liu smiled, then spoke to Mantou. "That kid is inside waiting for you, Nizi. Go on in."

"O-okay!"

Mantou nodded happily and walked through the door.

Yan Jing's house was located in the southern part of Rotten Vegetable Village. The group walked north until they reached a crossroad.

"What's the plan?"

Chen Nian stopped in his tracks, looking at Old Liu, who had tacitly halted at the exact same moment.

"Tonight, the two of us will go tie him up."

Like a magic trick, a cigarette appeared at the Old Man's fingertips. He lit it. "You'll take him away."

"What about you guys?"

Chen Nian looked at the Old Man with calm eyes.

"I have my ways," the Old Man said nonchalantly, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"No, you don't," Chen Nian stated. Seeing the Old Man about to argue, he continued, "If you actually had a way out, you wouldn't have kept it from him."

"..."

The Old Man crouched down, the hem of his military overcoat sweeping the ground.

The cigarette cherry flared red in an instant. With a single drag, it burned down by a noticeable margin.

Exhaling a plume of white smoke, he pushed up his sunglasses. "I really do have a way. It's just... I'll have to gamble a bit... I came from the Unstable Domain, and I still remember the location. Maybe we can still head back through—"

"Impossible." Chen Nian ruthlessly popped the Old Man's lie. "Nobody has figured out the changing patterns of the Unstable Domain yet. You've been here for a few years already. There's an overwhelming probability that spot no longer leads back to your home."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

The cigarette shortened sharply once more. The Old Man scratched his head and looked up at Chen Nian.

Only then did Chen Nian notice Old Master Liu's expression. His face looked indescribably haggard, and even the silver hair he had specifically pomaded for today appeared incredibly disheveled.

"In our Domain, outsiders can call us crazy or say we're sick in the head, but you should know that there are folks in that place who only value one thing."

"Honor."

The Old Man stretched out his two slightly crooked fingers holding the cigarette. "Back at the Sun-Swallowing Tower, if I hadn't been blown up, given your personality and Kid Yi's, neither of you would've meddled in that business. He wouldn't have met that woman, and naturally, it wouldn't have sparked his killing intent."

"If he hadn't formed that killing intent, then he wouldn't have been pushed to this stage today."

He looked at Chen Nian and said slowly, "Do you understand? If that kid dies, this old man will bear part of the blame."

"..."

Chen Nian let out a faint sigh. "If that's how you want to think about it, there's nothing I can do. But you should know, neither of us is in our original Domain anymore. If you try to fight a Third Tier here, can you win? If I'm guessing right, crossing over from that Domain dropped your power by at least a tier and a half."

Chen Nian looked at the Old Man.

"More than that."

The Old Man pulled out another cigarette with a completely natural expression. "Where we're from is way too far from here. Besides, I'm poor as hell, without any treasures to protect myself. So, I dropped a bit more than that."

Chen Nian nodded.

This was exactly why he understood Old Master Liu's state of mind.

Back in their respective Domains, the two of them could be considered slightly larger ants.

Now that they were here, the result was the same—they were still just slightly larger ants.

But the bunch of guys sitting above those ants? Back where they originally came from, they wouldn't have even spared them a glance.

That was why they both felt so stifled.

A long silence passed.

Chen Nian finally spoke. "I'll go back this time and try to modify that motorcycle. See if it can carry one more person."

"You built that motorcycle yourself?!"

The hand holding the Old Man's cigarette trembled as he looked at Chen Nian in astonishment.

Chen Nian nodded. "I built it when I had nothing better to do. If the modification works out, three of you will be chosen to leave."

Chen Nian glanced over at Tiger, who hadn't dared to make a sound this entire time. It meant Tiger was being factored in.

"I'll slip away in advance. When the time comes, I'll go into hiding across the city for seven or eight years. That should be enough time to build a slightly inferior replacement."

Finishing his thought, he added coolly, "I never lie."

"..."

"No, it doesn't make sense." The Old Man shook his head. "I can't drag you any deeper into this. Otherwise, I'll owe you way too much."

"I've met people from your end." Chen Nian stood up. "If you truly consider us one of your own, then you don't need to talk about owing me anything."

"..."

After a long silence, the Old Man's eyes gleamed, and he said with a chuckle, "Alright, it's all on you then."

...

...

Inside the room, Yan Jing was chatting with Mantou. Seeing her giggling happily, he lifted his head and looked out the window in the direction the others had left, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

That evening, he exited the Inner World.

He called Shen Youran.

"Hello? Xiao Yanzi, is your secluded cultivation over?"

Shen Youran sounded like she was in a great mood.

From her perspective, the concealment item was just about to fall into her hands and her grand ambitions were about to bud. It would be hard not to be in a good mood.

Listening to her voice, Yan Jing's previously tense mood also relaxed quite a bit.

He chuckled and said, "Teacher Shen, could you help me find some information?"

"Tell me, Xiao Yanzi."

"Help me look up information on the leaders of the several Domains around Old Sin City. Also, run a search using the keywords 'Inner World Pathway incomplete and repairing.' Let me know if there's any related news—the more detailed, the better."

"You got it," Shen Youran agreed without hesitation. "The tracking-blocker item should arrive in about two or three days. Oh, right, there's one more thing. Two people are currently looking for you."

"Who?"

"Chen Dalang and Fan Jue, who entered the Dungeon with you last time."

Yan Jing recalled the two names.

One was the number one figure among the Chen Family's new generation, who had been blown half to death.

The other was the strongest rookie riding high in the Public Security Association, who had been beaten half to death by Mo Nagu, Mu Wan, and their group.

"Yeah, push them back for a while. A week at most."

A week was the time limit he had given himself. If it dragged on past that, he would have to refocus his mind entirely on the next Dungeon.

"Alright."

The call disconnected. A short while later, the data was sent over.

Looking at the contents on his computer screen, Yan Jing's eyes flickered.

...

...

Night fell.

At the Old Man's house.

Old Master Liu and Tiger sat at opposite ends of the Eight Immortals table.

One person looked completely solemn, while the other looked entirely bewildered.

"Huzi, who brought you into the organization back then?" the Old Man asked slowly.

"It was you, Old Man."

Tiger nodded in gratitude.

"Excellent!"

The Old Man suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "Therefore, the two of us are the ones on the same team. Next, I will show you my super plan!"

With that, the Old Man yanked the cloth off the blackboard.

Looking at the densely packed plan written on the board, Tiger couldn't help but widen his eyes.

...

...

At Chen Nian's house.

Chen Nian pulled back the white sheet covering the object by the door. Underneath was a vintage-style motorcycle.

The front wheel was slightly larger than the rear. Its streamlined chassis shimmered with a silvery-white metallic luster, while a powerful V-twin engine was exposed to the air. The gas tank and leather seat looked slightly worn, adding a touch of historical character.

This was the machine that had accompanied him on a very long journey.

It was his greatest invention.

Now, he was going to rely on it to defy the heavens and alter his fate.

Just like it had done once before.

...

Four days later.

Inner World, inside the Cameraman's room.

Yan Jing exhaled a breath of stale air. Pulling the weird energy that permeated his surroundings back into his body, he slowly opened his eyes.

Yesterday, this body of his had successfully advanced to the Second Tier.

He had spent another day familiarizing himself with his two new Second Tier abilities and preparing some items.

And then he waited for another day.

This morning, his wait was finally over.

Bright and early, An Ze was running up and down the street, calling for a street clearing.

Furthermore, he even made a special trip over to inform him that this was a direct order from the Chief himself.

"Something dangerous is probably about to happen, Mr. Yi Ji. Even though the Chief was still smiling, according to reliable sources, he only ate fried dough sticks for breakfast this morning and skipped his porridge."

Yan Jing's eyes gleamed.

It was finally here.

Yan Jing put on the Black Robe formed from the mist left behind by Mr. San, then arrived at the stall in the Rotten Vegetable Market to wait.

He didn't have to wait long.

An hour or two later, the first guest of the day arrived.

It was a white-bearded old man.

He was short and hunched, looking as if he couldn't even reach Old Master Liu's chest.

He wore an old-fashioned set of silk pajamas with his eyes tightly shut. Despite his seemingly advanced age, his legs merely glided lightly across the ground a few times before he arrived right in front of Yan Jing.

His movements were incredibly fast.

"Where are you from, old gentleman, and what are you looking to buy?"

Yan Jing asked with a smile.

The moment he saw the old man, he had already consumed a Fear Fruit.

Weird energy bubbled and flowed around him, shrouding him in black mist as his Fear Stance manifested.

Facing Yan Jing's little tricks, the old man made no move to stop him.

Soft snores drifted from his mouth, accompanied by sleep-talk-like muttering:

"I come from Sleepland... come... to buy you..."

"To buy me."

Yan Jing nodded and chuckled.

"I'm afraid the price is a bit steep."

"The price... has already been paid..."

The old man spoke slowly. "With my daughter-in-law—"

His words were cut short, as Yan Jing had already struck first.

When facing an opponent of a higher tier, he wasn't in the habit of being arrogant. Seizing the moment the old man opened his mouth, he immediately activated Freeze Frame Moment.

Then, the Black and White Dual-Colored Long Spear and his arm guard materialized simultaneously, thrusting straight at the old man's chest.

But the sharp spearhead only grazed past the old man's chest, merely snagging a piece of his pajamas and exposing the wrinkled, pale skin beneath.

Less than 0.2 seconds. Yan Jing hadn't expected his Second Tier Freeze Frame Moment to have such a brief effect against a Third Tier existence.

This allowed the old man to dodge, causing his first strike to miss.

This was the first step of his plan. If it hit the old man, everything that followed would be much easier.

But clearly, the old man before him had activated that automatic sleep-defense ability, just like that Second Tier from Sleepland last time. Furthermore, he had mastered it to a much deeper degree, allowing him to evade that initial blow.

Meng Dansheng hadn't expected the Yan Jing in front of him to initiate an attack either.

Originally, his visit to Rotten Vegetable Village this time was simply to personally take Yan Jing away, ensuring there would be no mishaps.

Unexpectedly, Yan Jing chose to resist.

This made him frown. Immediately after, his snoring grew violent.

An invisible wave of mental energy rippled out from his snores, sweeping toward Yan Jing.

Instantly, Yan Jing closed his eyes.

Sloth Pathway, Third Tier Ability one: Enter Self-Dream. It could pull the target's mental consciousness into his own dream.

"Heh..."

Meng Dansheng chuckled disdainfully, completely sinking his consciousness into the dream world, preparing to finish Yan Jing off in his sleep.

But in a mere instant, he realized something was wrong.

Because he actually couldn't sense Yan Jing's presence within the dream.

Sensing danger, his consciousness immediately surfaced from the dream world.

But it was too late.

Under the Sloth resistance of the fruit—condensed from the Fear Power absorbed from the deceased First Tier of Sleepland in Solitude Lane—Yan Jing fought off the crushing exhaustion and activated the Amusement Park Pathway Seed within his body.

"Rumble!! Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!"

A deafening cacophony erupted in midair, as if the massive attractions of the Amusement Park had manifested in reality. It was like giants had descended, their tremendous roars swirling above Rotten Vegetable Village.

This apocalyptic commotion alarmed the residents of Rotten Vegetable Village, prompting them to look out their windows in terror.

They had no idea what was happening.

Meanwhile, facing the sudden roars, Meng Dansheng shuddered. His expression drastically changed as he rapidly retreated, trying to put distance between them.

"He gave the Pathway Seed to you!!!!"

He shouted sternly, his voice filled with disbelief.

Yan Jing smiled faintly. Hearing Meng Dansheng's no longer muddled speech, he knew the man was mostly awake.

According to the notes left by Mr. San, the Third Tier of the Sloth Pathway possessed two abilities in total.

The first was Enter Self-Dream, and the second was Anti-Awakening.

But the pathway of Old Sin City was flawed.

Therefore, Meng Dansheng's Anti-Awakening was incomplete.

When faced with severe noise, intense vibrations, pain, and other such disruptions, he could easily be roused from his long-maintained slumber.

And once he lost the sleep state ability of the Second Tier, the Sloth Pathway would lose most of its deterrent power.

As Meng Dansheng retreated, Yan Jing once again activated his freeze ability. Simultaneously, he tore up the photograph he had just taken of Meng Dansheng.

Riiiip—

A shallow, bloody gash immediately appeared on Meng Dansheng's chest.

Normally, such a shallow wound would be nothing to a Third Tier existence like Meng Dansheng.

Unexpectedly, Meng Dansheng's face twisted in agony, and his tightly shut eyes almost opened.

Clearly, the injury he had sustained in Mad Amusement Park two years ago had yet to fully heal.

At the same time, Yan Jing stepped forward in a massive stride.

The long spear in his hand shot out like a bolt of dark lightning, seemingly tearing through the sky and leaving a shadowy trail as it aimed straight for Meng Dansheng's chest.

He only had this one chance. If he missed and allowed Meng Dansheng to put up his guard and slip back into a slumbering state, drawing blood again would be exceedingly difficult.

Squelch—

The sound of the spearhead piercing flesh rang out, accompanied by a muffled groan.

But upon hearing that groan, Yan Jing's face darkened. He retracted his spear and explosively retreated amid the deafening roars.

Because that muffled groan hadn't come from Meng Dansheng. It was a woman's voice.

Almost the exact moment Yan Jing jumped back, several incredibly thick, fleshy tentacles slammed down precisely where he had been standing, violently piercing the stone slabs.

Yan Jing looked up at his opponent.

The second guest had arrived.

By the looks of it, his luck today was rather poor.

The two guests had arrived at almost the exact same time.

A plump woman, seemingly in her forties and wearing a loose white robe, stepped out from behind Meng Dansheng.

She retracted the tentacle beneath her robe that Yan Jing had stabbed, then looked at a visibly shaken Meng Dansheng and chuckled.

"I didn't expect our Sleepland Chief to stumble."

"And tripping over the younger brother right after tripping over the older one, no less."

Saying this, a fleshy tentacle slithered out from between her legs beneath the robe, gently stroking Meng Dansheng's face.

Meng Dansheng leaned back. His old face gradually regained its calm as he spoke slowly:

"Why are you here?"

"I was worried about you, wasn't I?"

Madam Yu, Yu Yan, laughed lightly. "After all, our Sleepland Chief paid such a hefty price to find a new candidate for breeding the Seed, I had to come see for myself to set my mind at ease."

Meng Dansheng frowned.

"You have people in the village?"

His brows knitted tightly together, pondering who could have leaked the information.

After Yu Yan appeared, he once again relaxed his guard against Yan Jing. With two Third Tiers present, there was no way Yan Jing could make any more waves today. What he worried about now was Yu Yan snatching the boy from his grasp.

"Stop overthinking it. If you ask me, you should just hand this kid over to me. Before he breeds the Seed, I can have a few children with him on the side."

Yu Yan's voice trailed off as she looked across at Yan Jing.

Taking advantage of their conversation, Yan Jing had retreated back to his stall, sitting upon it and smiling at the two Third Tiers.

"How about you two fight it out first, and I'll go with the winner?"

As Yan Jing spoke, Meng Dansheng proactively took a few steps back.

"You take him."

With the terrifying noise surrounding them, it would be difficult for him to re-enter a deep slumber anytime soon. Clashing with Yu Yan at a time like this wasn't a wise move.

What he needed now was time to slip back into his sleep state.

Once he did, Yu Yan wouldn't be his match.

Seeing Meng Dansheng yield, Yan Jing's gaze darkened for a moment before returning to normal.

Yu Yan took a step forward, smiling at Yan Jing.

"It seems that before your brother left, he didn't just give you the Pathway Seed, he also told you about the flaws in our pathways."

"So tell me, what is my flaw?"

A tentacle slipped out from beneath her robe, gently tracing her lips.

"Is it compatibility?"

"Did your brother tell you that because my flesh belongs to the procreation pathway, one of my Third Tier abilities is Excellence Gathering, which allows me to accommodate the powers of others, but because I am far too compatible... I cannot reject them?"

"So, as long as a massive amount of another pathway's power is injected into my body, I'll lose control of my own flesh?"

As she spoke, her tone grew colder and colder.

By the end, it carried a palpable killing intent.

She reached out and lifted one of the sleeves of her white robe, revealing a fair, plump arm.

Unfortunately, that arm was densely covered in horrific scars, looking as if it had suffered death by a thousand cuts. It was a shocking sight.

Yu Yan's expression turned entirely grim, her face twisting like an evil ghost from hell:

"That damned bastard injected far, far too much of the Fear Pathway's power into my body!"

"Do you have any idea how I've lived these past few years?!!"

"Every single day, I have to slice myself open, gouging out my own flesh just to bleed out his power!!! In the beginning, I couldn't even manage to hold a knife and fork!!!"

She glared at Yan Jing, her eyes burning with hatred and rage, ultimately laughing out of pure fury:

"I made up my mind to let him taste the power of our life force. You're his younger brother!!! Since he's gone, you can suffer this agony in his place!!!"

"Until you officially breed the Seed, I will torment you endlessly!!!! Torment you until you beg for death!!"

Then, a cold sneer tugged at the corner of her mouth:

"Or perhaps, you're confident you can pump me as full as he did? Little boy?!"

As her words fell, the tentacles beneath her robe suddenly swelled and rapidly multiplied, surging toward the seated Yan Jing.

These tentacles were nothing like the ones Yan Jing had seen from the other residents of Dandelion Manor.

If the tentacles of those Second Tiers were as thick as arms, then these swelled appendages were at least as thick as an adult man's thigh.

Yan Jing swung his spear. When it clashed with the tentacles, the ring of striking metal echoed out. The density of these fleshy limbs was no different from steel; his spearhead could sink in a centimeter or two at most, unable to pierce any deeper.

Moreover, the physical force behind them was immense, nearly jarring the long spear right out of Yan Jing's grip.

Even though he managed to hold on, after a few strikes, the webbing between his thumb and forefinger tore open from the impact, bleeding profusely.

Yet, facing the intense phantom pain inflicted by the Fear Thorn, Yu Yan didn't even bat an eye.

This was normal. A crucial step in procreation was also one of her Second Tier abilities:

Pain Endurance.

If there were only one or two tentacles, Yan Jing could still handle them.

But there were simply too many here, virtually forming a jungle of writhing flesh that enveloped him completely.

Just a few seconds later, the long spear in Yan Jing's hands dissolved into motes of light and scattered.

His first seed was used up just like that.

Just as a second long spear materialized in his grasp, a tentacle whipped directly at his chest.

Yan Jing crossed his arms to block.

The tentacle slammed into his black-and-white arm guards with crushing force. From a single strike, Yan Jing coughed up blood.

Just as the Old Man had once said.

The gap between the Third Tier and the Second Tier was like an impassable chasm.

Even if his opponent was heavily injured, even if he had the power of the Surface World to assist him, even if he possessed the White Stone Cage, such a disparity could not be bridged in a short time.

If he wanted to turn the tables, he ultimately had to rely on the flaws in his opponent's pathway.

Thus, he was waiting—waiting for an opportunity.

He swallowed a Fear Fruit imbued with 'life' power.

Feeling his injuries mend, Yan Jing spat a mouthful of bloody froth with a grin. Wielding his spear once more, he charged forward through the jungle of tentacles!!!

Sensing Yan Jing steadily closing the distance, a strange glint flashed in Yu Yan's eyes. As far as she was concerned, all he was doing was accelerating his fall into her clutches.

The moment Yan Jing's stamina was entirely depleted would be the moment she captured her Seed breeder, thereby seizing the initiative in the Homecoming Plan.

At this thought, she offered a frosty smile and intensified her assault, the tentacles surging to wrap Yan Jing up entirely.

It was exactly then that no one noticed a figure climbing onto the roof of a nearby residential house.

Staring at the trapped Yan Jing, the figure's eyes were cold as he slowly extended his arm. He didn't know where that old coot had ridden his motorcycle off to, nor why he hadn't taken Yan Jing and fled the night before as promised.

But given the current situation, he had no choice but to open fire.

He cared nothing for morality.

But he cared for his friends.

This Domain was the first place he had ever made a friend. He couldn't just stand by and watch Yan Jing die.

He disabled his risk assessment system, disabled his early warning system, and disabled his rationality alerts.

However, just as he was about to fire.

Suddenly, his gaze narrowed, and his primed right hand halted.

This was...

Yu Yan sneered coldly, gazing at Yan Jing, who was entirely cocooned in her tentacles.

But just as she was about to tighten her snare, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through her lower body. Immediately after, a bone-chilling cold invaded her system.

In an instant, the familiar sensation awakened her memories. This was the power of the Fear Pathway—she would never mistake it. Yan Jing had finally begun channeling Fear Power into her body. But at the same time... this triggered her stress response.

The tentacles morphed into wildly thrashing steel whips, furiously lashing at the trapped Yan Jing in the center.

Crack— Crack—

With every strike, a gruesome, bloody welt appeared on Yan Jing's body.

More importantly, the sheer force behind the blows made him spit mouthful after mouthful of blood. His bones rattled, feeling as if they were on the verge of shattering.

Yet, he held tightly to the Thorn Spear in his hands, continuously pouring Fear Power into the tentacle it had impaled.

As the freezing power trickled into Yu Yan's body drop by drop, she bit her lip and quickened the thrashing of her tentacles.

But she still held back from dealing a lethal blow.

The Fear Power within Yan Jing couldn't possibly be vast. She knew this very well, which was why she intended to capture him alive.

However... as time ticked by, second by second...

Her eyes widened, unconsciously revealing naked dread...

Impossible!

How could there still be more?!!

By now, the volume of Fear Power within her had reached a critical mass. If this continued, the tragedy from three years ago was highly likely to repeat itself!!!

Only then did she finally panic.

She desperately began driving her tentacles straight into Yan Jing's body to force him to let go.

But Yan Jing simply wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled.

Path of Fear, one of the Second Tier Abilities, activated.

Fear Memories.

It actively awakened the deepest, most terrifying memories within the opponent. Its effectiveness depended entirely on just how afraid the target was of that specific event.

If properly set up with repeated psychological pressure, the skill's effect would be even more pronounced.

In an instant, Yu Yan shuddered violently. The tentacles plunging toward him abruptly froze mid-air.

That scene from three years ago played out in her mind once again.

She, an entity ranked among the top ten in Old Sin City, a Third Tier Transcendent.

Three years ago, because the power inside her completely ran wild, she had approached every other Third Tier present, frantically declaring she wanted to procreate with them. Worse, her flesh had mutated uncontrollably, dissolving into an unmanageable mound of meat...

No, no, no, no!!!

Her entire body began to tremble involuntarily, her face twisted in horror. The memory of that terror was etched immutably into her soul.

Not only that, but she also recalled the aftermath: carving her own flesh out every single day, dragging around a paralyzed shell of a body.

Fearful memories could make a person forget the present.

She remained entirely oblivious to the fact that the Fear Power surging into her body was still multiplying.

When she finally snapped out of it, all she saw was a mass of uncontrolled, wildly thrashing tentacles, continuously mutating as they viciously whipped the surrounding pavement.

Her body's urge to procreate had already reached its absolute zenith.

Just like three years ago.

"Impossible!"

Staring at her rapidly deteriorating body, she shrieked in terror:

"How could you possibly have this much Fear Power!!!"

"Anyone would be afraid hearing such a deafening noise, my dear Madam Yu."

Covered in cuts and bruises, Yan Jing smiled and pointed at the sky. That echoing cacophony was the source of his Fear Power.

The residents of Rotten Vegetable Village were the spring feeding it.

The next moment, he ramped up the flow of Fear Power from his hands.

"No! No, no, no!!"

"Let go!! Let go of me!!! Let go right now!!!!"

Yu Yan's body bloated. By now, not a trace of her former voluptuous curves remained. Her loose white robe was torn to shreds, and the flesh beneath held zero allure. She looked like a lump of white dough that had been slashed to ribbons.

Worse still, this mound of dough was continuously jiggling and mutating.

"Meng Dansheng!! Meng Dansheng!!!"

Yu Yan screamed at the top of her lungs, using every ounce of her strength to twist her ballooned, spherical head to look behind her.

But upon seeing the scene behind her, she instantly froze.

There, the Chief of Sleepland was currently fleeing for his life.

His eyes were now wide open!!!

Volley after volley of unidentified artillery fire rained from the sky, bombarding the area indiscriminately.

Because of the deafening roar filling the air, the sound of the explosions had been masked, which was why neither of them had noticed it earlier.

Without entering a sleep state, a Sloth practitioner's physical fortitude was virtually identical to that of a First Tier, even if they were a Third Tier themselves.

If it hadn't been for his glowing pajamas deflecting a significant amount of the damage, his life would likely already be hanging by a thread.

"I'll kill you!!!"

Seeing that Meng Dansheng was too busy saving his own skin, leaving her with no hope of rescue, Yu Yan's eyes bulged. Mustering all her remaining strength, she commanded the last tiny fraction of her controllable tentacles to smash down heavily onto Yan Jing.

Yan Jing, already nearing complete exhaustion from the tentacles' relentless abuse, had absolutely no way to dodge.

Struck squarely by the tentacle, he was instantly sent flying backward. He crashed into a nearby stall before tumbling heavily to the ground.

Cough!

Another mouthful of coppery blood welled up from his throat.

Watching the artillery fire rain down, Yan Jing leaned back against the ruined stall, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile.

His original plan had been to eliminate Meng Dansheng first.

But then Yu Yan had shown up.

His backup plan in the event of Yu Yan's arrival was to use her loss of control to shock Meng Dansheng awake.

Yet Meng Dansheng had been very cautious, keeping his distance from Yu Yan.

Furthermore, he had underestimated the sheer power of the Third Tier.

After such a brutal clash, his vital energy was utterly exhausted.

For a Second Tier to defeat a Third Tier was as difficult as scaling the heavens.

Even now—with Yu Yan entirely out of control, and Meng Dansheng jolted from his sleep and bombarded with artillery until he was covered in wounds—neither of them had sustained a fatal injury.

Perhaps if the person firing the artillery was given enough time, he could deal a lethal blow, but...

Yan Jing reached down, struggling to pull the Walkie-talkie from his waist.

Panting heavily, he pressed the button.

He tapped it forcefully.

Three long, one short.

Three long, one short.

Three long, one short.

Over and over again.

Watching the artillery fire gradually cease, a relieved smile spread across his face.

Go, my friend. The enemies ahead were not just these two.

Go, my friends. There were some things he had decided on long ago.

Merely a few seconds after the bombardment stopped.

A familiar, incredibly bizarre voice drifted over from the distance:

"How did you end up like this, my dear, beloved friends?"

He was here.

Yan Jing smiled.

As soon as that voice rang out, the battered Meng Dansheng and the out-of-control Yu Yan shuddered in unison.

They cast complicated looks toward the source of the sound.

A pair of legs, slender as bamboo poles, strode toward them from the distance.

His steps were light. His massive mouth stretched into a wide grin, exposing rows of sharp teeth and a pitch-black maw, as if he carried a small slice of a dark red abyss on his head.

Taking in the sight of Meng Dansheng and Yu Yan, mockery flashed in the tiny eyes at the top of Giant Mouth's head.

"Look at this. Just look at my friends."

"Why does it feel like I saw this exact scene three years ago? It was just like this back then. One of you scurrying around like a rat, and the other turning into a... hmm, a giant meatball?"

Faced with Giant Mouth's ridicule, Meng Dansheng and Yu Yan's expressions darkened.

But beneath their anger, their hearts were dominated by fear.

Giant Mouth had left out one detail. Three years ago, even though the two of them hadn't been in much better shape than they were now, Giant Mouth had been injured too.

But today... things were different.

Given their current states, if Giant Mouth decided to strike, they would be fish on a chopping block, completely at his mercy.

"Giant Mouth, don't fall for that kid's trick," Meng Dansheng said slowly, his old face grim.

"If you really attack Yu Yan and me, that kid will probably feel his death was worth it."

"Death?!"

Giant Mouth's eyes went wide as he spoke in an exaggerated tone:

"How could I let such an excellent breeder die?!!"

He turned his head and looked at Yan Jing, who was slumped against the ruins of a stall. His bloody maw split into a wide grin.

"Who wants you to die?!! Tell me, and I, Giant Mouth, will be the first to refuse!"

Meng Dansheng's face sank even further.

He hadn't expected Giant Mouth to actually harbor the thought of killing him and Yu Yan.

However, searching his own heart, he knew that if he were in Giant Mouth's position, his choice would probably be exactly the same.

Faced with Giant Mouth's question, Yan Jing's lips twitched.

"Do you want me to die?"

"Me?!!"

Giant Mouth burst into roaring laughter, the sound piercing right through the terrifying rumbling overhead.

"How could I possibly want you to die!"

"Even if you have to die, I'll make sure you die for a worthy cause! I'll make sure you die with honor!!!"

"Do you know something?"

He lowered his voice to a soft whisper.

"I could never find a trace of you. I didn't even know what you looked like."

He pointed a finger at Meng Dansheng.

"This old dog!!!"

"He treated the existence of you and that girl like his most precious treasures. He refused to tell anyone! I was part of the plan, yet he kept it even from me!!!"

"Do you think he deserves to die?!"

Yan Jing nodded.

"He deserves it."

Giant Mouth burst into laughter once more. He threw his abyssal maw wide open. Weird Energy surged, instantly whipping up a violent gale!

The suction from his mouth was so immense it felt like a terrifying typhoon. A horrified Meng Dansheng was dragged right up to him.

Then, Giant Mouth reached out and grabbed him tight!

Hum—

The pajamas draped over Meng Dansheng flared with blinding light, forming a protective barrier.

But in a fraction of a second, a sound like shattering glass echoed through the air. Giant Mouth crushed the barrier with his bare hand, and the once-dazzling light dimmed entirely.

Meng Dansheng spat a mouthful of blood and roared, "Giant Mouth, are you really going to do this?!! The others—"

Seeing Giant Mouth open his maw again, Meng Dansheng abandoned his words. He clamped his eyes shut, trying to forcibly activate his exhaustion and Enter Self-Dream abilities. But Giant Mouth merely smiled and bit down directly on Meng Dansheng's waist.

Squelch!

Stripped of his pajamas' protection and unable to enter a dream state, Meng Dansheng's body was instantly snapped in two at the waist before the sheer physical dominance of the Gluttony pathway.

His tightly shut eyes flew open in excruciating pain. He stared in absolute disbelief at his missing lower half.

Intestines, a stomach, and other organs spilled across the ground in a pool of blood.

"Tastes awful."

Giant Mouth stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. Grinning, he tossed Meng Dansheng's upper half onto the ground.

Wrapped in blood-soaked pajamas, the severed torso hit the stone pavement with a heavy thud.

Even now, Meng Dansheng's eyes were filled with confusion and terror. It was as if he still couldn't comprehend how things had suddenly come to this...

He had finally managed to leave his house today. He was the victor from three years ago. He was the master of the oldest Domain in this city. He was the leader of the Homecoming Plan.

But... Giant Mouth had suddenly turned on him...

"Giant Mouth... you will die a terrible death..."

With those final words, the light faded from Meng Dansheng's eyes.

A light drizzle suddenly began to fall from the sky.

In an instant, it turned into a torrential downpour.

A Third Tier, one of the kings of this city, the absolute apex entity of this Domain, had perished just like that.

The rain felt like a mournful wail from this abandoned city in honor of his death.

No one noticed a figure hiding in a distant corner. After witnessing this scene, his eyes flashed, and he turned to walk out of Rotten Vegetable Village.

The roar of his motorcycle engine was completely swallowed by the deafening thunder filling the sky.

"Are you satisfied?"

Giant Mouth looked at Yan Jing with a smile.

Yan Jing chuckled.

"It would be even better if you killed her too."

He looked over at a terrified Yu Yan.

Giant Mouth laughed.

"I killed Meng Dansheng because if I let him enter his dream state, I might not have been able to beat him!"

"But there's no need for me to kill this woman. With injuries like hers, she won't recover for years."