Yang Zicang entered the Sub-Ether Space and began walking.

Zorro did not follow him in. Instead, he leaned against the window, his eyes fixed on the hat that Yang Zicang had placed in front of the door.

“This kid, he even got his hands on an Ether Name Card, but… ” Zorro mused, a twinge of worry gnawing at him as he recalled the practiced ease with which Yang Zicang had slipped into the Ether Space.

Could he truly keep his mind perfectly composed and remain calm while stuck in that subspace for so long?

Even if some high-tier “Mental Imprint ” for steadying the mind lets him stroll freely through that perilous realm—which others would avoid like the plague—does he evenknowabout the problems that crop up from spending too much time there?

Though I’ve only caught wind of it myself through bits of intel exchange…

I’ll have to find the right moment to ask him about it, point-blank.

As this crossed his mind, Zorro raised a small mirror in his hand to run a quick check on his own back. Word had it that the skyscraper’s location lay hidden within the sub-ether force-field, effectively non-existent to the world—but better safe than sorry.

……

Yang Zicang rapidly pinpointed He Yishu’s location by homing in on the Ether Name Card the man carried on him.

In “City No. 11, ” simply jumping through a “Sub-Ether Gate ” to shuttle between two distant city zones was quick enough—let alone here, where the distance between the two parties wasn’t even that far.

Hazy battlements of bizarrely twisted buildings hurtled past behind him like blurs of shadow.

｛Runner｝, ｛Reassurance｝, ｛Confidence｝, ｛Emotional Suppression｝…

In the distance, the beacon signal on the name card kept flickering within a designated area.

“Hang on, Yishu! “

Even with an investment of millions, Yang Zicang still felt a nagging sense of unease. It seemed that avoiding battle didn’t demand all that much in terms of time sequence.

But once danger struck, in such battles, even one or two or three million in temporal sequence amplification would be utterly insufficient to make a difference.

｛I received a dividend of 13,000N.｝

A shock jolted through Yang Zicang’s heart; he immediately recalled the open, empty feeling of the wind-

【Joy Dividend】、【Surprise】、【Suppress】、【Love of Memories】、【Identify Target】、【Enjoy Subether Walking】、【Observe】、【Like the Descent Weapon】、【Reflect on Moods】…

The fluctuations upon him grew increasingly numerous. Feeling the swirling energy around him beginning to accelerate in a geometric spread pattern, Yang Zicang’s emotions started to crest — he dared not linger any longer.

Without the Gaze-defilling Sword, entering here alone in this emergency state was an extraordinarily perilous walk on the razor’s edge, a most or risk venture.

Seeing that the beacon target was now within arm’s reach, Yang Zicang steadied his emotions with great difficulty, held upright the card, and sharply kicked off.

｛The Nemesis!｝

With a swoosh, his form transformed into a blurred shadow charging suddenly, forwarding into the hovering-

In the black of night, a warrior clad in wilderness armor that didn’t belong to this era stood beyond the wall. Raising a massive long-axe high, he chased He Yishu with machine-like fury as the latter dodged left and right ahead.

Each time his axe turned, a deafening crash tore another chunk out of the two-meter-tall courtyard wall.

“Kid, you dare kill two of my men! Prepare to die! “

The colossal axe blazed with a crushing force that seemed to shake the very earth. In an instant, its entire shadow fanned out into rows of horizontal axe silhouettes. Yet when the giant struck down, those vertical ranks of axe shadows remained eerily still, as if nothing more than a crude, low-grade illusion.

But just as He Yishu turned to flee, he abruptly found his feet locked in place by an invisible force. Looking down, he saw the axe’s shadows, cast starkly by the moonlight onto his own body, had formed a horizontal prison, trapping him inside.

The great axe thundered down, radiating an aura of absolute annihilation.

“Die! “

In that very instant, a ripple of energy flared across He Yishu, his body aglow with orange flame.

The burly warrior caught only a glimpse of a radiance flashing the three characters ｛Trajectory Master｝. Then, in the next heartbeat, he heard a swift, tearing sound from within his own body.

Boom-thud!

“Ebiser!” In the collapsed courtyard, two people who had just kicked several soldiers away and rushed to the entrance where Ebiser was, turned their heads and saw this horrifying scene.

The most powerful individual in that team, just at the moment he was about to finish off his opponent, was suddenly decapitated by a black shadow that appeared from behind, swinging a sword and shattering him into pieces!

Boom!

The air wave from the axe struck He Yishu squarely and solidly, sending him flying backward and crashing onto the ground. His clothes were torn, exposing a large hole, and terrible red fissures appeared on the skin of his chest, with fine, earthy-yellow energy burning ceaselessly over it.

The axe fell to the ground. He Yishu half-raised his head, saw the figure who had finally arrived in haste, and let out a long sigh of relief.

A good few people had already fallen silently on the ground, and over a dozen had been injured.

With a sweep of his Silent Night sense, he instantly detected the presence of several people hiding not far away in the darkness. Yang Zicang unfurled the model on his chest and charged forward with explosive speed. The figures he sensed in the dark immediately turned and fled. But these were clearly not Mistlanders with strange abilities—how could they possibly escape Yang Zicang’s pursuit?

The one at the very front, seeing that escape was impossible, gleamed a fierce look in his eyes and abruptly slammed to a halt.

“Chief Minister, what are you doing?! ” The two men beside him yelled in terror as he stopped. “If we get caught, we’ll definitely be… “

“Shut up! ” The man snapped at his subordinates in a frenzy, then turned to face the approaching Yang Zicang.

He gritted his teeth several times, and while the other two couldn’t resist turning and running away, he stayed behind alone to face the coldly charging Fogfolk swordsman.

“Hero! ” The Chief Minister suddenly shouted. “Please spare me! It was all ordered by the Bureau Director! “

As Yang Zicang halted abruptly, the Chief Minister fell to his knees with a thud, looking up at Yang Zicang with tears streaming down his face.

“The Director’s son… is Mr. Ben… H-he’s been captured… and that already means there’s no way to get the secret box anymore… Hero, I didn’t mean to… ” He crawled forward a couple of steps. Yang Zicang pointed his sword forward, and the man immediately froze, trembling as he stared at the sword tip aimed at him.

“If you knew your son was captured, why did you still keep chasing that box? “

“It’s common knowledge among the higher-ups… The Director was fighting desperately, since in two days, he might lose this power. Becoming an ordinary man, or obtaining the secret box—the latter means our family still gets to live. “

Yang Zicang withdrew his sword a little.

“Since you know that in two days, this so-called Special Affairs Bureau Director will be an ordinary man with no authority, why did you still seek out Fogfolk to do this job for you? “

“This… ” The Chief Minister stared in terror at the continuously rising shortsword of black ripples. This man he had only ever seen in the newspapers… was he so detestable? Did he have to deliberately ask aloud something everyone already knew the reasons for?

But what could he do? On the verge of tears, the Chief Minister had no idea how to respond. For all he knew, uttering a single word might have him cleaved in two by that sword right then and there.

Just then, a voice rang out from behind him.

“Stop bullying the native. It’s hard enough keeping even one alive, isn’t it? “

The Chief Minister turned his head, following the gaze of the hero “Yang Buchen. ” From the darkness behind him, a barefoot figure dressed in a white linen shirt slowly emerged.

“It’s you? ” Yang Zicang lowered his brows slightly, his eyes fixed on the man.

The newcomer brushed back his hood, revealing a long, gaunt, and sculpted face.

“We meet again. Or rather, this is the first truly formal meeting in our real appearances. Hello, I am Joshua. “

-｛Distributor May Valkyrie has marked a new node in the glorious prelude I am currently nurturing.｝

-｛Distributor February Di’an, with her wealth of experience, judges this to be a brand-new glorious prelude and wishes to pre-order it.｝

-｛Distributor Di’an increases the price of the glorious prelude I am currently nurturing by 10%.｝

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi comments “Fishing. “｝

Joshua gracefully performed a bow. In his real face, he appeared more plain and ordinary than his image in the Sub-Ether Space.

“Showing up here at this time, friend, what relation do you have with the Director? “

“I have no acquaintance with that person. “

“Then why did you trick me into coming here? Hmph, don’t tell me you’re unaware of the crisis in Xinfan Town. That just doesn’t add up, does it? “

Yang Zicang had already silently cursed the man several times in his mind, and his thoughts raced as he wondered why, just after handing the gun to Zorro, he had to run into this guy.

He still had no idea how strong the opponent truly was.

Thinking this, Yang Zicang cast a sidelong glance behind him.

He saw He Yishu, his clothes torn and tattered, having appeared not far behind him, staring into the darkness at his back. Only then did a bit of tension ease in his heart, even as he remained wary on guard against the “Sub-Ether Space. “

He had truly come to understand what it meant to be unable to eat or sleep in peace.

“Don’t just focus on the process; isn’t the outcome pretty good? ” opposite him, Joshua spoke calmly.

But in truth, over these past several days, Joshua had secretly elevated the dangerousness of the man before him by several grades.

If it hadn’t been for Joshua having to continue staying on the place that dead woman had been responsible for, to clean up the abnormal factors spreading from there, it would have been hard for him to fix his attention on this person who, compared with Blaze Bearers, was merely as unremarkable as a spark.

Yet it was this very person who, with Yoya’s future anchoring and my own involvement, not only managed to survive all the way to the present but also miraculously obtained a blank Bloodline Statue from this region that had already been thoroughly looted in the inevitable death game, successfully containing that bloodline.

This has been the second time now that he has caused my prophecy to fail.

If this continues… will fate still believe in my prophecies?

So I had no choice but to appear in person twice in the course of this one incident, to guide this person on how to go with the tide of certain death.

How pathetic… to be pushed to such an undignified state by a mere novice.

On the other side, Yang Zicang sank into deep thought.

“That makes a lot of sense. “

“Maybe this is all fated? “

“Thank you. ” Yang Zicang looked up and said.

This person, whether in attire or demeanor, was profoundly mysterious; being polite could do no harm, and who knows—perhaps he was a peerless master sent to guide the lost.

“Then may I ask why you have shown yourself now? To protect him? “

Joshua nodded with a faint smile. “This gentleman carries something of value with him, and I need to take it. As for whether he lives or dies, that is up to you. My earlier words of leniency were merely a suggestion. “

He turned his gaze to the Chief Minister beside him, whose heart was pounding with anxiety from those words.

“L-Lord… what do you need? I would give you anything! ” The native, kneeling on the ground, looked up at the barefoot man leaning on his staff.

“Are you regretting taking on the appointment as Director of the Affairs Bureau? “

“W-What? “

Joshua shifted his wooden staff to his left hand, planting it beside the Chief Minister, and extended his now-free right hand.

“You are regretting it now, aren’t you? Regretting going with him into that office compartment back then, regretting ever accepting his gifts and letting him hold leverage over you. Regretting also your involvement in the struggle for this Secret Box, because these two are under the protection of the ‘Hero’. “

The Chief Minister’s eyes widened in terror as he thought,Is this what Fogfolk are like?

Joshua smiled as he probed this anchored memory. Guided by his influence, the man before him recalled that memory ever more clearly and vividly.

A faint wisp of light flickered, coalescing among the dim and wavering modeling arcs in Joshua’s hand.

After finishing this, Joshua turned his head and addressed Yang Zicang.

“Thank you for generously granting me this time to intrude. I shall not delay you any further. Farewell. “

“No… you’re welcome. “

Joshua chuckled. Then, with an air of measured etiquette, he gave a slight bow and turned, planting his wooden staff deliberately as he strode into the darkness.

The two figures, one tall and one short, watched his receding form dissolve into the gloom… “He-ro… ” The Chief Minister, teary-eyed and sniveling, crawled forward and clung to Yang Zicang’s trouser leg.

From within his state of Musing Night, Yang Zicang had already sensed the rapid approach of several military vehicles.

The city garrison had discovered the anomaly here and was dispatching reinforcements in large numbers.

“Get up. Walk forward. Go confess your crimes to Harald yourself. “

“Yes, yes! ” The Chief Minister rose tremblingly, as if granted a pardon. Seeing the trucks with their headlights blazing down the road, the middle-aged man waved his arms and ran over, crying, “Major Haralde, I was wrong, ah…! “

Yang Zicang shook his head and walked to the bend in the courtyard.

｛I’ve discovered a Chrono Weapon.｝

He Yishu stood his ground, supporting a large axe. As his face became clear, Yang Zicang’s gaze tightened.

“Did you cough up blood? Are you injured internally? “

He Yishu nodded slowly, “It feels awful. But it’s not fatal… I just need a few days of rest to recover… “

“Bear with it for now. I still have a few healing Ability Spheres. “

Yang Zicang planned to find a place to summon the “Ground-Haze Bedchamber, ” where Molly and Julia were sleeping. Though doing so would prevent them from being stored at the Feilü Inn, saving lives was the top priority.

He Yishu shook his head, “No need to waste them. Unless it’s a very high-grade healing Ability Sphere, it won’t do me much good. And using that kind of sphere for an injury like this would be a waste. I really just need a few days’ rest. “

With that, he handed over the axe handle he was leaning on.

“This is a good thing. “

｛I’ve touched a brand new Chrono Weapon.｝

A faint, intangible wave of information pulsed within my mind.

This turned out to be a Century Weapon.

“A Century Weapon! Not bad. Take it, you can use it. “

He Yishu gave a bitter smile at this giant thing.

“Forget it. I have no interest in lugging something this heavy around with me everywhere. It’s such a loss of face. “

“Hahaha, alas, a dignified Century Weapon despised by someone. “

Yang Zicang felt it over, lifting the ancient battle-axe that was as tall as a man.

“Alright then, I’ll take this thing and use it for now. We’ll see later if Karl is interested. “

Faced with this proposal, He Yishu nodded in agreement. In terms of build, among the few of them, Karl was the most suited for this weapon.

｛He Yishu returned 125,400 N of empty-zero time-sequence capital to me.｝

Yang Zicang took note of this portion of empty-zero time-sequence capital, then added another eighty thousand and invested it all back to him, saying:

“You take that Black Rose, and this two hundred thousand empty-zero time-sequence capital too, to defend yourself with for now. Though, frankly, it might not even withstand a single conscious, active attack. Sigh. “

This time, He Yishu didn’t refuse.

Although the somewhat noisy machine pistol in his hand indeed consumed time-sequence heavily, it was incredibly effective to use. It shot far and accurately; without it, he himself could never have held off a crowd alone for several minutes that night.

When they met Ebiser and his daughter, along with the butler and the others again.

This family, who had just been questioned by Harald, were so moved they could barely speak as they rushed forward to embrace He Yishu and Yang Zicang. Lianna, hugging him deeply, cried tears that dripped down like little pearls, and her Mutao language speech was so choked that Yang Zicang could hardly catch its meaning.

It’s definitely impossible to stay here any longer. After bustling about until three in the morning, they packed their things and boarded the carriage heading to the Fog-Folk Leased Land Mansion.

They resolved that, until they are taken over and protected by the special Fog-Folk assigned to the settlement, they would absolutely not set foot outside the settlement no matter what.

A full moon hung high in the sky.

The carriage wheels rolled with a clatter along the ever-darkening, pitch-black avenue.

“The moonlight is so beautiful~ “

Lianna, with a face full of smiles, looked at the moonlight then dabbed her cheek.

“Huh? Apparently, I’ve cried at some point without realizing it. “

“Oh, really? ” Yang Zicang, who was chatting with Ebiser, turned to look at the maiden beside him. “I never thought the lǐttle Lián girl would be so sentimental? “

“Ah! ” Lianna squirmed with great embarrassment.

“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. ” Yang Zicang half-rose from his seat and shook hands with Ebiser.

“It’s too late, let’s say goodbye here. “

“Haha, in short, Hero, I hope you can visit us at our home someday in the future. “

“I will. “