“President, where exactly should we look for the specific intel on those who attacked you?“

“They’re probably Steffen spies lying low, but I want the detailed information about the ringleaders of this operation. I’m sure that’s also what the officials handling the case today are scratching their heads over.“

“Your meaning is,” He Yishu spoke up from within the forest, addressing Yang Zicang who was tidying the lawn, “to go check the garrison to see how far their investigation has come?“

“Pretty much. Well, if there truly isn’t anything there, then I guess they’ll just have to count themselves lucky.“

Having cooled down somewhat, Yang Zicang still wanted to teach them a lesson before the time, to shake the arrogance among the Steffen, but after all if found, they’re lucky ahead — hence should temporarily set a bound and move past that.

After all, with only about two months left, he still had too many things to do ahead.

Straightening his newly built positions waist upward in backtum events stretch though task-bound.

forest’s cluster inside conceal them to sound set beside their head once fully furbished placements.

“According to the records in theSage’s Memoir, several departments probably have archives on this matter stored away, though I’m not sure if they’ll be working overtime today. “

Yang Zicang crouched down, scooped up a clump of soil casually, placed it in the center of the magic circle, and pinched it a couple of times. The water-attribute mana crystal above immediately lit up with a shimmering, radiant glow.

-｛Loki. Tata Mingqi remarked with seasoned expertise that I might be nurturing the prelude to a brand-new brilliance.｝

“It’s starting. “

The two closed their eyes. When they opened them again, the young man had already vanished from where he stood.

Next came Karl, burly and broad-shouldered. He also crouched down, his left hand touching the still-active magic pattern while his right hand held Yang Zicang’s calling card. He said to He Yishu, “I’m going in too. “

He Yishu closed his eyes, then opened them again. Only he remained in the deep, shadowy forest.

Muttering enviously, he crouched down, grabbed the carpet, and pulled out the calling card used to anchor the location. Suddenly, the card flared with the traitTrajectory Master. A surge of energy rushed from behind him, and a hand yanked his shoulder violently backward. He toppled over, plunging into the dark grass until he was gone without a trace.

……

Kim Crest stood behind the Biologist, Jean Ussy, watching as he pored over ancient manuscripts and documents.

His fingers traced across lines of text, and he let out a soft sigh. “The Fuga River may only be two hundred meters wide, but these cliffs are hundreds of meters high. There used to be a bridge here, built for free by the Fogfolk, but unfortunately, they say it later turned into a monster. “

“So we can’t cross here either? Hmm… Ah, it looks like taking a shortcut is out of the question. “

“Are you thinking of going around an entire nation to reach the Campfire Platform there? Right now, the Kingdom of Viten has its entire border covered in troops to prevent an invasion by Sistefen. You won’t get through at all. As things stand, if you want to reach Iron Horse Mountain, this is the only way. “

“What a pain. Could you take a look and see if there are any other old Campfire Platforms around here? “

Jean Ussy chuckled. “So, areyouthe one in the Hellfire Sect, or am I? “

“Oh, come on, you know full well what the Hellfire Sect is really like. Stop stalling and just keep helping me look. “

“Alright, alright. “

Just as they were speaking, a knock came at the wooden door. Kim Crest responded, and the door was pushed open from the outside. It was Long Mingjie, who had come along to investigate and, through good fortune, had been granted special treatment to stay as a “hero, ” along with an old acquaintance beside him: “Long Ma Shuo. “

“You two aren’t resting yet? I brought some fruit. “

Long Mingjie walked in with a smile, carrying not only fruit but also two neatly folded uniforms. Catching a glimpse of the “Hero Trio ” outfit that Kim Crest seemed to wear at all times, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

“What’s with the clothes in your hands? “

“Oh, that’s the other reason I came. Ever heard of Hurst Detective Agency? They sent over two sets of ‘investigator uniforms’ for us to review and see if the style looks good. “

Ma Shuo, going by the alias “Long Ma Shuo, ” followed him in, rolling his shoulders. “What books are you guys reading? “

Seeing that the founder ofFire Dance Gazettehad come up to talk to them these past few days, and knowing that “Fogfolk ” always liked to meddle and dig for gossip, Jin Crest’s eyes couldn’t help but light up.

“Mr. Long Ma Shuo, nice to see you. Are your injuries any better? “

“No need to be so formal. Just… call me Ma Shuo. “

“Alright, alright, Mr. Ma Shuo. So, are you interested in playing with some bonfires? “

Ma Shuo, who had originally come just to casually nose around, had his expression harden.

The old professor beside him, flipping through a borrowed tome from the cultural center, suddenly began to cough. “Ah, Brother Ma Shuo, you should know that for the Hellfire Sect to venture into other nations, we at least need proof that we are indeed carrying out assigned sect tasks, right? “

At the old professor’s interjection, Ma Shuo coldly grunted an “Mm. “

Long Mingjie handed out the “investigator uniforms ” to the two men. As he unfolded one and examined it, both Jean Ussy and Jin Crest were struck by the design—a seamless blend of modernity and retro charm. It was truly a masterpiece.

Beside the standing lamp, Ma Shuo pulled over a chair, glanced at the candle holder beneath the lamp used for inserting spare candles, and turned to say:

“I know the Hellfire Sect has had the privilege of crossing the borders of any country at any time for the past century or two. So then? Where do you want to go? “

“To get out of here, of course. Haven’t you heard what’s been spreading today? Starkvofen’s spies have blatantly come to White Violet City to spread terror. “

“They must be jealous of what we’ve done and want to come put out our fire. “

Ma Shuo asked, “If we’re relying on the Hellfire Sect’s privilege to leave, are there any conditions? “

“Exactly, we have to prove that we’re actually engaged in that sort of work. We need to take a photograph, get it signed or stamped by a local official or the majority of the villagers, confirming that we lit a campfire. That serves as proof. “

“……“

Ma Shuo found it baffling, but he thought it barely qualified as a chance to nurture a Ray of Radiance.

He looked up, “Do we have to light it at the old campfire platform? “

“Not necessarily. ” The young man in the red robe with a small ponytail picked up a piece of fruit that Long Mingjie had peeled and tossed it into his mouth.

“In the old days, you never needed this kind of proof. Whatever our sect said, went. Now, the various countries don’t want to let us pass, but they also don’t want to openly offend the Hellfire Sect and stir public discontent. So they’ve come up with all kinds of red tape. For instance, we have to light it at an old campfire spot, or we can’t light the campfire in a place where fires are normally set. “

“I can understand that, actually. Otherwise, the number of refugees joining the Hellfire Sect would probably be enough to form a nomadic army. “

Ma Shuo sat down, pondered for a moment after saying this, then looked up and asked, “I think I heard you mention at the door that the bridge turned into a monster. How did that happen? “

-｛Distributor March. Duli cast a glance at me.｝

At these words, the breath of several native residents in the room hitched.

-｛Distributor Duli gave me a Favorable Review.｝

Their expressions faltered turned somber.

It was as if certain “potential ” taboos, always avoided, had been deliberately torn apart like a hazy curtain, intentionally laid bare for inspection.

……

The city defense force’s logistics warehouse—a region of vast, blurred crates and steel supports. Slithering silhouettes emerged from twisted darkness.

He had barely taken a step when a sudden beam of strong light flashed: “Who goes there! “

Karl had only enough time to raise his arms to shield his eyes before bullets struck the ground beside him with sharp cracks.

Bam! He yanked the prepared blanket, clutching Yang Zicang’s “Ether Business Card ” in his hand. As nearby city guards charged over, by the time the fallen blanket settled, no one remained.

“A magician? “

“An outlander, maybe? “

A few officers conducted a stern sweep of the area. After confirming the target’s sudden disappearance, they immediately reported the situation up the chain of command.

……

An hour later, Yang Zicang and Karl walked at the bottom of murky, turbid water. Every so often, a section of drainage pipe overhead would leak light down.

The two suddenly halted. A weary young clerk, yawning, was passing by above them.

Yang Zicang’s expanding Silent Night lightly brushed over the stack of files the man cradled. Though it was impossible to probe the detailed contents within with just this sweep, the covers and their status were already revealed.

“Looks like it’s just an archive room, not at the core department level. “

Carefully, Yang Zicang extended the Silent Night slightly wider. People were still working late into the night here, but the atmosphere didn’t seem linked to the investigation of that attack.

“Shouldn’t be here, either. “

He twirled the card in his hand three times. They both closed their eyes. Instantly, a hand yanked them from behind. When they opened their eyes again, their surroundings had turned into a flickering, distorted fluorescent chaos.

｛Likes walking in the shadows｝, ｛No results found｝, ｛Has a partner｝.

He Yishu, catching that fleeting, flickering trait, paused for a moment in a daze. Lost in thought, he suppressed this sliver of suspicion. He had only been in this space for a short while; the other was far more familiar with it.

Meanwhile.

Ma Shuo, who’d heard some rumors, stood up with a thunderous heartbeat. He left the room.

All the way back, he couldn’t stop thinking about what those people had just shared with him.

Except for things that couldn’t be covered up at all—like the Gold Shell Alliance incident—most other events were simply beyond the reach of ordinary people. Even when rumors did surface, they could never be confirmed. The authorities worked tirelessly to minimize these events’ impact on the public. It was like back in his old hometown; sometimes you’d hear about some strange, bizarre happening, but in the bright light of day, no one ever admitted it was real. It was just passed off as folk gossip and delirious ramblings.

“Technology… Nightmares? “

Walking down the corridor, Ma Shuo suddenly stopped in his tracks. Up ahead, around the bend, two people were checking a broken lightbulb.

Ma Shuo couldn’t help but look up at the flickering orange-white electric light above his head.

Its glow was bright yet diffused, not harsh on the eyes. And beside these row of small-tube electric lamps, each was equipped with a wick-filled “oil lamp ” base.

Over the past two days, Ma Shuo had noticed the routine: every evening before dark, a local specialist would appear—wearing a protective cap, carrying a firelighter like an elongated cigarette lighter or a slender iron pipe, taller than a man—and go along the path, igniting candle after candle overhead. Only when night had fully fallen would they turn on the electric lights and then go around extinguishing the candles.

“There’s nothing wrong with the bulb; it’s just the wick that’s broken. “

The man on the ladder called down. “No heating tonight. Just hand me a replacement wick. “

Ma Shuo walked over. When the two men noticed him approaching, the one steadying the ladder below pulled a cotton-thread wick from the hard green fabric bag strap to the one on the ladder.

He was using the oil lamp in his hand to heat the barely glowing electric bulb. Only then did Ma Shuo notice that each oil lamp, if lit, would precisely heat the bulb above it.

“Master… what are you… doing? “

The worker gave him a glance.

There were plenty of people who hadn’t seen electric lights; this wasn’t the first.

“We’re replacing the lamp wick, ” the worker on the ladder said with a smile. “The initial temperature of the electric light is too low; it can’t shine. Once I swap out the oil lamp wick, it’ll be about right. “

“You’re using an oil lamp to heat an electric light? “

“That’s right; otherwise, it won’t light up. “

Ma Shuo felt as if he’d heard the biggest joke in the world.

Seeing his expression, the two men struck the gleeful pose of those privy to a secret science. “Look, ” they said. “Even ‘heroes’ don’t know everything. An electric light has to be heated to shine—that’s science, you know. “

……

The whole night, Yang Zicang and his two companions wandered around many places, but found no leads about the specific task executor.

In the cities of the Sub-Ether Field, some areas still contained buildings that didn’t really exist—woven from twisted dreams. Some places were rooms straight out of folklore, like the Black Hag Granny’s little hut that supposedly ate crying children at night.

There it stood, serenely nestled in a wonky corner of the south city’s old district.

But not until they approached and took a close look did they realize these, too, were mere illusions—phantom forms born from the conviction of many children who believed in their existence.

The entire Sub-Ether Field of White Violet City was a vast chaotic zone, like a fluorescent garbage dump. If it weren’t for the Gaze-dispelling Sword, it wouldn’t be a place worth staying.

“Are you sure you don’t want to check out the hotel? ” He Yishu asked Yang Zicang as they headed towards the ‘Mistman’s Rent Zone’ within the Sub-Ether Field.

“For what? To peep? Hah, I’m not that sleazy. ” Yang Zicang shook his head. “People are free to do whatever they want. “

“You’ve got guts. ” He Yishu clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up. “When you come to Heiwen Zike, we’ll take you to a mixer. “

“M-mixer? Man, are you really here on vacation? “

“Ha ha, I’ve already gotten to know plenty of girls who study painting and sculpture. Their temperament is elegant, their tastes are unique; even just as friends, chatting with them daily is so refreshing. “

｛So amazing｝, ｛A handsome guy’s daily life｝, ｛A player｝, ｛Reject｝…

Yang Zicang swung the Gaze-dispelling Sword in his hand, and the fluctuation of energy it had stirred disappeared.

“Actually… I think Haili Koni is pretty good too. ” He Yishu lowered his head a little as he spoke. “Before I left, she was still speaking up for you… “

｛Heart racing｝, ｛Is it possible?｝…

Karl, following closely beside the two, suddenly looked up. “Isn’t that the name of someone from the original tribes? “

Yang Zicang, whose heart had just stirred slightly upon hearing these words, let out a light sigh as he lifted the “Gaze-dispelling Sword ” and brought it down in a slash, dispersing the gathering traits before they could coalesce.