Chapter 27: Gaining Insight into the Star Gate

The small theater wasn’t very large, and its interior décor was old-fashioned and simple. However, the dressing room was clean and tidy, without any unpleasant odors.  

Mr. He sat by the vanity table, holding an eyebrow pencil, carefully outlining his makeup. From his appearance, it was clear he was preparing to play the role of a Qingyi. [In Peking Opera, a Qingyi is a female role that plays a virtuous, dignified, and elite woman, often a wife or mother.]

After a short while, a young man and woman entered the dressing room, respectfully addressing him, “Mr. He.”  

The man, standing to the left, appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had a strong, well-built physique, chiseled facial features, and an undeniably handsome appearance.  

Beside him stood a graceful young woman with delicate and refined beauty. She wore a simple black dress, her expression somber, and her eyes somewhat vacant.  

This striking pair of young people were Xing Tao and Guo Cai’er, both members of the Bell Society’s Copper Bell group.  

Additionally, Guo Cai’er was Wang Hong’s daughter. Both she and Xing Tao were covert players of the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate.  

Previously, the two “teammates” Wang Hong refused to betray were none other than them. It was widely known that before the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate officially opened, two other Star Gates had “paved the way” with prerequisite tasks. The Bell Society had secured three entry tokens during these tasks and selected this trio to enter.  

However, during the first phase of the Star Gate, Wang Hong, who was responsible for gathering team intelligence, was unexpectedly killed outright.  

“My mother’s dead. That ‘Prince Huai’ must be a player,” Guo Cai’er said in a low tone from her position on the right. Despite her words, her expression betrayed little sorrow.  

“My condolences…” Mr. He replied indifferently. “Prepare for the next entry. I’ll take care of the rest.”  

“Why not just track down the player portraying ‘Prince Huai’ in the real world and kill him?” Xing Tao interjected bluntly. “I’ll take a team and make sure he dies even more miserably than that pants-wetting president!”  

Mr. He turned around slowly, his gaze calm as he looked at Xing Tao. “Your primary task, along with Cai’er’s, is to successfully clear the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate and obtain its extraordinarily rare inheritance. This is more important than your lives. Do you understand?”  

Under Mr. He’s unwavering gaze, Xing Tao swallowed nervously and nodded slightly.  

“What’s your plan, Mr. He?” Guo Cai’er asked softly.  

“Based on your description, the role of ‘Prince Huai’ has an incredibly high perspective. The character is powerful and clearly not aligned with the imperial court. Now that one covert player has been lost, you two alone won’t be able to control the situation moving forward.”  

Turning back to face the mirror, Mr. He dabbed his forefinger into a pot of lip color and began evenly applying it to his lips. “Players can obtain entry tokens by killing one another. If we kill this person, the next time the gate opens, we can enter with four people, including one as ‘Prince Huai.’ That would stabilize the situation significantly.”  

“I’m not certain whether players from outside the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate would obtain a token after killing ‘Prince Huai,’” Guo Cai’er cautioned.  

“Then we’ll bring him back and let you two kill him yourselves,” Mr. He shrugged. “That way, it’s guaranteed.”  

“Can you locate him in the real world?” Guo Cai’er asked, her mind clear and focused.  

“In the two prerequisite Star Gates, we killed three Vigil Keepers and trapped one to death,” Mr. He replied with a faint smile. “That last one managed to escape with a token, despite being dead. The token… was a brush.”  

Guo Cai’er immediately understood. “When I entered, I received a court mission. Currently, I’m in the capital assisting Emperor Jing in mapping out the burial site of a former dynasty’s princess. According to my perspective information, the old emperor indeed gifted Zhu Zigui a royal brush…”  

“Exactly. I’ve already read your report.” Mr. He donned his headpiece and rose slowly. “The royal brush is ‘Prince Huai’s’ entry token. That means ‘Prince Huai’ must be portrayed by a Vigil Keeper. I’ve sent people to investigate. This player should be in Shanghai… Off you go now. I’ll take eight Copper Bells with me for a visit.”  

Guo Cai’er remained silent for a long moment before speaking. “Please, bring back ‘Prince Huai.’”  

Mr. He turned back, holding up his hand in a theatrical orchid gesture as he asked in an operatic tone, “The pain of a murdered mother—is it not irreconcilable?”  

“Heh.” Guo Cai’er sneered. “We severed our mother-daughter relationship long ago. What I’m saying is… if we can kill ‘Prince Huai,’ no one in the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate would be able to compete with us.”  

“Yiya-ya-ya…!”  

Mr. He hummed a theatrical tune, flicking his sleeves lightly and taking small, deliberate steps toward the door. “Ten months of carrying, a lifetime of nurturing. How should one repay such a debt?”  

Guo Cai’er stood frozen, silent.  

Xing Tao, after a long pause, hesitated before suggesting, “Cai’er, my condolences… If you’re upset, you can hit me. Slap me twice if it helps.”  

“Let’s go.” Guo Cai’er stepped forward without looking back.  

Five minutes later, the theater curtains slowly opened. A scattering of middle-aged and elderly audience members munched on fruit platters as they directed their attention to the stage.  

Mr. He, dressed in a blue robe, struck a pose and began singing with perfect enunciation: “Ladies and gentlemen, the show begins…!”  

Outside, a shifty young man attending to Mr. He held a phone to his ear and muttered, “Did you get in touch with the player selling Great Qian Dynasty information? Oh, good. Tell them they can name their price—cash or Stellar Essence is fine. Yes, we’re heading to Shanghai tonight for an in-person deal.”  

…

The next morning.  

Ren Ye woke up groggily, his body still drained and his spirits low. It wasn’t until he downed two bowls of leftover softshell turtle soup that he started to feel somewhat refreshed.  

Looks like the aftereffects of that Princess Consort’s ability are going to last a while. Damn it, I hope this isn’t actually shortening my lifespan.  

As he lounged at home, a faint sense of unease crept into his heart.  

“Ding-ling-ling!”  

The sudden ring of the phone broke the silence.  

“Hello?” Ren Ye answered instinctively. “Who’s this?”  

“It’s Xu Peng from yesterday, remember?” came a slow, deliberate voice.  

“Oh, yeah, I remember. What’s up, bro?” Ren Ye immediately recalled the other man’s dazed expression.  

“I’m downstairs at your building. The boss told me to pick you up. I’m supposed to give you a rundown of some knowledge about the Stellar Scar Gate today.”  

“Got it. Wait a sec; I’ll be right down.” Ren Ye hung up, finished his soup, and headed straight to his bedroom to change.  

…

Around 9 AM, at 88 Lianhu Road, inside an ordinary office.  

Xu Peng, holding a pile of documents, sat in a chair and asked politely, “You don’t look so good. Want some medicine?”  

“…No, thanks,” Ren Ye replied. Huang Wei had specifically warned him last night not to casually take anything Xu Peng offered.  

The two sat across from each other. Xu Peng scratched his messy, bird’s-nest-like hair and casually pulled a bag of herbal medicine from under the table. Without hesitation, he gulped it down right in front of Ren Ye.  

“What are you drinking?” Ren Ye asked curiously.  

“It’s a concoction I made myself—nourishes yin and strengthens the kidneys,” Xu Peng smacked his lips, savoring the taste. “I didn’t put in enough fire centipede, though, so the flavor’s a bit bland.”  

Ren Ye’s stomach churned at the mention. “Does that stuff even work?”  

Xu Peng’s face darkened, clearly offended by the question. “No one’s medicine is more effective than mine. The boss once drank a batch and ended up staying at a club in the south of the city for two full days.”  

“Seriously? Then get me a batch too,” Ren Ye said, intrigued. His interest was partly due to his freeloading nature and partly a desire to use the concoction as an experiment for Second Fool.  

“I’m out for today, but I’ll whip up another batch and bring you some. If you like it, though, you’ll have to pay for more. This stuff costs me a fair bit to make.” Xu Peng nodded earnestly and spread his documents across the desk. “I’m not great at explaining things to others, so this might be a bit boring. Feel free to ask questions if you don’t understand anything.”  

“Got it.”  

Ren Ye nodded, his expression turning serious. Right now, he was genuinely eager to understand the Stellar Scar Gate.  

Sunlight streamed into the room, casting a warm glow on the two young men as they settled into their discussion.  

Seated by the window, Xu Peng began softly, “The inheritances within the Stellar Scar Gate are divided into twelve standard profession systems and three extremely rare ones. The classifications are thorough yet incredibly diverse. For instance, my profession falls under the Light system, and my current phase is called the ‘Barefoot Doctor.'”  

Ren Ye nodded slowly. “Old Huang told me his phase is called ‘Blood-Eyed Monk.’ But I don’t really understand—what does a phase title even mean?”  

Xu Peng thought for a moment. “A phase title summarizes your profession’s characteristics at your current stage. Take me, for example. I’m an Chaotic Legacy Inheritor and once experienced a small-scale, ancient-style Stellar Gate. My task was to rescue an imperial physician and ensure his family’s safety. After completing the task, I received the inheritance he passed on—hence becoming a Barefoot Doctor in the Light system.  

“Your boss, on the other hand, is a ‘Blood-Eyed Monk’ because he went through a mythology-themed Stellar Gate and obtained a bloodline inheritance. That places him in the Strength system, focused on offensive capabilities. But his intelligence is… well, on the lower side. A brute, you know?”  

Ren Ye grew increasingly curious. “So, what’s your ability?”  

Xu Peng responded with a hint of pride, “In simple terms, my abilities revolve around saving lives—like making medicine, diagnosing from afar, and acupuncture. It’s all about selfless compassion, healing the world. But my profession’s phase task is incredibly challenging.”  

“…How challenging?”  

“I have to taste 3,000 different herbs, experiment with 1,000 types of poisonous insects, and develop a cure for a severe disease that gains public recognition and respect,” Xu Peng explained helplessly. “But the organization doesn’t let me sell medicine. If I can’t complete these two tasks, I can’t advance to the next phase.”  

“Three thousand? Are there even that many herbs in the world?”  

“There are in the Stellar Gate.”  

“…And if you die trying them?” Ren Ye asked curiously.  

“Then I’ll just be considered a sacrifice for science,” Xu Peng said with a sorrowful expression.  

“My respect to you.”  

“However, I’m a Chaotic Legacy Inheritor. By the second or third phase, I might fully master the imperial physician’s inheritance. After that, advancing further will depend on exploring Star Gates and finding compatible profession inheritances to continue improving.” Xu Peng elaborated, “That’s the drawback of being a Chaotic Legacy Inheritor. Much of the path requires self-exploration, but there’s also a chance to ascend to godhood.”  

Ren Ye craned his neck. “Are gods even real?”  

“No, not at the moment,” Xu Peng replied with certainty. “Even among the elites in Vigil Keeper, I don’t know anyone who has reached that stage—it’s all classified.”  

“Oh.” Ren Ye nodded.  

“Back to the topic. Whether it’s Chaotic Legacy or Ordered Legacy, the profession systems are incredibly diverse, and everyone’s path is unique,” Xu Peng continued gracefully. “Take me, for example. Once I fully inherit the imperial physician’s abilities, the rest of my journey will depend on my own choices. Suppose I later explore a modern Star Gate and encounter the inheritance of a brilliant surgeon from a hospital. If it’s highly compatible and I successfully complete the mission, my future abilities might shift toward modern medicine. My phase title could then evolve to something like ‘Lead Surgeon’ or ‘Surgical Specialist,’ with skills focusing on precision with blades, physical modifications, or even virus creation. But my previous abilities will still remain.”  

Though the explanation was short, it was dense with information. Ren Ye pondered for a while before attempting to summarize: “So, even though you’re in the Light system profession, the scope of this profession is incredibly broad. Each player in the Light system has unique potential for growth. Did I understand that correctly?”  

“Exactly.” Xu Peng nodded slowly. “The Stellar Scar Gate contains a total of 15 profession systems. While some are stronger or weaker in the early stages, every player is unique and capable of forging their own path.”  

“Got it.”  

“Good. For more details about the profession systems, you can refer to the Vigil Keeper’s internal literature. Otherwise, we’d need a full day and night to cover it all.” Xu Peng slid a book across the table. “Next, I’ll explain the faction divisions between the real world and the Star Gate world.”  

“Alright.”  

“Let me ask you this: what do you think is the purpose of our existence as Vigil Keepers?” Xu Peng asked with a solemn expression.  

Ren Ye thought for a moment. “Managing ordinary people doesn’t seem like something you’d need to do.”  

“Correct. Where there is light, there is darkness,” Xu Peng stated firmly. “Our purpose is similar to that of the police. In the Stellar Gate world, countless inheritances exist, and naturally, some of them are evil. I heard from Captain Huang that you encountered Bell Society players in the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate. They’re a massive organization of evil players, also known as the Chaos Faction.”  

“Massive?” Ren Ye felt a wave of discomfort at Xu Peng’s description of Bell Society.  

…  

On Shanghai’s Ring Road Highway:  

Mr. He sipped his coffee elegantly, gazing out the window at the passing scenery. “First, get in touch with the player selling Great Qian Dynasty information in the group. We’ll complete the deal tonight. Also, contact the local allies—I want to personally investigate any leads regarding Prince Huai.”