Chapter 29: A Tragedy

At No. 88 Lianhu Road, Ren Ye was still in Xu Peng’s office, reading through information about the Star Gate.  

There was no other choice—his dad was busy editing manuscripts, his sister was preoccupied, and no one at home paid him any attention. Staying home would mean sitting idly, so he might as well stick around here and get to know some “distasteful” new acquaintances.  

“Quick! Everyone on duty, get over here!”  

Suddenly, an urgent shout from Huang Wei echoed down the hallway. Ren Ye put down the book and curiously peeked out the doorway, sticking his little head out to see.  

The corridor was in slight disarray. The seven or eight Vigil Keepers on duty tonight were hurrying toward the main entrance, while Huang Wei was locking his office door, phone in hand.  

“What’s going on, Brother Huang?” Ren Ye asked.  

“A homicide, done by a player. We need to handle it.” Huang Wei hung up the phone and casually replied, “You should head home in a bit.”  

“Oh.” Ren Ye nodded blankly.  

As Huang Wei reached the staircase, he suddenly turned back. “Want to come see? Chances are you’ll have to deal with this kind of thing in the future.”  

“Sure!”  

Ren Ye had been waiting for this invitation. “Let’s go!”  

“Alright.” Huang Wei nodded.  

…  

About ten minutes later, three cars pulled up at the alleyway where the incident occurred. What puzzled Ren Ye was the complete absence of onlookers or police at the scene.  

Only two Vigil Keepers stood at the alley entrance, whispering to each other. At their feet was a small, cigarette-pack-sized gray stone monument, unmarked. If not for Ren Ye’s habit of carefully observing his surroundings, he might not have noticed it at all.  

“Boss!”  

“Boss!”  

The two men greeted Huang Wei and began briefing him.  

“There was significant stellar energy activity in the alley; it’s clear that players were fighting. Initial analysis suggests at least five players were involved. At the first scene, in a residential trash bin, we found a long-dead corpse likely controlled by a player skilled in manipulating the dead. We’re currently verifying the origin of the body.  

“The second scene is inside Unit 101 of Building 163. Two victims—a man and a woman—seemed to have been preparing to set up a roadside stall but stumbled upon the player fight. They were silenced. Damn it, this is definitely the work of Chaos Faction players—completely inhumane. The scene is absolutely…”  

Before the report could finish, Huang Wei interrupted sternly, “How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t bring personal emotions into your work!”  

“…!” The reporting Vigil Keeper clenched his teeth but didn’t argue.  

“What about surveillance? Any other eyewitnesses at the first or second scene?” Huang Wei continued.  

“Surveillance was disrupted—there’s no footage. However, we’ve instructed the administrative staff to coordinate with local officers and ensure they stop investigating the cause of the disruption. The second scene was indoors, so there were no eyewitnesses.”  

“How long since the incident?”  

“Roughly two hours.”  

“What?!” Huang Wei stopped dead in his tracks, turning sharply to scold the man. “Two hours?! What were you night patrols even doing? Why was this discovered so late?”  

The Vigil Keeper sighed in frustration and explained, “The players seem highly familiar with the patrol patterns of Vigil Keepers. They deliberately avoided our routes. We only sensed the stellar energy activity when we happened to patrol nearby.”  

Huang Wei gritted his teeth in anger. “I’ve said this before: there aren’t enough people on night patrol. But the higher-ups refuse to assign more staff. This is so frustrating!”  

With that, the group stepped past the gray monument. In that instant, Ren Ye felt as though his body had passed through a barrier of light. When he looked back at the street, the figures of pedestrians appeared blurry—almost like shadows. It seemed the pedestrians couldn’t see them anymore.  

Amazing… Could this be some kind of spatial isolation tool?  

Soon, the group entered Unit 101.  

The moment he stepped inside and glanced at the scene, Ren Ye froze in shock.  

The usually composed Huang Wei, who had just lectured the others on maintaining professional detachment, erupted into a rare outburst of fury: “What the f?! Where did these goddamned beasts crawl out from?! What the hell…!”  

The fiery-tempered Huang Wei swore for nearly a minute in the cramped, under-20-square-meter living room. The others, their faces pale, stood frozen with expressions of fury and disbelief.  

The small living room was cluttered with various items—boxes of food ingredients, seasoning containers, and other supplies. Amid the mess lay three bodies: a man, a woman, and a small pet dog.  

The man was tied up with a dog leash around his neck, his entire body bound, and he lay lifeless under the dining table. His corpse showed signs of severe decay, his chest had been flayed open, and his internal organs were missing.  

The female victim’s face was half-destroyed, a gruesome mess of blood and flesh. The back of her head had a bald patch the size of a bowl, likely from her hair being ripped out in a violent struggle. What enraged everyone even more was her state—completely naked, her body covered in scars and bruises, evidence of repeated assaults.  

Adding to the horror, the lifeless body of a small pet dog lay near her, positioned grotesquely at her lower body. From the position of the dining table, it appeared that the husband had been forced to witness the entire atrocity inflicted upon his wife.  

Her remaining eye still held an expression of utter despair…  

This wasn’t just a case of murder—it was a sadistic and barbaric act of violent abuse, meant to unleash pure malice.  

Even during Ren Ye’s tenure, it was rare to encounter a crime scene this horrific.  

The floor was drenched in blood, filling the room with a suffocating stench. Ren Ye had followed with curiosity, but now, faced with this nightmarish scene, a sense of duty and responsibility he hadn’t felt in ages began to stir within him.  

He glanced at a table near the sofa. A photo frame displayed a family portrait: a family of four—a man, a woman, a boy about seven or eight, and a little girl around three or four years old.  

This couple was likely just hardworking, ordinary people who had come to the city to make a living selling goods on the street.  

Rage—a raw, primal anger—surged through Ren Ye, clouding his thoughts.  

“Xu Peng, hurry!” Huang Wei’s urgent voice snapped Ren Ye out of his thoughts.  

Xu Peng, whose eyes mirrored the same hatred, strode quickly to the female corpse, closed his eyes, and raised his arms slowly.  

“Cold ashes reignite, withered bones rejuvenate—Return to Light!”  

Whoosh!  

Xu Peng chanted the spell with deliberate cadence. As his arms rose, two thin, luminous threads extended from his hands, gently wrapping around the wrists of the female corpse.  

A powerful surge of life force emanated from Xu Peng, channeling through the glowing threads into the lifeless body.  

As the energy transferred, Xu Peng began to sweat, his face pale and his body trembling from the exertion.  

Ren Ye’s eyes brightened, and he whispered to Huang Wei, “Can he revive the couple?!”  

“No,” Huang Wei shook his head. “But he might be able to bring them back for a fleeting moment, so they can see the world one last time—or provide us with some crucial information.”  

Snap!  

The threads abruptly snapped. Xu Peng stumbled backward, collapsing onto the floor as his entire body convulsed with exhaustion.  

“It’s no use,” Xu Peng gasped. “Her injuries are too severe—I can’t bring her back.”  

“Try the man,” Huang Wei commanded.  

“That’s even more impossible!” Xu Peng shook his head again. “I checked as soon as I entered—his brain was shattered by a single blow.”  

The room fell into an eerie silence.  

Huang Wei gritted his teeth, his anger barely restrained. “Examine the scene in detail—don’t miss a single clue. Tear the place apart if you have to! I want these bastards found, no matter what it takes. Submit a report to the higher-ups and have their intelligence department track down any suspicious individuals who’ve recently entered Shanghai. Move it!”  

With those words, the room erupted into activity.  

Standing at the doorway, Ren Ye took it all in. He suddenly understood what Xu Peng had told him earlier in the day:  

A player, if twisted and depraved enough, could wreak unimaginable havoc and inflict unspeakable harm upon innocent people.  

What Ren Ye didn’t realize was that this moment marked the quiet beginning of a massive storm—one that would soon engulf all of Shanghai and Qingliang Prefecture’s Star Gate.  

…

Around 1:00 AM  

On the outskirts of Shanghai, a neon-lit street known as Tongren Road buzzed with activity. It was a famous hotspot for players—a hub for exchanging strategies, trading goods, and sharing information. Many organizations operated covertly here, and Shanghai’s Vigil Keepers had dedicated significant resources to secretly monitor the area.  

Inside a second-floor private room of a gaming parlor called “Blood Feud”, a man referred to as Mr. He sat cross-legged on a sofa, his eyes fixed on a middle-aged man with a bald head.  

The other man, around forty-five, was known as Old Yin, the so-called jack-of-all-trades of Tongren Road. He specialized in navigating the gray areas of society, providing shady services for players who wanted to stay under the radar.  

“Old Tong said you’re reliable, and I trust his judgment,” Mr. He said, studying the man in front of him. “Besides, you’ve helped the Bell Society plenty of times before. We feel at ease working with you.”  

“My business thrives on trust,” Old Yin replied with a calm demeanor as he poured tea. “As long as you have money and resources, I can provide any service you need. Rest assured, no one will be able to find you while you’re under my care.”  

Mr. He gave a nod of approval, skipping any unnecessary chatter. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black velvet pouch. From it, he carefully placed two white crystals on the table. 

“Recently, four Vigil Keepers were killed—two from Qingfu District. Does that ring any bells?” 

Old Yin blinked and rubbed his hands together with an awkward laugh. “Mr. He, anything else is negotiable, but I can’t sell information about Vigil Keepers. After all… Shanghai has its own rules, and players here respect them.” 

Clink, clink!  

Mr. He slowly placed two more white crystals on the table.  

Old Yin’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the four crystals, involuntarily swallowing.  

Clink, clink!  

Mr. He placed another two crystals on the table, his movements deliberate. “Business can be done with anyone. If you’re not willing to break the rules, I’ll take these six crystals elsewhere and see who’s interested.”  

Veins bulged on Old Yin’s forehead as he clenched his fists. After a moment, he snatched the six crystals from the table, his voice rapid. “It’s true—four Vigil Keepers were killed. Apparently, they were on a joint mission involving a Star Gate. Two were from Qingfu District, and two were from a higher-level unit. What’s strange is that after their deaths, no funerals were held. It seems the Vigil Keepers are deliberately keeping their deaths under wraps.”  

Mr. He nodded in satisfaction, placing two more crystals on the table. “Keep going.”  

Old Yin quickly pocketed the crystals. “After their deaths, I heard some chatter in a semi-official private group. People were discussing something about Huang Wei retrieving someone from the Qingfu prison. Some even brought it up in messages, but shortly after, the group was disbanded, and no one mentioned it again.”  

“You followed up on this?” Mr. He asked.  

“Heh, the deaths of four Vigil Keepers? That’s no small matter.” Old Yin chuckled. “It’s not just you; even my contacts above are curious.”  

Mr. He pondered for a moment. “Who did Huang Wei retrieve from the prison? I want information on this person.”  

“Heh, I do know.” Old Yin raised six fingers.  

Mr. He, ever generous, especially after profiting from his recent takedown of Little Wolf Warrior, immediately retrieved six more crystals from his pouch. “Tell me what you know.”  

“What I know is… the person Huang Wei brought out has no records at all.” Old Yin grinned. “No data from the prison, no personal records, no family background—nothing.”  

Mr. He’s eyes lit up with interest. Instead of frustration, a spark of excitement flashed across his face. “Now that’s intriguing. Looks like I’m on the right track.”  

“Heh.” Old Yin chuckled.  

“Name your price to find this person.”  

“Ten crystals. By tomorrow noon at the latest, I’ll have news for you,” Old Yin replied without hesitation.  

Mr. He relaxed into the sofa, leaning back as he sang in a theatrical tone, “Then I shall trouble you, dear sir…!”  

“Haha, no need to be so formal. We’re all friends here.” Old Yin, delighted, pocketed all the crystals. Standing up, he added, “You’ve come from afar. As the host, I should offer some hospitality. How about this—I’ll arrange for some agile female players to join us tonight and keep everyone entertained.”  

Clink, clink!  

Mr. He tossed two final crystals onto the table without a word, simply smiling at Old Yin.  

Old Yin froze. “The payment for the information was already enough. What… what’s this for?”  

“I’m not interested in any women.” Mr. He smiled intriguingly at Old Yin before slamming his hand down on the man’s crotch. “Many businessmen love to boast… I’m curious—can you really provide any service?”  

“…!” Old Yin tensed, his face turning bright red as his expression froze. “Wait, I… I’ve never done this before. Are you serious or just joking? This is way too sudden!”  

“Oh, the temptations of the world, they soften the heart and crumble the spine. From a young age, I’ve wandered amidst the dust of the mortal realm… Ah, what’s this? Won’t you take this filthy lucre…?” Mr. He resumed his theatrical singing, his eyes burning with anticipation as he looked at Old Yin.  

…  

Five minutes later.  

The lights were off. Someone lay down. The two white crystals found their way back into a pocket.  

Old Yin gripped the edge of the sofa, his legs stretched stiffly, and whispered, “Hey… can we skip the kissing?!”