Chapter 57: Clouds Gather from All Sides

Outside Prince Huai’s manor, at the residence of the Left Thousand-Household¹ Office of Qingzhou Guard.

Guo Cai’er, now transformed into the guise of an elegant noblewoman, stood tall and poised. Her hair was styled into a refined bun, and her delicate face was lightly dusted with makeup. While not stunningly beautiful, she carried a charm that was undeniably captivating.

Her Identity Tag within the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate read “Mute Woman”. A steadfast member of the imperial court faction, she had participated in the first act of the mission. During that time, she had traveled to the capital, secretly aiding the court by gathering intelligence and collecting items needed for entering the Princess’s Tomb.

Seven days had passed since then. Upon waking up, Guo Cai’er found herself already at Prince Huai’s manor, her mind now holding the memories of a seven-day journey.

Guo Cai’er had become a player two years ago and had joined the Bell Society—a fact that Wang Hong was aware of. This was why Wang Hong had mentioned in her “last will” that Guo Cai’er had two real-world teammates in this Star Gate.

There was also that cryptic line: “Was I doing this for that brat? Hah, I’m a selfish woman.”²

Those words sounded stubbornly defiant. Wang Hong had been fiercely aggressive in the first act, but whether it was truly for her daughter’s sake could no longer be verified—after all, she was already dead.

Guo Cai’er had experienced a fair number of Star Gates by now. In most conventional Star Gates, even those with continuity, time would freeze, and tasks would pause when players left.

Simply put, however things were when you left, they would remain the same when you returned.

However, the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate operated differently. Here, time continued to flow normally even when players temporarily exited, and the roles they played would accumulate new experiences. Only the tasks would freeze, while the range of their actions remained limited.

Why was this the case?

Guo Cai’er had a vague suspicion that it might be due to the vast scope of Qingliang Prefecture’s lore. The task settings extended far beyond Prince Huai’s manor to include the Princess’s Tomb, the capital, the southern frontier, and more. This Star Gate world might be steadily progressing just like the real world, albeit with certain imperfections.

“Tap, tap!”

Her thoughts were interrupted by the approach of a familiar male figure. He was tall and muscular, standing at nearly 1.8 meters, clad in silver armor, and radiating a heroic aura.

This was Xing Tao, the so-called “Pure Love War God” and Guo Cai’er’s devoted simp.

His Identity Tag in the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate was “Warrior”, with the official rank of Thousand-Household of the Qingzhou Guard. He was also paired with the “Mute Woman” in a married couple’s CP³ arrangement.

This setup was undoubtedly a dream come true for Xing Tao. His character memories included multiple “encounters” with Guo Cai’er, though they lacked detail—something that left ample room for his imagination to run wild, granting him a euphoric, almost sophisticated sense of joy.

“…We’re entering the tomb at midnight tonight,” Xing Tao began, intending to flirt, but upon noticing Guo Cai’er’s serious expression, he quickly shifted gears. “We need to make preparations before then.”

Being a simp required skills—reading the room was the bare minimum.

Guo Cai’er glanced at him leisurely, then picked up a brush and paper from the table. With smooth strokes, she wrote two lines:

“Primary task: Before entering the Princess’s Tomb, we need to find our teammates first.”

“I agree,” Xing Tao replied in his deep voice, pulling out a chair to sit down. “But how do we find them?”

“After Mr. He went to Shanghai, he followed up on clues from two prerequisite tasks and asked Old Yin to help locate two individuals in the real world who might be players from this Star Gate,” Guo Cai’er wrote as she explained. “Even after Old Yin’s death, the investigation continued. Before entering the gate, Mr. He contacted me. He said the client had identified one player, but that player disappeared. They entered the gate at the same time as us but didn’t return after our first exit.”

“???”

The coarse warrior listened, utterly baffled, his face a portrait of confusion.

Guo Cai’er shot him a disdainful look and continued writing: “If the person Mr. He identified truly is a player in this Star Gate, why didn’t they exit when we did?”

Xing Tao froze, scratching his head as he asked, dumbfounded, “Yeah, why didn’t they leave?”

“They might be trapped inside the Star Gate. Think back—who encountered danger first in the first act?” Guo Cai’er continued writing.

Her Identity tag was “Mute Woman,” granting her an exceptionally powerful supernatural ability. However, the trade-off was that she needed to remain as silent as possible, as each word she spoke weakened this ability.

Xing Tao pondered for a long time, but his eyes remained vacant.

Guo Cai’er looked helplessly at her clueless teammate and finally wrote down three words: “Imperial Inspector Liu.”

“Slap!”

Xing Tao slapped his thigh upon seeing the name. “That’s right! We heard about him in the mission scroll. He got involved in the palace coup right at the start, was severely beaten by Prince Huai, and then imprisoned. Based on this Star Gate’s mechanics, if a player is in captivity, they might genuinely be unable to return to the real world. If that’s the case, and he is indeed a player, he’s likely part of the faction opposing Prince Huai. He might even be one of our allies.”

“Use your ‘Thousand-Household Badge’ to figure out a way to rescue him—and do it quickly. We need to act before entering the tomb of the princess from the previous dynasty,” Guo Cai’er wrote slowly. “The rest of our plan is to wait. Someone in our imperial faction is an undercover operative, and it’s not time for them to reveal themselves yet…”

Xing Tao stood up excitedly. “Madam, your wisdom is unmatched. I am willing to serve you with all my strength!”

…

At Prince Huai’s residence, in the Secretariat Office.

Li Yan, a staunch lackey of the imperial court, sat in a traditional study, sipping tea as he pondered deeply.

Indeed, he was also a veteran player of this Star Gate. In the first act, he had led his team in a covert battle against Prince Huai, only to suffer losses in the end.

Li Yan was a seasoned strategist. He considered himself the most experienced player in this Star Gate and understood the mechanics well. The extended preparation period before entering the tomb was deliberately designed to give players ample time to identify their teammates.

Lay plans, outwit the enemy with intelligence, and achieve victory through strategy—this was the principle he had always adhered to for clearing Star Gates.

“Ahh!”

Exhaling a long breath, Li Yan set down his teacup, his mind already formulating a plan.

Imperial Inspector Liu—this individual could be of great use, though he was currently imprisoned.

What should be done?

Li Yan rubbed his chin, deliberating carefully, then reached for a sheet of xuan paper and began writing with a brush.

He didn’t intend to reveal himself recklessly. Instead, he decided to start with a letter.

…

At Prince Huai’s bedchamber.

Ren Ye couldn’t help but stiffen slightly out of respect as he gazed at the alluring Tang Feng.

Tang Feng no longer appeared in the form of Liu Ling’er but still exuded the demeanor of a courtesan, carrying the air of the top courtesan from the Imperial Entertainment Bureau.⁴

“What is your current role?” Ren Ye asked.

“This servant is a musician from the Palace of Joy,” Tang Feng replied softly, holding a silk handkerchief with a delicate orchid-finger gesture. “According to my character’s memories… you once took liberties with me—using a riding crop, no less. Beastly behavior!”

“…Now that you mention it, I do recall something like that.” Ren Ye thought for a moment and indeed remembered having an intimate encounter with the other. After all, Zhu Zigui, the person he was inhabiting, was a notoriously lecherous assassin⁵ who wouldn’t pass up any woman he came across.

The two sat across from each other as Ren Ye pondered carefully. He murmured, “So, does this mean that when a player is killed and their Identity Tag is seized, a new player who enters will automatically attach themselves to a similar character?”

“That seems to be the case,” Tang Feng nodded slowly. “In my character’s memory, I’m called Qing He, an undercover agent planted by the National Preceptor, Old Daoist Xu, waiting in Prince Huai’s manor for the right moment. Essentially, I was meant to be a backup for Liu Ling’er. If Liu Ling’er hadn’t died, I wouldn’t have been activated.”

Ren Ye frowned. “That doesn’t entirely make sense. Some characters can be replaced, but others can’t. For example, me—there’s only one Prince Huai in the entire manor. If I die, how’s the story supposed to continue?”

Although this was Tang Feng’s first time in this Star Gate, he responded calmly, “There are only two possibilities. If you died in the first act, the court faction would win outright. In the next act, they and the Opportunists would go directly to the princess’s tomb, the mission flow would be shortened, and the two sides would face off to decide who claims the mysterious legacy.

The second possibility is that, within the mission’s framework, you simply can’t die in the first act. For instance, the court’s missions are geared towards strategic setups rather than outright killing you. You need to understand that there’s a hidden overseer in the Star Gate that ensures this world doesn’t deviate from its intended course.”

This explanation was both detailed and logical, instantly convincing Ren Ye. “Hmm, that does make sense.”

“…That simple-minded Second Fool,” Tang Feng suddenly asked, “can you fully control him?”

Ren Ye, thinking the other was calculating the strength of their faction, immediately replied, “Of course I can. He’s very loyal. Without him in the first act, the court faction might have won outright.”

“He’ll do whatever you tell him to?” Tang Feng asked coquettishly.

Hearing this, Ren Ye froze, a bad feeling welling up inside. “What are you planning?”

“I don’t know why, but after entering this Star Gate, my… my desires haven’t diminished much.” Tang Feng slowly rose, patting his hips with a crisp slap slap. “It feels… damp…!”

“?!” Ren Ye was dumbfounded.

“Second Fool is very robust. I don’t think I’d even need the whip,” Tang Feng breathed, his voice soft and alluring.

“He doesn’t need the whip, but one slash from him could remove your ovaries, you believe me?” Ren Ye felt that this person could only behave normally for three seconds at most. Refusing to entertain him any further, he stood abruptly. “Let’s go. We’re leaving the bedchamber. I’ve got important matters to attend to.”

Swish!

Tang Feng leisurely raised his delicate arm and naturally hooked it around Ren Ye’s. “What important matters does Your Highness have? You can consult me. I’m very clever….”

By all accounts, Tang Feng’s current appearance was that of a stunning beauty, exuding overt sensuality. In the modern world, few men would be able to resist such temptation.

But Ren Ye knew full well that the person was a man—and mentally unhinged to boot. The mere touch of Tang Feng sent goosebumps all over his body. “Don’t get too close to me. I’ll discuss these… damp matters with Second Fool later. Come on, let’s leave the bedchamber first. You can help me strategize this plan….”

…

Prince Huai’s Manor, the Princess Consort’s Bedchamber

“In recent days, has anyone come here?” asked Princess Consort Xu Qingzhao, seated cross-legged atop a lotus platform.

“Lady Lian’er, the female official from the prince’s side, has visited several times,” replied the maid Xue’er. “After the prince fell unconscious that day, she came to request medicine from you.”

The princess consort closed her eyes slightly, her long lashes trembling. “Prepare some energy-nourishing pills and send them to the prince. Remind him to bathe and change early, but do not let him wear those pink undergarments again…!”