Chapter 33 Reality

"You..." Yu Chiang showed a shocked expression, but soon he calmed down and a helpless look flashed across his face, "Forget it, senior is always so smart, it's not surprising that you can guess it."

Gu Qiufeng said: "It's a bit rude to see you in this bloody state."

Yu Chi'ang said, "I was just about to ask this. Senior, what happened after you logged out of the instance?"

"Something did happen, and it's hard to describe." Gu Qiufeng said, "You ask, am I popular again on the forum?"

Yu Chiang nodded slightly: "Yes. And this time it was closed because of the 48h copy, but the reason for the closure this time is different... It is said that unknown creatures were found to invade."

Gu Qiufeng thought of those peach blossom eyes, his face darkened: "Sure enough..."

Before Yu Chi'ang asked him, Gu Qiufeng had already changed the subject and said, "I've changed my mind. Staying in City D is not a long-term solution."

"Xiao Yu, I want to level up. I want to go to City C, City B, and even City A where no one has ever been, to investigate the core of this game." Gu Qiufeng said, "Excuse me, am I qualified to become a non-staff member of the Changyu Tavern?"

Yu Chiang smiled and said, "Senior, I have been looking forward to this for a long time."

Gu Qiufeng shrugged helplessly: "It's been a long time since someone has let me suffer such a big loss."

"By the way, Senior, I have already purchased the bounties of the Second and Third Guilds at a high price." Yu Chi'ang said, "City C is very safe now. If you want to come, you don't have to worry about anything."

Gu Qiufeng said, "It's just that I spent too much points this time. Although I have points from the dungeon rewards, they are only enough for basic expenses. I plan to go to the world dungeon first."

"From City D?" Yu Chi'ang said, "The BOSS is called Arcana, right? The Changyu Tavern has information about the relevant dungeon. There are a lot of fake information on the forum that is hard to distinguish. I will ask Fang Lun to deliver the paper information to the senior's room later."

Fang Lun was the name of the girl with pigtails at the front desk. She immediately said, "Okay, President!"

Gu Qiufeng laughed: "It feels like I have embraced someone powerful. From now on, I can walk sideways without worrying about being bullied because of my lack of background."

"If anyone bullies me, you can report my name." Yu Chi'ang said seriously.

Fang Lun, who was standing by, couldn't help but laugh: "President, where did you hear this old-fashioned domineering statement?"

Gu Qiufeng said: "I will go to City C as soon as possible."

The two chatted for a few more words and then ended the video call.

Gu Qiufeng simply tidied up the repair shop for Lao Zhang and left a note for him.

The moment he walked out of the repair shop, Gu Qiufeng felt a slight stinging pain in his left eye which was exposed to the sunlight.

Inevitably, it was damaged.

Most of the healing players in City D are also life players with low skill levels, and they are unable to cure Gu Qiufeng’s eye which was directly damaged by an unknown object.

The Arcana statue in the distance was still as holy and beautiful as ever. I don’t know if it’s because the world copy is about to be opened, but the players who once avoided it are gradually surrounding the statue, looking at it or talking to it.

However, Gu Qiufeng couldn't help but think of the last time he looked into Xie Xin's eyes half a year ago.

He is Xie Xin's agent, and Xie Xin's schedule was arranged by him personally. Gu Qiufeng could not figure out how Xie Xin found time to visit Yucheng University in Yucheng District, City A while filming in City Y, and it happened to be the day when the copy recovery was abnormal and the students escaped successfully.

Y City is on the south coast, and A City is in the east. The two cities span half of the country. How did Xie Xin sneak over there without making a sound? He is not an ordinary person, he is a household name.

Besides, what was Xie Xin doing there?

Yucheng University is a university that has only emerged in the past two years. Xie Xin’s alma mater is not Yucheng University, and they have no business dealings with Yucheng University.

Gu Qiufeng really couldn't imagine that this was something Xie Xin would do.

And when he looked at Xie Xin, Gu Qiufeng felt that his body and spirit had suffered great damage in an instant.

"The invisible," the copy said.

Was that really Xie Xin? Or was it some wandering dungeon monster disguised as Xie Xin and attacking him?

After all, he has been with Xie Xin for so many years, and Xie Xin grew up with him. If Xie Xin had something fishy, why didn't Xie Xin harm him over the years?

Gu Qiufeng knew that if he continued to live in City D, he would never get the answers.

The path ahead seemed clear - up.

The closer you get to the top, the closer you get to the truth.

Perhaps only by becoming an A-level player can he know certain truths about the game and have the strength to resist the harm caused to him by certain "invisible things".

There is also the lost memory of Xiaoyu, the prophet who allowed him to see all these, and the puppeteer who was suspected to be entrusted to take care of him. They are all A-level players. Only by sitting with them can Gu Qiufeng have the right to speak and the initiative in the negotiations with them.

The situation ahead seemed foggy and full of danger, but Gu Qiufeng found it quite fun.

Just like in a game, he just needs to level up slowly.

Feng He looked at Gu Qiufeng: "Sir, you were distracted just now."

Gu Qiufeng touched his head: "I'm thinking about our future."

A future full of uncertainty, but full of challenges and fun.

Fang Lun said, "Nuo, didn't you say you wanted to buy clothes? This is a pedestrian street, and there are all kinds of things for sale. It was opened by life players, whose skills are all related to production and handicrafts. They are not suitable for dungeons, but they are quite suitable for opening a store. Because the human daily necessities in the mall are very expensive, most players will choose to buy them here."

Gu Qiufeng asked curiously, "I heard from the guide that except for the players who are still in other dungeons, all other residents of City D are forced to participate in the world dungeon. If these life players are not good at dungeon types and have no dungeon experience, won't it be difficult for them to survive in the world dungeon?"

Speaking of this, Fang Lun's face suddenly fell. "It is precisely because most of the players who stay in D City have mediocre skills or overall quality that most of them choose to live as players instead of relying on dungeon rewards. But this seems to have created a vicious cycle for our D City. Because there are no outstanding skills and dungeon experience, every time the world dungeon is closed, the casualties in the forum statistics of D City are always the most serious. But this seems to be an unsolvable problem."

Not having the right skills or personal qualities means that players cannot survive in one dungeon after another, but without dungeon experience, there is no way to break the tragic fate of the weekly world dungeon.

"So the quality of players in City D is getting worse and worse, and those who survived are just lucky." Fang Lun said with a wry smile, "Every time a world dungeon is opened, there is always a slogan circulating in City D -"

"May Arcana have mercy on you and me and hit us less."

Gu Qiufeng said: "I sincerely wish you good luck in this world copy."

Fang Lun was stunned for a moment, and then the girl with double braids smiled brightly: "Thank you."

"Ah, I have to go back to work." Fang Lun said, "Even if the world is about to end, people still have to live and go to work as usual. Peacefully accepting all future sufferings is the life motto of the people in D City. Have fun shopping!"

The little girl skipped away.

Gu Qiufeng sighed: "At her age, she should not have graduated from college yet. She looks younger than Qiu Shui."

"Let's go. I promised to buy you some clothes in the dungeon."

Gu Qiufeng took Feng He into the busiest place in City D - the pedestrian street.

Residents came and went, bargaining was noisy, people came and went, singing and laughing. It was clear that they might face death in two days.

But as Fanglun said, "Accept all future bitter consequences peacefully."

So everything in City D was back to normal, hiding the disaster and hidden worries under the peaceful life of laughter and joy.

*

"Miss Police!" A man in his thirties, wearing a washed-out shirt, put his hands on the table and stretched his neck forward eagerly, "I'm not lying, I really ran away from a pyramid scheme den!"

The policewoman looked at the computer and said in distress, "Comrade, if you continue like this, I should consider whether I should send you for a drug test. I have checked, and there is no Phoenix Village you mentioned anywhere in the country."

"But I've shown you my ID card. My name is Feng Xinshu... Before I entered the village, my last name was Li, and I was a teacher who went to the village to teach. You can find all this information in the citizen database, right?" Feng Xinshu said ramblingly, "I remember I went to Fenghuang Village for an internship in college. There was a primary school there at the beginning, and I was a little suspicious at the time, as I was the only student in such a remote place in the mountains. They even asked me to change my name to Feng, saying it would be more fitting."

The policewoman seemed to be interested in his narration. She raised her eyelids and asked, "What happened next?"

"Later..." Feng Xinshu's eyes suddenly became confused. "I should have tried to escape, but there was a thick fog outside the village gate. I was caught several times. I worked as a carpenter there."

The policewoman said helplessly, "Comrade, don't you think this narrative logic has no cause and effect at all? You were a volunteer teacher at first, so why did you work as a carpenter for more than ten years? In the years since you disappeared, no one in City A has reported a missing case involving you. A college student who went to volunteer to teach disappeared, and the school and family didn't take any action?"

Feng Xinshu said anxiously, "Because I grew up in an orphanage and I have no family. I suspect the pyramid scheme took advantage of me because of this. It's not called Phoenix Village, and it's probably just a name they use to cover up their own. Every once in a while they would trick a group of outsiders into coming and then use them to sacrifice to the evil gods. I'm a carpenter, and they asked me to carve figurines for sacrifice... Find me the tools, and I can carve for you now."

The policewoman sighed and said, "Comrade, can you tell me the geographical features of the pyramid scheme den?"

"I... there is a low mountain behind the village." Feng Xinshu said, "It's strange, there is thick fog at the entrance of the village. There is so much fog that I can't walk out. If I walk far away, I can hear the faint sound of gongs and drums, which is very scary."

"Then how did you escape?" the policewoman asked curiously, "You described this pyramid scheme den as if it were a mountain village in a ghost story."

Feng Xinshu said: "There were a few outsiders who were also tricked into coming here, but there was a very smart gentleman among them who exposed the conspiracy... Afterwards, I don't remember anything, but when I woke up, I was lying behind Cuishan in Yucheng District."

The policewoman murmured, "It's Yucheng District again."

Feng Xinshu said anxiously: "That gentleman also saved the child who was bullied in the pyramid scheme den. There were also outsiders who escaped by chance before, but only that gentleman accomplished the feat of wiping out the pyramid scheme den. I still have his business card..."

The policewoman said, "No, it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that Yucheng District is not under our jurisdiction now."

"Ah?" Feng Xinshu blinked. "If I don't call the police, who else can I go to?"

The policewoman took a pen and wrote a note: "Follow this address and go to the A City Protection Center."

Feng Xinshu took the note in confusion. As he walked away, he passed by a man with extraordinary demeanor.

After the man sat down, he spoke in a very pleasant voice: "Hello, there is a missing person case that has lasted for more than three days around me."

"Xie Xin!" Feng Xinshu heard the policewoman exclaim.

He turned his head curiously and found that the man named Xie Xin was very handsome.

It’s a bit tacky to say that she’s beautiful. Even though Feng Xinshu is a man, he couldn’t help but be stunned by her appearance and his heart beat faster for a moment.

Xie Xin had a pair of extremely perfect peach blossom eyes. When he looked at people, he seemed more ruthless than affectionate. He had thin lips and a straight nose, and his facial features were delicate but not feminine. He even had a bit of aggressive flamboyance. No wonder the policewoman suddenly got excited just now.

However, the policewoman quickly regained her professionalism and asked, "Who is the missing person? Your relatives? Why didn't you report it immediately? Where was he last seen?"

Xie Xin replied softly: "It's my agent Gu Qiufeng. He always had a bad temper before..."

When he said this, Xie Xin's face flashed with helplessness, as if he was talking about a disobedient pet. "He would give my assistant a letter of resignation and then 'run away'. But when he ran out of money, he would come back. I thought it would be the same this time, but my agent disappeared in three days, as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth."

The policewoman said, "Okay, it will be filed for you soon."

Feng Xinshu realized that he had listened long enough, but a name from Xie Xin's mouth caught his attention. He turned back and stared at Xie Xin: "Are you saying that your missing agent is Gu Qiufeng?"

The policewoman said unhappily, "Why are you eavesdropping on other people's privacy?"

Feng Xinshu said happily, "No, Miss, the gentleman who saved me gave me his business card. His name is Gu Qiufeng."

Xie Xin looked puzzled: "Have you met my agent?"

Feng Xinshu said: "He overturned the pyramid scheme den where I was trapped and rescued me. But I don't know where he went. It turns out that he is a manager. That Feng He kid is quite lucky. He can become an artist in the future."

"I'm sorry, I think you misunderstood something," Xie Xin smiled, "Gu Qiufeng is my agent. And he promised me that he would not manage other artists while he was managing me. As for the pyramid scheme, sir, are you making up a story?"

"That's enough," the policewoman said. "Don't argue here. Mr. Xie, since your agent is suspected to be related to the abnormalities in Yucheng District, please go to the A City Protection Center. We will not handle any cases related to Yucheng District here."

Xie Xin said gently: "Okay, sorry to bother you, I wish you a happy work."

After leaving the police station, Feng Xinshu followed Xie Xin awkwardly and said, "Excuse me, can I ask where the A City Protection Center is?"

Xie Xin asked back: "Do you believe in these abnormal phenomena? I mean some supernatural phenomena?"

Feng Xinshu said: "Of course not. I am a pure materialist."

Xie Xin said, "Then don't go. The A City Protection Center deals with anomalies. I don't believe in these things either. The Protection Center is like an excuse for some idlers to lie down and get paid. Anyway, I have never seen them do anything serious."

Suddenly, a quarrel broke out beside them.

Xie Xin stopped talking and turned his head to look. He found that a rich second-generation man deliberately parked his luxury car in front of the police station and honked the horn. He was caught by the traffic police and was about to be ticketed. The two started arguing.

"Boring." Xie Xin said coldly.

He retracted his gaze, turned around and got into his car, then suddenly remembered something and stuck his head out to look at Feng Xinshu: "But my agent is indeed different from ordinary people. It's not impossible for him to wipe out pyramid schemes. If possible, please take me to Cuishan in Yucheng District to have a look."

Feng Xinshu responded with a confused look and got into Xie Xin's car obediently.

The main thing is that he has been missing for more than ten years, which is enough time for City A to change drastically. The police station was found by kind people who helped Feng Xinshu find him. In short, he has nowhere to go now without education and family. It is better to follow Xie Xin to check the remains of the pyramid scheme den to find evidence to convince the police.

Xie Xin drove the car and bypassed the rich second generation who was arguing with the traffic police.

When the engine sound faded away, the "rich second generation"'s expression changed, and he patted the disguised "traffic policeman" beside him: "Have you arranged for the drone and team members to follow Xie Xin?"

"Captain Duan, everything has been arranged." The "traffic policeman" said seriously.

The young man called Captain Duan was not very old, and he was pretending to be a rich second-generation. Even Xie Xin couldn't tell that he was so good-looking. He looked really intimidating, delicate and handsome, and he had an overbearing arrogance even without saying a word. He looked like a young master who was dressed in fine clothes and fed with delicious food.

But his name is Duan Jiangli, and he is the captain of the first team of the A City Protection Center.

The team member asked curiously: "Why are you following Xie Xin? He is a big star."

Duan Jiangli sneered, "What's wrong with being a big star? Aren't there enough stars who commit crimes?"

He stared at the direction where Xie Xinche left and said, "I just feel that this person doesn't look right at first glance. Let the brothers keep an eye on him first. He shouldn't be of abnormal origin. After all, I've never seen anyone of abnormal origin pretending to be a human so well and still making it big in the entertainment industry."

"But, something is wrong." Duan Jiangli pondered, "Also, send someone to investigate the mountainous area that Feng Xinshu mentioned. I suspect something unusual might have happened there..."

The so-called "abnormality" is a general term for the appearance of some unnatural creatures in a certain area, thus causing a series of chaotic phenomena.

Unnatural organisms that cause anomalies are often contaminating, super-cognitive, contagious, and dangerous, and are called anomaly origins.

The responsibility of City A's Protection Center is to actively eliminate anomalies, block anomalies, and rescue normal humans.

According to Feng Xinshu's description, Duan Jiangli captured something that was extremely related to the origin of the anomaly - the evil god that was sacrificed by the villagers with living people. But strangely, a person appeared later and stopped the anomaly in advance. The origin of the anomaly did not appear, and Cuishan in Yucheng District is still a normal tourist attraction. Even a human from more than ten years ago escaped.

Just in case, after hearing the whole story of the case, Duan Jiangli sent a drone to take pictures and scan Cuishan from all directions.

Duan Jiangli murmured, "This is interesting. This is the first time I've seen an abnormal origin invasion fail."

"Captain! The photos have been sent!" A team member hurriedly ran over from the other side.

Duan Jiangli took the phone and looked at it, then frowned deeply.

I saw that the back mountain of Cuishan, which had been developed into a tourist attraction, suddenly had many densely packed coffins, which was frightening to see.

These coffins contain normal corpses, none of which have abnormal origins that would suddenly jump out and attack people.

"The deputy captain has already blocked off the back mountain and prohibits tourists from entering," said the team member.

Duan Jiangli said: "Tell him to be discreet and not let normal people find out what's wrong. Also, don't alert the enemy and let Xie Xin in."

He flipped through a few more photos and stopped when he saw the last one.

Duan Jiangli looked at the broken stone and could vaguely see some facial features carved on the large stones.

Even though it was broken into pieces that were difficult to recognize, Duan Jiangli still felt a strong impact through the photo.

"Hey, hey, no way." He felt a chill on his back, "Is this the guy who was supposed to invade?"

That is the evil god to whom countless lives have been sacrificed. Can humans really compete with God?

Duan Jiangli couldn't believe it. If the invasion of the abnormal origin was really successful, would City A be completely destroyed like Province Y three months ago?

His sister Duan Chouyu, former captain of the first team of the A City Protection Center, disappeared without a trace after supporting Y Province.

In the current Y Province, even if you use a drone to take pictures, you can only capture bizarre fog.

Just at this moment, another team member rushed over.

"Captain, Yucheng University..."

Duan Jiangli frowned: "What's going on again?"

"No... the original site of Yucheng University suddenly caught fire last night!" the team member said excitedly, "Infrared detection shows that there are no signs of life inside!"

Duan Jiangli said in disbelief: "What about the abnormal origin and abnormal contaminants...?"

Team member: "We have detected everything, but there is no response."

"Oh my god. The invasion of the origin of the anomaly has failed, and the original anomaly area has been purified." Duan Jiangli murmured, "Who is helping humans?"

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