Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Bei Chen retrieved the “Mirage Pearl” once more.

After the simulated space dissolved, everyone returned to the private room of the Drunken Immortal Tavern.

The simulated battle had been a complete success.

The team had coalesced remarkably well.

Ji Xia and Bai Yan had each demonstrated sufficient skill to earn everyone’s trust.

Yet the newly acquired clue—“Do not trust the junior brother”—pricked at the back of everyone’s mind like an invisible thorn.

“We’ve got another clue, but… it only muddies things further,” Hong Lan scratched her head. “Who exactly is this ‘junior brother’? Gong Shuwan’s junior brother? Or this NPC’s?”

Lao Liu muttered under his breath, “And what does ‘do not trust’ even mean, anyway?”

Arms crossed, Bei Chen replied optimistically, “We won’t figure it out by guessing alone. Once we enter *Lu Ban’s Locked City*, all we need to do is stay sharp and keep our eyes peeled.”

Qing Shu nodded in agreement and added, “That’s all we can do. The *Mirage Pearl* requires 24 hours to recharge after use—we won’t get a second chance to simulate it. Besides… Ji Xia even…” He hesitated before omitting the word “intimidation,” clearing his throat instead and saying, “I suppose there was no better way. We likely couldn’t have extracted any more information from it.”

Bei Chen declared, “Then it’s settled! Everyone, go rest well—we must enter *Lu Ban’s Locked City* in peak condition!”

The battles within the *Two Principles Painting Scroll* had drained them thoroughly.

They needed to replenish their Spirit Ink and restore their energy, stamina, and focus.

Bei Chen, Hong Lan, Lao Liu, and the others shuffled off, yawning. Qing Shu followed behind, his brow still furrowed as if turning over the new clue and strategizing for the upcoming dungeon.

Ji Xia brought up the rear. Just as Bai Yan was about to step out of the private room, her cool voice sliced through the air—three words spoken with crystalline clarity and deliberate emphasis:

“Mr. Bai.”

Bai Yan froze mid-step and slowly turned around.

Those silver-gray eyes lifted slowly—as if roused from a tranquil dream—and settled on her. “Hmm?”

“Grand Secretary Zhao’s medical hall…” Ji Xia cut straight to the point, watching closely for any flicker of inconsistency on his face. “It seems we crossed paths there once.”

At this, Bai Yan’s expression didn’t waver. His tone was unexpectedly candid: “Hmm, that’s right. I happened to be passing by. I’d heard a fragment of *Mysterious Brilliance* had appeared, so I simply helped the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion fill their roster.”

His reply was flawless—every detail sounding like little more than a spontaneous whim.

Ji Xia pressed on, her tone even yet heavy with implication: “And *Lu Ban’s Locked City*? Also just ‘happened to be passing by’?”

“Of course.” Bai Yan gave a slight nod—his reasoning both plausible and perfectly aligned with the lone-wolf expert persona he projected. “A rare first-clear qualification—who wouldn’t want a piece of the action? I was merely testing my luck. I hadn’t expected Guild Leader Bei Chen to approve my application.”

Ji Xia nodded, letting the matter drop—but her gaze drifted to the ancient, floating lantern hovering beside him, its pale flame flickering softly.

Bai Yan suddenly spoke. His voice was matter-of-fact, yet struck like silent thunder: “Others cannot see it.”

Ji Xia’s heart lurched violently; her pupils contracted slightly.

There *was* something off about that lantern!

Yet Bai Yan showed no intention of elaborating further. He yawned, slipping back into his weary demeanor, his voice slightly hoarse as he said, “If there’s nothing else, I’m off to sleep.”

He turned to leave.

Ji Xia had already regained her composure—and abruptly uttered two words: “Thank you.”

Bai Yan paused mid-stride.

Ji Xia locked eyes with him and said, “Back at Grand Secretary Zhao’s clinic—if you hadn’t alerted Mad Blade, they wouldn’t have stormed the place. I wouldn’t have gathered enough people to open the instance and obtain the *Inspiration Pen*.”

Bai Yan fell silent for a moment—then slowly turned back.

His eyes held no particular expression, only the corner of his mouth lifting into a perfectly measured, immaculate smile. “A mere coincidence.”

With those words, Bai Yan vanished beyond the door.

Inside the private room, only Ji Xia remained.

She stood motionless, fingertips unconsciously rubbing the thin callus on her middle finger.

A mere coincidence?

Who would believe that?

Her “thank you” had been a calculated gesture—a show of goodwill meant to probe for deeper truths.

Unfortunately, the other party hadn’t taken the bait.

-

One hour remained until the dungeon opened. One by one, the ten members arrived at the Drunken Immortal Tavern, gathering in the private room.

Mo and Xingxing arrived precisely on time.

The moment Hong Lan spotted them—recalling the grueling trials of the simulated battle—her straightforward temper flared instantly. She couldn’t resist jabbing, “You two are *so* ‘punctual.’ Rested well, I hope? Yesterday, we spent hours slogging through the simulated dungeon, fine-tuning our coordination!”

Xingxing blinked, donning an innocent, aggrieved expression—though the tiny canine teeth peeking at the corner of her mouth betrayed her mischievous delight. “Sister Hong Lan, don’t be angry! It’s because Teacher is confident he can coordinate seamlessly with everyone—so I didn’t need to slog away.”

That wasn’t an explanation—it was pure provocation!

Hong Lan’s fiery temper ignited at the slightest spark, and she was about to retort—

Bei Chen stepped forward and cut in: “Enough! Whether or not they participated in the coordination phase or made other preparations, the fact remains: everyone is standing here now—and there is only one goal!”

His gaze swept across Mo and Xingxing, then settled firmly on the Starfall members, his voice resonating like a bronze bell:

“*Lu Ban’s Locked City*—we *will* conquer it!”

The dungeon entrance lay on the “Yin Side.”

The map logic of the *Two Principles Painting Scroll* diverged from reality.

Here, the realm was divided into the “Yang Side” and the “Yin Side.”

The “Yang Side” comprised areas already explored by World Painters, while the “Yin Side” referred to uncharted territories.

Nearly every “Yang Side” was encircled by vast expanses of “Yin Side.”

Because the system had announced the first-clear qualification for *Lu Ban’s Locked City*, its corresponding “Yin Side” had already materialized on the map—floating like a black hole in the peripheral regions of the *Along the River During the Qingming Festival* pocket realm.

When the Starfall members arrived at the dungeon entrance, the sight before them gave them pause.

The normally desolate periphery of the pocket realm was now teeming with hundreds of players.

Distinct guild uniforms marked the presence of major factions, and some had even erected banners beside them—“Cloud Soaring Pavilion,” “Misty Rain Tower,” “War God Hall”—all the prominent guilds on the current server had sent representatives!

And that twisting, unstable "black hole" emanating an ominous aura became the focus of all eyes.

The appearance of the Starfall members captured the crowd's attention.

"They're here!"

"I heard Starfall only has three Mysterious Brilliance fragments. The other seven couldn't all be Dan Qing Fragment holders, could they?"

"Huh? Isn't that... Ji Xia?"

"Ji Xia?"

"Yeah! That newcomer who ran the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion into the ground and got the Mysterious Brilliance Fragment!"

"Starfall moves fast. They managed to snag a good fighter."

"But she's just a rookie. Won't she just crash and burn in a high-risk dungeon like this?"

A wave of chatter washed over them.

Ji Xia undoubtedly attracted a lot of attention.

As a rising star, many were already envious and jealous of her for obtaining the Mysterious Brilliance Fragment. Now, seeing her get a chance at "Luban Lock City" made their teeth ache with resentment.

Hong Lan frowned and whispered, "Why such a big spectacle? It's like watching a circus."

Qing Shu adjusted his glasses and calmly analyzed, "After all, it's a high-risk dungeon that produces Realm Fragments. It's a major event in every region, so it's reasonable for them to come gather intel. More importantly..."

His gaze swept over the representatives of several major guilds. "They're waiting for us to fail."

Lao Liu pursed his lips. "Yeah, if we fail, the qualification is gone, and they can grab the next slot."

Just then, a cool, clear voice came from the direction of the Cloud Soaring Pavilion. "President Bei Chen, long time no see!"

Bei Chen clearly knew her. He raised his voice, "President Ming, you have time to come cheer us on?"

Upon hearing this, that President Ming allowed herself a slight smile.

She wore simple, practical attire suitable for action, which accentuated her tall, straight posture like a pine tree. Notably, a black and a white crystal-clear Go piece hovered by her side.

"President Bei Chen, you jest," Ming's voice was clear and bright, but her gaze swept over Starfall's ten-member team like a tangible force. "It's rare for a dungeon like 'Luban Lock City' to appear in our region. The Cloud Soaring Pavilion doesn't want to miss the opportunity."

She spoke bluntly. Bei Chen wasn't annoyed; instead, he found her more straightforward than those who spoke with hidden barbs.

The guilds gathered here were either here to watch the spectacle or to wait for an opportunity.

No one had high hopes for Starfall.

Almost everyone was convinced they would be wiped out fast, at which point they could compete for the entry qualification to "Luban Lock City."

Bei Chen still laughed heartily, brimming with confidence. "Then President Ming might be disappointed. We will secure the first clear! However... we can share our experience with everyone!"

As Bei Chen's words fell, they instantly erupted in noise and mockery from the surrounding crowd.

"Really thinks they're hot stuff."

"Even with Ji Xia, so what? Thinking they can clear such a high-risk dungeon with the strength of four Mysterious Brilliance holders? I wouldn't dare dream that big!"

"They can't seriously be treating that Ji Xia like a treasure, can they? She just got the Mysterious Brilliance Fragment by luck. Her dungeon strategy experience is practically zero. She'll just be free loot inside!"

"I bet Starfall will be completely wiped out in an hour at most!"

"An hour? You're giving them too much credit! I bet ten minutes!"

From these idle remarks, it was clear that the Starfall Guild obtaining the first-clear qualification for "Luban Lock City" had struck a nerve with many.

Hearing these taunts, the expressions of the Starfall members darkened. Hong Lan clenched her fists in anger, Lao Liu pressed his lips tightly together, and even the smile on Bei Chen's face faded slightly.

Hong Lan couldn't hold back, angrily cursing, "A bunch of bastards!"

Qing Shu said in the team channel, "Ignore them."

He then advised, "No point talking. Only when we conquer 'Luban Lock City'—when the system announces the successful clear—will that be the loudest slap in the face for these people!"

Bei Chen immediately said, "Well said! Let's use this pent-up frustration, go all out, and leave no regrets!"

Bei Chen grasped the key to open "Luban Lock City." All ten members of the team received the same system prompt.

System: "World Painter - Bei Chen invites you to enter [Luban Lock City]. Note: This dungeon can only be entered once."

Ji Xia's gaze swept over Bei Chen's broad back, Qing Shu's calm profile, Hong Lan's stubbornly clenched fist, Lao Liu's tightly pressed lips...

These Starfall elites from the rumors of her previous life were now so vividly present beside her.

And their fate...

Ji Xia's heart sank, as if squeezed tightly by an invisible hand.

But soon, her eyes turned sharp and resolute. Without hesitation, she accepted Bei Chen's invitation.

The events of her past life would not repeat themselves!

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Random red envelopes are dropping in the comment section~