[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-three-towers-game":3,"chapter-the-three-towers-game-the-three-towers-game-chapter-262":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Three Towers Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2294399,4488,"Chapter 262: Things After My Death","the-three-towers-game-chapter-262",262,"\u003Cp>The person before him who recognized Wen Xishu did not actually know Wen Xishu; the population density of the bunker was truly staggering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu also realized that he needed a mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You realize you need a new identity. This is not difficult; in the world of the dead, various services are always provided, where people pay with merit to indulge their desires.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Appetite is only one of them. As long as you have merit, you can enjoy many desires you could not in life. The most top-tier beauties can gather in groups to provide you with adult services, or you can transform yourself into someone incomparably beautiful. You can also obtain a small world where you possess supreme power. Of course... you cannot satisfy the desire to be resurrected.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The text appeared at the right moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu immediately had a strategy to deal with this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, yes, yes, yes, I am indeed the leader of the Xishu Divine Sect, Wen Xishu. Children, rise! I knew this face was worth it; no matter how much merit it cost, it was worth it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the believer seemed to understand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mean you are not the Sect Leader, you bought a face of the Sect Leader?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that not allowed? Sect Leader Wen is accomplished in literature and martial arts, his merits cover a thousand autumns, he is dashing and elegant, and possesses boundless longevity. I couldn't imitate him while alive, so I'm not allowed to after death?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The believer let out a long sigh of relief. Although he loathed the other party for blaspheming the Sect Leader, thinking about it this way, it was truly great that the Sect Leader was not dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And many people around them suddenly slapped their foreheads:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's right, why didn't I think that merit points could be spent this way?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Save it, you have four-digit merit points? Can you afford to get plastic surgery?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All living beings after death, suddenly arriving in a strange world, are lonely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To gain some sense of recognition in this lonely world, the best way, of course, is to have a face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this moment, the believer said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everything you have in the underworld is fake... because people who approach you because of that face will also leave you once they learn you are not the owner of that face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Accumulate your merit properly, do not spend it in advance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man was quite rational. The desire to change one's face was indeed not cheap to consume.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu became interested; this street was not a place for conversation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I still have some merit points, shall I buy you a drink?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have nothing to talk about with a villain who blasphemes the Sect Leader's noble appearance. Get lost,\" the believer said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure, very pure. This might be some elite from our Xishu Divine Sect, with a purity second only to A Miao, Wen Xiange, and the others... No, perhaps not inferior to them at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also merely admire Sect Leader Wen; he gave me much strength. Actually, I am not mocking him; it is just that this face gives me a sense of security in this place of the netherworld.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although I have blasphemed the Sect Leader, I have at least found people from the Xishu Divine Sect because of this face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just want to chat with you... eh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu's words actually made the young man feel a bit guilty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two arrived at a cafe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entertainment facilities in this city could be described as very rich; as long as you have merit points, everything you could enjoy in life can be enjoyed here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, as the saying goes, merit is not easy to earn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu ordered two cups of the cheapest water, which also consumed five points of merit. He lamented that the prices in this underground world were a bit too fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one thousand merit points left behind by the Seven-Colored Crow were actually a considerable asset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had spent more than half just by taking a taxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the two sat down, they found that there was almost no business in the cafe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is said that the more retro the area, the easier it is for people there to earn merit. They were in ancient times before they died; people back then were accustomed to working all day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unlike us, once we lack certain equipment, we don't know what to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So in the underworld, the consumption level of the ancient areas is actually higher.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, right, my name is Huang He. I joined the Xishu Divine Sect last year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Wen Xishu's coaxing, Huang He now had a strong desire to communicate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you die?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as this question was asked, Huang He suddenly fell into a dazed state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The text prompt appeared once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Although the great and handsome Brother Crow told you that many people in this world die inexplicably—some heroically, some bizarrely, and some frustratingly... the vast majority of people do not know how they died.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Death takes away a portion of memory. You should be able to understand that this is a security setting.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing these prompts, Wen Xishu understood immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was a bit complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In other words, this is an error-prevention mechanism. I cannot inquire about the cause of others' deaths... at least not by asking the deceased themselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Assuming I knew how someone would die in the future, if I returned to reality, couldn't I just stop this person from doing certain things and avoid them dying from that cause?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the world of the dead actually has a preventive mechanism; the deceased will forget how they died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, I don't need to worry. Even if he doesn't know how he died, he might know how others died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu thought for a moment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Huang, why did you join the Xishu Divine Sect in the first place? I was sick at the time and lacked money for treatment, so I thought about going to the Trick Tower to give it a shot. I joined the Xishu Divine Sect back then; it required some courage and faith.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang He looked at Wen Xishu in surprise:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your experience is actually quite similar to that of the Saintess A Miao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu nearly spat out his tea. How did A Miao become a Saintess?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang He said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I actually did it to survive. At that time in the bunker, many powerful beings had died...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh, the old Principal's whereabouts are unknown; it is said he caught the Day of Slaughter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the others... whether it was Lord Xun Hui or Lord Wenren Jing, they all died while climbing the seventieth floor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, that was two or three years ago. At that time, everyone's morale was very low.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clearly, not long before, under the Sect Leader's leadership, we had completed the greatest counterattack of the Great Devouring in history, but we soon began to decline.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fate seems to be teasing us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A year later, the number of people climbing the Slaughter Tower and the Desire Tower gradually decreased. Many experts on the Heavenly Ladder Ranking also requested their guides to lower their levels.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lowering one's level has a price. Slowly, everyone's strength became weaker. Without the Sect Leader... the bunker's supplies also became scarce.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was truly miserable, truly miserable...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang He had not finished speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu was already shocked by the series of revelations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I\" had gone missing, the old Principal encountered the Day of Slaughter—these were understandable; the future was dangerous, and Wen Xishu could accept that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why did Xun Hui and Wenren Jing die on the seventieth floor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that the difficulty of the seventieth floor had suddenly increased?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was it that...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sagittarius had never removed his aim?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu was truly incredibly astonished:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At that time in the bunker, there was a common saying that humanity had no future and the next Great Devouring would be the end of the world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Without Sect Leader Wen and the old Principal, the nobles began to tighten supplies again. The people below had no choice; to survive, they could only climb the tower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also needed courage to change these things. Although the Xishu Divine Sect no longer expanded in scale and suffered a blow because of the Sect Leader's disappearance, Elder Wen Xiange and Saintess A Miao were always encouraging everyone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We were still the largest civilian force in the bunker. I was encouraged at that time, thinking, if the Sect Leader can do it, why can't I?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Sect Leader could go from being a death-row prisoner to a bunker legend, so could I.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I started climbing the tower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worthy of affirmation, Wen Xishu said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are great; you didn't disgrace the Xishu Divine Sect. By the way, how long ago did our Sect Leader go missing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang He's words mentioned his own disappearance; he didn't say death, didn't say anything else, just said he disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three years ago, I think... At that time, it seemed like a major event happened in the bunker: the Sect Leader was assassinated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu was not surprised that Huang He actually remembered this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what surprised Wen Xishu was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three years ago, he was assassinated? Wasn't that the current timeline?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, this time, his tower climbing would be a one-way trip?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was truly shocking information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's very strange. The Sect Leader's name was never removed from the Heavenly Ladder Ranking, but the Sect Leader never appeared again...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"People speculate that the Sect Leader was trapped somewhere; he is still alive, but he can no longer return through the login device.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is what Elder Wen Xiange said, and Saintess A Miao also agrees with this point. Everyone is trying to find ways to explore the Trick Tower, hoping to bring the Sect Leader back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The amount of information was quite large.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu could be certain that if he disappeared after being assassinated three years ago, then without a doubt, it was this trip to the underworld where he encountered some obstacles and could not return to the bunker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must find the reason. Also, don't be scared. Although the currently known future is very desperate, since it has been observed by me, it might not be impossible to change.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu thought for a moment and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, you said Xun Hui and the others entered the seventieth floor and died; did this... also happen at that time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang He nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just at this moment, the entire city began to shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have glimpsed a secret, and this secret comes with a price; now... you must begin to flee.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground in the center of the city suddenly split open, countless shocking cracks spreading continuously like the roots of a giant tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the cracks shattered, and a massive, bull-headed beast appeared, wielding a battle-axe and radiating cold white flames from its entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Die!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bull-headed beast gripped its battle-axe and slashed down toward the direction where Wen Xishu and Huang He were!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu was greatly alarmed and instinctively dodged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Huang He was not so lucky; he was instantly engulfed by the white flame Qi-aura unleashed by the battle-axe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this instant, countless soul-data belonging to Huang He, like scattered Qi-bodies...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those Qi-bodies exploded and dispersed, also blowing past Wen Xishu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless memories of Huang He surfaced in Wen Xishu's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is my third time in the Strange Tower. I've already succeeded twice; I suppose I'm... one of the lucky ones in a hundred, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehe, I'll definitely make it on the third try. The Cult Leader climbed it over a dozen times back then; I've still got a long way to go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a memory from when Huang He entered the Strange Tower for the third time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Wen Xishu felt other memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Death was approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the monster on the eighth floor tore Huang He's arm apart... Huang He's consciousness became muddled from the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a pity... I guess I'm not some genius after all; I have to die here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone is still waiting for me to go back, right? But... a bottom-feeder like me, even if I disappear, no one will notice, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His neck snapped, his head twisted off by monstrous strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final image was a memory of Huang He: the vibrant scene inside the bunker, and a poster featuring Wen Xishu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi-bodies passed through Wen Xishu and finally returned to nothingness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this instant, Wen Xishu realized... he had changed many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people at the bottom of society, because he was alive and because of the efforts of the Zhaoshu Divine Cult, had gained the courage to fight against their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to go back, he had to survive, otherwise, the countless people who had regained the courage to fight against their lives would be crushed by life once again. Wen Xishu was furious and wanted to use the power of the Dice of Inversion to fight this bull-headed monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He possessed a \"guaranteed floor,\" which would allow him to inflict substantial damage on the bull-headed monster during their duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hundred attacks, and he could kill the bull-headed monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bull-headed monster's white flames were flames of destruction to the dead; any spirit body that touched them would suffer a second death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those who had already died, to die once more... would completely erase their traces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the end, facing the text prompt, Wen Xishu made his choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The bull-headed monster is a relatively weak existence among the enforcers. In truth, with your abilities, you could kill it, but do you really want to do this? When an enforcer dies, the bounty on your head will be more than just one star.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Now, the bull-headed monster has eliminated the one who could disrupt the causality of the world of the living—at least, it believes it has. It is about to vanish.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu ultimately did not make a move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rather than avenging the dead Huang He, what I should do is return to the bunker and ensure Huang He does not die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bull-headed monster slowly departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cracks in the ground miraculously disappeared, as if everything had never happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coffee shop clerk, as if they hadn't seen the situation just now, calmly refilled Wen Xishu's cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu stood stunned in place; after a good while, he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I triggered causality.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I asked Huang He about the cause of death for Xun Hui and Wen Renjing, and learned that these two died the first time they entered the seventieth floor...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This matter cannot be known by me; once known, it will cause some fluctuations in the world of the living.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And because of this, it alarmed the enforcers of the Underworld.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu sorted all of this out; his anger had not yet dissipated, but deep in his heart, he realized he had captured a key piece of information...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Underworld has realized something... realized that someone is coming to break out of prison, but facing countless planes and countless souls... the Underworld cannot attend to every place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the same time, the Underworld stopped me because it is true that if I know the cause of death of the deceased, I can change the fact of their death...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This discovery gave Wen Xishu quite a bit of motivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next, I must find that soul worth saving, and at the same time, I must clarify one thing... why Mr. Jin's death did not cause the Sagittarius to withdraw.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to find Mr. Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu thought for a moment; Mr. Jin died three years ago... and he was now three years later. Looking at the time difference, and since he had a three-year time gap, he could return to the timeline of Mr. Jin's death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he went to that place and found Mr. Jin, that would be enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu immediately had an idea and decided to look for the carriage driver once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, during the process of Wen Xishu searching for the carriage driver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu received a prompt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This prompt did not come from the ability brought to him by the crow, but from the Corner of Competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Demon King has been eliminated. Congratulations, you survived the Demon King's pursuit and eliminated the Demon King.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Killer: Captain of the Lower Spirit District Enforcement Team.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Survival rewards will be collected together after you clear this Strange Tower.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Wen Xishu remember there was still a Demon King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He subconsciously activated shared vision, thinking it wouldn't succeed, after all, the Demon King was already dead...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he did so, Wen Xishu still saw some scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lower Spirit District.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enforcer, radiating white flames, with a beautiful face and six wings like an elf or an angel, held a scythe and looked thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could such a thing exist in the Lower Spirit District!? How did it sneak in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon King's head had been severed; because the opponent was too fast, there was clearly disbelief and terror in the Demon King's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon King opened his eyes wide, looking at the enforcer holding the scythe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, the one truly looking was Wen Xishu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu couldn't believe that a Red House-level Demon King was slaughtered so easily...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he really escape the Underworld?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the fortieth floor of the Strange Tower a bit too much of a trap?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although the higher-ups said a living person would try to take away a soul, I still feel the other party shouldn't be this stupid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's strange, and there was no alarm in the Lower Spirit District, which means this guy is either a dead person or... a summoned creature.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I actually received a prompt saying I killed the Demon King... could it be that this isn't an intruder, but some competition held by the managers of the Lower Spirit District?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who should I go to to claim the prize?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enforcer holding the scythe crouched down, as if suddenly sensing something, and immediately lowered their head, eyes fixed on the Demon King who had died with eyes wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Wen Xishu did not immediately withdraw his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He very calmly looked at the enforcer through the Demon King's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not rashly withdraw his power. This, instead, prevented the enforcer from discovering any clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like I overthought it. Let's go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enforcer stood up and kicked the Demon King's head into the lava pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vision was cut off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu in the Upper Spirit District finally came back to his senses at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu reached a conclusion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the Underworld, I cannot possibly defeat the enforcers here; their strength is unimaginable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I want to save someone, I can only do it without anyone knowing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many puzzles, and Wen Xishu wanted to ask Mr. Jin. He soon boarded a carriage and headed toward the timeline of three years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still a modernized city, almost exactly the same as it was three years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the coffee shop was in the same location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu even had another experience of being recognized. However, this time, after a simple explanation, he walked toward other areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The great Brother Crow's help to you doesn't end here. You know, when you are eager to quickly inquire about someone's whereabouts—you can go to the Population Statistics Bureau; there, you can find out who is still alive and who has already died. They won't tell you extra information, but I think you might first need to confirm if the people you think are dead are really dead? This time, don't ask too many questions.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu understood that if he asked too much, it would very likely lead to another bug appearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's right, I must first confirm if Mr. Jin is really dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the text prompts provided by the Seven-Colored Crow, Wen Xishu already knew where the Population Statistics Bureau was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was in that tallest office building in the city center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This building handled many businesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only can one query mortality rates and the number of deaths, but one can also influence the world of the living by influencing newborns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, there is a saying about \"green smoke rising from the ancestral grave\"; if one has accumulated enough merit in the world of the dead, one can allow those who share their bloodline to acquire certain extraordinary talents while still in the fetal stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is what is meant by the ancestors' protection, allowing them to win at the starting line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, making the child born smart or good-looking. Of course, this requires a massive amount of merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It often requires the strength of the entire clan. This explains why the orphans in the Starting Point Orphanage are always so gifted; because everything that could be sacrificed has been sacrificed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu soon arrived at this building and reached the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many people coming and going to handle various affairs; services like \"Dream Visitation,\" \"Soul Return,\" \"Seventh Day,\" and \"Ancestral Protection\" were all handled in this building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Population Statistics Bureau,\" where Wen Xishu was headed, had few people paying it any mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Population Statistics Bureau was on the fourteenth floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elevator was quite crowded, with many people heading to the thirteenth floor. The thirteenth floor was called the Living Memorial Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The living often burn certain things for the dead; when the dead first arrive in this world, their earliest wealth consists of these burned items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The items themselves are worthless; no matter how many tens of thousands or billions in underworld currency you burn, it has no value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These things cannot earn a single bit of merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the \"sincerity\" attached to these items can be converted into merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, how many people in this world truly cannot bear for you to die... their longing for you can be converted into your initial merit in the world of the dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the thirteenth floor, there were those who were happy and those who were sad; some thought they had many connections while alive, and those people even held grand funerals after their death, yet they had not a shred of merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some had only one or two friends while alive, and after death, they didn't even have a tombstone, only a spirit tablet, yet because of those one or two friends, they possessed a significant amount of initial merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there are also those who possess massive amounts of merit the moment they enter the underworld.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The public servants who once worked here had handled the affairs of a certain great person; that was the level of mourning that stretched for ten miles of streets in the world of the living.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu could imagine that many people would break down on the thirteenth floor, realizing only after death... who was truly the most precious to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was quite interested in watching the spectacle, but he was truly busy today and in a great hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After arriving on the fourteenth floor, Wen Xishu quickly paid the merit and obtained the query qualification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person responsible for handling his request was also a minotaur, but he wore glasses, a tie, and a suit, and had no battle axe in his hand, looking much more refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome. Compared to the floors below, it is quite quiet here. Whose information do you need to query?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I cannot tell you his cause of death; I can only tell you whether he is dead. I hope you can understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The minotaur was very polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu also spoke at this moment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can I know the age of the deceased?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The minotaur indicated: \"Of course you can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu asked again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then can I directly browse the death records from this past year... limited to the Bunker world?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu was not sure of the specific time node, so he planned to systematically look through the death records of people from the Bunker world for the entire year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this way, there would be no possibility of missing key information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The minotaur thought for a moment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is possible, but I must first process it to mask all causes of death. And...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu raised an eyebrow: \"And what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The minotaur smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will have to pay extra.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu was suddenly curious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, can merit in the world of the dead be plundered?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The minotaur shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Theoretically, yes. If one spirit destroys another, it can obtain its merit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Lower Spirit District is like that; lower spirits undergo cruel struggles. No one can reveal that they have merit, otherwise, they will be attacked by other spirits.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Upper Spirits do not. Among Upper Spirits, you cannot even cause the other party injury; your attack power is infinitely weakened. Only law enforcers have the authority to attack.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu's heart stirred slightly. Although my attack power is infinitely weakened... I have a \"guaranteed bottom line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merit is very important; Wen Xishu realized that with merit, these monsters of the world of the dead have a very good attitude, and all kinds of services can be handled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I must find a way to rob some merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, Wen Xishu suddenly understood:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder my past life was called the Land of Sin; I, Wen, am indeed about to commit some sins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for now, he had to figure out one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether Mr. Jin is dead or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4317,"2026-06-20T04:46:43.057Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","611905f7aa61d0345d7709589a068286a9a8b36536a8887a0f35d1ff046ea593","the-three-towers-game-chapter-263","the-three-towers-game-chapter-261",281,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-three-towers-game-cover.jpg"]