Chapter 268: Joint Operation of the Bunker's Old and Young

The bunker is holding a funeral for two great figures.

When Wen Xishu returned, it was early morning. After the Academy Spirit thoughtfully sent a hot towel to wipe his face, Wen Xishu noticed that the Academy Spirit had a white flower pinned to its clothing.

"Congratulations on completing another exploration. I wonder how your harvest was this time?"

Wen Xishu’s harvest this time could be called significant.

At this moment, he was carrying the feather, but he had no way to see the Academy Spirit’s name; this was the Trick Tower Academy, a place where the power of the Trick Tower could be released.

Here, one could even use items like the Murder Soccer Ball or game controllers.

But after examining it for a while, Wen Xishu truly could not feel the power of the feather.

It seemed that the use of the feather had very strict limitations.

"The harvest is indeed significant. Academy Spirit, is the Principal in the bunker now? I have some matters to report to the Principal. If possible, help me contact Lady Evelyn. But do not contact William, Ma Xiu, or Luo Feng for the time being. Oh, right, you must also call Senior Xun Hui and Senior Wenren Jing; lives are at stake, it is very urgent."

The Academy Spirit understood that there were very important matters to discuss.

"Please move to the garden of the Desire Tower Academy; I will go contact them immediately, and they will wait for you there."

Wen Xishu nodded.

Soon, the Academy Spirit left.

After the Academy Spirit departed, Wen Xishu took out the feather.

The feather still possessed a seven-colored luster.

"It seems that it cannot be used just anywhere that meets the conditions for using Trick Tower items... Strictly speaking, it is not a Trick Tower item."

"It is an item from the outside world."

"In that case, can it only be used in a true Land of Obsession, that is, within the orthodox Trick Tower levels?"

Wen Xishu actually still had two invitation letters.

But he was not sure about the nature of the invitation letters, or whether they could be considered a Land of Obsession.

A Land of Obsession is a strange zone condensed from the obsessions of the masses in the apocalypse. Every mission is actually a way of helping certain people resolve their obsessions.

Having obtained this feather, Wen Xishu naturally hoped to use it to hunt some high-end targets.

But unfortunately, the usage scenario for the feather was very harsh.

"If I take the feather and go to kill a target not present in the obsession scene... for example, Sagittarius? Is that feasible?"

Intuition told Wen Xishu that it was not feasible.

"Because the feather requires me, once I start using it, to kill at least seven people."

"This doesn't seem like a limitation... it’s even meaningless, after all, the enemies I know are more than seven."

"But if it is limited to people within the Trick Tower scene during my current tower climb... then what if there aren't seven people in the Trick Tower?"

Wen Xishu could imagine that the consequence of a backlash from an item of the Land of Death would inevitably be death itself.

Up until now, he had indeed experienced scenes without seven people.

For example, Tang Rui’s Land of Obsession.

To kill seven people in Tang Rui’s Land of Obsession... and if it were truly as he guessed, that there were scene restrictions, then it would mean this thing could only kill his own people.

Without a doubt, the feather was a divine artifact, but if one interpreted it carefully, one would find that this thing reeked of evil.

"Better to be careful... I still have to prepare for the worst-case scenario I’ve guessed."

Wen Xishu had an idea in his mind, but for now, he could not climb the tower immediately.

The bunker, the forbidden garden of the Desire Tower Academy.

The Academy Spirit was very efficient; it first contacted Albert, and then Albert contacted Evelyn and Xun Hui. Xun Hui then contacted Wenren Jing.

Thus, before long, the forbidden garden became lively again.

When Wen Xishu arrived here, several people were already waiting for him.

Wen Xishu had to say, the Academy Spirit’s efficiency was truly invincible; having such a personal butler was a great experience.

The group did not exchange pleasantries, as the Academy Spirit had emphasized that there were very important matters.

Albert found a good entry point and said:

"I had a dream. I dreamed that you insisted on holding a funeral for Old Jin and Liu Zhizai, that you wanted everyone to know of their greatness, to eulogize them, to mourn them... Xiaoshu, is this dream a coincidence?"

"I don't think I'm the type of person who would mourn others; I don't really like holding large funerals."

"But this dream is too strange; it gives me a feeling of déjà vu. How should I put it? The tone of that dream felt very much like the feeling of my old friends who passed away visiting me in my dreams."

When Evelyn heard Albert say this, she finally understood. Originally, it was she who requested the funeral, and Albert had agreed, but after it was over, Albert wanted to hold another one.

Now, she understood completely.

Wen Xishu nodded; the old Principal was still reliable:

"Principal, thank you very much. It was indeed me who visited you in your dream. What I am about to say... might make you feel it is very bizarre."

"Simply put, I went to the Underworld."

Everyone was shocked.

Wenren Jing sighed:

"Your adventures are truly... very unique."

Albert said:

"Tell us more. You went to the Underworld to visit in a dream because you saw Old Jin and Liu Zhizai?"

Wen Xishu shook his head:

"I will tell you what I know... but this might be considered blasphemy by you, yet I guarantee you, everything I say is true."

Next, Wen Xishu began to recount everything he had encountered, point by point.

Including the members of the Wen family he had met.

Because from Wen Tingyun, Wen Xishu was certain that the death of the Wen family was not simple; the Wen family members had committed those acts with a sense of tragedy and mission.

Hearing this, Xun Hui was fine, but Wenren Jing appeared somewhat agitated. This surprised even Evelyn; this child practiced emotional control while climbing the Desire Tower, so why was he so unsettled upon hearing about the Wen family?

Xun Hui knew that Wenren Jing had always wanted to clear the Wen family’s name. He had always wanted to prove that Wen Zhaohua had his reasons.

But Xun Hui was very calm, because Xun Hui believed in one principle: no matter what reasons your Wen family had, you killed people, and that means you killed people; killing requires paying with one's life.

You cannot kill those who, in your eyes, do not possess these destinies, just because the destiny you bear has profound significance, right?

Xun Hui also acknowledged Wen Zhaohua as a friend, but he was far less emotional than Wenren Jing.

Of course, Wen Xishu only chatted briefly about Wen Tingyun; his purpose was not to whitewash the Wen family, but to bring up some rules of the Underworld.

For example, merit.

In the latter half of Wen Xishu’s account, he also mentioned that he went to the Underworld three years in the future, and at that point in time...

Xun Hui and Wenren Jing were both dead.

Hearing this, Albert frowned.

Wen Xishu did not keep them in suspense and quickly explained the reason.

After he finished recounting the entire cause and effect, he drew a conclusion:

"The Jin Zhenyuan I met in the Underworld... was not the real Jin Zhenyuan, but the Elder Liu Zhizai."

"Jin Zhenyuan... is not in the Underworld."

"I believe he is not dead yet, and because he is not dead, the massive karma has not been settled... at least not settled completely."

"Not long after, Senior Xun Hui and Senior Wenren, you both reached the seventieth floor and were killed by Sagittarius."

"Also, Mr. Jin seems to possess an ability to transform into others."

"In Liu Zhizai’s memory, there was a sentence said by Mr. Jin: he said you would become a part of me."

"And the Long Yin Project of Longxia also has a god, and that god’s ability is to make other Longxia people become a part of him."

"They believe that a super-soldier who fuses countless people is a god who can change the destiny of humanity."

"This project, as far as I know, failed. I once experienced a great migration of the Longxia people in the Desire Tower; during the migration, they talked about how that god—went mad."

"I am thinking, the premise of going mad is that the god was once normal, which means Longxia really did create a god with extraordinary combat power."

"But it was unstable, leading to madness."

"And part of that god’s ability is very similar to Mr. Jin’s ability; there is a deep connection between them."

"Mr. Jin’s heart should always be thinking of the Longxia project; perhaps compared to the bunker, he cares more about the underground bunkers of Longxia, and compared to... breaking through the one-hundredth floor together, he cares more about the god created by Longxia. I don't know what happened recently that made Mr. Jin, who had been dormant for decades, suddenly start acting; I also cannot see his purpose, and I don't know what he is actually doing."

"But everything I have said is true. He must have an ulterior motive."

This was an overwhelming amount of information.

Evelyn shook her head repeatedly, indicating she did not believe it, did not believe that Old Jin had been hiding so deeply all along.

Albert’s gaze was like a sharp sword as he looked at Wen Xishu.

Wen Xishu was neither humble nor pushy, nor did he dodge; he just responded to Albert very calmly.

"Old Jin is not dead; that is something I am very happy about... but you speculate that his heart is not in the bunker, but in Longxia—I find that hard to believe."

"Evelyn and I have followed Old Jin step by step. Along this journey, we witnessed humanity’s hesitation in the face of the apocalyptic era, and we also witnessed the brilliance after Old Jin led us to build a new civilization, and even a golden age."

"Now you tell me that this man who single-handedly created the new human civilization... does not love the bunker at all? I don't believe it!"

Wen Xishu had guessed this point.

He had guessed everyone’s reaction.

If it were Luo Feng here, he might have even tried to attack him.

Actually, he could have fabricated a lie, a lie in which Mr. Jin could remain respectable. Then, as more evidence appeared, he could reveal it bit by bit.

But Wen Xishu did not want to lie to the old Principal.

"If you don't believe me... then go to the seventieth floor. Currently, those who can go to the seventieth floor are Senior Xun and Senior Wenren. If you don't mind sacrificing them to test it out, you are welcome to try."

"Old Principal, I have always respected you. But think about it, these past few days, has Mr. Jin's activity level been... a bit too high compared to before?"

"Have you found Jin Shan yet?"

Wen Xishu asked suddenly.

Albert actually knew that Wen Xishu would not spout nonsense to attack Old Jin.

Albert sighed:

"I... might really be getting senile. For a moment, I didn't know how to make a choice regarding this matter. As for Little Jin, we have already found some clues."

"He is right here in the Three Towers Academy, but he is hiding. If he leaves the Three Towers Academy, his abilities will fail, so we have been keeping it under lockdown."

"Not long ago, a student reported that there was a ghost, a shape-shifting ghost, that looked exactly like him."

"This ability is quite tricky. In order not to cause panic, and not to drive the child of an old friend into a dead end, I intend to close the net slowly."

"Don't be anxious. Within three days, I will be able to find him. No, it won't even take that long."

Little Jin was hiding from them. Wen Xishu had a feeling that Little Jin might be very confused right now, in a situation where he didn't know who to trust.

He guessed that Little Jin was the one who assassinated him. But Little Jin might not even know himself why he did it.

Finding Little Jin would unlock the information for the next stage.

Wen Xishu was not in a hurry; he trusted the Principal.

He also knew that the Principal actually trusted him as well.

But right now, the things he had said were indeed causing the Principal great inner pain.

Wen Xishu said:

"I can also accept... your test, Senior Evelyn. This is the department area of the Desire Tower; you are welcome to try using certain abilities on me. I will not resist."

"You can test whether what I said is the truth or a lie."

"Perhaps my words do not represent the whole truth, but I can guarantee that I have at least been honest."

Being willing to accept Evelyn's test already spoke volumes.

Evelyn was also in pain.

She recalled many gentle words Old Jin had once said. Facing the people of various levels living in stability, Old Jin had said:

"Actually, to have achieved this much, I have already lived up to heaven and earth, haven't I? Doing this much is already very good, right?"

At that time, Evelyn had been nodding.

It was truly impressive, being able to carve out a new survival stronghold for people in that world of dancing demons, turmoil, and constant slaughter and death...

In the beginning, relying on his own strength, he continuously brought back supplies to feed everyone, and constantly encouraged others to climb the tower, finally establishing the entire social order and survival system.

This was truly remarkable.

But such a person, in his heart, was not in the bunker, but longing to return to Longxia.

How contradictory.

Yet, somehow, Evelyn was now starting to believe it a little.

Wen Xishu had no reason to lie.

And Old Jin had indeed been very active lately.

"As long as we find Little Jin, perhaps we can verify some of these guesses," Evelyn thought to herself.

Xun Hui and Wenren Jing looked at Wen Xishu, and Xun Hui said:

"You said earlier that I went to the seventieth floor of the Slaughter Tower and died. Now, if I don't go, does this count as you reversing life and death?"

Wen Xishu nodded:

"Of course it counts. However, this situation is different from me bringing you back directly from the Kingdom of the Dead. I have asked this question before; the living changing the fate of the living does not count as breaking the rules of the Kingdom of the Dead."

Xun Hui asked again:

"Then if Sagittarius doesn't leave, does that mean we have no way to reach the seventieth floor?"

Wen Xishu thought for a moment, then nodded:

"I think we have no way to deal with him for the time being."

Xun Hui looked at Albert:

"If the old man, plus me, and another person to drag us down, could we piece together the level of the seventieth floor and then go and counter-kill Sagittarius?"

What a rigid way of thinking and acting.

Wen Xishu shook his head:

"I'm afraid not. Because his location is very special. Simply put, you cannot find him, but he can attack you."

Xun Hui was silent for a while before speaking:

"That is too stifling. What exactly are these constellations?"

Wen Xishu did not know either:

"This is something we will explore later. We actually only know how to play the Three Towers, but to say we have a deep understanding of them, we really don't."

Albert heard the students' conversation.

He quickly regained his focus and said:

"Regarding Old Jin, thank you. This intelligence is very important, very, very important. Xun Hui, Mirror, you must never attempt to climb to the seventieth floor."

Wen Xishu said:

"You believe me?"

Albert patted Wen Xishu on the shoulder:

"I will not doubt my fellow travelers, just as I once believed in Old Jin. In fact, the things you mentioned cannot prove how evil Old Jin is."

"It only proves that Old Jin has a different stance, but as a friend, as the master of the bunker, he has already done enough."

"In my eyes, Old Jin perhaps sensed something recently, and he made a trade-off, wanting to contribute his final strength to that plan for Longxia."

"I believe in my friend."

Everyone was silent. Evelyn's gaze softened.

A person like Albert, once he has decided who is a friend, will absolutely not betray them easily.

Wen Xishu envied people like the old man.

He also hoped that Mr. Jin was not an enemy on the journey of climbing the tower.

"I don't know who to believe, but I believe in everyone here," Wen Xishu did not say this out loud, but only thought it in his heart.

Without a doubt, after Mr. Jin left, the number one person in the bunker was Albert.

Compared to Mr. Jin, Albert did not have so many twists and turns, no complex stances or inner conflicts. He only had one goal—to break through the one-hundredth floor and solve the mystery of the Three Towers.

He was an absolute man of action.

He quickly made his trade-offs and decisions:

"But no matter what, we must figure out the mystery surrounding Old Jin."

"Evelyn, you go and observe Old Luo recently, talk to him more. Old Luo is the one among Old Jin's many subordinates that he trusts and is closest to. Perhaps Old Luo will know some things."

"As for me, I must first drag that little guy out. Perhaps he also knows some of Old Jin's secrets."

Wen Xishu thought the same; he had to find Little Jin as soon as possible.

(End of chapter)