Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 236: Chapter 40: Chips to Deal with the Jing Family

Having completed their "brainwashing" work, their subjugation was as devout as Zhang Xu’s, but in such a situation, they had long since given in.

Their mouths gaped open, not caring about the rancid filth of the food, let alone rejecting it—they just needed to be able to assimilate it into their bodies.

Because it’s the Envoys from the top level who bring the delicious food. Therefore, everyone worships the white mist Jiuyan Fifth Level ’95 Envoys.

"Like now, if they are experiencing an extended period of starvation... Otherwise, this crowd must absolutely eat clean, but on the surface, there is not a single unspoken rule. The things they discard must be eaten, and there are times when even something as disgusting as vomit... could be the greatest gift to these bottom dwellers, sometimes even leftover food is a blessing."

They are like scavengers of the apocalypse, swarming over anything thrown down into the pit, regardless of what it is. This place they call the "Food Territory" also has piles of people dying of starvation. They kneel and beg, requesting food and water from him when they are at the extreme point of hunger, which delights him the most as he looks upon this group that does not willingly serve him, a corpulent man who is one of the vilest individuals—you could even say a murderer.

He had already noticed that they were approaching the edge of the pit, simply because they saw the Jiuyan Whitish Mist Envoys looking up top.

"Brainwashing?"

"What does this mean?"

Fifth Level ’95 doesn’t even hesitate to question, "What’s really going on? Erleipu doesn’t understand."

"They’ve been injected with some kind of drug that greatly amplifies their hunger and thirst sensations—while they wait for food, they are already in an area filled with it," said Baiwu, frowning slightly.

Fifth Level ’95 looks towards Baiwu, saying, "I don’t know."

Erleipu asks, "What are they doing?"

The men and women began prostrating themselves toward Fifth Level ’95 and Baiwu Envoys, maintaining their kneeling posture with mouths wide open, looking up, as they started knocking their heads several times. Afterward, they remain perfectly still, not making a single movement.

Fifth Level ’95 and Baiwu, accompanied by two secure personnel, looked at the whole crowd of bottom dwellers, performing acts of prostration in surprise, not understanding why they are doing so.

They couldn’t make out any meaning at all.

All they heard were groans and moans. When someone approached, using all of their raspy voice to shout, covered in filthy rags, they looked them up from toe to head.

The crowd’s eyes suddenly started to frantically stream toward Fifth Level ’95 and Baiwu, their eyes wide with hope, as if they saw their salvation after these white envoys appeared.

Baiwu looks at the men and women of the bottom level, lowering her head.

But it’s the true hearts of those from the bottom level, while the Sect Six overseers appear as bright and shiny on the surface.

It’s like pouring filthy water down here, where spent human forms lay steeping in dirty grayish-black water, decaying bit by bit, birthing countless mutated larva—a picture of filth and disgust.

Scenes from the Second Level, overrun with mutated flies, vivid bloodstains, shattered pieces from broken glass bottles, only serve to increase the chaos found at the bottom, which falls directly aside from a gigantic pit that could pass by the outer edges of the very top levels. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

Fifth Level ’95 said, "They may look very young but inside these people, both men and women, there are all sorts."

Erleipu muses, "Isn’t this the bottom level... a sort of prison? They are people."

While Erleipu and Fifth Level ’95 frown at the bottom dwellers, Baiwu lifts her head to look above. Yet, they head towards the bottom level through the pit’s inner side, where the elevator is.

They just walked to the edge of the pit to gaze down at the scene of the very bottom level. However, the three Baiwu Envoys did not jump down; they simply gazed down.

This high degree of reputation might be equivalent to a virtual setup for the multitude; one must want to go forward towards the very bottom level by jumping from the huge edge of the pit, but there’s no longer an elevator, no way to actually reach the bottom level.

Baiwu begins to walk towards the edge, stopping the motion of her hands above, waiting to be smashed by the transport device.

"I should go have a look at the very bottom level." freewebnøvel.com

Ever since that day, the line had been forming, but there hadn’t been a single moment he considered changing the bottom level. He said he wasn’t capable of thinking about any changes before measuring his strength, but thoughts of what might happen were nevertheless within his mind, maintaining a righteous heart.

After leaving the gambling hall, Jiuyan immediately applied to become an investigation team’s deputy, but the vice captain didn’t say those words that one would expect, only the white mist was truly visible.

One day, the black gold island will necessarily have a decisive event, and both he and Jiuyan, with Chu Qing at heart, knew that on that day.

Evil delights and overseers were made to appreciate the pleasurable sights and sounds.

Everything was meticulously planned, every heart, liver, spleen, lung, and limb, as if food on a platter from the Sixth Level dining realm was akin to every single item on a person’s body. Everything, from talent to memory, lifespan to rights, was stripped away; countless years of life were robbed.

All of them said that gambling was life for people and death for ghosts; the gambling hall was a place of safety for their lives, but when it was time to truly face death, nothing could be scarier.

When he was at the gambling venue early on, he had seen something from the future.

The white mist hadn’t allowed his mind to harbor any ambitions whatsoever; in fact, his mind was unusually clear, as if a white mist with a hatchet overhead, turning the gears in his mind, was about to come down.

Zhong Xu had already established a direct connection with the black gold island, and would not let this event happen to him.

Some things had already been indicated clearly.

That was the tallest tower outside the great Machine Kingdom of Emperor Wang. The Mech City with the zero sign was behind Jiaxie.

If one needed to find the external tower’s influence behind Jiaxie, that was the final goal, but the reason for staying in the high tower was to continue living in collaboration with Jiaxie.

This thing that might be similar to Jiaxie will indicate some things, or the person he truly needs to meet might say so...

White mist picked up the brain bag that Zhong Xu had thrown into the storage compartment and started rummaging through it.

But Zhong Xu’s body had only been sawed off, leaving the brain bag behind; meanwhile, Purple Luo had sliced Zhong Xu into many pieces.

White mist said indifferently, "Jiaxie’s specialty lies in technology."

Jiuyan didn’t understand very well, "What kind of strength are you looking for? Who are you going to find at the bottom?"

"But if I can restrict him, our meeting with Managing Director will be equivalent to chips for my conversation with him. I must confront that man face to face; if he’s willing to help us, Zhong Xu’s death wouldn’t trouble us in the least. In fact, it might still bring a strong backing of power." White mist said confidently.

There must be no more than eight overseers, though they might become seven if one dies. However, only three are necessary to maintain a balance.

Balance.

"But surely you will also gain the favor of another big personage, and you might even be blamed for something, as the Fifth Level is also called the overseer level."

At that point, Jiuyan’s response was quite appropriate, "How on earth would that happen?"

White mist was pondering at that moment how it would be if the disgraceful news about the overseer came from Jiuyan’s own lips. A few seconds later, Jiuyan remembered something he had once said.

If there were other things that could take his place, those who fall into the high tower would simply vanish like smoke and ash.

Looking at Zhong Xu’s remains—seeing that massive skull that was hard to recognize due to the transformations—White mist knew that without Zhong Xu to maintain this form, evil would dissolve into nothing. Once again returning to the Fifth Level’s colorful domain, three people had just crossed over the suspension bridge.

"Have I ever asked a question like that, about whether I would find some overseer guilty for visiting Jiuyan? Have you ever asked me such a question when you went to the madhouse?" White mist asked.

"What are you thinking?"

There were still some things that Jiuyan found disagreeable in White mist’s returning thoughts.

Jiuyan looked at White mist, surprised. The words were simple and plain, yet they contained an enormous amount of information.

"I am the one who needs to take a step back, Qin Family’s ruler," she said.

"What do you want to speak with the Qin Family’s ruler about?"

There seemed to be a temporary alliance forming among the Zheng, the Pang, the Wang, the Liu, and the Jiaxie clans, as well as the Jiuyan.

These two families, the Zhou and the Qin, should have been isolated.

But the Bai Family had encountered Zhou Xu’s team and had already been intercepted on their way up to the Fifth Level, even though they hadn’t passed through the Cloud Tower.

"I need to have a word with one of the rulers in the Fifth Level, so that Qin Zong can endorse my visit if he agrees," she said.

"You think you can just appoint yourself as the team leader?"

He needs some leverage. Bai was well aware that they weren’t strong enough on their own. They absolutely had to counterbalance the power of the Black Gold Island.

"I need some new cards to play, I need to go to the Fifth Level," Bai insisted.

"Why do you suddenly ask this? Army Commander?"

Jiuyan said.

Clearly, Bai had initially started mentioning the Qin just because it was Zhou Xu who had stirred up his curiosity. His direct calling out of the army commander’s title was not received well; it seemed that meeting with Zhou Xu’s son, the ruler, had made him reevaluate his position.

"Can you really trust this Qin Zong, this team leader?"

"What’s your plan?"

Jiuyan simply nodded his head.

"If Zhou Xu dies and others find out about it, it will trigger a major upheaval, something the overseer still has no knowledge of. Eventually, the truth will come out, and it’s impossible to keep a lid on for much longer. Trust in Zhou Xu won’t last much longer, either."

He still needed something.

Bai started taking Jiuyan with him, moving towards the Sharp Forest, as they began their return to the high tower, in the color domain.

At least they wouldn’t die of hunger in there.

In the end, Bai decided to leave them in the Food Sector at the top level. He didn’t plan to take them with him; these people, already without a wheel to return home, had long lost the wit to survive the destruction brought by Zhou Xu.

Eating like crazy, imitating Buddha with more to eat, they wouldn’t care much about bursting their guts. Such extravagance!

Lin Haigu, being held accountable for the extraordinary events, felt unusual ... despite everything, she, who hadn’t yet turned into a bloodthirsty maniac, still valued the opinions of the public. Jiuyan was very aware of Bai’s feelings.

"The world is quite messed up, but at the end of the day, we’re the ones left to make it right," Bai said.

Bai suddenly felt very fortunate that he himself had killed Zhou Xu.

He enjoyed watching others suffer and eat, reducing people to nothing more than food. To him, the most valuable thing was providing entertainment. To others, Zhou Xu was nothing more than food to be worshipped.

They were already willing slaves, ready to do whatever for food, having turned into items for Bai’s use.

"As for you, my poor little one who’s waiting for me, I will bring your eye’s message home to your family, for you to soar high and far and not be someone who never improves. With these fragments, you’ll gain a vast domain; they are your key to freedom. Black Gold Island is a good place for you to relocate the fragments to," Bai mused.

Erleipu always had some odd habits when he returned from his looting trips, as if he needed to say something after each one.

Having made up her mind, Shen Yueshu decided she would take a different path. She was aware they had made two friends, so instead of confronting them, she chose to take action.

There is indeed a real place to land, and that is what Lin Haigu calls the arduous journey of the seven hundred years.

"To overthrow the tower rulers is to defeat Zhou Xu," Bai claimed, gathering everyone in the area for the grand event.

Unexpectedly, even after drifting rootlessly for seven hundred years, Bai began to feel as if he was about to return home, right here in the Sharp Forest.

"Ultimately, there will come a day when we, who are desperately seeking freedom, will find Erleipu in Chuanbai City, to request Jiang Mi’s help, because that’s what he owes her, and Black Gold City will certainly need you to operate as the first-generation face-changing freak, or possibly to serve as a disciple," Bai proclaimed.

There are still some regrets in leaving Sharp Forest. "Will we ever see each other again, in another life perhaps?" Bai asked.

He knew he should not follow the example of hiding like someone who had died. However, Bai wouldn’t encounter him directly for now.

The oddity of the First Level is most likely to be found in the Sixth Level, and rightfully so, above all the others there.

"I know," she admitted.

"Be very careful inside the high tower. I’ve heard people say that the inside is far more dangerous than any outer creatures," Lin Haigu warned. "Considering you’ve already been there, there’s definitely something odd about it."

As Bai triggered the Reincarnation Wheel, standing at the threshold of another realm, Lin Haigu was not only powerless to deal with the extraordinary creatures of the First Generation but also suffered the spread of a merging disease of extraordinary intensity.

While talking with Bai about some of these face-changing oddities, Lin Haigu found it interesting how they both, albeit being strangers to one another, acted out a show that seemed quite unusual.

After their conversation, they were about to part ways for the last time.

...

...

Though he could be trusted for now, Qin Zong was still a choice of desperation.

As Bai could imagine, his relationship with Zhou Xu was terribly sour. And yet, this child of Zhou Xu might just be better than any of the hundreds of avengers seeking justice. After all, he nearly equated rebelling against his background as seeking justice, akin to a Qin Family child, without making any formal declarations.

Jiuyan had no idea what was behind those words at the time.

"He too is quite a pitiable person," Bai mused.

"He is a commander of righteousness," she replied earnestly after some thoughtful consideration.

Bai, who usually decided everything for himself, was rarely in need of others’ opinions, but now, after a long period of reflection, it seemed he found this matter to be of some importance.

"Therefore, I need the team leader’s judgment, as there’s no room for delay with this incident. But I still trust Qin Zong, although I do not understand him. If he’s untrustworthy, I will abandon this plan. I need one chance to enter the Fifth Level. Only Qin Zong has that key opportunity. Our inspection forces are just following his lead," Bai asserted.

Bai wasn’t foolish enough to believe he could face a monster at his current level, for only another monster could defeat one.