Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 312: Chapter 116: The Rude Man Bai Wu

Yan Jiu never joked with Bai Wu. Although Bai Wu didn’t immediately understand why things were unfolding this way, he quickly figured it out.

"Ever since Yan Jiu got married, I felt something was wrong... Surely the Patriarch of the Yan Family has noticed Yan Zizai’s attention towards Yan Jiu."

"He used this to test Yan Zizai’s loyalty, but perhaps because it involved Yan Jiu, Yan Zizai, such a proud person, didn’t give the reaction that the Patriarch of the Yan Family wanted."

"Could it be because of this, the Patriarch of the Yan Family didn’t think of using Yan Jiu to cement Yan Zizai’s loyalty but instead thought of getting rid of Yan Zizai?"

Bai Wu felt this speculation was absurd, yet it surged through his mind like an intuition in an instant.

His intuition had always been accurate. Of course, he didn’t voice these thoughts but instead offered comfort:

"Don’t be in a hurry, tell me why you think Yan Zizai has disappeared?"

"My uncle had promised to see me every morning, and he even emphasized it yesterday. But he didn’t come today... He said before that he was going to seek a favor from a significant person to let me return to the Asylum..."

"That significant person didn’t agree to his request," said Bai Wu.

"Yes... And today my brother came, he told me that no one would come to see me anymore..."

Yan Jiu didn’t mention that Yan Zhishui’s attitude was as changeable as his face; while still at the Asylum, he at least put on an appearance, but at the Yan Family Manor, his dislike for Yan Jiu was entirely unmasked.

Bai Wu then asked:

"Did Yan Zizai ever say that he was going to carry out some mission recently?"

"No... My uncle said he didn’t have any missions these days."

Bai Wu thought about it; this entire matter was his intuition. Although Yan Jiu wouldn’t lie, he would act only after finding sufficient evidence to prove his deduction.

At that moment, Yan Jiu spoke again:

"Bai Wu, my uncle won’t have any trouble, right?"

"No, those of us who frequently leave the High Tower always have to rush out due to some special circumstances. And what kind of person is your uncle? There’s no one inside the High Tower who can beat him."

Of course, this statement was meant to comfort Yan Jiu.

Judging from her tone on the phone, it seemed Yan Jiu was still unaware of her predicament, or she knew, but because she believed in someone, she was not very afraid.

After pondering for a while, Bai Wu:

"I will look for Yan Zizai, he won’t have any trouble, don’t worry. Also, you might experience some distressing events soon. These things might make you very sad, but don’t resist them."

If Yan Zizai could disappear, Bai Wu had to reassess the ruthlessness of the Patriarch of the Yan Family; whether this patriarch was as heartless as Zhong Xu already.

"Okay... I’ll listen to you, but Bai Wu... you will come to take me back, right?"

"Yes, I will bring you back."

"Good! Then I’ll wait for you!"

The feeling of an impending storm grew stronger, and Bai Wu suddenly realized that changing Yan Zizai’s actions with Bai Xiaoyu might have been a mistake.

Perhaps some changes in Yan Zizai would lead to him encountering setbacks in the future that he should not have faced.

Especially after the death of that undercover agent last time, with Yan Zizai’s temperament, he would probably confront the Patriarch of the Yan Family directly, right?

That would certainly be something the Patriarch of the Yan Family would consider taboo.

Originally, Bai Wu thought that doing so would also weaken the power within the Yan Family, but after the trip to Mechanical City, Bai Wu’s view of Yan Zizai changed, and he unexpectedly felt some worry.

...

...

Next, Bai Wu went to the lower floors, asking several people there whether Yan Zizai had left the tower.

The personnel from the Investigation Corps responsible for tower exit registration certainly recognized Bai Wu’s face. The ability to enter the blue or even more hazardous color zones always made an impression on people, especially since Bai Wu’s frequency of leaving the tower was so high.

"Indeed, there was someone who fits your description... Oh, right, that person, I’ve seen them before, they were in your team last time!"

Although the recording clerk’s expectations for the lowest color grade of the steles Bai Wu chose to enter and exit from got higher and higher, sometimes even sneering at Bai Wu for returning from the blue or even purple steles, the clerk was still very obsequious in the presence of Bai Wu.

Bai Wu also roughly understood that this person was Yan Zizai.

He stroked his chin, his gaze complex.

"So it really is Yan Zizai? At this time, where would the Patriarch of the Yan Family send him?"

"It’s the red zone," the recording clerk said in the calmest tone possible.

"The red zone?"

Upon hearing ’the red zone’, a serious expression appeared on Bai Wu’s face as he realized that things were increasingly amiss.

On the contrary, the recording clerk was completely calm, as if the red zone were just any ordinary area. Although he had never been there himself, he had seen others go, so in his eyes, those who couldn’t go to this area were simply weaklings.

"Did he enter the red zone through the red stele? In the past three days, have there been any other people who entered the red zone?"

"No, it’s just like the traditional skills of a few adults! Recently, no one else has entered the red zone," the recording clerk replied proudly.

Traditional skills?

Bai Wu understood, from what the recording clerk said, it must mean entering through the blue stele but finding that the color indication from the stele was different. He suddenly felt that perhaps this recording clerk had been observing him every time he left the tower?

"Okay, I see, thank you for your hard work. By the way, what’s your name?"

"Reporting to my lord, my name is Yun Wanjia!"

"Xiaoyun, remember not to mention to anyone that I’ve consulted you, otherwise you might be in danger."

Upon hearing about potential danger, Yun Wanjia immediately became somewhat timid:

"I assure you, I won’t mention it to anyone."

"Hmm, don’t make it so deliberate, act as if nothing happened."

After giving these instructions, Bai Wu hurriedly left.

He had an appointment today with Lin Wurou and Yin Shuang, and as the leader of Squad Seven, he needed to know the status of Squad Seven members.

Especially since Lin Wurou and others were recently being closely monitored by several members of the Monitoring Group. The people from the Pang, Liu, and Wang families were not easy to deal with, and he was very concerned that Lin Wurou and the others would not be able to manage.

In fact, Lin Wurou and the others were indeed having a rough time. During the slightly over a week that Bai Wu and others spent in Mechanical City, Lin Wurou, Yin Shuang, Wang Shi, and Shang Xiaoyi left the tower three times in total.

After coming back three times, each time they were mocked by the people from the Monitoring Group.

But within these three times, Lin Wurou and the others made progress on every occasion. While their progress was nowhere near the strides made by Bai Wu and Wu Jiu, they had still gained more from their excursions out of the tower than before.

Without Wu Jiu’s protection and after observing them, Bai Wu realized they were getting a fuller sense of the dangers outside the tower.

Right now, Bai Wu had no choice but to change his plans and temporarily cancel his meeting with Lin Wurou and the others. He had to make a trip to the Xie Family.

"Yan Zizai entering the red zone through a stele of a different color indicates that his destination was not a random area but one he had been assigned to by receiving a zone sequence number," Bai Wu mused.

"The recent exit records indicate no one has entered the red zone, meaning that Yan Zizai entered an area that had already been visited by others, and the timing was over three days ago. But the problem is both Traction Discs are with me... How did he make his way there?"

"Can Yan Zizai deal with the red zone on his own?"

Even though Bai Wu thought highly of Yan Zizai’s abilities, he did not believe Yan Zizai could tackle the red zone alone.

Things were becoming increasingly troubling, so Bai Wu decided to take a trip to the Xie Family.

...

...

On the fifth floor of High Tower, on the twentieth floor of the Xie Family Technology Building.

Upon seeing Xie Yingjie again, Bai Wu dispensed with pleasantries and got straight to the point,

"Professor Xie, I’ve come today with a question for you. How many Traction Discs do the eight great families possess collectively?"

"Traction Discs? They’re shared among the rulers. After you killed Zhong Xu, openly, there were none left," Xie Yingjie didn’t quite understand Bai Wu’s intention.

Bai Wu continued,

"Openly? So, it’s possible that there are some in actuality?"

"The crafting of Traction Discs is very special. I once tried to research it, but couldn’t unravel the mysteries within. It appears to be just a Return Roulette with an extra function; however, that function—according to Zero—touches upon some rules of time and space beyond technology. Such devices can’t be mass-produced."

"Did Zero say anything else?"

"Yes, he informed me that external forces outside the tower are in possession of these,"

"External forces outside the tower?"

Bai Wu was surprised.

"Why suddenly ask about this?"

"It’s nothing, I’m also inquiring about some other matters."

"Go ahead and ask."

"I’ve crossed fists with Zhong Xu, and his strength was formidable. Is Zhong Xu considered among the strongest of the rulers?"

Xie Yingjie shook his head and said with certainty,

"Certainly not. Zhong Xu is troublesome, and the external forces behind him wield many mystical powers. They’ve been the most active in recent years. Zhong Xu is very powerful, but he is not the strongest. At least Qin Ye, the military warlord of the Qin Family, is stronger than Zhong Xu."

Bai Wu nodded and narrowed his eyes,

"Have you been observing them all these years?"

"Yes, I have always been observing them. Why do you ask? Has another family crossed you?"

"Not really, can you tell me about the rulers of the other families, I mean the strengths of the Eternal Beings like yourself?"

Xie Yingjie sensed the implication in Bai Wu’s words,

"Looks like you’re planning something big, huh?"

Bai Wu just smiled and didn’t respond.

Xie Yingjie said,

"The remaining six families, the earliest clashes between us date back to a very long time ago during the consolidation of the rulers’ positions. The great military warlord of the Qin Family, named Qin Ye, my data shows that he possesses the strongest personal and comprehensive strength. I can’t see his Sequence because he carries some sort of anti-surveillance Sequence. His danger level is high, so I’ve always considered him the most troublesome. Within High Tower, he may not be able to confront our Xie Family, but personally, he certainly has the capacity to have a mutually destructive battle with other families."

"As for the remaining families, when I clashed with them, they were still very weak—and at that time, I was also weak. But no one knows what has happened to them over the past seven hundred years. However, one thing is certain: in terms of danger level, they are all on the same level as Zhong Xu."

Bai Wu understood and suddenly asked,

"What is the Sequence of the Patriarch of the Yan Family?"

"These people, their strongest abilities are not in the open, and sometimes it feels like Guardians are stronger than them. But nobody knows whether the external powers behind them will grant them some formidable abilities or not," Xie Yingjie said.

"Like the Yan Family, for example?"

"Yes, the Yan Family has always concealed its core industries. Take the great military warlord of the Qin Family, for example—openly, everyone thinks he’s the superior of your Investigation Corps and the Garrison Corps, but in fact, the core combat forces he controls are by no means limited to these two. And the Zhong Family? Openly, the Zhong Family is just in charge of the entertainment industry, but Zhong Xu’s real major clients are all outside the tower."

"The Yan Family is no exception; they hide their secrets deep, but there are no secrets in the High Tower. We have been dealing with each other for seven hundred years, and we all know each other’s business.

The Yan Family has been conducting some kind of experiment on humanity, an experiment that fascinates Yan Zhao. Starting seven hundred years ago, Yan Zhao has been trying to find the method for the perfect evolution of humankind. He always believed that there is some kind of balance between humans and Evil Fallen, even claiming to have witnessed such an existence."

The perfect existence between humans and Evil Fallen, isn’t that the Semi-Evil Fallen?

Possessing the strength of Evil Fallen, able to master the human Sequence, the Evil Fallen’s lexicon, having human forms, and even capable of producing offspring, on top of having a near-endless life span much like the Evil Fallen.

Bai Wu only knew of a very few Semi-Evil Fallen.

One is Jiang Yimi of their own, and another is the Black Robed Judge learned of on Huangquan Island.

The Black Robed Judge is yet to be confirmed, but the Judge can leave Huangquan Island, and like Jiang Yimi, can separate a part of his own obsessions.

This all seems to indicate that the Judge is indeed a Semi-Evil Fallen.

Could it be that Yan Zhao has met the Judge?

A flash of insight suddenly connected some dots in Bai Wu’s mind.

"The reason why the Cursed Woman was on the plane, why Yan Jiu lacked emotions, originates from some kind of experiment Yan Zhao did on the Cursed Woman, causing her to become an Evil Fallen after getting pregnant..."

"In the end, the Cursed Woman boarded that Reincarnation flight... and on the Reincarnation flight lay hidden a ’Well’ character powerhouse, guarded by the mummy’s Reincarnation."

"The Judge’s goal is to find that ’Well’ character powerhouse and bring them back to life... Yan Zhao might indeed have some connection to the Judge."

These deductions were instantly made in Bai Wu’s mind. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Xie Yingjie’s words pulled Bai Wu back to reality:

"The Guardians of the Yan Family and the Zheng Family are both very powerful; they have enviable Sequences. These Sequences cannot be replicated and are unique, also being miracles produced by the Guardians’ continuous training outside the Tower over seven hundred years. Although Yan Zhao doesn’t have one, don’t underestimate him because of that. The power behind him might have other gifts."

"If my Xie Family is the strongest within the Tower, then Yan Zhao is very likely the strongest outside the Tower."

Listening to this, Bai Wu now realized that Yan Zizai is quite pitiable because Yan Zizai’s knowledge of the Yan Family is pathetically scarce.

And various deductions and clues suggest that Yan Zhao is very likely to really have acted against Yan Zizai, most likely because Yan Zizai has a powerful Sequence on him.

"So to say, following some exaggerated idea, Yan Zhao might be able to use the powers of the Evil Fallen while retaining a human identity?"

"This is just a hypothesis, but it is indeed possible. This is an era dominated by Evil Fallen; even if humanity hides in the Tower, the Evil Fallen can still infiltrate."

Xie Yingjie paused for a moment before continuing:

"Are you sure you don’t want to tell me the reason why you’re asking all this?"

Bai Wu thought about it, and there was really no need to keep Xie Yingjie in the dark:

"Since he’s going to be very powerful outside the Tower, it’s better to deal with him inside the Tower. I plan to force my way into the Yan Family."

At this statement, Xie Yingjie was outright stunned:

"Force your way into the Yan Family? What are you planning to do? Start a rebellion with the Investigation Legion?"

"How could that be? Let alone having that kind of power, even if I did, such an affair is not suitable for too many people to take part in. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to destroy the Yan Family; I don’t have the confidence to corner Yan Zhao yet. I just want to ask him something."

"..."

Xie Yingjie, seeing the serious look on Bai Wu’s face, knew that the other was not joking. He was at a loss for words. So Bai Wu’s inquiry was all to assess the strength of the Yan Family, to evaluate the risks? Should he call him rash? Or should he say he’s reckless? Or maybe just foolhardy?

After a long pause, Xie Yingjie asked:

"When do you plan to make your move? Under what identity?"

"I’m going right away. As an old friend of ours."