Chapter Twenty-One: Reunion with Zhu You

For some of the people in the Jingmen Safe Zone, this night was undoubtedly a long and sleepless one.

Having grown up in this area, Yi Shen's family actually had some uncles and elders who were fairly close to his parents. Yet in the end, he chose to remain cautious, finding an out-of-the-way internet cafe near the martial arts school—one that didn't require an ID to register—so he could gather more information. Safety was his top priority; he contacted no one.

By the time Yi Shen once again connected to the local network of the Jingmen Safe Zone, the special circumstances surrounding the "Land of Moonlight" dimension had already taken over much of the forums, becoming one of the few major headlines in recent months.

Some posts described teams fleeing the otherworldly space, claiming to have encountered a torrent of monsters. Others reported that the major guild Peach Blossom Dock had triggered a special boss, resulting in heavy casualties. There were even rumors of severe internal strife within Peach Blossom Dock itself.

In short, it was obvious that something had gone seriously wrong. The authorities had dispatched people to guard the entrance to the dimensional gate, now enforcing a strict one-way-out-only policy and designating that other world as "high-risk."

These reports, some true and some false, only deepened Yi Shen's confusion the more he read. All he could do was wait to see how things unfolded, hoping for further news.

At around six in the morning, Yi Shen took another distant walk past his home. The people who had been there the previous night were gone, but Yi Shen, sensitive to his surroundings, quickly noticed that someone was watching the area.

"People from the Blood Massacre Guild?"

Yi Shen was a little surprised, because the two cars keeping watch not far from his house bore the insignia of the Blood Massacre Guild.

Peach Blossom Dock was a semi-official guild. In contrast, the Blood Massacre Guild had been established privately within the last four or five years, under the name of the Jingmen Blood Massacre Group.

Even from the name, one could sense a certain ruthlessness and defiance. It had been founded by a group dissatisfied with the overall arrangements of the Jingmen Safe Zone. Over the years, the Blood Massacre Guild had recruited widely, especially drawing from those in the slums and recent graduates of the martial arts school. Through fierce competition among its recruits, the guild selected more elites for its core, adhering to a distinct elitist and profit-driven mentality, which occasionally put it at odds with old guilds like Peach Blossom Dock.

As far as Yi Shen could remember, his parents had had little contact with anyone from the Blood Massacre Guild. But judging by the current situation, the scope of the issue was broader than he’d imagined.

By seven or eight o’clock, having found no new information and having left the area around his home once more, Yi Shen had come to several realizations over the past few hours.

Since his mother had sent him a message, it meant that for now they were probably safe. As mid-level powerhouses in their sixties, Yi Shen believed his parents still had some influence within the Jingmen Safe Zone. Even if the worst came to pass, an official announcement from the authorities or the guilds would likely follow.

The best thing he could do now was to find a safe place to wait until his parents had sorted things out and came to find him, making sure not to cause them any trouble. Although his parents seemed to want him to leave the Jingmen Safe Zone, Yi Shen felt there were better places to hide. Leaving the safe zone, an unfamiliar world, would only bring more complications.

That better place, he realized, was the many dimensional gates scattered throughout the Jingmen Safe Zone.

Having just finished the martial arts school's reserve exam this year, neither his parents nor anyone secretly watching him would guess that his level had jumped to fifteen in just two days.

Information inside the other world couldn’t be synchronized with this world. Even if his identity was discovered, he would have ample opportunity to lie low, such as by entering a secret realm for a while.

In fact, Yi Shen could now hunt monsters with impressive efficiency. He could train and level up within those dimensional gates, and as his strength grew, whether it was uncovering the truth or reuniting with his family, he would only be better prepared.

With this plan in mind, Yi Shen prepared to head to the Desert Snowfield.

He exchanged contribution points for credit points, stocked his backpack with food and compressed biscuits, and then went to the commercial district nearby to buy practical exploration gear—such as glow powder, antidotes, and other useful tools.

At last, Yi Shen stepped into a noodle shop and ordered a bowl of pork knuckle noodles.

This commercial district was near the former Qiqiang Academy. Legend had it that a long time ago, a man named Qiqiang used to come here for pork knuckle noodles, and eventually went on to found Qiqiang Martial School. Yi Shen thought to himself that, with the heart of a mage, he shouldn’t fare any worse than those who came before.

The noodles were delicious.

Yi Shen also ordered a plate of fried dumplings.

But what he hadn’t expected was that, halfway through his meal, someone approached and greeted him.

...

“Hello!”

A timid female voice sounded nearby.

Yi Shen looked up cautiously, only to see a short-haired girl in a pink hoodie standing before him.

It was clear that she was nervous, the kind of person who had to summon all her courage just to say hello. Her figure was especially slender, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

“Hm?”

“Oh, it’s you.”

Yi Shen took a closer look and recognized the girl as Zhu You, whom he’d briefly met a couple of nights ago in the Snowfield Desert. He relaxed a little.

At that time, he’d spoken mostly with her older sister Zhu Qing; Zhu You had only occasionally joined in. Yi Shen had thought it unlikely they would meet again so soon, yet here they were just two days later.

“Yeah, I came out for breakfast and happened to see you,” Zhu You replied, her cheeks tinged pink. “Thank you for taking us along the other night. We managed to sell all those snakeskins afterward—it was a good sum.”

She was trying to make conversation, still visibly anxious.

Yi Shen smiled slightly. His mood had been gloomy, but Zhu You’s greeting inexplicably lightened his spirits. A pretty girl could indeed lift one’s heart.

These two sisters, venturing into another world late at night to earn money, were indeed industrious and thrifty.

“Um...”

After greeting him, Zhu You just blushed silently.

“It’s fine, have a seat. Order whatever you like—my treat,” Yi Shen said with a wave of his hand, reading her timidity with ease. He was well-traveled and found it easy to get along with girls.