Chapter 28: Return to the Jingmen Safe Zone

In the span of three days, Yi Shen raised his level to twenty and amassed a considerable collection of items, materials, potions, and equipment. Even after dismantling the less valuable pieces, his inventory and backpack brimmed with gear boasting decent attributes.

Beyond this, his research into hundreds of materials had increased his stats by at least fifty percent, and granted him three new skills. These included Arcane Wisdom, an F-level spell that boosts a target’s intelligence by twenty points; Ice Arrow, an E-level spell with both offensive and slowing effects; and Fireball, also E-level, which deals thirty more points of damage than the F-level Fireball Yi Shen had purchased initially.

The skills themselves were not particularly powerful—merely diversifying his skill bar. At present, Yi Shen’s main concern was finding a place to sell his high-quality gear, hoping to buy new skill books or inexpensive materials for dismantling.

After traversing the portal between worlds, Yi Shen finally set foot again on the soil of Blue Star. Though only three days had passed, he felt as if he had been away from home for much longer. The desert’s loneliness was overwhelming, and he couldn’t help but linger, gazing at the bustling world around him.

It was late March. A spring rain had just fallen, and the weather was growing warm. Yi Shen found an internet café and began checking for news from the past few days. It had been three days since the incident at Moonlight Land, and he expected that many reports would have surfaced.

Indeed, as he read official announcements and forum posts, the sequence of events was gradually being uncovered by those in the know.

“What?”

“Uncle Zhao is dead?”

Just the initial news made Yi Shen’s brow furrow. Uncle Zhao referred to Zhao Weimin, the president of Peach Blossom Dock Guild, whose relationship with Yi Shen’s father was fairly close. Yi Shen had dined at his house as a child, always addressing him as Uncle Zhao.

“Some members of Peach Blossom Dock’s second battalion unexpectedly launched an attack while slaying a boss monster, causing widespread casualties in the guild. After the boss monster’s death, a suspected riot among the monsters at Moonlight Land broke out, which has now been completely sealed off. The authorities are launching a manhunt for the perpetrators of the Peach Blossom Dock terrorist attack?”

“Members of Peach Blossom Dock suffered an assault by unknown forces. Jianghe and Jingbei Industrial Guild have dispatched over a dozen level fifty-plus combatants in support. Blood Reaver Guild has established a station in the western district of Jingmen Safe Zone?”

“Good grief.”

Online discussions were chaotic and numerous. In summary, following the death of Peach Blossom Dock’s president and the severe injuries to several members, other guilds were offering assistance, and the official website of Jingmen Safe Zone issued condolences and committed to a thorough investigation.

Yet from Yi Shen’s perspective, it was clear that the other guilds were exploiting Peach Blossom Dock’s predicament for their own gain—even Blood Reaver Guild had set up a station in the western district, an obvious move to encroach and invade.

Within Jingmen Safe Zone, the established guilds were distinctly divided. Jingbei Industrial Guild, formerly a government enterprise, was now the largest guild, based in the northern district. Jianghe occupied the southern district, rivaling Peach Blossom Dock in strength, though recently lacking in top-tier combatants. Peach Blossom Dock’s various shops were concentrated in the new western district, while Blood Reaver Guild, a rising force, was situated in the slums of the eastern district.

Yi Shen had previously wondered why members of Blood Reaver Guild were appearing near his home; now, it seemed they were preparing to move in from the start.

These were the official statements. Behind the scenes, however, information revealed that several high-ranking members of Peach Blossom Dock’s second battalion had conspired with Blood Reaver Guild to orchestrate the incident—an internal struggle within Peach Blossom Dock. Those leaders had already been privately marked for capture by all major guilds, and the authorities had not made a public announcement only because explorers above level sixty would cause too much panic among the populace.

Yi Shen recalled that his parents were vice-captains of the second battalion. He immediately understood that his parents had been framed as the masterminds behind the affair.

His first reaction was disbelief. His father had cultivated good relationships in Peach Blossom Dock for years; whenever Yi Shen visited the guild, the uncles and aunts were always friendly. This period was meant to be about preparing for his entry into the elite martial school. Even if his parents had plans, they would never act at such a time.

His mother’s message urging him to leave Jingmen suggested she knew he might be in danger. If he were captured and used as leverage, his parents might truly be forced to shoulder this false accusation.

Yi Shen continued reviewing the news, including official statements about a new phase of construction in the outer areas of Jingmen Safe Zone and plans to further develop the northwest mountain region. Jingmen Safe Zone had been stable for a long time, but so many new announcements emerging at once gave the sense of impending turmoil.

Yi Shen had thought his current strength was considerable, but after leaving the café, an acute sense of crisis weighed on him.

Even with his ability to cast spells endlessly, if a level forty or fifty explorer targeted him, their sheer level advantage could easily prevent his escape.

...

After wandering the city for a bit, Yi Shen arrived at the park where he had arranged to meet Zhu You. Realizing he might now be his parents’ greatest vulnerability, he exercised even greater caution.

Yi Shen spent half an hour observing the surroundings, then watched as a girl in a pink hoodie approached. Confirming she wasn’t being followed, he revealed himself to Zhu You. He knew that any interaction was dangerous now, but he needed an intermediary to help with the things he could no longer do himself.

“Sorry... I was doing my makeup just now, so I’m a bit late...”

Zhu You apologized immediately upon seeing Yi Shen, assuming he had been waiting for a while. This awkwardness and shyness seemed genuine, and it lowered Yi Shen’s guard somewhat.

“It’s fine. How did things go with what I asked you last time?” Yi Shen inquired.

During their previous meeting, he had asked Zhu You to monitor information about Peach Blossom Dock and to look for suitable mage skill books or good equipment on the market.

“Mm, I’ve organized all the posts from this period for you. You’re right, some were deleted, but I backed up a few that seemed important.” Zhu You nodded, having done her research as requested, and now had a general understanding of the situation. She even had vague suspicions about Yi Shen’s identity, but didn’t ask—whatever his affiliation, he was certainly far above an ordinary citizen like herself.

Yi Shen parsed the information Zhu You provided. Most of it matched what he had found, but it was more detailed about Peach Blossom Dock’s recent movements. The deleted posts concerned rumors of other guilds encroaching on Peach Blossom Dock.

“Are you alright?”

Zhu You could tell Yi Shen was unhappy, though she didn’t know how to comfort him. He seemed exhausted, and she noticed.

“I’m fine,” Yi Shen replied, shaking his head.

“I’ve kept an eye on the skill books you mentioned. Mage skill books are pretty expensive right now. I’ve organized a price range for you.” Zhu You thought for a moment, then continued, “Also, my classmate recently found a mage skill book for Blink. Apparently it’s quite important for mages.”

“Blink?” Yi Shen looked up, intrigued.