Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Dark Sorcerer

Yi Shen had little experience when it came to interrogations.

He simply told Zhao Zhilong that he wanted to know some information about Yi Qinfeng and Peach Blossom Hollow. If Zhao Zhilong could satisfy him with his answers, Yi Shen might consider sparing his life. However, if Zhao Zhilong’s account differed from the facts Yi Shen already knew, then he would not live to see the sunrise.

At first, Zhao Zhilong rambled and hesitated, trying to evade the questions. But after a few threats from Yi Shen—when he was on the verge of bleeding out and faced with the imminent threat of death—Zhao Zhilong finally broke down and revealed some information.

After all, it seemed that An Qing had already abandoned him in recent days. Zhao Zhilong needed to plan for his own future. Even though the raid on Peach Blossom Hollow’s Eastern District had cost him dearly, over the years he had amassed a considerable stash of his own. If he were to die here, all of it would come to nothing.

“So An Qing had dealings with the Blood Butcher long ago?”

Listening to Zhao Zhilong’s confession, Yi Shen realized that An Qing was even more ruthless than he had imagined. As the vice president of logistics at Peach Blossom Hollow, An Qing had established ties with the Blood Butcher two years ago and had been using that relationship to enrich himself ever since. Moreover, the Blood Butcher had managed such rapid growth because many within Peach Blossom Hollow had already paved the way for them.

Just two months earlier, An Qing had apparently been plotting something with the Blood Butcher, smuggling significant supplies into Moonlight Land, and even recruiting elite explorers from small guilds into their ranks. Not long after, news broke of an incident in Moonlight Land. An Qing had been prepared, ensuring that his own people were positioned to rise through the ranks when the time came.

Yi Shen had suspected that the situation in Moonlight Land was more complicated than the official story. But learning that it was the work of insiders at Peach Blossom Hollow filled him with a surge of anger. An Qing was the sort of man who would sacrifice anything for his own gain. Even now, as president, without the strength to defend his position, it was only a matter of time before Peach Blossom Hollow became someone else’s prize.

Beyond this, Zhao Zhilong confessed to many other things he had done for An Qing. For example, because of the name and history of Peach Blossom Hollow, it was particularly popular among female students at the major martial academies. Every year during recruitment, Zhao Zhilong would specifically select a batch of presentable young women and assign them to various posts as interns—a kind of unspoken rule. Within the guild, many members of the logistics department maintained connections with outside merchants, which had become a matter of course. The larger teams usually worked outside the guild, and to keep things running smoothly, most leaders simply turned a blind eye.

Yi Shen had only hoped to learn something about his father. He never expected that the Peach Blossom Hollow he viewed through a lens of romantic idealism had already decayed from the inside. No wonder his father sometimes came home in a foul mood, quarreling with the upper management of the guild. In hindsight, so much now made sense to Yi Shen.

...

Although Zhao Zhilong had committed many crimes, he was at least straightforward.

He selectively confessed An Qing’s misdeeds, and from then on, answered Yi Shen’s questions truthfully. So, Yi Shen kept his word and gave him a cleaner end than he might have deserved.

After all, he’d only promised to consider sparing him. On reflection, Yi Shen decided against it. Letting Zhao Zhilong go would only endanger himself, not to mention the many wrongs Zhao Zhilong had committed over the years. Such a cancer, if left unchecked, could ruin countless more lives.

By the time everything was finished, it was past four in the morning. Though Yi Shen’s attributes had grown yet again this night, he felt little joy. Especially during the seizure of supplies and the killing of a few guards, that familiar, chilling indifference rose up within him—he even contemplated turning his attention on the bystanders.

When it came to dealing with Zhao Zhilong, although some calculation was involved, Yi Shen felt as though something intangible was guiding him toward bloodshed. Even after Zhao Zhilong’s death, a certain power within Yi Shen seemed to loosen—a power that did not show up on his stats, but which he could feel in his bones.

Yi Shen remembered his father telling him that after reaching level sixty or so, a person’s true strength was no longer reflected by the numbers on their character sheet. The panel was merely a representation; subtle factors could not be captured in data.

A warrior who had practiced swordsmanship since childhood would be far more powerful than one who had simply switched classes and built up stats with resources. This was one reason, even now, the martial academies had never been abolished.

Yi Shen’s stats had ballooned, but he realized he had not fully tapped into his potential. Most of his achievements relied on the no-cooldown special effect. He knew he needed to study further, perhaps finding other ways to improve his overall abilities.

...

Zhao Zhilong died swiftly.

His body was discovered at six in the morning, casting a new pall over the already chaotic Eastern District of Peach Blossom Hollow. Even the people from Jingbei Industrial and the special task force, who had arrived the night before, were left stunned. They hadn’t expected such audacity from this mysterious force—not only had they seized the supplies, they had killed Zhao Zhilong right under official noses, a blatant act of contempt for the authorities.

A wanted notice was soon posted on the official forum, just below the announcement from the previous day, sparking heated debate online.

Until now, the special task force had only served as a deterrent. In the past, once the four great guilds stepped in, trouble usually dissipated, and the task force existed merely in name. But this time, on the very day of the official announcement, one of the four great guilds suffered a catastrophic blow: the district chief was found dead in his office. The authorities could no longer ignore the threat.

With the official investigation and wild rumors swirling, a name began to surface in the public consciousness: “The Black Mage.”

Some came forward with more detailed information. Others watched with the morbid curiosity of spectators, remarking how Peach Blossom Hollow had truly fallen—one man had decimated an entire district.

Many had thought that, with the authorities involved, the unrest would soon subside. Yet now, it seemed that the undercurrents were only gathering strength. Some forces even began to question whether the fabled might of the great guilds was truly as formidable as legend claimed.

Bit by bit, the awe and fear once commanded by the leading guilds began to fade away.