TTGOL CH96

Chapter 96: Tianzhi

Jin Cheng handed Meng Yufei’s matter over to K, but a full four days passed without any progress. It was as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth after entering the instance, leaving no trace behind.

Could he be dead? But would someone capable of surviving a run-in with Jin Cheng die so quickly in an instance? Neither K nor Jin Cheng believed so.

Because of this, K’s face had been a bit dark these past few days. He didn’t want his reputation ruined over Meng Yufei, so he spent even more energy investigating, wanting to find some clues before Jin Cheng entered his next instance.

The results were disappointing.

He didn’t find Meng Yufei, but he did discover something else.

Chen Liu of Tianzhi had died.

The man who relied on his status as an elder to constantly ostracize Jiang He, ultimately causing Jiang He to leave Tianzhi, died in the Zone G prison four hours ago.

Chen Liu had a knack for offending people, so it was completely normal for him to be killed to the point of being sent to prison. Today’s Tianzhi was not what it used to be. Its vitality was severely damaged after Jin Cheng sent them to prison en masse, and having lost Jiang He, they were barely hanging on in Zone A. Those who previously didn’t dare target Chen Liu were now emboldened to do so.

Therefore, Chen Liu’s imprisonment didn’t attract anyone’s attention at first. Even Chong Yanzhang didn’t take it to heart.

He even felt a long-lost sense of gratification.

Chen Liu was the main reason for Jiang He’s departure.

Chong Yanzhang was no fool; of course, he knew that ten Chen Lius tied together couldn’t match a single Jiang He. But Jiang He had already left. He could only stabilize Chen Liu to stabilize the other elders. With Chen Liu in prison again, Chong Yanzhang only hoped he would learn his lesson and stop causing trouble for him.

Who could have expected that Chen Liu would completely die in prison?

The news hadn’t reached Zone A yet. K’s informants received the news from someone fresh out of prison and informed K immediately. K happened to be chatting with Jin Cheng about Meng Yufei. After brief consideration, he sold the information to Jin Cheng.

“Consider this the interest on the delay.” Thanks to Black Hat, K had become much more generous recently.

Jin Cheng gladly accepted. His first reaction upon hearing the news was: “Tianzhi is finished.”

K nodded in deep agreement, a hint of mockery playing at the corners of his mouth. “Chong Yanzhang abandoned Jiang He for those elders, but now Jiang He is gone, and he couldn’t even protect Chen Liu. When the hearts of the people scatter, everything is finished.”

Tang Cuo had also come with Jin Cheng this time. Hearing the two clamoring about how “Tianzhi is finished,” he suddenly remembered a neglected question: “Where did Jiang He go?”

K looked over. “Tracking Jiang He’s whereabouts isn’t easy. He’s a Mist Shadow Assassin; he’s perfectly suited for the eternal night of Yong Ye City.”

“I’m just asking if you know.” Jin Cheng tapped the table with his knuckles. “So much nonsense.”

K rolled his eyes at him. “I’m talking to Tang Cuo; what does this have to do with you?”

Jin Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Then do you know or not? If you don’t know this and you don’t know that, I think you’re better off shutting down your business.”

“Cursing me to shut down every other day—do you have a grudge against me?”

“This is caring out of love.”

K picked up his wine glass, ready to smash it over Jin Cheng’s head, but considering the glass was quite expensive, he suppressed the thought. After going back and forth like this, his temper had completely fizzled out. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Someone saw him in Zone F about ten days ago. As for what he’s doing now or why he was there—no one knows. Jiang He is a lone wolf now, and plenty of people want to recruit him. As far as I know, Wudao has sent people to look for him.”

Wudao was the organization the Puppeteer Yao Qing belonged to.

After a brief thought, Jin Cheng smiled. “You must have sold this intel for a good price, right?”

K smiled but didn’t answer. However, this was an unspoken truth. With the intel in K’s hands, he could always find the right buyer and sell it for a good price. He might know more, but Jin Cheng’s current focus wasn’t on Jiang He, nor did he want to spend too many points on this.

But no matter what, Jiang He was a Zone A elite. Jin Cheng had sent him to prison, not demoted him, so why would he appear in Zone F again?

Jin Cheng looked at Tang Cuo, who also looked thoughtful. A moment later, Tang Cuo looked up and asked, “Who killed Chen Liu in prison? Was it the same person who killed him in Yong Ye City, or someone else?”

“Highly likely the same person.” K narrowed his eyes. “He was killed in the Central District. The killer acted so fast that before anyone around them could react, Chen Liu and the assassin had both turned into light. He was then killed a second time in prison shortly after, with an interval of less than an hour. If the other party wasn’t specifically targeting him to kill him, what else could it be?”

“Do you know their specific identity?”

“The other party wore a disguise.”

Yong Ye City was full of capable individuals. There were countless ways to avoid being recognized, so it was perfectly normal to be unable to investigate it for the time being. To put it bluntly, this was Tianzhi’s business, so Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo didn’t express much else.

Wen Xiaoming had already cleared his instance and reported to Zone E every day like clockwork. Jin Cheng told him the news about Tianzhi, instructed him to keep an eye on the shifting dynamics in Zone A, and the matter was left at that.

But who could have expected that just one day later, an even greater upheaval would occur?

This was sixteen hours before Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo triggered their mandatory mission.

Less than two hours after returning from Zone E, Wen Xiaoming rushed back frantically from Zone A. He stormed through the door, and before he could even catch his breath to drink some water, he said, “Chong Yanzhang personally went to the prison to avenge Chen Liu. Who would have thought a prison riot would break out, and he was beaten to death by the mob!”

Jin Cheng was completely baffled. “What did you say?”

Wen Xiaoming: “Chong Yanzhang! In prison! Beaten to death by a mob!”

Jin Cheng: “That actually fucking worked?”

Wen Xiaoming nodded furiously.

Tang Cuo: “Why did a riot break out? Did the Warden do nothing?”

That was an excellent question.

Jin Cheng thought seriously for a few seconds and answered, “Because he’s a pervert. Our high-and-mighty Warden just loves to watch everyone jump around desperately while failing to escape his palm. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t really like obedient prisoners.”

This was a very compelling reason, and Tang Cuo found himself persuaded. He changed the subject, “Chen Liu and Chong Yanzhang meeting with accidents one after the other—there must be a connection between the two.”

Jin Cheng nodded, reining in his casual posture slightly. “No matter what, Chong Yanzhang was once a top ten player on the Red Board. For him to meet his end in such a dramatic fashion is truly bizarre.”

As for why he was a top ten player—it was because after the battle of East Cross Street, he had dropped completely out of the top ten.

Finally, Jin Cheng said, “We need to take a trip to the prison and see exactly what kind of monsters and demons are hiding in there. But before that, I really want to know where Jiang He is right now.”

Tang Cuo: “You think Jiang He is involved in this?”

“Jiang He definitely wouldn’t attack Chong Yanzhang. With his personality, unless Chen Liu was practically asking for death, he wouldn’t take the initiative to kill him either. But Jiang He just left Tianzhi. Whether he’s involved in this or not, he will definitely be implicated in the end.”

After a pause, Jin Cheng added, “Tianzhi has scattered. Those left will either become dejected stray dogs or rabid dogs biting everyone in sight. With Chen Liu killed, Jiang He will absolutely be the prime suspect.”

Jin Cheng had never held Tianzhi in high regard. It seemed that aside from Jiang He, he didn’t even pay much attention to Chong Yanzhang.

With that, Jin Cheng immediately sent Wen Xiaoming to the Ruby Tavern to continue inquiring about Jiang He’s whereabouts. As for himself, he felt that just him and Tang Cuo storming the prison wasn’t enough; they needed a bodyguard.

Tang Cuo didn’t think Jin Cheng looked like someone who would obediently admit defeat at all. With a malicious smile, Tang Cuo couldn’t help but look behind Jin Cheng after hearing who the bodyguard was.

Jin Cheng: “What’s wrong? Is there something behind me?”

Yes, a big bushy wolf tail.

You’re getting Leng Miao as a helper because “he has experience being in prison”? Are you trying to piss him off to death?

When Rong Yi heard Jin Cheng’s request, he also remained silent for a long time. He began to contemplate whether seeking cooperation with Jin Cheng outside Black Hat’s grocery store had been a mistaken decision.

“If you get him as a helper, he might not be able to resist stabbing you halfway there.”

Jin Cheng: “Miaomiao is a mage; he doesn’t use knives.”

Rong Yi: “…I’ll try.”

When Rong Yi said “try,” he merely meant passing on the message. But he felt that simply passing on the message was already an extremely bold move, because it meant he might lose his friend Leng Miao.

Sure enough, after hearing his words, Leng Miao directly crushed a cup in his hand.

“Is there something wrong with him?”

“It doesn’t look like it.”

“Then it must be a hidden illness, one you can’t see.”

“I agree.”

Chi Yan had been following Rong Yi around, and Rong Yi hadn’t deliberately avoided him. With the two big bosses talking, he didn’t dare interrupt, but internally he was furiously holding a grudge, planning to go back and tattle on them.

This was thirteen hours before Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo triggered their mandatory mission.

Wen Xiaoming couldn’t get any more news about Jiang He from K. Instead, the turmoil in Zone A continued to spread, radiating outward from the Central District across the entire city.

It had been a long time since a prominent figure like Chong Yanzhang truly died in Yong Ye City. Powerhouses definitely possessed many life-saving methods and wouldn’t die easily. Furthermore, elites in Zone A who reached such positions usually acted with restraint. Unless they were facing a mortal enemy, there was no need to deal a lethal blow.

Despite all this, Tang Cuo still felt the news was spreading a bit too quickly.

“Fishing in troubled waters?” he said.

“Catching which fish?” Jin Cheng asked in return.

“For instance, you.”

“Then this isn’t called fishing, this is called bombing the pond.”

Jin Cheng lay lazily on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow, slouching without any proper posture. He looked up at Tang Cuo walking past the sofa and continued, “There are still plenty of hermits from the ancient tomb sect in Yong Ye City. Exactly how many people are hiding behind the scenes causing trouble, I’m afraid even Lin Yandong can’t be completely certain. People like Rong Yi, who are relatively decent, can only live difficult lives.”

Tang Cuo offered no comment.

In the end, he asked, “Why choose Leng Miao?”

Jin Cheng smiled. “Spatial control. It’s a very useful skill.”

Meanwhile, in Zone A.

On the somewhat desolate long street, the streetlights seemed scattered and sparse, the lighting dim. A blurry figure walked under the lights. The light couldn’t illuminate his specific outline; he looked as if he were wrapped in fog, perpetually on the verge of scattering with the wind.

Suddenly, things grew lively ahead. Countless eyes watched from the shadows, and at the focal point of those countless gazes, low curses and exasperated yelling mixed together, abruptly exploding.

It was the Tianzhi headquarters.

The blurry figure was Jiang He. Separated by a street from the villa he was so intimately familiar with, he just watched, feeling it grow increasingly distant.

He was somewhat dazed.

Chong Yanzhang had actually died.

Even now, Jiang He felt it was surreal. He had once felt gratitude toward Chong Yanzhang, and he had also harbored a trace of resentment while in prison. But in the end, all he wanted was for them to go their separate ways. He hadn’t expected Tianzhi to collapse so quickly.

“Chen Liu is dead, and the Boss is dead too. This must be revenge! Who else could it be but Jiang He? Who else harbors so much hatred for us?!” Voices like this echoed from inside the house.

Not a single ripple stirred in Jiang He’s heart; he only felt that his memories of the past year had suddenly faded. It had clearly only been a little over half a month ago, yet it felt as blurry as if it had happened last year.

After a long time, he remembered what Zheng Yingying had told him before they parted ways: “If you’ve thought it through, wait for me outside the prison when I get out. I’m not forcing you to come with me.”

The little girl was very stubborn, and there seemed to be a hint of pique in her words.

“A melon twisted off the vine by force isn’t sweet.”