The Vanished List

The day after the Black Fire Gang purge.

13th Floor Treatment Center.

Outside the Medical Room, Zhou Zhengde looked through the glass at Wang Jixuan lying quietly on the hospital bed.

Anyone could see that Wang Jixuan was in an exceptionally terrible mental state.

Wang Jixuan had removed the Nano mask and returned to Mu Liang's appearance. Before Zhou Zhengde came over, he had already deleted the identity of "Zhou Tiantian" from the archives, leaving no trace behind.

Wang Jixuan simply lay there with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

The image of the girl in the white dress kept flashing through his mind, along with the resentful souls floating around her.

Why hadn't I fired then? She had clearly already entered demonic state...

Had this poor Daoist let a demon return to the mountains?

Wang Jixuan laughed bitterly to himself, trying not to dwell on it and allowing the cracks in his Dao heart to slowly mend.

The elderly landlady, Thomas, Ban Wenying, Wen Heisen, Ye Zi...

He seemed to have always underestimated the power of the human heart, believing that wondrous cultivation methods could create everything.

He was beginning to vaguely understand the purpose of Worldly Heart Refining.

This was not an ordinary mortal world, much less the cave where he had spent more than a century in secluded cultivation. No one had to walk the path he envisioned. Every living being had its own path.

The way of humanity lay within this place.

The way of heaven ended in profound mystery.

This poor Daoist also has his own path.

If this poor Daoist can ascend someday, then before leaving, I can kill the powerful monsters of This Realm. That would mean this journey was not in vain. As for everything else... I should not overthink it.

I regret what happened to Ye Zi, but she has already entered demonic state. She must be eliminated as soon as possible.

Click-clack, click-clack.

The sharp, rhythmic sound of high heels striking concrete rang out.

Zhou Zhengde turned to look at Wei Na as she approached and asked softly, "What happened to Mu Liang? Didn't we win? He was responsible for eighty percent of this miracle of a victory. The rest of us combined should account for twenty percent."

"I don't know."

Wei Na folded her arms and shrugged.

"When I found him, his gaze was already a little vacant. I brought him back immediately.

"Maybe he was injured in his fight against the Psionicist An Qian?

"Don't Psionicists have a skill called Mental Shock?"

"Without question, Mu Liang is a hero. He took out one-fifth of the Black Fire Gang by himself, eliminated a D-Class Psionicist who had illegally entered the Lower City, and severely wounded another D-Class Psionicist who had committed serious violations. It must have been hard on him."

Zhou Zhengde muttered this, giving the matter a simple assessment before changing the subject.

"There are still some things we need to ask him about.

"Sister Ban has gone missing. Her last stopped-pulse signal was on the forty-ninth floor. Many people have already been sent to look for her. Right now, they suspect that the charred corpse inside a wrecked car is Ban Wenying, and they're conducting genetic analysis.

"The Black Fire Gang's boss died together with the old goat Thomas. They were burned into charcoal.

"I have some unpleasant suspicions—Sister Ban may have been constantly borrowing resources to do things beyond our limits, and things blew up in her face. My mother has already sent people to investigate the documents Sister Ban left behind.

"Also, in that cabin, we found the bodies of more than ten children. Their hearts had each been pierced by more than ten kitchen knives, and large quantities of sleeping pills were found in their bodies. We don't know who killed those orphans."

Wei Na frowned. "What about 13th Institute? Weren't they making a lot of noise?"

Zhou Zhengde sighed. "Our informant in 13th Institute said their person in charge is in a terrible mood."

Wang Jixuan's voice sounded from inside the room.

"That person in charge has a problem... Come in. I'll tell you about these things."

Zhou Zhengde and Wei Na immediately pushed open the door and entered, both smiling a little more.

Wang Jixuan added, "No need to whisper out there. If you have questions, just ask them directly. I chose to return here because I trust you two."

Zhou Zhengde and Wei Na both looked just a little guilty.

Zhou Zhengde pulled over a chair and sat beside the bed. Wei Na folded her arms and leaned her back against the door, preventing anyone from barging in unexpectedly.

Zhou Zhengde asked, "What's wrong with your body, Mu Liang? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

"It feels like I had a nightmare."

Wang Jixuan raised a hand and covered his forehead.

"Zheng De, we're partners, so I'll tell you what happened last night. But there are some things I don't want to say, and I won't say them.

"Help me find someone first. Her name is Little Ye Zi. She's a girl around twelve or thirteen, wearing a white dress and carrying a suitcase... She is extremely dangerous. If she resists with a weapon, shoot her dead immediately."

"Alright." Zhou Zhengde agreed at once and took out his communicator. "I'll send the Cleansing Force to look for her directly."

Wang Jixuan said, "My Dao heart was in turmoil at the time. I made a mistake and failed to eliminate her directly. That may leave some hidden danger behind."

"Is she a Psionicist?"

"No. She was the one who killed those orphans. She's well-read and very intelligent. I honestly don't understand her motive..."

"Then that's fine." Zhou Zhengde let out a breath. "As long as she isn't a Psionicist."

Wang Jixuan slowly sighed. "I'll start with the part about Thomas..."

He decided to tell them the truth.

A few minutes later.

The Medical Room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Wei Na's face was full of shock. "The Biological Affairs Minister of Fortress 76, the representative of 13th Institute, and Big Mouth Hua, whom I killed, were biological brothers? This..."

Zhou Zhengde abruptly stood up like a furious lion, turned, and rushed into the restroom. His roar quickly rang out from inside.

"Mom! You have to give me an explanation! Why are there cameras all around me?! You love me? I'm already over thirty! I have my own life! Mom, you've gone too far! You've really gone too far! We shouldn't meet again for a while! Ban Wenying colluded with Thomas! She wanted to intensify factional conflict to create political opportunities for herself! Yes! We found it! That charred corpse is her! Ban Wenying and Thomas turned on each other! Thomas killed her! Thomas and the Black Fire Gang boss turned on each other! Thomas killed the Black Fire Gang boss too! Thomas was ultimately killed by my people! And you still have the nerve to say Ban Wenying was your person... You couldn't even see what your own secretary was doing! That's human nature! Human nature includes the part that is easily corrupted by power! Handle it yourself! Don't let Ban Wenying's affairs disturb our 13th Floor! If you can't handle it, I'll go find Grandpa!"

Bang!

Zhou Zhengde kicked open the restroom door and stormed out of the ward.

"Search my office! Find every camera! The gang installed cameras in my office!"

Several Security Team members ran off.

Zhou Zhengde gently exhaled, then returned to the ward and squeezed his eyes shut.

He walked to the bedside in a dejected state and gave Wang Jixuan an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know Ban Wenying had been using me all along. My mother also bears a lot of responsibility in this matter... Remember, you didn't kill Ban and that old woman. Thomas did. You only killed Thomas. That will save us a lot of trouble later."

"Alright."

Wang Jixuan sighed softly.

"My mind is exhausted right now, and I can no longer distinguish what is righteous from what is evil, what is real from what is false."

"Mu Liang, what happened with Ye Zi hit you hard, didn't it?"

Wei Na delicately sensed this and spoke softly.

"Think about it. Who did that landlady of yours raise?

"Some researcher, Thomas, and Wen Heisen should all have been connected to her as well.

"That old woman was the Black Hole of the Lower City, a black hole of human nature. The closer people got to her, the more easily she twisted them. Little Ye Zi was merely an extension of her evil thoughts... This sort of distorted personality is clearly and thoroughly described in the fortress's psychological disorders manual."

Wang Jixuan smiled. "I'm not that fragile. I just couldn't accept it for a while. This is also my first time encountering such things."

Zhou Zhengde drooped his head. "Alright, then. Ban Wenying played me from start to finish. And I kept calling her sister. I was even thinking about helping her make connections later and get her a position on the Council Hall."

Wang Jixuan asked, "How is the Black Fire Gang?"

"Mostly resolved." Zhou Zhengde pulled himself together. "I still have to go deal with the aftermath. That's about it."

Zhou Zhengde lightly pursed his lips.

"My mom is actually just an excellent accountant and coordinator. Many people helped her reach her current position.

"But my mom is too forceful. Only when my grandfather scolds her a few times will she settle down.

"I can foresee that because of Ban Wenying, my mom will be put in a passive position afterward. So will we. I still need to find a way to turn that passivity into initiative."

Wei Na added from the side, "Aunt Zhou is actually a decent person. After all, Zheng De was raised by her. But this is a fortress, you know. Everyone might be a little abnormal."

Zhou Zhengde said seriously, "I relied on my own abilities to enter the Upper City Enforcement Team through an entirely anonymous examination. I solved several major cases and became Vice-Captain."

"Yes, your abilities." Wei Na snorted. "You say that as if ordinary people could even take that exam."

Zhou Zhengde suddenly had no idea how to refute her.

Wang Jixuan's thoughts turned slightly.

He smiled. "Then can I quietly cultivate here, temper my own nature, and return to a peaceful life?"

"Of course!"

Zhou Zhengde rubbed the tip of his nose.

"But before that, I want to confirm something clearly. We're friends now, right? Comrades, friends, brothers."

"Yes." Wang Jixuan gave him an affirmative answer.

Mainly because he owed this guy too many favors.

"Then how about we celebrate tonight? At my dormitory. Wei Na and one of her female colleagues will also attend. We can have a small gathering to celebrate this operation to wipe out the Black Fire Gang."

Zhou Zhengde smiled.

"There's still a lot to deal with in the Lower City, but I guarantee they will never threaten you again. The Cleansing Force will be stationed in the Black Fire Gang's territory for three months.

"I've already submitted a proposal for standardized operations in the blood products industry. In other words, turning the blood products supplied to the United Defense Force into an open business directly managed by the authorities. The Governor's secretary said the feedback was very good.

"Although this can only have a partial effect, it's better than doing nothing.

"Also, Mu Liang, I've already had someone return that large-caliber Sniper Rifle and the Remaining grenades to the military. As for the other items—the pistol, protective suit, helmet, and so on, things with limited firepower—I've had them placed in your new dormitory.

"You are now the 13th Floor Security Team Patrol Deputy Leader. Your weekly pay is 45 General Quota, 40 Food Quota, 10 Medical Quota, and legal gun ownership rights.

"There's another key issue here: that secret ledger and list from your landlady... Do you remember them?"

The ledger and list?

Wang Jixuan nodded lightly. "I've heard of the landlady's list."

"Yes, the records of crimes committed by those Upper City elders and Fortress 76's 13th Institute." Zhou Zhengde sighed. "With that thing, I can send them to prison."

Wang Jixuan thought for a moment. "I can go down and look for it, as repayment for what I owe you."

"Don't go! The Psionicists from 13th Institute have already rushed down there. They're also looking for that list. People from every side have poured into the forty-ninth floor."

Zhou Zhengde shook his head.

"Compared to that, your safety is more important.

"That filthy list will definitely become the main focal point. Three high-ranking officials have already quietly questioned me about it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have noticed. It will probably stir up some trouble later.

"During last night's fierce firefight, all the Black Fire Gang's upper and middle ranks were killed. No survivors were left, including Wen Heisen... The Cleansing Force did that deliberately, while the Psionicists of 13th Institute stepped in to clear out some of the Black Fire Gang thugs.

"It would have been nice if one or two of them had survived."

Wang Jixuan smiled. "I didn't consider the list before. I hit too hard."

"That's a good thing. You were doing something right and just!

"Don't blame yourself over these things. None of us are gods. Your efforts had a positive meaning and successfully contributed another brick to the revival of Human Civilization."

Zhou Zhengde clapped his hands.

"I'll keep watch, then prepare a small party. A very proper party, just to celebrate us taking down the Black Fire Gang."

With that, he hummed a cheerful tune and strode away.

A party?

Right now, Wang Jixuan only wanted to find another cultivation paradise like the Wanlijin greenhouse district.

Wei Na muttered from the side, "May I boldly ask, if I invite a female colleague, what would you personally prefer? A long dress or a short skirt, black stockings or white stockings, someone younger or someone more mature? Conservative or open? To be more precise, do you think waist-to-hip ratio is more important, or longer legs, or a fuller chest? My younger colleagues won't refuse to start dating young Security Team officials."

Wang Jixuan answered seriously, "The soul. A pure soul is most important."

Before leaving, Wei Na secretly raised her middle finger.

From an angle Wang Jixuan could not see.