The Awakening of the World (6,000 words)

"What exactly happened?"

As Xiao Xiao stood quietly at the edge of the city, looking ahead, the crowd behind him caught up. They all stared in disbelief at the scattered bloodstains on the edge of the city and the empty mist surrounding the torn wound. They had just seen Yang Jia's back, but they were not quite sure. When Xiao Xiao called them over, he only said that he had something to do and did not mention that it was related to Yang Jia.

Most importantly, how could that person possibly be Yang Jia?

Although Yang Jia wasn't from Black Gate City, she was more reliable than anyone else in Black Gate City...

Amidst the astonishment, the buildings on both sides, which had melted into flesh and blood, were slowly healing and returning to their original state. Mister Ye's projection had clearly reached this direction of the city, but he remained silent. He seemed to have already understood something.

"Someone attacked Black Gate City."

Faced with everyone's surprise and doubt, Xiao Xiao remained silent for a moment before whispering, "Yang Jia has been taken into custody by them."

"What?"

The crowd was even more shocked.

The Enhancement Element the Stranger are diverse, and there are quite a few ways to control people.

Even now, Ruan Ruan, in addition to her violent power, has also mastered the method of controlling people.

However, with Yang Jia's formidable strength, how many people could control her?

Furthermore...

Someone has taken control of Yang Jia and even fought with the chairman, which means that someone is an enemy of Black Gate City.

Who would dare provoke Black Gate City now? It's a world-renowned forbidden zone of hell. Night's End City was utterly defeated by the guild leader alone. After the previous gambling battle, Black Gate City's foundation has also surged, and its power has grown rapidly. At the current rate, it will probably soon recover to the size it was when the Old Chairman was in charge, or even surpass that size...

Who would choose this time to offend Black Gate City?

"Don't worry, he's not some big shot, just someone who needs a little attention."

Xiao Xiao was deep in Mind Burst, but he didn't say anything to them directly. He just nodded slightly. He needed some time to sort things out. Telling them about these things in advance might cause unnecessary panic.

"Don't affect the president."

At this moment, a local aboriginal man with a blank expression slowly raised his head and looked at the crowd.

After a moment's reaction, everyone realized that Mister Ye's projection had appeared on them. He gave Xiao Xiao a deep look, then addressed the group. "Now, everyone go back and remain vigilant. Those at the lord level and above should await the guild leader's summons at any time. As for the Noah Project, think about it. Perhaps we will soon face the crucial decision..."

Everyone listened and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Originally, all affairs in Black Gate City were indeed arranged by Mister Ye. Tingye and Yang Jia.

But now Xiao Xiao's reputation has soared and his strength has increased rapidly, especially after he won the bet with the Hell Organization. He has gradually built up great prestige in Black Gate City, and people subconsciously obey his commands when he is present.

"Just follow Mister Ye's arrangements."

Xiao Xiao was also somewhat agitated at this moment, and simply waved his hand lazily.

He paused for a moment, then added, "If you're really in a hurry and have nothing else to do, you can go to the bar and wait for me."

Everyone nodded, but no one left.

Xiao Xiao already knew that there was no point in staying here any longer. He turned to leave, but then suddenly remembered something and turned back to Yang Jia's white SUV parked by the roadside. This car was Yang Jia's favorite. However, in the fight just now, he had knocked off the car door and Yang Jia had torn a hole in the roof. But since it was her car, he still had to drive it back for her.

Fortunately, the driving system worked fine. Xiao Xiao turned the car around and drove straight to the bar.

On the way, I glanced to the side and saw the menthol cigarettes that Yang Jia had left in the car, so I picked them up and lit one silently.

A feeling of unease, even a touch of irritability, welled up from the bottom of my heart in an instant.

"Sizzle..."

Suddenly, a series of static noises came from the car stereo. Shortly after, Mister Ye's electronic voice softly rang out in the car.

Did Yang Jia betray them?

"..."

"There is no such thing as betrayal."

Xiao Xiao shook his head and said, "I've already said it, she's just being controlled by someone."

Thinking about Yang Jia's expression when she left, he felt increasingly annoyed and said, "Didn't you notice anything amiss beforehand?"

"Undetectable."

Mister Ye said, "I once caused Ms. Yang Jia's dissatisfaction by concealing some things. Later, we made peace, but her condition was that I was not allowed to look at her casually. So, I only found out after you reminded me."

"Black Gate City has three people skilled in spying, yet they still couldn't guard against this change..."

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Xiao Xiao's voice.

Black Gate City has Mister Ye, who seems to be everywhere Old Zhou Under the Bridge, who is good at intelligence work; and himself, a fourth-stage observer. But Yang Jia was controlled silently under such circumstances, and no one could detect it. This made his depressed mood rise even more, and even on the basis of this mood, a strong resentment arose.

"That's not the kind of power we have at this level of life."

Mister Ye explained softly, "The connection between the Branders and the Mysterious Source is above all else. Therefore, even our city cannot prevent that power from descending upon Yang Jia. Mr. Xiao, you don't need to blame yourself for this."

"None of that matters."

Xiao Xiao shook his head and slowly said, "The important thing is how to save Yang Jia."

"You know more than I do, don't you know any way to rescue the controlled Branders?"

"..."

When I talk to Mister Ye, he can always give me an answer immediately.

Even a slight pause is merely a change in tone, a form of expression.

But this time, Xiao Xiao felt that he actually paused for a long time before whispering, "There's no way, Mr. Xiao."

"Whether you call it Mysterious Source, the City Will, or even the mother figure among the natives, that existence is far beyond our level. You could even say that they are gods, and we outsiders are believers, Branders, and fanatical believers who will never betray us. Her relationship with the Mysterious Source..."

"... it is a mysterious connection that transcends any level."

"Just like those who would sacrifice their own relatives for their so-called gods."

"How can we save God's fanatics from His hands?"

"..."

There must be a way!

As Mister Ye answered, Xiao Xiao's voice suddenly became louder.

Yang Jia had previously said there was nothing he could do, and now Mister Ye was also saying there was nothing he could do, which suddenly ignited a hidden anger within him.

In contrast, Mister Ye did not answer.

He could sense the suppressed anger in Xiao Xiao, but he couldn't offer an answer.

Xiao Qi continued driving in silence. The SUV, missing a door and with a sunroof, attracted the attention of passersby, but Xiao Xiao ignored them and silently pressed the accelerator for a long, long time.

He seemed to have figured something out and said softly, "At least, the Mysterious Source can be killed, right?"

Mister Ye. Ye remained silent for a long time, as if he too was taken aback by the question.

After a long pause, he slowly replied, "Legend has it that the Hell Organization has a record of killing a Mysterious Source, Dante Organization has also captured one. However, you should understand that there are significant differences between Mysterious Source. There are many Mysterious Source in the Mist Sea, some very weak, but the one behind Yang Jia is..."

"No need to say anything more."

Xiao Xiao pursed his lips and slowly said, "It's good that we can kill him."

When he drove the car back to the bar, Lin Bo and the others arrived. Unbound by the Lord Pact, they received the news later, but by now they must already know that Yang Jia was being controlled. Their expressions were extremely tense. As they greeted Xiao Xiao, they said, "Yang Jia's strength is renowned throughout the Dante Organization, especially since she's a powerful Branders..."

"... As far as I know, there are very few people who can control her!"

"..."

"We'll talk about it later. I need to look up some things."

Xiao Xiao interrupted Lin Bo and went straight upstairs to his office.

He sat on the sofa for a while, rubbed his face hard, and then slowly exhaled. He quickly went to his desk, used the information card to open the website he had visited before, and saw the densely packed, various kinds of spam posts.

Directly index keywords like "Branders" and then quickly browse through them.

The result was disappointing. In this forum where outsiders gathered, some tried to analyze the advantages of the branded, some wanted to categorize them, and some compared the strength and growth trajectory of the Branders with that of ordinary outsiders. However, there were no answers on how to save the Branders. Everyone agreed that the Branders could not betray their gods...

However, posts of this type are rare to begin with.

Because those Branders often don't need to try to betray or anything else.

Most of the Branders may never receive a direct summons from the Mysterious Source from birth to death. Even if they do, it's a good thing; it's just a mysterious command that they can complete and receive a generous reward for it.

Those Branders cannot betray; this seems to have become an ironclad rule.

But Xiao Xiao was not satisfied. He closed the forum and immediately found some more things.

This is the file folder the Shepherds just gave himself; it contains his identification documents and a lot of related information.

For example, the login method for the Black Forest database, and the personal ID.

At the same time that Xiao Xiao logged into the highly confidential database as instructed above, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded in the Black Goat Club's new address—a huge, bustling office that had just been moved into and put into use. Amidst the flashing red lights, rows of staff sitting in front of their computers exclaimed in alarm, "He's logged in!"

"So fast?"

Even the Shepherds holding a glass of red wine in that secluded corner of the open-plan second floor of the office was taken aback.

He immediately ordered, "See what he's looking for."

"The Branders..."

Soon someone reported, "He is searching for information using 'Branders' as a keyword."

"... It seems he wants to know how to rescue the Branders!"

"..."

Why this of all things?

The Shepherds was stunned for a moment, his face hardening. "I even specifically reminded him just now..."

"Is the problem serious?"

The Suit Man next to him, or rather, Mr. Wild Dog, the senior investigator of the Black Forest, couldn't help but look at him with concern.

The Shepherds nodded slowly and said, "My conversation with him was quite successful. Although I could see that he deeply resented me and truly had no ambition to actively save the world, I did make him understand that we could help him. In this situation, the fact that he sought our help for the first time is very important; it represents our value..."

"If we can't demonstrate our value, how can we even begin to discuss further cooperation?"

"..."

Mr. Wild Dog was also stunned for a moment, feeling that the problem was simply unsolvable.

Do we really have value in the eyes of strangers?

"Bell..."

Just then, the Shepherds's phone rang, and everyone immediately looked at him.

Only one person can make this call.

The Shepherds stared at the ringing landline, paused for a moment, put down his wine glass, tossed his cigar into the ashtray, rubbed his face, and the instant he answered the phone, his expression shifted to one of ease and confidence.

"Mr. Xiao, I didn't expect to be able to talk to you again so soon."

"..."

"I have a question for you."

Xiao Xiao's voice was very decisive. "How can we rescue a Branders is controlled by Mysterious Source?"

"... It can't be saved."

The Shepherds's mind raced at that moment. He initially wanted to dodge the question, but at the last second, he decided to tell the truth:

"This question is like me asking you, how do you rescue a stranger from the clutches of the mother?"

"The problem of the Branders is essentially the same as this problem, only it is more profound and more unsolvable..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao took a deep breath.

From his reaction, the Shepherds could actually sense the deep pressure and hidden anger within him.

During our conversation just now, he didn't show such a strong reaction at all. Even when we touched on some key issues, he only showed slight dissatisfaction, at most firing a shot at me in frustration. But now...

Fortunately, Xiao Xiao only took a breath before his voice rang out again:

"So, do you have any good suggestions regarding hunting down the Mysterious Source?"

"..."

The Shepherds paused for a moment, then a slowly spreading smile of excitement appeared on his face.

After seeing Yang Jia's departing figure, the people of Black Gate City were filled with unease. Although Mister Ye had said they could go back, they were confused about the situation and had many guesses in their hearts. So, they all gathered at Xiao Xiao's Iceberg Bar and sat on one side, silently waiting amidst the revelry of monsters and perverts around them.

An hour later, Little Four came over and said that Chairman Xiao invited them upstairs.

Surprisingly, when they entered the office, Xiao Xiao's face was not gloomy as before. Instead, he had a faint smile on his face, but this smile was even more frightening than when Xiao Xiao had a blank expression...

"You've probably already guessed it."

Xiao Xiao said, "It wasn't any organization or individual who controlled Yang Jia."

"Instead... it's Mysterious Source."

"..."

"The Mysterious Source?"

A sudden uproar erupted around them, and even Ruan Ruan's face turned deathly pale.

"Why would someone so high and mighty want to control Yang Jia?"

"She received a mysterious instruction? Perhaps we can help Yang Jia achieve this goal so that she can gain her freedom."

What is the purpose of this Mysterious Source?

"..."

"Its purpose is not important."

Xiao Xiao looked up at everyone and said, "I just wanted to tell you my plans."

"After this period of preparation, I have decided to carry out the plan left behind by the Old Chairman..."

"..."

Seeing that everyone's expressions were somewhat confused, Xiao Xiao smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know that a million points sounds scary and doesn't seem like a realistic goal. But fortunately, after preparing for so long, I've learned a way to save a little points. With this method, the Noah Project might be easier than we think."

Everyone was stunned, except for Red Eyes Ling Ping, who suddenly felt a sense of unease. "What?"

"Hunting the Mysterious Source."

Xiao Xiao looked at everyone and suddenly smiled and said, "Use its bones to make the skeleton of our great ship."

"This way, we can save a lot of points!"

"..."

The entire hall fell silent, and countless eyes fell on Xiao Xiao's face, making it appear somewhat blurred.

After an unknown amount of time, someone suddenly spoke in a trembling voice. It was Old Zhou Under the Bridge: "Hunting the Mysterious Source..."

"... Are you serious?"

"..."

Lin Bo, who had squeezed into the meeting by claiming to be Yang Jia's colleague, was also stunned.

"The Mysterious Source you mentioned, you wouldn't be referring to... the thing behind Yang Jia, would you?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao nodded, smiling, and looked at Old Zhou Under the Bridge, saying with a smile, "Do you think I'm joking?"

He had a smile on his face, but there was no smile in his eyes.

As the day progressed, the hidden anger within him began to burn in his heart. He could even feel that with each heartbeat, the entire Black Gate City seemed to resonate in some subtle way. Yang Jia's face kept flashing through his mind, along with the expression on Yang Jia face when she spoke to him before leaving. At that time, she probably thought, like everyone else, that she was beyond saving.

But her final thought was simply to convince herself that she must seek hope.

You've been too narrow-minded...

In my own eyes, this plan may still have many problems, and I don't even trust it from the bottom of my heart.

But in Yang Jia's eyes, this was her only hope...

... Then let's do it!

Xiao Xiao's pupils contracted slightly, and the corners of his mouth pursed: In the most bloody way.

When the Shepherds first told him about hunting the Mysterious Source, he felt panicked and incredulous.

But...

... Who told you to provoke her!

She said there was no other way and told me not to hold back next time, but then she picked up a cigarette again in front of me. Was she warning me or asking for help?

This inner change made his heart pound heavier and heavier. The city was filled with pressure, and just two floors below, in that noisy bar, the voice of the Record Player Miss suddenly became hoarse, like a sharp blade cutting into everyone's eardrums.

Inside the house, and in the neighbor's yard, three vicious dogs, for some unknown reason, got up and became somewhat agitated.

He wandered around in the yard.

At the end of the street, the Butcher suddenly stood up, his eyes gradually becoming bloodshot, and his excited hands trembling slightly.

Diagonally opposite Xiao Xiao's courtyard, behind the window with its white curtains fluttering, a slender shadow quietly watches the silent city, watching it sometimes transform into a sky full of blood and flesh, and sometimes into a gloomy, silent city.

Then, she chuckled.

At the same time, when Xiao Xiao told everyone about his decision to hunt down the Mysterious Source, Yang Jia was in the Mist Sea, surrounded by thick fog. She sat on a mountain of blood-soaked bones, next to a ship woven from countless corpses. This pirate organization in the Mist Sea was clearly unlucky; they encountered her as she left Black Gate City and even tried to take her aboard...

... So Yang Jia boarded the ship, but the pirates became part of the ship.

Yang Jia sat quietly on the pile of bones, watching the ship digest the corpses, his eyes like a fog.

"Buzz..."

After an unknown amount of time, a vague, door-shaped shadow suddenly appeared several dozen meters below the pile of bones beside Yang Jia. A man dressed in camouflage and military boots walked out of the door and calmly looked to his left and right.

He saw Yang Jia, but didn't greet her; he just grinned.

They know each other's identities.

Then another door appeared, then a second, a third, a seventeenth...

More and more people appeared, densely packed together. No one knew each other's identities, but they all heard the mysterious call and then passed through the door that had followed them for so long, arriving at this mysterious place. There they saw their companions, who were like themselves, worshipping the same Mysterious Source of the Branders, and preparing to carry out the command from the deepest part of their subconscious.

A legion was quickly established in just a few minutes.

Yang Jia watched these people appear with a cold eye, seemingly unconcerned, and only looked up after a long while.

Before her, a door also appeared, far more solid and profound than those of the others.

Through this door, Yang Jia could vaguely see a deep river and a tall, withered shadow behind it.

And the shadow hanging in front of him, a pale, bone-white hand.

Why must we kill him?

Yang Jia stared at the shadow behind the door and said softly, "They even went so far as to summon all the Branders?"

"Is it because of the Fourth Element within him?"

"..."

"No..."

The shadow behind the door slowly spoke, as if it had a gaze looking through the door at this distorted world.

"It's because..."

"... The world is beginning to awaken!"

P. S. I recommend my friend Xin Yi's "Everyone's Exorcising Demons, What's the Point of Talking About Martial Virtue?" I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Liaozhai stories. The protagonist writes Liaozhai stories from within the Liaozhai world, so it's lighthearted and fun!