The Secret Black Gate City Was Hiding (Five Thousand Words)

I thought that acquiring an unclaimed city would be a good thing, but who could have imagined that there would be unspeakable dangers inside?

The events he had just experienced left Xiao Xiao with a strange sense of dread. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but he vaguely felt as if he had overcome a difficult ordeal.

He was even grateful that he had woken up in time, or rather, he felt more than just grateful?

He quickly recalled the feeling from just now. It was strange. He could hear many voices calling out to him, but all of these voices were blocked from his consciousness. Only Yang Jia's voice could penetrate those layers of barriers and hit him in time. It was as if his heart had just been inhabited by City of Rest, but it was also submerged and enveloped by the ocean of spiritual power of City of Rest. Only Yang Jia could easily enter his heart and wake him up in time.

Is this a coincidence?

Yang Jia can speak because she senses that she is disappearing.

She could feel herself disappearing because the Platinum Ring, on some deeper level, bound the two of them together.

It's as if you have a part here with me, and I have a part there with you.

Yang Jia's process of awakening himself seems simple, but it is actually due to this subtle connection.

However, this Platinum Ring was specifically left for Yang Jia by the will of Black Gate City, without any explanation or charging any points.

Could it be that Black Gate City foresaw this from that time onward?

After quickly figuring out the relationship between them, Xiao Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly:

"In this world, everyone keeps their own secrets hidden, and no one is willing to tell them, including Black Gate City..."

"It seems I still need to have a proper talk with her again..."

"..."

Although he had these thoughts in mind, Xiao Xiao knew that he really should go back.

However, before returning, there are some important things to take care of, such as what to do with this huge City of Rest.

Although this city almost made me lose myself.

However, Xiao Xiao would never agree to give up City of Rest for nothing. He knew that if he withdrew his senses, the city would become empty again.

At that time, countless Mysterious Source wandering in the Mist Sea will likely flock here, vying for power and fighting to the death to become the will of this city.

... Of course, Xiao Xiao was still quite interested to see how they fought over it.

But after thinking about it carefully, I still couldn't. The struggle for the Mysterious Source takes place in the ocean of people's minds. If we let those Mysterious Source devour each other like poisonous insects, the ordinary people of City of Rest would probably be the ones who suffer.

Could this also lead to a large number of split personalities appearing in this city?

It could split into three or four personalities? Or even more than a dozen or twenty as more Mysterious Source enter.

Of course, in the end, it's because I can't bear to part with it.

The museum in City of Rest has now been completely emptied. The weapons inside are still attached to the countless Splits. Most of them have been looted by outsiders from various cities, but what remains is still quite considerable. Xiao Xiao isn't in a hurry to take these things back, but he wants to ensure that they are all his own. After all, these are his personal treasures, which he can later add to his collection, turning them into his own arsenal...

After all, didn't Old Zhou Under the Bridge previously mock him behind his back, saying he wasn't a real Collectors?

... Ha, he's just a ragpicker, he doesn't deserve it!

In short, Xiao Xiao did not want to give up the treasure of City of Rest, so he had to find a suitable person to help him guard it.

But who should we turn to?

Cerberus is no good. Although their duty is to guard the gate, Xiao Xiao now has some doubts about their character.

Even Butcher won't do; the neighborhood is all waiting for him to open for business and sell meat tomorrow!

Then who should we turn to?

It's unclear whether Xiao Xiao muttered this to himself while pondering the question, or whether his current parasitic state on the city caused his thoughts to overflow with some spiritual power, which was then detected by someone.

Soon, he heard a cheerful, slightly ingratiating melody.

Without anyone noticing, it seemed as if a lovely young lady, holding a record player, was dancing joyfully, her face full of anticipation.

Then, Xiao Xiao's eyes gradually brightened. "I've got it..."

The Record Player Miss's dance became even more cheerful, her face beaming with smiles. If the melody had a life of its own, it would have wanted to cling to Xiao Xiao at this moment.

Then Xiao Xiao happily made a decision. "Isn't Rabbit Boss in City of Rest?"

With a slight thought, the massive City of Rest seemed to be turned upside down and rearranged. The surrounding city buildings, streets, and people began to shift and recombine rapidly. When the scenery around Xiao Xiao stabilized again, he had arrived at a small tavern on the street. He was now facing a city that had just been extremely chaotic but had now returned to peace. Rabbit Ears was sitting on the street, a straw in his mouth, sipping the whiskey on the rocks in front of him, drinking happily and occasionally blowing bubbles.

"Why did it take you so long to appear?"

Upon seeing Xiao Xiao's figure appear at the bar entrance, the Rabbit Boss's ears perked up briefly before drooping lazily again.

Xiao Xiao was curious whether her ears were ornaments worn on her head or actually growing on her head.

"With you leading the way, why should I worry?"

Xiao Xiao smiled and walked up to her, pulled out a chair, and sat down in front of her.

"There's really no need to worry, but..."

The Rabbit Boss scratched his ears in annoyance. "I'm your boss, not your employee. How dare you order me around like this?"

Just as Xiao Xiao was about to say something conciliatory in response to her complaints, she added, "If all else fails, just buy me first. Whether you use a whip or candles after you buy me is up to you..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao suddenly didn't know how to respond to this.

A quick glance at this underworld tycoon of Black Gate City revealed an extremely eerie aura emanating from her.

At this point, he could no longer see the points displayed on her, which probably meant that no matter how many points he had, he couldn't buy her.

Does the city no longer have complete control over her and the power to buy and sell her at will?

However, he could clearly feel the power within her body, especially after the battle in City of Rest. She had gained a lot. Back in Black Gate City, Xiao Xiao had already sensed her enormous potential. Now, he could vaguely see that she had reached a level of strength beyond Class A. Perhaps, if he wanted her power, he could only kill her in this city, then use the power of this city to digest her power and store it in his own little treasury?

This might also explain the Mysterious Source's obsession with Aberrant Creature.

The Mysterious Source can easily control everyone in this city by parasitizing the spiritual ocean.

However, apart from Aberrant Creature.

Therefore, the only way to deal with Aberrant Creature is to offer bounties, thereby eliminating them and then devouring everything they possess.

The weak are absorbed as Pain Substance, while the strong can be preserved separately as weapons and collected in museums.

Perhaps the Mysterious Source is essentially the same as the Aberrant Creature?

Xiao Xiao had this idea a long time ago, and even tried to draw an analogy, concluding that the Mysterious Source might be an SS-level Aberrant Creature. However, whether they could achieve this simply by growing up, or whether some changes were required in between, was currently a blind spot in Xiao Xiao's knowledge. But Xiao Xiao didn't mind; there was nothing more suitable than placing the Rabbit Ears in this empty city, so he could take the opportunity to observe her...

The boss guards the safe while the employees fight it out below. Isn't that what other companies do too?

"Does buying them mean you can only choose the whips and candles?"

Xiao Xiao thought to himself, but on the surface he just went along with her words and asked with a smile.

The Rabbit Boss's eyes lit up immediately. "Of course not, you're willing?"

Xiao Xiao was about to say something when Yang Jia's image suddenly flashed through his mind. He sat up a little straighter and smiled, "Let's talk business first. We've taken over City of Rest. As the BOSS, what are your plans for handling this?"

"It's not good for employees to be too diligent..."

The Rabbit Boss sighed helplessly, saying, "I was planning to take a vacation and travel, but you insisted on forcing me to work overtime..."

Hearing her say that, Xiao Xiao knew that she had agreed and prepared to get up with a smile.

Unexpectedly, the Rabbit Boss, seeing that he was about to leave after saying only a few words, suddenly called him back, seemingly hesitant, and after a while asked, "What will we become?"

"Um?"

Xiao Xiao turned to look at her with some curiosity.

The Rabbit Boss stared intently at him and slowly said, "I've known for a long time that I'm going to go crazy..."

"I've been waiting, and even wanted to join the group of lunatics on my own initiative..."

"But the Madman Organization never contacted me, and you refused to buy me, which made me sad for a long time. But now, I can feel myself becoming a madman..."

"..."

As she spoke, a hint of sinister intent appeared on her naturally youthful face:

"This feeling is so pleasant..."

"So I really want to know, just how crazy can I, or rather, we, go?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao hadn't expected the Rabbit Boss to ask such a question. Ever since he met her, his impression of her had always been that she wasn't quite normal.

She must be really crazy, otherwise why would she ask such a normal question?

Looking at her and sensing the faint, seemingly well-hidden worry in her heart, Xiao Xiao simply smiled, pointed to his brain, and said, "At least I won't be crazy enough to lose this thing..."

Amid the Rabbit Boss's chuckles, Xiao Xiao waved to her and turned to leave.

There are many things in this world that we can't understand. Even now, I still feel like so many things are being kept from me. For example, the Dante Organization and the Hell Organization, which disappeared during this grand carnival; the platinum ring that Black Gate City had prepared for me in advance; the unknown fear that still terrifies Yang Jia, who is hiding in the small building and afraid to show himself; and the door that appeared when I was fighting against the secondary source, Mister Du, which seemed to imprison endless despair and fear...

Compared to himself, the Rabbit Boss clearly knew even less.

Although she had been looking forward to this, she couldn't help but be frightened by this strange change...

It's okay. Does being scared mean you shouldn't move forward?

First, give her a piece of soil; as for how it grows in the end, that's up to fate.

After leaving the small bar, Xiao Xiao felt much more relaxed and decided to ignore the voices calling his name from within City of Rest, which were now a bit annoying to him.

However, the strange melodies that lingered in his ears sounded like someone sobbing. Xiao Xiao had no choice but to stop and said, "Don't feel wronged. I know you helped a lot this time, and I've always been good to you, right?"

"But this time, I almost got scammed, and no one warned me. Shouldn't I go back and have a talk with Black Gate City?"

"Let's talk about any problems when we get home, okay?"

"..."

The faint melody seemed to be playing even more softly, as if a young woman holding a record player was complaining in a pitiful tone. "You need to talk to her, what does it have to do with me?"

Let's go!

Xiao Xiao didn't think about any of that. With a Ruan Ruan of his hand, Ruan Ruan, who was squatting on the curb using someone else's Wi-Fi a few blocks away, was suddenly pulled in front of him. He lifted Ruan Ruan up by the Ruan Ruan, and the solid ground of the city beneath his feet suddenly began to melt. Then, he sank into this melting flesh and blood. Countless tentacles rose up in the wind, intertwined, and transformed into two parallel railway tracks. Then, the high-speed train they had come in, like a phantom shadow, appeared in front of him.

When he came, Xiao Xiao still needed to take a high-speed train, but this time, going back is just a matter of a thought away.

Once seated on the train, Xiao Xiao finally let out a soft sigh of relief. Looking at the empty carriage, he put Ruan Ruan, who was Ruan Ruan of dissatisfaction, aside and rubbed his forehead to rest.

In the blink of an eye, we'll be at Black Gate City.

I can ask Black Gate City what I want to know. After all, it may be disrespectful to say this, but at this moment, I do have the right to talk to Black Gate City.

But where should we begin?

As Xiao Xiao pondered these things, he suddenly felt something was slightly amiss.

He immediately looked up and saw that the high column of flesh and blood was dimly lit with flickering lights. In front of his seat, about seven or eight rows away, were two figures sitting.

Facing him was an elderly man in a platinum robe, while with his back to him was a middle-aged man in a suit.

They sat facing each other. The elderly man in the platinum robe simply looked at them quietly, while the middle-aged man in the suit scratched his head from time to time, looking somewhat irritated.

Xiao Xiao let out a low breath and slowly stood up.

This high train was conjured by the spiritual ocean of City of Rest, and it would only send me and Ruan Ruan back to Black Gate City. It was a kind of power similar to authority. However, two strangers suddenly appeared on this train that should not have had anyone on it.

Without a doubt, they should have a rank far exceeding their own.

Since they appeared and didn't attack him, it meant they wanted to talk to him. Besides, Xiao Xiao didn't sense any Mysterious Source aura from them.

They were actually human.

With a slight sigh of relief, Xiao Xiao smiled and slowly walked towards the two of them.

As Xiao Xiao approached, the old man in the platinum suit slowly moved his gaze upwards, while the middle-aged man in the suit turned around and looked at Xiao Xiao thoughtfully.

Xiao Xiao approached them step by step and extended his hand.

The platinum-clad elder was facing Xiao Xiao. After a slight hesitation, he also extended his hand in a friendly manner, ready to shake hands.

"They don't seem to be enemies..."

Xiao Xiao had a plan in mind, but instead of shaking his hand, she shook it up and down and said, "Ticket!"

"?"

The old man in the platinum robe looked astonished, and even the middle-aged man in the suit gasped. "I just wanted a ride, and you want a ticket?"

"You need a boat ticket to board the ship, and a train ticket to board the vehicle."

Xiao Xiao took in their expressions and quickly made a lot of analysis. He laughed and said, "Besides, you came up without even saying hello. Can't we just ask you to pay the fare instead of fining you?"

"You weren't this stingy when you invited everyone to the feast before..."

The man in the black suit sighed helplessly, and actually rummaged in his pocket for a while before pulling out a Xiao Xiao box, about the size of a fist, dark in color. He then said to Xiao Xiao:

"I don't use points, so this is the only way I can use it to offset the cost, is that okay?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao's heart stirred slightly. He took the small box, put it in his pocket without even looking at it, and then looked at the old man in the white and gold robe, remaining silent.

"You..."

The elderly man in the platinum robe glanced at the middle-aged man in the suit with a complicated expression, seemingly reluctant, and complained, "You're putting me in a difficult position..."

But meeting Xiao Xiao's calm and earnest gaze, he still took a deep breath, pulled out a brass-colored key from the wide sleeves of his white robe, waved it in front of Xiao Xiao, and placed it in his hand:

"Is it okay now?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao actually received two train tickets, but his mood immediately turned heavy. He sat down in the seat next to the two people, frowning slightly.

"So, you're also here to book Noah's Ticket?"

"..."

The two men seemed to realize that Xiao Xiao's words were a test. They exchanged a glance, and the old man in the white and gold robe slowly said to Xiao Xiao, "Actually, we're here to warn you not to be deceived."

Xiao Xiao was slightly surprised. "Who?"

"Who else could it be?"

The middle-aged man in the black suit lazily picked up the conversation. "Of course, it's the woman who controls the will of Black Gate City..."

"Too many of us have died at her hands, and you almost became one of them, didn't you?"

We have to make it before midnight!