Third Son

The wolfhound lay prostrate beside the fireplace in the cabinet.

It is the youngest of the three siblings of unnamed military dogs. If your memory is good enough, you should still remember this little orange-red sister.

Like its second sister and eldest brother, the gunsmith didn't know how to name things. Since the dogs in their hometown were just called "dogs," the third sister's name was also chosen hastily: Little Orange.

At this very moment, it happened to be taking turns protecting 9527, its soft belly fur becoming pillows for the four little babies, while the nameless mistress knelt beside the carpet, holding a bedtime book, about to tell the children the story of the Night Demon Baba Yaga —a Russian folktale where disobedient babies who refused to sleep would be captured and eaten by the terrifying Night Demon.

Don't think this bedtime reading is too hardcore. Gunsmiths are also "Night Demon" of the blood-granting units in the underworld. Cultists often close their eyes, lie down on the bed, and are forever trapped in their dreams, never to wake up again.

Therefore, reading the story of the Night Demon to children is also a way of reading the story of the father.

"In ancient Russian legends, there was an old witch named Grandma Yaga."

"It is said that she specializes in eating disobedient children, and whenever she comes to the village, she is determined to help the housewives busy at the kitchen to take care of their children."

"If these kids are naughty, disobedient, and don't eat, sleep, or study, they're bad kids from a young age, and they won't want to be good people when they grow up."

9527 held his diary, making a fierce and menacing expression.

"They're about to be eaten!"

Erwa Jiang Zhengyang exclaimed in surprise, "It's Auntie!"

Little sister Jiang Zheng shouted, "No! It's Dad!"

The children had heard countless strange legends about the Night Demon, and without exception, they all pointed to Jiang Xueming and Glory.

"Hey! What are you two so excited about?" Xiao Qi gently patted Erwa's head, urging him to lie back in the wolf's arms. "Go to sleep right now, and you'll have dinner when you wake up."

At this moment, Bai Zhenzhen, who had been silent all along, raised her head—

The third son asked, "Mom, is Dad really dead?"

The eldest and second eldest brothers said at the same time, "No! Absolutely not!"

These two elder brothers were specially appointed by Ming De to be insiders of [Remix], and they knew about this matter beforehand.

Jiang Zheng and Zhenzhen had no idea where their father was. These days, amidst the brainwashing onslaught of various rumors, the second brother even wondered if their mother was lying and that their father was really dead, but it was inconvenient for her to tell them the truth.

These children were all born two to five years later, so their brains are developing very quickly, and their mental growth is extraordinary.

Zheng'er was the calmest of them all; she possessed the inherent qualities of Ming De.

--This trait allows her to vaguely perceive the state of Fragrant Dream. As long as it involves psionic tides related to the BOSS, she possesses a certain degree of psychic talent.

Zheng'er pinched his third brother's arm, getting a little anxious. "Dad isn't dead, they're talking badly about him, they're lying."

"I think so too," Zhenzhen said, her younger sister pinching her so hard it hurt, so she simply hugged her. "I really think so. Grandfather left a message on Dad's back—we have to find that message, that's my real dad."

The handwriting Zhenzhen mentioned was a "beacon" blessing left on Jiang Xueming's back by the owner of the underwater hotel in Eureka Volcano City, who was also the old Khan. This unique soul power ability is almost indestructible. Unless the old Khan uses his soul power to erase these marks, this spiritual tattoo can accompany him for life.

The "[Fate Favors the Hero]" mark on Xue Ming's back has remained to this day, and even after he became Glory, these marks will stay with him.

The third son is introverted. He is not as straightforward and brave as his eldest brother, nor as cunning and suspicious as his second brother. He always observes silently, keeping everything in mind. Occasionally, he will express some strange insights, but he always brings unexpected joy to 9527.

Xiao Qi was amazed by Sanwa's observational skills. This little darling showed almost no emotional fluctuation when he heard the news of his father's death. He just kept waiting for his mother to speak up and give him a definite answer. He was also the one among the four siblings who looked most like Xue Ming.

"Mom, I don't think it's safe here," Bai Zhenzhen argued logically. "Hiding here isn't a good solution."

9527 found it utterly unbelievable. "Why?"

The cabinet of Ming De is the safest place in the underworld.

--Here, guarded by the Hunter King and numerous VIPs, and with hundreds of passengers coming and going daily, these psionicists and armed defense personnel form a solid barrier.

Its security standards are the highest, and its monitoring system is the most comprehensive.

If this place isn't safe, then there's probably no safe place in the world.

Bai Zhenzhen continued, "There are all sorts of psychics and all sorts of spiritual powers in the world. There are so many superpowers that we don't know about, Mom. Think about it carefully, isn't that true?"

"Yes," Bai Ziqing nodded in agreement, "Indeed."

Bai Zhenzhen continued her analysis.

"I don't know why the boss had my dad die suddenly. Even though he wasn't really dead, the news has already gotten out."

"Dad is the nemesis of evil. If he's gone, any bad guys who haven't been killed yet will definitely come after us for revenge."

"I said the BOSS's office is not a safe hiding place—because everyone knows that Ming De is here. Every day, passengers come here to report on their duties. Many people know the structure of the buildings here. They have seen and understand the ventilation and drainage systems of the underground cave."

"Leaving aside the possibility that the staff might be bribed by bad guys, all sorts of strange and powerful spirits can definitely accomplish this. Getting this kind of information is as easy as bypassing your supervision, Mom, by looking up the answers on a homework help website and copying them onto the test paper."

Xiao Qi asked alertly, "You did that?"

Zhenzhen immediately raised her hands in surrender. "I didn't do that!"

Jiang Zhengyang was thinking of confessing and getting leniency.

But the eldest brother, Jiang Bai, spoke first, "I did it! I did it! I ordered it!"

"Uh..." Xiao Qi looked at the three brothers' united appearance and didn't know what to say, so he asked Sanwa to continue.

Bai Zhenzhen simply sat up cross-legged and explained his inner assumptions to his mother.

He was a very insecure little baby, just like Xue Ming when he first arrived at the station. Lacking power, he had to be vigilant and calm at all times, observing the world with a normal mindset.

"Every ventilation duct and kitchen passageway, as well as the BOSS's and Aunt Wang's dormitories, are guarded, right? They're all watched over, but the more people there are, the less safe it is."

"Is it possible that there exists a type of soul power in the world that can command living beings? Perhaps, like Mr. Victor, it can directly control people's minds?"

"The enemies Dad is dealing with are the most vicious, evil, and powerful group in the entire underworld. They know how to hide themselves; they're called the Immortals, right?"

"Since they've lived so long, the Good Cat's cabinet isn't exactly an impregnable fortress for them. But coming here rashly certainly carries the risk of losing their lives, but then—"

"--But..."

Bai Zhenzhen grasped her mother's hand and said with great certainty and determination.

"To find out whether Dad is really dead or not, they will definitely ignore the threat of death and don't care if one or two members of the alliance are sacrificed, they will definitely come to settle accounts with us."

"Even if we're threatened with death, Dad still shows no sign of [resurrection]."

"The Immortals can slowly return and resume their former businesses."

"If we are killed, it could instantly ignite the morale of these Blood Butterflies within the Madness Butterfly Sect. I really enjoy reading history books."

"No hero in the world ever has a good ending for their family and children after they fall from grace."

"In barbaric ancient times, the execution of nine generations of a family was a crime. Even in modern civilization, at the pinnacle of power in the world, after the death of US President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline had to sell herself into servitude and remarry, and her relatives all died violent deaths."

"We're sacrifices to the flag, Mom."

"I don't think this place is safe, I've thought about it for a very, very long time --"

"--I've waited a whole week and still haven't heard from my dad. These things are making me a bit confused, and I can't quite process it. Maybe when I'm a little older, I won't panic so much."

"I think we have to leave, immediately."

"Hiding in a strong fortress is a static defense that everyone can see and understand, allowing them to assess the defenders' capabilities. Now, the enemy, in order to take our heads, will undoubtedly resort to any means necessary, displaying a fearless and ruthless spirit."

"Because Pellegrini had already lost; he was afraid of dying, so he lost."

"The next player to appear will definitely change their strategy. The Immortals will have to [exchange pieces] with Ming De -- we are some of the important pieces that must be exchanged."

"The Immortals can live so long is because no one knows where they are; this is a reasonable dynamic defense."

Bai Zhenzhen explained while simultaneously waving her hand in denial, saying that the child was being overly polite.

"It's not that I don't trust the BOSS's arrangements. The uncles and aunts here are all very nice and capable. They arranged for us to be in the cabinet to protect us, and I completely agree with that."

"But if it's Dad..."

Bai Zhenzhen suddenly fell silent, closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, she seemed like a completely different person.

"I think the most important thing to do right now, Mom, is to find the little finger and the Thumb. They know the Armadillo Hunters' communication network and the Gray Zone's cipher codes. The Immortals' actions are inseparable from travel documents and crew credentials, things that ordinary people won't provide to them."

"Mana once received a portion of his father's essence—those four fingers. He will definitely be able to find his father."

"Uncle Paul with his pinky finger can turn Dad into Auntie. The safest place in the world isn't the cabinet, it's sitting on Auntie's lap. No monster dares to mess with Auntie, or rather, the father who becomes a woman."

Xiao Qi found it unbelievable. "You actually knew that?"

When Bai Zhenzhen regained her composure, she blinked hard, as if her brain was consuming too much energy, causing insufficient blood supply to other parts of her body. "I... I guessed it before, because my aunt and dad have never appeared at the same time—and as long as my older brothers call out to dad, he can always call my aunt over. It's so strange, even though you guys don't seem to care much."

"It's like..."

The eldest child's idol is the General of Tears.

Erwa really likes Glory.

Only Bai Zhenzhen cared deeply about her biological father.

"It's like with my aunt around, my dad becomes unimportant—every time she comes, he immediately has to go somewhere else, to go fishing, to buy cigarettes, to go on a long trip to buy local specialties, all sorts of reasons, all sorts of excuses. People love my aunt because she's so good at fighting and rarely shows up, so the guests immediately change the subject, all the spotlights are on her, and they never notice that my dad is gone."

"Even though my aunt and my other aunt look so alike, I won't confuse them. You've mixed them up several times, especially when Dad and my aunt are together. When they bought us building blocks, my aunt even lied to us and said that she was Glory, trying to get away with it."

"I think we are all Dad's biological children, and we are often fooled by our aunts to the point of being delusional—my eldest and second eldest brothers don't care, and my youngest sister doesn't care much either, but I care a lot, because he is my own father."

"Mom, so it's true? Auntie is actually our father?"

Bai Ziqing didn't intend to answer the question; it was too complicated for the children.

The War King is JoeStar's ultimate weapon; Glory will never truly come to earth.

Gunsmiths only invoke this deity to subdue enemies in cases of particularly intractable Spirit Calamity.

People respect and admire her, but they would never initiate a conversation with her. Her spiritual pressure is like a red-hot axe, making her unapproachable.

At this moment, 9527 was pondering the suggestion of the third son.

Want to leave? Go find Thumb, ask Thumb to lead the way, and escape with the children. Just as Zhenzhen said, the safest place in the world isn't the Council of Five Kings's cabinet, but beside the Big Sister.

"I'll contact him," 9527 thought after much deliberation, recalling the history of the station.

Indeed, many psionicists can enter the Cabinet silently, including individuals like FE204863, whose soul power is extremely unique.

This place is absolutely unsafe. Zhenzhen is absolutely right. If the core idea is simply to "kill the target at all costs," then Immortals are not afraid of death. They don't need to devise complex escape plans. As long as they reach the cabinet and complete the kill, it's not a difficult task for these psionicists.

Just to be on the safe side, she called her boss first to ask for his opinion.

This former lawless criminal is now a mother and has become very cautious.

--Ming De is still attending events, busy with the matter of the gunsmith's death.

The phone was temporarily unavailable, so she immediately called Victor, a VIP who was involved in the execution of [Remix].

"Mr. Victor?"

"Hmm?" Victor answered the phone while standing by the boardroom counter, having remained outside the cabinet door the entire time.

This Detective King and other VIPs took turns on duty to protect Jiang Xueming's family during this special period.

"Teacher Victor, I want to leave here," said 9527.

Victor: "Leaving here means... finding a new hiding place?"

9527: "Yes, too many people know. I don't think the cabinet is safe."

Victor: "It's good that you have this concern. I have other safe houses available—you can leave immediately if you wish."

9527: "No, I want to go to my husband's side."

There was a long, long silence on the other end of the phone.

Victor: "You don't trust the insiders within the station system, do you?"

"It's not just for that reason," 9527 said, rubbing her forehead with some anxiety. She glanced at the four little ones huddled together from time to time—she also found it hard to believe that such an idea was suggested by children who were not even seven years old.

"I think you should rest," Victor said, comforting you. "Is it the various rumors circulating these past few days that have unsettled you? Or is there something you can't talk about? Where does your panic come from? Do you really think—the gunsmith is dead, Xiao Qi?"

"No, no, no. That's not the reason." Xiao Qi put on her brilliance jewelry, held the phone in one hand, and tied her hair back with the other. "My darling said it's not safe here and wants to change environments."

"It was the gunsmith's children who made the request," Victor, quite surprised. "Indeed, children seem to be more perceptive of signs of crisis than adults—we're having a hard time dealing with the chain reaction following the gunsmith's death, especially at the societal level. We need many respected figures to appease the people in various regions. I've also written quite a few speeches for others these past few days. But I've been busy with my shifts, standing outside the cabinet doors, without really thinking about whether this vast Council of Five Kings can truly protect your lives."

"The security costs are 2.4 million Hui Stone Currency per week, including staff and weaponry, VIP hourly wages and accommodation, and the highest-grade consumables such as psionic catalysts—that sounds about right."

"But who knows if the Maginot Line will actually work?"

"You're right, and your child is right too—"

"--I've decided to overstep Commander Wood Plark's authority and take you away from here. To be honest, I don't trust this VIP from the Philosopher Foundation."

"[Remix] will cause great damage. Although it is reasonable, it is not just. Perhaps this is the narrow-mindedness in my personality, and the reason why I hate political elements. I don't know if you have become victims. At this moment, I can only do what I can."

Mr. Victor was preparing to leave his post to go to the Cabinet to pick up someone.

Meanwhile, the Immortals swaggered into the gates of the Council of Five Kings.

Mr. Kim Taekang did not forcefully break down the door, nor did he consistently use psychic-level violence.

--[Ivory Tower]'s special ability is simple: it can awaken people's subconscious and let the subconscious dominate the brain.

It has almost no destructive power, but like the [Hell Highway], it can exert extremely strong mind control.

After Hasben Madison touched the dog leash, he was also hypnotized by the Ivory Tower. He only wanted to do things that made him feel comfortable, to follow his inner guidance, and to let his subconscious control his body—thus he became a puppet whose mind followed his body.

When hungry, they go to find food; when sleepy, they go to sleep immediately; when they need to defecate, they immediately take off their pants and urinate in full view of everyone.

Upon meeting someone they're attracted to, they immediately demand a kiss; upon seeing an interesting card game, they immediately join in; and they use violence to beat up innocent people who are blocking their way.

All of this made him look exactly like his arrogant and domineering father, Lawrence Madison. It was just Hasben's subconscious at work; under the control of [Ivory Tower], he had become like an animal.

Kim Taekang chose the shortest path--

He went straight to the gates of the Council of Five Kings, silently patting the shoulders and necks of the security personnel, his spirit spreading out along with the commotion.

These people, who had lost consciousness but were not completely insane, began to break free from social control and became potential criminals.

The council hall was bustling with people, and the psionic tide caused by the weak destructive power of [Ivory Tower] was almost imperceptible, but a strange chaos was slowly spreading.

This honest and straightforward Immortals, with few ulterior motives, has survived under the protection of [Ivory Tower] until today. Every time someone recognizes him, they cannot escape the mental control of [Ivory Tower]. After the release of his spiritual power, the person in the know is usually locked up in a mental hospital, and the matter is left unresolved.

Today, Kim Taekang is willing to risk his life to come to the cabinet and find out the truth.

Many psychics have started to go crazy, drooling over their phones and going mad for their virtual wives.

Some people even rushed directly to the staff at the board member counter, wanting to cool down immediately and find a warm outlet for their frantic subconscious.

A dozen or so people were affected, and the soldiers from the surrounding combat units came with stun guns to deal with them. In contrast to the surprised and astonished expressions of the other passengers, Kim Taekang seemed to be more rational and normal.

He would occasionally help the soldiers of the battle group subdue the victims who were controlled by the Soul Power beside them. Then, the soldiers would also become delirious and confused, wanting to run to the Four-Sided Terrace to dance a striptease and unleash their true nature.

In a mere minute, the entire Council of Five Kings descended into chaos, and Victor couldn't even comprehend how this had happened.

--Victor didn't immediately connect it to Soul Power Psionic Energy; instead, he thought it was a kind of mania, a strange contagious disease.

Numerous passengers were running around in the hall. Some passengers, who had just finished resting and were ready to go, were full of energy and wanted to release their energy immediately. So they climbed up the pillar to the oil painting, which was more than 20 meters high, to take a picture with the former king in the painting.

Another passenger, using their spirit form, was beating up soldiers and rushed onto Glorious Road, shouting loudly.

"Old Ling! I like you so much! For you! I want to electrocute XXX----"

People seem to have returned to their inner comfort zone, their thinking returning to the true ivory tower.

Following the idea of "do whatever makes you comfortable," everyone wants to become the absolute star of the party.

"After all."

Victor watched this scene, but the instrument on the Spirit Calamity indicator in his hand remained completely still.

"What happened?!"