Sister Xin's Death

What factors determined the Doom-Bringing Raven's save points?

Yang Qizhou had been pondering this question the whole time.

The talent description was clear enough on the surface: whenever a player faced a choice, a save point would be generated, overwriting the previous one.

But that explanation was too vague.

As long as people were alive, they faced choices every moment. What to eat for dinner, whether to go out, even whether to take a step with their left foot or right foot—all of these could be considered "choices."

The countless choices one encountered every day clearly weren't what generated the Doom-Bringing Raven's save points.

"In a game, every time a choice appears, it means the plot is about to branch off in two entirely different directions. It's like a character standing at a crossroads of fate, choosing which way to go."

"The only time I used the Doom-Bringing Raven in real life was when I'd just started playing the World of Weirdness game. I wanted to find more information about it online, but ended up attracting the Bureau of Occult Investigation."

"And the result was... I was bound to come to the Bureau of Occult Investigation's attention. Sooner or later, I'd have dealings with this government agency."

"Using the Doom-Bringing Raven's ability, I went back to before I searched for information about the World of Weirdness online and chose not to repeat my actions from the previous timeline. That choice kept me out of the Bureau of Occult Investigation's sight. Unless I reached out to them myself, I wouldn't have anything to do with the agency for quite some time.๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°`°๑۩ ๑۩ ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°๑۞๑"

"From this, I can work out..."

"The Doom-Bringing Raven must generate a save point when you reach a critical moment and need to make a choice that will affect the course of your future."

The subway station had arrived, and there were quite a lot of people out today.

The noise made it hard for Yang Qizhou to focus, so he decided to stop thinking about it for now. He'd already sorted out the basic idea: whenever the Doom-Bringing Raven generated a save point, it was probably because the choice involved the course of his future.

"But even deciding whether to take Little Bean to the Animation Expo at Diamond Plaza generated a save point. Could that really affect the course of my future?"

"Strange."

"Forget it. Work comes first. I'm not quite down to eating dirt yet, but if I don't pay the rent soon, even Sister Xin, as good-natured as she is, might kick me out."

"Work, work..."

Just then, the subway arrived.

He, Enemy of Gods, an A+ rank Lamp Bearer, owner of two "quasi-legendary" items and two "epic" items, a World of Weirdness player who made the Secret Cultivator wary—great Yang Qizhou—was once again off to earn next month's rent.

QAQ.

The pay for sorting packages at the logistics depot really was decent. Three hundred yuan a day was enough for a full-service massage, but the work was exhausting too. From nine in the morning until eight at night, with only half an hour for lunch and no time to rest otherwise—it really was a blessing.

Why couldn't the worksite be outdoors? If he could bathe in the moonlight, he could wear Kanrui's Wizard Ring and strengthen his body. At least then the work would be easier.

On his way home, Yang Qizhou grumbled to himself.

Though he had many powerful treasures and some uncanny abilities, he was still flesh and blood at heart. After a whole day sorting packages, he was thoroughly exhausted.

All he wanted now was to buy a bottle of eighty-two-year-old Coke, find a comfortable position, and lie on his sofa at home while wreaking havoc across Ancient Earth.

"You've received a 300-yuan transfer from your employer. Please check your account."

His phone rang, and Yang Qizhou's eyes lit up. "My wages are in. What a generous boss... I'm definitely having some crawfish today to treat myself."

After leaving the subway station, he walked for another ten minutes and was finally about to reach his rented apartment.

But when he arrived at the entrance to the residential district, Yang Qizhou stopped, narrowing his eyes with a hint of wariness...

"Are they here for me?"

"Have I been exposed? That doesn't make sense. With the Garment of the Hidden World, no one should be able to find out who I am as long as I don't want them to."

Nearby, he saw a vehicle with red and blue lights parked by the road, while uniformed officers questioned people.

That alone wouldn't have mattered.

But Yang Qizhou also spotted someone he knew: a sturdy man with a faint scar on his face and sharp eyes. It was Zhou Xu from the Bureau of Occult Investigation.

Don't panic. Keep your composure and think it through.

The chances of him being exposed were low. When he'd acted in Purple Flower Residential District, he hadn't yet obtained the Garment of the Hidden World, but he still shouldn't have come to the Bureau of Occult Investigation's attention. Otherwise, given how efficient government agencies were, they would've come knocking long ago.

And the possibility that his identity had been exposed after he obtained the Garment of the Hidden World was even less likely.

This was a quasi-legendary Old Day Item formed from the Rag Stained with the Great Lord's Blood and the remains of Lord of the Dreamy Hidden World. It had concealment abilities. As long as he didn't want anyone to find out his true identity, no one could.

He didn't know how far the other players had progressed in the game,

but Yang Qizhou was certain there wasn't yet anything in this world capable of breaking through the Garment of the Hidden World's effects.

"If the Bureau of Occult Investigation members aren't here for me, then what are they here for?"

He could pretend to be an innocent passerby and ask around. That was what Yang Qizhou thought. He steadied himself, let curiosity show on his face, and walked over to an auxiliary officer, casually offering him a cigarette.

He hadn't gone to the Bureau of Occult Investigation's Zhou Xu, whom he knew better, because Yang Qizhou thought Zhou Xu was too shrewd, with far too sharp an eye. He wasn't sure he could fool him.

"Officer, I live here. What happened? Why all the commotion?"

"You live here? Good, then I have a few questions for you."

The auxiliary officer accepted the cigarette and casually took out a notebook before asking, "Do you know Zhao Xin, the resident of Unit 702 in Building Seven?"

So they weren't here for him.

But why was this about Sister Xin?

A sudden sense of dread rose in Yang Qizhou's heart. He steadied himself and answered as naturally as he could.

"Of course I know her. Sister Xin is my landlady, and she has a very cute daughter named Ding Xiaolan."

"Have you seen her today?"

"Yes. I saw her this morning when I left for work. Sister Xin said she was taking Little Bean to the Animation Expo at Diamond Plaza."

"Did she say when she'd be back?"

"No."

The questions and answers went on for about twenty minutes before the auxiliary officer finally stopped asking.

Yang Qizhou could no longer hold back. "Officer, what happened to Sister Xin? Why are there so many of you here?"

The auxiliary officer's eyes showed a hint of regret, and his voice carried a note of sorrow.

"She's dead. So is the little girl who was with her."