You're Already Dead

Father and Old Sun were sweating profusely. The moment they saw Li Fan, their backs were already soaked.

They had originally planned to sneak away, but they hadn't expected the Collector himself to come looking for them.

Clearly, the Collector had come specifically for them.

To hold them accountable for failing to get the job done.

There was no way they could bluff their way out of it.

Death might be right around the corner!

The two exchanged glances, both seeing despair in the other's eyes.

It was the final cry of a cornered beast.

Li Fan had never imagined that these two subway workers were Father and Old Sun.

The moment he saw their faces, his heart clenched.

First, he worried they would realize he wasn't the Collector from his strange behavior just now. Then he worried that the people from the Anomaly Bureau behind him would realize he was the Collector.

In an instant, his back was drenched, and his whole body froze.

He didn't say a word.

At last, Li Fan broke the deathly silence with a hoarse voice. After all, he had seen plenty of major incidents in the Prison of Suppression, and his nerves had toughened considerably.

"Is the mission complete?"

Hearing the complete lack of emotion in Li Fan's voice, Father answered nervously:

"After receiving your orders, we came straight to Silver Glow Cinema Subway Station to search for signs of the enemy. We haven't found them yet, but we're still looking!"

Old Sun said the same:

"Rest assured. As soon as the enemy shows up, we'll do everything we can to wipe them out!"

Li Fan nodded slightly.

So they still hadn't found the Unity Society.

Was the Collector really number one on the wanted list of awakened criminals?

Did these people really belong to the Collector's team?

But when he thought of Blood Pearl's brutality earlier, Li Fan's doubts subsided for the moment.

The Unity Society was strange in every way. They hid like rats, so they really weren't easy to find.

He said:

"Go to the maintenance tunnel."

At the same time, he handed the two protective suits.

He couldn't let his colleagues from the Dissection Department grow suspicious.

Father and Old Sun accepted the protective suits as if resigned to their fate, obediently leading the way. The three of them headed for the maintenance tunnel together.

As soon as they reached the entrance to the maintenance tunnel, Li Fan caught the scent of grass and trees.

Then he saw that the tunnel was now crawling with ivy and all kinds of strange vines. Their roots had burrowed deep into the concrete, tearing open a huge hole beneath them!

Inside the opening, layer upon layer of smoke swirled like living things.

Mother was leaning against the wall, smoking and exhaling smoke that formed skulls. It turned translucent, then billowed in every direction.

At Auntie Zhang's feet, rats covered in Blood Fruits scattered in all directions, scurrying through every crack in the subway tunnels as they searched.

Old Chen the driver pressed his ear against the wall of the maintenance tunnel and listened.

They really seemed to be working hard. If they still couldn't find the Unity Society, they might end up tearing down the whole subway station.

When they saw Li Fan arrive, the people in the maintenance tunnel panicked. They immediately stood at attention with their hands at their sides.

Their eyes were full of despair.

They had never imagined the Collector himself would come.

They had just botched the Shepherd's appointment ceremony a few days ago, and now, even with a clear target, they still hadn't found a trace of the Unity Society.

They were utterly useless.

"I'm very disappointed." Li Fan silently committed the abilities of the people before him to memory, while gaining a new appreciation for how powerful the members of the Cleaning Association were.

Yikes.

His voice was hoarse and deep, like it came from the depths of darkness:

"A tiny group like the Unity Society has left you in such a sorry state. You've made me wonder whether you still have any reason to exist."

A principle he'd recently figured out was that a true big shot had to deliver threats calmly.

As soon as he said this, all five people present shuddered. Tears welled in Auntie Zhang's eyes.

Mother hurriedly said:

"We've searched every inch of the place, but we really haven't found the Unity—"

Suddenly, a powerful abnormal mental radiation appeared in the subway station, making everyone's hearts seize!

It swept through the area like a ripple of energy!

Li Fan's heart tightened.

That feeling was strangely similar to the Tiger Pillar God!

Mother's eyes lit up. She and Auntie Zhang looked toward the enormous pit, which had been dug out entirely by plant roots.

The pit had now become a flight of stairs leading downward, ancient in style and paved entirely with Han bricks covered in images!

Then everyone felt a strange distortion.

Shouts came from the direction of the Dissection Department, where Wu Qian and the others were.

The subway exit stairs that had led up to the surface, once unobstructed, had somehow turned into a gloomy brick wall.

The concrete floor beneath their feet rapidly transformed before their eyes into bluestone, even sprouting moss.

The surrounding walls changed at a visible speed, becoming tomb walls painted with scenes of deities and sacrificial rites.

One after another, arched brick ceilings appeared above them!

Then, with a sharp snap, all the lights in the subway went out, plunging everything into darkness!

"What's going on? Hong Bing, the backup power! Lights!" Wu Qian's voice rang out from the empty underground.

The backup power came on, and the floodlights they had just set up lit again.

But what appeared before them this time made everyone's heart skip a beat.

The subway tunnel and platform had completely disappeared.

In their place stood a magnificent underground palace!

The enormous dome looked like the vault of heaven. It was painted with lotus patterns in vermilion, along with eerie scenes of people ascending after death.

Directly beneath the dome, where the tracks should have been, hung an enormous Bronze Hanging Coffin, suspended in midair by rusty bronze chains.

Around the coffin were ferocious patterns and small mountains made of thousands upon thousands of black Shell Currency pieces.

The entire Dissection Department team was now inside the underground palace!

The subway platform where they had been standing had turned into an altar, littered with bones and shattered jade figures.

A twisted, eerie forest hung with skulls stood right before them, encircling the enormous Bronze Hanging Coffin.

"This... an anomalous incident! Put on your protective gear and take precautions against infection!" Wu Qian shouted. "Old Hu, contact the Command Center and the Investigation Department!"

At the same time, he yelled toward where Li Fan was:

"Fan! Are you all right? Don't run around! Keep the subway workers safe!"

From where the Dissection Department team stood, the twisted forest blocked their view of the maintenance tunnel where Li Fan was. It looked like nothing more than a strange brick wall.

The people from the Dissection Department immediately sealed their protective suit masks and stood perfectly still.

Everything before them was far too bizarre.

Hadn't they been assigned to the second line?

"I'm fine! Director Wu, you be careful too!" Li Fan called from far behind the wall. Then he asked Auntie Zhang, "What time is it?"

Auntie Zhang hurriedly showed him her Patek Philippe watch.

One minute past midnight.

It was just after midnight.

The time Legend of the Dian King was scheduled to premiere.

Struggling to overcome his fear, Li Fan took a deep breath and looked at the faintly lit staircase.

"Let's go down and have a look."

The members of the Cleaning Association, however, seemed perfectly calm. The sudden appearance of the anomaly didn't frighten them.

Father and Old Sun led the way, charging down at once.

The others followed close behind.

Li Fan brought up the rear as they descended the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs was a spacious side chamber.

In the dim candlelight, a shadowy figure in a cloak stood with his head bowed. He gave a sinister smile.

"Friends from the Cleaning Association, welcome. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

But when Li Fan came downstairs and the cloaked man saw what he looked like, he suddenly spoke in a menacing voice:

"The Collector!? No, you're already dead!"