This was a conscious space.
Reinhard's main body remained motionless in the bamboo forest, but his consciousness was pulled here by the Object.
And among the Kitsune, there was only one person who could utilize Objects so recklessly. Reinhard couldn't conceive of a second.
As a rule-type Object, the only resolution was for one side to achieve victory.
However, for an Object, outright losing the game came at a tremendous cost.
But since this was an α-class Object, if its use was sanctioned, then its inherent negative repercussions must be deemed acceptable.
The negative effect associated with the "Mist Game" was profound slumber.
This duration of deep sleep was not fixed. If one lost, for every single victory the opponent secured, the loser would remain asleep for an additional day.
Since the downside wasn't overwhelmingly severe, it served as a suitable coercive means of communication.
Of course, there was a critical flaw: if this Go match never reached a conclusion, then both participants would be trapped in slumber indefinitely.
Reinhard walked to the board without speaking. He sat cross-legged, and the black pieces began to settle into the box beside him, one by one.
The white phantom extended its right hand.
"Please."
In Go, black always takes the initial move.
Reinhard picked up a piece and placed it directly at the very center point of the board.
The white phantom rested its hand on its temple, tilting its head as it observed Reinhard.
"A singular move at the central nexus, seizing immediate momentum."
The white phantom picked up a piece and placed it adjacent to the black piece. "You are distinct from the others. They are mere pawns, yet they all harbor the aspiration to become the player. Furthermore, your true appearance is not even represented on this board."
Reinhard heard this and continued to place a piece, but this placement targeted a corner section of the board.
"Actively forfeiting one's positional advantage; a misplaced move." the white phantom commented.
A wasted move?
"His mountain's jade can strike stone."
Upon hearing Reinhard's words, the white phantom suddenly smiled.
"Then I shall bear witness to it once more."
Although Reinhard had not stated it explicitly, he knew that the entity before him could only be Byakuya.
...
Outside, as the sun began to set.
Reinhard slowly opened his eyes within the bamboo forest, then his vision dimmed, and he immediately lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.
The outcome was already evident: he had lost this game.
However, Byakuya had only claimed one token from him.
But this singular token was willingly conceded by Reinhard, because...
The timing was not yet appropriate.
At sunset the following day, Reinhard slowly awoke. His clothing was saturated with dew, and his limbs felt incredibly heavy.
Byakuya's cryptic exchange with Reinhard carried a deep, underlying significance.
Though their conversation was exceptionally veiled, both participants grasped the fundamental ultimatum: Byakuya intended to either recruit Reinhard as an ally or make him an adversary.
Using this board, you either become my ally.
Or you become my enemy, and like this game state, be utterly shattered.
But why target Reinhard specifically?
The answer suggested one possibility: Byakuya might have discerned Reinhard's true identity.
His repeated probing of Reinhard's statements also clarified another factor: he himself lacked absolute certainty.
He might have deduced that Reinhard practiced magic, connecting it to the former trusted associate who betrayed chaos, but whether he could accurately guess Reinhard's full nature remained uncertain.
However, given Reinhard's past association with the Kitsune, persuading him might not have seemed entirely impossible.
Byakuya's psychological maneuver was admittedly skillful. For almost anyone else, following this confrontation, there would have been an 80% probability of defecting to the Kitsune faction.
But his words had failed to sway Reinhard.
Because Reinhard understood that the dawn would inevitably break through the darkest night, and even someone as formidable as Byakuya would ultimately face mortality.
Reinhard stood up, dragging his heavy frame toward a lake within the bamboo forest. He slowly removed his mask.
Gazing at his reflection in the water, Reinhard couldn't help but touch his own face.
Reflecting, how long had it been since he last saw himself in a mirror?
...
At night, in Asia,
In Shaanxi, Jihen and Yang Lin arrived at an open field.
Jihen took a shovel and dug several preliminary holes. After penetrating and confirming the soil layers, he pinpointed a precise location.
"This is the spot."
Jihen began digging in earnest, with Yang Lin observing from above.
"Can you manage the mechanism below?"
Jihen heard this and again scooped up a handful of dirt. "In this world, if there's a mechanism I can't solve, it can only be a public security failsafe."
"Then that task falls to you."
Yang Lin turned his head to gaze into the distance. Regarding Jihen's activities, he decided to turn a blind eye this time.
Although he was aware Jihen's actions were illicit, if matters had already reached this critical juncture, whatever consequences followed, Yang Lin would bear them alongside him.
From his father to his master, so many people had perished, all connected to the Kitsune. And to uncover the true facts of this entire affair, Jihen currently represented the sole viable point of access.
It was already 1 AM. Jihen made a significant discovery. He had excavated the tunnel wide enough to confirm that he was facing a massive sarcophagus slab.
Yang Lin also followed and jumped down. Jihen carefully took out a water bottle and poured water onto the sarcophagus slab, using a brush to gradually sweep away the clinging mud.
"What is this pattern?"
Jihen, examining the design on the slab, was first surprised, then delighted. "Twin Dragons Shattering the Tablet Painting?"
"What does that signify?"
"It's not important right now; what lies beneath is what matters. Hurry, lend me a hand!"
Jihen produced a crowbar, intending to pry open the sarcophagus slab through the existing crack. However, the slab was sealed incredibly tightly.
"Damn... it won't budge. I need to excavate a wider gap."
Yang Lin simply reached out, secured the edge of the crack, then exerted force and directly pulled the entire sarcophagus slab free.
Jihen blinked in astonishment. "You... you actually managed that."
The slab was lifted. Jihen peered down. As he looked, he was stunned. Below, everything was submerged in water.
The entire tomb chamber was filled with water.
"Sarcophagus fluid... This complicates things..." Jihen muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
Yang Lin turned his head. "Didn't you claim there wasn't a mechanism you couldn't solve?"
"Then I still have to test if there is any corpse poison in this coffin fluid, don't I?" Jihen countered.
Yang Lin crouched down. Some small spheres gradually floated up from the coffin liquid. "They look like hawthorns and chestnuts."
"Hawthorns and chestnuts?"
Hearing this, Jihen suddenly retrieved a long stick. He gently probed the water with it, noting that the water depth seemed shallow.
He gently stirred the bottom with the stick. "Below is all funerary equipment, lots of miscellaneous items, and the space seems very restricted?"
Could it be?
Jihen hastily turned his head to look at another sarcophagus slab behind him. "Quick, lift this one!"
Yang Lin complied, securing the second slab. As soon as he lifted it, they saw a skull.
"This is the actual coffin?"
Jihen heard this and clapped his hands. "It's exactly like this! My hypothesis wasn't wrong!"
Yang Lin continued lifting the slabs until they could view the full outline of the corpse.
At this moment, Jihen discovered something else. He used the stick to poke around the corpse and carefully fished out a seal.
He changed his gloves, gently picked up the seal, and brushed away some of the dirt to reveal engraved characters.
"Warring States Period...?!"
"What does it say?"
"It's a bit faded; I can't make out the precise text, only the general context, but that detail isn't crucial now."
"Next is the main event."
With that, Jihen suddenly pointed his hand at the tattered skeleton. "Deceased Soul Scattering: soul scattered, bones dissolved, body irrelevant—retain meritorious service, serve me."
As he spoke, the skeleton suddenly disintegrated into a large quantity of black mist that flowed into Jihen's hand, and simultaneously, a black four-leaf pattern condensed on the back of his hand.
It should have been a four-leaf clover, but now only one leaf was visible.
Jihen saw this and revealed a strange smile. "Very good, very good. I finally secured a military general. With this thing..."
"Comrade, may I request another favor?"
Jihen turned his head. Just as he was about to raise his right hand, Yang Lin acted first, directly using a grappling technique to pin him against the wall.
At the same time, Yang Lin drew a pistol from his hip and pressed the muzzle against the back of Jihen's head.
"A favor?"
"How about you start fulfilling some of your promises first?"
Jihen's face stiffened. He attempted to break free from Yang Lin's restraint but found Yang Lin's physical strength to be immense!
Jihen's face turned crimson, but he still could not escape Yang Lin's grip.
"Cough, actually, what I should have told you, I've already disclosed."
Yang Lin's eyes were cold. "So, you lied to me before?"
"..."
"Good, you don't need to speak. Next, I will ask, and you will answer."
"Where do your special abilities originate? Are they connected to Kitsune?"
"No."
"Are they connected to your 'Night Watcher' designation?"
"No."
"What kind of organization is Kitsune to you?"
"I didn't say 'them.' They are the Observers; we are the prisoners. Kitsune is the prison. I've already explained this to you previously."
"Are you afraid of Kitsune?"
"If I weren't afraid, would I have fled all the way here?"
"Where did that corpse go just now?"
"I refined it."
"What are the consequences of you refining it?"
"I cannot disclose that to you."
Yang Lin heard this and let out a cold laugh. "It's fine if you refuse to tell me. I'll hazard a guess: you possess abilities similar to reanimating the deceased."
"These dead souls will serve you. You previously raided an official's tomb but didn't take a single coin because your objective was the corpse, and that particular corpse didn't meet your standards."
"You are seeking the remains of a military general."
Jihen heard this and forced a smile. "You see, you've already deduced the answer, and yet you still question me. So, what I ought to reveal, I have already revealed."
"What I ought to conceal, you have also inferred."
Yang Lin remained unconvinced by his response, and furthermore, in that instant, a distinct killing intent flashed within Jihen's eyes.
That coldness sent shivers down Yang Lin's spine. He did not hesitate at all; he acted decisively and struck first.
This Jihen fellow was clearly the type to burn bridges.
Yang Lin maintained vigilance against him from the very beginning.
"One final question: Who established Kitsune?"
Upon hearing this, Jihen frowned. Who founded Kitsune?
"Zero."
Zero?
Yang Lin repeated the name internally. "Are you certain it was him?"
"Other than Zero, I cannot conceive of a second person."
"Where is Zero now?"
"Deceased."
"When did that occur?"
"It seems like a few months ago. I only learned of it after I was released. He was originally Kitsune's Chief."
"Then, if he is dead, who currently leads Kitsune?"
"Kitsune's highest decision-making authority resides with the O5 Council, but above that body, there remains one final individual. He is the Chief of the O5 Council, Zero's designated successor."
"What is his designation?"
"Byakuya."
"More specific details, please."
Jihen continuously twisted his wrist. The skin on his wrist was already turning red from the friction.
'How is this man's physical strength so immense? This must be at least a 2nd Step physical constitution.'
'Damn it, my wrist won't budge. I cannot release the banished souls...'
Jihen gritted his teeth. "Didn't you promise 'one last question'? How many is this now?"
"Didn't you also promise to disclose the truth to me? So, where is this truth?" Yang Lin countered.
Damn it.
"Byakuya has several aliases, such as the White King or the Two-Faced Tiger. That is all the intelligence I possess regarding him. I have never even seen him."
Yang Lin pondered for a moment. "Then one last question; I truly mean this is the final one."
"There is a golden, glistening orb, roughly the size of a chestnut, etched with patterns resembling flower buds. Do you recognize this object?"
Golden, glistening, chestnut-sized, flower-bud patterns.
Isn't this...
"Golden Lotus Seed?"
"What is a Golden Lotus Seed?"
"There exists a Golden Lotus Pedestal, a supernatural Object. It periodically conceives the item you described."
"Roughly ninety-nine seeds at a time, but the gestation period for a Golden Lotus Seed is exceedingly slow; it requires an entire month."
"I heard the Golden Lotus Pedestal was originally an item belonging to the Chaos Insurgency, later contained by Kitsune. Since then, no one has seen it. Some of us still maintain active bounties for Golden Lotus Seeds. They are reputed to be priceless, unattainable even with immense wealth."
"What is its utility?"
"Its function is to grant those who ingest the Golden Lotus Seed temporary photographic memory, allowing their learning capacity to grow infinitely."
Hearing this, Yang Lin abruptly pushed Jihen away, then immediately kicked the earthen wall, using the momentum to launch himself out of the large pit.
Jihen, having broken free, instantly brandished his wrist. The black single-leaf clover pattern on the back of his hand directly morphed into a mass of black mist and shot out!
"There were no projectiles in your firearm at all! Did you truly believe I wouldn't remember that?"
A black shadow darted out, aimed directly at Yang Lin. Yang Lin hastily retreated, only to witness the black shadow instantly coalesce into a humanoid form!
It was a humanoid creature clad in armor and wielding a long-handled weapon.
The reason he was termed a "humanoid creature" was that his entire skin was black, and his being resembled dense, shifting mist.
That black shadow wasted no words upon manifestation. He stomped the ground directly, and instantly the earth trembled. A terrifying shockwave rolled upwards!
Yang Lin leaped, narrowly evading the shockwave. Unexpectedly, the black shadow swung its weapon directly, striking at his body!
Thud!!
The black shadow's powerful impact landed heavily on Yang Lin, directly blasting him from the air down to the ground!
And at this crucial moment, a faint green luminescence surged across Yang Lin's skin!
A pair of serpentine eyes appeared momentarily in the air—it was the protective snake scales!
Yang Lin spun around. With just a single thought, he reached a conclusion.
This general, resurrected by Jihen, was even more terrifying than that Flesh Cube!
The black shadow's speed far outstripped Yang Lin's; even his enhanced vision couldn't track it!
Yang Lin looked at the back of his hand. Three snake scales were visible.
During this recent period, he had experienced three more snake dreams, causing three more protective snake scales to form on his body.
Adding the one he possessed previously, that totaled four scales.
Snake scales were consumables, yet not purely so.
Because they possessed the ability to recover. The regeneration time for each scale was calculated individually: one scale every twenty-four hours.
One had just been expended by the black shadow's attack. Now, three remained.
But judging by the immediate situation, those three snake scales were simply insufficient.
...
Jihen, mirroring Yang Lin, rushed onto the ground in a few steps. He waved his hand, and the black shadow instantly pivoted its weapon and drove it into the ground.
"You deduced one fact correctly earlier: I resurrect departed souls. Their strength is largely correlated with their renown and the legends surrounding them both in life and post-mortem."
"And the entity before you now is the infamous Slaughterer of the Warring States period."
"The so-called [Phantom Seer]; comparing the four falsehoods, one can perceive his achievements. Following the Era of the Five Realms, this individual was inducted into the pantheon of gods and demons by the Mystic Order, bestowed with divinity, and ranked among the Everveil Cohort, venerated as a Divine Marshal."
"Do you recall what I mentioned earlier? The 'Twin Dragons Shattering the Tablet Painting' noted on the roster—that signifies the intent for Ascension."
"If my abilities were a gacha system, then this particular card would undoubtedly be the highest-tier SSR!"
"Is this the tomb of [General Kael], the Marshal of the Ironclad Legion?"
Yang Lin stated, placing his right hand behind his back. The Dragon Stone had already slid down from his sleeve and rested in his palm.
"Indeed."
Jihen advanced slowly, remarking, "The Warlord of the Obsidian Throne and the Champion of the Ironclad Guard—peerless among monarchs, and unbeatable within their domain. I originally intended to use the remains of those two to forge Specters, yet the Heavens are cruel, repeatedly allowing others to thwart my plans."
"I did not anticipate that, through a twist of fate, I would uncover the resting place of this 'Slaughterer.' This development can also be considered..."
Before Jihen could complete his sentence, Yang Lin suddenly acted, activating the Dragon Stone's power, spewing a pillar of blazing fire directly at Jihen!
Jihen noticed this and swung his right hand. The Kael Phantom instantly materialized before him and immediately brandished its weapon, striking towards the blazing fire!
Boom!
Only a loud impact sound was heard. Dust billowed, and sparks flew everywhere.
Jihen waved his hand dismissively. The dust dispersed, but Yang Lin's figure had already vanished.
"You truly have no respect for formalities, do you? I hadn't finished speaking. What's the rush to depart? After all... I never actually intended to end your life."
The Kael Phantom dissipated, once again transforming into black energy that returned to the back of Jihen's hand, manifesting as a single-leaf clover.
At this moment, a black-robed figure appeared behind Jihen without any prior warning.
"But I fulfilled my part of the agreement."
The black-robed figure heard this, and his eyes gleamed beneath his mask. "If I had arrived a moment later, I fear this conversation wouldn't be taking place."
Jihen forced a strained smile. The reason he had suddenly paused and engaged in an argument with Yang Lin was precisely because Reinhard had quietly materialized in the vicinity.
"Regardless of the procedure, at least in terms of the result, it is the same."
"Now, our transaction can be considered concluded, Seth."
Reinhard heard this and suddenly seized Jihen's neck. His movements were lightning-fast; in a mere flash, he demanded, "Concluded?"
"Do you imagine that just because you possess departed souls, I cannot claim you?"
"Do not forget your allegiance. Who molded you into a monstrosity?"
Jihen's wrist flicked sharply. Black energy instantly erupted from his wrist, directly shattering Reinhard's restraint!
The black Kael departed soul materialized before Reinhard. Upon seeing it, Reinhard tore away the bandages on his hand, revealing the Demon Blade.
The Kael departed soul immediately lunged. Reinhard drew the Demon Blade, splitting the opponent's weapon with a decisive overhead strike. The departed soul was about to retaliate, but countless threads instantly pierced through Kael's form at that moment!
Before Jihen could react, Reinhard flashed forward, kicking him violently to the ground!
Reinhard's boot landed heavily on his chest, while the Demon Blade in his hand rested menacingly against his throat.
"Until my scheme reaches fruition, if you dare consider stepping aside, first determine if you possess the capability."
"Remember this: as long as you cannot defeat me, you will forever remain a member of the Serpent's Hand."
Jihen ground his teeth. "...Yes, Lord Seth."
The Kael departed soul phantom dissipated, and Reinhard sheathed his Demon Blade.
Jihen slowly pulled himself up from the ground. "...I don't understand. What is so uniquely important about that police officer named Yang Lin that warrants your intense focus?"
Reinhard glanced sideways at him. "That is none of your concern."
With that statement, Reinhard's figure directly vanished from Jihen's sight.
A moment later, Jihen spat out a mouthful of blood. "...If only I could resurrect him as a departed soul..."
Jihen had previously told Yang Lin that he was hiding from Kitsune, and to avoid attracting Kitsune's notice, he deliberately refused to use his abilities and willingly endured three years.
In reality, the situation was quite different.
Jihen had not escaped the Death Game; he did not possess any recovery potion.
He was originally a loyal operative of the Serpent's Hand, following Reinhard's directives to complete an assignment, and that mission was linked to a certain monster.
At that time, by some cruel twist of fate, events went sideways, and Jihen and that monster mysteriously exchanged bodies.
Jihen only learned much later that this entire sequence was orchestrated by Reinhard, a meticulously planned script.
Body swapping—this was facilitated by the effect of an Ancient Artifact.
Ancient Artifact—this term might sound slightly unusual.
Because it was a type of object that appeared concurrent with the Sea King, and ultimately, all such items were stored within the library that 024 eventually transformed into.
But for an unknown reason, Reinhard had pilfered several Ancient Artifacts from that library.
Among them was an Ancient Artifact named the Scales of Equilibrium Law.
It possessed an incredibly terrifying effect: it could swap the consciousnesses of any two individuals.
Jihen's consciousness was swapped with that monster's consciousness. Reinhard then executed Jihen's original body, effectively forcing Jihen to inhabit that monster.
And that monster was the Resurrected Soul.
Following that, Reinhard assigned Jihen a mission.
To wait.
Jihen inquired how long he was required to wait.
Reinhard stated that he had to wait until the Yang Tree bloomed in January.
The plan proceeded smoothly, but during this process, Jihen gradually developed a spirit of rebellion. Reinhard, however, seemed unconcerned by this shift.
...
On the other side, Yang Lin returned to Beiling City.
He paused in front of the police station, hesitated for a brief moment, then turned and walked away.
He did not go home. He simply walked the city streets in plain clothes.
No matter whether it was Jihen or Kitsune, they were likely both searching for him now. For the sake of those at home and his colleagues at the unit, not returning was the correct course of action.
At night, Yang Lin arrived at an inn to secure lodging.
After settling into the inn, the first thing he did was retrieve Snake's Dream from his bag.
Having taken out Snake's Dream, Yang Lin then retrieved the document Reinhard had given him earlier.
He had already witnessed the efficacy of the snake scales firsthand; they were an incredibly vital tool for self-preservation. Therefore, the more snake scales he possessed, the better.
The optimal scenario was to acquire all twenty-four snake scales.
But one detail remained deeply perplexing: Reinhard, during the process of reading the document, could not recall the specific contents of the book.
This might be an inherent rule of the book: once read, the content would be forgotten.
Reinhard mused, then pulled a small box from his bag. Inside the box was a golden sphere.
That was the Golden Lotus Seed.
If Jihen hadn't been deceitful, this object supposedly granted photographic memory and could infinitely enhance learning ability.
So... Yang Lin took a deep breath, then placed the golden sphere into his mouth.
Upon entering his mouth, the golden sphere instantly dissolved.
And Yang Lin's pupils, at this precise moment, turned golden!