Night fell like an enormous velvet curtain drawn over the clamorous world.
Flecks of blue moonlight and sparse starlight intertwined, casting a tranquil, mysterious glow across the entire earth.
Outside the study of the city villa.
In the dim corridor, Yan Chen and Qin Heng stood side by side. The light fell at a slant from behind them, stretching their long, crisscrossing shadows and carving golden boundaries across the quiet space.
"I had no idea the Director possessed such deep insight into civil administration. The points you raised just now are truly issues our Civil Affairs Department had overlooked."
"In the future, I will certainly trouble you more often. I hope the Director will not take offense."
Hearing Qin Heng say this, Yan Chen chuckled softly, his voice low and raspy. "Director Qin is too polite."
"Old Master Qin and I were close friends back in the day. Before he passed, he entrusted the Qin family to my care."
"So if anything comes up, feel free to consult me anytime."
The two had already reached a consensus inside the study, and they were merely exchanging pleasantries now, so the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.
Just then, a figure came hurrying down the far end of the corridor.
The two paused their conversation and looked toward the approaching figure.
It was Qin Heng's assistant, a junior of the Qin family whom Qin Heng had groomed with great care.
Rushing up to them, the assistant first bowed slightly to Yan Chen. "Director Yan."
Yan Chen nodded faintly and let out a brief grunt of acknowledgment through his nose.
Only then did the assistant step briskly toward Qin Heng, cupping a hand over his mouth as if to whisper into his ear.
Seeing this, Qin Heng slapped his hand away and scolded with a frown, "The Director is right here. What kind of disgraceful sneaking around is this?"
He paused, then added sternly, "Whatever it is, report it directly."
Qin Heng's constitution was frail to begin with, and speaking with force instantly set him coughing behind a raised hand.
At Qin Heng's command, the assistant showed a look of hesitation, glancing between Yan Chen and Qin Heng.
Qin Heng understood his awkward position, but he also knew his family had now fully aligned itself with Yan Chen. At a moment like this, he had to demonstrate his stance.
Therefore, he gave the assistant a stern glare.
Seeing that, the assistant finally made his report with an uneasy expression.
"Family head—"
Qin Heng glared at him once more. "Use my official title during work."
The assistant fell silent for a beat before continuing. "Director. The main residence has allegedly been set on fire."
"The flames are spreading, and the entire family is in chaos."
"Second— Section Chief Qin Zhengguang is currently organizing emergency firefighting efforts while conducting roll calls and investigations."
"Because the fire originated in a sparsely populated area, although it is large, only two people suffered minor injuries, with no fatalities. However... Fourth Master, along with his wife and children, have completely disappeared."
Hearing the assistant's report, Qin Heng's expression shifted drastically.
He could not help but glance at Yan Chen.
Most of Yan Chen's body remained concealed in the shadows, his face devoid of emotion, as if he had not heard the report at all.
Seeing this, Qin Heng suppressed the turmoil in his chest. He gave Yan Chen a slight nod and said in a calm tone, "Director, trouble has struck my home. Please permit me to take my leave first."
Yan Chen smiled faintly. "Director Qin is too polite. If there is anything you cannot handle, feel free to contact me."
With that, he called out, "Ji Chen."
A butler stepped out from the shadows nearby, bowing with his hands lowered before Yan Chen.
Yan Chen said, "Accompany Director Qin to take a look."
Hearing the order, the butler bowed toward Qin Heng. "Director Qin, after you."
Qin Heng did not decline Yan Chen's goodwill. He nodded to Yan Chen, acknowledged Ji Chen with a gesture, and strode briskly outside.
As he walked farther away, his hushed inquiry to the assistant echoed through the deep corridor: "What on earth happened?"
The assistant jogged to keep pace, answering in a low whisper, "Director, it was like this..."
By the study door, Yan Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes placid as he watched Qin Heng's silhouette vanish at the end of the hallway. Only then did he turn and reenter the study.
Under the dim light of the study, he strolled to the desk and picked up the landline receiver.
He dialed several digits, and once a voice answered from the receiver, he instructed, "Look into what happened with the Qin family."
A low voice sounded from the other end. "Yes, Director."
***
Meanwhile.
Jiuxiang Street, Qiu Tu's home.
Through his spirit vision, Qiu Tu watched Fourth Master Qin leading Qin Shuman away from the Qin estate in haste, escorted by several thugs.
Behind them, wild tongues of flame danced like an uncontrollable fire dragon, roaring with all its might, yet ultimately failing to impede their steps.
Watching Fourth Master Qin and Qin Shuman get into the car and drive off toward the Milan Hotel, Qiu Tu deactivated his spirit vision.
The gray mist slowly faded, and the outlines of the physical world filled in once more, turning back into solid walls and cold buildings...
As the azure afterglow of spirit vision receded from his pupils, a wave of dizziness hit Qiu Tu's head.
He braced himself against the windowsill with one hand, struggling to stay upright, and only then belatedly realized that he had overextended his mental energy.
Spirit vision, just like a Cataclysm ability, could not be used indefinitely. Every use came at the cost of consuming a certain amount of mental energy.
According to the knowledge etched into the very foundations of the world, this was because all supernatural powers in this world required Cataclysm power to function, yet Cataclysm power existed solely within the Boundless Mind Sea.
To wield such power in the material world, living beings had to commune with the Boundless Mind Sea and manifest that Cataclysm power into physical reality.
This required a tremendous amount of mental energy.
For someone like Qiu Tu, who had only just undergone his Cataclysm Awakening, forcing an hour of continuous spirit vision was pushing himself to the extreme. Unless one possessed a potion or a Cataclysm bauble that restored mental energy, it would take more than ten hours of rest to recover.
*A potion or Cataclysm bauble that restores mental energy...?*
At that thought, Qiu Tu glanced at the two gently swaying treasure chests in the upper left corner of his vision.
*I actually do have one...*
He had earned two crisis chests. One had been completed this morning when he testified against Fourth Master Qin in Yan Chen's office, corresponding to the crisis of "Gathering Incriminating Evidence Against the Qin Family."
The other had popped up automatically at six o'clock this evening when the countdown ran out, corresponding to the crisis of "Brewing the Awakening Potion."
Qiu Tu had already inspected the rewards from both crises earlier.
The chest from "Gathering Incriminating Evidence Against the Qin Family" contained another Cataclysm material:
[Memory Clay: A precious Cataclysm material nurtured within the Night Demon Marsh, capable of recording and reproducing a creature's memories.]
[With sufficient crafting skill, it can be forged into Cataclysm baubles such as "Thought Sculpture," "Echoes of the Past Urn," "Letter from Beyond the Stars," and "Eye of Foresight."]
It seemed to be an exceedingly precious Cataclysm material, but Qiu Tu had no use for it at the moment.
The chest from "Brewing the Awakening Potion," however, was different. It had directly yielded a Cataclysm bauble:
[Bauble Name: Nightmare Crystal Vial]
[Bauble Description: A unique container blown from spirit-breath crystal as its primary material. It holds a frenzy-inducing energy within.]
[Bauble Effect: Left undisturbed under the moonlight for a single night, this vial will fill with mental nourishment condensed from Cataclysm power and dream essence. Drinking it immediately restores completely depleted mental energy.]
[Side Effects: Unknown.]
[Remarks: When wandering the Boundless Mind Sea or combating horrifying entities that seek to devour your mind, the Nightmare Crystal Vial is undeniably an indispensable treasure for maintaining mental vigor and staving off psychic collapse.]
It was precisely because he had obtained this mind-restoring Cataclysm bauble that Qiu Tu had dared to use his spirit vision so aggressively.
With that thought, Qiu Tu tapped the chest.
A moment later, a brilliantly colored crystal vial materialized in his hand.
The vial was small, only the size of a thumb, resembling the oral liquid vials Qiu Tu had taken in his previous life.
Holding the crystal vial, he gave it two gentle shakes. Inside, iridescent ripples surged like starlight.
Qiu Tu tipped his head back and drank the mental nourishment within. The iridescent liquid slid down his throat, illuminating every corner of his bones and internal organs, rendering them vividly distinct.
A moment later, the light dimmed, and a soothing coolness washed straight into Qiu Tu's brain. His once aching, weary thoughts cleared instantly.
Qiu Tu shook his head, then opened his mouth—and burped out an iridescent bubble...
He clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to stop the bubbles from escaping. But then... he felt the pressure heading downward...
Terrified, Qiu Tu quickly pulled his hand away, resigning himself to releasing an iridescent bubble every now and then...
After burping up bubbles for a short while, the side effect of the Cataclysm bauble finally faded away.
Feeling his mental energy fully restored, Qiu Tu picked up the Nightmare Crystal Vial and gave it a shake; it was completely empty now. It appeared he would have to leave it out for a night before he could use it again.
Thinking this over, Qiu Tu slipped his first Cataclysm bauble into an inner pocket, keeping it close to his person.
Then he rose and went next door, summoning Sister Xin to ask her to look after the sleeping Shen Lingshuang before heading downstairs.
The most important part of any play was never its climax, but its curtain call.
He had let Fourth Master Qin perform the first act; for the second act, he would bring down the curtain with his own hands.
After all, letting Fourth Master Qin escape the Qin estate was merely the first step.
Negotiating with the Military Department, dealing with the subsequent reactions of Yan Chen and the Qin family, and maximizing his own gains from the affair—these were the most crucial parts of the entire drama.
With these thoughts in mind, Qiu Tu went downstairs, got into the black sedan Qin Zhengguang had given him, and drove toward the Milan Hotel.
He wondered if the Nightmare Crystal Vial possessed other special properties.
The bumpy road through the zone pending planning did not evoke the slightest irritation in him. His mind felt extraordinarily calm, and his thoughts flowed far more smoothly than usual.
*Ring, ring, ring...*
Halfway through the drive, his communicator suddenly rang.
Pulling his drifting thoughts back to reality, Qiu Tu picked it up and glanced at the screen. It was a call from Jia Shu.
Seeing the name on the communicator, Qiu Tu frowned slightly. After a brief pause, he answered in a calm voice.
"Good evening, Chief."
From the other end came Jia Shu's artificial chuckle. "What is Agent Qiu busy with?"
Qiu Tu glanced in the rearview mirror and lied without batting an eye. "A friend asked me out for drinks. I'm on my way there now."
"Oh? Is that so?" On the other end, Jia Shu looked out his window with a faint smirk. "Then come to the bureau for some overtime, Agent Qiu."
"We have an urgent case."
Hearing Jia Shu's words, Qiu Tu slowly brought the car to a stop.
He pondered for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled. "Very well."
Jia Shu said, "If I remember correctly, Section Chief Qin gave you a car this noon, didn't he? It's about a fifteen-minute drive from your home to the bureau."
"Shall we say eighteen minutes from now?"
Qiu Tu did not decline. "Understood, Chief."
He hung up the call. Gazing out the window at the pitch-black, deserted street, Qiu Tu took a deep breath, an inscrutable expression appearing on his face.
*Interesting. How interesting... Truly, one should never underestimate the enemy.*
*I just made my move, and they've already responded?*
*Still, are they genuinely suspicious of me, or are they merely trying to pin down possible suspects?*
He pondered for two seconds without reaching an answer, but then smiled with easy confidence.
What a pity... They wouldn't be able to pin him down.
He was determined to see this play through to the very end.
Chapter 51