The man's once defiant demeanor had crumpled, a broken smile straining upon his face as he repeated his weak promise, "Y-yes I-I w-ill defi-ni-tely".
Yuanshan's irritation showed as he mockingly retorted, "You've said that five times already." The middle-aged thug was at a loss for words, his shattered gaze fixed on the ground, an unnatural smile frozen on his broken features. He was utterly broken, both physically and emotionally, a husk of the man he once was. Time ticked by as Yuanshan continued to kick him down, placing his foot upon the man's face.
"If you want life ... Then speak," Yuanshan commanded, his voice devoid of sympathy, his tone cold, dense, and tinged with indifference. The middle-aged man, now completely broken, could only look upon his tormentor with a mixture of fear and terror.
The middle-aged man's face briefly lit up as if he had suddenly remembered something crucial, his words coming out in a broken and stuttered plea, "Ye-yes, but p-lease let m-me lo-ive!" The man's shattered voice revealed the depths of his ordeal.
Yuanshan, behind his mask, grew visibly annoyed, asking the man to begin his explanation without delay. The man, now shaking with fear, reluctantly began to speak, his words filled with a desperate urgency.
"It happened a few days ago... We met an old man, another drug addict customer," he explained, his voice strained and breaking.
Yuanshan's irritation deepened, and he kicked the man in the face, his voice cold and demanding, "Just get on with it and speak clearly. Don't mumble."
The man, now even more broken, could only force a broken smile and respond in a feeble voice, "Yes... my friend and I work in the organization. There, he was lucky enough to overhear some important information."
"He guessed that one of the families of Sky View City, the Tuo Clan I think, might have some connection to this matter," the man continued, his voice now a desperate whisper as he shared his observations.
Yuanshan's expression remained unchanged, his eyes fixed on the man, as the latter desperately tried to spill everything he knew.
Yuanshan's thoughts roiled with cryptic questions. The Tuo Clan, the drugs, the city lord... who was truly pulling the strings? Was there a secret web of deceit? And what about other clans in Sky View City, were they involved? Was the organization mentioned by the thug a mere branch? As he pressed the man for more information, doubts nagged at him. Perhaps this "organization" was bigger than he thought, rooted across far more than just Sky View City. In the end, the man's tongue remained tied, as if bound by a strange force.
Frustrated, Yuanshan turned to the system, pleading for help. The system accepted, offering to extract the answer from the man's very soul for a price of 5000 points. Yuanshan hastily agreed. Bluestine energy emerged from nowhere, invading the man's brain and merging with Yuanshan himself. A flood of knowledge inundated his mind - including the name of the mysterious organization. "The Void Sect," whispered the system.
Yuanshan's eyes widened as the information sank in. "The Void Sect...," he murmured in a low voice, the weight and significance of the name settling heavily on his mind.
Yuanshan found himself contemplating the system, its enigmatic nature filling him with a profound sense of mystery. He wondered about his own connection to it, why he was the chosen host, and what its essence was. He felt immersed in a web of intrigue, an indirect observer caught in the shadows, compelled to comply yet lacking true understanding. It both excited and terrified him, perhaps making him a thrill-seeker drawn to the unknown.
He looked again at the broken man before him, trembling with a mix of hope and despair."I-I li-ve ... G-o now ri-ght?!, I can n-ow ga-in pea-ce ... Eternal Peace!?"
Yuanshan smiled coldly, his words dripping with sarcasm. "Eternal peace, huh? Too bad I'm sending you straight to hell. Enjoy an eternity of suffering." The man's hope drained away as Yuanshan's cruel laughter pierced his soul. He lay there, broken and lifeless, while Yuanshan vanished into the shadows, leaving a trail of mystery in his wake.
The air hung heavy with the weight of the man's fate, and Yuanshan's mind swirled with unanswered questions. What other mysteries awaited him in this twisted web of shadows and intrigue?
This newfound sense of dread and mystery only fueled his adrenaline-seeking tendencies, and Yuanshan braced himself for whatever lay ahead. How deep did this rabbit hole go? And who or what was truly pulling the strings?
Yuanshan gracefully navigated through the darkened streets, unseen and unnoticed. Even the gentle breeze seemed to avoid him as he passed through the hustling crowds. With deliberate steps, he headed towards the familiar wooden door of the Yao Wang Inn House. The wooden door creaked softly as he gently entered the central hall, barely making a sound.
He climbed up the stairs to the second floor, his stealthy presence barely noticed by the awe-struck admirers who secretly appreciated his beauty. He swiftly reached the vibrant second floor veranda and ascended the next set of stairs to the third floor.
The guards at the third floor recognized his third floor token and granted him access. He pushed open the door to his room, unchanged from his previous visit. The pleasant scent of burning incense filled the air, and the opulent windows remained shut. His bedsheets were neatly arranged, likely by the hardworking servants.
Yuanshan walked over to one of the bookshelves and retrieved an empty notebook with a black cover. It featured organization symbols and peculiar morals. He proceeded to the nearby table and picked up the feather pen, dipping it in a pot of black ink before beginning to write about the unfolding mystery.
For about 30 minutes, he diligently wrote down everything he had learned thus far. Once finished, he stored the filled book in his system inventory. He leaned back in his chair, now contemplating the uncertain future that lay ahead.
The quiet room was filled with a sense of contemplation as Yuanshan pondered the unknown elements of the future. How would these mysterious events unfold, and what unexpected twists would he encounter? The air felt heavy with anticipation, and the only sound that filled the room was the soft crackle of burning incense.
Yuanshan couldn't shake off the feeling that he was just scratching the surface of a much larger and complex mystery. The more he uncovered, the more questions it seemed to raise. What would be the consequences of delving deeper into this unknown web?
He glanced at his bed, the sheets arranged in a neat manner. Perhaps the servants had been the ones to have done that. He then glanced back towards the bookshelf and the notebook he had put back. His eyes then glanced towards the window, the luxurious and well made frame and the opaque white curtains made of expensive fabric blocking his view.
The dimly lit room had a warm and cozy ambience. It provided a sense of comfort and security, shielded from the outside world's chaos. Yuanshan continued to sit in deep thought, his mind consumed by the mysterious matters he had just written about.
[Note: I have prepared everything for the contract application. I only need to wait for more then 20 chapters until I amply for it. I will not make it premium just yet]
[By Bleeds]