The high-level players who hadn’t entered the instance were searching for traces by calculating data.
The moment Yan Wei made his move in the instance, his Perception was projected in a tangible form, and everyone could see that his data level was more than twice that of other players. Those who could enter this 99th-floor instance were all well-known players, except for someone like Zhuo Xidong, who had been lying low without leaving any trace. Everyone had a rough idea of their data, and even those with weaker Perception would likely have values around eight or nine thousand.
Yan Wei’s value had to be more than twice that, fluctuating around twenty thousand.
When ascending to the top floor, the highest data value was only ten thousand.
The high-level players weren’t as shocked as the ordinary players, who were still marveling at Yan Wei’s unexpectedly strong capabilities. However, the high-level players could more or less understand—Yan Wei was definitely not a newcomer.
To achieve such a value, either the Tower had malfunctioned, or, within the rules, this person had accumulated an extremely high value before anyone even knew his name.
—Yan Wei wasn’t ascending for the first time!
The name Yan Wei, or rather, the alias “Yan,” had appeared in five instances since its emergence, excluding the top-floor instance. These instances were the 1st, 7th, 19th, 49th, and 89th floors.
These instances, along with the alias “Yan,” were recorded on the Endless Long Monument, and players could check them at any time.
So they calculated the highest possible value obtainable from these five instances and subtracted it from twenty thousand. The remaining value of over ten thousand was the data Yan had obtained during his first Ascension.
Thus, the scope was narrowed.
It was the high-level players whose data fell within this range, who hadn’t appeared in other instances or in the Tower World.
Whether they had disappeared, gone silent, or even died, as long as they fit the range, these high-level players included them in their list. There weren’t many, roughly a hundred or so, which was a drop in the ocean compared to the countless people struggling between life and death in the Tower World.
But they still searched for a long time.
There was no other reason—they couldn’t find a match.
Until this high-level player grew genuinely tired of searching, flipping through the list and cross-referencing data without paying attention to the names beside the data.
Then, suddenly, they found someone who fit the data range.
But just as they were thrilled by this sudden discovery, their gaze shifted to the name beside the matching data, and their mind was filled with only one thought: “Impossible.”
People around them crowded in, eagerly asking what player they had found that matched the characteristics. But their gaze moved away from the data records in their hands, slowly turning toward the Endless Stone Tablet at the center of the Tower World, to the alias they had found.
This alias was at the very top of the Long Monument, almost piercing into the vast clouds.
V.
The person who had left behind one classic instance record after another, yet never revealed their name or left any image.
The person who had founded the Blackbird in the lower floors.
The person who had challenged the Tower itself, even with the utopian ideal of ending everything, yet still managed to make other players in the Tower World believe in them and willingly follow them to their deaths.
Also the initiator of the last top-floor instance.
The person shuddered, their grip loosening, and a stack of records scattered to the ground. The top sheet floated down with the wind, carrying the alias “V,” and landed gently.
Yan Wei and the others smoothly entered the Shen Estate.
It was a common occurrence for Master Shen to buy women and bring them back to the estate. The carriage from Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel had come countless times before, and the gatekeeper merely glanced inside before letting them in.
Aside from the NPC gatekeepers of the Shen Estate, the players aligned with the Shen faction weren’t completely unprepared. As the carriage entered through the back courtyard, Yan Wei sensed a detection Item hidden behind the gate.
This detection Item could be exchanged in the Information Panel’s shop. As long as one had enough resources, they could exchange for as many as they wanted. It wasn’t particularly useful, only able to detect whether a player passed by. The principle of the Item was that the user left a trace of their Perception on it. If a player with lower Perception than the user appeared within the Item’s range, the Item would detect their presence and notify the user.
Since the two factions were opposed, aside from guarding against Ghosts, they naturally needed to guard against players. Over at Guanyin Academy, Yan Wei’s presence alone served as the best warning, so there was no need for additional measures. On the Shen Estate’s side, it was likely Zhuo Xidong’s idea.
This Item could save manpower and prevent opposing players from infiltrating the Shen Estate, making it a good choice.
Provided that the person who set up the Item had higher data than Yan Wei.
In the Tower World, no one’s data was higher than Yan Wei’s.
As soon as the carriage arrived at the back gate of the Shen Estate, Yan Wei sensed the presence of the Item. He quietly manipulated the Moon Wheel to create a barrier around the carriage, allowing them to enter the estate smoothly.
Once inside, it was nearly dusk.
Yan Wei had thought they would need to deal with Master Shen upon entering, and he had considered several ways to handle a meeting with him. But the servants of the Shen Estate simply told them to settle in first, leading them to a courtyard.
Yan Mingguang and the others didn’t have the burly build of men. Wearing veiled bamboo hats, aside from being tall, there weren’t any obvious flaws. The person leading the way didn’t notice anything amiss, chatting with Yan Wei as they guided the group to the courtyard, explaining some things to be mindful of.
Yan Mingguang and the others, whose identities were the ladies from Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel, couldn’t do anything that might arouse suspicion. Once they entered the courtyard, they each pretended to enter a room.
Yan Wei continued chatting with the servant.
“…So the two courtyards to the east are off-limits? Why’s that?”
The servant’s expression turned uneasy. “Why are you asking? Just don’t go there. You’re just a servant; why do you care so much? The ladies will stay, and you can leave tomorrow.”
It seemed that one of those two courtyards was where Jiang Jingyun’s coffin was kept, and the other was where the Shen faction players resided.
Yan Wei silently noted the location, then feigned an awkward smile and said, “Alright, alright. Then… let me ask on behalf of the ladies, when will the master of the house come?”
The servant replied, “I don’t know. I’m just a servant. I haven’t even seen the master’s face recently, so how would I know? You lot…”
He lowered his voice, “You’d better pray he comes later. I’ve carried out plenty of women’s corpses, but I’ve never done much else.”
Yan Wei found it amusing. This person was clearly putting on airs, trying to intimidate with such talk. Among the countless people in the world, some were kind-hearted, some were wicked, and others were neither good nor evil, content to be frogs at the bottom of a well, finding a bit of pride in being a mere servant.
He thanked the servant, who then left.
As night approached, whether on the streets of Guanyin Town or within the Shen Estate, everything fell into a deathly silence.
Yan Wei turned and pushed open the door to the room Yan Mingguang had entered.
Candles had already been lit inside, and the flickering light caught Yan Wei’s eyes. A smooth silk fabric brushed past him, and someone grabbed his shoulder, pushing him toward the window.
Cool wind slipped through his sleeves, but the other’s warm hand radiated a comforting heat, even their breath felt warm. Yan Wei looked up, meeting Yan Mingguang’s gaze, now so close. He chuckled softly, “Miss, what are you doing throwing yourself at me?”
“Listen.”
Yan Wei blinked, instantly understanding Yan Mingguang’s meaning. He closed his eyes slightly, letting his Perception spread.
Outside the guest courtyard, two people walked by. The fluctuations of data from Items on their bodies were evident, and their behavior clearly marked them as players. They were whispering to each other.
“…You said the Guanyin Vase Water has been in the Shen Estate all along, so why can’t we find it even after digging everywhere?”
“This matter is very strange. The mage Master Shen invited brought the Guanyin Vase Water to help exorcise evil spirits, but he ended up dying in the Shen Estate, and the water disappeared without a trace. There’s no additional information. We only found out he brought the water from his notes. But since he brought it, there’s no reason for him to hide it. It should either be on him or somewhere he’s been.”
“But we’ve checked everywhere. I think we might be on the wrong track. The notes don’t necessarily mean it’s accurate. What if it’s not in the Shen Estate? Zhuo Xidong insists we search again, but I think it’s a complete waste of time. We’re not ordinary players; if we’ve searched somewhere and didn’t find it, it’s not there.”
“Let’s search again. I also think we should consider other possibilities, but… you saw the two who died earlier. Their bodies were hung at the courtyard entrance as a warning. Zhuo Xidong is too ruthless.”
“Fine.”
“…”
The two had already walked away.
They were clearly searching for the Guanyin Vase Water. After last night’s events, Lin Zhen’s presence had been exposed, and his divisive tactics wouldn’t last much longer. Zhuo Xidong had already reorganized the Shen faction players and began searching the estate for the water.
From their conversation, it was clear that Zhuo Xidong had been harsh even to his own people. Although players couldn’t directly kill each other, there were plenty of ways to make someone die. The two players they mentioned must have initially defied Zhuo Xidong and were killed as a warning to others, their bodies hung at the courtyard entrance.
“On our side, everyone’s careful, afraid something might happen. Even Yu Zhengqing, as unreliable as he is, we’re afraid he’ll fall behind,” Yan Wei said with a mocking laugh. “But they’re doing great, huh? With so many people, they’re not worried about losing members? They actually killed two of their own to quell internal strife and set an example.”
“It’s not the right path.”
Yan Mingguang took a step back, allowing Yan Wei to stand straight.
At that moment, the first thought that crossed Yan Wei’s mind was that his Teacher Yan hadn’t taken advantage of the situation to do something. His gaze swept over Yan Mingguang’s cool, elegant dress, feeling a bit disappointed.
“What are you thinking?” Yan Mingguang suddenly asked.
Yan Wei blurted out without thinking, “Thinking that you’re becoming more of a hypocrite.”
He immediately regretted it.
Yan Wei quickly lowered his head, feeling Yan Mingguang’s piercing gaze. He changed the subject, “The location of the Guanyin Vase Water is problematic. Zhuo Xidong and these Shen faction players aren’t pushovers. Being so close, they’ve searched twice and still haven’t found it—”
He paused.
Someone abruptly opened the door and entered!
Yan Wei and Yan Mingguang reacted simultaneously. Yan Mingguang pulled Yan Wei, who used the momentum to turn and leap onto the bed, hiding behind the quilt.
Yan Mingguang put on his bamboo hat and turned to face the newcomer—it was the servant who had guided them earlier.
The servant stood at the door, grinning, “When I brought you in earlier, I thought you were the most appetizing. I’ve escorted plenty of ladies in, but you’re the most unique one I’ve ever seen.”
Yan Wei: “…”
The servant rubbed his hands together, taking step after step toward Yan Mingguang, “Earlier, that servant from Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel asked about the master’s whereabouts. I’ll tell you secretly—the master’s already dead. Why don’t you play with me? If I’m happy, I’ll send you back…”
Yan Wei, hidden behind the quilt, froze.
—Master Shen is dead!?
