Ruan Xing's original plan was to stir things up and make a scene, but the Quarantine Center turned out to be much more cautious than he expected. When they noticed that all the testimonies from the survivors matched a little too perfectly, they came directly to him.

Ruan Xing simply explained that he had wandered in by accident. As for why the mastermind seemed to be linked with the Tower, well, it could have been a pollutant disguising itself as a knight to pour dirty water on the Tower's name.

The investigator's mouth twitched. He obviously didn't believe that, but with Fu Zhi standing right there, watching, he couldn't act solely on suspicion and break procedure by dragging Ruan Xing away. In the end, he could only leave in frustration.

It was understandable. The whole situation was horrifying. The idea that knights might be colluding with pollutants and even experimenting on humans from the base? Unbelievable.

Even if it was just a rumor, spreading it could deal a fatal blow to society's current stability. As ridiculous as Ruan Xing's excuse sounded, it was still more reasonable than the truth.

From Ruan Xing's perspective, things looked different. However, the Quarantine Center had to consider the bigger picture. If someone with bad intentions tried to incite chaos, it would be too late to stop it.

That was understandable, but in the end, Ruan Xing simply wasn't on the same side as these people.

The information Ruan Xing had released was like a seed. It was already planted in the minds of those who knew the truth, just waiting for the right moment to sprout, grow, and spread like vines over the entire base.

—

The Quarantine Center had sealed off the teleportation array. No one was allowed near it. Guards were stationed around it in large numbers, afraid that some pollutant might crawl out of the warehouse and threaten the base.

As for why no one was sent to clean it up? They simply lacked manpower, and it wasn't considered an urgent matter.

Later that night, the warehouse was pitch-black. A faint light flickered from the glass window for unknown reasons.

Then, a figure appeared inside.

The place had been thoroughly cleaned. Even the crates were gone. The magic array on the floor was sealed beneath a massive glass dome, like a barrier rejecting everything that tried to approach.

The figure paused only for a moment before walking forward.

He reached out his hand, and just like poking a soap bubble, his fingers passed right through the glass barrier.

His entire body entered the dome. No one could tell what he did inside, but the protective glass slowly parted to either side, revealing the glowing array beneath.

"Huh, they didn't destroy the magic circle?"

A voice rang out nearby, loud and clear in the empty warehouse. A second figure appeared, slightly shorter, and walked up beside the first.

"Seems like it. Maybe they still want to keep a one-way connection," the taller one said.

The shorter figure chuckled. "Pretentious."

He stepped into the dome as well. The two stood atop the magic circle. The shorter one placed his hand on it, and the next moment, both of them vanished.

At the same time, the glass dome slowly closed again.

Silence returned to the dark warehouse.

Three days later, the two figures reappeared in the same spot.

But this time, they were covered in the scent of blood.

The taller one waved his hand, and the air rippled. A mirror formed from condensed water appeared in front of them. He reached out his right hand, and the reflection of the two slowly faded away, replaced by the image of an office, like ripples giving way to another world.

"The teleportation range is still too limited," the shorter one remarked.

The other figure tensed slightly and lowered his head. "I'll keep working on it."

"In a few days, go check on Number 99."

The shorter man stared at the other's back and responded softly, "Yes."

After they left, the mirror melted and then shattered with a splash, forming a puddle on the floor.

At that moment, a Quarantine Center staff member came in for a shift change. He saw the puddle, looked up at the ceiling, and scratched his head. Strange. It didn't rain recently, so where did the water come from?

—

Ruan Xing had been resting at Fu Zhi's house for a few days.

Fu Zhi seemed to be busy again. Sometimes, when Ruan Xing woke up at night, he would see Fu Zhi sitting by the bed, replying to messages. By dawn, he would already be gone again.

Now and then, Ruan Xing would have some steamy dreams at night. When he woke up, he would be grateful that he had the bed to himself.

Fugui, on the other hand, was filling himself with snacks. Back in Mist City, he had gone so long without eating that now he was bingeing on snacks to make up for it, stuffing himself until he physically couldn't eat anymore.

Seeing Ruan Xing zoning out, Fu Gui rolled his eyes. "Hey, if you're not going to eat, can you at least not waste food?"

Ruan Xing looked at the egg he had poked full of holes with his chopsticks. He'd completely lost his appetite.

But since he had made it himself, he eventually plugged his nose and forced it down.

To be fair, he had made progress. At least he could fry an egg for himself now.

While washing dishes, he received a video call request from Ming Zhi.

"You want to treat me to dinner?"

He repeated it out loud.

On the screen, Ming Zhi smiled brightly. "Yes."

She looked like she was doing well. The joy of reuniting with her family had clearly eased some of her old trauma.

But this peace is only temporary. They were still in danger.

Ruan Xing had once thought about urging her to leave the base as soon as possible. After all, the Tower still loomed there. But then again, where would they even go?

Maybe it was better to stay in the base, keep a low profile, be cautious, and make connections with people who had some influence.

They had spent decades living on a knife's edge. At least now they were free. There was still a sword hanging over their heads, but compared to Mist City, where that sword had been pressed against their throats 24/7, this was already a huge improvement.

"Alright," Ruan Xing agreed to a time and ended the call.

But right then, he suddenly paused. His eyes narrowed.

The master-servant contract he had placed on Lloyd suddenly disappeared.

Either Lloyd had broken the contract, which was highly unlikely, or Lloyd was dead.

Clearly, it was the latter.

So who could have killed Lloyd?

Or more importantly, who could have broken through his barrier?

Ruan Xing had a few guesses. It was too late to go now since the perpetrator was surely long gone. He didn't rush. Instead, he opened his wardrobe and began selecting suitable clothes.

Fu Gui sneered from the side, "Seriously? It's just dinner."

Ruan Xing ignored him. This was his first official dinner invitation since arriving in this world. It was important.

He eventually chose a white dress shirt and black trousers. After admiring himself in the mirror and rolling up his sleeves neatly, he finally nodded in satisfaction.

The mycelium on his head chirped nonstop, showering him with compliments that he actually felt a bit embarrassed.

Fu Gui just gave a snort. "Bootlicker."

Ruan Xing didn't plan to bring Fu Gui along. He handed him two bags of chips, told him to guard the house, and then left.

On his way out, Ruan Xing messaged Fu Zhi, saying he would be out for a bit.

Fu Zhi might have been busy. He didn't reply, but Ruan Xing didn't mind.

His outfit was not flashy, but with his face, there was no way to stay low profile. He drew stares all the way to the restaurant. When he arrived, even the place seemed to stir slightly.

A waitress blushed when she saw him. "Sir, do you have a reservation?"

He gave her the table number and headed to the private room.

Ming Zhi, Ming Rui, and Ming Chen were all there.

Ming Zhi smiled at him. "Mr. Ruan is quite popular."

Ruan Xing chuckled and pulled out a chair.

Ming Rui looked nervous when he saw him. Ming Chen, on the other hand, was curiously studying the young man across from her. When she saw those green eyes, she froze and then widened her own eyes in shock.

She had seen him before!

When she was kidnapped by the doctor and was half-conscious, someone had saved her. It was this man! She recognized his face and even his voice.

When she woke up, the only thing she saw was her brother's concerned expression. That man had disappeared. Who would have thought she would see him again?

Ming Chen's shocked expression did not escape Ming Rui's notice. "What's wrong, Chen Chen?"

Ming Chen grabbed his hand and whispered, "Brother, I've seen him before."

Ming Rui was stunned. How could Ming Chen have met Ruan Xing? They had no connection.

When he looked skeptical, Ming Chen grew anxious. "Brother, please believe me. He really saved me. He's the one who rescued me from the doctor!"

Ming Rui turned to look at Ruan Xing. Their eyes met. The young man smiled politely, then turned to continue chatting with Ming Zhi.

Ming Rui tugged at his sister. "Don't say nonsense. The Major is the one who saved you."

Ming Chen was almost frantic. "Brother, really, it was him! Would I lie about something like this?"

What she didn't say was that she even suspected he might be the black dumpling she had befriended for a few days.

But that idea was too crazy. If he could pull something like that, was he even human? But if he wasn't, and was really a pollutant, would that not be exposed?

Still, she had heard from her brother that this person had saved him multiple times and even rescued their mother. Moreover, his pollution level wasn't high. Maybe she was just overthinking it?

Ming Chen bit her lip and stayed quiet.

Now, it was Ming Rui who looked shocked.

If this man had truly saved his sister as well, then his whole family owed him their lives.

He looked at the young man before him, his expression complicated. Just who was this person?

His mother had never told him what really happened in the Holy Land, so he had no idea about Ruan Xing's identity. But seeing him surrounded by high-ranking pollutants, he couldn't help but feel a strange, indescribable sensation. Even a trace of bitterness.

Ruan Xing was talking to Ming Zhi, but something she said caught his attention.

"You mean… You secretly kept some of the materials?"

According to Ming Zhi, the magic materials in that Tower had some kind of restriction. They couldn't be taken through a teleportation array or out of the Mage Tower. But by placing them in her spatial ability and teleporting her instead, they could be moved. That was why they had needed someone with spatial abilities back then.

Ming Zhi nodded. "Yes. The Holy—uh, Mist City, was crowded, and Lloyd isn't really reliable, so I didn't dare mention it."

"But in fact, during the transport process, I managed to keep some materials."