Chapter Twenty-Nine: Zhang Qing

The dreams I fished up previously were all white dreams, which took little time to refine. The nightmare I am refining now, however, requires several times more effort. To avoid wasting time, Ye Feifan has no choice but to continue absorbing the breath of dreams to cultivate while the nightmare is being processed; it does not hinder his progress too much.

After two or three hours of cultivation, the Dream Refining Furnace indicated that it would take another full day to complete the process. All he could do was turn his attention to the newspaper he had received as a reward and begin examining its contents. Unlike the newspaper from the Red-Clothed Driver, Zhang Qing’s newspaper was complete, recording the time and method of the crime, as well as the execution of the murderer.

"XXX Newspaper"
"A week ago, the eldest son of the Zhang family, Zhang Qing, was found at the Clock Tower... According to a famous detective, he died of murder, having been forcibly hanged from the Clock Tower..."
"The head of the Zhang family issued a bounty for the severe punishment of the killer, and the target was gradually narrowed down to the eldest son's wife..."
"The murderer was executed by firing squad..."

Looking at the newspaper, Ye Feifan felt a bit surprised. The content was strange, and the location resembled the Shanghai of the distant past. Being the eldest son of the Jing family, a "Qing" generation heir, Zhang Qing’s background was quite significant. The newspaper featured a colorless, old photograph of Zhang Qing hanging from the tower. Beside it were a man and a woman; the woman wore a floral qipao and was young and beautiful, while the man looked strong and sturdy, every bit the quintessential farmhand.

"Xu Yuan... Zhang Kaishan..." Upon seeing the names and considering Zhang Qing’s situation, Ye Feifan immediately formed a bold hypothesis: they shared the same bloodline.

Waking from his dream, Ye Feifan opened his eyes and pulled the pocket watch from his pocket.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock~"
It was six in the morning.

Taking the newspaper from his space, Ye Feifan said to the pocket watch, "Zhang Qing, come out. I have fulfilled my promise."

Zhang Qing drifted out from the pocket watch and saw the newspaper in Ye Feifan's hand. His eyes turned bloodshot; the woman in the photo was indeed his wife.

"Take a look."

Taking the newspaper, Zhang Qing read it intently before putting it down in a state of dejection.

"What’s wrong?" Ye Feifan was curious about his reaction. He had been hateful enough to die for, so why this despondency?

"The newspaper concealed many things..." Zhang Qing’s expression was complex, tinged with disappointment, as if he had been deceived by someone close to him.

"Your father didn’t publish the truth?"

Zhang Qing froze, remaining silent.

"As the head of the family, interest and reputation are paramount. Once the news of Xu Yuan and Zhang Kaishan’s illicit affair leaked, the Zhang family would not have been able to face the world... From the perspective of a noble family, your father did not do anything wrong," Ye Feifan analyzed calmly.

Picking up the newspaper, Zhang Qing stared deeply at the information on it and spoke with a complicated tone: "But he did not receive the punishment he deserved."

"They both died."

"They died too easily!" Zhang Qing gritted his teeth, his face deathly pale, looking deeply pained.

"Can you tell me about it?" Ye Feifan leaned against the wall, his eyes shining like fireflies in the darkness.

"I met her at the horse racing track. Back then, she was a jockey..."

Recalling the past, Zhang Qing’s expression momentarily settled, but it gradually became abnormally complex, with sweetness and hatred alternating. Ye Feifan even felt a phantom ache in his own face—it was a good thing ghosts didn't have to worry about facial muscle cramps.

Listening to Zhang Qing’s account, Ye Feifan learned that Xu Yuan was a very calculating woman. She wanted to be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhang family but did not want her private life too restricted, so she conceived the idea of killing the Zhang family’s elders. Their chance meeting at the track turned into love at first sight, followed by sweet dates. Everything seemed perfect. Xu Yuan’s perceived propriety won the affection of the Zhang family, and her wedding to Zhang Qing proceeded smoothly; she had achieved her goal of becoming the mistress of the house.

For the first year, Xu Yuan acted normally, a perfect wife and mother. However, after accidentally catching Zhang Kaishan bathing, a poisonous scheme took root in her heart; she planned to use him as her blade. Zhang Kaishan was an orphan adopted by the elder Zhang, appearing simple and honest, but he was actually quite ambitious. He was no match for Xu Yuan and was soon twisted around her finger. While Zhang Qing was away, Xu Yuan sent a message to Zhang Kaishan. Zhang Kaishan intercepted Zhang Qing at the appointed location, strangled him, and hung him from the clock tower, even callously killing a few scapegoats.

Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. The reward offered by the Zhang family was too tempting, and a famous detective couldn't resist taking the case, eventually finding the true culprits. Both Xu Yuan and Zhang Kaishan were sentenced to death. The court publicly announced that the two had murdered Zhang Qing to seize the family fortune, and the matter was left at that. On the surface, it was about wealth, but many old foxes had seen through everything long ago. However, no one stood up to stir the pot; a chaotic situation could lead to a series of collapses, and pushing the Zhang family to a point of mutual destruction was not worth it.

Zhang Qing’s heart-knot was the Zhang family’s attitude. Ye Feifan could only comfort him: "At least they left you with some dignity."

"You are right. There is no going back... I need some time alone..."

The newspaper in his hand turned into flames and vanished, and Zhang Qing retreated back into the pocket watch.

Ye Feifan twitched the corner of his mouth. The newspaper provided by the system had burned away—was it useless?

"Sub-quest [Illustrated Guide] triggered. One complete set of information collected. Reward: [Top Secret Archive] function unlocked."

[Top Secret Archive]: Darkness always harbors unknown stories, and each one shall become a subject for sealing.

Before Ye Feifan could even react, the [Top Secret Archive] function appeared in his system space.

A top-secret archive? Ye Feifan opened the guide and saw countless gray slots. Only two were colored ([Tick-Tock] and [Deadly Bus]).

Strangely, [Tick-Tock] appeared green, while [Deadly Bus] appeared red.

"System, what is this?"

"They represent the types of cases, divided into six grades: white, green, blue, purple, golden, and red. White is the lowest, and red is the highest. The host can print a newspaper for one point."

Forgiving green? A coincidence?

Ye Feifan said nothing, only looking at the [Deadly Bus] slot, which had a "1/?" marker underneath. The length of the newspaper was substantial; it was unclear how many more pieces of information were needed. Ye Feifan couldn't help but ask: "What reward do I get if I complete the [Top Secret Archive]?"

"If the host can complete the [Top Secret Archive], you may make one wish, and any wish will be granted."

"Really? Don't try to fool me just because I don't read much."

Although he said that, Ye Feifan knew the task was practically impossible. People died every day in all sorts of strange ways... The deaths appeared to be a synthesis of countless worlds, both ancient and modern, domestic and foreign. It would be impossible to complete this task in a lifetime.

Having learned the system's dilemma, Ye Feifan stopped talking and, after resting for a while, began to cultivate.

...

The peaceful cultivation period came to an end, and the great day for the Wufa Sect to accept disciples arrived. After waking up early and eating breakfast, Ye Feifan dressed neatly and headed toward the Wufa Sect.

The [Pasture] and [Dream Field] were linked and could not be used until [Midnight Knocking] was completed. Dahuang could not be put away either, so she had to perch on his shoulder. They had agreed that Dahuang would hide during the assessment and only come out to find him after he was accepted as a disciple, and he warned her not to run around.

After climbing the mountain with great effort, Ye Feifan was stunned by the magnificent main hall. The peak of the Wufa Sect was situated in a sea of clouds, carved with a great formation through immense magical power. Countless stairs floated in the sky; walking up them was like stepping on clouds. Anyone with a fear of heights would surely be too terrified to move.

Standing on the peak, one could see ancient halls nestled in the sea of clouds, appearing as if they had existed for eons. The sheer aura of the sect made it clear just how ancient it was.

Was the first trial a test of courage?

[PS: Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness.]