Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 776 Restarting the Ghost City
Qinluo Expressway.

A Coaster bus was speeding by at 120 km/h.

There were three armored vehicles in front, and three heavy explosion-proof vehicles behind them.

Police cars were already on standby at highway entrances along the route, ready to provide assistance at any time.

Wu Man lay on the sofa, looking listless, even though Zhong Yi had pulled him from the seventh layer of the dream back to the surface layer.

But the series of nightmares still dealt a heavy blow to Wu Man.

What made Wu Man even more uneasy after the nightmare was that Zhong Yi's advancement speed was somewhat abnormal. A genius like himself was stuck on the B-level advancement mission and could not get past it.

But this woman had already advanced to B-level a long time ago.

A B-level Dreamweaver is someone that few other professions of the same level can withstand.

"Damn it, this woman is so strong, and she's advancing so fast. Does she even want anyone to live?"

Xiao Ran rolled her eyes at him: "As long as you don't mess around, she won't mess with you."

Wu Man turned her head away, curled up into a ball, and no longer wanted to speak.

It's clear that Zhongyi taught him a pretty harsh lesson this time.

"Xiao Ran, I've thought about it, and I think I'll pass on becoming a beginner."

Lu Cheng turned around and said to Xiao Ran.

He returned to the Guandi Temple. After the Lost City descended, the area around the Guandi Temple became an unusually safe place, with almost no evil spirits approaching it.

He sat in front of Guan Yu for a whole afternoon, and only now did he realize that the path of the beginner did not seem to be suitable for him.

"Are you sure?" Xiao Ran looked at Lu Cheng. Actually, he thought Lu Cheng could consider pursuing an acting career, as it was the most suitable path for him.

With his current financial resources and Lu Cheng's own power, becoming a beginner would be a simple matter of a word. Xiao Ran estimated that it would only take three months for Lu Cheng to easily break through to become a D-level actor, or even a B-level acting master.

"I am sure."

Lu Cheng nodded; this was a choice he had made after careful consideration.

He also found it difficult to explain the reason.

But during the time he sat in front of Guan Yu, Lu Cheng had an epiphany, or rather, a sense of mission.

"My path is different from yours. I can't explain it clearly, I just feel..."

Lu Cheng tried his best to make things clear to Xiao Ran.

But at this moment, Xiao Ran stopped Lu Cheng: "No need to say anything, I understand what you mean."

Xiao Ran patted Lu Cheng on the shoulder.

"Becoming a beginner grants you the benefits of a profession and cursed artifacts, but it also imposes limitations on the rules. While you lack these benefits, the absence of these rules is actually a good thing."

"Mr. Lu, we're almost at Qin City."

Xiao Ran pulled back the carriage curtain and saw the dark, menacing aura in the distance. Her expression gradually became serious.

He picked up the company's report on the ghost town.

The internal information of Ghost City is still a mystery; this place can only be entered, not left.

After most of the people were trapped here, the company immediately organized people to enter, but they disappeared after entering.

The information could not be transmitted.

"There shouldn't be any major problems."

Wu Man said casually, "When we left, we had basically cleared this place out. None of those demons were alive. If there is any danger, it should be the few remaining evil spirits in the palace."

Wu Man was the one who led Xiao Ran away from Ghost City. He knew the situation in Ghost City best. Hearing him say this, Xiao Ran and Lu Cheng felt much more relaxed.

"Squeak..."

As soon as the car stopped outside the gate of Ghost City, Xiao Ran got out. "Wait for me here. I should be out soon."

Wu Man took something out of her spatial storage and tossed it to Xiao Ran; it was the writing staff from before.

Although this thing is not a cursed object, the residual talent within it is still a powerful weapon in the Ghost City.

"Take this with you too, it will ensure you have no trouble getting around."

Lu Cheng took out a shiny roll from his backpack and handed it to Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran took it and looked at it: "Imperial edict?"

"Hey!" Lu Cheng grinned mischievously.

In the end, Lu Cheng chose to hand over the Imperial Seal of the State to the country.

The importance of this thing to China is self-evident, not only because of its associated capabilities, but also because of its inherent meaning.

There was no reason or sentiment for Lu Cheng to keep this item hidden away.

However, no one knows exactly how many seals he stamped on this thing before handing it over to the state; in any case, his backpack was full of imperial edicts stamped with the imperial seal.

This thing is even more effective than cursed objects. Just open it and shout out the contents, and it will work like magic.

Xiao Ran carefully put away the imperial edict, and after repeatedly reminding Lu Cheng and the others to be careful outside, she quickly walked into Ghost City.

This is my second time entering the Ghost City.

This time was different from the last. The moment Xiao Ran entered Ghost City, she felt a strange force field surging towards her.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran took out the imperial edict that Lu Cheng had given her and placed it in front of her chest.

The imperial edict was neither opened nor read.

However, when the imperial edict was taken out, the power that had been surging towards Xiao Ran immediately dissipated.

The devastation left by the last war remains, with broken rooftops, collapsed streets, and many shattered shrines.

To her surprise, Xiao Ran found a thriving scene here.

Although the city was in ruins, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for most of the residents trapped there. There were no evil spirits, no demons, no strange tales, and not even any original inhabitants.

This is equivalent to trapping everyone in the city here, but in doing so, it actually protects them.

“Someone’s coming in!!”

Just then, several people rushed towards Xiao Ran. They were all wearing clothes from [None Delivery], and were obviously members of the company.

"Brother, you came in from outside. What's the situation outside? We're from the company."

"Hey bro, got a cigarette? I've been here for so many days and haven't had a single one. It's killing me."

These company members did not recognize Xiao Ran.

They were just sent in by the company to investigate information, only to find themselves trapped here.

Didn't you bring any supplies with you?

Xiao Ran found it strange. Logically speaking, these members of the company should all be seasoned veterans, carrying a lot of supplies. Why did they all look like wilted eggplants?

"Brother, try opening your space first. Can you do it?"

An older employee pressed Xiao Ran for answers.

Xiao Ran tried it out and took out a bottle of mineral water directly from it.

Everyone was stunned by what they saw.

"No, you can use spatial abilities, right?"

"Can't you use it?" Xiao Ran casually took out a few more bottles of mineral water and handed them over.

The group took the bottled water, immediately twisted off the caps, and began to gulp it down. Only after finishing the bottle did their faces relax a bit.

"Once inside, all spaces become unusable. Your professional abilities remain, but cursed items cannot be activated."

"That's it."

Xiao Ran understood. As the person who turned the Ghost Capital's central hub last time, no one understood Ghost Capital better than him.

After careful consideration, I roughly understood the key to the problem.

Without explaining the reason, Xiao Ran continued to press, "What about the other residents?"

"Supplies are scarce, but it is still very safe here. Two battalions of soldiers came in before, and now they are working with the police to maintain order. It is basically stable here."

The group explained the situation to Xiao Ran. The main problem was the lack of supplies, but fortunately, the grain depots in Qin City were still operational, which meant that people could at least have enough to eat.

However, with tens of millions of people living in Qinhuangdao, this situation will inevitably lead to many problems.

It's not just about food.

There are also issues related to domestic water supply, household waste, power generation, and medicine.

The leaders of Qinhuangdao City have been doing their best to deal with this, but if it drags on any longer, a major upheaval is bound to erupt sooner or later.

These company employees were trying their best to figure out how to get out or pass on intelligence.

At least let the company send in some important supplies first.

Having learned the basics, Xiao Ran had a clear understanding of the situation.

He said to the group, "These are not problems for you. I'm here to help you solve them. Have you found what the company asked you to find?"

Hearing Xiao Ran's arrogant tone, the company members showed strange expressions, but since Xiao Ran could use the space, she seemed to have a better chance than them.

The squad leader, Ren Haoran, pulled up the files in his phone's memory and compared them repeatedly before confirming Xiao Ran's identity.

Once it was confirmed that Xiao Ran's identity was correct, he was surprised but also finally relieved.

Because the information clearly states Xiao Ran's resume, which includes information about their departure from Ghost City.

This means that their predicament will be resolved soon.

“Mr. Xiao, I’ve found the shrine. It’s in the northwest. There’s a shrine area there, with shrines of all sizes. It’s been sealed off. It’s said that some ghostly things come out every night, but as long as you don’t go in, there’s basically no danger.”

Having determined the direction, Xiao Ran didn't rush to find Jin Chanzi immediately.

He planned to resolve the matter in Ghost City first.

After all, this huge city with tens of millions of people is now sitting on a powder keg.

No one can say for sure whether trouble might suddenly break out.

Moreover, this kind of thing is difficult for others, but it's just a piece of cake for Xiao Ran.

"Notify all company members, city officials, and everyone else to assemble at the City God Temple in the south. Also, mobilize a battalion of soldiers to seal off the City God Temple and strictly prohibit the public from approaching. Anyone who trespasses will be dealt with severely, and may even be shot."

Although Xiao Ran is neither a company member nor a senior executive, he enjoys extremely high authority within the company and the treatment of a deputy provincial or ministerial-level official.

At times like these, Xiao Ran's voice carries far more weight than theirs.

About half an hour after Xiao Ran issued the order, city leaders, military personnel, and company executives all gathered in the City God Temple area.

The residents who originally lived in the City God Temple have all been relocated, and no one knows what is going on.

All that was left was for Xiao Ran to arrive at the City God Temple in full view of everyone, find the hole where the writing pillar had been inserted, and then take the pillar out and insert it into the ground.

"Who is this person?"

"I don't know, but it seems to be a newly sent expert from the company."

"The supervisor?"

"It does not seem."

Several key leaders discussed the matter at length. Due to the company's organizational structure, even the top official at the municipal level had no right to access internal company documents, so none of them recognized Xiao Ran.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xiao Ran took a deep breath, gripped the writing pillar with both hands, calmed herself down, and slowly opened her mouth to recite:
"With lofty ambitions, we'll feast on the flesh of the barbarians when we're hungry, and laughingly drink their blood when we're thirsty. We'll wait to start anew, reclaim our lost lands, and return to the imperial palace."

(End of this chapter)