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Chapter 328 Dead Man, Chen Wudi!

The fanatical, almost manic declaration beneath the stone mask.

It was clearly transmitted to Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei's eardrums.

The sound echoed repeatedly in the underground space amidst the increasingly fervent and synchronized low murmurs of hundreds of members of the Heavenly Punishment Society.

Our gods?
Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei turned their heads slowly and imperceptibly at almost the same moment, their eyes briefly meeting in the dim light beneath their hoods.

No words needed.

But doubt flickered in their eyes.

A god exclusively for them?!
This doesn't resemble a séance of some kind of targeted invocation.

Because there is no concept of "deities being exclusive," even if Fang Qingyu had not studied the doctrines of the gods, he knew that the doctrines of the gods were broad.

After all, who wouldn't want more followers?

If their gods truly knew about a deity that claimed to be unique to them...

These believers usually have to be arrested.

So, who is the person tightly bound by several black metal chains that shimmer with an eerie light on the giant cross at the heart of the ceremony?!
An offering?
A container?
Or is it an indispensable key moment in this unknown ritual?
Is this deity a figment of their imagination, or...?
Are they trying to forcibly bring in some kind of terrifying thing from another dimension?!

After all, the Heavenly Punishment Society is a religious organization.

The deity they worship is not a god in the modern sense.

But this problem.

No one could answer them.

The withered figure on the cross had its head bowed, its disheveled hair obscuring its face, and its breath was so faint as to be almost imperceptible. The three black squares [■■■], as if completely smeared with thick ink, further blocked any possibility of investigation.

After the stone-masked man at the head of the group finished shouting that prayer filled with fanaticism and twisted expectation.

The collective murmurs throughout the underground space reached a climax.

Then, as if receiving some silent command.

The low, indistinct sound began to dissipate rapidly.

The whole process was as swift and orderly as the receding tide.

The hundreds of black-robed figures who were kneeling on the ground began to stand up one by one in silence and in unison.

There was no conversation, no eye contact.

Even their movements of getting up were remarkably synchronized.

Like puppets on strings with a pre-programmed sequence, they turned around, lowered their heads, and once again merged into a silent flow of people, taking almost identical steps as they surged toward the exit of the passageway they had come from.

Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei immediately composed themselves.

Maintaining the same posture, they blended into the evacuating crowd.

The two men bent slightly, heads bowed, their faces completely hidden in shadow by their large hoods. Their pace matched that of the surrounding members of the Heavenly Punishment Society, without giving them away.

I merely witnessed this scene.

Fang Qingyu knew that today's decision to infiltrate was worthwhile.

But this is not enough.

Far from enough.

The person who provided them with the identification and instruction slips clearly knew more.

The information on the note was very clear.

As long as one doesn't venture into the core restricted area, doesn't speak, and simply moves around the periphery using a masked identity, one won't arouse suspicion.

Now is the time to make use of this identity.

The best time to gather as much information as possible about the surrounding environment.

Follow the silent flow of people.

Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei returned to the huge crossroads they had passed through before.

The flow of people is diverted here.

Some continued up the wide stone steps and returned to the ground.

More people turned to the main passageway on the other side of the hub.

Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei did not hesitate at all.

I chose to follow the larger flow of people and entered the main passageway.

The rough, black rock walls on both sides of the main passageway are no longer there.

Instead, it was covered with some kind of dark gray sound-absorbing material.

Every so often, you can see a closed door without any markings.

Faint, subtle noises could be heard coming from behind some of the room doors.

At the end of the main passageway, the view suddenly opens up.

A much larger arched hall came into view.

The scene here is completely different from the underground prayer space filled with religious fanaticism and an atmosphere of death.

This is a deathly silent work hall.

The hall is oval-shaped with a soaring dome.

Rows and rows of workbenches are arranged neatly like a honeycomb.

A figure dressed in a black robe with a hood covering his face sat in front of each workbench.

But there was still no sound of conversation.
There was no discussion, not even a cough.

The only sound in the entire hall.

It's the soft "click-clack" sound of countless fingers tapping on the keyboard.

Everyone had their heads down.

He stared intently at the screen in front of him.

The faces beneath the black robes were hidden in the shadows, their expressions obscured, making them appear as if they were merely puppets programmed with instructions.

Silently carrying out its own tasks.

The eerie combination of busyness and silence created a chilling atmosphere.

Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei followed the flow of people into the passageway at the edge of the hall.

Along both sides of this passageway, there are even more doors without any markings.

Clearly, these are the private offices of the Heavenly Punishment Society's deacons.

As Level 3 deacons, Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei, who play "Mo Chuan" and "Liu Yun," naturally also have their own rooms.

The flow of people dispersed in the corridor, each heading towards their own office.

Fang Qingyu was not in a hurry to search.

He kept his head down, his pace unchanged, but his eyes scanned the entire passage quickly and discreetly through the gaps in his hood.

The passageway wasn't very long.

There are about twenty rooms on both sides.

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over each closed door, observing the dust marks on the floor and the shine of the doorknobs.

At the same time, they were also paying attention to the gait and aura of the black-robed figures heading towards different rooms.

The dust was evenly distributed on the floor near most room entrances, and the doorknobs were shiny and new, indicating that people frequently come and go.

However, there are a few room doors.

The dust on the ground was noticeably thicker, and the door handles also appeared somewhat dull.

Fang Qingyu quickly calculated and eliminated possibilities in his mind.

He led Jiang Wei, silently following the flow of people, from the entrance of the passage all the way to the end.

At the end, he paused naturally, as if to determine the direction, and then turned around very naturally and returned along the same path.

throughout the process.

No one looked up at them.

Everyone's attention was focused on their feet and the destination ahead.

Just as he turned back and walked to the middle of the passage, Fang Qingyu's gaze locked onto a door on the right.

The floor in front of this door is relatively dusty, and the doorknob is slightly less shiny than the other frequently used doors next to it.

More importantly, during the round trip, no one approached this door.

Fang Qingyu's steps shifted slightly, almost naturally.

I approached the door.

He made a gesture with his left hand in a very subtle way.

Jiang Wei understood immediately and followed closely, the two almost side by side.

Fang Qingyu extended his hand, gloved with black leather, grasped the slightly cold metal doorknob, and gently turned it.

"Click."

A slight click of a mechanism was heard.

The door is open.

Fang Qingyu stepped aside, gesturing for Jiang Wei to go first.

Jiang Wei nimbly slipped inside.

Fang Qingyu followed closely behind and gently closed the door behind him.

The entire movement was completed in one smooth motion, as fast as lightning, without attracting the attention of anyone in the passage.

The room was dimly lit.

The layout is extremely simple.

A metal desk, a chair of the same material, and a filing cabinet against the wall.

Jiang Wei's gaze immediately fell on the upper right corner of the desk, on a small metal nameplate embedded in the desktop.

Two clear characters are engraved on the nameplate.

【Liu Yun】

Fang Qingyu's gaze quickly swept across the entire room.

Small, clean, but devoid of any personal touch.

Fang Qingyu made several adjustments to Jiang Wei's behavior.

Leave Jiang Wei here to search, especially the computers and documents, looking for clues.

I went to find Mo Chuan's room.

Wait here for me to come back and meet up.

Keep quiet.

Jiang Wei nodded vigorously, her clear red eyes filled with seriousness.

Without further delay, Fang Qingyu turned around, grasped the doorknob, gently opened a crack, quickly confirmed that no one was paying attention outside, slipped out, and silently closed the door.

The passageway was still bustling with people, but everyone had their heads down and were walking hurriedly.

Fang Qingyu quickly locked onto his next target.

A little further back in the middle of the passage, there's another door with a thick layer of dust at the entrance, which no one seems to use.

He approached again with the same pace that blended into the background, grasped the doorknob, and turned it.

"Click."

The door opened.

Fang Qingyu slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

My eyes immediately fell on the nameplate on the desk.

【Li Xun】.

It's not Mo Chuan.

Without pausing, Fang Qingyu immediately left the room and gently closed the door behind him.

Without stopping, he glanced at the remaining doors.

Soon, he located the last matching door on the side of the corridor near the end.

Turn the door handle.

"Click."

The door opens.

Fang Qingyu slipped inside.

The room layout is almost identical to Jiang Wei's room.

My gaze fell on the metal nameplate in the upper right corner of the desk.

【Mo Chuan】.

Finally found.

Fang Qingyu immediately locked the door and walked a few steps to his desk to sit down.

Press the power button on your computer.

Buzz.
The screen lit up with a faint blue light, and the desktop interface appeared.

The desktop is extremely clean, with only a few icons.

Fang Qingyu first looked at one of the most eye-catching icons.

【Field Dispatch System V3.7】

Click the icon.

A complex user interface pops up.

On the left is a tree-like organizational chart with clear hierarchies, extending from the highest level of the Heavenly Punishment Society all the way to the field teams in each region.

On the right is a detailed list of tasks and personnel status information.

The "Huanggutuan Conflict Zone" was highlighted in a striking red.

Fang Qingyu quickly browsed through the information.

Mo Chuan, as a Level 3 field officer, has considerable authority.

He can view the status of all Tier 1 field personnel and has the authority to directly deploy an unlimited number of Tier 1 field personnel to various conflict zones.

For second-tier field personnel, he can only check their status.

However, the allocation authority is limited, and it is necessary to apply for a quota from a higher-level second-level deacon in order to make a small number of transfers.

The screen displays real-time updates of personnel status and task progress. Lines of cold, impersonal text scroll by:
[Team Leader E-743 has been confirmed dead at the ambush site in the East Third District.]

[D-219 (Tier 2) successfully eliminated the Bone Gang infiltration team (7 members), sustaining minor injuries, and requests to return for rest.]

[The pressure on the East Seventh District defense line is increasing. Requesting the deployment of 15 additional Tier 1 field personnel and 1 additional Tier 2 personnel (requires approval from a Level 2 officer).]

Fang Qingyu's finger hovered over the mouse for a moment.

He could easily use Mo Chuan's identity to issue some wrong orders, create chaos in the Heavenly Punishment Society, or even interfere with their conflict with the Wild Bone Gang.

But this is pointless and extremely risky.

Any abnormal operation will immediately attract the attention of the system or even users with higher privileges.

Their purpose in coming here was to gather intelligence, not to alert the enemy.

Fang Qingyu decisively shut down the dispatch system.

Next, open the file manager on the screen.

The hard drive partition list pops up.

Drive C and drive D, all partitions are empty!

There were no documents, no pictures, no personal files, and even the system cache and log files were completely cleared.

Fang Qingyu's brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

The Heavenly Punishment Society's control over information is outrageously tight.

Next, open your browser.

Open browsing history
The most recent one was posted several months ago.

The title is:
[The Mystery of the Martial Arts Legend's Demise: Chen Wudi Vanishes into thin air—Did he perish or simply escape?]

[Exclusive Reveal: The Last Appearance of the Humanoid Beast Chen Wudi and Speculation!]

[A Review of Chen Wudi's Life and Battle Records: Invincible at the Third Tier, He Strikes Head-on Against a Fourth Tier Fate Demon!]

Fang Qingyu clicked on the first one.

My eyes were fixed on the image area on the webpage.

One by one, images, some blurry and some clear, were loaded.

There is Chen Wudi's majestic figure dominating the arena.

There is a silhouette of him killing a powerful ghost with his bare hands.

There are also a few profile photos that are said to be the last time he was photographed in the port city.
When Fang Qingyu saw one of the enlarged photos, which was said to be the last time Chen Wudi appeared, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The photo is a bit blurry, and the shooting angle is quite tricky.

But the man in the photo was burly and had a resolute face.
The contours of those brow bones, the lines of that nose, the tightly pursed corners of those lips
On the enormous cross in the underground space, a prisoner, bound by black chains, hung his head, looking emaciated.
They are at least 70% similar!
Chengdong District.

Outside Zhaoyuan Lane, the dilapidated black SUV sat quietly in the shadows.

Fang Qingyu sat in the car.

He ripped off the "Mo Chuan" mask from his face.

When the edge of the mask peels off the skin, there is a slight sticky feeling, as if a layer of skin has really been torn off.

Fang Qingyu let out a long sigh, casually tossed the mask onto the passenger seat, and quickly took off his black robe.

Jiang Wei, standing beside her, moved with equal agility.

Her long, fiery red hair, now freed from the hood, cascaded down like a waterfall, appearing like flowing lava in the dimly lit carriage.

Her clear ruby ​​eyes looked at Fang Qingyu.

The quiet pretense of the underground space was gone.

The moment was filled with solemnity and a hint of disbelief.

"I've discovered something very wrong."

Jiang Wei's voice carried a hint of suppressed tension.

Fang Qingyu started the car, and the engine emitted a dull roar.

As he skillfully drove the car away from the dark alley and merged into the slightly noisy traffic outside, he said in a deep voice, "Me too. We'll talk about it when we get back."

A brief silence fell over the carriage.

There was only the noise of the engine and the blurry hustle and bustle of the city outside the window.

The car smoothly navigated the intricate, spiderweb-like streets of the city of injustice, eventually returning to the grand hotel in the city center.

The two quickly returned to the floor where Fang Qingyu was.

After entering the room, Fang Qingyu locked the door behind him before turning to Jiang Wei: "Tell me, what did you find?"

Jiang Wei walked to the sofa in the center of the room and sat down, her brows furrowed as if she were struggling to find the right words. Finally, she looked up and stared directly into Fang Qingyu's eyes, saying:

"I've discovered that the 'Liu Yun' I just replaced doesn't seem to be a living person?"

"?"

Fang Qingyu was taken aback.

"After I entered that office, I checked the computer first," Jiang Wei said, her speech quickening and her logic clear. "The desktop was clean, with no documents on it. Then I immediately checked the desk drawers."

"The first drawer was empty. The second drawer, when opened, contained several items neatly arranged: preservatives, formalin, and adipocere."

She paused, then emphasized, "Moreover, from the moment we stepped into the corridor of the Heavenly Punishment Society headquarters, I could faintly smell a very faint odor of death. But in Liu Yun's enclosed office, perhaps because of the extremely poor ventilation, the smell became very obvious!"

Fang Qingyu frowned slightly as he listened.

He didn't smell any dead body odor, but Jiang Wei was so certain.

There shouldn't be any problems.

Actually, these things were also in Mo Chuan's room, the same room Fang Qingyu searched.

However, Fang Qingyu thought at the time that these were just the Heavenly Punishment Society members who acted mysteriously and often disposed of corpses, so they used them.

But now it seems that's not the case at all.

If every member of the Heavenly Punishment Society, especially the deacons with their own offices, had embalming supplies in their desk drawers as standard...
Combined with the smell of death that Jiang Wei detected.

A chilling conclusion has emerged.

These members of the Heavenly Punishment Society, dressed in black robes and wearing masks
It is very likely that most, or at least those like Mo Chuan and Liu Yun, are deacons.

Their bodies were already corpses.

At the same time, Fang Qingyu's brows furrowed into a tight knot.

A question arose in my mind.

Do dead people have titles?
The moment this thought crossed his mind, he immediately thought of He Manhe.

In Fang Qingyu's view, the puppets controlled by He Manhe all had titles.

They have no life; they are entirely controlled by He Manhe's spiritual will.

If the people in the Heavenly Punishment Society are also similar beings.

The body is already dead, but its actions are controlled by some kind of will.

Then their programmed uniformity, deathly silence, the embalming supplies in the drawers, and the faint stench of corpses in the air all make perfect sense!

but.
If all these people are being manipulated by the same will behind the scenes.

So why did they engage in that kind of collective prayer in the underground space?

This doesn't make sense.

After all, so many people are the same person, why would they bother praying to Chun Chun? It's just a waste of time.

Unless, although they are dead
But they are still alive.

Fang Qingyu temporarily suppressed this doubt in his heart.

Then, looking at Jiang Wei, he said, "I've also made a discovery here."

Jiang Wei immediately sat up straight, her red eyes fixed intently on him.

Fang Qingyu took out his phone, quickly tapped the screen a few times, and then turned the screen towards Jiang Wei.

What's displayed on the screen.

It was the information page about Chen Wudi that he had just found through his search.

Jiang Wei's gaze was instantly drawn to that photo.

Then his breathing paused slightly.

Her gaze swept quickly across the resolute profile of the man in the photograph.

Then, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Fang Qingyu, her eyes filled with doubt.

"Chen Wudi?!"

Jiang Wei repeated the name but did not continue.

Instead, he seemed to be deep in thought.

Then a full minute passed.

Jiang Wei suddenly looked up at Fang Qingyu again:
"I think I know what they're going to do!"

"They seem to be trying to create a god!!"

The next morning.

The day the Round of 64 matches began.

Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the hotel's thickly carpeted corridors.

Fang Qingyu pushed open the door and couldn't help but yawn, a hint of weariness in his eyes.

In the corridor, Chu Kuanglan and the others had already gathered together, full of energy, and were discussing their strategies for today's match in hushed tones.

Chu Kuanglan turned his head and saw Fang Qingyu looking slightly sleepy. His big, round eyes lit up instantly, and a mischievous, ambiguous smile spread across his face. He rushed over in a few steps, put his arm around Fang Qingyu's shoulder, and winked at him. He tried to keep his voice low, but couldn't hide his strong gossip:

"Hey! Qingzi! You were with Sister Jiang last night... cough cough cough, are you tired?"

His gaze swept back and forth between Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei, who had just walked out of the room.

Jiang Wei had just stepped out of the room when she heard Chu Kuanglan's words. Her cold and aloof face remained expressionless, but her ruby-like eyes glanced at Chu Kuanglan indifferently.

Fang Qingyu rolled his eyes in annoyance.

With a shrug, he easily shook off Chu Kuanglan's large, fan-like hand.

He glanced sideways at Chu Kuanglan:
"Old Chu, you seem to have a lot of energy? Very good. Today it's the round of 64 to 32. I've looked at your opponent's information; it's interesting. If you don't win this match..."

Fang Qingyu paused deliberately, a "kind" smile appearing on his lips.

"After we get back, the special training will be doubled."

"Gah?!"

Chu Kuanglan's ambiguous smile froze instantly, like a duck whose neck had been grabbed.

It's true that he's usually very confident, but those who made it to the top 64 were all tough opponents.

None of them are fuel-efficient lamps.

He looked at his opponent's information yesterday.

A second-tier peak martial monk, who cultivates an extremely troublesome hard skill, with strong defense, fierce attacks, and not weak movement techniques, is definitely a tough nut to crack.

Win or lose?

Chu Kuanglan believed he was 50% confident, but that was only 50%.

Who dares to guarantee a win?
Unless you're a monster like Fang Qingyu whose strength completely overwhelms you!

"No! Aoko! I was wrong! I was being a smart aleck!"

Chu Kuanglan's face instantly fell, and he clasped his hands together and bowed repeatedly to Fang Qingyu, "I admit my mistake! I apologize! I promise I'll risk my life today to take that bald monk down! Isn't this doubled training too harsh?"

Fang Qingyu looked at his cowardly appearance, her lips twitched, and she was too lazy to pay him any more attention, which was considered a tacit acceptance of letting it go.

He turned to look at Lin Yu, who was standing quietly beside him, and instructed, "By the way, Lin Yu."

"Hmm?" Lin Yu responded immediately.

“Take a closer look at the information about Chen Wudi.”

Fang Qingyu's tone was very calm, as if he were talking about something ordinary, "Not the kind of publicly available information that can be found online, the more detailed the better."

Lin Yu was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, but without any hesitation, she immediately nodded: "Okay."

Chu Kuanglan and the others heard the name "Chen Wudi".

They all cast slightly curious glances their way.

The name was almost forgotten in the Federation, but it was brought up again in the City of Injustice, especially after the orphanage incident.

However, they didn't ask any further questions.

"Let's go to the arena." Fang Qingyu waved and walked towards the elevator first.

The crowd followed closely behind.

Jiang Wei walked quietly beside Fang Qingyu, her long, crimson hair shimmering with a fiery sheen in the morning light.

The enormous arena was still packed with people, and the noise was deafening.

The Round of 64 was a clash of titans, drawing the attention of the entire city.

Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei sat in the reserved seats in the stands.

Chu Kuanglan, Wei Banmeng, and others then headed to the contestants' preparation area.

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over the three huge arenas below.

The contestants are taking the stage one after another, and the cheers from the audience are getting louder and louder.

at this time.

In the aisle of the adjacent audience seats, an elderly man dressed in a faded gray cloth shirt, with a hunched back and sparse white hair, leaned on a well-worn wooden cane and slowly moved against the flow of people toward where Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei were.

His movements were slow and inconspicuous, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

The excited and cheering spectators around him didn't even notice the old man struggling to walk.

The old man finally sat down shakily next to Fang Qingyu, one seat away from him, as if he had exhausted all his strength and was breathing slightly heavily.

His cloudy eyes seemed to be staring blankly at the intense arena below.

His thin, age-spotted hands were folded over the head of his cane.

On the stage, the two fighters were locked in a fierce battle, the sounds of their clashing energies and the shouts of the audience deafening.

Right here at this noisy summit.

A voice, aged and dry like sandpaper rubbing withered leaves, seemed to ring out close to Fang Qingyu's ear, clearly piercing through all the surrounding noise:

"You now"

"Do you now know what the Heavenly Punishment is like?"

(End of this chapter)