My bizarre resurgence: My price is the ability to trade everything.

12:15 a.m.

Zhao Tiezhu and I were sitting in a black van parked on a secluded road in the north of the city.

Five hundred meters ahead is that abandoned warehouse.

"Target building confirmed," Chen Xuan's voice came through the earpiece. "There are seven people inside the warehouse, performing some kind of ritual. You have seven minutes to enter and investigate."

"Received," Zhao Tiezhu replied.

He turned to look at me.

"Ready?"

"Ready." I gripped the coin detector tightly in my hand.

"Remember, once inside, follow my instructions completely," Zhao Tiezhu said. "If things go wrong, retreat immediately."

"clear."

"Set off."

We got out of the car and walked along a weed-covered path toward the warehouse.

The night was dark, there was no moon, only scattered lights in the distance.

I followed behind Zhao Tiezhu, trying to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible.

The breathing technique of the Breath Concentration Method has been initiated—four, seven, eight...

I could feel my breathing slowing down, and the fluctuations in my CP levels were also decreasing.

"Not bad." Zhao Tiezhu's voice came from the front. "You've concealed your aura considerably."

"Really?" I asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Zhao Tiezhu said. "An ordinary person walking next to you probably wouldn't even feel your presence."

"What about the eerie thing?"

"If something strange happens... it might still be noticed. But at least it won't be as obvious as before."

I nodded and continued to follow him.

Three hundred meters... two hundred meters... one hundred meters...

The warehouse's outline became clearer.

It was an old brick building with several sections of the roof collapsed and vines climbing all over the walls.

The main entrance was closed, but there was a broken window on the side.

"Enter through the side door," Zhao Tiezhu gestured.

We went around to the side, quietly climbed through the window, and entered the warehouse.

The warehouse was dimly lit, with only a faint light shining from the center.

It was a circle of candles.

Seven white candles were arranged in a special pattern—seven dots connected to each other, forming a complex geometric shape.

7-pointed star.

My heart started racing.

"Did you see that?" Zhao Tiezhu's voice was very low.

"I saw it."

"The ceremony hasn't started yet," Zhao Tiezhu said. "Those seven people are still standing there."

I followed his gaze.

Seven people stood around the seven-pointed star formation.

They were wearing black robes, and their faces were covered by hoods, so their features could not be seen.

Seven people...

Exactly seven.

"Are they waiting for someone?" I asked in a low voice.

"Maybe," Zhao Tiezhu said. "They might be waiting for the eighth person."

The eighth...

I suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Director Chen," Zhao Tiezhu pressed the earpiece, "There are seven people at the target location, seemingly performing some kind of ritual. Should we continue the investigation?"

A hissing sound came through the headphones, followed by Chen Xuan's voice:

"Continue. But don't alert them. Find an opportunity to question someone who is alone."

"receive."

Zhao Tiezhu turned his head and looked at me.

"Do you have X-ray vision?" he asked.

"What?"

"Can you see the faces of those seven people?"

I strained my eyes to see the face beneath the hood.

But it was too dark, and I couldn't see anything.

"I can't see it," I said.

"Then let's move closer."

"near?"

"Yes." Zhao Tiezhu pointed to a shelf on the left. "You hide behind that and try to see their faces. I'll distract them."

"But--"

"Stop talking nonsense," Zhao Tiezhu said. "Time is running out. Go quickly."

I gritted my teeth and crouched down as I moved toward the shelf.

Zhao Tiezhu then went around to the other side and deliberately kicked an iron bucket.

"Clang—"

The sound echoed in the empty warehouse.

The seven men in black robes turned their heads to look at the source of the sound.

In the instant they were distracted, I quickly slipped behind the shelf and held my breath.

Through the gap, I could vaguely see the profiles of those seven people.

The two people in the first row are older, they look to be in their forties or fifties.

The three people in the second row are around thirty years old.

The two people in the third row...

and many more.

The person on the left in the third row...

Why does it look so familiar?

I examined it carefully.

He was a young man, thin, with a long face and a mole on his chin.

My heart skipped a beat.

That mole...

I remember that mole.

That is......

Wang Zijian?!

Wang Zijian.

The "Old Wang" that Zhang Hao mentioned before his death.

Administrative staff of the School of Computer Science.

Outer circle members of the Night Raven.

He's actually here!

"Director Chen." I pressed the button on my headset, my voice low. "I've spotted a target. Wang Zijian."

There was a moment of silence in the headphones.

"Are you sure?" Chen Xuan's voice sounded a little nervous.

"I'm sure. I know him. He has a mole on his chin."

"Understood," Chen Xuan said. "You must retreat immediately. Wang Zijian is a key target and cannot be exposed."

"But--"

"That's an order," Chen Xuan's voice turned stern. "You've been exposed now, and all your previous covert operations have been for nothing. Retreat immediately."

I gritted my teeth and prepared to turn and leave.

But at that moment—

"There are people over there!"

A sharp sound rang out.

I turned around and saw a man in black robes pointing in the direction where I was hiding.

"We've been spotted!" Zhao Tiezhu's voice came through the earpiece. "I'll cover you, you get out of here!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhao Tiezhu rushed out from the shadows.

His fist, carrying a faint aura, hurtled towards the black-robed man who had discovered me.

"Bang!"

A punch landed squarely on the opponent's abdomen.

The man in black robes groaned and collapsed to the ground.

But the other six people realized what was happening too.

They surrounded Zhao Tiezhu.

"You go!" Zhao Tiezhu shouted. "I'll hold them off!"

"But--"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

I gritted my teeth, turned around, and ran towards the window.

But after running only a few steps, I felt my feet slip and lose their footing—

"thump--"

I fell into a pit.

This is no ordinary pitfall.

It was a deliberately concealed underground cave.

The hole is very deep, at least two meters deep.

I fell to the ground and felt like my bones were about to break.

"Damn it..." I struggled to get up.

Then, I saw what was inside the cave.

That was an altar.

It is made of stone, and its surface is covered with runes.

The runes glowed with an eerie green light in the darkness, writhing as if they were alive.

In the center of the altar, there was something.

A copper coin.

It's the exact same copper coin as the one in my hand.

"This is..." I was stunned.

"The Night Raven's 'Core Rules'."

A voice came from above.

I looked up and saw a man in black robes standing at the edge of the cave entrance, looking down at me.

Beneath the hood was a young face.

But that face...

He doesn't look much older than me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Who I am doesn't matter," the young man said. "What matters is that you've finally come."

"What do you mean?"

"The seventh Balancer." He smiled slightly. "We've been waiting for you for a long time."

The seventh balancer...

"What do you want?"

"What do you want?" the young man laughed. "What we want is 'unity'."

"Return to Oneness?"

"Yes," the young man said, "Do you know why there are rule-based anomalies?"

I shook my head.

"Because the world is sick," the young man said. "The conflicting rules have created cracks in the world. Those cracks are the source of the eeriness."

"What we need to do is close these cracks," he said, "and through the seven-pointed star ritual, to unify all the conflicting rules."

"Integrated together?" I was stunned. "How is that possible?"

"Of course it's possible," the young man said, "as long as you're willing to be at the 'core' of the ritual."

"I?"

"Yes." The young man looked at me with a hint of fanaticism in his eyes. "You are the seventh Balancer. The seventh represents 'perfection.' Only you can become the core of the ritual."

"You're all crazy." I instinctively took a step back.

"Madness?" The young man shook his head. "No, we've simply... seen through it all."

"See through what?"

"The truth of this world," the young man said, "don't you want to know?"

"What's the truth?"

The young man smiled slightly.

"How did your parents die?"

My heart skipped a beat.

How do you know about my parents—"

“I know a lot of things,” the young man said. “For example, I know your father is the sixth Balancer.”

"What?!"

"Your mother was a defector from Guixu," the young man continued. "They tried to stop Guixu's 'Unification' plan, but ultimately failed. Your father was killed, and your mother was forced to flee, eventually dying on the way."

"And you—" he looked at me, "are their child. You are the bloodline of the Sixth Balancer."

I was completely stunned.

My father... was a balancer?

"You're lying," I said through gritted teeth.

"Whether I'm lying or not, you'll know once you go in and see for yourself," the young man said, pointing to the copper coins on the altar.

"That's a 'Memory Coin,'" he said. "Once you touch it, you can see your parents' memories."

"Including why they died."

"Including the true purpose of returning to the void."

"Including...your own identity."

I stared at the copper coin, my mind in turmoil.

Touch it...

You'll then know the truth...

But what if it's a trap?

"Don't touch it!"

A voice came from above.

I looked up and saw a familiar figure jump down from the cave entrance.

It's Su Mingyue.

"What are you doing here?" I was stunned.

"I've been following you," Su Mingyue said. "Chen Xuan was worried something might happen to you, so he asked me to protect you secretly."

She turned around and looked at the young man.

"The Night Raven's agent," her voice was cold, "long time no see."

agent......

I looked at the young man.

He was the agent sent by Night Raven.

"Su Mingyue." The young man—the agent—smiled slightly. "I didn't expect you to come in person."

"I didn't expect the Seventh Apostle to send an agent in person," Su Mingyue said. "It seems this ceremony is very important to you?"

"Of course it's important," the agent said. "This is a plan we've been preparing for three years. The Seventh Apostle values ​​this ceremony highly."

"Unfortunately, you're too late," he said. "The ceremony has already begun."

The ground began to shake as soon as he finished speaking.

The runes on the altar shone brightly, and a powerful force surged from the center of the altar.

I felt the ground beneath my feet cracking open.

"Run!" Su Mingyue grabbed my hand. "This place is going to collapse!"

"Wait!" I pulled my hand away from hers. "That copper coin—"

"Ignore that!" Su Mingyue shouted, "That's a trap!"

"But--"

"Lin Xiaofan!" Su Mingyue's voice turned shrill. "Your parents' deaths are none of your business right now!"

Why?

"because--"

"Because she will die."

A voice came from the center of the altar.

It was a woman's voice.

It was very light, very distant, as if it came from a very deep place.

"If Lin Xiaofan knew the truth now, his balance would spiral out of control," the voice said. "An out-of-control balancer will kill everyone around him."

"Including himself."

"Including...you."

Su Mingyue's expression changed.

"Who...who are you?" she asked.

"Who I am is unimportant," the voice said. "What matters is that Lin Xiaofan must leave here now."

"Don't touch the coin until he's ready."

"otherwise--"

"He will become the second 'him'."

The second "he"?

What does that mean?

"Let's go!" Su Mingyue grabbed my hand and forcefully dragged me outside. "No matter who that person is, listen to her!"

I struggled, but she eventually pulled me out.

Behind them, the light from the altar grew brighter and brighter, and the tremors became more and more intense.

Then--

"boom--!"

The entire underground space collapsed.

Su Mingyue and I were thrown into the air by the shockwave and crashed heavily to the ground.

The last thing you see is the copper coin floating in mid-air, emitting an eerie green light.

Then, everything went dark.

I don't know how much time has passed.

I opened my eyes.

A white ceiling.

The smell of disinfectant.

Hospital?

"You're awake."

A voice came from the side.

I turned my head and saw Chen Xuan sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The seven-pointed star ritual was interrupted," Chen Xuan said. "You and Su Mingyue were buried in the rubble. It took us three hours to dig you out."

Where is Su Mingyue?

"She's in the next room," Chen Xuan said. "She's fine, just unconscious."

"Where is the agent?"

"They escaped," Chen Xuan said, "but we caught several others, including Wang Zijian."

Wang Zijian has been arrested...

"What did he say?"

"The interrogation hasn't started yet," Chen Xuan said, "but we should be able to get quite a bit out of them."

I nodded.

Then, I remembered that voice.

The voice that stopped me before I touched the coin.

"Director Chen," I asked, "do you know who that voice is?"

Chen Xuan remained silent for a while.

"I don't know," he said, "but one thing is certain—the voice came from inside the altar."

"Inside the altar?"

"Yes," Chen Xuan said, "that copper coin seems to contain something sealed within it."

"That being... saved me?"

"You could say that," Chen Xuan said, looking at me, "but it could also be just another trap."

"You still don't know who to trust."

"......"

I was silent.

Yes.

So far, every person and everything I've encountered seems shrouded in mystery.

Zhang Hao's death...

Su Mingyue's concealment...

Chen Xuan's dual personality...

And then there's that mysterious Seventh Apostle...

And the voice coming from the copper coin...

"Don't overthink it." Chen Xuan stood up. "You need to rest now."

"But--"

"No buts." Chen Xuan interrupted me. "What happened today has exceeded your capacity to handle. I'll tell you more after you recover."

"But now, you must rest."

"This is an order."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left the ward.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind a complete mess.

The seventh balancer...

My father was the sixth balancer...

My mother was a defector from Guixu...

This information made me feel like my life had been completely turned upside down.

Am I... still myself?

I muttered to myself.

No one answered me.

The only sounds were the wind outside the window and the faint chimes of distant bells.

Tick-tock...tick-tock...

It looked like something was counting down.