City of Sinister Fog (The Black Death) Chapter 132: Consequences

Little Ke Wenbei let out a yawn and handed the location data and the deductive process over to Wu Hui. He was still young; he couldn't stay up late too often, or he wouldn't grow tall.

Wu Hui forwarded the information to Gao Cheng and his team. There was no helping it; he lacked access to household registration records and local player databases, so he had to rely on the official Inquisition personnel to cross-reference the data. His own tasks, beyond curbing Ren Yin’s destructive urges, involved setting up traps around the villa. The enemy would eventually come; the more prepared he was, the greater his chances of victory. Perhaps they were already being watched, making flight an unwise option.

In the next two days, Li Xiaojing and Li Xiaoyue were scheduled to participate in a game. He hoped they would gain something from it. Every game carried the threat of death—perhaps not always a great one, but the danger was constant. Despite having experienced many games, Li Xiaojing still felt anxious.

She and her sister approached Wu Hui, one after the other. "What are you looking at?"

Wu Hui handed his glasses to the sisters. "Looking at the clouds."

He had only intended to make casual conversation, yet he chose the most concise way to make them understand what he truly saw.

There was a black cloud in the sky.
It obscured the sun.
It obscured the stars.
It obscured the city.
It obscured the moral bottom line deep within people's hearts.

Li Xiaojing hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself. Li Xiaoyue looked at Wu Hui and suddenly felt that the romantic trivialities she and her sister had been dwelling on seemed insignificant before such a Wu Hui. She could sense that he was contemplating matters of far greater importance. In his concentration, his profile looked somewhat dashing, striking a chord with Li Xiaoyue’s aesthetic. Although she often snuggled up to him—even into his arms—under the pretense of stealing his air conditioning, she blushed at this moment.

Li Xiaojing shared her sister’s thoughts through their connection. Though she was reluctant to admit it, her feelings mirrored her sister's. Thus, the two sat beside Wu Hui, blushing for no apparent reason.

"Give me back my glasses," Wu Hui said. He didn't understand what was going on with these two. It was all very strange. Could they be influenced by the black mist to do something to him?

Suddenly, Li Xiaojing kissed Wu Hui on the cheek.

"?" Wu Hui was puzzled. Li Xiaojing blushed, and Li Xiaoyue fell into deep thought. Had the hypnotic effect she had previously used on her sister not completely faded yet?

The sisters began to bicker on the side, while Ren Yin and Wang Xiaodie sat nearby watching television. Wang Xiaodie was fawningly massaging Ren Yin's legs. "Oh, great one~ does that feel good?"

Ren Yin looked at her. "Not bad. But you still cannot go out to gamble. And I won't play cards with you. I’ll return your maid outfit tomorrow."

"Ahhhhh! Are you two cut from the same cloth?" Wang Xiaodie was on the verge of a breakdown. Sometimes she felt like Wu Hui and Ren Yin were her parents. They were far too controlling! Was this how a slave contract was meant to be used? Demanding she eat healthy, wake up early, and abstain from gambling? What kind of demons were they?

Ren Yin adjusted her glasses. "Feeling a lot of pressure, aren't you?"

Wang Xiaodie nodded. "Yes, exactly! As a player, one needs a way to vent the stress of the game. So, couldn't you old timers cut me some slack?"

"Didn't I leave you a way out?" Ren Yin stared at her.

Wang Xiaodie felt like crying at the mere thought of Ren Yin's "suggestion." Wu Hui was always occupied by her at night, so where was she supposed to put that to use? Bullying Wang Xiaodie gave Ren Yin a sense of satisfaction. Her criminal urges faded quickly, making everyone in the villa much safer. In a sense, Wang Xiaodie had performed a meritorious deed.

Wu Hui stopped worrying about the target information once he had sent it to Gao Cheng’s team. There wasn't much more he could do. After all, he was still only a Level 4 player. From June to late July, his progress had been quite fast, but unfortunately, it was still not enough. He was at least two games away from becoming an Intermediate player, let alone a High-level one. Moreover, once he reached the Intermediate level, leveling up would surely slow down significantly.

After finishing her squabble with her sister, Li Xiaojing realized she hadn't accomplished what she had originally intended. She leaned toward Wu Hui again. "Um, Wu Hui."

"?" Wu Hui was perplexed by her behavior.

"I like you." Li Xiaojing took a deep breath. Looking at the two-day countdown on her phone, she decided to express her feelings.

"…I know," Wu Hui said. "The glasses can scan for it."

*Damn you, you dense man, that’s not the answer I wanted!* Li Xiaojing felt like crying. But she sat beside him and asked, "You like me too, right?"

"Yes."

"Then can I..." Li Xiaojing wanted to continue, but her sister stepped up with a steady gaze. Though unhappy, Li Xiaojing pulled Li Xiaoyue into it: "We sisters want to be with you." It wouldn't be exclusive, but at least there would be no regrets.

Wu Hui tapped his glasses. He felt that Li Xiaojing’s impulsiveness and abandonment of common social morality must be due to the influence of the black mist. He looked at Ren Yin, who was teasing Wang Xiaodie over there, and thought of Wu Tong at home. Suddenly, he felt no need to refuse. If he took the twins into his fold now, and once the influence of the black mist lifted, they would be forced to accept the fait accompli—wouldn't that be fine? As long as he made them acknowledge the reality of sharing, everything else would be simple; he could even use unconventional means to control them later...

The black mist coiled around Wu Hui. He had no reason to refuse. Yet, he suddenly stood up. "I understand."

They had kissed and embraced before. Now, it was just a matter of confirming their relationship. Wu Hui didn't reject them, but he didn't take it any further either. He began to use his willpower to resist the influence of the black mist. Such temptation was truly difficult to fight.

Elsewhere, Guan Shanting swung his blade with a hint of brutality, shredding several maddened players. The thrill of slaughter left him somewhat addicted. A flash of blue light forced him to calm down, but the glint of excitement in his eyes could not be extinguished. He was sinking. He was enjoying it. If he didn't resist this influence, he would inevitably become like those he had just cut down.

"We must resolve this problem quickly, or we will go mad too, and then the whole city will truly be beyond saving," Guan Shanting muttered to himself.

Gao Cheng and Liao Yuan did not waste their energy on the trivial task of catching street-level criminals. Unless they stopped the source, killing the maddened offenders was meaningless. Furthermore, many law enforcement officers had already succumbed to the madness themselves.

Following the deductions provided by Wu Hui—or rather, Ke Wenbei—they locked onto a Level 6 player named Liu An. But when they arrived at the target's home, they found nothing but a few corpses.

"So, they finally tracked me down?" In the distance, Liu An stood on a high building, looking toward their location through binoculars. "Heh, two Level 6s. A pincer attack would indeed be a bit troublesome. But I’ve already prepared something else for you."