Chapter 138 Miss Mu, What Are You Doing?
Is Wen Zaiye still alive?
Xia Feng blinked but did not answer the question. Instead, he asked, "Who are you? Why are you asking this?"
"Sorry, I got a little emotional." The woman lowered her eyes apologetically and whispered, "I'm Wen Zaiye's girlfriend. You can call me Gardenia. I just want to know how my boyfriend is doing."
Your boyfriend is dead. Xia Feng remained silent. He wasn't ready to deliver such tragic news just yet.
A sudden possibility crossed his mind: "So, Wen Zaiye escaped from here."
"Ah? Not exactly." Gardenia pursed her lips and shook her head, her weary face darkening slightly.
The crowd continued moving forward, as if signaling that the park's opening time was approaching. Everyone had to undergo a physical examination to ensure the safety and satisfaction of the guests.
Xia Feng turned to her. "Would you be willing to talk about you and Wen Zaiye?"
The woman hesitated before responding, "There isn't much to say."
Her gaze grew distant as she recalled, "About nine years ago, Zaiye and I applied for jobs at First Harmony Orphanage. We never expected it to be… that kind of place."
She recounted her story slowly, her voice devoid of emotion, yet Xia Feng felt his heart grow heavier with every word.
It was a tragic tale. The couple had gone for a picnic in the outskirts of Far-River Town when Gardenia suddenly vanished. Wen Zaiye spent seven years searching for her in vain. Then, two years ago, after joining the Black Moon Church, he followed a high-ranking member into the garden—only to find Gardenia surrounded by pot-bellied nobles, being toyed with.
Their eyes met through the crowd, and Wen Zaiye collapsed on the spot. Heartbroken and furious, he swore to Gardenia that he would save her.
By this point, Xia Feng could guess the rest. Wen Zaiye had likely tried to expose the garden, but the forces behind it were too powerful. As a low-level spiritualist, he couldn't make a difference. In the end, he turned against the Church and became a wanted man in the empire.
"Zaiye said he'd kill every man who hurt me," Gardenia murmured. "But he didn't know… my appearance was popular among them. It wasn't just those dozen men that night. There were also—"
"Enough. Don't say anymore." Xia Feng rubbed his temples and waved a hand. He didn't want to hear the details. The more he learned, the more disgusted he felt. A sudden, violent thought flashed through his mind—one he quickly suppressed.
For a moment, he considered using the disaster realm to slaughter every noble visiting the garden.
But it was a reckless idea. Not all dignitaries attended every opening, and wiping them out in one strike wouldn't solve anything. Worse, they still didn't know who truly controlled the garden. Acting rashly might alert their enemies.
No need to take unnecessary risks. Xia Feng sighed. He was surprised by his own frustration—he actually wanted to deal with this mess himself.
"Forget it. One step at a time. Let's find the holy solution first." He pushed the thought aside and refocused.
"I've told you my story," Gardenia said quietly. "Now, can you tell me… is Wen Zaiye still alive?"
Xia Feng met her calm gaze. Though her eyes were empty, a faint hope lingered—whether it was the hope that Wen Zaiye would save her or simply that he was still breathing, he couldn't tell.
But something told him he couldn't reveal the truth now.
He shook his head. "He should be alive. I haven't seen him in a month."
"Really? That's good. As long as he's alive." Gardenia didn't question him. She murmured the words to herself before rejoining the moving crowd.
After completing the examinations, Xia Feng was led back to his room.
His brief excursion had given him plenty of information.
For instance, the garden would open at 7 PM the day after tomorrow. Until then, no one was allowed to leave their rooms. At noon each day, a staff member would deliver a specialized fluid injection—a stimulant that kept guests mentally and physically energized for 24 hours.
Additionally, a thin pink vertical line marked everyone's forehead. It served as both an identifier and a suppressor, preventing suicidal thoughts. If someone somehow bypassed the suppressor and succeeded in killing themselves, staff would retrieve the body and revive it in a hibernation pod.
Yes, the medical technology here was absurdly advanced. As long as the brain remained intact and the soul undamaged, any injury could be swiftly healed.
It was outrageous.
This damned place seemed designed solely for torture. Xia Feng couldn't fathom it—why did these powerful figures have such twisted tastes? Couldn't they just entertain themselves with celebrities at home? Why come here to torment broken people who had lost all hope?
With nothing else to do, Xia Feng lay on the bed, bored. He had to wait two more days before taking his next step. The lack of computers or phones made the confinement unbearable.
[Mu Qingtong consumed three second-level Spirit Storage fruits. Your soul space expanded significantly, and your spirit particles increased dramatically, reaching third-level capacity.]
"Huh?"
Xia Feng bolted upright. He could feel it—the soul space inside him, once the size of a water bottle, had rapidly doubled. The spirit particles within multiplied, gradually filling the expanded space over several hours.
Now, he estimated he could use B-level spirit garments two or three times without exhausting his reserves.
[Mu Qingtong overconsumed Spirit Storage fruits, causing unstable spiritual pressure and risking soul collapse. However, she quickly optimized the spirit sub-structure, stabilizing your condition.]
[Current spiritual power: 50 Soc.]
[Mu Qingtong consumed ten Spirit Storage fruits, perfectly absorbing all effects. Your spiritual power increased by 30 points.]
[Current spiritual power: 80 Soc.]
Normally, a person could safely eat only one Spirit Storage fruit per month. Any more risked mental destabilization—the sudden surge of spiritual power could render the mind disordered or even witless.
Mu Qingtong possessed the immense spiritual power enhancement granted by her spirit weapon. For her, this increase was negligible—far too insignificant to risk mental instability.
From the fourth level onward, a spiritual master's life essence undergoes evolution, and spiritual power surges dramatically, typically ranging between 40 and 300 units.
Xia Feng sensed that his spiritual power had long surpassed the fourth level, enough to withstand attacks from many spiritual weapons. But he wasn't sure if he could endure a direct strike from Mu Qingtong.
Perhaps only by raising his mental power beyond 300 units could he safely advance to the fifth level.
[Initial trials of 'Pain Enhancement Strength Research' have failed. However, slight progress has been made in understanding how to effectively inflict 'severe pain' on a target.]
"?" Xia Feng frowned. Pain Enhancement Strength Research? What is this?
[Mu Qingtong infiltrated the Holy Ministry's core archives to steal information and was nearly discovered. At the critical moment, she had an epiphany, optimizing and upgrading the stealth spirit garment. Your comprehension of spirit garments has improved, and you have successfully mastered the C-level spirit garment 'Qingtong Concealment.']
[Qingtong Concealment]
[Qingtong's craftsmanship—always refined.]
[Effect: Your stealth ability no longer suffers from faintly visible outlines under sunlight. Additionally, your concealment can now resist detection from spiritual tools below A-rank.]
Good, good. Xia Feng lay on the bed, silently cheering Mu Qingtong on. Miss Mu, I'm just lying here relaxing while you do all the work!
[Noticing your absence, Mu Qingtong quickly traced your whereabouts. During her return to the Holy Ministry, she gained insights into speed-type spirit garments, deepening her understanding of the C-level spirit garment 'Thunder Step.']
"Ah… this."
Xia Feng raised an eyebrow. She isn't planning to sneak in, is she? This place isn't exactly welcoming to women.
[Mu Qingtong slit a woman's throat with a butterfly knife. You have rapidly mastered the butterfly knife's usage and achieved proficiency.]
[Killed another man. You gained insights into backstabbing techniques, slightly improving your combat ability.]
[Killed two more men.]
Xia Feng: "…"
Hey, hey, hey—Miss Mu, what are you doing?!
(End of this chapter)