Uncle Mu was indeed a former elite; he saw through the hidden clues in an instant.
Gu Jianlin followed him, passing by the hotel from before, and deliberately glanced at it.
The captains' corpses were gone.
As expected, his guess was correct—the captains wouldn't die so easily.
There were still traces of blood on the street, remnants of last night's battle.
Who knows how many of the rookie newcomers are still alive.
"Why does the street suddenly seem deserted?"
Gu Jianlin frowned and said, "It wasn't yesterday."
Uncle Mu replied slowly, "Because they've gotten wind of the Ether Association's plans to purge this Forbidden Zone. Even though the initial reports mentioned the annihilation of the action group, the association will undoubtedly carry out a frenzied retaliation afterward. What's more, those unwilling to submit to the Grave Digger Organization aren't limited to just us."
Gu Jianlin thought for a moment: "Do you think they'll escape?"
"Depends on their luck—sneaking away through the sewers or smuggling themselves to another place to cling to life."
Uncle Mu said, "As long as they're alive, there's always a way."
Gu Jianlin hesitated: "Uncle Mu, I've read the files left by my father. Were you his colleague?"
Uncle Mu nodded: "I was. I worked with him in the Ether Association's secret operations division, the Night Watchers. Back then, the Ether Association hadn't fractured, and factional conflict wasn't as intense. Lord Light was still alive, and we had someone to rely on. But later on, the Night Watchers changed leaders."
He chuckled lightly: "And I made a mistake during an operation and got expelled."
Gu Jianlin asked earnestly, "What mistake?"
"During an operation, I spared a Fallen who had ingested Heavenly Born Grass, along with his pair of children. Later, I was exposed and expelled from the Nightwatch Department, relegated to serving in the Peak City branch. That was when I met Minister Lu. Half a year later, abnormal spiritual fluctuations were discovered along the East Sea coast, and the association's upper echelon ordered a thorough investigation."
Uncle Mu reminisced and sighed: "It was during that incident that I underwent a drastic change. My spirit was contaminated, turning me into a Fallen. For reasons unknown, I lost my memories of that time. They said I went berserk, murdering nine teammates in total, and have been on the association's wanted list ever since. If not for your father and Lu Zijin saving me, I'd have died long ago."
Gu Jianlin suddenly thought about his father.
The similarities between these two events were many, and it felt peculiar.
"Uncle Mu, what you did was right."
He said earnestly, "It wasn't a mistake."
Uncle Mu gave him a surprised glance: "Indeed, it wasn't a mistake. While most of the Fallen are inherently dangerous, some have never committed heinous deeds. But still, I must say—it's unwise for you to mingle with us."
Gu Jianlin gazed at the dilapidated, serene fortress, reflecting on the experiences he'd had recently.
"My will shall not conform to the rules set by others."
He stated calmly, "I will do what I want to do."
The five young people around him shot him astonished looks.
Uncle Mu shook his head and laughed ruefully: "You know, I once saw you from afar when you were very young. You resemble your father quite a lot, but your personalities are entirely different. Old Gu was easygoing and relaxed, while you exude an air of arrogance and tenacity. With this attitude, you're bound to endure a lot of suffering down the road."
"A little suffering is good for young people."
As they walked, Gu Jianlin suddenly asked, "Uncle Mu, I've used Life Perception to probe Wanwan, and she doesn't exhibit the resonance of a Fallen. Why then did my father say Wanwan cannot live under the sunlight?"
Uncle Mu smiled faintly: "Do you remember that pendant?"
Wanwan had indeed shown him the Violet Crystal Pendant on her neck.
"Since we've encountered each other, let me teach you something. In the transcendent world, what you hear, see, and perceive may not necessarily be real. What you observe with Extraordinary Ability isn't always the truth."
Uncle Mu fixed him with a deep stare: "Both your abilities and the profiling techniques your father taught you must not be misused. When you understand the world, you must view it from multiple perspectives—critically and dialectically. Do you understand?"
Gu Jianlin paused, contemplating the words, then nodded slightly: "I've learned something."
Life Perception isn't infallible; many methods exist to distort its results.
The same applies to profiling.
It can be used, but not excessively.
The simplest example is Jing Ci's use of cognitive correction.
If paired with a Magician's hypnosis ability, cognition can be manipulated.
With enough time and effort, an ordinary, good-hearted person can be hypnotized into becoming a murderer.
Should Gu Jianlin use profiling afterward, the results would be peculiar.
Accurate, yet not entirely so.
"When we reach the depths of the Forbidden Zone later, keep one thing in mind. The Forbidden Zone's depths are the closest region to the lower levels of the Qilin Immortal Palace. Though there's no black fog there, there will be white fog. White fog doesn't contain spiritual toxins but will birth calamities even more terrifying than those in the Great Ruins. Those things are incredibly scary, so be cautious."
Uncle Mu warned: "What you think and imagine will disperse with your will. Calamities will extract these fragments and then seize the opportunity to invade your mind. Even I, when careless, sometimes fall into it. When you venture into the Immortal Palace to pioneer in the future, you'll encounter far stranger horrors."