Gu Jianlin definitely wasn't trying to show off. Last time he came back from the Returning Burial Forest, he didn't have nearly this much.
But if he said it out loud, no one would believe him.
He might as well stay silent.
"Brother Lin, have you ever wandered around Dawn City? Let me tell you, this place is enormous. The Omega Sequence's resource vault is here, including the newly opened Cloud Bright Secret Treasure, all located in the Heroic Soul Hall. It's heavily guarded, with two powerhouses alternating on duty. Most days, Director Chen oversees the Heroic Soul Hall, though occasionally a Divine General will show up to take charge."
Cheng Youyu complained, "That Divine General has a bad temper and a really odd personality. Especially her gaze—it feels like it raises your blood pressure. The weird part is, even though she's a Divine General, no one knows her title, not even my dad has heard of her."
Nie Xiangsi quickly interjected, "Shhh, don't speak carelessly about a Divine General. Are you nuts?"
Gu Jianlin was slightly taken aback when he heard this: "What's that Divine General's name?"
"Didn't I already tell you? No one knows her title."
"It's said she's someone close to the President."
"She's from the Ji Family."
Gu Jianlin felt as though he had a vague suspicion in his heart.
Just then, he suddenly noticed a peculiar structure.
It was a grand hall resembling a pyramid, with a hollow framework. Golden light filtered through the gaps, illuminating the dark interior and a towering stone tablet.
On the tablet, lines of blood-red characters shimmered in and out of existence, flickering eerily.
"Oh, that's called a Blood..."
Cheng Youyu got stuck, clearly not the most literate person around.
"That's the Blood Tablet. The Ancient God Clan also has grudges and killings. Wars frequently erupt between different clans, and even betrayals occur within the same clan. Legend has it that the Qilin Venerable used the blood of his enemies to engrave their names onto ancient stone tablets. Whoever presented the heads of these enemies would be granted supreme rewards."
Nie Xiangsi explained, "In the Ancient God Realm, humanity adapted this tradition and created the Blood Tablet. Most of the names here are Ascenders with red bounties on them—targets that the Ether Association has marked for death."
Gu Jianlin thought to himself, Well, I just learned something new.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar name on the Blood Tablet.
Reward: 54,068 Merit Points!
Gu Jianlin squinted. "That's a massive bounty."
Cheng Youyu glanced at it and said, "Oh, Brother Lin, do you remember that Wang Taisheng who you beat up? He pooled all his assets—including merit points and wealth—to put up this bounty. And those merit points are just the tip of the iceberg. As an inspector for the Night Watchers, his family fortune is mind-blowingly vast."
"He's really going all out to kill the Moon Princess, isn't he?"
Cheng cleared his throat.
Nie Xiangsi nudged him, signaling him to stop talking recklessly.
Many in the Ether Association knew about Gu Jianlin's close relationship with the Moon Princess.
But just then, the bounty under the Moon Princess's name suddenly disappeared.
Her ranking plummeted to the bottom.
Gu Jianlin was startled.
"Oh, I totally forgot to tell you, Inspector Wang Taisheng was dismissed from his position today."
Cheng Youyu said, "Brother Lin, your intel is outdated."
"No, he wasn't just dismissed."
Nie Xiangsi spoke softly, "He's dead."
Gu Jianlin was shocked. "Dead?"
"Yes, after being dismissed today, Wang Taisheng wasn't satisfied and caused a scene everywhere. Later in the afternoon, while at a hotel, he mysteriously fell victim to an assassination and died. Officially, it's being declared as a sudden stroke, but the truth is he was killed."
Nie Xiangsi said quietly, "My uncle mentioned that all his assets were confiscated."
Cheng Youyu was stunned. "His assets were confiscated? Doesn't that scream faction power struggle?"
Gu Jianlin frowned. Sure, it was a good death, but it all seemed too fishy.
He hadn't even made a move, and the man was already dead.
"Forget about that for now. When we get to the Heroic Soul Hall, make sure not to say anything reckless. That Divine General has a bad temper."
Cheng Youyu warned, "Brother Lin, please don't provoke anyone unnecessarily!"
Nie Xiangsi whispered, "Rumor has it that this mysterious Divine General once beat someone to a pulp just because she didn't like the look of them, then dumped them on the street."
The so-called Heroic Soul Hall was also an Ancient God Clan structure. Its outward appearance resembled a pitch-black spire, with an interior made up of countless mirrored surfaces, spiraling black stone staircases leading upward to the top.
Countless colossal statues lowered their heads, as if lost souls were seeking redemption.
A woman wearing a beige trench coat stood there, holding a cup of tea in her hand, admiring the sculptures.
Gu Jianlin thought to himself, So it really is her.
[Recommendation Ticket]