NOVPUBYan Shan lay in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling above him as his mind churned with memories of the past.
The gruesome scene.
The maddened crowd.
The eerie, smiling faces.
Researchers committing suicide.
Black mud and tendrils filling his vision.
Evil whispers lingering in the air.
Lastly, the twisted, despairing face of the Plague Department's true person, swallowing everything whole.
"It's utterly incomprehensible... It's simply inexplicable!!"
Yan Shan clenched his fists tightly, feeling that the evil presence... everything related to him was just so bizarre.
Whether it was the motives for actions, the methods of attack, or the strange and unpredictable distortion phenomena, he couldn't comprehend the cause and effect, the logic behind it all.
Just then, the door to the hospital room opened, and Qiu Xingze wheeled himself in.
Yan Shan glanced at him, surprised, "You're alright?"
"My body is healthy, just a bit strained and weak," Qiu Xingze smiled. After finishing his words, he pointed at his head: "My Primordial Spirit was twisted upon contact, so they told me not to use my Primordial Spirit power for the next month, hence the wheelchair."
Upon hearing this, a trace of relief flashed in Yan Shan's eyes as he exclaimed, "I'm glad you're okay."
"I might be alright, but others weren't as lucky as us. The true person of the Plague Department committed suicide; a large number of cultivators and researchers either killed themselves or attacked each other."
Qiu Xingze sighed heavily, "This time, the casualties are devastating. By the way, what do you think about 1029?"
Yan Shan puzzled, "1029?"
Qiu Xingze: "Ah? Haven't they informed you yet? Based on the situation at the scene and records in the sealing amulet and experimental journal, we analyzed that this name itself might possess some kind of distorted power. So now, we've completely prohibited this name from being spread, and we internally use the code 1029 instead."
"Only Level 10 clearance personnel can access information about 1029 unless it's for work assignments. 10 stands for Level 10 clearance; 29 is his code under that level."
"However, we've been investigating this and have automatically included it in the new investigative team, so no Level 10 clearance is needed anymore."
Yan Shan nodded in understanding, "1029, huh..."
Continuing, Qiu Xingze said, "The danger level of 1029 far exceeds our previous estimations. Anything he left behind could potentially serve as a medium for his manifestation."
"The higher-ups believe he might be some kind of aberrant creature residing in the void, likely born due to the increasing distortions of Heavenly Dao in recent years."
"In any case, everything related to 1029 must be kept with the highest level of security from now on. Experiments can only be conducted with at least one of the celestial gods present."
Listening to Qiu Xingze's analysis, Yan Shan suddenly asked, "What about that book?"
"Not found," Qiu Xingze shook his head. "It's not just the book that's missing; a lot of equipment from the scene has disappeared too, suspected to have been swallowed into the void."
Yan Shan's gaze sharpened suddenly, "What about Zhou Bai?"
Qiu Xingze: "There's a possibility that Zhou Bai is involved, but it's low. Plus, he had a solid alibi at the time. We currently tend to believe that he might have been used by 1029, but as for any further connections between them, there is no evidence yet. We're maintaining a long-term observation without taking action."
"If there are no new findings in the next five years, we might withdraw the surveillance on him."
Hearing this conclusion, Yan Shan breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't want the seemingly kind Zhou Bai to be the lackey of such a monster. He still remembered the encouraging words from the other, warming his heart.
"A warming heart..." Yan Shan suddenly furrowed his brow, feeling something was off but couldn't pinpoint what.
Just then, Qiu Xingze continued, "Right, the doctor said you still need a few days of rest. With the Plague Department being so busy, I plan to start checking from the lower levels of Donghua City. This might not be the first appearance of 1029 here. If we can find the place where he first appeared..."
"Sorry," Yan Shan suddenly said. "I want to opt out of the next operations."
Qiu Xingze was slightly stunned, seemingly wanting to say something, but sighed the next moment, "Understood. I'll report it upwards."
This wasn't the first time he had encountered such a situation; every year, some members of the Plague Department harbored thoughts of leaving due to their inability to handle those twisted, evil, and bizarre events.
Qiu Xingze was accustomed to this by now. He didn't try to persuade, simply stood up crisply: "I respect your decision. I'll handle reporting this matter for you."
Yan Shan watched Qiu Xingze's departing back, sighing softly to himself, 'I'm sorry...'
For over twenty years, he had masqueraded as a dissipated young master, always believing he was playing the fool to catch the wise, quite confident in his own temperament and will.
But at that moment, Yan Shan suddenly realized: 'Perhaps after more than twenty years of playing the dissipated young master, I've actually grown accustomed to it... I've truly become the fool I pretended to be.'
'For twenty years, even if I thought it was all an act, I indeed lived a life of drunken dreams. Whereas people like Qiu Xingze have always been fighting on the dangerous frontlines... What pretending to be the fool to catch the wise... It's just self-deception...
Year after year, under diametrically opposite experiences... How could my temperament and will compare to theirs?'
Soon, a knock on the door sounded again. Looking up, Yan Shan was surprised to see Zhou Bai: "What brings you here?"
Zhou Bai smiled, "Heard you were hospitalized, so I came to visit." He held up a meal box and said, "Brought you some food."
Yan Shan said appreciatively, "Thank you." It was rare for someone to care about him since his downfall.
While eating the meal Zhou Bai brought, they chatted about the recent events.
"I've heard about the incident. Can even the Plague Department not organize against him?" Zhou Bai's eyes showed fear: "What should I do if he targets me again?"
"It's like this... new support has already been dispatched..."
"Remember, don't mention his name anymore. His name itself may possess a twisted power."
"I can't reveal much else, but he's more terrifying than we imagined. If you encounter anything abnormal, you must find Qiu Xingze immediately."
"Only the Plague Department might be able to handle that entity. Even Donghua City probably can't manage him."
Listening to Yan Shan's reminders, Zhou Bai wore a look of melancholy and suddenly said, "I understand. Can't I find you?"
Yan Shan gave a bitter smile, "Sorry, I will no longer be responsible for this matter."
Zhou Bai, surprised, asked, "Why?"
Yan Shan: "I'm scared. I don't want to deal with such a terrifying entity anymore, sorry..."
Watching Zhou Bai's disappointed departure, like the silhouette of an abandoned puppy, Yan Shan sighed inwardly, "I'm sorry, I can't help you."
Suddenly, Yan Shan wrinkled his brow again, "What is this smell? It's familiar; I think I've smelled it somewhere before."
