Cheng Shi was already getting to work.
After a brief heart-to-heart with the two Torchbearers, the trio set out once more, continuing to dig up additional clues for the trial. Their destination was the Shanty Area — the district supposedly controlled by the Extre Desire Brotherhood.
Before departing, the Blind One perford her customary divination, asking whether the Shanty Area would yield clues. The result was encouraging — a maximum roll on the die practically scread that Alo Manni was the "discrepancy" from that midnight stroll and chat.
And so a delighted Cheng Shi led the two Torchbearers toward the Shanty Area.
Why so delighted? Because — praise be to Destiny!
The inn where they'd been staying was so distance from the Shanty Area. The three walked the whole way, taking in the local scenery and eavesdropping on passersby. Countless tiny orange globeflowers dotted both sides of the streets, lending the place a surprisingly vibrant feel.
The Shanty Area wasn't actually a nickna the players had coined for this district — it was its real na. That's what the locals called it.
Nearly every structure in this district was a shanty. Crumbling walls served as partitions, branches and leaves made do as roofing, a random pile of dry grass on the ground qualified as a bed, and if soone strung a length of sheer gauze across the entrance, the half-visible figure inside beca the most alluring scenery in the entire Shanty Area.
This was probably the most pleasure-filled corner of Falling Gate. Every local Cheng Shi had chatted up along the way wore a genuine smile when ntioning this district.
Clearly, Corruption didn't suffer the universal condemnation here that it did on the surface. His will had quite the market underground.
A few mud-and-earth houses stood at the Shanty Area's periphery. Once the trio rounded these sparse sentry-like structures, a sprawling tableau of debauched ruins unfolded before them. Despite having steeled themselves along the way, the sight still left them montarily speechless.
The place was genuinely decrepit, and the people were genuinely... bare. Though it wasn't just one complexion — you could spot every conceivable ethnicity here. The problem was matching the distinctive cultural garb you'd normally associate with each group to the various bodies flitting past at the mont.
And gender was even harder to identify.
After a brief attempt at classifying the individuals before them and failing entirely, the three gave up.
This place was extraordinary. In broad daylight, people were sunbathing everywhere.
Cheng Shi and Qin Xin — two grown n — surveyed the scene with deeply furrowed brows. The Blind One, anwhile, remained utterly indifferent, her expression serene.
"Both of your heart rates just spiked. It seems the view before us is even more... unsightly than I imagined."
"..."
"..."
'Excuse , Miss Prophet — what exactly were you imagining? The kind of image that gets projected straight into your consciousness like a prophecy? And if so, might I ask what reference material you were drawing on?'
'Because without any reference, you probably couldn't conjure up this kind of ss.'
Cheng Shi smiled politely and refrained from asking such an impertinent question. But he was still deeply curious about what this place looked like through the Blind One's Destiny-granted vision. Just as he was debating whether to ask, Qin Xin beat him to it.
"What do you see?"
The question sounded rude, but all three of them understood — Qin Xin was simply asking about clues. From the mont they'd left the inn, the Blind One had been tracing threads from Alo Manni, and she'd been the one guiding them here.
"Desire.
Thick desire surging and overflowing like churning mud. Destiny's threads have been dragged into the swamp of desire and rendered completely murky, making it very difficult for
to follow His guidance. From here on, we may need to actively seek out information about Shi Lolin from the people here.
Gentlen — who's going?"
Indeed, their primary target was the actual ruler of this district — A Rad's sister, Shi Lolin.
As the Extre Desire Brotherhood's agent in this area, she was probably one of the people most familiar with the Shanty Area. She undoubtedly held a wealth of information and intelligence about Falling Gate, and should also have so knowledge of Alo Manni's past. From any angle, she was the ideal lead to pursue.
After the Blind One posed the question, both n fell conspicuously silent.
Honestly, players had seen all manner of bizarre and grotesque scenes throughout their trials, especially peak players whose scores were built on trial after trial. They'd long since developed a certain immunity to spectacular sights.
But today was genuinely difficult to approach.
As for the reason...
Qin Xin's sharp gaze swept across the area once more, his expression slightly rigid: "I suggest we walk a bit farther in before finding soone to ask for directions."
"Seconded!"
Cheng Shi nodded vigorously and charged ahead — only to abruptly double back after two steps, a new flash of shock in his eyes as he looked at Qin Xin.
Qin Xin just smiled, said nothing, and led the three of them onward.
The Blind One was puzzled. In her understanding, any entrenched organization's mbers grew more loyal the closer you got to the center, which naturally made them harder to pump for information. So why not test the waters with a few periter grunts first?
She voiced the question. Cheng Shi's answer was remarkably brief:
"They're probably busy."
"?" The Blind One blinked, then understanding dawned and she shook her head with an amused smile. "My apologies — the desire flowing through this place is so viscous that my perception of the surroundings has dulled sowhat. I didn't hear those... sounds. I assud..."
Cheng Shi's mouth twitched: "I didn't hear them either. But if you'd like to experience the 'heat' of this place firsthand, just take a couple more steps forward."
The Blind One frowned and was about to do just that when Qin Xin's hand settled firmly on her shoulder.
"I've filtered out so of the noise. Trust
— you don't want to hear those... cries."
He then turned to Cheng Shi with a smile, pointing ahead: "There's a... um, unoccupied lady over there. Cheng Shi, why don't you go ask?"
Cheng Shi followed Qin Xin's gaze and spotted a woman sitting inside one of the shanties along the narrow street, hand pressed to her forehead with an expression of pain. A colorful gauze scarf wrapped her figure in an exceedingly provocative way, and her bold sitting posture made her look like desire personified.
Normally, a small, risk-free task like gathering information was sothing Cheng Shi would handle without a second thought. But this ti...
He took a step back, nudged Qin Xin forward with his shoulder, and gave a dry laugh: "How about — gentlen first?"
Qin Xin smiled: "What kind of gentleman would visit a place like this?"
"The way you say that — gentlen are exactly the type who should visit places like this."
Cheng Shi pursed his lips. Just as he was trying to figure out how to minimize his association with Corruption, the quietly smiling Blind One unexpectedly stepped forward, breaking away from Qin Xin's protection and heading straight toward the woman.
She'd barely taken two steps before the various indescribable sounds around them reached her ears. Her stride faltered, the skin behind her ears flushing crimson. After a mont's pause, she drew a deep breath and pressed on.
Qin Xin shook his head helplessly and followed. Cheng Shi trailed close behind, terrified that Corruption's ambient audio would contaminate his pure and innocent soul.
"Hello..."
The Blind One's approach was entirely different from Cheng Shi's. She was genuinely friendly. Seeing the woman seated on the ground, she bent down into a crouch rather than loom over her, and extended a hand — a full display of goodwill.
But the alluring woman across from her didn't accept the gesture. She didn't move, didn't even shift her posture. She rely lifted her eyelids to reveal a pair of sharp eyes, swiftly appraising the Blind One from head to toe. Then her gaze swept past the Blind One to Cheng Shi and Qin Xin, and her brow relaxed slightly:
"Stowaways? Coming from the surface, or heading up?
Got money?
Three people together will cost a pretty penny. Before you make your decision, I suggest you check whether your pockets are deep enough.
I've got quite the appetite."
"I'm not—"
"You're not included?
Fine, that works. If the two males behind you are wild enough — actually, never mind, just this one will do. If this strapping male is wild enough, I might even waive the fee."
As she spoke, the woman licked the corner of her lips and tossed Qin Xin a smoldering look.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The scene fell silent, save for the shanty woman's scorching gaze roaming freely over Qin Xin's fra.
The Blind One shook her head with an amused smile, then stood up and stepped back — clearly ceding the battlefield to the gentlen behind her.
Cheng Shi's face darkened. Don't ask how — he didn't know either. All he knew was that the Fate Weaver had once again pulled out his scalpel, deciding that a violent solution was simpler. But just as he was about to flick the blade, Qin Xin moved.
He lunged forward in a single stride, seized the shanty woman by her collar, and hoisted her clean off the ground — lifting her overhead until she was pressed against the shanty's flimsy grass-leaf roof. Then he flashed a genial smile:
"Is this — savage enough for you, ma'am?"
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