Beating Instances through Words Left by the Dead

Chapter 598 283: The Management Bureau's Request for Help

Don't come any closer, or I'll elbow you!

While Wu Chang's main body was suffering in the ring, his True Self had already followed the room number to a private space.

The space was designed in the style of a summer garden, from pavilions and towers to rocks and ponds, every detail crafted with great care and effort.

This is a commercial space officially set up by the Crimson Courtyard, specifically for players with power and silver coins.

Here, one can speak freely and discuss any secrets, protected by the rules of the Abyssal Game, without worrying about conversations being recorded.

If the parties cannot reach an agreement, they are protected by the rules of the Abyssal Game, and neither party can disclose any negotiation details.

Setting the meeting place here suggests Hou Jingchuan truly has important business.

Following the guide to the pavilion in the center of the garden, reaching the third floor, Hou Jingchuan was already waiting by the window.

The two exchanged simple pleasantries, and Hou Jingchuan didn't waste time on formalities, getting straight to the point.

"Given Lord Peace's current demonstrated strength, especially in dungeon strategy, looking across the Abyssal Game, the Desolate Realm and the entire Abyssal Game, there isn't anyone better at dungeon strategies than you."

"So, the problem we currently face, only you can handle it most reliably and appropriately."

Wu Chang fiddled with the teacup in his hand, understanding that Hou Jingchuan wanted him to handle a particular dungeon.

"Is this dungeon you mentioned related to the Bright Society?"

Hou Jingchuan confirmed, "The dungeon itself is unrelated, but the people entering it are closely associated with the Bright Society!"

Not hiding the background of the matter to be entrusted, Hou Jingchuan explained everything to Wu Chang.

The story's origin traces back to the day Wu Chang was interviewed by Each Issue's Hotspot, with the Order Sect leveraging the World Dungeon topic to summon the Evolution Sect for a meeting, then giving them a taste of their own medicine by replicating the Realm of Reason's ambush in the Desolate Realm.

Only this time, the ambushed ones were members of the Evolution Sect.

The Order Sect planned meticulously and, already having stronger presences in the Desolate Realm, managed to capture all high-ranking and key personnel of the Evolution Sect, who were then detained underground at headquarters for temporary custody.

As Wu Chang had perceived, the Management Bureau then proceeded with a massive internal purge, where all high-ranking Evolution Sect members were invited for a "tea session," while the Order Sect took full control of the Desolate Realm.

Post stabilization, the Management Bureau communicated the intelligence to the other three major organizations, forming alliances with the Order Sects within them, and began actively severing contacts with the Realm of Reason from the Desolate Realm's standpoint, sealing all Pillar of the Present World entry points to the Desolate Realm and reality.

However, the Evolution Sect and the Bright Society's conspiracy was not a spur-of-the-moment action; they had planted numerous "nails" in the Desolate Realm, with the most fatal being in the Management Bureau.

Speaking of which, that "nail" still had ties to Wu Chang and Sword Star — and that nail was Lin Jiang.

Lin Jiang was a clerical staff member of the Evolution Sect, usually unassuming, responsible only for recruiting talent and conducting external negotiations. Though not high-profile, his status was not low.

Feigning cooperation with the investigation, he entered the Management Bureau headquarters in Yanjing, proved his innocence after some investigation, and was temporarily kept under loose house arrest.

The Management Bureau, then in the midst of internal accounting, needed a large number of reliable Order Sect personnel to take over the Evolution Sect's assets, had to allocate personnel to control rebellious Evolution Sect members, and still had to send people to other three major organizations to collaborate on seizing control of the Desolate Realm.

This multidirectional personnel requirement led to a manpower shortage at Yanjing headquarters, leaving it especially vulnerable.

Nevertheless, with masters overseeing it, the usual Evolution Sect couldn't stir up much trouble in Yanjing.

Unexpectedly, the unassuming Lin Jiang, who seemed entirely disconnected from conspiracies of the Realm of Reason, was actually a peripheral member of the Bright Society.

When the Order Sect at headquarters let their guard down, he pulled out a Mercury contract, severely injuring the stationed masters, and liberated many Evolution Sect members, creating widespread chaos.

Once the chaos subsided, and the released Evolution Sect members were recaptured, it was discovered that Lin Jiang had taken advantage of the confusion to steal three items from the headquarters treasury and had already fled Yanjing.

Even though the headquarters treasury had different access levels, someone of Lin Jiang's level as a second-level investigator couldn't take anything overly valuable.

Among the three stolen items, one was a tool to conceal one's breath, preventing tracking.

Another was a temporary pass to the Realm of Reason, allowing Lin Jiang to enter it temporarily.

The third, a tool whose identification failed, with unknown effects, and it's unclear why Lin Jiang took it.

From the items Lin Jiang took, it's apparent his plan was to escape into the Realm of Reason.

The good news is, the Four Major Organizations have sealed the Pillar of the Present World from the Desolate Realm's side, meaning Lin Jiang can only enter the Realm of Reason by using a soon-to-elevate Plane, entering it alongside the Plane.

The Management Bureau has also requested the Western Union to use a divination item to pinpoint Lin Jiang's target.

The bad news is, the dungeon Lin Jiang chose is extraordinarily difficult, even more bizarre than any S-Level dungeon previously seen. The Four Major Organizations' elite forces cannot guarantee a breakthrough, nor prevent the dungeon's elevation.

Desperate, Hou Jingchuan could only turn to Wu Chang; this newcomer, who since entering the Abyssal Game, has been breaking B-Level near-uncontrollable dungeons since the Trial Dungeon, who has consistently fought in peak matches, might be the only one capable of breaking through that dungeon and stopping Lin Jiang.

Hou Jingchuan paused and said:

"Lord Peace, we'd like to ask you to enter the corresponding dungeon—whether breaking through the dungeon itself or eliminating Lin Jiang within — as long as it prevents Lin Jiang from entering the Realm of Reason."

"The items Lin Jiang stole from the Management Bureau headquarters only have temporary usage rights and will drop upon his death. If you can deal with Lin Jiang, not only will you get all his dropped gear, but we'll also provide you with an additional gift."

After hearing Hou Jingchuan's plea, Wu Chang gently tapped the table with his fingers, thought for a while, and asked slowly:

"I can help, but there's one question you need to answer for me first: What exactly did Lin Jiang do that makes you so determined to kill him?"