C14 Good Man Card

Zhou Ming caught Xiaowu as she fell from the Ice Phoenix, bending his knees to accelerate out of the factory.

His longsword vanished, and his clothes dissolved into glimmers of light. Outside, dawn was breaking.

Exhausted, Zhou Ming checked the time on his phone. Eager to leave the derelict area, he carried Xiaowu and jogged all the way back.

A putrid breeze swept through, rendering the factory eerily silent in the morning light, echoes of past screams seeming to linger in the air.

Back home, Zhou Ming gently laid Xiaowu on the couch. As he was about to unwind, he collapsed to the floor.

The main mission was complete, yielding a reward of 500 dream value. His total now stood at 500.

With the Ice Maiden mission concluded, the next mission node was unlocked.

Due to consecutive use of the Dream Fulfilled feature, Zhou Ming had entered a deep sleep. The mission node was on hold for 72 hours.

The system's prompt echoed in his mind, but Zhou Ming was oblivious, already deep in slumber.

Meanwhile, as Zhou Ming slept soundly, an urgent meeting convened in the Watchtower's headquarters in Brohebis.

"Ming Shuang! I expect an explanation from you," demanded the man at the head of the conference table, his gaze fixed on the woman standing before him.

All eyes turned to her as she responded.

"General Ming, my intelligence was accurate. I have no explanation for the disappearance of the factory."

Ming Shuang's anxiety was palpable. Her report on the human experiments was critical to the Watchtower, but the situation had taken an unforeseen turn.

Previous scouts had vanished without a trace. Now, with hard-won information in hand, the Watchtower had hastily mobilized to the derelict area.

But upon their frantic arrival, they found nothing but desolation; the factory was gone, leaving behind only barren earth.

Confronted with the vanished factory and the absence of any evidence, Ming Shuang was at a loss for what to do next.

Subsequently, the blame was squarely placed on Ming Shuang. This was no minor issue; reporting false information was a grave offense, one that could lead to expulsion from the Watchtower.

Being expelled wasn't the end of the world for an Essence Weaver, who would be welcomed anywhere. However, an Essence Weaver dismissed by the Watchtower would not only lose their cultivation but would also be forever barred from becoming an Origin Guardian. Additionally, they would have to sign a restrictive personal conduct order. Thus, expulsion from the Watchtower essentially spelled the end of one's life.

The middle-aged man presiding over the conference table was Minghe. As the General of the Getrall Guardians and the supreme leader of the Brohebis Guardians, he had to make his stance clear after such a significant incident, hence the earlier confrontation.

"A lack of knowledge doesn't prove anything, and you're well aware of the consequences of falsifying reports," Minghe said, his gaze fixed on Ming Shuang, his voice calm and measured.

Ming Shuang realized her situation was dire. With so many doubts and not a single one addressed by Minghe, he was only interested in a resolution.

Furthermore, none of Ming Shuang's teammates had returned, leaving her with no clear defense.

Ming Shuang sighed inwardly, recognizing that no one in the room was inclined to advocate for her. She had no expectations and addressed General Ming, "Give me one month, and I will provide the Watchtower with a satisfactory response."

"Very well, you have one month," General Ming conceded. "During this time, Guan Shikun will assume your duties as captain. This meeting is adjourned."

With that, Minghe stood and declared the meeting over. He was merely looking for a fall guy. The Watchtower had lost too many Origin Guardians, and the truth couldn't be concealed.

Granting Ming Shuang a month was a gesture of respect for her past efforts. As for what she might uncover during her investigation, Minghe hadn't given it a second thought.

"Ming Shuang, wait a moment."

As Ming Shuang stepped out of the conference hall, a tall, striking man caught up with her.

"Guan Shikun?"

Ming Shuang turned to find Guan Shikun, the very man who had just replaced her as captain.

"Ming Shuang, if there's anything you need help with, just let me know."

Guan Shikun offered his help with genuine sincerity, as though he truly wanted to assist Ming Shuang.

Ming Shuang, well aware of the kind of man Guan Shikun was, turned and walked away, responding coolly, "No need."

Watching Ming Shuang's retreating figure, Guan Shikun let out a cold, mocking smile.

Ming Shuang was reflecting on the events of the previous night, feeling as though she had overlooked something. The factory, the human with the eerie abilities, and the young man she had rescued...

Zhou Ming's face came to mind, prompting Ming Shuang to rush to the Watchtower's information room.

The information room was where the Watchtower gathered and analyzed intelligence. Upon arriving, Ming Shuang began to search through Zhou Ming's files.

Three days flew by, and Zhou Ming finally awoke.

"Xiaowu, thank you. You've been taking care of me."

Propped up in bed, Zhou Ming watched as Lin Xiaowu sat beside him with a can of beef, spoon-feeding him.

"Brother Zhou Ming, there's no need for thanks. If you hadn't saved me, Xiaowu would have died long ago."

Lin Xiaowu's eyes reddened, and she was on the verge of tears.

"Don't cry, it's all behind us now."

Zhou Ming wondered why young girls seemed so prone to tears. He wanted to wipe away Lin Xiaowu's tears himself, but he was too weak from not having eaten in three days, and he was famished.

"So, what do you plan to do now?"

Zhou Ming chewed the dry beef, feeling miserable. The canned beef from Getrall was particularly unpalatable.

"I... I don't know."

Lin Xiaowu shook her head, her expression one of confusion. Indeed, what was she to do now? Alone in the world, where was she to turn?

"Don't you have any family?"

Zhou Ming immediately regretted his words, seeing Lin Xiaowu's expression grow even more somber.

"They're all gone. It's just me now."

Lin Xiaowu gazed out the window, resembling a lonely stray cat with no friends or family, her only companion the profound solitude.

"It's okay, you can stay with me. If you don't mind, think of me as your brother, haha."

Zhou Ming felt his strength returning. He touched his nose, trying to mask his awkwardness.

"Brother Zhou Ming, you're such a good person!"

Lin Xiaowu burst into Zhou Ming's embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.

Don't just hand out those 'good person' labels! Zhou Ming thought, patting Lin Xiaowu's back with a sense of resignation. As a straightforward guy, he was clueless about how to console someone.

Zhou Ming then asked Lin Xiaowu some questions about the human experiments, and he finally pieced together the whole story.

Lee Tianshan conducted human experiments to turn people into puppets under his control.

Humans couldn't handle the Phantasmal Potion's power, so he resorted to various methods to torture his test subjects. After breaking them down mentally, he would administer the Phantasmal Potion.

Lin Xiaowu had been tortured to the brink of losing her sanity, but incredibly, she regained her faculties after receiving the Phantasmal Potion, to Lee Tianshan's astonishment.

Lee Tianshan realized that Lin Xiaowu's powers were latent. That is, her abilities could only be triggered under specific conditions or at certain times.

He concocted a drug to activate her powers. Once injected, Lin Xiaowu would lose her sanity and her abilities would be forcibly awakened.

Lin Xiaowu was Lee Tianshan's ace up his sleeve against the Watchtower. He planned to keep her in the factory while he moved the other test subjects. But Zhou Ming's arrival threw a wrench in his plans.

Lee Tianshan's arrogance was his downfall. His creations had killed numerous Essence Weavers, and he arrogantly assumed Zhou Ming would be just as easy to defeat, allowing him to enter the factory without worry.

One misstep, and it could all come crashing down.