Chapter 466: The Truth-Seeking Fellowship Gathering

Hua City, Fangxiang Road, Art Center.

In the quiet dressing room, Nanling Rao Hua wore a snow-white lace skirt, her hair piled high, her slender figure like a swan with a lowered neck, looking down at her phone.

On the phone screen was a message from Lu Yibei.

Lu Yibei: “Sorry! Even though we had plans, something came up at home, so I might not make it today. How about tomorrow? Is tomorrow okay?”

Nanling Rao Hua: “Something came up at home? What happened? Are you alright?”

Lu Yibei: “You might think it sounds a bit surreal, but… [image][image][image] my water heater exploded.”

Nanling Rao Hua: “Alright then, see you tomorrow! [smile]”

“Did the water heater really explode?” Nanling Rao Hua muttered to herself, frowning, her eyes shifting as if she was pondering something.

“Ah-Hua, class is about to start!” A girl’s gentle call came from outside the dressing room.

“Coming!” Nanling Rao Hua replied, bent down to put on her pink dance shoes, tied the ribbons, stood up, and quickly walked toward the dance studio.

Soon, music began to play in the studio.

The bright morning sunlight streamed in through the windows. In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling glass mirror, the girls wore short skirts, leaping nimbly, their dance steps light, white gauze fluttering, as if a flock of white swans gently rippling the surface of a lake.

Among the crowd, Nanling Rao Hua frowned slightly, her dark, bright eyes seemed clouded, a trace of sadness between her brows, as if she was about to say goodbye to someone.

Suddenly, the music stopped abruptly.

The teacher walked up to Nanling Rao Hua, gently patted her shoulder, “Ah-Hua, why do you seem so absent-minded today? You missed several beats… Are you not feeling well?”

Nanling Rao Hua snapped back to herself, shook her head at the teacher, and smiled, “Sorry, teacher, I’m fine. Let’s start over?”

As the dance teacher turned away, she closed her eyes and sighed tiredly.

—

On the other side, Hua City University of Technology faculty housing.

Lu Yibei looked at the reply on her phone screen, but didn’t feel any relief.

Based on what she knew about Nanling Rao Hua, if it were any other day and she heard that Lu Yibei’s water heater had exploded, she would have dropped her dance class and rushed over to help, or at least asked for details to make sure she was safe.

But today, Nanling Rao Hua didn’t ask much and readily agreed to postpone their meeting by a day.

Combined with the fact that she might have seen the wires tying up Gu Qianqian before but pretended not to notice…

Lu Yibei faintly sensed something strange.

“Forget it, since I can’t ask Ah-Hua in person, I’ll just put this aside for now!”

Anyway, according to the dream’s memory, after bathing in the morning sunlight tomorrow, everything will return to normal. When I see Ah-Hua then, I’ll just play it by ear.

With the extra time today, there are some things I want to figure out.

Lu Yibei muttered to herself, put away her phone, patted her cheeks, and got up to head to the study.

Sitting down at the desk, she casually picked up pen and paper, sorted out the information in her mind, and began to write down her tasks one by one:

“1. Figure out which haunting the power description refers to.”

“2. Try to verify the authenticity of this body’s various abilities.”

“3. Investigate the abandoned factory from the dream, and what those people did to the little girl suspected to be Gu Qianqian in the factory.”

When she got to the third item, Lu Yibei frowned and put down her pen for the moment.

Although her current physical state proved that the dream which brought a flood of memories a few days ago had some degree of authenticity, it didn’t mean that everything in her dreams was real.

In other words, the abandoned factory in the dream might not exist at all, or it could just be a symbol, or maybe it’s been so long that it’s already been demolished.

In short, finding it probably won’t be easy.

“But at least it’s not completely without clues…” Lu Yibei muttered, picking up the pen again to write.

“4. The huge chimney (focus on investigating factories with large chimneys where abnormal events occurred, especially those related to the Truth-Seeking Fellowship).”

“5. Find some workers to come fix the bathroom at home, and try to finish before Mom comes back.”

After writing down the five things to do today, Lu Yibei put down her pen, tapped her fingertips on the edge of the desk, and after confirming there was nothing to add, carefully folded the paper.

Five things-it doesn’t seem like much, but each one will take a lot of time.

But before getting down to business…

Lu Yibei glanced at her bathrobe and muttered, “I need to find some proper clothes to wear.”

All of a sudden, she missed the jacket from her dream memories that could turn into any outfit-a single word and she’d be changed, how convenient.

She just didn’t know if that jacket really existed. Lu Yibei thought.

—

At this very moment, several dozen kilometers away from the faculty compound, on the outskirts of Hua City County, inside an abandoned factory.

This factory was a joint venture built in the 1980s by Hua City Cement Plant and Hua City Steel Plant, intended to produce the quicklime needed for steelmaking, while also manufacturing various miscellaneous products.

Hua City Steel Plant was once in its prime, constructing many similar factories along its industrial chain, but as technology became increasingly specialized and industrialized, these factories gradually faded from the stage of history.

Although this factory is located within the county of Hua City, it is not in the present urban area, but outside the city. So even though it has been shut down for a long time, it has not been demolished.

It’s as if it has been abandoned, left to “rot” on the desolate mountain.

Inside the abandoned factory, in a dilapidated office.

“Alright… I understand, mm-hmm, see you soon.” A middle-aged man responded a few times into his phone, then hung up, put away his phone, and looked at the young man standing on the other side of the desk. The middle-aged man was about fifty, his face slightly aged, graying hair meticulously combed, with sharp brows and bright eyes, and a straight posture.

The young man on the other side of the desk bore some resemblance to the middle-aged man, his face a bit round, with short chestnut hair.

Seeing the middle-aged man hang up, the young man stepped forward.

“Second Uncle, someone went to our old house yesterday, and Uncle Cao attacked him.”

At these words, the middle-aged man’s expression turned grave, and he pressed, “Oh? Who was it? Was it those doctors?”

After asking, he felt something was off. Ever since their failed attempt more than a decade ago, everyone had been hiding well.

Although rumors related to the Fellowship occasionally circulated, in reality, aside from their regular gatherings, they rarely took any other action.

Those “doctors” hadn’t appeared in years.

The young man shook his head. “I’m not sure, but he seems to be investigating us.”

“…” The middle-aged man pondered for a few seconds, then said indifferently, “What’s so strange about that?”

During the years the Truth-Seeking Fellowship lay dormant, many people who doubted the reality of this world became interested in them and started investigating, and a large portion of those people eventually became new members of the Fellowship.

If the young man hadn’t mentioned that Cao Wei attacked that person, the middle-aged man wouldn’t have thought of those white figures that haunted their memories like a nightmare.

“But…” The young man hesitated several times, then finally sighed. “When I went to invite Uncle Cao to the gathering today, I found he was already dead.”

“What?!” The middle-aged man shot up from his chair. “And what about the person who went to the old house?”

The young man shook his head. “He disappeared, but I think he’ll keep investigating us. Look…”

The middle-aged man fell silent for a while, then slapped the table lightly. “Here’s what you’ll do: when you get back, discreetly spread some news around the city. If that person keeps investigating, he’ll follow the clues and come to us. By then, friend or foe, we’ll know.”

“Understood!” The young man nodded, then changed the subject. “Also, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you.”

The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, sizing up the young man. “What is it? If you have something to say, say it quickly. Everyone will be here soon.”

The young man looked troubled, hesitated for a few seconds, then said seriously, “Second Uncle, Gu Qianqian is still looking for us. I was wondering if we should…”

“What are you thinking? Why are you just like your father?” the middle-aged man snapped. “How many times have I told you, she’s not your sister. Your real sister died more than ten years ago, when that ritual failed.”

“Have you forgotten how your father died? How dare you get involved with her again?”

“Our family raised her for so many years. This time, you risked exposing everyone to save her life. That’s more than enough kindness. What more do you want?”

“I just think… she’s really pitiful…” the young man muttered.

These days, whenever he had a free moment, he secretly watched Gu Qianqian. Every time he saw her wandering the streets, lonely and helpless, he felt a pang in his heart.

“Bang-!”

The middle-aged man’s teacup flew over, shattering in front of him. Hot water with tea leaves splashed all over him.

“Shut up! What are you thinking?”

The middle-aged man glared at him. “Gu Xinian, are you trying to drive me to an early grave?”

“She’s pitiful? Aren’t we pitiful? We’re like prisoners, trapped in this fake world. If you keep messing around, how will you face your dead parents and everyone in the Fellowship?”

“In short, after all these years of endurance, we finally have a new opportunity. If you cause trouble now, don’t blame me for forgetting our family ties!”

Gu Xinian clenched his fists, staring straight at his second uncle, Gu Wei Bing, for a long time without speaking, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Gu Wei Bing forced a smile and switched to a carrot-and-stick approach. “Don’t you want to know what your father said to me before he died?”

“Do your job well. When it’s all over, I’ll tell you.”

“…” Gu Xinian was silent for a long time, then slowly unclenched his fists, bowed slightly, and said, “I understand, Second Uncle.”

“Alright, everyone’s almost here. Go get ready. I’ll be there soon,” Gu Wei Bing said.

Gu Xinian nodded, turned, and left the shabby office, closing the door behind him.

Watching Gu Xinian leave, Gu Wei Bing paced to the desk, bent down to pick up the broken pieces of the teacup, fiddling with them between his fingers as his expression grew darker.

“Family ties… are they really that important? If you weren’t still useful… hmph!”

—

After leaving the shabby office, Gu Xinian didn’t go straight to the gathering hall being set up, but instead strolled to the end of the corridor, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, and lit it.

Of course he knew Gu Qianqian wasn’t his real sister.

But back then, when their family went to the real world, found Gu Qianqian, and treated her as family, living together for so many years-those feelings couldn’t just be let go.

He wasn’t like his second uncle, cold as iron.

“Uncle Cao, this time, I’m afraid you trusted the wrong person.” Gu Xinian gazed in the direction of BanShan Apartment with a sigh.

In his memory, Cao Wei was a very kind person. Even if he discovered that the boy named Lu Yibei was investigating the Truth-Seeking Fellowship, he wouldn’t have harmed him-he might even have helped him.

He stayed at BanShan Apartment simply because he couldn’t bear to leave the place he once lived, so he chose to keep watch.

Like a lonely sentinel, watching over his homeland.

The reason Uncle Cao attacked Lu Yibei was most likely because of Second Uncle, and those things he gave him a few days ago…

When he spoke to him yesterday morning, he already seemed a bit off.

But Gu Xinian couldn’t stop Second Uncle’s madness.

Or rather, if he wanted to know why his parents suddenly left the real world, why they died so mysteriously, and what they said to Second Uncle in the end, he couldn’t go against his second uncle.

As Gu Xinian thought about this, a sudden burning sensation came from his fingers.

The cigarette was almost finished. He snapped back to reality, stubbed it out, glanced back at Gu Wei Bing’s office, then turned and walked toward the factory workshop.

A moment later, the open space in front of the long-abandoned factory was filled with all kinds of vehicles.

From little electric scooters, to ordinary family cars, and even jaw-droppingly expensive limited-edition luxury cars-everything was there.

It was clear that their owners came from all walks of life, each with a different status.

Inside the dilapidated and silent factory workshop, a large number of attendees sat quietly in their respective seats, raising their heads to gaze forward.

Some were old, some young; some tall, some short; some plain-looking, others with an extraordinary aura.

Among them were students still youthful, dressed in school uniforms.

There were construction workers wearing safety helmets, their clothes stained with mud,

Business elites in suits squeezed together with nouveau riche sporting thick gold chains, both sides looking at each other with mutual disdain.

There were even some local celebrities and familiar-looking minor stars mixed in.

Their only commonality was the variety of masks on their faces; gathered together, they looked as if they were attending a masquerade ball.

At the far end of the spacious workshop, on a makeshift podium, stood a half-human-sized cylindrical object covered with a black cloth, its contents unknown.

“What do you think that is?”

“I think that might be what the president mentioned-the new way to reach the real world. As for what it is, I have no idea.”

“Is it really possible? I mean, to go to the real world? I thought we all gathered here just to find a bit of comfort in this false world…”

While the crowd whispered among themselves, footsteps sounded from the podium. A man dressed in a brown hooded robe and wearing a white mask walked to the center of the stage, standing beside the black-cloth-covered cylindrical object.

“Thump thump-!”

The man tapped the podium with his cane to maintain order, his eyes behind the mask sweeping the room. In a hoarse, solemn voice, he said, “Everyone, how can we escape delusion and reach the real world? I believe this is a question that has troubled us all for a long time.”

“Our Truth-Seeking Fellowship, after discovering that miraculous gemstone more than ten years ago, conducted a series of experiments. But unfortunately, we failed.”

“However, heaven never bars one’s way. Just a few days ago, I found a new method!”

At these words, the room erupted.

“Really, we can go to the real world?”

“Would the president lie?”

“……”

“Thump thump thump-!”

The man on the podium tapped the stage a few more times with his cane. Once the workshop quieted down, he spoke slowly.

“Everyone must be curious how I found this new hope. Here, I want to tell you, it all began with a dream.”

“I believe everyone here has, in fleeting glimpses within dreams, peered into the real world, haven’t you?”

As his words fell, the workshop echoed with responses.

“Yeah, I’ve seen it.”

“Of course! That world is so beautiful.”

“I’m sitting here because I believe in that dream.”

“……”

Seeing this, the man on the podium nodded in satisfaction.

“Not long ago, I had such a dream. I woke up within the dream, not knowing where I was, not even who I was. My senses floated in the void. I heard the wind, smelled an intoxicating fragrance, and that feeling made me afraid, wanting to escape.”

“But as I struggled between waking and sleeping, I suddenly felt an indescribable warmth enveloping my limbs and bones, holding me tightly. In that moment, I felt unprecedented tranquility, peace, and a happiness like heaven descending.”

“In that moment, I knew our hope had arrived. It was the salvation bestowed upon us by the deity!”

“Then, President, what does the deity look like? Did you see it?” In the front row near the podium, an elderly man in a suit with an extraordinary bearing asked.

“Regrettably, Mr. Li, I did not!” The man on the podium shook his head and explained, “My dream was vague and enchanting, as if veiled in a layer of rose-colored gauze, so I could never see the deity’s appearance.”

“However, some fragmented concepts were directly injected into my mind. Its body can be larger than the world, or smaller than a germ. Its breath is as sweet as honey. It is ever-changing and omnipotent, able to take the form of anything within or beyond the bounds of common understanding.”

“Right now, it lingers outside this false world, listening to our calls, waiting for the moment to lead us to the real world! Now, let me show you the great gift it has bestowed upon me!”

The man spoke with passion, and as his words ended, the workshop erupted in applause and cheers. Yet as he lifted the black cloth from the cylindrical object, the room instantly fell into dead silence.

On the podium, inside a cylindrical glass case, lay a red-and-white color-blocked windbreaker. But what truly drew attention was the semi-real, semi-illusory dark red flesh attached to the jacket.

The flesh churned and surged, briefly morphing into all kinds of shapes and structures-sometimes swelling to fill the entire glass case, sometimes shrinking into a tiny lump, requiring careful scrutiny to make out.

It was so bizarre and twisted, ugly and uncanny, yet exuded a mesmerizing aura, leaving everyone unconsciously entranced…