Chapter 485: Museum of the Stars

Ms. Zhou was taken a short distance away, and she sat down quietly.

Qin Ziwu pulled his older brother aside. “Brother, they were transported more than twenty years before us. The new millennium… It’s just, I’ve never heard any news about a Gated Community disappearing.”

Qin Ziwen shook his head slightly. “They might not be from the same world as us. It could be a parallel world.”

“Makes sense.”

“It’s also possible they’re from our world, but the news was covered up. The internet wasn’t as developed back in the new millennium, making it easier to suppress information. Like the Yingkou Dragon Fall incident—do you think that was real or fake?”

Qin Ziwu was confused. “So, are they from our world or not? I can understand her just fine.”

“Does it matter?” Qin Ziwen asked in return. “If we’re talking about who’s closer to us, the people from the Urban Village were transported at the same time we were. And where are they now?”

“That’s true.” Qin Ziwu thought his brother had a point. “Still, they’ve been here for twenty or thirty years, and it doesn’t seem like their power has undergone any earth-shattering changes.”

“Alright, we’ll head over to their place in a bit. Be on your guard… Do you want to stay here?” ‘If it weren’t for the daily settlement,’ Qin Ziwen thought, ‘our Gated Community would never have developed this quickly just by relying on the map’s native resources.’

“I’ll go with you. I’m a little curious about their Gated Community too.” Qin Ziwu was wondering what kind of society would form in a Gated Community that had been transported for twenty or thirty years.

…

Giant Tree World, Spring River Gardens.

A sprawling water stockade stood atop the tree branches. Behind it was an old Gated Community, its outer walls widened and reinforced. Above the main archway, the name “Spring River Gardens” was displayed in large characters, their red paint long since peeled away.

The main gate of Spring River Gardens connected to the rear entrance of the water stockade.

Right now, two clearly distinct groups were blocking the entrance to Spring River Gardens, one on the inside and one on the outside.

“Let us in.”

“You all said you were going to take over the water stockade. What are you trying to get in here for now?”

“We have business inside.”

“No. Sister Zhou gave the order: none of you are allowed in until she gets back.” A fifty-year-old man in a leather jacket stood barring the way.

“FUCK YOU! DON’T PUSH YOUR LUCK! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!” A young man from the water stockade, who looked to be in his early twenties, suddenly shot forward. He moved with incredible speed, kicking the old man at the gate squarely in the chest and sending him flying.

The old man flew backward, taking a dozen people behind him down with him.

“Second Uncle! Second Uncle!” A young man with long hair ran over and helped the old man up.

The old man’s ribcage was caved in, almost completely collapsed. He was spitting pink, frothy blood from the corner of his mouth. It was clear he wasn’t going to make it.

“Detain them all.” The youth who had struck the blow strode inside, then suddenly stopped dead.

He stared in disbelief at the woman before him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the strangers behind her, and the massive, eye-catching Fishman.

“Ling… Sister Ling, what… what are you doing here?” the young man stammered.

“Surprised to see me back?” Zhou Ling smiled, but her expression was devoid of any warmth. She raised her right hand.

“Get her! Or we’re all dea—”

Before he could finish, the young man let out a bloodcurdling scream. He clutched his thigh and collapsed, convulsing violently.

In less than five seconds, his skin turned a dark, purplish color, his eyes became bloodshot, and his face swelled up like a balloon. He lay on the ground, barely breathing.

A tiny, black, inconspicuous insect crawled out from the young man’s pant leg. It flew to Zhou Ling’s fingertip, then disappeared up her sleeve.

“Poisoning an Extraordinary to death in five seconds… That bug of yours is… interesting.” Qin Ziwen averted his gaze.

“Just a few cheap tricks, hardly worth mentioning.” After speaking, Zhou Ling hurried to the old man’s side. She took a blue bottle from within her clothes, and upon opening it, a brightly colored, chopstick-sized blue centipede crawled out. The centipede scuttled over to the old man’s neck and bit him.

The old man’s breathing gradually eased.

Zhou Ling said, “Take him away and make sure he gets proper treatment.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Two young men nearby, who bore a slight resemblance to Zhou Ling, quickly carried the old man away.

“Your Gated Community is certainly interesting,” Qin Ziwen said, his hands in his pockets as he surveyed the area.

A water stockade, rich with ancient Chinese aesthetics, was fused with a dilapidated old Gated Community that had the distinct look of the new millennium.

Inside the Gated Community, many people stood at a distance, watching him furtively.

Among them were quite a few children, and they were different from the ones in his own Gated Community. They possessed a unique, hard-to-describe quality, like vibrant wildflowers blooming in a land of hardship.

‘If the original residents are the first generation, then these kids are the ‘second-generation transmigrators.’ They were born and raised right here in Tuiyuan.’

Zhou Ling began to explain, “This water stockade merged with us ten years ago. It used to be inhabited by a group of river pirates who were notoriously tyrannical. Later, Yan Jiu led his people to kill them all, took over the stockade, moved his Home here, and changed his name to Yan Guihen.”

“Mm.” Qin Ziwen nodded. He didn’t care about these trivial details; he just wanted what he came for.

Zhou Ling seemed to read his mind and gave an order to one of her subordinates.

Before long, Zhou Ling returned and personally presented him with a Card.

[Miracle Card] Stellar Museum (Unique)

[Construction Requirements] Heart of the World x1, Stellar Fragment x1, Crystal-type Marvels x99

Qin Ziwen took the Card and, with a flick of his wrist, stored it away.

‘Yan Guihen went to so much trouble to gather the materials. I wonder how much he’d already collected, or if the Heart of the World was the only thing he was missing.’

“Where did you find it?”

Zhou Ling replied, “In Yan Qingshan’s Home. He’s the one I just poisoned. He must have found out that Yan Guihen’s Home was destroyed and that Yan Guihen himself was dead, so he decided to make a move first.”

“Let’s go take a look at Yan Guihen’s Home.”

Zhou Ling led the way. Before long, they had passed through the water stockade and arrived at a grand, three-courtyard mansion at its center.

The mansion’s main gates were wide open, with two people standing guard. When they saw Zhou Ling approach, they bowed respectfully and called out, “Sister Ling.”

Upon entering the mansion, they found it in complete disarray. The very ground looked as if it had been scraped clean.

Zhou Ling explained, “When someone dies, their Home reverts to its original state. This place used to be very spacious; Yan Guihen used most of his Expansion Cards on his Home. After his death, all the buildings within his Home were destroyed, but any unused materials, like Cards, will materialize.”

“What about the Stellar Fragment and the Crystal-type Marvels?”

Having seen the Miracle Card, Zhou Ling knew what Qin Ziwen meant. “I’ve already packed up the Crystal-type Marvels and given them to Lord Mogu. All ninety-nine of them. You can just take them back with you later. I didn’t see the Stellar Fragment, though. But… I heard Yan Guihen was frequently meeting with a certain person at the restaurant recently. Or it could have been a faction. I don’t know the specifics yet, but I can look into it for you.”

Qin Ziwen glanced at her, then grabbed his brother, who was curiously looking around.

“We’re leaving.”