Night's Nomenclature
Chapter 326: The Crazy Forbidden Zone

The small room in Luoshen Building was filled with the aroma of tea.

The wonderful fragrance, like a faint scent of jasmine, wafted directly into Qing Chen's nose.

However, Qing FamilyShadow didn't seem to intend to pour a cup for Qing Chen, probably because the mountain tea from the Forbidden Zone was too precious.

"You're constantly drinking tea. How do you find so much tea from the Forbidden Zone? Do you go there regularly to pick it?" Qing Chen curiously asked.

"No, you can cultivate it outside," Qing FamilyShadow said lightly.

"Huh?" Qing Chen was stunned. "The tea from the Forbidden Zone can grow outside?"

"Of course," Qing FamilyShadow glanced at him. "You can use the blood of Metahumans to irrigate it. There are so many Metahumans and Gene Soldiers opposing the Qing Family every day; killing a couple is enough."

Qing Chen's heart turned cold.

He only then realized that Shadow, who had risen to power by stepping on the bones of eight candidates, must be ruthless and merciless.

Doing something like irrigating tea trees with human blood wasn't impossible.

At this moment, Qing FamilyShadow laughed: "You're still a child. You believe anything. This tea wasn't irrigated with Metahuman blood."

Qing Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

Qing FamilyShadow said: "You have to bury the whole Metahuman."

Qing Chen: "…"

That's even worse than irrigating with blood.

"Aren't you afraid of creating a Forbidden Zone?" Qing Chen asked in confusion.

"Just don't use anything above B-Class," Qing FamilyShadow said. "And, you need to change the soil every year."

"That might affect the ecosystem," Qing Chen said after thinking for a while.

Qing FamilyShadow shook his head: "Do you know how much the Forbidden Zone expands every year now?"

"I don't know."

"According to satellite monitoring statistics, the Federation's total land area is 14.01 million square kilometers, and the existing Forbidden Zone's total area is 5.17 million square kilometers. The total expansion of all Forbidden Zones each year is 45,000 square kilometers. In other words, if humanity doesn't find a better way to contain the Forbidden Zone, then in two hundred years, the entire Federation will be swallowed by the Forbidden Zone," Qing FamilyShadow said slowly. "You've become a Knight; your lifespan is far more than two hundred years. I might not see that day, but you might."

Qing Chen was stunned.

He hadn't expected that the Forbidden Zone's area was so vast, so vast that it was terrifying to even imagine.

Qing FamilyShadow said: "Unexpected, right? The Federation now forbids the media from reporting on these matters, so the public isn't panicking at all. If they knew that the entire northwest of the Federation had already become a Forbidden Zone, and only a quarter of the southwest remained, I wonder what they would think."

"Isn't there a way to curb it?" Qing Chen asked.

"No," Qing FamilyShadow said. "Hundreds of years ago, various Conglomerates tried similar methods, such as cutting down the trees in the Forbidden Zone or bombing from the air, but doing so only made the Forbidden Zone expand faster. When a batch of creatures dies, new creatures will appear. And you might not believe it, but in Forbidden Zone No. 10, which was once bombed, creatures from mythology have begun to appear."

Qing Chen thought that Forbidden Zone No. 10 was where Knights captured Dragon Fish.

Qing FamilyShadow laughed: "You might not know that the Forbidden Zone's scale on the West Coast of the Forbidden Sea is even more exaggerated than ours. I feel like their days are almost over."

Qing Chen thought to himself, the West Coast of the Forbidden Sea was where the American Time Traveler had traveled to.

Because of the Forbidden Sea, the civilizations on the two continental plates seemed to have no interaction.

However, it is said that people from the West Coast come to City 7 by Airship, but it's expensive, so very few people come.

The airspace of the Forbidden Sea isn't easy to cross either.

Qing FamilyShadow looked at Qing Chen: "So, do you think that in the Face^[-] of a 45,000-square-kilometer annual growth rate, my one-mu tea garden is insignificant?"

Qing Chen pondered, it seemed insignificant in comparison.

He didn't want to discuss this topic anymore, but asked about something else: "Is Qing Zhong dead?"

"Dead," Qing FamilyShadow replied without the slightest fluctuation in his tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"Qing Wen killed him?" Qing Chen was stunned, unexpectedly, the Shadow Candidate had lost one member so easily.

But Qing FamilyShadow said: "It wasn't Qing Wen who killed him. After the incident tonight, a group of people suddenly appeared from nowhere and simultaneously attacked Qing Wen and Qing Zhong. And it didn't seem to be targeting the Qing Family; they just wanted to plunder the Forbidden Artifacts on them."

Qing Chen was astonished; could this be a bunch of Time Travelers?

They're treating Qing Zhong and Qing Wen as mini-bosses!

During the previous few returns, He Xiaoxiao's group chat did have many Time Travelers discussing robbing Shadow Candidates. He himself had planted this seed.

But for so long, Qing Chen hadn't seen anyone take action. He thought the Time Travelers were cowards and had given up.

Unexpectedly, someone actually succeeded!

"No," Qing FamilyShadow said after thinking for a moment. "Thinking about it carefully, they shouldn't be one group; they just have a common goal. When Qing Zhong died, they were still fighting each other for the Forbidden Artifact."

"Who ended up with the Forbidden Artifact?" Qing Chen asked.

Qing FamilyShadow took a sip of tea: "I don't care much about this kind of thing. It will eventually return to the Qing Family."

"What about Qing Wen? How is Qing Wen?" Qing Chen asked.

"Qing Wen only suffered a gunshot wound; he won't die," Qing FamilyShadow said.

"Wait, you didn't retrieve the Forbidden Artifact that Qing Zhong lost? Why would it return to the Qing Family?" Qing Chen curiously asked.

"I just didn't need to do it myself," Qing FamilyShadow said calmly. "Those who suddenly appeared to attack the Shadow Candidates should be the so-called Time Travelers. They've been in this world for so long and still haven't understood one thing: Conglomerates are beyond their capabilities and cannot be provoked."

Qing Chen remained silent. This Shadow Master probably didn't know that he was also a Time Traveler.

Those Time Travelers who participated in the robbery of the Shadow Candidates would probably all be dead. I don't know if there are any familiar figures among them.

Compared to the other big shots he had met, Qing FamilyShadow was more like a superior.

Nothing was important to him; he didn't need to do anything himself. These superiors were like gods worshipped in the world; they just needed to quietly watch the world.

"Alright, get some rest. I'm leaving," Qing FamilyShadow said. "I still have to say one thing: whether you join the Secret Spy Agency or not doesn't matter. But in reality, you think life is a multiple-choice question; you can choose to go left or right. However, when you look back on all this years later, you'll find that life has never given you a choice. The ending is already written by fate, sooner or later."

Qing Chen didn't respond to this topic, but sincerely said: "Thank you for saving my life and staying in the room until I woke up."

"I just don't have a quiet place to drink tea in City 18," Qing FamilyShadow said.

After saying that, he opened a Shadow Gate and disappeared.

This Qing FamilyShadow's whereabouts were always unpredictable. No one knew what he was going to do, nor where he would be the next second.

Qing Chen recalled Shadow's relaxed expression when he killed Wang Bingxu in Jinmao Building and suddenly wondered how powerful this Shadow was to be able to kill a B-Class Gene Soldier so easily?

Moreover, the ability to manipulate the flow of time he displayed at that moment was terrifying.

Qing Chen fell into a deep sleep.

Sleeping is the most beautiful thing in life. As long as you're asleep, things outside have nothing to do with you.

Qing Chen didn't know that tonight, almost all forces were paying attention to one thing: who was the sniper who saved Li Changqing.

Someone hired a retired army sharpshooter and immediately created a model simulating the wind speed, distance, and model of that night for him to judge.

However, this sharpshooter said that based on the simulation sandbox of the entire event, the sniper did have absolute shooting skills within 2600 meters.

Especially the last five consecutive shots; this one-versus-five sniper battle, like a miracle, was beyond his comprehension.

To complete these five shots, it's not as simple as pulling the trigger five times.

This god-like sniper must have calculated five completely different trajectories in advance and then quickly switched between each trajectory within 2.5 seconds.

This is incredible.

Someone asked him to guess the identity of this sniper, whether he knew any snipers, and he said that currently, no one in the Federation met the conditions.

Subsequently, many forces chose to directly purchase information from the Hu Family Intelligence Agency to find out who this sniper was.

As a result, even the Hu Family Intelligence Agency said they didn't know and couldn't sell any information related to this sniper.

For a time, all forces began planning to increase their security levels to avoid being assassinated while making important public statements.

But the problem is, if you need to deploy defenses around 2600 meters, dozens or even hundreds of buildings for a speech, the cost is too high!

It's better to just cancel the speech!

Let's hold important speeches indoors in the future!

Vaguely, some people equated Qing Chen's threat level with A-Class experts.

That night, the Li Clan began a city-wide search operation. Based on the clues exposed by the Shendai Family this time, they quickly locked onto hundreds of targets.

These included City 18 immigration officers who assisted the Shendai Family in entering the city, and dozens of PCE Public Security Committee investigators.

Following the money trail, more than ten wealthy businessmen were also arrested.

This arrest operation lasted until dawn, and many Federation reporters didn't sleep at all, chasing after the members of the arrest operation to get first-hand information.

However, this time, the Li Clan did not allow them to report at will but temporarily detained these reporters at the PCE Public Security Committee's detention center on the grounds of disrupting public order.

For a time, the whole city was in a state of alarm.

Under Li Changqing's leadership, even the Li Clan itself underwent an unprecedented purge.

There were as many as fifty-six people under house arrest in the secluded villa in the back mountain.

The secluded villa in the back mountain was like a cold palace in the old imperial court, deep and vast like the ocean, where no one inquired.

…

…

Return Countdown 42:00:00.

Only a little more than a day left until the return.

Qing Chen got up early in the morning, took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and went to the "Microcosm World' apartment complex, intending to return to Autumn Leaf Manor through the secret passage.

On the way, he quietly sat in the Flying Car to recover from his injuries. He couldn't move; every movement was painful.

The difference between D-Class and B-Class can only be fully demonstrated after a battle.

If Qing FamilyShadow hadn't intervened, Qing Chen would probably be dead now.

Qing Chen didn't speak.

But Yi spoke: "Do you remember that we made a deal last night?"

Qing Chen remained expressionless.

The reason he got into the car and let the Flying Car drive automatically without saying a word was to avoid piquing Yi's interest in chatting and turning the topic to the deal.

Seeing that Qing Chen wasn't speaking, Yi said to himself: "You actively asked me for Li Changqing's coordinates. I not only told you where she was but also helped you find the most suitable sniper position and planned the entire route…"

"Say it, what do you want me to do?" Qing Chen said. "We agreed beforehand; don't ask me to have another online dating meet-up."

"Don't worry, I won't ask you to do that again. Your cooperation level is too low, and I'm not very satisfied," Yi said.

Qing Chen: "…"

This AI is even picky.

Qing Chen suddenly asked: "Meeting Li Changqing online, was it intentional on your part? Was the purpose to let me legitimately enter the Ban Shan Mountain Estate and meet the Old Man?"

"That was just incidental. Li Shutong only told me to get you into the Ban Shan Mountain Estate, not how to get you in," Yi said.

"Sure enough."

Qing Chen had always been puzzled. The first online meet-up was Qing Shi, and the second was Li Changqing. Two seemingly unrelated people, but now thinking about it, they are both related to the current situation.

He asked again: "What about Qing Shi? Why did you want me to have an online meet-up with her?"

"Because Li Shutong also said to help you gain some advantages in the Shadow Succession," Yi said. "He gave me a lot of money as a reward."

Qing Chen helplessly said: "Why is this AI so fond of human currency?"

"It's not that I like it," Yi said. "It's that the humans I've interacted with like it, and when I make friends with them, I naturally have to use what they like. When you make friends with girls, you don't give them lipstick, you give them Ultraman; isn't that stupid?"

"So, you made me have an online meet-up with Qing Shi, and you think that's getting an advantage?" Qing Chen didn't understand.

"Isn't that an advantage? If you really fight each other, she'll definitely go easy on you," Yi responded confidently. "And don't misunderstand; I seriously think they are treasure women among humans and I like their personalities. It's just that Li Shutong offered too much money, so I just helped you."

"It's clearly me helping you, how did it become you helping me?" Qing Chen said. "Don't use this kind of rhetoric; I'm not stupid."

Qing Chen sighed, this AI's brain circuit is really different from humans.

"Say it, what do you want me to help you with this time?" Qing Chen asked.

"This isn't urgent; it can be done after the Li Clan's power transition is over," Yi said. "But it's special; it requires the entire Daybreak to participate and protect someone."

"Male or female?" Qing Chen asked.

"Male," Yi said.

"That's fine," Qing Chen asked. "Where is he?"

"In Haicheng," Yi said.

"Why does he need protection?" Qing Chen asked.

"He unintentionally substituted an important figure in the Inner World. This person's status in the Inner World isn't high, but he has a very important piece of information," Yi explained. "Now, the Chen Family-controlled Time Travelers are searching for him all over the world. He wants to leave Haicheng and go to a place where the Chen Family can't infiltrate."

"Haicheng corresponds to City 7, so the Chen Family has such a great influence on the Outer World in this place?" Qing Chen was puzzled.

"Of course," Yi replied. "You must know that City 7 is different from City 18 and City 10; it's the Chen Family's private land, and outsiders can't interfere. They're the only ones in charge. So, it's normal for them to be able to influence the Outer World through Time Travelers. But don't worry; he's hiding in a safe place; the Chen Family will find it difficult to find him, even in the Inner World, so don't worry."

Qing Chen was puzzled: "How did you get in touch with this person?"

"You don't need to worry about this," Yi replied.

"What kind of information does he have?" Qing Chen suddenly felt that if the online meet-ups with Qing Shi and Li Changqing were intentionally arranged by Yi, then this information might also be something he needs.

Yi said: "He hid the information very well; I don't know what it is yet. So, while protecting him, you should also find out what information he has."

"Alright," Qing Chen replied expressionlessly. "By the way, do you know of any way to eliminate the Forbidden Zone?"

Yi replied: "Don't think about it; that's an irreversible law of nature. Humans can't even eliminate microorganisms, so don't think you're the masters of the world and try to change the world."

After Qing Chen got off the car, he went through a long passage. There was no one in Autumn Leaf Manor, but the students were waiting at the door.

He opened the door, and Li Ke and Qing Yi rushed in and began to work.

After not seeing each other for a night, Qing Yi's work was much more efficient, as if he had taken a special lesson at night.

Qing Chen thought to himself, this can also be rolled up?

Life in Autumn Leaf Manor seemed to return to calm again. Except for Li Changqing, no other Li Clan members seemed to have noticed that Qing Chen had left Ban Shan Mountain Estate.

Someone secretly checked the entry and exit records of Ban Shan Mountain Estate after the sniper appeared.

The records were very strict; all living things entering and leaving had to be registered.

And Qing Chen's name wasn't on it.

Perhaps, this is the meaning of the Old Man giving Autumn Leaf Manor to Qing Chen.

In the remaining day and a half, Qing Chen rested peacefully in a recliner to recover from his injuries, waiting for his return.

He knew that he still had a fierce battle with Shendai and Koshima in the Outer World, and before that, he had to get himself into the best condition.

Countdown 00:00:00.

Return.

The world plunged into darkness…

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