Chapter 429: Through the Twisted Halls

Preparations were complete, and a quick meeting was held to finalize the rough plan.

“I’ll head on over first. See you in a bit,” he said.

Lu Xin smiled at everyone before climbing back into the modified car with Doll, gently starting the engine.

He even waved from the car window, signaling that no one needed to see him off.

Doll mimicked him, sticking her hand out the window and flashing a bright smile.

“Uh…”

Facing Doll’s smile, everyone lowered their heads cautiously, too wary to meet anyone’s gaze.

Gecko muttered, almost in awe, “Don’t these two look like they’re off on a picnic?”

“Hey, Team Leader, are they mixing business with pleasure?”

“…”

Chen Jing let out a deep sigh, barely restraining the urge to kick Gecko as she snapped,

“If you’re up for such a huge responsibility, I’ll personally grant you the power to engage in office affairs—and access to public funds!”

“…”

Gecko’s eyes lit up as he replied, “It’s not about the power or funds—it’s all about whether the fling comes with perks!”

Chen Jing’s temples pulsed slightly as she turned to Gecko and smiled slowly, “What do you think?”

Gecko shuddered and awkwardly answered, “Just kidding, I’ve already found my target…”

……

In front of the modified car lay a winding road leading straight to Happy Town.

Up close, one could clearly see a mass of distorted air hovering over Happy Town.

The air there was much denser than elsewhere, marking a stark contrast with the deep blue sky. From afar, it looked as if a giant inverted warehouse or a sunlit ocean had been dropped onto the landscape.

The wasteland was split into two distinct halves by this ‘ocean’—a spectacular scene if not for the dangerous situation.

With a series of loud crunches, the modified car rolled over the rugged road and slowed as it approached the mass of distorted air.

Looking up, Lu Xin noticed twisted filaments, floating just two to three meters ahead.

They snaked through the air like oil spills in clear water.

On his left eye’s display, red numbers began to flicker.

A warning flashed alongside the number 1232.

Just at the outer edge, the mental power level had already hit 1500.

Those numbers were jaw-dropping.

……

“Dark nights burn with candlelight, skies torn by the chaos of war…”

“Dirges travel thousands of miles, home lands starve in sorrow…”

“…”

“Under this Red Moon’s shadow over the wasteland, how can we ever soothe our lonely souls?”

“Ladies and gentlemen…”

“…”

“Cigarettes—just bring cigarettes!”

“Now, head to the Cigarette Market. You’re in for an unprecedented sale…”

“…”

Suddenly, the car’s radio burst into a hoarse tune, playing a sorrowful melody.

Before anyone could decipher the lyrics, the music shifted to a mix of a lonely radio host’s voice and various ads for the Cigarette Market. The cacophony was harsh and grating.

Lu Xin quickly switched off the radio.

He knew that intense mental radiation had scrambled the audio system.

Even his left eye’s lens was flickering wildly, clearly unstable.

Thus, he had no choice but to shut down that system as well.

Apparently, the communication issues that Chen Jing and the others had feared were indeed a major problem.

Just by standing at the periphery, he could tell that Happy Town’s mental radiation was several times stronger than when he first entered the area. What lay inside was almost unimaginable.

“Let’s move on!”

When he tried to restart the engine, Lu Xin discovered the car wouldn’t fire up.

It seemed the ignition system had been affected.

So, he told Doll and grumbled as he pushed open the door and stepped out.

“I wish we had one of those manual-start cars…”

“…”

Of course, he had taken the car keys with him, since he’d need to drive it back later.

A four-wheeler was worth a lot—especially one modified by the Technology Church.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Xin strode toward the twisted space ahead, his face composed.

Doll appeared slightly nervous, clinging to Lu Xin’s left shoulder and gently reaching out to grasp his hand.

Lu Xin smiled at her, signaling that there was nothing to worry about before taking his first step.

……

As his body passed through the region with noticeably higher radiation density, the sensation was peculiar.

It felt as if a faint electric current covered his skin.

Every pore seemed to open and close in unison.

His mind felt momentarily suspended, as if transitioning between water and air, before readjusting. When Lu Xin opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark, gloomy world where sunlight had seemingly vanished.

The lighting was dim, yet sufficient to see. All around, a liquid-like sensation lingered in the air.

Entering this area with nerves on edge, Lu Xin was ready to counter any sudden attack or anomaly.

But as his vision cleared, the scene before him elicited a slight shock.

It wasn’t the wasteland outside, nor was it a horde of dead bodies.

There were no swarms of mental monsters or armed soldiers.

Instead, he found himself standing in a gloomy hall with a rough, grimy floor and walls built from massive, weathered stone blocks. Hanging from the ceiling was an ancient, battered brass lamp, casting dim, damp light.

An eerie silence prevailed, punctuated only by a distinct mustiness that slowly seeped into his nostrils.

Other than that, nothing seemed off; not a single living soul could be seen.

Everything looked ancient and dilapidated, exuding a bizarre and unsettling vibe.

About three to four meters ahead, a brass stand displaying intricately patterned copper designs caught his eye.

Upon closer inspection, the copper patterns appeared to form abstract images: figures praying on the ground, a watchful eye peering down from the sky, and swarms of buzzing flies and monsters.

At the center of the stand, a printed line of Song-style characters was affixed to a sheet of white paper.

“Disaster Museum.”

……

“Is it an illusion?”

Instantly, Lu Xin took a small step back.

That retreat tugged at a soft hand—Doll mimicked his motion.

“Huh?”

His Sister poked her head out from behind him, curiously taking in the scene.

“What kind of place is this?”

Father’s voice resonated beside him. Lu Xin turned to see Father emerging from the shadows, impeccably dressed in a crisp suit. His rugged, well-groomed beard and deep-set eyes gave him a commanding presence.

Even a cigar dangled from his mouth.

“Father’s finally here—and he looks so real,” Lu Xin thought in surprise, before catching sight of Mom.

Just moments ago, she had been right beside him, but now she was dressed differently.

She wore a creamy, casual outfit, accentuated by a dazzling red diamond necklace and a hat adorned with an unknown, colorful feather. Her high heels sparkled with tiny, glittering shards.

Startled, Lu Xin reached over to grab Sister as well—what on earth was with this frilly red dress?

“Eh?”

Sister noticed her own frilly dress and her eyes lit up with joy.

She glanced at Doll, as if comparing who looked prettier, but quickly looked away.

Lu Xin paid no further mind to Sister’s reaction; instead, he scanned the surroundings in astonishment.

Mom’s outfit had changed, Father’s attire was different, and even Sister was sporting new clothes.

Suddenly, a deep rumble came from a corner where a towering hunting dog ambled out, its sleek coat glistening, baring an aggressive expression as it curiously surveyed the area before trotting toward Lu Xin.

Startled, Lu Xin kicked, sending the dog over a meter away. Its excited face and wagging tail gave away its delight.

“Oh, it’s you,” he murmured.

Looking into its joyful eyes, Lu Xin recognized it as the Glasses Dog. Now, with its fur grown back, it was barely recognizable.

Strangely, it had ventured out on its own. After the incident in Central City, he had improved his control over his mental power, so he rarely needed to call it out. It wasn’t like the dog would just roam free…

And now it had even lost some of its charm.

……

Intrigued and confused, Lu Xin took a deep breath and scanned his surroundings.

It seemed that only Doll’s attire remained unchanged.

“Strange occurrences always signal trouble…”

Musing this, he exhaled deeply, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

Everything remained as it was: the ancient, dim hall with its damp, musty air; bizarre bone decorations hanging around, including several shrunken human heads with serene, closed eyes;

An old-fashioned clock ticked quietly, its silver pendant swaying with a soft ‘tick tick tick’.

Everything was undisturbed and eerily real.

As Lu Xin focused, he couldn’t detect any trace of mental radiation.

“This is bizarre…”

Lu Xin turned to see a heavy black wooden door behind him, firmly closed.

He was sure he had just come through that door.

Yet, he remembered only leaving the modified car and entering this radiation-drenched domain.

He’d been to Happy Town before—back when it was just a wasteland, some distance from the farmlands. So why had one step brought him into this shabby, strange place?

“Disaster Museum.”

Was it a peculiar parasitic item or some ability-induced illusion?

Had some mysterious force teleported him here while he passed through that field, or did the Technology Church suddenly erect such a bizarre museum?

Too many questions swirled in his mind.

……

“Did any of you sense anything odd?”

Suspicion creeping in, Lu Xin slowly turned to ask Mom and Father.

“We feel the oddity just as you do,” Mom replied with a smile, softly brushing her fingers over the mottled wall.

“This place is too fragile—should we tear it down?” Father joked, chuckling as he casually held a cigar.

Lu Xin wanted to inspect the cigar to see if it was real, but given the surroundings, he refrained.

“I really like it here…”

Sister interjected, “It’s just that this outfit isn’t flattering.”

“I look worse in my new clothes than she does.”

“…”

Her tone was light as she shot a wistful glance at Doll.

Lu Xin patted Sister’s head sympathetically, then dismissed her opinions.

He continued to survey the ancient hall and then looked further ahead.

Just four or five meters away, a small air vortex spun. Inside, a diminutive mental monster wearing a black bowler hat, with large eyes and a tiny frame, stared at him with a pious expression.

Clutching a ballpoint pen in one tiny paw and a pad of shorthand notes in the other, it recorded every detail.

“Seeing the Undercover Unit means I haven’t been abruptly teleported elsewhere…”

Taking a deep breath, Lu Xin decided to test the situation.

“After entering this high-radiation zone, I’ve reached a clean hall—tall, expansive, and oddly modern.”

“I feel no mental pollution here, yet something is unmistakably off…”

“So, I intend to proceed deeper and keep observing.”

“…”

Having finished speaking, Lu Xin turned to the Undercover Unit.

The little monster with the bowler hat scribbled notes rapidly before glancing back up at him.

Lu Xin nodded and said, “Send it out!”

Immediately, the little creature pressed its tiny hand to its hat, bowed to Lu Xin, and slowly merged back into the vortex.

Soon after, another vortex appeared nearby. Out came another small monster, similarly armed with a ballpoint pen and a pad of shorthand notes, its wide eyes fixed on Lu Xin’s mouth as if ready to record every word.

“Really professional…” Lu Xin remarked, though he made no move to depart.

After a short while, the first little monster reappeared, handing him a note.

Lu Xin read the note: it simply contained two exquisite characters – “Be careful.”

Below was the signature “C1.”

This was the code Lu Xin and Chen Jing had agreed upon.

Since it was their first time using the Undercover Unit to pass messages, they had to prepare carefully.

Every time Lu Xin sent out a message and received a reply from Chen Jing and her team, a letter accompanied by a small number indicating which reply it was would be left below.

Moreover, Gecko and Chen Jing were responsible for the responses, each marking their initial and the reply count.

This prevented any confusion or unforeseen mishaps.

……

“Communication check—message transmission is clear,” Lu Xin noted with a slight nod as he looked around.

“Mom, Sister, Father, and Doll are all here.”

“Then let’s continue exploring!”

“…”

Stepping forward, he led the way; everyone followed closely—with an extra little mental monster wearing a black bowler hat trailing behind.

They advanced down the hall, which was unusually silent and devoid of pedestrians.

At various corners of the hall stood numerous pristine white statues, each unique in style.

Some stood only a few dozen centimeters tall, while others towered, nearly touching the ceiling at twenty to thirty meters.

Every statue was distinct—some depicted figures impaled by long swords through the chest,

others displayed individuals skewered by long spears from atop their heads, nailed to the ground.

There were even statues of figures lying on beds with their chests split open to reveal a heart with grotesque blood vessels.

Some sat on chairs with their skulls open, exposing brains, yet their expressions were strangely content.

The art was striking yet imbued with a cold, brutal beauty.

Even more bizarre, whenever Lu Xin’s gaze drifted away, it felt as if the statues were subtly opening their eyes to watch him—but when he looked back, everything appeared normal.

Unperturbed, Lu Xin passed between the statues.

He mentally prepared himself for any sudden movement from these statues, but nothing happened.

His family trailed behind as they inspected the surroundings with curiosity.

Mom seemed to appreciate the art, nodding in approval as she observed.

Father, looking bored, planted his cigar on the leg of a statue depicting someone undergoing fiery torture.

For a brief moment, the statue jostled as if alive.

Sister, being well-behaved, stealthily pocketed one of the shrunken human head pendants.

They then continued deeper into the hall.

At the hall’s end, numerous corridors branched out.

Relying on his memory, Lu Xin chose a corridor that theoretically led back to Happy Town and strode in confidently.

He didn’t act overly cautious—after all, in a place like this, caution was futile.

Besides, with Mom, Father, Sister, and even the Skinless Dog in tow, along with Qinggang’s top enforcer Doll, he figured there was no need to worry…

…

With that thought, his steps grew increasingly confident.

He even began to walk with a swagger reminiscent of a seasoned gangster.