Chapter 568: Nightmare Unleashed in Heichao City

The reconstruction of order in Heichao City might be delayed once again.

When Han Bing and his companions rushed into the meeting room, they were met with utter chaos. The room, packed with the officials of the Heichao City Administration Hall, had at least half of them collapsed on the floor, their bodies curled up and their faces etched with fear.

Even those who seemed unaffected were startled by the sudden, bizarre scenes before them.

One by one, they rose and huddled in the corners, eyes wide with uncertainty as they watched those trembling on the ground, desperate to understand what had happened and the meaning behind the cries of ‘Darkness has fallen’ and ‘Terror has descended.’

Despite the glaring sunlight outside, an intense chill had overcome them.

……

“Are you seriously saying nothing happened?”

Han Bing turned to Lu Xin, his mind brimming with countless questions.

But Lu Xin looked equally curious, his gaze roaming the room with a hint of awe.

“Did Father really let his guard down that much? It was that terrifying?”

“……”

Han Bing could only watch Lu Xin helplessly.

Judging by his expression, even Mr. Lone Soldier now looked more like an onlooker than an active participant.

“I have only two questions,” he stated.

Han Bing quickly composed himself and whispered to Lu Xin, “Can they recover?”

“And will this pollution spread?”

“……”

Lu Xin furrowed his brow and replied, “Although this matter really has nothing to do with me, I can give you a brief answer. They will recover—strictly speaking, they weren’t polluted at all; they were merely frightened.”

“Since there was never any pollution, there’s no risk of it spreading.”

“……”

Han Bing stared deeply into Lu Xin’s eyes, accepting his answer, and said, “Then we can head back for now.”

Lu Xin and his group left the Administration Hall without any obstruction or plea for delay.

Even the soldiers stationed on both sides were clearly affected. Once-pristine ranks now lay in disarray, slumping like soft clay under the shouts and shoves of their sergeants, as cries and wails blended into a grim symphony. Those unaffected were equally terrified, clutching their guns as if caught in a demonic battlefield.

Lu Xin, Han Bing, and the others carefully navigated through the mass of collapsed bodies, their faces etched with concern.

The military is a city’s final line of defense.

How could one maintain hope when even the military of Heichao City had fallen to this state?

The decay of a city can only be exposed once its bandages are torn away.

Without witnessing it firsthand, who could imagine that beneath the veneer of prestige, things had become so twisted and rotten?

……

After leaving the Administration Hall, they boarded the car that Gecko had previously left here and drove straight to the hotel in Satellite City Three.

This Single Soldier team had really been shortchanged. Normally, when a Support Team arrives, local authorities greet them with warmth and a grand reception; yet from the very beginning, the Single Soldier team had been confined to hotels, and now they still were.

Who knows if Heichao City will eventually cover the hotel expenses?

As they walked along the road, they saw that Heichao City had sunk into an unseen panic and whispers. Countless pedestrians, having just endured a daymarish ordeal, could barely stand and leaned against walls in a daze.

Those who hadn’t experienced the nightmare were pointing fingers from afar at the terrified onlookers.

“What exactly did they see just now?”

“Is it even real?”

“Why are so many people claiming to have seen a devil?”

“……”

All sorts of speculations spread among the crowd, igniting heated debates.

Perhaps it would take time for them to fully accept it.

But Lu Xin didn’t mind; he believed they would eventually get used to it.

And if they didn’t, so be it.

……

……

Then, just as Lu Xin and his group left the Administration Hall to return to the hotel for some rest, the nearly collective experience of a white-day nightmare in Heichao City gave way to an even more horrifying wave. The nightmare that had just passed was nothing compared to what was now beginning.

“How could this be?”

Everyone who had experienced the nightmare now understood its true meaning.

The impact wrought by mental power rarely needed to be explained in words.

It was more of a feeling—a shared resonance in their hearts.

Words weren’t necessary; you understood, and I understood. That line might not have been visibly drawn, but everyone knew it was there.

Now, Heichao City had drawn a line of its own.

This white-day nightmare seemed to signal the beginning of a grotesque, grand spectacle in Heichao City.

Some discontented souls, despite having felt the abnormal terror of the nightmare, still craved Black Grass. Even if they dared not continue with the transaction, once at home they would, trembling with a mix of wretched satisfaction and self-destructive instinct, reach out for the remaining Black Grass powder.

Two days later, a man was found dead in his room, his body already succumbing to decay.

His hands gripped his neck, his fingers drenched in blood, while the walls around him were covered with the confession letters he had scrawled.

……

……

Once people began to grasp the danger of the situation, they dared not handle such matters themselves. Instead, they imposed pressure on others to continue the dealings, all while vigilantly watching their fates unfold…

The result: the coerced individual suddenly snapped, storming into the director’s office with a gun and firing several shots, killing the man on the spot.

Later, someone recalled that the man seemed to possess a bizarre kind of power.

Even though three or four security guards in the office couldn’t stop him, he managed to empty an entire magazine.

……

……

Some individuals, who had secretly ordered an investigation into the matter, died that very night at a heavily defended base. Subsequent medical exams revealed not a single scratch on their bodies, yet their expressions were twisted in uncanny terror.

Surveillance footage showed that, in the dead of night, one man suddenly lost control and broke into a strange, contorted dance.

He danced throughout the night until exhaustion claimed him.

Throughout his dance, he kept his gaze fixed on the office’s sofa, as if performing for someone.

……

……

Soon, various rumors spread rapidly throughout Heichao City.

Everyone was discussing the white-day nightmare and desperately trying to verify whether it was real.

For any normal citizen of Heichao City, the events seemed both illogical and unscientific.

Yet the nightmare, with its irrational grip, forced them to acknowledge its presence.

After a series of deaths, Heichao City underwent a dramatic, overnight transformation.

Every greedy individual involved in such dealings or obsessed with these horrors barricaded themselves at home, trembling all day long.

Soon, even those who had long suffered from the effects of Black Grass—and who normally had no voice—became fervently excited.

They cried out about retribution and divine intervention, and within just a day or two, spontaneous groups formed, burning several Black Grass plantations and demolishing countless semi-clandestine factories and research labs.

In Heichao City, a fierce opposition against Black Grass surged alongside a wave of fear.

Some of the city’s elite, though not without doubts, were determined to counter it for their own benefit.

However, they soon despairingly discovered that they couldn’t find a single ally. No one stepped forward or spoke out; and if one did, fear would descend, forever silencing them.

An invisible demon had descended on this city—a force that cared nothing for reason.

……

“Report on the Special Pollution Incident in Heichao City:”

“The Nightmare Serpent Special Pollution Incident in Ghostfire Marsh, Heichao City, has been confirmed resolved.”

“But afterward, an even more terrifying pollution emerged.”

“Pollution Level: Unknown.”

“Method of Pollution: Unknown.”

“Threat Level: Unknown.”

“Pollution Manifestation: XXXXX (To prevent adverse effects, the details are to be reported verbally and will not be documented.)”

“……”

“……”

“Special Pollution Incident Codename: Terror King.”

“Solution: None (Advised: Do Not Shoot Yourself in the Foot.)”

“……”

Soon, this document was rapidly disseminated from Heichao City to the surrounding High-wall Cities and mysterious organizations.

In no time, everyone connected to the Alliance learned that Heichao City—having narrowly avoided total annihilation due to the special pollution incident—had fortunately received support from the Qinggang ability users, quelling the dreadful Mental Pollution.

……Then, as luck would have it, another, even more terrifying pollution emerged.

Amidst the increasingly terrifying rumors, everyone speculated just how horrifying the culprit must be to have done such a thing.

To descend unabashedly upon a city, brazen and unrepentant…

If it really was as they speculated, if this was the work of that person in Qinggang, then what could he be doing now?

Is he gazing down on the city with a disdainful, chilling smile?

……

……

“Since there’s nothing pressing to do now, why not grab a bite?”

Lu Xin’s face broke into a contented, satisfied smile.

Amidst the undercurrent of unrest—with Heichao City at the center of relentless upheavals—Lu Xin and his crew felt little change; they took advantage of the lull to rest.

“Eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, and if boredom strikes, indulge in a cheesy soap opera at the hotel.”

Now that’s what a business trip is all about…

Laid-back and free, enjoying the pleasures of travel while pocketing a generous allowance…

They even discussed what to eat next, suggesting, “After staying here for so long without truly experiencing the local flavor of Heichao City, why not head out now and pick up some regional specialties for our colleagues?”

“I heard their braised stinky tofu with stewed flesh buds and salty beer is pretty good…”