The one delivering the supplies was actually Wei Na.
Wang Jixuan moved the supply box from the back of the motorcycle and whispered, "Let's change places."
"Okay, I can't stay here too long," Wei Na replied softly.
Wang Jixuan, who had already scouted the area, took her to a nearby low-roofed small house.
The owner of the house had gotten drunk after receiving three joy coins from Wang Jixuan and had gone to sleep at a neighbor's house.
Wang Jixuan locked the doors and windows and turned on the energy-saving light, which didn’t provide much illumination.
Wei Na cleared her throat, leaned against the wall, and tried to strike a sexy pose.
"Why are you here?"
Wang Jixuan asked quietly, "Did you forget? The Black Fire Gang is also looking for you."
"Who told you that your business is a secret in our little team?" Wei Na pouted in complaint.
"We can't have Captain Zhou come down personally to deliver equipment. That useless guy from the Fish Gang is out of commission for at least half a month, so it has to be me... Let’s see what Captain Zhou prepared for you."
"I don't really understand why you need that metal ore. Can you tell me?"
"Not really convenient."
While speaking, Wang Jixuan had already opened the box.
On top was a thin mask sealed in plastic.
"This is a realistic mask," Wei Na explained. "This kind of thing is said to be used by spies, made of nano-materials. Only the special investigation team of the Cleansing Forces has them in stock. When you stick it on your face, it automatically fits to your skin and changes your appearance. It's breathable and supposedly filters sweat automatically, and you just need to maintain it once a month."
"Maintain?"
Wang Jixuan was curious and held the mask, examining it carefully. After confirming there were no issues, he tried to stick it on his face.
The mask showed white ripples, and Wang Jixuan felt a tickling sensation on his face, reminding him of the time when he was napping under a tree and his mischievous junior sister let a spirit deer lick his forehead...
Forget it, that memory wasn't pleasant.
Wei Na tossed him a mirror, and Wang Jixuan looked at himself in it.
His disguised face surprisingly resembled his previous life’s appearance by about thirty percent, which put him in a good mood.
"Come on, look over here."
Wei Na called out and took out a long strip of equipment from the supply box, scanning his facial data carefully.
Wang Jixuan asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
"I'm sending your current facial data back. Zhou will help you create a new identity," Wei Na said with a smile. "Alright, my main task is done."
Wang Jixuan looked at the equipment and asked, "Why don’t I remember these things?"
"Most of them are military technology," Wei Na replied with a smile. "You’ve never been to the Upper City, have you? It’s a completely different world from the Lower City. The Upper City is the pinnacle of human technology. Otherwise, how do you think we can fight against the powerful Blade Beast army? With just a few energy users who are fewer in number than heavy mechs?"
Wang Jixuan hesitated to speak.
He wanted to ask Wei Na about the Blade Beasts.
In the eyes of humans in this world, Blade Beasts were terrifying and vicious; but in Wang Daochang's eyes...
Blade Beasts were treasures.
Wei Na, with her left hand on her slim waist and her right hand resting on the table, softly asked, "What are your plans next? He asked me to ask."
"I want to infiltrate the 49th floor," Wang Jixuan said simply. "It would be best to join a gang that can confront the Black Fire Gang head-on, using them to hide my identity and find a chance to eliminate the energy user I injured."
Soul capturing was something that naturally couldn't be discussed openly.
Wang Daochang cared about his reputation too.
Wei Na warned, "That's very dangerous. However, a coalition of gangs against the Black Fire Gang is being formed. These gangs are recruiting, so your plan shouldn't be too difficult to implement... We will cooperate with you, I mean, the three of us—Zhou and I will do our best to assist you."
Wang Jixuan nodded but couldn't help asking, "Have you seen a Blade Beast, Doctor Wei?"
"I’ve seen more than just one."
Wei Na's smile gradually faded as she casually said, "The war against the Blade Beasts is incredibly brutal. The fortresses in the Middle Basin War Zone have reached number 116, but only 18 are still operational. Can you guess why?"
Wang Jixuan asked, "Were they breached by the Blade Beasts?"
Wei Na put the equipment back in the box and explained briefly, "Most were breached by the Blade Beasts, and a few collapsed due to ecological failure. The latter only needs to protect refugees entering the next fortress. The War Zone Coordination Center keeps two unused fortresses as shelters year-round.
But once a fortress is breached by the Blade Beasts... there won't be any refugees. Our Fortress 76 is an industrial fortress, while there are still war fortresses on the front lines. This place mainly supplies combat personnel and various materials to the front lines...
I once served as a military doctor during a support operation at the front. On our way, a group of Blade Beasts suddenly emerged from the sand, and our armored vehicle was overturned... then it turned into a massacre...
I..."
Wei Na's mind echoed with the roars of the Blade Beasts, and her eyes turned red.
Wang Jixuan didn’t know what to say.
He wasn’t good at comforting others.
Besides, he actually just wanted to ask if Blade Beasts had spirit cores...
"No!" Wei Na frowned and asked, "Shouldn't you be showing your gentlemanly side now, wiping my tears or hugging me? Please! I'm showing you my most vulnerable side."
Wang Jixuan retorted, "Is that appropriate?"
"Appropriate? What do you mean?" Wei Na said speechlessly. "Are you really a conservative?"
Wang Jixuan:...
He might think that your conservative views aren't conservative enough.
"Yes," he nodded decisively. "I won’t easily start a relationship; it’s a burden for me. My only pursuit is to become stronger."
"So it’s not my charm that’s the problem..."
"Huh?" Wang Jixuan looked a bit confused.
"Uh, never mind!"
Wei Na flashed a bright smile. "Just pretend you didn't hear that rude comment. I'm an elegant doctor... I just feel like we’re wasting this wonderful atmosphere here. Don't you want to try? You're already over twenty; you should open the door to a new world! You might really like this way of relieving stress! Hey!"
Bang!
Wei Na felt the gust of wind from the door being slammed, her curly hair swaying slightly.
"Fine, if you don't want to try, then fine, but why throw me out? Hey! I need to take that equipment back! The follow-up will contact you directly! I can't be bothered with you!"
Inside the room, Wang Daochang rolled his eyes and shook his head, focusing on the supplies in front of him to plan the next steps.
First, he needed to hide for a few days.
...
Seven days later.
In a nondescript corner of the City of Joy.
Wang Jixuan, with his disguised face, frowned at the flashy barbershop in front of him and the young men hanging around outside.
He recalled the message Zhou Zhengde had sent him.
[01: Mu Liang, from now on, you have a new identity. You need to change your hairstyle to something more like a thug.]
Wang Jixuan thought of Lan Yuzai's style and hesitated.
‘What kind of cultivator doesn’t have long flowing hair or a floating robe?’
‘Cultivation of the heart in the mundane world, cultivation of the heart!’
Wang Jixuan walked into the barbershop.
"Hey! Please give me a hairstyle that looks serious but not too serious, and looks casual but not too casual!"
The female hairstylist, who was doing a perm on a guy, looked stunned.
Pop!
The female hairstylist blew a bubble with her gum.
"Are you crazy? Get lost!"
"Please, think of it as a favor."
Wang Jixuan raised his left fist, flicking his thumb, and a joy coin rolled and flew out, sparkling.
"I mean outside, you three are the crazy ones!"
The female hairstylist shouted, "Don’t you see our shop’s super VIP has arrived? Get in here and wash the chairs!"
The three young men squatting at the door hurried inside.
Half an hour later.
Wang Jixuan looked in the mirror at the blue spikes on his head, silently placing the joy coin down and leaving this sad place with a calm expression.
[01: You need to change your outfit. Do you remember the Fish Gang's style? Your fake identity is a thug from the 11th floor. You accidentally killed a blood bag, so you paid off the security team to escape. You need to look like a thug.]
Zhou Zhengde was right about this.
In the world of thugs, clothing was essential.
Whether a cultivator has an aura or dominance depends on their own temperament, the techniques they practice, and their style of dress. Both righteous and demonic paths have different fashion styles.
Wang Jixuan thought carefully and walked to a clothing stall at the corner.
In just a few minutes, he had put together an outfit based on Lan Yuzai's style.
A tight leather jacket with studded boots wrapped around his new body, which was already starting to be transformed by spiritual energy. He wasn’t tall but was quite fit, with lean muscles beginning to show, and his new spiky hairstyle...
As soon as Wang Jixuan stepped out of the clothing stall, nearby eyes gathered on him.
A man in zombie makeup threw him a flirtatious glance.
Across the narrow street, a few women shouted to look at the handsome guy.
Wang Jixuan: ... Is this it?
The aesthetic standards in this world are too basic.
He pulled out the text exchange device and glanced at the last few messages from Zhou Zhengde.
[01: All set. The database has updated your new identity, and I’ll send it to you shortly. Remember, you need to have a relaxed vibe, that kind of attitude that says if you mess with me, you’ll regret it.]
[01: Name 'Zhou Tiantian', 21 years old, graduated from a mid-level technical college, worked as an assembly line worker for two years with over 30% absenteeism. Before age six, he was in the 23rd Comprehensive Care Center. After his father died from fortress disease, his mother cut ties with him. He accidentally killed a blood bag and fled to the Lower City. He has an uncle, Zhou Heitan, who is the logistics chief of the security team on the 11th floor. (Note: Without a background, it’s hard to survive in the Lower City.)]
[01: That’s it. You don’t need to worry about Uncle Zhou Heitan; he’s a trustworthy family elder. All of Mu Liang’s biological information has been synced to Zhou Tiantian’s name, including fingerprints and blood type. Even if they test your hair, it will show Zhou's information. I’ve arranged for a trusted person to impersonate you at the medical center, and Lan Yuzai’s mother is temporarily kept in the ward and cannot go out freely.]
[01: Mu Liang, although I don’t like this kind of controlled cooperation, I choose to trust you.]
[01: Next, you need to go to the perverted area of the City of Joy. There’s a bar called the Black Sour Captain Tavern. Look for an intermediary named 'Goat Butt'; he’s the strongest intermediary in the Lower City, and your uncle Zhou Heitan has arranged everything for you.]
[01: Please remember, we can only do what we think is right, not what makes others comfortable. This is the basic survival rule of the fortress.]
A short, thick underline gently pulsed.
‘Zhou Dao Friend really likes to remind people.’
Wang Jixuan rubbed his nose and looked up at the colorful neon lights ahead.
He had stepped into the belly of that colorful giant snake.
As his perspective swept from behind his head, the slowly unfolding scene filled with noisy voices, and the entrance ahead, shrouded in dry ice smoke, looked like the gates of hell, with occasional flashes of laser lights inside.
The relaxed vibe of a thug...
Wang Jixuan took off his mask and sunglasses, revealing a proud and rebellious smirk on his disguised face, his thumb tucked into the edge of his pants pocket.
He pondered Lan Yuzai's way of walking in his mind, stepping in a deep and shallow rhythm toward the entrance.
Stepping through the door, following the sign to turn left, he walked down a slightly narrow corridor where loud, psychedelic electronic music began to bombard his eardrums.
(End of Chapter)