Volume 1, Chapter 51: Are You by Any Chance from the Island Nation?

He shook his head, casting aside the stray thoughts lingering in his mind.

Following the Scarlet Cult Leader out of the hotel and into the lobby, the heavy, suffocating frustration in Qin Shang's chest still refused to dissipate.

The Scarlet Cult Leader glanced back at him, a flash of triumphant vindication crossing her enchanting eyes.

"A very clever method. I really like your move just now. Making him suffer like this is far worse than just letting him die directly."

"To strip a gambler of his armor and pride over the very thing he is most obsessed with, leaving him utterly defeated, is infinitely more gratifying than simply killing him."

"I take back what I said earlier during our [Whisper]. Well, you certainly qualify as my type."

Hearing this, Qin Shang felt not the slightest sense of achievement from being validated by such a stunning beauty.

There was only a profound sense of injustice—a grievance he felt on behalf of Old Man Niu.

"Let's have a drink to celebrate!"

Her tone was casual, but her eyes danced with a hint of playful cunning.

"If you have a drink with me, I can throw in some complimentary intelligence regarding the Divine Path players."

"If you're not willing, the next time you come looking for me, you'll have to pay for information and items using contribution points."

Hearing this, Qin Shang was just about to wave his hand in refusal, but the second half of her sentence made him grit his teeth once more.

This woman truly knew how to keep him wrapped around her finger.

"Fine!"

Clearly, the Scarlet Cult Leader had offered a condition he could not refuse at the moment.

Seeing Qin Shang yield with just a single sentence, the Scarlet Cult Leader seemed immensely pleased with herself.

With a charming smile, she swayed her slender, peach-like hips and headed toward the Ferrari parked outside.

Qin Shang instinctively averted his gaze.

Besides, he currently had no other avenues to contact Divine Path players. Posting on the official Divine Path players' forum required points.

Qin Shang's family background was not wealthy; otherwise, his mother wouldn't have accidentally fallen into a pyramid scheme back then while trying to raise money.

Even after marrying Jiang Qiqi, the couple's life had only gradually gotten back on track.

An ex-convict who had been out of prison for two years, paired with an innocent girl who had just graduated from college—how much money could they possibly make?

The savings they had between them were barely enough to cover the monthly mortgage on a tiny apartment.

Moreover, after Qin Shang was diagnosed with brain cancer, Jiang Qiqi had even sold the apartment.

Qin Shang's current residence in Jizhou was a rental property secured by Jiang Qiqi.

It was a small apartment she had rented near the hospital before going on a business trip, just to make it easier to take care of him.

It was located in an old urban district slated for redevelopment, with poor environmental infrastructure, no elevators, and a five-story climb on foot. The paint on the walls was severely peeling, and the soundproofing was terrible.

Ever since he was discharged from the hospital and stayed there, Qin Shang had finally begun to truly understand the sacrifices and compromises his wife had made for him.

Whenever he empathized with her and put himself in her shoes, Qin Shang's eyes would grow moist.

She had truly given so much, far too much, for his sake...

The soundproofing of the small apartment was abysmal. At night, he could hear the passionate sounds of nocturnal battles from the upstairs neighbors with crystal clarity.

If he concentrated even slightly, he might even be able to make out snippets of their conversation.

Jiang Qiqi had endured a mountain of hardships because of him; how could he possibly let her down?

At the very least, he would spend the remaining moments of his life searching for her whereabouts.

Before he died, let him at least confirm whether his wife was alive or dead!

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Qin Shang watched as the Ferrari pulled out of the garage and stopped directly in front of the hotel entrance.

The car window rolled down, revealing a face so alluring and exquisite it could captivate kingdoms.

"What are you daydreaming about? Handsome, get in the car!"

Qin Shang was still unaccustomed to this woman's mercurial moods.

She was like mid-June weather—alternating between endless rain and blazing sunshine.

The crucial part was that she could shift her expression without the slightest warning, catching anyone completely off guard.

Qin Shang pulled open the door and got in. Unfamiliar with the capital city and running purely on instinct, he asked,

"Where are we going?"

The Scarlet Cult Leader rested both hands on the steering wheel, pondered for a moment, and said,

"Hmm, let's go visit an old friend."

With those words, she stepped on the gas and steered the car out of the parking lot.

At the same time, Qin Shang seemed to hear miserable screams and pleas for mercy echoing from one of the rooms upstairs in the hotel.

He narrowed his eyes and rolled up the car window.

Some people deserved no pity.

It was probably best to let him live in the happiest memory Old Man Niu had of him.

Chen Muzi, hurry along on your journey and go keep Old Man Niu company. That way, the little girl won't feel so lonely walking down the Yellow Springs road...

Over the next dozen minutes of the drive, Qin Shang digested his emotions.

Throughout the journey, the Scarlet Cult Leader maintained a faint smile, humming a light, upbeat tune under her breath.

Clearly, she was in a very good mood.

"Scarlet Cult Leader, if I want to buy intelligence from you, how much does it cost?"

He hadn't refused further contact with her precisely because he harbored this exact purpose.

Purchasing intelligence.

When the two of them first met, the Scarlet Cult Leader had mentioned that the All-Treasure Pavilion offered an information brokerage service.

At this moment, Qin Shang finally understood the second use of contribution points, and it also dawned on him why his life was valued so highly by the magistrate and the old priest.

In truth, for the community of Divine Path players, money was secondary; contribution points were paramount.

Contribution points served as the primary currency within this group.

Perhaps he could ask the Scarlet Cult Leader to use the channels of her All-Treasure Pavilion to initiate a search for clues regarding his wife.

The Scarlet Cult Leader was clearly a veteran player, and a high-ranking one at that.

Her network of connections was vastly more extensive than anything he could manage on his own.

Enlisting her help would be infinitely better than Qin Shang groping in the dark like a blind man.

"That depends on the value of the intelligence... and the clearance level required to access it. For instance, if you wanted to buy the personal dossier of Mr. Yin, the most powerful man in Yanshan and the magistrate-level heavyweight of the Chaoyang District..."

"It would cost at least a hundred contribution points, and even then, the information might not be comprehensive."

"Of course, that's standard procedure. After all, the personal information of official players is heavily guarded. Those who manage to become official players have all passed through rigorous vetting, and high-level Divine Path players possess the ability to shield their own social networks."

"For example, a high-level Hypnotist can completely hypnotize everyone around them, making them instantly forget that such a person ever existed."

"Once that happens, tracking down any data related to their real-world identity becomes truly as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Hearing this, Qin Shang was momentarily stunned.

"Why would anyone want to shield their own social network?"

The Scarlet Cult Leader shot him a bewitching glance.

"Don't you have any idea?"

"There is bound to be deceit and slaughter within the Divine Path. Sometimes, the identities one assumes upon entering a dungeon mean standing in a sharply opposed, hostile stance against others."

"Even if both parties survive and emerge from the game, conflicts may still arise to varying degrees due to their opposing factions."

"Do you think if someone petty suffered a loss inside the game, they wouldn't look for an opportunity to retaliate once they're out in the real world?"

Qin Shang nodded slowly upon hearing this.

Indeed, his current hostile relationship with Buddha-Destined and the Eagle of Justice was precisely this kind of dynamic.

At the very end of the dungeon, the two of them had shown him no mercy, attempting to slaughter the Trickster to claim the reward points.

Instead, Qin Shang had turned the tables on them.

Buddha-Destined had died in the dungeon, and the Eagle of Justice hadn't exactly emerged unscathed either.

If they crossed paths again, Qin Shang would definitely make that bastard magistrate pay...

Regardless of the reason, the moment you weighed the risks and decided to gamble with my life for your own benefit,

you and I were destined to leave only one survivor.

"Why do you ask? What is this about? Are you looking to buy intelligence from me?"

A moment later, Qin Shang adjusted his mindset and said to the Scarlet Cult Leader,

"Yes, what I actually want to find out is the whereabouts of my wife..."

"Your wife? You're married?"

The Scarlet Cult Leader looked genuinely surprised.

Qin Shang sensed that this woman had developed a certain degree of favorable impression toward him just now—though it might not necessarily be romantic in nature.

It was merely the surprise and appreciation one might feel toward a young man with sharp contrasts in his personality.

Yet, Qin Shang had no desire to conceal the fact that he was married.

"Mn, I'm married."

The atmosphere inside the car instantly chilled.

The subtle, ambiguous undertones that had lingered in the air moments before vanished completely. A short while later, the Scarlet Cult Leader smiled and said,

"Tsk tsk tsk, with your wife away, it must be quite inconvenient for you alone, right? How about coming over to my place tonight, so we can make things... convenient?"

What?

Hearing this, Qin Shang's expression stiffened completely.

What kind of outrageous phrasing was this?!

How did her version of "convenient" sound so utterly indecent?

Are you trying to set off firecrackers in my brain?

Qin Shang's sharp, rugged facial features twisted slightly in bewilderment.

Why did this woman suddenly seem even more excited the moment she heard he was married?

'Old Man Niu cosplaying a maid to seduce Fatty's mom' was also a member of the All-Treasure Pavilion.

During their time in the dungeon, this little girl had uttered no shortage of astonishing remarks, and the Scarlet Cult Leader was the boss of the All-Treasure Pavilion...

Putting two and two together, could it be that your entire All-Treasure Pavilion originated from Japan?