Chapter 53: Turning the Table

In truth, most people were well aware that the recent protests and the strife among various factions—all the chaos—had been ignited by the incident at Peach Blossom Dock. Yet the authorities’ stance on the matter had remained ambiguous, and with the major powers all maintaining their silence, rumors and hearsay spread like wildfire among the populace and across the forums.

At last, twelve days after the teams from Peach Blossom Dock met with disaster, the higher-ups finally issued a clear statement, offering their official assessment of the incident and forcefully condemning the recent unrest.

For the first time, this undercurrent, which had been surging beneath the surface, was thrust openly into the public eye, and a wave of repercussions followed.

The first statement was released promptly at ten o’clock in the morning and was immediately pinned to the top of the local network forum.

Qi Lei, the long-absent chief commander of Jingmen Security Zone, reappeared at last before the public.

He formally announced that, due to special circumstances, Moonlight Land was experiencing violent energy fluctuations and would no longer be suitable for exploration for the time being; a defensive line would be established at the Gate of Dimensions to prevent monsters from invading reality.

Given the extreme difficulty of exploration and the heavy losses suffered in rescue efforts, he officially declared the abandonment of search and rescue operations for those explorers stranded at the Moonlight Land front in the Jingmen Security Zone. He expressed condolences for the fallen high-level explorers—Zhao Weimin, Yi Qinfei, Hua Yi... Chen Mian, and others—who had sacrificed their lives in the incident.

The statement included the officially confirmed list of the deceased and missing, along with details regarding subsequent measures. Many members of Peach Blossom Dock had been part of the official system, so their families would receive substantial compensation.

A series of scattered announcements sent shockwaves through the ranks of Jingmen’s various small and medium factions.

Then, at around ten-thirty, another announcement was pinned to the forum, this time addressing the student protests and the numerous reports that had surfaced. Chief Commander Qi Lei stated that a special investigation team had been formed to thoroughly examine those involved, to guarantee the safety of property, and to apprehend members of certain business associations whose wrongdoing had already been established.

Furthermore, given the recent instability within the city’s security zone, the entire Jingmen Security Zone was now under martial law! All fighting within the city was strictly forbidden, patrols would be augmented, and a retrospective investigation into last night’s incidents in each district would commence. Citizens were encouraged to send any relevant information to the task force.

Following this announcement, led by Jingbei Industries, the Jianghe Guild, Peach Blossom Dock Guild, and Blood Slaughter Guild each released their own statements on the forum, pledging to establish joint investigation teams to ensure that such malignant incidents would not recur in any district.

In an instant, the Jingmen Security Zone, which had been in utter turmoil just the night before, became eerily silent, as though something had gripped it by the throat. Even the areas surrounding the dimensional lands fell quiet.

Only then did everyone realize:

Qi Lei, though long absent from view, was still the same commander who once led tens of thousands to reclaim the city. The Jingmen Security Zone was still the place where orders carried the weight of law. These major guilds remained the colossal powers of this era.

Aside from the unfortunate souls who had been thoroughly looted the night before, just a handful of announcements had sufficed to quell the chaos, bringing the turbulent situation to a standstill.

...

“???”

When Yi Shen read the announcements that morning, he too was taken aback.

Especially when all four major guilds issued statements in unison, Yi Shen sensed that something was amiss. It was as if the entire sequence of events had been orchestrated in advance.

Yi Shen had always suspected that there were hidden hands behind the recent chaos, but he had believed it was mostly a matter of manipulating public opinion and fueling popular discontent.

Yet now, with the release of these announcements, the unrest in the city ceased in an instant. The forums filled with nothing but harmony and praise, and Yi Shen felt an inexplicable sense that this newfound calm was even more unsettling than the previous days’ upheaval.

“That’s it? After reaping a field of suckers, it just ends?” Yi Shen frowned slightly.

He had expected such a major incident to deliver a substantial blow to Jingmen Industries and its network of interests. But if this was all that would come of it, then perhaps it was no more than plucking a single feather from their plumage. Only a few unscrupulous merchants clinging to their outer circles had been eliminated; everything else remained unchanged.

Yi Shen reached out to Zhu Qing and Zhu You for news. Sure enough, at the school, the administration had finally stepped in to appease the students. Aside from the campus still being sealed off, the calls for protests, strikes, and boycotts had all but disappeared.

Yet beneath this strange calm, the handling of the Peach Blossom Dock situation left Yi Shen deeply dissatisfied.

“They’ve declared the search abandoned?” Yi Shen’s expression darkened as he read the news.

He knew that after the Moonlight Land incident, the authorities had sealed the Gate of Dimensions and launched rescue operations. But now, the official announcement of the deaths of several Peach Blossom Dock executives—including his own father—would have a nearly decisive impact on the organization’s future.

Until now, Yi Shen and many others had clung to the hope that some of the leadership might have escaped by luck, or at least had not perished but were merely trapped in some special zone. Most had remained in cautious watchfulness, waiting for word.

But with the authorities now declaring the Peach Blossom Dock leaders dead, the already scattered organization would suffer yet another grievous blow.

Moreover, as a son, Yi Shen was unable to accept the news of his father’s death. While his mother had safely returned to Jingmen Security Zone and sent him a message, her current whereabouts remained unknown.

These mysteries weighed heavily on Yi Shen, making it hard to breathe.

At this rate, it was all but certain that Peach Blossom Dock would be carved up and absorbed by other factions. This organization represented his father’s lifelong efforts—Yi Shen could not accept such an ending.

His brow furrowed tighter. He had originally planned to take advantage of the chaos to gather more resources and grow stronger. But if he waited any longer, if everything settled and the spoils were divided, it would only become harder to uncover the truth.

“Fine, if no one else dares overturn the table, I will.”

Staring at the forums, ablaze with false prosperity, Yi Shen’s lips curled in disdain.

Since the authorities had already resolved to abandon his father and Peach Blossom Dock, he saw no reason to play by their rules.

He had spent these past days keeping a low profile out of concern for his own strength, but now, with thousands of attribute points to his name and just a bit more needed to break the ten-thousand mark, he finally possessed some measure of protection.

Now, Yi Shen was determined to see for himself how those lurking behind Jingmen Security Zone intended to carve up the Peach Blossom Dock’s remains.