Welcome to the world of martial heroes!

On the first day of the autumn break, Chen Shang packed his bags early and called out to his younger sister, “Nayuta, remember to look after the house.”

“Okay, have a safe trip, Brother.” Nayuta nodded, a hint of disappointment on her face.

In truth, she wanted to go out with him, but her brother had told her, with utmost seriousness, that he had important matters to attend to and couldn’t let her tag along.

Seeing the forlorn look in her eyes, Chen Shang patted her on the head and comforted her, “I’ll bring you back some local specialties.”

To be safe, Chen Shang hadn’t even told his sister which district he was heading to, fearing she might try to follow him. After all, taking your fifteen-year-old sister along to investigate a serial killer was far too bizarre.

After leaving home, Chen Shang headed straight for the station and boarded a train bound for the Kunlun District without trouble.

The train was bustling with people, including student couples out for a day of fun. On the carriage’s television screens, popular short videos from B-Hand and all sorts of absurd advertisements played in a loop, making the already festive atmosphere even livelier.

Bored, Chen Shang took out his phone and browsed the news.

“It’s a rare sunny day… The weather forecast says there’ll only be a mild sandstorm in the afternoon,” he murmured. “Days like this are perfect for couples to go out and have fun.”

Yesterday, after leaving the Black Cage District with Ayasougi Chiyo, they’d found a random restaurant for dinner. After some deft maneuvering, Chiyo’s affection had risen to 55—far ahead of Nayuta’s, which hovered around 25, and Black Calis’s, which hadn’t budged since the last Jin Yuchuang incident.

Had Chen Shang not turned down Ayasougi Chiyo’s invitation to spend the autumn break together, they’d likely be sunbathing on the artificial beach in Central District right now.

But compared to that decadent lifestyle, a restless urge was stirring within him.

—My collapse core is stirring; it’s about time for something big.

With a smile, Chen Shang opened a search engine and typed in “Midnight Headsman.”

In an instant, hundreds of articles about the serial killer filled the screen.

Though he was responsible for reviewing the Midnight Headsman’s character and related quest events, Chen Shang decided to double-check the news for accuracy, just in case, to ensure the worldline hadn’t shifted.

This killer had been active in the Kunlun District for two years. According to reports, they’d murdered over a dozen people in that time—a number that paled in comparison to the daily deaths in the Black Cage District.

But the key was that the victims weren’t ordinary citizens; they were elite elders from the major sects of Kunlun.

Mention Kunlun District, and what first comes to mind for the residents of Night Axis City are the words “Martial World.”

Though situated in the slums, the Kunlun District’s economy wasn’t destitute; it even boasted a mature tourism industry. It was, without exaggeration, a land ruled by gangs and martial clans. Nearly a hundred local factions, large and small, dotted the area, constantly vying for power in what they grandly called the “Martial World Tournament.”

The three most powerful and organized of these were the School of Confucianism, the School of Daoism, and the School of Buddhism.

The School of Confucianism revered the Sage of Literature, excelled at programming, and followed the teachings of the Four Books and Five Classics. The Four Books were C++, Java, Python, and Pascal—reportedly the most practical programming languages before the war. The Five Classics were core reference books on improving learning efficiency for programmers.

Disciples of the School of Confucianism mastered a technique called “Words Become Deeds.” Using their exclusive device, the Haoran Scroll, they input code in the form of ancient poetry and prose to perform skills that seemed like superpowers.

For example, if a disciple wished to teleport, he would recite, “I shall be ten miles yonder,” and the Haoran Scroll would trigger the relevant program, dispersing his body’s particles and reassembling them ten miles away.

The more advanced the disciple, the more code they mastered, and the more varied their “Words Become Deeds” became.

The School of Daoism, much like in classic tales of immortals, pursued longevity and enlightenment. Though lacking the high-tech wonders of the Confucians, they kept pace with the times, willing to do anything for immortality.

Daoists specialized in all manner of mystical mechanical weapons; a mechanical flying sword and a stack of chip talismans were standard gear. Yet, they staunchly opposed cybernetic modification, deeming mechanical ascension an impure path to immortality, and derisively called those who pursued it “Tainted Immortals.”

By comparison, the School of Buddhism was much more conventional. Most monks in its temples were either part-mechanical or fully robotic, believing that shedding the flesh meant abandoning desire and thus better understanding the Dharma.

Except for the occasional Gatling monk who ventured out to save all sentient beings, the Buddhists were a relatively law-abiding sect, often mediating in gang disputes.

In such a land of experts, to assassinate elder-level figures from major sects and remain at large spoke to the terrifying prowess of this murderer.

In the game, players could take on a “Capture the Midnight Headsman” quest from Kunlun’s martial bounty board.

To complete the quest, the player had to uncover the Midnight Headsman’s true identity in the district within a time limit, then rally the three great sects for a joint capture.

In truth, the Midnight Headsman’s power was formidable. Even with all three sects joining forces, they lost much of their elite strength before finally killing him.

Though the quest was dangerous and challenging, the rewards were generous—money, high-level items, and the chance to trigger a special affection event with a particular female character, who had been featured as the game’s poster girl from its earliest promotions.

Upon completing the capture, the head of the Daoist sect, in gratitude, would introduce his beautiful young granddaughter to the player—a peerless maiden, the same age as the protagonist, and a romanceable character in the game…

At least, that was how the plot was originally conceived.

But in the end, this character caught the eye of a rich second-generation heir, who ordered the development team to overhaul her storyline.

The second male lead, Xu Qing, was given a backstory in which his family sent him to the Daoist sect as a child, and he and the Daoist girl were childhood friends, inseparable from a young age.

So, even if the player risked life and limb to eliminate the Midnight Headsman, maxed out the Daoist girl’s affection, and sacrificed everything for her, her heart would always belong to Xu Qing.

It’s fair to say that this green-tea fairy was one of the main reasons so many players wanted a refund.

“Attention passengers: we have arrived at Kunlun Station. Please ensure you have all your belongings before disembarking…”

As Chen Shang finished sorting out his thoughts, the train was just about to arrive. He grabbed his bag and walked out of the station, immediately confronted by a dense, bustling crowd and rows of shops and street stalls lining the stone-paved road.

Occasionally, dark shapes would pass overhead, but everyone knew these weren’t wild geese—they were cultivators soaring on nuclear-powered flying swords.

It was peak tourist season, and the sheer number of people in Kunlun was overwhelming. Fortunately, he had reserved a hotel room in advance; otherwise, he might not have found a place to rest at all.

Chen Shang dialed Black Calis and instructed, “Black Calis, please navigate me to the hotel I booked.”

Predictably, a furious voice exploded through the phone, “Are you insane? I’m not your navigation AI! Use your own phone map for that! Want me to send the ‘Corpse Courier’ to collect your body right now?!”

“Alright, just joking to lighten the mood~” Chen Shang couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. “I called to tell you: our operation is about to begin. Are you coming to Kunlun District in person?”

There was a brief silence on the other end before she answered, “I’ll come take a look. But you’d better not disappoint me.”

“Don’t worry. My last game was right up your alley, wasn’t it?” Chen Shang replied confidently.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re even carbon-based…” Black Calis grumbled before hanging up.

Stowing his phone in his pocket, Chen Shang turned to head for his hotel.

But in the next instant, he felt a sharp tug at his hand, as if someone were pulling it forcefully.

“Huh?” Glancing down, he found his hand, which should have been gripping his luggage, was empty.

Not far ahead, a figure in black clutched his bag, weaving quickly through the crowd.

“Damn it…” Chen Shang smacked his forehead and set off after the thief with long strides.