19. Another Group of Missing Persons

As expected, Qingzhou was not wrong.

When Lu Feng brought Xiao Mu back to the Ninth Bureau, no one reacted unusually to Xiao Mu’s presence. Even the usually vigilant guards offered Lu Feng a respectful salute and made no further remarks, neither blocking nor questioning him.

When Lu Feng brought Xiao Mu before Wang Hao, Wang Hao unexpectedly began to play and joke with Xiao Mu, rummaging through drawers to pile up delicious treats in front of him. Watching Wang Hao, Lu Feng felt as if he were witnessing a grandfather doting on his grandson, a kind of affection that skips generations.

It was as though, in everyone's eyes, the name Lu Feng was reason enough. Whatever Lu Feng did was deemed reasonable; whomever Lu Feng brought was considered family.

Returning from the Sixth Ring, Lu Feng felt uneasy. On one hand, the things Xiao Mu had endured pained him for this child of eight or nine; on the other, the various happenings in the inner and outer rings revealed to him that this world was far from simple.

There were twenty-six districts across the entire continent, but only the Seventeenth District lay at its edge, like a bent body lying on the ground, shielding the other twenty-five behind it. What he had encountered was merely the outer ring of the Seventeenth District—what of the other great cities? What of the vastness above?

Lu Feng dared not imagine.

In this unfamiliar world of supernatural powers, there was still so much for him to learn.

“Director, have you heard of the Betrayers?” Lu Feng asked, looking at Wang Hao, whose eyes were full of tenderness as he held Xiao Mu.

“I know a little,” Wang Hao replied, wiping cake crumbs from Xiao Mu’s mouth.

“Could you tell me about them?” Lu Feng took a seat across from him.

“What’s got you suddenly interested in this?” Wang Hao finally looked at Lu Feng.

“I’m confused. How did they get the Eye of Betrayal? And do you know a beggar?” Lu Feng asked directly, without holding back.

Overall, Lu Feng respected Wang Hao, though this director was nothing like the stern, rigid figure he’d imagined.

In the relatively unfamiliar Ninth Bureau, apart from Lin Doudou and Qingzhou, Lu Feng was most familiar with Wang Hao, given their repeated conversations.

“Feng Xiao? You’ve met him?” Wang Hao’s expression changed sharply, as if mentioning someone by name.

“Feng Xiao? Who is that?”

“Of course, it’s the beggar you mentioned.”

Judging by the director’s demeanor, he clearly knew the beggar—and cared about him. When Lu Feng brought up Feng Xiao, Wang Hao could not suppress his excitement.

“His name is Feng Xiao? You know him?” Lu Feng countered.

“Of course I know him. I searched for him specifically because of you. Ah, you don’t know—if not for Teacher…” Wang Hao stopped mid-sentence, realizing he’d said too much.

“For me?” Lu Feng’s face was full of questions.

“He’s also a member of the Ninth Bureau. Feng Xiao was once a legendary figure, and to be honest, his prominence in those days was not much less than yours,” Wang Hao said, lost in his memories, intoxicated by them.

“Then how did he become a beggar?”

“That’s a long story. Feng Xiao was the only son of Chen Mohe, the former chief of the Second Division.” Wang Hao paused, expecting Lu Feng to be surprised, but Lu Feng’s face remained calm.

He continued, “Feng Xiao left the Ninth Bureau because of an incident ten years ago. After that, he left the Bureau at the age of fifteen.”

“To speak of precocious youth—other than you, I’ve only seen him. Feng Xiao crossed over at twelve, and upon arriving, showed great talent. He was clever, upright, and deeply respected. At that time, everyone saw him as a role model.” Wang Hao lifted Xiao Mu from his lap to the sofa and stood up.

“Until ten years ago, when Feng Xiao led a team to the Sixth Ring to arrest a traveler. Unexpectedly, that traveler came from beyond the border; his soul had been seized, and he was no ordinary traveler. In that battle, Feng Xiao’s team was nearly wiped out, and he himself was captured and taken beyond the border.”

Wang Hao finished and closed his eyes, sighing deeply, his tone grave.

“Chen Mohe, upon hearing the news, was frantic. To rescue his son without implicating the Ninth Bureau, he went alone beyond the Sixth Ring to the Dark Forest. A week later, Chen Mohe brought Feng Xiao back. But… when he returned, Chen Mohe was barely alive and soon passed away.”

At this point, Wang Hao fell silent. Lu Feng did the same, and even Xiao Mu, munching on snacks nearby, stopped, his eyes shining with tears.

After a long pause, Lu Feng asked heavily, “What is the Dark Forest? Is it so dangerous that even the Ninth Bureau fears involvement?”

“Do you know why the Ninth Bureau is located here?” Wang Hao looked at Lu Feng rather than answering directly.

Lu Feng shook his head.

“Because this is the edge of our continent.”

Growing up in the Seventeenth District, Lu Feng naturally knew it was the continent's border. He’d always heard that beyond lay wild lands teeming with strange beasts, snowy mysteries—danger everywhere. The Seventeenth District strictly forbade crossing the border.

But even without strict orders, no one would attempt to cross it. It seemed deliberate; the chaos and brutality of the Sixth Ring served as the best deterrent.

“Since the continent’s creation, the Dark Forest has existed, always hidden. The Federation sent many troops into the Dark Forest, but once they passed through the border’s mist, none returned. Tens of thousands were sent, including many time travelers. Later, the Dark Forest at the border became forbidden to the Federation.”

“When everyone thought Chen Mohe would never return, a miracle happened—he brought Feng Xiao back. But soon after, the Federation came to take them away. He and Chen Mohe were the only ones to have entered the Dark Forest and returned alive.”

“The Ninth Bureau is still under the Federation’s control?” Lu Feng was surprised; it was not what he’d imagined.

“Not exactly—those bureaucrats have no right to control the Ninth Bureau,” Wang Hao’s eyes narrowed, his tone full of disdain.

“But there’s mutual need. Only a handful at the Federation’s core know of the Bureau’s existence. The Bureau needs the Federation to smooth things over and provide support—without it, such a vast organization couldn’t function. The Federation needs the Bureau to manage travelers, to ensure they don’t spiral out of control.”

At this, Lu Feng finally understood why the Bureau was so poor. On arrival, he’d wondered why the skies outside were filled with airships and flying vehicles, yet the Ninth Bureau lagged behind, still using off-road vehicles, as if in another era.

The Federation would not provide much support to the Bureau. In their eyes, travelers—these supernatural beings—were symbols of extreme danger. If they could exterminate them all, the Federation would never allow such existence.

In the end, it all came down to interests.

“And then?” Lu Feng pressed.

“When Feng Xiao was to be taken away, the Bureau refused. Time travelers were not the Federation’s concern. But Feng Xiao agreed to go.”

“He feared implicating the Bureau,” Lu Feng understood.

“Yes. After Feng Xiao returned, the Federation demanded the Bureau remove him from its ranks. The Bureau refused, but Feng Xiao stepped forward and volunteered to leave. No matter how we asked, he never spoke of what happened at the Federation, and the Federation kept silent as well. Because of this, relations between the Bureau and Federation grew increasingly strained.”

“I still remember, when Feng Xiao left, he told the five chiefs: ‘For the rest of my life, I will stand at the border, guard the border, unwavering in my resolve.’”

Wang Hao’s tears fell, and Lu Feng could feel his sorrow and pity for Feng Xiao.

Wiping his tears, Wang Hao continued, now comforted, “Fortunately, he’s finally coming back.”

“So you knew Xiao Mu before,” Lu Feng deduced.

“Yes,” Wang Hao admitted.

“So Xiao Mu’s father was Feng Xiao’s teammate.” This explained the plant-based infection, and why Feng Xiao sent Xiao Mu to the Bureau to steal the blade.

Wang Hao nodded.

“So, deliberately coming to my window for a whipping was planned.”

“So, the chaos in the Sixth Ring is only surface-deep; those green-eyed people are the enforcers of order there, under Feng Xiao’s command.”

Lu Feng looked at Xiao Mu, who was full of apology, pouted, and nodded as well.

“They’re time travelers too?” Lu Feng turned to Wang Hao.

“Yes.”

“Then how did they become Betrayers?”

“Xiao Feng, every era has its heroes. Some stride boldly through heaven and earth, some lurk for years in endless darkness, some…” For the first time, Wang Hao addressed Lu Feng this way, his voice growing softer and softer until Lu Feng couldn’t make out the last words.

“Why didn’t Feng Xiao do it himself?” Lu Feng meant the matter of killing Xiao Mu’s father.

“You have to understand him—that was his only teammate. Perhaps it was also a test for you.”

Lu Feng was about to ask more questions when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

It was already past ten at night; such knocks must herald urgent matters.

“Come in,” Wang Hao called.

“Director, another group of travelers has gone missing,” Lin Doudou said, rushing in, her face flushed and words hurried.

“How many?”

“Sixty-three. Adding the previous, a total of sixty-nine.”

The incident was sudden; Wang Hao immediately ordered Lin Doudou to gather a team and head to the scene. Lu Feng volunteered to go along.

As he reached the doorway, Lu Feng instructed Xiao Mu to stay, then turned to the director.

“Director, the person living in that small courtyard halfway up the mountain—is that your teacher?” Lu Feng asked slyly. Wang Hao was momentarily stunned, then replied, “Teacher? What teacher? When did I ever say I had a teacher?”

“Director, your acting is terrible.”

Lu Feng glanced teasingly at Wang Hao, whose face flushed.

Wang Hao didn’t know that when Lu Feng had first moved into the compound, he’d swept the small courtyards with his psychic power. In the one halfway up the mountain, someone had blocked him out.