The entire fighting arena was silent. Mi Buwei stood in the center, drawing on his cigarette, his expression unwavering.
In reality, his palms had been sweating with nervousness.
"What do you want now that you've returned?"
Finally, Xiao Yang sighed, breaking the silence.
"To see the Tower Master."
"Is that all?"
"Mm." Mi Buwei nodded, flicking the cigarette butt and crushing it under his shoe.
"You two, come with me first. We'll sort out your personal matters later."
Xiao Yang could tell that the situation between Mi Buwei, Mi Xueer, and Mi Le was complicated and not suitable for public discussion.
"Mm." Mi Buwei gave her a grateful glance.
Xiao Yang snorted.
The two followed Xiao Yang into the elevator, and she pressed the button for the sixteenth floor.
"The Tower Master lives on the sixteenth floor?" Duan Chen couldn't help but ask.
"Mm, he likes peace and quiet. He's the only one on the entire sixteenth floor. Normally, besides me, no one else has clearance to go up there."
After speaking, Xiao Yang took out a pack of women's cigarettes from her pocket, lit one, and took a puff.
"Ding!"
"Before we go in, I need to ask you a few questions."
"Please." Mi Buwei lowered his gaze.
"What do you want to see the Tower Master for?"
"Meaning, what's your purpose?" she added.
Duan Chen looked at Mi Buwei. He was the one who had led them here, and only he knew what he intended to do.
Seeing his gaze, Xiao Yang frowned in confusion.
"Of course, to thank him for taking me in for the past ten years."
Mi Buwei smiled.
"Is that all?"
Duan Chen and Xiao Yang said in unison.
Duan Chen raised an eyebrow. He had thought Mi Buwei wanted the Tower Master to guard the gate.
"I had other intentions before, but not anymore." Mi Buwei said truthfully, with a smile.
"Your previous intentions?"
"I wanted to ask him to guard the gate."
Xiao Yang's expression turned grim. "Then why have you changed your mind?"
"Because my strength has been restored."
As soon as he said this, Duan Chen understood his plan and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Xiao Yang's face, however, had already turned ashen.
"It seems you're truly a good dog for the Divine Faction."
"Thank you."
With nowhere to vent her anger, Xiao Yang stomped her foot in frustration.
The sixteenth floor lacked the flamboyant and expensive decorations of the fifteenth. The overall ambiance was fresh and green, a stark contrast to the floors below. It even had a pavilion, exuding an ancient charm.
In the pavilion, a man sat playing with a chessboard.
"You're here?"
Without looking up, he toyed with a chess piece in his hand.
"Mm."
"Xiao Yang, come quickly and help me figure out this move."
Mi Buwei walked over, snatched the chess piece from his hand, and placed it on a crossroad.
The man looked up, revealing a lazy face with heavy bags and dark circles under his eyes, looking as if he hadn't slept well. He appeared young, only in his early thirties.
"Oh… I thought it was just Duan Chen."
From his words, it seemed he recognized Duan Chen.
Mi Buwei sat opposite him, placing the chessboard directly on the ground.
"Why are you here… No way?"
The man scratched his head in confusion, his hair looking like a bird's nest.
"Don't worry, it's not what you think." Mi Buwei laughed and beckoned to Duan Chen.
"This is Shen Cheng, the Tower Master of Building 263, Tongshun Residential Area. He's also an old acquaintance of mine. He took me in during the ten years I was missing."
"Hello."
Duan Chen bowed slightly.
"It's not really 'taking me in'... You helped me quite a bit too, so it was more like mutual benefit?" The man continued to scratch his head, as if his scalp were itching fiercely, which made Duan Chen feel uncomfortable.
"Duan Chen, you sit too."
He moved a stone stool from the side and placed it nearby.
"Wang… No, I shouldn't call you Wang Gang. Should I call you Mi Buwei? Or Mi Jun? You really know how to hide. If I had known your identity back then, I would never have let you live here."
Shen Cheng yawned, his expression troubled.
"Speak. What is your purpose for coming this time?"
"Purely to thank you."
"I don't believe you."
Mi Buwei's expression darkened.
"As a neutral force, you took me, a lone pawn, in. Can't I just thank you unilaterally? And I am very sorry for the punishment you received due to my deception."
"You know I was punished?"
Shen Cheng rested his chin on the stone table, his expression sullen.
"Regardless, I cannot interfere in the conflict between the Evil Gods Faction and the Divine Faction. Taking you in was my own foolish mistake."
"Don't say that."
"Bullshit! I'm telling you, I will not take sides, and you can't force me to."
Mi Buwei sighed deeply. "So, I'm just here to thank you."
"What about the gate? As a general for Wu Suowei, you can't just ignore it, can you?"
He actually knew Wu Suowei?
The more Duan Chen listened, the more confused he became.
Xiao Yang stood beside him and explained, "Shen Cheng is… half a god."
"Ah?"
Duan Chen was stunned.
"If you're interested, I can tell you all about their history when we leave. But for now, listen carefully and don't get distracted."
"Okay."
"I will naturally not ignore the gate. I've come this time precisely to tell you about it. This meeting will likely be our last."
"You can't be serious?!"
Shen Cheng jumped up, his face filled with disbelief.
"With your mediocre skills, you think you can guard the gate?!"
"My strength has been restored."
"Which bastard restored it for you?!"
"Shen Cheng!"
Mi Buwei's expression turned stern. "That is the Saintess. I will not allow you to speak of her like that!"
The Saintess… Could it be Chu Yue…
Duan Chen dared not interject while these two powerful figures argued, but when Chu Yue was involved, it was different.
What was her identity that earned Mi Buwei such respect?
Duan Chen felt that there were still many things they were hiding from him.
"You are truly too rigid."
Shen Cheng did not sit down. He said with a cold face, "Haven't you contributed enough to the Divine Faction all these years? Are you going to continue to exhaust yourself?"
"This is the path I have chosen, and I believe my daughter will choose the same path as me."
Mi Buwei looked at Duan Chen and smiled.
"Living in obscurity, barely surviving?"
"You can't put it that way."
Duan Chen understood. The reason Shen Cheng was called half a god was probably because he hadn't entirely abandoned human emotions. He had a good relationship with Mi Buwei and couldn't bear to see him helping the Divine Faction so selflessly.
"This is my mission, and I must complete it."
Mi Buwei's rigidity was beyond expectation. Shen Cheng sat down, sighing dejectedly.