Mastering the Sword Manual, sweeping across the globe

Occasionally, a few stone tables and benches can be seen under the trees, polished smooth, clearly used by people.

A chessboard was carved on the stone table, and several plastic bags lay beside it, containing untidy tea canisters and enamel cups—the kind with printed words on them.

Some windows still had lights on, while others were already dark.

Occasionally, you can see figures moving around in the lit windows, their postures casual, a relaxed feeling of complete peace and security in their own territory.

Zhang Qiliang stood downstairs at one of the buildings, looked up at the dark, empty windows.

Three seconds later, Zhang Qiliang stood on the rooftop of one of the buildings.

-------

Three o'clock in the morning.

The lights were bright at the entrance of Chaohuili residential area.

The first to arrive were several inconspicuous black official cars, which quietly parked outside the community gate. The people who got out were dressed in plainclothes, but their gait clearly indicated that they were government employees.

Instead of going in immediately, they stood at the entrance, talking quietly while looking at the map of the community.

Five minutes later, more cars arrived.

There were express patrol cars, medium-sized buses painted with the words "Provincial Inspector General of the Criminal Investigation Department", and several large vehicles without any markings but with dark-colored windows.

The car headlights illuminated the entrance to the residential area brightly.

A middle-aged official wearing a blue robe with an egret embroidered on his chest walked to the entrance of the residential area and showed a waist tag.

The fast shift guard, who had long since replaced the gatekeeper, glanced at the sign and quickly took two steps back.

That's the sign for the Censorate.

—From the fifth rank.

Then, several more cars parked at the entrance.

Leading the way was a large black vehicle with a small flag on its hood. The design was illegible, but the imposing presence of the flag caused everyone to instinctively stop what they were doing.

The car door opened, and an official in his fifties stepped out.

He wore a dark scarlet official robe with a peacock embroidered on his chest—a fourth-rank official.

The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of the Provincial Surveillance Commission.

One of the highest-ranking officials in charge of criminal investigations and arrests in Gyeonggi Province.

Several officials who had been waiting at the door quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"How is the situation?" The Provincial Judicial Commissioner's voice was not loud, but carried an air of authority.

The official in charge of guarding the area was a man in his early forties, dressed in a blue robe—a seventh-rank official, a judge in the Provincial Judicial Commission, in charge of investigating and verifying criminal cases.

He bowed deeply, speaking rapidly and clearly:

"Reporting to the Chief of Justice, the situation has been investigated. Starting at 1:37 a.m., residents of Chaohuili Community began reporting the case to the expedited police station."

What was reported in the police report?

"Having nightmares."

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner frowned slightly.

The judge quickly continued, "The initial emergency response team also found it absurd, but the complainant insisted that it was not an ordinary nightmare, saying that the dream was too real and that he felt weak all over, had palpitations and night sweats after waking up, and insisted that the authorities come and take a look."

"The complainant suspected that someone might be using drugs in the community, polluting the air, or that some kind of cult ritual might be taking place."

"After noticing the police report number's label in the system, the authorities offered some simple reassurance, and everyone thought the matter was settled..."

"But then, the emergency call center kept ringing. Residents of Chaohuili Community called one after another, all saying the same thing—having nightmares and being woken up in fright."

"The emergency response team sensed something was wrong and quickly reported it, while also dispatching personnel to the scene. By this time, the number of cases showing symptoms had exceeded ten."

"The first group of people who were awakened reported the case and then found that others in their colleagues' group had also said the same thing. They called each other and woke each other up. As a result, when one person was woken up, another person said that they had a nightmare. By the time the fast shift finished taking the statement of the first person who reported the case, the number of people... cases had increased to more than fifty."

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner remained silent for two seconds.

"now what?"

The judge looked up, met his eyes, and lowered his voice even further:

"Now, everyone is awake."

"...Everyone?" the Provincial Judicial Commissioner asked.

"Yes. Chaohuili Community has seven buildings and 423 households, with a permanent population of over 1,100. This morning, all residents who were 14 years of age or older and were asleep at the time experienced the same symptoms—waking up from nightmares, experiencing palpitations, night sweats, and lethargy, but physical examinations showed no abnormalities."

What was the content of the dream?

"Delivering takeout."

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner's brow twitched: "How long will it take to deliver it?"

"..." What kind of question is this? The judge was a little surprised, but coincidentally, he actually knew the answer to such an obscure question: "Generally speaking, it's about a year."

“One year…” The Provincial Judicial Commissioner pondered, the solemnity between his brows slightly easing.

The magistrate's heart skipped a beat again, but he dared not show it on his face. Serving in the capital, the most important thing was knowing what one should know and what one should not know. He lowered his eyes and continued his report:

"According to residents, the dreams were extremely realistic. The sense of time, pain, and fatigue were no different from reality. Some people fell in their dreams and still felt discomfort in their knees after waking up; others were caught in the rain in their dreams and found that their pajamas were damp in the corresponding areas after waking up—however, after on-site inspection, it was found that it was just sweat, not that they had actually been caught in the rain."

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner did not respond immediately. After a pause of more than ten seconds, he spoke again: "You just said that those who dream are all residents over the age of fourteen."

The judge continued, "Children under the age of fourteen... also had strange dreams."

"Hmm?" The Provincial Judicial Commissioner raised an eyebrow, showing no sign of surprise.

"A year has passed, and in my dreams... their father or mother is a food delivery worker."

--------

A night breeze blew by, carrying the dampness of early summer.

The neighborhood was brightly lit, with lights on behind every window.

People would occasionally peek out, only to be pulled back inside by their family members.

The students in the advanced class stood in twos and threes at the entrance of the building, talking in hushed tones, holding notebooks in their hands, but not knowing how to take notes.

Those in plainclothes, from higher ranks, stood silently in the shadows, watching it all.

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner looked up at the windows with their lights on.

"My lord," the judge lowered his voice even further, "what should we do next?"

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner remained silent for a long time.

Then he turned around and walked toward the large black vehicle.

"First, register everyone."

"Yes."

"Notify the Imperial Hospital to send people over after dawn to conduct a comprehensive examination of every resident. Be quick and thorough; do not overlook any abnormalities."

"Yes."

“Also,” he said, standing in front of the car door and glancing back at the cluster of red brick buildings, “tell the express delivery department that from now on, the Chaohuili residential area will be under lockdown. No entry, no exit, until further notice.”

The judge was taken aback: "Sir, this..."

"If anyone has any objections, let them come to me."

After saying that, he bent down and got into the car, closing the door behind him.

The large black truck slowly started and drove into the night.

The judge stood there, watching the car disappear at the end of the street.

Then he turned around and looked at his subordinates who were waiting for instructions.

"You heard everything? Let's do it."

-------

3:40 a.m.

Chaohuili residential area is completely locked down.

At the entrance of each of the red brick buildings, two express delivery workers stood.

A cordon was set up at the entrance of the residential compound, and several people in plainclothes stood inside the cordon, checking each registration form.

Residents would occasionally come downstairs wrapped in coats, wanting to ask about the situation, but they would be stopped at the entrance of the building.

"Go back inside and wait. We'll let you know if anything happens."

"But--"

"Go back inside and wait."

The person asking the question looked at the expressionless face of the student in the fast-paced class, then at the silent figures at the stairwell entrance, opened his mouth, then closed it again, turned around and went upstairs.

Upstairs, through the window, someone is standing in front of the window, looking down.

Those people in official robes of various colors, those figures coming and going, those police lines illuminated by lights.

They watched for a while, then drew the curtains and went back inside.

Inside the house, the family members sat on the sofa or on the bed, and no one spoke.

The TV was on, the volume was turned down low, and it was showing a late-night program, but nobody was watching.

Occasionally someone would speak up, saying something like, "Would you like some water?" or "Why don't you go to sleep first?"

Then silence returned.

--sleep?

Who dares to sleep?

—If I close my eyes, will I be delivering takeout for another year?

--have no idea.

Nobody knows.

So nobody sleeps.

I just sat there, waiting for dawn.

-------

Four o'clock in the morning.

Another car arrived at the entrance of Chaohuili residential area.

This time it was an ordinary official car, and the person who got out was dressed in plain clothes with no badges on his chest.

He walked up to the magistrate on duty and whispered a few words to him.

The judge nodded after listening.

The man turned around, got into the car, and drove away.

The judge stood there, watching the car drive away, then turned around and continued checking the registration forms.

No one knows what he heard.

No one dared to ask.

Only the night wind continued to blow.

The wind blew past the red brick buildings, past the lit windows, past the cordon tape, and into the depths of the night.

83. The scenery is exceptionally beautiful.

At five in the morning, the sky was just before dawn.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of doors being broken down echoed throughout the capital.

-

West of the city, a dormitory compound for a government agency.

A dozen or so dark figures filed in, their footsteps light and swift, creating a gust of wind in the corridor.