Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Living Values
The Eighth Gate reward became one of Qin Yuheng’s most personal treasures.
The Living Values Compass did not point north. It did not point to treasure. It did not identify enemies.
It trembled when a situation tried to rearrange values unnaturally.
If a trap made a minor issue feel urgent, it warned.
If an enemy arranged real danger to hide greater catastrophe, it warned.
If Qin Yuheng’s own guilt distorted priority, it warned.
It did not choose for him.
It clarified.
Qin Wanshan approved deeply.
"A ruler needs this. A commander needs it more. A family heir needs it most."
Qin Yuheng did not yet consider himself family heir in full public sense, but internally, the role was approaching.
Qin Yuze was growing.
Qin Xue’er was watching.
Qin Zhengyuan was recovering slowly.
Qin Wanshan remained powerful, but older than he looked.
The family’s future would eventually demand more from Qin Yuheng.
The Living Values Compass helped him prepare without becoming trapped.
After Floor 80, the academy ordered another short break.
Yu Qingmei reviewed his progress.
"You crossed Floor 80 quickly by ordinary standards, but your floor complexity is abnormal. Rest."
Qin Mo supported rest enthusiastically.
Qin Lian did not object.
Qin Yuchen used the break to train Qin Yuze.
Qin Yuze hated and loved it.
Qin Xue’er began basic sword-body coordination with Mu Qinglan. Her movements had strange precision for her age. Sometimes silver-blue sparks appeared in her eyes when she concentrated.
Mu Qinglan quietly strengthened her suppression ornaments.
Not to block talent.
To prevent premature resonance.
Blood Sun remained quiet.
But Central Exchange sent another notice.
The Northwest Broken Ridge site would be sealed for now due instability. Multi-force research would continue remotely, but no deeper exploration was approved.
This was good news.
It meant Qin Yuheng did not need to respond immediately.
It also meant Mo Cangyan might seek another route.
Lin Xian’er confirmed hidden market demand for "Qin-compatible shadow items" had increased.
Gu Tianhe intensified monitoring.
Zhao Tianyu continued recovery and climbed several lower-risk floors, rebuilding his class. His attitude became colder toward outsiders but less explosive toward Qin Yuheng.
Jiang Yuexuan sent one more formal message:
Jiang Clan confirms false road construction attempts have slowed after Northwest Broken Ridge sealing.
This may indicate:
1. Enemy temporarily lost access.
2. Enemy achieved sufficient data.
3. Enemy changed target.
Assume third.
Qin Yuheng agreed.
Assume third.
Floor 81 file came.
[Floor 81: White Bone Treaty City]
Type:
Diplomatic ruin / treaty corpses / legal undead / false peace.
Warning:
Peace signed by corpses may still demand the living obey.]
Qin Mo sighed.
"Treaties again."
Lin Xian’er requested participation as external contract consultant but the Tower did not approve auxiliary support this time.
She handed Qin Mo a clean treaty checklist instead.
"Do not sign anything with bone ink."
Qin Mo took it solemnly.
Floor 81 involved ending false peace between undead factions whose treaty required living visitors to inherit obligations. Qin Yuheng broke corpse-bound treaty law without reigniting war. SSS reward: SSS Living Treaty Override Crystal.
Floor 82: Dreaming Iron Nursery, where future warriors were raised inside dreams. Qin Yuheng rescued child remnants from militarized dream scripts. Reward: Child Path Protection Bell.
This became important for Qin Yuze and Qin Xue’er’s training environment.
Floor 83: Red Thorn Crown Orchard, combining crown temptation and blood plants. Qin Yuheng used Blood-Sealing Guardian Thorn Seed resonance to distinguish guardian plants from predatory crown vines. Reward: Crown-Vine Severing Root.
Each floor continued building counters.
But Qin Yuheng sensed the Tower was also preparing him emotionally.
Younger generation protection.
Treaties.
Children.
False peace.
Training scripts.
The next enemy move might involve children or students, not warriors.
He warned Yu Qingmei.
She increased academy junior protections.
The warning proved timely.
A week later, a batch of academy preparatory students received invitation tokens to a "private elite future assessment."
Fake.
The tokens contained no lethal curse.
Only dream-script markers.
Had the children attended, they might have been placed into controlled dream training and subtly marked.
The scheme was exposed because Floor 82’s reward detected child-path manipulation.
Yu Qingmei’s face became murderous.
Blood Sun had touched academy children.
The game darkened.
Qin Yuheng did not rage publicly.
But in the Qin Estate, the Silent Heaven Army received a new directive:
Any network targeting children for dream-script marking would be treated as hostile priority.
Gu Tianhe smiled coldly.
"Understood."
