A figure appeared at the doorway, a man of medium height, wearing a black trench coat, with brown hair and green eyes, rough skin, and appearing to be in his late thirties.

He looked like an ordinary Red River person, but his eyes were narrowed severely, as if he had significant nearsightedness and had forgotten to wear his glasses.

As soon as this person entered, the chandeliers in the bar brightened considerably. Then, he saw Shang Jianyao.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, he spoke in a low voice:

"Who are you?"

As his voice echoed, the air inside the bar seemed to solidify, and faint crackling sparks flickered.

Shang Jianyao was not to be outdone. His eyes gradually brightened, becoming brighter and brighter, eventually turning into two balls of lightning.

This action visibly stunned the newcomer, who instinctively turned his head to avoid eye contact with this guy.

Jacob finally came to his senses and said weakly:

"He means no harm."

The man who liked to squint nodded.

The solidified air returned to normal, flowing freely, and the flickering sparks disappeared.

Jacob then turned to Shang Jianyao and said:

"My old customer, Hendrick."

Shang Jianyao "Oh"ed, retracted his electric eyes, and introduced himself:

"My Red River name is Doug."

Hendrick ignored him, walked to the bar, pulled out a high stool, and sat down.

"A lemon margarita," he said, squinting at Jacob.

Jacob began to skillfully mix the drink.

Shang Jianyao, completely oblivious to Hendrick's aloofness, asked in a familiar manner:

"Are you a regular here?

"Does that mean you no longer have a physical body?"

With a swish, Hendrick turned his head and looked at the guy. Dangerous light flickered in his narrowed green eyes.

Shang Jianyao comforted him:

"Relax, it's just normal reasoning, just like you can deduce that I'm a newbie who just entered the 'New World'."

Such frankness left Hendrick unsure how to respond.

Seeing this, Shang Jianyao asked with unwavering persistence:

"How did you lose your body? Did you die of old age, or were you deceived into giving it up willingly?"

Hendrick's brow twitched noticeably.

At this moment, Jacob helped him answer:

"Hendrick is one of the unluckiest ones.

"He didn't give up his body. It hasn't even been twenty years since he entered the 'New World'. He only became a pure spiritual being because of a disaster."

"Disaster?" Shang Jianyao was always professional when it came to playing along.

Perhaps knowing that Jacob was unwell and weak, Hendrick didn't let him do the work anymore and said himself:

"A major earthquake scattered my people and buried my body in the ruins."

"That's really unfortunate." Shang Jianyao looked empathetic.

This was a natural disaster, and no one could do anything about it.

Jacob placed the greenish-blue lemon margarita in front of Hendrick and exclaimed with a sigh:

"If Hendrick had been in the Ashlands at the time, the problem wouldn't have been so serious. The ability to interfere with matter should have been able to save his life when the building collapsed."

"That's fate." Hendrick and Shang Jianyao said in unison.

The two then looked at each other. The former looked slightly surprised, while the latter looked delighted, as if he had found a brother from another mother.

"I have a question," Shang Jianyao said with concern. "How do you pay after drinking? With the population of the 'New World,' there shouldn't be a mature monetary system, right?"

Jacob sighed and said:

"I don't require payment for drinks here. It's just that the amount of human consciousness I obtain each time is limited, so I have to be frugal, and it's not every time that I get any."

Clap, clap, clap, Shang Jianyao clapped his hands.

He praised in a lyrical tone:

"You have a noble sentiment of benefiting others without benefiting yourself."

Jacob smiled:

"I also have my benefits. If I were attacked, Hendrick and the others would definitely help me without hesitation. Otherwise, they would lose a stable source of human consciousness."

Shang Jianyao "Oh"ed and said honestly:

"Discussing this topic always makes me feel like we're devils trading in human souls."

"In a sense, that's correct," Jacob didn't hide anything.

Hendrick squinted, took a sip of his lemon margarita, and said expressionlessly:

"We are devils, abiding by order and rules, while there are demons who are unrestrained."

Shang Jianyao's mind had jumped to another place:

"Is the 'New World' very chaotic? Are there frequent attacks?"

Hendrick looked at the cocktail in front of him and said in a deep voice:

"Unless there is a large-scale disturbance, the Archons won't care what we do.

"This place is like an exile for consciousness. Chaos and disorder are the main themes."

Jacob followed up, saying:

"Only by finding suitable companions and uniting can you obtain a stable life. Otherwise, you might be defeated and imprisoned by others, becoming a battery to be exploited."

As he said this, he looked at Shang Jianyao, seeming to assess whether this guy was suitable to join his team.

"Battery?" Shang Jianyao clapped again. "That's a very accurate description!"

He laughed for a few seconds, then suddenly became indignant:

"The rumors about the 'New World' in the Ashlands are all fake!

"They say the land here is fertile, the sun is bright, they say the children are happy, the adults are blessed, they say there is no desolation, monsters, infection, distortion, and all kinds of dangerous things. It's all fake!"

In fact, every antiquarian, relic hunter, and historical researcher who has not yet entered the "Mind Corridor" believes that the New World is ethereal and does not exist at all, but is just a beautiful expectation of people.

"I suspect that the rumors of the 'New World' are spread by the Archons, so that every Awakened who can enter the 'Mind Corridor' aims to come here as the goal of their life." Hendrick's expression was not very good.

He took a big gulp of the lemon margarita, as if trying to forget the past pain.

"Then they get exiled, imprisoned." Shang Jianyao quite cooperatively completed the words that followed.

Speaking of this, he "Ah"ed and said:

"I almost forgot to ask one thing.

"How do you return to the Ashlands? I remember many people from the 'New World' can occasionally go back."

Hendrick's face became even more gloomy.

He kept his mouth shut, not answering.

Jacob glanced at him and said slowly:

"If your body is still there, you can obtain a projection of the gate by praying to an Archon, allowing you to return briefly."

"Briefly?" Shang Jianyao asked.

Jacob nodded and explained weakly:

"Essentially, it is a complete return, but the Archon who answers your prayer will leave a mark on your consciousness. If you exceed the allotted time and refuse to return, you will be forcibly dragged into the 'New World,' becoming food for that Archon."

"Then which Archon should I pray to?" Shang Jianyao wore a troubled expression.

There were too many choices on the Chart of Blessings of the Celestial Archons!

Jacob was quite frank:

"Personally, I rely on the power of 'Bodhi.' He is the most compassionate and merciful."

"Oh, oh." Shang Jianyao suddenly had a whimsical idea. "Then, is it possible to apply for a return of five days each time, applying once a week?"

Hendrick almost laughed. He took another sip of his lemon margarita and said:

"The premise of the Archons responding to you is that your application has sufficient reasons."

"I thought there was a bug to exploit." Shang Jianyao lamented, not hiding anything.

Without waiting for Jacob and Hendrick to respond, he jumped to another topic and asked:

"Besides the missing Cass, who else has entered that high tower and come out alive?"

Jacob had said earlier that he didn't know, but Hendrick revealed a hesitant expression.

After a few seconds, he squinted, looking Shang Jianyao up and down for a while and said:

"I heard that those who live near the tower have gone in, and many times."

"Are you referring to?" Jacob seemed to remember something.

Hendrick nodded:

"'Vice-Dean', 'Charlie', 'Professor Li', 'Doctor' and the others."

"Old friends!" Shang Jianyao clapped excitedly. "I'll pay them a visit later."

"They're not friendly," Jacob warned.

"Then I'll make them friendly," Shang Jianyao said confidently.

Jacob and Hendrick exchanged glances and chose to remain silent.

Shang Jianyao did not give them a chance to enjoy the silence and asked:

"Do you know Wu Meng?"

"This person..." Jacob hesitated.

"What's wrong with him?" Shang Jianyao asked.

Hendrick finished his lemon margarita, closed his eyes, and enjoyed it for a few seconds, saying:

"He's dangerous, more dangerous than us normal 'New World' residents."

"I suspect he has found the secrets of the Archons, although he should not have entered that high tower," Jacob added.

Shang Jianyao "Oh"ed:

"Then, what about 'Truth'? Have you heard of it?"

Jacob and Hendrick's expressions changed simultaneously.