This Character is Suspected of Cheating! [Unlimited Flow]

All of the toys from the Black Camp looked completely bewildered. He Yu's string of questions had left them utterly confused.

How far had their research progressed?

Did they know why order had collapsed?

What exactly had they discovered?

Every individual word made sense, so why did they become incomprehensible once they formed a question?

They simply didn't know.

He Yu's gaze never lingered on the confused toys. From the very beginning, the one he had been watching closely was the Thousand-Year Pine. If anyone still knew about the past, it had to be the oldest being alive.

He had lived the longest. He held the highest status within the Black Camp. If even he didn't know, then the rest of the Black Camp's toys almost certainly didn't either.

He Yu had chosen him as the breakthrough point.

The Thousand-Year Pine froze for a moment before slowly shaking his head in confusion.

"Lord He Yu, the Black Camp has no King, nor any Commander. All these years we've merely struggled to survive in the cracks between the Red and Green Camps. We barely have time to stay alive—how could we possibly have had the opportunity to conduct research?"

He smiled bitterly.

"And besides... look at us now. How could we even conduct research?"

He Yu's black bean-like eyes remained fixed on him in silence, carrying a strangely meaningful look.

The Thousand-Year Pine met his gaze. His trunk swayed slightly as he spoke in an aged yet earnest voice.

"The Black Camp has no more secrets. As for why order collapsed... I truly know nothing. The Black Camp has never preserved any records about it. You asked what we possess... in what sense do you mean?"

He Yu studied him deeply.

The Thousand-Year Pine was very short, only reaching the chest of an average person. Although he had lived for countless years, he still gave off the impression of being undernourished and frail.

Yet his pine needles were lush and emerald green, full of vitality. Having grown underground for ages, the basement's limited height had forced him to expand sideways. His trunk had become round and stout, brimming with vigor. He could clearly live for a long time yet.

He Yu withdrew his gaze and focused on the pine's eyes.

His voice remained calm.

"Do you still have the Black Camp's flag... or whatever is used to make the flag?"

The Thousand-Year Pine was taken aback. After a long pause, he slowly shook his head.

"No. They're all gone."

Hearing that, He Yu merely smiled without saying a word.

The Thousand-Year Pine's smile became even more bitter.

"Lord He Yu, the Black Camp is in even worse condition than you imagine. If you're curious about the Black Camp's past, I can tell you..."

He Yu nodded.

"Please."

The little white dumpling was adorable. The glasses perched on his face only made him look even more innocent. Yet his expression was extremely serious, his black bean-like eyes completely focused. It was almost as though he were trying very hard to maintain a dignified image.

Unfortunately—

[Bullet Screen: "Yuyu is so cute! The contrast is adorable!"]

[Bullet Screen: "The Tangyuan He Yu pillow is the only thing keeping me going, sob... I even bought the deluxe version. They say it feels exactly the same, but why do I still think the real He Yu would be even softer to cuddle?"]

[Bullet Screen: "I think so too..."]

Inside the underground cavern, He Yu stood upon his Wind Fire Wheels, with Wanrenzhan in his shortsword form beside him.

Eugene, Zhante, and the others all gathered around, including the toys. They surrounded the old pine tree and waited to hear the story.

Naturally, He Yu occupied the best seat, directly across from the old pine.

The old pine began his tale.

"Six hundred years ago, order collapsed. Every species on this planet descended into complete chaos. Humans became animals, plants, tools, and all sorts of other things. Together, they became what is now called the Black Camp. The term 'toys' only appeared later, after the Red and Green Camps grew powerful.

"No one knows how the species collapse happened. They only know that after [N O V E L I G H T] it occurred, three things were left behind. The original animals, the original plants, and the original humans each took one, forming the Red, Green, and Black Camps."

At this point, Duan Yuchen interrupted.

"What were those three things?"

The Thousand-Year Pine shook his head.

"I don't know either. The ones who possessed them were the Kings. We called those three things the Inheritances. The reason a King was a King was because they possessed an Inheritance. They remained forever inside the main city's castle, guarding the Inheritance until the day they passed it to the next King. No one else was ever allowed to see it."

It was actually quite understandable.

The Red, Green, and Black Camps constantly infiltrated one another, especially the Red and Green Camps, which regularly planted spies in each other's territory.

If only the King ever saw the Inheritance, and no one knew what it actually was, then it would remain far safer.

The people of this shattered world revered their Kings absolutely. If the King chose not to tell them, they never questioned it or even grew curious.

After explaining the "Inheritance," the old pine continued.

"For the first two hundred years after the collapse, the Black Camp remained the strongest. Although many people had transformed into bizarre forms and could no longer use equipment, we understood this planet better than anyone else. Every city on this planet had originally been built by us. The Black Camp was no weaker than the Red or Green Camps.

"But beginning in the third century, the Red and Green Camps had already grown accustomed to living as 'humans.' They had mastered equipment, and their strength far surpassed ours. Then they joined forces. Together they drove the Black Camp back step by step. Our cities dwindled, and our flags were cut down one after another."

Cheng Zhao couldn't help asking,

"The Red and Green Camps could actually cooperate? They're killing each other now."

Without waiting for the old pine to answer, Yuan Ze explained,

"Right now they're fighting over control of the planet. The Black Camp isn't considered much of a threat anymore, so the final victor will naturally emerge from between the two of them. But four hundred years ago, neither the Red nor Green Camp was stronger than the Black Camp. And both hated the Black Camp. Naturally, they joined together to eliminate us first."

The old pine nodded.

"Exactly. At that time, they were determined to wipe out the Black Camp. In only one hundred years, they pushed us to the brink of extinction. More than two hundred years ago—when Old Stone infiltrated the Red Camp to gather information—the Black Camp was already in an extremely desperate situation. Originally, every city had belonged to us. By then, only one remained.

"We sent Old Stone away hoping his abilities would allow us to gather intelligence and turn the tide. Sadly, shortly after he left, before any information could return, the Red and Green Camps launched their final assault against the Black Camp. They attacked our capital directly. We wanted to help the King escape... but the King refused to leave. The Red and Green Camps killed him."

As soon as those words were spoken, many of the toys could no longer suppress their grief.

Large tears rolled silently down their faces.

The entire underground chamber filled with sorrow.

Even Old Stone began crying uncontrollably.

No wonder no one had ever come to retrieve him.

At that time, the Black Camp had already fallen. Every toy had become homeless. Their King was dead. Their territory was gone. The Red and Green Camps hunted them relentlessly...

They had barely managed to survive themselves.

By the time anyone remembered Old Stone, they could no longer find him.

His disguise had been simply too perfect.

The old pine did not cry.

He merely sighed.

"The King was gone. The Crown Prince was also killed. Every city had fallen. The Black Camp was nearly exterminated. The toys who escaped struggled to survive, clinging to life until today."

That was the entire history of the Black Camp's development.

The histories of the Red and Green Camps were intertwined with it.

It was tragic...

Yet remarkably straightforward.

The old pine had finished everything he knew.

He looked at He Yu.

"My lord, that's all the information I possess. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Eugene's masked face lifted.

Frowning, he asked,

"If every camp has an Inheritance and a flag, then after your King died and the capital fell... what happened to your Inheritance and your flag?"

The old pine shook his head with another sigh.

"The King died. No one knows where the Inheritance is, nor what it actually is. During all these years, no one has ever sensed the Black Camp's Inheritance either, so..."

So the Black Camp had most likely lost its Inheritance.

Without an Inheritance, no new flags could be created.

The existing flags had already been cut down by the Red and Green Camps.

Both the Inheritance and the flags had disappeared.

He Yu looked at him.

His voice remained flat.

"Is that everything you intended to tell me?"

The old pine nodded.

He Yu turned on his Wind Fire Wheels.

His voice was calm and emotionless.

"I thought I had already earned your trust. But it seems you'd rather watch the Black Camp perish than gamble once."

"My lord... what do you mean?" Old Stone asked in confusion.

The old pine also looked completely puzzled.

He Yu paused slightly.

His eyes remained devoid of emotion.

"So long as I belong to the Black Camp, I will help the Black Camp. Stay peacefully in Lilu City. As I said before, as long as you're here..."

"...you are absolutely safe."

His tone suddenly grew colder.

The reflection on his lenses gleamed with icy indifference.

"But that is all I can do. If you want more... if you want the Black Camp to rise again... if you want the Black Camp to reclaim cities..."

"...then I hope you'll tell me the truth."

"Reveal every secret you've been hiding."

After saying that, he rode away directly on his Wind Fire Wheels.

His round little figure receded into the distance, somehow carrying both elegance and unwavering resolve.

The toys were stunned.

Even Eugene and the others were caught off guard by He Yu's reaction.

He simply left.

Without the slightest hesitation.

"Ah—Lord He Yu! Wait!" Old Stone shouted after him.

But He Yu never looked back.

He flew straight out through the exit.

Wanrenzhan hurried after him.

Duan Yuchen and the others exchanged helpless glances.

The toys immediately erupted into discussion.

"What did Lord He Yu mean?"

"Are there really more secrets? I don't know any!"

"Lord He Yu seems angry. Is he going to abandon us?"

"Oh no! What do we do now?"

...

Old Stone sighed repeatedly.

"Oh dear... Lord He Yu must have misunderstood. There really aren't any more secrets. That's everything!"

The old pine remained silent.

His brows were tightly furrowed.

Not hearing any response, Old Stone suddenly turned toward him in horror.

"Wait... don't tell me you really are hiding another secret?!"

The old pine: "..."

His expression twisted in agony.

Even the face on his trunk scrunched into something resembling a steamed bun.

—There really was another secret.

Eugene had watched everything.

His masked face remained expressionless.

His gaze turned cold.

"We belong to the same camp. He Yu risks his life by acting as a double agent inside two enemy camps. Everything he does is for your sake."

"And yet..."

"...you still refuse to trust him."

"No..." the old pine instinctively denied.

Yuan Ze sneered.

"Then why are you still hiding secrets?"

"Why won't you trust him?"

The old pine clenched his teeth without answering.

He looked deeply conflicted.

Cheng Zhao said quietly,

"Forget it."

"If the Black Camp perishes, then so be it."

"We'll survive as long as we stay with He Yu."

"After all, he's already a General of both the Red and Green Camps."

Zhante added fuel to the fire.

"Exactly."

"The one person who sincerely wants to help your camp..."

"...is the very person you refuse to trust."

Gedai climbed out of the mud pit with a snort.

His mechanical eyes were icy.

"Whoever wants to keep digging this underground city can do it themselves."

"If you don't trust He Yu, then you don't trust us."

"So why should we continue sacrificing ourselves for the Black Camp?"

"We might as well follow He Yu and join the Red Camp."

Siya spoke softly,

"Joining the Green Camp would work too."

"Judging by the current situation, the Green Camp is bound to win eventually."

"The Red and Black Camps will be wiped out sooner or later."

Without exchanging a single glance, they flawlessly completed the second act after He Yu's departure.

The moment Eugene spoke, everyone already understood He Yu's intentions.

Of course they would cooperate.

Why would they cooperate with the Black Camp instead?

Their expressions were uniformly cold.

They stood together, silently staring at the toys.

The oppressive atmosphere was overwhelming.

Especially Eugene and Cheng Zhao—both excellent actors.

Their eyes conveyed equal measures of anger and disappointment, making every toy in the Black Camp increasingly uncomfortable.

Led by Old Stone, the toys all turned toward the Thousand-Year Pine.

"Grandpa Pine, please trust Lord He Yu."

"Yes! We're doomed anyway. We might as well trust him. What if he's our final hope?"

"Are you really going to watch the Black Camp disappear?"

"Grandpa Pine, please stop hiding things!"

...

The old pine's expression became indescribably complicated.

Several times he opened his mouth to speak.

Each time he swallowed the words back.

His face turned red.

Finally he muttered,

"It's not that I don't trust him..."

"You don't understand."

"None of you understand."

At that moment, Duan Yuchen stepped forward.

The others had already played the villains.

Now it was his turn to play the good cop.

He sighed deeply, his eyes filled with concern.

"Old Pine, they only spoke harshly because they're angry. Please don't take it personally."

"We'll still do what needs to be done."

"I'll continue forging weapons."

"They'll continue digging the underground city."

"After all..."

"...we're members of the same camp."

"We share the same hatred."

"We live and die together."

The old pine shook his head.

"I'm not angry."

"It's just..."

"It's just..."

Once again, he stopped himself.

Duan Yuchen immediately said sincerely,

"Old Pine, are you refusing to speak because you don't believe He Yu can help the Black Camp gain a foothold?"

"I'm telling you..."

"He's truly incredible."

"If he says he'll accomplish something..."

"...then he will."

The old pine looked at him, still full of hesitation.

Eugene suddenly exploded in frustration.

"Fine."

"Old Pine."

"We'll let He Yu prove himself once more."

"Within three days..."

"...Lilu City will change camps again."

"It will belong to the Green Camp instead of the Red Camp."

The old pine and the other toys all widened their eyes in disbelief.

—Change camps again?!

It had only just switched camps.

And now it would switch again within three days?

That was practically impossible.

Could He Yu really accomplish it?

Every toy found themselves doubting.

That was exactly the doubt Eugene wanted.

He snorted coldly.

"Then wait and see."

"If He Yu really accomplishes it..."

"...will you trust him?"

After a pause, he added,

"Don't worry."

"The Black Camp has nothing left worth coveting."

"If we truly wanted to harm you..."

"...we could wipe you all out right now."

The toys: "..."

The old pine: "..."

It made far too much sense.

There was simply no rebuttal.

The old pine's bark shifted slightly.

After a long silence, he finally said,

"Let's wait three days."

He still made no promises.

He didn't even admit there truly was another secret.

He merely closed his eyes and quietly became a tree again, refusing to speak further.

That stubborn old fossil.

Eugene cursed inwardly.

Outwardly, he only gave another cold snort.

Then, through the team chat, he contacted He Yu.

"He Yu, He Yu! Three days to change camps. The old fossil didn't admit anything. He only said to wait three days. What does he actually mean? What if he refuses to honor it afterward?"

He Yu replied,

"He won't."

"He's observing my ability."

"The secret Old Pine intends to hand over is extremely important."

"So he needs to entrust it to someone both trustworthy and capable."

Since Eugene and the others had cooperated so well just now, He Yu was willing to explain a little.

Hearing that, Eugene asked nothing further.

[Bullet Screen: "Their teamwork is amazing. It's hard to believe they're all competing for the Top Thousand. Right before the elimination matches, they're actually cooperating instead of killing each other."]

[Bullet Screen: "This year's contestants are incredibly strong, but the fighting hasn't been that intense."]

[Bullet Screen: "Exactly. It's all because of He Yu. The King of Battlefield Control. As long as He's around, every team ends up united—whether willingly or unwillingly. Hahaha."]

Wanrenzhan asked curiously,

"He Yu, how did you know he was hiding something? And how did you know he wasn't telling the whole truth?"

They had already left the underground city and were returning toward the castle.

The night was silent.

Only a bright full moon hung overhead, illuminating the road before them.

Moonlight reflected off He Yu's glasses.

The thin line that served as his mouth opened slightly.

"He wasn't lying."

"He simply didn't tell us everything."

"As for how I knew..."

"...it's very simple."

"If the Black Camp has survived until today..."

"...then it can't possibly have lost its Inheritance."

"Otherwise..."

"...how were the new toys born?"

Wanrenzhan, Bo Jingshan, along with the accompanying Qiong and Ling Buchen, all froze.

That's right.

Humans reproduced naturally.

But toys, as non-living objects, how could they reproduce?

They still subconsciously regarded themselves as humans, so they had overlooked such an obvious question.

All three camps required the rules of their respective camps in order to reproduce.

In other words...

They required the Inheritance.

—Without it, the Black Camp would have gone extinct long ago.

He Yu continued,

"Besides, the Black Camp has existed for hundreds of years."

"They may have been defeated, but neither the King nor the Elders would have failed to leave behind at least some information about the Inheritance."

"Old Pine never said the Red and Green Camps destroyed the Inheritance."

"So that means..."

"...the Red and Green Camps never obtained it."

He instinctively reached up to adjust his glasses.

Unfortunately, his arms were too short.

The moment he raised one hand, he quietly lowered it again.

His expression darkened slightly.

Fortunately, nobody noticed.

His carefully maintained image remained intact.

He took a slow breath before continuing,

"Old Pine said something earlier."

"He mentioned that they intended to escort the King away..."

"...but the King refused to leave."

Wanrenzhan frowned.

"What's strange about that?"

He couldn't understand.

Qiong rolled her eyes.

"Obviously there's something strange!"

"The King possessed the Inheritance."

"They were carefully raised for that responsibility."

"How could they not understand their own importance?"

"In that situation, if escape were possible, they absolutely should have escaped together with the Inheritance."

"They wouldn't have stayed behind just to die."

That wasn't cowardice.

It was exactly what the King should have done.

He Yu nodded approvingly at Qiong.

"Qiong's analysis is correct."

"If the King didn't leave..."

"...then there was only one possibility."

"He couldn't."

"That may be connected to Old Pine's secret."

"We've truly touched upon the key to this world's species collapse."

Everyone immediately brightened.

Being trapped in these forms...

Unable to use equipment...

Unable to move with human bodies...

They all found it unbearable.

Naturally, they wanted to leave as quickly as possible and become human again instead of living in constant anxiety.

Holding the stone that was Ling Buchen, Qiong sighed.

"He Yu..."

"After we leave this instance..."

"...may I learn energy cultivation from you?"

"After this instance, I finally realized something."

"Without equipment..."

"...we're practically useless."

Although He Yu's group also possessed little combat strength in this instance, that was because of the rules.

As humans, they could still use energy.

They could still use what was called He Qi.

But contestants who depended entirely on equipment became exactly like this once their equipment failed.

Qiong wasn't foolish.

She could weigh gains and losses.

Previously she hadn't cared because equipment had always been more valuable.

After personally experiencing life without equipment, however, she immediately changed her mind.

She also understood that learning such a technique would certainly require paying a price.

As long as it was something she could afford...

She was willing.

He Yu did not answer immediately.

He neither agreed nor refused.

Understanding his meaning, Qiong asked no more.

As they drew closer to the castle, she quietly sank back underground.

—She knew He Yu didn't want to negotiate terms in front of the cameras.

[Bullet Screen: "I want to learn from He Yu too!"]

[Bullet Screen: "We'll be able to soon! The passage to Blue Star is about to open. Once it does, Blue Star will release the cultivation method publicly, and everyone can learn!"]

[Bullet Screen: "Hahaha! I can't wait! At that point Blue Star will become an ordinary planet, and He Yu won't be some 'garbage planet' person anymore!"]

[Bullet Screen: "...After seeing He Yu's brain, does anyone still think people from garbage planets are inferior?"]

—

They returned to the castle.

Li Mao and Black Bear immediately rushed over, their faces filled with excitement.

"General! Are you alright? You weren't injured, were you?"

"Did they make things difficult for you? If they did, we'll avenge you!"

He Yu shook his head.

"No."

"They weren't capable of making things difficult for me."

Li Mao finally relaxed.

The wrinkles on his face eased as he asked curiously,

"General, did you manage to gather any useful information?"

He Yu nodded without hesitation.

"I did."

"The Black Camp's Inheritance still exists."

The two of them froze.

"!!!"

[Bullet Screen: "...It doesn't seem like He Yu actually learned that?"]

[Bullet Screen: "I'm so curious what he's planning now!"]

[Bullet Screen: "The Black Camp: You dumped another pot on us!"]

Black Bear immediately clenched his fists excitedly.

"So they still have an Inheritance!"

"In that case, we must attack the toys again."

"We have to destroy them."

"Completely."

He Yu shook his head.

"First, we're already being suppressed by the Green Camp."

"It wouldn't be wise to attack the Black Camp now."

"Second..."

"I only know they still possess the Inheritance."

"I don't know where it is."

"I need to continue investigating."

The two looked somewhat disappointed, but they still nodded.

"You've worked hard, General."

Their gratitude was completely genuine.

Their General had repeatedly risked his life.

He was an undercover agent in the Green Camp...

And another undercover agent in the Black Camp...

Everything he did was for their sake.

How could they not be grateful?

He Yu glanced at them calmly.

"The reason the Black Camp told me all this..."

"...was because I claimed to be a General serving both the Red and Green Camps."

"I also promised them that as long as they remained in Lilu City, they would be absolutely safe."

"In order to maintain their trust..."

"...none of you are to attack the toys for the time being."

"Once I locate their Inheritance..."

"...the Green Camp will deal with them."

"Yes, General!"

Both answered loudly without the slightest suspicion.

So what if they temporarily stopped attacking the toys?

Killing one or two weak toys meant nothing anyway.

They trusted He Yu completely.

If he hadn't said those things, he never could have earned the Black Camp's trust or obtained valuable intelligence.

The fact that he had honestly reported everything to them only proved one thing—

He trusted them.

Because he belonged to the Red Camp.

That was beyond question.

No one was allowed to doubt their General.

Thus, all three camps had developed an extremely bizarre line of thinking.

The Red Camp:

He Yu is the Green Camp's General, and also belongs to the Black Camp...

...but only we know that he truly belongs to the Red Camp.

The Green Camp:

He Yu is the Red Camp's General, and also belongs to the Black Camp...

...but only we know he truly belongs to the Green Camp.

The Black Camp:

He Yu is the Red Camp's General, and also the Green Camp's General...

...but only we know he truly belongs to the Black Camp.

The audience: "..."

—At this point, even we have no idea which camp he actually belongs to.