Kong Wanqing wasn’t in a good mood.
After cooperating with Guo Wei, he planned to sit back and watch the tigers fight*. In the past few days, Kong Wanqing had been hiding in the “radio station” constructed by Guo Wei, observing the two peace talks.
*(坐山观虎斗) Idiom referring to a third party benefiting from two other parties’ conflict and struggle.
It shouldn’t be like this.
Wasn’t Yin Ren an evil being? This guy’s behavior was thousands of miles away from that of an evil being. He even wanted to save a dead guy.
Wasn’t Zhong Chengshuo an ordinary person? How could an ordinary person be this indifferent to such a place, and nothing happened after he lost his memories.
The risk posed by these two people was too high. He couldn’t see through either of them, so there was no point in peace talks. It was more like he was sent to test them.
Kong Wanqing wanted to stimulate the evil thing first, then come up with a scenario where the evil thing went crazy and killed his teammates. Unexpectedly, the evil thing reacted extremely quickly, and the other three were pushed to the school gate…
That was where the fluctuation of spells was the strongest.
“Idiot.” Kong Wanqing spat out pus and blood as the red rope shot out.
They formed cobwebs in the dark, trying to stop the three of them. A cluster of blade-like black hair pierced out from Zhong Chengshuo’s chest and shattered the red net into several large pieces.
Then they trembled and retracted in Yin Ren’s direction.
At the same time, a burning door frame appeared at the school gate. In the dim light of the fire, Zhong Chengshuo rushed towards the door, one arm holding Ge Tingting and the other holding Huang Jin.
How?
Kong Wanqing gritted his teeth. His mouth was full of sweet pus and blood.
Ordinary evil things couldn’t easily destroy a corruption source of an Evil Force.
Shadows flickered around. The evil thing “worst memory” was slowly appearing. An unspeakable sense of oppression spread, causing Kong Wanqing to feel as if his back was constantly being scraped by the blade of a knife.
Almost instantly, the red rope was ejected, pushing Kong Wanqing nearly a hundred meters away.
The temperature sharply dropped, and the darkness dissipated into a turbid mist. The real campus was covered by a wide illusion, and in the mist, the illusion quickly extended into the distance.
Green and red lights swayed in the thick fog. The lights were gloomy, and the green mixed with white was like the junction of Yin and Yang. In the distance, there were distorted mountain cliffs with wet and rotten mud at the bottom. Low and dilapidated houses loomed in the mist.
Those architectural styles were very old, holding green and red lanterns that sat windless under the eaves.
Every door and window were closed. Carrion corpses leaned against the remains of the earthen wall, and the air was filled with the smell of corruption and burning. There were piles of rotting food debris in front of every house, and the vague sound of songs reverberated throughout the illusion.
[When the red light is on and the green light is burning, every household close their door.]
[Speak carefully with your back to the door for three more days, when the fruits and melons ripen.]
[Pray for tranquility, wish for good fortune, and shut your eyes so you can’t see.]
[The rooster sings, with footsteps far away, come back next year and report in peace.]
The tune of the ballad was sharp and weird, causing Kong Wanqing’s scalp to explode as the mist rushed all over the ground. As a veteran ghost master, he had an instinctive intuition about the level of danger from evil things.
Something was wrong.
Swish.
A soft scraping sound came from the center of the village… which was exactly where Yin Ren was.
The scene in front of him was calm, and the sound was also very peaceful, but the abyss-like fear bit Kong Wanqing fiercely. His internal organs seemed to be grounded by icy fangs.
Swish.
The sound spread around the village, as soft as the tide… Perhaps he was going crazy. Kong Wanqing felt that “Yin Ren” had become huge.
The poisonous panic penetrated deep into his brain, twisting his thoughts into pieces that he couldn’t even maintain his flying skills.
What exactly is Yin Ren?!
Kong Wanqing gritted his teeth and ran towards the exit created by Shian.
Swish.
The soft noise kept going as fear pierced him from head to toe. Kong Wanqing stiffened his neck and didn’t dare to look back.
It was too late to create an escape array. He would rather face Shian head-on than stay in this hellhole.
Must leave. He must leave.
The thick fog in front of Kong Wanqing kept rolling. The mud road stretched into a maze. The tinkling of small bells kept ringing, and across from him, something was stumbling in the middle of the road, its shadow shaking stiffly in the fog.
He immediately held his breath and instinctively stood against the wall, but the thing didn’t let him go—it stopped abruptly in front of Kong Wanqing and turned around slowly.
Kong Wanqing was numb in place. Cold sweat drenched his back in an instant.
This was just a phantom of a memory of that evil thing, but it had a terrifying aura. Just getting close, Kong Wanqing’s heart almost exploded with unprecedented fear…
In front of him was a three-meter-high, blood-red mass.
That thing was covered with a red cloth and yellow talismans of different shades. They were full of sealing techniques, and there were spots of old blood all over them. The black jade pieces engraved with mantras collided with each other, and there was a bone chain that circled around the red cloth, covered with black and red stains.
It looked like a deformed chrysalis.
At the bottom of the layers of seals, a pair of human feet were exposed on the edge of the dilapidated red cloth. The feet were pale and beautiful, with warning bells tied around their ankles, ringing with each faltering movement.
It stopped in front of Kong Wanqing for a while, tilting its body slightly. Kong Wanqing trembled and closed his eyes…
“Bang!”
The thing tilted forward and slammed into the wooden door next to Kong Wanqing. The wooden door swayed three times, and the green light in front of the door trembled frantically.
This is an illusion. Just an illusion. Kong Wanqing kept repeating himself.
Swish. The sound of the mist gradually became clear, and the soft tone was accompanied by a chill that could freeze one’s heart.
Kong Wanqing scrambled away, almost losing the red rope in his hand, but he didn’t go far when he encountered a strange thing…
Behind the “human chrysalis”, there were several monsters in the shape of children. They were dressed up as men and women, wearing the hoods of big-headed dolls, and bouncing around the houses. The dolls were crudely made, with chapped surfaces and stains with suspicious dark blotches.
There was a clear sound of breathing and laughter coming from their hoods.
“Bang!” The human chrysalis finished banging on the door and went to bang on the next house.
Swish, swish, swish.
The breath of “Yin Ren” slowly approached. Kong Wanqing’s limbs were as heavy as a corpse. There seemed to be countless invisible hands scratching and tearing at his back.
The fog was faintly bloody. Kong Wanqing squeezed the red rope in despair. He forcibly moved his legs and continued to flee towards the edge of the illusion.
The human bones condensed into tall and short beasts, with the tops of thin limbs and empty eye sockets forming a string; their non-existent line of sight rained down like a shower. The grotesque ghosts lined up silently in a line, all of them lowering their heads as they followed behind the chrysalis.
Kong Wanqing ran desperately.
He bucked through huge arrays of evil creatures, roughly piercing through one phantom after another.
Half-human-tall, mummified corpses kicked and stomped, with beautiful eyes on the edge of the vine. The dark lights fluttered in the air, and the snow-white banners were spotless, staggering one by one in front of the fugitives. The bag-like beast turned its only eyes, reflecting Kong Wanqing’s wretched escape in its pupil.
Swish, swish.
Behind him, the weird voice was still spreading. There was a steady stream of phantoms from the evil team that continued to flow. The stench of corpses in the air was thick as soup, and that damn song echoed continuously.
Kong Wanqing lost his shoes while running. As he stepped into the mud with both feet, his eye bulged and his mind shattered.
Must… escape…
……
On the other side of the “artificial gap”, Fu Xingchuan’s expression was solemn.
He guarded in front of the “door”; his hands moving constantly as one after another protective array lit up, firmly protecting the artificial gap.
The ghost fetus had drastically changed again.
It was different from the previous home-like campus elements. It seemed to be contaminated by something, and the surface became flat and opaque. It no longer twitched but fell into an ominous, dead silence.
The blood vessel-like filaments on the surface of the ghost fetus skyrocketed, turning into black, fleshy pillars the size of tree trunks. Tens of millions of meat pillars poured into the vortex in the middle of the sky, causing the speed of the vortex to suddenly accelerate.
The “campus tumor”, which originally covered a small area, greatly expanded and spread in all directions. Fu Xingchuan had to adjust the position of the “artificial gap” at any time.
The voice of Guo Laifu’s consciousness almost disappeared, and there was only a slowly growing black hemisphere on the street. It gradually ate away at the neighborhood, like a slow-motion explosion. Dense evil qi overflowed from the surface of the black ball, and the terrifying pressure made it difficult to breathe.
Fu Xingchuan’s fire cage spell was shattered in an instant. Among the embers floating around, none of the monsters outside the cage rushed forward.
They froze in place like sculptures, motionless.
“Someone’s breath. Prepare!” Bao Linlin yelled.
Wang Zhou leaned into the artificial gap and caught a thin little girl’s wrist. The person on the other side was supporting her body as Wang Zhou pulled Ge Tingting out, then he grabbed Huang Jin’s arm with his other hand.
Huang Jin was much heavier than Ge Tingting, so Bao Linlin came to help. A rescue spirit weapon unfolded a protective barrier around the two people from Unit 9, quickly protecting them.
“Quick!” Wang Zhou was sweating all over as he poked his hands into the “door”. “Something’s not right. We have to get out quickly!”
But this time, he caught nothing.
Zhong Chengshuo’s head and shoulders protrude from the artificial gap, and his pair of eyes looked at Fu Xingchuan.
“The transfer of the injured has been completed. I’ll go back first.” Zhong Chengshuo spoke as if he was making a report.
What the hell are you going back to? Paradise? Wang Zhou almost choked. Bao Linlin frowned. She was about to say something but was stopped by Fu Xingchuan’s gesture.
“My partner is still in there,” Zhong Chengshuo said calmly.
“The situation is unknown. Shian won’t go in to rescue.”
Fu Xingchuan’s tone was stern, sounding like Professor Li.
“The artificial gap can only last for a few more minutes, and we need six more hours to complete the next one. In addition, the situation here is unstable. We may have to abandon you to evacuate at any time—do you understand the risk?”
“I understand.”
Zhong Chengshuo raised his eyes. “I won’t do things I’m not sure about.”
He didn’t wait for everyone’s reaction. As soon as his voice fell, Zhong Chengshuo plunged back into the darkness.
On the other side of the darkness, he was greeted by weird, thick fog and dim illusions. Zhong Chengshuo walked on the muddy road; his suit looked completely out of place in the ancient village.
…Was this Yin Ren’s “worst memory”?
A song with strange accents lingered in his ears, and green and red lights were stained in the mist. The terrifying sense of oppression was strong, but Zhong Chengshuo seemed to be unaware. He crossed the broken walls and ruins, passed the spoiled cold food and corpses, and headed all the way in the direction where the fog was thickest.
In terms of location, this was the center of the village where Yin Ren was originally located.
Gradually, shaking shadows began to appear in the mist. Zhong Chengshuo took a closer look. He saw a wretched man rushing towards him like a boar…
Kong Wanqing lost control and was running madly. His pants were full of dark water stains. The red rope that was wrapped around his wrist was dragging Guo Wei, who was floating at the end of the red rope, like a humanoid balloon.
“Get lost!”
The corners of Kong Wanqing’s mouth were overflowing with pus and blood. His eyes were bloodshot as they trembled in their sockets.
“Let me out—!” He rushed over desperately.
“No.” Zhong Chengshuo stated. “You know too much, and your memories need to be wiped.” Here and now, only Yin Ren could modify his memories.
The muddy, narrow road was tightly blocked by Zhong Chengshuo.
“You have to come with me to see Yin Ren,” Zhong Chengshuo said solemnly.
“You’re fucking crazy!” Kong Wanqing roared.
He braked sharply not far from Zhong Chengshuo. Before he could fully stop, he grabbed the void with his hand. At the end of the red rope, Guo Wei twitched in pain. At the same time, the red rope quickly entangled Kong Wanqing’s hands, turning roughly into a red gun.
So what about being immune to spells?
The Archive was a special situation. Guo Wei was the master of this consciousness, so he could influence Zhong Chengshuo. He only had to borrow some of his power.
Worry, hatred, fear… As long as negative emotions were magnified tens of millions of times, no matter how rational a person was, he would go crazy. This was the ability given to him by the Evil Force!
Kong Wanqing pulled the trigger.
A rope-knot bullet hit Zhong Chengshuo’s brow, causing him to lean his head back. However, under Kong Wanqing’s expectant gaze, the man slowly turned back and rubbed his forehead with a calm expression.
“That hurts a bit,” Zhong Chengshuo said sincerely as he took a step forward.
Kong Wanqing stumbled back a few steps, and behind him, the terrible “swish” sound came faintly.
Can’t go back.
Kong Wanqing shook his head vigorously. He concentrated his strength, and more than a dozen knotted bullets were shot at Zhong Chengshuo. Under the corruption of the Evil Force, his seven orifices gushed out pus and blood.
However, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t stop.
The man took off his suit jacket and instantly covered his relatively fragile features. In the next instant, the black fabric swayed, and all the dark red knotted bullets scattered all over the ground.
In front of him was the abnormal and appalling science post. Behind him was a weird, soft sound soaked in ice. His body was overdrawn and mixed with fear. Silver stars appeared in succession in Kong Wanqing’s vision.
…Absolutely can’t go back!
At this moment, the bell penetrated the thick fog, jingling, and the faint singing of song and footsteps on the mud sounded. The mighty procession of evil things kept passing through the memory illusion.
They’re coming.
This time, the queue of evil things came from behind Kong Wanqing. They bypassed the two people in the middle of the road, and their weird limbs stuck out of the fog, falling beside them from time to time. The cloth strips of the streamers brushed the tops of their two heads, and floating lights reflected the surroundings with a ghostly aura.
The cold air circled endlessly, distracting Zhong Chengshuo for a moment.
A chance!
Negative emotions were magnified and matched with “the worst memory that could materialize”. Guo Wei’s convulsions almost formed an afterimage as Kong Wanqing vomited a large amount of blood as he fired dozens of shots at Zhong Chengshuo’s chest.
In a trance, he had the illusion he was shooting out all his life. This time, the two of them were close to each other, so Kong Wanqing didn’t waste a single bullet.
But unlike the time with Yin Ren, Kong Wanqing wasn’t able to manifest any memories.
This person… Doesn’t have any negative emotions and not even a single bad memory?!
Zhong Chengshuo turned his gaze back and took the last step…
With a flash, he spun in front of Kong Wanqing and punched him in the stomach. Before Kong Wanqing could recover, his back slammed into the mud and he slid a few steps away.
Zhong Chengshuo’s blow was extremely heavy, causing Kong Wanqing to spew out a large pool of pus and blood, nearly unable to breathe. As soon as he was about to raise his gun, a foot wearing leather shoes stepped down steadily. Kong Wanqing’s right wrist made a muffled sound.
The red rope was scattered in a mess, and he immediately let out a scream.
However, this wasn’t enough.
Zhong Chengshuo ignored Kong Wanqing’s collapse and picked him up. He decisively dislocated his joints in a series of frighteningly skilled movements.
Tears and pain filled Kong Wanqing’s eyes. As he struggled, he tried to connect the red rope to Zhong Chengshuo’s body. Who would have thought the man would casually grab the source of corruption directly with his hand?
“It’s pretty strong.”
Discovering that this person planned to tie him up with the source of corruption, Kong Wanqing almost collapsed.
“That evil thing is out of control. You don’t understand. We’re seeking death if we go… You don’t understand…” The soft sound got closer to them. Kong Wanqing endured the severe pain of his dislocated joints and retreated like a worm in mud.
Zhong Chengshuo hummed perfunctorily, dragged Kong Wanqing back, and tied up his limbs.
After making sure that person was tied up, he dragged Kong Wanqing like a suitcase and continued to the center of the thick fog.
“I’ll negotiate with you! I was a bit rough just now. I was wrong… Zhong Chengshuo, stop! I’m your cousin!”
In the wet and cold mud, Kong Wanqing twisted his body desperately. “I’m your cousin! Your uncle is the manager of the Haigu Sunken Society… You… ack.”
Zhong Chengshuo’s footstep stopped.
Kong Wanqing raised his head expectantly but didn’t find even the slightest shock on the other’s face.
“I know. So what?” Zhong Chengshuo asked curiously.
“You… In the end…”
Seeing that the other party didn’t give an answer, Zhong Chengshuo lost interest. He turned around and continued dragging Kong Wanqing like a corpse.
They passed through the ranks of countless evil beings, through deformed bodies and limbs, and through tall and short evocation banners.
Zhong Chengshuo’s steps weren’t slow, without the slightest hesitation or evasion. His hard leather shoes stepped on the rotten mud, emitting a blood-like sticky gurgling sound.
Kong Wanqing refused to give up the struggle. After a moment of silence, Zhong Chengshuo took the initiative to speak.
“Kong Wanqing, second son of Kong Yao. A ghost master of Sunken Society, mainly acting as support, carrying out activities across the country, directly or indirectly leading to the death of 216 people.”
He was speaking as if they were having a chat.
“You have hurt countless people. Why are you so scared when it’s your turn?”
“Isn’t this, ack, bullshit?”
“In other words, you understand the fears of others but decide to ignore them.” Zhong Chengshuo concluded. “…How common.”
Kong Wanqing: “……”
Perhaps they all underestimated this person, he thought in a daze. Kong Wanqing had come into contact with many lunatics, but this cousin of his particularly creeped him out.
Swish.
The strange sound was close at hand. In the middle of the chaotic village, at the end of the procession of evil things, a huge silhouette faintly appeared in the thick fog.
Zhong Chengshuo still moved forward without any hesitation in his steps.
“No, no!!!” The sense of chaotic oppression almost pulverized him. Kong Wanqing screamed uncontrollably. “Please, don’t…”
Zhong Chengshuo stopped again.
Kong Wanqing gasped frantically and instinctively raised his face…
The moment he saw what was in front of him, his pupils suddenly dilated.
“Pop.”
With a very light sound, Zhong Chengshuo felt the rope around his hand loosen, and something splashed on his cheek.
He turned his head suspiciously and saw only bloody clothes.
Kong Wanqing’s clothes were scattered among the red rope and covered with a light red thick liquid. Looking closely, it looked like meat sauce that was so delicate it was almost liquid. They flooded into the mud, leaving no bones or hair behind.
Like a punctured water balloon, Kong Wanqing exploded on the ground.
Zhong Chengshuo: “…Ah.”
He turned around and raised his head.
“The reaction is more serious than looking directly at an Evil Spirit.”
In those dark eyes, the figure of a behemoth was reflected.
“I’m here to pick you up, Yin Ren.”
The author has something to say:
Big cousin, take a lunchbox*, goodbye.jpg
*Reference to when an actor makes their exit (after their death scene is filmed), they’re given a lunchbox as a goodbye from the set and crew.
Xiao Zhong: Ah, my cousin exploded.
Xiao Zhong: But I finally know why my partner doesn’t get fat after eating so much (×
Xiao Yin: Sobs—
Kong Wanqing wasn’t in a good mood.
After cooperating with Guo Wei, he planned to sit back and watch the tigers fight*. In the past few days, Kong Wanqing had been hiding in the “radio station” constructed by Guo Wei, observing the two peace talks.
*(坐山观虎斗) Idiom referring to a third party benefiting from two other parties’ conflict and struggle.
It shouldn’t be like this.
Wasn’t Yin Ren an evil being? This guy’s behavior was thousands of miles away from that of an evil being. He even wanted to save a dead guy.
Wasn’t Zhong Chengshuo an ordinary person? How could an ordinary person be this indifferent to such a place, and nothing happened after he lost his memories.
The risk posed by these two people was too high. He couldn’t see through either of them, so there was no point in peace talks. It was more like he was sent to test them.
Kong Wanqing wanted to stimulate the evil thing first, then come up with a scenario where the evil thing went crazy and killed his teammates. Unexpectedly, the evil thing reacted extremely quickly, and the other three were pushed to the school gate…
That was where the fluctuation of spells was the strongest.
“Idiot.” Kong Wanqing spat out pus and blood as the red rope shot out.
They formed cobwebs in the dark, trying to stop the three of them. A cluster of blade-like black hair pierced out from Zhong Chengshuo’s chest and shattered the red net into several large pieces.
Then they trembled and retracted in Yin Ren’s direction.
At the same time, a burning door frame appeared at the school gate. In the dim light of the fire, Zhong Chengshuo rushed towards the door, one arm holding Ge Tingting and the other holding Huang Jin.
How?
Kong Wanqing gritted his teeth. His mouth was full of sweet pus and blood.
Ordinary evil things couldn’t easily destroy a corruption source of an Evil Force.
Shadows flickered around. The evil thing “worst memory” was slowly appearing. An unspeakable sense of oppression spread, causing Kong Wanqing to feel as if his back was constantly being scraped by the blade of a knife.
Almost instantly, the red rope was ejected, pushing Kong Wanqing nearly a hundred meters away.
The temperature sharply dropped, and the darkness dissipated into a turbid mist. The real campus was covered by a wide illusion, and in the mist, the illusion quickly extended into the distance.
Green and red lights swayed in the thick fog. The lights were gloomy, and the green mixed with white was like the junction of Yin and Yang. In the distance, there were distorted mountain cliffs with wet and rotten mud at the bottom. Low and dilapidated houses loomed in the mist.
Those architectural styles were very old, holding green and red lanterns that sat windless under the eaves.
Every door and window were closed. Carrion corpses leaned against the remains of the earthen wall, and the air was filled with the smell of corruption and burning. There were piles of rotting food debris in front of every house, and the vague sound of songs reverberated throughout the illusion.
[When the red light is on and the green light is burning, every household close their door.]
[Speak carefully with your back to the door for three more days, when the fruits and melons ripen.]
[Pray for tranquility, wish for good fortune, and shut your eyes so you can’t see.]
[The rooster sings, with footsteps far away, come back next year and report in peace.]
The tune of the ballad was sharp and weird, causing Kong Wanqing’s scalp to explode as the mist rushed all over the ground. As a veteran ghost master, he had an instinctive intuition about the level of danger from evil things.
Something was wrong.
Swish.
A soft scraping sound came from the center of the village… which was exactly where Yin Ren was.
The scene in front of him was calm, and the sound was also very peaceful, but the abyss-like fear bit Kong Wanqing fiercely. His internal organs seemed to be grounded by icy fangs.
Swish.
The sound spread around the village, as soft as the tide… Perhaps he was going crazy. Kong Wanqing felt that “Yin Ren” had become huge.
The poisonous panic penetrated deep into his brain, twisting his thoughts into pieces that he couldn’t even maintain his flying skills.
What exactly is Yin Ren?!
Kong Wanqing gritted his teeth and ran towards the exit created by Shian.
Swish.
The soft noise kept going as fear pierced him from head to toe. Kong Wanqing stiffened his neck and didn’t dare to look back.
It was too late to create an escape array. He would rather face Shian head-on than stay in this hellhole.
Must leave. He must leave.
The thick fog in front of Kong Wanqing kept rolling. The mud road stretched into a maze. The tinkling of small bells kept ringing, and across from him, something was stumbling in the middle of the road, its shadow shaking stiffly in the fog.
He immediately held his breath and instinctively stood against the wall, but the thing didn’t let him go—it stopped abruptly in front of Kong Wanqing and turned around slowly.
Kong Wanqing was numb in place. Cold sweat drenched his back in an instant.
This was just a phantom of a memory of that evil thing, but it had a terrifying aura. Just getting close, Kong Wanqing’s heart almost exploded with unprecedented fear…
In front of him was a three-meter-high, blood-red mass.
That thing was covered with a red cloth and yellow talismans of different shades. They were full of sealing techniques, and there were spots of old blood all over them. The black jade pieces engraved with mantras collided with each other, and there was a bone chain that circled around the red cloth, covered with black and red stains.
It looked like a deformed chrysalis.
At the bottom of the layers of seals, a pair of human feet were exposed on the edge of the dilapidated red cloth. The feet were pale and beautiful, with warning bells tied around their ankles, ringing with each faltering movement.
It stopped in front of Kong Wanqing for a while, tilting its body slightly. Kong Wanqing trembled and closed his eyes…
“Bang!”
The thing tilted forward and slammed into the wooden door next to Kong Wanqing. The wooden door swayed three times, and the green light in front of the door trembled frantically.
This is an illusion. Just an illusion. Kong Wanqing kept repeating himself.
Swish. The sound of the mist gradually became clear, and the soft tone was accompanied by a chill that could freeze one’s heart.
Kong Wanqing scrambled away, almost losing the red rope in his hand, but he didn’t go far when he encountered a strange thing…
Behind the “human chrysalis”, there were several monsters in the shape of children. They were dressed up as men and women, wearing the hoods of big-headed dolls, and bouncing around the houses. The dolls were crudely made, with chapped surfaces and stains with suspicious dark blotches.
There was a clear sound of breathing and laughter coming from their hoods.
“Bang!” The human chrysalis finished banging on the door and went to bang on the next house.
Swish, swish, swish.
The breath of “Yin Ren” slowly approached. Kong Wanqing’s limbs were as heavy as a corpse. There seemed to be countless invisible hands scratching and tearing at his back.
The fog was faintly bloody. Kong Wanqing squeezed the red rope in despair. He forcibly moved his legs and continued to flee towards the edge of the illusion.
The human bones condensed into tall and short beasts, with the tops of thin limbs and empty eye sockets forming a string; their non-existent line of sight rained down like a shower. The grotesque ghosts lined up silently in a line, all of them lowering their heads as they followed behind the chrysalis.
Kong Wanqing ran desperately.
He bucked through huge arrays of evil creatures, roughly piercing through one phantom after another.
Half-human-tall, mummified corpses kicked and stomped, with beautiful eyes on the edge of the vine. The dark lights fluttered in the air, and the snow-white banners were spotless, staggering one by one in front of the fugitives. The bag-like beast turned its only eyes, reflecting Kong Wanqing’s wretched escape in its pupil.
Swish, swish.
Behind him, the weird voice was still spreading. There was a steady stream of phantoms from the evil team that continued to flow. The stench of corpses in the air was thick as soup, and that damn song echoed continuously.
Kong Wanqing lost his shoes while running. As he stepped into the mud with both feet, his eye bulged and his mind shattered.
Must… escape…
……
On the other side of the “artificial gap”, Fu Xingchuan’s expression was solemn.
He guarded in front of the “door”; his hands moving constantly as one after another protective array lit up, firmly protecting the artificial gap.
The ghost fetus had drastically changed again.
It was different from the previous home-like campus elements. It seemed to be contaminated by something, and the surface became flat and opaque. It no longer twitched but fell into an ominous, dead silence.
The blood vessel-like filaments on the surface of the ghost fetus skyrocketed, turning into black, fleshy pillars the size of tree trunks. Tens of millions of meat pillars poured into the vortex in the middle of the sky, causing the speed of the vortex to suddenly accelerate.
The “campus tumor”, which originally covered a small area, greatly expanded and spread in all directions. Fu Xingchuan had to adjust the position of the “artificial gap” at any time.
The voice of Guo Laifu’s consciousness almost disappeared, and there was only a slowly growing black hemisphere on the street. It gradually ate away at the neighborhood, like a slow-motion explosion. Dense evil qi overflowed from the surface of the black ball, and the terrifying pressure made it difficult to breathe.
Fu Xingchuan’s fire cage spell was shattered in an instant. Among the embers floating around, none of the monsters outside the cage rushed forward.
They froze in place like sculptures, motionless.
“Someone’s breath. Prepare!” Bao Linlin yelled.
Wang Zhou leaned into the artificial gap and caught a thin little girl’s wrist. The person on the other side was supporting her body as Wang Zhou pulled Ge Tingting out, then he grabbed Huang Jin’s arm with his other hand.
Huang Jin was much heavier than Ge Tingting, so Bao Linlin came to help. A rescue spirit weapon unfolded a protective barrier around the two people from Unit 9, quickly protecting them.
“Quick!” Wang Zhou was sweating all over as he poked his hands into the “door”. “Something’s not right. We have to get out quickly!”
But this time, he caught nothing.
Zhong Chengshuo’s head and shoulders protrude from the artificial gap, and his pair of eyes looked at Fu Xingchuan.
“The transfer of the injured has been completed. I’ll go back first.” Zhong Chengshuo spoke as if he was making a report.
What the hell are you going back to? Paradise? Wang Zhou almost choked. Bao Linlin frowned. She was about to say something but was stopped by Fu Xingchuan’s gesture.
“My partner is still in there,” Zhong Chengshuo said calmly.
“The situation is unknown. Shian won’t go in to rescue.”
Fu Xingchuan’s tone was stern, sounding like Professor Li.
“The artificial gap can only last for a few more minutes, and we need six more hours to complete the next one. In addition, the situation here is unstable. We may have to abandon you to evacuate at any time—do you understand the risk?”
“I understand.”
Zhong Chengshuo raised his eyes. “I won’t do things I’m not sure about.”
He didn’t wait for everyone’s reaction. As soon as his voice fell, Zhong Chengshuo plunged back into the darkness.
On the other side of the darkness, he was greeted by weird, thick fog and dim illusions. Zhong Chengshuo walked on the muddy road; his suit looked completely out of place in the ancient village.
…Was this Yin Ren’s “worst memory”?
A song with strange accents lingered in his ears, and green and red lights were stained in the mist. The terrifying sense of oppression was strong, but Zhong Chengshuo seemed to be unaware. He crossed the broken walls and ruins, passed the spoiled cold food and corpses, and headed all the way in the direction where the fog was thickest.
In terms of location, this was the center of the village where Yin Ren was originally located.
Gradually, shaking shadows began to appear in the mist. Zhong Chengshuo took a closer look. He saw a wretched man rushing towards him like a boar…
Kong Wanqing lost control and was running madly. His pants were full of dark water stains. The red rope that was wrapped around his wrist was dragging Guo Wei, who was floating at the end of the red rope, like a humanoid balloon.
“Get lost!”
The corners of Kong Wanqing’s mouth were overflowing with pus and blood. His eyes were bloodshot as they trembled in their sockets.
“Let me out—!” He rushed over desperately.
“No.” Zhong Chengshuo stated. “You know too much, and your memories need to be wiped.” Here and now, only Yin Ren could modify his memories.
The muddy, narrow road was tightly blocked by Zhong Chengshuo.
“You have to come with me to see Yin Ren,” Zhong Chengshuo said solemnly.
“You’re fucking crazy!” Kong Wanqing roared.
He braked sharply not far from Zhong Chengshuo. Before he could fully stop, he grabbed the void with his hand. At the end of the red rope, Guo Wei twitched in pain. At the same time, the red rope quickly entangled Kong Wanqing’s hands, turning roughly into a red gun.
So what about being immune to spells?
The Archive was a special situation. Guo Wei was the master of this consciousness, so he could influence Zhong Chengshuo. He only had to borrow some of his power.
Worry, hatred, fear… As long as negative emotions were magnified tens of millions of times, no matter how rational a person was, he would go crazy. This was the ability given to him by the Evil Force!
Kong Wanqing pulled the trigger.
A rope-knot bullet hit Zhong Chengshuo’s brow, causing him to lean his head back. However, under Kong Wanqing’s expectant gaze, the man slowly turned back and rubbed his forehead with a calm expression.
“That hurts a bit,” Zhong Chengshuo said sincerely as he took a step forward.
Kong Wanqing stumbled back a few steps, and behind him, the terrible “swish” sound came faintly.
Can’t go back.
Kong Wanqing shook his head vigorously. He concentrated his strength, and more than a dozen knotted bullets were shot at Zhong Chengshuo. Under the corruption of the Evil Force, his seven orifices gushed out pus and blood.
However, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t stop.
The man took off his suit jacket and instantly covered his relatively fragile features. In the next instant, the black fabric swayed, and all the dark red knotted bullets scattered all over the ground.
In front of him was the abnormal and appalling science post. Behind him was a weird, soft sound soaked in ice. His body was overdrawn and mixed with fear. Silver stars appeared in succession in Kong Wanqing’s vision.
…Absolutely can’t go back!
At this moment, the bell penetrated the thick fog, jingling, and the faint singing of song and footsteps on the mud sounded. The mighty procession of evil things kept passing through the memory illusion.
They’re coming.
This time, the queue of evil things came from behind Kong Wanqing. They bypassed the two people in the middle of the road, and their weird limbs stuck out of the fog, falling beside them from time to time. The cloth strips of the streamers brushed the tops of their two heads, and floating lights reflected the surroundings with a ghostly aura.
The cold air circled endlessly, distracting Zhong Chengshuo for a moment.
A chance!
Negative emotions were magnified and matched with “the worst memory that could materialize”. Guo Wei’s convulsions almost formed an afterimage as Kong Wanqing vomited a large amount of blood as he fired dozens of shots at Zhong Chengshuo’s chest.
In a trance, he had the illusion he was shooting out all his life. This time, the two of them were close to each other, so Kong Wanqing didn’t waste a single bullet.
But unlike the time with Yin Ren, Kong Wanqing wasn’t able to manifest any memories.
This person… Doesn’t have any negative emotions and not even a single bad memory?!
Zhong Chengshuo turned his gaze back and took the last step…
With a flash, he spun in front of Kong Wanqing and punched him in the stomach. Before Kong Wanqing could recover, his back slammed into the mud and he slid a few steps away.
Zhong Chengshuo’s blow was extremely heavy, causing Kong Wanqing to spew out a large pool of pus and blood, nearly unable to breathe. As soon as he was about to raise his gun, a foot wearing leather shoes stepped down steadily. Kong Wanqing’s right wrist made a muffled sound.
The red rope was scattered in a mess, and he immediately let out a scream.
However, this wasn’t enough.
Zhong Chengshuo ignored Kong Wanqing’s collapse and picked him up. He decisively dislocated his joints in a series of frighteningly skilled movements.
Tears and pain filled Kong Wanqing’s eyes. As he struggled, he tried to connect the red rope to Zhong Chengshuo’s body. Who would have thought the man would casually grab the source of corruption directly with his hand?
“It’s pretty strong.”
Discovering that this person planned to tie him up with the source of corruption, Kong Wanqing almost collapsed.
“That evil thing is out of control. You don’t understand. We’re seeking death if we go… You don’t understand…” The soft sound got closer to them. Kong Wanqing endured the severe pain of his dislocated joints and retreated like a worm in mud.
Zhong Chengshuo hummed perfunctorily, dragged Kong Wanqing back, and tied up his limbs.
After making sure that person was tied up, he dragged Kong Wanqing like a suitcase and continued to the center of the thick fog.
“I’ll negotiate with you! I was a bit rough just now. I was wrong… Zhong Chengshuo, stop! I’m your cousin!”
In the wet and cold mud, Kong Wanqing twisted his body desperately. “I’m your cousin! Your uncle is the manager of the Haigu Sunken Society… You… ack.”
Zhong Chengshuo’s footstep stopped.
Kong Wanqing raised his head expectantly but didn’t find even the slightest shock on the other’s face.
“I know. So what?” Zhong Chengshuo asked curiously.
“You… In the end…”
Seeing that the other party didn’t give an answer, Zhong Chengshuo lost interest. He turned around and continued dragging Kong Wanqing like a corpse.
They passed through the ranks of countless evil beings, through deformed bodies and limbs, and through tall and short evocation banners.
Zhong Chengshuo’s steps weren’t slow, without the slightest hesitation or evasion. His hard leather shoes stepped on the rotten mud, emitting a blood-like sticky gurgling sound.
Kong Wanqing refused to give up the struggle. After a moment of silence, Zhong Chengshuo took the initiative to speak.
“Kong Wanqing, second son of Kong Yao. A ghost master of Sunken Society, mainly acting as support, carrying out activities across the country, directly or indirectly leading to the death of 216 people.”
He was speaking as if they were having a chat.
“You have hurt countless people. Why are you so scared when it’s your turn?”
“Isn’t this, ack, bullshit?”
“In other words, you understand the fears of others but decide to ignore them.” Zhong Chengshuo concluded. “…How common.”
Kong Wanqing: “……”
Perhaps they all underestimated this person, he thought in a daze. Kong Wanqing had come into contact with many lunatics, but this cousin of his particularly creeped him out.
Swish.
The strange sound was close at hand. In the middle of the chaotic village, at the end of the procession of evil things, a huge silhouette faintly appeared in the thick fog.
Zhong Chengshuo still moved forward without any hesitation in his steps.
“No, no!!!” The sense of chaotic oppression almost pulverized him. Kong Wanqing screamed uncontrollably. “Please, don’t…”
Zhong Chengshuo stopped again.
Kong Wanqing gasped frantically and instinctively raised his face…
The moment he saw what was in front of him, his pupils suddenly dilated.
“Pop.”
With a very light sound, Zhong Chengshuo felt the rope around his hand loosen, and something splashed on his cheek.
He turned his head suspiciously and saw only bloody clothes.
Kong Wanqing’s clothes were scattered among the red rope and covered with a light red thick liquid. Looking closely, it looked like meat sauce that was so delicate it was almost liquid. They flooded into the mud, leaving no bones or hair behind.
Like a punctured water balloon, Kong Wanqing exploded on the ground.
Zhong Chengshuo: “…Ah.”
He turned around and raised his head.
“The reaction is more serious than looking directly at an Evil Spirit.”
In those dark eyes, the figure of a behemoth was reflected.
“I’m here to pick you up, Yin Ren.”
The author has something to say:
Big cousin, take a lunchbox*, goodbye.jpg
*Reference to when an actor makes their exit (after their death scene is filmed), they’re given a lunchbox as a goodbye from the set and crew.
Xiao Zhong: Ah, my cousin exploded.
Xiao Zhong: But I finally know why my partner doesn’t get fat after eating so much (×
Xiao Yin: Sobs—
