Chapter 101 Tomb Sweeping

summer.

The coastal city was swept up by the scorching sun and the blazing sea breeze. The marble tiles were burning hot. Citizens wore either revealing clothes, seeking the momentary coolness of the slowly blowing sea breeze, or they were wrapped up tightly, not wanting to get sunburned under the scorching sun.

Under the raised parasol, seafood sizzles on the hot plate, and with just a sprinkle of salt, its rich umami flavor bursts forth, making one's mouth water.

Tourists came and went on the beach, and a sparrow of ordinary color flew in from the shady area of ​​the sea-viewing area.

The sparrow perched on a branch, looking around before finally fixing its gaze on the golden, glistening, and fragrant squid on the hot plate.

"Group 7 in the Gamma direction, marked as number six, the third experiment has ended."

Sparrow returned to his original body, where a glaring incandescent light shone overhead and a cold, hard workbed lay beneath him, and the cut wounds healed rapidly.

His researcher came over, checked him over, and said, "He's in normal condition. Number Six, come back to your room with me."

He obediently left the laboratory and followed closely behind the researcher.

They recently changed the number again.

Since coming into contact with the world outside the laboratory, Number Six has quickly shed his ignorant and wild state and has become more critical of some of the practices of the laboratory and the researchers.

The frequent changes in numbering and the disruption of the order were intended to reduce the possibility of the experimental files being leaked or decrypted. The Empire secretly supported the operation of the experiments, but did not want this isolated scientific base to be exposed to outsiders.

I recently learned a description.

This is a "violation of human rights".

However, Number Six still doesn't understand whether the experimental subjects fall under the protection of human rights. To be precise, they are not human; besides a pitifully small amount of human genes, they contain the genes of a creature known as "the invisible."

They are the product of genetic fusion and mutation.

From the researchers' conversations, Number Six pieced together the whole process—the Empire, dissatisfied with its defeat in the western border war, restarted a plan proposed thirteen years ago by a mad scientist to create powerful and controllable weapons of war through experimentation. This plan was called "Project Radiance".

Number Six was the third experiment to survive; at that time, he was still Number Nine.

The laboratory was not lenient with its subjects; they had to compete with others for everything from food and water to shelter. The project leader firmly believed that only the whip could control everything; too much tenderness would cause the subjects to develop unwanted desires and greed, hindering the project's progress.

Passing through a row of cells, the prisoners inside remained silent, their dark eyes fixed on passersby.

They were foreigners captured by the empire, who worshipped the intangible and gained supernatural power from their worship. The person in charge believed that having a professional "advisory team" would greatly benefit their research.

The researcher took Number Six back to his room and locked the door.

Number Six was one of the few test subjects who had a private room. Although it was quiet and cramped, at least he didn't have to squeeze in with others. At night, he had to be wary of other test subjects going berserk.

Number Six knew he had a good reputation among the researchers. He knew how to act obedient, was emotionally stable, felt no pain, and could regenerate his limbs indefinitely. The researchers considered him, apart from having a very weak ability to inherit his traits, to be the most docile experimental subject.

Due to genetic defects caused by experimental loopholes, most of the experimental subjects were irritable and cruel, while a small number were immersed in their own world and had no reaction to the outside world. Experimental subjects like No. 6, who were "normal," were very rare, and the researchers treated him with care.

No one noticed that behind Number Six's calm, honest, and almost docile face lay a cunning heart.

He concealed the abilities he inherited from the coffin puppet's genetic body, and in the endless experiments and intervals, his thoughts left his body and spread towards the sky.

He can receive ripples from invisible entities weaker than himself, exchange information with them, and even reside in them.

This is the truth behind his honesty, because he spends most of his time wandering in the outside world, peeking at this colorful world, and doesn't care about the experiments happening on his own body.

"We haven't made any progress at all; we've hit a dead end!"

During a moment of mental wandering, Number Six heard the researcher's suppressed growl.

"With fewer and fewer experimental subjects available, it's time to consider other directions."

"What other direction is there? Sixteen years have passed, and my family has treated me like I'm dead!"

"...Everything for the Empire. We cannot stop until His Majesty's orders arrive."

A boring discussion.

Over the years, Number Six had long since figured out the situation of the laboratory and the researchers. This place could no longer attract his interest, and he continued to devote his thoughts to the world of higher dimensions.

As he grew older and his abilities gradually increased, Number Six's mental strength improved. Initially, he could only inhabit insects and small animals, but now he can focus his attention on large creatures—crossing the winding border, he acquired a body in a foreign city.

The wind and snow howled past, piling up a layer of snow deep enough to bury one's legs in an instant. Number Six pulled his head out of the snow and ice, revealing a pale, thin face as if he were dead.

Number Six took a deep breath, shivering from the cold.

This body was far more sensitive to pain than he was; for the first time, he felt the biting cold wind, and for the first time, he perceived heat and cold so vividly.

Number Six looked down and turned his palm over. In that short time, his palm and the back of his hand had turned red from the cold, and after the numbness, a slight pain and itching seeped out.

Surprisingly, this body was merely a human form mimicked by the alien insect—an extremely weak and invisible entity. Aside from its ability to transform into a creature several times larger than itself, the alien insect could be easily destroyed by any force.

The poor alien insect was unaware of the power of the wind and snow, and its life was frozen, allowing Number Six to take advantage of it.

Number Six, no, now we should call him Zhu Can.

He gleaned fragmented memories from the alien insect's still-fragmented mind; he had just secured a place at Pernambuco School through a philanthropist.

School.

Number Six chewed on the word greedily.

study.

Number Six had only ever heard of this concept from researchers before—

"These experimental subjects lack the ability to learn; they are so stupid that even the most ordinary fish are smarter than them!"

"No, no, there's one more—"

"You mean the one the old man used to be in charge of?" The researcher laughed dismissively. "Something that couldn't even distinguish whether it was a human, an intangible entity, or a machine—it actually thought it was a system we designed?"

"Isn't this a success?"

Number Six dragged his slender body and excitedly returned to the area where humans were active. His "kind" with high eyebrows and deep eyes looked at him with surprise and disgust, whispering among themselves.

Number Six dragged his frozen lips and forced out his first smile since taking over this body.

He followed humans, learning their every move, and found campus life much more interesting than the rigid laboratory. However, Number Six didn't like the densely packed books of humans.

Human attacks are more interesting. Number Six is ​​very curious: how do these weak creatures dare to provoke beings stronger than themselves?

With just a little manipulation, these people's brains would be instantly damaged, more fragile than paper.

These people should be thankful that Number Six is ​​always cautious outside and would never leave any trace.

Number Six thus took root in the human school and never got tired of it for a long time.

Until one day during class time, he was wandering around the campus when he suddenly caught sight of a boy in the flower corridor not far away.

Even in spring and summer, a chill lingers here, and the fragrant flowers in the flower corridor seem shrouded in a melancholy mist. A pair of icy blue eyes are hidden behind the branches and leaves, and her slightly curled, brilliant golden hair is brighter than the sun.

Number Six had seen many of his kind in the jungle, in the shadows, and in the night, but this was the first time he had seen a humanoid, intangible being on campus.

They are of the same kind.

Number Six was overjoyed and wanted to run towards the flower corridor, but in that instant, fatigue surged in like a tide, drowning out his clear mind.

Number Six closed his eyes wearily, and in the darkness, a faint, alluring blue lingered.

He heard a sigh.

"..."

"I dreamt of you again. Is there something you want to tell me? I've come to see you. Let the wind tell me."

Lu Xuejin, dressed in a white shirt, stood before the tombstone, slowly bending down to gently place the white chrysanthemum in her arms. In early spring, the wind was half warm and half cool, lifting a few strands of hair. Lu Xuejin pressed them down, her fingers brushing against the corners of her reddened eyes, and neatly tucked the stray hairs behind her ears.

They recalled, spoke, and whispered with sorrow, regret, paleness, and tenderness.

As if the silence hadn't ended, they still had so much to say to each other.

Lu Xuejin said that Shen Yuncheng was taking good care of him and told Chenmo not to worry; she said that the people from the capital were annoying and were trying to sow discord among family members; she said that no matter how much she watered the plants in the flowerpots, they wouldn't thrive and were about to wither and die...

A thousand words, like weeping and lamenting, ultimately boil down to just one profound sentence—

I hope you are happy in another world.

Shen Yuncheng stared at the young man's thin back. When Lu Xuejin turned around, he hurriedly lowered his eyes, his face burning with shame. The intense sense of humiliation made his throat dry and itchy, and he couldn't help but cough softly.

The moment he lowered his head, Lu Xuejin smiled almost imperceptibly, but her expression quickly became melancholy, and her smile became forced as she said, "Thank you for your trouble. It was just a sudden idea, and you came all the way here to see me off."

"Have you caught a cold? Go back quickly, you can easily get sick in this weather."

"Okay." After coughing a few times, his voice became low and hoarse. Shen Yuncheng awkwardly avoided Lu Xuejin's concerned gaze and silently escorted Lu Xuejin back to the car.

Once the car door closed, it shut out the cool breeze and the scent of white chrysanthemums from the tombstone.

Shen Yuncheng took a deep breath and felt his condition gradually return to normal.

Regardless, to have designs on one's sister-in-law in front of one's own brother's grave is simply too much... Shen Yuncheng still possessed normal self-respect and ethics. In fact, as soon as he stood in front of Shen Mo's grave, he felt a needle-like pain, as if Shen Mo was coldly watching him from under the tombstone.

Watch him pretend to be a nice man and a considerate younger brother, watch him busy himself and attentively serving his wife, watch him bow his head in embarrassment, his eyelashes covering the ever-growing affection.

Look at how despicable and vile he is.

With veins bulging on his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, Shen Yuncheng's expression was subdued, but he spoke lightly: "Auntie brought over some fresh fish. How about we make fish soup tonight? And some taro too, and a cold dish."

Lu Xuejin replied softly, "Okay."

After a while, she said somewhat embarrassedly, "I only know how to cook noodles. It's too much trouble for you with things at home... and you still have to write books."

Shen Yuncheng: "What's that? I enjoy cooking. It's a form of relaxation. Otherwise, if I'm hunched over a desk all day, my back will break."

At this point, Shen Yuncheng wanted to end the conversation, but his feelings for her were like wildfire, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "My brother takes such good care of you, I can't be any less so."

After speaking, Shen Yuncheng held his breath and kept observing Lu Xuejin's expression in the mirror. The few seconds of silence made his heart stop beating.

“...Yes.” Lu Xuejin smiled faintly, her response lukewarm, as if she hadn’t noticed the ambiguity in the sentence, or perhaps it was a silent acquiescence.

Shen Yuncheng's heart was squeezed so tightly that it was in excruciating pain. When it finally fell to the ground, a lingering sense of agony remained.

Dongyao mocked without any restraint: "So timid, you don't even dare to confess your feelings."

It had long seen through Shen Yuncheng's unrequited love, assuming that Lu Xuejin was too preoccupied with her sorrow to notice. Now it seemed that Lu Xuejin was treating Shen Yuncheng like an appetizer, taking a bite when her interest was piqued and discarding him when it was gone, leaving him to wallow in his sorrow.

After being caught slacking off, Dongyao became bolder in his speech.

[You're provoking me so openly, aren't you afraid that my silence will make me rise from my grave?]

Lu Xuejin blinked, looking innocent. "That's good too. I miss him a lot."

[...I can only suppress it for a while longer. Thanks to you, the silence is becoming more and more active.]

Yesterday, after leaving the small world, Lu Xuejin said, "I haven't had enough fun in another world yet."

“The small world is essentially an illusion you create; all the novel texts are fake.” He said with great interest, “I will choose the next world myself.”

Dongyao, lying low: 【What do you want?】

"...Let's make it an elite school, where Silence is portrayed as a poor student looked down upon by everyone. As for me, I'll be the most powerful and influential one, of course."