To be honest, Yan Qing really didn't want to believe him. But she knew in her heart that her elder brother's injury came from that damned cave god, and perhaps only the person in front of her could save him.
"Speak—" She opened the door and respectfully invited the person in, "What are your conditions?"
She didn't believe that the person in front of her had come to find her for no reason.
As expected, Chu Jiang made no attempt to keep people in suspense, saying, "I need you to come with me to the Seven Star Pagoda."
"The Seven Star Pagoda?" Yan Qing could hardly believe her ears. "It can't be the one I'm thinking of, can it? The Seven Star Pagoda of Famen Temple? You surnamed Chu, are you out of your mind?!"
Deep down, she remained wary of Chu Jiang. His shared Golden Rank title with the elderly monk was strange. Logically, they should have kept to themselves; why was he trespassing on the Seven Star Pagoda?
"You have a grudge against an old monk?" Yan Qing asked cautiously.
"No—" Chu Jiang saw through her thoughts at a glance. "What are you thinking? I'm just looking for something. Besides, although the Seven Star Pagoda is in Famen Temple, it's not the territory of a respectful old monk."
This statement contained a lot of information, and Yan Qing couldn't help but wonder if there was some compelling reason why this old monk was sending out invitations and forcing everyone to go to the Seven Star Pagoda.
Or perhaps he himself is unable to go in and has no choice but to rely on external help?
"Chu Jiang, Seven Star Pagoda, are you going in too?" Yan Qing asked.
"Of course, I have to go there." Chu Jiang abandoned his nonchalant attitude and looked much more serious.
Yan Qing relented, "Do you think I can refuse to go?"
Chu Jiang smiled and said, "You can give it a try."
Fine, she'd better give in. Anyway, Yue Qi was going to the Seven Star Tower anyway, so one more person wouldn't make a difference.
Unfortunately, Yue Qi and Xiao Tao had already set off ahead of them. Yan Qing tried to call him, but as expected, she couldn't get through; the area where he was located was even having its signal blocked.
However, although she couldn't contact the person in question, she unexpectedly received a message from Wen Jiajia, only to learn that she had also gone with Yue Qi.
Since things had come to this, she didn't hesitate and set off with Chu Jiang the next day.
Famen Temple is at least a thousand kilometers away from Lingshan Street where she lives. In addition, Chu Jiang brazenly took her through various dungeon worlds, so Yan Qing really broadened her horizons.
She traversed through various high-level dungeons, from five-star to four-star, and clearly noticed something was wrong. There were almost no living people left in the dungeons; apart from the eerie, heavily polluted environment, there were various low-level zombies, and occasionally she would even see a few scattered high-level zombies.
The world of the strange and uncanny dungeons has practically become their domain. Could it be that all the adventurers have either died or been assimilated?
Yan Qing felt a chill run down her spine; the world was no longer the one she knew.
Even when you occasionally see a few adventurers who are still conscious, their expressions are filled with terror and despair. They live under the constant shadow of death, and each day feels like an eternity.
Chu Jiang even pointed out to her with great interest, "These people are already heavily polluted and could be devoured by the dungeon at any time. And dungeons in the World of Rules and Strange Tales can evolve by devouring others. So, haven't you noticed? One-star and two-star dungeons have almost disappeared now."
This was exactly what Yan Qing was curious about, and after he explained it, it would have been better not to say it at all.
She had a premonition that if she didn't find a way to stop it, the future of all of them would be nothing more than becoming fertilizer for some kind of game.
She didn't want this future.
In addition, there is an elderly monk at Famen Temple who has many questions.
"As far as I know, the Venerable Master Jing Lao has always been a person who loves all living beings and is willing to sacrifice himself for righteousness. How could he become a monster?"
Yan Qing couldn't understand it. In the first bow to heaven and earth, the old monk had come to save the poor mother and daughter. How could such a compassionate person wipe out the entire Xuanmen in one fell swoop without batting an eye?
Chu Jiang clearly knew something. Instead of answering Yan Qing's question directly, he specifically mentioned her first instance, the girls' dormitory.
"Do you think those three roommates in the girls' dormitory scenario are really annoying?"
"Yes!" All three of them were driven by jealousy—jealousy of her beauty, family background, talent, and boyfriend—which ultimately led to Zhang Nana's tragedy.
"It's clear that good people in this world often don't live long, while bad people seem to fare just as well. — So, do you still think the world is fair?"
Yan Qing inexplicably thought of Wenshan Sanatorium, and how kind Director Xu was, betrayed time and again, even murdered by his own husband. All for a mere evolution potion. Yet, even so, his remaining will would still possess Director Xu's body, continuing to protect the adventurers.
Even after Yue Qi's senior brother became a source of pollution and a monster who could not see the light, he still protected that thing and waited for the disciples of his sect.
This made her wonder: who were the good people and who were the bad people? Was what she was protecting truly worthwhile?
If she herself felt this way, wouldn't the Venerable Master Jing, who had witnessed so much human suffering, also have such thoughts?
This world is too filthy, might as well burn it all down.
I believe everyone has had this thought at some point. When you're tired, annoyed, weary, or on the verge of collapse, even she herself has had this thought.
Of course, this is just her own guess.
Chu Jiang seemed to be intentionally showing her these things, deliberately taking her through several more five-star dungeons.
In just a short while, she had already witnessed several adventurers die tragically at the hands of their trusted companions, becoming scapegoats.
Furthermore, the sources of pollution in this instance are all incredibly pitiful. For example, the one she's currently facing is a woman who suffered long-term domestic violence. In an attempt to save her child, she was forced to stab her abusive husband, only to commit suicide out of guilt. Yet, her obsession remained with her child, ultimately transforming her into the source of pollution in this instance.
In this way, she can protect her child for a long time.
"How is it?" Chu Jiang pointed at the pitiful woman, then turned to question her.
"So you still think all the weird zombies deserve to die? Can't the weak use their own methods to protect the people they cherish?"
Yan Qing fell silent; she simply couldn't bring herself to say those words.
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