☆, Chapter 41 Escape 2.0
Do not attack!
Shen Qingqiu's first instinct was to place his hand on the Xiuya sword, but he immediately realized he couldn't attack!
This was something he had taught Luo Binghe before: within the range of the Dream Demon Barrier, attacking the "people" in a dream is actually attacking one's own sanity.
Shen Qingqiu's forehead was beaded with cold sweat. He hadn't even realized when he'd entered the barrier's range. He was running away; surely he wasn't going to fall asleep by the roadside while running?
Although people don't actually remember when or how their "dreams" started.
Behind me, a childish voice called out: "Master."
The voice that had sounded so soft and sweet just moments before now carried an indescribable chilling quality.
The young Luo Binghe stood behind him and murmured, "Why don't you want me anymore?"
Shen Qingqiu resolutely turned away without looking back!
Although these faceless people were all looking at him—no, it can't be called looking, because they didn't have eyes at all—their faces were all turned in Shen Qingqiu's direction, and he could definitely feel countless gazes being cast upon him.
Shen Qingqiu pretended not to see anything and charged forward, slapping away anyone who blocked his way. Suddenly, a hand intercepted his palm strike. Turning his head, he saw that although the hand was slender, its strength was terrifying, almost like an iron hoop.
Fourteen-year-old Luo Binghe gripped his wrist tightly, his face, aside from the bruises that never faded, was filled with melancholy. His dark eyes stared straight at him, so close.
You're back again!
Shen Qingqiu shook off the crowd three times before finally managing to break free. He pushed through the crowd and continued running. The first time was as a child, the second as a teenager, and if an adult version appeared, he really wouldn't be able to handle it! But this long street seemed endless, as if he could never reach the end. After the stalls on both sides of the road, the playful faceless children, and the ghostly girls appeared a second time, Shen Qingqiu finally realized that this street in his dream was a loop!
In other words, there's no way to move forward.
Since neither the front nor the back worked, they decided to try a different approach. Shen Qingqiu looked around and then slipped to a tavern.
A large red lantern hung high in front of the tavern, its red light glowing eerily, but the wooden door was tightly shut. Shen Qingqiu opened the door, and as soon as he stepped inside, the two wooden doors behind him slammed shut automatically.
The room was dark and a cold wind was blowing through it. It didn't feel like being in a tavern; it felt more like wandering into a cave.
Shen Qingqiu was not surprised. Dreams cannot be judged by common sense; behind every door, there is always a possibility of somewhere else.
At that moment, a strange sound came from beside my ears.
The sound was like that of a dying person, whose lungs had been pierced, struggling to breathe, in excruciating pain.
Moreover, it seems there's more than one person!
Shen Qingqiu snapped his fingers, and a spark flew from his fingertip toward the source of the disturbance.
The firelight illuminated the entire scene, and his pupils instantly contracted to tiny points.
Liu Qingge held the Chengluan sword in her hand, then reversed the hilt and thrust it into her own chest.
His body was covered in blood, large patches of shocking deep red, with more than one wound. Blood was gushing from the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had stabbed himself countless times. His expression was a mixture of rage and madness, a state of extreme agitation, clearly showing that he had lost his mind and gone mad.
The scene, illuminated by the dim yellow flames, was utterly terrifying. For a moment, Shen Qingqiu forgot that he was still in a dream and pounced to snatch the Cheng Luan Sword.
The sword was already embedded in Liu Qingge's heart. Shen Qingqiu only touched it lightly, and blood gushed out on the spot, almost spraying all over Liu Qingge's face. With blood all over his eyes, Shen Qingqiu regained some of his senses, took two steps back, but bumped into someone else.
He turned around abruptly and saw Yue Qingyuan looking down at him.
Although they were looking directly into each other's eyes, those eyes were empty and lifeless. From his throat to his chest, limbs, waist and abdomen... his body was covered with countless black arrows.
Pierced by a thousand arrows.
Shen Qingqiu suddenly realized what these things were—this was how they originally died!
He was the one who should have orchestrated the death!
Shen Qingqiu couldn't take it anymore. He'd rather be surrounded by a group of faceless people outside than see this kind of thing!
He retreated in the direction he had come from, and surprisingly, he actually found the wooden door. Shen Qingqiu felt as if he had been granted a pardon, kicked the door open, and rushed out. This time, he was unsteady on his feet and stumbled along, looking rather disheveled. All the "people" on the street stared at him in deathly silence, completely disoriented, when Shen Qingqiu crashed headfirst into someone's chest.
The man immediately turned and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Shen Qingqiu was startled and immediately looked up.
The man was a bit taller than him, with a slender and elegant figure. He was dressed in black, revealing only his fair neck. Above him was a hideous ghost mask covering his face.
Before Shen Qingqiu could speak, a voice carrying a deep laugh came from above.
"Master, be careful!"
You don't even need to lift the mask to know whose face is behind it.
Shen Qingqiu struggled violently. The other party did not forcefully suppress him, and it was not difficult to break free. He took several steps back and kept a safe distance before he regained his footing.
He said, "Did you build this city?"
Luo Binghe slowly removed his mask.
His expression seemed to suggest regret that the game of tag could not continue, and he said, "That's right. What does Master think?"
Shen Qingqiu nodded slowly, his face expressionless, and said, "As expected of the Dream Demon's personal disciple."
The illusion is so detailed that it's probably not much different from the city that the nightmare demon created to trap them.
Moreover, he grasped very accurately some of the things he feared in his heart.
Luo Binghe had seemed to be in a good mood, but upon hearing this, the smile on his lips faded, and he said, "I am not a disciple of the Dream Demon."
Shen Qingqiu: "Didn't you become his disciple?"
After holding back for a moment, Luo Binghe replied in a defiant tone, "No!"
Okay. If it's not there, it's not there. Shen Qingqiu felt there was no need to dwell on this issue.
Luo Binghe said, "Master, if you are willing to come back on your own, anything is negotiable."
Shen Qingqiu asked, "Is this what you mean by 'lenient treatment'?"
Luo Binghe said, "As long as I don't remove the Heavenly Demon blood from your body, it will be in vain for you to escape anywhere."
Shen Qingqiu said, "Oh? Is that so?"
He smiled and said, "Then why don't you come and arrest me yourself?"
Luo Binghe froze, a spark seemingly flashing in his eyes.
Seeing his expression, Shen Qingqiu felt even more confident.
He said slowly, "Is there something wrong with your sword?"
Heaven is helping me!
After Luo Binghe fell into the Abyss of No Return, he found a strange sword inside the belly of an ancient behemoth, forged by a master swordsmith of the Demon Clan who had devoted his entire life to its creation.
This sword is named Heart Demon.
Just from the name, you can tell it's something extremely dangerous, right?!
That's a given! The more powerful a spiritual weapon is, the harder it is to wield. The Heart Demon Sword has changed hands over a hundred times throughout history, each owner a prodigy from their respective race. Even so, they all ultimately couldn't escape the fate of dying by their own swords.
The Demon Sword will turn against its wielder. If you can subdue it, it will be a powerful weapon in your hands; but if one day you are unable to control its malevolent energy, you will be nothing more than a blood sacrifice for the sword.
In the original novel, Luo Binghe only experienced his first moment of mental unease and nearly suffered a backlash after entering the Demon Realm instance. Later, in order to solve this problem, he started a 500-chapter side story and recruited eight or nine girls.
But now, with the plot spiraling out of control, the backlash is happening ahead of schedule!
The backlash from the Heart Demon Sword was no joke. No wonder he didn't chase after him; he was busy in seclusion to remedy the situation and couldn't possibly come to capture him personally!
Who told you to shorten your leveling speed?!
Shen Qingqiu was inwardly raging when suddenly Luo Binghe grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away forcefully.
*Sizzle*
Not again!
Tearing clothes again!!! Every time it's the same thing—ripping clothes!!! Is this the only way you humiliate people?! It's so disappointing!!!
Luo Binghe's face was almost as black as the bottom of a pot. He said each word as if he had chewed it up before spitting it out: "Even if I can't come in person, Master, don't be too happy."
Shen Qingqiu was now even more embarrassed. Clutching the remaining fabric, she angrily shouted, "What are you doing?! Why are you tearing my clothes?!"
System: [Enjoyment Level +50.]
This is insane! Why does it feel so insane?!
With a forceful pull, Luo Binghe's white robe crumbled into pieces, vanishing with the wind. Still not satisfied, he pressed down on Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu could tell from the look in his eyes that this was probably going to go on forever.
What's going on?! So Luo Binghe is a clothes-tearing maniac?!
He certainly couldn't just sit and wait to die, but he also couldn't truly retaliate. He could only use his moves, without any spiritual power, to symbolically defend himself. A dozen or so moves went back and forth, swift and unpredictable. Luo Binghe could have easily gained the upper hand, but instead, he patiently engaged him in a prolonged battle, like a cat playing with a mouse.
Shen Qingqiu was fast enough, but for some reason, his aimed palm strikes felt like hitting cotton. In Luo Binghe's eyes, it always seemed like he was a beat too slow; Luo Binghe could always calmly and precisely evade the attack, then return the favor in a perfectly timed manner. Adding to the annoyance was the system, which added a "satisfaction level" after each exchange—20, 30, 50 points, it was practically a nagging curse. After a few exchanges, it was Shen Qingqiu's turn to have a dark expression.
This isn't a fight, it's not even a demonstration of skills, it's practically harassment!
Where are you aiming?! Are you kidding me?! Shouldn't the goal of a fight be to knock the other person down?!
Thinking this, Shen Qingqiu lost his focus and exerted too much force, falling towards the Luo Binghe River.
Luo Binghe didn't even flinch, letting Shen Qingqiu fall into his arms with a thud. His voice carried a laugh, as if his mood had brightened again: "This move was personally taught to me by my master. The force must be controlled, and the most important thing is to maintain a stable stance. Why have I forgotten it?"
At that moment, Shen Qingqiu's mind was filled with the word "little beast".
Damn it, he actually taught Luo Binghe this trick!
I remember back then, Luo Binghe had just moved out of the woodshed. Although he had his own fighting style, relying on his amazing talent, he only knew a few basic slashes and thrusts that every beginner disciple knew. Any moves beyond that were completely useless.
Shen Qingqiu watched him practice a set of sword, palm, and footwork techniques, then sighed and rubbed his forehead for a long time. Luo Binghe waited anxiously for his evaluation from the side.
Shen Qingqiu couldn't bear to discourage him, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Quite adaptable and flexible."
They went to great lengths to correct Luo Binghe's unsightly habit, giving him private lessons every day. For some reason, given Luo Binghe's intelligence and comprehension, he should have grasped it immediately without needing to be told twice. However, he was incredibly stubborn; despite repeated admonitions, he would forget them the moment he turned his back, always pushing too hard and bumping into Shen Qingqiu countless times, until Shen Qingqiu finally got angry.
Are you doing this on purpose?! He couldn't help but give Luo Binghe a light slap on the back of the head and shouted, "Is this how you defend yourself? You're practically throwing yourself into my arms!"
With his face flushed red, Luo Binghe finally started practicing obediently, not daring to make any mistakes.
But today, Luo Binghe is the one pointing out that his posture is wrong!
What kind of world is this?!
Shen Qingqiu felt that his dignity as a teacher had been challenged. Before he could retaliate, Luo Binghe's hand slid down his spine.
Shen Qingqiu broke out in goosebumps all over his back.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Luo Binghe!"
Inner monologue: "Three little beasts!"
System: [Enjoyment +100! Congratulations!]
Congratulations my foot!
Luo Binghe tore off another piece of white clothing and said, "I was very unhappy when I saw Master wearing this garment, so it's better to tear it clean."
This means they won't stop until they strip him naked, right?
Shen Qingqiu said, "If you dislike me, you don't need to make a fuss about this dress. It belongs to Gongyi Xiao."
Luo Binghe's face darkened: "It is Shizun who truly hates me, even using a piece of clothing as an excuse to distance himself from me."
It's simply unbelievable.
Why?! Why are two grown men, one from The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System and the other the male lead, being surrounded by a bunch of shameless "people" and having a serious discussion about a piece of clothing?!
Luo Binghe, were you originally the sensitive type?!
I've already cleaned and folded it for you, what more do you want? You can't expect me to hand-wash it and personally deliver it to you, can you?!
Shen Qingqiu's expression shifted unpredictably. Seeing this, Luo Binghe asked, "What is Master thinking?"
He said coolly, "If it is Gongyi Xiao, I advise Master not to think about him anymore."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqiu felt a sense of foreboding.
Author's Note:
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