Chapter 39 Interlude 2 "Bullying, I'm familiar with that."...
As Nanmen Jue stepped out of the room, flyers fluttered down like snowflakes.
Everyone outside reached out to grab one, and Nanmen Jue also managed to grab one.
A line of large characters occupies half the page.
[Entropy Ember, Ouroboros, and Iron Drill have issued a joint statement, declaring a full-scale manhunt for wanted criminal Nanmen Jue. Anyone providing information will be granted a journey through a reincarnation world, and some will even receive item rewards.]
If it were simply because of the wanted notice issued by the main god that these three guilds wanted to join in the fun, that wouldn't be hard to explain, but the flyer clearly stated that as well.
This person is extremely vicious and ruthless. He killed members of our guild in the cycle of reincarnation. We are determined to hunt him down to the end, and anyone who conceals his information will face the same treatment.
She'd only just come out, and they already knew she'd killed their people? These big guilds have 20G internet speeds.
Nanmen Jue looked at the flyer in his hand, his smile turning somewhat cold.
Having already experienced the cycle of reincarnation and received item rewards, she knew how difficult it was to obtain these items. These three guilds were certainly going all out to hunt her down.
Before more people noticed her, she turned and went back into the room, put the flyer on the coffee table, and straightened her cuffs.
The crow tilted its head and looked on, "They've united so quickly."
"If there's profit to be made, how can we not hurry?" After finishing tidying up, Nanmen Jue didn't leave immediately, but sat down again.
"Aren't you going out?"
“They’ve made such a commotion, we can wait a bit longer.” Nanmen Jue lowered her eyelashes, making it impossible to see her eyes. “If my sister were in the Hall of Reincarnation right now, she would already know.”
Her heart raced. Could her sister be here? Would she... find a way to locate her?
Nanmen Jue was certain that if her sister wanted to find her, she would definitely find a way to do so, since she was in the open while her sister was in the shadows.
She had the crow keep an eye on the doorway, took a long, white thing out of her prop pocket, and then bought a craft mat, as well as saws, files, and other such items.
The crow glanced at it and fell silent, watching as Nanmen Jue began sawing the thing without changing his expression. After a long while, it asked, "What is that?"
"Can't you see? My ribs." Nanmen Jue sawed the bone to the right length, held it in his hand to compare, and showed a satisfied expression.
She broke off the rib that was about to fall out before the main god repaired it, and she already knew what she wanted to do with it.
"..." The crow didn't know what expression to make for a moment. "What are you going to do to your ribs?"
“I need a suitable weapon, something inconspicuous but sharp enough.” Nanmen Jue continued polishing. “You’ll find out in a moment.”
So the crow watched as she shaped the rib into the shape of a double-headed scalpel. She picked it up and demonstrated it, then opened the system panel and redeemed some items.
"The main god is stingy with the items, but it's good that you can modify them yourself after exchanging them," Nanmen Jue said. "As long as you're willing to spend money and have some skills, the items you get will be much more useful."
She held up the newly crafted double-headed scalpel, its entire body pure white, crystal clear, gleaming with a cold, icy light under the sun—clearly no ordinary object.
"The sharpest, hardest, and most handy weapon, it really does come from the customer," Nanmen Jue sighed.
Crow: "...How many points did you spend?"
"Adding those attributes little by little... it didn't cost much, just over ten thousand. After all, this knife is small, and there aren't many attributes that can be added to a melee weapon," Nanmen Jue said casually. "The majority of the money was spent on some other attributes that it shouldn't have had, probably around seven or eight thousand."
She didn't explain what attributes she had added, stood up, and said with some disappointment, "I'm going back to reality now. If my sister comes, please help me keep her here."
She gave the crow these instructions, but in her heart she knew the chances were slim.
If my sister is really alright and has successfully escaped from that world, why wouldn't she return to reality?
How could she let Nanmen Jue, who had a terminal illness, worry about her alone outside?
A ripple of disappointment and sadness flowed beneath Nanmen Jue's slightly lowered eyelids. When she raised her eyes, she had regained her composure. She took one last look at the doorway before disappearing from the spot.
When she reappeared in what seemed to be the exact same room, Nanmen Jue was momentarily disoriented. The darkness and the collapsed tables and chairs around her brought her back to her senses, allowing her to realize where she was.
She emerged from that terrifying and insane cycle of reincarnation, landing squarely on the ground she had left on.
Nanmen Jue picked up her phone from the ground, turned on the screen. The time she picked up the invitation was 12:58 a.m., and now it was 3:58 a.m. She had spent three thrilling months in the virtual world, but only three hours had passed in reality.
So no matter what, the older sister should have come out... right?
Nanmen Jue tightened her grip on her phone, glanced around again, and saw that the tables and chairs she had overturned in her rage were still in their original positions. Three hours had passed, so short that not a speck of dust remained, as if nothing had happened.
The cracking sound startled Nanmen Jue from her daze. She looked down and found that her phone had been cracked from gripping it so tightly.
She is now considered a high-quality human, but she hasn't been trained to integrate her consciousness and body. She lost control of her strength and her phone was gloriously destroyed.
Nanmen Jue sat down in the chair, staring blankly at a point in the void.
My sister must have entered the cycle of reincarnation. She saw her invitation, but where did she go?
Is she... dead?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, a chilling sensation enveloped Nanmen Jue's entire body. Her brain tumor had healed, but she was so dizzy that she could hardly maintain her balance. She gasped for breath and reached out to grab the handrail, the veins on the back of her hand bulging as the handrail snapped in two.
No, she didn't believe it.
She couldn't believe her sister, who was so strong and intelligent, could die.
Nanmen Jue's breathing was rapid and heavy, and he raised a pair of eyes with reddish corners from beneath his messy, tousled hair.
She didn't believe it.
Could it be that something is holding her back, preventing her from, or rather, making her afraid to, return to the real world?
She wanted to see him alive or dead, and she would search world after world. In so many worlds, she didn't believe that Nanmen Yu could have disappeared without a trace, as long as he had appeared there.
Her sister's face appeared before her eyes again. Nanmen Jue suddenly missed her terribly, so much so that a chill and pain seeped into her bones. Despite her already powerful body, she still curled up in the chair and began to tremble.
A few minutes later, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and looked up at the mirror.
In that instant, she felt that the person in the mirror was so unfamiliar, and her face remained blank for a moment before she realized that it was herself.
The Nanmenjue of the past truly seems to have died.
Nanmen Jue lowered his head, wiped his face clean, tidied himself up in front of the mirror, and then turned and left the house.
Putting aside the trouble Nanmen Yu might encounter, given her current sensitive status, it's impossible for her to continue staying in this house.
Items related to reality can also be exchanged in the space, and money is especially cheap. Before leaving, Nanmen Jue exchanged for a black card, but ended up staying at a midnight hotel that didn't even require him to provide identification.
Looking at the room full of sex toys, Nanmen Jue remained silent for a moment before lying down to rest.
Although she is a very strong human, she still needs to rest when she can. She has a lot to do tomorrow and needs to be alert.
The next morning, under the curious and amazed gaze of the front desk staff, Nanmen Jue left the small hotel. He first bought a mobile phone, inserted the anonymous SIM card provided by the system, applied for suspension of school via email, and attached his previous medical records.
Then, wearing this modified appearance, she re-entered the capital university.
Walking back into the familiar campus felt like a lifetime ago. It was early autumn, the leaves hadn't all fallen yet, the wind was already cool, and even the sun wasn't so glaring anymore.
Nanmen Jue withdrew her gaze from the sunlight filtering through the leaves and belatedly realized that many people around her were openly or secretly observing her, and some were even walking back and forth just to catch a few more glances at her.
Nanmen Jue knew that her appearance was very eye-catching, and she had suffered a lot of bullying and harassment because of it since she was a child. So when she entered the new environment, she deliberately grew her hair long to cover her face in order to hide her appearance. She did not attract much attention, but now she is more eye-catching.
She found the girls' dormitory building for third-year architecture students and asked several people before finally finding out where Zhang Chuxi's dormitory was. Since boys couldn't just enter the girls' dormitory, Nanmen Jue was waiting downstairs and asked a female classmate to go and call her.
Soon, a girl with neat short hair ran downstairs. When she saw Nanmen Jue waiting under the shade of a tree, her eyes lit up and she gasped.
"Hello, are you looking for Chu Xi? What's your relationship to her?"
Before Nanmen Jue could speak, the girl launched into a barrage of questions, clearly showing her great interest in him.
Nanmen Jue gave a polite smile. When she didn't show any aggression, her eyebrows curved, and her sharp lines softened into gentle curves. Her temperament could even be described as gentle.
"Hello, I'm Zhang Chuxi's... friend. Is she in the dorm right now?"
Nanmen Jue knew, of course, that Zhang Chuxi was no longer coming back. She wanted to confirm what traces would be left in reality after someone had an accident in the space.
My roommate shook her head, her eyes sparkling with a mix of regret and eagerness. "She's not in the dorm. She went home for the holidays a few days ago and hasn't come back yet. Why don't you call her and check?"
Nanmen Jue said apologetically, "She was angry with me before and wouldn't answer my calls. Do you know her mother's phone number?"
My roommate gasped, his eyes dimmed, and as he pulled out his phone, he said, "I know, I'll tell you right now."
Nanmen Jue could roughly guess what she was thinking. What decent male friend would go directly to the parents if he couldn't find someone? She probably thought she was lying.
Nanmen Jue didn't explain, just smiled and wrote down the phone number, pretending not to see the girl's hesitant look as she asked for his contact information. The smile vanished the moment he turned away.
She wanted to send money to her mother in Zhang Chuxi's name, but after standing in front of the ATM for a long time, she decided to temporarily abandon the idea.
Putting aside whether doing so would cause Zhang's mother panic, she probably wouldn't dare to use the money at all.
Whether she would call the police was beyond Nanmen Jue's consideration.
She tapped the black card on the ATM repeatedly, then put it away in frustration.
Instead, she bought a pair of sunglasses and a train ticket to Anhua City.
"I really do have a younger sister, I swear! Her name is Zhu Wenjun, and she studies at Anhua No.1 Experimental Middle School!"
She remembered Zhu Wenjie's words clearly. If he wasn't lying, then there should be a young girl who had just started junior high school who had lost her only relative.
Nanmen Jue could ignore this matter; Zhu Wenjie's death was his own fault, and she felt no psychological pressure. However, now that she knew about this young girl, she couldn't simply leave it unattended.
Anhua City is right next to the capital city, and is considered an affiliated city. It only takes an hour by bullet train. When Nanmen Jue arrived at the gate of Anhua City No. 1 Experimental Middle School, he suddenly realized that this was a boarding school and the students would not come out even after school.
Just as he was feeling annoyed, the noon bell rang, and students walked out of the school gate in groups. Nanmen Jue raised an eyebrow and was about to walk forward when he suddenly saw two tall men dragging a little girl and pulling her into a side alley.
"Let me go! I really don't have any money. I gave you all of it before. Please let me go..."
A weak, tearful voice echoed through the alley. The little girl, who only reached the shoulders of two boys, huddled in a corner, wanting to cry but afraid to, her whole body trembling.
"I'm telling you..."
As soon as the boy spoke, the girl reflexively raised her arm to cover her head, only to be impatiently pulled down.
"Do you think we're stupid? Your brother suddenly gave you so much money, and you've already spent it all?"
“My brother didn’t come home for the holiday…” the girl couldn’t help but cry. “I’m sorry, I’ll ask him for the money when he comes back, okay? Please let me go.”
The two boys exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly at each other.
One person grabbed the girl's arm and restrained her, while another person reached out and touched her chest.
"Since you won't pay, then give me some fun. Damn it, it feels like it's only been a few days and you've already got breasts, you little brat."
"No, no... let me go! Help..."
Her mouth, which was trying to call for help, was tightly covered. The girl looked desperate, closed her eyes, and waited for that disgusting touch to come...
Crack.
The camera shutter sound, which had been deliberately muted, suddenly went off, and the two turned around in a panic: "Who?!"
A tall, elegant figure stood out, his slender frame perfectly accentuated by a casual suit, resembling a graceful bamboo stalk bathed in light, his long, slender fingers holding a mobile phone.
As they looked over, the man's sunglasses slipped down to the tip of his nose, revealing a pair of narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes that looked over with a smile on his lips, yet exuding an extremely terrifying chill.
"Keep going, I haven't finished recording yet."
Nanmen Jue openly took another photo, capturing both boys' faces clearly. Then, he stepped closer, looking down at the little brat whose expression had drastically changed, his tone flippant.
“Bullying? I’m very familiar with that.”
"Walk!"
Ignoring the crying girl, the two turned to run away, but Nanmen Jue grabbed their arms, one in each hand.
She didn't use any force, but her strength was terrifying. The two boys immediately turned pale, broke out in a cold sweat, and cried out in pain.
"Sorry, I have a strong grip. If you don't want to suffer, you'd better behave yourself."
The smile on Nanmen Jue's face disappeared. She picked up the two little ones and walked out. After taking a couple of steps, she turned back and looked at the little girl who was crying while hugging her. She cleared her throat, not quite used to it, to soften her tone.
"Can we walk?"
“…Yes.” The girl was stunned and stared blankly at her.
"Then let's go."
The girl's mind went blank, and she subconsciously followed the tall, long-legged figure. "Where...where are we going?"
"Where else could it be? The police station." Nanmen Jue sighed, somewhat annoyed and disappointed. "Are we just going to let them bully us like this?"
Upon hearing that it was the police station, the two boys started crying loudly, and the girl was also frightened.
"No, no!" She was so panicked that she didn't know what to do, and in desperation, she grabbed Nanmen Jue's forearm.
Nanmen Jue looked down at her. The cries of the two children attracted some passersby, but they dared not come in after seeing the scene inside. Nanmen Jue just looked at her.
Her gaze was powerful, and the girl spoke more fluently, her voice trembling with tears, "If I let my classmates go to the police station, I'll be ostracized..."
Nanmen Jue was speechless for a moment, then withdrew his gaze from her. "So what do you mean? Just let it go like this?"
The girl was stunned. She could hear the indifference in Nanmen Jue's tone. If she said "never mind," this person would really stop caring about her.
A huge wave of fear washed over her. She shrank back, suppressing the words that rose in her throat, which churned and rolled around inside her mouth.
At this point, the two crying people began to beg her.
"Zhu Wenjun! I was wrong, Zhu Wenjun! Please don't tell the police, my dad will beat me to death!"
"I'll never contact you again, please, I don't want to go to jail!"
Nanmen Jue was taken aback. He looked down at the two people in his hands, then at the bewildered girl. "What's your name?"
“Zhu, Zhu Wenjun,” the girl whispered.
Nanmen Jue heard it clearly, of course. Her physical data was now completely different from before, so how could there be a problem with her hearing? She stared at the thin girl, whose clothes were clean but very old, and the fear and timidity on her face looked extremely unfamiliar to her.
Is this Zhu Wenjie's sister, that madman? He's been running rampant in the cycle of reincarnation, and he doesn't even know his own sister is being bullied like this?
Nanmen Jue's silence was chilling. Under her extremely oppressive aura, even the two children dared not cry anymore. Zhu Wenjun stared blankly at Nanmen Jue, wondering why she seemed to be... suddenly angry?
"Are you really going to let these two go?" Nanmen Jue asked, his voice heavy with suppressed anger. This time, he was much colder. Before Zhu Wenjun could speak, he said, "Think carefully. If you don't want to fight back and prevent others from seeing your claws, then you will continue to be bullied, and you may even face retaliation, counterattacks, and be treated even more brutally. Is that acceptable?"
Her cold gaze was like a sharp scalpel, cutting through Zhu Wenjun's timid eyes and looking into her pupils.
"Or are you saying you don't have any henchmen at all?"
If Zhu Wenjun were to say no, she would immediately release the two little beasts and never come to Anhua City again.
Zhu Wenjun inexplicably understood this meaning. She lowered her head, remained silent, and slowly moved to follow Nanmen Jue.
Nanmen Jue's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't say much. He dragged the two men into the police station.
With the video and audio recordings, the two little brats had no way to defend themselves and collapsed at the police station, waiting for their parents and teachers to arrive. Zhu Wenjun was restless and obviously didn't want to face their parents. Nanmen Jue noticed her embarrassment, put his arm around her shoulder, and led her out of the police station.
This was the first time Zhu Wenjun had experienced something like this, and she kept looking back, asking, "Can we just come out? We didn't tell the police..."
"You're not involved anymore. They'll handle it themselves, and the compensation can be transferred to you through your teacher." Nanmen Jue seemed familiar with this process.
This is the process she always went through, whether she was the one getting beaten up or the one beating someone up.
"Then, what will happen to them?" Zhu Wenjun looked up at her, full of dependence. "Will they be expelled from school?"
"This is your first time suing them, so you probably won't be expelled, but it will definitely be announced to the whole school and your file will be on record," Nanmen Jue said casually.
"Are you hungry?" She looked around. "You're out for lunch, right? I'll take you there."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a growl came from Zhu Wenjun's stomach. She blushed and clutched her stomach, while Nanmen Jue chuckled.
Following Zhu Wenjun's recommendation, the two went to a delicious fried chicken restaurant nearby. As soon as they entered, the noise in the restaurant suddenly quieted down for a moment.
Looking at Nanmen Jue, who was casually curling up his long legs and sitting on a small stool opposite her, Zhu Wenjun felt that he was out of place in this fast food restaurant.
The surrounding area was mostly filled with students, who were understandably excited to see such a handsome guy. Various eyes fell on him. Nanmen Jue didn't care, but Zhu Wenjun became even more restless.
Seeing how upset she was, Nanmen Jue simply bought two servings of fried chicken and then took her away from the store.
Under the fairly dense shade of the trees, the two sat by the flower bed, sharing the fried chicken they had just bought.
"Thank you……"
After so much time, Zhu Wenjun finally mustered the courage to look up at Nanmen Jue. "You helped me and even treated me to fried chicken. Can I... know your name?"
Under her apprehensive gaze, Nanmen Jue took a bite of fried chicken.
It has a sweet and spicy flavor, a strong sauce flavor, and a crispy coating; it's really delicious.
She didn't need to look to know how much courage this timid girl had mustered to ask that question, but Nanmen Jue didn't intend to tell her.
“I’m your brother’s friend. You can ask him next time he comes back.” Nanmen Jue didn’t look at her. “I was just passing by today. It was an accident that I helped you. You’re welcome.”
Zhu Wenjun's eyes shrank back slightly, the light in them dimmed, and she didn't dare to ask any more questions, taking a small bite of the fried chicken.
"So, he's my brother's friend...?"
Nanmen Jue noticed her hesitation, paused for a moment, and said, "I don't know where your brother went either. If you see him, remember to have him contact me."
She tore off the lie she knew wouldn't come to pass, and the girl nodded dejectedly.
Nanmen Jue asked, "Your brother said before that it's just the two of you in your family?"
The girl hesitated for a few seconds before saying softly, "Yes, our parents have both remarried."
Why is it always this kind of nonsense?
Nanmen Jue scratched her hair; the way she did it was quite pleasing to the eye. The little girl glanced at her, then glanced at her again.
“I’ll take you back to school after you finish eating.” Nanmen Jue’s tone was a little stiff. “If your brother doesn’t come back, you should call your parents. You’re still a minor, and they have an obligation to support you.”
The girl's eyes were filled with terror. "My parents... probably don't want to care about me anymore. Brother, what happened to my brother?"
Looking into her pure eyes, Nanmen Jue remained silent for a moment before giving her his phone number.
Watching Zhu Wenjun walk into the campus with her shoulders hunched, Nanmen Jue was extremely annoyed. She stood there for a while, then found an empty alley and returned to her space.
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Author's Note: The next chapter will take us to a new world!
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