Interlude 11, Chapter 121: "You killed him?"
"You need help."
Nanmen Jue remained silent, and Ying Yao calmly continued, revealing the true purpose of his visit today.
“Nanmen Jue, you are already very strong. There are no more than two people in the entire Samsara Space who can fight you.” He paused subtly, “but you can become even stronger.”
Nanmen Jue didn't ask who the two people were, but silently looked up at him.
“You need to conduct more structured and systematic training,” Ying Yao said. “Data is just data. A three-year-old child can hurt someone with a kitchen knife, but if that knife is in the hands of an adult, it can be much more lethal.”
"You've gone to such lengths to help me just to find some so-called 'humanity anchor'?" Nanmen Jue's tone was somewhat strange.
“That’s a large part of the purpose.” Ying Yao looked into her eyes. “I’m human too, I have my own feelings. Nanmen Yu is my friend, and you are her only family. I can’t just sit idly by, especially since…”
“Besides, I am the human anchor point you chose.” Nanmen Jue pinched the bridge of his nose.
She looked towards the entrance of the steamed bun shop, where people came and went, and sunlight streamed in through the open door. Her face was expressionless, not because of indifference, but because of weariness and emptiness.
She had never shown this side of herself to anyone else before—calm, tired, and gentle. Ying Yao looked at her like this and also quieted down.
“I can’t tell you what I’m doing.” After a long pause, Nanmen Jue said to Ying Yao, “The more you know, the more dangerous it is, but I can guarantee that I haven’t killed any innocent people.”
Ying Yao's eyes were gentle. "I know."
Just those three simple words made Nanmen Jue's eyes inexplicably well up with tears.
Her actions in the previous world hurt many people. She even seriously injured Deng Erhuai with her own hands. This girl probably hates her to death. And then there's Mo Gui, who trusted her so much. When they were standing on the rooftop, she could tell that he had something he wanted to ask her. Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps out of avoidance, he ultimately didn't ask.
When Nanmen Jue returned to the hall, she saw Mo Gui. The boy's eyes dimmed as he looked at her. In that fleeting glance, she couldn't see if there was any hatred in them.
Ying Yao said he was a human being, and that he also had feelings.
Nanmen Jue is also a human being; she has feelings too.
Nanmen Jue felt that Ying Yao said this because he heard someone guess that he was like a robot. She wanted to laugh, but her throat felt bitter. She took another sip of milk, and the natural sweetness of the red dates soothed her throat and also smoothed out her wrinkled emotions.
“Do you know that some people guess you’re a woman?” she suddenly said, “because you don’t let other people call you brother.”
"I know." Ying Yao nodded calmly, clearly this wasn't the first time this had happened, and he was already used to it.
Nanmen Jue asked with curiosity, "Why?"
Ying Yao was silent for a moment, then said, "In the cycle of reincarnation, no one can be a savior, not even if you level up to the maximum level."
A hint of something unsettling flashed in Nanmen Jue's eyes, but he simply nodded.
“A name is a symbol, but a title creates a connection. I don’t want to feel guilty for not being able to save others; that would crush me.” Ying Yao’s voice softened. “I am Ying Yao, just Ying Yao.”
Nanmen Jue understood, and her gaze became complicated.
Ying Yao, who appears the most indifferent, actually has the softest heart.
Even Nanmen Jue herself knew from the beginning that everyone has their own destiny, and the people she couldn't save were not her karma, so she wouldn't abuse her guilt.
But Ying Yao will meet.
He is an old man in the cycle of reincarnation, but even now, he needs to restrain himself in how he addresses others in order to maintain his mental balance and ensure his survival.
However, even without any formal address, Ying Yao still went to save people, time and time again.
Nanmen Jue's tone was not without self-deprecation, "Killing is more satisfying than saving people."
"So everyone is killing people, and very few people are saving lives," Ying Yao said.
Nanmen Jue shook his head, not continuing the topic, "You can't come with me."
Ying Yao looked at her quietly. Despite being such a powerful person, Nanmen Jue inexplicably thought of a puppy that had been kicked by its owner.
She coughed lightly and looked away. "I will still do the same thing after entering the next world."
"Destroy the world?"
"If possible, destroy the world; if there's not enough time, kill as many natives as possible," Nanmenjue said in a tone as casual as "milk tastes good."
Ying Yao hummed in agreement and lowered his head to continue drinking his porridge.
Nanmen Jue waited for a while, a little confused, "And then?"
"What?"
"So you're just not going to ask anything, not going to say anything?"
"You said you couldn't tell me," Ying Yao said, sounding quite innocent.
Nanmen Jue was speechless. Looking at the person earnestly drinking the porridge, she suddenly smiled.
"So what's our relationship now? Allies? Collaborators? What have we been collaborating on?"
Ying Yao looked up, seemingly a little confused, "Aren't we friends?"
"Would you call a friend a human anchor?" Nanmen Jue asked rhetorically.
"Why not?"
Nanmen Jue was stumped by the question.
"Okay." She realized this person was a bit clueless, and in an instant, she abandoned many complicated considerations.
Thinking too much is a waste of time; Yingyao is a pretty simple person.
“You can train with me,” Ying Yao said. “No matter what, survival is always the most important thing.”
Nanmen Jue agreed with this viewpoint, "Thank you."
She had developed her skills entirely on her own and had always wanted a professional to guide her, but she never had the chance. Unexpectedly, she actually managed to find a good helper, and her mood immediately improved.
Ying Yao shook his head, his expression unchanged, but Nanmen Jue inexplicably felt that he was also a little happier.
Having resolved the question of whether or not to fight, both men unanimously shifted their focus to the person they were both worried about: Nanmen Yu.
"So," Nanmen Jue's voice tightened, "you believe my sister isn't dead?"
“The cycle of reincarnation is very complex. Just because someone doesn’t reappear doesn’t mean they’re dead,” Ying Yao said.
"What other possibilities are there?"
“It’s possible that they accidentally triggered some rule, used a disappearing item, or were trapped in a cycle of reincarnation,” Ying Yao said. “Unless you see the other person die with your own eyes, you can’t draw that conclusion.”
Nanmen Jue nodded thoughtfully. "I haven't been here long enough and my experience is limited. Based on what you've seen, which possibility do you lean towards?"
"I don't know." Ying Yao sighed, his brows furrowed with worry. "I've tried everything I can, but I haven't found a single clue."
Nanmen Jue keenly sensed something. "What does this mean?"
Ying Yao looked up at her. "This means that if she is not really dead, then what is trapping her must be extremely powerful. Even if we find her, we will not be able to rescue her."
Nanmen Jue remained silent.
“Rules, monsters, or being transformed into some inescapable form in a certain world are not things that reincarnators can resist.” After saying this, Ying Yao fell silent.
A moment later, Nanmen Jue drank the rest of the milk in one gulp.
How much do you know about Zhang Jin?
“If my information is correct, the leader of Entropy Ashes should be the longest-surviving reincarnator in the Reincarnation Space,” Ying Yao said. “One of the two people I mentioned before who could fight you is him.”
Nanmen Jue asked, "Is he at the maximum level?"
"No." This time Ying Yao answered decisively, "If someone reaches the maximum level or successfully leaves the space, it will be announced throughout the entire space."
This was the first time Nanmen Jue had heard this news. She let out a long "Oh," and then asked, "What if he was already at the maximum level before you arrived?"
"Impossible," Ying Yao said without even thinking.
Nanmen Jue gave him a meaningful look but didn't press the matter further.
Ying Yao, on the contrary, had a question: "Why are you asking him?"
There's no point in hiding it. Nanmen Jue told Ying Yao that Cheng Xiuye was actually Zhang Jin's person, but he concealed the fact that each reincarnation world has an anchor point.
This matter is of utmost importance. It's not that she doesn't trust Ying Yao now, but the less people know, the better. Just like she knows that Ying Yao isn't completely honest with her and has no secrets from her.
Ying Yao frowned after hearing this, as if he had encountered something incomprehensible.
“That doesn’t make sense,” he said. “The reward for killing you is 50,000 points and an orange-level item. These rewards are valuable to ordinary reincarnators, but not to Zhang Jin. He is the second-in-command of Ouroboros. He is a very important thorn in our side, just to avoid being exposed if we kill you.”
Suddenly, he realized that Nanmen Jue was staring at him, and he paused, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I just feel that this is the day you've talked the most since I've known you." Nanmen Jue smiled, revealing eight pearly white teeth.
"..."
Nanmen Jue swore that this was the first time she had ever felt a sense of speechlessness on Ying Yao's face.
"Ahem," Nanmen Jue said, "I am, after all, the number one wanted criminal by the entire God's space. Your words make me lose face."
"The orange-tier item that Cheng Xiuye used to upgrade your level was given to him by Zhang Jin," Ying Yao dropped a bombshell.
Nanmen Jue's eyes widened instantly. "How did you know? No, the orange item, he just gave it away like that?"
“No one knows his trump card. You could say he’s the most dangerous enemy in the entire Reincarnation Space.” Ying Yao’s expression was grim. “Hopefully this is just because of Cheng Xiuye’s personal greed, and not because he’s deliberately targeting you.”
Nanmen Jue's mind raced for a few moments before he smiled and said, "Maybe."
Ying Yao nodded, lowered his head and finished the last bit of porridge, then carefully wiped his mouth.
Let's go.
He wasn't one to drag things out; if he wanted to train Nanmen Jue, he would start immediately and not waste any time.
His words were incoherent and illogical, but Nanmen Jue miraculously understood his thought process. She hesitated for a moment, then stopped speaking.
Ying Yao gave her a questioning look.
“…After much thought, there’s one thing I can only ask you for help with,” Nanmen Jue said.
Even if she's very easygoing, she still feels a little embarrassed about troubling the same person repeatedly without having had a chance to repay them.
But she felt that Ying Yao would definitely help her with this.
Ying Yao showed no sign of distress, calmly sat back up, and sat upright as if listening to a leader's reprimand.
"you say."
“There’s a girl in middle school whose only relative died in the cycle of reincarnation,” Nanmen Jue said slowly. “I’m just a student in the real world and I’m really powerless to help. Do you have any connections, like contacting an organization or something, that could help her?”
Ying Yao seemed to be deep in thought, then asked, "Did you kill him?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: The next chapter will take us to a new world!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com