Chapter 164
...
Everything in Xie Xubai's dream was like viewing flowers through a fog, hazy and indistinct.
He looked up and bumped into a man completely shrouded in white mist.
The unique salty smell of the sea surrounded him, like surging waves washing over his wrists and sweeping over his shoulders and back, as if it were a tangible force that tightened around his skin inch by inch, greedily and aggressively taking over him.
Fierce and domineering, unreasonable and tyrannical.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xie Xubai was convinced that the person in front of him was Yan Shuo, even though he couldn't see his face clearly.
After forcibly pulling Xie Xubai into his arms, the man's hand suddenly went straight for his lower abdomen.
Yan Shuo's vigorous and powerful actions have truly resonated with people.
Given that the location was too private, Xie Xubai's brow twitched violently, and he reflexively reached out to block it.
—Just recently, when she was caught up in a moment of passion, the man with the gold-rimmed glasses held back so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping his shoulder, bulged out, but he still respected his feelings and didn't cross the line.
But Xie Xubai in the dream was out of control, merely repeating the actions of that time, his right hand flicking upwards lightly, lightly touching Yan Shuo's wrist.
His pale, weak skin was covered in cold sweat, giving him a sickly and exhausted appearance.
Rather than obstruction, it was more like a gentle form of indulgence.
Yan Shuo's palm pressed down smoothly, but to Xie Xubai's surprise, it only hovered in mid-air and did not come into contact with his skin.
A powerful surge of energy rapidly gathered in Yan Shuo's palm, rushing into Xie Xubai's body.
This force was far greater than when the Jiang family's small tentacles erupted. It was like a devastating tornado, exuding a chilling sense of oppression that shattered the floor tiles and even caused the surrounding space to become abnormally distorted!
But falling into Xie Xubai's battered body was like falling into a bottomless black hole, leaving not a ripple.
The white mist covering Yan Shuo's wrist fluttered down, like a cracked city wall, revealing his strong, lean finger bones.
The man, who was usually aloof and composed, a god who would not hesitate to glance at even if the world were to collapse, was now trembling uncontrollably.
Xie Xubai gasped for breath in pain, struggling to muster his strength as he faced Yan Shuo's relentless onslaught, and spoke gently, "It's no use..."
Yan Shuo did not answer, but as if stimulated, his wrist trembled violently.
The surging power intensified instantly, shattering the jungle bushes and tearing apart the air currents.
The white mist shrouding His face swayed and wavered, and He recklessly poured even the power to conceal His form into it, like a desperate gamble by a fugitive on the verge of despair, as if He had gone mad.
Xie Xubai knew his injuries were unusual, because before seeing Yan Shuo, he had tried to release his power to save himself, but to no avail.
It wasn't a superficial wound; it was a deep-seated deficiency that affected the soul, a decay that spread from the inside out.
Even he, who possesses healing abilities, can't do much, let alone an evil god who has no healing powers.
His power can only bring destruction and ruin; without that skill, it's useless to try your best.
Yan Shuo must be an unruly person who would never accept his fate. Even if Xie Xubai gently persuaded him, even if he poured all his strength into him in vain, he would not give up.
His hands trembled more and more violently, and in the end, he was so desperate that he tried to stop the bleeding wound with his hands and feet.
Xie Xubai belatedly realized amidst the dull pain that no wonder Yan Shuo's hand was reaching here; there was a large hole in his abdomen.
I was only in a daze for half a second before I couldn't think about it anymore.
How can one describe Yan Shuo's panic and helplessness?
He was like a child standing in front of a collapsing dam, watching helplessly as the water burst through the cracks, frantically trying to cover it with his hands. The next second, he saw another brick break, and he rushed to plug that too.
More and more water splashed out, and the cracks multiplied, widening and widening.
"No, no...!"
Yan Shuo covered one end of Xie Xubai's wound with his palm, pressing it firmly against Xie Xubai's wound. The white mist on his face cracked and fell off piece by piece, revealing his wet and red eyes.
His pale lips trembled, his muscles were so tense they shook, and his back seemed to have collapsed under the weight, completely hunched over.
"Don't die, Xie Xubai, you can't die! You promised me, you liar!...You can't die!"
Xie Xubai, of course, cherished his life.
But if he is powerless to do anything, he will only sigh and laugh it off lightly.
But at this moment, he felt a heavy weight, an overwhelming sense that he couldn't just close his eyes so easily, a weight that even transformed into a deep sense of resentment and pain.
Xie Xubai couldn't contain himself and reached up unsteadily.
Scalding tears streamed down his face in an instant, landing heavily on his fingertips, burning his cold skin.
Xie Xubai's breath hitched, wondering if he was seeing things, but the tears kept falling, shattering his disbelief.
The cold and arrogant evil god believed no one, yet he clung to him, wailing and praying incoherently, seeking help from the gods of all directions.
"Please, someone save him! I'll do anything! Please, someone...!"
Swish—
The sound of the sea crashing against the shore came from not far away, intermittent, cold and desolate, and the salty and bitter smell in the air grew stronger.
No one responded.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, as if the two of them were the only living beings left in the entire world.
Xie Xubai was suddenly overcome with immense sorrow.
Seeing the arrogant Yan Shuo shouting and pleading hoarsely again and again, his head almost humbly hitting the ground.
Xie Xubai was shocked, and his heart felt as if it were being torn apart. The pain was so intense that he could barely breathe.
At this moment, he finally resonated with himself in his dream, clumsily forgetting all the skills of comforting people. His eyes were moist and tears streamed down his face. He held Yan Shuo's hand tightly, repeatedly kneading the bulging veins on it with his thumb, and murmuring to himself over and over again.
"Don't cry, sweetie, don't cry."
"It's okay, using me to give everyone another chance is a good deal..."
"There are millions of people like me..."
There are countless more.
Xie Xubai's breath hitched, and he suddenly realized something. His eyelashes drooped and trembled.
In that instant, an idea popped into his head.
He knew the idea was absurd and would greatly harm the man in front of him.
Perhaps it was the oppression of knowing he might never be able to be reborn that made him suddenly less rational and less considerate.
He raised his finger with a slight tremor, and a halo of light slowly condensed on his pale fingertip.
Yan Shuo was so engrossed in his grief that he failed to notice Xie Xubai's subtle actions.
Half a second later, His breathing also suddenly stopped.
Yan Shuo stared stiffly and mechanically at the young man in his arms, his eyes widening in disbelief. His voice was rough, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper: "...What are you doing?"
Xie Xubai pursed his lips and remained silent, while his other hand gripped Yan Shuo's fingers so tightly that they lost all color.
Yan Shuo went berserk: "You're extracting my memories? You don't want me to remember you anymore?"
He suddenly realized what was happening, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with rage and an inescapable stench of blood; he spoke without thinking.
"...Millions upon millions of people? Yes, that's your thinking. You've always been like this! As long as there are millions of people in front of you, as long as it's for the greater good in your heart, you can always put everything behind you! Including me!"
Xie Xubai wanted to shake his head, but he simply didn't have the strength.
He weakly lowered his head, his Adam's apple bobbing forcefully, as if to swallow all the hesitant tears.
He resolutely, steadily, and without leaving any way out, squeezed out the last bit of strength, letting the warm and gentle golden light from his fingertips shine on Yan Shuo.
Yan Shuo suddenly grabbed his hand, his grip tightening so much that he wanted to break off the fingers that were using his abilities, and crush his bones and then mix them into his own.
"You're so arrogant, Xie Xubai! What makes you think I'd fall in love with thousands of other people without you? Who do you take me for?! And how dare you presume to know who you are to me?!"
That deep, hoarse voice went from longing to resentment in less than half a second, each note sharp and blood-curdling, the collapse contained within it unpredictable whether it was more intense before or after.
"You won't die! Don't think you can just give up everything and die so easily! No matter the cost, I will find you again and show you what regret is!"
"Xie Xubai! Xie Xubai—!!"
...
The white mist was like an invisible wall, isolating the outside world. In the quiet bedroom, only Xie Xubai's increasingly rapid and restless breathing could be heard.
A long, thin, dark shadow stood before the bed, its neck stretched to an incredible angle, like a stretched rubber band, encircling Xie Xubai's face, observing him intently.
It exhaled a chilling, damp breath, almost touching the young man's porcelain-white skin. Xie Xubai's long, narrow eyelashes trembled, making him appear extremely uneasy.
This is a good time to make a move.
The slender, ghostly figure stretched out its sharp claws, ready to pounce, but suddenly froze, as if obeying some command, and took a step back.
The center of the shadow, what could be called a face, suddenly split open into a gaping maw full of sharp teeth, mechanically opening and closing as it faced the youth who seemed to be plagued by nightmares: "You're still different after all. You're more composed than that one. He smashed the puppet to pieces the moment he saw it, really..."
Before he could finish speaking, several golden beams shot out like arrows in a flash, piercing through the shadow's shoulder blades and elbows, pinning it to the wall without killing it, and smashing a dent into it.
Xie Xubai slowly opened his eyes on the bed. His red eyes were still wet, but they were clear, indicating that he had been awake for a long time.
He sat up straight, and in the instant he opened and closed his eyes, the last trace of moisture in them was wiped away. His sharp gaze swept over the shadowy figure, and he asked calmly, "Is it you who's behind my dreams of those memories?"
"Which faction do you belong to? Player, monster, or system?"
The slender, dark figure was about to speak when Xie Xubai interrupted him without warning: "Show me your true form. I don't have the habit of talking to a megaphone."
Without leaving any room for maneuver, the light ropes binding the shadow tightened all at once, and within ten seconds, the shadow would be crushed into pieces.
The shadowy figure convulsed as it was strangled. Perhaps because it wasn't a complete puppet, it still felt fear and terror, and screamed without thinking, "You'll get nothing if you kill me, that's not what you want..."
“I’ve been observing you for a long time. If you don’t make a move, it’s either because you’re hesitant or because you’re after something. Until you achieve your goal, you’ll keep coming to me.”
Xie Xubai opened his eyes, spoke indifferently, his aura as imposing as a mountain: "But I'm only giving you this one chance to have a more amicable negotiation or discussion."
"If you don't show your true face this time, I won't give you the chance to reveal your true form in the future."
Golden light condensed in his palm, unlike its usual gentleness, exuding a surging killing intent, and he was not joking at all.
The shadowy figure remained silent.
Just as Xie Xubai gave it its last second of the time limit, its pupils suddenly widened, and it convulsed in agony: "Aaaaaah!"
Like being poisoned, its entire body festered the next second, intricate patterns spreading from its head to its feet. The dark flesh melted along the patterns like a candle, then haphazardly clumped together under some irresistible force, writhing incessantly.
This seemed like a cruel punishment, punishing the shadowy figure for taking it upon himself to answer Xie Xubai's question.
After a chilling sound of flesh and bone grinding together, the pulp suddenly unfolded, transforming into a distorted portal.
Above the door were three maliciously pieced-together beast-shaped skulls, framed by the bones of various strange creatures, glowing with eerie blue will-o'-the-wisps, and a vortex of flesh in the center hissing and spewing out crimson bits of meat.
Countless ghost faces vaguely appeared on the door, and if you listened carefully, you could hear many shrill screams.
A sinister and eerie atmosphere permeated the air.
It was as if one could see Xie Xubai's suddenly icy gaze.
The next second, this disgusting and cruel creation suddenly turned into a large, ordinary, transparent floor-to-ceiling window.
Through the window, Xie Xubai saw a cloaked figure sitting casually in a chair, surrounded by nothing but emptiness. The figure faced Xie Xubai, their gazes level, and raised a pair of eyes filled with white film and lacking any light.
Xie Xubai remained calm and composed on the surface, but inwardly he was cautiously pondering the situation.
Is this person blind?
"Xie Xubai." The man seemed extremely familiar with him, showing no anger at being threatened, and even inquired in a friendly manner, "Do you like playing games?"
"It can be action, adventure, shooting, puzzle, role-playing, and can be computer-based or live-action."
"Just to mention, my favorite thing is playing chess."
The cloaked figure stretched out his hand and casually waved it in mid-air, as if idly playing with invisible chess pieces: "Using human lives as chips, gambling with the world."
He lifted his eyelids: "Use everything as a chess piece."
Author's Note:
I'm back from getting a tooth pulled. Because I was afraid of pain, I had the anesthesia on full strength (looking up at the sky). Plus, the doctor's technique was superb, so I didn't feel any discomfort at the time.
The buzzing and whirring of the dental drill in my mouth was incredibly terrifying, sending chills down my spine. Then, after the anesthesia wore off, there was some pain—but thankfully, I got through it safely.
I didn't have time to reply on Women's Day, so I'm giving away 88 little red envelopes in the comments section of this chapter to wish you all happiness every day!
This is the last chapter, and it's very laggy. I really don't want to just write something haphazardly and post it; that would be irresponsible to the readers, the book, and myself. So I need to polish it little by little.
It might seem like I've been a bit late, but believe me, I wasn't slacking off qwq (I really sat there from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. writing and deleting repeatedly qwq).
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