Chapter 53
Wife, wife, wife! This is the wife I was destined for!!
This is truly divine!
My husband looks so handsome, it's killing me!
So stunning, so beautiful, so gorgeous, my wife!! (screams wildly) (faints from admiration) (pinches philtrum) (wakes up and continues screaming)
Wait, am I seeing things? The red mole disappeared in the blink of an eye!
What are you all focusing on? Don't you think it's a bit outrageous? There's actually a true Buddha in this bizarre trial?
If gods, Buddhas, demons, and emperors truly exist, then who knows how difficult the trials that follow will be?
Yes! It's clearly not a good thing. I really don't know why people are going to such lengths to support an NPC who's good-looking. They're willing to lose their minds.
Then the scene shifts, and the words "[Completing the mission may allow you to directly pass this trial]" burst into the view of all viewers with unstoppable momentum.
In an instant, the densely packed barrage of comments suddenly froze, leaving a blank screen and a large gap in the comment section.
New viewers entering the chat area were somewhat puzzled by its clean and uncluttered appearance.
Is it reasonable that the live stream was so popular but there wasn't a single comment?
They wanted to ask about the situation, mentally crafting countless comments, but none of them appeared on the live stream screen.
These new viewers thought they weren't paying enough attention.
They did not suspect the live streaming room because the live streaming function was a key maintenance target of the system and had never had a problem before.
This abnormal situation continued for two minutes.
The movie screen, which had been paused, suddenly pressed play, and a flood of comments poured in like a tidal wave.
Words overlapped, sentence after sentence. When the barrage of comments became too dense, it turned into a black screen, completely obscuring the entire live stream.
To achieve such an outrageous visual effect, the number of bullet comments generated in this short period of time must have exceeded one hundred million!
The new audience member looked momentarily taken aback.
It turns out it wasn't my brain that was malfunctioning; the live stream had actually crashed!
At this point, no player had realized that this was the first time the system had malfunctioned since the start of the Infinite Game, and they were still overjoyed by the words "Instant Clear".
Whether you're into aesthetics, casual gaming, serious gaming, or a hardcore gamer, you're probably feeling your head buzzing.
The live stream crashed, and their shock was beyond words. With extreme disbelief, they subconsciously looked at other viewers in the same section.
The moment their eyes met, everyone blurted out.
"Direct passage?"
"You're not seeing things?"
Is it true?
"Depend on!!!!"
The heated discussion came like a 100-meter tsunami crashing onto the shore, mixed with screams, questions and doubts, almost shaking the sky above the live broadcast hall!
The source of their fanaticism and irrationality can be summed up in just three words—Xie Xubai.
Then Xie Xubai led the players to activate special items to remove the Ghost King's abnormal status.
After regaining his youthful appearance, Jiang Kaile left the Jiang family with Chansheng, and the two little ones had a great time playing outside.
More viewers rushed to the scene after hearing the news, and the popularity of Yan Yue and other players' live streams soared to the top of the homepage.
Even after Chan Sheng was removed from the subsequent storyline of "Dragon Slayer," he became a key focus for data analysts.
This is because it is the first time that players have broken out of the area restrictions of the instance and seen part of the strange world.
"The dungeon isn't a virtual level created by data; there's a real world over there with perfectly functioning logic!"
"Supermarkets, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, streets... parks and lakesides all have signs prohibiting children from playing in the water and reminding people to supervise their children. How is this any different from Earth?"
"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, I suddenly have a bold guess!"
"It feels a bit fake, but it also feels very real. Can anyone come forward and claim whether this is actually Earth?"
"It looks like our province, and the accent and dialect are very familiar, but the regional terrain and buildings are really hard to recognize. I can't tell them apart, damn it! It feels like a century has passed since I first lived on Earth."
Chan Sheng emerged from the trial and appeared at the exit, where he opened his eyes to see a group of analysts so excited that their blood was boiling.
The Speaker of Parliament was also present.
Not only for the scenes that Chan Sheng saw that resembled Earth, but also to capture the traitor Hu Chang.
In the final moments before the trial was about to end, Hu Chang was caught by Yan Yue and other players.
Before they could properly interrogate him, Hu Chang began to convulse unconsciously, his whole body like a fish struggling to survive, his rolled-back eyes almost bulging out.
Yan Yue and the others were shocked and tried to use props to remove his negative status, but it was completely useless.
Before long, dense, dark blue-green runes appeared on Hu Chang's body. Then, with a violent jolt, his heart shattered with a crack, and his brain exploded, splattering red and white brain matter all over the ground.
Yan Yue and the others' hearts sank to the bottom.
His death was swift and decisive, but it plunged the entire strategy team into a crisis of trust, leading to restrictions on their movements and investigations.
Those members wished they could devour its flesh and blood.
Even if Hu Chang's memory is erased, this matter cannot be resolved peacefully.
The council chairman personally led a group to block the respawn point. To prevent the mysterious organization behind the other party from interfering, they cleared the area and laid the net. The moment Hu Chang appeared, they successfully subdued him.
Hu Chang was in a daze, his mind a jumbled mess, when several burly men suddenly pressed him to the ground. He shouted in bewilderment, "What are you doing? Let me go! Where am I?"
When those men heard his shouts, they not only didn't let him go, but instead kicked him several times with livid faces, causing Hu Chang to scream in pain.
The cicada saw it.
He wanted to go up and add insult to injury.
Hu Chang had previously tried to deal with Xie Xubai and almost killed Lele, so he holds a grudge.
But given that the Speaker of Parliament was watching him, he ultimately held back.
The council speaker remained silent for a moment, his eyes red-rimmed, his lips trembling slightly, and his eyes faintly moist, revealing a deep emotion that Chan Sheng could not understand.
Chan Sheng grunted and decided to apologize first: "I'm sorry, I gave the candy to Lele, so I can't help you die anymore."
“Compared to the merits you have made, those are insignificant.” The council speaker took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, and ruffled his hair with his calloused hands, his voice hoarse. “Chansheng, remember this: you are a great hero. The fate of all players may be changed because of you…”
Starting with the last trial, players will not be immediately ejected from the instance after completing it, but will remain there for a short period of time.
During this short period, they kept trying to reach other areas, but a hazy white fog blocked their way.
If you force your way in, the system will issue a death warning.
Including this trial. Yan Yue and the others, who were also present, explored along the boundary of the Jiang family compound, but could only see a vast expanse of white mist.
A rustling, mocking laugh echoed through the fog, and various shadows flashed by, their shapes indistinguishable.
This time, the system did not issue any warnings, nor did it create any invisible barriers to prevent players from approaching.
They threw things at the target to test it, but there was no reaction.
The assassins attempted to enter.
As soon as his arm was submerged, intense pain turned his face deathly pale. An irresistible force surged from the void, attempting to drag him inside.
Seeing that things were not going well, the others rushed forward and, after a difficult standoff for a long time, finally dragged the assassin out of the white mist.
But then they were horrified to see that the flesh and blood of the assassin's entire arm had been devoured, leaving only the stark white bone hanging precariously from the thin muscles.
If everyone hadn't reacted quickly, he probably would have been eaten to the bone!
Chan Sheng, who was able to follow Jiang Kaile out of the trial area, was the only exception among the players.
Without his existence and his live streams, players might never have glimpsed the true nature of this bizarre world in their lifetime.
Previously, the Speaker of the Parliament had been tormented by doubts, repeatedly questioning whether he should have entrusted Chan Sheng to Hu Chang.
The moment the scene of the trial world came into view on the live broadcast, his tense nerves, which had been taut for days, suddenly relaxed, and his heart, which had been hanging in his throat, finally settled down.
Cicada was puzzled, but seeing everyone so happy, it seemed to be infected by their joy, and it couldn't help but show an awkward smile as well.
They teleported together to the Parliament Building.
The others took Hu Chang away, while Chan Sheng stayed with the Speaker of the Council.
The council speaker said, "We will be holding an emergency meeting in a little while, and we need your participation to tell everyone which landmarks or buildings we have seen along the way..."
“Okay.” Chan Sheng nodded obediently, then suddenly said, “I want to participate in that experiment.”
The council speaker paused, turning back to look at him suspiciously: "What experiment?"
Given Chan Sheng's intelligence, his ability to accurately pronounce the word "experiment" was somewhat surprising to him.
It was at this moment that the Speaker of the Council noticed that Chan Sheng's right hand was tightly gripping something.
Chan Sheng said, "It's an experiment where you can retain your memories even if you die. They said that if it goes well, even the props can be preserved, and they hope I can participate."
The Speaker's expression changed drastically, his eyes sharpening: "Who told you that?"
It's not surprising that such an experiment would take place.
Since the beginning of the Infinite Game, humanity has never given up on overcoming the limitations imposed by the system.
If death allows players to retain combat experience and items, it would be a significant improvement and advancement for them.
Leaders of various organizations, including the Speaker of Parliament, are eager to see the results of this experiment, and he has previously allocated funds for it.
The problem is that this experiment is a secret research project on the side of the "Tower," and only he and a few high-ranking members of the frontline strategy team are in the know.
Aside from clearing dungeons, Chan Sheng never left the frontline strategy team, completely ruling out the possibility of being misled.
Moreover, the cicada's memory is very slow; if someone around him hadn't repeatedly mentioned it, he wouldn't have been able to accurately recount the experimental details.
Whether it was the loose tongues of those high-ranking officials or the infiltration of the strategy team by people from the Tower, it all infuriated the Speaker of the Council, especially with the continued escalation of Hu Chang's betrayal.
The strategy team has been completely hacked and turned into a sieve!
Seeing the Speaker's terribly dark expression, Chan Sheng thought he had said something wrong and pursed his lips, saying, "I'm sorry..."
“No, this has nothing to do with you.” The Speaker of Parliament noticed his unease and quickly regained his composure.
Seeing that Chan Sheng's brows were furrowed, and that he still seemed interested in the experiment of preserving memories, the council speaker paused and asked in a kind tone, "May I take a look?"
Following the Speaker's gaze to his right, Chan Sheng thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay."
He opened his hand, revealing a red scale in his palm, which reflected a brilliant red light in the sunlight.
[Item Name: Red Dragon Scale]
Donor: A-level Ghost King Jiang Kaile
Item Description: One of the heart-protecting scales located in the heart of the red dragon, as hard as iron, impervious to water and fire.
The proud young man was not good at expressing his feelings for his family and friends, but the burning passion of the red scales remained forever.
Effect 1: This item carries the sincere blessing of the Red Dragon, granting the wearer complete immunity to fire damage.
Effect 2: This item contains the heartfire of the Red Dragon, which can dispel 100% of frost damage.
Effect 3: This item carries the aura of the Red Dragon. Any monsters under Jiang Kaile's command will be subjected to a stun effect: attack power will be reduced to 0, defense power will be reduced to 0, and there is a chance to cause them to be stunned or comatose.
...
The Speaker of Parliament used an appraisal technique, producing a long list of effects that left the reader bewildered.
As a player, it's hard not to be tempted by top-tier rare items.
He quickly looked away, then suddenly remembered the agreement he had seen between Chan Sheng and the Ghost King Jiang Kaile during the live stream. He focused his mind slightly and took out a prop shaped like a red rope from his spatial storage.
The council speaker threaded a red rope through the red scale and hung it around Chan Sheng's neck, saying earnestly, "This rope has a built-in concealment effect. Others cannot see the red scale you possess, nor can they use identification magic on it."
Chan Sheng could sense that the councilor was protecting his scale, and he nodded happily.
The Speaker of Parliament said ominously, "Also, if anyone invites you to participate in that damn memory experiment again, don't accept. Remember their face and come back to tell me."
Chan Sheng responded with a puzzled look.
The Speaker of Parliament let out a soft sigh.
If the memory experiment proves effective, not only Chan Sheng, but he wouldn't hesitate to be the first to sign up as a test subject.
The problem is that progress from the tower is not optimistic; several participants in the experiment have been reported to be exhibiting symptoms of mental abnormality and have almost gone insane.
I have heard that there was a breakthrough in the field of medicine, where people could remember some things after they died.
But when it was time to display the exhibits, nothing happened again, leaving everyone disappointed.
Seeing that the Speaker of Parliament still looked worried, Chan Sheng said, "It's alright."
He touched the scale. After he said goodbye, Jiang Kaile suddenly tore off the scale and handed it to him.
The scales were scalding hot and bloody. Chan Sheng didn't realize it until he was out of the trial, and kept clutching them tightly in his hand.
He touched the plastic wrappers in his pocket again—the leftover candy wrappers.
The candy Xie Xu gave me is also sold in the store. It has the same packaging and tastes the same, but it tastes so much better than the candy in the store.
He carefully kept all the wrapping paper, not throwing away a single piece.
He had nothing but this much wealth, yet the fool was content with it.
Chan Sheng said resolutely, "I will strive to become stronger, strong enough that I will never die again. It doesn't matter if there are no experiments."
The Speaker of Parliament was stunned.
In the other person's eyes, he saw a light he had never seen before, and a strange warmth welled up in his heart. He couldn't help but pat Chan Sheng on the shoulder and laugh loudly, "Good, you have ambition!"
On the other side, Yan Yue opened Xu Qingran's live stream room the moment he entered the live stream hall.
He didn't originally intend to use assassins when participating in the Ghost King instance. After all, he had a trusted and tacit partner to rely on, so why would he choose to start over with strangers?
However, when those people heard that he had the support of the strategy team, in order to put him at ease and team up with the assassins, they directly gave up participating in the first clear trial.
Xu Qingran was the only one who insisted on signing up.
However, she didn't want to hold Yan Yue back either, so she stayed in her personal space and didn't accept Yan Yue's invitation to team up until the trial started.
Yan Yue was very worried about Xu Qingran.
In fact, his concerns were valid.
As soon as she entered the live stream, she saw a man holding a sickle grabbing Xu Qingran by the neck and slowly lifting her into the air, his smile not reaching his eyes: "Didn't I warn you not to show any pointless kindness in front of me?"
Xu Qingran tried to pry his wrist, but couldn't budge it an inch. She gradually became breathless, her cheeks turning red, and she said in a weak voice, "You... you just kill him like this? What if there's a trap in the dungeon?"
Behind them, a corpse lay in a pool of blood, its fine black hair hanging down at the temples.
The scythe-wielding man tilted his head, about to say something, when he suddenly felt a chilling pressure coming from behind him. He quickly turned around and met a pair of cold, scarlet beast eyes.
The beast's eyes were larger than its body. Looking further up, its ferocious scales resembled jagged rocks, and the red-scaled behemoth opened its blood-red maw and roared.
The sharp claws pressed down like Mount Tai, stirring up gusts of wind, leaving no escape.
The man with the sickle exclaimed in feigned surprise, "Wow! There really is a pit!"
Seeing the colossal, sky-covering behemoth before her, Xu Qingran felt utterly hopeless.
If you die, your memories will be wiped clean, and you'll have nothing left. How can that not make you despair?
But the man with the sickle seemed fearless, even though danger was imminent, he still maintained a playful attitude.
"Sigh, never mind." He leaned close to Xu Qingran's ear, his eyes dangerously chilling, his voice carrying the intimate, whispering tone of lovers, "I wonder if we'll even meet in the next instance... It's such a wonderful memory, yet only I can remember it, it's really..."
What does that mean? Xu Qingran was taken aback.
Before she could even understand what he meant, with a snap, the man with the scythe cleanly and decisively broke her neck.
The next second, the claws crashed down, smashing the scythe-wielding man into a pile of mud.
Xie Xubai had no way of knowing what happened in the game lobby.
He took Jiang Kaile home and began the process of transferring his household registration and restoring his school enrollment.
Ms. Xu said she would transfer all her personal assets to his name, and the next day, Xie Xubai received a bank transfer notification.
Meanwhile, Ms. Xu's assistant arrived with a lawyer, who respectfully stated that Ms. Xu owned some real estate and involved a variety of business projects, asking whether Xie Xubai intended to inherit the company directly or liquidate it.
Xie Xubai asked Lü Xiangcai to help him take a look.
It was at this moment that Lü Xiangcai learned that Xie Xubai had actually fallen into the Jiang family's cycle, and had successfully broken the cycle to rescue Jiang Kaile!
He was half scared and half surprised.
Xie Xubai explained his well-thought-out plan.
He intends to donate part of the private property given to him by Ms. Xu to the welfare center in Ms. Xu's personal name, and the rest to be used for public welfare projects.
He wanted to leave another portion to Jiang Kaile, but the form of the arrangement had changed.
To this end, Xie Xubai even prepared a special proposal and gave it to Lü Xiangcai for review.
He's not in this field, so he's unsure if it's feasible.
Lu Xiangcai quipped with amusement, "It's so mysterious, it feels like something extraordinary."
He was still jealous of Xie Xubai's concern for Jiang Kaile, but when he thought that the young man would eventually save him from the cycle, even the hateful faces of the board of directors became a little kinder.
“No.” Xie Xubai handed over the proposal. “I’ve thought about it again and again. In today’s world order, it’s hard to define the standard for chivalry.”
"Upholding justice and chivalry?"
"Yes, it is Young Master Jiang's dream." Xie Xubai chuckled.
"Oh ho, Young Master Jiang still has the heart of a child."
Lu Xiangcai took the proposal with a smile, glanced at it briefly, then his smile vanished, and he snapped it shut with a blank expression.
"...Are you kidding me?"
Lu Xiangcai knew Xie Xubai was bold, but he never expected the other party to be so daring.
Staring at the calm face before him, his tone was filled with astonishment and uncertainty: "You actually want to create rules?"
The proposal contained the very laws that Xie Xubai had rewritten based on the bizarre world!
That's right, Xie Xubai is preparing to implement laws and establish law enforcement agencies that are lacking in the alienated world.
Jiang Kaile will serve as the first-choice CEO, holding this position firmly in place.
This is the path of chivalry that Xie Xubai has prepared for Jiang Kaile, which is reasonable, legitimate, and will not bring any psychological burden or pressure.
But he never expected to hear the word "rules" from Lü Xiangcai.
For the alienated world, the word "rules" carries immense weight; they are the laws that maintain the normal operation of a region.
Creating new rules is not simple; it requires overturning existing ones. Like reforms in ancient times, its implementation inevitably leads to bloodshed.
Xie Xubai lowered his eyelashes and pondered, "...Actually, I didn't think that deeply."
—But he can start thinking about it now.
Lu Xiangcai tried to calm his suddenly racing heart and read on with a mixture of belief and skepticism.
The more I looked at it, the more alarmed I became.
Although it was initially planned to be implemented only within Ms. Xu's business, the proposal also stated that if it proved feasible, they would consider gradually extending the aforementioned laws to surrounding areas.
This is clearly the prototype of a rule!
Even more critically, Xie Xubai provided detailed explanations of all aspects of the specific implementation plan.
The fact that someone with only a superficial understanding of the law could go to such lengths, even without being able to find any relevant legal information, speaks volumes about their stubbornness and persistence.
Lu Xiangcai was ignorant of the law, but he could see the traces of Xie Xubai's repeated polishing between the lines.
He had always admired Xie Xubai's seriousness.
But at this moment, all I felt was a sense of awe and fear.
Xie Xubai carefully observed the details of his expression, breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled, "Looks like it's feasible?"
"What do you mean, 'feasible'? No way!"
Lu Xiangcai, preoccupied with concern, rarely lost his temper with him. His voice was slightly stern: "Do you know what you're doing? Setting the rules is the responsibility of the gods. Anyone who tries to steal the fire will be torn to pieces! Your will will be shattered by the existing rules, and even if your soul is reassembled, it will not be able to recover!"
Xie Xubai slightly widened his eyes.
god?
Do you know where God came from?
The man's deep, magnetic voice resurfaced in his mind, carrying a profound and intriguing meaning.
Xie Xubai pondered the words repeatedly, and suddenly his mind cleared, giving rise to a belated realization.
He had no real concept of the identity of a "deity," but at this moment he suddenly realized that the person's seemingly casual help was actually giving him an immeasurable gift!
After quickly gathering his mental composure, Xie Xubai solemnly said, "I understand."
Hearing his determination, Lü Xiangcai became even more horrified and said, "What do you understand? I feel like you don't understand at all! Don't think about doing anything foolish!"
Xie Xubai smiled and gently reassured him, "I definitely won't do anything foolish. I'm supporting a whole family right now, and I haven't even rescued you from this cycle yet."
In an instant, all of Lü Xiangcai's words were choked back by that laugh: "..."
Tsk, is this what it feels like to love and hate at the same time? It's simply beyond his control.
In fact, this project plan is not only promising for the future; at least the parts related to the industry can be implemented now.
For those industrial areas, Xie Xubai, who owns them, is no different from the "King of Devils".
Lu Xiangcai was very worried that a human would be torn to pieces if he were to become the king of the monsters, so he insisted on arranging for bodyguards to accompany him.
Xie Xubai did not refuse his kindness, and asked with a smile, "Do you think I've changed a lot?"
He specifically pointed to the changes in his mental strength that came with becoming Jiang Kaile's teacher.
Lu Xiangcai certainly noticed, and he couldn't help but be surprised from the moment they met again, and then felt very happy.
He smiled and gave a thumbs up: "No doubt about it, I really have to give you a big compliment!"
Lu Xiangcai said, "You've been working hard for over a month, so why not take a good rest these few days? I'll give you fifteen days off. Play as much as you want, wherever you want to go, I'll arrange it..."
Unexpectedly, Xie Xubai shook his head: "No need. Have you already chosen where I'm going next?"
Lu Xiangcai frowned: "No matter how eager you are to become stronger, you still need to pay attention to the balance between work and rest. You are still just a mortal. What will you do if you overwork yourself?"
"I have a bad feeling. I should get stronger as soon as possible," Xie Xubai said. "It's the same if I rest later."
Lu Xiangcai disagreed: "At least three days of rest."
Xie Xubai asked a few more questions indirectly, but Lü Xiangcai refused to budge.
Seeing his insistence, Xie Xubai reluctantly promised, "Alright, alright, I will definitely get some rest these three days."
Lu Xiangcai's expression softened slightly, and he suddenly had a brilliant idea, suggesting, "How about I throw you a celebration banquet? Book it at sea, have a spectacular fireworks display, invite a bunch of beauties to party, and then go on vacation to the most beautiful coastline!"
Xie Xubai couldn't help but chuckle: "Do you want me to rest or are you going to torment me?"
"You really don't want to go? You can see whales migrating at this time of year, which is a rare opportunity."
Xie Xubai has many hobbies, but he is especially drawn to animals. He looked up instantly, his eyes lighting up: "When?"
He has never seen a whale in person.
Seeing the young man's expectant look, Lü Xiangcai's heart softened, and he said gently, "Whenever you want to."
Xie Xubai chuckled: "That's migration. It's not like I can just say I'm too busy lately and they'll stay there and wait for me."
Lu Xiangcai smiled but remained silent.
—You have no idea how happy the whales will be; they'd wait as long as you come.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
After placing Ping An's hair and Jiang Kaile's scales into the wallet's inner pocket, Xie Xubai went to Shengtian Group to meet Lü Xiangcai.
Perhaps fearing he wasn't getting enough rest, Lü Xiangcai hadn't revealed any information beforehand.
Xie Xubai had many guesses and was even prepared to travel across mountains and rivers, but he never expected to receive a white coat.
Xie Xubai hesitated, after all, he hadn't even read half a medical book: "This is...?"
“You guessed right, you’re going to become the chief physician at the First Municipal Hospital,” Lü Xiangcai said. “But the patients you’ll be treating are mutated monsters.”
Author's Note:
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