Chapter 78
Chapter Seventy-Eight
[Host, you don't have much time left. Please complete the mission as soon as possible.] The system added, and Meng Yuan slumped back down: "Where is the mission at now?"
[Host, please close your eyes.]
Meng Yuan closed her eyes in response. A numerical panel appeared before her.
[Basic Mission: Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character's Health: 80%]
[Intermediate Quest: Change the final ending: 50%]
[Ultimate Mission: Kill the Villain: 0%]
[Special Mission: Conquer the Villainous Male Supporting Character: Stats Unknown]
Meng Yuan looked at the last task: "What does 'numerical value unknown' mean?"
System: [Due to the special nature of this task, the value continues to increase and cannot be estimated.]
Meng Yuan really couldn't understand what kind of numerical value was required to complete this task: "The value was already very high last time, so it didn't count as completing the task?"
System: [Host, the special mission is an alternative to the ultimate mission. You can only choose to complete one of them. The special mission is not counted in your return mission count unless you choose to replace it, in which case the ultimate mission will be destroyed and replaced.]
Meng Yuan: "So no matter how high this value is, it doesn't count unless I choose to replace it?"
System: [Yes.]
Meng Yuan immediately felt dejected. Killing was difficult, and so was developing emotions. This replacement mission seemed tempting, but it wasn't suitable for her current state. Once she developed emotions, it would be hard to extricate herself, not to mention that she couldn't find the source of Shang Mang's actions at all, let alone kill him. She clenched her fist, suddenly recalling the scene of that sword piercing her in Xinghua Village.
Her back stiffened instantly. She looked down at the red mole on her wrist and touched it.
Was she unable to bring herself to kill him, or was it because subconsciously she felt she couldn't kill him?
Meng Yuan decided to temporarily set aside her choice regarding this task and focus on the other two. So much time had passed, yet the task progress remained slow, according to the system. There wasn't much time left; they should be reaching the ending of the original book. However, the current ending was different from the previous one. This ending was unknown. If it was the same as in the original book, with Zhou Xiuqi sealing Shang Mang with his death, and Xiao Zheyu wearing a wedding dress, ultimately dying alone...
Such a tragic ending is a "bad" ending, but what if it were a "happy" ending?
Enduring the pain, Meng Yuan continued to think about it. It was a happy ending, with Xiao Zheyu alive, Shang Mang dead, and Zhou Xiuqi alive—a completely different ending from the original.
However, the things she did in her past life were somewhat nonsensical. She didn't say what she was trying to do, nor did she leave any evidence of it.
[Host, the closer we get to the finale, the faster your health will decrease. Because you carry memories from your past life, the challenges you encounter will exceed the system's ability to assess. For your sake, please complete the mission as soon as possible.]
The system left behind these words and disappeared, leaving her mind blank and extinguished. She opened her eyes: "Was killing him the best ending?"
Meng Yuan sat up abruptly: "If the ending is destined to be one person dying, it would be best if I died so that no one else had to." Her hair, which was in a messy bun, was quickly tied up; the air in the room was too stuffy. She reached out and opened the window. A cool breeze blew in, and Meng Yuan closed her eyes comfortably. For her, such peaceful days were actually quite good; having a healthy body was better than anything else.
"Does your head still hurt?" A voice came from beside her. Meng Yuan turned her head and was startled. Ju Nan's eyes were closed, but he seemed to be looking at her. Meng Yuan said, "Grandmaster? What are you doing here?"
Ju Nan smiled faintly: "I saw you were suffering from a terrible headache on your bed earlier, so I used a little magic. Are you feeling better now?"
Meng Yuan was startled. When she fainted, her head hadn't hurt so much when she was thinking earlier; it was Junan's magic. She thanked him respectfully, walked out, and went to Junan's side: "Thank you, Grandmaster. My head feels much better now."
Junan nodded, tilted his head slightly, and raised his chin: "It has been half a year since you entered Xinghua Village, and your curse of vengeance has not yet been lifted."
Meng Yuan listened to him without saying a word. He seemed to be talking to himself, and Meng Yuan didn't know how to respond.
Junan continued, "The most difficult thing to deal with compared to ordinary ghosts is their source. If a person's obsession doesn't dissipate after death, it will turn into a ghost. But ghosts are different from ordinary ghosts. They crawl out of the stomach of the dead and have no origin or connection."
“When you were a child, I heard that a girl had pulled out a calamity, which was something I never expected. So I went down the mountain and became the national advisor. Calamities are the accumulation of grievances and are the source of countless ghosts.”
Meng Yuan vaguely sensed that he was about to say something, but there was a barrier between them, and she had an urge to stop him.
“Calamity is the source of evil fetuses.” Junan opened his eyes slightly, and Meng Yuan’s pupils instantly lost focus, making his face appear blurry.
The voice was muffled: "For the demon fetus to perish, the one who holds the calamity must personally pierce its heart."
Meng Yuan's breathing became labored, and the hazy sensation in her ears made her feel as if she were drowning in deep water. She reached out frantically, trying to find a piece of driftwood.
She tried to open her eyes, but failed the first time. The second time, she finally opened them, but Junan had already closed them. He held her with one hand and said softly, "You once asked me why the ghost fetus must die. All things in the world are straw dogs of heaven and earth. He is, and so are everyone. Silly girl, your life is intertwined with his, so only one of you can die."
Meng Yuan stared wide-eyed, the shoes on the ground wobbling from side to side.
"Between him and me, only one of us can die." She repeated these words, her mind clouded, but she didn't show the anger she felt after Tan Yuhua exposed her. Instead, she calmly raised her eyes: "What did I tell you in my past life?"
At that one sentence, Junan's tense expression suddenly softened, and she released her arm. Magic supported her, preventing her from collapsing. Junan knew that she had gambled correctly once again.
The wind that Junan was waiting for finally blew over.
“If I tell you, you’ll mess everything up yourself.” Junan lowered his head and closed his eyes.
Meng Yuan couldn't control her wild thoughts, but his words calmed her down. Compared to Shang Mang and Zhou Xiu's approach, Junan's method was clearly more comfortable for her.
Meng Yuan said, "Thank you."
Junan raised his hand, hovered in mid-air, paused for a moment, and then placed it on her head to pat her head: "No need to thank me."
Meng Yuan rarely had his head patted, so he felt a little uncomfortable and awkward, but he quickly withdrew his hand. Junan looked up at the sky and said, "Don't call me for dinner. I have something to do and need to go back to the palace first."
Meng Yuan nodded, then turned and left. The scent of sandalwood filled the air, and she took a deep breath. Calmly, she went inside and closed the door.
The moment the door closed, the shadow of the pillar fell.
With a cracking sound, he pressed his knuckles, his eyes narrowed with a smile: "Can anyone steal your gaze?" No one answered him, but he was used to it. He lowered his hands and looked at the tightly closed door, his eyes unblinking, as if trying to see through it.
He said softly, “No one is more suitable than me.” The wind picked up and carried away his words.
A moment later, the door opened, and Shang Mang hid behind a pillar, using magic to conceal his presence. Meng Yuan rubbed her head and walked out the door. He followed her, so close that Meng Yuan couldn't detect his presence.
If Shang Mang blew a breath on her face, she would think it was the wind.
During this time, he followed her like a shadow, wanting to know everything Meng Yuan did, saw, and did. Meng Yuan walked with her shoulders and back straight, her bun swaying back and forth. Shang Mang stood behind her, hugging her neck from behind, and releasing her before she could feel it.
He wanted to kill both his grandmaster and Zhou Xiuqi.
Meng Yuan went inside and found no one there, so she sat down first. "It seems like I'm always the first one here. They're not enthusiastic about eating at all." Looking at the table full of dishes, Meng Yuan's mood improved.
Shang Mang stood beside her, watching the dishes that caught her gaze and noting them down one by one.
"Let me see what delicious food we can have for dinner tonight." Kong Fusheng's voice carried for miles even before he arrived. He stepped in and took a deep breath.
"Eight-treasure steamed buns, roasted swan, peony head soup..." He rattled off a string of dishes, his eyes shining: "Sure enough, not a single one is missing."
Meng Yuan was truly surprised by his skill: "Are you a dog? How can you have such a sensitive nose?"
Kong Fusheng raised his head: "You underestimate me, don't you? You've forgotten that back in Xinghua Village, I could smell ghosts with my nose."
Meng Yuan was pleasantly surprised; she had such an ability. She quickly asked, "What does a ghost smell like?"
Kong Fusheng pondered for a moment: "It's hard to describe, it's just a heavy, earthy, rotten smell, and some of the stronger ones might even have a bloody smell."
Meng Yuan inexplicably recalled the strange fragrance she had always smelled on Shang Mang, so it seemed he was deliberately concealing his aura. Just as she was about to speak, Kong Fusheng suddenly sniffed: "Senior Meng, you should stay away from that ghost fetus. He, no, the ghost isn't here, but I can still smell it."
Meng Yuan asked in surprise, "I haven't been very close to him."
Kong Fusheng stared at her intently: "Really?"
Images flashed through her mind, and Meng Yuan coughed lightly: "Of course, of course, it's true."
Kong Fusheng didn't believe it and stretched: "Senior Meng, listen to me. There are so many men in the world, and you are so outstanding. Why worry about not finding a husband? Why do you have to find someone like him?"
"What about him?" Meng Yuan asked.
Kong Fusheng: "Well... well... although she is good-looking and has a nice figure, you can't judge a person by their appearance alone."
Meng Yuan couldn't help but retort: "Appearance is a real thing, so why can't we look at it?"
Kong Fusheng was speechless. Shang Mang smiled and moved closer to Kong Fusheng, saying, "At least I have one."
Meng Yuan continued, "A person who is beautiful on the outside is not necessarily wicked, and a person who is ugly on the outside is not necessarily sincere and kind. The heart does not grow with the appearance, but the appearance grows with the heart." She rambled on, "Looking at you, I used to think you were quite handsome, but after spending time with you, I no longer look at you like a stranger."
Therefore, my heart determines a person's appearance.
Kong Fusheng said, "Senior Meng is as eloquent as ever."
Meng Yuan clasped her hands in a fist and said, "It's all thanks to the younger generation."
Kong Fusheng said, "Senior Meng, if you think like this, you will inevitably be soft-hearted when killing ghosts."
Meng Yuan disagreed: "I am just like this by nature, and I can't change it. This is both a disadvantage and a advantage."
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