Chapter 49 The Third Illusionist, Wu Jueji
This question haunted Jun Xiangbei's mind like a ghost.
After Jun Xiangbei returned to his personal pure white space, it did not dissipate, but instead became even clearer and sharper.
He tried to analyze the data from the Heart Refining Tower, attempting to shift his attention to the upcoming next dungeon... but it was all in vain.
The fragments of the illusion kept replaying in my mind, over and over again.
Gu Yunqing, dressed in elaborate women's clothing, awkwardly bowed; he tilted his head back, his eyes sparkling as he asked all sorts of childish questions; he "accidentally" fell down, clinging dependently to his sleeve; his eyes, filled with panic yet concealing stubbornness, as he was chased by the Bone-Eating Wolves...
And finally, the most unforgettable—
His slender back resolutely lunged towards the blade, the sound of the blade piercing his body, his blood-stained, cold, brief yet brand-like kiss, and that sentence, like a curse that lingered...
"Not as an apprentice..."
Every scene, every detail, is as vivid as yesterday, wildly impacting his heart, which has been frozen for many years.
Jun Xiangbei knew it was an illusion.
He knew that Gu Yunqing was not dead and was currently in some corner of the Pure White World, perhaps with Zhuge Jin and Qiu Zangxue, or perhaps in front of some stall, playing a harmless role with that delicate and gentle appearance.
Jun Xiangbei knew that all the illogical actions could be attributed to the rules and memory seals of the Heart Refining Tower.
Logically, he understood it clearly.
But emotionally... a strong sense of separation almost tore him apart.
The "female disciple" who could cry, laugh, be afraid, depend on him, and ultimately "die" for him, was clearly the same soul as the calm, aloof, unpredictable, and even somewhat playful Gu Yunqing in reality, yet she brought him completely different emotional impacts.
In the illusion, he experienced an unprecedented protectiveness and indulgence, and even the devastating panic, despair, and heartbreak at the end.
In reality, however, Gu Yunqing completely negated all of this with a casual "joke" and "expedient measure".
This huge gap brought not relief, but a deeper sense of loss and resentment.
He couldn't let it go.
It wasn't just because of that kiss and those words, but also because of Gu Yunqing's completely detached attitude, as if nothing had happened.
This was the first time Jun Xiangbei had felt such a strong and complex desire to explore someone.
He wanted to tear away Gu Yunqing's seemingly gentle and harmless facade and see what he was really thinking deep down.
He wanted to know if there was any truth to the dependence and trust in the illusion.
Did that final sacrifice and confession contain even the slightest bit of... sincerity?
This attention has long surpassed the initial curiosity about the forces behind "Zhuge Jin" and "Chou Zangxue," and has also transcended the boundaries of ordinary collaborators.
This is a more personal, deeper, and even somewhat... out-of-control concern.
This sense of loss of control made Jun Xiangbei, who was used to being in control of everything, feel extremely uncomfortable, yet he was unable to get rid of it.
Just as Jun Xiangbei was feeling unsettled and almost overwhelmed by these chaotic thoughts, he received a teleportation notification from the system space—his package was there, and he needed to go to the receiving point in the leisure area to pick it up in person.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his turbulent thoughts, and got up to leave his personal space.
Perhaps, connecting with the outside world can calm this inexplicable restlessness a little.
The leisure area in the pure white world is still bustling with activity.
You faced north without looking to the side and walked straight to the receiving point.
However, just as he finished the formalities and turned to leave, his gaze suddenly froze.
Not far away, at a stall selling strange and unusual trinkets, the culprit who was making him uneasy—Gu Yunqing—was holding a bead that shimmered with a ghostly blue light, playing with it with great interest.
Standing next to him was Xin Yuan'er, who had an extremely high luck factor.
As if sensing his gaze, Gu Yunqing raised her head and her eyes met his.
In that instant, something seemed to flash across Gu Yunqing's eyes so quickly that it was impossible to grasp.
He then gave Jun Xiangbei a smile that was both surprised and polite, and nodded slightly as a greeting.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued to discuss the bead with Xin Yuan'er.
All of Jun Xiangbei's composure and restraint crumbled in the face of Gu Yunqing's nonchalant demeanor.
He strode forward, ignoring the various gazes directed at him, and walked straight toward the stall.
His goal was clear, his steps were steady, and the low pressure emanating from him made the players who were originally standing next to Gu Yunqing subconsciously step back.
Xin Yuan'er was the first to notice something was wrong. Looking up, she saw Jun Xiangbei, his face frosty, walking straight towards her. Startled, she shrank back and whispered to Gu Yunqing, "Brother Gu...the great Jun..."
Gu Yunqing's grip on the beads tightened almost imperceptibly, but he maintained his relaxed smile, looked up at Jun Xiangbei who had already walked up to him, and asked with just the right amount of doubt:
"Mr. Jun? What a coincidence, you're here to browse the market too?"
Jun Xiangbei ignored his pleasantries.
He just stared at him, his cold eyes now like ice frozen for millennia, yet with undercurrents surging beneath.
Jun Xiangbei's thin lips were tightly pressed together, and his jawline was taut, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
The atmosphere around them instantly froze.
Xin Yuan'er dared not breathe and quietly moved back a little.
Gu Yunqing's smile faded slightly, and the playfulness and ease in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a barely perceptible wariness.
He calmly put the beads back on the stall, ready to respond at any moment.
Jun Xiangbei stared at him, remaining silent for a full three seconds.
Those three seconds felt like an eternity.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an extreme tension of suppressed emotion; each word seemed to be squeezed out with great difficulty from the depths of his throat:
"Inside the Heart Refining Tower...you..."
He paused, wondering how he should ask.
Is the question about why he dressed as a woman? Or about the kiss? Or perhaps about the phrase "not as an apprentice"?
Every question seemed so absurd, so... out of place.
Especially in public, when Gu Yunqing clearly wanted to distance herself from him.
But he just couldn't help it; he needed an answer.
An answer that can free Jun Xiangbei from that absurd yet unforgettable illusion.
Gu Yunqing looked at his almost out-of-control appearance, and saw the confusion, anger and a hint of grievance in his eyes that even he himself did not realize.
Gu Yunqing's mischievous side resurfaced, but more than that, he felt a kind of unease that he couldn't quite explain.
He raised an eyebrow, his slightly amused smile returning to his face, and interrupted him casually.
"What does Mr. Jun mean?" Gu Yunqing blinked, looking innocent and confused. "In the illusion, everything is bizarre and fantastical. Identity and experiences are determined by the tower and cannot be counted. If there is anything that has troubled Mr. Jun, I apologize again."
He threw back almost exactly what he had said outside the Heart Refining Tower, his tone even more nonchalant, absolving himself of all responsibility, as if Jun Xiangbei's entanglement and questioning were purely unreasonable.
Jun Xiangbei was completely speechless at his unyielding and impervious attitude.
A hint of anger and deep helplessness flashed across his cool face.
He knew Gu Yunqing was right.
Logically and in terms of rules, he is impeccable.
Illusory experiences should never be taken seriously, but... I just can't let them go.
A heart that has been violently stirred and has experienced extreme emotions cannot easily return to its original coldness and order.
Looking into Gu Yunqing's eyes, which held a distant smile, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness for the first time.
It was like punching cotton; all the strength and emotion were silently dissolved by the other party's soft yet tough shell, leaving no trace.
An eerie silence fell between the two.
The surrounding noise seemed to be shut out, leaving only a silent standoff between them.
Finally, Jun Xiangbei gave Gu Yunqing a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including lingering anger, deep-seated confusion, and a hint of something he himself couldn't quite grasp—an emotion akin to being hurt.
He didn't say anything more.
He turned and left.
His steps remained steady, but his upright back inexplicably exuded a sense of loneliness and desolation.
As Gu Yunqing watched his retreating figure turn away without a backward glance, the smile on her face slowly faded and eventually disappeared.
He lowered his eyes, staring at the bead on the stall that still shimmered with a faint blue light, and remained motionless for a long time.
The fingertips curled up unconsciously.
The emptiness and unease in my heart did not lessen with Jun Xiangbei's departure; instead, it spread rapidly like ink dropped into clear water.
"Brother Gu? Are you alright?" Xin Yuan'er asked cautiously, breaking the silence.
Gu Yunqing snapped back to reality, quickly composed herself, and put on her nonchalant smile again: "It's nothing. Let's go, let's look around somewhere else."
He turned around and walked in the opposite direction from Jun Xiangbei. His steps seemed light, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.
After strolling around the market with Xin Yuan'er for a while, Gu Yunqing said goodbye, saying she needed to rest.
Although Xin Yuan'er felt that the atmosphere between Brother Gu and the Great God Jun was a bit strange, he hadn't watched the Refining Heart Tower live stream and didn't think much of it, so he waved goodbye with a simple smile.
Back in her personal space, surrounded by pure white silence, Gu Yunqing finally let down her guard and removed the mask of nonchalance.
He walked to the sofa, sat down, and then casually summoned the Vest Playing System.
Although the trip to the Heart Refining Tower was somewhat out of control in the end, it was very rewarding.
It wasn't just about teasing Jun Xiangbei; more importantly, the strong emotional feedback from that final "curtain call" translated into substantial "trust" and "influence" points, enough to support him in creating even more powerful alternate accounts.
"It's time to add a new member," Gu Yunqing muttered to herself, her fingertips rapidly swiping across the screen to bring up the account creation module.
He needs a new identity that is unique and useful enough.
It can both make up for the shortcomings of the existing pseudonym system and further stir up trouble, especially... targeting a specific person.
Thoughts raced through my mind, and by combining the current points with my predictions of what might happen in the future, an image gradually became clear.
[Call ID]: Wu Jueji
[Basic Setting]: Appearance of a middle-aged man, approximately thirty-five or thirty-six years old. His face is haggard and worn, his eyes are languid and half-closed, as if he has no interest in anything. He dresses casually, usually in a plain t-shirt, and his hair is tied messily back.
[Personality Traits]: Sarcastic and颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it conveys a sense of decadence, apathy, or even disillusionment) type. They speak sharply and often use a nonchalant, even misanthropic, tone to deliver the most hurtful truths.
[Core Ability]: 50/50. A rule-based ability that allows the user to forcibly bring the battle to a "balanced" state regardless of the opponent's strength. The user becomes stronger against stronger opponents and suppresses themselves to match the weaker ones. It's not simply a matter of increasing or decreasing power, but rather a temporary balance involving causality. The cost is that the user cannot easily overwhelm weaker opponents.
Gu Yunqing carefully examined the design of this new identity.
“Wu Jueji…” Gu Yunqing murmured the name, a calculating smile curving her lips. “Hopefully, it will bring some surprises.”
He confirmed the creation.
A large portion of the system points were deducted instantly, and the data stream on the screen surged wildly, eventually condensing into a new card that emitted a gray, misty light. The card depicted an old man leaning against a dilapidated wall, his eyelids drooping, and a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.
The third alias has been generated.
After doing all this, Gu Yunqing did not immediately test the new vest's abilities.
He closed the system interface, walked to the virtual sofa next to him and sat down. He tapped the armrest lightly with his fingertips and looked into the void ahead, as if he could penetrate the barrier of his personal space and see the person who might also be feeling uneasy at this moment.
The experience at the Heart Refining Tower was like a pebble thrown into an icy lake, creating unprecedented ripples in Jun Xiangbei's heart.
A crack has been pried open in that layer of ice, revealing the turbulent emotions beneath.
But that's not enough. If those cracks are left unattended, they will eventually freeze again and even become thicker.
He needs to "water" it at the right time, so that the seed called "concern" can grow in the direction he desires.
Now is a good time.
A few days later, Gu Yunqing estimated that Jun Xiangbei should have recovered somewhat from the initial emotional shock, but had not completely sealed away the illusionary experience. So he took the initiative to contact Jun Xiangbei through the Pure White World's communication system.
The communication was connected, and Jun Xiangbei's handsome face, which was still expressionless, appeared on the screen. However, his expression seemed calmer than before, or rather, he was deliberately maintaining a calm.
"Mr. Jun, I apologize for disturbing you." Gu Yunqing's voice came through the communication device, his tone natural and calm, without the slightest hint of anything amiss, as if the unpleasant parting at the market had never happened.
Jun Xiangbei looked at Gu Yunqing's delicate and gentle face on the screen, and his heart skipped a beat almost imperceptibly.
The tear-streaked face in the illusion overlapped with the one before him, causing him to feel momentarily disoriented.
He suppressed the strange feeling and replied calmly, "What is it?"
"I just received news that a newly opened resource-based dungeon has been discovered. It's said to produce several rare forging materials and spiritual plants, with generous rewards." Gu Yunqing spoke casually, as if sharing ordinary information.
"However, the mechanics inside are a bit complicated and require reliable teammates. I wonder if Mr. Jun and your team would be interested in exploring it together?"
He offered a bait, a reasonable offer that was hard to refuse.
Resource-based dungeons offer relatively controllable risks and stable returns, making them the desired outcome for all players.
He deliberately emphasized the need for "reliable teammates," which both flattered the other party and made his own needs clear, thus appearing sincere.
Jun Xiangbei remained silent.
He knew this was an obvious step forward, an opportunity that Gu Yunqing had offered to ease tensions and continue their contact.
Reason told him that he should keep his distance. Gu Yunqing was a deep and unpredictable person, and it would not be wise to get too involved with him.
The experience of the Heart-Refining Tower serves as a cautionary tale.
but……
That kiss, those last words, Gu Yunqing's aloof and indifferent demeanor at the market, and the irrepressible urge to find out more... all these intertwined to form a powerful pull.
He wanted to know.
I want to know what the real Gu Yunqing is like.
She wanted to know how much of what was inside the Heart Refining Tower was fake, and how much... was real that even Gu Yunqing herself hadn't realized.
I want to know what his purpose is in taking the initiative to approach me.
This desire to explore was so strong that it overwhelmed his usual caution.
The ripples stirred up by the Heart Refining Tower are clearly far from over.
But by avoiding it, you'll never get the answer.
After a moment of silence, just when Gu Yunqing thought he would coldly refuse as before, Jun Xiangbei's clear voice rang out, containing only one word:
"good."
It was decisive and straightforward, without any unnecessary questions or emotional expression.
A hint of triumph flashed in Gu Yunqing's eyes, but her face remained gentle and cooperative: "Great. I'll send you the dungeon coordinates and the known information later, and we can arrange a time to meet?"
“Okay,” Jun Xiangbei agreed.
Communication was cut off.
The screen went dark.
Jun Xiangbei sat alone in the pure white space, staring at the spot where the communication interface had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.
He agreed.
Knowing full well that this might be another charade by Gu Yunqing, and knowing that what lay ahead might be another carefully woven trap, he still stepped into it.
It was only because that heart, frozen for so long, was tasting such a complex and intense, indistinguishable flavor for the first time, and could no longer return to its original tranquility.
Jun Xiangbei wanted to know everything about Gu Yunqing.
This very thought implies a loss of control.
On the other side, Gu Yunqing closed the communication with satisfaction.
The fish has taken the bait again.
Moreover, this time, he also had a new card in his hand called "Witchcraft".
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