Chapter 147 The handsome yet frail young man was more than enough for him to use...
The moment the bells rang, the entire square seemed to come alive and began to tremble.
Jiang Yang looked up abruptly, his gaze fixed on the towering clock tower.
On the mottled dial, the hands spun wildly in the opposite direction at an abnormal speed, so fast that the trajectory was almost invisible, and only the teeth-grinding squeaking sound of the internal gears could be heard.
Finally, time trembled and froze at 21:00, exactly the opposite of the time outside.
"..."
Even more strangely, dark red mist began to seep out from the cracks in the clock tower's bricks. The strong smell of rust and blood mixed together, quickly swallowing up the original light in the clock tower square and blocking the two people's vision.
"Uh...ah..."
Deep within the crimson mist, inhuman voices overlapped, groaning in agony, followed by the formation of amorphous outlines made of blood mist that began to coalesce.
"Walk!"
Jiang Yang grabbed 007 and turned around without hesitation, rushing back the way they came.
The wall of arms there was also faintly visible in the red mist, looking extremely unstable.
Just as he was about to emerge, Jiang Yang glanced back one last time at the clock tower, which looked as if it were dripping blood. He pressed the clock tower's time, and night fell.
A strong intuition told him that when the “midnight” of this clock tower truly descended, what would awaken in the entire city would not be just the blurry outlines in the fog, but something far more terrifying and complete.
The two rushed out as fast as they could, and then... froze...
The fog that had enveloped the entire city of Wutou visibly dissipated.
Behind him was a blood mist that couldn't let out any light, while in front of him was an excessively peaceful morning scene.
The deathly silence was broken as small groups of pedestrians walked down the street, their faces clear and their eyes bright, completely different from the bizarre and grotesque NPCs from before. Some even glanced curiously at their slightly disheveled appearance.
Not far away, the sounds of traffic flowing into the alley mingled with the clear chirping of birds, and the authentic aroma of food wafted from the breakfast stalls.
The chill was still in the air, and the bare branches still retained their wintery skeleton, but small bluish-gray buds had already swelled up at the tips of the branches.
Separated by a wall...putting the cart before the horse...
Jiang Yang took out a miniature camera and aimed it at the spot where they had come out, where an arm was now covered with an advertising cloth.
The shutter button was pressed, but nothing happened.
Turning his head, Jiang Yang walked towards the motorcycle, and 007 tossed him the keys.
Jiang Yang straddled the car seat, kicked open the bracket, and turned the key. The roar of the engine sounded particularly abrupt in the alley.
In addition, all the abnormal red and yellow indicator lights on the dashboard went out, leaving only the speed and fuel level displays as normal.
This time, Jiang Yang pointed the camera at the rearview mirror.
With a snap, even the middle-aged woman in the rearview mirror was captured in the frame.
The middle-aged woman pointed at the two of them and cursed, "It's so noisy! Can you take a break? What the hell is this? I can't stand it anymore!"
(This is so noisy! Can't you be quiet? What is this idiot? It's so annoying!)
The local people were as fierce as ever. 007 didn't understand, but realized that the two of them must have been scolded.
Before 007 could even speak, Jiang Yang defiantly twisted the accelerator, making it hum loudly.
"They started arguing, what did you expect? If you're going to cause trouble, don't just stay here on this sand! Do I need to report this to you? Rice's meter!"
(So what if you're making noise? If you find it annoying, then don't stay here! Should I report you to someone? You think you're so great!)
...Jiang Yang is even more fierce.
You have to understand that Jiang Yang was already arrogant and ignorant at the age of 18, let alone now that he has lost his memory and is fearless.
Jiang Yang gestured to 007 with his chin and said, "Get in the car and let's go, wife."
007 hesitated before getting in, the tall, muscular man curling up in the back seat. The older woman was still standing behind them, hands on her hips, giving them her piece of advice. Jiang Yang glanced at 007 in the rearview mirror as he carefully tugged at the hem of his shirt... Hmm...
So cute!
My wife is so obedient.
Jiang Yang let out two excited hums: "Wife~ Wife~"
The young man's hair swayed with his mood, and 007's eyes darkened slightly: "Where to now?"
"Restocking".
...
At the same moment the mutation occurred.
Inside the old-fashioned Jetta, Nan Yi gripped the steering wheel while Yue Jiang sat in the passenger seat as the vehicle drove along an old street shrouded in thick fog.
As a private car driver, orders are all assigned by ride-hailing platforms. Nan Yi had just followed the navigation to the departure point to pick up the passenger when the morning sun unexpectedly streamed into the car.
The fishy smell that had filled the air because of the passengers was dispelled. Nanichi and Yuejiang looked back at the same time. There were no water stains left on the seats. It was as if the "passenger" who had been sitting in the back row and dripping water had never existed.
Inside the retro bus, Nan Er, or perhaps 003, and Meng Jiang's almost candid confessions made Xiong Bingxin regret that she hadn't hit them hard enough.
After calming down, Xiong Bingxin realized that Deyue's ability to do so much quietly under the tower's nose was already a testament to her capabilities, which was why Meng Jiang would be honest with her.
It's not just about revealing her identity; it's also a warning—a warning about the adversaries or allies she might face, far beyond what she could have imagined.
Just then, a sleepy-eyed boy jogged to the station and skillfully stepped onto the train.
Almost instinctively, Xiong Bingxin shifted her body slightly and lifted her heel off the ground, ready to deliver a fierce flying kick.
The steamed bun in the boy's hand fell to the ground with a thud. Nan Er reacted quickly and pulled the boy away from where he stood frozen.
"You...you all..."
The boy stammered, then his eyes lit up: "Sister, you know martial arts? That's so cool!"
Xiong Bingxin did not answer, her gaze passing over the top of the boy's head and fixed on the door.
The city is awakening, and even the "bus graveyard" has been transformed into a bus station.
While they were all basking in the sunlight, the four members of the Hanged Man silently traversed the Well of Despair.
The Hanged Man seemed to be aware of the changes in the outside world, but he didn't seem to care.
Huang Er walked in the middle of the group with his head down. In front of him were the backs of the Hanged Man and Mr. V, and behind him was Mr. Mirror's faint breathing.
Entering through the well, he found himself in a bottomless abyss of seawater. He glanced at both sides without making a sound. An invisible wall separated them, and if the balance at the bottom of the well were broken, the pressure from the seabed would instantly crush them.
thump, thump,
A dull thud came from the direction he was looking; something was rushing towards him from the dark depths of the sea, only to be stopped by the transparent barrier.
It is a fish with a human face.
The distorted human face was covered with dense, sharp teeth, and the fish-like body covered in scales thrashed wildly, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.
Huang Er felt nauseous and asked impatiently with a frown, "How much longer do we have to walk?"
The Hanged Man replied enigmatically, “What is real is real, what is false is false, what is illusory is illusory, what is real is real, you are you, and I am me.”
No one noticed that the masks on the upside-down man's face disappeared into the fog as they walked deeper into the mist.
...
"Put the mask on..."
"Don't touch me...no...no...don't touch anywhere else..."
"Don't look around..."
The black gloves shone brightly no matter what they touched. Wu Yibai stared down at the man's unyielding spine, his eyes filled with an almost cruel calmness. Suddenly, his fingertips twitched on a whim.
"Get out! Get out!"
Ta shivered and slumped into the blankets, throwing whatever was within reach at Wu Yibai.
Wu Yibai took off his gloves and, as if possessed, grabbed the hand that was causing trouble.
The handsome yet frail boy was someone he could manipulate by any means necessary, but he simply wrapped the boy, along with the hand he was holding, under the covers after the boy turned over.
Before he could let go, the boy's other hand landed heavily on his face.
The mask was knocked to one side, and he casually took it off, his gaze following the boy's sweat-dampened forehead to meet his watery eyes.
Wu Yibai asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling better?"
"roll!"
The boy was filled with resentment, his chest heaving violently under the covers.
Wu Yibai remained unmoved, determined to get a definite answer from the person.
The medicine at the Guangming Sanatorium has a suppressive effect, but its effectiveness will diminish over time. Sometimes, when he can see her, she will endure it, and other times, when he can't see her, she will explore wildly, as if she has a pain addiction, causing a huge upheaval and leaving her red and swollen.
So, he made a rare request to the tower.
A request that blasphemed his gods.
"Wu Yibai's become addicted to being a masseur, huh?! I'll tell you to get out! Get out!"
Despite the boy's harsh words, Wu Yibai restrained himself and took half a step: "I'll wait for you outside."
A moment later, Ta dressed and came out of the inner room.
"What's up?"
Ta sat down on the sofa, and Wu Yibai placed a cushion behind him to make him more comfortable before speaking: "Are you really going to the next trial?"
"Um."
Wu Yibai looked at him with concern: "You're not well yet, can't I go in your place?"
Ta looked tired, sank into the sofa, leaned her head on Wu Yibai's shoulder, and replied casually, "You can't do it for me, just help me get the keys back."
...
It means that someone can replace him, but that person won't be him.
Wu Yibai lowered his eyes, and in front of him was Ta's fluffy hair. After venting, Ta did not resist his approach.
He asked, "Who can replace you?"
The tower said, "Ji Yang."
An expected answer.
Ji Yang... 007... all these years of clumsy pretense have only fooled those fools. Even if he cooperates with Deyue now, what difference will it make?
"Then let him go."
Ta tilted her head back and gently rubbed Wu Yibai's face with the back of her hand, where there were still lingering finger marks: "Don't underestimate him. Jiang Yang and Deyue have done quite a bit of dirty work over the years."
He placed anchor points in various guilds, interfered in the trial auctions, shut down input channels, and orchestrated everything, even plotting to get him into Un Entertainment.
Only that one person knew the deepest despair he harbored.
Ah...Deyue...
The sea of furnaces tore apart his body, but Ji Yang's entry into the Brightness Sanatorium awakened his soul.
Wu Yibai gritted his teeth and said, "I'll kill them."
"No need. They're so eager to get out, they probably didn't expect they wouldn't be able to."
...
The Well of Despair had reached its end, and the thick fog behind the door, like a living gray swamp, desperately squeezed into the crack of the door.
The upside-down man, no longer concealed, sat on the ground. Huang Er stared at the familiar face, momentarily stunned.
The Hanged Man said calmly, "Let's wait a bit longer."
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