**Chapter 45: Exchange Completed**
The lake was left with only those two big fish.
To be precise, there was only one golden red white sturgeon left; the body of the snow-white koi had long ceased to expand, while it continued to voraciously devour the grass carp that kept surfacing from the bottom of the water, its body nearly filling the entire lake.
Here, it was almost too large for the lake to contain it.
With a slight motion of its body, it could raise incredible waves in the lake.
The waves carried immense power, crashing against the sculptures around the lake shore, shattering them into pieces that fell into the water with a thunderous roar.
A figure stood by the crumbling embankment, silently watching it all through the crevice of a strange mask.
That section of the lake would soon overflow due to the continuously expanding body of the golden red white sturgeon.
And the misfortune that had accompanied him for thousands of years would meet its end at that moment.
This was the ending that this “fish farmer” had scripted long, long ago.
Now, he was going to see his fish.
Beneath the mask, the corners of his mouth curled slightly in a smile, and then he turned and walked toward the vast, pale sand dunes.
At the moment he turned, the golden red white sturgeon in the water raised its head, its lively eyes seemingly watching his retreating figure…
————
“Whoosh—!”
“Zing—!”
At the Dream Come True Entertainment City, in front of the bathroom on the upper third floor, the sink reflected Lu Yibei’s pale face still glistening with droplets of water, as well as the platinum and white décor of the entertainment city.
At this moment, the chips in her hand had reached an astonishing value of over 68 billion, a number that far exceeded her previous estimation of the total amount of chips in the entertainment city.
As the chips accumulated, she noticed that the frequency of hallucinations was increasing, almost appearing every ten minutes, causing her to have to leave the private room after each gambling session to wash her face with cold water to maintain her composure.
Lu Yibei estimated that when she fully succumbed to the illusions, she would have almost emptied the entertainment city’s chips.
However, given that her hardware was poor, she might not be able to withstand the maximum chips. The proxy player sister suggested that it was about time for her to take action.
According to the proxy player sister, at this level, the big boss should be able to break free; they shouldn’t do everything for him—he should move himself now.
“Miss, are you alright?”
While Lu Yibei was lost in thought looking at the mirror, someone softly inquired beside her, then handed over a neatly folded handkerchief.
The handkerchief was made of silk, embroidered with two red koi holding copper coins, exquisitely crafted, but the hand holding the handkerchief was even more delicate, with slender, pale fingers that looked like they were carved from white jade.
Lu Yibei came back to her senses and turned her head to see a young man in a tailcoat and top hat standing beside her.
He was a handsome lad, with beautiful golden curly hair, skin so fair it reminded one of sunlight on snow, and his blue-gray eyes seemed to hold a bay of lake water, rippling with warm waves.
“Are you alright?”
The young man asked again, and it was then that Lu Yibei remembered she needed to respond. Staring at the handkerchief in his hand, she did not take it but replied coolly, “I’m fine, thank you.”
As soon as she spoke, a sharp burning sensation and blurriness hit her eyes, and Lu Yibei suddenly shivered slightly, seeing a scene completely different from others in her eyes.
The hallucination appeared again.
The light in front of her quickly dimmed, and the shiny mirror beside her no longer reflected anything, plunging into darkness; the walls around seemed aged, the paint peeling rapidly, and not far away, a gap seemed to open as if it were the gate to hell, blowing a foul, rotting wind that carried spine-chilling, eerie shrieks.
“Crack—crack—!”
The sound of bones grinding continuously came from the young man’s body in front of her. In the blink of an eye, his figure grew nearly two meters tall, having to hunch over in this small space.
The hand holding the handkerchief seemed to be scalded by high temperature, rapidly turning charred black, the skin cracking inch by inch, oozing gold-colored bl**d reminiscent of molten iron.
Lu Yibei looked up to see a terrifying white mask on his face that she hadn’t noticed was there, perfectly fitted to his features as if it were grown on him.
Lu Yibei stared motionlessly at the towering figure in front of her, holding her breath.
This person was completely different from everyone else she had seen in the hallucinations; his presence was like an indescribable shadow, an invisible pressure seemed to stretch out from that shadow, tightly gripping the throat of the target he observed.
It was as if probing into the existence beneath the shadow, that shadow would devour all curiosity along with its owner, leaving not a trace of residue.
It was a monster, akin to an abyss.
“Are you alright, Miss?”
The inquiry sounded again, and the illusion in front of Lu Yibei dispersed like frost fog in spring, quickly returning to normal. However, at this moment, she sensed a tinge of unpleasant pity in that voice.
It was like an emperor looking down with disdain at a beggar about to starve to d*ath on the street.
Looking at the young man before her, she raised an eyebrow, “I’m very well, doing great! So great I can hardly breathe! So please stay away from me, I might just suffocate and land you with a lawsuit.”
The young man said nothing, lightly placed the handkerchief on the sink, smiled, and walked away.
Watching the young man as he walked away, Lu Yibei felt deflated, like a deflated balloon, leaning against the sink and greedily inhaling air into her lungs.
“Was that guy the big boss of the entertainment city? Scared me to d*ath,” she mumbled. “You’re right, I also think you can’t fight him.”
“But seriously, what’s he doing here to flirt with me?”
“Maybe he’s here to inspect the goods?” the reflection in the mirror came the voice of the proxy player sister, “Isn’t it the case that before slaughtering the pig, you have to weigh it?”
“Do I look like a pig?”
“Well, I definitely don’t look like one,” the proxy player sister said with a pout.
“I don’t look like one either.”
“Then maybe it’s him?” The proxy player sister glanced toward the direction the young man left, squinting her eyes slightly.
Lu Yibei picked up the handkerchief from the sink, wiped her wet hands, and said seriously, “It has to be him!”
“By the way, how good are your skills at slaughtering pigs?”
“They’re excellent! I’m the most famous pig slaughterer in ten miles around! I’ve slaughtered more pigs than you’ve eaten meals,” the proxy player sister said proudly.
“Oh…” Lu Yibei responded blandly, casually tossing the handkerchief into the garbage bin.
Since the proxy player sister had slaughtered so many “pigs,” she felt at ease.
“Then it’s all yours.”
“Don’t worry!”
The proxy player sister replied, and at that moment, Lu Yibei suddenly felt as if she had been violently struck by some force, uncontrollably shaking, and soon after, darkness enveloped her vision.
Her consciousness gradually faded in the darkness, like falling into an ink-black ocean, sinking deeper and deeper.
——————
Jiang Li stood in the corridor outside the luxurious private room, watching the increasingly quiet hall, lost in thought.
The number of guests in the hall was dwindling. When their gambling session had begun that morning, the tables were crowded with guests, but now most of the tables were empty.
An unsettling atmosphere loomed in the entertainment city, like the ominous clouds before a storm, quietly brewing.
Something terrible was about to happen… Jiang Li thought.
Just then, in the distance, a pair of golden eyes was watching her, with red rimmed eyes and trembling waves.
That feeling was akin to reuniting with an old friend after a hundred years of separation, tears choking her voice.
As if sensing the gaze filled with complex emotions, Jiang Li suddenly turned to look in the direction of the gaze, but all she saw was a thoroughly empty stone pillar.
However, she felt as if someone had once stood there.
While she was lost in thought staring at the stone pillar, Ahua hurried to her side and bowed slightly, “Miss, that Lu Yibei gal has disappeared again; she’s definitely off somewhere causing trouble for some young girl.”
“Miss, I must tell you; don’t you believe that she’s tutoring that mixed-bl**d girl on urban legends by the roadside. It’s clearly just nonsense.”
“Miss, Miss?”
Seeing Jiang Li lost in thought, Ahua waved her hand in front of her eyes. Only then did Jiang Li come back to her senses and calmly say, “Ahua, since we can’t find her, let’s head to the lounge and wait for her to return!”
Saying that, she led Ahua toward the lounge.
Just as Jiang Li was leaving, behind the distant stone pillar, the proxy player sister stuck half of her head out, secretly glancing at her figure, silently sighing.
Then, after starting the proxy playing, having completed this unexpected small wish, her gaze sharpened as she quickly moved toward the exchange area.
Things have changed; one glance is enough. If I truly come into contact with Jiang Li, I might change Lu Yibei’s fate trajectory, the proxy player sister thought.
————
A moment later, in front of the exchange area on the upper third floor of the entertainment city.
The proxy player sister “whoosh!” dumped over thirty fully-loaded chip storage cards onto the counter and tilted her chin toward the bunny girl behind the counter.
“I want to exchange!”
The bunny girl’s eyes widened, repeatedly glancing between the chips on the counter and the familiar face in front of her, so nervous she hardly dared to breathe.
It felt like a corner store owner watching a customer drop dozens of gold bricks right in front of them.
This is insane!
What on earth does she want?
Could it be that she simply wants to show off her chip-storing behavior?
The bunny girl couldn’t quite grasp the thoughts of this young lady named Wang Buliu.
“Th-then… what do you want to exchange for?” The bunny girl asked with trepidation, her soft voice trembling.
“Everything.” The proxy player sister blurted out, shocking the bunny girl for a hundred years.
Although the proxy player sister’s statement was somewhat overreaching, with this many chips, it was indeed enough to clear out eighty to ninety percent of items on the exchange list.
“Wang Miss, I’m just an ordinary employee, could you… please spare me?”
Ensuring that guests’ “dreams come true” had always been the ideal of this entertainment city; making such a promise meant that under normal circumstances, the city would absolutely not go back on its word.
But wanting to exchange almost everything on the list was simply too exaggerated.
The bunny girl didn’t know why this Miss Wang Buliu wanted to do such a thing, but she had subtly sensed that something was off.
This was likely beyond her capacity to handle.
“I said, exchange everything; didn’t you hear me?”
The proxy player sister ignored the bunny girl’s plea, her expression returning to one that seemed expressionless, her face cold as if she had just been pulled out of a freezer, her gaze fixed unnervingly on the bunny girl’s eyes.
And then.
Like an illusion, a hoarse, deep voice echoed in the bunny girl’s ear.
“Exchange it for her!”
That voice, resembling some unyielding command, made the bunny girl’s eyes glaze over, and her body moved uncontrollably to gather the chips on the table, swiftly completing the exchange.
Thus, the exchange was completed.
The proxy player sister distinctly felt a familiar oppressive force surge from all sides, gripping her tightly as if to encase her, dark marks rapidly appearing on her skin, and an expression of extreme pain surfaced on her face.
Soon, almost as if she adapted to the pain that seemed to threaten her destruction, her brows gradually relaxed, and the charred marks on her body started to peel away, revealing delicate skin akin to that of a newborn baby.
In the next moment, the light in front of her dimmed, accompanied by a barrage of twisting shadows, the scenery before her quickly turned into the ruinous, decayed aura Lu Yibei had seen in her hallucination.
The bunny girl’s body “poof!” exploded, scattering into pale sands that filled the ground.
A faint, manic laughter echoed in the entertainment city, and as the laughter rang out, the entire building trembled violently, thick dust enveloping crumbling stones that fell like rain, as if it was coming apart at the seams.
Terrifying vitality and spirit energy fluctuations settled at the high point of the entertainment city, like a giant embryo, the rhythmic sound of a mighty heartbeat thrumming louder and stronger, as if Thor was striking his battle drum.
Amidst the echoing boom, fragmented whispered voices arose, as if conducting a sacred ritual.
“Every time a dice is rolled to end a round, the loser always grieves.
They toss and toss the dice, sorrowful yet learn no lessons.
With rebellious hands, they search through the mother’s entrails,
Cutting huge wounds, excavating the golden ribs, seizing the treasures within.
Oh, ancient evil wolf, you should be cursed,
How many lives have you seized, more than all other beasts combined…”
The proxy player sister squinted her eyes, looking toward Nowhere Land, her gaze seemingly penetrating through layer upon layer of walls, where she saw a wolf struggling to break free from the world’s malice and muttered meaningfully, “Is it the tale led by the demonized Pluto, mingled with Mammon’s powers?”
“Interesting!”
“Use all your might and struggle towards that false hope! When you break the shackles, exhausted, you will know what despair means! And now…”
“Lu Yibei, Lu Yibei, you’re online!”
With a light call, Lu Yibei awoke, dazedly staring at the building that was falling apart before her, a slew of question marks popping in her mind.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
“Don’t dawdle! Quick, find Jiang Li and run!” the proxy player sister urged in a low voice, “We need to leave this hellhole before he realizes something’s off; if you can’t escape, just wait to d*e!”
“d*mn! Didn’t you say there was no life-threatening danger?” Lu Yibei exclaimed.
Though doubtful, she followed the proxy player sister’s instructions and ran toward where Jiang Li was.
“Let me clarify, I said there was no life-threatening danger during the proxy playing.” The proxy player sister replied seriously, “But now the proxy play has ended!”
As she ran, Lu Yibei took out her phone to check the time, then pointed at the screen in astonishment, “d*mn! It just ended in under thirty minutes!?”
Feeling the terrifying spirit energy fluctuations continually emanating from above the entertainment city, Lu Yibei had the exasperated feeling that the proxy player sister had just charged through, taunted, and opened the BOSS, then tossed the ensuing mess right into her lap to deal with herself.
“What kind of black-hearted proxy player are you? Didn’t you end up doing nothing?”
“What do you know? Just watch properly! I’m cutting off contact with you now; otherwise, this plan won’t work. Alright, that’s enough.”
“Ding dong——! Your proxy playing service has ended, bye-bye!”
“Huh? What does that mean?” Lu Yibei asked in confusion.
There was no reply.
Lu Yibei, “…”
“d*mn! With your after-sales and service attitude, it wouldn’t be excessive to give you a five-star negative review!”
————
When Lu Yibei found Jiang Li, she and Ahua had already arrived at the exit of the upper third floor hall and had fully released their spirit patterns.
The dim yellow light flickered, and the deformed, aberrated bunny girls roamed everywhere like demons, as if enormous spikes, formed from iron pouring, were breaking through the ground, piercing through the crowd that barely had time to evade, burnt corpses were swept away by the howling wind, bringing with them the foul stench.
In such a chaotic scene, Jiang Li, donning silver-white armor and cradling the unconscious Ahua, stood out particularly.
Frantic, she quickly passed between the panicked crowd, her gaze searching for something.
The moment she spotted Lu Yibei, her eyes under the helmet slightly sharpened, stepping on the huge stone pillar that had collapsed in front of her, she soared into the air and executed a spin, landing steadily in front of Lu Yibei, casting a cold gaze at her, “Get on!”
Seeing the “white horse” appear suddenly in front of her, Lu Yibei hesitated for a moment and then jumped onto Jiang Li’s back but didn’t dare to wrap her arms around Jiang Li’s slim waist so close.
Once situated, to prevent Jiang Li from asking about her whereabouts, Lu Yibei took the initiative, “Teacher Meow, what happened? I just went to the bathroom and returned, and the place has collapsed?”
“This is truly life-threatening!”
“…” Jiang Li hesitated, believing initially that such a huge stir was caused by Lu Yibei, but it seemed that it might not be the case.
“I don’t know; I can’t think too much about it right now; we have to leave this hellhole quickly!”
Overall, at this rate, this entertainment city would probably cease to exist soon, and my wish has also been fulfilled, Jiang Li thought mutely.
“Right, right, let’s hurry!” Lu Yibei clapped in agreement and then saw Jiang Li sprinting straight toward a nearby window. Her eyes widened, letting out a startled cry, “Hey, hey! You…”
“Hold on tight!” Jiang Li shouted sharply.
In the next moment, Lu Yibei heard the sharp sound of shattering glass.
The collapsing glass shards fell like a torrential rain into the outside world, and a figure seemingly wrapped in moonlight leapt out of the building.
The fierce wind howled, trying to pull Lu Yibei away and toss her into the sky; she instinctively clutched Jiang Li’s waist tightly.
Feeling the overwhelming power that threatened to break through even the armor, Jiang Li’s cheeks flushed slightly, her body quaking for a moment, then she stabilized and sprinted forward against the nearly ninety-degree angled exterior wall of the building, taking a moment to rest before charging ahead…
**Epilogue One**
The Giant Train raced across the limitless wasteland.
Inside the car, an elderly man covered in wounds leaned against the window, dozing off, and dimly, he saw that terrifying nightmare again.
…
After a long time, the sinful giant broke free of its shackles, and the gold coins forged from its flesh and bl**d would now be repaid double.
Under it, the palaces forged from gold instantly collapsed, turning to quicksand; all the grandeur vanished like a phantom.
On the earth, people as numerous as quicksand fought each other fiercely, angrily questioning the direction of their wealth, as corpses piled up into peaks that seemed to touch the sky.
…
“Boom——!”
The booming thunder reverberated across the sky, Liu Banxian woke from his half-dreaming state, looking out the window with confusion.
Outside, the originally pitch-black sky was suffused with a faint red light, the clouds swirling as if flesh were writhing.
In the distance, toward the direction of the Dream Come True Entertainment City, the sky looked as if it had been slit open, a thick, bl**d-red light splattered across the sky, and everywhere he looked was a bewitching bl**d color.
“d*mn it! Something big is going to happen…” Liu Banxian muttered.
In the midst of speaking, he suddenly realized something and hurriedly rummaged through his satchel, quickly pulling out several heavy gold bricks, then unhesitatingly throwing them out the window.
That was what he had exchanged at the Dream Come True Entertainment City before leaving.
Originally, he thought that after mingling there for so many years, he ought to take some things with him as retirement money, but now he didn’t dare to take anything at all.
The brilliant gold bricks fell from the train, tracing a long arc, landing on the tracks with a crisp sound, and as the train moved farther away, they gradually turned into a handful of pale quicksand.
————
At that moment, in the Lan Zhu Guesthouse and Custom Shop, at the peak of countless pavilions and towers, a seductive woman leaned against the railing, gently shaking her peony-embroidered fan, gazing into the distance, her expression darkening. On her fair arm, an ally contract mark shimmered with bl**d-red light.
Before long, a light fluttering sound came from the sky as a pure white cockatoo landed beside her, transforming into a young girl accompanied by a flash of light.
Xiuqiu took a few steps forward and bowed to the black peony, “Mistress, we just received word a moment ago that a guest used counterfeit chips; they turned to sand right after receiving the chips. What do you think…”
The black peony glanced at Xiuqiu from the corner of her eye and interrupted, “That’s not counterfeit chips; it’s just someone violating the agreement.”
“Violating the agreement?” Xiuqiu looked at her mistress’s back, her face full of confusion.
The black peony didn’t respond to Xiuqiu, remaining silent as she gazed toward the direction of the Dream Come True Entertainment City.
It seemed that girl was truly bringing about change here, but this wasn’t the kind of change I wanted!
To think that once she successfully escaped using my connection, the chips would disappear as well, and without that medium, I might end up stuck here forever.
Hmph, he clearly promised he would leave last… does he mean to disregard the contract?
The black peony thought, turning to Xiuqiu, “Xiuqiu, go check on the entertainment city; after determining the situation, report back to me in a timely manner.”
“Yes, Mistress!” Xiuqiu replied, her form vanishing as she transformed into a bird and darted away.
————
The wind howled past her ears.
Feeling the fierce wind rushing at her, Lu Yibei clung tightly to Jiang Li’s waist, her red hair billowing like a battle flag behind her.
Riding a big white horse to escape, this scene felt oddly familiar.
It seemed quite thrilling, but it was too hard, creating a painful ache in her backside… Lu Yibei thought.
The sound of breaking glass echoed in her ears, and the sharp shards fell around the entertainment city like a torrential rain, turning to quicksand before they hit the ground.
Jiang Li, clad in shining silver armor, sparkled like moonlight as she dashed across the crumbling exterior wall of the entertainment city, cascading from the clouds toward the chaotic streets.
This city, built upon the Dream Come True Entertainment City, was now in turmoil; people fled in panic toward the train station, local gangs recklessly looted, hoarding what little wealth remained.
Jiang Li moved quickly; even in such chaotic streets, she moved freely. Soon the train station of the Dream Come True Entertainment City came into view, countless fleeing people and urban legends gathering in the empty square before it.
If this continued, she might manage to compete with Water Brother for the title of the fastest in Huacheng, although the result would certainly still be Water Brother winning… Lu Yibei thought, secretly lamenting Jiang Li’s armored profile.
At that moment, a chilling howl echoed from behind, resonating through the air.
Lu Yibei shrank back, glancing toward the entertainment city.
In the distance, the white high-rise that once symbolized wealth and beautiful dreams was now riddled with wounds; walls cracking, support columns collapsing, and statues shattering as they crashed to the ground, accompanied by a violent roar, tons of quicksand blasted out from the great breach of the high-rise, surging in all directions.
It was like a dam bursting… an inexplicable thought crossed Lu Yibei’s mind.
The rotting wind howled around the high-rise, black shadows rose within, transforming into a snarling giant wolf, its sharp claws grazing the walls, leaving deep scars on the white surface.
It climbed to the top of the building, stretching out its body, the fluctuations of spiritual energy rising sharply, the air rippling around it, releasing terrifying illusions.
As the fluctuations grew stronger, its sleek black fur seemed to ignite, radiating light as if melting metal, painting complex runes while dyeing its fur a golden hue.
Very valuable! Even a single hair could buy a city… Looking at the seemingly golden giant wolf, Lu Yibei couldn’t help but think.
Then, she shook her head vigorously; thanks to the proxy player sister’s reminder, she knew that no matter how valuable it was, it would be a wealth that incites disaster.
Whoever possessed it would d*e!
“Boom——!”
With a tremendous bang, the sky seemed to tear open, revealing a deep darkness amidst the clouds, brilliant lightning descended, whipping down like a long whip on the giant wolf. Endless flames rained down red, as if to stain the very sky.
However, the wolf’s body, as if forged from gold, bore no marks.
It tilted its head toward the sky, toward the lightning, toward the flames, letting out a deafening roar as if proclaiming to the world that it bore no guilt, that it had returned.
Watching that terrifying figure, Lu Yibei turned pale.
This was her first time facing a genuine cataclysm-grade spirit energy fluctuation, and aside from fear, she surprisingly felt an inexplicable sympathy for it.
But…
Why did she feel this way? Lu Yibei wondered, at that moment, Jiang Li’s cold voice reached her ears, pulling her thoughts back to reality.
“Hey, now’s not the time to space out; we’re in trouble.”
“Trouble? What trouble?” Lu Yibei asked blankly.
Jiang Li glanced at Lu Yibei, calmly stating, “Just take a look around and you’ll know.”
Upon hearing that, Lu Yibei scanned her surroundings, and her expression instantly grew heavy.
At that moment, in front of the train station of Dream Come True Entertainment City, the area was filled with fleeing people and urban legends; sighs, cries, and arguments coalesced into a maddening torrent, buzzing in her ears.
Lu Yibei, “…”
That’s right, the Giant Train only had one train every day; not long ago, Liu Banxian had already left on the only train of the day. Before that train returned, no one could leave this place—neither people nor urban legends.
Being unable to leave meant d*ath.
This was indeed life-threatening! Lu Yibei thought, feeling a headache coming on.
At that moment, Ahua seemed to have been stimulated by something; she frowned, shivering slightly, opened her eyes, and tried to say something, but no sound came out.
Earlier in the entertainment city, the bunny girl had gone berserk beside her; to protect Jiang Li, she had taken a heavy blow. Though not fatal, she was extremely weak now, finding it difficult to speak a complete sentence.
However, even in such a state, she hadn’t completely lost consciousness; the special ability of spirit patterns was still at work.
Amidst the myriad fluctuations of spirit energy at the station, she sensed a unique existence.
“Ahua, rest well; if you have anything to say, wait until you recover first,” Jiang Li said softly as she looked at Ahua in her arms.
However, Ahua shook her head, laboriously lifting her hand to tug at Lu Yibei’s clothing, then as Lu Yibei looked at her, she glanced toward the crowd, nodding her chin slightly.
Noticing Ahua’s gaze, Lu Yibei paused, turning to follow her line of sight, spotting a white-feathered cockatoo atop a large statue in front of the station.
“…”
Is that Xiuqiu?
Did Ahua wake up because she sensed her spirit energy?
Lu Yibei mused, patting Jiang Li on the shoulder, “I have a way to get out of here.”
Jiang Li tilted her head and frowned, “What’s the way?”
Lu Yibei pointed at the cockatoo on the statue and said earnestly, “Follow that bird!”
Seeing the still-puzzled look on Jiang Li’s face, Lu Yibei added, “She’s the minion of the lan zhu guesthouse’s proprietress; she knows how to leave here without using the Giant Train!”
Jiang Li squinted her eyes, assessing Lu Yibei with a sidelong glance, replied coldly, “You know the proprietress of the lan zhu guesthouse?”
“I know!” Lu Yibei replied without hesitation, “I’ve even slept in her bed; we’re quite familiar, so I won’t mistake her, trust me!”
“…” Jiang Li’s expression grew complex, her lips parted but then fell silent.
You’ve slept in her bed?
What… would she have such a bad hobby?
It certainly couldn’t be learned from a benefactor, so it could only be from Bai Kai.
While Jiang Li was lost in thought, Lu Yibei suddenly slapped her back vigorously, excitedly exclaiming, “Quick, quick, that bird’s leaving; hurry and follow it!”
“…”
In silence, Jiang Li shot Lu Yibei a resentful glare, then leaped into the air, soaring over the crowd and railing, charging into the station.
“Tap tap—— tap tap——!”
The sound of iron hooves struck the marble ground lightly as the silver figure dashed through the crowd, finally hitting the tracks.
Jiang Li looked up and scanned the sky for the snow-white figure, her gaze fixating as she tracked its flight trail before continuing to dash forward.
At that moment, Lu Yibei’s body trembled suddenly.
She inexplicably felt something being pulled from her body, which was tangible but not some visible energy, seemingly trivial, yet she felt something was steadily peeling away from her shell, leaving her inexplicably relieved.
Like emerging from a serious illness, feeling the spring breeze upon exiting the ward, or like a lover’s warm kiss when she was emotionally drained, making every muscle, every cell seem to cheer and sing silently.
As Lu Yibei immersed in this marvelous feeling, unable to extricate herself, she suddenly felt a chill on her back. Whipping around, her eyes met a wave of intense heat.
In the next moment, she saw a stream of dark red flowing light fly across the sky.
An ominous presence, more sinister than some extreme curse.
The flowing light seemed like an endless river, continually converging toward the giant wolf perched atop the white high-rise, with the source of that river arising from her chest.
Lu Yibei’s heart jolted, hastily looking down, realizing with alarm that a black vortex had appeared on her chest without her noticing, surrounded by a depth of darkness and rapidly spinning vortex, dark red flowing light scattered in all directions.
What is happening? What’s going on? Is this something the proxy player sister caused?
While she puzzled over it, a shrill wail echoed through the sky. Following the voice, she noticed the previously torn aperture in the clouds had expanded severalfold, and dazzling lightning struck down, illuminating the giant wolf’s figure in stark white.
Countless bolts of lightning crossed each other before converging into a beam that ruthlessly tore through the giant wolf’s body, ripping deep, ghastly wounds on its golden fur. Black bl**d gushed like a tide, spreading everywhere, morphing into gold and raining down like a tempest onto the gray city.
“Awooooo—!”
A roar filled with pain and despair erupted; the giant wolf opened its eyes, realizing the turn of events was against its will. In its golden-pupiled eyes, shadows of dignity and rage flickered.
It searched around for a moment, gazing into the direction of Lu Yibei, its eyes gathering fire, glaring at her as if ready to blaze.
Although its gaze covered an incredibly broad area, it was just a moment before Lu Yibei understood that it was looking right at her. A chill shot up her spine to the top of her head, and her bl**d felt as if it had turned to metal, clogging her up.
“We’re going to d*e! We’re going to d*e! Meow Meow Sauce, run faster; if we’re late, we’ll be done for today!” Lu Yibei yelled, smacking Jiang Li’s backside through the armor in panic.
“What?” Jiang Li was taken aback, looking towards the direction of the Dream Come True Entertainment City. Her pupils constricted sharply, and she released her spirit patterns to the utmost, taking off with an intense, low air hum.
Lu Yibei, what on earth did you do? Jiang Li thought in fear.
That wicked giant wolf was on the move.
It arched its back, slightly bending its limbs, leaping towards the sky as if it could traverse several kilometers from the white high-rise to Lu Yibei’s side.
Yet just as it leaped into the air, those dark red flows constricted around its body like unyielding ropes, binding its body and pulling it back toward the ground.
————
In the city.
Countless people and urban legends freneticly chased after the trail of golden splashes across the city, but upon touching the gold, they turned to skeletal remains; even more people and urban legends fought desperately over the gold, leading to a fierce massacre, the stench of bl**d permeating into every corner.
On this chaotic street, a girl in tattered clothes huddled between two trash bins, vacantly staring at all of this.
“Ding—— ding——!”
Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed not far away as a piece of gold fell from the sky, rolling close to the girl.
Wide-eyed, she gazed at the dazzling gold, feeling an endless temptation radiating from it, making her crazed, worth her using everything to grab it.
But…
But Dad said you shouldn’t accept other people’s kindness for free; would picking up that gold count as receiving someone else’s favor? The girl pondered.
In her brief hesitation, two figures swiftly flew past her, one snatching the gold first, only to be torn apart by the other the next moment.
Hot bl**d sprayed forth and flowed, running right in front of the girl.
Terrified, she watched everything unfold, her eyes vacant, then curled deeper into the crevice of the trash bins, shivering as she grabbed a wooden board to block her view.
Just then, a loud bang reverberated as the ground violently shook, as if a small asteroid had crash-landed, with a surging wave sweeping up numerous rocks and soil, burying the girl’s small, frail body.
————
Just like the scene Liu Banxian saw in his dream, the people and urban legends in the entire city descended into madness due to the giant wolf’s fall.
They rushed out of the city, scrambling greedily for the bl**d that spilled from the giant wolf.
Sinking into the earth, the giant wolf struggled to rise, gasping for breath as it inhaled massive amounts of air into its lungs; those near it instantly suffocated, then two white columns of mist slowly erupted from its nostrils, stirring up a high-energy storm that shredded the figures around it.
Regaining its footing, it gazed towards Lu Yibei’s departing direction, taking a leap forward.
The earth trembled, and its heavy footsteps resonated like thunder; countless crazy figures relentlessly pursued its massive yet deadly form.
However, the dark red flows wrapping around it only grew tighter, cutting into its golden fur and sinking into its flesh.
Large chunks of rotting flesh fell from its body, exposing its stark white bones, yet new flesh rapidly grew, covering those bones.
Thus, with the fierce consumption of spirit energy, its pace gradually slowed down, growing heavier until it finally crashed down onto the ground.
A deafening crash erupted, like a signal, making countless figures captivated by its flesh rush towards its body like ants sensing the smell of bl**d…
————
From a distance, watching the giant wolf’s figure vanish within the city, Lu Yibei let out a long breath, raising her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.
“d*mn! That was terrifying! If it caught up with us, we wouldn’t even know how we died,” she murmured, and just then, the voice of the proxy player sister suddenly echoed in her ears.
“Don’t be too happy too soon; if it ends like this, it wouldn’t deserve to be the former world-ending factor.”
“What? It’s still not over?”
Lu Yibei exclaimed, then stole a glance at Jiang Li, confirming that she couldn’t hear her conversations with the proxy player sister, and continued, “Wait, no, that’s not right! Why are you back again? Didn’t you say you had to cut off contact with me for the plan to succeed?”
“Tsk!” The proxy player sister spat, “This is because I know you have a procrastination problem and worried you wouldn’t hurry, so I only said half of it. To be precise, there’s more to the second half.”
“What’s the second half?” Lu Yibei pressed.
“The second half is that I have to cut off contact first and then reconnect after a while for the plan to succeed.” The proxy player sister explained.
“……” Lu Yibei fell silent for a moment, seriously asking, “Honestly, what are you scheming? If you don’t explain this clearly to me, I always feel like you’re leading me into a trap!”
“I’m telling you, when that thing was staring at me just now, I felt like I was about to d*e.”
“Hey——!” The proxy player sister sighed, “Usually you’re smart; why can’t you figure it out this time?”
“I ask you, do you feel like you and I are the same person?”
Suddenly bringing up such a sensitive topic was a bit hard to answer! However… Lu Yibei considered briefly, then shook her head, “No.”
In some sense… Lu Yibei thought ruefully.
“See? That settles it!”
Hearing this, Lu Yibei exclaimed, “d*mn! The exchange between the proxy player sister and the big boss has nothing to do with Lu Yibei? Is that the meaning?”
“Ha, you’re correct!” The proxy player sister chuckled lightly. “Furthermore, in a sense, I don’t exist in this world, so the exchange can’t possibly be established. Since the exchange doesn’t take effect, obviously it has to be nullified.”
“Logically speaking, once the exchange becomes invalid, the world malice that originally belonged to the big boss should immediately revert to him. However, after I completed the exchange, the malice from the world would temporarily arrive on me. After I cut off contact with you, it would delay this process. Now that I’ve re-established contact…”
At this point, Lu Yibei’s expression brightened, interrupting, “So, the process of returning has to start now, and it’s going to suffer!”
“It’s pretty much that simple,” the proxy player sister acknowledged.
However, there were still some things missing; merely returning the world malice wouldn’t harm a being carrying malice for many years like this old-world destroyer.
Only after I cut off contact with you, will the return process not find the original malice, and the disordered “exchange contract” will drain something from you, the proxy player sister mused.
“But…” Lu Yibei gazed at the black vortex on her chest, “What’s going on with this?”
“…”
Right, right, right! It’s this thing!
This was something that might evolve into world malice in the future.
This would bring misfortune upon you, but it might not be just misfortune for the big boss.
The proxy player sister thought for a moment, then decided to tell a small lie, “How would I know?! What have you done to yourself? Don’t you understand?”
Lu Yibei, “…”
She couldn’t tell her that she was wrapped in misfortune; if she ended up doing some certain things in the future, this misfortune would evolve into world malice, right?
With her psychological quality, it would probably scare her into hiding in the Siye Society for the rest of her life.
The proxy player sister thought and told Lu Yibei seriously, “Complete this final task, and I’ll have to leave. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; before the big boss is completely ousted, he might have a desperate last-ditch attempt, so you should be careful enough to handle it.”
“Additionally, after I leave, I might be unreachable for ten days to half a month, so be careful and don’t do anything reckless.”
“Huh? Where are you going?” Lu Yibei asked in surprise.
“d*mn it, do you think I’m invincible? I need to recover!” The proxy player sister scolded.
I can’t handle my own issues! Carrying over an hour of world malice for the big boss isn’t as simple as one plus one equals two, there’s no way it’d be that easy.
Thinking to herself, she added seriously, “Lu Yibei… don’t rely too much on me. There’s no good ending from this.”
“What does it mean there’s no good ending? Will using a proxy get my account banned? What if I just get an X-Yue membership?” Lu Yibei questioned.
No reply.
When the sound of hooves colliding with the tracks echoed in her ears, she realized that the proxy player sister had indeed already left…
**Epilogue Two**
Night gradually descended over that gray, damp city, and beneath the crumbling mountains, the giant wolf lay across the street like a mountain, the dark bl**d seeping from its body mixing with the muddy road below it, seemingly already dead.
Its golden fur had faded, taking on a rust-like hue; beneath its fur was decayed flesh visible through the deep wounds that exposed its ribs, even showing its once beating heart.
That huge, golden heart still radiated a brilliant seven-colored glow even as the giant wolf slowly approached d*ath; it evoked the legendary treasure that lay at the end of the rainbow, driving many into madness.
Countless people and urban legends surrounded it, using axes, knives, hands, and teeth, desperately hacking and clawing at its enormous body, as though any small piece torn away could yield wealth to last a lifetime.
Then…
From the darkening sky and the muffled gray fog, two glaring lights abruptly brightened, followed by the giant wolf’s heart beating again, erupting with a thunderous sound.
The wind surged, erupting explosively.
The giant wolf wobbled back to its feet, shaking its broken body, sending countless people and urban legends flying like lice shaken off.
It cast its somber gaze toward the station, raising its head and letting out one final howl, as if calling for its lost companions.
“Awooooo—!”
With its roar, the sky grew dim, the cold wind howled, and everyone in the city could clearly feel that an extremely cold night was approaching.
As night drew near, an ominous air silently rose from the deathly silence, like something awakening from slumber.
“Boom—— boom—— boom——!”
A series of loud sounds erupted from underground as the ground cracked, the dark bl**d and flesh squirmed from deep underground, melting into the corpses strewn about.
Those who had perished in pursuit of wealth, had invited misfortune, were awakened by the giant wolf’s howl, slowly opening their eyes, absorbing the black bl**d and flesh, turning into vengeful spirits, thousands gathering in troops.
Those terrifying bodies bore putrid sores; they let out greedy howls that echoed with the howl, their flesh and bl**d swirling like liquid, forging golden armor and sharp weapons.
As the big boss, possessing the divine powers of a god with the form of a wolf, of course, he had his “wolf pack.”
“Roar——!”
The giant wolf let out another roar, serving like a military command in leading the “wolf pack” across the city, onto the wasteland, launching a cruel hunt against Lu Yibei.
As the proxy player sister had said, even if the big boss fell into despair again, at the last moment, he would take his revenge on her.
————
The winding tracks extended from the Dream Come True Entertainment City station, fading into the golden wasteland filled with towering steel remnants.
This vast and beautiful wasteland has a not-so-beautiful name—Burial Wasteland.
Legends say that buried beneath it are the bones of countless people who have perished in pursuit of wealth.
Across the wasteland, Jiang Li, clad in silver-white armor, chased after the white figure in the sky, with Lu Yibei firmly situated on her back.
The iron hooves trampled upon the railway, sparking flames, their figures galloping like the wind.
Her red hair flew in the wind, fierce as banners.
With the crimson twilight of the wasteland that never sets, she seemed like a lonely knight rushing toward the end.
If there had been instruments nearby, a secondary alarm would have triggered long ago; at this level, the urban legend’s cataclysm response surely exceeded 30%…
If such a spirit energy fluctuation leaked outside, the consequences would be unimaginable, Jiang Li mused as she gazed toward the Dream Come True Entertainment City, planning discreetly.
Though 30% didn’t seem too high, based on reports from the Siye Society in recent years, even urban legends that resulted in the obliteration of a city only averaged a 43.2% cataclysm response.
We are going to d*e, and to think Jiang Li would d*e alongside me.
I wonder if Siye Society will send someone to collect corpses after we’re dead? If they come to collect if I looked like this; would I still be eligible for the benefit graveyard?
And I haven’t even had a romantic relationship yet! If I had known, I should have inquired about the details of marriage in the nether world with Liu Banxian. Lu Yibei thought, her mind wandering awry.
During crucial moments, she always had such unique trains of thought.
At that moment, the sky was clearly darkening at a visible speed.
Raindrops began to fall, the rain confining in the icy gale hammered down on their pale faces like blades slicing through.
“Boom— boom——!”
The “wolf pack” rushed toward them in the distance, heavy footsteps gathering together, rolling across the ground like muffled thunder.
Suddenly, countless bl**d-red eyes emerged, densely packed like innumerable stars in the sky.
From an aerial perspective, a black and golden torrent surged from all directions, as if a terrifying hand had grasped them, tightening its grip until a puddle of bl**d was squeezed out.
Jiang Li placed Ahua on her back, freeing her hands, a long kn*fe materialized from her palm, her gaze sharpening, and she said calmly to Lu Yibei, “Something is coming, a lot of it…”
From the far side, there were so many sources of spirit energy surging that it was overwhelming, and her spiritual senses were overwhelmed.
“Yeah, it looks like the big boss is spending big, deploying a whole troop to GANK us! It’s a big bad situation; we’re surrounded by the enemy!”
“Are you scared?”
“I’m scared to d*ath, but…” Lu Yibei nodded seriously, “You just keep chasing that bird, and I’ll handle the rest.”
After all, they were all targeting her; if push came to shove, she’d at least ensure Jiang Li could get away, Lu Yibei thought, opening her guitar case and firmly gripping the Ling Tai Purification.
“…” In silence, Jiang Li took a discreet glance at Lu Yibei’s profile; on her face, with its touch of youth, she saw a calmness that was chilling, as if being in such a life-threatening situation wasn’t a first for her.
Was she still the cowardly Lu Yibei I knew?
What had she gone through in my absence?
Jiang Li pondered and then told Lu Yibei, “Don’t be a hero…”
Before she could finish her words, a shrill scream erupted.
Using an average height of dried yellow wild grass for cover, a figure dashed toward them with incredible speed—a wolf fully encased in golden armor suddenly lunged forward.
In the next moment, a silver light surged from Jiang Li’s hand, her long kn*fe cutting off the wolf’s approach without warning.
But then she saw the wolf’s claws seemingly melting, nimbly avoiding her kn*fe blade, shooting out like a striking snake.
Jiang Li ducked back, the sharp claws brushing against her face. As she suddenly pushed her body up, the kn*fe whirled around, flicked upwards at an angle, letting out a shrill scream as its energy crashed against the wolf’s body, shredding it apart.
The spirit energy fluctuated strongly, and the attacking method felt somewhat strange, but it still lacked versatility…
In the brief encounter, Jiang Li quickly assessed the basic power of the “wolf pack.” While pondering, she glanced back at Lu Yibei and was startled.
Lu Yibei had curled up, clutching a crystal bottle filled with glowing viscous liquid, trembling.
Jiang Li’s lips twitched slightly as she coldly said, “Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid?”
“Gulp—!”
Lu Yibei glanced at the restless wolves and swallered, arguing, “Afraid? Why would I be afraid? I could fight a hundred of these ghostly things!”
“But the problem is, I’m scared of dogs! When I was little, after stealing persimmons from the neighbor’s house, I was chased and bitten…”
“Those are wolves,” Jiang Li said in a low voice, “Can’t you tell the difference between a wolf and a dog?”
“Oh, I was chased by a wolf-dog…”
Jiang Li, “…”
In the quiet, another intense gust of wind howled past. Her gaze sharpened, pulling her focus back to the approaching enemies.
————
At the same time, while Jiang Li and Lu Yibei engaged in battle against the “wolf pack” summoned by the big boss.
In the sky, Xiuqiu witnessed this scene, her heart racing, quickly reaching out to contact her mistress through the mark of her allegiance.
Soon after, the black peony’s voice sounded in Xiuqiu’s mind, “Oh? Xiuqiu? How is the situation over there?”
“Reporting, Mistress, things seem a bit off; the big boss hasn’t successfully escaped, and she was severely injured by Wang Buliu through some method I don’t know.”
“Oh?” The black peony pondered for a moment and inquired, “What’s the current situation? Is it dead?”
“This…” Xiuqiu hesitated, replying, “I’m sorry, Mistress, but I don’t know. I saw the big boss about to escape but was in a hurry to return, so I only observed the latter situation from the distance.”
“However, it should still be alive. Currently, the “wolf pack” made up of flesh and bl**d from the buried skeletal remains on the burial wasteland is hunting Wang Buliu.”
“You’re telling me the big boss has invoked the power of the bl**d and flesh tunnel?” the black peony questioned, the urgency in her tone unmistakable.
“Correct! I took the liberty to contact you solely to inform you of this news immediately.” Xiuqiu said.
“Ha! Good!” the black peony sneered. “I imagine Yuguang Xian’s side must be anxious hearing this news!”
In fact, the bl**d and flesh tunnel they had seen along the way was merely the tip of the iceberg; the real bl**d and flesh tunnel was a vast “ocean” of bl**d and flesh that could encompass this entire immense space.
Founded by the big boss, and perfected by the black peony and Yuguang Xian, it was to block the influence of world malice, similar to a barrier of the city.
If the big boss merely violated the contract and left first, causing the chip medium to disappear and severing the hope of leaving, Yuguang Xian might not take action, but now, as revenge on Lu Yibei, invoking the strength of the bl**d and flesh tunnel made the situation entirely different.
Yuguang Xian did not wish to leave here; he wanted to reside here, messing with his poison, becoming the emperor of the land, and the basis of all this was the bl**d and flesh tunnel.
Whoever dared to influence the normal operation of the bl**d and flesh tunnel would have to pay a price!
“Xiuqiu, return for now, help Wang Buliu if possible, if there’s no danger on your side,” the black peony said softly. “I need to visit the pharmacy first, then personally go to the entertainment city.”
“That guy is going to be in real trouble!”
————
On the wasteland, iron hooves thundered, echoing with a series of terrifying howls.
Since the emergence of the “wolf pack,” nearly an hour had passed, and the difficulty in creating a bl**d path through them was far higher than the two had anticipated.
Jiang Li’s speed of advance had slowed increasingly; Lu Yibei could feel it; amidst the wolf pack’s storm-like assaults, her shiny armor was already covered in deep and shallow wounds.
In relentless battles, she realized that her earlier evaluations of the power of the “wolf pack” were utterly inaccurate; they weren’t purely lowly undead puppets relying on brute force; instead, they retained various means from their living days, diverse and unending.
Among these malevolent spirits who had perished at the hands of the big boss, while most were cannon-fodder-level fish, there also existed tremendously powerful urban legends whose spirit energy fluctuations exceeded what was ordinary in the A-grade realm.
Moreover, it seemed those armored spirits had no fear of d*ath, showing no concern for loss; even if they were bisected or exploded into pieces and turned to dust in the air, the successors would unrelentingly launch lethal attacks without cease.
Rationally speaking, such battles were less dangerous compared to the Pestilence Taijie’s Hundred Demons Walk, but this time, Lu Yibei didn’t have the help of the pulse energy.
Thus, the “lonely knight” gradually slowed down as the army surrounded her, as if sinking into a quagmire of d*ath…
Suddenly, a piercing scream resonated, almost tearing her eardrum. A powerful wind swept past her from behind, startling Lu Yibei.
Then, an intense clang of weapons erupted behind her; Jiang Li seemed to be engaged in combat with a formidable enemy. In mere seconds, dozens of clangs sounded as steel collided, the waves of energy from their clash causing ripples in the air.
Amidst the commotion, Lu Yibei thought she heard Jiang Li let out a muffled groan. Just as she intended to turn around to check on her condition, Jiang Li commanded, “Don’t look! Didn’t we agree? I focus on the front, and you cover the back.”
Hearing this, Lu Yibei felt her heart clench, fighting back the urge to turn, she raised her broken sword and swung at the approaching enemies from the front.
“QNMD, d*e already!”
With a low shout, red flames burst forth from the blade, instantly turning the attacking enemies to ashes.
Briefly clearing the foes ahead, as the clamor behind faded, listening to Jiang Li’s heavy breaths, Lu Yibei narrowed her brows for a moment before saying, “Don’t you feel this is somewhat like an old movie called ‘Thelma & Louise’? That film tells the story of two women who accidentally k*ll their attacker and then panic, fleeing and embarking on a journey with no return.”
“I haven’t seen it; what’s their ending?” Jiang Li responded calmly, her breath seeming a bit unsteady.
“…” Lu Yibei fell silent for a moment and shrugged, “It’s fine.”
The film’s conclusion the two protagonists drove into the gorge, choosing d*ath.
Lu Yibei felt that mentioning such an ending at that moment seemed inauspicious.
Just then, the ground shook violently again, as if some immensely bulky thing was causing tremendous rumblings. Jiang Li’s steps stumbled momentarily, and Lu Yibei instinctively reached out to wrap around her waist but found slick, viscous liquid.
Her heart sank as she quickly raised her hand to look, revealing a streak of crimson.
“You’re hurt?!” Lu Yibei exclaimed.
“…” In silence, Jiang Li glanced down at the gory wound that ran from her chest to her back.
The fierce battle, on top of having to protect the incapacitated Ahua, posed too big a burden for her.
“It’s just a minor wound; it’s nothing compared to the time I fought against Mu Se. If I go back and treat it, it won’t even leave a scar.”
She was speaking the truth; during the hunt against Mu Se, as a rookie agent, she had sustained severe injuries, nearly to the point of d*ath.
However…
“But these things keep coming like they can’t be killed! Even if your injury isn’t severe, continuing to fight…” Lu Yibei started but hesitated, not daring to finish; she feared that she might invoke a bad omen.
If it went on like this, the two of them would end up having to “charge into the gorge” together.
Just then, the ground trembled once more, and in the next moment, something broke through the soil, burrowing up from underground.
Tons of soil and rocks were lifted into the sky, the iron tracks beneath them crackled as they broke with a sharp sound, the scene as if it had slowed down. A giant adorned in golden armor, resembling the front of the Giant Train, appeared behind them, stretching out countless arms.
In an instant, an air wave surged forth, like a storm suddenly appearing, knocking Jiang Li off balance. For a moment, the three figures drew arcs together in mid-air, thundering down onto the ground, dragging deep tracks across the wild grass.
Lu Yibei struggled to rise, looking at the figure reminiscent of the Giant Train’s front, muttering curses, “d*mn it, I knew that where there are many legs, there must be many hands; otherwise, this thing would be totally unbalanced!”
“It’s a kind of urban legend with Hundreds of Armed Giant powers…” Jiang Li explained. “Like you said, it should relate to the one pulling the Giant Train.”
Lu Yibei turned to look at her, just then noticing the frightening wounds on her body, her gaze shifting several times before she was about to speak, but was at once surrounded by numerous shadows closing in on them tightly.
“What now?” Jiang Li asked slowly.
Hearing this, Lu Yibei steadied her body with her broken sword, standing up slowly, walking in front of her to block the slowly approaching golden giant, turning back to smile weakly, “What else can we do? In case of danger, ladies and children first to evacuate; this is an excellent tradition of our Z Country!”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Li exclaimed, “You plan to… even if that’s the case, I probably won’t be able to escape either, so maybe…”
“You can escape,” Lu Yibei replied, her expression returning to one of indifference, saying matter-of-factly to Jiang Li, “Trust me; you can get away whenever you want since they’re all after me.”
As she said that, upon noticing Jiang Li about to argue, she quickly interjected, “Don’t say any foolish words about not leaving together; if you don’t go, Ahua will also have to d*e with you.”
“Don’t even think about rebutting; you should be very clear about that: it’s either two lives or just three—your choice!”
Jiang Li struggled to get up, securing Ahua before stepping next to Lu Yibei, gripping her long kn*fe tightly, “Then let’s d*e together; Ahua will definitely respect my choice…”
Lu Yibei, “…”
**Epilogue Three**
“And let’s d*e together; Ahua will definitely respect my choice…”
“Good, then let’s share life and d*ath together!”
Jiang Li heard Lu Yibei’s reply, then lifted her long kn*fe, summoning her spirit, and charged forward together into the fierce wind and cold rain ahead.
…
Across the wasteland, the echolocation of an ocarina-like tune murmured, reminiscent of songs hummed by shepherds, occasionally out of pitch, but still melodious.
Beside Lu Yibei, the 29.382 times amplified crimson flame carved out a deep ravine, the blazing flames soaring from within temporarily blocking the advancing wolves from bursting through.
With her alchemical explosives depleted, the crimson flame was the best incantation she could think of that caused maximum destruction to the surrounding environment. The Four Beasts Bright Sky Cannon was fine for urban legends, but it didn’t work as effectively for demolition or buying time.
With her back against the fires, she gradually opened her eyes, watching Jiang Li’s figure as she charged towards thousands of foes, until disappearing from her view, letting out a silent sigh.
“Once bitten, you’d think I’d remember…”
A slender, white tendril extended from her fingertips, reaching for Jiang Li and Ahua overhead.
As Lu Yibei thought, the “wolf pack” was targeting her; their attacks on Jiang Li were almost just symbolic, virtually leaving her a path for escape.
“Such a fool; even if Ahua respects your choice, she may not like this decision! She hates me so much; she wouldn’t want to d*e alongside me.”
“Still, there’s that business of being ground up into meat paste, no way out of it!” Lu Yibei mumbled to herself.
“Flap flap——!”
With the sound of flapping wings, Xiuqiu slowly landed on Lu Yibei’s shoulder, tilting her head to glance at her profile, muttering, “I didn’t expect you to have this trump card? Quite impressive!”
Unlike other types of incantations, which one could cast as long as one reached the appropriate spiritual energy level and practiced diligently, creating illusions was extremely talent-intensive and incredibly hard to learn.
Lu Yibei glanced at Xiuqiu, feeling no surprise at her appearance, as she had already sensed Xiuqiu observing her discreetly since they left the Dream Come True Entertainment City station.
After all, the recurring thought of “she is watching you from the shadows” felt as intrusive as low-quality page games with pop-up ads; it was hard not to notice.
“I wouldn’t know about that! It’s just a gift skill, borrowed temporarily from a minion.”
“…”
Xiuqiu fell into silence for a moment, recalling Jiang Li’s murmured words and peculiar actions when leaving; clearly, she had manifested signs of not being deeply entrenched in an illusion. Confused, she asked, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you weave her a more durable dream? Now it’s like this; when she wakes up in a bit, she might actually resent you.”
“I wish I could!” Lu Yibei retorted helplessly, “But, it’s been borrowed! I’m not skilled enough with it, I could’ve used it earlier in the entertainment city.”
“Making them sink into dreams while obediently sending me chips is much easier than risking it all while trying to win from them.”
Xiuqiu recalled seeing Lu Yibei during her infiltration of the entertainment city. Her eyes rolled as she retorted, “Wasn’t that outright deceiving?”
“What’s the difference?” Lu Yibei shrugged indifferently, “It’s all gambling, right? Just look, didn’t the big boss pull one over on your mistress pretty badly?”
Recalling her mistress’s “mishap,” Xiuqiu shot Lu Yibei a fierce glare and coldly said, “What do you plan to do now?”
“You get her out; I’ll hold them off, and that’s all there is to it.” Lu Yibei stated lightly.
“Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
“I…” Lu Yibei began to answer, just as an explosive sound erupted from ahead.
In the midst of chaos, the massive shadows above her gathered like storm clouds, frightening energy ripples converged solidly, surging from the sky, causing Xiuqiu’s heart to race, prompting her to take flight swiftly into the sky.
Once she soared high above, she glanced down at the ground, and her heart sank.
A giant was crossing over the blockade of the crimson flames that Lu Yibei built, leaping towards them.
It donned a grim, terrifying mask, and its golden armor glistened wickedly amidst angry flames as it swung its numerous bulging arms down towards the ground.
“Boom——!”
A resounding crash erupted, shattering the ground, tossing stones into the air.
As smoke choked the air, a petite figure shot out, momentarily soaring before landing unsteadily, bouncing a few times, until she slammed against an abrupt boulder, finally steadying herself.
“Cough, cough, cough—!”
Dust-covered Lu Yibei pressed a hand against her chest, coughing violently as she looked up at the giant bathed in flames, spitting angrily, “d*mn it! I hadn’t even finished my line!”
Just like a world where both sides recited their lines before combat, apparently, that kind of arrangement didn’t exist.
Lu Yibei thought. Looking up at the point where Xiuqiu had become merely a white dot in the sky, she murmured, “Of course I’m afraid of dying; I’m terrified!”
But what could she do? She couldn’t get Jiang Li involved in this mess too!
d*mn it, gambling truly is a killer!
Once I get back, I’ll quit “gambling.’ No more splurging and drawing cards, uh… maybe after this White Xiaohua Spring Festival cheongsam limited UP… then I won’t draw anymore! Lu Yibei thought.
At that moment, the sound of birds chirping reached her from the sky, their melodious sounds blending into human words.
“Hang on for a little bit; my master is already seeking Yuguang Xian to confront the big boss.”
“Let’s hope I can last until then…” murmured Lu Yibei, and before she could finish her thought, a powerful warning flashed in her mind, and she moved again just in time. Next, an enormous fist came sweeping towards the spot she had just occupied.
The Hundred-Armed Giant was a child born from Gaia, the mother of gods, and Uranus, the god of the sky, in Greek mythology. Its power was such that even the Titan Giants could not resist it.
This entity controlled by the big boss, one of the strongest among the undead spirits, may only have a faint fraction of the Hundred-Armed Giant’s powers, but each blow carried a “shattering” effect of overwhelming force, obliterating all it touched.
Although Lu Yibei was unaware of the legends, her instincts warned her that those fist-sized obstacles posed significant danger; she was deterred from taking them head-on, merely fleeing desperately, praying that Xiuqiu’s words were true and that the black peony and Yuguang Xian could end the big boss’s final act of revenge.
Fortunately, the giant’s massive size led to noticeable sluggishness in its movements. Thanks to her premonitions and the intricate coordination of “Taihe Gentleman Sword Illustration,” she could barely manage to dodge.
Just as she darted like a flea, leaping this way and that, utilizing her talent skill and incantations to continuously “explode” the lower extremities of the giant, momentarily stalling its pace, a true danger surfaced.
With a castle-making giant leading the way, in under two minutes, Lu Yibei drained nearly half of her spirit energy constructed defenses of the crimson flames, which then declared defeat.
In an instant, a radiant light appeared at the horizon of the wasteland, golden beams shooting through the dust as numerous troops burst forth from the dappled terrain.
Following the giant’s lead, fire blazed as tens of thousands of golden-armored figures materialized, a relentless roar mingled, as if the whole gathering came together with thunder.
While the “wolf pack” advanced with overwhelming might, the moment they actually attacked Lu Yibei, they fell into eerie silence.
As the giant urban legend charged forward menacingly, two swift figures darted in from either side, each leading hundreds of armored spirits, racing through the gauzy grass from the north and south, carving arc lines and forming a vast encirclement with the scent of decay pervasive among the spirits.
Typically, when an army rushes toward enemies, they would roar, and dogs would bark when charging in, showcasing prowess to instill fear in foes.
However, the advance of the big boss’s “wolf pack” was nearly silent; not a single roar or shout was heard as they moved in a frightfully quiet manner—portraying the most terrifying interpretation of “the wolf is here!”
Earlier, during the pursuit of Jiang Li, this unit had yet to fully rally, but once all the dead stepped onto this vast wasteland, their terror was finally fully revealed.
In the tall grass, the golden-armored “wolf pack” rushed forth, resembling hundreds of high-speed flying bullets, the swishing sounds echoing continuously, while Lu Yibei could not see their forms, yet felt the shadow of d*ath weaving a massive net closing in, almost suffocating her.
With each pound of the giant’s onslaught growing increasingly fierce, as if it were scheming to force her into the encirclement, a sudden silence blanketed the southern side.
[It cast the Red Flame Flash], [It cast the bl**d-colored Spiral Spell], [It cast the Reverse Star Cross]…
Countless premonition thoughts raced through Lu Yibei’s mind like she was on fast-forward.
As her head spun with these premonitions, a sharp, piercing shriek burst forth.
A vast array of spirit energy surged forth, a critical spell flowing between standard and intricate formulas shot up from the southern wasteland, like an army launching a united attack, weaving into a brilliant screen that blazed towards Lu Yibei.
In that split-second moment, Lu Yibei’s eyes fixed unwaveringly on the approaching giant. Her mind repeatedly rehearsed the dying action arcs of the giant until she envisioned its movements as if they were an hallucination.
Then.
Just before countless spells rained down, she exploded into motion, deploying her agility to the utmost, charging directly toward the giant, who also initiated a fierce strike using its numerous hefty arms intended for this “hungry prey.”
It was clear—she had rehearsed the giant’s offensive behavior repeatedly in her mind; surely she could evade all its strikes…
Lu Yibei consoled herself as she hopped, twisted, ran, rolled, and flew as low as she could, dashing deftly between the giant’s robust arms swinging down.
For each moment, if she made even the slightest error in judgment, she would crash into the beast’s claws carrying unimaginable powers, meeting an untimely demise.
Domineeringly, Lu Yibei suddenly felt unreal; the piercing wind, the icy rain, the swirling dust in the fierce wind rapidly morphed her vision into a kaleidoscope, shimmering with colors.
It felt like time had slowed for her until she finally found herself on the wasteland behind the giant.
“…”
In silence, her gaze gradually fell upon her broken sword-holding hand, her brows knitting tightly before she let out a sigh tinged with helplessness in her heart.
Just a little more, just a little more… and she would have evaded them all.
d*mn it, it seemed she really wasn’t cut out for being a hero.
That thing is so strong—stronger than I imagined. With this power, it would certainly earn heaps demolishing buildings, right?
In under a few short seconds, Lu Yibei had dodged nearly a hundred of the giant’s frenzied attacks. For the only hit she took, she had managed to deflect it using Ling Tai Purification.
Yet, just that single miscalculation demanded a hefty toll in return; her sword-hand became splintered, twisted unnaturally, a deep wound extending from her wrist to her shoulder and collarbone. Her skin broke, revealing glimmering white bones and bl**d oozing, dropping like red beans.
Her body writhed continuously, emitting waves of spirit energy, attempting to mend her injury, but the powers transmitted through the broken sword were continuously wrecking her flesh and bl**d, as though it sought to shatter her completely.
This clash between rebuilding and destruction brought immense pain.
The exhaustion of waning spirits gradually welled up in her, the brief numbness dissipated sharply, and an impending, long-awaited ache suddenly erupted, instantly overwhelming Lu Yibei’s final resilience, forcing her to emit a muffled groan, crumbling weakly onto the ground.
Just then, the second round of spells cascaded down upon them.
Lying on the soft grass, gazing up at the gloomy sky, amidst the storm, Lu Yibei aimed to hear the sounds of piercing breakage in the air once again.
The next moment, a rain of luminous beauty adorned with a thousand colors soared skyward from the wasteland, trailing long tails downward, descending upon the ground and her, crashing down…
“How beautiful! If only someone could watch this together with me…” Lu Yibei murmured as her eyes gradually closed.
————
Within the Dream Come True Entertainment City.
The girl buried beneath dirt and stones was unaware of how long she had been hidden until the sounds of fighting and booms finally quieted. Struggling, she managed to push away the heavy loam above her and crawled out, only to see the devastated street and the rotting corpses.
Amidst her shock and fear, she held her head tightly, clenched her little horns atop her head, and ran wildly toward the most rundown area of the city.
As she sprinted faster, passing the deathly silent city, she soon arrived at a hut made of wood and iron sheets at the city center that had become too overrun.
Driven by curiosity, she looked toward the distant giant wolf, spotting two figures—one in a black dress, the other plump and green—standing atop the wolf’s massive head, which she hadn’t previously seen.
From a distance, the figure in the black dress seemed to sense her gaze, suddenly turning to look her way, causing the girl to start and hurriedly retract her vision, diving into the hut.
“Dad! Little brother, I’m back!”
In the ominous silence, the girl waited fearfully for a few seconds until a faint rustle came from the corner of the hut, revealing a gaunt, pale man who emerged with a severe cough, clasping a bull-headed youth by his side.
“Cough, it’s Ling’er! You’ve finally returned, the city is in such chaos; it scared me to… cough cough! Scared me to d*ath! Hurry, come inside; we’ll wait until the storm passes before coming out.”
“Cough, good thing you bought plenty of food last time; otherwise…”
As the man babbled on, the girl suddenly seemed to recall something important. She stepped forward, looking serious. “Dad, do you know what learning is?”
The man, “…”
After a long silence, he finally murmured, “Though I don’t know if what you mean by learning is what I understand, I have a book called ‘Three-Year Incantations, five-Year Assessments.’ Do you want to take a look?”
While saying this, his complexion seemed to improve slightly, and he miraculously no longer coughed.
“Mm!” The girl excitedly nodded her head.
————
In a curtain of darkness, Lu Yibei’s consciousness lay still.
She thought she had died, yet in her blurred state, she heard someone arguing.
A woman was coldly laughing, “Hah, you want to save her? Even if she dies, I won’t be bothered to bury her…”
A man replied in annoyance, “Since that’s the case, let it go; I have what I wanted now. Speaking of which, that guy, what are you going to do with him? I say, he’s a disaster, better off dead. If you dare to block me, I swear I’ll chop you up for fertilizer!”
“Hmph, you don’t need me to say it; if he dares to pull this next time, I’ll be the first to strike.”
“…”
As Lu Yibei listened to the man’s and woman’s conversation, she struggled to open her eyes and see, yet at that moment, she expended all her strength, and once again her consciousness fell into silence.
