Chapter 257: The Ghost in the Mirror (Part 20)

Chapter 257: The Ghost in the Mirror (Part 20)

At his words, two streams of bloody tears flowed from Guan Yingying's eyes.

She stared intently at Jie Fangcheng, echoing his words.

"Victims shouldn't bear undue blame, the blade shouldn't be wielded against the defenseless... How casually you say these things!"

The surroundings were tumultuous with howling winds and the black fog churned with shrill screams and shadows. It seemed the world consisted only of Guan Yingying and the ghosts bursting from the fog.

Guan Yingying's skin cracked open, revealing not flesh and blood but countless tongues.

Tongues that had once harmed her recklessly, now serving as her weapons.

The tongues burst from her body, each speaking.

"Weak? Who isn't weak? Does being weak excuse indifference?"

"It takes two to tango, flies don't bother a sealed jar, every victim has their hated side... Aren't these sayings true?"

"It's laughable. After all the suffering 'I' endured, now that 'I' am more powerful, it's not to hear these platitudes!"

"Kill!!"

"Finish her off! Kill them all!"

Guan Yingying's once pitch-black eyes were now blood-red. Jie Fangcheng knew all too well that this indicated her sanity was waning.

When hatred wholly consumes a malevolent spirit, its power amplifies. However, concurrently, the spirit becomes frenzied and volatile, transforming into a mindless killing machine.

Amid the dark mist, Guan Yingying's figure expanded nearly twofold, her stature increasing correspondingly.

She once again wielded a weapon, but it was no longer a fruit knife. This time, it was a gruesome bone sword forged from countless human spines, with bits of flesh clinging to it.

Jie Fangcheng seemed to sigh in resignation.

"Stay lucid, will you?"

"Hahahaha, lucid? I'm perfectly clear now!" Guan Yingying exclaimed, raising her sword high. "Why shouldn't I kill? Isn't this game all about survival of the fittest? Why did no one intervene when others came for me, yet when I wield a blade seeking justice for myself, there are those preaching righteousness to me?"

Her voice boomed like a thunderclap, and surrounding spectral figures latched onto her bone sword.

As the sword descended, chilling wails of the spirits erupted.

The strike was mighty, dispersing the enveloping dark mist, and the forceful gust carved furrows into the ground.

Zhu Ping, shielded behind Jie Fangcheng, got harmed by the malevolent aura. She coughed up blood mixed with fragments of her innards, then, head lolling, lost consciousness.

Consequently, she missed the sight of a somewhat slender hand effortlessly catching the descending blade in the very next moment.

Jie Fangcheng, unfazed, remarked, "Haven't you now become just like those who harmed you?"

"What of it?! This is the nature of this realm! Perhaps you'd like to enlighten me!" Guan Yingying's tongue grotesquely elongated, forcibly extracting her spine from within her body. Once again, it morphed into a bone sword and lunged towards Jie Fangcheng.

"I just asked Zhu Ping, and she couldn't answer! Since you claim to be so capable, then enlighten me!! If someone as weak as her can be so complacently indifferent and selfish, with no responsibility to change the environment, then who does bear that responsibility?!"

Jie Fangcheng stood unflinchingly, unmoving from his spot.

"It's me."

The bone sword halted mere inches from him.

—It wasn't because Guan Yingying had stopped it in time.

In front of him, a dense ghostly aura enveloped Jie Fangcheng. His white hair was tied up by a red hairband, one eye black and the other white. Behind him, a massive palace began to materialize.

Even in the "Three Thousand Worlds" instance, the moment the palace appeared, faint thunder sounds could be heard from within the dark fog.

The ghostly figures, initially under Guan Yingying's control, knelt uncontrollably, awaiting the arrival of the King of Ghosts.

Even Guan Yingying herself felt an inexplicable sense of pressure at that moment.

Jie Fangcheng's robe fluttered as if there was a wind, and he gazed at Guan Yingying before him.

"The responsibility is mine."

The responsibility lies with "me."

Not just because Jie Fangcheng is the Guardian.

"Being weak, selfish, and timid is indeed saddening, but it's not a reason to deserve death. Like flora, there are towering trees and low bushes. Courage and resilience should be commendations for oneself, not demands of others."

"Guan Yingying, what you've experienced feels truly unjust to me. I acknowledge the reality you describe—there's so much unfairness in the world. Hence, there's 'me'... Now that you've become so powerful, there can also be 'you'."

Guan Yingying's eyes turned red, "Are you saying I should protect others?! I won't accept this! Why should I have to protect anyone?!"

"Because you, too, are being protected by others."

The ghostly aura around Jie Fangcheng grew denser, but within it, traces of golden light shimmered.

"I've dealt with many cases before. A long, long time ago, if the common people filed complaints against officials, they faced death. In our place, this was even considered normal. But now, officials are supposed to be 'servants of the people'... I know what you're about to say, but I believe more in the fact that things are getting better. I can't tell you what to do when faced with such situations; it's not my forte. But what I do know is..."

"Someday, the world will become much fairer."

Guan Yingying murmured, "And what about me? Will I just die in vain?"

"This is the sacrifice of the era, and we are all destined to be its victims—or its martyrs. We tread upon the bones of those who came before us, marching towards a brighter, farther future. Likewise, we are stepping stones for those who will follow. Now—"

"Enough!"

Jie Fangcheng gripped the sword firmly with his right hand, pulling Guan Yingying close to him.

Behind him, the chime of a bell resounded.

Simultaneously, a ray of golden light seeped into Guan Yingying's body.

The light flowed through her instantly, with tongues manifesting both as evidence of Guan Yingying's power and symbols of the karmic obstacles she bore.

As the golden light passed, the tongues shrieked and retreated back into her body.

Guan Yingying's once blood-red eyes finally reverted to black. She stared blankly at Jie Fangcheng.

"You..."

Having wielded this golden power numerous times, Jie Fangcheng was well-acquainted with such a stunned reaction.

He patted Guan Yingying's shoulder, "Be a good spirit. Let me see if I can take you back with me."

Guan Yingying's expression remained dazed, "...Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? Oh, by the way," Jie Fangcheng began, "Is that person really named 'Qiao Qiang'? I can check for you when I return."

At the mention of this name, Guan Yingying's attention was fully captured.

"Check? What are you going to check for me?"

Jie Fangcheng didn’t delve too deep into an explanation, "My line of work has certain involvements with the deceased. I can take a look for you, see if this Qiao Qiang is around. If he is, I can pull some strings for you."

"What strings?"

Jie Fangcheng responded with slight exasperation, "It's not proper to spell out these sorts of backdoor favors."

The golden light had already subdued the irrational malevolent spirit within Guan Yingying, so Jie Fangcheng saw no need to maintain his manifested form.

Maintaining that state was still somewhat strenuous for the current Jie Fangcheng, especially since they were within the "Three Thousand Worlds". He wasn't sure what irreversible consequences might ensue if he fully unleashed his true form.

At this moment, Jie Fangcheng wore a T-shirt with jeans. His medium-length hair was tied in a playful bun, making him appear like a youthful college student. However, his demeanor gave off a seasoned vibe of someone who had trudged through many years in the corporate world.

Especially when he spoke about pulling strings, his proficiency rendered Guan Yingying's torrent of words momentarily stuck in her throat.

"Who...who exactly are you?"

Jie Fangcheng wasn't averse to explaining, but clearly, it would be quite laborious, especially given Guan Yingying's peculiar state.

She was originally a player from "Do Not Answer," but now she seemed to be an NPC in "Three Thousand Worlds"—and one with amnesia at that.

So, Jie Fangcheng gave a succinct explanation: "A civil servant."

And he wasn't wrong: he was a bureaucrat from the underworld.

Though currently, it felt like he was retired yet still clocking in for overtime...

Guan Yingying nodded, albeit a bit bewildered.

Jie Fangcheng took the initiative at this point.

"By the way, would you like a brief overview of the situation? About this game and our original smaller world?"

Mainly, Jie Fangcheng wanted to lead Guan Yingying out. However, he wasn't even sure of his own status. Whether he'd return to the underworld or to "Three Thousand Worlds" after completing the game level was still a mystery.

Pondering such questions wasn't Jie Fangcheng's forte, but that was okay. From Nie Shuangshuang's tales, he already had a preliminary understanding of Guan Yingying's intellect.

"The original smaller world?" Guan Yingying echoed, her expression slightly dazed, as if trying to grasp something far away.

Jie Fangcheng nodded, "Right, you know this is a game... In short, this game isn't precisely a haven. I thought of sharing some details with you. Maybe you'll have some clues or methods to get you back."

"Back where? To 'Do Not Answer'?"

"Huh? No, back to the underworld." After answering, Jie Fangcheng felt something was amiss... Wait a minute!!

"?? 'Do Not Answer' ?? Have you remembered??"

Guan Yingying nodded, "When your golden light passed over me earlier, I received a notification in my mind."

Ding— "Player detected in abnormal state, repairing data."

Ding— "Data restoration successful."

Ding— "Welcome player [Guan Yingying] to the game [Three Thousand Worlds (Original Edition)]. Player connection mode detected as abnormal, unable to return to [Player Lobby]. Processing, please wait."

The moment the system notification sounded, a flood of memories surged into Guan Yingying's mind.

These memories, which she once possessed, had been altered by the game system after her entry.

She had believed that she had entered "Three Thousand Worlds" after her death, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

Not only did she recall "Do Not Answer," but many other things also became clear in an instant.

"Thank you. Are Shuangshuang and the others okay?"

"Huh? They're fine. 'Do Not Answer' is gone now, and most people from Ronghua are in the underworld."

Guan Yingying nodded, "That's a relief... But I can't leave now."

"Why?"

"The guild leader and the others are still here," Guan Yingying said with furrowed brows. "The 'Reincarnation Experience' was a lie. After we entered it, we found ourselves in... the dragon's burial ground."