Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty

In the silent and gloomy passage, Shen Xiuzhe opened his eyes.

He sat up, rubbing his forehead, having no recollection of when he had fallen.

Lin An was right beside him, unresponsive to Shen Xiuzhe's calls, a faint smile on his face as if in the midst of a pleasant dream.

Connecting his own illusion to the situation, Shen Xiuzhe immediately deduced that Lin An had found his parents within the illusion.

The timing was too coincidental; they had come here specifically to look for Lin An's parents, and the illusions here manifested one's deepest desires—Lin An finding his parents and mistaking the illusion for reality was all too understandable.

Why had they fallen into the illusion without any warning?

Although the surrounding lantern grass could induce illusions, they only took effect if one consumed the leaves.

Shen Xiuzhe looked around and finally noticed the golden powder on his hands.

The powder smeared on the walls, the endless corridor, and the lantern grass on both sides might have combined to produce the hallucinogenic effect.

But since the golden powder couldn't be washed off, Shen Xiuzhe had no choice but to carry the unresponsive Lin An forward, intent on leaving the area first.

What previously seemed like a lengthy corridor now ended after a short distance.

At the end of this corridor, there was no path.

It was a dead end.

Engraved on the golden wall at the end were patterns, the meaning of which Shen Xiuzhe did not know. But could it be that within such a vast pyramid, there was only this long corridor?

It wasn't right—if there was nothing beneath, the cobra wouldn't have stopped them from entering.

And where did the people from a decade ago disappear to?

Shen Xiuzhe carefully placed Lin An on the ground, then stretched out a hand to touch the golden wall.

Instantly, he sensed all the metal within the pyramid—the shape of the metal, the gaps, he could feel every part of it.

There indeed were exits here, more than one.

Shen Xiuzhe didn't bother searching for mechanisms or clues to open the doors; it was too troublesome, and he didn't need to, using his abilities to melt a hole through all the exits.

On the wall closest to them, the melted metal flowed down the surface and slowly solidified on the floor.

Shen Xiuzhe peered into the hole and discovered piles of gold and gems that, despite millennia, still dazzled. His attention, however, wasn't on the treasure; it was the bodies lying on the ground that caught his eye.

The clothing on the bodies was in the style from a decade ago.

Widening the hole into a doorway, Shen Xiuzhe entered to examine the corpses.

The attire of the bodies, the knives clutched in their hands, and their possessions all pointed to their identities.

These were the remains of explorers, likely killed in skirmishes with each other, evidenced by knives still embedded in skulls and broken bones.

Was it a fight over this treasure, this gold?

Or was it the illusions that had taken them?

These were not the people he was looking for, so Shen Xiuzhe turned and left, continuing his search at other openings.

Inside these openings were either various treasures or heaps of dead, skeletons strewn about with attire that looked to be over a thousand years old.

And in the middle of the corridor, Shen Xiuzhe finally found the pyramid's internal path.

All the others were mere caves, but this one led to a unique domain; passing through a corridor, a vast tomb appeared before him.

In the center, ten stone sarcophagi stood in a solemn arc, immediately reminding Shen Xiuzhe of the ten statues in the palace above.

This tomb had the highest number of fallen explorers scattered about.

And here, Shen Xiuzhe found the one he was looking for.

Near the metal door, two skeletons sat leaning against each other, with no visible external injuries.

What confirmed their identities for Shen Xiuzhe were the photographs in their pockets.

Although the photos had yellowed with the decade past, the people depicted were unmistakably Lin An's family.

Plus, the skeletons were male and female, which made their identities apparent.

Shen Xiuzhe looked at Lin An, still lost in illusion, and then at the two skeletons huddled close together, suddenly feeling at a loss.

What should he do when Lin An wakes up?

Although Lin An had always expressed a desire to find his parents, in reality, he was well aware that what he might find were mere bones; the chances of survival after a disappearance of over a decade were slim.

Yet on the eve of finding his parents, Lin An succumbed to an illusion.

Shen Xiuzhe's own illusion was a mirror to his deepest desires: his parents safe and sound, the discovery of a vaccine for the zombie plague, a life shared with Lin An—thus, the illusion fulfilled all his hopes.

Lin An's quest to find his parents had been an obsession since childhood, an obsession so strong that even their photograph could jolt him back to reality. So, in his illusion, he surely reunited with his parents, living a life of togetherness.

When he awakens, what should he say? That these skeletons are your parents? That they have been dead for many years?

How could Lin An possibly come to terms with that?

Even Shen Xiuzhe found it too cruel to bear.

While Shen Xiuzhe hesitated over how to break the news to Lin An, the others on the ground had finally found an entrance after a long search.

They discovered many small holes, Granny Wu said they were for air circulation in the underground city, but the holes were too small—the smallest the width of a finger, the largest only big enough for Xiao Fu to descend. The rest of them couldn't possibly fit.

In the end, it was Xiao Fu who found a large pit in a forest far from the city of Mous.

"Xiao Fu, are you sure we can enter the underground city from here?" Ouyang Dong doubted its reliability, as it resembled a sinkhole, surrounded by fresh soil, not at all like an ancient site.

"How would Xiao Fu answer you? Since it's all underground, let's go down and see for ourselves," Xu Fang said, eager at the mouth of the pit.

Wu Duo looked to Granny, while Wu Shuangxue studied the fresh marks around, frowning in thought, "These must be traces left by something, no footprints, just drag marks, and they're quite wide."

Ouyang Dong, arms crossed, listening to Granny Wu, suddenly recalled something said by the people of Wood Spirit City.

"Could it be a snake?" he asked, uncertainty lacing his voice.

Granny Wu looked at the marks: "Now that you mention it, it does resemble that."

"Impossible, how big would the snake have to be? The hole is huge, and the ground marks are so wide," Xu Fang commented offhandedly, but it made everyone pause.

If zombie trees could mutate to such an extent, then it wouldn't be unusual for a zombie snake to be somewhat larger.

"Could it be that this pit is the entrance used by a zombie snake, its lair in the underground city, needing such a large hole to pass through for its regular hunting?" Wu Duo analyzed.

"Makes sense!" Xu Fang gave Wu Duo a thumbs-up.

Xiao Fu sniffed around the edge of the pit as if catching a scent, barked at the group behind him a few times, and then took the lead into the hole.

"Hey, Xiaofu, we haven't decided whether to go in yet," Ouyang Dong called out, but Xiaofu did not respond anymore.

"Stop wondering, let's go in and see. Xiaofu has already entered; maybe it smelled Lin An's scent," Xu Fang slid down the slope and entered the pit as well.

The others looked at each other, hesitated no more, and went into the pit together.

Wudo took out flashlights, one for each person. The beginning of the tunnel was all soil, but further inside, it seemed to be man-made, with the ground firm and solid to the step.

As they proceeded, they suddenly heard Xiaofu's barking ahead; it seemed to have discovered something, barking loudly.

They exchanged glances and quickened their pace.

"It's not a zombie snake, is it?"

"We can't be that unlucky."

When they reached the spot, they saw Xiaofu barking fiercely at something, looking tense and on guard.

Xu Fang shone his flashlight ahead, revealing a ghastly zombie in the beam, growling and lunging at them.

"Damn it!" Xu Fang at the front got the scare of his life, his heart nearly leaping out, while Xiaofu, tail tucked, retreated several steps, hiding behind Ouyang Dong.

Who would have thought that a zombie would be here, lying in ambush to frighten people.

Ouyang Dong immediately threw out a small sapling, which grew instantly upon hitting the ground, entangling the zombie with countless vines.

A zombie here was indeed strange. Ouyang Dong didn't kill it right away, but the restrained zombie quickly broke free and charged at them again.

"Ouyang Dong, you're losing your touch, can't even hold a zombie," Xu Fang shouted while trying to control the zombie's feet with his earth ability, but the creature agilely dodged and even launched an attack.

Sensing the sharp whistling of the wind, Xu Fang's combat instincts made him dodge just in time, a blade of wind grazing his scalp and leaving a deep mark on the wall, which made him pat his forehead in relief afterward.

If he hadn't dodged in time, he might have been dead.

Who would have expected the suddenly appearing zombie to also possess abilities, and wind abilities at that, even demonstrating considerable skill.

"Be careful, this one's tricky," Xu Fang, intent on killing, gripped the knife at his waist.

As several sharp blades of wind appeared again, they were all ready to respond, but in the next second, both the wind blades and the zombie disappeared.

If not for the remnants of battle nearby, they would have thought it was all just a dream.

Grandma Wu arched an eyebrow at her granddaughter.

Standing behind, Wudo blinked innocently and said to the puzzled Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong, "I've put that zombie into my space, along with its attacks."

"Into your space? That's great, no need to fight anymore. I felt that guy was kind of strong," Xu Fang didn't admit that he might not handle the zombie if they continued, appreciating instead how handy the space ability was.

"Why is there a zombie here?" Ouyang Dong wondered.

"Didn't you look closely? The clothes on the zombie are from the style of Muling City," Grandma Wu shook her head, chiding the two for their carelessness.

Wudo then said, "Someone from Muling City mentioned his brother went out to confront the zombie snake to protect the city and never returned. I think this zombie looks a lot like him; it could be his brother."

Xu Fang had a realization, "Oh, I remember now, it's that guy named Mu something."

Ouyang Dong rolled his eyes, "You have such good memory. Everyone in Muling City has the same surname; the guy you're talking about is called Mu Han."

Xu Fang clapped his hands, "Right, that's him."

How did this zombie come all the way here from Muling City, and how did it turn into a zombie?

"The good thing is, since it's the guy who fought the zombie snake, this place might very well be the snake's den," Grandma Wu continued forward.

"Ah, but aren't we supposed to go to the underground city? Isn't it inappropriate to enter someone's lair?"

Wudo followed her grandmother's steps, "The people of Muling City said the zombie lived in the city of Mous, so we must be in the right place."

Seeing the crisis averted, Xiaofu also continued forward, but this time it made sure to stick close to the humans; the sudden appearance of the zombie had indeed frightened it.

The group kept moving deeper, and their direction was indeed correct. This path was a frequent passageway for the common cobra, free of traps and leading all the way to the ninth level of the underground city, where the pyramid was located.

They still had a long way to go before reaching the underground city; it would take some time to get there.

Lin An remained immersed in his illusions, his obsessions too strong to notice the abnormalities of the world around him.

They stayed home day after day, not leaving, not eating, not interacting with others. Lin An loved this life, content to live this way forever without ever growing tired of it.

But the unchanging illusion changed one day when someone knocked on their door.

The long-missed sound of knocking startled Lin An, but he was no longer the little zombie who used to hide in the wardrobe, scared by the knock.

Having forgotten his parents' personalities over the long years, Lin An remembered only their warmth and kindness. So in his illusion, he filled in the blanks, shaping them into somewhat socially anxious and clean-freak characters like himself, who also disliked going out. Thus, when someone knocked on the door, his parents seemed somewhat alarmed too.

"It's okay, I'll go check," Lin An said, bolstering his courage to stand by the door and peer through the peephole.

Outside stood two people, nightmares to Lin An: Jiang Lai Xu and the pet store owner.

Their impact on Lin An was profound; the moment he recognized them, a shiver ran down his spine, and he tensed up completely.

"An'an, who is it?" asked his parents from the living room, curious after his prolonged silence.

"It's two people who used to bully me," Lin An found solace in his parents' concerned inquiry and immediately complained with a sense of grievance.

This was a long-held fixation for Lin An; bullied as a child, he always wished his parents were there to defend him.

Even as an adult, when tormented by the pet store owner, he often yearned for his parents' presence, believing they would have a way to deal with these people.

In the illusion, therefore, the antagonists appeared, and the expected sequence would be for his parents to defeat these villains, fulfilling Lin An's childhood wishes.

However, now that he'd crafted his parents with similar social anxieties, they didn't seem capable of fighting back against the villains and appeared quite at a loss.

The expressions of the family of three were strikingly similar.

"These people dared to bully our An'an; husband, what should we do?" Lin's mother looked to Lin Huai for guidance.

Lin's father, caught in his wife's gaze, blinked: "Ah? What to do? Should we call the police and get them arrested?"

Lin An looked troubled and shook his head: "That won't work."

Previously harassed by the pet store owner, who constantly forced his goods on Lin An and often came to his house, banging on the door if it wasn't opened, Lin An had summoned the courage to call the police. Despite his social anxiety, speaking over the phone was manageable.

But when the police arrived, Lin An discovered they were acquainted with the pet store owner. Instead of punishing the latter, they reprimanded Lin An for wasting police resources.

Lin An, scolded severely, bowed his head and took the rebuke. He listened as the pet store owner chatted familiarly with the police, later even inviting them out for a meal, suggesting they disregard the childish misunderstanding.

The mocking look the pet store owner gave him in that moment brought Lin An's humiliation to a peak. Once they left, he immediately hid in his closet and wept.

Lin An had no other recourse; he couldn't fight back, and calling the police was futile. He had no choice but to suffer in silence.

And now, the family of three still couldn't come up with any effective strategy.

After all, it was all a figment of Lin An's imagination. Lacking a good solution then, even conjuring two more personas wouldn't change the outcome.

Lin An, who had forgotten his companions and abilities, still didn’t know how to protect himself.

At this moment, he finally sensed something amiss—didn't his parents know what to do either?

The loud knocking from outside was jarring. Jiang Lai Xu’s voice was as calm and friendly as ever, softly asking why Lin An wouldn’t open the door, while the pet store owner shouted for him to hurry up.

Lin An was nervous, but he couldn’t focus on the two outside; instead, he scrutinized his parents, noticing the identical fear etched on their faces.

Because his memory of his parents was so vague, Lin An’s subconscious had aligned their personalities with his own—they disliked going out and enjoyed reading.

Yet his innermost yearning from childhood was for his parents to stand up for him when bullied, to support him.

This was why Jiang Lai Xu and the pet store owner had materialized.

But now there was a conflict; his parents' personalities made them fearful, while Lin An’s wish was for parental support—how exactly, he wasn’t sure.

So there Lin An stood, observing his trembling parents, his face clouded with confusion.

He looked at them, feeling that this shouldn’t be his parents’ reaction.

But then again, he thought, they were just ordinary people, and it was natural for them to be as helpless as he was against such intimidating figures.

Lin An was rationalizing, finding justifications for their abnormal reactions.

"Mom and Dad, don't be afraid, I’ll protect you. I'm grown up now, I can take care of you," Lin An reassured them, "Everyone says I'm very strong now, taking down these two would be a breeze. I'll make sure they never bother us again."

Lin An took a deep breath; determined to protect his parents, he turned resolutely towards the door, without much hesitation.

As he was about to open the security door, two images flashed through his mind.

One was of the pet store owner’s death, being torn apart by zombies—Lin An had been cleaning windows that day and hadn’t paid much attention, but the scene had etched itself in his memory.

The other image was of Jiang Lai Xu, his face twisted in malice, followed by his head flying off.

Weren't these two people dead?

The clamor outside continued unabated, throwing Lin An into turmoil.

The pet store owner had been killed by zombies, and Jiang Lai Xu had been murdered—but who had killed him again?

Lin An gripped the doorknob, a name teetering on the brink of his lips, yet it eluded his speech.

Desperately he searched his memories, but they were shrouded, impenetrable to his mind's eye.

Ignoring Jiang Laixu's languid call from beyond the door urging him to hurry, Lin An felt no childhood fear, rather a desire to confront and inquire who it was that had killed him.

As he prepared to open the door, Lin An felt his arms seized from either side.

Behind him, his parents' faces were etched with entreaty: "An'an, don't go out, there are only villains beyond."

"Isn't it nice to stay here with mom and dad forever?"

Touched by their concern, Lin An softened, offering them a reassuring smile: "Don't worry, I just have some questions. I'll be right back."

"Don't go, listen—the people outside have left, don't go out."

"Mom and dad will worry, don't you want to stay with us forever?"

The knocking ceased indeed, and Jiang Laixu, along with the pet shop owner, vanished; Lin An, with furrowed brows, hastily opened the door.

He just wanted to ask some questions. Weren't the two of them dead? Why were they here, and who was it that killed Jiang Laixu?

Lin An felt it had to be someone significant.

Upon opening the security door, all was darkness outside, void of anything.

Turning back in bewilderment, he saw the room stretched elongated, his parents at one end and he at the other, the distance between them ever expanding.

Lin An urgently wished to catch up with his parents but found his footing fail him.

Shen Xiuzhe lay on the ground, undecided on his approach to Lin An, who suddenly sat up from his hallucination as if resurrected.

He looked around, bewildered, still ensnared in the illusion, not quite returned to his senses.

"Lin An."

Shen Xiuzhe called out, and Lin An turned towards the voice, his eyes revealing a glimmer of confusion.

As if looking at a stranger.

Shen Xiuzhe did not press; he waited in silence, and gradually, Lin An began to remember everything.

"Are you Shen Xiuzhe? Where is this?"

Shen Xiuzhe opened his mouth but fell silent again upon hearing Lin An's next words.

"Have you seen my parents?" The brightness in Lin An's eyes was too piercing for Shen Xiuzhe to speak.

It seemed Lin An did not require an answer; he stood up, surveying their surroundings—they were still in the corridor, Shen Xiuzhe had led him out from within.

"This place..." A flicker of confusion passed through Lin An's eyes, and he swiftly remembered they were still in Morus City.

He suddenly moved forward, seeking the cozy yet humble cave he had seen just before, but the end of the corridor revealed no such home.

Gone, why was the house gone?

It had been right there.

He could even recall every detail inside the house.

Turning to face the corridor, Lin An saw Shen Xiuzhe standing silently, a new addition to the long, empty hallway.

"So, was all that just an illusion?" Lin An murmured, standing there dazed, as if abandoned.

Shen Xiuzhe stepped forward and embraced the forlorn little ghoul.

"Shen Xiuzhe, did you see my parents? They were just here." Lin An looked up at him, his voice faint, filled with confusion and a plea for affirmation.

"Lin An, what you experienced was an illusion, not reality."

"But they were just here."

Shen Xiuzhe held Lin An tightly, trying to offer warmth amidst the chaos as Lin An insisted his parents were right there.

"They're not here, maybe they left Morus City long ago. Let's go out," Shen Xiuzhe reasoned, knowing it was a bit cruel, but with Lin An lost in illusion, reality was a hard pill to swallow.

"No, I want to leave with them."

Lin An pushed Shen Xiuzhe away; though the comforting glow of the small house was absent, Shen Xiuzhe had opened all doors in the corridor leading elsewhere.

His original plan was to seal all doors, to delay Lin An from finding those two skeletons.

But Lin An had awoken too abruptly, and the doors were not yet resealed.

Shen Xiuzhe could only watch helplessly as Lin An searched each cave in turn.

Fortunately, Lin An merely glanced around without rummaging; he believed his parents were alive, waiting for him around a corner, so he paid no attention to the corpses on the ground.

Eventually, they reached the largest tomb in the center, with Shen Xiuzhe following behind as Lin An strode in and surveyed the chamber.

Seeing no one, Lin An felt a pang of disappointment and turned to leave the cave to continue his search.

Shen Xiuzhe breathed a sigh of relief, but just as they were about to leave, Lin An suddenly halted.

It was as if a psychic impulse had struck him; Lin An, who had ignored the other bodies, now fixed his gaze on the two skeletons nearest to him.

In reality, all skeletons look alike after death, yet Lin An kept staring at the two on the ground.

Shen Xiuzhe grasped Lin An's arm, "Shall we not search the next room?"

Lin An, as if deaf to Shen Xiuzhe's suggestion, continued to focus intently on the skeletons, then started walking towards them.

"Lin An, let's look elsewhere," Shen Xiuzhe implored, standing in front of him with his tall frame completely blocking the view behind.

Lin An walked past Shen Xiuzhe expressionlessly towards the two skeletons.

The truth could no longer be hidden.