Chapter 134 Black and White World (14)

Chapter 134 Black and White World (14)

◎Like a deity intent on annihilating everything.◎

Shi Youqing rarely recalled the past; if others' memories were rivers and seas, his were a stagnant pond.

His first life ended at six, and the second life, though experienced, was vague and distant.

Before binding with the game, it seemed like the whole world wasn't quite real.

But today, he finally found answers from his mother.

……

Shi Youqing stared into space, motionless, like a rabbit statue.

Before everything could be processed, the temple suddenly erupted in noise.

It was Prince Marin pleading, "Don't kill me, I'll give him back his name, really! Just give it back!"

Some were trying to silence his noise, others warned him not to play tricks, knowing that there was no known solution to name-stealing.

"Who says it can't be solved? Killing me is the real permanent unsolvable problem!"

The commotion was too loud, and Shi Wen, holding the little rabbit, went to check.

The bound Prince Marin, seeing the rabbit in her arms, said arrogantly, "Shi Youqing, killing me won't let you change back. Better think slowly for a solution!"

Shi Youqing, lacking the energy or ability to speak, jumped down and punched him in the face!

Everyone: "......"

With his little rabbit fists too weak to harm ordinary humans, Prince Marin was baffled, "What are you doing?"

Shi Youqing had no choice but to slap him.

The prince's face was scratched by the nails on the rabbit's paw, eliciting a hiss. About to question further, he caught the coldness in the rabbit's gaze and the claw capable of slicing his throat, showing a look of fear, "You… you…"

The rabbit's dark eyes stared intently at him.

Prince Marin suddenly had an ominous premonition…

Following the thunder, another downpour ensued, but soon the rain lessened and the group resumed their journey, reaching the Ghost Forest by dawn.

Shi Youqing led the way, remembering the exact spot where Bo Huai had sunk into the ground, and quickly found the massive nest beneath the ruins.

Returning to this dangerous place, most people, despite their fear, were unwilling to leave just yet.

It all seemed like a dream – having the chance to leave Ghost Forest and reunite with loved ones in Fairy Tale Town was more than they could have asked for. But Shi Youqing, the one who made this possible, still had someone important left behind; they couldn’t ignore that.

Unsure of what to do, they instinctively protected the little rabbit.

Venturing deeper into the nest, they lit torches, and soon Shi Youqing saw a familiar silhouette.

The faint light flickered in the cave, and no one dared to move forward.

A colossal statue stood under the throne, its limbs tightly intertwined with countless roots, while its head was completely enveloped by the roots above.

Shi Youqing knew this was Bo Huai.

He was being consumed.

Hao Tianshuo felt lost: “This… this can't be Bo Huai, can it?”

Feng Bin looked at Shi Youqing, but Shi Youqing showed no reaction, as if he had anticipated this.

Indeed, Shi Youqing had expected it.

He had always wondered why Cheng Yao, despite replacing him with Bo Huai using the rule of name-stealing, was so obsessed with bringing him back.

In Cheng Yao’s eyes, the demonic god was merely a tool for operating the game world, creating copies, and perpetuating the strangeness. So why did Cheng Yao urgently lock onto him, repeatedly urging him to return, even after a second-generation demonic god had appeared?

There was only one possibility: Bo Huai’s presence here, as opposed to his own, had a different impact on the game world.

If he chose to stay, he would, like before, be controlled by Cheng Yao, dully providing energy to sustain the game world indefinitely. But Bo Huai…

His mother had given him the answer not long ago.

Like his father, Bo Huai, with his independent consciousness, would be devoured by this world.

Shi Youqing walked forward, with Feng Bin pulling Prince Marin closely behind. However, soon, under the influence of the demonic god's power, Feng Bin's steps became labored, forcing him to close his eyes and struggle to keep pace with Shi Youqing.

The little rabbit made his way to the throne. Sensing Feng Bin had reached his limit, he signaled for him to let go.

Feng Bin, in a daze, said, "I'll... I'll be right here... call me if you need anything!"

Shi Youqing chirped, signaling him to step back, and looked at Prince Marin on the ground, clutching his head and gasping for breath.

Prince Marin had been waiting for this moment for a long time. In pain and panting, he sneaked glances at the little rabbit, holding a sharp stone he had secretly picked up in the temple. He loudly begged for mercy, waiting for the rabbit to come closer...

With no one nearby, killing a small rabbit would be a piece of cake for him!

However, after waiting for a while, the rabbit remained motionless.

He looked up curiously.

The rabbit was staring at him, as if looking at a dead man.

The catastrophe struck without warning. When a searing pain erupted in his chest, Prince Marin first froze, then trembled as he looked down.

An arrow had pierced his chest.

Blood quickly soaked the ground.

The sharp stone rolled away, and he looked up bewilderedly at Shi Wen, who had just lowered her bow.

Shi Youqing... had actually decided from the start to have him killed!

Shi Wen's voice echoed in the cavern, "Be careful, Youqing, he’s about to transform."

No…

He shook his head, almost crawling towards Shi Youqing, "If I die, you can't revert back, save me... save me..."

"Do you know who I am… you can’t..."

A burning, strange sensation rushed into his chest. Perhaps due to the name-stealing, at the moment of his life’s ebbing, Prince Marin experienced a rare soul resonance with Shi Youqing, hearing all his innermost thoughts.

"After a successful name-stealing, to completely replace the person whose name was stolen, they need to be fully dead, right?"

"Otherwise, people like me, just by choosing to stay here, can regain their true form."

"Nan Fang,"

"Doesn’t your scheme of stealing my name end up in vain?"

"At first, I thought the divine figure in the king's dream was Cheng Yao. But if Cheng Yao so desperately wanted me to return, why guide you to steal the name of my second life? And even allow you to succeed and kill me?"

Shi Youqing steadily advanced towards him.

Each subsequent sentence made him shiver all over.

"Before we ever met, you used a doctor to specifically target my name for stealing; we must have been old acquaintances."

"If I could restart my life, then in a life without disaster, I shouldn't have met you. By the logic of reincarnation, the evil spirit in the reservoir should still exist."

"From the beginning, the divine figure entering the king's dreams... was you."

Prince Marin on the ground had bloodshot eyes.

"You used dreams to frighten the king into creating Ghost Forest, forcing all supernaturally gifted individuals there, all because you feared your true identity being revealed!"

"I remember, a century ago in Cheng Gu Town, an old family ancestor left a will claiming they’d become a god after death. Their descendants could summon their help with blood sacrifices... Your method of giving divine dreams to the king, driving townspeople into Ghost Forest to feed the monsters, is strikingly similar."

The figure on the ground started to tremble.

"Originally, you used this method to guide unscrupulous people from later generations to find a replacement for your resurrection, but it failed."

His tone was light, as if his past death was a trivial matter.

"But this time, I let you succeed."

This statement, coming from Shi Youqing, was akin to the most terrifying curse.

He trembled violently, "No... You've already devoured me once, let me go... I just wanted to possess your body! I don't want it anymore... please, let me go!"

He had used Shi Youqing's life restart to separate from the latter's demonic god form, then devoured the prince here, waiting in the prince's identity for Shi Youqing's return.

In his dreams, he guided the king to create Ghost Forest at the edge of the black world, driving away witches and fairy godmothers who could see spirits and specters, using the rules to create monsters, all until Shi Youqing's arrival…

After the name-stealing, Shi Youqing turned into a rabbit and disappeared. He patiently waited, expecting the frail rabbit to die in Ghost Forest...

But everything was different from what he anticipated; the rabbit actually emerged from the perilous Ghost Forest, bringing all the surviving townspeople with him!

He desired resurrection, to become Shi Youqing, but not to be a mindless automaton!

His prayers turned to screams of agony as he felt an unbearable, searing pain; his body burning hot, writhing and rolling on the ground.

Amidst tremendous agony, his limbs began to sprout strange plants. Twisting in pain, he tried to scratch away the foreign growths, crying out desperately, “No… don’t…”

“Why not?” From the darkness, his blurred vision seemed to see a slender young figure with silver hair, as countless black butterflies swarmed towards him, rapidly devouring him. He tried to dodge in horror but soon found himself immobilized—

Looking down, he realized he was sitting on the throne…

“So you wanted to become me, take everything that is Shi Youqing then!”

Shrill, chilling screams echoed continuously in the cave.

The onlookers cautiously moved closer, their expressions turning grim.

…Prince Marin’s body had vanished!

Now, sitting on the throne was a huge, crimson, twisted monster.

“Brother Qing Qing!” Hao Tianshuo was the first to shout and rush forward, only to be driven back by a sudden wave of intense heat.

Turning to find Feng Bin, he saw both Feng Bin and Shi Wen, closest to the demonic god, had fainted…

The scene was like hell.

The area around the throne burst into flames. Unable to approach, Hao Tianshuo screamed for help when suddenly he noticed a black stone, alive like a creature, rolling out from the fire!

The black stone carried the small rabbit and also moved Shi Wen and Feng Bin away from the dangerous area.

Hao Tianshuo lunged forward, his eyes blurred by the intense fire, groping towards the white figure: “Brother Qing Qing, are you okay? I’ll get you out of here!”

The rabbit in his hand was limp, unresponsive.

Focused on getting Shi Youqing to safety, half-blinded by the fire, Hao Tianshuo didn’t notice the black stone beside him changing form. Holding the rabbit, he choked up, “Bo Huai… he must have died here… I’ll give him a grand burial, Brother Qing Qing, don’t be sad, you can’t be in trouble…”

The others rushed over to help drag the unconscious Shi Wen and Feng Bin outside. When they returned, they found Hao Tianshuo muttering to himself, still holding the rabbit.

An elderly person ran over, “Hurry, get out of here, it’s too dangerous!”

Hao Tianshuo looked up, his voice quavering with tears, “Could you... could you check for me... is Brother Qing Qing just asleep? Do rabbits... do they not breathe when they sleep?”

The elderly man stiffened and cautiously reached out to check.

There was no breath, no warmth, and the rabbit felt limp, as if boneless…

After a startled cry, the old man exclaimed loudly, “King Rabbit... is gone!”

……

Shi Youqing opened his eyes to find himself in his home’s living room.

The decor was in shades of beige, with furniture in warm tones, his mother’s favorite style.

The familiar blue floating frame that should have been before him had completely disappeared.

He only remembered, before leaving the game world, the system mechanically told him, “With the false prince’s demise and the restoration of the white world, congratulations to player Shi Youqing for successfully completing the mission and passing the game! You will automatically exit the game world in three seconds!”

Afterwards, he saw a great fire, and when he came to his senses again, he was back in his home in reality.

He was alone in the house.

Shi Youqing checked his phone, finding that the contact information for Bo Huai, Feng Bin, and Hao Tianshuo had all disappeared.

He rushed out to ask the neighbors about his mother.

Still, no one remembered Shi Wen, and now Bo Huai, Feng Bin, and Hao Tianshuo were also forgotten.

…Impossible.

Shi Youqing occasionally shook his head; as a team completing the game, if his teammates hadn’t died, they should have exited the game together!

Fortunately, he still had Guo Yalan’s contact. That afternoon, Shi Youqing arranged to meet with Guo Yalan and Yu Ze.

The two were happy to see him, and Yu Ze even asked, “What about Bo Huai? Wasn’t he always looking after you?”

Blood roiling, suppressing his emotions, Shi Youqing said, “After I completed the game... they seem not to have come out.”

Guo Yalan was startled, quickly asking, “Do non-players in reality still remember them?”

Shi Youqing pursed his lips, shaking his head.

Yu Ze, who had experienced similar events, understood, “They didn’t leave after completing the game?”

Shi Youqing wanted to tell them that he didn’t leave the game voluntarily, but it seemed that anything related to the game’s conclusion was beyond his ability to articulate.

If they had become NPCs in the game world due to not leaving, there should have at least been an exit, but he distinctly remembered being abruptly removed from the game without ever seeing an exit.

Anxious to find answers, Shi Youqing, after parting with Guo Yalan and Yu Ze, went to Feng Bin and Hao Tianshuo’s homes.

When he knocked, there was no answer. Neighbors informed him, “This house is for rent. Are you interested?”

He obtained the landlord’s number, but upon calling, found they were all strangers.

After much thought, Shi Youqing decided to contact Luo Yanzhong, the oldest among them.

Luo Yanzhong immediately asked upon arrival, “Why are you looking for me? Where’s Hao Tianshuo?”

Shi Youqing got straight to the point, “You need a son.”

Luo Yanzhong, baffled, replied, “What???”

Shi Youqing spoke rapidly, “I'm moving out of my current household registration today. Please adopt me, and let’s complete the formalities as soon as possible.”

Luo Yanzhong, resigned, thought, “Well, you’ve helped me before!”

After spending the day sorting out the adoption paperwork, Shi Youqing finally returned home.

As night fell and he approached his neighborhood, he paused, standing on the busy roadside. He realized his body wasn’t as frail anymore and, to confirm, he ran vigorously for a distance without getting winded.

The night air was cold. Shi Youqing wiped away the tears on his face and returned to his empty home, setting up a chessboard to play by himself.

After finishing a game alone, it was deep into the night, the sky dotted with stars.

Shi Youqing went to bed heartbroken.

He dreamt of Cheng Yao saying, “See? Only when you truly return home can everything end.”

The dream landscape was bizarre, surrounded by white fog. Wherever he went, Cheng Yao followed.

Shi Youqing, sitting on the ground, unusually conversed politely with Chengdai: "Do you think my dad is still alive?"

Chengdai was taken aback, apparently not expecting this question, and said with a laugh, "Of course, he's thoroughly dead. Without his death, I wouldn't have found such an important treasure like you."

Shi Youqing responded with a simple "Oh."

Perhaps to provoke him, Chengdai gestured grandly, "This is where it all started. Take a good look and go home."

Shi Youqing lifted his eyelids to see a younger version of his mother.

It was near the reservoir.

A twenty-something Shi Wen, carrying a camera, slipped and fell into the water, scared by a snake hidden in dry grass.

Struggling desperately in the water, Shi Wen, unable to swim, began to sink.

Underwater, a dimly lit black stone began to move.

Soon, two figures emerged from the water. A blurry-faced man carried the unconscious Shi Wen ashore.

Silently administering first aid and ensuring she recovered, the man quickly disappeared back into the water.

Onshore, a frightened Shi Wen looked around in panic.

Underwater, the man watched her silently until she left.

Shi Youqing knew this was the first encounter between his parents.

It matched exactly what Shi Wen had described.

After her miraculous rescue, Shi Wen could never find her savior. Despite questioning the locals, no one else had been in the area.

She suspected a supernatural encounter, but soon dismissed the thought, considering her rescuer a benevolent spirit.

Strangely, after returning, Shi Wen began having frequent nightmares.

The dream sequence accelerated, showing Shi Wen's health deteriorating due to the nightmares until one day, she spotted a familiar figure.

Despite being unconscious during her drowning, intuition led Shi Wen to recognize him instantly.

The man seemed nervous but smiled shyly as she approached.

That day, Shi Wen finally learned the cause of her nightmares - not mere dreams, but trials from a bizarre world. Passing the ultimate challenge was the only way to leave.

"Your dad wasn't a ghost," her mother had said in the temple, "This place itself is a bizarre world. There are no real 'players'. He was the only living entity in this world, a black stone orchestrating its order. My drowning incident caused our paths to cross, pulling me into this world. His appearance was to inform me of this."

This story, as shown by Chengdai, resembled an abridged version of "The Little Mermaid":

The monster, having fallen in love with the woman he saved, abandoned his stone form to help her survive, taking over the body of a man named Li Jie, who died in a car accident.

However, a man who had left the world of the strange, like a fish out of water, was also being drained of energy by that world, leading to a shortened lifespan.

Realizing his child also exhibited frailty, the man decided to return to his hometown after death.

He thought that by returning to his original form and maintaining the order of the strange world, his child would not be implicated…

Yet, nobody expected that villagers, in their madness to resurrect unexpectedly deceased family members, would awaken a dormant evil spirit, setting its sights on their children…

Shi Youqing never revisited those memories, but through Cheng Yao's perspective, he uncovered many unknown details.

The small figure being sacrificed sank into the water, quickly turning the surroundings into a dark vortex. Endless malicious energy entangled him, threatening to devour him.

Shi Youqing saw a black stone forcefully enter the boy's mouth; the child sobbed quietly, then began to transform.

The cold water churned incessantly until, at last, he completely absorbed the twisted apparition – the last "legacy" left by his father.

Still, he remained unsatisfied, like a famished child, instinctively absorbing all the energy of the strange world... He grew more bizarre, everything in his eyes becoming insignificant.

He no longer feared; he became fear itself.

The ancient order and rules, he easily disrupted.

……

"That’s how the supreme demonic god was born," Cheng Yao's voice carried an inexplicable madness, reverent, "Youqing, you possess the power to regenerate and destroy everything! You are unlike anyone else!"

Shi Youqing continued to observe the images in the mist.

Shi Wen met with an accident while searching for Shi Youqing and died on the spot.

The black stone, harnessing the last of its strength through rainwater, led Shi Wen into the strange world.

Perhaps due to Shi Wen's heavy psychological trauma from her previous game experiences, she was extremely sensitive to ghosts and specters. After entering the strange world, the black stone split it into two, running a rule to eliminate all strangeness. As a result, the black stone, embodying strangeness and awaiting revival in a new cycle, was also annihilated.

“That’s the origin of the white world,” Cheng Yao said with a sly smile, “Quite romantic, isn’t it?”

Shi Youqing clenched his fists, his expression unchanged.

The scene continued.

But this time, the timeline was a bit further back.

At the same reservoir, a tragedy struck Cheng Yao's family.

When they sank into the depths, they accidentally touched the core of the black stone, transforming into ghosts.

Unable to accept this accident, Cheng Yao impulsively dove into the water and, using it as a medium, touched the exit of the strange world, hence acquiring the so-called ability to see both the living and the dead…

Later on, Cheng Yao found his ability to see ghosts more of a curse than a gift. Once, during a fire, he mistook a ghost for a trapped person, disfigured himself trying to “save” them, and was subsequently labeled as a madman spouting nonsense.

After his company was taken from him, Cheng Yao went insane. Initially institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital, he later managed to escape and went to the reservoir, intending to end his life.

It was then that he truly discovered the entrance to the strange world.

This world existed parallel to reality, like a completely separate universe.

Cheng Yao began a long and elaborate plan for revenge.

He repeatedly tested ways to enter the strange world and tirelessly developed a Go game, using it as a medium to transmit contaminated perspectives.

The first batch of players included the executives who usurped his company, and the second batch consisted of relatives and friends who had mocked him…

However, the initial mortality rate wasn’t high, and Cheng Yao soon realized that most places in the strange world weren’t strange at all!

The only remaining strange area was already in ruins, evidently on the verge of destruction.

Shi Youqing didn’t need to watch further to know what happened next.

To expand and sustain the strange world, Cheng Yao set his sights on him…

Shi Youqing closed his eyes, unwilling to see any more.

“Youqing, we are alike, we shouldn’t wear each other down.”

Shi Youqing didn’t seem to have anything to say to him, keeping his eyes closed, as if ready to leave the dream.

Cheng Yao initially thought he was just sulking, but after a long observation, he realized Shi Youqing was serious, and became anxious, “Youqing, come back! Don’t you care that your mother and teammates will die in there?”

His eyelashes trembling, Shi Youqing opened his eyes, “What kind of world do you want to create?”

Cheng Yao, “Whatever you desire, I will create that world for you! We can slowly watch those people kill each other, watch them turn into monsters driven by primal instincts. Don’t you find that interesting?”

Shi Youqing blinked, “After devouring everyone in the real world, will the real world cease to exist?”

Cheng Yao, “Yes, everyone but us will slaughter each other like beasts, without any sense of right or wrong. And you will forever be the king of this place. Your family and friends can live well in the white world!”

Shi Youqing, “It’s good to have connections, isn’t it?”

“……”

Cheng Yao, feeling uneasy about Shi Youqing's reaction, decided to deliver the final blow. He waved his hand, and the scene within the white mist began to change.

Shi Youqing looked up, this time seeing Bo Huai.

It was the restored scene of the final level.

After the rabbit's physical body died, the corpse remained on a thick blanket.

Once Bo Huai, bound by the name-stealing curse as Shi Youqing, was released and returned to his original form from the black stone, he woke to find the rabbit's body held by Hao Tianshuo.

Bo Huai went mad.

He mechanically attempted resuscitation, finally resorting to blood transfusion with the rabbit: “We’re of the same origin, it must work…”

He nearly drained himself to death.

The others, like zombies, stubbornly cared for the rabbit's corpse.

The exit had appeared, but no one left.

Shi Youqing knew that if they had abandoned the corpse and reached the exit, they might have been able to leave.

Cheng Yao persuasively said, “After your ‘death’, they refused to leave. But once the level is cleared, it’ll soon collapse, killing them all!” He leaned in closer, “If you return and continue what you’re supposed to do, I’ll let them all live.”

Shi Youqing quietly looked into the air, and with a smirk that wasn't quite a smile, said, “Do I look like I have such a sacrificial spirit?”

After a silence, Cheng Yao’s mouth twitched, “You don’t care about your mother either?”

Shi Youqing stood up.

They stood face to face. Seeing Shi Youqing's resolved demeanor, Cheng Yao breathed a sigh of relief, “I knew you would...”

He was cut off mid-sentence as the young man suddenly lashed out with a silver whip, striking him hard into the thick fog!

Without giving him a chance to react, another lash followed! Shi Youqing used his body as a stepping stone, leaping onto him as the fog dispersed, plunging them both into the water.

The whole process was swift and decisive.

Cheng Yao tried to surface, but the silver-haired youth, like a water ghost, clung to him, pulling him down. Astonished yet amused, Cheng Yao said, “You don’t think you can drown me like this, do you?”

“Of course not,” the young man replied calmly, with a hint of a smile, “But you seem to have forgotten how I became this inhuman form, haven’t you?”

Cheng Yao halted.

“The strange world doesn’t lack a demonic god, yet you’re so persistent in having me return... Is it because only I can be controlled by you?”

“……”

“Why is that, I wonder?” Shi Youqing mused aloud, “I only figured it out today.”

Cheng Yao's pupils contracted as the undulating, icy water outlined the young man's form. Those beautiful eyes silently scrutinized him, the boundless water conveying a chilling intent to kill.

Cheng Yao began to feel intensely uneasy.

His intuition was accurate, but before he could turn around, a silver shadow rapidly entered his eye socket. Instantly, he felt excruciating pain throughout his body... Numerous white shadows bound and pulled at him, seemingly tearing him apart alive—

It was Shi Youqing's own hair!

The hair seemed to be torturing him with a cruel execution.

Cheng Yao's eyes widened in disbelief.

…How could this be?!

“We’ve returned here again, it seems we haven’t really cleared the level…” The sounds of collapsing ruins intermittently echoed as a beam of intense light broke through the sky's cracks. Enduring the pain, Cheng Yao strained to look up.

A majestic and magnificent figure stood tall amidst a swarm of black butterflies, resembling a deity determined to annihilate everything.

“Are you wondering why you can’t control me even though I returned home?” Shi Youqing's voice sounded distant, “Cheng Yang, spit out my father’s name!”

[? A word from the author]

Surely no one would mistake this Cheng Yang as the father, right? I feel like this chapter pretty much sums it up, don’t worry if you have doubts, the next chapter will be more detailed.

The closer to the end, the slower I write. I didn't sleep at all last night, and I might not update tonight as I need to catch up on sleep~

Thanks to the angels who nourished with their support: zbht (Lovely Collector) 16 bottles; Zhen Shi Shu Liu (Skimming Version) 14 bottles; Biased Reader’s List, please see the column 11 bottles; Shan Mu, Men Who Don’t Love Themselves Are Like Rotten Cabbage 5 bottles; Luo Mu Bai 1 bottle;

Thank you very much for your support, I will keep trying my best!