Chapter 23: Station 21: Fervor

Chapter 23: Station 21: Frenzy

Yao Kunrui's voice echoed promptly from within the black hole:

"It's fine, it's a basement."

With no other alternatives, everyone gritted their teeth and leaped into the abyss.

Ming Yiyang kept his back against the ceiling. After ensuring that everyone had descended, he kicked Yan Qiling, who was crouching beside the hole, down and then followed suit.

Yan Qiling: ?

The ceiling, pressing down with increased speed, sealed perfectly with a thud against the ground.

In the dimly lit basement, the flickering light cast eerie shadows.

A woman was sprawled across a small coffee table.

She faced a spotless mirror, her gaze fixed upon it.

With her eyes tightly shut, she held a pencil in her hand, extending her right arm horizontally, ensuring the pencil remained upright on the mirror's surface.

Dressed identically to a doll, her face bore a resemblance to Jin Shuen's.

Something seemed to be moving within the mirror.

Si Shuhao mustered the courage to take a glance and discovered that Jin Shuen's situation was being displayed from the perspective of a flying vehicle!

She was immediately astounded by the metaphysical sophistication.

In the mirror, Jin Shuen was being hooded with a black plastic bag from behind. She attempted to struggle, but her powers were hindered due to the obstruction of her vision.

A group of girls, some with familiar faces, had surrounded her. They were excitedly chattering, then produced a lighter.

The plastic bag ignited fiercely in the flames!

The woman lying on the table let out a pained scream, her entire body convulsing with the agony.

With her eyes still closed, she seemed to be guiding her daughter through spiritual means, and in the mirror, Jin Shuen accurately ran towards the nearest source of water.

The basement also grew hot, as if it were a hellish inferno scorching the very souls within.

The woman remained steadfast, continuing to lead her daughter spiritually.

During this, her hair and arms bore the marks of flames, which gradually spread across her flesh, revealing stark white bones beneath!

Yan Qiling's previous doubts seemed to find their answer.

This woman was willing to risk being burned alive just to ensure her daughter's safe escape!

Si Shuhao felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had seen a similar scene in a movie before.

She pondered with a hint of confusion, could it be that the Realm of No End is actually a cinematic world?

It was like the novel she had once read, where the protagonist kept transmigrating into various horror movies, constantly growing stronger, until he ultimately defeated the main god in charge of those frightful realms and escaped that world.

Perhaps what they are experiencing now is a scene from some movie.

Ming Yiyang seized the opportunity to relentlessly search for any vulnerabilities within this space.

He discovered a weak spot in the basement by tapping on it and then kicked forcefully against the concrete wall!

The wall crumbled like paper, and before the memories could fully fade, they all rushed out, discovering that they had escaped the thick fog—

only to find a station not far away, with an open-eyed marker tilted diagonally!

"Quick, the train is about to arrive!"

Suzho, who had checked the countdown, grew ecstatic.

In that moment, a chorus of eerie laughter from the women echoed through the fog.

Attached to a massive body made of flesh and blood were two heads they recognized—Jin Shuen and her mother.

Their deformed, fleshly forms wrapped around shattered wooden planks from the cabin, growing into a towering giant, roughly the size of a five-story building, within seconds!

And then, it charged at them with horrifying speed!

Everyone took off running!

Amidst the slicing of flesh and blood, Ming Yiyang heard the wailing whistle, signaling the arrival of the train – finally, it had come in the form of a bus!

-

The bus was eerily silent, with only four minutes remaining until they could put an end to this terrifying journey.

The looming presence of the flesh mountain lingering outside continually reminded them that this was no dream.

The spirits seemed to be in fear of something, unwilling to depart yet hesitant to draw near, leaving them only to glare at the occupants within the carriage with tiger-like intensity, as though awaiting some opportune moment.

Those inside the car wished they could depart immediately.

Yan Qiling, who usually wore a smile, removed his mask of cheerfulness and gazed out thoughtfully, as if something unresolved bothered him.

With a much rosier complexion, Yao Kunrui approached, trembling as he spoke,

"I... I want to go with you."

His voice wasn't loud, but with the unusual silence in the car, it stood out prominently.

Instantly, everyone's attention was drawn to them.

Yan Qiling turned around to look at him, his hands folded across his abdomen in an unusually detached manner:

"You're not acting like yourself right now. Once we're back in the real world, this won't be the case."

"No, I'm perfectly lucid. I know what I'm doing. I want... I want to follow you..."

His eyes were filled with a feverish obsession that was plain for anyone to see. Even the most oblivious person would now realize that something was seriously off with Yao Kunrui.

"You must be bewitched, speaking like that."

Hu Gaoming was startled by this almost declarative line, his skin prickling with goosebumps:

"Are you possessed by the Master of Chaos? How can you even have the function of harassing others!"

"Stop nonsense, I... I am willing to offer myself, my life, my flesh, my soul, anything you need, I can give to you... if you are willing..."

He was almost on his knees before the man, pleading in an unusually humble manner.

"Just as long as you're willing to take me with you..."

"I swear."

Hu Gaoming couldn't help but react:

"Can you not be so disgusting? What has Brother Yan done to you? Just as he's about to leave, you're saying such things to him... Hey, if you don't move away, I'll hit you!"

Focusing on preventing Yao Kunrui from causing trouble, he failed to notice the fleeting smile that flickered across Yan Qiling's face.

This smile was entirely different from his usual warmth.

It was a mocking, taunting grin, tinged with sarcasm, completely at odds with his usual demeanor yet strangely captivating in its own way.

He leaned slightly closer, his voice barely audible:

"Do you even deserve to be taken along by me?"

In Yao Kunrui's eyes, there was no sign of hurt. He gazed mesmerized into those twin irises,

"I'll do my best, of course... I'm weak now, but if you're willing to give me a piece of flesh... or a drop of blood... I'll be able to..."

"You can gain unparalleled power and live eternally."

The man lowered his eyes, idly twirling the pipe between his fingers.

"Sure. Except... there are quite a few who wish to follow me. Why should it be you?"

All eyes in the vicinity were fixed on the two of them.

Though they didn't know what Yan Qiling had said, Yao Kunrui's deranged appearance and words made everyone uncomfortable, even bordering on psychological distress.

Si Shuhao was about to ask Ming Yiyang to intervene before Yan Qiling was coerced by the other man's bizarre remarks into climbing Mount Kongtong that very night.

In that moment, Yao Kunrui suddenly lost his mind and bolted towards the bus door!

Ming Yiyang swiftly grabbed hold of the collar of his shirt, only to find himself engaged in a struggle with the man!

"I'll prove it!"

The red-haired youth shouted fiercely.

In a few seconds of stunned silence, Yao Kunrui had already dashed out of the bus, rushing towards the ravenous monsters outside!

He wore an incredibly radiant and sunny smile, as if he were running towards a new world of freedom, stretching out his arms to embrace the creatures he had once avoided.

"Come back!"

Su Bo's heart-wrenching cry was stuck in his throat.

The moment the slender youth stepped out, his body was ripped apart, painting the ground with crimson paint.

But he didn't seem to be in any pain. On the remnants of his flesh, characters resembling insects began crawling densely.

From a distance, only Ming Yiyang could clearly read their contents.

It was a complex character resembling "gong," with an "eight" on top and "white" at the bottom. However, it didn't quite resemble that character, for the "white" part was missing a dot.

This made it look like the complex form of "cai," but the genuine complex form of "cai" had an "enter" on top.

He could see it clearly – the top part of the symbol was indeed "eight" – an absurd character that didn't resemble anything!

From his extensive experience dealing with demons, this should be some sort of... sacrificial rune.

After that, he couldn't see anything anymore.

The young man was entirely devoured by the greedy ghost, not even leaving his bones behind.

No one had expected such a scene to unfold.

They were all already on the bus; who would have thought that someone among them would become possessed and run out to seek their own death? !

A chill of retrospect slowly crept up their spines as the survivors privately thanked their luck that they weren't the ones possessed.

Ming Yiyang calmly observed the entire incident, then casually swung his long legs over to sit beside Yan Qiling.

He stated matter-of-factly,

"You did that."

Yan Qiling gazed at the monsters outside, fueled by flesh and blood, without denying the statement:

"If you want to give it a try, start hating me from now on. As long as you become the person who hates me the most in this world, those cursed patterns will appear."

Ming Yiyang was intrigued:

"How miraculous is that? How does it work?"

Yan Qiling wasn't in the mood to discuss it further.

Yao Kunrui's predicament hadn't been part of the plan.

Or rather, the one who was originally meant to fall victim shouldn't have been Yao Kunrui.

He shifted his gaze, looking back at the person sitting beside him:

"Didn't you always preach about the law of the jungle, 'Kind words can't save a doomed soul, mercy doesn't save those who reject it themselves'? Those were your words."

Ming Yiyang's face showed no hint of guilt. Once again, he nonchalantly pulled out a cigarette from an unknown pocket and placed it in his mouth.

"Did you hear that? Yes, that's precisely what I think."

"Don't smoke."

"Well, if you tell me the details of the curse, I'll abstain from smoking."

Noticing the man's silence, he nudged him playfully with his shoulder:

"I'm just curious, improving my professional knowledge, you know."

The bus doors clicked shut.

Soothing music accompanied by a gentle female voice filled the air:

"Welcome back. Now it's time for ticket inspection. Please cooperate with the attendants and show your tickets. During this process, we will ensure your safety. We look forward to seeing you on our next journey."

As the bus roared to life, it pierced through the dense fog, illuminating the scenery outside with a sudden burst of golden light.

The tangible sensation of having escaped death made everyone quickly forget their previous fear, numbing even their senses.

No matter what happened next, it seemed nothing could affect their inner peace.

A black-clad train conductor emerged from the driver's cabin.

Dressed in a standard uniform with a blue "?"-emblazoned cloth strip across its face, it stood tall and commanded attention.

However, everyone remained unperturbed upon seeing it.

It didn't follow the usual practice of checking tickets nearby but instead headed straight for Yan Qiling.

Ming Yiyang sensed something and promptly removed the cigarette from his mouth, quickly saying, "It was quite enjoyable working with you. Would you like to exchange contact information? Our company is currently hiring—"

The conductor moved swiftly, seizing Yan Qiling's right arm and scanning his ticket with a silver, laser-like rod. Instantly, Yan Qiling turned into swirling runes and vanished from the spot.

Ming Yiyang gritted his cigarette hard, regretting the loss of his cherished lighter as he angrily pounded the back of his chair.

Gurgle, gurgle.

-

Translucent ice shards hover above his eyelashes.

With a rustling sound, he sits up abruptly.

The ice shatters into countless droplets, transforming into tiny waves that wash over the pristine white porcelain bathtub.

The man dressed in traditional Chinese attire leans back in the tub, and the long-ignored burn finally asserts its painful presence in the real world.

He rings the bell beside the bathtub.

The sound of light footsteps grew closer and closer.

A simple wooden door with frosted glass swung open.

A tall figure approached, and a pair of pointed ears touched the edge of the bathtub first.

"Sir!"

Accompanied by a hoarse yell, a massive dog-headed creature appeared in the bathroom!

It stood well over two meters tall, entering with a swift, bent posture.

Its long snout supported reflective sunglasses, while it wore a comically pink apron around its body.

Its overall fur was orangish, but around its neck were five strands of differently colored hair, braided into short, thick plaits that hung down, giving it a fashionable appearance reminiscent of an animal rock star in a children's movie.

In a human voice, it spoke:

"Sir, where have you been injured this time? What can I assist you with?"

The man leaned against the cold ceramic surface, water droplets cascading down his long eyelashes.

His almost porcelain-like face had a pale, cold hue from blood loss, as if it might shatter at the slightest touch.

Yet, he remained composed as always, as if it were his innate nature:

"I've burned myself. Fetch the skin."

The dog-headed creature thundered out of the room.

Instead of descending the stairs, it went to a nearby room to search for something.

Moments later, it returned with a tray filled with various jars and bottles, its arm holding a soft, translucent rubber material that hung limply.

The material's drape gave the impression of fragility and lightness, akin to the texture of silk.

The dog-headed creature placed the items beside the sink and then opened a cabinet that resembled a drawer, pulling out a long metal stand concealed within – clearly a design feature intended to be discreet.

Lining the metal stand with plastic, it positioned it near the bathtub and carefully unfastened the man's layers of vintage Chinese-style clothing.

Only when the man's near-perfect form was revealed in the underwater glow did it adjust its dark sunglasses, examining him closely.

"Sir, the burns cover a large area. Would you like a complete replacement or just a repair?"

Yan Qiling squinted in the bright sunlight and asked,

"How long was I asleep this time?"

"Half an hour."

Seemingly picking up a thread from the rift in reality, it sighed and said,

"Let's mend it. Later, Ding Tai will come to discuss the schedule with me, and there won't be enough time to change everything."

The dog-headed creature nodded slightly, expressing no objections.

First, it drained the water from the bathtub. Throughout this process, it dried Yan Qiling's hair and wiped his body clean before lifting him onto the metal table.

Its hands resembled those of a monkey, with distinct fingers and clearly articulated joints. Its nails were jet black, and the back of its hands were covered in fine, orange fur, making them dexterous and functional.

With a flick of its index finger, a tape measure unrolled. The dog-headed creature measured the burned areas and meticulously recorded the dimensions with a pencil.

Taking up a silver pair of scissors, it unfolded the rubber material and, according to the measurements noted down, swiftly cut out several differently-sized squares.

After confirming the skin's dryness with test paper, it found a long needle used for shoe repair and threaded a nearly transparent thin thread through its eye.

Preparations were complete.

The dog-headed creature first placed the cut rubber pieces over the wounds. Then, it pierced the surrounding skin with the long needle, sewing them together with the material.

Then, picking up a small silver hammer, it tapped the seam twice with it. The already transparent thread was now embedded within the leather, completely invisible.

Should anyone have witnessed this technique on the streets, they would recall it as a common method used by cobblers when stitching shoe soles.

With meticulous care and patience, it aligned the material and thread to the wound, sewing them meticulously into the flesh.

The sewn areas were now indiscernible from burn scars; they appeared as good as new, as if no damage had ever been inflicted.

Occasionally, cold blood seeped from the needle holes. The dog-headed creature wiped it away diligently while sewing, fully engrossed in its task.

Its recipient, meanwhile, kept his eyes fixed on the rotating lamp above his head, as if the slicing and piercing was not happening to his own flesh. He managed to maintain a relaxed state of his muscles despite the agony.

The long needle pierced through, stabbed in, and pierced out again.

This cycle repeated countless times. With the invisible knot technique, the dog-headed creature concluded its work.

Using scissors, it carefully trimmed away the unnecessary, slightly raised skin around the stitches.

Faced with irregular edges, the creature took a steel file from the tray and meticulously removed the excess, then polished the edges with fine-grit sandpaper.

Once the scars were fully restored, he brought over a folding mirror, aligning it with the repaired area, and respectfully asked,

"Sir, is this effect satisfactory?"

Yan Qiling took a glance.

In the mirror, there was barely any sign of stitching on the skin.

A genuine smile of contentment spread across the pale face,

"Hmm, proceed."

The dog-headed creature uncorked the purple bottle, dipped a cotton swab inside, and brushed the transparent liquid along the polished edges.

With the same meticulous technique, it continued to mend other parts of the body.

At that moment, the sunlight in the bathroom was perfect, and the water-loving spider plant added a touch of vitality to the somewhat aged bathroom.

If one were unaware of their activity, the scene from a distance would have appeared as a simple yet elegant form of art.

Yet, if one were to uncover the truth behind it all,

Even the purest sunlight would seem counterfeit.

All these "repairs" are like the bright lights set up outside a film studio, merely creating an illusion of normalcy for self-deception, indistinguishable from others.