Chapter 129: The Cruelest Punishment

Chapter 129: The Cruelest Punishment

Liang Xigui lost his own thoughts, forcefully returned to the orbit he once ran in.

To fall in love with Song Song, to snatch him away from Lin Yu at all costs, to unleash the darkest side of his humanity until the end of his life.

But how does one simulate love? Give him a little flutter of the heart, a touch of warmth, and the perfect moment of infatuation at first sight—this is the essence of Liang Xigui's existence.

No one cares about his moth-to-the-flame obsession, his one-sided longing, or what he must give up and lose. Readers mostly empathize with the protagonist's tragic fate.

Thus, the novel's tragic aesthetic forms a closed loop.

Now, however, a variable has appeared—the observer has become a player in the game. Tan Xing is determined to save his beloved.

Looking at the person before him, he murmurs, "Only now do I fully understand that my arrival was for your existence."

Free from the shackles of the past, today I know who I truly am.

Liang Xigui looks down at him, but his gaze treats him as an insignificant stranger, even somewhat perplexed.

"Get out of the way."

Tan Xing smiles bitterly, making a significant decision within himself.

Since your fate is to perish alongside your lover, why can't it be me?

He steps aside, allowing the man to continue on his predetermined path. Watching Liang Xigui resolutely approach Song Song, he still cannot muster any hatred.

Liang Xigui, under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, ascends the platform. Before Lin Yu can react, he delivers a merciless hook to his jaw.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Liang Xigui grabs Song Song's wrist. He can't recall any interactions between them.

Yet his heart tells him he loves Song Song.

He says to the bewildered Song Song, "Come with me."

Song Song, frail and weak, is no match for Liang Xigui and can only submit to his will.

As Lin Yu lies on the ground, still in disbelief, he watches Song Song grow further away. Clenching his teeth, he rises and lunges forward.

In an instant, the two men are locked in a tussle, the surrounding guests exchanging glances, none knowing what has transpired.

Liang Xigui, with the advantage of height, gains the upper hand. Just as he plans to drag Song Song away from the banquet hall, a sudden, intense pain stabs through his back.

Forced to slow down, he turns around in annoyance, only to see that peculiar stranger again.

The dinner knife in Tan Xing's hand is stained crimson by hot blood, dripping onto the floor, quickly pooling into a puddle.

"Get lost!" Liang Xigui growls.

Tan Xing's lips curl in bitter amusement, yet his speed doesn't falter. He yanks the knife out and without hesitation, plunges it into Liang Xigui's left chest.

Counting carefully, he has personally dispatched many—a traitor, an assassin, even a foreign king. This is the first time he kills his beloved.

Seeing Liang Xigui's agonized expression, he feels it too. The sharp tip pierces the flesh of his heart, each breath like a tearing agony.

"Liang Xigui, you said it yourself, not to let me love another. Then you can't either."

His tone is decisive, stripping away the facade of innocence. He and Liang Xigui are cut from the same cloth, willing to go to any lengths for love.

The manipulated Liang Xigui holds no affection for him, only boundless hate envelops him. Song Song hasn't fallen in love with him yet; he cannot die in peace.

Tan Xing pulls out the knife, its blade coated in blood. He casually wipes it on his shirt, forcefully shoving it into the other's hand.

He deliberately chose this moment to assassinate Liang Xigui, waiting for Lin Yu to drain most of his energy so he could get close and have his way.

"Liang Xigui, do you hate me?" Tan Xing deliberately flashes a triumphant smile. "Kill me, I'll accompany you to hell."

Upon hearing these words, Tan Xing sees a flicker of light rekindle in Liang Xigui's dim eyes.

Liang Xigui's hatred for him eclipses his supposed love for Song Song—this is his ultimate goal.

Before he can revel in his victory, the other party ruthlessly thrusts the knife towards him. Blood spurts out, instantly staining the shirt red.

He lifts his palm to caress the knuckle where the other grips the knife, whispering, "Yes, just like that, Mr. Liang is amazing."

My beloved, we are destined to meet at the same end.

The scene before him seems to spin like a washing machine drum, dizzying and endless.

A piercing alarm echoes faintly in his ears.

"Warning! Warning!"

"The fragment of Novel 008 is on the verge of collapse, requesting emergency repair!"

"The NPC character has developed independent consciousness, enforcing memory erasure!"

"The physical indicators of the purifier are in continuous decline, requiring medical support from headquarters!"

The mechanical female voice reverberates incessantly, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Little Eight, watching the battered Tan Xing, can only flit about aimlessly like a headless fly.

It fails to comprehend the complex emotions of humans—contradictory yet occurring in a bizarrely logical manner right before its eyes.

Decomposing the host's intentions into numerous tiny parts, it traces back from the result, ultimately arriving at an unsolvable answer.

What is this emotional method that cannot be deduced by formulas and programs? Little Eight cannot understand.

When Tan Xing woke up again, looking at the familiar scene before him, there was no trace of surprise on his face.

"Little Eight?"

"I'm here~ Host Supreme~"

"Is this considered a mission failure?"

Little Eight's tone was somewhat conflicted; Headquarters had yet to announce the specific outcome. The novel fragment that Tan Xing forcibly destroyed was still in the process of repair, and a massive intervention of memories was required for the collapsed part.

Without receiving a response, Tan Xing wasn't disheartened and continued, "Can I see Liang Xigui again?"

"Well, that's also uncertain."

For a string of code like Little Eight, being able to express emotions so tactfully was already quite remarkable.

At this moment, in another dimension, Liang Xigui slowly opened his eyes, as memories of Tan Xing flooded into his mind like a tide. This included the memory of Tan Xing attempting to assassinate him, and then he retaliated by killing Tan Xing—a memory that left him struggling to believe that his beloved star had died in the midst of his hatred.

And his current surroundings—could this merely be a dream?

He pinched himself hard, the pain traveling along his nerves into his brain, but this didn't align with his understanding of the objective laws of the world.

Suddenly, a question appeared out of thin air, "Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for your loved one's happiness?"

Without hesitation, he immediately gave an affirmative answer.

The scene before him then transformed, parting the layers of mist, and he found himself in another world.

This was the result of Headquarters' comprehensive assessment of him, and what awaited him would be the harshest punishment.