Chapter 145

Chapter 145

What?

Liao Pingping was stunned, as if he hadn't expected this response.

Like all of Cui Yanniao's die-hard fans, he had his own set of logic. Before the official hammer dropped, he believed that his sister was so good and kind, never even willing to step on an ant, and thus couldn't have done such a thing. She must have been framed; someone else must be the real murderer.

After she was officially exposed, they started blaming her original family for not giving her a normal childhood, which led to her illness and transformation into a monster. They believed she must be suffering inside and that everything she did wasn't out of her own will. No matter how many professionals came forward to tell them that Cui Yanniao was a natural psychopath and that her behavior had little to do with her upbringing, they remained unconvinced.

They seemed brainwashed, making outsiders feel both crazy and uncomfortable.

In Liao Pingping's mind, Cui Yanniao was the image he imagined: a sick, kind, fragile beauty who needed their protection.

Her response should not have been like this. This thought flashed through his mind, but soon the pain became unbearable.

Perhaps because of the intense pain, his desire to return to his body grew stronger, and he actually floated back into it. However, he didn't have time to feel joy because he could no longer control his body. Two souls were crammed into his body, with Cui Yanniao in control. He could only watch and listen, unable to speak or act.

Liao Pingping came from an average family; his parents ran a small restaurant, working long hours every day to support him, a jobless NEET obsessed with chasing stars. But the family of three was relatively happy and harmonious, unaware of their son's vile actions and comments behind closed doors.

When he returned, he saw Cui Yanniao controlling his body, eating late-night snacks with his parents. His father seemed surprised by his son's attitude today, but seeing his son so lively made them happy, and they drank several cups before going to bed around two in the morning.

Liao Pingping watched as Cui Yanniao stared at his parents' backs for a long time, feeling a chill run down his spine.

But soon he was back in the isolation room, enduring the madness-inducing pain that should have been Cui Yanniao's.

He would occasionally return to his body, seeing Cui Yanniao enjoying everything that belonged to him—the love and money of his parents, sunshine, rain, fresh air—while everyone treated her as him, and he became Cui Yanniao, enduring her pain in the isolation room.

His anger and dissatisfaction grew. Why should he suffer for something he didn't do? It was all Cui Yanniao's doing!

As time passed, his anger turned into resentment. He no longer found Cui Yanniao beautiful; he found her repulsive, with all his former affection gone.

This time, when Liao Pingping returned to his body, he witnessed Cui Yanniao entering his parents' room in the middle of the night, drugging them, and then brutally murdering them with her bloody and cruel methods.

Liao Pingping screamed at Cui Yanniao, wishing he could kill her.

In this extreme pain, Liao Pingping woke up. Looking at the computer, he was stunned. A dream? It was a dream! Thank goodness it was just a dream!

The intense emotions still caused his heart to ache, but Liao Pingping felt relieved yet uneasy. Seeing Cui Yanniao's face appear on the screen, he shuddered and quickly shut it off, fearing she might suddenly talk to him like in the dream.

Members of the group had tagged him multiple times, but he hurriedly left the group.

Chu Jie found it hilarious. Was this what they called love? It didn't seem so selfless after all. It was just that they didn't feel the pain until it hit them personally. Once threatened, they immediately fled.

How could this be? If they loved her so much, they should love her to the end, remain loyal to the end.

Chu Jie spent considerable time collecting accounts of Cui Yanniao's fans and created nightmares related to her for all of them, including this group. The nightmares would last at least a month, and anyone who suffered from nervous breakdowns deserved it.

In the coming days, people would soon discover that those fanatical fans of Cui Yanniao had vanished, and many prominent ones had suddenly turned against her, cursing her online to disappear forever.

At this moment, no one had time to pay attention to these seemingly deranged individuals. Everyone's focus was on Chu Ting and Cui Yanniao.

The *Purification Sutra* was now the most talked-about topic nationwide. Unlike the Purification Whip, this was a scripture that anyone could use once it was released. Even if Chu Ting couldn't kill Cui Yanniao right away, watching the previously arrogant spirit being tortured to madness and screaming hysterically was satisfying. Eventually, Cui Yanniao would be destroyed!

Miao Miao happily went to her friend's house to share the good news, and they hurried to the correctional facility.

"Zhenzhen! You'll be free soon! I told you there would be hope!" Miao Miao said excitedly after her friend's parents finished speaking.

"Yes, I really hope we can get that scripture soon. I can barely hold on... sniff..." the girl inside cried.

Miao Miao felt heartbroken and comforted her, "Don't worry, your parents are already looking into it. But the *Purification Sutra* isn't something you can just read. You need to believe in the existence of the divine."

"I will!"

By now, Jiang Xingzhuo's presence had spread across the internet, and many had placed her on altars, praying devoutly every day.

Miao Miao's friend was Jin Zhenzhen, a wealthy girl whose half-sister, Jin Yeye, had supposedly killed herself due to resentment over her father's favoritism towards Jin Zhenzhen. After death, Jin Yeye became a ghost and tormented Jin Zhenzhen, forcing her into the correctional facility.

Returning home, Miao Miao's mother asked where she had been, and she answered truthfully.

Her mother nodded, unable to resist another sigh, "I never would have thought. That girl didn't seem bad; even cats and dogs liked her..."

"Because she was good at pretending. Her true nature only showed after she died," Miao Miao said, equally surprised but accepting the reality.

Room 816.

Jin Zhenzhen hung up the phone, still smiling, but then saw a ghastly pale face peering from under her bed, scaring her into hiding.

Jin Yeye, with her long black hair, crawled out from under Jin Zhenzhen's bed like a spider, saying, "You killed me, you killed me, admit it... admit it..."

Jin Zhenzhen hugged her head, remaining silent as always.

"Evil spirits are evil spirits, even in death they try to frame others."

"Is Jin Yeye insane? Her true nature is revealed as a ghost, yet she still tries to frame others."

"How terrifying, we were classmates."

"Hope the government releases the *Purification Sutra* soon."

The live stream of this isolation room had only a few dozen viewers, mostly Jin Zhenzhen and Jin Yeye's schoolmates.

These sisters were popular figures at school, well-known and liked by many. No one expected such a tragic turn of events, with Jin Yeye committing suicide and becoming a ghost that tormented Jin Zhenzhen.

...

The news of the Ghost King entering the capital to meet the president was kept secret to avoid panic.

On this day, Xuanzheng Building was heavily guarded, and masters who were abroad returned to protect Ling Fengqing.

The time was set at midnight, and the city had already fallen completely silent due to the curfew. Every household had turned off their lights, and the usually crowded streets were now wide and empty.

The President and several ministers were waiting in front of the Xuanzheng Building for the arrival of the newly appointed Ghost King.

"Suspected 'god' appearance, a new Ghost King, and requesting a meeting with the President. At such an ambiguous time, it's truly baffling."

"I've never understood this world."

Several ministers whispered among themselves, their eyes revealing a sense of helplessness. They couldn't comprehend why the world had become this way, or why the first Ghost King was willing to negotiate, trading the Punishment Facility for their control over the ghosts. They guessed that the ghosts seemed to be intentionally preventing humans from being wiped out too quickly, but why?

And now, they didn't understand why Jiang Xingzhuo had appeared. Was she really a god, or was this another unsolvable conspiracy?

There were too many perplexing riddles, and they felt like they were constantly being suppressed. It made them feel like aimless driftwood, tossed by the waves, unsure of where they were headed. As if there was an invisible thread controlling them, and they were mere puppets on a chessboard.

Humans disliked this feeling of confusion. They were no longer living in a time of scarcity; they needed spiritual fulfillment, not just numbly existing day after day. They needed a clear goal to strive towards.

Jiang Xingzhuo had long discovered that this world was shrouded in the malice of the Overlord players. The Ghost Kings followed the Overlord's orders, establishing Punishment Facilities and initiating live broadcasts, all to spread negative emotions and generate negative energy. But this world was different from the previous ones because the oppression was prolonged and there was no immediate fatal crisis, so there was no need to struggle desperately to survive.

This led to a state of both suffering and confusion.

They needed answers, a clear direction.

A gust of wind blew, and the temperature suddenly dropped. Everyone was chilled by the bone-piercing cold, causing goosebumps to rise on their skin.

"He's here!"

Everyone tensed up, on high alert.

Suddenly, the endless stretch of road was filled with white mist, and figures emerged from within. They slowly revealed their faces, one by one, as eerie ghosts lined up in two neat rows, walking steadily. They wore identical white dresses, and behind them was a magnificent red sedan chair carried by muscular male ghosts.

"..." This Ghost King sure knows how to make an entrance.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the sedan chair stopped in front of the Xuanzheng Building. A beautiful female ghost opened the curtain, and the Ghost King stepped out.

"Clang." Something fell to the ground with a loud noise.

Ling Fengqing frowned and turned to see her Secretary-General. She was surprised; the Secretary-General had been with her since her campaign, having faced numerous challenges and wasn't new to seeing Ghost Kings. Was she feeling unwell? Her face didn't look good either.

But Ling Fengqing had no time to worry about this. She didn't notice that several familiar faces behind her had also turned pale.

The humans in this world needed answers.

But who would bring these answers?

Jiang Xingzhuo searched around and found several special souls, one of which stood out the most and had the most convincing presence for this role.

She sat before the All-Knowing Eye, eagerly awaiting the show.