Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The moment he lost consciousness, Xuan Ying's greatest fear was that Ying Yuanxing would leave. This anxiety drove his body to instinctively pursue Ying Yuanxing even without conscious thought.

Having Ying Yuanxing in the same space, he wrapped himself around the bed not because it could heal him, but because it was saturated with Ying Yuanxing's scent, giving him a sense of security.

Yet, he didn't dare cling to Ying Yuanxing directly, remembering his dislike for such behavior. Even unconscious, he held himself back from doing so.

However, this restraint only lasted as long as Ying Yuanxing was nearby. Once he sensed Ying Yuanxing moving away, his instincts overpowered his self-control.

Waking from his unconscious state, Xuan Ying had a moment of panic before detecting a familiar presence—one so close that their breaths mingled, calming his restless heart.

The black puff of smoke shifted slightly, still unsure how to react, just as Ying Yuanxing woke right on time. Opening his eyes, he saw the cotton candy wobble and immediately grabbed it, threatening, "Awake this time?"

The cotton candy bobbed up and down, and Xuan Ying's meek voice came through, "Yes."

"Why aren't you in human form? Why stay like this?" Ying Yuanxing raised an eyebrow, suspecting Xuan Ying was playing on his weakness for cute animals to avoid trouble.

"My human form looks... not presentable right now. You wouldn’t like it," Xuan Ying admitted. He wanted Ying Yuanxing to see him at his best, not ruined by a bad first impression.

Yesterday had been an accident, but thankfully, the darkness and his own black hue had likely masked his true form from Ying Yuanxing’s sight.

"You’re not..." Ying Yuanxing trailed off, swallowing his words.

He was okay with Xuan Ying as he was now, but if the other revealed his human form in broad daylight, with every detail visible, Ying Yuanxing wasn’t sure his nerves could take it without testing his limits.

"By the way, what was that 'same thing' you mentioned before passing out?" Ying Yuanxing had been hanging onto Xuan Ying’s last words. The only unique aspect he could think of was his farming game abilities he’d gained after transmigrating.

But before Xuan Ying could respond, Ying Yuanxing quickly added, "Don’t show me—just describe it."

After all, Xuan Ying had collapsed the last time he tried to pull it out. If he fainted again, Ying Yuanxing wasn’t keen on spending another day playing nurse.

"It’s light... a very bright ball of light," Xuan Ying answered hesitantly, uncertain.

Ying Yuanxing fell silent. That didn't explain much. Moreover, since Xuan Ying had fainted upon encountering it, he likely knew little about it. Asking him was a dead end.

If this was the core of his skill, figuring it out could wait.

Still...

"You said Yuan Xiu and Li An also have this?" Ying Yuanxing asked.

Xuan Ying nodded.

"Do you know their abilities?" Ying Yuanxing was curious. His own skill was farming game-related, while Xuan Ying’s seemed to involve skin-changing and cloning.

As for Yuan Xiu and Li An, without Xuan Ying’s input, Ying Yuanxing would’ve assumed they were ordinary.

Wait—Li An loved fishing, though he never caught anything. Watching him fish while Ying Yuanxing kept hauling in fish nonstop was almost pitiful enough to make him want to hook a fish onto Li An’s line.

"Yuan Xiu has strong regenerative abilities. Li An... is the lord over some waters," Xuan Ying explained after some thought.

Regeneration, and water mastery—likely water control. If Li An had such powers, he could fish without a rod or simply grab fish to hook. His persistence despite failure must’ve been a challenge to his actual fishing skills.

Learning about their abilities and comparing them to Xuan Ying’s, Ying Yuanxing was baffled. Everyone else’s skills seemed benign—except Xuan Ying’s, which was downright creepy.

"Are there others in the village—or this world—with such abilities?" Ying Yuanxing asked, sensing this world was far from ordinary.

"Many who came to Taoxi Village had abilities, and strong ones," Xuan Ying said, recalling the Weird Qi entities that had escaped his predation—each formidable in their own way.

Supernatural powers in a grim world—what kind of high-risk world was this?

Ying Yuanxing took a deep breath, suddenly grateful he’d returned to the farm early and awakened his abilities. Otherwise, he’d have no clue how dire his situation might’ve been.

Realizing how little he knew about this world, Ying Yuanxing spent the morning pumping Xuan Ying for info about its peculiarities.

He learned that the courier handling his deliveries was actually the trash bin—no, the delivery box—outside his door, whose abilities included Devour and Teleportation.

Meaning, his earlier trash-picking had been a high-risk activity. Only his overwhelming power had overpowered the bin’s Devour skill.

"So, digging through the garbage was like digging through someone’s stomach?" Ying Yuanxing fell silent for the umpteenth time. Ignorance had been bliss—now, he realized how invasive his actions had been.

Though the bin wasn’t human, the comparison was disturbing.

Yet, the fact that a superpowered being resorted to trash-collecting and courier work to survive said everything about this world’s harshness.

But the revelations didn’t end there. Xuan Ying’s next words drove home how dangerous this world was.

Most people here had unique abilities, but sustaining them required a mysterious substance that was dwindling rapidly. To compensate, many turned to hunting their own kind.

"So, those skins of yours... are from people you ate?" Ying Yuanxing asked, unable to shake the question any longer.

Sensing his thoughts, Xuan Ying separated a wisp of black mist, molding it into human shape before engulfing and absorbing it—mimicking how he consumed other Weird Qi entities.

"This is how it’s done," he explained.

Strangely comforted, Ying Yuanxing exhaled. It wasn’t as gruesome as he’d imagined—still technically eating people, but less horrifying.

Unnoticed by him, his morals kept slipping the more he learned about this world.

Even if he noticed, maintaining his original world’s ethics was impossible here. It was eat or be eaten—he might abstain from consuming others, but Xuan Ying...

"If you dislike it, I won’t eat anymore," Xuan Ying offered, gazing up with puppy-dog eyes at Ying Yuanxing.

Though abstaining would slow his growth, he was willing to obey if it pleased Ying Yuanxing.

Despite lacking facial features, the cotton candy somehow conveyed the image of a puppy wagging its tail, eagerly promising self-denial.

In this dog-eat-dog world, if Xuan Ying didn’t consume others, he risked being consumed himself.

"No, you..." Ying Yuanxing shook his head, about to permit normal feeding when a thought struck him.

The inexplicable popularity of his hay—in a world where earning money was this hard, how could so many people buy it for fishkeeping?

Not to mention, the hay and dried fish on the JoyBuy app were gone in seconds every time. There had to be a reason.

"Do my hay and dried fish contain that mysterious substance?" Ying Yuanxing asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

"Yes, and it’s more refined. Others’... taste like crap," Xuan Ying admitted.

Of course. That explained it.

"Can eating these strengthen you?" Ying Yuanxing pushed further.

After a pause, Xuan Ying nodded. Absorbing Weird Qi from farm products was just as effective as devouring other entities—more comfortable, even.

But farm products cost money, and Ying Yuanxing was tight with money. Xuan Ying couldn’t bear to consume them recklessly.

"Then from now on, I’ll provide your meals. No more nasty garbage," Ying Yuanxing decided.

"But your profits would take a hit?" Xuan Ying said seriously. "My appetite is enormous."

"Back at the market, I ate everything except the village chief, and I was just barely full. And my appetite will only keep growing," Xuan Ying explained.

"If you were to eat outside food, like the stuff from Hongxing Supermarket, I'd never be able to keep up with your demands," Ying Yuanxing said, his resolve firm. "But the farm is the source of raw materials. Everything is done by ourselves, so the costs aren't too high. I can still afford to feed you."

"But..." Xuan Ying's words were cut off by Ying Yuanxing.

"If you feel bad about taking without contributing, then work for me," Ying Yuanxing suggested. The farm was already so big that he couldn't manage it alone, and if it grew any larger, he'd definitely need to hire help—he'd oversee essentials while others took care of the farm work.

But after hearing Xuan Ying's explanation about the world's true nature and realizing how important his farm produce was, hiring outsiders became a dangerous gamble. Who knew what kind of people he'd bring in? There was always the danger of being eaten.

However, Xuan Ying's Clone technique gave Ying Yuanxing hope. He trusted Xuan Ying—after all, Xuan Ying's four Clones could function normally, so assigning them farm work seemed feasible.

"I can work even if I don't eat," Xuan Ying offered.

"How long can you last without eating?" Ying Yuanxing frowned, remembering what Xuan Ying had said earlier—the essence within us would naturally dissipate. Without replenishment, wouldn't Xuan Ying just grow weaker?

Xuan Ying hesitated. He wasn't afraid of essence depletion, but he feared becoming too weak to protect Ying Yuanxing. He had seen Yuan Xiu's hunger for Ying Yuanxing, and though Yuan Xiu hadn't acted on it recently, Xuan Ying couldn't ignore his past behavior.

"If you can't hold out, then eat. Work it off instead. Otherwise, if I don't hire you, I’d have to hire someone else," Ying Yuanxing said calmly.

Xuan Ying nodded, debating whether to tell Ying Yuanxing about Yuan Xiu.

"If there's anything else you want to say, just say it all," Ying Yuanxing said. He realized he knew Xuan Ying so well that even as a fluffy mass, he could still read his emotions.

After hearing so many shocking revelations from Xuan Ying, Ying Yuanxing felt like nothing could faze him anymore. No matter how absurd, he could meet it with equanimity.

"Yuan Xiu wants to eat you!"

Ying Yuanxing choked violently on his own saliva.

Alarmed, Xuan Ying noticed something wrong with Ying Yuanxing's throat and instinctively formed a shadowy tendril to help.

"What are you doing?!" Ying Yuanxing coughed hoarsely, only to see a pitch-black tendril reaching for his mouth. He grabbed it—though it had no solid form—and stopped Xuan Ying.

"There's something here. I can... remove it," the shadowy tendril gestured vaguely at his throat, Xuan Ying's tone utterly solemn.

"Do you even know what’s happening to me?" Ying Yuanxing's lips twitched.

"Of course. It's just saliva in your windpipe. If I just extract it, you'll be fine," Xuan Ying replied.

*Extract it?* Ying Yuanxing thought. *You hesitated because you realized how weird that sounded, didn’t you? And yet you still blurted it out.*

The shock Xuan Ying gave him was on par with learning Yuan Xiu wanted to eat him. Two equally staggering realizations. Considering the first two people he met in Taoxi Village were like this, Ying Yuanxing couldn’t help but feel his luck was... ineffable.

Yet Xuan Ying’s naivety also made Ying Yuanxing paradoxically comfortable. If Xuan Ying were normal, his wariness would be ten times worse. But with this little monster—tainted by a dark world but not yet corrupted—Ying Yuanxing felt oddly at ease.

"Normal people—no, even those with abilities—don’t do this," Ying Yuanxing said, shoving the tendril back into Xuan Ying. "Don’t ask why. The answer is: I forbid it."

The tendril trembled before merging back into the core form.

"You said Yuan Xiu wants to eat me. Has he made any moves?" Ying Yuanxing asked. If Yuan Xiu hadn’t acted, Xuan Ying probably wouldn’t have noticed.

"The first time he saw you in the woods, he wanted to eat you. And then last time..." Xuan Ying immediately started reporting in detail.

"So, you're saying Yuan Xiu has never eaten anyone before. I’m his first craving, and because we’re on good terms, he only wants to eat a little bit of me." Ying Yuanxing felt the very idea was ludicrous even as he said it.

*Is this world insane?* *"Because I like you, I’ll only eat a little"? Do people just grow back after being eaten?*

When he asked, Xuan Ying hesitated before nodding—yes, they could recover, though the regrown parts weren’t never fully identical. Damage was still done.

Ying Yuanxing fell silent. This world defied all logic. He’d spent a whole month happily oblivious, but now... he couldn’t recapture that carefree attitude.

"Have *you* ever wanted to eat me?" Ying Yuanxing eyed Xuan Ying suspiciously.

It wasn’t paranoia—if Xuan Ying was right, eating people was as common as eating meals here. *Not* doing it seemed stranger.

The ethereal form quivered slightly. Ying Yuanxing laughed dryly. He didn’t need Xuan Ying to say it—the answer was obvious. Not surprising at all.

"Then why haven’t you acted?" Compared to Yuan Xiu, Xuan Ying had far more opportunities.

"You’re afraid of pain," Xuan Ying said.

"You haven’t done *anything* else?" Ying Yuanxing pressed.

"Just... a single taste," Xuan Ying admitted.

"*Just* one?" Ying Yuanxing didn’t buy it.

Xuan Ying quickly formed two small figures and reenacted that night’s scene, sheepishly demonstrating, "It... it was like this."

Ying Yuanxing could tell—this was the full truth, no omissions.

Well, it was better than he’d imagined. He’d thought Xuan Ying used his avatars to hold him, but if it was just mist enveloping him, that was marginally less unsettling.

Still, Ying Yuanxing had to warn him: "No matter how strong your hungers get in the future, don’t act on them. If I catch you trying anything..."

"Will you eat me?" Xuan Ying asked, and Ying Yuanxing could *swear* he heard a hint of excitement.

Xuan Ying *was* excited. Though he was already closer to Ying Yuanxing than anyone else, he wanted more. If he couldn’t bridge the emotional gap, then consumption-bond was the next best thing. If Ying Yuanxing ate him, they’d truly become one.

Ying Yuanxing’s lips twitched. This world had shattered his worldview. What kind of perverse logic was this? Eating people could at least be excused as survival in a cruel world, but deriving pleasure from consumption? Even if Xuan Ying had avatars and wouldn’t die from losing one, this was just...

He clenched his fists. He couldn’t control others, nor did he want to. But Xuan Ying *had* to stay within his control.

"If I catch you trying anything, you leave the farm. Forever. Never show yourself to me again," Ying Yuanxing said slowly, locking eyes with Xuan Ying. The moment the words left his mouth, Xuan Ying shuddered and instinctively surged forward.

Ying Yuanxing didn’t move, watching as Xuan Ying clung to him, seemingly terrified by the threat. He reached out and patted his head.

"If you behave and drop these ideas, I might let you lick me later." If Xuan Ying were human, Ying Yuanxing would never say this. But since he was just mist, "licking" was more like circumnavigating his form. And if the mist *was* his true form... well, he’d already been licked when he first arrived in Taoxi Village. Little reason for alarm now.

The effect was instant. The moments ago despondent ethereal form perked up, looking even more animated.

"Alright, go out and get to work on the farm. I need to rest." Ying Yuanxing pushed Xuan Ying away. "Oh, and keep those manifestations out of my sight."

Understanding conceptually was different, but seeing them was another.

Through his connection to Xiao Hei Cat and the black horse outside, Xuan Ying maintained awareness of the farm. Seeing Ying Yuanxing still needed rest, he hurried off to work.

As Ying Yuanxing and Xuan Ying talked, Dawn Bureau observers diligently recorded every word. These were insights they’d previously only guessed at—entities never spoke so openly, and even when they did, their words were riddled with falsehoods. Their truths were minefields.

But from how Xuan Ying treated Ying Yuanxing, the staff found his words quite credible. Even if not entirely trustworthy, they could still be cross-referenced with other collected information and prove useful in some way.

Seeing Ying Yuanxing overwhelmed by the information, his brain overloaded, collapse onto the bed with eyes closed to recover, the staff felt somewhat sorry. The sheer volume of information exchanged just now equaled what others might spend months uncovering—some of which might remain entirely inaccessible. If Ying Yuanxing had continued speaking, they might have gained even deeper insights.

However, observing Ying Yuanxing’s shell-shocked expression, the staff couldn’t help but sigh. Though he hadn’t yet fully grasped the true nature of the Weird world, he had at least learned a great deal. Once he returned to Blue Star and discovered the complete truth, his reaction might not be so extreme.

"Is the Weird world really this brutal?"

Many viewers also experienced mental whiplash from the information overload, struggling to process it all. Yet even so, they still sensed the sheer cruelty of the Weird world.

Previously, only a few had begun referring to the Weird game as the Weird world, though they were in the minority. After this morning’s revelations, however, most were inclined to believe the Weird world was real. After all, when the Weird Trash Can appeared, they recognized some of them from the game—identical in every detail.

If even the Weird Trash Can had shown up in real life, insisting the Weird game was purely virtual would be outright denial.

Yet despite learning about the brutality of the Weird world, most viewers still couldn’t truly relate.

Sure, the Weirds suffered—but humans had it worse. It was simply a case of the big fish eating the small fish, and the small fish eating the shrimp. Humans were bottom-feeding shrimp. With barely enough energy to pity themselves, how could they spare any for the Weirds?

"At least now we can confirm these two Weirds genuinely like the streamer."

"It’s crazy that Weirds can actually develop feelings for humans."

"Though their version of 'love' is... questionable. Liking someone means wanting to eat them—even just a little. But humans can’t regenerate limbs like Weirds can. That’s some expensive dating."

"No wonder so few contestants take the emotional route. A Weird’s affection is way too intense for ordinary people."

"Am I the only one who thinks the streamer’s playing with fire? Keeping such a dangerous Weird around even after its true nature is exposed? And it’s not like the Weird would resist if the streamer decided to eliminate it. Why go soft? Is he planning to betray humanity or something?"

"That last take is way too harsh. I’m not a fan of Xuan Ying either, but objectively speaking, he’s had the streamer’s back many times. Just because the world is twisted doesn’t mean we have to twist our own morals too."

"Well said. We’re still human. The Weirds can be cruel, merciless, and unpredictable—but if we sink to their level, even if we drive them back, will this world ever return to peace?"

"I actually think the streamer made the right call. Xuan Ying seems obedient, and he’s top-tier in combat. Even if the streamer absorbed him, he might not gain much power. Keeping a strong ally around is smarter, especially now that Xuan Ying has been disciplined and behaves better."

"Not just one ally—with Xuan Ying’s Clone ability, he could practically form an entire army to protect the streamer."

"Still, the streamer’s nerves are something else. After learning all this, anyone else would be restless, but he’s just lounging there like it’s nothing."

"Hey, he’s getting up. What’s he planning? Going to call Yuan Xiu out?"

After resting for a while, Ying Yuanxing decided he couldn’t just lie there awake any longer. Though he hadn’t done any physical work that morning, processing all that intel counted as labor in his book. So he got up, ready to head out and water the plants.

But the moment he stepped outside, his gaze landed on the little blue fish in the large water vat, and he frowned.

The colors were different—more flamboyant—not Xuan Ying’s usual style. But that metabolism refusing to bulk up was way too familiar.

Ying Yuanxing couldn’t recall whether the little blue fish had been lying unconscious at the bottom of the vat when he returned yesterday, but his gut said yes.

"Xuan Ying?" he called, and Xuan Ying appeared at once.

"Is this another one of your Clones?" Ying Yuanxing asked.

"No," Xuan Ying shook his head—but at the same time, the little blue fish chimed in with a definite "Yes."