Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Gu Yu felt as though half his body was about to be torn apart, but fortunately, before it completely broke, he finally managed to free himself from Ying Yuanxing's grip.

Glancing at the cracks covering Gao Shuo's body, Gu Yu inwardly gasped. These cracks ran deeper than skin-deep—he could sense that Gao Shuo’s soul was also riddled with fractures. Healing looked near impossible.

Seeing how little his master cared about Gao Shuo, even though Gu Yu had long known of his master’s ruthlessness, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow—like mourning a fallen comrade.

Though his master had come to rescue him, this very act only made Gu Yu more uneasy. His master’s help was never without a price. So, what would he have to pay in return?

‘Gao Shuo’ dismissively flung Gu Yu away and turned his gaze back to the farm.

Ying Yuanxing couldn’t help but tense up.

The farm was Ying Yuanxing’s Weird territory. While ‘Gao Shuo’ could have chosen to tear through the farm’s wards directly, Ying Yuanxing was, after all, his colleague. In the end, ‘Gao Shuo’ looked at Ying Yuanxing and said, “We rarely meet. Why don’t we go to your place for a visit?”

Hearing this, Ying Yuanxing’s heart leaped into his throat. His mind raced for a proper response.

“Senior, my farm is quite humble, a shack next to your manor. I’d rather not embarrass myself,” Ying Yuanxing replied.

Compared to Hongxing Corp, his farm was indeed small. If they were colleagues, it wouldn’t be unusual for him to feel reluctant to show it off.

Under normal circumstances, most Weirds would've let it go after such a refusal. But ‘Gao Shuo’ was anything but normal.

He brushed off Ying Yuanxing's refusal. “It’s fine. I’d like to see what you might be lacking and bring you a little housewarming gift.”

With things put this way, any further refusal from Ying Yuanxing would tip his hand. The other party clearly hadn’t yet suspected him of hiding a core or questioned his identity. Refusing again might change that.

Ying Yuanxing led the way, with Gao Shuo following behind. Xuan Ying stayed close to Ying Yuanxing, eyeing Gao Shuo with undisguised suspicion.

Gao Shuo glanced at Xuan Ying and immediately recognized the Shadow Weird he had fought before. It was packing a core inside that he needed to collect.

But now that he knew of the core’s existence, there was no need to rush. The more he collected, the more it would benefit him—but it would also throw a wrench in his original plans.

He could always come back for it when the time came to clean house.

Gao Shuo gave Xuan Ying an indifferent look, not even worth his notice.

Still, this junior colleague of his didn’t seem particularly strong. How had he managed to tame such a thick-headed Shadow Weird? Gao Shuo was morbidly curious about how Ying Yuanxing had pulled it off.

Ying Yuanxing couldn’t see Gao Shuo’s expression, but the audience caught the way he looked at Xuan Ying—as if it were already dead.

“I'm shaking... This is the first time I’ve seen a Weird look at Xuan Ying like that. What kind of Weird are we dealing with?”

“I don’t even dare look at his eyes. Even through the screen, it feels like just one glance could hurt me.”

“Back in An Geluo’s livestream, when Gao Shuo went berserk, I thought that was terrifying enough. But now… Before, his brutality was scary, but at least it followed some logic. He listened to orders from other Weirds, so you could somewhat predict his actions and avoid setting him off.”

“But this Gao Shuo now… It’s like he understands everything but doesn’t care at all. We can’t grasp his thoughts or actions, and we have no way to oppose him. The sense of unease is overwhelming.”

“As scary as he is, there’s at least one upside. Everyone, hurry to JoyBuy and cash in on your emotions—calm yourself down and make some money while you’re at it.”

“To the person above—I don’t even know what to say. In such a tense moment, you’re still thinking about earning Weird coins? That’s some talent. I just exchanged some and got 200 in one go. I didn’t realize my emotions were this volatile.”

“I was pretty scared earlier, but after what you said… Well, I’m still scared looking at this Weird, but getting paid to be scared isn't the worst deal.”

“But if he goes to the farm, will he notice something off? The host's always paranoid about his crops being discovered by competitors. Isn’t this guy a competitor too?”

“Even so, given this Weird’s demeanor, I doubt he’d care much about crops.”

Ying Yuanxing led Gao Shuo past a grove of fruit trees he had planted, some still bearing yesterday’s unpicked fruit.

He glanced at Gao Shuo, who barely glanced at the fruit, his expression unchanged.

Ying Yuanxing didn’t think this was feigned indifference—there was no need for Gao Shuo to pretend. He genuinely didn’t care.

This eased Ying Yuanxing's nerves somewhat. After all, he had quite a few fruit trees, and their effects were similar to some of the farm’s other crops. If Gao Shuo didn’t care about the fruit, he probably wouldn’t pay much attention to the farm’s produce either.

“Senior, these are some fruits I planted recently. They taste pretty good. Would you like to try one?” Ying Yuanxing plucked a fruit from the tree and offered it to Gao Shuo with a smile.

He'd led Gao Shuo on a roundabout path through the orchard for a reason—he needed an excuse.

Besides, giving a gift might help score some points.

Who doesn't like free fruit?

Gao Shuo narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the fruit Ying Yuanxing handed him, then at Ying Yuanxing himself, before accepting it.

Gu Yu lingered behind, careful not to disturb his master. But seeing this, his eyes widened in shock.

What was Ying Yuanxing’s relationship with his master?

Gu Yu suddenly had a bad premonition about his own future. If Ying Yuanxing was his master’s enemy, then attacking him wouldn’t be an issue. But if they were on good terms—or even just neutral—then he…

Gu Yu suddenly regretted his earlier actions. If he had known, he should have let Gao Shuo come to the farm while he went searching instead. Even if borrowing Gao Shuo’s body would have injured him, it would have been better than this gut-wrenching uncertainty.

Neither the humans nor the Weirds present noticed Gu Yu’s expression, but the audience did.

“Isn’t this Weird called Gu Yu? He seemed pretty arrogant before, even if a bit weak. But now, he looks like a hapless underling who offended his boss’s friend.”

“Not that I feel sorry for him, but the description fits. He looks so nervous.”

“But why is the streamer giving him fruit? Isn’t that basically waving a red flag for him to notice the farm’s anomalies?”

“Actually, ordinary Weirds can tell the crops are unusual even without tasting them. For a powerful Weird like this, eating or not doesn’t change anything.”

“Host's probably buttering him up. Randomly offering food might seem odd, but if the guest is touring the farm, offering ripe produce is perfectly normal.”

Originally, most of Ying Yuanxing’s viewers were from Xia State, with only a few foreigners—mostly those who came to criticize him after An Geluo’s incident.

But with ‘Gao Shuo’s’ appearance and the aura of menace he radiated, viewers were on edge, allowing them to exchange for more Weird coins. Some foreigners, lured by the coin potential, joined the livestream.

The moment they saw Gao Shuo, they felt a primordial fear. The more they watched, the more intense their emotional fluctuations became.

The foreign viewers weren't reading too deep into it. To them, this was just a golden opportunity to earn more Weird coins. They even wished Ying Yuanxing would stick around Gao Shuo longer—after all, while it was dangerous for Ying Yuanxing, they were perfectly safe.

As for Ying Yuanxing’s survival being beneficial to Blue Star in the long run, that never even registered. With no guarantee they’d live to see that day, they preferred to live for today.

And a large amount of Weird coins could certainly bring them happiness.

At first, Xia State researchers hadn't picked up on this phenomenon, chalking it up to Gao Shuo’s overwhelming strength and ruthless actions.

But as more foreign viewers joined the stream, red flags went up. These viewers hadn’t witnessed the earlier drama—they’d just heard secondhand accounts. Yet their emotional reactions were just as rattled.

This was clearly abnormal.

Alarm bells went off for the researchers. While spiked emotions could help people earn more Weird coins, don't forget that emotional extremes could easily attract Weirds.

"Has there ever been such an Anomaly before?" Zhao Zhangyan asked immediately upon receiving the message, rushing over.

"No," the researcher shook his head.

"Mr. Zhou, should we stop others from continuing to watch Ying Yuanxing's livestream?" Zhao Zhangyan asked Mr. Zhou.

Mr. Zhou stared intently at the livestream footage, his brow deeply furrowed. To protect the public, viewers should be stopped from watching the stream immediately. But years of research experience made him feel there might be some additional benefit hidden here.

What benefit could it be?

Mr. Zhou wracked his brain, while the surroundings fell silent. The other researchers also turned their attention to the livestream.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mr. Zhou noticed one researcher whose eyelids were blinking rapidly, clearly terrified of the Anomaly Gao Shuo, but due to professional duty, he couldn’t lower his head.

Mr. Zhou recognized this researcher. They studied Weird Food and Anomalies, and their experiments required the use of Anomalies. Some researchers, after working for a long time, became less fearful of them, even gaining courage when facing wild Anomalies.

But Zhou Chang was different. He was extremely afraid of Anomalies; he’d tremble during experiments involving them. Even after working at the institute for a while, he still froze in terror.

Because his research skills were solid, despite his poor performance in the lab, he was allowed to stay.

Zhou Chang wasn’t unique—many in Xia State shared his fear. While Anomalies were numerous, most citizens had never encountered one in real life.

Many failed to save themselves—some lacked ability, others lacked courage. Even when given a chance to escape, they’d freeze in terror, panicking and making deadly errors. This was all too common.

The institute was aware of this issue. Though they encouraged citizens to watch livestreams to familiarize themselves with Anomalies and reduce fear, seeing them through a screen was different from facing them in person.

But observing Zhou Chang, Mr. Zhou thought of a possibility: Gao Shuo’s presence seemed to instill fear comparable to encountering an Anomaly in reality. Could prolonged exposure to the livestream help train people’s tolerance toward Anomalies?

After all, it was impossible to safely and frequently expose every citizen to Anomalies in real life—both for safety reasons and the sheer scarcity of Anomalies.

But livestreams could reach almost everyone, and they were completely safe. No matter how powerful Gao Shuo was, he wasn’t about to crawl out of the screen.

Still, Mr. Zhou knew this was just speculation. If they were to issue such an order, testing was necessary first.

Mr. Zhou turned to Zhou Chang.

Zhou Chang, already terrified from watching the stream, felt a chill down his spine when he noticed someone staring at him. He nervously looked over and relaxed slightly upon seeing it was Mr. Zhou.

"Zhou Chang, we need you to run a quick experiment," Mr. Zhou said.

Baffled, Zhou Chang followed. Though watching the stream had lessened his initial fear, he’d rather not see it at all—otherwise, he’d risk another sleepless night.

But soon, Zhou Chang regretted it. This experiment was worse than watching the stream.

When an Anomaly suddenly appeared before him, Zhou Chang’s mind went blank, his heart rate spiking to 160. He didn’t have time to wonder why an unfamiliar Anomaly was in the institute—his first instinct was to collapse.

But after a second or two, he realized his legs weren’t as weak as before. Tentatively, he took a step, then bolted.

In the past, Zhou Chang had wanted to run from Anomalies but couldn’t—his legs might as well have been glued to the floor, refusing to obey. Now, with control over them, he ran as far as he could.

Zhao Zhangyan, called over by Mr. Zhou, was puzzled. Had he been summoned just to watch a researcher get scared by an Anomaly?

But Mr. Zhou was pleased with Zhou Chang’s reaction. Though his running was frantic and aimless, it was still far better than freezing in terror.

Moreover, Zhou Chang hadn’t watched the stream for long, yet he’d mustered enough courage—this was already impressive.

Seeing Zhao Zhangyan’s confusion, Mr. Zhou explained, and Zhao Zhangyan’s expression lit up with excitement.

If this was the case, then Gao Shuo’s role was pivotal.

"Test a few more groups. If the results hold, notify the entire nation immediately," Mr. Zhou said.

Zhao Zhangyan hesitated but nodded.

This was somewhat risky—more test groups meant more subjects, and safety wasn’t guaranteed. But compared to the potential benefits, the risk was worth it.

Most importantly, Gao Shuo’s appearance was clearly a coincidence. No one had ever seen him before. If they missed this opportunity, who knew when he’d appear again?

Though Ying Yuanxing seemed able to interact with Gao Shuo, Gao Shuo was too dangerous. Unless he approached willingly, Zhao Zhangyan didn’t want Ying Yuanxing meeting him.

Soon, the test results came in. Those who had previously been terrified of Anomalies, after watching the stream, didn’t freeze up anymore. Even if they couldn’t run yet, they could hide carefully and observe the Anomaly’s movements.

When faced with an Anomaly sniffing around, they kept calm instead of panicking and making mistakes.

As for those less fearful, they not only dared to run but even changed hiding spots when the Anomaly’s back was turned—their fear of ordinary Anomalies had noticeably reduced.

Some test subjects were rescue team members. Though they had courage, they still feared Anomalies. After watching the stream, they seemed to develop some resistance to the natural terror Anomalies exuded.

This natural intimidation had always plagued rescue teams. Sometimes, just freezing up for a second—or even half a second—during combat could decide the outcome.

Once the results were confirmed, Zhao Zhangyan alerted the higher-ups at once, and the state rushed to announce the news.

After the strawberry seedling incident, Xia State’s citizens had become far more attentive to national announcements, so many saw the news right away. Those who didn’t were quickly informed by friends or family.

According to the state’s announcement, watching the stream now had major advantages.

Some were skeptical, but one retort shut them down:

"Watch or don’t—it’s up to you. But when an Anomaly shows up, it won’t be me who can’t run. If we’re in the same room, the Anomaly won’t chase me—someone who can escape—instead of eating the easy prey right in front of it."

This made many shudder. Courage might sound abstract, but it was crucial.

If everyone froze in fear, survival came down to luck. But if others could run while they couldn’t, their odds of dying skyrocketed.

And if everyone else watched while they didn’t, weren’t they giving others an edge?

No one wanted to be at a disadvantage!

While Xia State’s citizens believed the news, few foreigners bought it. Still, the number of foreign viewers kept rising—not for courage, but purely to earn Weird Coins.

……

While the Dawn Bureau was busy mobilizing, Ying Yuanxing had already led Gao Shuo into the farm.

As Ying Yuanxing had guessed, Gao Shuo glanced at the lush crops without a hint of surprise.

Mu Ye, startled by Gao Shuo’s arrival, was quickly introduced by Ying Yuanxing: "This is—"

"Gao Shuo," Gao Shuo said. "And this is—"

"He’s my colleague, here on his first farm visit," Ying Yuanxing replied, then turned to Mu Ye. "This is Mu Ye, an employee at my farm."

Gao Shuo noted Mu Ye’s frailty, but he also saw that Mu Ye’s Weird Domain had been taken. Given that Mu Ye was now Ying Yuanxing’s employee, there was no guessing who’d claimed it.

Seeing that Gao Shuo remained expressionless when facing Mu Ye, Ying Yuanxing didn't dare exhale, fearing his emotions might reveal information. He simply began introducing the farm's situation.

Gao Shuo frowned as he looked at the farm's crops.

Ying Yuanxing was somewhat puzzled, his confusion showing in his eyes.

"The variety of Weird Plant varieties in your farm is too limited. Just these few?" Gao Shuo's tone carried a hint of disdain.

Ying Yuanxing remained silent. In truth, he could grow many more crops, but for maximum profit, he couldn’t simply do as he pleased.

Gao Shuo glanced at the crops, then at the nearby beach, before finally letting his gaze rest on a particular spot.

Following his line of sight, Ying Yuanxing realized Gao Shuo was looking at the cave. What was special about it?

Could it be the treatment room?

The thought crossed Ying Yuanxing’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Since Gao Shuo had noticed the beach, he had seen the seaweed—he surely knew its uses. The treatment room wasn’t anything special.

If there was anything unusual about the cave, it was that it had once held an altar.

Ying Yuanxing silently noted this. He hadn’t forgotten that he was impersonating Gao Shuo’s colleague. If Gao Shuo discovered the truth...

After walking around the farm, Gao Shuo didn’t bother inspecting the small cabins. Instead, his look at Ying Yuanxing grew unreadable.

"No wonder I never noticed you before. *He's* been too cheap with you."

Ying Yuanxing continued to file this away, though he couldn’t help but hate how vague he was being. Couldn’t Gao Shuo just speak plainly?

This was Gao Shuo’s private thoughts. Back when World Consciousness sought his help, the benefits had been substantial. As for Ying Yuanxing, while Weird Food free of impurities was rare, the farm was too small—even as a stopgap, it might not make much difference.

No wonder World Consciousness was hounding him about core fragments again, even going so far as to provide a detection compass for the world core. It was likely because Ying Yuanxing’s contributions were too insignificant.

However, if World Consciousness was offering Ying Yuanxing so little assistance, didn’t that also prove one thing—that World Consciousness was growing weaker?

The ghost of a smile appeared at the corner of Gao Shuo’s lips, but instead of making him seem amiable, it made everyone watching the livestream's blood run cold.

Ying Yuanxing, however, recognized that smile. Because of that familiarity, he didn’t share the audience’s fear.

"Since we're here, let me help you out." With that, Gao Shuo suddenly vanished.

Ying Yuanxing immediately turned to Xuan Ying, who shook his head—he wasn’t sure what was happening either.

After about ten seconds, Gao Shuo reappeared, holding a pale blue translucent stone.

Of course, the stone was marred by gray impurities, diminishing its aesthetic appeal.

Gao Shuo casually tossed the stone to Ying Yuanxing. "A gift for our meeting."

Ying Yuanxing examined the stone, more and more certain it resembled the Weird Domain he had once received. And that color—was this a sea domain?

"Work on expanding the farm. I should leave now. As for my two subordinates, make sure you know who they are. If you need anything, reach out through them," Gao Shuo said.

Ying Yuanxing nodded.

"However, don’t interfere with their investigations. If our work conflicts, it’ll be troublesome for me," Gao Shuo added, staring Ying Yuanxing down.

Ying Yuanxing’s heart skipped a beat, half-certain Gao Shuo had uncovered the truth. But he quickly steadied himself—if Gao Shuo had found out, he wouldn't be this calm. There must be something else at play here.

For now, he’d just play along.

Ying Yuanxing nodded again, promising not to interfere with Gao Shuo’s subordinates—as long as they didn’t get in the farm's way. Otherwise, things would be difficult for him too.

Gao Shuo looked at Ying Yuanxing, chuckled, and then left—as the real Gao Shuo came to.