Chapter 162 The Troublemaker

Chapter 162: The Unexpected Intervener

When the mutilated remains lying in the ruins within the painting were transformed by Qing Lan and Su Bai into a cherished friend sleeping soundly amidst flowers, Qing Lan's tears, flowing through Su Bai's eyes, became an unstoppable torrent.

Su Bai and Qing Lan, who was borrowing his body, sat quietly on the rocks of the ruins. Their faces remained expressionless, yet the tears simply would not cease.

Su Bai couldn't recall how long he and Qing Lan had sat under the red moon that day. He only remembered that eventually, he could no longer distinguish whether it was Qing Lan, grieving the loss of her dear friend, who was crying, or himself, who had never shed a tear no matter how desperate or lost he felt after entering the nightmare world.

Looking back now, Su Bai then was merely an ordinary student, broken and numb after enduring various upheavals—not the "Bystander" or "Onlooker" he would become ten years later, nor even capable of properly utilizing the abilities of the "Evil Ghost Puzzle." His tranquility at that time stemmed from numbness, from confusion, and from the painful realization that no matter how much he suffered, there was no one to confide in—no friends, no family, and no home.

Perhaps sensing Su Bai's inexpressible pain while inhabiting his body, Qing Lan remained silently by his side, offering a gentle companionship that transcended words.

Whether she was the Qing Lan who set aside her brush to fight, or the Qing Lan who abandoned battle to pick up her brush, she was always a profoundly gentle artist.

"Live on. Don't die."

It might have been from that moment onward that Su Bai began to feel that, beyond Qing Lan, the other spirits within the Evil Ghost Puzzle were also constantly by his side. They might have lingered within the "Evil Ghost Puzzle" due to various obsessions, much like Qing Lan, who yearned to continue painting, yet they all genuinely accompanied Su Bai, repeatedly urging him to survive.

Su Bai was the soul of the Evil Ghost Puzzle, and the puzzle itself was his very bones.

And now, in the abandoned warehouse on Fog City's Fourth Street, a figure with long black hair and a flowing dress silently materialized behind Su Bai. It was Qing Lan from the Evil Ghost Puzzle. As an anomaly within the puzzle, she differed significantly from ordinary ghosts; the most striking difference was that no one but Su Bai noticed her presence.

The Qing Lan who appeared behind Su Bai looked like nothing more than a tall, elegant, and graceful woman, yet faint blood-red patterns shimmered across her entire body, hinting at her unique nature as an anomaly.

"That child truly loves my paintings."

Although Qing Lan had always resided within the puzzle, because Su Bai frequently drew upon her power, she could occasionally glimpse events unfolding outside when she paused her painting to rest. For instance, Su Bai hanging her usual works on the white walls of the Mist Shop, or Qiu Lei sitting alone in the shop, lost in contemplation of her paintings, and even Qiu Lei's occasional exclamations of admiration while gazing at her art.

"I know," Su Bai nodded in response.

Qing Lan's gentleness differed from that of the ghost bride A Xi. A Xi's gentleness was utterly indiscernible from her appearance; indeed, no one apart from Su Bai could perceive any tenderness in A Xi. Qing Lan's gentleness, however, seemed etched deep into her very soul, ever-present like a soft breeze dispelling thick fog, always willing to aid those who genuinely appreciated her work.

Of course, should anyone pose a threat to Su Bai, Qing Lan's gentleness would transform into a sharp blade.

Thus, also in a place unseen by others, the blood-red patterns that had only been faintly visible on Su Bai's right hand had imperceptibly shifted to his legs. Even without ceasing to use Qing Lan's power, Su Bai could employ this method to restore normal movement to his legs, and even harness the power Qing Lan had beseeched from the red moon.

"What did you just say?" Tu Niu, who had been lost in thought nearby, vaguely heard Su Bai muttering something and immediately redirected his gun toward the grocery store owner in the wheelchair. "They're right; I've been too hesitant. If Boss Bai isn't willing to pay up, rather than wasting time here, I might as well deal with you and find another target. I heard there's a pair of seemingly wealthy young master and miss who've been strolling around Fifth Street lately, flaunting their affection. Those two might be better suited as 'fat sheep'."

Su Bai's hands were already braced on the wheelchair's armrests. Though he might feel unaccustomed to standing after such a long time, after all this delay, it was time to resolve the immediate trouble.

However, just as both Tu Niu and Su Bai were preparing to act, a familiar male voice emanated from the warehouse door, which hadn't been properly closed—

"I thought some art-loving collector had abducted the shop owner who was supposed to paint a portrait for me and my lover. Turns out it's just a clown who thinks being a player makes him superior, running around recklessly."

Without needing to turn around, Su Bai recognized the voice as that of the guest who was supposed to pick up the painting from the shop that day—the man from that wealthy couple, an outsider, who were exceptionally natural and sickeningly sweet when displaying their affection.

Before leaving the shop earlier, Su Bai had specifically wrapped up the completed portrait and left it there, asking the young man watching the store to hand it over to the guest when they came to pick it up.

But even Su Bai hadn't anticipated that the male player, preoccupied with his wedding among the people of Fog City, would personally come to the warehouse.

The male player named Feng Zhe pushed open the warehouse door and walked in, passing by Su Bai in his wheelchair and continuing forward until he positioned himself between Su Bai and Tu Niu's faction. Feng Zhe looked no different from a week ago, still clad in an expensive-looking suit that was useless in the nightmare world. His strength was unknown, but his demeanor was imposing.

"Who are you?" Tu Niu toyed with the weapon prop in his hand, completely unfazed by the sudden intrusion of a stranger into the warehouse.

"Brother Tu Niu, he's the guy we saw on Fifth Street, the one who's always wandering around with his female companion. Judging by his attire, he seems quite wealthy," a player beside Tu Niu whispered as a reminder.

"But he just said the word 'player,' didn't he?" Tu Niu narrowed his eyes at Feng Zhe. "So you're a player too?"

"Is that so strange? There are more players in this city than just you all, and those striving to disperse the fog aren't limited to you either. But if you choose this method to become 'heroes' yet remain hesitant and engage in petty skirmishes, what else are you but clowns?"

Feng Zhe, standing in front of Su Bai, lightly raised his right hand, and in the next second, a wine bottle on the table beside Tu Niu exploded as if struck by a bullet.

"What did you do?!" The players on Tu Niu's side were aghast, as they hadn't clearly seen what this suddenly appearing player had done.

Feng Zhe merely innocently spread his empty hands.

However, Su Bai, who had been shielded by Feng Zhe, could clearly see that when Feng Zhe moved his right hand earlier, a miniature wind blade had spun at his fingertips. Then, as Feng Zhe raised his hand, that small wind blade shot out, accurately hitting the wine bottle.

Feng Zhe wasn't just a player; he was a player who, like Feng Ling, had mastered a natural-type special ability. Even if his control over the ability was far inferior to Feng Ling's mastery of fire, it was more than enough to deal with ordinary players.

This was likely the reason he had come alone to the warehouse to help Su Bai.

"No wonder our subsequent plans couldn't be predicted successfully no matter what! So Mr. Jin had already foreseen that someone would stir up trouble!" Tu Niu seemed to have a sudden realization.

Though somewhat regretful at missing a chance to stretch his limbs, Su Bai, upon confirming that Feng Zhe's appearance was enough to turn the tide, withdrew his arms from the wheelchair's armrests, leaned back comfortably, and resumed his role as an "Onlooker."