Chapter 495 The Answer to the Question

Chapter 495: The Answer to the Question

A farcical game was drawing to a close. Su Bai gave a nod to each of them: Lian Xiangyu, Shen Donger, and Feng Ling. His gaze lingered on Lian Xiangyu and Shen Donger for only a brief moment. For those two, he was probably just a temporary fellow traveler in the Nightmare World, who wouldn't leave behind any deep bonds—they wouldn't even need to swap numbers. As for Feng Ling, stationed there year-round and almost integrated with the Nightmare World, it seemed their connection could only be maintained through chance reunions, with no reliable means of contact; they'd just have to see if fate brought them together again.

When Su Bai opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the lounge of the Mist Shop. The familiar light filled the space around him. Everything here was as tranquil as ever, as if the game had never happened. He took a deep breath, and in the moment of relaxation, a long-suppressed weariness surged from every limb. But he steadied himself almost immediately.

Su Bai pushed open one after another slightly ajar door and stepped into the shop, his gaze directed toward the counter.

There, Xiao Wu, who had been "asleep" for who knows how long, was perched quietly on the counter. The small, previously "sleeping" Thread-Wrapped Doll had transformed back into the form of a little boy. His still, dark red eyes were fixed motionlessly on Su Bai.

"So, what exactly is their goal?" Su Bai stared at Xiao Wu, his voice low and clear. No need for pleasantries or pretense; he threw the question out directly.

He didn't need to ask if "Xiao Wu" was actually Wu Hang. He didn't need to ask if Wu Hang was the Ghost Witch. He didn't need to ask in how many forms Wu Hang, or the Ghost Witch, had appeared by his side. He didn't even need to confirm how many faces this enigmatic existence had worn in his life.

Too many past doubts intertwined in his mind, but now he understood it all perfectly—everything was tacitly understood, no words were necessary.

No need to waste time on such obvious answers, only to add awkwardness.

Xiao Wu's face took on a complicated look, the childish features and troubled eyes creating an unnatural contrast. Then, he slowly spoke: 「Su Xuan advised that the less you know, the better.」

When appearing in the form of "Xiao Wu," you could clearly see the expressions on his face. But thinking back carefully, Su Bai had seen many of Wu Hang's "incarnations," yet he still hadn't seen his true form.

Moreover, when he first met "Xiao Wu," the boy often fell into "slumber," occasionally mentioning that the "Lord Ghost Witch" was very busy and dealing with troublesome matters. Any time Su Bai pressed further, the answers were always vague and evasive, making it all seem unreal.

Now it seemed Xiao Wu's slumber was clearly not due to a lack of power, as he had claimed, but because whoever was piloting the Thread-Wrapped Doll shell was too busy to be seen.

Ultimately, the Thread-Wrapped Doll was also a type of puppet, a vessel skillfully controlled by the mysterious puppeteer called the "Ghost Witch."

"Su Xuan advised?" Su Bai narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow slightly with a half-smile. "Could it be that the one who signed the marriage contract with the Lord Ghost Witch wasn't me, but my brother?"

He knew just how to crack the other's defenses.

「...」Xiao Wu, or rather, Wu Hang incarnated as the Thread-Wrapped Doll, finally nodded in compromise. 「Actually, the answer to this question is already hidden within the city Su Xuan created.」

This answer plunged Su Bai into brief contemplation. His mind conjured the false Honghuai City personally constructed by Su Xuan—where hidden existences lurked within an ordinary campus, conducting mysterious experiments.

Those imprisoned "students," like trapped beasts, seemed to mirror Su Xuan's own kin—the Mermaid Remnants. Shackled within concrete confines, their spirits were shattered and fragmented.

Su Xuan had said many times he wanted no part in the affairs of the Mermaid Remnants. After all, his true family had perished in the civilization's collapse, and like other remnants, they fell into mental and spiritual breakdown after the disaster, choosing death in a frenzy of self-destruction. Only Su Xuan remained, having shed his mermaid form to exist as a ghost.

Yet, even though the Mermaid Remnants were mostly insane, mentally broken beings who couldn't distinguish friend from foe, a sliver of longing might still linger in Su Xuan's heart.

Therefore, in the world Su Xuan created, the entities that tormented the "students" and experimental subjects had transformed into ugly fish-men with limbs, forced to crawl on the ground within the school. Deprived of water, these fish-men could only writhe, struggle, and wail on the floor...

Such imagery was indeed somewhat unforgettable for Su Bai.

「The existence of the Red Moon is unique to that world,」Xiao Wu spoke slowly, a faint ripple seeming to stir in his dark red eyes. 「For most Eerie Entities in that world, if they are fish, then the Red Moon is the most vital source of water. If they lose that water source, the fish will die. If they lose the power of the Red Moon, those Eerie Entities would wither and perish, much like fish deprived of water.」

Hearing this, Su Bai's heart sank.

Xiao Wu's dark red eyes fixed on Su Bai as he continued in a deep tone: 「Have you ever considered... that the red moon itself... might one day disappear?」