Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 248: Possibilities

Near A University, in a certain café by the window, Zhong Chengshuo was sitting there blankly.

He had planned to finish his paper by 5 p.m. and go on a date with Yin Ren nearby. However, before 4 p.m., he had already achieved his goal. Faced with this unexpected situation, Zhong Chengshuo felt a bit lost—Yin Ren was currently busy checking on Sun Qi’an’s condition and definitely didn’t have time to chat with him.

Surrounded by chattering customers, Zhong Chengshuo deeply experienced the feeling of “boredom”.

Outside the window, a scoop of ice cream fell onto the pavement, and a group of ants systematically explored the treasure. Zhong Chengshuo obediently leaned on the table, fixating his dark eyes on the ants.

The army of ants made its journey smoothly, except for a minor incident—soon after, a fly leisurely landed on the ice cream cone.

Zhong Chengshuo frowned.

The elder of the Zhong family had taught him that “life is precious”, but Zhong Chengshuo didn’t particularly like flies and mosquitoes that spread diseases. He extended his hand, and the tips of his five fingers lightly touched the glass as darkness surged within his pupils.

Fear dominated.

The fly kicked its legs, and its body rolled off the ice cream cone.

Zhong Chengshuo withdrew his hand and took a sip of juice. Recently, he had become more skilled in using his abilities. Shian had specifically calculated it; with his current power and the help of the Karma Lantern, he could destroy Haigu within two minutes. Under excessive fear, everyone would choose to end their own lives at the first opportunity.

Zhong Chengshuo had no thoughts on the matter.

He had no special liking or disliking towards humans, especially since Yin Ren had a special preference for humans—to the point of harboring the power of corruption while tirelessly protecting them.

He didn’t want to oppose his lover.

Furthermore, using emotions to drive people to self-destruction, Qi Xin, as “Sorrow”, could do that too. But Qi Xin couldn’t force flies and mosquitoes to death, nor could she help exterminate cockroaches in the neighborhood. For lower-level creatures, the most primal “Fear” was effective.

Thinking of this, Zhong Chengshuo’s blank expression became smug without showing it. He carefully savored and tasted this emotion, then glanced at the time—there was still half an hour before Yin Ren arrived.

The flow of time had undoubtedly slowed down, Zhong Chengshuo solemnly judged.

In the next moment, accompanied by screeching brakes, a heavy wave of fear erupted nearby.

Zhong Chengshuo looked out of the window and happened to see the scene of an accident. A dirty stray dog had been hit by a car and was lying on the roadside, bleeding. The driver confirmed that it wasn’t a pet and drove away without hesitation.

The little dog lay quietly on the roadside, and the deep red blood spread slowly on the ground. The viscous blood covered its dirty and matted fur, and the trembling body in the center of the bloodstain wouldn’t stop.

A few passersby stopped to look for a while and then walked away. The stray dog’s bones were broken, and its organs were exposed. No professional knowledge of zoology was needed to know that its life was coming to an end.

The smell of fear grew stronger.

Zhong Chengshuo stared at the puddle of blood for a moment. A few seconds later, he closed his laptop and stood up.

……

The stray dog lay motionless on the roadside.

It wanted to move, but its emaciated body wouldn’t respond at all. Everything became unfamiliar and cold. Besides panting and trembling, it couldn’t do anything. Intense pain exploded within its body, and countless monstrous creatures swept past it. It had never been so terrified before.

Suddenly, a massive shadow stopped beside it. The newcomer carried a refreshing scent of vegetation, completely devoid of the stench of sweat.

Human? …There seemed to be something not quite right, but it didn’t have the strength to distinguish. Anyway, humans weren’t good creatures. In its terror, the stray dog bared its teeth and let out a weak growl.

The person bent down.

The stray dog could feel the person’s gaze, as well as the slight movement of the shadow and the scent—it wanted to bite him with all its might the moment he touched it.

“Whether it’s humans or other creatures, their reactions are similar when they’re dying,” the person said.

The stray dog trembled even more.

“I’ve encountered someone who looks a lot like you before. Like you, I didn’t know his name… He was my enemy, abandoned by his comrades, destined to die.”

The voice continued steadily.

“That was the first time I used this ability for something else.”

With these words, a hand gently landed on the stray dog’s head.

“…This time, I’ll do better.”

It should bite him hard, the stray dog struggled to turn its thoughts. Strangely, it seemed to have suddenly forgotten the reason for attacking.

The intense pain remained, the coldness remained, and the smell of blood was everywhere, as if nothing had changed. But the despair and fear disappeared without a trace, leaving only a gentle calmness.

Perhaps this was the safety and tranquility that it had never experienced in its entire life.

Its vision gradually faded, but its body no longer trembled. The hand on its forehead was incredibly warm. With great effort, the stray dog pondered for a moment, mustered its last bit of strength, and slowly closed its eyes.

“Good night,” the human softly said.

……

Zhong Chengshuo packed up the remaining food, bought a paper box and cloth from the café, and cleaned up the stray dog’s body. The cloth covered the blood-soaked body, and it lay peacefully as if sleeping. Zhong Chengshuo placed the paper box in the cleanest corner of the trash bin, and after a moment of contemplation, he took out a small cake and gently placed it next to the body.

At this moment, Zhong Chengshuo was very certain of two things.

First, Yin Ren was surprisingly softhearted and definitely wouldn’t mind one missing piece of cake. Second… he indeed preferred using his power like this rather than destroying the world.

Just like Yin Ren.

It was now 4:53 p.m., and he couldn’t be late for his date.

“Goodbye,” Zhong Chengshuo bid farewell to the small body.

On the other side, at Haigu Municipal Hospital.

“Well, there’s no problem. But if you experience any abnormal emotions, be sure to contact us immediately.”

Yin Ren stood up from the couch and stretched lazily.

“Love’s” seal in Sun Qi’an’s brain was still stable. However, better to be safe than sorry, Yin Ren would still give Dr. Sun a monthly check-up.

“What do you mean by abnormal emotions?” Sun Qi’an neatly combed her hair.

“You’ll feel it yourself more quickly.” Yin Ren extended his index finger and tapped Sun Qi’an’s brow.

He released the power of “Love” into Sun Qi’an’s brain, which lasted for about five seconds. Within those five seconds, Dr. Sun’s eyes went from confusion to madness, and then back to confusion. After removing his finger, her gaze was filled with shock.

“That’s probably how it feels.” Yin Ren coughed twice in a seemingly serious manner.

“It’s really scary.”

“Isn’t it?”

“It’s terrifying. It’s supposed to be a strong love… but I always feel like I want to destroy something, and my mind can’t function properly.” Dr. Sun rubbed her temples in pain.

“I totally understand. You must remember this feeling.” Thinking about his own history of being affected, Yin Ren’s eyes almost teared up. Even after all this time, Zhong Chengshuo’s voice recordings related to Innocent Thoughts still remained.

Despite wearing an innocent face, that kid was quite frightening in certain aspects.

Dr. Sun’s face turned pale as she sat on the couch, poured herself half a cup of tea, and finally caught her breath. “Have you also experienced these things? Without going crazy?”

“… ” Yin Ren shifted his gaze to the corner of the wall, feeling guilty.

Fortunately, Dr. Sun didn’t think too much about it and drank another half cup of tea, still trembling slightly. “No wonder you’re a master in Shian. If someone as skilled as you went crazy, the level of destruction would be outrageous. Does Shian have any special countermeasures?”

Yin Ren’s expression froze for a moment.

At present, he and Zhong Chengshuo could be considered Shian’s “countermeasures”, but there weren’t any before. At that time, Shian was only entangled with Sunken Society, and their research on the Other Side had been at a standstill. If…

If on that rainy night, he hadn’t met Zhong Chengshuo.

He wouldn’t have joined Shian so quickly, and it would have been impossible for fate to push him forward. In that state of ignorance, once the Elementals discovered him, he wouldn’t have been able to resist. A lone person, manipulated by emotions, would become a weapon for Sunken Society… No, the Other Side.

Shian would be caught off guard and combined with Zhong Chengshuo, who couldn’t delve deeper into the research on the Other Side, they would absolutely have no ability to resist.

“Haha.” Yin Ren suddenly burst into laughter.

Dr. Sun poured herself another cup of tea. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.” Yin Ren rubbed his face.

It was just that he realized he had almost become the world-destroying Demon King.

Humming a tune, the Great Demon King left and casually bought a bouquet of flowers from a nearby shop.

Sunlight poured through the glass into the flower shop, and the vibrant colors overflowed with vitality, making one’s eyes sore. The colorful bouquet was wrapped in colorful wrapping paper, with water droplets rolling on the petals. Unfortunately, this delicate atmosphere was soon destroyed—

Yin Ren had the stewed rice box prepared by Zhong elders in his hand, as well as the brand of sandwiches that Zhong Chengshuo liked. The bouquet was squeezed in between a few bags, looking particularly pitiful.

“Hello? I understand, Mom, it’s alright, I’ll deliver it soon… Yes, yes, we’ll eat together.” Yin Ren floated in the sky, having a serious conversation. “I remember. I’ll definitely bring back the lunch box.”

After finishing the call, he turned into a trail of shadows and disappeared into the air.

It was 5:57 p.m.

Yin Ren landed silently and immediately saw Zhong Chengshuo in front of the café. He had a laptop bag in his left hand and a pastry in his right hand with eyes filled with clear anticipation.

As the sun set, there was a bustling crowd around Zhong Chengshuo. People passed by him, heading in different directions. Zhong Chengshuo stood among the crowd, and that sense of detachment had disappeared without him noticing.

He looked like one among the countless beings.

Yin Ren stepped out of the alley, unable to hide the smile on his face. He stopped by Zhong Chengshuo’s side and sniffed lightly. “You smell like blood.”

“Mm…” Zhong Chengshuo began to carefully organize his words.

“But it’s ‘good blood.'” Yin Ren couldn’t help but free one hand and ruffle the other’s soft hair. “Although I don’t know what you did, you did a good job. Let me praise you first.”

“Really?”

“I’ll make it up tenfold if I’m lying.” Yin Ren shook the lunch box. “Our parents made something special for us again. Let’s have dinner first and talk while eating.”

Zhong Chengshuo skillfully extended his hand and pulled out the bouquet from a pile of plastic bags. He held the flowers against his chest and a smile appeared on his lips.

“Okay.” Zhong Chengshuo took two steps forward, leaning close to Yin Ren.

“Don’t get so close. You might crush the sandwiches—”

“I like it crushed.”

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The author has something to say:

World destroying Demon King A + Demon King B, it’s so great that they’re getting along peacefully! (×

There’s only one more chapter for the extras, and it will be completed in the next few days! Thank you all for waiting so patiently—

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