Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 148

A gentle breeze carried a faint fragrance across his cheeks, making the peach blossoms appear even more vivid.

Yet the endless sea of pink brought no trace of delight. It was laden with killing intent, ushering in only death and fear.

Wu Ren realized he had fallen into a trap.

In truth, from the very start of their meal and conversation, there had been plenty of slip-ups in Wu Nianrou’s words. He hadn’t failed to notice them.

But Wu Nianrou was the younger sister who had taken care of him for over a decade.

Every suspicion vanished the instant he recognized that the person at his side was Wu Nianrou.

All lines of logical reasoning collapsed in the face of sentiment.

Hence, Wu Ren threw caution to the wind and came here.

All along, Wu Ren’s greatest wish was to regain his sight.

He hoped not just to be the one taken care of by his younger sister, but to look after her in return.

His recent impatience to advance further stemmed from the fact that his sister was about to marry. He wanted to witness the wedding himself, to hold her hand and entrust her to the groom.

No matter what, the first person Wu Ren longed to see once his eyesight returned was undoubtedly Wu Nianrou.

But he never expected that his wish could be fulfilled without meeting any god in the game—

Nor did he expect he would see “her” face under such circumstances.

His mother, with whom he had barely spent any time, bore the surname Ke.

It was only upon recalling this that Wu Ren finally understood.

But why would Ke Yuxiao disguise himself as Wu Nianrou?

Why was “Wu Nianrou” so drastically different when appearing alongside Qi Liuxing from the sister Wu Ren knew?

Just as the key point dawned on him, a vast wave of fear and alarm surged in Wu Ren’s expression. He hastily raised his wrist, hoping to message Zhou Qian.

“I didn’t come to kill you. I came to save you.”

“I won’t abandon my king.”

“This is the moment you can make use of me. You must seize the opportunity.”

……

Zhou Qian’s every word rang clear in his mind.

In that instant, Wu Ren’s ears buzzed, his heart pounding so fast it felt near bursting.

All he wanted was to send a message to Zhou Qian without delay.

Yet just then, the ground gave a violent tremor. In the distance, branches of the peach trees stretched madly in all directions. In the blink of an eye, several thick limbs lashed out, binding Wu Ren’s arms and legs so tightly that he couldn’t send even a single character.

“You…”

Raising his head, Wu Ren cast an indecipherably complex look at the “little sister” before him.

It had happened so abruptly: all trust smashed to pieces, all understanding abruptly overturned…

For a moment, Wu Ren found himself speechless.

Then he noticed that his “little sister’s” own gaze was likewise full of conflict. Tears streamed down her face, brimming with the purest grief.

Seeing this, even more astonishment welled up within Wu Ren’s fear-filled heart—

The person in front of him truly did regard him as her brother.

Yes. The one who had lived by his side day and night was indeed the person standing here now.

But he… in the end…

Fixing her eyes on Wu Ren, Wu Nianrou wiped away her tears and spoke. “Big Brother, you want to contact that Zhou Qian, don’t you? I’m the one who’s been with you for more than ten years. Why would you betray me over an outsider? Don’t reveal my secret to him, alright?”

Wu Ren could no longer hold back. He asked, “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on…”

Step by step, Wu Nianrou came closer, her eyes filled with utter despair. “I’d like to know that, too. Why… can’t I fully govern my own body?”

“Big Brother, I really… worry about you so much.”

……

When Ke Yuxiao was six years old, he learned that he would soon meet his eight-year-old older brother.

Anxious for a long time, he created a personality who identified as female, named Wu Nianrou.

At that time, his mother, Ke Mengyun, lay in the ICU, still connected to a ventilator.

She was being looked after by her cousin, who was also the one who had contacted the Wu family before.

Ke Yuxiao sought out this cousin and portrayed the situation as dire: if “the other side” discovered he was actually a boy, they would not give him any money.

The Wu family heavily favored sons over daughters and imposed many restrictions on its daughters-in-law—like not even letting them eat at the same table. It was precisely these constraints that had driven Ke Mengyun to divorce.

Her cousin was well aware of this, so at first, she was skeptical: the child was only six—how could he grasp all that?

But she didn’t dare to be careless. She herself had no means to raise such a large sum of money. If they took a wrong step, there truly might be no way to secure the funds to save her cousin’s life.

Thus, the cousin tentatively reached out to the Wu family. From Wu Ren’s father, she learned he really believed he had an as-yet-unseen “daughter”.

This left the cousin—despite her confusion—with little choice but partial belief. She even went so far as to buy little dresses and a wig for Ke Yuxiao. On the day he met his father and brother, she dressed him up as a little girl for real.

When she accompanied Ke Yuxiao to meet Wu Ren and his father, neither one noticed a thing; in fact, they seemed quite fond of this “daughter”. From then on, the cousin dared not say a word.

Of course, she had no idea that the one meeting the father and son that day wasn’t “Ke Yuxiao” as he usually was. Fully aware of his ill-temper and somber disposition, he had specifically allowed the Wu Nianrou personality to handle the meeting.

After that first introduction, Wu Ren and his father met with the cousin and Ke Yuxiao a few more times. Sure enough, the Wu family did provide money.

Throughout this process, the cousin never dared mention anything, merely waiting for Ke Mengyun to wake up so they could discuss it together.

Some time later, Ke Mengyun regained consciousness, recovered, and was discharged from the hospital.

Her cousin told her the entire story, asking if they really needed to keep it under wraps.

Ke Mengyun, finding it very suspicious, called Ke Yuxiao in for a serious talk.

Back then, she had ended her marriage by lying about everything and had not contacted the Wu family in all those years, so naturally, she had never disclosed the truth. Of course, there was also the fear that if the Wu family discovered she had given birth to a healthy boy rather than a girl, they might seize custody of him.

For these reasons, she had never come clean.

But then… what was going on with Ke Yuxiao?

How could a normal six-year-old conceive the idea of dressing up as a girl to fool the grown-ups? What was he thinking?

During their talk, Ke Yuxiao worried his mother would assume he was mentally ill and feared she might inform the Wu family, which would in turn make Wu Ren’s father and brother see him as mentally ill as well—and then they would abandon him. So he never told her that a separate personality dwelled inside him.

All he said was, “Mom, I just felt sorry for how hard things are for you. We both have it tough. Acknowledging them might get us some money, so what’s the harm?”

Even later, the cousin tried persuading Ke Mengyun. “They think he’s a girl, so the Wu family won’t truly accept him. You promised Grandma Wu that ‘her granddaughter’ would come visit regularly, and you can use the chance to get more support money. That’s fine, right? But if they find out Xiao Xiao is a boy, won’t they just take him back with them?”

In the end, Ke Mengyun was persuaded.

Essentially, it was Wu Ren’s grandmother who suggested having this “granddaughter” come home.

Probably only she still remembered that there was a granddaughter, and she felt genuine concern for her.

In earlier days, compelled by the Wu family’s rigid conventions, she’d agreed to the divorce. But she never dreamed Ke Mengyun would make a clean break so permanent that she would never let the grandmother see her granddaughter again.

Her health was failing and it seemed unlikely she would live much longer. Under such conditions, wanting a final few visits with her granddaughter was hardly unexpected.

At this point, her only wish was to see Ke Yuxiao—she had no intention of taking him by force. But if the entire Wu family later discovered the granddaughter was actually a grandson, they might have had a different plan.

In some respects, the child Ke Yuxiao seemed extraordinarily precocious.

But after all, he was only six, and his understanding was limited.

Through these events, Ke Mengyun discovered her son’s vanity. Yet her vain little boy didn’t appear to realize that if he claimed his rightful identity as a boy, it might actually have been even easier to get what he wanted.

Of course, this was not an outcome Ke Mengyun wished for.

Hence, she didn’t push the matter further.

The Wu family’s money had saved her life, and the relationship had begun to thaw. She also kept her elder son, Wu Ren, in mind and often visited him. Yet she never again met with any other Wu relatives, nor spoke a word about how Ke Yuxiao was really a boy.

Several more years passed. Owing to work, Ke Mengyun had to relocate abroad for an extended period.

Ke Yuxiao refused to go. Seeing how kind Wu Ren was to him, and unable to force her child to leave with her, she temporarily agreed to his staying.

From then on, she returned to the country once or twice a year.

During that time, Ke Yuxiao stayed with Wu Ren.

He disliked living in the Wu family’s main residence, and Wu Ren, worried he would be bullied there, eventually moved with him to an apartment downtown.

No one knew that every time he was around Wu Ren, Ke Yuxiao would deliberately awaken the Wu Nianrou personality.

Assured that Wu Nianrou’s temperament was indeed kind and gentle, Ke Yuxiao spent most of Wu Nianrou’s time with Wu Ren in slumber.

He knew his mother thought him vain and only using the Wu family for financial support—

But only he understood that if he fell asleep, another person would tend to Wu Ren as a caring sister, and in exchange he received his brother’s devoted care. It was an extraordinarily good deal.

All he had to worry about was whether his body might produce other personalities, or whether at some point, when Wu Nianrou was in charge, she might suddenly fall asleep, and he would wake up in her place—how would he handle that?

In those moments, he would despise the wig and dresses he was forced to wear and loathe everyone’s misconception that he was female.

But at the same time, he enjoyed Wu Ren’s devotion and had no choice but to continue posing as Wu Nianrou. Unlike her, he couldn’t mimic a woman’s voice, so he simply refrained from speaking.

Unaware of the truth, Wu Ren assumed every time that his sister was upset with him.

When he was little, Ke Yuxiao used the Wu Nianrou personality to charm people and get money, all to avoid being discarded onto the streets.

As he got older, if anyone bullied him, Wu Ren—though blind—had a knack for diplomacy and could always resolve the trouble.

Or for ordinary daily tasks, as long as the main personality didn’t emerge, that was actually advantageous. Ke Yuxiao himself struggled in social settings, while Wu Nianrou, with her gentle nature and feminine demeanor, never argued with others, and thus dealt with many things more smoothly.

In time, Ke Yuxiao himself wasn’t sure whether he’d gotten used to this life or become addicted, but he never changed, nor did he reduce the amount of time Wu Nianrou occupied the body.

By these peculiar means, he kept his secret safe right up until now.

After discovering that Zhou Qian was drawing Wu Ren to his side—while Wu Ren’s companion, Ke Yuxiao, belonged to the Peach Blossom Legion—Priest set in motion a plan to make use of Wu Nianrou, in addition to orchestrating the Qi Liuxing scheme.

But unlike the Qi Liuxing situation (where Ke Yuxiao could easily create a new personality to pose convincingly as a novice player leveling up from scratch), by the time Priest hoped to exploit Wu Nianrou, there was no longer time.

She was still far from reaching S-rank. They couldn’t wait for her to become an S-rank player before showing up in Blue Harbor City to see Wu Ren. With no other option, Ke Yuxiao took a gamble and had her confess everything to Wu Ren in real life, trying to lure him to their headquarters.

Her story was riddled with obvious holes—like how she had “luckily” encountered a high-level player who helped her power-level.

Fortunately, Wu Ren trusted her without question and indeed headed straight to this place.

The Peach Blossom Legion’s headquarters was inside the semi-open Instance No. 3.

Under Xie Huai’s might, it grew stronger day by day, and Xie Huaying stood guard there.

Wu Ren, a mere ordinary S-rank player arriving alone, had no chance of escaping.

In truth, as soon as Wu Nianrou told Wu Ren she was getting married, this entire trap had already begun.

The night before that day, Ke Yuxiao’s body lay in bed, eyes closed.

In his mental landscape, he met with Wu Nianrou.

Wu Nianrou, somewhat curious, walked through a sea of radiant flowers.

At the center stood Ke Yuxiao, with row upon row of little houses behind him, each harboring a different personality. Some were familiar to Wu Nianrou, and others she’d never met.

“It’s getting more and more beautiful here… Is it because of that game? Ever since you became a god-level player, your spiritual power has soared, so your mental world is this lovely?” Wu Nianrou asked.

“Yes. And there’s something else I need to tell you—I’m going to die,” Ke Yuxiao replied.

At first, Wu Nianrou just looked puzzled.

Once it dawned on her, she panicked. “What do you mean? Are you talking about you, the main personality… or about the body?”

“Of course I mean this body. I’ll die along with it. By then, all of you will perish as well,” Ke Yuxiao said.

“I don’t understand…” Wu Nianrou found it incomprehensible.

“I didn’t understand at first, either,” Ke Yuxiao said. “I’m terrified of death. If I weren’t… I wouldn’t have created so many personalities to handle all sorts of things for me.

But the Peach Blossom Legion changed me, and Master changed me… He showed me a completely different world. I’m willing to die for his grand vision.”

At that moment, Ke Yuxiao recalled something he once told Priest:

“My dear Priest, I truly admire you. I’m willing to be the finest chess piece at your disposal.”

Sometime later, Priest, as if formulating a new strategy, sought him out. With a cryptic expression, the Priest asked,

“I remember you said you’d comply with any command of mine. So if… I were to order you to die?”

……

Snapping out of the memory, Ke Yuxiao gave Wu Nianrou a satisfied smile.

“When I first heard him say that, I was scared too. After all, I couldn’t fully trust him. But once I truly grasped the magnitude of their ambitions, I was willing.”

“Why fear death? When you face it willingly, it stops being so frightening. Darkness must descend on this world as soon as possible.”

“I don’t understand you…” Wu Nianrou’s eyes grew round.

“I don’t need you to,” Ke Yuxiao said. “I’m only informing you. If I die, you die, too… Ah, such a pity—without us, who will look after Wu Ren? He’s blind, isn’t he.”

“And I do care about him. Because he’s also my brother.”

“Nianrou, let all of us die together.”

……

Back in Semi-Open Instance No. 3.

Wu Nianrou advanced toward Wu Ren. “Big Brother, can you imagine how terrified I was… how distressed? When I believed myself truly a girl, I discovered my body was male.”

“When I thought I was just like all of you, I found out I was a fraud. I’d never truly belong to myself. I’ve always been just a tool, controlled by others…”

“And yet there’s always been one thought in me: I must look after you, treat you well. Because that notion exists in this body, I was born into this world. I suppose I should thank you for that.”

“Big Brother, I really can’t bear to lose you. I was still hesitating. But as his first creation, I can sense many things. Lately, he… killed him. So… he’ll definitely kill me, too…”

Wu Ren quickly interrupted her. “Hold on. Who did he kill? Are you saying you have other personalities in your body? You’ve got multiple personalities, right? That’s how Ke Yuxiao hid his identity in Flower of Evil?”

“Nianrou, don’t do anything hasty. You might be brainwashed. If you tell me the truth, I can help you!”

“I’m not brainwashed, Big Brother. I’ve thought it over carefully. I see no hope… I’ll never truly live. And Ke Yuxiao is only using you. I can’t let that happen. If I’m gone, who’ll take care of you? I have no choice but to make you die first.”

“Brother, don’t be afraid. You go on ahead. I’ll follow soon.”

Wu Nianrou lifted a blade and aimed it at Wu Ren’s chest.

“It’s not me who’s brainwashed, it’s you.”

“Brother, no god has ever existed in this world. The gods abandoned this land long ago, disappointed by humankind. There’s no one who can restore your eyesight. Everything Shao Chuan is doing is in vain. All your so-called companions—futile. I don’t want you to suffer anymore.”

“Don’t be scared of the pain. I’ll make it quick.”

A flash of steel, then a sudden spray of blood.

Droplets of crimson spattered onto the ground, soaking into the roots of the peach trees.

Perhaps it was only her imagination, but Wu Nianrou felt the peach grove looked even more luridly bright—

The color of her brother’s blood, she thought in a daze.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and Wu Nianrou turned to see Xie Huaying.

“I’m someone who usually saves people,” Xie Huaying said with a sigh. “I rarely kill.”

Wu Nianrou’s gaze went blank. “Then… when do you plan on killing me?”

Before Xie Huaying could answer, Wu Nianrou lost consciousness—

Because the primary personality, Ke Yuxiao, had retaken control of the body.

He stretched lazily and looked at Xie Huaying.

Seeing the surprise in her eyes, he said, “She’s exhausted. Let her rest.”

Blinking twice, Xie Huaying tilted her head before letting out a sigh. “I’m not one to get hung up on life or death, yet somehow seeing what you’re going through leaves me sighing with regret.”

Ke Yuxiao only asked, “So the agreement between Priest and me—does it stand?”

“Of course. Even if you don’t trust us, you can trust the prop,” Xie Huaying replied. “If the worst should happen, I’ll resurrect you.”

……

Blue Harbor City 2301.

Inside an apartment in Building No. 7.

When a husband came home, he was welcomed by candlelight filling the room, along with the bright smiles of his wife and daughter.

Seeing the cake on the dining table, he laughed. “I completely forgot it was my birthday!”

He walked over and gave his wife a kiss, then scooped up his daughter and spun her around once before setting her down again.

His wife returned his kiss on the cheek and, taking their daughter by the hand, headed into the bedroom. “We’re going to get your present. You can guess what it is—if you guess right, send me a message. Otherwise, we’re not coming out!”

The husband quickly picked up his phone and typed a text: “I can see you haven’t actually gone in yet, so I’ve already figured it out.”

“Wrong answer. Looks like you’re not getting it easily,” his wife teased him playfully. By then, she and their daughter had gone inside and shut the door.

Over the next six messages, each reply came back as “wrong”.

From the seventh onward, there was no response at all.

He assumed his wife might have taken the game to another level or was just making him wait, so he didn’t think much of it.

Only after sending message after message, taking a shower, and still getting no response—nor seeing his wife emerge—did he begin to panic.

He rushed to unlock the bedroom door with his fingerprint, only to find an empty room.

—His wife and daughter had vanished into thin air.

Moments later, the room vanished too. The entire apartment vanished, leaving the man standing alone in a patch of wasteland.

He felt utterly bewildered, unable to explain why he was out there.

Wife, daughter…

These words flickered in his mind, but soon he found he could no longer recall them, as if he had never been married in the first place.

……

Meanwhile, over in Building No. 8…

A tall, striking man was walking toward the apartment building with a woman in his arms, the two of them very close.

Just before reaching the entrance, the woman hurriedly pushed him away. “No, Luo Yu. I-I’m scared he’ll see. We can’t let him find out about us yet.”

“Alright.” Luo Yu released her waist willingly and blew her a playful kiss. “Go on in. I’ll see you next time.”

“You… You’re wonderful. You’re the nicest man I’ve ever met,” the woman said, blushing, and made her way inside. Yet before reaching her own unit, her face turned pale as she let out a shrill scream—

A pool of blood was seeping out from under the door!

“A’Hua! Are you in there, A’Hua!” Calling her husband’s name in horror, she pressed her finger to the lock and opened the door. The moment it swung wide, something struck the back of her head. She collapsed into unconsciousness.

By then, danger was spreading throughout the city.

At that moment, Zhou Qian’s group exited the instance and returned to Blue Harbor City.

Sensing how drastically the surrounding buildings had changed, Zhou Qian turned and saw Bai Zhou’s tense expression.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Qian asked.

Bai Zhou looked at him and answered, “I just got a system alert: Blue Harbor City has suffered an ‘unknown collapse’, and the system will compensate me financially.”

“Unknown collapse?” Zhou Qian frowned. “What do you mean?”

Bai Zhou said, “Our houses have disappeared.”

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The author has something to say:

Qian Ge: Damn, the wedding apartment’s gone.

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