The little black furry monster’s mouth opened and closed, and Bai Lixin could easily see the forest of white teeth hidden inside.
He listened absently, glanced at the God of Misfortune, and murmured his thoughts, “Seems like the genes of the God of Misfortune are stronger.”
“…” The fur all over the little black furry monster bristled. “Rude guy, are you even listening to me?! Besides, I’m not the only child. Though I resemble the God of Misfortune a bit, my two brothers resemble Dad Xiao Tou more!”
Bai Lixin’s hand supporting his chin froze, and he looked at the little black furry monster in confusion, “You have brothers?”
Something flashed through his mind, and he asked with some uncertainty, “Could it be those pair of black and white scarecrow monsters?”
The little black furry monster ground its back teeth, making a grating sound. “Is it polite to call others ‘monsters’?”
“It’s really them?” Bai Lixin was so shocked that he almost jumped off the sofa. “Um, sorry, how do they resemble Xiao Tou?”
‘How can you confidently say they resemble Xiao Tou with those blinding starry eyes of yours?’
Little black furry monster: “Quite a lot. Don’t you think they look very human-like? Eight feet tall, broad shoulders, slender waist, long hands, long legs—isn’t that a replica of Dad Xiao Tou?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘I think your eyes are for decoration.’
After the little black furry monster’s statement, Bai Lixin recalled something, “When the whistle suddenly sounded at the Fei residence, was it you?”
Little black furry monster: “Who else but me? If not for me, you would have been killed by those two a long time ago.”
Bai Lixin: “So you’ve been secretly helping me, not just this time. You’re quite a little cutie.”
The little monster’s arms suddenly trembled, and it fell silent.
“The three of you have quite different appearances,” Bai Lixin sighed.
In the end, the genes of the God of Misfortune occupied the genetic high ground.
The little black furry monster crossed its arms and said, “What’s the big deal? The nine sons of the dragon are all different. We just follow the natural course of growth. Hey, stop interrupting and let me finish.”
“After the hotel incident, Dad Xiao Tou began to darken. He sought revenge on the people at the Fei residence, starting with Fei Yino. Xiao Tou’s feelings for Fei Yino were complicated, and his hatred towards him was the strongest. When Xiao Tou first arrived at the Fei residence, Fei Yino was very friendly. He even promised to protect him in this home.”
“But when Xiao Tou finally couldn’t bear it and sought help from Fei Yino, he refused Xiao Tou’s plea and sharply warned him not to insult his father. Xiao Tou initially thought it was Fei Taizong pretending too well, so Fei Yino didn’t believe. He intended to let Fei Yino see the true face of Fei Taizong. So, one night of the usual routine, Xiao Tou asked Fei Yino to secretly come to his room.”
“Fei Yino did go, but he had no reaction after seeing it. Xiao Tou then realized that Fei Yino had known about his father’s true nature for a long time. But that was still his father and his support for his future career. Considering the pros and cons, Xiao Tou could only be sacrificed. Xiao Tou’s most foolish fantasy was trying to seek help from wolf cubs in a wolf’s den.”
“Fei Yino knew everything but pretended to know nothing. He watched Xiao Tou exchange his body for the prosperity of the Fei family. Enjoying the glory brought by Xiao Tou, letting Fei Taizong do all the bad things while portraying himself as a saint standing in the sunlight, insulting Xiao Tou’s character from a moral high ground.”
“He was more detestable than the heartless Fei Taizong. Fei Taizong was thoroughly wicked, but he was hypocritically nauseating, reaping all the benefits while fantasizing about being the clean lotus emerging from the mud.”
“After returning, Xiao Tou spent half a year seducing him, making him completely fall in love with himself. At the final moment, when he couldn’t resist anymore, Xiao Tou closed the net, ensuring he would forever live in the pain and despair that never ended. This was Xiao Tou’s revenge on him. The more he wanted to transcend the world, the more Xiao Tou wanted to keep him in the mud.”
“At the same time, his revenge targets included those who had once hurt him. Under the pretext of hosting a banquet, he gathered those people again, and that night was an incredibly satisfying one. All the sins eventually turned into streams of blood, vanishing into the earth.”
“During this time, my two brothers and I were born successively. Because the power of the contract was in effect, sometimes Dad Misfortune couldn’t refuse the wishes of the summoner. During that time, he lent his power to the summoner and helped them do a lot of bad things.”
“Perhaps due to the summoner’s great ambitions, or maybe because he was too weak to control such powerful forces, everyone suddenly suffered a backlash.”
“Then several things happened.”
“First, the distortion of time and space occurred. Resentment and malice continuously gathered, forming a huge vortex. This vortex was like the eye of a storm, it constantly absorbed resentment from different times and spaces, eventually forming an unbreakable independent space.”
“Second, Dad Misfortune’s divine power was rapidly absorbed by the eye of the storm, causing his strength to decline rapidly.”
“Even more despairing was the third point. The summoner who suffered the backlash died, but because the power had transferred to the eye of the storm, even if the contract holder died, the contract chain between him and the God of Misfortune did not break. Dad Misfortune’s power kept getting absorbed by the eye of the storm, supporting this world.”
“Everyone was trapped in it, including Dad Xiao Tou and everyone else.”
“In order to keep Dad Misfortune alive, Dad Xiao Tou eventually turned into a half-dead figure in the painting. My two brothers were not spared either; they were entangled with the miserable souls that died, trapped in the same space, going through an infinite cycle again and again.”
“The only one fortunate enough to still be able to act was me.”
“Under the instructions of Dad Xiao Tou, I began attempting to break through the barriers of this space. I tried many methods, all of which ultimately failed. Finally, we attempted to break the deadlock with outsiders, that is, you players.”
“I started summoning outsiders, hoping they could break even a small part of the barriers, but they all failed for various reasons.”
“That shameless bastard Fei Yino came in and kept causing trouble, repeatedly disrupting our plans!” The little black furry monster suddenly slammed the table and cursed loudly, “Damn shameless bastard, a worthless piece of garbage! Screw him!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
Little black furry monster: “Do you know how difficult it is for me to pull someone in?! It takes years for a fool to accidentally discover that lottery ticket. After the legend of the lottery ghost story came out, everyone avoided it like the plague! After finally pulling in a foolish player, they get deceived by Fei Yino! Does he think there are so many fools in the world?!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Is it really appropriate to keep calling us fools?
I’m going to get angry.’
“I was so gentle at first, patiently telling the players the secrets to pass each game, afraid they’d die halfway. And what happened? They actually didn’t believe me, but they believed Fei Yino. While my brothers were fighting and killing villains, they all followed Fei Yino. I’m the one saving them, and Fei Yino is the one trying to kill them. A bunch of idiots, serve them right for getting cut by Fei Yino! It’s infuriating!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
On one side were the black-furry monster and pitch fork carrying scarecrow monsters who pulled them into the game, on the other side are human NPCs. It’s really hard not to make a mistake.
“So, is this the reason you became so fierce later?” Bai Lixin asked, rubbing his slightly throbbing forehead.
The little black furry monster snorted, “Ignorant players, give them wine, they won’t drink; give them a penalty, they’ll eat the punishment. I won’t be kind to you anymore, it’s too painful.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
“So, what you mean is that it’s already impossible to break the contract withwith the summoner, so sacrificing Xiao Tou is the only way to save the God of Misfortune. Who is the summoner?” Bai Lixin extracted the key information from the little black furry monster’s words. “Is it the skeleton sitting on the sofa in the small black room at the Fei residence?”
Little black furry monster: “Yes, it’s him.”
Bai Lixin: “So the summoner is already dead. He probably didn’t expect to be hit by a backlash, right? Who is that person? Is it the missing Zhang Ao?”
Little black furry monster: “Yes, it’s him. He targeted Xiao Tou from the first moment he saw him, and planned to use him as a sacrifice. To gain Fei Taizong’s trust, he just casually threw a few pieces of meat and bones to make Fei Taizong wag his tail and send Xiao Tou to him.”
The little black furry monster sneered, “He really cheapened himself. Originally, we didn’t plan to let him go, but before we could kill him, he couldn’t bear the power of gods and died from the backlash.”
“Foolish mortals attempting to summon and control the power of the gods. The power of the gods is not something a mere mortal can easily sway.”
“He wanted to emulate the ancients, using the power of the gods to manipulate nature, becoming a person who shook history. In the end, it was all in vain, just wishful thinking. He harmed others, and ultimately harmed himself. He overestimated himself.”
The little black furry monster seemed genuinely disgusted with Zhang Ao. It cursed him for a long time before stopping to catch its breath.
“In short, since you’ve found out, I have nothing to hide. The process is like this: Quickly kill Dad Xiao Tou, and the shackles on the God of Misfortune will disappear. After he awakens, the power absorbed by the eye of the storm will be taken back. By then, the barriers of this space will be broken, and you will be able to leave.”
The little black furry monster suddenly became solemn: “It’s just one step away; don’t hesitate anymore. Even if you delay for a day, it won’t change the final outcome.”
Bai Lixin remained silent for two seconds, asking a somewhat related yet not quite relevant question, “Where is the eye of the storm?”
After a moment of hesitation, the little black furry monster still told Bai Lixin, “In the cherry blossom forest ahead.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
…
At noon, a few people gathered around a table.
With the arrival of daylight, those ghosts who boarded the train last night were temporarily out of sight.
The three people sat in the compartment of the middle-class carriage. Although they sat together, it was clear that each harboured their own concerns.
The middle-aged woman had gone out for dinner, leaving only the three of them in the private room.
“Ah,” Zhou Guang sighed, “I understand the meaning of ‘the flying butterfly returns to the forest’ now, God Xin.”
Bai Lixin was somewhat absent-minded, “Oh? What does it mean?”
Zhou Guang: “This little girl is not the adopted daughter of that couple. On the contrary, she is their biological daughter.”
“This little girl is their first child. Probably due to negligence during pregnancy, a healthy couple gave birth to a daughter with uneven leg lengths, so she was destined to have a limp. Unable to accept this, they secretly sent the little girl to the orphanage.”
“Several years later, they had another child. This time, it was a boy, Chai Li. However, during Chai Li’s birth, the woman experienced severe bleeding. The doctor had to remove her uterus, meaning she could no longer bear children. Chai Li was her last child. As it was their last child in this lifetime, they doted on him, but their joy didn’t last long. When Chai Li was five, he suddenly fainted. Later, after being taken to the hospital, it was discovered that he had congenital heart disease. This heart disease will continue to worsen with age, and doctors concluded that he would not live past ten years old.”
“And this child’s blood type is the rare Panda Blood, making the organ search even more difficult. At that time, they suddenly thought of the girl they had abandoned.” Zhou Guang sneered here, a look of disdain on his face. “Once discarded because of a disability, now grateful, she had a limp and wasn’t adopted. How ironic, seeking the girl to save the son.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
Li Cangshan: “…”
Zhou Guang continued, “They even felt fortunate that they had left the child at the orphanage gate, making it easier for them to find her. So, they pretended not to know about this child, went to the orphanage several times before submitting an adoption application, and brought the girl back home.”
“Afterward, they took the girl to the hospital for a compatibility test, and the final results were a pleasant surprise—the compatibility was successful.”
“Do you know why they waited three years to perform the surgery?” Zhou Guang frowned and clenched his fists, “It wasn’t about hesitation or guilt towards the girl, but because the boy was still young. They needed to wait until the boy’s heart and the girl’s heart grew a bit more, until he could accept the girl’s heart. That’s why the girl lived three more years.”
“If this were the real world, I could definitely send them all to prison and make them repent in jail for the rest of their lives.”
“The ‘butterfly’ returning to the forest refers to the ‘heart.’ The couple didn’t know, but it was a peculiar nickname the girl came up with. The boy was close to the girl, so he was aware of it. The term ‘butterfly’ arose when the girl discovered the boy had a heart condition. At that time, the girl naively told the boy that she planned to study medicine in the future to save her brother. ‘Butterfly’ is the girl’s affectionate term for the heart, describing its rhythmic beats like a butterfly fluttering its wings. She comforted Chai Li that his butterfly was just tired and would soar again after resting.”
Li Cangshan: “So, does ‘butterfly returning to the forest’ mean…”
Zhou Guang: “Taking out the heart in Chai Li’s chest and returning it to the girl.”
“It’s also karma. In order to save Chai Li, those parents killed their own daughter years ago. Now, in just a few years, the new heart is afflicted with heart disease again.”
“We’ll reach the cherry blossom forest tonight. I’ll extract that heart when we reach the cherry blossom forest and return it to the girl.” Zhou Guang’s eyes were meaningful, “Do you have anything to say about it?”
Li Cangshan opened and closed his mouth, and finally shook his head and said, “No.”
Seeing this, Zhou Guang finally relaxed. He gently patted Li Cangshan’s shoulder, “Thank you for understanding, brother.”
Li Cangshan hesitated, but in the end, he said nothing and just smiled at Zhou Guang.
The original schedule was to arrive at the cherry blossom forest after lunch. The afternoon offers the best sunlight, and everyone could engage in various activities like taking photos.
However, the train experienced a malfunction halfway, and stopped for several hours, delaying its arrival at the next station.
By the time the train reached the cherry blossom station, it was already ten at night.
The train was to stop for four hours, and the train would depart again at two in the morning, reaching its final destination, Mount Cang.
Although they missed the most beautiful daytime cherry blossom forest, the nighttime cherry blossom forest had its own unique charm. Despite some passengers expressing discontent, overall, their moods were somewhat placated by the promise that the return journey would stop in the cherry blossom forest during the day.
The moment the train stopped, almost everyone rushed out, flooding into the cherry blossom forest.
Bai Lixin and Dijia also got off.
Bai Lixin noticed that since arriving at the station, Dijia’s expression hadn’t been quite right. He seemed unusually nervous and conflicted.
It seemed like he had something to tell him but hesitated whether to say it.
Bai Lixin’s attention wasn’t entirely focused on Dijia but rather scanning the cherry blossom forest, looking around.
While watching the documentary, he wondered what kind of cherry blossom could stay in bloom throughout the four seasons. Every flower has its season, and even if there are cherry blossom varieties that bloom in the winter, it doesn’t mean they exude vitality in the summer.
Yet, the cherry blossoms here seemed to defy the norm. They remained full of vitality throughout the year, which was really extraordinary.
However, today, after learning from the black furry little creature that this place is the center of resentment, he somewhat understood.
In places with supernatural events, natural phenomena might appear abnormal, just like the cherry blossom forest they are currently in.
He had never seen cherry blossoms that could emit a fluorescent glow at night.
This place resembled a fairyland. Under the scattered stars in the night sky, the cherry blossom forest didn’t need the illumination of lights; the faint glow emitted by the cherry blossoms alone could create a hazy brightness.
The fluorescence from the cherry blossoms was a delicate pink. The endless cherry blossom forest, along with the train and the crowds within the forest, were all enveloped in a dreamlike pink illusion at this moment.
Due to the appearance of this beautiful scene, people quickly forgot the earlier unpleasantness of the delayed train and immersed themselves in this picturesque view.
“Husband, I should really be grateful that the train was delayed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t see such a beautiful cherry blossom forest at night. This is what they call a blessing in disguise, right?”
“The scenery under that tree is nice. Let’s find someone to take a photo for us.”
There was a chattering crowd around, but in Bai Lixin’s eyes, it was a different scene.
Behind the lively passengers were pale-faced ghosts. Some followed quietly, while others seemed to be baring their fangs.
Bai Lixin quickly spotted Chai Li in the crowd.
For some reason, Chai Li’s parents had unpleasant expressions on their faces, but after seeing this cherry blossom forest, a momentary trance appeared in their eyes, and then the two of them inexplicably became happy.
When Chai Li saw Bai Lixin, Bai Lixin also saw him. The two exchanged glances from a few meters apart, and Bai Lixin graciously waved at Chai Li.
Due to his autism, Chai Li was a bit shy. He just gave Bai Lixin a stiff and shy smile and slowly stretched out his hand.
Bai Lixin: “…”
Chai Li couldn’t see, but Bai Lixin could see clearly.
Hanging on to Chai Li was a pale girl.
That girl looked exactly like Zhou Guang, but thinner and with a more melancholic gaze. Her two slender arms were wrapped around Chai Li’s neck, and her legs were entwined around Chai Li’s waist from behind, hanging onto Chai Li’s back like a sloth.
She leaned close to Chai Li’s ear, occasionally saying something. Chai Li furrowed his brows, and rubbed his shoulders as if feeling tired.
This eerie scene wasn’t exclusive to Chai Li alone.
Almost everyone had a lingering ghost behind them.
“Hey, kid, how much longer are you going to contemplate? We’ve reached the center of the vortex. Hurry up and destroy that painting, stop dilly-dallying.” The little black furry monster perched on Bai Lixin’s head nagged again, “Can you hear me? Hurry up. If you miss this chance, there won’t be another.”
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for your appearance? You’re the only one who reached the fifth game and brought out Dad Misfortune. If you miss this, we don’t know how many years we’ll have to wait. But we don’t have that much time to find someone like you. If you kill Dad Xiao Tou, at least Dad Misfortune will survive. If you are merciful, not only will Dad Xiao Tou and Dad Misfortune be destroyed, but you will not be able to leave from here. This space will quickly go berserk without Dad Misfortune’s support, and many will be affected.”
“Hey, I’m talking to you. Have you heard my words?”
“If you complete the task, I’ll really give you a generous reward. I say what I mean, no deception!”
“Hey, at least say something to me, don’t ignore me.”
Bai Lixin diverted his gaze from Chai Li and glanced at the little black furry monster, “I’m not called ‘Hey,’ and stop saying ‘hey.’”
Little black furry monster: “The world’s most lucky, handsome, and dashing player, Bai Lixin.”
Bai Lixin: “Where exactly is the vortex?”
The little black furry monster pointed towards the distant cherry blossom forest and said, “Right ahead, there’s the largest cherry blossom tree there, it’s about five meters tall. You can see it from here, right?”
Bai Lixin didn’t even need to lift his head to see that cherry blossom tree. It was the most dazzling presence in this cherry blossom forest, and it was also the area that all the passengers flocked to in order get a closer look.
At this time, almost all the passengers were moving closer to the cherry blossom tree, just like swarms of ants moving towards food.
The little black furry monster’s mouth opened and closed, and Bai Lixin could easily see the forest of white teeth hidden inside.
He listened absently, glanced at the God of Misfortune, and murmured his thoughts, “Seems like the genes of the God of Misfortune are stronger.”
“…” The fur all over the little black furry monster bristled. “Rude guy, are you even listening to me?! Besides, I’m not the only child. Though I resemble the God of Misfortune a bit, my two brothers resemble Dad Xiao Tou more!”
Bai Lixin’s hand supporting his chin froze, and he looked at the little black furry monster in confusion, “You have brothers?”
Something flashed through his mind, and he asked with some uncertainty, “Could it be those pair of black and white scarecrow monsters?”
The little black furry monster ground its back teeth, making a grating sound. “Is it polite to call others ‘monsters’?”
“It’s really them?” Bai Lixin was so shocked that he almost jumped off the sofa. “Um, sorry, how do they resemble Xiao Tou?”
‘How can you confidently say they resemble Xiao Tou with those blinding starry eyes of yours?’
Little black furry monster: “Quite a lot. Don’t you think they look very human-like? Eight feet tall, broad shoulders, slender waist, long hands, long legs—isn’t that a replica of Dad Xiao Tou?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘I think your eyes are for decoration.’
After the little black furry monster’s statement, Bai Lixin recalled something, “When the whistle suddenly sounded at the Fei residence, was it you?”
Little black furry monster: “Who else but me? If not for me, you would have been killed by those two a long time ago.”
Bai Lixin: “So you’ve been secretly helping me, not just this time. You’re quite a little cutie.”
The little monster’s arms suddenly trembled, and it fell silent.
“The three of you have quite different appearances,” Bai Lixin sighed.
In the end, the genes of the God of Misfortune occupied the genetic high ground.
The little black furry monster crossed its arms and said, “What’s the big deal? The nine sons of the dragon are all different. We just follow the natural course of growth. Hey, stop interrupting and let me finish.”
“After the hotel incident, Dad Xiao Tou began to darken. He sought revenge on the people at the Fei residence, starting with Fei Yino. Xiao Tou’s feelings for Fei Yino were complicated, and his hatred towards him was the strongest. When Xiao Tou first arrived at the Fei residence, Fei Yino was very friendly. He even promised to protect him in this home.”
“But when Xiao Tou finally couldn’t bear it and sought help from Fei Yino, he refused Xiao Tou’s plea and sharply warned him not to insult his father. Xiao Tou initially thought it was Fei Taizong pretending too well, so Fei Yino didn’t believe. He intended to let Fei Yino see the true face of Fei Taizong. So, one night of the usual routine, Xiao Tou asked Fei Yino to secretly come to his room.”
“Fei Yino did go, but he had no reaction after seeing it. Xiao Tou then realized that Fei Yino had known about his father’s true nature for a long time. But that was still his father and his support for his future career. Considering the pros and cons, Xiao Tou could only be sacrificed. Xiao Tou’s most foolish fantasy was trying to seek help from wolf cubs in a wolf’s den.”
“Fei Yino knew everything but pretended to know nothing. He watched Xiao Tou exchange his body for the prosperity of the Fei family. Enjoying the glory brought by Xiao Tou, letting Fei Taizong do all the bad things while portraying himself as a saint standing in the sunlight, insulting Xiao Tou’s character from a moral high ground.”
“He was more detestable than the heartless Fei Taizong. Fei Taizong was thoroughly wicked, but he was hypocritically nauseating, reaping all the benefits while fantasizing about being the clean lotus emerging from the mud.”
“After returning, Xiao Tou spent half a year seducing him, making him completely fall in love with himself. At the final moment, when he couldn’t resist anymore, Xiao Tou closed the net, ensuring he would forever live in the pain and despair that never ended. This was Xiao Tou’s revenge on him. The more he wanted to transcend the world, the more Xiao Tou wanted to keep him in the mud.”
“At the same time, his revenge targets included those who had once hurt him. Under the pretext of hosting a banquet, he gathered those people again, and that night was an incredibly satisfying one. All the sins eventually turned into streams of blood, vanishing into the earth.”
“During this time, my two brothers and I were born successively. Because the power of the contract was in effect, sometimes Dad Misfortune couldn’t refuse the wishes of the summoner. During that time, he lent his power to the summoner and helped them do a lot of bad things.”
“Perhaps due to the summoner’s great ambitions, or maybe because he was too weak to control such powerful forces, everyone suddenly suffered a backlash.”
“Then several things happened.”
“First, the distortion of time and space occurred. Resentment and malice continuously gathered, forming a huge vortex. This vortex was like the eye of a storm, it constantly absorbed resentment from different times and spaces, eventually forming an unbreakable independent space.”
“Second, Dad Misfortune’s divine power was rapidly absorbed by the eye of the storm, causing his strength to decline rapidly.”
“Even more despairing was the third point. The summoner who suffered the backlash died, but because the power had transferred to the eye of the storm, even if the contract holder died, the contract chain between him and the God of Misfortune did not break. Dad Misfortune’s power kept getting absorbed by the eye of the storm, supporting this world.”
“Everyone was trapped in it, including Dad Xiao Tou and everyone else.”
“In order to keep Dad Misfortune alive, Dad Xiao Tou eventually turned into a half-dead figure in the painting. My two brothers were not spared either; they were entangled with the miserable souls that died, trapped in the same space, going through an infinite cycle again and again.”
“The only one fortunate enough to still be able to act was me.”
“Under the instructions of Dad Xiao Tou, I began attempting to break through the barriers of this space. I tried many methods, all of which ultimately failed. Finally, we attempted to break the deadlock with outsiders, that is, you players.”
“I started summoning outsiders, hoping they could break even a small part of the barriers, but they all failed for various reasons.”
“That shameless bastard Fei Yino came in and kept causing trouble, repeatedly disrupting our plans!” The little black furry monster suddenly slammed the table and cursed loudly, “Damn shameless bastard, a worthless piece of garbage! Screw him!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
Little black furry monster: “Do you know how difficult it is for me to pull someone in?! It takes years for a fool to accidentally discover that lottery ticket. After the legend of the lottery ghost story came out, everyone avoided it like the plague! After finally pulling in a foolish player, they get deceived by Fei Yino! Does he think there are so many fools in the world?!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Is it really appropriate to keep calling us fools?
I’m going to get angry.’
“I was so gentle at first, patiently telling the players the secrets to pass each game, afraid they’d die halfway. And what happened? They actually didn’t believe me, but they believed Fei Yino. While my brothers were fighting and killing villains, they all followed Fei Yino. I’m the one saving them, and Fei Yino is the one trying to kill them. A bunch of idiots, serve them right for getting cut by Fei Yino! It’s infuriating!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
On one side were the black-furry monster and pitch fork carrying scarecrow monsters who pulled them into the game, on the other side are human NPCs. It’s really hard not to make a mistake.
“So, is this the reason you became so fierce later?” Bai Lixin asked, rubbing his slightly throbbing forehead.
The little black furry monster snorted, “Ignorant players, give them wine, they won’t drink; give them a penalty, they’ll eat the punishment. I won’t be kind to you anymore, it’s too painful.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
“So, what you mean is that it’s already impossible to break the contract withwith the summoner, so sacrificing Xiao Tou is the only way to save the God of Misfortune. Who is the summoner?” Bai Lixin extracted the key information from the little black furry monster’s words. “Is it the skeleton sitting on the sofa in the small black room at the Fei residence?”
Little black furry monster: “Yes, it’s him.”
Bai Lixin: “So the summoner is already dead. He probably didn’t expect to be hit by a backlash, right? Who is that person? Is it the missing Zhang Ao?”
Little black furry monster: “Yes, it’s him. He targeted Xiao Tou from the first moment he saw him, and planned to use him as a sacrifice. To gain Fei Taizong’s trust, he just casually threw a few pieces of meat and bones to make Fei Taizong wag his tail and send Xiao Tou to him.”
The little black furry monster sneered, “He really cheapened himself. Originally, we didn’t plan to let him go, but before we could kill him, he couldn’t bear the power of gods and died from the backlash.”
“Foolish mortals attempting to summon and control the power of the gods. The power of the gods is not something a mere mortal can easily sway.”
“He wanted to emulate the ancients, using the power of the gods to manipulate nature, becoming a person who shook history. In the end, it was all in vain, just wishful thinking. He harmed others, and ultimately harmed himself. He overestimated himself.”
The little black furry monster seemed genuinely disgusted with Zhang Ao. It cursed him for a long time before stopping to catch its breath.
“In short, since you’ve found out, I have nothing to hide. The process is like this: Quickly kill Dad Xiao Tou, and the shackles on the God of Misfortune will disappear. After he awakens, the power absorbed by the eye of the storm will be taken back. By then, the barriers of this space will be broken, and you will be able to leave.”
The little black furry monster suddenly became solemn: “It’s just one step away; don’t hesitate anymore. Even if you delay for a day, it won’t change the final outcome.”
Bai Lixin remained silent for two seconds, asking a somewhat related yet not quite relevant question, “Where is the eye of the storm?”
After a moment of hesitation, the little black furry monster still told Bai Lixin, “In the cherry blossom forest ahead.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
…
At noon, a few people gathered around a table.
With the arrival of daylight, those ghosts who boarded the train last night were temporarily out of sight.
The three people sat in the compartment of the middle-class carriage. Although they sat together, it was clear that each harboured their own concerns.
The middle-aged woman had gone out for dinner, leaving only the three of them in the private room.
“Ah,” Zhou Guang sighed, “I understand the meaning of ‘the flying butterfly returns to the forest’ now, God Xin.”
Bai Lixin was somewhat absent-minded, “Oh? What does it mean?”
Zhou Guang: “This little girl is not the adopted daughter of that couple. On the contrary, she is their biological daughter.”
“This little girl is their first child. Probably due to negligence during pregnancy, a healthy couple gave birth to a daughter with uneven leg lengths, so she was destined to have a limp. Unable to accept this, they secretly sent the little girl to the orphanage.”
“Several years later, they had another child. This time, it was a boy, Chai Li. However, during Chai Li’s birth, the woman experienced severe bleeding. The doctor had to remove her uterus, meaning she could no longer bear children. Chai Li was her last child. As it was their last child in this lifetime, they doted on him, but their joy didn’t last long. When Chai Li was five, he suddenly fainted. Later, after being taken to the hospital, it was discovered that he had congenital heart disease. This heart disease will continue to worsen with age, and doctors concluded that he would not live past ten years old.”
“And this child’s blood type is the rare Panda Blood, making the organ search even more difficult. At that time, they suddenly thought of the girl they had abandoned.” Zhou Guang sneered here, a look of disdain on his face. “Once discarded because of a disability, now grateful, she had a limp and wasn’t adopted. How ironic, seeking the girl to save the son.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
Li Cangshan: “…”
Zhou Guang continued, “They even felt fortunate that they had left the child at the orphanage gate, making it easier for them to find her. So, they pretended not to know about this child, went to the orphanage several times before submitting an adoption application, and brought the girl back home.”
“Afterward, they took the girl to the hospital for a compatibility test, and the final results were a pleasant surprise—the compatibility was successful.”
“Do you know why they waited three years to perform the surgery?” Zhou Guang frowned and clenched his fists, “It wasn’t about hesitation or guilt towards the girl, but because the boy was still young. They needed to wait until the boy’s heart and the girl’s heart grew a bit more, until he could accept the girl’s heart. That’s why the girl lived three more years.”
“If this were the real world, I could definitely send them all to prison and make them repent in jail for the rest of their lives.”
“The ‘butterfly’ returning to the forest refers to the ‘heart.’ The couple didn’t know, but it was a peculiar nickname the girl came up with. The boy was close to the girl, so he was aware of it. The term ‘butterfly’ arose when the girl discovered the boy had a heart condition. At that time, the girl naively told the boy that she planned to study medicine in the future to save her brother. ‘Butterfly’ is the girl’s affectionate term for the heart, describing its rhythmic beats like a butterfly fluttering its wings. She comforted Chai Li that his butterfly was just tired and would soar again after resting.”
Li Cangshan: “So, does ‘butterfly returning to the forest’ mean…”
Zhou Guang: “Taking out the heart in Chai Li’s chest and returning it to the girl.”
“It’s also karma. In order to save Chai Li, those parents killed their own daughter years ago. Now, in just a few years, the new heart is afflicted with heart disease again.”
“We’ll reach the cherry blossom forest tonight. I’ll extract that heart when we reach the cherry blossom forest and return it to the girl.” Zhou Guang’s eyes were meaningful, “Do you have anything to say about it?”
Li Cangshan opened and closed his mouth, and finally shook his head and said, “No.”
Seeing this, Zhou Guang finally relaxed. He gently patted Li Cangshan’s shoulder, “Thank you for understanding, brother.”
Li Cangshan hesitated, but in the end, he said nothing and just smiled at Zhou Guang.
The original schedule was to arrive at the cherry blossom forest after lunch. The afternoon offers the best sunlight, and everyone could engage in various activities like taking photos.
However, the train experienced a malfunction halfway, and stopped for several hours, delaying its arrival at the next station.
By the time the train reached the cherry blossom station, it was already ten at night.
The train was to stop for four hours, and the train would depart again at two in the morning, reaching its final destination, Mount Cang.
Although they missed the most beautiful daytime cherry blossom forest, the nighttime cherry blossom forest had its own unique charm. Despite some passengers expressing discontent, overall, their moods were somewhat placated by the promise that the return journey would stop in the cherry blossom forest during the day.
The moment the train stopped, almost everyone rushed out, flooding into the cherry blossom forest.
Bai Lixin and Dijia also got off.
Bai Lixin noticed that since arriving at the station, Dijia’s expression hadn’t been quite right. He seemed unusually nervous and conflicted.
It seemed like he had something to tell him but hesitated whether to say it.
Bai Lixin’s attention wasn’t entirely focused on Dijia but rather scanning the cherry blossom forest, looking around.
While watching the documentary, he wondered what kind of cherry blossom could stay in bloom throughout the four seasons. Every flower has its season, and even if there are cherry blossom varieties that bloom in the winter, it doesn’t mean they exude vitality in the summer.
Yet, the cherry blossoms here seemed to defy the norm. They remained full of vitality throughout the year, which was really extraordinary.
However, today, after learning from the black furry little creature that this place is the center of resentment, he somewhat understood.
In places with supernatural events, natural phenomena might appear abnormal, just like the cherry blossom forest they are currently in.
He had never seen cherry blossoms that could emit a fluorescent glow at night.
This place resembled a fairyland. Under the scattered stars in the night sky, the cherry blossom forest didn’t need the illumination of lights; the faint glow emitted by the cherry blossoms alone could create a hazy brightness.
The fluorescence from the cherry blossoms was a delicate pink. The endless cherry blossom forest, along with the train and the crowds within the forest, were all enveloped in a dreamlike pink illusion at this moment.
Due to the appearance of this beautiful scene, people quickly forgot the earlier unpleasantness of the delayed train and immersed themselves in this picturesque view.
“Husband, I should really be grateful that the train was delayed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t see such a beautiful cherry blossom forest at night. This is what they call a blessing in disguise, right?”
“The scenery under that tree is nice. Let’s find someone to take a photo for us.”
There was a chattering crowd around, but in Bai Lixin’s eyes, it was a different scene.
Behind the lively passengers were pale-faced ghosts. Some followed quietly, while others seemed to be baring their fangs.
Bai Lixin quickly spotted Chai Li in the crowd.
For some reason, Chai Li’s parents had unpleasant expressions on their faces, but after seeing this cherry blossom forest, a momentary trance appeared in their eyes, and then the two of them inexplicably became happy.
When Chai Li saw Bai Lixin, Bai Lixin also saw him. The two exchanged glances from a few meters apart, and Bai Lixin graciously waved at Chai Li.
Due to his autism, Chai Li was a bit shy. He just gave Bai Lixin a stiff and shy smile and slowly stretched out his hand.
Bai Lixin: “…”
Chai Li couldn’t see, but Bai Lixin could see clearly.
Hanging on to Chai Li was a pale girl.
That girl looked exactly like Zhou Guang, but thinner and with a more melancholic gaze. Her two slender arms were wrapped around Chai Li’s neck, and her legs were entwined around Chai Li’s waist from behind, hanging onto Chai Li’s back like a sloth.
She leaned close to Chai Li’s ear, occasionally saying something. Chai Li furrowed his brows, and rubbed his shoulders as if feeling tired.
This eerie scene wasn’t exclusive to Chai Li alone.
Almost everyone had a lingering ghost behind them.
“Hey, kid, how much longer are you going to contemplate? We’ve reached the center of the vortex. Hurry up and destroy that painting, stop dilly-dallying.” The little black furry monster perched on Bai Lixin’s head nagged again, “Can you hear me? Hurry up. If you miss this chance, there won’t be another.”
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for your appearance? You’re the only one who reached the fifth game and brought out Dad Misfortune. If you miss this, we don’t know how many years we’ll have to wait. But we don’t have that much time to find someone like you. If you kill Dad Xiao Tou, at least Dad Misfortune will survive. If you are merciful, not only will Dad Xiao Tou and Dad Misfortune be destroyed, but you will not be able to leave from here. This space will quickly go berserk without Dad Misfortune’s support, and many will be affected.”
“Hey, I’m talking to you. Have you heard my words?”
“If you complete the task, I’ll really give you a generous reward. I say what I mean, no deception!”
“Hey, at least say something to me, don’t ignore me.”
Bai Lixin diverted his gaze from Chai Li and glanced at the little black furry monster, “I’m not called ‘Hey,’ and stop saying ‘hey.’”
Little black furry monster: “The world’s most lucky, handsome, and dashing player, Bai Lixin.”
Bai Lixin: “Where exactly is the vortex?”
The little black furry monster pointed towards the distant cherry blossom forest and said, “Right ahead, there’s the largest cherry blossom tree there, it’s about five meters tall. You can see it from here, right?”
Bai Lixin didn’t even need to lift his head to see that cherry blossom tree. It was the most dazzling presence in this cherry blossom forest, and it was also the area that all the passengers flocked to in order get a closer look.
At this time, almost all the passengers were moving closer to the cherry blossom tree, just like swarms of ants moving towards food.
