"But… wasn't Guild Master Bai's memory devoured?" Wang Shun realized and hesitantly asked, "Can he remember the plans he made prior to that?"
"Bai Liu doesn't really remember." Liu Jiayi leaned back in her chair, resting her head on both hands as she watched the large screen with a slightly mischievous smile on her face. "But as soon as this guy entered the instance, he prepared an old trick to set up a plan—one that he can easily check later when he loses his memory."
Wang Shun thought back for a moment. In the brief few minutes before losing his memory, he hadn't seen Bai Liu write any kind of note or leave any mark on the side of the road. He didn't even record anything. There were no actions or signs of him leaving behind any plan.
He couldn't figure out how Bai Liu managed to leave a plan for himself, so he humbly asked, "How did the Guild Master leave a plan behind?"
"Bai Liu used an old trick that we used to communicate back in the orphanage," Mu Ke laughed. "Folded page markers in a book."
Wang Shun was momentarily stunned. "Folded page markers in a book?"
"That's right. Considering Bai Liu's memory and that short time frame, don't you think the amount of information he remembers from [Maoshan Sorcery Manuscript] is a bit much?" With her head still resting on her hands, Liu Jiayi turned to face Wang Shun.
Wang Shun was taken aback. He did think there was something off, but the way Bai Liu behaved and spoke about those things was too natural, almost instinctual, so Wang Shun automatically overlooked his doubt.
But Liu Jiayi didn't skip over it; she earnestly analyzed, "If the person in the game were Mu Ke, he certainly would be able to finish reading the book in that short amount of time and later recall key points from memory."
"But with Bai Liu's memory, it's impossible."
Liu Jiayi lifted a finger. "So there's only one possibility, and that is that Bai Liu, prior to losing his memory, quickly skimmed over the contents in the book, filtering through the information and folding the corners of pages he deemed important. Afterwards, the amnesiac Bai Liu only read through these filtered pages, which is why he remembered so quickly."
Wang Shun was starting to become dizzy. He hadn't played many games; hence, he struggled to follow Liu Jiayi's and the others' line of thinking about the game strategy. Both of his eyes now started looking like spinning swirls. "From just folded pages, the amnesiac Bai Liu can understand what the Bai Liu before the memory erase was going to do?"
"What kind of Maoshan sorcery…" Wang Shun was completely baffled. "That book can't have Kong Xuyang's weakness and Bai Liu's detailed plan, right?"
The Reverse God let out a laugh. "It doesn't need to be that clear, and there's no need to understand it to that extent."
"Because Bai Liu was giving orders, not actually discussing it with his future self. Bai Liu only needed his future self to follow the contents of the markers he left."
"Giving orders?" Hearing this, Wang Shun understood a little better and bitterly smiled. "Isn't it how we usually interact with Guild Master Bai most of the time? We don't need to understand; we just have to carry out the tasks directly, following the conditions Guild Master Bai set?"
The Reverse God nodded, letting out a sigh. "More or less."
"Although most of the time, Bai Liu's plans are indeed appropriate, I still feel it's a bit like a dictatorship." The Reverse God helplessly spread his hands. Letting out a laugh, he emphatically patted Wang Shun's back, consoling him. "However, Bai Liu isn't targeting anyone specifically. You see, he's also like that toward himself. Don't take it to heart; you just have to follow him…"
As the Reverse God spoke in a smooth, unhurried narration, Mu Ke and Liu Jiayi slowly shifted their gaze toward him. Even Tang Erda, who had been silent all along, glanced at the Reverse God a few extra times.
"Killer Sequence's tactician, regarding our team's tactician…" Liu Jiayi raised an eyebrow.
Mu Ke frowned. "Aren't you a bit too familiar with his way of doing things?"
Tang Erda also raised an eyebrow, vigilantly staring at the Reverse God.
The Reverse God: "…"
The Reverse God calmly made a fist and coughed. "Oh, really? It's just a basic understanding of a tactician who might become a formidable rival in the future. Everyone on our team knows Bai Liu very well. Isn't that right, Spades?"
Spades, who was sitting on the side wearing an expressionless face, seriously nodded, earnestly agreeing, "I understand him the most."
Bai Jiamu and Bai Yi, who had been sitting to the side, couldn't add a single word during this whole exchange: "…"
Oh really?
…Didn't we just meet Bai Liu for the first time last month? Or did you two secretly look into Bai Liu behind our backs?
Although the Wandering Circus's atmosphere was very harmonious, the atmosphere of the rest of the viewing pool was not even remotely harmonious at all.
The Fanatic Lambs' side had almost fallen into complete chaos, with members running about in fear from the pressure—they had used all their reserve points to splurge on the rankings and rig them. But with the current situation, the audience wasn't dumb; anyone who could run had already run.
Their gambling pool growth rate directly dropped to zero!
The audience whispered nonstop:
"Wow! How dangerous—thankfully I didn't put anything into Lambs, otherwise my loss would have been so bad my ass would be in the air."
"…I think Circus is going to win. Bet now?"
"I also kind of want to bet in, but let's wait and see…"
"Continue watching, and later, there will be more people betting. Once it's all summed up, the exchange rate will be lower—you should bet as soon as possible!"
"But although Kong Xuyang's skill is temporarily disabled, can't he use it again? I still think Bai Liu isn't that good. I'll continue watching…"
Wang Shun watched the system screen, pinching his eyebrows. "It's clearly such a big advantage, but our gambling pool growth rate hasn't increased sharply—only going up a little and cooling down again."
"That's because Kong Xuyang can still use that skill of his. He's also a veteran player who's properly competed in the grand tournament three times. So many of the current audience members want to wait and see," Liu Jiayi calmly said. "It's normal. Keep waiting."
Although she said it was normal, Liu Jiayi's expression was a little tense, her lips pressed tightly together as she watched the big screen.
"Kong Xuyang has no way to use that skill against Bai Liu again," the Reverse God quietly said, watching the moment Bai Liu brandished the whip on the big screen.
Liu Jiayi turned to look at the Reverse God. "Why?"
The Reverse God seemed to have remembered something and smiled faintly. That smile was veiled with something Liu Jiayi couldn't understand—something misty, like smoke. "Because Kong Xuyang saw Bai Liu's memory."
"When you feel that the opponent is omnipotent, ruthlessly insane, like a powerful, evil god, you'll inevitably feel fear toward them in your heart, feeling that the opponent is powerful to the point that you cannot defeat them. So, you would seize every opportunity to kill them, to prevent them from countering."
"Because the other party seems to be both 'powerful' and 'evil,' combining those two traits makes them a relentless, murderous target. You'll remain constantly on edge and keep yourself in peak fighting condition until you've killed the opponent."
"Perceiving the opponent as powerful actually stimulates one's own fighting strength and aggression."
"However, once you find out that this guy had a tragic childhood—stepping on ice in the winter, drowning in the summer, not studying in high school, sleeping during math class—if he had grown up into his twenties in that manner, he'd be the type of stingy person who couldn't bear to buy a cake for himself on his birthday, only buying two catties of tangerine oranges. You realize that he's struggled and lived more miserably than most ordinary people in the world…"
The Reverse God fell silent for a moment, lowering his gaze. "At that point, you can't think that he is powerful."
"Perceiving someone as powerful is often based on emotions like fear, jealousy, and awe—the kind of feelings that come from observing them from a distance. If Kong Xuyang thinks that someone is stronger than him, it's based on his belief that the opponent has objectively better circumstances than him."
"But now Kong Xuyang knows Bai Liu's memories completely."
"In those memories, every aspect of Bai Liu's circumstances was severely lacking—so lacking that Kong Xuyang couldn't believe that such an environment would produce someone like Bai Liu, a person who is stronger than him."
The Reverse God suddenly turned his head to look at Liu Jiayi, smiling. His features were gentle, his tone carrying a carefree sense of pride.
"Of course, I personally believe that Bai Liu is much stronger than Kong Xuyang. We should have a consensus on that point, right?"
Liu Jiayi stared at the Reverse God for a long time, then turned her head away and coldly said, "Trash can't compare with Bai Liu."
The Reverse God readily went along with her, smiling. "True."
—————————————————
Inside the game.
Mu Sicheng's monkey claws and tail seemed like unstable projections. They flickered twice, then fully took shape. He slammed the wooden plank down with full force, sending up a thick layer of dust from the ground.
Kong Xuyang rolled over, avoiding Mu Sicheng's attack from above. Covering his mouth, he half-knelt on the ground, his eyes so red that they almost seemed to drip blood. "How did you break free from my skill when you're clearly both losers…"
"Who are you calling a loser?!" Mu Sicheng got up from the ground. With his claw raised beside his face, he struck fiercely and viciously at Kong Xuyang's lower body. "It looks like you're the loser!"
Kong Xuyang quickly pressed his legs together. A talisman unfurled with a swish and stuck to the front of his crotch. When Mu Sicheng's sharp claw struck it, it produced a hard, metallic clang, like metal hitting stone.
"Fuck, what the hell is this?!" Mu Sicheng was dumbfounded. "An iron crotch?!"
Kong Xuyang sinisterly smiled. "Reinforced Steel Bone Talisman."
"Don't think that you'll win just because my skill failed." Kong Xuyang had fought in the Mid-Season Tournament, after all. He had a strong mentality and was able to handle unexpected situations quickly.
Kong Xuyang simply ignored Mu Sicheng, turning around and shouting sternly to Yang Zhi, who was on the side, "Don't panic—dig quickly! My skill is temporarily not working. Wait until it returns to normal, and I'll use it to control them!"
Mu Sicheng gritted his teeth and prepared to attack again. He swung his leg in a wide sweep at Kong Xuyang, but Kong Xuyang reacted quickly, sticking the Reinforced Steel Bone Talisman onto his ankle. Mu Sicheng's toes struck it like hitting a metal stump, causing him to clutch his foot and hop in pain.
Kong Xuyang coldly laughed twice. He knew his close-combat skills weren't as good as Mu Sicheng's, so he took advantage of a gap to retreat, letting zombies crowd around to cover him.
At the same time, Kong Xuyang bit his tongue and used his hand to write in blood on a stack of yellow talismans. His eyes narrowed sharply. He raised his forearm and quickly spun it twice in front of him, then flung two fingers outward. The talismans shot out and stuck onto the heads of the approaching zombies.
"Reinforced Steel Bone Talisman, go!"
After the zombies had yellow talismans pasted on their foreheads, their eyes glowed fiercely red. The loose, rotten flesh on their bodies grew fibers that intertwined into a tangled mass of muscle. Their skin was coated with a brass-like sheen, and their fangs extended outward by an inch.
These zombies, with half-shaved hairstyles from a previous dynasty and half-length jackets that bared their chests, were now coated in a coppery shine. They roared loudly, breathing heavily as they worked together to surround Mu Sicheng…
"Fuck, is this some kind of eighteen copper man zombie formation?!" Mu Sicheng pushed a few times but was ultimately unable to force his way out. His hands and feet were still in extreme pain from the impacts.
The zombie formation tightened as they closed in. Mu Sicheng forcefully pushed away a snarling zombie that came close with his left claw while using his right hand to block another zombie pressing against his neck, trying to bite him.
Mu Sicheng exerted so much strength that veins bulged on his neck. "…Bai Liu, you there?!"
A whip flicked from left to right in an attempt to strike through. It made an ear-piercing cling-clang sound when it hit the zombies' skin, but it was blocked by their dense, interwoven limbs like a bronze wall and iron fortress.
"I would love to help, but there's no way to help you." Bai Liu's calm voice came from outside. "They're too hard; even I can't get in. Good luck."
After saying that, Bai Liu seemed to turn around and simply walk away.
Mu Sicheng, who was trapped inside the formation of burly zombies: "???"
"Come back, you bastard!" Mu Sicheng was so angry that his hair and coiled monkey tail stood on end. "Wasn't it you who told me to charge forward and that you'd take care of things?! Now I'm being blocked by this many guys, and you're running—take responsibility for this!"
But Bai Liu's voice was no longer heard. Only Kong Xuyang's cynical sneer remained. "Been dumped?"
While speaking, Kong Xuyang swallowed wrong and choked, letting out a cough. His complexion turned pallid as he wiped the blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "I studied orthodox techniques the last time I played this game. Using this Reinforced Steel Bone Talisman on zombies can be said to always result in victory. Although their attack power is average, their defense value is extremely high. Besides, these zombies I've subdued only listen to me—no one else. There's no way to undo it, aside from using a bit of the caster's blood essence…"
"But I've already won. What's using a bit of blood essence?" Kong Xuyang leaned in close to Mu Sicheng, who was trapped in the formation, gritting his teeth and unable to move. Laughing loudly, his eyes gleamed with malice as he raised a sharp dagger. "Relax, I won't let the zombies devour you. I'm quick when it comes to finishing people off. Now, die for me!"
In the distance, a loud "bang" rang out, followed by the crashing sound of rushing water. A bullet shot from afar hit Kong Xuyang's raised hand at lightning speed, producing a sharp "pa" sound. The dagger in his hand fell to the ground.
Kong Xuyang cried out in pain as blood spurted from his palm.
"How can there be a gun here?" Kong Xuyang clutched his injured hand and turned around in astonishment.
Yang Zhi, who had been digging graves bitterly, was also startled and lifted his head. "What just happened?"
"Nothing," Bai Liu replied indifferently, his finger hooked around the trigger of a rose revolver. "I just blew up the pond and connected the tomb to this mass grave."
[System Alert: Player Bai Liu switched to Player Tang Erda's panel and used personal skill (Rose Bullet)]
"What did you bomb the pond for?!" Yang Zhi looked at Kong Xuyang in panic. "It's connected to the underground river beneath the bridge in the tomb. If it's blown up, it connects directly— all the monsters inside the tomb will be attracted here! Brother Kong, there'll be too many monsters for us to deal with!"
Kong Xuyang gripped his still-bleeding hand, his cheeks trembling from how hard he was gritting his teeth. "Bai Liu—!"
He was clearly just a lowly nobody, so how could he be pushed to such an extreme?!
Not far away, the pond was faintly visible, with pale limbs continuously reaching out and gripping the shore. Ghosts struggled and crawled out from the muddy bottom of the exploded pond. The paper figures, their cheerful faces smeared with mud, hopped left and right as they approached along the tree-lined path. Beside them walked the brides, their faces covered with swaying veils, moving with dignified grace.
Directly ahead stood the sacrificial bridge ghosts, their faces hidden beneath white umbrellas, water dripping steadily as they walked. The ground was crowded with ghostly shadows, twisting and writhing at all angles—all of them evil spirits. The sharp, joyous chatter of men, women, young, and old converged into a chilling cacophony.
At the far end were paper figures carrying those seven open coffins, inside of which lay drowned old men with pale, bluish-purple faces and smiling expressions.
The old men's sharp black fingernails were serenely clasped over their chests, as if they were truly dead. But on closer inspection, their nails were still growing, and the smiles at the corners of their mouths kept deepening and widening until they split all the way to their ears.
On the damp, muddy village road filled with dense yin energy, burial robes and wedding garments—red and white—overlapped faintly. Round spirit coins with square holes rained continuously from the sky. In the air, two suona melodies played, one festive, one mournful, rising and falling in eerie contrast. The atmosphere was thick with incense, candle wax, the stench of corpses, and the damp rot of water, overwhelming the senses.
The sight of this Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts made one's liver and gall tremble in fear. Trapped in place by the copper-armored zombie formation, Mu Sicheng was completely stunned.
Was Bai Liu coming to save him or fucking kill him?! So many ghosts!
Yang Zhi's voice cracked in fear as he yelled, "Brother Kong, what do we do?"
Kong Xuyang rapidly opened his panel. The various icons buzzed and crackled, appearing for a moment and then disappearing. He scanned them quickly before stopping at a system alert:
[System Alert: Player Kong Xuyang's personal skill will soon completely lose effect—5, 4, 3, 2, 1—]
[System Alert: All players' panels restored]
Kong Xuyang let out a breath, full of malice. He had been waiting for this moment!
His skills required careful operation of the panel. Just now, when his skill seemed about to fail but didn't, he had actually been the most restricted. But now that it had completely failed, Kong Xuyang's own panel interface was fully restored. And that meant one thing—
The corners of Kong Xuyang's mouth curled upward as he madly pressed the skill button: [Use (Panel Silence) skill again!]
[System Alert: Loading Player Kong Xuyang's skill (Panel Silence)…]
Soon, very soon, the advantage would return to him. He was such an outstanding person—it was impossible for him to lose to Bai Liu, who couldn't even eat his fill as a child, this stupid orphan who could only score 400 on the college entrance exam…
As long as it was the right circumstance, he was the most outstanding man in the world. No one under the effect of his skill could defeat him—unless the opponent had better circumstances than him.
But did Bai Liu have that?
Bai Liu didn't. All his life, from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood, he had faced constant failure and setbacks. He was a loser, dragging out his miserable existence with altered memories.
So, it was impossible for him to lose to Bai Liu! He was far stronger than Bai Liu!
Kong Xuyang's bloodshot eyes, teetering on the brink of madness, reflected the system loading his skill. His injured hand trembled uncontrollably, but the smile on his face grew wider—he was about to win!
[System Alert: Player Kong Xuyang's personal skill (Panel Silence) loading failed. Detected failure cause… detected a target who doesn't meet skill requirements. Unable to use skill on everyone present.]
[Player Bai Liu doesn't meet skill requirements.]
Kong Xuyang stared at the glaring red system alert before his eyes, a wave of dizziness crashing over him.
The stench of blood surged up his throat as he shouted in disbelief, "How can that be?!"
"Why can't the skill be used on Bai Liu?!"
[System's Helpful Tip: Because you firmly believe Bai Liu is weaker than you, your skill requirements are not met. Since you determined him to be inferior to you, you cannot use the skill on him.]
"Why can't I use the skill on Bai Liu, who's inferior to me?!" Kong Xuyang slammed his system coin in rage, hollering, "You're just covering for Bai Liu! This isn't fair!"
"I'm about to win!"
[System's Helpful Tip: The game never covers for any person.]
Yang Zhi watched the oncoming army of ghosts, retreating step by step before turning to Kong Xuyang in fear. "Brother Kong! They're coming!"
Kong Xuyang forced his mind back from the brink of rage. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Bai Liu in the distance as he let out a low growl. "That insignificant Bai Liu… even without my skill, I can still beat you!"
He swung his hand upward, biting his thumb until it bled, and drew a talisman. Two command talismans flew out and stuck onto the copper zombies, trapping Mu Sicheng.
Kong Xuyang rasped, "Rise! Deploy—Copper Wall, Iron Fortress!"
The zombies surrounding Mu Sicheng suddenly froze, then slowly dispersed. They raised their arms and linked them outward, forming a circle that firmly shielded Kong Xuyang and Yang Zhi at the center.
Meanwhile, Mu Sicheng, who was also trapped within the circle, had his hands bound behind his back by a zombie, standing completely still as it kept watch over him.
During the earlier struggle, Mu Sicheng had been bitten. Now he sat on the ground, clutching the large wounds on his neck and gasping for breath, a bluish-purple hue from corpse poison spreading across his face.
Seeing Mu Sicheng in such a weakened state, Kong Xuyang felt a surge of delight. "What if you have your skill? Without your memory, you don't know how to use it. You're still just trash."
"You're infected with corpse poison. In just one hour, your mental energy will be completely depleted, and you'll become a zombie here."
"You're like this," Kong Xuyang lowered his head and leaned toward Mu Sicheng, his split grin widening with excitement, "and Bai Liu will end up the same. In the end, the victory can only belong to me."
After saying that, Kong Xuyang didn't even look at Mu Sicheng again and ordered Yang Zhi, "Dig. Dig out the remaining almanacs to achieve the true ending and finish this game."