HI Chapter 186

Yan Wei’s heart echoed with a single thought: “As expected.”

He had already considered this possibility. When the Malevolence told him that the memories he had obtained were incomplete, he wasn’t surprised or doubtful. It was all within the realm of what he had anticipated, perhaps because he had already mentally prepared himself, or perhaps because his previous Ascension had ingrained in him the responsibility he should bear. For a moment, Yan Wei didn’t react at all.

Rather than wasting words with the Malevolence, he wanted to hear what Yan Mingguang had to say.

He merely furrowed his brows slightly, standing motionless amidst the chaotic desires, hatreds, obsessions, and resentments, as if the heaviest darkness and the Malevolence’s words hadn’t disturbed him in the slightest.

The Malevolence had hoped to see him lose composure, but after waiting for a while and seeing no reaction, it finally said, “You already knew? What, after coming back, have you become heartless?”

“I’ve always been a heartless person.”

Yan Wei thought, now that he had obtained the Guanyin Pure Bottle Water and memorized the array, could he finally take a breather and have a proper argument with Yan Mingguang after pressing Jiang Jingyun’s ghost back into this coffin?

“A heartless person wouldn’t give up everything at the last moment, Yan Wei,” the Malevolence laughed again. “We could be the same. You gave up everything for him last time, and this time you could abandon those people who have nothing to do with you, couldn’t you?”

—To give up everything at the last moment.

So that’s how it was.

What Yan Mingguang hadn’t said was all revealed in the Malevolence’s fragmented words.

Everything in this world has two sides. Light and darkness complement each other, good and evil intertwine. How could there be only Malevolence without benevolence? Good and evil are born together, but they also die together. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If the building is destroyed, the Malevolence will turn to ashes, but wouldn’t the benevolent thoughts also disappear?

Was his first failure because he was formatted by the building, or was it because he couldn’t make a decisive choice between thousands of people and one person, thus choosing to be formatted to give himself another chance to choose?

Yan Wei sneered, “Do you know why every time, whether you’re trying to deal with me or reconcile with me, you leave in disgrace?”

The Malevolence paused, and the surrounding black energy suddenly stopped.

“Because you’re not Yan Mingguang. You can’t think from the perspective of kindness or emotion. You don’t have these things, and you don’t know what could truly move me. What happens between Yan Mingguang and me is our choice. No matter what you say or do, it can’t change the decisions we make. You’re just a vile thing that survives under the rules.”

The Malevolence was enraged by his disdain. The black energy surged like a storm. Although the Malevolence couldn’t directly act within the instance due to the rules, it could stir up immense resentment. The energy swirled around Yan Wei, brushing past him, carrying endless resentment to assault him. He bit his lower lip, unmoving.

His lower lip was already bitten through, and he seemed to taste a hint of his own blood. His mind grew clearer.

What stood before him was just a vile thing that survived under the building’s rules. It had never been his match.

Even during the first time, even when he had mistaken the Malevolence for Yan Mingguang during his previous Ascension due to not knowing of its existence, he had never truly lost. This thing that couldn’t even be called human had never been his opponent from the start.

During his first Ascension, he had lost to himself.

Even though he still hadn’t recovered the remaining memories, Yan Wei roughly understood everything.

His brow twitched slightly, and he looked at the blurred humanoid figure before him with a detached gaze, saying, “If you’re not human, don’t try to imitate one.”

The Malevolence was still laughing.

Its ethereal, sinister voice carried a hint of anger, but it didn’t seem as frantic as before. Instead, its tone became mocking, “I’m not that afraid of death. Even if I turn to ashes, ha, Yan Wei, I’ll make you regret not stopping. Last time, I pretended to be Yan Mingguang. This time, since I can’t deceive you, I won’t pretend to be him. I can still imitate others. I can’t beat you, but…”

The laughter grew louder.

Yan Wei wanted to hear what the Malevolence planned to do, but the black energy around him suddenly stopped. The heavy resentment seemed to be frozen by some icy, snowy chill. Although nothing had visibly changed, Yan Wei could sense an inexplicable clarity.

The Malevolence’s voice disappeared from the room.

It had left.

But what?

It hadn’t finished its sentence, but Yan Wei suddenly tensed, a chill running down his spine.

He regained his composure, bent down, and quickly picked up the white porcelain bottle.

The coffin in the center of the room lay peacefully as Yan Wei’s fingertips touched the bottle. A prompt sounded in his mind.

[Congratulations, Player, for obtaining a key item in the instance: Guanyin Pure Bottle Water. Please use the Guanyin Pure Bottle Water correctly to complete the instance’s main quest, suppress the resentment in Guanyin Town. You have received a main quest progress reward: 20%. All players in your faction have received a main quest progress reward: 15%.]

[Your current main quest progress is 48%, temporarily ranking first among all players in this instance.]

[Player, please note: As all limited items in the instance have been revealed and are held by different players, the Guanyin Pure Bottle Water and the current instance’s progress will be made public to all players.]

Yan Wei’s grip on the bottle tightened.

He stored the bottle in his sleeve and quickly walked out of the small courtyard with the corpse, braving the black energy.

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, before he could clearly see the scene in front of him under the night sky, a pair of warm hands suddenly pulled him over the threshold. His vision blurred, and he nearly collided with Yan Mingguang.

The man’s expression was clearly not good. The moonlight outlined a silver-white contour on his face, and the coldness around him seemed to cling to Yan Mingguang’s body. Geng Liang and Zhong Bufan were standing to the side, clearly wanting to say something. The notification about their faction obtaining the Guanyin Pure Bottle Water had been sent to all players, and these two were clearly anxious. But Yan Mingguang stood there like a statue, not saying a word, and no one dared to speak.

Yan Wei was silent for a few seconds, then calmly asked, “Was it you who drove it away?”

Geng Liang: “It? What are you talking about?”

Yan Mingguang looked down at Yan Wei: “Yes.”

“You’re really something, Teacher Yan,” Yan Wei said through gritted teeth. “If it weren’t for that dirty, stupid thing, I wouldn’t have seen you so formidable.”

Yan Mingguang seemed to sigh softly.

Yan Wei whispered, “I don’t need you to tell me.”

He already had an idea of how to recover that memory.

But now was clearly not the time to discuss their private matters. The notification just now had been heard by all players. Zhuo Xidong now knew that the Guanyin Pure Bottle Water had been obtained, and he was certain they were in the Shen Estate. It was obvious what they were up to.

Yan Wei composed himself, returning to his usual calm demeanor. He ran his fingertips over the Black Ring and immediately sent a communication request to Lin Zhen.

It was answered instantly: “Damn, this instance is so annoying! You guys got the Pure Bottle Water, and it was broadcast to everyone. Now that bastard Zhuo Xidong is going crazy and chasing me with everything he’s got. So many people are attacking me at once—it’s so shameless!”

As Lin Zhen spoke, the sound of continuous arrows could be heard in the background.

Zhong Bufan, seeing that Yan Mingguang’s imposing aura had slightly softened, wanted to step forward and ask Yan Wei what to do now. But as soon as he took a step forward and opened his mouth, he suddenly became so nervous that he couldn’t speak.

It wasn’t because of the current confrontation between the factions or Lin Zhen’s predicament that he was nervous. It was because of the speculation he had turned over in his mind a thousand times while outside.

If that was true…

Zhong Bufan felt that everything he had said before was a huge joke.

The person before him, let alone standing out in the upper levels, had even reached the top level—twice. The little cleverness he had always been proud of not only fell short every time but also made him look like a fool in front of this person…

For a moment, Zhong Bufan felt that it would be better to die in the upper levels to save some face.

He hesitated, and Yan Wei noticed, smiling slightly, “Do you have something to say?”

Zhong Bufan quickly waved his hands, “No, no, you—ah, no, no, it’s up to you.”

Geng Liang: “?” Why does he suddenly look like a student meeting the head teacher?

“…” Yan Wei immediately understood what this person had just gone through.

He looked away and said to Lin Zhen, “You can’t shake off so many high-level players chasing you alone. Come find us directly. Yan Mingguang’s skill allows him to teleport, and we’ve already got the Pure Bottle Water. Even if we face them head-on, it’s not a big deal. Come over. We’re at the entrance of the small courtyard where Jiang Jingyun’s corpse is.”

Lin Zhen, who was clearly being chased quite desperately, seemed delighted when he heard this, “Oh, so we’re finally going to have a real fight? Don’t mind if I do, little pet. I’ll bring these bastards to you!”

In the Guanyin Hall.

Song Cheng’an and the others also heard the notification that their side had obtained the Guanyin Pure Bottle Water.

Song Cheng’an knew that Zhuo Xidong, who had fallen behind by a large margin, would no longer take things slowly. After obtaining the Pure Bottle Water, they were already on the verge of action, with no time to waste. Following Yan Wei’s instructions, he stood on the crown of the Guanyin statue, using his needle-related skills to study the layout of the reversal array. Upon hearing the notification, he became even more focused, pouring all his attention into it.

Yu Feizhou, who had gone to the seaside to investigate, finally returned.

“I tried putting my hand in the seawater,” Yu Feizhou said, “and it immediately became bloody and mangled.”

Lin Qing’s expression turned grim, “Are you alright?”

“My skill is healing, so it’s not a big deal. But this seawater… Could it really be the work of Jiang Jingyun alone—as a ghost?”

Yu Zhengqing snorted, “Young people these days don’t understand. So many risen corpses were thrown into the seawater—how can that be called the work of one ghost? These risen corpses might have been caused by Jiang Jingyun’s mischief, and then those corpses turned the seawater black.”

Yu Feizhou still didn’t fully agree, “Why would Jiang Jingyun harm so many people, and even make their deaths so unsettled? A debt has its creditor, and a grievance has its source.”

Yu Zhengqing sneered, “There’s no such thing as a clear creditor or source in this world. Hatred and resentment aren’t like those impartial judges. Do you think they’ll calculate everything so precisely? Once there’s resentment, who cares about debts or retribution? Only good people believe in fair cause and effect.”

Lin Qing was about to say something, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a cry for help coming from afar.

His usually expressionless face suddenly turned pale.

—He had heard Lin Zhen’s cry for help.

Lin Zhen shouldn’t have been here. He was supposed to be with Yan Wei, safer than Lin Qing himself. How could he be crying for help in the Guanyin Temple? Moreover, no one knew Lin Zhen’s past self better than Lin Qing. With Lin Zhen’s personality, even if his life was in danger, he would never cry for help.

He understood all this, but by the time these thoughts had run through his mind, he had already rushed out of the main hall of the Guanyin Temple and toward the side hall where the cry for help had come from.

Yu Feizhou was startled and said to Yu Zhengqing, “Please keep an eye on the situation here. I’ll go check it out.”

With that, he turned and ran after Lin Qing.

Lin Qing’s strength had always been higher than Yu Feizhou’s, so Yu Feizhou fell behind by quite a bit. By the time he caught up, Lin Qing had already reached the door of a side hall of the Guanyin Temple and pushed it open.

He saw Lin Zhen’s back.

As the door opened, Lin Zhen turned around. The moonlight poured in from behind Lin Qing, illuminating the blank face of “Lin Zhen” inside the hall.

The Malevolence’s voice rang out at that moment, “Ah, the people around Yan Wei are just like him—always so indecisive and prone to doing stupid things.”

In an instant, a surge of black energy erupted from the hall, rushing straight toward Lin Qing!

A thousand meters away, in the main hall of the Guanyin Temple, Song Cheng’an leaped down from the Guanyin statue, only to see Yu Zhengqing alone.

“Where are Yu Feizhou and Lin Qing?”

“They went to the side hall, I think.”

Song Cheng’an’s expression changed.

He had just deciphered the reversal array. The thirty-three side halls of the Guanyin Temple were the pressure points of the reversal array. Every time someone died, their resentment flowed into the Black Sea, and the resentment from the Black Sea surged toward the Guanyin Temple, making the temple increasingly dangerous with each death. Especially when Jiang Jingyun’s ghost killed someone, the side halls became places of certain death, filled with overwhelming resentment!

Just moments ago, Song Cheng’an had clearly seen the reversal array activate for a moment. Jiang Jingyun had just killed someone again.

That side hall…

Yu Feizhou’s communication suddenly came through, and Song Cheng’an instinctively answered, “Where are you!”

“The side hall—Lin Qing is in trouble!”

Although the Shen Estate was large, for players like them, racing back and forth only took a few moments.

Yan Wei had just finished speaking with Lin Zhen, and in no time at all, Lin Zhen came rushing toward them, the sound of arrows filling the courtyard.

He had clearly had a hard time getting here. His bright red robe was stained with what might have been blood in some places, making it even darker.

Lin Zhen’s hair was disheveled as he stopped in front of Yan Wei, nearly stumbling. Luckily, Yan Mingguang caught him. At the same time, the players from the Shen Estate faction who had been chasing Lin Zhen also appeared before Yan Wei and the others.

“Little pet, we need to leave quickly,” Lin Zhen gasped. “My brother’s in trouble. These injuries aren’t from them.”

Yan Wei was startled.

A hoarse male voice came from not far away, “Since you’re here, why not stay as our guests? Geng Liang… so you’re the spy.”

Yan Wei followed the voice and saw a thin, emaciated man in dark robes walking toward them, followed by several other players. The man wore an eyepatch over one eye, and his face was as gaunt as his body, exuding a shrewd aura.

Yan Wei had never seen this man before, but he had heard his voice countless times in that pitch-black Ghost Marsh instance.

Zhuo Xidong.

Yan Mingguang stepped forward, half-blocking Yan Wei. Zhong Bufan, who had been timid in front of Yan Wei, now stood firm and spoke boldly, “Such big words. I wonder who it is that had the Guanyin Pure Bottle Water right under their nose for so long, only to have it snatched away by someone else.”

Zhuo Xidong looked over the five of them. Aside from Lin Zhen, who was already injured, and Yan Mingguang, who looked like a tough opponent, the others didn’t seem like players skilled in combat. The young man at the center, protected by the others, was someone he had never seen before. He looked gentle and obedient, showing no signs of being a threat.

Zhuo Xidong smiled calmly and said, “I was wondering why I couldn’t find the Pure Bottle Water even after digging through everything. Turns out it was right in front of me, in this place of certain death—the corpse storage area. Without you bringing it out, I might not have had the chance. Who’s taking advantage of whom remains to be seen—it’s still unclear who will end up with the Pure Bottle Water.”

Behind Zhuo Xidong, a player’s surrounding air rippled. The strong wind that had been blowing suddenly stopped, and in an instant, a transparent barrier enveloped the Shen Estate.

Yan Wei glanced up and immediately understood what it was.

A one-time, space-sealing legendary item. It could lock down a space for a certain period. Unless the user released it, even the highest stats couldn’t forcefully break it. This item was a one-time use and was rarer than other legendary items, even though it had no offensive capabilities. It could only prevent skills like teleportation.

Zhuo Xidong had gone all out, wanting to trap them here.

Lin Zhen looked at Yan Wei, about to say something, but Yan Wei patted his shoulder and communicated via Perception: [I know we need to get to Lin Qing quickly. Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control.]

There was still a little time before midnight.

Seeing the players behind Zhuo Xidong preparing to attack, Yan Wei merely chuckled.

Zhuo Xidong suddenly looked at him, his expression startled.

“Although we’re in the Shen Estate, my old rival, the ones who stand invincible aren’t you,” Yan Wei said, pulling out the Guanyin Pure Bottle from his sleeve and casually tossing it in his hand. “If you try to take it, I can just run back into the corpse storage area and throw the bottle away. After all, for you to get it, you’d have to sacrifice a lot, but for us, it’s just a few steps.”

The young man’s clear voice carried through the moonlight, tinged with a coldness that was all too familiar to Zhuo Xidong.

In a voice filled with shock and fear, Zhuo Xidong exclaimed, “—It’s you!!??”