“I actually anticipated that you could successfully force me to achieve my own goals,” Lu Qingjia said.
The Trickster was startled. The surrounding Chaos Mist surged wildly, no longer as lifeless as before.
Countless human faces seemed to appear on the thick mist, filled with endless resentment and unwillingness, twisted and grotesque.
It was like a scene from the eighteen layers of hell.
The Trickster smiled, “So what? Do you think aimless resentment can do anything to me?”
“It’s not aimless,” Lu Qingjia said.
“…”
“These are all your Karmic Debts.”
As soon as the words fell, the previously directionless resentment seemed to find its target, frantically rushing towards the Trickster and his companions.
Lu Qingjia continued, “You didn’t think that when the Musician caused an entire Higher Plane to explode to escape your pursuit, you would be completely free of any karma, did you?”
“Of course, the majority of this Karmic Debt lies with the Musician, but you are now the closest to the creditor. The advantage of being an administrator is gone. Enjoy it.”
“Did you gather these resentful souls and release them here?” Lu Qingzhou, now entangled in countless thick mists, only half of his face visible, finally lost his usual composure.
He then realized, “Ah, I heard that the Players from this year’s Scum-Vanquishing Game also participated in the competition.”
He had heard about the Scum-Vanquishing Game. The Abilities and Items collected during the clearance were formed from the Spiritual Power Crystals after the explosion of the Higher Plane.
If you really think about it, the Scum-Vanquishing Game, which is similar to the Shattered Land, became the biggest winner after the Musician blew up that Higher World. Almost eighty percent of the fragments fell into their world.
In addition to being the Spiritual Power Crystals of the Higher World, those fragments naturally contained the unwillingness of the world’s creatures, rules, and even the world consciousness as it perished.
Lu Qingjia had encountered Players from the Scum-Vanquishing Game in the competition. Those who could participate must have gathered countless fragments and were among the best.
As long as Lu Qingjia offered a high enough price—perhaps even without offering a price—simply telling them that these fragments were not the result of natural decay, they might let him help absorb the resentment.
If the Players from the Scum-Vanquishing Game were strong and smart enough, they would probably have already noticed the problem.
Lu Qingzhou thought of the bracelet. There was an Ability inside that could absorb the resentment of items.
Originally, it was considered a purification-type Ability, but while general purification made the impurities disappear, that Item could collect and accumulate them.
Before completely disappearing, Lu Qingzhou said with great reluctance, “I never thought I’d end up lifting a stone only to drop it on my own foot.”
After saying this, he and the three he brought were swept away by the thick mist to another place.
Lu Ji wanted to intervene the moment he saw Lu Qingzhou in danger. He was a soulless zombie; Karmic Debt would never be counted against him.
However, as soon as he moved, he was restrained by Zhong Liyu and Ouyang Bai—
“Don’t run off, or all our efforts would be for nothing.”
After the Tricksters completely disappeared, Lu Ji’s connection seemed to be cut off, and he stopped struggling, though he became even more lifeless.
Ouyang Bai spread a layer of Spiritual Power to replace Lu Qingzhou’s protective membrane.
He was naturally blessed with strong fortune, so even a casual effort yielded remarkable results.
“Hurry up, the longer we stay, the more uncomfortable it gets. If we don’t leave within an hour, we’ll probably start to drift.”
Even the administrator said this, so you could imagine how difficult it was for Lu Qingjia to stay here now.
This was the result of Zhong Liyu constantly feeding him Spiritual Power and purifying the surrounding Foul Qi, but the effect was minimal.
Zhong Liyu asked, “Do you want to go up and rest for a while? Recover before coming back down?”
Lu Qingjia shook his head, “Not to mention that we can’t set coordinates here, but some things must be finished today to be meaningful.”
Zhong Liyu, who shared a tacit understanding with him, furrowed his brows upon hearing this and stopped persuading him. Instead, he reached out and pulled Lu Qingjia into his arms, supporting him to conserve energy.
Lu Qingjia led the three of them around the area. Although the surroundings were open, his route seemed like he was navigating a maze.
Even when the distance was short and a path was visible ahead, he might ask to turn into a thick mist.
After about five minutes, he stopped, “We’re here.”
But Zhong Liyu and Ouyang Bai saw nothing.
There weren’t even any obstructions around, except for the Chaos under their feet; there was nothing else.
Lu Qingjia, however, took out a scalpel and made a cut on his palm.
They were here in their soul forms, so injuring the soul was not the same as injuring the body.
Even though Lu Qingjia had abundant Spiritual Power and a strong soul, he didn’t have the Celestial Bloodline’s reverse-healing mechanism, so when he cut his palm, his face paled even more.
Zhong Liyu quickly grabbed his hand and started healing the wound, but it couldn’t be done quickly.
But Lu Qingjia didn’t care about any of this because, after his blood dripped, the surrounding darkness seemed to disperse for a moment.
Something was attracted by the blood, and a bulge formed on the ground, as if something was about to break through.
Lu Qingjia quickly crouched down, forgetting to use an Item and ignoring his bloodied hand, and started digging at the bulge with his bare hands.
His face was filled with anticipation, joy, and a hint of nervous uncertainty.
The ‘soil’ underfoot wasn’t dense; it was like digging through a pile of flour, not requiring much effort.
But cold sweat kept breaking out on Lu Qingjia’s forehead. From the moment Old Uncle died, he had been searching for the Players of the Game, deliberately getting close, until his dream came true, and then calmly clearing the dangerous Game.
Even when he encountered life-threatening traps and crises multiple times, Lu Qingjia had never been as discomposed as he was now.
This lack of composure startled Zhong Liyu and Ouyang Bai.
Finally, Lu Qingjia’s hand touched a hard core. The thing hadn’t even been fully taken out yet, just lightly touched with his fingertips.
The uncertainty on Lu Qingjia’s face disappeared, replaced by the ecstasy of a wish fulfilled, as if he were floating on clouds.
His smile blossomed, his eyes seemingly filled with starlight, leaving Zhong Liyu momentarily stunned.
Then Lu Qingjia pulled out a blue pearl from the ground, about the size of a ping-pong ball, emitting a faint glow.
Lu Qingjia could feel the deep connection with it from the depths of his soul. This was Old Uncle’s soul.
He glanced at Old Uncle’s body. Lu Ji was the only one who had come down in his physical form; he had no soul and was essentially a portable Item.
At this moment, he couldn’t rashly return the soul to the body, or else the body would disintegrate under these special circumstances. For now, it could only exist as an Item.
But looking at the complete body and soul, Lu Qingjia couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with excitement.
Zhong Liyu nodded, “Let’s go. It’s not good to stay here.”
As soon as he finished speaking, something unexpected happened.
A hand appeared out of nowhere and, with lightning speed, snatched the blue pearl from Lu Qingjia’s hand.
Then the thick mist behind Lu Ji dissipated, and Lu Qingzhou stepped out.
With one hand, he tightly held Lu Ji’s hand, their fingers interlocked, while the other hand held the blue pearl up to his eyes, examining it carefully.
His gaze was filled with adoration and infatuation, even more intense than when he looked at Lu Ji’s body.
“You—?” Upon seeing this, except for Ouyang Bai, the other two frowned, showing a hint of impatience at this guy’s persistent reappearance, but they weren’t particularly shocked or surprised.
Lu Qingzhou turned to Lu Qingjia, his smile filled with gratitude and affection, “Thank you, Jiajia!”
“But it’s not arrogance on my part. Killing me really isn’t an easy thing to do.”
Lu Qingjia smiled coldly, “I know.”
Looking at the three minions who had disappeared around him, he sneered, “Those three guys were there to take the fall for you at critical moments, weren’t they?”
Although the three Advanced Players were indeed top-notch, their strength was just below that of a quasi-administrator, and they could easily take on ten opponents of the same level.
But they weren’t enough to be used as bargaining chips against the Trickster and the other two administrators. Yet, he always kept them around.
Aside from being useful, they were probably similar to substitute straw dummies. Otherwise, there was no need to bring so much deadweight to such a place.
Sure enough, Lu Qingzhou said, “They were prepared to die for me when they pledged their loyalty. Dying for me is a worthy death.”
Lu Qingjia had no patience for such talk but was somewhat curious, “How did you find us?”
Lu Qingzhou extended the hand that was interlocked with Lu Ji, and something began to manifest.
It was a golden, slender thread, with each end tied to the little fingers of him and Lu Ji.
Zhong Liyu frowned, “Didn’t you say that even the strongest Item wouldn’t work—” Halfway through his sentence, Zhong Liyu gasped, “You extracted and refined a thread from your own soul?”
Ouyang Bai hissed.
Perhaps for Players who hadn’t experienced cultivation, this wasn’t clear, but as administrators, they both knew how excruciating it was to extract a thread from one’s soul.
The pain was a thousand times worse than slow dismemberment. Even those with strong wills would collapse and go insane under such agony.
But in this place, perhaps a thread purely extracted from the soul was the only Item that could provide direction in the Chaos.
In other words, the preparations and resolve this guy had made for today far exceeded their imagination.
Lu Qingzhou, however, didn’t mind. Instead, he smiled with happiness and madness, “Don’t look at me like I’m a madman.”
“When you say you love someone, whether it’s a family member or a lifelong partner, you should think about whether you’d truly go through hell and back for them. If the answer is yes, then you’re worthy of saying that word.”
“I love you, A Ji.”
As he spoke, Lu Qingzhou kissed Lu Ji deeply, clutching the blue pearl that belonged to his soul as if happiness was just around the corner.
After finishing, he turned back, “This is what family is.”
Lu Qingjia understood the unspoken meaning.
If the ‘family’ he forcefully sought didn’t meet his ideal expectations, he would personally reshape them.
Lu Qingjia shook his head, “No, he’s not your family. Your family is waiting for you down below.”
Lu Qingzhou had no intention of continuing to tangle with them.
To achieve his goal, he had expended a lot. The backlash from the God Envoy’s death and the return of the Sinful Force from earlier were no small matters.
Facing them head-on now, with their strength intact, was not a good idea.
Lu Qingzhou had been here several times before and had already figured out some patterns.
He threw out a black pellet. When it exploded, thick black mist enveloped Lu Qingjia and the others, blocking their vision and mental perception, isolating each of them.
Fortunately, Zhong Liyu quickly grabbed Lu Qingjia and Ouyang Bai’s hands, preventing them from getting separated in the swirling mist.
But stopping Lu Qingzhou from leaving was now impossible.
Yet, Lu Qingjia’s face showed no sign of shock.
Instead, he raised his voice, “I told you, your family is waiting for you down below.”
Suddenly, several chains glowing with Lawful Golden Light burst from the ground, grabbing something in mid-air.
The next moment, Lu Qingzhou and Lu Ji reappeared before them, being pulled down by the chains.
In a matter of seconds, Lu Qingzhou’s legs were already submerged in the ground, as if he were slowly being swallowed by quicksand.
Lu Qingzhou could no longer maintain his calm. He looked at Lu Qingjia with a deep gaze, “Tsk, how annoying.”
It was unclear whether this was directed at Lu Qingjia or at his past, which he desperately wanted to sever but, despite being as powerful as a god, could never fully escape.
Lu Qingzhou was decisive and gave up struggling, using the Soul Thread to tightly bind Lu Ji’s body and soul.
He sneered, “Jiajia, is this your revenge? Then you’re being too naive. Do you really think I care about the glory of being an administrator?”
“As long as I’m with A Ji, anywhere is heaven for me.”
“Though I did underestimate your backup plans. Your schemes are indeed like peeling an onion, layer after layer.” The Trickster even smiled calmly, “How about I pass the title of Trickster to you? You’re more suited for it than I am.”
He clearly understood his current situation.
This was the Chaos Realm, where every soul was nearly equal, whether it was an administrator or an ordinary person.
He had already endured the backlash of the Sinful Force from one world, as there was room for manipulation within the laws. For example, as the boss, when taking action, it was naturally the underlings who served as the vanguard, minimizing the impact on him.
But in this world, the only Karmic Debt he couldn’t shirk was the murder of his blood relatives.
Conspiring with the Musician to invade his world and killing the God Envoy to backfire on him were not Lu Qingjia’s main objectives.
His schemes were more cunning and unpredictable than his own, with deeper layers of traps.
Most likely, before he sealed off the real world, Lu Qingjia had already colluded with the Emperor to steal the souls of his parents and sister from the underworld of his world.
The Musician wouldn’t do it; the Musician had a deep grudge against him and was an administrator he was particularly wary of. His every move would attract attention.
On the other hand, the Emperor was happy to see his downfall but wouldn’t invest too much. Sending a subordinate to handle it was a small favor, and it would also earn him a favor from Zhong Liyu. Why not?
Probably, the moment they entered this underworld, his parents’ souls were also sent here.
While they were searching for the soul, his parents were in King Yama’s Hall, accusing him.
If he weren’t in the Chaos Realm but somewhere else, with his status as an administrator, a mere trial trying to judge him would be a joke.
But here, it was different. Here, he didn’t have any of the advantages brought by his authority as an administrator; only equal souls.
Lu Qingjia’s earlier eagerness to take the lead, desperately trying to gain the upper hand, was all preparation for this moment.
Lu Qingzhou buried his head in Lu Ji’s chest, sighing, “The younger generation is indeed formidable. The prophecy is annoyingly accurate.”
He quietly awaited their submersion, thinking that returning to the original state of the soul and gaining eternal peace wasn’t bad.
At this moment, Lu Qingjia spoke, “First, I don’t need you to give me the title of Trickster; I’ve already taken it.”
“Second, my revenge hasn’t even begun.”
Lu Qingzhou opened his eyes, looking at Lu Qingjia in confusion. He smiled, “But here, you can’t harm me in the slightest.”
Souls bound by Sinful Chains couldn’t be freed and thus couldn’t be harmed.
They would fall into endless nothingness.
Lu Qingjia chuckled, a blue pearl appearing in his hand out of nowhere, “Since you knew I anticipated this step, why would you think I’d foolishly let you snatch it without any precautions?”
Panic appeared on Lu Qingzhou’s face. Then the Soul Pearl in his hand lost its disguise, revealing a single hair inside.
He knew where this hair came from—it was the one he had used to create a fake corpse to deceive Lu Qingjia. He never expected it to be returned to him by Lu Qingjia.
His gaze at Lu Qingjia suddenly turned venomous. A Soul Thread shot out, trying to snatch it back, “Give it back.”
Zhong Liyu and Ouyang Bai had been waiting for this moment. While Lu Qingzhou was trying to grab the Soul Pearl from Lu Qingjia, they seized Lu Ji’s body.
Despite Lu Qingzhou’s precautions, the only Soul Thread he could still control couldn’t withstand the combined force of two administrators.
When the space beside him was empty, Lu Qingzhou’s expression was one of bewilderment and disbelief.
Lu Qingjia sneered, “Looks like you’re going to your peaceful heaven alone.”
Lu Qingzhou, now completely devoid of composure, struggled incessantly, even pleading, “Give A Ji back to me, give him back—”
Lu Ji’s body was indeed responding to his call, but how could it break free from Zhong Liyu and the others?
Lu Qingjia took out a jade button from Lu Qingzhou’s neck and said to the now frantic and desperate Lu Qingzhou—
“Do you know what this is?”
Lu Qingzhou looked somewhat lost.
Lu Qingjia smiled sarcastically, “Of course, you wouldn’t. You never believed anyone would genuinely care for you. You feared that seeking proof would only lead to disappointment, so you always assumed the worst.”
Lu Qingjia’s expression turned sorrowful, feeling the worthlessness of his Old Uncle’s sacrifices and his stubborn refusal to implicate his family even in death.
He had no sin; the only reason he would sink into the Void was to prevent becoming a source of conflict, as he believed his clever nephew would eventually become a Player and find clues about him.
Lu Qingjia continued, “This jade button was the hidden Item you exchanged during the Game. It could block one curse, transferring the curse to the next person.”
Lu Qingjia leaned in close to Lu Qingzhou, their faces just a foot apart, staring into his constricted pupils.
He asked, “When did my uncle give you this jade button?”
Back then, only the two of them remained as Players. They had finally found a possible way to break the curse.
They got married. Lu Qingzhou still remembered that night, filled with romantic red, like blood, as if their lives were bound together by a covenant.
That night, A Ji took out a jade button strung on a red thread and put it around his neck.
Casually joking, “We don’t even have wedding rings, so let’s make do with this for now. Once we get out—”
“Where did you get it? Just bought it casually from Sixth Grandpa’s shop at the village entrance. I thought the jade had a nice texture and some age, so it was a good find.”
“It’s the only suitable thing I have on me. If you don’t like it, at least keep it. I’ll find something better to replace it later?”
Lu Qingzhou’s face was already covered in tears. His eyes were filled with unbelievable pain and fragility, as if the slightest touch would shatter him completely.
Lu Qingjia yanked the jade button from his neck. The action made him flinch, and he quickly reached out to grab it, his whole being helpless and deranged.
At this moment, Lu Qingjia pulled out another fake jade button.
Standing up, he said, “This is the fake my uncle used to substitute the real Item.”
“He never did anything underhanded in his life; this was the only time.”
Lu Qingjia threw it at Lu Qingzhou, “But this is all you deserve.”
Lu Qingzhou closed his eyes in despair, clutching the fake jade button tightly.
It turned out he had already received the most sincere salvation; he had been silently healed all along.
It was he himself, unwilling to believe he could be saved, who had cut off any hope of chasing the light, abandoned that pure and genuine love, and instead clung tightly to the false.
Lu Qingzhou looked at Lu Ji with longing, his nostrils flaring, lips trembling, “A Ji—”
It seemed he wanted to apologize, but he suddenly realized he wasn’t even qualified to apologize.
Finally, as if he wanted to imprint Lu Ji’s entire being into his soul.
Then he gradually disappeared from everyone’s sight. When the ground returned to calm, there was no trace left.
Silence fell all around.
It was Ouyang Bai who finally broke the silence: “Well, that was quite something.”
Lu Qingjia didn’t speak. He pulled over the visibly listless Old Uncle and said to the two of them, “Let’s head back first.”
The descent had taken some time, and the ascent back would only take longer.
But everyone remained silent throughout the journey.
Since they had exited the game near Lu Qingjia’s home after giving up the competition, no additional movement was required.
Returning to his own body, Lu Qingjia sat up. Around him lay the lifeless bodies of four people, including Lu Qingzhou.
Lu Qingjia was rather impatient at this moment. Before Zhong Liyu and the others could sit up, he overlapped the Soul Pearl with Old Uncle’s physical body.
As soon as the Soul Pearl touched the body, it dissolved and seeped into the flesh.
While it was called resurrection, with Lu Ji’s current strength, there was no need for complicated procedures.
His robust body and abundant spiritual power naturally activated the soul, not even requiring an adaptation period after years of separation.
After a moment, those heroic eyes slowly opened.
At first, there was confusion, then his gaze focused on Lu Qingjia. Seeing his nephew’s eyes glistening with tears, it seemed he hadn’t yet realized he had been brought back from death.
He reached out and wiped Lu Qingjia’s eyes, his hoarse, magnetic voice carrying a hint of laughter: “How rare. The last time I saw you like this was when you wet the bed as a little kid and were too embarrassed to face anyone.”
Lu Qingjia’s expression immediately fell, glaring at Zhong Liyu and Ouyang Bai who were trying to stifle their laughter.
But after a moment, Lu Ji’s consciousness fully returned, and he grasped the gravity of the situation.
He quickly got up, feeling the immense power in his body that was worlds apart from before his death. His voice even sounded different: “Jiajia?”
Then Lu Ji saw Lu Qingzhou’s body not far away.
His memory was still stuck at the moment he had been ambushed by him.
“A Ji, we’ll never be apart,” the other had said with a twisted, obsessive smile.
Lu Ji fell silent.
Lu Qingjia patted his shoulder: “I’ll go back and cook first. You come back later.”
As he spoke, he disposed of the other three Players’ bodies, leaving only Lu Qingzhou behind.
On the way back, Zhong Liyu asked, “Aren’t you afraid our uncle might still be hung up on that psycho?”
Lu Qingjia shrugged: “Am I so bored as to control an elder’s feelings for a lifetime? Anyway, I’ve already vented my anger.”
Ultimately, seeking revenge was one thing, but the relationship between two people was something no one else could interfere with.
If Old Uncle loved Lu Qingzhou, could Lu Qingjia just erase his memory?
Besides, if his uncle wasn’t so stubborn and unyielding, there wouldn’t be the Lu Qingjia of today.
Having benefited from his uncle’s personality, Lu Qingjia naturally wouldn’t feel disappointed by the very traits that were both flaws and strengths.
“Rather, focusing on getting stronger is what really matters,” Lu Qingjia said.
Zhong Liyu laughed: “That’s right. I estimate after two more rounds you should be ready for cultivation. With your talent, you’ll surely reach the level of a quasi-administrator once you pass that stage. Then I can… ahem, arrange things, and definitely secure you a seat among the current administrators.”
“The Twin Serpents’ seat looks good. I’ve been annoyed by those two chatterboxes for a long time.”
Ouyang Bai rolled his eyes: “Isn’t the Mermaid’s seat already vacant? It’s just that there hasn’t been a suitable new administrator to take over yet, so she hasn’t completely handed it over.”
“Don’t always pick on the Twin Serpents. They’re quite nice.”
Zhong Liyu sneered: “You probably haven’t heard how they badmouth you. Calling you a twenty-something virgin, saying you’re throwing flirtatious glances at blind people, even coming up with a nickname for you.”
Ouyang Bai’s attitude immediately changed: “Did they become administrators just because their gossip skills meshed well with the Game?”
Ignoring him, Zhong Liyu asked Lu Qingjia: “Since there’s nothing going on now, you can start thinking about your administrator nickname.”
Lu Qingjia smiled: “Haven’t I already decided? The Trickster—”
“No, I’m more powerful than the previous Trickster. Let’s add a ‘Grand’ to it.”
“The Grand Trickster.”
The End
Author’s Note:
Finished with a sprinkling of flowers (celebratory gesture). There’ll be an extra chapter tomorrow.
