The whole weird world is waiting for me to go to heaven

Chapter 941 A Golden Crow (Fifteen)

Liu Sheng ate his second meal with gusto.

Although this meal had fewer dishes—just boiled tofu, hot and sour shredded potatoes, steamed salted fish, and stir-fried water spinach—it was still better than the last meal where I only dared to eat a few clams.

"I'm sorry, young student, I... I didn't have time to buy meat today, so..."

Zheng's mother was very embarrassed and said somewhat awkwardly.

Liu Sheng smiled and shook her head: "It's okay, Auntie. I've always loved vegetarian food, and these dishes suit my taste perfectly."

Of course, what she didn't say was that these simple dishes seemed cleaner and more hygienic than eating meat of unknown origin.

However, for He Tao, food had long lost its appeal.

Aside from fresh raw meat, which might elicit a slight physiological response, everything else is merely nutrition ingested to maintain basic survival. She had forcibly suppressed her inner urges in the kitchen just now; thankfully, her willpower was strong enough.

But as she ate, she couldn't help but ask, "By the way, Auntie... Zheng Qiran's father, he..."

Zheng's mother forced a smile: "He's not feeling well, so I let him rest in his room."

Upon hearing this, Liu Sheng subconsciously glanced at the old man sitting next to her.

He was biting into the stem of a water spinach, his movements mechanical and forceful, mumbling indistinctly:

"Where is Ranran...where is Ranran..."

Liu Sheng asked again, "But won't Uncle be hungry?"

Zheng's mother's eyes flickered slightly: "No, it won't happen. I'll go upstairs and feed him in a bit."

"It sounds like your uncle's condition is quite serious?"

"Sigh, yes, it's been like this since Ranran was little. Over the years, I've been the one handling all the big and small matters at home."

At this point, Zheng's mother's voice faltered, almost betraying her emotions.

She quickly lowered her head, hiding her sobs.

But Liu Sheng still inexplicably understood the weariness and pain she had been suppressing for so long.

"Auntie, you've worked so hard."

"Hehe, thankfully, we've managed all these years..." Mother Zheng's voice trailed off, "It's a pity about Ranran..."

The two then lost their appetite.

At the dinner table, only the old man was chewing vigorously.

Liu Sheng kept that notebook on her mind.

The cover was stuck to my waist, reminding me of its presence.

Zheng's mother was clearly still immersed in the pain of losing her daughter and could not extricate herself from it.

After the meal, Zheng's mother arranged for Liu Sheng to stay in a guest room on the third floor. She made up a bed for her, brought her pillow and blanket, and then went downstairs, saying that she was going to feed her sick husband.

Thinking of that strange father of Zheng, Liu Sheng felt a strange feeling in his heart.

The whole room was quiet, and it was impossible to tell where he was hiding.

The last place she saw him was a door in the second-floor corridor, but when she went upstairs just now, there was no such door at all.

However, since we were just in the strange realm, those doors were interconnected and appeared inexplicably, so they cannot be used as a basis for reality.

However, now that you mention it, there's another door...

In the kitchen.

Now everything is back to normal. Perhaps there really is a room behind the door, or a door leading to the yard.

Just then, Liu Sheng, who had just finished showering, dried her hair and walked to the third-floor stairwell, looking down through the small window—

A large green-roofed canopy covered the entire backyard.

I think I just saw Zheng's mother take the leftovers to the kitchen...

Liu Sheng seemed to be deep in thought, and then looked away.

Since it's just for one night, it's best not to get too involved with Zheng Qiran's family.

Thinking about the strange situation she had just encountered, she wondered if it was her problem or if Zheng Qiran's family itself had a problem. In any case, it would be best to get to the bottom of things and stay away from it.

Liu Sheng walked back to her room and locked the door behind her.

The summer night was sultry, the curtains remained still, darkness pressed in, and only the faint chirping of insects could be heard in the distance.

Lying on the bed, I can finally open my laptop and look at it.

The first page is written in a childish style.

Although it still looks neat and you can see some resemblance to Zheng Qiran's future notes, it is still very immature and naive, and it mostly talks about daily trivial matters - reading or playing with friends.

It was probably written by Zheng Qiran when he was a child.

She doesn't keep a diary often, just occasionally. Sometimes it's not even a diary, just copying down ancient poems, favorite song lyrics, and things that interest her.

Later on, his handwriting became more and more neat, and he would occasionally write down some brief emotional reflections:

I'm not very happy today; I didn't get first place.

[Your writing isn't as good as mine.]

I really want to escape from here...

I want to get into First Imperial University!

Liu Sheng quickly skimmed over a bunch of secret thoughts about being competitive and ambitious, as well as the obsession with getting into the First Imperial University.

Finally, Liu Sheng saw one.

I've been accepted to First Imperial University! Professor Shen, wait for me!

Next to this post was a photo of Professor Shen.

There were even some red hearts drawn on the edges.

Liu Sheng couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

This mentality is probably similar to He Tao's liking for LBKids; both are emotional projections of an "ideal symbol."

However, turning the page reveals a crumpled page with some water stains.

I'm not going to First Imperial University; the cost of living there is too high. My parents say it's better for me to study locally so I can come back and help out after graduation.

I don't really want to, but what can I do? It's a pity I wasn't born into a well-off family, it's a pity I have these kinds of parents, it's a pity I have nothing...

Liu Sheng sighed silently.

After that, these notes became less frequent.

It's probably because it's inconvenient to take notes in the dormitory after starting university, or perhaps the notebook was simply left in the hometown.

But at some point, the notes started appearing again.

This time, it was a series of knowledge points recorded, the content of which was so familiar that Liu Sheng could recognize it at a glance—it was all from Professor Shen Zhiyu's works.

Zheng Qiran recorded many details about the characteristics, structure, and possible excavation sites of ancient ruins. There were even some excerpts from books of unknown origin, which did not look like academic papers, but rather like some metaphysical notes or folk secrets, with fragmented sentences, mystical and disjointed.

At this moment, Liu Sheng felt a little regretful that Qiao Yu wasn't there.

Otherwise, as a descendant of the Celestial Master of Wangmiao Mountain, he should be able to understand these things.

However, she could still tell from the hand-drawn maps mixed in with the notes that they were maps of Shanhai City, but they were all different areas, more focused on mountainous and forested areas.

Liu Sheng guessed that Zheng Qiran might have discovered clues about the ruins during a holiday and had been searching for them ever since.

After flipping through more than a dozen pages of densely hand-drawn maps and feng shui trend calculations, Liu Sheng finally saw a few large, bright red characters filled with excitement:

Found it!

The handwriting was so strong it seemed to penetrate the paper, clearly indicating the person involved was extremely excited.

According to He Tao's memory, Zheng Qiran had almost never experienced such fervent emotions.

However, these notes also reveal that Zheng Qiran is not the reserved and quiet girl she usually appears to be, but rather an ambitious, competitive, and jealous person.

Liu Sheng stared at the last mountain-shaped map.

On the left side of the picture is a wave-like ocean, and on a clearing in a valley, Zheng Qiran circled a dot with a red pen.

That was her goal for this trip.

It's just that the location is remote, and you need to take a car to get into the mountains.

She continued flipping through the pages, and the notes that followed were records of the details of the ruins, with pictures and words, but the content became increasingly obscure, with many parts being vague and unclear.

Liu Sheng could only have "the world" scan all the content, leaving the rest to be organized later.

She had a vague intuition that only by entering the ruins herself could she truly understand the meaning of these notes.

But the further you go, the more chaotic the content becomes.

The handwriting was messy and the lines were distorted. Many pages were so illegible that it was impossible to make out what was written. It looked more like some kind of doodles done in a fit of rage.

Liu Sheng frowned slightly, but still made sure that every page of "World" was entered without missing a single one.

But she estimated that these things were probably meaningless. At this point, Zheng Qiran was probably already being gradually eroded by "that thing" and slowly losing his rationality.

She continued flipping through the pages with a sullen face.

The next few pages are blank.

Liu Sheng thought that this was the end of the notebook.

But when she casually turned to another page, she suddenly stopped. The new page had words written on it: —
I'm so happy that the ruins were unearthed.

I can finally go where I want to go.

Let us celebrate my freedom!
-
His handwriting was neat and clear, just like Zheng Qiran's usual style.

It was exactly the same handwriting as the one Liu Sheng saw in that book, the one used to communicate with Qu Fan.

However, Liu Sheng now has a different opinion.

Having studied Zheng Qiran's notes for so long, Liu Sheng was already familiar with the girl's handwriting.

Although the handwriting is very neat, it is precisely because it is too neat that it reveals a kind of stiffness and clumsiness, and even many of the connected strokes are broken.

Just like...

A person who has just learned to write is stiffly tracing and imitating.

[It might not even be human.]

The word "world" gently reminded her in her heart.

Liu Sheng felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but shiver slightly.

She continued flipping through the pages, and the notes returned to their "normal" state, page after page.

It only records some common knowledge, but there is also a lot of analysis about the array patterns of this relic.

But in Liu Sheng's view, this was completely blind learning, full of fallacies.

Liu Sheng had initially thought that some ancient monster had possessed Zheng Qiran, but now it seemed that this guy only had a superficial understanding of the matter. He probably didn't come from ancient times, but was just a wandering ghost from who-knows-where.

Or perhaps a wanderer from the abyss.

Or perhaps... it's just that Zheng Qiran has changed.

As the notes continued, the text became increasingly gruesome, and the content began to involve "feeding," "control," and "sacrifice," with even some bloodstains on them, making one's scalp crawl.

Among them, there were several passages that Liu Sheng immediately recognized as being written about herself.

Although no names were mentioned.

It actually works! Now I can focus on my research.

Although I sometimes feel a little sorry, sacrifices are inevitable for a better future.

[I never expected it to have such an unexpected effect! Thank goodness those dozen or so annoying guys are finally gone. I always found them so noisy, and now it's finally quiet.]

She likes to eat meat, which is annoying.

It's still raw meat.

We need to find someone to help us.

Liu Sheng's expression gradually darkened.

What follows is a long record about "feeding", written in a complicated and messy manner, trying various methods, with "she", "she ate" and "she didn't eat" between the lines, as if always worried about "He Tao's" diet.

She's actually acting normally now; something's not right.

This is the last one.

Liu Sheng frowned.

This seems to be referring to "He Tao".

But when did "He Tao" become normal?

Liu Sheng immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

The timing of this statement, barring any unforeseen circumstances, coincides with the moment she arrived at this higher-dimensional analysis.

In other words, this line was written on the day Zheng Qiran died.

Then the question comes:

How did this notebook end up here? In Shanhai City?
Who put it on Zheng Qiran's desk?

This only proves...

Liu Sheng's eyes suddenly turned cold.

He reached behind him and grabbed at the hand that had silently reached out!
Give it another sharp pull!
The dark figure then tumbled out from the corner and fell unsteadily at Liu Sheng's feet.

[OOC Index: 43%]

Liu Sheng's eyes flickered slightly. Although this increased her OOC index, it also meant that this person really knew "He Tao".

It's even possible...

Liu Sheng grabbed the man's cold wrist and pulled him towards her.

The face appeared in the light.

It's Zheng Qiran!

A pale face, stiff skin, and lifeless pupils.

Without a doubt, it's a ghost!

Liu Sheng never expected to encounter the bizarre "Zheng Qiran" at Zheng Qiran's home.

But now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense.

Everything that happened tonight, and many questions, have been answered.

It's likely that Zheng Qiran's mother went to Qingyang City to retrieve Zheng Qiran's body, but for reasons unknown, she kept it in her own home...

As Liu Sheng thought of this, he suddenly felt a slight chill.

If the places where Zheng Qiran is located are prone to being corrupted...

So……

Click!

The locked door was opened silently.

Two figures were standing outside.

One was a short, middle-aged woman, and the other was an elderly man with a hunched back.

Expressionless, pupils dull, and no vitality whatsoever.

Liu Sheng is trapped.

She was trapped in the room by three strange creatures, which were slowly approaching her.

What pained her even more was that, in this critical moment, she couldn't use her most reliable "mother".

Otherwise, they would have been slaughtered long ago.

[Now, there are more than just a few eyes watching you.]

But she has other weapons.

Under the cover, the small tentacles inside the sleeves slightly opened their cherry-like mouths full of sharp teeth, and a small, sharp scalpel was slowly "spit out".

Then a flash of silver light!
Liu Sheng swung the knife at Zheng Qiran, who had leaped into the air, and with a skillful effort, the sharp blade sliced ​​through her lips, cutting her face in two along the corner of her mouth!

Then another fruit knife was spat out.

With a swift left-hand strike, Liu Sheng took advantage of Zheng Qiran's momentary daze and slashed at its neck. The force was so great that its throat broke and half of its head was severed.

But the body hadn't stopped moving—its legs were still lunging towards her.

At the same time, the two strange creatures at the door also moved!
With a swift movement, "Mother Zheng" appeared behind Liu Sheng like a ghost.

Although the old man remained motionless, he suddenly bent over, curled up like a shrimp, and spat out a string of foul-smelling, bloody internal organs, which crawled and writhed on the floor like living creatures toward Liu Sheng.

None of these three strange creatures possessed martial arts skills; they only had some special abilities, which is why Liu Sheng was able to barely dodge them with his own skills.

However, being trapped inside and fighting three opponents alone still proved too much for her.

He could only grit his teeth, wield his twin swords, and desperately hold on.

Soon, under such slashing, the two ordinary swords were dulled, and He Tao's body, which was untrained, was sore and trembling, and he could barely lift his arms.

She had already hacked the three strange creatures opposite her to pieces, leaving them in ruins, but it was clear that she was at her last gasp. They slowly surrounded her.

Zheng Qiran was headless and his tendons were severed.

With half of her face gone, "Mother Zheng" revealed a sinister smile as she slowly approached, dragging her severed Achilles tendon.

Liu Sheng retreated little by little.

Her back was against the cold wall, her hands holding a knife against her chest, but she knew it posed no threat at all.

Unless she exposes her little tentacles.

Yes... let it go...

Your abilities.

The voice echoed in her mind, like a ghostly whisper.

Vague and ambiguous, it crashed against her consciousness like a tide.

"Mom" sensed the despair Liu Sheng was facing and was also tempted to act...

(End of this chapter)