A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 656 Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness together.

Shen Tang was stunned the moment she heard those words. She stared at the man in front of her in disbelief, unable to recover for a long time.

Jin's eyes grew increasingly red, churning with a complex mix of emotions—jealousy, anger, resentment, self-mockery—that erupted like a volcano!

He curled his thin lips into a slight smile, his low, husky voice filled with deep sarcasm, "The 'Ah Jin' you speak of is nothing but a clone of me. Do you understand?"

"..."

His voice grew increasingly cold, “'The Hand of Creation' used my genes to create clones and deployed them to other planets for genetic experiments. Your beast husband Xiao Jin is just a clone of me. He and I have never been the same person! You’ve been wrong from the very beginning!”

Shen Tang's pupils trembled violently, her face turned deathly pale, and she could barely breathe.

She murmured to herself, as if speaking to herself, "You... are not him..."

"Yes, I am not him! I am not him at all!" Jin roared hysterically, his scarlet eyes becoming cloudy and crazed, his aura unstable, wisps of black energy seeping from his body, vaguely showing signs of losing control and going mad, and even revealing a trace of killing intent.

His hand, which was holding her chin, slowly slid down and paused lightly at her neck.

How ironic, how ridiculous, that he became a clone of someone else!
Once this foolish female is killed, there will be no more "Xiao Jin" in the world.

But his fingers trembled, and he couldn't muster any strength.

Jin slowly withdrew his hand, his emotions gradually calming down, but he appeared even colder and more distant than before. "...So, stop being nice to me, and stop following me."

Shen Tang came back to her senses, feeling empty inside.

It turns out they weren't the same person at all. No wonder Jhin's attitude changed drastically and he became so cold after learning about his memories and the truth.

That's why Xiao Jin and Shou Jin were never the same person.

She had her doubts before, but because of the system, she managed to cover up all the inconsistencies by finding her own reasons.

Now that the truth is out, all those previously incongruous details suddenly make sense.

Filled with complex and indescribable emotions, she mentally questioned the system: "But when I initially bound Shou Jin as my target, why did it occupy Xiao Jin's target slot instead of creating a new one?"

The system was also a bit confused and replied apologetically, "[Sorry, host, the system made a mistake! According to him, Xiao Jin was originally cloned using Shou Jin's genes. Their genes, appearance, and even aura are almost identical... Although they are different individuals, their genetic information is completely the same, making it easy to identify them as the same person.]"

[Moreover, host, I can really sense a trace of Xiao Jin's presence in him... The original and the clone are not necessarily 100% identical due to the influence of gene expression and external factors, but he does indeed possess Xiao Jin's power, which is why the system classifies them as the same entity.]

Shen Tang frowned and said in a low voice, "But you... really have his scent on you."

Suddenly, Jin realized something and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "It seems it's because of that crystal core."

"Crystal core?" Shen Tang's breath hitched. Could it be Xiao Jin's crystal core? Isn't this what she's been looking for all along?
Seeing her sudden excitement, Jin felt even more complicated. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his tone still cold. "That's right. The reason I was able to return safely after being chased by Shouhe was because someone gave me a small portion of the energy from the foreign crystal core."

"And if I want to return to normal, I need to find that complete crystal core."

"I risked going to the lab for this—the complete crystal core was hidden at the very bottom of the lab."

This time, he did not hide anything and told the whole story of what happened that day.

It turned out to be the case.

The truth finally came to light.

No wonder even the system made a mistake.

She had the system bind her relationship with the other person when they were about to be officially together, and that time happened right after this incident.

Shen Tang smiled wryly, "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else and bothered you for so long."

Jin looked at her dejected expression. Her voice was slightly hoarse, as if she were choking up, and her eyes were red and covered with a layer of aggrieved tears.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he took half a step forward, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he neither spoke nor moved, as if he didn't care about her words.

Looking at the man, who remained as cold as an iceberg, Shen Tang suppressed her heartache. Some things still needed to be clarified.
"But I never intended to lie to you, and I never considered you a substitute."

"You're right, I shouldn't keep bothering you, I'll leave."

This time, Shen Tang didn't try to stop her and turned to leave.

As Jin watched her turn away without a backward glance, his breath caught in his throat, and his heart clenched with excruciating pain, as if he were about to lose something extremely important.

Tangtang...

Just as she was about to disappear from sight, Jin finally couldn't hold back and rushed over to hug her tightly.

Shen Tang suddenly fell into a warm yet tight embrace.

He held her so tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

She was stunned. She looked up at the man in front of her, and the deliberately feigned indifference mask finally cracked, unable to suppress the volcano surging beneath the iceberg.

"Knowing I'm not him, you left so decisively?"

He had repeatedly said he would push her away, but when the moment actually came, Jin found that he couldn't let go at all.

He cherished her far more than he had imagined.

At the same time, jealousy and resentment surged up wildly, and a sour smell seemed to fill the air.

"Tangtang."

Jin's bloodshot eyes gazed at her, a mist welling up within them. He took her hand and pressed it against his chest, his voice hoarse, almost a whisper, "It hurts so much here...why?"

Shen Tang was speechless, only feeling a subtle, bitter pain welling up in her heart.

She looked up at the man in front of her; his face sometimes overlapped with her memories, and sometimes seemed so unfamiliar.

She was even starting to lose sight of her own feelings.

After spending these days together, Shen Tang realized that she had fallen in love.

But to whom is this affection truly meant?
Perhaps sometimes, even she herself can't tell the difference.

Jin looked down at the silent female, offering neither a word of comfort nor an explanation.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and he lost control of his emotions again. "You love him that much? Don't you have any genuine feelings for me? Why can't you choose me? What is it about me that he doesn't... Please... tell me..."

Having reached this point, Jin has a clearer understanding of his own heart.

He simply couldn't bring himself to drive her away, and he couldn't even bear the pain of losing her.

Buried at the bottom of the abyss, he thought a warm and bright light was shining on him, even though the light never intended to shine on him, he still couldn't help but be greedy for it.

Even if she mistook him for someone else, their time together these past few days must have been real, right? Did she... never have a single genuine feeling for him?
Jin had even convinced himself in his mind.

So be it, he's a stand-in. If it weren't for his status as a stand-in, he would never have been able to have her.

What he truly refused to admit and could not accept was that her love for him was fake from beginning to end, without a trace of reality.

If she were to say it herself, that she loves him and not someone else... he could forgive and forget and love her as before.

So, say something.

Why not say it?
Why couldn't she say one thing to him—

"I love you"

Shen Tang closed her eyes, suppressing the rising bitterness. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse but calm, "I'm sorry."

"It was my mistake. I mistook you for my Ah Jin."

“You are not him, and you are not like him either.”

Jin held her hand and slowly let go.

The madness and resentment in his eyes gradually faded, turning into a kind of bewildered calm, unlike the indifference he had deliberately put on before, more like a kind of despair, like a defeated dog leaving the stage in dejection.

After a long time.

He said, "Okay."

At this moment, the two of them reached a consensus.

—Let's go our separate ways and pretend that everything from before never happened.

It was a wrong start from the beginning and should have ended long ago.

But no one moved.

A desolate mountain wind blew by, the air seemed to grow cold, everything around seemed to freeze, and even time stood still.

Shen Tang broke the silence first, "Well then, I'll be going now, goodbye forever."

Jin's fingers, hanging by his side, twitched, but he couldn't find a reason to hold her back.

He looked at her and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where do you want to go next?" Shen Tang looked at the gray sky in the distance, hesitated for a moment, and replied, "I want to go to the laboratory again and get Ah Jin's crystal core back."

Now that she knows Xiao Jin's crystal core is in the laboratory, she must retrieve it and not let it fall into the hands of those people.

The Creator Hand hid the crystal core in the base; who knows what they intend to do with it! We can't delay any longer; we must retrieve it as soon as possible.

"What's the use of getting the crystal core if everyone else is dead?"

Hearing him ask that, Shen Tang knew that he probably hadn't finished reading the contents of the memory crystal. Of course, there was no point in discussing it now.

She replied, "There might still be a trace of his soul power remaining in that crystal core. If I can get it, there might still be a chance to revive him!"

Although the decision was risky, Shen Tang had no choice but to go, and she had also come up with some ways to deal with it.

Having successfully entered the laboratory once, she had a good grasp of its layout and mechanisms, so she was naturally more prepared the next time she went, and those mechanisms were nothing to fear.

The most troublesome thing is the monstrous aggregator deep inside the laboratory. That experimental monster that was created is indeed powerful and terrifying, even more difficult to deal with than the gatekeeper, but it has a fatal weakness—

It has no reason, cannot think, and only attacks on instinct.

This gives her more room to maneuver.

To get what's inside the door, Shen Tang doesn't need to actually kill the monster; he just needs to lure it away, and he'll have a chance to get in.

She could prepare several puppets to distract the monsters and buy herself some time.

Although it is dangerous and could be fatal, theoretically... there is still a possibility of success.

Jin remained silent for a long time before frowning slightly after hearing her finish her plan. "I can help you get the crystal core."

Shen Tang looked at him in surprise, then quickly realized, "You... you want to use the crystal core to cure the disease?"

Her voice carried a hint of wariness and caution.

Although both wanted to obtain the crystal core, their purposes were now completely different, and the atmosphere changed silently.

Seeing her cautious expression, Jin smiled gently, "I don't want to get treatment anymore, and there's nothing to get treatment for anyway."

He said, "I'll help you find him."

Shen Tang looked surprised, but before she could speak, he interrupted her.

"I...you've helped me so many times, I owe you so much."

No matter how cold and ruthless or aggressive his words were, Jin knew very well that Shen Tang had helped him too many times and saved him countless times along the way. No matter how you looked at it, he owed her.

"I don't like owing favors. This is the last time I'll help you find him... From now on, let's pretend we never met and we'll be even."

Shen Tang didn't know what to say, her feelings were complicated and hard to discern, she didn't know if it was gratitude or something else, "...Thank you."

She didn't even know what to call him anymore.

Jin naturally noticed it too, but he didn't care and said in a low voice, "I hope you succeed in saving him."

"I wish you a lifetime of happiness and bliss."

These were the days he most wanted to spend with her.

I'm so envious.

……

The plan to return to the lab was set, but soon, Shen Tang received bad news.

After the incident at the laboratory, it has now been completely sealed off, and even the teleportation points to other royal city laboratories have been closed. That base has become an independent space, completely inaccessible from the outside.

The only people in the world qualified to enter the laboratory are the heads of the major families.

In other words, Shen Tang now needs to go through the head of the Hunting Leopard Clan, Hunting He, to enter the laboratory again.

But isn't this just walking into a trap and throwing your life away for nothing?
Shouhe did this to force them to show themselves!
He also knew how important the crystal cores hidden in the lab were to Jin, and that Jin would definitely find a way to get them again. Therefore, he would ultimately be unable to escape his grasp!
Despite searching for so many days, Shouhe and his team have not found the two people and have no idea where they are hiding, which is so well hidden!

The matter of Hunting Ash is still a secret to outsiders; only a few people in the clan know of his existence and true identity.

As the head of the family, Shouhe's personal leadership of the search operation was already attracting enough attention. The longer it went on, the more suspicious it would become. If the secret were to be leaked, he himself would be implicated.

Just as Shouhe was about to return the way he came and wait for the rabbit to run into the tree stump, there was a sudden noise from the jungle ahead.

His expression changed, and he immediately unleashed an attack, shouting, "Who goes there? Show yourself!"

It wasn't a wild beast, nor a mutated creature that had ambushed them; the one who emerged from the forest was a female who looked rather disheveled.

The moment they saw the other side's face, the atmosphere of the entire team changed abruptly, and they all assumed an attack stance.

Shouhe's expression also changed. He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought, "...It was you?"

Isn't this female Shen Tang who ran away a few days ago?

Her hair was disheveled, the bloodstains on her clothes had dried and turned black, and she looked haggard and weak. It was clear that the past few days on the run had been difficult.

Shouhe never expected that after searching for so long without success, she would actually deliver herself to his doorstep! It was truly an effortless stroke of luck.

"Guards, arrest her!" Shouhe ordered coldly.

"Wait! You can't arrest me, I have something to tell you!" The female was terrified and struggled, but she was too weak and surrounded by a group of people. In the end, she was powerless to resist and was tied up and thrown in front of Shouhe.

Shouhe crouched down, pinched her face, and examined the young female.

Although her face was dirty, her delicate features were still visible; she was indeed an outstanding beauty, possessing such a rare skill. If he weren't so old, even I might have had other thoughts about her.

Shouhe sneered, "So you're the female that kid has chosen? Ha... I really didn't expect anyone to be able to get into his heart."

He released his grip, stood up, and said coldly, "You originally had a chance to become a member of my Leopard Clan, but unfortunately, you have repeatedly opposed me, and you are destined to die a terrible death."

He squinted and scanned his surroundings, but found no other signs.

Ember is not nearby.

"But before I kill you, I have to squeeze out the last bit of value from you. I wonder if that kid will be anxious to come looking for you when he finds out you're gone."

Shen Tang's face was pale, and she shook her head desperately, "No, that's not it! I came here to seek refuge with the family head!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Shouhe looked at her with suspicion, "You're joining me?"

Shen Tang nodded hurriedly, "Yes! Patriarch, I specifically shook off Jin and ran here just to see you and to pledge my allegiance to you!"

Shouhe frowned, signaling her to continue.

Aren't these two supposed to be deeply devoted to each other? They've faced life and death together so many times, their bond should be very strong, so why would they suddenly want to side with him?
Could it be a scam?

Shen Tang hurriedly explained, "I was so desperate to protect Shou Jin before because I mistook him for my beloved beast husband! Now that I know the truth, he's fake, not my real beast husband! Of course I don't want to follow him on the run anymore!"

"Please, Master, spare my life! I truly know I was wrong!"

The orcs in the group looked at each other in bewilderment.

Shouhe asked thoughtfully, "Then who is your real beast husband...?"

Shen Tang wiped her reddened eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. "My beastly husband... was his experimental subject..."

She talked a lot, revealing the whole story of their relationship, and even frankly explaining her own background without hiding anything.

Shouhe suddenly realized, "So that's how it is, your beast husband is that experimental subject..."

His originally sharp and cold gaze seemed to have gained a bit of tenderness. "What a pitiful child."

This female actually came from that continent... He knew that the "Hand of Creation" had failed in its last attack. Could it be that she took advantage of that time to come here?

This is an unexpected gain.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Shen Tang said, "I was so stupid to offend the patriarch so many times before... It was all because I mistook him for someone else and poured my heart out to him! Now that I know it was all a lie, I don't want to help him anymore! Please, patriarch, spare my life!"

Shouhe nodded. "Indeed, you are a smart child, but also a pitiful one caught up in this turmoil. I will naturally not hold a grudge against you."

"However, if you want me to let you go, you have to do something for me first—"

He stared at her and asked,

"Where is Jhin now? Tell me."

　Nearly 5000 words, two in one.

　　good night~

　　(End of this chapter)