Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 393 Dreamland
The eunuch's steps were like those of a machine, mercilessly trampling over the corpses, crossing the long path, pushing open the vermilion gate, and finally crossing the vast Taihe Hall Square to arrive before the Golden Palace.

This is the highest place in this country, a throne that countless people dream of, a throne built with the blood of countless people.

But now, it's nothing more than a pile of bones and graves.

The surroundings remained silent. Those responsible for interrogation were usually kept in the palace dungeons and wouldn't appear here. As for the guards at the gate, they were still on duty—these guys never left the gate, day and night.

Compared to when Horn arrived last time, these people's infections were more severe. Originally, there were only a few protruding tumors, but now the lumps have occupied most of their bodies. Exposed blood vessels and ulcers are intertwined, and they have even squeezed out originally intact limbs.

The eunuchs made no comment—during the previous refining process, the master had already erased any superfluous expressions from them—so they simply nodded to the guards and then announced the news from outside the door in a sharp, lifeless voice.

"Li Sanjiu has important business to report to Your Majesty. Please grant me permission."

Li was his former surname, and Sanjiu was his serial number after he was refined—but those before him had all died long ago, and now among this group of eunuchs, he was considered the most senior.

But to be honest, seniority and experience make no difference to these 'items'.

Perhaps, only death is the best relief.

The moment this negative thought surfaced in his mind, it was wiped clean by the incantation etched into his brain. In the end, Li Sanjiu, still with that pale and blank expression, slowly walked into the hall.

However, before going in, he seemed to remember something, so he bent down, picked up the severed arm, and gently placed it in the guard's arms.

He couldn't explain why he did it; perhaps it was out of a shred of humanity, or perhaps it was simply out of sympathy for those in the same boat.

The interior of the Golden Palace was no different from before.

Time seemed to stand still here, forever shrouded in smoke, forever veiled in a thin gauze, and forever the person sitting high on the dragon throne, whose face could never be seen.

After entering the hall, Li Sanjiu walked a short distance before kneeling down about ten meters away from the Empress Dowager.

Then, he banged his head a few times forcefully.

"Li Sanjiu pays respects to the Empress Dowager!"

There was no response from behind the veil—until quite a while later, a voice that sounded like a murmur came from within.

"It's you. What's up?"

It was unclear and difficult to identify, but it was definitely not the voice of Empress Dowager Cixi.

It sounded like a middle-aged man's voice, full of a uniquely husky male voice.

However, Li Sanjiu was also very familiar with this voice, but he did not utter a word.

After a long while, the person behind the curtain finally spoke again.

"If there's a problem, report it to us."

This time, it finally returned to the old lady's tone.

Only then did Li Sanjiu kowtow a few more times before replying.

"Your Majesty, urgent reports have arrived from the three provinces, indicating that unrest has recently broken out on all sides, with numerous rebels emerging within the provinces. Our military strength is now stretched thin, and we request that the court send troops to provide support."

However, the person on the dragon throne seemed completely unconcerned about this extremely urgent problem, and simply spoke in a tone as if he had just woken up.

Which three provinces?

"It's Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan."

But before Li Sanjiu could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager made a decision directly.

"None of these are important matters. Pass them down to the Grand Council and let them handle it."

"Yes, and the second thing is that since the beginning of winter, the disaster situation in various places has become increasingly severe—this winter is much colder than in previous years, and even many places that have not seen snow for decades have experienced blizzards. Furthermore, unscrupulous merchants are hoarding goods and speculating, resulting in countless people starving and freezing to death. Governors of many provinces have jointly submitted a petition to the court, hoping that it will reduce the tax burden and provide disaster relief."

However, the old lady seemed even more indifferent to this issue.

"They're just a bunch of worthless people. Let them die. The national treasury is already very tight. We still have to make offerings to the Buddha's body every few days. We don't have any extra money for disaster relief. Let's continue the fight and let those governors handle it themselves."

Li Sanjiu's voice stopped there, but he quickly continued without any emotion.

"An urgent report has arrived from Chahar, indicating..."

But before he could finish speaking, the man on the dragon throne suddenly stood up.

"Any news from his side?"

Her anxious tone was completely unlike that of someone of her status.

Even the voice had transformed into that of a young child.

Li Sanjiu still didn't react, but continued calmly.

"Lord Chahara submitted a memorial stating that Governor-General Zheng Mingtao, Governor Pan Chengjun, and several military commanders in their respective territories are suspected of betrayal; in addition, Che Yi'an of Henan is suspected of colluding with revolutionaries, and requests that this be dealt with swiftly."

Li Sanjiu rattled off a string of names, but the child's voice grew increasingly anxious, and finally, unable to contain himself, he slapped the armrest and interrupted.

"These are all minor matters. What about that chosen one? Has he been caught yet?!"

Li Sanjiu fell silent once again.

Then he spoke.

"At the end of his memorial, Lord Chahara stated that he had already confirmed the death of the chosen one, and that hiring Yu Sanzhi was merely a prelude. Given another two weeks, he was certain he could present the chosen one's head to Your Majesty. Therefore, he begged Your Majesty to rescind your order."

However, there was no movement behind the curtain.

After a moment, the fog in the hall grew thicker and thicker, as if some emotion was brewing within it—

But in the end, the voice of Empress Dowager Cixi returned from behind the curtain.

It was calm, and also cold.

“I should have told him that everything else is trivial, but this chosen one is of utmost importance. Tell him now to do as I say and not to have any other ideas. Our Qing Dynasty doesn’t need a third-rank official like him to worry about things.”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

When Li Sanjiu had nothing to report, he kowtowed several more times and then crawled out of the door.

In the blink of an eye, the vast Golden Palace fell silent once more.

Empress Dowager Cixi sat behind the curtain without moving—and so, for an unknown amount of time.

A hand suddenly reached out from behind the curtain.

Those were arms clad in brocade robes, adorned with a five-clawed golden dragon—a feature reserved for royalty—yet the exposed palms were as dry as a zombie's, making one wonder if there was any flesh or blood inside.

However, the hand beckoned.

All the candlelight in the Golden Palace went out at once. Although it was still daytime, not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate the room—and then, only a deep darkness spread out, eventually engulfing the space like a tidal wave.

But soon, another light appeared. Then, as if spreading, it rapidly illuminated the surroundings.

—At this point, they were no longer in the Golden Palace.

A dim sun hangs in the sky, surrounded by an endless wasteland. Broken stones and lifeless earth combine to form everything, ultimately creating a bleak and lifeless landscape.

But the person behind the curtain doesn't know where this place is.

This is the other side of the world, a place where countless people gather, the future that the Great One promised for this world, and also the dream she dreamed of last.

Of course, this place is not completely empty.

At the edge of the wilderness, one can glimpse a golden body that seems to reach the sky—its face is hidden behind the clouds, so its true appearance cannot be seen, but its body is like a towering mountain, inspiring awe at a single glance.

But upon closer inspection, one can see that the body is covered with all sorts of growths, with countless mutated flesh and blood spread all over it. Even the smallest ones are as big as houses, while the largest ones are comparable to the Golden Palace. Moreover, each one is dancing wildly, as if it is celebrating this grand feast and rejoicing in the host that is about to be devoured.

Empress Dowager Cixi slowly bowed down and then respectfully recited the verses.

"Yehenara clan pays homage to the Dharma body of the Buddha."

The golden statue did not respond at all; instead, the swarms of creatures drifted even more vigorously, as if they were greeting each other.

Empress Dowager Cixi didn't expect any answer. Instead, she struggled to stand up and stretched out an arm from behind the curtain.

But unlike before, although it was just as dry, this was clearly a man's body.

The hand slowly manipulated the air, and under the golden light, amidst the roars of countless proliferators, countless images flashed before her eyes.

She did indeed see rebels rising up across the land, as well as starving people everywhere, and even those plotted rebellions, the invasion of foreigners, and Horn, who, after receiving orders, had already begun to curse.

Some of these things happened in the past, some happen in the present, and some happen in the future.

But whatever it is, none of it concerns her.

Or rather, these things alone cannot hinder her plans.

The speed of her hand movements gradually increased, and one scene after another floated past her eyes.

She paused for a moment when she saw the two faces.

One was a man in an official robe, with an upright and dignified appearance, exuding heroic spirit.

One was a figure covered in blood, yet still unwavering and fighting bravely.

She knew both of them.

One of them was her most trusted subordinate, her most capable nephew. For a time, she even felt that if the Qing Dynasty were in his hands, it might have a chance to be reborn.

However, it was just a feeling in the end.

His identity was that of the head of the Suppression Bureau, and also the one who betrayed her, ultimately leading to her personally suppressing him in the Jingguan, condemning him to eternal damnation.

And the other one.
Empress Dowager Cixi's thoughts drifted away in an instant.

That was something that utterly shattered the dynasty's fortune; it was just a hair's breadth away from completely ending everything.

Her title was Wing King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and she was the chosen one named Shi Dakai. She was the nightmare that roused her from her nightmares in countless dark nights, leaving her drenched in cold sweat.

But whether it was him or him, these people ultimately failed.

Under that power far beyond that of ordinary people, they were utterly defeated and then died.

Empress Dowager Cixi remained silent for a few seconds, then swiped the two faces away again.

On the desolate plain, the dim sunlight grew increasingly intense, as if it were about to set everything ablaze—but Empress Dowager Cixi paid no heed. With her withered hands, she flipped through the pages one by one, and finally, before the fog returned, she glimpsed a scene.

pity.

It was not a human face, nor did it have any physical form.

All she could see was a long sword slicing through the darkness, closing in on the curtain!

The sword light wasn't particularly swift, yet it seemed to reach an extreme speed, traversing an immeasurable distance in just a few breaths, heading straight for her head—

But in the next instant, everything shattered.

The lingering dream seemed to have been frightened, and in the blink of an eye, it fell silent.

Several minutes later, she slowly spoke from behind the gauze curtain.

"Is this the successor you speak of? Very well, very well indeed. He's so close. It seems he truly can take the life of me, and even the entire Qing Dynasty."

He tilted his head back, looking at the golden statue in the distance, and at the rampant growths, and suddenly sneered.

The several voices blended together, creating a muffled yet utterly disgusting language.

"But I am different now, very different. Let me see whether this so-called successor can kill me, or whether I can crush him in his infancy and restore the glory of my Great Qing Dynasty."

In the blink of an eye, darkness enveloped everything once again.

At this point, no light ever shone again.
-
And it was right outside the hall.

With the interference gone, the crow was finally able to finish its meal properly.

It tilted its head back, swallowed a piece of meat that wasn't frozen solid, and then looked around.

He didn't know when it had happened, but his companions had already hung from the treetops, and those few blood-red eyes were staring at him, also eyeing his feast with predatory intent.

As a privilege afforded to early risers, it had already eaten its fill and was too lazy to argue over the leftovers. It simply flapped its wings and flew up to the high wall again.

Perhaps it had eaten too much human flesh, which had given it a sliver of intelligence. Watching those creatures swarm towards it like flies drawn to filth, the crow felt a touch of irony.

They're just a bunch of blind fools.

It stood on that high palace wall, feeling as if it were a king who surpassed everything—and then, when it looked up, it inadvertently caught a glimpse of the majestic palace.

Speaking of which, how many corpses will be thrown out tomorrow?
—Day after day, year after year, in this place, it seems as if the death of people never stops.

But faintly, there seemed to be more agonizing screams coming from the dungeon.

And just like that, it finally brought a bit of life to this lifeless imperial palace.

The crow opened its beak and surprisingly revealed a human-like smile.

—These are truly good times.

of course.

That's only true for them.

(End of this chapter)