Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 437 Enter
Why ask this?
Zhou You was somewhat puzzled, and after pondering for a long time, he finally spoke.

"The beginning was good, but due to its own limitations, therefore..."

Because Shi Dakai of this world was a man of destiny, he made up for many of the shortcomings of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and was even just one step away from burying the Qing Dynasty.

But in the end, it still failed.

However, Hanlu shook her head.

"Senior brother, that's not what I asked."

"what is that?"

"What's your opinion of them?"

This time, Zhou You remained silent for an even longer period before finally speaking.

"Some people are good, some people are bad, some good people turn bad, and some good people stay true to themselves, but in the end they end up with a more tragic end than anyone else."

Upon hearing this riddle-like answer, Hanlu did not reply. Instead, she asked Zhou You for another cup of wine, drank it down in one gulp, and then stood up.

"Is that all the questions?"

"The answer has already been obtained, so there is no need to ask again."

Her answer was concise and to the point, but before leaving, Hanlu turned back and asked Zhou You a question.

"I said, senior brother."

"What's the matter."

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"As long as they're not the kind of people who do evil."

Hanlu suddenly laughed.

“Senior brother, I am at least a member of a righteous sect. This matter is very simple, you can even just do it casually.”

"Alright, go ahead and say it."

Hanlu spoke earnestly.

“There is a White Bone Temple in the Forbidden City. It was built by Empress Dowager Cixi herself after the rebellion of the Evil Suppression Bureau. If you see it, I hope you can destroy it to release those souls.”

And this thing?

Zhou You scratched his head.

"No wonder I didn't see any members of the Evil Suppression Division when I arrived. I thought they were all dead. No, they are all dead. Oh well."

Recalling their previous interactions in the two instances, Zhou You said nonchalantly.

"This matter is now in my hands. Anything else?"

Hanlu shook her head.

"That's all. I wish that Senior Brother will achieve what the Wing King wished for, accomplish what he didn't finish, and save this world."

The door closed, and the beautiful figure walked into the cold wind.

Zhou You was left completely bewildered.

"This was my target all along! And when did your brothel become associated with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? This is utterly absurd."

The night is dark.

After finishing drawing the last few yellow talismans, Zhou You went to rest.

After all, the decisive battle is imminent tomorrow, and no matter how many problems there are, we must first conserve our energy and strength.

After lying down on the bed, perhaps due to exhaustion, he fell asleep easily this time.

and.

After a long time, I fell into a dream again.

But unlike before, this time all I saw were bizarre and grotesque sights, things that were hard to describe in words. Countless absurd lights and shadows swept by, and I felt as if I was walking in the void, moving forward instinctively without any thought.

Zhou You saw a formless creature with countless giant eyes, an immortal riding a half-human, half-beast robe in yellow, a garden so decayed it resembled hell, yet where everything grew in vain, and also a being as enormous as a planet, surveying everything with its colossal eyes.
But soon, all of these things drifted away, leaving only a silent land covered with vegetation, devoid of any life.

A voice sounded from behind.

"This is what I see, and it is also what you see."

"If we don't save them, then..."

"No matter where you are, you'll end up like this."

Zhou You tried to turn his head back forcefully, but at that moment, a thin, dry paw suddenly grabbed his shoulder.

In an instant, the voice distorted, turning into an unrecognizable yet extremely vicious curse.

"This is our country, no matter who you are."

"Nothing can stop it."

I was jolted awake from a nightmare.

However, although his consciousness returned, his body was as if he were suffering from sleep paralysis, and he could not move at all. It was only after a long time that Zhou You was able to sit up with difficulty.

When I touched my forehead, it was covered in cold sweat.

That's why the Black Book no longer displays sanity points; otherwise, Zhou You felt he would have lost at least ten points from this dream alone.

"What was that thing just now?"

She appears to be the final boss in this script, Empress Dowager Cixi, but for some reason, her inner nature always feels exceptionally strange—if I had to describe it, it would be like a jar of various filth mixed together, blended together, yet stinking to the point of being suffocating.

Before he could think too much about it, the sound of drums suddenly rang out outside.

"The rallying drums are wrong. It's already this late? Have I been asleep for that long?"

Zhou You didn't have time to think it through. He quickly dressed and then pushed open the door.

—Judging by the time, it should be daytime now.

The dark clouds grew thicker and thicker, making it seem as if dawn had not yet broken.

As for Yuan Chengwen, he had been waiting at the training ground for quite some time.

When he saw that Zhou You was late, he didn't scold him at all, but just nodded casually.

Then, with his head held high and chest out, he addressed the troops below.

The sound was amplified by magic, and for a moment it became deafening.

"Fellow colleagues, before we set off, please allow me, Yuan, to say a few words."

"This time, it should be the final battle."

His words were calm and composed.

“I know you are all afraid.”

"To be honest, I, Yuan Chengwen, am also afraid."

I thought it was a common motivational speech before a battle, but then the tone suddenly changed.

"I was terrified. I was afraid that all my previous efforts would be in vain, that I would be utterly defeated, that I would be infected by this black snow and turn into one of those strange plants, never to be reborn."

"--but."

"What's the use of being afraid?"

The sound was like a gentle stream; though not intense, it seeped into everyone's heart.

"If fear were to be of any use, I would admit defeat right now and kneel down in the Forbidden City, begging the Empress Dowager to stop this snow."

"But, do you really think she'll let me go?"

Yuan Chengwen looked around the drill ground and saw only one pale face after another.

No, she won't.

"She stirred up this snow, intending to drag the entire Han land down with her dying Qing Dynasty!"

"She doesn't want to spare me, you, all of you, or even your families!"

"I know that some of you must regret it, regret joining me in this revolution—"

“The problem is, the Qing Dynasty is already on its last legs. Even without our revolutionary army, there is the Shanhuai Army and Li San's Army. You will still see the same outcome.” Yuan Chengwen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"My most respected teacher and elder, whom I regarded as family, have died in Beijing. But I don't want to die now, nor do I want my colleagues or my family to die."

"So, since that old hag won't let us go, there's only one thing we need to do."

"Kill her before she kills us."

"Gentlemen, do you want to die? Do you want your family, friends, and children to become these plants that can never be reborn?"

After a moment of silence, a firm voice rang out.

".In no mood."

Soon, more people followed suit.

"Do not want to."

Ultimately, this cry transformed into a wave.

"We don't want to!!"

"—What needs to be done!"

"kill"

"Witch!!!"

They chanted in unison, then sharpened their weapons and fed their horses, preparing to march forward.

Zhou You, watching from the sidelines, was truly impressed.

Yuan Chengwen's words were not particularly intense, nor were they particularly inflammatory—in fact, they were quite simple—but they possessed a unique infectiousness that revitalized the morale of those on the verge of collapse with just a few words.

This is not magic, but rather a natural talent.

No wonder the eight great families invested heavily in him. If I weren't from the future, I probably would have thought this guy had the bearing of an emperor.

Only then did Yuan Chengwen bow to Zhou You.

"I'm sorry, I was busy with important business just now and neglected you, sir. Please don't take it to heart."

Zhou You waved casually.

"At this point, let's stop with all this formalities. What's the state of the military integration now?"

"As you can see, people's hearts can still be used—I have distributed all the money that the eight great families entrusted to me. With huge rewards, I can at least fight them."

"Most of that was intended to be invested in you, and you're really willing to give it all away?"

Yuan Chengwen gave a wry smile.

"What's the use of money when you're about to lose your life?"

"That's true."

Zhou You nodded, then asked about the important matter.

"Is Master Xiao's side ready?"

"Judging by the time, it should be about time. Please come with me, sir."

Soon, Yuan Chengwen led Zhou You into the meeting hall.

Compared to yesterday, there were far fewer people here. Only a few dozen people were sitting on chairs. The rest of the furniture had been removed, leaving an empty space in the middle. Only Xiao Dushui and a few disciples were there, holding magic swords and drawing something on the ground.

Zhou You noticed it was sparkling, so he went closer to take a look and discovered...
That's gold dust.

Made of polished gold, mixed with cinnabar, jade, pearl, and sparkling gold powder!
How much would it cost to create such a magic array?
Although he knew it was a necessary expense, it still made Zhou You, who was used to being poor, grit his teeth. At that moment, Xiao Dushui also saw him, but did not greet him. Only after he finished the last stroke did he exhale a breath of turbid air, and then shake off the gold on the sword like he was shaking off garbage.

"Mr. Zhou, you've arrived?"

Zhou You nodded.

"Sorry, I had a nightmare and I'm a little late. Hope I didn't cause any problems?"

Although Xiao Dushui's face was as white as porcelain powder, he still smiled kindly.

"It's alright, I just finished here too, but I'm quite curious about what that dream was that made you late, sir."

Even so, he didn't ask any further questions, but instead took a step forward—

But as soon as he stepped on the ground, his body suddenly swayed and he looked like he was about to fall to the ground!
Fortunately, the apprentices were quick-witted and caught him the moment he fell, then lifted him out with force.

"Master Xiao, you..."

Before Yuan Chengwen could speak, Xiao Dushui waved his hand.

"It's alright, I'm just a little out of magic power. Now that the magic array is complete, I have a few words to tell you all."

His voice was so serious that everyone fell silent.

Xiao Dushui, supporting his disciple's body, looked around and then slowly spoke.

"This is a secret formation passed down in our Shangqing Sect. Although it is not as grand as the rituals of Maoshan, it is still quite exquisite. This formation can bypass the vast chaos outside Beijing and send you all inside the city."

"However, I also have a few words of advice to give."

"As mentioned before, this formation uses those three nodes as stepping stones, so even if you enter at the same time, you will be teleported to the city in three waves—and it will all be random."

This time, finally someone sitting down frowned.

"Master Xiao, do you mean that who you get paired with after going in depends entirely on fate, the number of people is uncertain, and you might even have to fight alone?"

Xiao Dushui responded calmly.

"exactly."

The man wanted to say something more, but looking at the faces of those around him, he finally sighed and sat back down.

Seeing that the other party did not speak, Xiao Dushui continued.

"Secondly, before you leave, I will give each of you a talisman. Please remember, no matter what happens, you must never lose this talisman. After the mission is accomplished, I can use this talisman to summon you back, so that you will not perish together with Beijing and the Empress Dowager."

Hearing this, the vast majority of people were moved.

That's right, those who chose to go into the city were prepared to die, but after all, one only has one life, and there is a possibility of survival. Who would willingly choose to die?

However, whether he was questioning or delighted, Xiao Dushui's expression remained unchanged.

"Finally, I need to tell you all that, according to my previous divination, the next snowfall will likely occur around 9 PM."

"Moreover, this time it will be even more intense than before."

"In other words, you all only have eight hours."

"Exceeding this point constitutes failure."

As the magic sword was plunged into the ground, the layers of gold powder seemed to be activated, lighting up and then quickly burning.

Then, as if in a mirror, several scenes were reflected on it in succession, eventually settling into a hazy image of a city.

"This formation requires someone to lead it, and gold must be constantly added as fuel. I will not go with you all, but I wish you all success in eliminating this scourge in Han land."

No one spoke. The leader simply clasped his hands in a fist salute, then resolutely stepped into the formation and sank into the ground.

Then came the second, and the third.
Old Man Li went in, Lady Hua went in, Hanlu went in, and Cangle went in.
However, just as it was Zhou You's turn, Xiao Dushui suddenly spoke up again.

"gentlemen."

"what happened?"

"Do you remember your previous request, sir?"

"After this is done, shall I make a trip to your Shangqing Sect?"

"That's right. Sir, have you made up your mind?"

"There might be a chance."

However, this seemingly casual remark suddenly brought a smile to Xiao Dushui's face.

Then, he clenched his fist and bowed deeply. When Zhou You entered the room, he actually turned his back to him and performed a rare and grand salute.

"Then, I am here."

"Respectfully seeing off the 'Taoist Master,' may you have a safe journey."

(End of this chapter)