Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 479 Conflict and Reopening
Zhou You didn't think that much about it.

As mentioned before, this is the reality now. People who could harm him generally wouldn't be able to find him, and even if they could, Duan Xie would have reported it to the police long ago.

Hu Shuang simply smiled and said "Excuse me" before walking in.

But seeing this overly familiar attitude, Zhou You frowned.

Would a girl these days walk into a strange man's house so openly?
However, after looking at the bright sun outside and then at the guard post outside the stairwell window, he shook his head.

—I guess the area is indeed quite safe.

But then again, if the neighborhood is safe, why did she specifically come to see what the new neighbor looks like?

He was completely confused, but soon he suddenly realized something and turned around and rushed into the kitchen.

—A series of clanging and banging noises were heard.

After a while, he came out with an awkward smile.

"Sorry, I forgot to turn off the stove. I was worried the pot would burn dry, so..."

"It's alright, I just came in a hurry and didn't give you any advance notice." Hu Shuang smiled brightly and then peeked into the kitchen.

Although he knew that normal people could never see the little ghost girl who wasn't possessed, Zhou You still subconsciously turned to the side to block her view.

Hu Shuang didn't delve into it further, but instead smiled and sat down on the sofa.

As luck would have it, the black cat was lying nearby, pretending to be asleep. Zhou You was about to remind it that this guy scratches everyone it sees when, unexpectedly, the startled little black cat just raised its head, gave Hu Shuang a somewhat disgruntled look, then meowed and jumped down on its own.

When did this guy change his ways?
Zhou You scratched his head, took a bottle of drink from the refrigerator, and handed it over.

"I'm sorry, we don't have anything to host you at home. Oh right, what about the registration book? I happen to have some time now, let's sign it first."

Hu Shuang smiled kindly upon hearing this, and while taking the drink, she also returned the notebook and pen to Zhou You.

While Zhou You was writing, she said something else.

"Mr. Zhou, do you live alone?"

Zhou You didn't look up, but said it casually.

"In human terms, that's true."

"With people?"

"No, I was just talking nonsense, don't worry about it."

Hu Shuang didn't pay any attention. Instead, she looked down and then gently tapped a spot in the register with her finger.

"Mr. Zhou, we need to register your marital status here. Because, as you know, there have been a lot of things going on lately, if you have a girlfriend, you also need to register that, so that we can easily identify non-residents."

"How long has it been? Are the checks still this strict now?"

Nevertheless, Zhou You still filled in 'none' in that column.

Who would have expected.

Upon seeing this simple word, Hu Shuang's smile suddenly brightened—of course, Zhou You didn't notice, and by the time he looked up, she had already returned to her polite and serious expression.

"I'll keep that thing safe. By the way, Mr. Zhou, you were going in and out of the kitchen just now, so you must enjoy cooking?"

—No, I don't like cooking at all, I'm just afraid you'll be scared by a pot flying in mid-air.

But he couldn't say it outright, so he just laughed it off.

"Well, you know how it is. When you live alone, you have to take care of a lot of things yourself."

The black cat on the other side occasionally cast a disdainful glance at him, but with his thick skin, he naturally didn't care at all.

The little girl named Hu Shuang also laughed—she took a lunchbox from her shoulder bag and gently placed it on the table.

".This is?"

"It's nothing, I just really enjoy cooking, and today I learned that a new neighbor is moving in, so I specially made a small gift for them. Just some snacks, I hope Mr. Zhou will accept them."

Having gone this far, what else could Zhou You say? He could only thank them and then politely accept the gift.

But as he turned his head, he was suddenly startled.

There is no other reason.

—Unbeknownst to him, the little ghost girl had already drifted to his side.

You almost scared me to death, I didn't mean to.

However, before he could finish speaking, he realized something was wrong.

Hu Shuang then raised her head and looked at him with some confusion.

"Mr. Zhou, is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, it's nothing, it's just that, uh, I was startled by a pigeon that flashed past the window."

While making excuses, Zhou You secretly nudged the little ghost girl with his elbow.

The meaning is simple: there are outsiders here, so she should quickly go to the inner room to avoid them.

Unexpectedly, the usually obedient little ghost girl completely ignored him at this moment. She just stared at Hu Shuang, her back slowly arching, and she made a sound similar to a cat's hiss.

—That's an immense level of hostility.

What's going on all of a sudden?
Zhou You was increasingly puzzled. He secretly knocked on Duan Xie again, trying to see if there were any demons or monsters on the other side. However, Duan Xie did not give him any response. So he could only laugh it off and push the little ghost girl into the bedroom.

When he turned his head again, he found that Hu Shuang was looking at him with a very strange look.

Well, I guess I'm being treated like a lunatic.

But just as Zhou You was thinking of some excuse to get out of this, Hu Shuang suddenly laughed.

"Since Mr. Zhou is busy, I won't bother you any longer. Let's exchange cooking tips another time when we have the chance."

After saying that, the girl smiled and took back the registration book, then nodded politely and left.

Watching that departing figure, Zhou You muttered to himself, somewhat puzzled.

"Wait, we're not that close, are we? And the little guy, why are you suddenly so hostile?"

however.

The little ghost girl who had slipped out of the bedroom door completely ignored him, called over the black cat, and went to the kitchen to cook.

"Damn it, what kind of mess is this?"

Ever since.

The only person left in the room was someone who looked completely bewildered.

Only after stepping out of the building did the girl named Hu Shuang raise her head, stretch out her hand, and touch the sunlight with her palm.

After a while, a series of crisp laughs suddenly rang out.

"As expected. All my efforts were worthwhile. It's just a pity that it didn't work out. But it doesn't matter, I still have time, plenty of time."

"As the saying goes, 'water wears away stone,' and with perseverance, I will eventually succeed—"
-
Time flies like an arrow, passing in the blink of an eye.

Before we knew it, it was time to get to the script again.

That day, the little ghost girl specially prepared a table of delicious food and cleaned the entire house.

As for traveling...
He remained as nonchalant as ever. After giving a few instructions and leaving behind a number of talismans, he simply got up and entered the black book once again.

—The scenery remained the same throughout.

The candlelight was bright, and the smoke was billowing.

The stone statue in the center is now almost complete.

Above was undoubtedly his own face. Although the skeleton was somewhat distorted, it was still the shape of a normal person. Only the text on the base was still incomplete, with only a few blurry traces visible. As Zhou You placed his hand on it, scenes suddenly flashed before his eyes.

That was a scene that many people devoutly worshipped.

He saw, within Cangzhou, in a Taoist temple that had once been a scenic spot, an old Taoist priest tremblingly lighting incense for a headless statue.

He saw dozens of people kneeling on the ground between Lizhou, bowing their heads in utmost devotion before the ruins of the city of Chitoumo.

He saw Maoshan after the death of the Hidden King, where his name was engraved on a fragrant wooden tablet and worshipped alongside those renowned Taoist ancestors.

He saw the snow in the north melt away, and several great temples rose from the ground, each containing his statue—and turning his head, he saw countless whispers of his name being sung among the lights of thousands of homes.

"Tai Xuan."

"Tai Xuan Subdues Demons"

"Tai Xuan Subdues Demons and Manifests Sacredness".

"Sword Lord Tai Xuan Subduing Demons and Manifesting Sainthood!!!"

The voices rang out in unison, deafeningly loud, so much so that Zhou You couldn't help but loosen his grip.

After catching his breath for a while, he muttered to himself.

"Is this my Dharma name?"

For a moment, he really didn't know what expression he should make.

I am just an ordinary mortal, how could I be worthy of such a 'mysterious' title?

just.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from behind.

"That's right, that is indeed your honorific title."

Who?
Zhou You subconsciously drew his sword and turned around—

However, his movements involuntarily stopped.

What was behind him was not a person.

Perhaps it's not even a living thing.

Before him, right next to the page of the book, was only a blurry, indistinct shape, appearing and disappearing as if it might dissipate at any moment.

But Zhou You still recognized what it was from that muffled voice.

—The system kept guiding him, a female voice as mechanical as a machine.

Zhou You fell silent instantly.

This was the first time he had seen 'her' face.

Although there have been conversations before, they were essentially more like computer-generated question-and-answer sessions.

They can provide answers, but they can't communicate at all.

After a long while, he did not release his sword, but spoke calmly.

"what are you?"

The other person just stared at him—or made a similar gesture.

After a long pause, he replied in that mechanical voice.

“You have seen my existence before, like Shi Dakai, like the monks in the Pure Land, even like Empress Dowager Cixi—I am the same as them in essence.”

Zhou You examined the blurry figure and then slowly uttered two words.

"Obsession?"

The female voice neither confirmed nor denied, but swayed as she approached Zhou You, reaching out her hand-like limbs as if to touch him, but quickly put them down again.

"You are very similar to him, truly very similar. Perhaps that is why this book chose you, making you his successor."

Zhou You frowned and pressed for an answer.

"What exactly do you mean? Who are you talking about? And what is this 'inheritor'?"

Otherwise.

After uttering that extremely ambiguous statement, the figure floated back.

The 'humanity' mentioned seemed like an illusion, appearing for only a few seconds before turning back into that mechanical, rigid voice.

"I'm not sober for long periods of time; I'm only here to remind you of a few things."

Zhou You wanted to say something, but looking at the swaying body that seemed on the verge of collapse, he stopped and stood there listening attentively.

So all that remained was that cold, monotonous voice.

“You have come close to ‘He’s’ side, but just as easily, ‘He’s’ can also gradually reach you. Be careful and never reveal any weakness to ‘He’s’, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain.”

Although the words were very vague, the meaning was clear, so Zhou You nodded without saying a word.

"Secondly, as pollution worsens, the help we can offer you will become less and less, and eventually you'll have to rely on yourself for most of the time."

"--at last."

The woman paused for a moment, then continued.

"Be careful with your choices. Every step you take can affect yourself and even the whole world."

After saying this, the illusory shadow fell completely silent.

After thinking for a few seconds, Zhou You also spoke.

"Excuse me, I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

"Don't ask who he or He is. There are some things I can't say, and keep your questions brief—so, just say it."

Zhou You organized his thoughts and then asked the first question.

"What exactly is my purpose in doing all this?"

He didn't ask 'you' or 'them', he just asked himself.

Upon hearing this, a blurry smile appeared on the phantom.

“It’s a very clever way to avoid it, but I can’t reveal too much. I can only tell you that there are countless possibilities in this world. Everything you experience is a possible event in history. If you don’t stop it, it can seep that history into reality, thus turning ‘possibility’ into ‘reality’.”

Zhou You suddenly recalled the script he had experienced.

If I don't stop the Yellow Heavenly Saint Emperor from descending to earth, will the entire Cangzhou become a demonic realm on earth?
If Maitreya were to successfully expound the sutra, would the people of Han China, as the old monk wished, ascend to the Tushita Heaven and become ignorant and unfeeling puppets?
If the ancient people are successfully resurrected in the battle against evil, will the false people then take over the world and gradually erode human existence?
If I hadn't assassinated the Empress Dowager and sealed away the Water and Sky Buddha, would the Qing Dynasty have continued to exist, truly becoming a prison that confined countless Chinese people?
Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, and recalling those terrifying consequences, Zhou You felt a chill run down his spine for the first time—but he suppressed these emotions and continued to ask the second crucial question.

"I sensed it from the last script—no, I should say the one before that—that the Black Book seemed to be limiting my power. Why is that?"

The phantom flickered a few times, then answered.

"The higher the degree of corruption in a world, the more difficult it is for our power to reach it. Therefore, we can only use something that cannot be detected as a vessel to allow you to descend. And I must remind you, the higher the degree of corruption in a world, the deeper the influence of the Heavenly Demons, and the stronger those things are. This is what we really need to be careful about."

Zhou You grinned.

"You mean my abilities will be limited, while the enemy will get a bunch of buffs? What's the point of fighting like this? Can I just quit?"

However, the only response from the other party was silence.

After a long while, Zhou You shook his head and said nonchalantly.

"Fine, I knew I couldn't get off this pirate ship once I got on it, and besides, you guys gave me my life—so let's get straight to the point, what's my goal in the next scenario? And which bastard do I need to take down this time?"

(End of this chapter)