Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 539 Dream

From the moment I entered the temple, there was no one else around.

Just like what you see outside, ordinary people are constantly entering the temple, but once they get inside, they only need to walk around a corner, a porch, or even just an inconspicuous corner, and they will disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye.

In the blink of an eye, only the Zhou family patriarch and aunt, along with the servants, remained.

Finally, even the servants disappeared.

The two old people walked ahead, followed by a small donkey pulling a load, seemingly oblivious to the unusual situation, and continued their loud conversation.

Even so, all they talked about were mundane family matters, the shop's business, and at most, how much bribes they needed to give to the government, and when Zhou You would finally come to his senses.
Seeing that jubilant face, Zhou You became even more silent.

He was like a model husband, holding Miss Jiang's hand and following behind them, walking slowly forward.

The donkey's bell swayed slightly—making the surrounding reality seem even more jarring, so real that it felt almost unbelievable.

This temple is much larger than it appears from the outside.

Distance loses its meaning here, as if the silence has given him time to think, and the narrow corridor stretches outward.

Before we knew it, the fog had risen.

Like milky white clouds, or the ethereal mist of a celestial palace, it gradually enveloped the entire scene.

But in the end, they still made it to their destination.

It was a very small incense-burning shrine, completely out of place with the jubilant atmosphere of the city, and it didn't even feel very 'real'. It was as if it were an alien object existing alone in this place.

however.

Zhou You has seen this before.

He had seen this feeling both in the Ancestral Hall of the Five Aggregates Temple and in the Arhat Hall of Hanshan Temple.

—A very strange feeling.

Old Master Zhou and his wife were standing at the door. When they saw that Zhou You refused to move, they turned around and called out to him.

"Silly boy, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and come over to offer incense to the Immortal Lord!"

Zhou You lowered his head, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally took his wife's hand and went inside.

Incense smoke filled the air inside the hall.

It was unclear how much incense the people who came before had lit, but the smoke had almost become tangible here. As soon as Miss Jiang, who was frail, entered, she coughed several times.

However, their enthusiasm remained undiminished.

The two old men acted as if they hadn't noticed the servant's disappearance, and personally rolled up their sleeves to carry down the incense, candles, and offerings—the moment everything was untied, the clouds and mist reversed, and even the last remaining donkey vanished without a trace.

Then, they lit incense, laid out fruits and meats, and then kowtowed and made a wish.

Ordinary people make very ordinary wishes, such as smooth business, peace at home, many children and grandchildren, and freedom from illness and disaster. However, the two old people were still very devout, and their faces were no longer tainted with anything else.

After struggling to their feet, they called out to Zhou You and the other two.

"Each of you take a stick of incense. Remember, kowtow three times before bowing, otherwise it won't be as effective. Oh, and you two should also pray for a child; you're both getting on in years, it's about time."

Miss Jiang accepted the incense with a shy expression, went through the ritual in a proper manner, and knelt on the prayer mat.

but.

Zhou You did not move.

He just looked at the swirling fireworks around him and felt a strange sense of familiarity.

The old man from the Zhou family was getting impatient and started urging him on, but he seemed oblivious and then suddenly spoke up.

—This was said to Miss Jiang on the prayer mat.

"I say you."

"Husband?"

What did you wish for?

A slight blush immediately appeared on Miss Jiang's face.

"This humble servant, this humble servant..."

Zhou You didn't urge him or show any other emotion; he simply repeated it again.

What did you wish for?

This time, the other party finally replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"My wish is for a peaceful and safe life, and for my husband to have a son soon."

The Zhou family elders exchanged glances and then smiled knowingly.

Only when traveling around is there no sorrow or joy, and one looks up.

As the smoke dissipated, the true form of the hall was finally revealed.

—Only a broken statue stands on the altar, its head not carved at all, just a piece of bare wood!
Zhou You looked at the faceless statue, then at the incense in his hand.

Suddenly, he let out a sneer.

Then, without hesitation, he threw it into the dust on the ground.

"—But it's all fake."

"You brat/You're crazy!"

"Young Master, what are you doing!"

The first two sentences were curses from Zhou's parents, and the last sentence...
The fog swirled, and the servants who had previously disappeared suddenly reappeared, looking flustered as they tried to stop Zhou You.

To be honest, although they had only spent a few days together, Zhou You knew that they were all good people. Although they were all servants, they had no bad intentions. When they were in the mood, they would even play boxing with Zhou You.

However, at this moment, Zhou You looked at those two faces that were so real they seemed unreal, and suddenly shook his head.

Wan Ren slipped from his hand and then casually slashed down.

Before they could even react or scream, the two heads rolled off.

half an hour.

Old Master Zhou seemed to be terrified, but the woman suddenly screamed.

"My son, what are you trying to do?!"

Zhou You ignored him, turned around, and took another step forward.

This time, several commoners rushed out from the clouds and mist, seemingly there to offer incense, as if they wanted to stop Zhou You, this 'mad' god of death.

It was just a single, sweeping stroke of the sword, without any hesitation.

Next came the temple priests, the yamen runners, and even the soldiers in the city.
Some offered advice, some threatened, and some immediately resorted to violence.
But no matter what, Zhou You always managed to cut through everything with a single sword stroke.

Without hesitation, and without leaving any survivors.

Finally, he went to his parents and wife.

The atmosphere of family reunion had been completely shattered. The group huddled together, trembling, and looked at Zhou You with a look of utter unfamiliarity and terror.

Even so, the woman still wanted to offer some advice.

“You, You’er, you hit your head, that’s why you’ve gone mad. Mother doesn’t blame you, she really doesn’t blame you. Be good, come home with Mother, okay? Our Dasheng Law Firm won’t execute a madman. Come home with Mother, Mother will give you everything she owns to compensate you.”

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou You swung his sword down.

"Master!"

A pitiful cry finally brought his sword to a stop just before his neck.

Miss Jiang knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, but still stood in front of the Zhou family elders with tears streaming down her face.

She remained silent, only looking at Zhou You with tearful eyes. Zhou You did not continue cutting.

—Did you soften your heart?

No, it's being soft-hearted to know it's an illusion and not take action.

—How pitiful?

After spending only a few days together, even if they treat each other with the utmost respect, there will be no romantic feelings between them.

so
Zhou You remained silent for a few seconds, but finally had to admit it.

—I'm just reluctant to part with it.

Humans are such creatures; they always try to comfort themselves with fantasies. The poor fantasize about becoming rich overnight, the seriously ill fantasize about being cured in a day, and the bereaved fantasize about seeing their loved ones again.
The same principle applies to traveling around.

A year ago, he was just an ordinary graduate. Although he was a bit of a gambler, all he dreamed of was finding a good job, a gentle, beautiful, and virtuous girlfriend, getting married, and living a peaceful life.

If it weren't for his grandfather's death, the terminal illness, and the black book incident, he might have already achieved this wish.

however.

How many life-or-death battles have you experienced along the way? How many terrifying creatures have you faced?
No matter how strong his will is, he is still human and will get tired.

He had also fantasized about what it would be like if one day he could have a happy family and no great ambitions.
—However, right here, 'silence' provided him with a stage and opened up this possibility.

In fact, it could become a reality if he wanted to.

The sword lay across the three terrified men, neither striking nor retracting.

And so, amidst the carnage, an eerie stillness descended.

In the end, Zhou You simply shook his head and sighed.

"Unfortunately, it was just an illusion after all."

However, he did not engage in acts of murdering his wife to prove his faith.

He glanced at the three men with a hint of pity and reluctance—the old man finally came to his senses and, despite his fear, ordered him to put away his weapon; the woman wept bitterly, pleading with him; and his stepmother begged him to change his mind.
They are indeed very good family members, and they have shown him a level of care he had never experienced before.

"In the end, it was just an illusion."

With another sigh, Zhou You did not draw his sword, but instead channeled his energy to create a talisman in mid-air.

—This is the Great Cloth Star Prayer Talisman.

It's a spell recorded in a talismanic scripture, but it's not actually for dispelling illusions; rather...
A talisman that reaches everywhere and communicates with the gods.

After this ordeal, he had come to recognize the identity of 'Silence' to some extent.

The talisman was created in mid-air and, in the blink of an eye, mingled with the incense smoke, even stirring the clouds outside the temple.

Just as Fu Cheng was about to finish, the Zhou family of three suddenly stopped moving.

Although the tears still lingered on her face, her skin had become as delicate as porcelain, shattering at the slightest touch.

Looking back again.

The corpses scattered everywhere had vanished, leaving only a few dozen headless scarecrows.

After the clouds and mist reversed, Zhou You simply exhaled softly.

"after all."

"It was a good dream."

Finally, everything was gone.

The city, the people, the buildings, the temples, all vanished with the clouds and mist, leaving only a blurry figure standing before him.

—It is not the true form of silence, nor even a division of the spirit; it is merely the lingering remnant of the Dao Illusion Realm when it was destroyed.

".Why?"

After a long standoff, the other party simply uttered this one sentence.

Zhou You shook his head and casually asked in return.

"what why?"

The blurry figure seemed very anxious, speaking rapidly in an androgynous voice.

"I created the most beautiful scene for you, the world that best suited your wishes, gave you all the possibilities you dreamed of, and allowed you to live a peaceful and safe life. Why do you refuse, and even want to shatter this beautiful dream yourself?"

There was no malice in his words. Zhou You had clearly come to kill this guy, but all that could be heard in his voice was genuine concern for him.

Zhou You stared at the afterimage for a moment, then finally uttered a sentence.

"Because they're all fake."

It was a very simple sentence, but the figure understood its meaning in an instant and continued speaking hurriedly.

"I know, I know this is all an illusion, but as long as it's inside my body, I can make even an illusion real. Even if you don't like this dream, I can make more, endlessly, never repeating, and never making you bored."

Zhou You suddenly interrupted.

"Just like the people in that village and those from the Wusheng Sect?"

".What did you say?"

Zhou You shook his head and said.

"I mean, they're inside you too, having the same dreams?"

"That's natural. My duty is to make people happy, so I must make you happy. There is too much suffering in this world; I cannot save everyone, so I..."

"But a dream is still a dream, no matter how real it may seem, there will eventually be a time when you wake up."

The figure stopped speaking, seemingly unsure how to respond.

But Zhou You didn't expect to get his answer. Instead, he walked through the shadows and said calmly.

"Unfortunately, it's not my time to dream yet; I am the chosen one."

"It is my duty."

When I opened my eyes again, all that was left was a scene of broken walls and ruins.

It looks like this place used to be a cluster of pavilions and towers, but now only countless stones lie on the ground. Looking at the details, one can perhaps still glimpse its former magnificence, but alas.
Now, there is no trace of human presence to be seen.

And that’s not all.

Amidst those ruins, countless pieces of flesh and deep pits are interconnected. Huge tumors, like hills, stand atop this former celestial palace. Occasionally, a lump will burst open, instantly unleashing a foul rain of filth.

Zhou You had seen this scene before.

But that was Mount Ling, the first stronghold to be conquered when the extraterrestrial demons invaded.

And now.
"Have we arrived at the Heavenly Palace again? But which of the thirty-six heavens is this?"

Looking around, Zhou You could vaguely see several plaques trapped among flesh and blood, but unfortunately the words and paintings on them were blurred and indistinct, making it impossible to tell where he was.

Of course, there is something even more important than these.

Just inches in front of him stood a body that looked like a dried corpse.

The flesh and blood had been completely drained, and the abdomen had been cruelly ripped open, with the internal organs scattered sparsely on the ground. Now dehydrated, they resembled sand and would crumble at the slightest touch.

But Zhou You still saw a smile on the face of this mummified corpse.

—That was a smile of extreme happiness, as if immersed in a beautiful dream, an incomparably blissful smile.

,

(End of this chapter)