American comic book: After mastering resurrection, I became incredibly popular.

“I know your first choice is George.” Wang Baixi raised his chin towards the old man on the hospital bed.

The man smiled mysteriously. “You are clever, Wang. But that’s all you are.”

At that moment, Death circled behind Laugher, glanced down at Jochir, who was trembling like a leaf on the hospital bed, and whispered, "Was he praising you or insulting you?"

Wang Baixi didn't respond to Death's words, but stared at Xiaoke and slowly said, "Tell me, what exactly is it about Qiaoqier that makes you go to such lengths?"

"It's simple. A man who personally sent the Wayne couple to their graves must have a seed planted in his heart. That seed is enough to turn him into a completely new Joker today, here and now. In fact, anyone who experiences a bad day will go crazy and fall into depravity..."

Ignoring death, Wang Baixi took a step forward and sneered, "Anyone who has a bad day goes crazy? Did you say that to Gordon? Did you say that to Batman? Maybe you should say it to them, so you can tell a 'joke' like never before."

"Are you serious?" Laughing man spread his hands exaggeratedly, his face paint wrinkling from laughing. "Batman? Oh, Wang, isn't Batman himself a madman? A billionaire who wears a bat costume and beats up mental patients at night, you call that normal?"

“If this is considered madness, then what are you?” Wang Baixi retorted, “A priest?”

“Who I am is unimportant.” Laughing’s tone suddenly turned cold. “What matters is that I’m not going to waste my breath on you anymore. You have a sharp tongue, but I’ve already written the script for turning Joker into the Joker. You only have two choices now: watch me finish it, or shoot. But I know you won’t shoot.”

Xiao Ke took a small step forward, letting Wang Baixi's gun muzzle press against his forehead, and laughed with exceptional certainty.

"Because Batman has been infected with my specially made laughing gas virus."

"Specially made?" Wang Baixi's eyes widened.

"Yes, it's a trade secret, but I don't mind revealing a little: it's completely different from those mass-produced ones before; it's made specifically for Batman."

Wang Baixi's heart sank, but he didn't show it on his face.

“Soon, Batman will become the thing he fears most in his life, which is me,” The Laugher pointed to his face with another finger. “The moment he becomes me, there will be no dealer at Gotham’s poker table. You’re smart, Wong, but you’re not smart enough. Joachim, Jason, Barbara, they’re just my backup options. My ultimate choice, from beginning to end, is Batman. Joachim is second to last at best, although they’re all quite interesting.”

So it turns out... he was tricked by the clown?

It turns out that his smile meant "I guessed half right".

"Are you done spouting nonsense?" Wang Baixi calmed himself down.

"Don't rush." ​​Xiao Ke suddenly raised his free hand and waved it between the two of them. "Listen carefully, Your Majesty. I have the antidote on me."

Wang Baixi's heart tightened.

Is there a cure for the Joker?

"Do you trust me? Will you kill me? If you kill me, you'll never find the cure. If you don't kill me, Batman can be saved. It's an interesting choice, isn't it?"

"I should contact Batman and ask for his opinion."

“No, don’t try that, Wang Baixi, please don’t.” Xiaoke immediately shook his head. “Because you won’t get any answer. He’s probably lying in the Batcave right now, talking to his fears. There’s nothing you can do.”

Wang Baixi laughed, "Clown. You know I can bring the dead back to life and make the rotten wood spring back to life. Even if your virus really turns him into something ridiculous, I will pull him back from that path and bring him back to life again. Your virus, your plan, none of it works on me."

Death stood beside him, arms crossed, watching Wang Baixi with interest: "Ah, you've finally taken the initiative, Wang."

Let's not complain at times like this!

Wang Baixi couldn't be sure if he had gone mad or contracted a virus. In any case, as long as the dead lady was still around, it was as if a barrage of comments was playing in front of his eyes.

“You’re too naive, Wang.” Instead of the fury Wang Baixi had expected, Laughing Buddha showed a pitying expression. “You think you can turn Batman into the Joker with just laughing gas? I have many more methods. For example… destroying the Wayne couple’s graves, or making everyone in Gotham believe Batman has long since gone mad. And another example…”

He paused, then added in a very low voice:

“Take you for example! You’re the kind of friend who’ll do anything to decide who lives and who dies for him! Aren’t you just like Harvey Dent back then? Aren’t you just like Thomas Elliott? You’ll be the next one to push him, Wang. The harder you try to ‘save’ him, the more you’ll push him to my side.”

“Your words may fool Jason, but they won’t fool me.” Wang Baixi’s gaze remained steady.

He knew perfectly well that half of what the joker said was just empty talk. No matter how eloquent the words were, they couldn't hide the fact that the clown was already at his wit's end.

Xiao Ke probably saw through Wang Baixi's intentions, so he opened his arms and assumed a posture of welcoming judgment.

"You can kill me, Wang Baixi. But the Joker's will remains. I am the dark side of Gotham, I am the laughter that echoes as this city is trampled into the mud. Batman will fall, new Batmen will appear, and this clichéd script will play out again and again. It won't change because of your appearance. Come on, kill me, Wang Baixi! Kill me! To be honest, in my brain..."

boom!

The gunshot swallowed up the rest of Xiaoke's sentence.

The bullet pierced through his forehead, leaving a cloud of blood, and embedded itself in the wall behind him.

Xiao Ke leaned back, his face still bearing that wide smile.

His head hit the railing of George's hospital bed, and he slid down the edge of the bed, eventually collapsing to the ground, motionless.

"You fucking talk too much nonsense," Wang Baixi said, pointing in the direction where Xiaoke had fallen.

He lowered the gun, and the smell of blood slowly rose in the medical room.

[Aura of a deceased person detected... Experience points +80.]

Ah, very good.

[Aura of a deceased person detected... Experience points +20.]

etc??

Wang Baixi suddenly came to his senses and looked up at Qiao Qier on the hospital bed.

The old man, nearing the end of his life, stared with cloudy eyes, his mouth wide open, and let out a very short, sharp breath. Then, his whole body stiffened abruptly and went completely limp.

The curve on the electrocardiogram machine turned into a straight green line.

Wang Baixi was speechless.

Death bypassed Laugher's corpse, walked to the bedside, and tilted its head to look at Jochir's frozen face.

"You scared him to death!! This guy's heart was already about to give out, and that shot of yours really frightened him!"

"It's none of my business," Wang Baixi said, but his brows furrowed.

"Whatever you say goes." Death shrugged indifferently, then gave Wang Baixi a meaningful look. "But I have to remind you, originally only one person was supposed to die here today."

Wang Baixi ignored her and turned to walk out the door.

"Death is not scary; death is like a cool summer night."

Better to die for your fellow Daoist than for me!

……

The corridors of Blackgate Prison had gone from chaos to silence. Prisoners lay sprawled on the floor, some writhing in pain, others completely lifeless.

When Wang Baixi came out, Cassandra was pinning the last remaining prisoner against the wall, while Damian sat panting amidst a pile of fallen bodies, a dagger stuck in the crack of the floor tiles, his entire body covered in blood.

As for the penguin, no one knows when he escaped in the chaos.

Wang Baixi glanced at the messy corridor and silently considered what to say to clean up the mess.

“Friends,” he said, turning his gaze away from the pool of blood and walking toward the exit, “we need to get out of here first.”

……

Inside the bat cave, time seems to slow down.

Jason leaned against the railing next to the control panel, looking around absentmindedly, when Alfred came over with a tray and placed a cup of hot tea next to him.

“Young Master Jason, you look like you haven’t had a proper rest in a long time.”

“I don’t need a break, Pennyworth.” Jason put his coffee cup aside, his eyes still glued to the fluctuating numbers on the screen. “Instead of worrying about me, you should go and urge them… I mean, ask them why they’re not back yet.”

“Mr. Wang and Miss Zatana have always been very measured in their actions.” Alfred stopped beside Jason, speaking calmly. “But you, Mr. Jason, let’s have a chat.”

"us?"

"Do you remember the last time you sat in Wayne Manor and spoke to me so quietly?"

Jason did not answer.

“Listen to me, Master Bruce has never stopped worrying about you. He may not have expressed it in the way you expect, but he has always remembered your favorite foods, kept your room, and... kept your Robin uniform.”

These words made Jason's heart tighten, but he didn't mince words: "He has a fetish."

“I know you hate him, Mr. Jason,” Alfred said softly. “It’s exhausting to hate someone, especially when that person is the only one you’re willing to call family.”

“I don’t hate him.” Jason turned his face away. “I just don’t know how to face him.”

Alfred didn't say anything more, but simply pushed the hot tea towards him again.

Just then, the sound of an engine came from the tunnel leading to the surface. The Batmobile slowly drove into the Batcave, its headlights piercing the darkness within.

Tim jumped out of the passenger seat first, then went around to the driver's side and helped Bruce out of the car. Bruce's steps were unsteady, and half of his weight was on Tim's shoulder.

"Young Master!" "Bruce!"

Alfred quickly went to meet him, and Jason followed.

Alfred and Tim helped Bruce onto the medical bed. Tim removed Bruce's hood and saw that the corners of Bruce's mouth were slowly turning up on his pale face.

Yes, he was smiling.

“Alfred, this is bad,” Tim said to Alfred in a low voice.

"Yes, I noticed." Alfred was still shaken. "Where are Mr. Wang and the others?"

“Wang and the others are on their way back... but we need to deal with the nitrous oxide in Bruce’s body first.”

Jason stood a few steps away, looking at the face on the medical bed that was so familiar yet now chillingly unfamiliar. He held his breath, feeling his hands and feet grow cold.

Chapter 148

At this moment, Bruce Wayne doesn't know where he is; it might be hell, but most likely not heaven.

All he knew was that there was no light or warmth around him, only coldness and confinement.

When he looked up, Xiao Ke was standing three steps away, wearing that old purple suit and smiling.

"Welcome back to Crime Alley, Batman." The Laughing Man cares more about the name Batman than Bruce Wayne.

It seemed that the nitrous oxide was gnawing at his nerves, to the point that he was hallucinating. But the hallucinations were so real that he could even smell the musty smell in the alley.

"You're not going to speak?" Xiao Ke tilted his head. "It's alright, I'll speak for you. You must be thinking right now: why did I come back here? Because this is where everything started for you, and it's also your prison."

"Are you finished?"

“No.” Laughing started walking around him, his shoes splashing in the puddles. “Do you remember Jason? Of course I do. He came back alive, but he hates you. He might hate that Joker killed him, but he hates you even more for not killing Joker. You didn’t even have the courage to avenge him, Batman. You’re a coward.”

Bruce's heart sank when he heard Jason's name, but he didn't reply.