paranoianovel Chapter 36 Don't tell him, I still miss him
Chapter 36 Don't tell him, I still miss him
Chen Fu was already used to being stared at by corpses. He'd seen ghosts too, let alone corpses.
But this was the first time Song Shuangwei had ever seen such bizarre game text.
At that moment, she felt her hands and feet were ice cold, her whole body was stiff, and she couldn't move at all while lying on the bed.
This is not the result of psychological factors, but rather there is a mysterious force controlling her!
The influence of games is invading reality.
Song Shuangwei could only stare blankly at her phone screen, completely unable to do anything.
Her roommate thought she was watching a drama and didn't notice anything unusual, but only Song Shuangwei knew that the coldness in her hands and feet was gradually spreading, concentrating along her arms and legs towards her body, and at an increasingly faster speed! It was about to reach her heart.
She suddenly felt a feeling that was hard to describe.
If the cold sensation were to completely envelop her heart, she would die.
Song Shuangwei wanted to shout, wanted to save herself, but she couldn't do it. She could only watch helplessly as the coldness felt like an invisible hand slowly climbing into her heart.
Memories flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.
When she was three years old, she met Chen Fu. The boy had a big head and a small body. He held a lollipop and offered to give it to her.
When they were seven years old, they entered elementary school together and became deskmates. They childishly drew a "38th parallel" on the desk, and neither of them could break the rule.
At eighteen, they applied to different universities because of their different personalities, but Song Shuangwei still had a little plan: she chose to stay in the same city as Chen Fu, because she absolutely couldn't let this guy be seduced by some vixen!
But now.
She felt like she was going to die before she even had a chance to confess her feelings.
Song Shuangwei regretted it very much.
What's the point of giving gifts during holidays? Why didn't she just say that sooner so that Chen Fu would understand her feelings directly?
It's all too late.
Time ticked by, and Song Shuangwei lost track of how much time had passed. The icy sensation reached her heart, her breath caught in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her delicate face.
If she had another chance, she would definitely say those four words to Chen Fu.
Suddenly, Song Shuangwei noticed that the game text had changed.
"Congratulations on successfully completing Black Myth: The Legend of the White Snake (based on the complete truth of The Legend of the White Snake) CN-79)"
The chill receded like a tide, and Song Shuangwei regained control of her body; she came back to life!
What exactly is going on?
Song Shuangwei didn't have time to look at the still-generating game text; she hurriedly sent a WeChat message to Chen Fu.
But after waiting for a long time, there was still no response.
……
"The monk stares at you without moving, and you feel your hands and feet begin to grow cold, and your body stiffen. If the coldness spreads to your heart, you will die."
"The power of vows stored within the patchwork robe has begun to take effect; the spread of coldness has slowed, and you have regained some mobility."
"You heard the monk's obsession by listening to his words of death. Would you like to go forward and listen carefully?"
Chen Fu chose to step forward; he always considered things very comprehensively.
Even she herself was affected; if her heart was encased in ice, she would die. So Song Shuangwei must be the same.
Go forward and listen to the sounds so that we can resolve the matter as soon as possible and get Song Shuangwei out of danger sooner.
"The monk said he knew a secret of the abbot, which is why he died and was thrown into the ancient well."
"He said if you were willing to help lure the abbot here, he would spare your life. Otherwise, you and your teammates would have to stay and keep him company."
The abbot has a secret? Is this referring to Fahai?
Chen Fu recalled the plot of the Legend of the White Snake. Fahai was the founding abbot of Jinshan Temple, but in history he was the first abbot after the reconstruction of Jinshan Temple. The monks were not wrong to say that.
Is Fahai's secret related to the fact that Jinshan Temple has become what it is today?
Chen Fu felt that this was probably the case. Even if it wasn't, Jinshan Temple was currently flooded, just like the story of Bai Suzhen causing the flood.
Thinking about these things doesn't mean preparing to refuse, but rather thinking things through before taking action.
Otherwise, if you don't even know who the abbot is, where are you going to look? Are you just going to wander around like a headless fly?
"You chose to help the monks, and he said you could look for the abbot's whereabouts inside Jinshan Temple. Once you found him, you must do everything you can to lure him over."
"You have returned, Washhouse."
"Chosen One, where do you intend to begin your search for the abbot of Jinshan Temple? Will you retrace your steps, or venture into unexplored territory?"
So far, Chen Fu has not encountered any other players in the Legend of the White Snake instance.
Judging from the search process, if I go back now, I might meet other people, because I found a lot of things. If there were other people, it wouldn't be like this.
Since that's the case, let's go explore unexplored areas. If there's something there, it means no one has been there; if we find nothing, it means someone has searched the place. This way, we can be prepared.
Chen Fu chose to go to places that had not been explored before.
"Now there are two paths before you. The left leads to the Sutra Repository, the sacred place where Jinshan Temple houses its scriptures and texts. The right leads to the Rear Meditation Hall, where monks rest and meditate. Destiny, where do you intend to go?"
Without any hesitation, Chen Fu chose to go to the Scripture Pavilion. With just one glance, he could tell whether any players had been there.
"Due to the impact of the flood, the walls of the library were damaged, the bookshelves collapsed, and the scriptures were scattered all over the ground. It's a pity that you didn't find anything of value. It seems that even the chosen ones can make mistakes."
Chen Fu nodded to himself, knowing that the library had already been searched.
If Song Shuangwei wasn't here, then there must have been other players.
Statistically speaking, it's about 50/50, but it's always better to be cautious.
This time, Chen Fu chose to go to the Houchan Temple.
Most of Jinshan Temple has already been searched, and the game text does not mention any other people. The abbot is very likely somewhere in the back monastery.
"You have arrived at the Back Zen Temple."
"This used to be the residence of the monks of Jinshan Temple. It was ruined by the flood. You have found a side room that is completely intact. Would you like to go and take a look?"
Are there any side rooms that haven't been affected? Then it must be where the abbot is. Chen Fu clicked forward.
You gently knock on the door, and a warm, deep voice comes from inside, inviting you in for a chat.
"You entered the room and saw a scholar lying on the bed. His face was calm, as if he were asleep, but his face was ashen, his lips were bloodless, and he had stopped breathing."
Beside him, a monk sat upright on a round stool, his back straight as a pine tree, his snow-white skin spotless. He was staring intently at the scholar on the bed, his eyes like a cold pool, without anger or resentment, only unfathomable grief.
"You realize that this is Fahai, the abbot of Jinshan Temple."
"Fahai turned to look at you and asked what you wanted, benefactor. How do you plan to answer? Do you tell him to go to the ancient well in the washing courtyard, or do you say that you are a tourist, or do you start the conversation with the scholar's corpse?"
Chen Fu thought that sending Fahai directly to the ancient well was definitely not an option. The dead monks had all said that they had stumbled upon the other party's secret and died innocently. Although he didn't know if Fahai had killed them, if that were the case, he probably wouldn't be able to escape either.
Fahai would probably treat tourists with courtesy; he's just obsessed with exorcising demons and wouldn't immediately resort to violence against ordinary people. But... what tourist would come to Jinshan Temple during a flood? That's insane!
There seem to be many options, but a little analysis reveals that only the third one works.
This also aligns with Chen Fu's profession; he excels at dealing with corpses.
"Step forward, identify yourself as the coroner, and say that the cause of death in this book is suspicious, and that you are most skilled in this area. Ask Abbot Fahai if it is necessary to investigate the cause of death."
"Fahai remained silent for a moment, stepped aside, said 'Thank you for your trouble,' and let you begin dissecting the corpse."
"You took out the seven dissected bodies and began your work."
As the plot progresses to this point, Chen Fu guesses that they may need to investigate the cause of the scholar's death in order to guide Fahai to the ancient well.
His task is to select the most appropriate option at the right time based on the game text.
As for the identity of a scholar, Chen Fu also had some ideas.
This person is probably Xu Xian. Did he die because he was overwhelmed with grief after his wife was suppressed by Fahai, or was it for some other reason?
Chen Fu couldn't help but feel curious.
"With the willow-leaf blade in hand, you gently slice along the center of the scholar's chest and abdomen, from his throat to below his navel. The skin and flesh separate as if turning the pages of a book, with no blood flowing out. The cut is perfectly clean."
"The willow-leaf blade, used by the coroner to determine the cause of death, slices through the skin of right and wrong with a single stroke. It is as thin as paper and as sharp as a spell, clearly exposing knife wounds, contusions, and even curse marks."
"Upon closer observation, it becomes clear that the scholar's death was not caused by external force. Fahai's pupils constricted, and he pursed his lips, lowered his head, and silently recited Buddhist scriptures."
"You insert the tweezers and pick up the heart that has stopped beating. You find that it is dark in color, covered with fine wrinkles, and is nearly 30% smaller than normal."
"Soul-retrieving tweezers are used to extract yin evidence in front of the morgue. With one tweezer, the secrets of the abdomen are pulled out. The tweezers have fine, backward-pointing teeth on the tip, and they open and close silently. They can steadily remove the organs of the deceased without damaging their shape."
"Fahai's expression finally changed, and he asked in a slightly anxious tone if any problems had been found. You said that your heart had atrophied, which was not something that happened overnight. He then asked what the cause was, and how you were prepared to answer."
"Should we continue the autopsy to find the cause of death, or send Fahai to the ancient well to uncover the truth?"
"It's all so incomplete. I'd be a fool to believe Fahai. Are you trying to trick me? Maybe in my next life..." Chen Fu muttered, then chose to continue his investigation.
"You didn't answer, but instead put down your heart and removed the probe."
"The Inquiry Needle is a tool used by forensic doctors to explore the underworld. It pierces the barrier of wrongful death with a single needle. This needle is thin and long like a hairpin, and its entire body is dark black. It can detect the bluish-purple congestion of the corpse, the depth of the putrefaction and poison inside, and the gathering and dispersing of yin energy."
"You gently insert the needle into the left ventricle of your heart, about half an inch in, and then pull it out after a moment. The needle tip will have a very faint trace of moisture on it."
"You showed the Questioning Needle to Fahai and said that the scholar died because the cold, damp air condensed in his heart meridian."
Xu Xian died because of this? Chen Fu was also deeply attracted by the game text and wanted to know the outcome.
Fahai took a half step back, his face suddenly turning ashen, and he pursed his lips a few times, asking if it was possible to remove the entire object from the scholar's heart.
"How do you plan to answer? Will you guide Fahai to the ancient well to find the icy water vapor crystals, retrieve them, and extract the substance remaining in the scholar's heart? Or will you say that the body will dissipate on its own after a few days?"
At this point, we need to make a choice: send Fahai to the ancient well.
How many more days? By then the corpse will be rotting. Judging from Fa Hai's expression just now, there might be something going on between him and Xu Xian, otherwise he wouldn't have lost his composure like that.
Chen Fu clicked on option one.
Fahai sighed, bowed his head and recited Buddhist scriptures, saying that what is destined to come will come, and invited you to go with him to the ancient well at Jiangxi Temple.
"You readily agreed and learned the scholar's identity from Fahai; he was none other than Xu Xian."
"On the way, Fahai wants to reveal the truth to you. Do you want to listen and learn the whole story, or do you turn a deaf ear and only want to lead Fahai into the ancient well to fulfill the monk's entrustment?"
Chen Fu thought to himself, what difference does it make? I have to go there anyway, and I'll be bored on the way. I might as well listen to it and satisfy my curiosity.
Fahai said that when he was a young novice monk, he met someone he loved. They played together, grew up together, and secretly pledged their lives to each other.
"But due to Buddhist precepts, Fahai had to follow his master's last wish and choose to remain a monk forever. He traveled thousands of miles and experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships, all to forget the appearance of his beloved."
"During this time, he encountered a small snake demon. Unable to bear killing it, he released it. To thank Fahai for sparing its life, the snake demon stayed by his side every day, relieving Fahai's longing and anguish."
"The scene of the two of them together was seen by the monks of Jinshan Temple. Fahai was reprimanded and imprisoned for twenty years. He could only be released when he forgot the snake demon."
"But he knew that the snake demon had already found her true love and had made a vow to marry the scholar Xu Xian."
"Twenty years have passed in a flash. Fahai, having relinquished his worldly desires, went out to beg for alms and happened to meet his beloved. Twenty years later, he was already married and living a peaceful life."
"Fahai thought he had long forgotten, but after just one glance, his heart began to ache."
He forced himself to leave as if nothing had happened, only to discover that his beloved's body contained a faint demonic aura.
"Fahai discovered that the demonic aura came from his beloved's wife, who was a snake demon who had cultivated for a thousand years and was the same snake demon he had released back then."
"Since ancient times, humans and demons have been on different paths. Thus began a fierce battle between a monk and a demon, which raged from Suzhou and Hangzhou to Jinshan Temple, and then from the temple gate to the Jiangxieyuan. In the end, both were severely injured and collapsed."
"Upon hearing the news, Xu Xian rushed over. Faced with his wife and the monk, he ran towards the latter without hesitation."
"After all these years, how could he have forgotten him?"
Upon seeing this, Chen Fu was shocked.
I initially thought it was some kind of extreme love triangle, but it turns out the snake demon is the one who got hurt the most!
Did you even consider her feelings? No wonder you flooded Jinshan Temple; I would have done the same!
The truth about the Legend of the White Snake came too suddenly, blinding Chen Fu.
"You and Fahai have arrived at the Washhouse."
"Compared to before, the huge skeleton that resembles neither a dragon nor a snake has obviously been disturbed, but due to insufficient information, you cannot find any clues from it."
"Fahai looked at you and said that according to your autopsy results, he understood that Xu Xian was injured by the cold water vapor while helping him up. Normally, this would not be a big deal, but now, the snake demon's magic went berserk and she could not control herself. She was also seriously injured and could not save herself. The surrounding energy was turbulent and no one could control it, which led to Xu Xian's death."
"Among them, a monk also stumbled in by mistake and died due to the violent energy. He could only temporarily throw his body into the well and deal with it later."
"Now that you know everything, what do you plan to do? Will you continue to help the monk and let Fahai enter the ancient well? Or will you act as if nothing happened and let things unfold as they may?"
The remains had been disturbed? That means other players must have been here. We don't know the details yet, but it's always good to be cautious. No wonder Fahai didn't react at all after I identified myself and even made me perform an autopsy; he already knew… Chen Fu was conflicted.
Putting aside the unusual nature of the remains, this is not a good choice.
If he were to suggest helping the monks, Fahai might very well intervene, and he wouldn't be able to stop him. Once the power of the patchwork robe's vows has dissipated and the mountain range enters a cooling-off period, he'll be risking his life here.
But if they do nothing, both he and Song Shuangwei will still face danger.
What should we do?
Chen Fu was at a loss for what to do.
Meanwhile, a major event also occurred outside.