Chapter Fifty-Five: A Brief Conversation

  Lao San said intermittently: "Dun... Dun... Er Dun"

  Karamay exclaimed in surprise: "You know him?"

  Lao San turned to us: "Don't you know? Blue-faced Sun Erniu stole the emperor's horse, and red-faced Guan Gong fought at Changsha." Karamay gave him a white eye.

  I was stunned, this journey has been through too many things, true and false, virtual and real, vaguely seeming to have something to do with the blue-faced man. The grandfather who had been with me for over a decade in front of me was so strange, I even doubted who to believe. I stopped in my tracks, staring blankly at the "blue-faced grandfather" in front of me, others were also shocked like me.

  Grandfather made a silent gesture towards Jiǔ Chóng, and Kē Lā Mǎ Yī shouted loudly: "It's no good, he wants to attack us, Jiǔ Chóng has already been controlled by him."

  Lao San stood closest to my grandfather, and he subconsciously took a few steps back, looking at me saying: "Second Brother, quickly recall Jiu Chong."

  Jiǔ chóng shùn jiān biàn chéng le wǒ bù céng jiàn guò de shēn zǐ sè, tā shēn shàng fā shè chū xīng xīng diǎn diǎn de dàn zǐ sè wēi guāng, chòng zhe lǎo sān fēi le guò qù, wǒ dà jīng: "jiǔ chóng, nǐ yào gàn shén me?"

  Who knew that this little guy seemed to be out of my control, and rushed straight at Lao San. Lao San waved his knife wildly and took off running. Jiu Chong was extremely agile, and circled around Lao San's body before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

  Nine insects flew straight towards us, Karamay was sweating profusely and shouted at Xiao Lao: "What method can be used to control these dead bugs?"

  Xiao Lao's face turned pale as he replied: "Ancient divine artifacts, how can we possibly control them? Now it's up to Jun Yang, otherwise we're doomed."

  Yang Cangcang scolded: "This old thing is really ungrateful, we saved him and he wants to kill us. I'll try the Jiao Wei Di." As he spoke, the weak Yang Cangcang started playing the flute, but Jiuzhong was not affected at all. Fu Ma didn't move at all, and Wu Ziheng either closed his eyes due to exhaustion or despair.

  I tried to calm myself down and attempted to communicate with the little guy, but the more anxious I became, the more blurred everything was. This blue-faced old man had already completely controlled the nine insects? As I was thinking about this, the nine insects fluttered around us in a circle, and the people around us all fell to the ground like Lao San, but I remained unscathed. The nine insects returned to their original color and flew onto my shoulder, staring at me with an air of seeking praise, and I slapped it against the wall.

  I was just thinking of going to see how everyone is doing, when Grandfather slowly walked down from the table, looking at me with a kind expression. He sighed and said: "You've finally caught up with me here too. In the past, I had hoped many times that you could escape your fate, and I even made efforts for it, but unfortunately everything was in vain."

  I gazed at him warily, and for a moment I had forgotten to be afraid: "Who are you, where's my grandfather? What have you done with Jiuzhong? What have you done with everyone?"

  Grandpa smiled and said: "The nine worms originally belonged to your spiritual object, I was just keeping it for you. It can understand the mind, now that you're back, of course, I'll return it to you. As for them, they were just bewildered souls, let them sleep for a while, don't let them hear our conversation. Child, my time is limited, I have something to tell you, remember."

  I immediately covered my ears and shouted: "I don't want to listen, who knows what conspiracy you have again, I don't want to know, I just want to leave with my friend."

  Director Zheng suddenly chuckled beside the pillar: "Child, you seem to have forgotten. When I delivered the letter to you, I told you that what you see may not necessarily be true. Many things require you to explore for yourself."

  "Was it you who sent the letter? But why didn't you acknowledge it that day in Virtual Dream Space?"

  "That day I felt someone breaking in early, and that person was right next to you, so..." Director Zheng said seriously.

  "Right next to me?" I repeated Director Zheng's words, "Could it be..." I looked at Wu Zihan, that day he was the only one by my side, the Nine Worms' Soul Confusion Technique seemed to have no effect on him, he still stared at me with his usual indifferent gaze.

  "Who can tell me what's going on here? Are you or are you not my grandfather?" I couldn't bear these questions anymore, and was almost driven mad.

  "I am your grandfather and I'm not." Blue-faced Grandfather slowly walked closer to me.

  "Can't you say something I can understand?" I replied with a bit of impatience.

  "I am someone who will carry on your grandfather's unfulfilled wishes and live on for him—"

  "Are you saying my grandfather is dead?" I hastily interjected.

  "Don't interrupt me, we don't have much time left. Just listen to me first. When you were very young, I knew you were different from others. A master once calculated your fate and found that there was a great calamity in your life. I sealed your psychic powers with the Rasetsu curse, hoping you would grow up like an ordinary child. In the end, it was impossible to avoid, and the reason for bringing you here is actually all a conspiracy."

  "What conspiracy? What conspiracy?" I exclaimed in surprise.

  "Even if someone managed to escape the great formation and enter this main hall, they wouldn't be able to take away what they wanted. Only by breaking through the layers of formations can one obtain..."

  "What's on your mind?" I ventured to guess.

  Grandfather seemed astonished, he was stunned for a moment, sighed and continued: "It seems you already know more than I thought, not bad. It's indeed the Guiyuan Heart of the ancient country of Daisen, many people coveted this thing and lost their lives. Child, I hope you can fulfill the promise made thousands of years ago and fewer innocent people will die."

  "Are you the Blue Face Man? Then is my grandfather a Blue Face Man too? What's going on with those blue demons outside? And what about the person in the glass jar in that secret room?" I suddenly remembered.

  "We are the Blue Clan, child. You also have the blood of the Blue Clan, but you have a different place too." As for the Blue Devils outside and the secret room, they were all sacrifices to the Heart of Gui Yu."

  "Is it worth killing so many people just for this thing?" Grandpa's words seemed to be quite different from what I had imagined before, and I couldn't understand them for a moment. I paused for a while, then asked: "Who exactly brought me here? Why were you two caught again?"

  "They caught us just to open the temple, but as for who brought you here, many things I'm not clear about either. All I can do is fight to protect you with my life... " Grandfather sighed.

  Grandpa walked up to me and gently patted my shoulder with his deep blue hands, that familiar feeling was just like when I was a kid: "You've come here, you haven't let me down."

  I subconsciously shook off his hand and stared at him with a sharp gaze: "Why have you pretended to be crazy for so many years? Was it you who killed the people from the Science Exam team?"

  "Are you crazy?" Grandfather sneered, "Of course it's for you." My heart suddenly skipped a beat. Grandfather muttered to himself: "Speaking of which..." He slowly walked up to Wu Zihan and bowed deeply, "Thank you for saving me thirty-five years ago."

  I was taken aback: "Thirty-five years ago, Wu Ziheng saved you? No... didn't you say you came back yourself?"

  Grandpa also narrowed his eyes in confusion: "I was injured at the time, if I remember correctly, it was him! Thirty-five years have passed, and I've grown old, but you still look the same. Young man, who are you?" Upon hearing this, I was immediately stunned - my grandpa didn't even know who Wu Zihan was?

  Wu Zihan was still very weak, frowning at us and stammering: "Ti...me...is...al...most...here..."

  Director Zheng's face turned pale, he glanced around and said: "Old Zhou, hurry up, they've arrived."

  I asked in confusion: "You always say the time has come, what time is it exactly?"

  Grandfather was very calm, as if he had already known what would happen next. He said slowly: "Child, remember every word I say from now on. When the sacrifice begins, I will fight to protect you all the way out. After you leave, go to Chessboard Mountain and find the Guardian of the Wan Year Chessboard among the Ghostly Peaks. She will guide you."

  A chill laugh suddenly came from behind: "I'm afraid he's already out of time to go to Chessboard Mountain, when the time comes, everyone here will be buried with him, except me."

  I turned around, and a familiar face appeared in front of me. The person who came was the spirit that had been separated from my body by the Four-Leafed Soul Grass. He walked slowly to my side, gave me a disdainful glance, and said with a smirk: "I'm no longer a spirit, I'm now a flesh-and-blood human being. I'm not Shang Huang, nor am I Zhou Junyang. I'm Wu Huang. You and I are destined to have a battle, but it's not the right time yet." I saw that both Grandfather and Director Zheng were staring at Wu Huang with extremely resentful eyes.

  Wu Huang blew a long, shrill whistle. The others who were lying on the ground in a daze slowly came to. Wu Huang sneered and said, "The good show is about to begin, I wouldn't want to miss any of the audience."

  I glared at Wu Huang fiercely and interrogated: "The Blue Demon people and those in the secret room, were they all your doing? What exactly do you want to achieve?"

  "Oh?" Wu Huan seemed somewhat surprised, "I've given you two so much time and you still haven't mentioned this issue? The human heart is the most terrifying thing in this world. I just wanted to use something even more frightening to exchange for another heart." Wu Huan said with a hint of a smile.

  Others gradually woke up, they all looked at everything in front of them with confusion, "Second brother, what's going on? Director Zhou is actually a blue-faced man, and Director Mu..." Old Three asked after a pause.

  Grandfather stared at Karamay with a serious expression and said: "Having worn the mask for thirty-five years, don't you want to take it off today and get some fresh air?"

  I, Xiao Lao, Yang Cangcang and Old Three were all shocked, while Fu Ma looked at Karamay with an unreadable expression.

  Karamay shrugged and let out a strange laugh: "After all, you still found out."

  I listened carefully to this voice, but it seemed a bit familiar. Connecting the various things before, I suddenly realized: "You are... Director Mu!"