He had to leave the room and close the door.
Having been classified as a ghost himself, he couldn't close the door.
But with this upgraded Bizzare Handgun, everything was uncertain.
By using the Bizzare Handgun's ability to suppress Bizzare powers, perhaps he could temporarily make the room judge him as human.
"First, let's check if Irene tampered with the Bizzare Handgun. Just upgrading it seems a bit too kind."
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Li Mo knew this principle well. All gifts bestowed by fate have already been secretly marked with a price tag.
Of course, there was another possibility: Irene needed him alive to do something for her that only he could accomplish.
As for what Irene said before leaving – that if he kissed the rosemary flower, she would tell him all her rules and abilities next time they met – Li Mo didn't pay it much mind. It wasn't that he didn't want to believe it, but that he didn't dare to.
"She was right. I only trust myself."
Li Mo walked over to the scorched human skin effigy and reached out to touch it.
The human skin fusion he had experienced earlier didn't happen. The scorched skin on the ground lay like a corpse that had dropped dead in the wilderness, showing no sign of life. Even the rules associated with it had fallen silent.
Whether through eye contact, touch, or satisfying both conditions simultaneously, the scorched Human Skin Ghost didn't trigger any rules.
"Silenced so thoroughly?"
Li Mo withdrew his hand, thoughtfully staring at the pile of blackened human skin before him.
The Human Skin Ghost wasn't dead; a faint Bizzare aura still flowed within its body. But the residual aura was too weak, so weak that even reviving would be difficult. Its healing ability seemed to have lost its effect.
Compared to the thoroughly silenced Human Skin Ghost, the inactive Head Ghost and Ghost Stomach only needed a small external trigger to awaken them from their dormancy.
The depth of silence was completely different.
The netherflame hadn't directly killed the Human Skin Ghost, avoiding the rule triggering a reset.
But it had burned them to the brink of death and suppressed their healing.
At this rate, it would take at least half a month for the Human Skin Ghosts silenced by the netherflame to return.
If everything went smoothly, by then Li Mo would have already dealt with all the Bizzare entities on Taixu Mountain, including those about to revive.
"Can't shoot them again, otherwise it might directly cause the Human Skin Ghost's death and reset."
"Wait for the next wave of ghosts? No, too dangerous. My current state doesn't allow me to use Bizzare powers again."
"No chance to verify the Bizzare Handgun's power. Let's get straight to the point and test it on myself."
Li Mo aimed the Bizzare Handgun at his own right hand, intending to use its rule-dispelling ability to restore the hand's classification to human.
His Bizzare left hand (the 'Bizarre Bud') wouldn't work. Whether shot or not, its essence was Bizzare.
Before his third death, it could still be classified based on Li Mo's status. But after the third death, it had become truly Bizzare. Even though there was no risk of it reviving and it was securely attached to Li Mo's arm, its Bizzare nature couldn't be changed.
BANG!
The gunshot echoed. Eerie blue-violet netherflame began to burn his right hand.
Initially, the right hand healed rapidly, regenerating the scorched skin.
Gradually, the healing slowed down, eventually almost stopping altogether. The entire arm became a bloody, horrifying sight.
The netherflame burned away the skin, revealing the blood vessels and muscle tissue beneath. It then transformed into maggots clinging to the bone, writhing, flashing, and spreading frantically.
After just a few seconds, the flesh was burned black and dim. The smell of charred meat filled the air and began to spread.
Li Mo once again walked to the room door, laboriously lifting his weakened right hand.
Finally, the right hand wasn't judged as a ghost. He could close the door.
"Still burning?"
Li Mo looked at the increasingly fierce netherflame. He tried physical methods, plunging his arm into the ground, but the netherflame didn't disappear.
Instead, it began spreading towards his left hand and brain.
This instantly made Li Mo understand the netherflame's burning mechanism.
The fuel for the netherflame wasn't flammable material, but rules or abilities.
His brain contained the Misfortune Ghost, his left hand was the Bizarre Bud's limb – he and they could all be considered Bizzare.
But the netherflame only lingered on his right hand for a moment before spreading towards his left hand and head.
It was clearly drawn towards the presence with a stronger Bizzare aura.
"How do I stop this fire?"
The tenacity of the netherflame somewhat exceeded Li Mo's expectations. Previously, the flames from the Bizzare Handgun would dissipate on their own shortly after firing. Now, it seemed they wouldn't extinguish until the rules and abilities were completely burned away.
Li Mo didn't panic. Combining this with what he had seen before, he quickly analyzed the phenomenon.
The Bizzare Handgun's netherflame was definitely not as strong as the fire Irene had ignited earlier. And Irene's flames had only burned the Human Skin Ghosts exactly to the point of silence. There was no reason it should kill him, who carried two Bizzare entities within him.
The netherflame consumed rules and abilities, but in doing so, it also consumed itself. Therefore, it could be extinguished by using enough rules and abilities to counteract it.
Li Mo immediately placed his Bizarre left hand on his right hand, attracting the netherflame.
The Misfortune Ghost couldn't be burned into silence by the netherflame; he still needed its power later to deal with the human skin effigy on the Huái tree.
The Bizarre left hand only had the "Usurpation" ability, and his current poor physical condition wouldn't allow excessive use in the short term. He needed to save its uses for "that matter" on July 15th.
Therefore, letting the Bizarre left hand and Usurpation fall into silence was the best choice right now.
As expected, the moment the netherflame touched the Bizarre left hand, the fire surged several times stronger, but the netherflame's Bizzare aura gradually weakened – strong on the outside but weak within.
Two minutes later, the netherflame dissipated, and the Bizarre left hand fell silent.
The room door was closed. All he needed to do now was go somewhere else, turn on his phone to attract the ghosts over, and then quickly leave the area.
When the ghosts were drawn to where the light had been and found no living person, they would resume wandering.
Their direction and route were illogical; it was almost impossible for five or six to wander together.
The room would become much safer, and Li Mo could focus on doing what needed to be done.
Li Mo took out the rosemary flower Irene had given him. He didn't know what kind of flower it was, only vaguely smelling its captivating, rich fragrance, slightly bitter and salty, like the raw scent of seawater.
But it wasn't unpleasant at all. In fact, the deeper he inhaled, the more captivated he became.
A strange feeling.
He unexpectedly liked this floral scent; it felt very familiar.
"I need to kiss this flower and keep it with me."
"I don't know its specific abilities, but if Irene wanted to kill me, she wouldn't need to go through so much trouble."
"Kissing an unknown flower is at least much safer than destroying the temple threshold to release Jingwei."
Li Mo had always been decisive. Once he had a viable plan, he wouldn't delay.
In paranormal incidents, many things change with time.
Li Mo brought the rosemary flower to his lips and kissed it lightly.
A girl's body fragrance, source unknown, washed over him, perhaps residual from Irene.
The petals were soft, trembling slightly at the moment of the kiss, then blooming. The deep floral scent instantly enveloped Li Mo.
Somewhere in the Sea of Quanta, Rosemary's face flushed red. She hugged her chest, revealing a meaningful, charming smile.
"Is that it?"
Li Mo didn't feel anything; his body gave no feedback.
Apart from that distinct girlish fragrance, the flower seemed to have no other abilities.
Perhaps the time wasn't right yet, and its rules hadn't been triggered.
But it was done. He had done what needed to be done. The blooming rosemary flower signified the fact that he had kissed it.
Li Mo placed the rosemary flower in the inner pocket of his clothes to prevent losing it.
According to Irene, he had to carry this flower until July 15th.
Li Mo walked towards the bizarre Huái tree where his own human skin effigy hung. The immense Bizzare aura drew his attention.
He saw that in the nearby woods, the branches were bare, stripped clean, as if the original leaves had been completely incinerated by a great fire.
Hundreds, thousands of ghosts, silenced by burning without a sound. This was something Li Mo wouldn't have dared to imagine before.
Because with such a number of ghosts gathered together, the slightest carelessness could trigger their rules. Ten lives wouldn't be enough.
I really envy this ability to ignore rules...
"I made eye contact with Irene, and I haven't forgotten her yet."
"That woman is very strange. Her words are half-truth, half-lie, hard to judge."
"Precognition and netherflame are her two known abilities."
"But she could ignore the Bizzare Coin, push the door open like a living person, and I didn't forget her after eye contact. It's highly possible she can completely ignore rules."
"Ignoring rules... Does such a rule even exist?"
Not triggering any rules meant most Bizzare abilities would be ineffective, freeing one from the worry of instant-death triggers.
No wonder she could easily deal with hundreds or thousands of ghosts.
If only I could usurp that ability...
"Thinking too much. She even knows about the notebook, so naturally, she knows everything that's happened to me."
"The price for usurping an ability of that level... I can't afford it right now."
Li Mo was self-aware. She was a Bizzare entity even more complete than Ghost Kiana. While their strengths were hard to compare, the abilities Irene possessed were definitely top-tier. Usurping an ability of such completeness probably couldn't be achieved even by sacrificing his soul.
Thus, Li Mo rationally dismissed the idea of usurpation.
However, everything has a price.
That woman calling herself Irene Adler, with her complete humanity, complete rules, and mysterious abilities...
Such a person wouldn't appear out of thin air. She must have paid some price, or rather, someone else was bearing the Bizzare contamination for her.
Otherwise, such an anomaly could never exist.
After all, complete humanity is insignificant before absolute rules.
Human consciousness is too fragile, such that triggering even a single, incomplete rule can cause it to instantly dissipate.
This is even more true under Bizzare contamination.
"Here."
Li Mo looked up. The towering shadow of the tree stood before him, blocking the moonlight from above.
"I still shudder thinking about triggering five death rules before. But if this flower possesses even part of Irene's rule-ignoring ability, perhaps I really can survive."
The time on his phone showed 10:38 PM, an hour and a half later than the time predicted by the notebook.
Li Mo wasn't sure if the voice calling people would still sound from behind him.
In the quiet night, any rustle of wind or grass sounded exceptionally loud.
Li Mo stood about ten meters from the Huái tree, motionless. He didn't turn on his light, didn't look up, and the tree's shadow didn't envelop him.
He couldn't trigger any rules before the ghost called his name. All preparations were made; he just needed the final push.
"Li Mo."
A resentful female voice came from behind, like a grieving woman filled with pain and grievance, letting out a mournful cry.
Here it comes.
Even though the time differed greatly from the notebook's account, it seemed the calling event wasn't affected.
Li Mo turned around swiftly, uttering the two sentences without hesitation:
"I am here."
"I am Li Mo."
There was no one behind him, not even a trace of Bizzare aura. Yet the chilling sensation in his mind grew increasingly distinct.
He had triggered the 'turn around' rule. The price was coming soon.
No retreat. Die or die.
After triggering the turn-around rule, Li Mo used Shunpo [Flash Step] to dash under the Huái tree, took out his phone, activated the flashlight function, and shone the blinding white light once more onto the very top of the tree.
Hanging there was a human skin effigy identical to his own horribly mangled corpse.
"One minute. In one minute, the Human Skin Ghost will start invading my consciousness. Everything must be done within this minute."
Li Mo aimed the Bizzare Handgun at his own forehead. The upgraded handgun was far more powerful than before.
It could potentially suppress an incomplete ghost. If the Misfortune Ghost was suppressed, the consequences would be unimaginable. The Human Skin Ghost could then kill Li Mo's true self consciousness without hindrance and take its place.
"I see you!"
The eerie female voice from behind became incredibly piercing, completely different from the previous mournful tone.
The eye-contact rule, the turn-around rule, and the suppression from the Bizzare Handgun all required a certain amount of time to take effect.
BANG! Li Mo quickly pulled the trigger, blowing a large hole in his own forehead.
The blue-violet netherflame transformed into a viper, coiling around Li Mo's head, starting to burn the Misfortune Ghost within his sea of consciousness.
The intense pain of burning flesh surged continuously, even harder to bear than a bullet piercing the skull, because it wasn't just flesh burning, but also brain matter and consciousness.
No time to feel the pain. Li Mo leaped up and snatched the human skin effigy from the Huái tree.
The moment he landed, he slapped it onto his own face.
The netherflame stopped burning him and reassessed.
The human skin on his face was a ghost, and the Misfortune Ghost in his sea of consciousness was also a ghost. But the Misfortune Ghost was hidden deep within, while the Human Skin Ghost was on the surface.
Therefore, the netherflame instantly changed its target, no longer invading Li Mo's sea of consciousness, but instead burning the Human Skin Ghost on his face, which was currently fusing with Li Mo's own facial skin.
Li Mo was stunned, kneeling on the ground, letting the two Bizzare forces battle on his face.
At the same time, the female voice sounded again from behind.
The first cry was mournful, the second piercing, the third strangely calm.
"I caught you."
It turned out the entity had already reached Li Mo's back. Pale hands covered in liver spots gripped Li Mo's throat.
But Li Mo felt nothing, didn't even see anything behind him.
The next second, Li Mo felt as if his head had disconnected from his neck, lifted up by something.
Only the spine and thin strands of blood vessels connected his brain to his neck.
His head had been plucked off.
The netherflame's target shifted again, splitting half its fire to burn the 'calling name' ghost, which was also on the surface layer, while the other half continued to fight the Human Skin Ghost.
However, the divided netherflame couldn't suppress the Human Skin Ghost. The effigy fused into Li Mo's face at extreme speed and attempted to invade his consciousness.
"Stone dead? Haha! You're finally dead!"
The Misfortune Ghost uttered a vicious curse.
Then...
The Human Skin Ghost's invasion was halted. Even at full strength, it couldn't breach the Misfortune Ghost's defense, let alone while suppressed by netherflame.
The Human Skin Ghost's rules and abilities were incomplete; it couldn't contend with the complete Misfortune Ghost.
However, it wouldn't die. Once the netherflame dissipated, the Human Skin Ghost could invade continuously.
Unlike last time, when only the eye-contact rule was triggered, leading to the Human Skin Ghost being defeated by the Misfortune Ghost without succeeding in replacement.
This time, Li Mo had simultaneously triggered the eye-contact and contact rules. As soon as the netherflame's suppression failed, it could completely seize Li Mo's consciousness, replace it, and become the new Li Mo.
It would inherit all his memories, habits, consciousness, abilities, emotions, rules...
But its essence was not Li Mo. At its core, it was merely a ghost wearing human skin.
The fragrance of rosemary diffused like mist. Sporadic points of faint blue light extended towards Li Mo's forehead, reaching straight to the shore of his soul.
The shore of the soul is the source of the true self, the beginning of consciousness.
Here, a small Li Mo, his soul form, floated in the sea of soul with closed eyes, as if asleep.
The faint blue light transformed into a simple boat, carrying Li Mo, ferrying him to another shore for temporary rest.
The rosemary flower preserved Li Mo's soul, destined to bloom on a certain Bizzare night.
Soon, Li Mo's eyes dimmed completely, devoid of any light. His entire body became like an empty shell, limbs limp, losing support, no longer struggling, collapsing to the ground.
"Haha... haha... You're dead! Dea... d?"
The Misfortune Ghost was somewhat surprised, its usual malicious and arrogant laughter subdued considerably.
Li Mo was dead.
As a Misfortune Ghost possessing partial human intelligence, it had, for the first time, completed its entire rule: killing its host with its curse, despite this method never having succeeded before.
Especially with the previous host: Kiana Kaslana. Back then, the Misfortune Ghost was just a hazy wisp of fate.
Only after being contaminated by the Bizzare did it gain the ability to curse and acquire some consciousness from the memories of the living.
Especially the ability to foresee danger and assess situations.
It could always sense mortal danger, and immediately offer mockery, uttering curses whose cultural level matched its host's – not particularly scathing, even somewhat amusing.
Direct, simple.
In its incompletely contaminated state, the Misfortune Ghost's curses couldn't be heard by the host. It would only silently curse in a dark corner of consciousness after its rule was triggered.
However, whenever its rule was triggered, the host's misfortune would transfer to it, thereby revealing the host's complete good fortune.
It then had to bear all the pain the host would have suffered due to the original misfortune.
Especially with the second host, Li Mo. For the first time, it experienced the agony of having its head removed, organs ruptured, mind driven mad, body immolated by fire, and other torments worse than death.
It was much better with the first host, Kiana Kaslana. No matter what deadly situation she encountered, she could always turn peril into safety and counterattack from desperate straits.
Ultimately fulfilling the destined path of ascending to godhood.
And the pain the Misfortune Ghost endured then was merely being pierced by weapons and eroded by Honkai.
As for what happened to the first host later, it was beyond its comprehension.
The Misfortune Ghost could only perceive two states: death and survival. It didn't curse just because misfortune befell the host.
So when a nightmarish fate descended upon Kiana, the Misfortune Ghost was powerless. It only knew the host hadn't died.
During Ghost Kiana's endless time loops, the Misfortune Ghost was deemed a burden and abandoned in the long river of time, discarded in St. Freya Academy of a certain era.
And now, this was the first time it had truly witnessed a host's death.
"Dead?" the Misfortune Ghost asked itself in confusion.
It had failed too many times, so even with its partial consciousness, it held extreme suspicion about this outcome.
The ghost that had removed Li Mo's head vanished without a trace. In his third-death state, Li Mo's head quickly reconnected to his neck.
Within this shell, Li Mo's true soul had already been transferred elsewhere.
Now, it was just an empty vessel without a soul.
Just as the Misfortune Ghost was about to fall silent due to Li Mo's death, Li Mo spoke.
"I'm not dead yet? Looks like it worked."
'Li Mo' struggled to get up, touching his face. The Human Skin Ghost had already fused with him. Most likely, the Misfortune Ghost had played its part, protecting his consciousness.
'Li Mo' extended his left hand, vaguely sensing the faint Bizzare aura on it.
He couldn't use "Usurpation" yet, but the ability and its rule were still there.
The chilling sensation in his mind remained, indicating the Misfortune Ghost was also alive.
"Success rate... I possess all of Li Mo's memories, consciousness, abilities. I am Li Mo. I survived."
'Li Mo' couldn't help but feel emotional. The next step was very simple.
Wait until tomorrow morning.
Entrust all Bizzare items to Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo, have them wait before the Rashomon Gate [likely the cave].
He and Changle would go meet the Immortal, fulfilling the notebook's final prediction—
[My name is Li Mo. Tomorrow at 10:14 AM, it died, I lived.]
'Li Mo' pondered this prediction.
"'It died'? Which ghost? The Misfortune Ghost or the Bizarre Bud left hand? Entering the temple, I'll definitely meet Jingwei. Is the price sacrificing one of the ghosts on me?"
"As long as I survive. Now, find a relatively safe place until tomorrow morning."
'Li Mo' thought of the hollow space under the execution platform where the chopping block was placed in the slaughterhouse.
'Li Mo' gathered his equipment and headed towards the slaughterhouse. However, reconsidering, he took out the rosemary flower from his pocket.
The rosemary flower flickered with a faint, ethereal blue glow, pulsing like a heartbeat, full of life.
But the flower was still in a budding stage. 'Li Mo' placed the rosemary flower back in his pocket.
"Misfortune Ghost, are you there? I assume you're still alive," 'Li Mo' asked proactively.
The Misfortune Ghost turned over its scorched CPU, processing repeatedly.
Finally, it said only one sentence: "You are already dead. Li Mo is already dead."
"Thanks for the curse."
'Li Mo' replied casually, moving quickly through the night and entering the slaughterhouse.
Following his memory, he found the execution platform, bent down, went inside, leaned his back against the solid structure, lowered his gaze, and watched the exit.
He gripped the Bizzare Handgun.
If he saw a ghost bend down and spot him, he would immediately shoot to suppress it.
There weren't many ghosts in the slaughterhouse. 'Li Mo' hadn't seen any ghosts other than the Seven Swords of Taixu.
Since no living people had climbed the mountain recently, the Seven Swords had no use for the slaughterhouse. So, the only ones likely to come were ghosts occasionally wandering nearby.
He could handle them completely.
Sitting inside also made it difficult to trigger rules.
However, one thing bothered 'Li Mo'. The Misfortune Ghost's final words to him – its tone and style had undergone a drastic change.
Previously, the Misfortune Ghost's curses were always mocking, sarcastic, or derisive, and usually predictive.
Like "You're going to die, you're about to die."
But just now, the Misfortune Ghost's tone was somewhat hollow, as if it had lost its soul.
Somewhat similar to the notebook's narration.
"I'll investigate these matters later. For now, let's think about tomorrow's escape route."
'Li Mo' didn't stay idle. He didn't feel fatigue, so naturally, he could think about more things.
During the night, 'Li Mo' heard rustling sounds outside, like something being dragged across the ground.
He didn't leave. His current state didn't allow him to waste too much energy fighting multiple ghosts unless attacked directly.
Sleepless through the night, dawn finally broke.
"Is it morning...? Looks like things are progressing even smoother than I imagined. Is it because the Misfortune Ghost's curse took effect, and my luck improved?"
'Li Mo' murmured to himself, leaving the slaughterhouse and running towards the room.
"It's daytime now, and I still don't sense any Bizzare aura. Perhaps this change will only become apparent after entering the temple."
'Li Mo' arrived at the room door. The door was open, and the people inside were already awake.
Three people were missing. 'Li Mo' scanned the group and noticed Changle wasn't among them.
As for the two guards, they were probably with Changle, disappearing when she did.
"Where's Changle?"
"She went to her own room to bathe and change. Said she needed to show sincerity when meeting the Immortal, couldn't pay respects with a sullied body, had to..." Saori Tsuruyo explained thoughtfully.
"Alright, alright... No need for such detail. Did any of you feel anything unusual last night?" 'Li Mo' asked.
Shigure Kira: "Slept soundly, had a dream. Does almost sleeping through my alarm count?"
'Li M'o shook his head. "It's nothing. Just follow the previous plan. I'll entrust these Bizzare items to your care. You know how to use them appropriately. Kira, this gun is very powerful. If you encounter an unstoppable ghost, use this gun to attack."
Shigure Kira tilted her head. "Didn't you already say that before? Don't worry, I won't go looking for those things."
Saori Tsuruyo: "Did something change about this handgun?"
'Li Mo': "It's just more powerful, nothing else changed."
'Li Mo' first handed the Bizzare Handgun to Shigure Kira, then gave the notebook and thermometer to Saori Tsuruyo.
But when he took out the Bizzare Coin, and Saori Tsuruyo reached out to take it, something unexpected happened.
His left hand refused to obey, gripping the coin tightly, unwilling to let go.
'Li Mo' wasn't surprised. After all, it was the Bizarre Bud left hand that had already revived in his third-death state. Being subject to the "must pocket gold" rule and unable to relinquish the Bizzare Coin was normal.
So 'Li Mo' transferred the Bizzare Coin from his left hand to his right, assuming this would allow him to pass it to Saori Tsuruyo.
But another accident occurred. His right hand, just like his left, gripped the coin tightly, refusing to let go, completely ignoring his brain's commands.
What's going on?
'Li Mo' sensed his body resisting discarding the Bizzare Coin. No matter how he reminded himself, he couldn't make his hand release the coin.
Has the contamination become so severe that my entire being is judged as Bizzare?
This was the most reasonable explanation 'Li Mo' could come up with. But his essence was human. Last night, even in a near-exhausted state, he could throw the Bizzare Coin with his right hand. Why couldn't he today?
Contamination went too far, Li Mo deduced.
Time was short. 'Li Mo' closed his eyes, first placing the Bizzare Coin in his bag, then having Saori Tsuruyo take it out of the bag herself.
Although it seemed redundant, it was effective.
As long as he didn't notice the Bizzare Coin, the rule wouldn't trigger.
'Li Mo' once again discussed the subsequent plan with Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo, adding some details.
At 10:30, he would leave the Rashomon Gate and most likely fall into a long slumber. During this period, Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo would take care of him until the Ghost Festival [Zhongyuan Festival] arrived on July 15th.
Thus, Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo headed towards the Rashomon Gate, carrying all of Li Mo's Bizzare items, waiting with worry and hope.
'Li Mo', meanwhile, ran to the adjacent room to meet up with Changle.
Changle was no longer wearing men's clothing. 'Li Mo' didn't recognize the style of Changle's clothes, only knowing they looked practical, Shenzhou-style women's attire. Her ancient-style dress was particularly eye-catching.
There were no gaudy decorations; it was very simple. The waistband cinched her slender waist, and her long hair hung down to her waist, cascading like a waterfall.
Changle also understood that she absolutely couldn't wear overly ornate clothes to meet an immortal who valued simplicity and detachment from worldly fame.
"Mingyue, do I look good?"
Their interactions over the past few days had given Changle a better understanding of Mingyue.
Thus, her words became bolder. After all, a dense fellow like Mingyue wouldn't sense a young girl's delicate thoughts and feelings.
'Li Mo' paused for two seconds, not because he was stunned by her beauty, but because he was contemplating the meaning behind Changle's question.
Why is she asking if I look good?
Does it matter?
Is it because of a Bizzare rule? Or is she simply trying to lead me into talking about other things related to her?
From appearance to background, from background to identity...
If I answer her question directly, wouldn't it easily let Changle know I'm not human?
'Li Mo' changed the subject: "Average. It's almost time. Your goal is about to be achieved, and our agreement ends here. After entering the temple to meet the Immortal, whether we live or die depends on our own abilities. I won't meddle anymore."
Changle puffed out her cheeks, saying resentfully, "Hmph, the Immortal isn't a fierce brute like you. Sincerity can move mountains. I don't need you managing me."
Clearly, Changle hadn't yet realized what kind of existence the Immortal she was about to meet truly was.
'Li Mo' found it hard to save someone completely unaware of impending danger when it struck. He couldn't even guarantee his own safety, let alone Changle's.
Recalling the time the notebook predicted his death, Li Mo found the clue.
He had taken Changle with him when leaving.
The danger on Taixu Mountain during the day was minimal. Even under those conditions, he hadn't escaped.
The reason was obvious: the danger was right beside him.
If he himself wasn't the problem, then the problem was Changle, whom he had taken with him.
She prevented me from leaving.
So this time, 'Li Mo' decided to leave Changle in the temple and slip away himself if things went wrong.
The current time was 9:50 AM.
Meet the Immortal at 10:05 AM, escape the temple at 10:11 AM.
The temple wasn't too large. Excluding negligible travel time, he had about six minutes to search for Hua's whereabouts or directly question the Immortal about where Hua was. Anyway, if anything felt slightly off, he would run. No one on Taixu Mountain could stop him.
The four of them reached the temple gate. A threshold lay across the entrance. 'Li Mo' vaguely felt he couldn't cross this threshold.
Because—
He couldn't see the threshold's height at all.
"Ouch!"
Changle stumbled over the threshold just as she stepped into the temple, but at least she was inside.
"Ooh... that hurts. My newly changed clothes got dirty again. Will the Immortal be angry? It seems too late to go back and change now..."
Changle frowned, turning her gaze towards Mingyue, who stood motionless and gloomy outside the temple.
She initially thought of asking Mingyue to help dust her off, but seeing his expression, Changle abandoned the idea and started patting the dust and dirt off her skirt herself.
Li Mo's expression was cold. He tried to step over the threshold, but thump, his raised foot was blocked by it.
"What are you doing, Mingyue? Hurry up and come in," Changle called out.
'Li Mo' took two steps back, then leaped, jumping directly over the gate and landing steadily inside the temple.
Since he couldn't use the main entrance, he just jumped over.
Changle had instructed the guards to wait outside. After all, her seeking blessings alone was sufficient; bringing guards of humble status might anger the Immortal.
"Guests, please come this way. We, the Seven Swords of Taixu, will lead you to meet the Immortal," Su Mei said with a polite smile.
The Seven Disciples of Taixu had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding Changle and 'Li Mo', leading them deeper into the temple.
Changle's face beamed with a brilliant smile, the twitching corners of her mouth showing how hard she was trying to contain her inner joy.
Understandable, really. Her mission was about to be completed, bringing the gospel of peace and prosperity to countless common people. What a tremendous validation of self-worth that would be.
Unfortunately, it was all fake.
The Immortal, the blessings, the Seven Disciples of Taixu, even Changle herself – all fake.
Only I am real.
'Li Mo' firmly believed this.
Led by the Seven Swords of Taixu, 'Li Mo' and Changle arrived at a large hall. The walls were carved with depictions of various mythological stories. The blue-white pillars and the clean, tidy hall made visitors feel incredibly comfortable.
Including 'Li Mo', whose mind involuntarily calmed.
But it shouldn't be like this.
At the very top of the hall, Immortal Jingwei sat with her back to them, her voice cold yet resonant.
"Princess Changle of the Chenhuan Dynasty, and..."
The Immortal clearly paused for a second before slowly continuing: "Li Mo, what business brings you here?"
Li Mo?
Changle couldn't help but glance sideways at Mingyue beside her. So that was his real name.
'Li Mo' didn't deny it, his lips parting slightly, as if wanting to say something.
However, Changle interpreted this as surprise at the Immortal guessing his real name.
An immortal truly is an immortal. Knows our names and identities without even looking. Just wonder why she didn't state Mingyue's identity?
Changle stood up and took a step forward.
"Immortal Jingwei, Changle has come on this journey to request the Immortal's blessing, to ensure the safety and prosperity of my homeland, the stability of the state, to prevent the recurrence of troubled times, and keep man-made disasters from plaguing the land of Shenzhou..."
Changle spoke sincerely, adding a long string of ornate phrases afterwards.
Meanwhile, 'Li Mo' took this opportunity to pull out his phone, open the camera app, and record the scene inside the hall.
He didn't believe this was its true appearance. The result was obvious.
When 'Li Mo' played back the recorded video, piercing screams emitted from the phone.
In reality, Immortal Jingwei sat high upon a sacred, pure lotus throne. In the video, however, the throne was piled high with the internal organs of the dead, withered limbs reaching out from within, stirring and churning.
Beside her, the Seven Disciples of Taixu were dressed brightly and impeccably. In the video, their bodies were already rotten, clearly showing maggots crawling inside and nests built by flies and mosquitoes.
"Quickly leave... Quickly leave..."
"Get out of here... Run!"
'Li Mo' quickly turned off the sound. Fortunately, the volume was set very low initially; Li Mo himself hadn't heard clearly, only catching noisy static from the phone.
Didn't turn around...
'Li Mo' cautiously glanced up. Jingwei still sat with her back to them.
So 'Li Mo' looked down at the phone screen again. The next moment, he looked around in disbelief.
He had noticed upon entering that there were many animals near the Seven Disciples of Taixu, including the deer killed three days ago.
Only the torso of a colubrid snake, a butterfly with its head severed, a fox with its limbs chopped off, and the small deer – skinned, tendons pulled, abdomen cut open, organs emptied...
In the video, they were all living Flame-Chasers, suffering indescribably, repeating something to him over and over.
Escape?
'Li Mo' could roughly guess the meaning from their lip movements.
But why were these female Flame-Chasers in Immortal Jingwei's hall? Didn't the Flame-Chasers die in battle in the Previous Era?
Before 'Li Mo' could figure it out, there was movement from the head of the hall. Immortal Jingwei extended her hand, holding a bamboo scroll.
Lin Chaoyu stepped forward, took the scroll from Jingwei's hand, and came before Changle.
"Princess Changle, the Immortal grants your dynasty prosperity, peace, and stability... This is the blessing you sought."
"Thank you, Immortal!" Changle excitedly received the bamboo scroll with both hands.
This time, 'Li Mo' heard clearly. What she actually said was: nation ruined, people dead, dynasty overthrown, populace plunged into misery, fields littered with corpses of the starved, rivers flowing with blood...
Just as 'Li Mo' considered whether to warn Changle, Jingwei turned around.
"Li Mo, what do you seek?"
'Li Mo' asked: "My companion, Hua. Where is she?"
'Li Mo' slowly raised his head, preparing to look at Jingwei's face.
Human eyes are on either side of the nose, below the eyebrows, above the mouth.
All humanoid ghosts on Taixu Mountain were like this. But this time, 'Li Mo' miscalculated.
Jingwei's head... was upside down.
The moment he slightly raised his head, his gaze met those uncanny, blood-red eyes.