Chapter 549: Senior Sister, I can tell the difference.
Drip…
Drip, drip…
A ray of sunlight penetrated through the window facing the sun, illuminating the face of the short-haired youth sitting motionlessly in a revolving chair.
The youth appeared to be about twenty years old, with regular features. He was wearing a plain, common round-neck sweater. His expression was a little vacant, like a newborn infant, his eyes filled with confusion.
On the desk in front of him sat a 27-inch monitor he had purchased with his saved allowance a few days ago. The mechanical keyboard in front of him had crumbs of snacks and dust lodged between its keycaps, with the “WASD” keys worn shiny.
On a small alarm clock at the corner of the desk, the hour and minute hands pointed to “5” and “11” respectively, indicating the time was 4:55 PM.
After a long while, the youth finally snapped out of his thousand-li reverie…
“What…”
Ye Anping couldn’t help but exclaim, then turned his head to look at the window next to the computer desk. Outside, the sky was blue with white clouds, clear and vast. In the distance, the broadcasting tower, a landmark of the city center, was visible.
Memories, so faint they were like diluted water, resurfaced from the depths of his mind.
Ye Anping couldn’t help but laugh at himself. He really never imagined that he would return here one day, and moreover, through Gu Yan’s illusory spirit realm.
He figured this illusory spirit realm must have delved deep into his memories.
However, since it was an illusion, everything he saw was fake.
He just needed to remember that.
In the game, Feng Yu Die had entered this illusionary realm without being mentally prepared and was initially mesmerized by the illusions she saw.
In the end, Xiao Tian gritted her teeth, tore through the walls of the illusionary realm, and rushed in, telling her that it was all fake. After that, Feng Yu Die, in a fit of anger, simply and brutally blew up the entire illusionary realm with her spiritual energy, successfully escaping.
Thinking of this, Ye Anping quickly formed a sword finger, gathered the spiritual energy within him, and prepared to emulate Feng Yu Die to break this illusionary realm and escape quickly.
However…
“…”
Nothing happened.
There was no sudden inspiration, no roaring air currents…
All that could be heard was the ticking of the alarm clock at the corner of the desk, the hum of the computer’s fan, and a short-haired youth suffering from chuunibyou, sitting in front of the computer chair, holding up a sword finger.
In an instant, a trace of fear appeared in Ye Anping’s ink-colored eyes. He hurriedly turned his body, facing the full-length mirror placed next to the wardrobe in the room.
In the polished mirror, a youth he felt was a stranger sat in the computer chair, his eyes filled with terror, but his lips curved into a crescent moon, smiling in a bone-chilling manner.
Even Ye Anping was startled by the extremely unnatural and ferocious smile on the face of the youth in the mirror, trembling all over and instinctively crying out:
“Ah—!!!”
Crash—
With the sound of shattering glass, Ye Anping suddenly felt a burning sensation like a needle prick on the back of his right hand. He looked down and realized he had accidentally knocked over a cup of scalding coffee on the desk onto the floor.
“Hiss—”
Ye Anping frowned, gritted his teeth, and covered the back of his hand, then looked back at the mirror.
The smile on the youth’s face in the mirror disappeared, and he looked normal again.
He looked at the coffee spilled all over the wooden floor, his brow furrowed deeply:
“This is troublesome now…”
If he remembered correctly, the longer one stayed in this illusory spirit realm, the more real the illusions would become. It might be possible to resist with willpower for a short time, but what about a day, a week, a month later?
Moreover, he didn’t have time to stay in the illusionary realm now.
Although the time flow in the illusionary realm was different from the outside, Mo Chi Ling was indeed waiting for him outside. Even a slight delay would affect not only Mo Chi Ling but also the heroic Xuanji, who was fighting Yu Yan…
Ye Anping closed his eyes, pushed away the bad thoughts, quickly calmed his emotions, and thought of a way to break free.
“Hoo—”
However, if he had even a little bit of spiritual energy, it would be easy. This body had never been cultivated, and he didn’t know what he would encounter next.
Gu Yan’s illusory spirit realm didn’t just confuse people’s minds; it attacked a person’s psyche by exploiting their most vulnerable side.
As for what his most vulnerable side was?
Ye Anping himself had no idea. He always thought it was his junior sister, but since the illusionary realm had constructed this scene, it meant he had something more terrifying to fear.
He glanced at the computer screen. The main interface of “Heaven Sword Wonder Tale” was displayed, showing a beautiful landscape of mountains and rivers. In the corner, Feng Yu Die’s and Gu Ming Xin’s respective spirit swords were crossed and stuck in the ground, their tassels swaying in the wind. In the center, there was a line of text: “Press any key to enter the game.”
Ye Anping suddenly remembered the opening text of the game.
—[Zhou Xing Tian Yu, Immortal Calendar year 2105. …On that day, the Hundred Lotus Sect was drenched in blood. Under Wu You’s blood-stained saber, the Sect Master’s head fell, and his fifteen-year-old son became a feast for mountain beasts…]
“Is it this?”
Ye Anping fell silent for a moment, then felt it wasn’t right.
If the game’s plot could break his will, he would have fallen to his inner demons long ago and wouldn’t even be able to establish a foundation.
At that very instant, a woman’s voice called out from outside the bedroom door behind him:
“Ye Ziqing! What’s wrong? I heard something break in the kitchen!”
“…”
After this call, Ye Anping’s face once again showed bewilderment as he turned towards the room door behind him.
A middle-aged woman with a permed hairstyle pushed the door open. Seeing Ye Anping sitting dumbfounded in the computer chair with glass fragments and coffee spilled at his feet, she looked helpless. She walked over, quickly knelt down, and began to pick up the glass shards:
“You only know how to play games when you’re on holiday. Go out for some fresh air. If you sit here all day without exercising, you’ll be full of illnesses when you get old…”
As she spoke, the middle-aged woman noticed her son looking at her with a dazed expression. She felt a little confused, stood up, and patted her son’s shoulder:
“Ziqing, what’s wrong? Have you gone silly from playing games?”
“…”
“Ziqing, don’t scare me, what happened…”
After being shaken a few times, Ye Anping finally came to his senses. He looked up at the middle-aged woman in front of him. Although he knew she was a figment of the illusion, he still couldn’t bear to tell her, or to push her hand away.
“Mom…”
“Are you alright? Your face is so pale…”
“Mom…” Ye Anping was silent for a moment, then replied softly, “Can you leave me alone for a bit?”
“Leave you alone? Tell Mom what’s wrong. What happened? You weren’t happy when you came back just now, why suddenly… Are you possessed by some dirty thing? How about I take you to Wenshu Monastery nearby to burn some incense later…”
Even her belief in ghosts and spirits could be simulated…
Hearing this, Ye Anping’s brows furrowed deeper. He finally understood what the illusionary realm wanted him to witness, and finally knew how to break through the barrier…
—Destroy the illusionary realm and kill the middle-aged woman in front of him.
The demonic path lived up to its name.
He finally knew that the mother in front of him was fake, a product of the illusionary realm, but…
It was by no means easy to make up his mind to attack her. To raise his hand and fist against his own mother who gave birth to him…
Ye Anping clenched his hands, gritting his teeth.
Seeing his distressed appearance, the middle-aged woman’s worries intensified:
“Do you feel unwell? Let’s go, I’ll take you to the hospital! Have you been playing too many games? I saw a short video before saying some people die suddenly from playing games… Don’t scare your mom…”
Hearing this, Ye Anping felt a lump in his throat.
She always used to say “games this, games that,” blaming everything on “games,” but now he realized she was just caring for him in a way she thought was right.
Although this so-called correct way wasn’t correct, the “care” was genuine.
“Mom…”
“You speak.”
“I…”
Ye Anping opened his mouth slightly, wanting to tell her about his transmigration, but before he could say it, he felt that saying such things to a fake illusion would mean he was already trapped in the illusionary realm.
He took a deep breath, his mood gradually settling, and replied coldly:
“Someone is still waiting for me…”
The middle-aged woman showed a confused expression:
“Waiting for you? Who is waiting for you? … Ziqing, what’s wrong?”
“I…”
Just then, a thudding sound came from beside their ears.
Tap tap—
A girl with silver hair, wearing a blood-stained immortal robe, landed in the room. The moment she saw her, the middle-aged woman was so scared she sat down on the floor with a thud, exclaiming:
“Whoa—!! Who are you?!”
“Huh?”
Feng Yu Die looked stunned. She was also bewildered, looking at the room full of unfamiliar objects, her eyes a little unfocused. But she quickly remembered what she was here for.
After destroying He Buqun with Gu Ming Xin, she rushed to the forbidden area behind the Tian Mo Sect to help Ye Anping. However, upon reaching the blood pool, she saw Mo Chi Ling frantically holding a large blood ball with a silk ribbon.
Seeing her arrive, Mo Chi Ling quickly shouted, “Fairy Feng!! Young Master Ye was swallowed by this blood pool!! Hurry and think of a way, I can’t hold on much longer!!”
Xiao Tian took a look and quickly yelled for her to charge into the blood water that enveloped Ye Anping and pull him out.
Feng Yu Die didn’t think at all at the time. Her only concern was Ye Anping, so she rushed in without a word.
As a result, the moment she touched the blood ball, she instantly arrived at this strange place.
Feng Yu Die shook her head, looked at the two people in front of her, and quickly asked,
“Have you seen Ye Anping?”
The middle-aged woman looked confused:
“Who?!”
“It’s… it’s…”
Feng Yu Die was also very flustered. Although she had a clear image of Ye Anping’s appearance in her mind, she stammered for a long time without knowing how to describe him. In the end, she simply shouted:
“Anping!!! Anping!! Can you hear me?!”
However, at this moment, Feng Yu Die’s expression suddenly sharpened. She saw a framed painting on the wall and was stunned again.
Ye Anping followed her gaze. On the wall by the bed hung a promotional poster for the game “Heaven Sword Wonder Tale,” depicting Feng Yu Die holding a spirit sword and Xiao Yunluo holding a Xuan Stone Spirit Sword behind her.
“Hm?” Feng Yu Die flinched, her eyebrows twisting slightly. She murmured uncertainly, “Isn’t that… me?”
Looking at Feng Yu Die’s silly demeanor, Ye Anping didn’t know why, but the entanglement in his heart eased. He nodded and smiled, “Yu Die, you…”
As soon as the words “Yu Die” were spoken, Feng Yu Die’s eyebrows furrowed. She immediately took out a short dagger from her Storage Bag and instantly held it to Ye Anping’s neck.
Whoosh—
The middle-aged woman, who was scared stiff, saw the silver-haired girl suddenly pull out a short dagger and hold it to her son’s neck. She was stunned for a moment, then rushed forward, but Feng Yu Die blocked her with her spiritual energy about a foot away.
Ye Anping also quickly shut his mouth, shrinking his head back, and couldn’t help but swallow.
His slightly protruding Adam’s apple slid up and down against the blade of the dagger.
Gulp—
Feng Yu Die looked sharply at the short-haired youth in front of her and questioned:
“Who told you to call me so familiarly? The only man who can call me that is Anping himself…”
Ye Anping remained silent for a long time, glanced at himself in the mirror, feeling both happy and helpless. After a moment of silence, he retorted, “Aren’t you going to ask me how I know your name before scolding me for calling you familiarly?”
Feng Yu Die was taken aback, her gaze became more vigilant. She scanned him with her spiritual sense and, finding that he was truly just a mortal, relaxed slightly:
“Oh right, how do you know my name is Yu Die? Who are you? And where is this room? Where is Ye Anping? Why is there a painting of Senior Sister Xiao and me on the wall? And why is it so detailed…”
“Hoo… Can you move the dagger away from my neck first?”
Feng Yu Die considered for a moment, then took two steps back, holding the dagger backward.
At this moment, the middle-aged woman beside them rushed forward and hugged Ye Anping, checking his neck for any injuries, then shielded him behind her, facing Feng Yu Die:
“And who are you? How did you…”
“Mom…”
Ye Anping patted her shoulder, stood up from the computer chair, and smiled, “Mom, she’s your daughter-in-law…”
?
The middle-aged woman looked bewildered and asked in confusion, “Ziqing, what nonsense are you talking… this…”
She seemed a bit confused as well. Feng Yu Die suddenly appeared in the room and then suddenly produced a dagger. But she rubbed her head and finally noticed the silver-haired girl in the game poster on the wall, who looked almost identical to the girl who had just held a dagger to her son’s neck.
Rather, the real person was even more beautiful than in the poster.
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Ye Anping sighed slightly, chose his words carefully, and said softly,
“Mom, I can tell the difference.”
“…”
“You are just an illusory phantom created by this illusory spirit realm, while she is real… But it’s really good to see you one last time after all these years.”
“Ziqing, what are you talking about? Mom doesn’t understand…”
Ye Anping didn’t reply further. He raised his hand towards Feng Yu Die and said,
“Yu Die, lend me some of your spiritual energy…”
Feng Yu Die looked at the unfamiliar youth in front of her, her eyes still wary, but now she felt a sense of familiarity, a hint of Ye Anping’s presence.
She looked at Ye Anping’s outstretched hand. After considering for a while, she slowly raised her hand and extended it.
Their index fingers touched.
At the point where their fingertips met, a golden spiritual light appeared, then enveloped Ye Anping’s body, causing both Feng Yu Die and the middle-aged woman in the room to instinctively cover their foreheads.
When the golden light dissipated, a solemn and dignified youth replaced the slightly taller short-haired youth from before.
Ye Anping looked at himself in the mirror, then back at the “mother” whose face was filled with horror. He looked at the collapsing face with gentle eyes and said,
“Mom, this is probably the last time I’ll see you.”
“You… who are you?! My son…”
Before she could finish speaking, a golden light emanated from Ye Anping’s hand, instantly engulfing the middle-aged woman.
In the blink of an eye, all traces of her in this space completely vanished.
Boom—
A muffled thunderclap sounded. The clear sky outside the window was instantly covered by dark clouds, and raindrops began to fall, pattering against the sealed glass windows.
Ye Anping let out a heavy breath. He looked back at Feng Yu Die, who was still stunned and clueless about what had just happened, and said,
“Yu Die… Thank you.”
“Mhm…”
Feng Yu Die was still a little suspicious that the Ye Anping in front of her was fake. She immediately scanned him repeatedly with her spiritual sense. But this time, at least, both his appearance and the aura of his spiritual energy were familiar to Ye Anping.
This spiritual scan made Ye Anping’s head ache, but he also felt a sense of helplessness.
Being so cautious at a time like this…
“Yu Die, stop scanning me, I’m real.”
“Oh…” Feng Yu Die finally withdrew her spiritual sense, but her vigilance did not lessen. She looked around the room and asked, “Where is this place? This painting… and this shiny thing…”
Feng Yu Die leaned close to the computer screen, squinted at the text on the display, and read:
“Heaven Sword Wonder Tale? Any key…”
“Can you understand it?”
“Barely… Hmm… Hmm?”
Like a curious baby, Feng Yu Die suddenly noticed a colored booklet in the corner of the desk. It also depicted her, but not as handsomely as in the poster. Instead, it was somewhat shameless…
She reached out, picked it up, and flipped through it casually. Then, the ahoge on top of her head stood straight up.
“Huh?!”
Seeing that she had picked up a fan-made doujinshi of herself and Xiao Yunluo, Ye Anping gasped and rushed over to snatch the booklet away.
“Hiss—Don’t just flip through it randomly!!”
“…”
Feng Yu Die shrunk her neck, a blush appearing on her cheeks. She whispered, “This is drawn more detailed than the book Senior Sister Xiao gave me… and it’s even colored… and it’s of me and Senior Sister Xiao…”
?
Ye Anping was speechless. He looked at the booklet in his hand. The cover of the booklet still bore water stains from his ignorant youth…
This illusory spirit realm had even restored this…
However, speaking of which.
Although it was somewhat unexpected, if Feng Yu Die hadn’t rushed in, he probably wouldn’t have had any way to escape this illusory spirit realm.
“Yu Die, I owe you my life.”
“Hm?”
“Alright, I’ll explain later. Use your powerful Spring Aspect to shatter this space.”
“Oh… Okay!!”
Feng Yu Die nodded, took a deep breath, quickly formed mudras with her hands, gathered all her spiritual energy, and condensed a golden sphere in front of her chest.
Seeing this, Ye Anping looked back at the room again, pondered for a while, then raised his hand and pressed the “Space” bar on the keyboard of the desk.
The main interface of the Heaven Sword Wonder Tale game on the screen zoomed out, and then a long loading bar appeared.
And just as the loading bar reached “100%”, the golden sphere in Feng Yu Die’s hand emitted a golden light, engulfing everything within the visible space.
What followed was a sharp ringing in his ears.
Hum—!!
…
