Chapter 28

Chapter 27: Mountain and Sea 5

The story in the dungeon is fictional; related settings come from the game designers.

But what if the so-called Six Realms also exist outside the dungeon?

From Shi Zong’s perspective, being trapped forever in the Six Realms is certainly a kind of bondage.

He would choose, like Cen Qianshan of the Deva Realm, to try to escape the Six Realms and seek true freedom.

Of course, even though it is clearly his own desire to leave the Six Realms, he deliberately expresses to He Zhen—

I am doing this for you, so you owe me a favor.

The walls of the fourth-floor banquet hall in the castle were entirely black. With the warm yellow lighting, they glimmered slightly like bronze. The whole hall seemed dim and mysterious, much like the story of Cen Qianshan after many reincarnations, difficult to fathom.

Equally unfathomable was Shi Zong’s gaze under the warm yellow light.

He Zhen’s eyes were deep. He quietly watched Shi Zong, unsure whether to acknowledge this “favor.”

Before he could speak, Shi Zong withdrew his gaze and raised his hand toward the Director.

“I am willing to leave the Six Realms.”

“It seems most people are willing to leave the Six Realms.”

The Director showed a relieved smile, exhaling a long breath, then looked at the two from the Asura Realm: “I understand your thoughts and concerns. Actually…

“Even if most people want to leave immediately like you, I cannot make it happen.

“My original plan was to use the closed script reading as an excuse, letting you believe through ‘memories’ that you were close friends of Liang Yuyan, and then decide to kill the Scriptwriter.

“However, ‘memories’ take time. You would need time to devise a murder plan, prepare the means and tools. One day is definitely not enough.

“When conditions allow, the more time, the better. But I only set three days…

“Have you guessed why I insisted on a three-day limit?”

Sighing, the Director said: “As I mentioned before, finding you in different reincarnations, bringing you here, creating this castle, rewriting your memories… it was extremely difficult. My spiritual power was nearly exhausted. Now I am almost no different from an ordinary person.

“After expending such great power, I can only stay conscious for three days. That is why I set the script reading to three days.

“From tonight, I will fall into a semi-comatose state. I will meditate in this state for three days to barely recover some spiritual power.

“Therefore, even if I were to send you back, it must wait until my meditation ends. So…”

Facing everyone, the Director continued: “Even though votes have been cast, there is no need to rush your decision. You can use my meditation period to think carefully.

“After all, I previously erased your memories… Even though you have partially regained them, your minds are likely still somewhat confused. This affects your judgment.

“So you can also use the next three days to rest and adjust. After three days, when my meditation ends, you can tell me your final decision.”

After dinner, the Director led everyone back to the castle’s fifth floor. Before entering the room, he emphasized: “During my meditation, I need absolute quiet. No one must disturb me.

“Otherwise, if something goes wrong during my meditation, forget about escaping the Six Realms—you will be trapped here in the castle forever along with me.”

After the Director entered the room, the two chefs came to lock the door for him.

The doors were double doors, which could be pushed open from the center.

Each door had a ring near the middle. By linking the rings with chains and fastening the lock, the doors could be secured.

After locking the door, the two chefs did not leave immediately. They took out a talisman and placed it in the gap formed where the doors met.

One of the chefs said to the others: “This is called a [Calming Talisman]. It blocks all sounds from outside, allowing the master to meditate in peace. Do not tear it off casually.”

Shi Zong noticed that one chef applied the talisman while muttering words, as if reciting a spell.

He wore thick white gloves, but when his fingers touched the talisman, they left a clear fingerprint.

Not only that, the other chef didn’t touch the talisman at all—he only tapped the door with his toe, and the talisman still received a fingerprint.

To enter the Director’s room, one would have to both unlock the door and remove the talisman.

Judging by how the chefs applied it, anyone trying to enter would leave fingerprints on the talisman.

Before leaving, the chefs explained:

“No one may enter the master’s room. With this talisman, anyone attempting to open the door will be detected.”

Thus, the Director entered, the chefs locked the door, placed the talisman, and left.

In the long circular corridor, only six players remained, staring at each other.

They processed all the information and initially intended to discuss further, but soon everyone received the red-line storyline, so no further discussion was possible.

Shi Zong returned to his room, looking at the storyline prompts that popped up in his mind—

【Many memories flood in; your head aches, and you feel terrified】

【Did you really kill someone? Will you really go to Hell after death?】

【There are things you dare not think deeply about, you just want to hide in your room】

【Since the “Director” may kill you, others may also try. Those two from the Asura Realm might have magic; the ghost from Hell may have the ability to harm you. But as an ordinary human, you can’t do anything. Stay away from them first】

Once back in his room, Shi Zong could not leave for the time being.

He decided to take a shower, dry his hair, and lie down on the bed.

The system had reminded him of one thing—

Others may have supernatural powers, but he was only an ordinary person from the Human Realm.

He had no abilities or tools to protect himself, so he had to explore to find clues as life-saving leverage.

Though no one had died yet, Shi Zong felt that this script was not so simple.

Based on the current information, he strongly suspected a faction battle would occur.

The only question was how the factions would divide.

The first possibility: the Three Evil Realms form one faction, the Three Good Realms form another.

The second possibility: based on the vote, those who want to leave the castle and return to the Six Realms form one faction; the rest who want to escape the Six Realms form another.

Whether there are other possibilities depends on how the dungeon develops.

Currently, the two Shi Zong was most wary of were the Second Male and Female Lead from the Asura Realm.

The Asura Realm is the second strongest after the Deva Realm in the Six Realms.

If a faction battle truly occurs, their combat power would probably be the strongest among all players.

1:00 a.m. Deep into the night.

The castle’s location was unknown. Looking out the window, only part of a mountain and a section of the sea could be seen.

Sleeping in the castle built against the mountain and facing the sea, Shi Zong slowly fell asleep to the faint sound of waves hitting the shore.

But soon, he received a message from the system—

【Thinking of past events, you cannot sleep, so you decide to wake and walk around】

【You must explore to understand the castle. You decide to go to the third floor】

【The third floor is now open. Player Shi Zong can immediately explore】

Finally, he could go to the other floors.

Shi Zong got up and left, soon arriving at the castle’s third floor.

The corridor and doors were identical to the fifth floor, but there were only three doors.

Each door had a number: “20010304,” “20010607,” “20010801.”

These numbers likely indicated year, month, and day.

The system only required Shi Zong to come to the third floor, without specifying a particular room.

He decided to check them in chronological order.

Reaching the room marked 2001-03-04, he reached out to push the door when he suddenly heard footsteps.

Turning, he saw He Zhen.

He Zhen could be here only because the system also opened the third floor exploration for him.

Shi Zong had suspected a faction battle among players.

He Zhen’s appearance confirmed this suspicion.

However, he did not think he and He Zhen would be on the same side.

“Longevity Town” was purely a beginner scenario. Back then, Jiang Wan’er and Ye Yunfeng were on the same side.

But as Jiang Wan’er, Shi Zong received no information or prompts from the system.

Moreover, it would have been difficult for him to openly discuss strategy with Ye Yunfeng.

This scenario was a level above beginner. Shi Zong did not think the system would kindly place same-faction players together.

Thus, the likelihood of opposition between him and He Zhen was higher.

He Zhen walked from the staircase to Shi Zong, a short distance.

By then, Shi Zong had already made many calculations and mentally positioned them as opponents.

The third floor had only one very dim wall lamp; most light came from the fourth floor.

The

Glancing at Shi Zong’s hand on the door handle, He Zhen said calmly, “How about together?”

Shi Zong raised an eyebrow without answering. “Fine. Together then.”

Although he said that, Shi Zong didn’t continue pushing the door.

He Zhen looked at him. “Before we enter, do you want to talk? About Cen Qianshan’s story?”

Shi Zong asked him, “Do you have any new memories?”

“No. I only know that Cen Qianshan from the Human Realm had a debut work called Puzzle. Actually…”

He Zhen looked at Shi Zong thoughtfully and said, “According to what the Director said, the starting point of this cycle is Cen Qianshan killing Liang Yuyan. After that, he entered Hell, then gradually went through the other realms, and finally became someone of the Deva Realm.

“But after that, he entered Hell a second time, starting a new cycle.

“Cen Qianshan has gone through reincarnation twice. That’s why we have two from the Asura Realm here. Likewise, there are two Cen Qianshans from the Human Realm. Right now, it’s uncertain which one you are.

“If you’re the Cen Qianshan from the second cycle, you may not have killed Liang Yuyan.”

“Mm. That’s a crucial point. Perhaps you also need to figure out which cycle’s Hell-realm Cen Qianshan you are.”

Shi Zong asked, “Anything else? Any other insights?”

He Zhen stared at Shi Zong for a while before speaking.

“Currently, the key characters in the story are Cen Qianshan and Liang Yuyan. As for the key event, it’s nothing more than Cen Qianshan killing Liang Yuyan.

“These two people loved each other so deeply—why did it end like this?

“I think discovering why Cen Qianshan killed Liang Yuyan might be important for solving the mysteries that follow.”

Here, He Zhen finally threw the question to Shi Zong. “So, what do you think about Cen Qianshan’s motive for murder?”

In the script for the movie Mountain and Sea, the male lead must go to extremes. To pursue the Dao, he does not hesitate to kill his wife, sister, and best friend. Until he achieves his goal, he will not stop.

Currently, Cen Qianshan’s character is similar.

He simply pursues a different Dao than the male lead.

All the memories Shi Zong received point to one thing—

Creating a perfect work is the most important thing in Cen Qianshan’s life.

To create Mountain and Sea, Cen Qianshan lived in isolation for twenty years, enduring extreme hardship. Some talent-loving people in the film industry or his old friends, out of sympathy, gave him money so he could barely afford living expenses.

Cen Qianshan, for creation, must go to extremes.

Would he abandon his work for women? Probably not.

Cen Qianshan wanted the film Mountain and Sea to be perfect.

According to the details the Second Female Lead added, Cen Qianshan was not satisfied with Liang Yuyan’s performance.

She was a female lead imposed by capital. She didn’t fit the image Cen Qianshan had in mind.

In Cen Qianshan’s past life, no girl had ever approached him.

Perhaps Liang Yuyan was simply too cute, too likable, and in the end, he couldn’t help liking her.

But just like the male lead in Mountain and Sea killed his beloved wife, no matter how much Cen Qianshan liked Liang Yuyan, it could not surpass his love for his work.

He wanted the film Mountain and Sea to be perfect, but Liang Yuyan ruined that perfection.

Perhaps he had advised her to stop filming, but she refused.

In the end, he had no choice but to kill her.

Could the truth really be like this?

After roughly explaining his thoughts to He Zhen, Shi Zong said, “Let’s tentatively speculate like this. I’m not certain. Mainly, I cannot be sure that the memories in my mind are entirely real. Perhaps the Cen Qianshan in my memory differs from reality.

“But if this is the case, I tend to believe my speculation is close to the truth.

“Cen Qianshan has his own ideals. Creating a perfect film Mountain and Sea is his great Dao.

“To him, Liang Yuyan is merely a wildflower on the path to his Dao, a distraction attempting to lure him astray.

“The wildflower is beautiful, Cen Qianshan once felt fleeting affection for it, but he ultimately chose not to linger, and he crushed it.

“In the end, he returned from the wrong path to the path he deemed correct, achieving his goal and fulfilling his ideal.”

“And you?”

After Shi Zong finished speaking, unexpectedly, he heard He Zhen ask this.

Their shoulders pressed against the door, eyes locked in the shadowy light, neither could see the other clearly.

“What about me?”

Shi Zong asked back after a long pause.

He Zhen asked, “Do you have ideals? What do you most want? Would you sacrifice anything to obtain what you desire?”

Shi Zong pondered for a moment before answering.

“In my view, everything follows logic.

“If a girl lacked fatherly love as a child, she might later seek a man older than herself to care for her; if a person’s childhood was poor, constantly chased for debts, he might become money-loving, his ideal is to earn great wealth.

“Someone busy with a city job might yearn for leisure, even returning to the countryside; most prisoners long most for freedom…”

Pausing, Shi Zong continued, “But I have no past. I don’t remember before, so I cannot trace the ‘cause’ in the past to find the ‘effect’ I want to pursue.

“So, for now, there’s nothing I particularly want.

“If I had to say, what I most want now is simply to survive. I want to live through this game, gain as many points as possible, and recover my past.

“Perhaps then I can answer your question.”

He Zhen’s expression grew serious and reserved.

His mature demeanor far exceeded what a boy his age should show.

So Shi Zong leaned closer, studying his eyes at close range.

Their noses were almost touching.

Yet neither looked away.

After a long moment, Shi Zong whispered, “Why are you asking me this question? Are you curious about me?

“And you? What do you most want to pursue?”