Evil As Humans

Chapter 209: Doubt

Yin Ren stepped out of that red door once again.

The terrifying sensation of weightlessness, the powerlessness to unleash his strength, coupled with the bombardment of a consciousness that made one lose oneself—in less than half a minute, he appeared again in the center of the white room, looking even more disheveled than the previous time.

At first, the members of Unit 9 were all on edge, but by the hundredth time the Great Celestial Master appeared in the center of the room, no one cast a glance anymore.

Except for Zhong Chengshuo.

Zhong Chengshuo didn’t need to practice, but it also wasn’t good to act alone without the team. After being rejected by Yin Ren, Zhong Chengshuo remained silent. He sat on the ground, hugging his knees, staring blankly as Yin Ren flashed back and forth.

Initially, Yin Ren could only stay “outside” for less than half a minute. With each attempt, the time he spent outside gradually increased, but it never exceeded five minutes.

Zhong Chengshuo had never seen Yin Ren in such a sorry state. Even after the battles with Mr. Qiu and Mr. Le, Yin Ren’s aura remained stable, without the current… helplessness.

Even Zhong Chengshuo was at a loss.

Even if Zhong Chengshuo wanted to help, he couldn’t turn bodily memory into explicit theory—just like a fish naturally knowing how to swim, even if it had exceptional intelligence, it couldn’t convey this instinct to humans through language.

So he could only watch.

In the beginning, when Yin Ren failed a dozen times, he would still smile a bit embarrassingly at Zhong Chengshuo. But later on, he wouldn’t even turn his head. His expression was filled with exhaustion and confusion.

Since Zhong Chengshuo’s “resurrection”, Yin Ren would occasionally glance at him, as if there was a red thread connecting them through their gaze. However, in these 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 57 seconds, to Yin Ren, he himself seemed no different from the other members of the group.

Zhong Chengshuo was surprised to find that he didn’t quite like this feeling. Whether it was Yin Ren’s persistence or his disregard, it was a subtle kind of sadness, like a black thread sticking to a piece of snowy white fabric.

So he shifted his body, moving closer to the center of the room. Close enough that when Yin Ren flashed for the hundredth time, he was right by Zhong Chengshuo’s feet.

One standing, one sitting, Zhong Chengshuo looked up at Yin Ren. However, Yin Ren only wiped the sweat off his face and strode toward the red door.

His figure was swallowed by the red door for the hundredth time.

Zhong Chengshuo felt a sense of melancholy as he took out a photo. Yin Ren was sleeping soundly in the photo. Even in his sleep, whenever Zhong Chengshuo leaned in, there would always be a warm strand of hair sticking to his skin, stretching lazily.

Zhong Chengshuo looked at his empty hands and tightened his fingers, lost in thought.

……

At this moment, Yin Ren was oblivious to Zhong Chengshuo’s unusual behavior. To be precise, he was too preoccupied with his own abnormality—forcing himself to immerse repeatedly in the Other Side’s environment, his perception had become completely tangled.

He tasted screams on his tongue, smelled the stench of rotting organs in his ears, and his nose was filled with the sickly sweet scent of expired sugar. The surroundings were a dizzying array of chaotic fragments. He couldn’t even figure out how to move, let alone find someone.

Yin Ren attempted to mimic his previous battles and block off his senses, but without Zhong Chengshuo’s guidance, he could only remain in a vegetative state for a few minutes.

It shouldn’t be like this.

He was the cub of “Fear” with the ability to move freely in this realm.

Yin Ren desperately tried to recall the grassy mountains and streams from a thousand years ago, then the cozy living room from a thousand years later. The impression of the “white room” that had been etched into his mind was fading. He forced himself to stay outside the red door, alternating between the “chaos” and the “emptiness” in his perception.

Over the years, Yin Ren had developed his own way of adapting to the unknown—

Pushing himself to the edge.

When facing imminent death, his hidden potential would naturally be squeezed out. This move had proven successful countless times in battles and hunts from a thousand years ago.

Information explosion, emptiness. Information explosion, emptiness… Yin Ren repeatedly opened and closed his senses, tempering his nerves time and time again. His mind was almost overwhelmed by the jumble of information. It felt as if he was being crushed into pieces and then pieced back together again.

…No wonder Qi Xin didn’t want to save people first. If Xiaohe’s mother had settled down, she would really want to escape from this place.

Yin Ren struggled to control his perception, as if steering a sinking ship in a raging storm.

Gradually, what lay before him was no longer a disorganized storm, but a merging of scenes.

Scenes belonging to others, scenes belonging to himself. Unseen scenes, scenes deeply ingrained in his memory. Light and shadow still appeared tangled, and Yin Ren felt as if he had fallen into the stomach of a colorful monster. The debris of the surrounding scenes rolled and ground against him, bringing a heavier sense of pain.

Amidst dizziness and intense pain, Yin Ren forced himself to think.

With his power, he could assist Qi Xin in protecting the city. Li Nian’s proposal for “sealing” also made sense… There were so many ways to find liberation, so why did he choose the most difficult one?

His mind was repeatedly battered by information, almost turning into a pulp.

Yin Ren became somewhat dazed for a moment. Amidst the vivid colors, his thoughts became increasingly elusive. He wasn’t sure if he had truly arrived on the Other Side or if he had fallen into a nightmare.

Even though he suppressed the thought of returning to the white room, various ideas of giving up continued to scream in his ears.

Right, he could cooperate with Zhong Chengshuo… Didn’t they work together so well in the previous battle against Mr. Le? In case of conscious corruption or emotional influence, he just needed to block off his senses and wholeheartedly trust… trust Zhong Chengshuo…

…

No.

Yin Ren abruptly snapped back to reality. Just as the first two notes of “Happy Birthday” played in his mind, he forcefully shifted his thoughts.

Although he came to the Other Side to fulfill his promise to Lu Xiaohe, did he truly have only that one promise to fulfill?

Not long ago, Zhong Chengshuo solemnly blew out a candle in front of him, and a warm glow flickered in those dark eyes.

[I hope that no matter what the future holds, we will be the best accomplices.] That person sincerely made a wish to him.

Becoming the most excellent humanoid weapon was indeed a method. Capable of fighting demons and disasters, proficient in various spells, and able to protect his comrades and transform into an eyeless blade.

But then what?

Perhaps Love would be sealed away, returning to the Other Side to balance Qi Xin. If he did that, would Qi Xin spare him and Zhong Chengshuo? Mr. Qiu was able to destroy Zhong Chengshuo’s physical body and take him away. When it came to battling the Great Primordial Elementals or self-preservation, these were the issues that Zhong Chengshuo needed to deal with.

Until the day Love and Sorrow vanished.

He would be responsible for the mortal realm, and Zhong Chengshuo would be responsible for the Other Side. It seemed fair, but it made Yin Ren extremely uncomfortable. He couldn’t forget the sight of that person losing his head, falling before him.

Like a wound, scabbing over, tearing away, and repeating the process. No amount of sweetness or warmth could heal it.

As soon as this thought arose, the debris of scenes around Yin Ren gradually turned blood red. His imagination quickly constructed the scene—the sunset and stone steps of that day appeared before him once again.

Whether it was the blood splattered on the walls or the moss between the stone steps, every detail was vividly present. Warm blood flowed over the stone slabs, and the stench of flesh and blood filled the air.

His memories of them were much deeper than that wretched white room.

How many times had he seen this scene?

Yin Ren reached out and touched the bloodstained wall. The scene froze with Zhong Chengshuo’s body stiffly leaning against the wall, covered in mangled flesh and blood. Even without a head, Yin Ren could still recognize that person from his figure alone.

Yin Ren crouched in front of the lifeless body, gently straightening Zhong Chengshuo’s disheveled and blood-soaked clothes. His lover’s chest wound was gruesomely torn open, and Yin Ren carefully closed it. But even after doing everything, the scent of death still lingered, viciously wrenching at Yin Ren’s heart.

Perhaps with revenge taken, the tragic state of Yin Village found peace in his heart. And in its place, this scene became a horrifying curse that sent chills down his spine with just a single glance.

This time, Yin Ren didn’t look away.

He gazed at the headless body—the bloodstains on his hands were as fresh as ever, not yet dried.

“The cart will find its way around the hill when it gets there*. Enjoying life in a timely manner is the most important thing. That’s always been my way of thinking. But if we split the responsibility in half and go on as we are… I don’t think that qualifies as the best accomplice.”

*(车到山前必有路) Idiom referring to things will eventually sort itself out.

That was the wish you made to me. How can I just brush it off?

Yin Ren traced the broken neck of the body. The severed flesh revealed a snow-white spine, resembling a pale seed.

“…A long time ago, I never used to consider the ‘future’.”

Yin Ren’s fingertips moved from Zhong Chengshuo’s mutilated neck to his ribs, feeling the lingering warmth of the skin. After a moment of hesitation, Yin Ren leaned forward and embraced him. Without the weight of a head, the body felt much lighter than he had imagined.

“But after awakening in this era, I’ve thought about the ‘future’ twice. The first time, I thought about how much I love you, and you’re human. If you were to grow old and die in the future, I would be devastated.”

“The second time, I thought about how much I love you, and you lost your original power. If there were another instance of feeling ‘powerless’… I wouldn’t even dare to imagine it.”

Yin Ren closed his eyes, and his nostrils were filled with the scent of blood and the moist smell of rocks.

And Zhong Chengshuo’s breath.

Pure and sharp like a mountain forest, with a faint hint of mint. It was Yin Ren’s favorite scent, but when mixed with the scent of blood, it transformed into a terrifying odor that chilled him to the bone.

“I think there might only be one way to be completely rid of this scene—”

Yin Ren tightly embraced the lifeless body, carefully closing off his senses. Between the sealed “shutdown” and the open “maximum firepower”, there were many subtle controls over his senses. He had forgotten how many times he had repeated this process, but Yin Ren was certain that he had vaguely found the invisible “knob” at its edge.

“—I must be able to build an indestructible ‘future’.”

Click.

The scent at his nose vanished, and the weight in his embrace dissipated like smoke.

It was as if he had found the correct password for a safe or tuned the radio to the right frequency. The environment around Yin Ren trembled lightly, and the lingering, excruciating pain dissipated into thin air.

……

“What are you trying to do?” Zhong Chengshuo said, stopping next to Qi Xin.

Yin Ren didn’t return for a long time, and it made Zhong Chengshuo’s knees stiff when he sat down. He had nothing to do but devote all his energy to worry and speculation, a feeling that didn’t need to be expressed in words.

Yin Ren didn’t know how to move on the Other Side, but Zhong Chengshuo did. Ten seconds after pushing open the door, he found Qi Xin, who was doing nothing.

“I made myself clear, didn’t I? I want ‘Fear’ to return.” Qi Xin floated in the air, casting a sidelong glance at Zhong Chengshuo. For some reason, she seemed reluctant to meet his gaze. “Of course, not referring to you.”

“…Can’t I do it?” Zhong Chengshuo was taken aback.

“You have integrated too well with humans. Anyway, you can’t.” Qi Xin lowered her eyes. “…But it’s understandable. You didn’t have thoughts before, so it’s inevitable that you wouldn’t grasp the gravity of things.”

Zhong Chengshuo stared at her for a while. “You remember what happened back then.”

“The period when you were hunted down was a grand carnival on the Other Side. Love, Joy, Disgust… They tore this place apart with gaps, just to trap you. Why, don’t you remember at all?”

“I only remember the pain.”

“Haha.” Qi Xin forced a laugh. “Forget about that. Old* Fear, you don’t seem like the type to engage in conversation with others.”

*[Lao] (老). I’m translating it because it sounds too weird given that I translated his “name”.

“Listen, even if you don’t have any abilities, at least none of the Elementals here—including me—can completely kill you. If you have something to say, go ahead and speak.”

As she spoke, her body instinctively tensed up.

“I feel like I’m useless,” Zhong Chengshuo said pensively.

Qi Xin: “Ah?”

Her defensive posture instantly crumbled, and a hint of confusion appeared on her face. What was this former dominant God of Death from the Other Side talking about?

“If Yin Ren only wanted to find the missing people, he wouldn’t have disregarded me as well. I can tell that Yin Ren wants to become the true Fear,” Zhong Chengshuo earnestly recounted.

Qi Xin gritted her teeth. This person’s account was irrationally infuriating, but she was indeed interested in this topic. “Go on.”

“At that time, I won’t be able to intervene in his battle with Love. Even if I were to forcefully join, I would only become a burden.” Zhong Chengshuo analyzed himself in detail. “Just the thought of it makes me feel somewhat sad.”

Qi Xin: “…” It was true that her essence was “Sorrow”, but seeking emotional advice from a Primordial Elemental seemed off somehow, although she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“I don’t think you need to be too sad.” Qi Xin cleared her throat. “I don’t know how things will turn out. That kid Yin Ren can only take it step by step. To be honest, he may not necessarily become the true Fear.”

“What do you mean?” Zhong Chengshuo’s expression immediately turned solemn.

Qi Xin casually pointed to a distance—a dozen or so steps away, two white Primordial Elementals were engaged in a fierce fight. One had already been mostly consumed by the other but was still struggling desperately. Judging by their appearance, those two little creatures were undoubtedly of the same kind.

“Normal Elementals should be born on the Other Side under the influence of ‘Satisfaction’. If there’s enough food after their birth, they can survive by feeding on emotions alone. Cannibalism within the same species only occurs in famine-like environments.”

“As for Primordial Elementals like us, we must inevitably kill the previous generation after being born… After all, resources are limited, and as long as the previous generation is alive, they will unconsciously absorb emotional nutrients, causing the new generation to quickly perish due to malnutrition.”

Qi Xin gestured casually.

“But according to your accounts, first, Yin Ren was born in the mortal realm without the intervention of ‘Satisfaction’, which is unprecedented. Second, he has yet to consume you, who occupies an empty position, but he is quite healthy.”

The more Zhong Chengshuo frowned, the tighter his brows knitted. “Are you saying that Yin Ren isn’t a normal Primordial Elemental?”

“Yes. I don’t know what he will become.” Qi Xin rolled her eyes, and the dark abyss of her eyes squeezed at the corners. “But he looks like Fear, his aura is that of Fear, and his destructive power is no different from Fear. To me, he is the cub of ‘Fear’.”

Zhong Chengshuo remained silent.

“As long as he can solve the problems on the Other Side, I don’t care about his bloodline purity. In the current situation, it seems like I don’t have a choice either,” Qi Xin said. “So no one can predict what will happen in the future, and it doesn’t matter if you mind.”

“Yin Ren’s condition is even more unstable than expected, and you don’t have a way to restore my powers,” Zhong Chengshuo dryly summarized. “I can’t possibly not mind.”

“I can’t help you, and I don’t care.”

Qi Xin averted her gaze.

“For the Other Side, you are now no different from a dead thing, Mr. Fear.”

Zhong Chengshuo raised his gaze. The two small white Elementals had finished their fight. The silhouette of one had disappeared without a trace, while the other floated lightly as if nothing had happened.

The one that had been consumed didn’t even leave a trace behind.

On the Other Side without Fear, only this kind of “death” existed. Even if he stood here now, he couldn’t interfere with anything.

Zhong Chengshuo took off the glasses made of “illusions” and raised his pitch-black eyes. When the tiny entity floated away, his hand reached towards his lower back. Beneath his loose white linen clothing, a touch of crimson was hidden.

Perhaps due to the infiltration of Yin Ren’s blood, the Evil Fruit wasn’t an illusion but was brought in for real. The crimson flowed on the blade was captivatingly beautiful. Zhong Chengshuo pressed his fingertip against the blade, and a trace of chill seeped from the razor-sharp edge.

Qi Xin couldn’t offer any effective advice, and the information from Shian was limited.

‘This couldn’t go on,’ he thought.

Since Yin Ren wouldn’t slow down, he had to catch up.

……

Yin Ren opened his eyes.

He found himself in an exceptionally wide tunnel with countless scenes and fragments crowded on the black-gray walls of the tunnel, like walls adorned with festive lights. This passageway resembled an ant nest, with no visible beginning or end, and branching out into innumerable forks. Everything in the world intersected here, dazzling to the point of breathlessness.

Like an endless celebration.

Yin Ren imagined a solid ground, and the next moment, he felt an appropriate weight under his feet. He wasn’t sure if this was the true form of the Other Side, but at least for now, his body was no longer in pain.

Yin Ren quickly recited a mantra, but things didn’t go as he wished. He couldn’t even produce a spark.

…Well, he had to take things one step at a time. Yin Ren curiously took a step forward, observing everything around him.

“Oh, right. Almost forgot about you.”

Just as Yin Ren took a step forward, he suddenly slapped his forehead. He took out the trembling Dog Thing from his pocket and tapped on its surface with his knuckles.

“You were scared to death, but Qi Xin already knew about your existence. So, do you have anything to say now?”

[Home! Home! Home!]

The excited thoughts of Dog Thing came through.

[Can I go home?]

“…Go. Now that Qi Xin is watching, it’s pointless for me to keep you here.” Yin Ren chuckled. He extended his hand, and the cellphone floated on its own in midair.

[Go home—!!!] Dog Thing cheered.

In an instant, a mass of black oozed out from the cellphone. Its surface appeared watery and leaden gray, covered in densely packed and regular pores. Around its round body, spider-like long legs emerged.

The thing floated lightly in the air, resembling a variation of Saturn with insect-like legs forming its rings. Those legs moved rhythmically, and the spherical body drifted in the air.

“So this is the ‘Anxiety’ with such a distinguished appearance.” Yin Ren rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. “Alright, stop lingering and go already.”

[Thank you.]

Dog Thing circled around Yin Ren with its small legs pedaling happily.

[Goodbye.]

Moving gracefully like a jellyfish, it drifted towards one of the branching paths in the tunnel. Yin Ren had no idea how these things navigated, and he shook his head with a smile.

Next, all he had to do was find Qi Xin. The beginning was always the hardest, and he had already completed the most troublesome step!

Yin Ren began to move along the tunnel.

In the first hour, he held his head high and walked with confidence.

In the second hour, his steps grew heavier, and his brows furrowed.

In the third hour, he lay down on the ground.

This place was too vast, like an infinitely flawed space. Trying to find Qi Xin here was more challenging than panning for gold in a riverbed with bare hands. But if he went back to the white room like this… Yin Ren felt a tinge of resentment, as if he were rolling back to the spawn point in a game.

Qi Xin shouldn’t have gone too far from the white room, right? After all, how was this damn place even supposed to be navigated?

Yin Ren lay on the ground, looking at the radiant colors in all directions with millions of white structures, unable to discern the way back.

…Oh well. If he couldn’t find Qi Xin within an hour, he would reluctantly roll back. If he stayed away for too long, Zhong Chengshuo would surely worry.

Yin Ren let out a long sigh and was about to get up when he saw something round and rolling quickly towards him from the distance. A circle of familiar, small legs surrounded it.

“Dog Thing?!”

[Ahhhhhhhh!!!]

Before Dog Thing even reached him, a string of screams pierced through Yin Ren’s mind. Startled, he jumped up and saw the massive pursuers behind Dog Thing—

Various black and gray entities twisted together, forming a black tornado. They jostled and raced straight towards Dog Thing. The legs of Dog Things were about to break, and its surface pores oozed a transparent liquid—whether cold sweat or tears, Yin Ren couldn’t tell.

[Help! Help! Help! Help!] Dog Thing shouted desperately. It squeezed into Yin Ren’s hand on its own, transforming into a cellphone. Immediately, the unfortunate cellphone started vibrating endlessly in Yin Ren’s hand.

Yin Ren: “You—”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was engulfed by the swarm of black entities.

The familiar pain returned. Only this time, it was external, not internal. These damn things were devouring him!

Yin Ren turned around in horror, trying to escape, but these Elementals crowded around him, making it impossible for him to move an inch.

He attempted to imagine the white room, but these unidentified Elementals were releasing intense emotions, turning his mind into a chaotic mess, rendering him unable to focus.

Unable to escape and unable to use his abilities, was he going to sink in the gutter?! Yin Ren covered his head, fully convinced that if this continued for a few more minutes, he would be skinned alive.

Was this how Qi Xin “took care” of a cub?

…Wait a minute. He was the cub of “Fear”, the highest level of emotion in theory, so he could simply consume them.

Yin Ren thought and acted swiftly. He grabbed one of the slippery entities and took a bite. He didn’t know what emotion this was, but it tasted somewhat like tortoise jelly.

Not bad.

Yin Ren felt revitalized and started devouring them even faster. Tearing off a piece here, swallowing a whole Elemental there. Soon, as if realizing that using a mouth was too slow, Yin Ren instinctively unleashed his true form and consumed them with his entire being.

As his true form emerged, the Elementals froze in place as if under a petrification spell.

In the next second, they once again twisted into a black tornado, but this time, they dashed in the opposite direction.

“Thinking of running away?”

Yin Ren, who had already expended quite a bit of energy, had just satisfied his appetite. He directed his body forward and pounced, closely pursuing the black tornado while voraciously absorbing it.

Something inside him was awakening. His true form became lighter and faster, akin to darkness itself. Like a tidal wave, Yin Ren swept towards the horde of Elementals, and with a crashing black wave, only a few survivors remained. The rest were engulfed and vanished into the darkness.

He was satisfied with his meal, but it left an unsatisfying taste in his mouth.

After confirming that the surroundings were completely cleared, Yin Ren leisurely restored his human form. It was said that a full stomach would put one in a good mood. Lord Ghost King strolled for a while to aid digestion and decided to return openly and honestly. He tightly clenched Dog Thing in his right hand and carried a few leftover Elementals in his left hand, intending to bring them back for further study with Zhong Chengshuo.

It could be considered returning with a full load, and Lord Ghost King’s mood improved slightly.

Not far away, within a certain shadow, a pair of human eyes blinked without pause, with the pupils following Yin Ren’s movements.

“An evil being? A Primordial Elemental? Or…”

The person muttered to themselves.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something this interesting.”

Kinky Thoughts:

When I first looked up tortoise jelly (guilinggao) I thought it was grass jelly, but it turns out it’s made from turtle shells, commonly from the golden coin turtle in the past, which is currently critically endangered, but now from other turtles.

Personally, I rather eat grass jelly…