Ch90.2 - The Cycle of Karma, What Goes Around Comes Around (4.2)

translator: baumkuchen (unedited)

This matter was just a brief interlude in their lives. Soon after, their seventh task came.

They entered a library filled with evil works, and were asked to help the NPC librarian sort out a batch of books. In seven days, they were to register all the books and sort out their contents. However, in the batch of books they were registering, was hidden a ghost that could move freely through the books. If they weren’t careful, the task-takers would be devoured by the books and chewed into pieces.

Going by common sense, they would need to investigate, based on what they knew from the current casualties, and find out the rules of books that contained ghosts, and from there, do their best to avoid being injured.

But in this kind of situation, Song Chunyang’s Yin-Yang Eyes were effectively a cheat.

He could easily tell which book contained a ghost, but still needed to pretend to be blind, weakly letting Yuan Benshan pick and flip through books for him.

Other than Guan Qiaoqiao, who knew what was going on, many task-takers shot Yuan Benshan sympathetic looks.

Yuan Benshan was also used to his family’s little wife’s penchant for drama, and would pick out those harmless books for him, to let him “take a look”.

However, Song Chunyang’s acting still wasn’t good enough.

When a task-taker picked up a book which was inhabited by the ghost, he ignored Yuan Benshan’s urging, walked over, and told him that there was a ghost in the book.

In the beginning, that person didn’t believe him, until Song Chunyang took off his sunglasses, revealing his pair of heterochromatic amber and blue eyes.

With Song Chunyang, this time’s task was completed abnormally easily.

Everyone munched on melon seeds as they looked through books, and before they realised it, finished organising that big pile of books.

In the end, Song Chunyang figured out the rules behind the ghost appearing. He went to flip through some borrowing information, and found out that ghost used to be a girl who had been raped and then murdered by hanging by the librarian in the library. She was both blind, and full of hatred, wandering through the books she had borrowed before her death, wanting nothing more than to kill the librarian.

On the day that he left, Song Chunyang sneakily placed the book she was hiding in on the librarian’s desk.

Even though he knew that the NPC was only the system’s projection, he still wanted to let her experience a bit of kindness.

In this seventh task with an extremely high mortality rate, the entire group of people who took the task with Song Chunyang survived, every single one of them returning with their lives intact.

When the task-takers returned to the real world, and began making their leave, Song Chunyang expressed his wish to not be disturbed. And all the people who had managed to live until the seventh world knew very clearly, that Song Chunyang had saved their lives this time, so they owed him a debt. Furthermore, his eyes were a part of his body, they had no way of forcing Song Chunyang to help them.

Song Chunyang also wasn’t as frightened as he’d been for the past few worlds. On the car ride back, he said happily to Xi Lou, “I broke the record, I broke the record!”

Xi Lou, “What record did you break?”

“It’s been the seventh now.” Song Chunyang smiled. “Didn’t you say that the furthest your past hosts had made it was to the seventh world? I’ve passed the seventh world now! Up next is the eight! You’re going to get a body soon!”

It had to be said, Song Chunyang’s smile was truly infectious, his little dimples both soft and deep. The corners of Xi Lou’s lips rose up along with his.

......He really wanted to touch his dimples.

But Yuan Benshan wasn’t at all affected by Song Chunyang’s emotions. He started straight ahead, calmly driving the car. The right corner of his pants bulged slightly, inside stuffed a page torn form a book in the library.

At that time, no one could have expected what would happen in the eighth task world.

After going back, a long time went by without any tasks being issued. Song Chunyang was also happy to be idle. Every day, he would go to work, come home, wash up and cook, humming a little tune, and chatting with Xi Lou.

He really hoped that the days would continue to be like this, but when he tore another page symbolising a “safe and sound” day off of his calendar, Xi Lou spoke, “The eight task is here.”

This time, the location provided was an ancient castle on the outskirts of the neighbouring vity. The task was “role play”.

In the castle, was a movie crew filming a horror movie. After entering the task world, task-takers would each receive a role in the crew. The requirement was:

No matter what happens, do not go out of character.

As for what the consequences of “going out of character” was, the task didn’t specify, but it definitely wouldn’t be anything pleasant.

The duration of the task was half a month, the longest of the tasks so far.

However, from their experience, no matter how long they spent in the task world, it would only be a moment in reality.

Upon hearing about the task, Song Chunyang’s first response was, “The next city? They’re making us pay our own travel fees again?”

Xi Lou, “......” You little miser.

Even though Song Chunyang said he cared about money, in actuality, he made a lot of preparations, collecting relevant information, and spent all day slowly making his way through the book《An Actor Prepares》.

Yuan Benshan was a doctor, his work was busy, so he should help him do his portion of homework for him.

In order to avoid accidentally being late, they prepared to head to the neighbouring city one day in advance.

The night of their departure, Song Chunyang asked for two days’ leave in advance, arranged an exchange of shifts with his colleagues, and bought three tickets for the trip back.

He was confident in his ability to bring both Yuan Benshan and Guan Qiaoqiao back with him.

He planned to make a big meal for Yuan Benshan and Guan Qiaoqiao before they left, but after getting home, his stomach felt a little uncomfortable. Seeing that the door to the toilet was open, he planned on going in.

Who would have thought that the moment he pushed open the door, he would see Guan Qiaoqiao, back facing the door, changing into a dress. However, the zipper on the back hadn’t been zipped up, revealing a large patch of white skin.

Song Chunyang let out a “fuck”, and immediately closed the door. “Sorry, sorry!”

Guan Qiaoqiao was magnamious, laughing non-stop inside the toilet. “Xiao Song, what kind of relationship do we have, don’t take it to heart.”

Leaning his back against the door, Song Chunyang didn’t speak. His expression was a little ugly.

His eyesight was truly too good. Just now, when he’d went in, he’d gotten a clear look at Guan Qiaoqiao’s back.

Every time they got through a world, the originally blurry seal on their backs would form into a clear and special shape.

......The second mark from the top on Guan Qiaoqiao’s back, was just like Yuan Benshan’s first. They were both a book, the shape, the silhouette, exactly alike.

Song Chunyang knew, that every world’s mark was different.

For instance, the seventh world they went to was also related to books, but the seal wasn’t a book, it was a library card.

Song Chunyang suddenly panicked.

In his memories, in Guan Qiaoqiao and Yuan Benshan’s first meeting, the two of them clearly acted like they didn’t know each other, even needing Song Chunyang to introduce them.

But...... why did they have the same mark?

Song Chunyang spent the entire train ride to the ancient castle in a daze.

He was thinking about how, before he’d entered his first task world, Yuan Benshan had showed concern about his Yin-Yang Eyes, and his first encounter with Guan Qiaoqiao in the milk tea shop.

If she truly had wanted to chase him out, to help him avoid this misfortune, why did she only pour her milk tea on him only a few seconds away from the start of the task?

Had she wanted to lessen the distance between them?

Was her coming to their house to rent a room, and forming an alliance with them, truly a coincidence?

Xi Lou could read all his thoughts. His heart couldn’t help but tremble with fear. He called him using his full name, “Song Chunyang, don’t think about it anymore.”

But Song Chunyang couldn’t keep his thoughts from running wild.

After being unable to sit still for a long time, he truly had no way of bearing it any longer. After confirming that Yuan Benshan, who was napping beside him, was really dead to the world, he sneakily reached out and took his cellphone, wanting to check Yuan Benshan’s private chat records.

But upon noticing Guan Qiaoqiao, who was sitting in the same row as them, he instantly changed his plan, and stuffed the phone into his own pocket.

After entering the task world, Song Chunyang appeared on his own in a dressing room with unfinished makeup on his face.

Their phones didn’t have signal in the task worlds, but that didn’t affect their ability to use their other functions.

Taking advantage of this time he had alone, Song Chunyang went through Yuan Benshan’s phone records, and found his SMS history with Guan Qiaoqiao.

Yuan Benshan didn’t have the habit of deleting his phone records, and Song Chunyang had never checked Yuan Benshan’s phone before, because they would see each other every day, and was truly too familiar with him, and truly too trusting.

Therefore, when he saw Yuan Benshan’s earliest SMS records with Guan Qiaoqiao, Song Chunyang felt as if he’d never known Yuan Benshan.

About three years ago, an hour before he mistakenly went into the milk tea shop, and entered the task world, Yuan Benshan sent Guan Qiaoqiao his first message.

He said, “He went. Get ready.”

And after he narrowly escaped, and returned to his dorm, Yuan Benshan brought his phone with him and hid inside the bathroom. In order to avoid him overhearing, he had a conversation with Guan Qiaoqiao via SMS.

Yuan Benshan, “How was it?”

Guan Qiaoqiao, “It was amazing! His Yin-Yang Eyes really work!”

Yuan Benshan, “Tell me how you guys got through the task.”

Guan Qiaoqiao excitedly launched into a description of the events, like a customer who was extremely satisfied with their waiter’s service.

At the end of it, she said, “When I heard you say that you had a boyfriend with Yin-Yang Eyes back then, I even thought it was fake.”

Yuan Benshan, “I originally thought it was fake too. But after seeing those things in the library, I didn’t dare to not believe anymore.”

Guan Qiaoqiao, “What do you plan on doing next?”

Yuan Benshan, “What else can I do? He’s of course going to be with me.”

Guan Qiaoqiao, “Yuan Benshan, don’t forget about me. I and Xiao Song have experience working together now. [smile] [bears teeth]”

Yuan Benshan, “I’ll find a chance. Join us.”

Yuan Benshan, “Happy cooperation.”

Guan Qiaoqiao, “Happy cooperation.”

Seeing this, Song Chunyang’s hands were shaking. He hurriedly put down the phone, then stared at the mirror in a daze.

Xi Lou couldn’t quite bear it. “Song Chunyang, you’re doing your eight task right now.”

Song Chunyang was silent.

At this time, a female crew member came by to urge Song Chunyang to hurry up and get ready, but Song Chunyang ignored her, just sitting there in a daze, silent.

Xi Lou’s voice went completely cold. He tried to not let any emotion leak into his voice as he reminded him, “Song Chunyang, your eighth mission has begun. Please arrive at the set on time and begin your mission.”

Song Chunyang faced the mirror, his expression dazed, like a helpless child. “Loulou, did I do something wrong? ......Did I do something wrong?”

Xi Lou’s trembled with heartache. His voice couldn’t help but soften, “No, it’s not your fault.”

Song Chunyang asked in a small voice, “Then why did they have to do this to me?”

......Yes, why.

Xi Lou didn’t know either.

He started hating the uselessness of words all over again.

Song Chunyang got up in a daze, and walked out.

Probably because Song Chunyang, one of the “main actors”, was late, the director had blown his top, and had simply turned and left. They were currently packing up the set having decided to stop filming for the day.

Song Chunyang turned and left. He didn’t know if he had triggered a death flag, he just wanted to find Yuan Benshan and get the truth out of him.

He lingered around in the castle filled with photographs and paintings for a long time, until Yuan Benshan called out to him in the corridors, smiling gently, saying, where did you go just now, quickly come to the room, Qiaoqiao found something interesting.

Song Chunyang thought for a moment, then followed.

Who knew that the moment he entered the room, his mouth was covered with a handkerchief, and his nose filled with a certain pungent gas.

Song Chunyang’s eyes widened, but his body slowly sank powerlessly to the floor.

In his half-conscious state, he heard a familiar, female voice.

It was Guan Qiaoqiao’s voice.

She was a little hesitant, squatting down next to the collapsed, powerless Song Chunyang. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

The sound of rustling came from Yuan Benshan as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. “We’ve already gotten to this point, what’s the point of asking this?”

Song Chunyang forced open his eyes, and saw Guan Qiaoqiao move to Yuan Benshan’s side, and look at the paper in his hands. “Is this reliable?”

Yuan Benshan, “I found this in a book in the last world. Even though it’s not completely trustable, it’s at least more workable than the instructions on how to swap your eyes with Yin-Yang Eyes on the internet.”

Guan Qiaoqiao laughed at him. “You say this like it’s so realistic.”

Yuan Benshan was expressionless. “Before you laugh at me, why don’t you think about if we’re separated in the last world, how much of a hope you and I have of surviving. I’m my family’s only child, I’ve gotten study awards for five consecutive years. I don’t want to die, and I can’t die. Besides, one person dying is better than two dying.”

Guan Qiaoqiao was silent. She looked at Song Chunyang for a while, and found that his eyes had already closed.

She said, “He has two eyes.”

Yuan Benshan said, “One for each of us.”

......They once more achieved a perfect cooperation.

Song Chunyang hadn’t lost consciousness. He could still hear the sound of Yuan Benshan’s footsteps draw closer.

He squatted down next to him, shaking his head as he sighed. “You can’t blame me. This is human nature, I want to live.”

Then, Song Chunyang felt a viscous liquid seep into his eyes.

A burning pain spread from the back of his eyes, but Song Chunyang no longer had the strength to scream.

He only had the strength to cry out repeatedly in his mind, “Loulou, Xi Lou, save me, please save me——”

He called out like this over and over again, until he passed out from the pain.

When Song Chunyang next woke up, he found that he couldn’t see anything anymore.

......Yuan Benshan hadn’t killed him.

Because as long as he didn’t participate in the task, sooner or later, he would be killed by the ghosts, and as if with an eraser, Song Chunyang’s existence would be erased from reality, and completely disappear from the world. Yuan Benshan and Guan Qiaoqiao would also gradually forget about Song Chunyang’s existence. Their memories would be wiped completely clean, and they would no longer have anything to worry about.

The quiet chirps of insects sounded from outside the castle, and the air was filled with the earthy scent of damp soil at night. Song Chunyang judged that it should be nighttime now.

He was scared of the dark, and scared of ghosts, but Yuan Benshan had thrown him into a patch of darkness filled with ghosts and ghouls.

He found a corner to curl up in, and covered his mouth, not daring to make a sound nor a move.

He was terrified.

The most terrifying thing wasn’t death, it was waiting for death to descend on him.

He wanted to cry, but was afraid that that would attract the wandering spirits, so he could only pull over the musty curtains and block his mouth with them.

Even like this, he still felt like there were countless gazes staring at him in the dark, making him almost asphyxiate.

Xi Lou called his name, “Chunyang, Song Chunyang? Don’t be scared, I’m still here.”

Song Chunyang broke, sobbing in his mind as he said, “Xi Lou, don’t go, stay with me. I’m scared. Talk to me, please......”

The Xi Lou who had up to this point always been recitient started talking to him non-stop, accompanying him through one dark night, and another dark night.

Until the third night, a pair of cold hands grabbed the cold, starving and muddled Song Chunyang, and dragged him out of his hiding spot.

Having become blind for real, Song Chunyang didn’t even know how he died, nor who killed him.

His last words to Xi Lou were: “Loulou, I’m sorry. There were just three more tasks...... I’m sorry.”

There were just three more tasks, before Xi Lou would have a complete body.

However, Xi Lou didn’t leave Song Chunyang.

Even Song Chunyang himself didn’t know, that after he died, he became a ghost, wandering around inside the room he had been hiding in before he died.

Because he’d lost his eyes, he often bumped into walls.

Xi Lou called out to him, wanting him to watch out.

After dying, Song Chunyang’s memory faded by the day. He already didn’t remember who Xi Lou was. Everyday, when he heard him speak, he would ask him, curious, “Who are you?”

Xi Lou said, “I’m Xi Lou. No. 3397. I’m your system.”

Every day, they would get to know each other all over again.

Xi Lou stayed there, never leaving.

The main system sent him warnings twice, wanting Xi Lou to leave Song Chunyang.

If Song Chunyang’s soul were to completely dissipate, Xi Lou would have no place to return to, and would only be able to spend his eternal lifetime accompanying Song Chunyang’s corpse.

When the first warning came, Xi Lou stayed silent. When the second warning came, Xi Lou replied.

“He’s scared of the dark, he needs someone to stay with him.”

Since Xi Lou refused to move on to his next host, the Lord God didn’t pay any more attention to Xi Lou.

Even with that, Xi Lou still could only watch on as Song Chunyang’s soul dissipated bit by bit, with nothing he could do to stop it.

Until one day, a strange energy invaded this world.

It was a white light of unknown origins.

The master of the white light asked Song Chunyang if he wanted to sign a contract with him, to realise the wishes he’d been unable before his death. He would send someone over to fulfill his wish for him.

He didn’t know what Song Chunyang said. Xi Lou watched on helplessly as he watched the white light snatch Song Chunyang’s soul away.

Xi Lou panicked. Just as he was about to call out, he felt himself also be sucked into a vortex.

......

After watching everything that had happened, Chi Xiaochi fell into deep thought.

In short, he had entered a supernatural, unlimited flow world.

The range of power of the system in this body, Xi Lou, was not as wide as 061’s. At least, he had no way of materialising and helping the host. The main system’s operations were maintained by consuming the task-takers’ fear energy.

But as the local system, Xi Lou had priority in terms of operations, so 061’s abilities were restricted, he had no way of communicating with him.

Chi Xiaochi let out a sigh. He didn’t make any substantive assessments of Yuan Benshan and Guan Qiaoqiao.

He just made clear to himself that this time, there were at least two targets to kill.

Seeing him just sit there and drink beer, Xi Lou couldn’t help but soften his voice and urge him, “Song Chunyang, take note of the time.”

Chi Xiaochi said, “Take note of what time?”

Xi Lou, “......The time that filming starts.”

Chi Xiaochi swallowed his last mouthful of alcohol, then said calmly, “There’s no need.”

Since Chi Xiaochi had entered this world, he had at maximum only said six lines.

But when Xi Lou noticed his lax tone as he said “there’s no need”, his tone changed completely. “You’re not Song Chunyang. ......Who are you?”

The author has something to say:

The explanation of the original world is done, returning to the current times√