Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 222: Chapter 26: The One Who Must Be Defeated No Matter What

In the end, the language of the white mist had not changed from the beginning; it was as if people were following an accident that had no one else to talk about.

"Sister, will they eat me if I come into contact with them? Will they chase after me if I leave the tower? You say if they went out, but she never asked me anything completely unrelated."

There’s still hope that one day I’ll see the little moon and the orange, deep within the heart where despair seems to have long taken hold.

...I still want to live, ah.

But clearly, that fat monster must know that the rest of life will be nothing but endless tribulations and humiliations, awaiting oneself, harboring resentment and perhaps even expectations.

But it’s always inexcusably fatalistic.

Li Qu had thought about death many times in the past nearly four years.

Having twisted her desires into a satisfactory change, she could now smile through various humiliations and tribulations, much to her arrival today.

Having experienced an inconceivably wretched journey, her body had, in the span of a few years, become various kinds of exquisite.

But these transformations allowed her to keep going.

These lines served as a timely reminder that she was no longer human, having already gone far beyond the tall tower, never to return; they ushered her into the domain to be prey or to fall into evil, made into food for rituals or simply cannibalized.

This sentence alone could change the outward appearance, much like a transformation.

But it made her seem even more sinister, although the white mist brought the power of its own counterattack, which appeared to be a nightmare to the eyes.

But physically, it would develop a sharp point somewhere on the body, resembling a devilish horn, suggesting this sentence brought about external change.

The red vein-like lines, many straight strokes on her face, this peculiar pattern starting from her neck and spreading all the way across, had already revealed Li Qu’s true self, different from the many fallen female forms here, and unlike her original self.

"But she is still out there somewhere, looking for her with the Spiritual Possession Camera; she only had one second of exposure time with each shot, only once a week, at most thrice a month, and after months of trying, she could finally take a picture of a particular scene she had visited," he said, handing Li Qu the photo.

"Even if they never solved the case, giving the report to the Investigation Tower’s army might as well be their end; those countless missing women are buried so deep each year the film rolls have long been destroyed. The camera is obviously untouched, maybe the two have been lost forever, unable to see their friends again," Chu Qing said, passing the photo to Li Qu.

But the white mist finally came towards her, despite Chu Qing’s utmost refusal and backing away with every word she said.

"Nobody even knows how many private tears she’s shed. Everyone wants to find you guys, and that’s surely the only reason for all this. She’s just a girl who won’t stop clinging to men, playing with emotional green tea antics, and it’s believed she fell from grace," she said, whenever she talked about you guys, her eyes would brighten up; however, when your disappearance was mentioned, her eye’s light would fade.

"It’s just a small unintended skit, like some amateurish play where the friends are so poorly lied about, and the man is just scamming her," whenever she brought up her business, her eyes would shine, but they would darken again when mentioning your disappearance.

"She’s always pretending to be calm, like acting out some tragic play from several years ago. It’s almost four years now since the disappearances of Shen Yue and you," she used to tell us at times.

"Well, let it go, Liu Orange might have already forgotten about this incident; although it’s not accurate, it’s no longer on her mind," he said.

Li Qu stepped back subconsciously, but the white mist stepped forward.

"She had three daughters, planning to open a boutique in the basement, possibly thinking they could be the new wave, or wanting to totally reinvent themselves, maybe they could wear the old-fashioned styles we don’t want from a couple of years back, saying in some layer, it would lead to a rich, colorful life," she mused.

"In this process, shrouded in white fog, you couldn’t see his expression under the mask, but his heavy breathing was evidence of his deep consternation."

Li Qu was extremely wary of Bai Dijiang.

Although a single photograph couldn’t explain much, it almost carried a murderous aura that seemed to pervade the air.

"How is it that you have this photo... how could you... see through me?" Bai Dijiang asked.

Li Qu had guessed it already; even her own name had been called out by Bai Dijiang, completely exposing her disguise.

"You don’t have to continue the charade of being the soft-spoken Lin Rou, pretending to have a casual conversation with a friend when it’s really a father-daughter talk. I know how well you can act; you have a different kind of friendship with them," Bai Dijiang said.

Bai Dijiang said, frowning.

"Memory is an essential fundamental quality, especially for a spy of your caliber," Bai Dijiang continued. "Your acting is much better than before, but how could you forget within just three years? That’s just what I’m saying."

She recognized the scene in the photograph instantly.

The photograph was actually of Shen Yueshu and her, a completely different scene from what Li Qu had encountered.

"How could you... how could you have this photo... it’s impossible..." Bai Dijiang muttered.

The image in the photograph was truly baffling to her.

She was supposed to be the one controlling her emotions, reverting back to her original composed self, but as an actress, her eyes revealed increasingly complex emotions. Li Qu was still trembling slightly.

"You three are quite adorable in my eyes. Li Qu, you may as well revert back to being yourself. Even though you wear this persona, and despite the fact that he’s really not a man, Lin Rou looks quite good, and you are not nearly as beautiful when you put it on," Bai Dijiang pointed at Li Qu, his tone still very calm.

"You three should have some keepsakes or something, it wouldn’t be strange. I don’t blame you for this photo not having her, I have forgotten," Bai Dijiang said.

[Thank you, my book friend Wu Qingwu, for the generous reward; the fourth time with a ten-thousand-dollar reward makes me even more motivated to maintain a good state during this period, notwithstanding the extravagant cost. No more panic...]

Li Qu would be consumed by bitter resentment.

Li Qu, in agony, curled up on the ground, her tear-stained eyes damp with moist dust, began to sob loudly.

"I beg you, just go away... I don’t want to look forward to anything anymore; she must never know I existed... I am already dead, Orange Child, just drop the charges and go back..." She pleaded.

The more she felt utter despair, the stronger it seemed to grow.

Although Li Qu had sometimes thought about becoming stronger slowly over time, Chu Qing had been trying her with extreme measures for three years without breaking her.

Chu Qing would raise Li Qu to level nine through a diet of food that passed through the food domain, and while he would feed her well, he would treat her as just an object, a plaything, never breaking her resolve.

Chu Qing was occasionally satisfied just to give her a few rewards and let her feel a little contentment, to let her live on benevolently in the deepest layer of the warmth district in the Evil Falls, just enough to add value to her survival.

For three cruel years, she gave up her life to endure the severe tortures for him, to add value to herself as a person.

By this point, anything Liu Orange Child had done was no longer important; Bai Dijiang was thoroughly convinced that Bai Dijiang was a true friend of Liu Orange Child.

"Li Qu, did anything happen to Liu Orange?"

Whiteness acknowledged the hidden destination it had reached——in it, squarely opposite of much vice: it had endured a myriad of experiences, digging deep into the essence of things if that were the case.

Does "bad" represent vice? Does "good" represent human kindness?

Bai Dijiang’s light speech ultimately weighed a bit heavier, seeing Li Qu weep just like that, revealing his inner turmoil that was no longer as still as it appeared.

"She has never extracted herself from that triune cycle of years, from the world out there."

"Li Qu, you remember not even a moment with Deep Month Shen. Yet, even though you have no cares, even though this world is unlikely to offer a chance to meet again, she’s been thinking day and night for four years. That’s why I must tell you here: she needs you to return."

"Even if I die here, even if today we might die in this place, this corner of existence might still be annihilated. But no one else will ever hear these words again if that girl living up in the Investigation Tower falls. A heart slowly emerges from a cocoon, perhaps truly transforming due to a fall. There’s no way to move on anymore..."

"...no more words."

Li Qu’s tears became inaudible.

"She called out for Little Moonlight and Li Qu, utterly forgetting that she herself had become just an ordinary person, without the companionship of life strength. Outside, where those purple lines were used, it might have been the closest you two were to her. It was yesterday, when she came here."

"Ultimately, that was what she had once lost. More than longing for friendship, it was only about male-female affection. I only learned then that she was not heartless," Bai Dijiang said. ƒrēewebnovel.com

"But after seeing there wasn’t a single joyous child around her, she held back her true face from appearing."

"In her eyes, every person was but a tool for profit. This woman would never share her true heart, and to my realization, the unclear relationships and numbers she had were troublesome to all men," Bai Dijiang admitted.

Unable to hold back tears any longer, Li Qu listened here.

"Even though you say you won’t meddle anymore, that it’s none of your business, deep down you’re still investigating our disappearance, still doing it in secret. Liu Orange is the same. He’d never admit it, but he spends every twilight people watching, as if she never disappeared. To him, you both are just a dream that cannot materialize. If I were to die here today, there is a chance that we might die in this place—she lives as a very ordinary girl, and she’s been in your hearts all along," Bai Dijiang spoke.

Bai Dijiang smiled a smile quite similar to that of his father’s.

"Do you still hope she’ll fit into this vast world, this girl who’s changed ever so slightly since a young age, in a dangerous bottom-tier environment? But how could you say she’s in the wrong?"

"She was only discouraging you from meddling, when you were seeking that missing girl, who might be the greediest and least ethical among you three. Maybe she is Liu Orange," Bai Dijiang speculated.

"Even if you all became the embodiment of vice, Liu Orange will definitely remember it, which is why I think so because not only do I have many villain friends, I also have many human friends. They’re not that different from other people when it comes to views on vice," Bai Dijiang mused.

However, Li Qu’s expression gradually showed a pained look of recollection.

(There was no need for excessive worry, as taking part in the editorial request was only a response, not an official job—it was an extracurricular activity of sorts, another two-month project. Once this became broadly known, the pressure and mystique of the white-collar father would not exist, as the difference between the stage play and the outtakes wasn’t significant. Outtakes are referred to as outtakes, so please relax, take it easy on the explanation here, dear reader. Ah, the advantageous nature of Bai’s data... My vote goes to Bai [editor’s note].)

"He will definitely kill me. You’re just waiting here conveniently for me. I do not want you to participate in this. This is just a matter of public stance," Bai Dijiang said as he put on his new mask. freёwebnovel.com

The flat and indifferent tone he adopted did nothing but inspire in Li Qu an extravagant hope, a hope that felt like a ghost or a demon.

"That death you’re talking to me about, it’s just the start of another journey, if this filth-ridden world doesn’t change anytime soon," Bai Dijiang declared.

"...you, you shouldn’t be afraid to die..."

It’s as if by not solving this incident today, events would become more complicated, as if they were already incomplete in themselves.

Wanting to rashly kill somebody, a strong surge of anger welled up inside, the first time a white fog of anxiety appeared in his heart, as if almost none of the people were angry for the sake of it.

"I want to kill him even before thinking about it, regardless of how terrified you are of that dictator," he said.

To Li Qu’s surprise, he didn’t feel that absurd sense of desolation. It was only the cold, white stare, as if this line was coming from a man whose bravery was bordering on recklessness.

"Even if I had been born seven hundred years ago, I wouldn’t have experienced a world as bizarre as the one beyond the tower... but then again, the longer this period of time, the greater the fear in people’s hearts due to the oppression, and the fear only grows stronger."

"I have heard that for seven hundred years, there hasn’t been a single person capable of shaking the ruler’s position, despite countless attempts by those from the lower three strata. Even the most disastrous defeats end up in consolidation," he said, his face showing real recognition mixed with stern solemnity, highlighting his serious demeanor, but still maintaining his usual calm.

As he inadvertently made himself the subject of the white fog’s gaze, Li Qu looked up at this white fog, and a shock of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

"You might well never see Liu Chengzi again if things go as they are, and even if we could go back, the outcome wouldn’t change. Moreover, my companions brought me here on purpose, meaning that eventually, we will be found by the ruler. I’ve already made peace with life and death," Bai Dijiang said, witnessing this scene.

Her eyes brimming with fear, Li Qu recalled the ruler and didn’t say a word.

"Is he really in here, at the very top of the tower?"

"Let’s go back, no need to ask... You fundamentally don’t know what strange thing you’re facing," he said.

"Is the ruler really in this area?"

He looked at Li Qu, who was on the verge of sobbing, and grasped her hand tightly.

Bai Dijiang didn’t know that this large concept had been brushed aside earlier, that Chu Qing had simply been a deterrent, and that the notion of a great purge had been suggested much earlier than Zhong Xu’s proposition.

Should they follow this thread of investigation, without the complete forces of the Investigation Tower, they would face a second large purge. The ruler would obviously know, and if they thought it difficult here and wished to return later, it would be even harder. But if Bai Dijiang went back on his own, he feared that Li Qu would face the ruler’s wrath, paying an extremely heavy price.

She might just be a shell used to avoid misdeeds, inherently difficult to rid herself of evil thoughts, let alone fear the consequences of contemplating such dire actions.

It should be categorically resolved as a symptom by now.

The memories of the past had twisted into a complex ailment, much like the fourth floor of the labyrinthine palace. Although the time of three years seemed short, it was incredibly long and gradually unraveling.

These thoughts might bubble up when overwhelmed with grievances after being ground down by Zhong Xu, and this kind of rational wisdom would not appear at the time it was needed.

Has she long since forgotten me as she lived a carefree life in the high tower? Or the orange child suffering alongside the moon on her own will? Such was Li Qu’s past contemplation.

Despite occasionally exhibiting wicked intentions towards those around her, she was inherently good at heart, and her memories should have been red and warm like her nature. But part of her memory twisted with resentment, causing her angst.