Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 255: Chapter 59: The Powerful Yan Zizai

Feng Hai Ping felt a surge of fear at the power this person possessed... they had never seen anyone like this before.

Feng Hai Ping deliberately exchanged their own speed with Yan Zizai, acting with caution. They couldn’t imagine what he knew to avoid encountering, a direct confrontation with the strange white fog.

"You’ve already exchanged your speed with mine," Yan Zizai announced.

But at this moment, Feng Hai Ping discovered something even stranger; their own speed hadn’t decreased... if anything, it seemed to have become even more marvelous than before.

He was flying over, carrying the coffin, when he saw Yan Zizai burst open, and at this instant, Feng Hai Ping charged forward.

"Who told you... that only I have a place among the Exchanges and that you can reorder the sequence at will?"

As Elder Zhao and the white fog departed, Yan Zizai’s scornful smile emerged, transforming into a guardian among the ranks, once again becoming one of the six protectors as if following Buddha’s own image.

"Your power will eventually lose its effect; I just need to keep my distance from you, that’s all, not exerting my own strength," Yan Zizai warned.

Feng Hai Ping clenched his fists, rubbing his palms together.

The white fog and Bo Feng broke through the barrier.

Yan Zizai had to rush back to take away the red glow, disregarding whatever it was; they couldn’t afford to lose any more strength right now. But as the red glow was thrown into Divine Lake, they felt an urgent need to reclaim it.

Being still on the dangerous path of Niangshan Mountain, Feng Hai Ping felt a sense of wariness from the white fog.

If the white fog really intended to stay to see how Feng Hai Ping would deal with Yan Zizai, perhaps it was worth considering.

"Isn’t exchanging places as simple as this after all, when even Erleipu and a swindler are ranked among the top twelve in your Order of Exchanges, let alone me?"

Perhaps Yan Zizai knew this was Exchange Order: 02 — Heavenly Abode; Feng Hai Ping looked at Yan Zizai in disbelief.

They had swapped places.

"If you don’t remember these two, it means you’re not worth facing them, let alone me," Yan Zizai said with a cold laugh.

But just then, Feng Hai Ping was astonished to discover that he was suddenly far from where Bo Feng and the white fog were positioned.

As the winds of Divine Lake began to churn violently, with a minor bend of his legs, he exploded forth with power, attempting to block Feng Hai Ping’s physical form, which had seemingly vanished. Bo Feng and the white fog were ready to burst out of the resentful energy barrier.

"Avoid opening that coffin at all costs, remember, this isn’t important," Yan Zizai cautioned.

"What is this, a luhua toy?"

"That’s exactly what a treasure luhua toy is, just a playful thing. You must not be absorbed by the coffin. Be careful," said the white fog.

It’s beneficial for the two... after all.

It didn’t take him long to let go of his concern. Although Yan Zizai could take decisive action, it was quite unsettling for the white fog to come out so boldly.

"I might be better suited for this than you, facing this kind of person, a warrior with great strength and power in speed. Just looking at your opponent," said Yan Zizai.

[The idea of the coffin enslaving the strong to serve its purposes, could it be that one of them could transform the thoughts of this person—that God Granny considers you to be its greatest worry. This coffin has already caused the deaths of villagers trapped inside, although its original intention was benevolent. But it’s not the same as your cruel and violent world, where you’ll have to employ it even more ruthlessly. This coffin used to be a kind-hearted old man from the village, with a gentle nature, physically frail and disease-ridden.]

The white fog’s sudden movement made Yan Zizai wary of possible dangers, drawing his eyes into a tight focus.

"You’re just one person?"

"Let you continue towards the lake shore while I handle it," Yan Zizai said abruptly.

Bo Feng stood there, directly confronting the malicious intent.

There was no talk, no...

"You don’t need to talk to me about all this... haha... if it isn’t suitable for living, my weakness, or the fact that it just did what it had to. You don’t need to tell me any of this... hahaha."

"Shouldn’t it be too superficial to account for good and evil just by your hatred for it, if killing you, nailing you to the coffin, is just God Granny," Yan Zizai retorted, although he humbly conceded a point to Feng Hai Ping, who was still considering a final trial.

Yan Zizai and Baize Jiuwu stared at the beast with fierce light in their eyes, knees slightly bent, fists pounding the ground.

Not only was Bo Feng preventing the beast from advancing further, but he was also fending off the plundering raid.

The enmity-formed qi had solidified into a barrier, trapping Yan Zizai, Baize Jiuwu, and three others within, while the wind rose from the tranquil ground.

"You guys, unlike those few from before, you’re actually worth refining... compared to them, your transformation would hold much more value,"

Bo Feng stared with eyes sharp as blades, once again unsheathing his sword upon hearing these words.

"...And that little brat," thought Yan Zizai, "I can’t wait to brutally beat him up once I’m back in reality."

"Frankly, I much prefer using my fists to my words, which are not even a tiny bit convincing, but that’s no reason for me to be poor at speaking to others,"

Baize shook his head:

"You, a monster, can also speak with your mouth?"

Yan Zizai asked:

These advantageous situations had precipitously turned into an overwhelming suppression because Bo Feng had maliciously convinced Elder Zhao to seal away his original form within the coffin, a battle between good intentions and evil thoughts taking place above.

"If the red-mouthed coffin is already empty, because she has already been thrown into the lake and thoroughly absorbed by Divine Lake, all that’s left for me is to hand her over to God Granny. There’s no other way, since there’s no positive result after so many days and nights. That strength is too hard to refine. I must admit, so many days have passed. For that little girl, because you people are... haha, the coffin?"

Baize Jiuwu asked, "What’s inside your coffin?"

Bo Feng, surprisingly muscular and imposing, was reflected in the mirror as an old, frail figure, an inconceivable sight for Baize Jiuwu.

Feng Haiping asked, "Are you the person from over there, the one whose face we’ve all seen?"

An unavoidable bout with evil necessarily follows a narrow encounter on the path.

The coffin on Bo Feng’s back was a unique adornment, more than just the materialization of his evil form.

A creature with exploding muscles, a full head of white hair, and a beard hanging messily over his bare chest, his coffin strapped to his back.

While Feng Haiping could truly be called a muscle-bound monster, Bo Feng had seen all kinds of muscled men in the forests of Nielongshan and among the Tiger Liu populace.

Bo Feng’s evil thoughts were especially strong, although his good sense had all but disappeared from that red-mouthed spot. freёwebnovel.com

Instead of the boisterous Zao Lake, they were now heading toward the quiet Divine Lake, a premonition that made Baize Jiuwu uneasy.

Directly in front, the figure of Bo Feng.

He wandered with the jingling of copper bells ringing by his ears, surrounded by the creeping black miasma of the lake.

Finally catching a glimpse of Divine Lake, after passing through the giant beast-filled grass where they had no desire to tangle with, Baize Jiuwu and the other three had reluctantly crossed.

These beings had the ability to tear souls with their spiritual energy, their glaring eyes ready for anything that might become evil food.

Avoiding these massive, evil creatures, they had encountered no surprises along their path.

While Bo Feng and Baize Jiuwu remained unrecognizable in their monstrous form, towering over the other countryside animals in sheer monstrosity and misshapen ranks.

They must act quickly, resolving the battle rapidly should they face an encounter shortly thereafter, which was also implied by these omens.

Nobody knew what might happen when the time came.

If penetrations of evil thoughts surpass fifteen percent, it would take only a short time, for he had already calculated quickly.

Though nothing had happened plainly, the rate of evil thought penetration was slowly rising after they had left the village, a detail Baize Jiuwu noticed.

The miasma grew denser and more intense as they approached the lake.

Moving slowly toward the lake to seek it out, the three of them had been hiding in the wilderness, proceeding cautiously.

These wild beasts, especially the "giant transformation," were clearly no match for Baize Jiuwu’s team, which brought a significant boost of intimidation, as there were many strong animals along the lake path.

Without further delay, Baize Jiuwu and his companions left the zigzagging village, which was not far outside.

The entire village seemed like a demon realm, with the already strange and abnormal behaviors of the villagers exacerbated by the heavy miasma, as well as these domestic animals roaming about.

Seeing the old yellow dog that was more terrifying than the three-headed hellhound they had encountered in the mine cave before, they would bite upon sight, an even more terrifying prospect.

They were all villagers—Baize Jiuwu only realized after taking a close look at the many chicken eggs inside the village, the giant black-feathered old hen.

In the chaos, a street that once mirrored any other had erupted into turmoil. Under the blood-red sun akin to a demon’s eye, oxen meant for plowing were now as wild as raging bulls.

All around, various otherworldly forms made their oppressive presence known; livestock had subtly transformed, although only a hint of this strangeness was evident in the background of the second scene. This was no mere oddity.

The villagers had cultivated a division among themselves; after the paper people fragmented, there were even more paper people. Some villagers were covered by paper people, subject to their whim, caught and torn apart. In the street chaos, paper people ran amok, slaughtering each other.

This village was not in harmony with itself, illuminated under the blood-red sun. Looking down from a higher place, one could see that three people had already fled the village, at this moment racing away from the high ground.

These three people, enveloped in white mist, were Wang, Yan Zizai, and the one with significant knowledge of the myriad strange creatures along the lakeside path.

...

...

Even though they were fundamentally one being, their evil thoughts with Zhou Kuan and Zhu Jin swiftly turned violent again—not long after, the three left the Zhu family. They had not been able to fully complete the spousal ritual.

Seizing the opportunity of Zhou Kuan and Zhu Jin’s prior outburst, White Mist had decided to leave.

It seemed that all the somber lamentations came from that one lake.

That lake was absolutely paramount, the most crucial of all in this world, although it was indeterminable for certain.

How many more deaths would it take to quell the evil thoughts this time? Not even God Granny knew, much less what exactly the evil thoughts of Bo Feng from the sea world were like in this world.

The giant resentment from Pang had been offered as a sacrifice in the Divine Lake of this world—this much White Mist had broadly understood if Bo Feng’s true body, that vivid red in the coffin material, were to emerge as a clear sign.

"Those coffin materials have withstood the strain of Bo Feng’s attempt several times; refining that kind of strength is not simple. It needs to leave right now, today—it is a must,"

"Could we... somehow... find Bo Feng by heading to the lakeside?"

"Hee hee hee, go straight to the lakeside. Behind her, Bo Feng appeared, locked inside his coffin material. That person, the one in the red skirt...,"

Evil personalities were not appropriate for mingling.

Each of them was a collection of various evil personalities. In contrast, the good-natured ones were the focal point for assembling altogether. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Even though evil thoughts were generally the same, having their hostilities played out, in this world God Granny was exceptionally strong.

But eventually, the young girl who arrived in this place just a few days ago was the one to drive God Granny away.

It remained a question whether Zhou Kuan and Zhu Jin understood the truth of this matter.

"Pull on this thread of energy... I lost it, but it is somewhere. You must tell me where I can find it to retrieve it... I had a little girl, pulling on the thread of energy just before,"

"What should we do?"

"That will make me even happier, having witnessed your marriage. If you can make me even a little more excited, then I will be very happy."

White Mist was not deterred:

The presence of Zhou Kuan and Zhu Jin’s evil thoughts would also reduce the desire for slaughter, at least after the completion of the marriage ritual. Yet they harbored extreme hatred toward the surrounding evil thoughts.

Zhou Kuan’s and Zhu Jin’s original resentment and anger were somewhat reduced following the completion of the marriage ceremony.

This did not seem like something the stern and earnest man would say; he was only feeling a resemblance to his own self-image and the image of Qinggu Jade. It was just an impression he got.

This was the summary conclusion of Yan Zizai regarding the healing of the mentally ill—

"Would not it be absurd to suggest some wild idea that could somehow miraculously solve all our problems? But not saying anything won’t do at all; we need to hold onto some idea of hope in living, anytime we feel it,"

Yan Zizai looked on, bewildered, as White Mist spoke these profound secrets in an off-hand manner:

"With the ceremony complete...,"

"...and also bowing to heaven and earth for the third time,"

"Bow to heaven and earth a second time,"

"Bow to heaven and earth once,"

White Mist was still narrating those decisive moments, calling out:

Zhou Kuan and Zhu Jin, unexpectedly bowing sincerely to heaven and earth... this left White Mist even more puzzled, rooted to the spot in awe.

"..."

"Inside the world there really are ghosts."

Ji Zheng said in return:

"How could we possibly believe in such a thing as a ghost? You must be joking."

Yan Zizai said softly:

"It’s just a matter of belief, really. As long as it’s enough to convince oneself, the absurdity and the mysterious do not matter at all," the real Ji Zheng concluded.

"Elder Zhao, shouldn’t we hurry? If you want to obtain eternal love and receive a long-term blessing, you have to bow to the heavens and earth three times, with the man behind the woman."

"Since your wedding ceremony is so intensely passionate, it won’t do to suppress it with a customary bow. If you feel a touch of evil thoughts, you will have a stillbirth after eighteen years of an uneventful pregnancy; who knows what itch after a hundred and seventy years, or even crossing a century with your spouse during a honeymoon phase?"

"How could we possibly do that... once in a million years?"

White mist had walked over to where Zhu Jin and Zhao Kuan were standing side by side, making sure they were protected.

"A million years is the deadline I give for your love. After all, you have been sticking around this corner of the earth for nearly a hundred and seventy years; a hundred years is too short."

These two people were certainly not normal.

Yan Zizai felt that the issue was quite significant and carefully watched Ji Zheng, who was attentively listening to the lesson.

Either Ji Zheng would start taking earnest notes, or, if unprepared, would at least dive into the student mindset.

How on earth was White Mist talking such nonsense again? Yan Zizai couldn’t help but feel that something was off.

"Isn’t it possible for you to accomplish a small goal like a hundred years, let alone a thousand? Even a thousand steps might not be that far," White Mist continued confidently.

Zhu Jin and Zhao Kuan nodded their heads.

"Is that right, you’ve only witnessed marriages being consummated for a hundred years, haven’t you?" asked White Mist, shaking his head.

Zhao Kuan and Zhu Jin, who were finding it hard to suppress their mounting anger, were stuck and unable to bow due to the circumstances.

"Have seen."

"But, have you yourselves ever been married? The ceremony is actually quite important, even though this might seem like a trivial matter to mention," Zhu Jin said stubbornly. "The formality is very important!"

"Stop it! You don’t even want to get married! It’s just formality, after all... Seven hundred years to fix the body, and a mere ten years to share a so-called proper boat ride," White Mist stated very calmly.

Both Yan Zizai and Ji Zheng, suddenly on guard, couldn’t even whistle a tune.

At the same time, the entire Zhu family’s household was filled with an intense murderous aura. Both Zhao Kuan and Zhu Jin had already begun to split apart, their faces being pulled into distortions, blood and flesh opening up an instant gash.

White Mist was still calculating and pointing at these two people, not letting the matter drop even as their bodies were being torn apart and just about to be stitched back together.

How could this happen, tearing each other apart when they weren’t even able to bow at the ceremony?

Villagers were being massacred, and it almost seemed like they were looking for some sort of amusement in this, finding a few instrumentalists to play music just for the sake of it, even though there was no music to be played.

They didn’t hesitate to grab whatever dead people they could for attendance, not minding the lack of guests.

Regardless of how Zhao Kuan and Zhu Jin felt about marriage, White Mist had already come out to watch.

"Ahhhhh! Rip me apart, or I will rip you down! Rip down! Rip me down... Ahhhhh!"

The young voices of Zhao Kuan and the girlish voice of Zhu Jin echoed in unison, both of them going berserk.

However, the two could not complete the husband-wife bowing movement, as their forms amalgamate into one, an embodiment of evil thoughts.

(White Silver Covenant’s random mechanics couldn’t be used anymore, having been completed 5/07...)