Free Web NovelChapter 52: Chapter 52: Even the Best Humans Lie!
"Mental illness?"
"What do you mean?"
Tuantuan stood there, stunned, while Blood Slaughter couldn’t help but touch his chin and lower his head to think. The term "mental illness," they’d never heard of it.
Humans are just humans. Besides the differences between men and women, are there any other distinctions between humans?
Xiong Jie didn’t dare speak—he simply stared with puzzled eyes at this strange pair.
Blood Slaughter looked the same as always, but the little girl he’d brought was distinctly human.
A human child together with Blood Slaughter?
How is that possible!
Xiong Jie, like most people entering the dungeon, had roughly reviewed the human profiles within its boundaries.
Every area’s humans, before stepping into a dungeon, upload their appearance, name, and profession as publicly accessible info.
After all, in a dungeon where danger lurks everywhere, cautious humans wouldn’t let strangers approach them.
Xiong Jie quickly ran through the data in his mind; just a moment, and he was sure—there were no children like this among the humans who entered the dungeon.
Faced with the two evil spirits’ questions, Xiong Jie dared not delay too long. He quickly answered, "A mental illness is... a disorder of human emotions, thinking, and consciousness."
He hadn’t studied much about it. Information about all the dungeons was overwhelming; before entering, no one knew which one they’d be summoned into.
His knowledge of the people around him was quite superficial.
Even though he was in Red Pearl Mental Hospital, he’d never seriously looked into what mental illness actually was.
This illness—within the realm of human common sense, yet outside the bounds of their knowledge.
Understanding mental illness, everyone really only shared one notion: ’If you’re mentally ill, you don’t have to go to prison for breaking the law.’
So now, asked what mental illness is, he couldn’t explain much; he could only give his vague interpretation.
"Is it different from normal humans?" Tuantuan couldn’t help but ask.
"Uh... If you really want to say..." Xiong Jie wasn’t sure what these two evil spirits meant, why they cared about a mental patient’s information. He guessed that maybe the mental patient had offended them somehow.
After all, most people are wary, afraid—the mentally ill might just do something unpredictable.
’In terms of mental state, they’re outcasts among humans.’ Xiong Jie thought and nodded slightly. He didn’t know much about them; the types he’d heard about were schizophrenia, paranoia, delusions of being the Jade Emperor, or thinking you’re a mushroom or a bird.
There are many categories of mental illness, but he hadn’t studied them in detail.
Outcasts among humans?
Tuantuan was a little lost. She always believed that person with an innocent smile who brought her gifts would be loved in the Human Realm.
She thought it was only because Ya and the others were so cruel, taking advantage of him.
She hadn’t realized that Jiang Che was seen as an outcast among humans.
Such a good human being, and he’s considered an outcast?
Thinking back to knowing Jiang Che up to now, and how all around him were evil spirits, Tuantuan couldn’t help but laugh—her tiny body shaking with wild, unrestrained joy.
If humans treat Jiang Che as an outcast, then she’ll take Jiang Che as her own kind!
Xiong Jie’s limbs were bound, curled up on the floor.
Seeing that unsettling smile from the little evil spirit, he shrank back again and again.
"Let’s go, Grandpa. We should head back now." Tuantuan tugged at Blood Slaughter’s sleeve—just moments ago she was like a Little Demon, now she’d transformed into a sweet, innocent child.
She still had so many questions, wanting to know more about Jiang Che’s everyday life, but Ding Ning’s message had summoned her home.
Her shifting demeanor didn’t make Xiong Jie find her cute; cold sweat soaked his back.
She called Blood Slaughter "Grandpa"!
Xiong Jie’s heart chilled. He knew it!
Whoever can be with evil spirits is definitely not human.
Blood Slaughter gave a cold laugh, raising the Saw Meat Knife high.
"Time for the last course."
This fat man would now serve his final purpose—his last moment’s terror would season the meal perfectly!
Blood Slaughter was glad he’d caught a human. He never expected that the "daughter-in-law" Jiang Che mentioned was that person.
If he’d known the distinguished guest was coming, how could he have prepared just one meal? He would have staged a full feast of fear.
Xiong Jie closed his eyes, but the Saw Meat Knife didn’t fall on him.
"Don’t kill him, I have questions for him later."
Ding Ning’s voice echoed in Tuantuan’s mind. Though she was seated upstairs, she monitored the basement in real time, and on seeing Blood Slaughter raise his hand, she quickly asked Tuantuan to intervene.
Cautiously opening his eyes, Xiong Jie saw that little evil spirit had blocked Blood Slaughter’s weapon.
"Mom will probably have more questions for him later, so he doesn’t need to be food." Tuantuan and Ding Ning were bonded by a soul contract; she could communicate her thoughts at any moment.
Time was tight—Jiang Che and the others were still upstairs, waiting for a family reunion meal.
And Mom had said she wanted to try what human food tasted like.
"Mom, what does it feel like when a human is treated as an outcast by other humans?" Tuantuan gazed at Xiong Jie curled in the corner, pitifully wretched.
She didn’t understand humans, but she’d met plenty these past days.
Thinking about it, even when Ya was messed up, she still took care of her hair—every strand was neat.
"I don’t know..." Ding Ning, since meeting Jiang Che, had felt nothing but joy and happiness, untouched by any bitterness.
Being ostracized by humans must be painful, right?
Ding Ning turned to look at Jiang Che, propping her chin up, her gaze deep and lingering on him. "Honey, next time, let’s go visit the place where you grew up, okay? I’ve never been there."
"Let’s not... there’s really nothing worth seeing." Jiang Che paused, grinning, a breeze and moonlight in his smile, so bright it made people happy, "I’ve heard there are many fun places. Next time, I’ll take you."
"I used to hear a lot about how people liked going on family trips..." Jiang Che’s words trailed off. He’d been trapped since childhood in that tiny mental hospital, with only a patch of sky above; what he knew came from nurses and doctors’ offhand remarks while controlling them.
Travel... what does it mean?
He didn’t know how to describe where he grew up—should he talk about cold machines, the monthly injections, or the regular lockdowns and the doctors and nurses’ forced restraints...
Bitter! Bitter!
Ding Ning’s hand propping up her chin froze, for suddenly the air was saturated with pain and sorrow.
She’d just asked a casual question, but hadn’t expected Jiang Che to react so strongly.
Seeing Jiang Che’s appearance made her angry and amused at once—smiling so happily when his heart was so full of pain.
Who said he was so honest and gentle?!
No matter how good a human is, they’ll still lie!
