CHAPTER 349: CHAPTER 349: THE WORLD

Now, he exists in an ideological form, or perhaps a soul form.

When Zhang Yun called out "brother" earlier, Bai Yanliang realized...perhaps he could not only influence her but even try to directly occupy this body.

Of course, it would be temporary.

"Give your body to me."

Although this sentence sounded ambiguous, neither Bai Yanliang nor Zhang Yun took it the wrong way.

"But..."

Zhang Yun couldn’t quite believe it, but with ghosts and guardian spirits appearing, having her body temporarily taken over didn’t seem so impossible.

"You’re injured, you can’t exert yourself, you can’t endure the pain, but I can," Bai Yanliang said, "Trust me, I will keep you...alive."

Zhang Yun was silent for a moment and chose to accept.

"I trust you...stranger...brother..."

After Zhang Yun’s intention came through the consciousness, Bai Yanliang’s heart trembled, and then he responded solemnly: "Okay."

Zhang Yun wasn’t foolish; once she was temporarily safe, she immediately became suspicious of Bai Yanliang’s identity.

Although Bai Yanliang’s background was unclear, one thing was beyond doubt: if it weren’t for his guidance along the way, she probably would have died in that girls’ restroom.

So... she was willing to trust him.

And for Bai Yanliang, this trust from ten years ago was incredibly profound...

This was just an attempt.

Bai Yanliang wasn’t sure if he could really occupy Zhang Yun’s body.

But under the cooperation of the body’s owner, things proceeded surprisingly smoothly.

"Sister Zhang?" Bai Yanren looked at Zhang Yun, who suddenly closed her eyes, a look of pain on her face, not knowing what had happened to her.

Could it be...a curse?

Bai Yanren frowned slightly, not wanting to waste more time here, but seeing someone in distress and not helping went against his principles. What should he do... could he just let her suffer here alone?

Just as Bai Yanren was fretting, Zhang Yun suddenly opened her eyes!

"Whoa..."

Bai Yanren exclaimed in surprise, jumping up and stepping back.

"You?"

Bai Yanren was on high alert, casting a suspicious glance at Zhang Yun.

Even a fool could see that this "Zhang Yun" was not the same as before.

"Hello..." Bai Yanliang looked at him, his expression somewhat dazed.

It was really him...

It was really...Bai Yanren.

"Who are you?" Bai Yanren looked Bai Yanliang up and down in confusion, feeling no hostility from this "Zhang Yun," but rather a sense of eerie familiarity that sent chills down his spine.

How could this be?

Bai Yanren was positive this was his first time meeting Zhang Yun; how could there be any sort of familiarity?

"Are you her other personality?" Bai Yanren guessed.

"Yes," Bai Yanliang nodded, going along with it, while avoiding Bai Yanren’s probing gaze, "I know there are ghosts in this world, but she does not."

"Is that so?" Bai Yanren’s suspicion didn’t fade, "But as far as I know, curses don’t weaken with age, and your age..."

"My psychological age is twenty-three, and I’ve always been the one performing the tasks."

"I see..." Bai Yanren still seemed skeptical, "Which prison are you in?"

Which prison?

This phrasing instantly reminded Bai Yanliang of Xun Weimo, recalling what he had said by the river that day.

"Extreme." Bai Yanliang didn’t reveal which prison, but instead mentioned the name of the space that Xun Weimo had mentioned unintentionally.

"Oh!" Bai Yanren clapped his hands, "It’s the Cold Night Prison!"

"I’ve even performed missions with your Cold Night Prison’s Xiao Xun, hello."

Bai Yanren extended his hand, his attitude significantly more relaxed.

Cold Night Prison?

Bai Yanliang’s mind quickly ran through the names of the Nine Prisons; Cold Night Prison should be...the Fifth Prison, Yin Spring Cold Night Prison.

But Bai Yanren’s wording seemed odd, your Cold Night Prison?

He was not a person of "Extreme," yet he had performed missions with people from Extreme?

Could it be that, ten years ago, the missions of the nine spaces were interwoven?

"You are in?" Bai Yanliang feigned ignorance.

"Dark Abyss," Bai Yanren laughed, "the third prison from ancient legends, the Yellow Spring Chasing Ghost Prison."

Dark Abyss...the Third Prison, Yellow Spring Chasing Ghost Prison...

Bai Yanliang felt as if a storm raged in his heart, but his face remained calm.

Dark Abyss...so his brother was from Dark Abyss...

And after confirming Bai Yanliang’s identity, Bai Yanren seemed to relax a lot.

He looked up and down at Bai Yanliang, nodding more and more: "Not bad, not bad, you seem much more reliable than Xiao Xun. Are you here to find the gate this time too?"

Gate?

The word instantly reminded Bai Yanliang of how to enter Fog Gathering, and that giant, mysterious door in the void of Fog Gathering.

"No," Bai Yanliang shook his head, "I’m a student here."

If you’re going to pretend, you have to go all the way, otherwise, you can’t fool this seemingly honest and kind brother of his.

Bai Yanliang was well aware that despite Bai Yanren’s appearance of relief, he hadn’t really lowered his guard around "her."

Sure enough, after Bai Yanliang shook his head in denial, the slight wariness in Bai Yanren’s eyes seemed to decrease somewhat.

"True, your situation is special, and your other personality almost had an incident just now. But it’s good now, you’re out, let’s find the ’gate’ of the Eighteenth Middle School together," Bai Yanren extended his hand amicably.

"Okay." Bai Yanliang reached out and shook his hand.

"Phew... that’s much easier," Bai Yanren sighed, "Dr. Zhou facilitated this cooperation of the Eight Prisons, but I don’t quite believe in the First Prison that he talks about commanding the Eight Prisons, what about you?"

"Fengquan Command Prison?" Bai Yanliang pretended to ponder, then shook his head, "It should be a legend."

Seeing Bai Yanliang fully articulate a secret known only to those from the Eight Prisons, Bai Yanren finally let down his guard.

"No wonder they say the end of science is theology. We who have seen ghosts for so many years don’t believe it, but the doctor insists there’s a First Prison, saying that as long as the First Prison is summoned, it can truly lift the curse and return everything in the world to its normal track," Bai Yanren held his head, looking out at the rain, "I don’t want to save the world, I just want to survive, but..."

"What?"

Bai Yanliang sensed that his ten years ago brother might reveal something quite secretive.

"But if everything is as the doctor says, the entire world... will be invaded by fierce ghosts, our world will cease to exist..." Bai Yanren smiled looking at Bai Yanliang, "Little girl, we are great people."

Bai Yanren’s voice grew softer, and he turned once more to look at the storm outside the window, his expression peculiarly serene, "But... I don’t want greatness, nor am I doing this for the world."

He closed his eyes, listening to the ghostly wails of the tempest and rain, his demeanor extraordinarily calm, "If the world ceases, the people I love will also vanish, what does the world have to do with me? I just want...to protect them..."