Evil Emperor Zun

Chapter 2012 The Most Sacred Nightmare (Part 2)
An enemy! Feng Yi'er's heart skipped a beat. But the other person was so beautiful that it was hard to feel fear or hostility; all she could think of was changing the subject. And coincidentally, there was another issue that was currently on her mind.

"Excuse me, are you also from the future?"

"'Also'...is that so?" The man reacted quickly, murmuring as he savored her choice of words, raising one eyebrow with a half-smile. "So, which other person from the future have you met?"

Just then, the bracelet that Feng Yi'er had already considered a half-useless item started flashing on her wrist—the people from the Duxing Royal Court had actually kept their promise and contacted her again!

What would they come to? Would they accept their deal, or pursue legal action for their offense? Faced with the moment, she seemed to have lost her previous do-or-die courage, and subconsciously glanced at the man beside her.

The man slowly crossed his arms, seemingly unsurprised that she could receive outside contact from here. His eyes clearly recognized the bracelet, and a hint of intrigue flickered in them.

"Go ahead and answer it. It'll be good for me to hear what they have to say."

Feng Yi'er nodded obediently and pressed the call button.

"Hello." The other party was still using a mechanical voice, but it sounded more polite than before. "Please keep automatic location tracking on."

To make sure she didn't know how to operate it, he explained the startup process in detail.

"We will analyze your coordinates."

"It will take a little time, please be patient."

This...a yes? Compared to the expected elation, Feng Yi'er felt more disbelief than joy. After processing this for a while, she tried to maintain a calm tone before asking, "What do I need to do for you?"

The excitement of about to uncover the secrets of the Solitary Awakening Royal Court, and the fear of knowing that this mission would be far from easy, intertwined and surged, almost bursting through his chest.

There was a quick response from the other end, a flat voice: "You don't need to do anything. Please take care of yourself."

Feng Yi'er was dumbfounded.

If, after discussion, they still felt they couldn't trust me, an outsider, and were unwilling to entrust the task to me, that would be reasonable. But if that's the case, why did they agree to give me directions in the first place?

Transactions are about mutual benefit. If the other party only provides value to you, wouldn't that be helping without compensation? What would they gain from that?

Of course, it's not to say that all help from powerful figures comes with conditions. The main thing is, it depends on what kind of help is being given. A small favor is easily done, but when it comes to saving a life, nine out of ten of the powerful figures she knows wouldn't help for nothing. Let alone helping someone escape from a lost star system—that's an almost inhuman level of difficulty. Feng Yi'er was shocked and couldn't help but wonder if everyone had misunderstood the Duxing Royal Court all along? Were they actually a very kind and approachable group of people?

The other party has cut off communication. As the beneficiary, all I need to do now is wait; whether they help or not will soon be clear.

When it comes to finding a way out, she shouldn't easily share it with others—this is a fundamental flaw in the biological world. When everyone is trapped here, having companions to face the situation together is always better than drifting alone in despair. This was the foundation upon which the previous loose alliance was formed. However, once the opportunity to leave was presented, not everyone was willing to let their companions leave alive with them, even if this opportunity wasn't a zero-sum game.

Feng Yi'er's decision to tell him everything wasn't so much a lack of consideration as it was a desire for recognition. This was perhaps the only valuable thing she could offer him. Therefore, she simply organized her thoughts and recounted to the mysterious man how she had traveled with the people of the Duxing Royal Court for a while, how she continued to follow her after the group broke up, how she accidentally found her bracelet, and how she cleverly used communication to make a deal with the Duxing Royal Court.

The man maintained a playful expression, as if this was quite amusing. After a while, he raised his eyelids, shifting his gaze from the bracelet to her face: "You're not really going to believe me, are you?"

Feng Yi'er was indeed skeptical, but she was even less inclined to believe that the people of the Duxing Royal Court would have the leisure to toy with someone as insignificant as herself. With the intention of "listening to what they have to say first," she politely replied, "Please enlighten me?"

Before answering, the man asked, "Have you ever played pinball?"

"If you drop a small ball from the top of the machine, it will hit a series of randomly activated mechanisms along its path, constantly deviating from its initial trajectory. No one can predict where it will eventually bounce off." Ignoring Feng Yi'er's confusion, he started talking about a completely unrelated topic, "If it were you, how would you find the ball?"

"I... I'm not looking anymore?" As soon as she said it, Feng Yi'er sensed the perfunctory tone in her words, so she explained, "Because, it's impossible to find it, right? Since the mechanisms are activated randomly, even if you throw another ball at the same starting point, it's impossible for it to bounce to the same destination. Giving up at the right time is a kind of wisdom."

“That’s not wrong.” The man smiled nonchalantly. “However, even random events are composed of basic probabilities. If they’re still in the same machine, by repeatedly testing the mechanism, there’s a chance to calculate the probability. In other words, as long as an infinite number of balls are thrown, theoretically, there will always be one ball that can replicate the original trajectory.”

As he said this, he gazed into Feng Yi'er's eyes, his voice gradually becoming heavier and more substantial.

"Using an endless supply of consumables to gamble on a minuscule probability. That's quite a bold move, isn't it?"

"You mean..." Feng Yi'er finally realized something, her heart sinking heavily under the pressure, "The Lost Galaxy, is like that machine?"

...And we are the little ball.

The man nodded approvingly: "It must be for some special reason that they can't directly determine the ball's location by calculating cause and effect. Only within a general range can they distinguish whether the target passed through here or not. They eliminate the wrong options one by one."

"To have explored the Lost Star System to this extent, the strength of the Solitary Awakening Royal Court is indeed first-rate. Unfortunately, that's all it can do. Even they don't have the ability to come and go freely here."

Without giving Feng Yi'er time to react, he continued speaking without stopping: "You know, once each ball is thrown down, it will only fall, it won't rise back up. It's impossible for it to go back the same way it came in. However, for the person who threw the ball, their purpose is only to record the coordinates and deduce the whereabouts of ball number zero. Whether the other thrown balls can be retrieved is not important. Now you understand why I called these scout balls consumables, right?"

After hearing these words, and recalling the woman's cold expression from before, Feng Yi'er felt a surge of indescribable emotions. Was her ability to maintain composure not because she knew the exit, but because she had no intention of leaving once she entered? This was the same fearless acceptance of death by those madmen.

They're going to such lengths, even resorting to such a clumsy method, to find this "zero ball"... Just what is it that's so important? If they find it, the world might really be destroyed!
“Wait a minute,” Feng Yi’er suddenly remembered something else, “but that person promised to help me. If even they can’t find the exit, how can they give me a map?” Such a powerful top-tier force, if they can’t produce a map when the time comes, wouldn’t they be contradicting themselves?

Upon hearing this, the man revealed a mysterious smile that seemed to say, "Innocence is truly admirable." "Oh, of course they'll give you the map and do their best to save your life. After all, you're just a spare ball that conveniently came to their doorstep."

“Not every scout ball can reach the finish line smoothly. Many unlucky ones will pop halfway because they step on dangerous traps.” He spread his five fingers and made a “balloon bursting” gesture. “Your existence is just right to connect with that popped ball.”

"The map they'll send you next is probably meant to make you go around in circles and trigger mechanisms repeatedly, so they can collect more coordinates."

“Even if you find yourself unable to leave, they can explain it away by saying that the internal coordinates of the lost star system are constantly changing, and leaving is inherently difficult. You'll have doubts, but you can't, because you can't prove they're lying to you. Besides, their guidance has indeed helped you avoid most of the crises, and you'll become increasingly dependent on them—since you're already out of options, the sweet lies will at least keep you alive a little longer.” Feng Yi'er couldn't remember what she had experienced at that moment. She was like a small boat shattered in a raging storm; everything that had once made up her life had become fragments, swept away in all directions by the turbulent current. It was as if, after countless reincarnations, those fragments were pieced back together, bringing her thoughts back to her mind. She realized she was sitting on the ground, the temperature of which fluctuated between scorching and freezing. This place seemed to be forever devoid of any certainty; only chaos was the only constant.

"That's too much..." They're using her desperation to keep her hanging, treating her like a treasure-hunting mouse. She might chase that illusory carrot until she dies, never knowing the truth. "So despicable..."

The man looked down at her, as if he were silently judging her fate.

After a long silence, he spoke softly and slowly, with a dreamlike allure.

"You have two choices now."

"The first option is to gamble that everything I just said was a lie, and to follow the path that the Solitary Awakening Royal Court has prepared for you. The second option is to believe everything I say, including taking you out of here."

Feng Yi'er gave a bitter smile, momentarily unsure whether she should hope he was lying: "You want me to believe that you can do something that even the Duxing Royal Court couldn't do?"

The man maintained a faint, enigmatic smile: "Why not?"

Should one trust him or the Solitary Awakening Royal Court? To even consider this question is absurd. The Solitary Awakening Royal Court is renowned and possesses immense power; they are the most likely to control the Lost Star System. Even if things go wrong, being a treasure-hunting rat would at least prolong one's life. As for the person before them, he's merely a stranger also trapped here, possessing nothing special except for his stunning beauty. Most importantly, if there were truly a way out, why wouldn't he leave himself?

Even though reason had repeatedly pushed the answer to her lips, when he was bathed in endless holy light and reached out a hand to her, she still inexplicably reached out her hand.

To reject such beauty is an unforgivable sin...

She saw his smile bloom before her, a dazzling light like that of a diamond. Behind him, a dark vortex was taking shape.

Those weren't naturally occurring spacetime rifts. Feng Yi'er had been fleeing here for so long and had never seen a naturally occurring spacetime rift before. They would often step out without any warning and traverse several realms in a single step.

Could this strange phenomenon before her be summoned by him? This is too bizarre. She stared at him blankly, while he simply smiled calmly and took a step back naturally, letting the slowly expanding vortex engulf him, pulling her in as well before she could react.

……

He really can move freely in the Lost Galaxy!
As soon as the two were sprayed into another space, Feng Yi'er hurriedly checked the coordinate change with her bracelet and was shocked into silence.

The man was very talkative, bringing up one topic after another on his way to the exit. At times he seemed incredibly knowledgeable, able to recount even little-known secrets with great detail, yet at other times he seemed completely ignorant of basic common sense. This contrast became more pronounced the more they talked. Feng Yi'er couldn't help but feel that he was like someone who had read countless books but had never stepped outside his own home. He merely glimpsed a fragment of the vibrant tapestry of life by observing others' lives, while he himself had never truly connected with the world.

They had a conversation that left a deep impression on Feng Yi'er, and that was also where she felt the strongest sense of unease.

"The original owner of this bracelet should have been a low-ranking officer of the Duxing Royal Court." He spoke to himself, seemingly explaining on behalf of the Duxing Royal Court to her. "She was directly contacted by a low-ranking cadre, and this cadre who received your message then contacted a slightly higher-ranking low-ranking cadre, Number Two. Cadre Number Two didn't consult his superiors and intended to suppress the matter himself. I think using you as a substitute was just the presumptuous decision of these two small fry; the Duxing Royal Court would never do such a thing."

"Are you very familiar with the Solitary Awakening King?" His tone was so certain, and the precious, lingering emotion in his voice as he uttered that title was so intense it was impossible to ignore. Feng Yi'er, considering his intentions, changed her question further, "Do you know the Solitary Awakening King?"

An unmistakable, identical light shone clearly in his eyes.

"The Solitary Awakening King is the kindest and greatest person I know. He wouldn't even bear to step on a blade of grass, and he would carefully protect even a single dewdrop on a flower petal. Even towards the Devouring Clan, the most despicable race in the entire universe, he never showed the slightest disgust—"

He told a simple story. Usually, when important figures travel, they swagger around, clearing a path to demonstrate their noble status, "not to be ranked with the common people." But the Solitary Awakening King never put on airs; he was always approachable and would even help ordinary people he encountered along the way. One day, a gnawing creature wandered into the path of the procession. Everyone else immediately showed fear and disgust, and their subordinates were ready to eliminate it. At that moment, the Solitary Awakening King, the highest-ranking person present, was the only one who did not show any change in expression.

"He allowed it to approach him, allowed it to depend on him. Just like he treats everyone with the same tenderness and acceptance. It was the first time I had ever seen such a pure and compassionate look in his eyes."

“Although it’s a very distant memory, I’m still very moved every time I think about it.” His voice was heavy with emotion, and tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke. “For the first time, someone showed warmth and kindness to a race that was discriminated against to the point of hell, and treated you as an equal being like other races.”

“I hate those creatures with beautiful appearances, those arrogant and decadent nobles. They receive too much unfair favor simply because they are blessed with a superior appearance and a distinguished birth. As for those lowly and ugly races, their very existence is a sin.”

“I hate them all. I want them all to be unhappy. Only that person, noble and beautiful both inside and out, is worthy of all the world's glory…”

Feng Yi'er admitted that this couldn't possibly be a show. Who would love someone just because they see them caring for the Gnawing Clan? It seems that the Solitary Awakening King truly deserves to be called a benevolent ruler.

What she didn't understand was—was it really necessary to immerse herself so deeply in empathizing with the Devouring Clan? Besides, he was such a beautiful and dazzling person; wherever he went, he should have been admired. Why was he so affected by his experience of discrimination? Where did his deep-seated resentment come from?

Speaking of the Gnawing Clan, after he calmed down a bit, Feng Yi'er asked him what he was doing next to the Gnawing Clan's corpses.

"Because you'll be there. I came here specifically to find you." After casually offering this answer, the man, without caring whether she believed him or not, made another request that secretly alarmed her.

"After we go out, please introduce me to Lord Baili Ji."

“After all, it’s better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. I sincerely want to reconcile with him.” He regained his playful tone, making it impossible to tell how much of it was genuine and how much was just a joke. “To be honest, I admire him. In our time, he was known as ‘the man blessed by the calamities of heaven.’ Heh… It turns out that as long as you’re the first to unleash the devil, the devil will treat you differently.”

Why would he need my help? Did he always know my identity? Was it true that he came specifically to see me? No, that doesn't make sense either. I'm not an indispensable middleman. He could easily find any intermediary outside; that would be far more cost-effective than making a special trip to the Lost Galaxy. He must have a reason for coming here; there must be something he can only achieve here. What could that be?
A barrage of questions and speculations swept through her mind like a storm. But the man didn't give her time to ask. He smiled and opened one hand to her. Feng Yi'er didn't need to turn around to feel an identical, pitch-black vortex forming behind her. The surging suction within it caused her body to slide uncontrollably backward. Another dimension was waiting for her there.

"Haven't you ever wondered why your 'predecessor' died so easily, when the Solitary Awakening Royal Court was clearly able to analyze the location of some mechanisms and strange beasts?"

Feng Yi'er's body had already been devoured by more than half. Only then did the man speak, using a small bait to whet her appetite. As he watched the passage that connected the two of them disappear into a thin line, his smile flickered like a candle flame on the verge of extinction, gentle yet cruel, delivering her a final thunderbolt.

"Because of them, I cannot calculate my cause and effect."

What does that mean? As Feng Yi'er's vision and consciousness were plunged into darkness, the aftershocks of that sentence still echoed like a resounding drumbeat, crashing the unresolved questions into her heart.

Is he trying to say that he killed the previous Pathfinder?
And... is it impossible to calculate cause and effect?
—Ball number zero?!