Evil Emperor Zun

Chapter 2015 Worldline Disorder

After speaking frankly with Chen Shiyu, Ye Yunyan finally resolved her inner conflict.

The time they spent together in the training ground was peaceful. They cultivated together, read together, shared their experiences and insights, and broadened their knowledge through various world stories. It wasn't until it was mealtime again, and Chen Shiyu had to go cook for the demons as usual, that Ye Yunyan reluctantly bid farewell to this "stolen half-day of leisure" and went back with him.

As they walked through the hall where players usually gathered, the first thing that caught their attention was Su Ye and Feng Wutong sitting side by side at a small table. They were being affectionate, oblivious to everyone else, feeding each other spoonful by spoonful.

Just as she herself said, after crying her heart out for Jiang Liechen, Feng Wutong completely moved on from that relationship and began to wholeheartedly immerse herself in the tenderness Su Ye brought her. Su Ye, who could make so many girls devoted to him, was undoubtedly adept at providing emotional value and creating the illusion of being loved for his lovers. While both still had that initial spark, a short-term relationship, followed by going their separate ways when things cooled, wasn't a bad choice.

Chen Shiyu didn't want to stay there and be a third wheel, so he was about to hurry away when Su Ye, who was eating with greasy food all over her mouth, suddenly raised her arm, waved it vigorously at him, and shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Hey, Touyu, another plate!"

Chen Shiyu was utterly baffled. His relationship with Su Ye had always been lukewarm; it wasn't that there was any unpleasantness, but they just couldn't get along. Back in the Cloud Realm, they rarely interacted, and after arriving in the Mysterious Space, they were each busy with their own things, and hadn't exchanged a single word since. How could this person, barely more than a stranger, suddenly act like they knew him intimately, even demanding that he continue serving him food like a waiter? Which one of his brains, or his ears, was malfunctioning?
Su Ye seemed completely oblivious to any offense, taking another big bite of steak with the fork Feng Wutong handed him, muttering to himself, "I really misunderstood you before. I always thought you were a snob, only treating those with power with respect, and ignoring people like us. So when I asked you for food earlier, I was just testing the waters, and I didn't expect you to so readily save the steak you just made for me! And it tasted absolutely amazing! Bro, from now on I'll call you bro, and you can take care of all my meals, okay?"

Chen Shiyu suddenly frowned.

He walked over to Su Ye's table.

"You said that the steak you ate was made by me 'just now' and handed to you 'personally'..." He stared intently at the plate, now a mess, for a long while before raising his head to stare at Su Ye, a terrifyingly cold light suddenly appearing in his eyes. "Are you sure you saw 'me'? When did this happen?"

Su Ye was clearly startled, his eyes wide, forgetting to chew his steak. As the saying goes, anger breeds embarrassment, and he was indeed used to putting on a fiercer face first when criticized by acquaintances, listing their faults in a tone of "I've tolerated you for a long time." Based on his experience, as long as he could overpower the other person with his presence, those with a softer personality would begin to reflect, and might even apologize. So, as he was pondering how to bring up Chen Shiyu's past grievances, he suddenly realized that he hadn't done anything wrong at all!

—Like a habitual offender suddenly remembering he didn't commit a crime today, the surge of confidence at that moment makes him want to get back all the fear and frustration he felt when he was caught before. So he slammed his hand on the table, intending to spit the steak back onto the plate, but then he thought that since he had earned it through his own trickery, he might as well eat it, so he swallowed it down nonchalantly.

"What are you doing? You gave me that food yourself, I didn't steal it from you! Why are you yelling at me? Trying to extort money from me?"

The confidence that came with being "in the right" made him hold his head even higher. He knew perfectly well that Wu Tong had liked Chen Shiyu, and he couldn't afford to lose to his "current girlfriend's" "ex"!

Chen Shiyu had no patience to listen to his antics. When he spoke again, his voice was not loud, but the chilling aura emanating from it sent shivers down one's spine, as if even one's soul was frozen in the pressure.

"answer my question."

Su Ye was genuinely frightened this time and immediately spilled the beans: "Just... just now! Wu Tong and I were taking a walk around this area when we saw you carrying a plate of steak rice past that corridor. I chased after you to say hello and asked where you were going. You said you were going to see Qin Jia. I pointed at the steak and jokingly said, 'It looks delicious. Can I try a bite for her?' I swear I was just saying it casually, and you just handed me the whole plate."

“I was afraid you’d change your mind, so as soon as you left, I quickly sat down with Wutong and started eating. I thought maybe you realized you’d been too harsh on me before, and this steak was a signal of reconciliation. Well, since you’ve taken the initiative to make amends, I can’t be stingy. Later, you came back from the other direction, and to improve our relationship, I asked you for another steak. That’s how we got to know each other.” At this point, he seemed to feel his “reason” had returned, and his voice rose again, “I said if you’re not going to give it to me, then don’t! Do you have to deny what happened before? It makes me feel like a thief!”

Chen Shiyu's face remained as still as water. He could tell that Su Ye wasn't lying. Creators always have a special connection to their work, and chefs are no exception. Although the steak on the plate was almost gone, the cherry tomatoes, broccoli, corn kernels, and other garnishes used for plating still bore familiar traces in many details. He even tasted a potato wedge dipped in sauce; crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet but not cloying—it was definitely his own cooking, and it truly tasted freshly made.

However, this is still impossible—Chen Shiyu turned his head and exchanged a glance with Ye Yunyan. They both saw the same doubt in each other's eyes—they had been staying in the martial arts arena the whole time. How could Chen Shiyu have gone back to cook a meal and then appeared in front of Su and Ye?

Could it be... that a clone escaped? This is their first time using this thing, and they're not familiar with its functions yet. It's not impossible that if some settings were missing, causing the clone to malfunction, it wouldn't be out of the question. But even so, why would it go cooking?
“That’s right, I saw it just now too.” Feng Wutong could see the seriousness on Chen Shiyu’s face. While she wasn’t as clueless as Su Ye, thinking he was pretending to be stupid to scam him out of a meal, she also didn’t want Su Ye to be misunderstood. After confirming his statement, she quickly began to think about the whole matter.

The person before her was indeed Chen Shiyu; she had already detected his soul aura. If there was nothing wrong with him, then the problem lay with the person who gave Su Ye the steak. And that person…

“I didn’t notice at the time, but now that you mention it, that ‘you’ was a bit strange.” She looked him over hesitantly. “Your walking posture was particularly stiff, and,” she paused, “your eyes at the time… were black.”

……

With its black eyes, this isn't a clone they created; it looks more like a clone of the "Dark Ten Feathers"!
If that's the case, a primary question is: why does this clone exist? Could it be that in the future timeline, they also considered using clones as intermediaries, but still couldn't escape the fate of being corrupted?

Just in case, they even went to check on the Gnawing Clan's cage. The clone was sitting perfectly still, working, and its eyes were perfectly normal. Chen Shiyu hesitated for a moment, then decided against immediately putting it away.

Giving up now would be tantamount to admitting defeat to the Gnawing Clan, and acknowledging that everything he had done so far had been in vain. He didn't want to be defeated before the battle even began. Furthermore, to avoid having their secret exposed, the Gnawing Clan would undoubtedly use every means to interfere with him, aiming to make him hesitant and prematurely end their plan. Rather than playing into their hands, he should seize the initiative and find the "black clone" as soon as possible, following the clues to uncover the truth.

According to Su Ye, the man told him that he was going to find Qin Jia. Ye Yunyan had worried that he was trying to use the fake face to abduct Qin Jia, so when the two rushed to her room and saw her wearing a pretty little dress, raising her innocent smile, and sweetly greeting them, they were genuinely relieved, even though it meant they had lost the whereabouts of the black clone.

"Qin Jia," Ye Yunyan tried her best to appear calm, "Shi Yu just cooked for a group of people and was so busy that she forgot to bring you your portion. Did you get your snack?"

This explanation was something they had agreed upon on the way. It was used to test whether the black clone had been there, given that there were no obvious abnormalities inside the house.

Qin Jia is a very considerate child. If she finds out that Chen Shiyu is being corrupted by negative energy, she will definitely be very worried, and that worry will quickly turn into self-blame. She's already under a lot of psychological pressure lately, so it's best not to add to her burden.

As expected, Kotaka didn't suspect anything and shook her head blankly, "No." Then, she took Shiyu's hand and shook it, "Shiyu-nii must be very tired after being busy for so long. Go back and rest well first. Kotaka isn't hungry, so there's no rush to eat snacks."

The same question, if posed to a cunning child, would lead them to deny taking the snack, thus getting an extra one. But a pure soul would never lie for personal gain; it seems she truly has never seen a black clone.

Chen Shiyu thought for a moment, then squatted down in front of her and solemnly pressed down on her shoulders.

"Qin Jia, I heard that Mo Feng has been coming over to steal your snacks lately. If he gets too into it, he might even impersonate you or me and cause trouble between us. To make sure I can get the snacks to you, let's agree on a code. One person says one, and if we both get it right, it means it's the real person. If someone doesn't get the code right, it's Mo Feng in disguise, and you can just use the magic item in your magic bag to knock him out."

The comment section reads: "Little Phoenix is ​​swearing."

Agreements and codes seem to always hold a special appeal for children, perhaps because it allows them to establish an alliance with adults on an equal footing, making them feel like they've also entered the adult world. Shinuchi Kotomi smiled broadly upon hearing this and began seriously discussing codes with Chen Shiyu.

This at least added an extra layer of insurance. But both Chen Shiyu and Ye Yunyan knew very well that it was far from time to feel at ease.

Since the other party was born in the future, it means it also possesses a future cloning machine. While it remains hidden in the shadows, it could potentially target other players. Those they encounter later might very well be clones.

While it's true that replicating a living person requires the recipient to be completely unguarded and have their soul scanned—a process that involves reading and transferring genetic data—this is a somewhat strange procedure. However, Chen Shiyu enjoys high prestige among the players, and if someone were to use his face, they could easily fabricate a reason to persuade others to cooperate.

The difficulty in distinguishing friend from foe means that the entire search operation cannot easily seek help from other players, while the opposing side can create a large reserve force to provide cover at any time. Currently, the only ones who can be completely ruled out as clones are the two who have been together since the beginning; they can only fully trust each other. ...

There is no soul connection between the original and the copy, which was originally an advantage in dealing with the Devourer Clan, but now it has become a disadvantage in the search.

After leaving Qin Jia's room, they searched every corridor in the mysterious space, but still found nothing.

Continuing to search like this isn't a solution, but what should be done? Even with Chen Shiyu's composure, he couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. The situation, which should have been so promising, had taken such a sharp turn for the worse. Perhaps he should reconsider his plan and see where things went wrong.

Thinking back... from the very beginning... A sudden image flashed into his mind, and Chen Shiyu's spirits lifted. He would not forget the "self" with dark eyes that he had seen in the mirror before the plan began.

If it wasn't an illusion, but a clone—an elusive clone—could the mirror be its hiding place? If I return to the mirror, will it reappear?

Without hesitation, Chen Shiyu immediately took Ye Yunyan back to his room and headed straight for the mirror.

"To be honest, I don't know what to do next." Chen Shiyu placed one palm against the mirror's surface, the cool barrier separating it perfectly from the mirror's palm. Staring intently at the mirror, he uttered a sentence that surprised Ye Yunyan.

"Let alone catching it, I'm not even sure if I can even see it. My decision to wait here is just a matter of 'intuition'."

“I just think that perhaps we shouldn’t assume from the outset that the replicant is definitely ‘hiding.’ Before this, it appeared in front of us twice on its own initiative and did not deliberately hide its presence. Moreover, it warned me and even brought food to Su Ye. It did not do anything to harm us from beginning to end. So, could it be that the replicant actually has no ill intentions and is trying to convey something to us?”

“I think, just as I long to face it, it longs to face me. So I’ll wait here until it’s willing to come out.”

After his monologue, the room remained silent for a very long time.

Finally, the two who had been holding their breath were almost overjoyed to see the person in the mirror's eyes turn black in an instant.

"That's too late……"

As soon as the black clone appeared, it slammed its forehead against the mirror. It also recreated the posture of a caged beast, pounding its hands forward again and again, emitting hoarse growls.

“You ignored my warnings…you’ve already opened Pandora’s door…even if you regret it now, it’s too late…”

"You can't escape, you can only endure it... Your last chance is not to trust anyone... Otherwise, you will... end up like me..."

A person who looks exactly like him is standing inches away, making frantic movements and uttering hurtful words. Anyone who sees this scene would find it extremely bizarre. But in Chen Shiyu's lowered eyes, a barely perceptible hint of joy flashed across his face.

coming!

In order to lower the enemy's guard, he deliberately showed weakness, first claiming that he had no way to deal with the other party, and then saying that he believed the other party had no malicious intent. This was an implication that he was ready to be tricked and that the other party could begin his performance.

Now that the fish has indeed been "fished" up, I'm not afraid of it talking nonsense, I'm only afraid of it not talking. As long as it talks enough, its purpose will definitely be exposed, and the deep-seated intentions of the Gnawing Clan will also be revealed.

"If you really want to tell me something, please say it in a way I can understand. You should be able to speak normally, right?"

Facing the figure repeatedly colliding in the mirror, Chen Shiyu's voice remained calm.

"First, what brings you here?"

Simultaneously with his voice came the muffled thud of the black replicant slamming into the mirror. This time, however, its forehead remained pressed against the mirror for a considerable while before it used its hands to prop itself up. The chaos faded from its eyes, leaving behind those dark, abyss-like pupils that seemed to be brewing a storm.

"I am you."

"I am you in the future."

This answer greatly surprised Chen Shiyu and cast a shadow over his heart: "You mean, you are the one who will be the one who uses eye techniques to investigate the secrets of the Devouring Clan and is unfortunately corrupted?"

The person in the mirror nodded sadly. When it was no longer hysterical, it turned out that it could also speak a coherent and logical paragraph.

"After I was infected, it was as if another consciousness appeared in my mind, very evil and violent, fighting for control of my body. Under its impact, my own consciousness became intermittent. However, I naturally fought back desperately. At that time, we both wanted to completely eliminate each other, but neither of us was sure that we would be the ones left behind."

"Later, when I regained consciousness, I discovered that during the brief period when it controlled my body, it had actually created a clone! I suppose its plan was that even if it ultimately failed and disappeared, it would leave behind a vessel to pass on its evil mission."

"The clone attacked me the moment it saw me. Its fighting power was originally derived from me, but unfortunately, my condition is constantly deteriorating under the corrosive influence, while it remains unaffected. With this shift in power, I am no match for it."

“My body was becoming increasingly unresponsive, and I realized that I was at my wit’s end. But there was still a chance to change the fate of the ‘me’ of the past. So I used my last bit of strength to seal myself inside the mirror.”

"Two selves from different times and spaces cannot coexist at the same point in time. My situation is special. First, for reasons I will explain later, I could no longer be considered 'me' at that time. Second, the mirror is like a time-space interlayer. Staying here, my time will stop flowing, while your time will continue to move forward. When you naturally come to this time and space, I can meet you, tell you what is about to happen to you, and remind you not to repeat the same mistakes."

By analogy, it's like 20-year-old Chen Shiyu has sealed away time, waiting for the 18-year-old Chen Shiyu of the past to step into the door of 20.

Should she believe it? It seemed so sincere. If what it said was true, then it not only meant them no harm, but had actually made a terrible sacrifice to save their world—but what if it was all just lies and acting? Ye Yunyan's hesitant gaze swept back and forth between the two figures in and out of the mirror. However, she couldn't discuss it in detail with Chen Shiyu in front of him.

Chen Shiyu remained silent for a long time, his outward expression remaining calm, making it impossible for anyone to see through his facade or understand his inner thoughts. Finally, he seemed to have made up his mind, waving his hand to interrupt the other person's upcoming monologue, and solemnly and slowly opened his lips, making sure that every word reached the other person's ears.

"Other matters can be discussed later. I want to confirm the results of your investigation of the Gnawing Clan using your pupil technique first."

"What did you see before you were corrupted?"