absurd deduction game.

The actor stood there, looking down at the scene at his feet—on the head that had rolled to the ground was the face of the "young master," a face he could never forget.

Even though he and Yu Xing hadn't seen each other for a long time, that face never faded from his mind. On the contrary, it became clearer with the passage of time and the burning desire in his heart.

Now, the "young masters" have split up and are acting separately.

The performer's face showed no surprise, only an almost morbid focus and pleasure.

Those eyes, which always held a fake smile, now gleamed with genuine and intense interest, and a sigh of satisfaction lingered in her whisper:

"You know what? When I first met you, I was so worried that you would just die."

As the one who brought the curse to Yu Xing, he was well aware of the rules of resurrection. Yu Xing should not have been able to hear for a very short time after death.

So he squatted down, crouched beside the head, and murmured words that only he could hear: "Whether you die in war, in conspiracy, or lose to time and die of old age... or die by my hand, whenever I think of your end, I feel extremely anxious, so anxious that I feel nauseous."

“I’m a very selfish person, young master. You wouldn’t believe it, in the world of Peking Opera, you can’t survive without being a little selfish.”

"So, more than caring about your feelings, I care about what I want. I want you to live, and you must live, live a very, very long time, so that even hatred will be enough to entangle me for all eternity."

He stretched out his finger, but didn't touch his head or cheek. He simply brushed aside his disheveled hair and murmured, "I've never regretted it."

"Look, now you can't die. Even if I watch your body being torn apart, I won't feel the slightest bit anxious. That's all thanks to me turning you into a monster, isn't it? Perhaps one day, you will do the same thing as me... You will be selfish too."

This painting, created by death, lasted for less than forty heartbeats.

Before the actor's final note had even faded, the headless "corpse," which should have been completely lifeless and lying prostrate on the ground, suddenly moved.

The arm holding the painting tube was raised first, without the slightest stiffness or hesitation, as if the horrific scene of the head being separated from the body was just a clumsy illusion. The pale and slender fingers groped a few times on the cold and rough stone pavement, precisely avoiding the actor, and touching the head facing the night sky with a frozen expression.

Then, with ease and even a touch of nonchalance, that hand picked up its own head from the ground.

Their movements were so practiced it sent chills down your spine.

Yu Xing ran her fingers through her slightly cool hair, steadily supporting the base of her head and lifting it to a position parallel to the broken neck.

The broken edge remained a void of darkness, as if leading to another dimension.

The next second, something unexpected happened.

A dense, almost tangible, jet-black energy, like a living thing, suddenly surged forth from the severed neck and the cross-section of the head. It was not blood, nor any known substance; it was a cursed power of utmost purity, carrying an aura of ominousness and destruction.

These dark energies, like countless fine tentacles or wildly proliferating nematodes, rapidly intertwined and coiled in the air, precisely connecting the severed sections of the head and torso.

They wriggled and stitched together, making a subtle, teeth-grinding "sizzling" sound, as if forcibly mending the concept of existence torn apart by rules.

The process was faster than I could have imagined.

Almost the instant the head was pressed back into place, the writhing, dark curse power receded like a tide, quickly disappearing beneath the skin.

The neck area was as smooth as ever.

The skin was completely intact, without even the slightest red mark or scar, as if the horrific scene of the body being separated from its head and the head rolling off was just an extremely realistic hallucination.

Yu Xing lowered her hand and casually moved her neck. Her cervical vertebrae made a few soft "click" sounds, as if confirming the fit after the reconnection.

Then, he raised his eyes, his deep gaze refocusing, and stared straight at the actor standing in front who had witnessed the whole thing.

"What are you babbling about? I didn't hear you."

The performer felt somewhat regretful.

He stood up, chuckled, and sighed, "There aren't many opportunities to have a proper chat with you, and this time it'll only last a few dozen seconds. As soon as you come back to life, you'll be spewing explosives at me."

"By the way, now that you're resurrected, will you still temporarily enter a state without emotions like before?"

Yu Xing's voice was as calm as ever, even colder than before, showing no sign of the shock of having just experienced death, only a hint of impatience: "Perhaps."

Perhaps he is now a tree, and his emotions are already disordered, so his reaction after being resurrected is not as strong as before.

He pursed his lips, dusted off the painting tube, and asked, "Is it fun?"

Upon hearing his words, the actor chuckled softly, his shoulders shrugging slightly, the laughter ringing out clearly in the quiet street corner.

He laughed a few times before barely stopping, his tone light and satisfied: "It was fun. After we finished playing, the young master didn't glare at me or draw his sword at me. That's a rare sight."

He shrugged, his gaze lingering on Yu Xing's unharmed neck for a final, wistful look, before slowly adding:

"If we resolve this potential problem beforehand, we won't have to worry about being held back by someone like Evan later on... right?"

He directly pointed out that this seemingly absurd death was actually an active and thorough operation to eliminate the negative state of the "headless".

Essentially, he took advantage of Yu Xing's immortality and his own understanding of the rules to stage this play, fundamentally dismantling the potential risks that "Starry Night" might bring.

"Heh." Yu Xing just stared at the actor and had to admit that although this thing never did anything human, it did have a certain tacit understanding with him. Tsk, it's disgusting.

This time, the artist intercepted "Starry Night" at the art exhibition, delivered it to him, and then, in a secluded place, revealed his death status in accordance with the rules, using the resurrection buff to resolve the "headless" hidden danger... The performer did a really good job.

However, it was indeed to satisfy the actor's own perverse tastes; otherwise, there would have been no need to present him with "Starry Night" in such a high-profile manner.

“Anyway,” he weighed the painting tube in his hand, his eyes regaining their deep blue hue, “I don’t find you so unpleasant today, so don’t go looking for trouble. Now that you’ve achieved your goal, don’t bother me anymore.”

The actor: "..."

He exhaled, his back pressed against the cold brick wall of the alley.

The cool moonlight tore through the thin clouds and spilled onto the quiet street corner, washing away the eerie scene of death and resurrection that had just occurred, leaving only a silent standoff between the two inhuman beings.

Yu Xing casually tucked the painting tube into his arm, as if it weren't the contaminant that had cost him his life, but just an ordinary painting. He looked up and asked, "What, is there something else?" The musician chuckled lightly, his fingertips casually twirling a strand of black hair that had fallen down. "Alright, alright, let's talk about serious matters."

"The town of Yolikev has never been peaceful. The strange occurrences over the past three months were inevitable. No matter how chaotic and mixed the monsters are now, they cannot escape the influence of cults and ancient gods."

"The Harvest Church came to see me today and borrowed that travelogue. They also mentioned future cooperation, which I have agreed to. This means that we will continue to work together as allies on at least one official mission."

"Tonight is just an appetizer for me to show you, to prove that we can get along peacefully and work together quite well. You won't deny that, will you?"

Yu Xing remained noncommittal.

At first glance, the actor's words seemed reasonable, even quite sincere.

But if he had truly believed it without any suspicion, he would have died a thousand times over the years.

“This will only be a temporary collaboration from now on.” Yu Xing’s tone was devoid of warmth. “It will be limited to exchanging necessary intelligence, resolving common problems, and Qu Xianqing—if you harm her because she’s in your way, our collaboration will end immediately.”

“Of course~” The actor readily agreed, his smile unchanged. “Our alliance is destined to be fragile and full of calculations, but this is already a pretty good experience. To be honest… when I participated in the simulation in Yolikev Town, I didn’t expect you to come.”

"This is already a pleasant surprise. As long as we don't need to point weapons at each other, I will dutifully be a good 'ally'."

Yu Xing felt a chill run down his spine. He wanted to say something more, but the actor took a step back, his figure gradually blending into the shadows in the corner, as eerie as when he came.

"Then, see you at the church next time." The smile in his voice faded into the night wind, and he was nowhere to be seen.

Yu Xing stood there, silently glancing in the direction where the performer had disappeared, then turned around and walked towards Carlos's office without looking back.

The moonlight stretched his shadow long, and the painting tube under his arm cast a distorted shadow on the stone path.

……

Back in the detached house that also served as the firm, the living room was quiet, with only the embers of the fireplace emitting a faint light and warmth.

Carlos is nowhere to be found, and seems to be like Qu Xianqing who has not yet returned. Zeng Lai's presence is still there, and he is probably resting in his room.

Yu Xing went straight upstairs to his temporary room, locked the door behind him, and placed the painting tube, which exuded an ominous aura, on the table in the center of the room.

The kerosene lamp was lit, and its warm glow dispelled some of the darkness, but it could not completely suppress the strange, cold, and frenzied fluctuations that were faintly emanating from the painting tube.

He stood by the table, his fingers gently tracing the wood grain and simple isolation runes on the surface of the painting tube.

Sealed within is the aura of an ancient god, and also a dangerous key to the truth behind the scenes, so he did not hastily consume it.

Because it is still useful.

Just as he was pondering for a moment, preparing to open the painting tube and explore "Starry Night" again, the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees without warning, and the light seemed to flicker for a moment.

A semi-transparent figure dressed in a blue robe emerged silently from the wall, as if passing through ripples in water.

Yi Qing, waving his beloved jade-bone fan, walked gracefully to the table with his handsome face bearing his usual ambiguous smile.

His deep blue eyes fell with interest on the painting tube that was emitting an eerie aura.

"Oh?" Yi Qing tapped her chin lightly with the rib of her fan, her tone carrying a hint of amusement and scrutiny. "What did you bring back? Even through this layer of wood, I can smell the dampness of the starry sky and the stench of desire inside."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing the hidden, twisted power, and offered a sharp assessment of what he considered an ancient ghost:

"Looks like you've gotten quite a 'souvenir' from tonight's art exhibition."

……

The night passed peacefully.

The day after the art exhibition ended, Yu Xing did not linger at Carlos's office and went directly to the slums.

Driven by a renewed hunger stemming from his previous death, he once again ventured into the streets of Yolikev. This time, he planned to begin his "hunting" during the day, knowing that investigating the missing persons case would take an unknown amount of time.

During the day, the town seemed to have returned to its usual order, with factory chimneys still emitting smoke and the market bustling with activity. However, in Yu Xing's extraordinary perception, those "little snacks" lurking in the shadows, clinging to specific objects, or disguised as ordinary residents were as clearly visible as fireflies in the night.

He roamed the streets and alleys, conducting a silent hunt.

In a dilapidated and crowded dwelling, a grotesque water ghost that was trying to drag a laundry worker into a wooden tub was pulled out by an invisible branch that extended underwater. In a silent shriek, it turned into damp ghostly energy, which he grabbed and instantly refined.

A little girl dressed in a patched, drab gray cloth found a mirror somewhere and held it in her hands like a treasure, calculating whether she could sell it to buy a good loaf of bread that wouldn't get moldy.

Yu Xing glanced at it a couple more times, then casually "ate" the vengeful spirit in the mirror that was bewitching people and tempting them to commit suicide.

On this day, he quietly eliminated many low- to medium-level anomalies lurking beneath the surface of the town, much like cleaning up pests. The numbers on the contribution value leaderboard quietly fluctuated and steadily increased.

Although these "snacks" were far less "delicious" than the meal in the cemetery that the enormous monster had... and could not completely fill the hunger that came from the primal source, they at least temporarily alleviated that tormenting emptiness.

He returned to the office as night fell, and at midnight he checked the leaderboard.

This is the fourth settlement since entering the instance.

The top ten remained largely unchanged, but the rankings in the middle were consistently unstable. Yu Xing noticed that Lingren had quietly risen to fifteenth place, with Cang Nong sitting in fourteenth—

Those who participated in the art exhibition last night seemed to have gained something, with their overall contribution increasing significantly.

The number of survivors has been changed to 37.

Besides the last person eliminated each night, nine others have died here for various reasons. The main quest, "Survive for Nine Days," is nearly halfway complete. Considering the complementary experience and strength of the two stages of the deducer, this is already a pretty good number.

The archbishop had been silent all day, and Yu Xing guessed that he would probably send her a message after dawn.

He glanced again at the painting tube placed beside the table leg, then closed his eyes and began to rest. (End of Chapter)