Frightening Joke: Above the Mist

"Hello?"

The sound of torrential rain outside hammered Bai Yanliang's eardrums, and he could barely make out the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Beep—"

The call was hung up.

Just then, with a "meow," the little black cat Allen Allan Poe immediately arched its back, its black fur bristling.

Amidst the torrential red rain, at some unknown time, stood a man holding an umbrella.

A black umbrella, a black suit, the man himself was like a dark shadow.

Only his eyes had some color, indescribably clear or profound, but they pierced through the dense curtain of rain, directly striking Bai Yanliang's heart.

Bai Yanliang had no idea when he appeared, standing at the gate, holding a black umbrella, his solemn figure seemed as if it might disappear at any moment.

Like a dead leaf swept by the wind, perhaps in the next instant, it would be blown away, crushed.

"Brother... brother..."

For some reason, Bai Yanliang suddenly felt a chill all over, as if he had fallen into an icebox.

The rain was clearly so heavy, yet it couldn't block that person's eyes.

At this time, another door in the yard opened.

The lawyer opened the door, his face full of shock.

"Bai Yanren..."

He Yige murmured the other's name, as if he had just reacted, immediately opened his umbrella, rushed into the rain, and then ducked into Bai Yanliang's room.

"Bai Yanliang?"

Bai Yanren slowly walked towards him, the black umbrella unmoved in the bloody downpour.

Without seeing him take any steps, Bai Yanren's figure seemed somewhat ethereal, one moment chanting Bai Yanliang's name, the next he was gone from Bai Yanliang and He Yige's view, only to reappear in the yard, just a dozen meters away from them,

"Bai Yanliang..."

The icy call felt extremely unfamiliar to Bai Yanliang, the person holding the umbrella was indeed Bai Yanren, and this was indeed the real world, not some illusion.

But why... does his voice sound like he doesn't recognize me at all?

Bai Yanliang's vision became a bit blurry.

The dark red sky, the raging blood rain, and the scarlet streams flowing everywhere seemed to suddenly vanish at this moment.

In Bai Yanliang's eyes, there was only this familiar yet unfamiliar umbrella-wielding figure, continuously approaching.

And He Yige, who had just rushed over, seemed to be pulled away by an invisible force, clearly so close, yet gradually he couldn't be seen.

One step, two steps...

Every step Bai Yanren took seemed to tread on Bai Yanliang's heart. These brothers, separated ten years ago, truly met once again today.

"Bai Yanliang?" Bai Yanren called out again.

His voice remained uninflected, yet it seemed to press a switch on Bai Yanliang's body sharply.

At first, the chaotic heartbeat upon seeing his brother gradually calmed as he approached, but in Bai Yanliang's heart surged something he had never felt, something completely foreign to him.

Joy, confusion, doubt, panic, dread, stupor...

Both positive and negative emotions he knew of yet had never possessed, finally surged forth like a tidal wave at this moment!

The overly complex emotions forced Bai Yanliang's spirit, his consciousness seemed to break out of a dark cage, suddenly vast and boundless.

In an instant, He Yige, who had seemed distant moments ago, came back beside him, and Brother Bai Yanren was already nearby.

"Bai Yanren, why did you come back?" He Yige's face was peculiar, somewhat sad, also a bit angry.

But even sounding furious, when speaking to Bai Yanren, he avoided meeting his gaze.

Seeing this, Bai Yanliang, although his heart was surging with emotions, felt unprecedentedly calm, and for the first time... alive.

He Yige wasn't fearing or guarding against Bai Yanren, but rather... ashamed.

His evasive gaze indeed stemmed from guilt, thus he dared not look directly into those eyes, now long gray and murky.

"We owe you, but you used us too." He Yige looked at the water mist raised by the blood rain, "At this point, why come back..."

Bai Yanliang listened quietly; the secrets of Fog Gathering, the events of that year, were finally about to be unveiled.

Although he had guessed some already, Bai Yanren's appearance was an unexpected event for everyone, including himself who had already met Bai Yanren behind that door.

The brother should have been dead by now...

How had he survived all these years in the cracks of time and space?

Bai Yanren spoke, "I came back to correct the errors. I was wrong, you were wrong too," he suddenly looked at Bai Yanliang, "Living beings shouldn't breach the boundary of life and death; I've come to rectify this mistake."

"Ha, then why did you kill the red spider lily?" He Yige finally directed his gaze towards Bai Yanren, "Was it for the so-called correction of errors, or for the key in her hand?"

"Both." Bai Yanren's gaze shifted towards He Yige, "So, you're next."

"Enter, my world."

As soon as he finished speaking, He Yige suddenly vanished without a trace!

There was only a "ding—" sound.

Bai Yanliang followed the sound to see a red key lying intact on the ground.

"Did you kill him?"

Bai Yanliang asked.

"Let the living live, and the dead die."

Bai Yanren's ashen eyes remained devoid of emotion, "I should have told you."

Bai Yanliang's pupils slightly contracted.

In the world inside the door, the phantasm of his brother, which had transcended time, indeed spoke words like this.

"Give it to me."

Bai Yanren extended his hand, pale palm held out before Bai Yanliang.

Bai Yanliang opened his hand, knowing full well what his brother was asking for.

He had come to reclaim the key that was rightfully his.

Bai Yanliang opened his palm, placing the red key there.

He seemed to have given up.

Indeed, the key was originally Bai Yanren's all along.

Bai Yanliang took a deep breath, his inner emotions still turbulent, but...

"Here."

The key was returned to Bai Yanren unharmed.

Bai Yanren raised his hand, collected the key, turned away without saying another word.

"Where are you going?"

Bai Yanliang suddenly asked.

"To kill."

Bai Yanren replied.

"Can you take me with you?" For some unknown reason, Bai Yanliang uttered these words.

Bai Yanren turned his head, looking at him, "You can't endure this rain."

"You can help me, can't you?" Bai Yanliang continued, "I can help you find others; it's faster than confirming their locations one by one over the phone."

Such words came from Bai Yanliang's mouth.

Bai Yanren's calm eyes finally revealed a different expression, "Originally, you disappointed me greatly."

"The first time I saw you, from you, I saw emotions."

"You were meant to be pure, but were tainted by humans."

Bai Yanren said.

"Just now, I gave you my excess emotions; you can no longer fulfill the mission, I, can."

"Why?" Bai Yanren seemed puzzled, "Having human emotions now, you are willing to lead me to kill your friends."

Bai Yanliang shook his head, "To me, the most important thing is not friends, not the world, nor life or death."

"It's you... my brother."

Bai Yanliang's eyes were filled with extraordinarily complex emotions.

"The reason I learned to be human... is only you."

"So, what you plan to do, I'm willing to join you."

Bai Yanliang's face broke into an extraordinarily 'vivid' smile, "Even if it's going to hell."