Frightening Joke: Above the Mist

The rain was getting heavier and heavier.

This truly apocalyptic storm had long instilled terror in the hearts of the few remaining inhabitants of Ye City.

The rain seemed like aqua regia, corroding anything it touched.

Those still alive hid inside, praying for the moment the rain would cease.

With the internet down, the power out, and no running water, this storm was a true end of days for the living.

However, only a few knew that this was merely the prelude to the apocalypse.

Yet even amidst such terrifying blood rain, there were still people walking.

Two people each held a black umbrella. Strangely, once the umbrellas were opened, it was as if they were in a different realm, with even the blood-drenched water on the ground diverting away.

Their bodies remained clean as they strolled amidst piles of corpses and blood pools.

They did not walk side by side but kept half a body-length distance apart.

Until... they stopped across the street from a bar.

Bai Yanren stood dressed in black, quietly in the rain.

The bar opposite was closed, but inside at the glass window stood Xun Weimo.

This was Xun Weimo's bar.

In the dark and bloody storm, Bai Yanren and Xun Weimo stood motionless, locked in an endless gaze.

The chaotic raindrops hit the umbrella, bouncing off and creating a mist of crimson.

Bai Yanliang stood behind Bai Yanren. Earlier, he agreed.

Agreed to Bai Yanliang's request to come along on this murderous journey.

Perhaps bringing Bai Yanliang indeed saved a lot of effort searching for people.

Or perhaps there were other reasons.

In any case, after handing a black umbrella to Bai Yanliang, the two set out.

The bar was the first stop Bai Yanliang brought him to.

"His name is Xun Weimo."

"Hmm."

Their conversation was clear even amidst the storm.

"I'm not sure exactly which Prison Master he is, maybe..."

"It doesn't matter," Bai Yanren said indifferently, "it's all lies that I made up."

As he finished speaking, a streak of bloody light tore through the gloomy sky, followed by a "boom——," illuminating Xun Weimo's face in the bar window.

Bai Yanren moved his feet, together with Bai Yanliang, stepping step by step towards Xun Weimo.

"Creak——"

The door opened just as they reached the entrance of the bar.

Xun Weimo's face showed no surprise, instead, he smiled and said, "Long time no see."

"The key, give it to me." Bai Yanren's voice cut through the wind and rain, cold and merciless.

"Brother Bai has to be joking," Xun Weimo stood straight amidst the storm, his frame slender, "I've long forgotten where I threw it."

"But if you answer two of my questions, maybe I might remember where it is."

Xun Weimo never found himself at a disadvantage in conversations. If he really had lost the key, it wouldn't be entirely impossible for Bai Yanren to find it, but the time it would take would significantly increase.

And right now... what he lacked most was time.

"Ask." Bai Yanren looked at him calmly.

"First... Brother Bai, how did you manage to exclude us from this round of Fog Gathering ten years ago?" Xun Weimo's voice was soft, blending with the wind and rain as if not contradicting.

Bai Yanren remained silent.

Yet Xun Weimo continued, "Fog Gathering is the borderland between the Mortal World and the Fog Realm, also the boundary between life and death."

"At first, I thought the collision between the Fog Realm and the Mortal World would lead to one devouring the other, but later I discovered..."

"Wrong, the only outcome of the collision between the two worlds is mutual annihilation. Matter is the essence of our world, and the primal intention of the Fog Realm... is consciousness."

"Our world's matter does not rely on the reflection of consciousness, it objectively exists."

"While everything in the Fog Realm was born from the immense consciousness of a collective, consciousness can distort or reshape matter."

"Two worlds governed by fundamentally different laws cannot devour each other but... will annihilate together."

"Therefore, Fog Gathering is an attempt for survival, a compromise between the wills of the two worlds."

"Right?"

Xun Weimo's voice pierced through the wind and rain, reaching Bai Yanliang's ears.

He had thought about the origins of Fog Gathering.

He had also doubted the stance of Fog Gathering.

According to his known information, Fog Gathering seemed to stand on the side of humanity.

But now, listening to Xun Weimo, Fog Gathering indeed seemed to be a product of mutual compromise.

The Fog Realm and the Mortal World, fighting to survive.

And Fog Gathering was their final measure before collision and destruction.

But why was Fog Gathering created?

According to Zhou Tian's theory, the selection standard for Fog Gathering was the strength of the spiritual world.

The strength of the spiritual world was the key to being selected.

Therefore, the elder and the children never appeared in Fog Gathering, because for the former, the spiritual world was on the verge of collapse, and for the latter, it was not yet fully formed.

Wait a minute.

Bai Yanliang suddenly thought that if Fog Gathering's existence was to find a way to prevent the two worlds from colliding, as a mutual survival effort of the two worlds' wills.

Then... the Mortal World chosen for individuals with sufficient spiritual world strength, and the Fog Realm provided increasingly bizarre, terrifyingly capable ghosts.

Throwing these two together to determine life and death, could it be for...

"Look, your brother has already figured it out." Xun Weimo said.

"Fog Gathering was meant to select people who can eventually enter the Fog Realm."

"But why does the Fog Realm need humans to enter? I've thought about the reasons and investigated for ten years... but only vaguely know it's related to Dr. Zhou Tian."

"So..." Xun Weimo looked at Bai Yanren, "Brother Bai, I really want to know how you managed to exclude those of us who have been selected this time from Fog Gathering?"

"It doesn't matter," Bai Yanren's eyes were vacant, even more so than before, "you're smart, instead of this, you should be pondering why I replaced people."

Xun Weimo froze.

If Bai Yanren wanted the world's destruction, and could replace a batch of people, why not directly stop the "summoning" action of Fog Gathering?

This would imply Bai Yanren did not stop Fog Gathering's summoning behavior; instead, he was preventing their batch of "elders" from entering.

"Could it be, among our group…" Xun Weimo's expression drastically changed.

Bai Yanren placed a finger in front of his lips, gently shaking his head.

Xun Weimo's heart pounded heavily, he was close, indeed close to the truth.

Shooting a glance at Bai Yanliang, Xun Weimo finally understood why Bai Yanren "summoned" a stranger's soul from the Fog Realm.

Indeed… no matter how strong one's spiritual world is, nobody is better suited to enter the Fog Realm than a soul originally from the Fog Realm.

"Phew, okay, after you answer the second question, I'll give you the key."

Bai Yanren remained unmoved, but also didn't make any move.

Xun Weimo adjusted his mindset, took a deep breath, and asked, "Are you dead or alive now?"