Frightening Joke: Above the Mist

Bai Yanren finished speaking.

After all these years, Feng Yiru's beautiful face seemed unchanged, as if time had left no marks on her. Only the wind tousling her bangs occasionally veiled her eyes, and with them, the familiar affection and trust from those years.

In the torrential blood rain, the water droplets splattering by her legs were like bullets stained with blood, piercing through her body.

"I... understand. So, Bai Yanliang, like you, is an outlier among us, and that's why he was always chosen by Fog Gathering..." Feng Yiru said with a smile. From her expression, Bai Yanren could catch a glimpse of something familiar, as if she truly understood, "If, ten years ago, you were the living among the dead, then today, Bai Yanliang is the dead among the living. Am I right to say that?"

Bai Yanren didn't speak. He simply extended his hand towards her and reiterated, "The key, give it to me."

"I will give it to you, as it is yours," Feng Yiru shook her head slightly, looking at Bai Yanliang, "I want to know, what exactly are you planning to do?"

In her eyes, Bai Yanliang saw the demeanor of Feng Xiuxue.

"Open the Door of Wuji Realm, enter the Fog Realm, and end Fog Gathering," Bai Yanren answered succinctly.

"Is that possible?" she asked.

Bai Yanren said nothing, and his eyes no longer held any expression familiar to Feng Yiru.

"Take it..." Feng Yiru's words just fell.

A key eagerly flew into Bai Yanren's hand.

"Your life, which has already ended, I will also take," Bai Yanren said after securing the key.

As soon as he finished speaking, a pain as if tearing suddenly surged through his entire body.

A premonition of death engulfed her heart, and Feng Yiru instinctively felt fear, but soon, she seemed to come to terms with it.

However, at this moment... an abnormal wave appeared around Feng Yiru.

Feng Yiru abruptly looked up at Bai Yanren, only to see his expression unchanged.

She seemed to understand something and quickly glanced at Bai Yanliang.

He, like Bai Yanren, was expressionless.

Previously, Bai Yanliang had so many expressions; even if they were fake, he was keen on displaying various emotions.

Perhaps, now he was his true self.

A dead person among the living.

In the next moment, Feng Yiru's figure suddenly vanished, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

Bai Yanren turned around and said to Bai Yanliang:

"You decide the next one."

————

Yu Wenxuan returned home.

Though called home, it had long been empty.

Outside the window was a blood rain, and in his mind, he heard that voice, which they said was Bai Yanren's voice.

In truth, none of this mattered to Yu Wenxuan; he didn't even care about his own life or death.

He only ever cared about one thing...

Yu Wenxuan sat quietly in the wooden chair by the window, slowly closing his eyes.

He hadn't had a proper rest in a long time.

The whole city had turned into a Hell of blood rain and corpses, but for him, it was a rare moment of respite.

The dream came quickly.

Yu Wenxuan's dreamscape mirrored reality: sitting by the window, gazing out at the… rain.

However, compared to the real world, in his dream, only the area around his chair was illuminated.

Yu Wenxuan even knew he was dreaming; since childhood, he could always distinguish between reality and dreams. It was said that those who realized they were dreaming could consciously control their dreams.

But Yu Wenxuan couldn't do it.

Because in his dream, aside from the illuminated area around him, there was usually... someone else.

This time was no different.

A few seconds later, a white figure appeared at the bedroom door, but rather than hastening inside, the figure surveyed the surroundings.

"Here?" Yu Wenxuan looked at him, "Come over."

Zhou Tian smiled slightly at his words, walked over, and a black wooden chair etched with patterns appeared out of thin air, where he quietly sat down.

The two of them sat sideways by the window, each leaning against the back of their chairs, facing each other.

Zhou Tian... or rather, this was the half soul of Zhou Tian; today, it no longer had any connection to the real Zhou Tian.

"Yu Wenxuan..." Zhou Tian's voice carried a hint of doubt, "Ever since you found me in the dream, you've never let me get this close."

He seemed to be smug, thinking of something: "Did something trouble you in the real world?"

"Just here to say goodbye," Yu Wenxuan lazily glanced at him and turned to look at the rain outside the window, "No matter what, I survived thanks to you."

"However, don't expect me to thank you. If not for my own abilities, you'd be the one controlling this body now, and I'd be the one only appearing in dreams."

Zhou Tian shook his head: "You're wrong. If I controlled this body, you'd never have the chance to appear in dreams. I'd have completely consumed you."

"Do you think I haven't been doing that?" Yu Wenxuan spoke with calm composure, "Yet, the more I digest what belongs to you, Zhou Tian, the more repulsive I find those memories from Zhou Tian."

"If I fully absorbed your soul, I'd surely become a monster, and I refuse to do that."

Even in the dream, Zhou Tian's face suddenly flushed red: "Do you even understand how magnificent everything I possess and plan is?"

"How dare you call me a monster?"

"Things that have never appeared in this world, perhaps not even in the Fog Realm—aren't they monsters?" With a casual chuckle, Yu Wenxuan shifted his gaze from the rain curtain to Zhou Tian.

"What do you want to say? You couldn't have called me here just to mock me, surely?" Half of Zhou Tian's soul seemed entirely unable to grasp Yu Wenxuan's behavior at that moment.

"Me? I'm going to die," Yu Wenxuan paused, supporting his chin with one hand and again looking at the rain, "I promised someone I'd cooperate. It's bothersome, but I promised."

"Was it Bai Yanren's projection, or Bai Yanliang?"

"Bai Yanren? What does he count for, not even mutual assistance..."

"Then it's Bai Yanliang?" Zhou Tian suddenly became intrigued; he had engaged in a life-and-death struggle with this half soul of Yu Wenxuan and knew well the man's firm will. How could such a person willingly die for an agreement?

"What exactly did you agree on with Bai Yanliang?"

Yu Wenxuan crossed his arms in the dream and slowly closed his eyes.

"Even though you're no longer related to Zhou Tian, however..."

Yu Wenxuan suddenly opened his eyes and mocked as he looked at the soul of the doctor opposite him: "I still don't want to tell you."

"I'm just that wicked."

The voice laced with laughter echoed in the dream.