Chapter 40: Reaching An Accord

“…Uncle?”

The abrupt change in space and light jolted Yin Luo from unconsciousness.

He felt pain everywhere, and his head throbbed with a splitting ache, as if something was churning madly inside his brain. The agony made him dry-heave, almost to the point of retching out his internal organs.

Memories flooded back. The things he’d done and said in the quest world earlier replayed in his mind’s eye, frame by frame, like a slideshow.

Wait, what had he said?

“I’ll slaughter you all, then I’ll find where you are.”

“In two minutes, I’ll kill you.”

“I want to see which is stronger, Thunder or Ice.”

…

…Save me.

Why would he say things like that while everyone was alive and knew his real identity?

It was like everyone chatting and boasting online, when suddenly someone stands up and says, ‘I know who your mom is, and I’m going to send her these chat logs.’

Yin Luo felt the blood rush to his face. He desperately wished he hadn’t woken up at all, that he could just pass out again.

Why.

Why had he said those things?

Why had he so thoroughly revealed his own secrets?

Why had he even wanted to kill his teammates?

Killing teammates aside, why hadn’t he even succeeded?

(Scratch that last one.)

He hadn’t lost consciousness or his sanity in that state. He clearly knew what he was doing and saying. It was just that his way of thinking had been completely different from his current self.

It was like another self had awakened from within, or like the true nature he usually suppressed had finally shown its face.

And who was that girl who called him ‘junior’?

Yin Luo hadn’t completely passed out at that moment. He just couldn’t control his body, but his consciousness could still hear their conversation. This made him even more puzzled about the identities of the two players who had appeared at the end.

High-Level Players.

Junior?

“I say, you guys didn’t break the hostage’s brain, did you? That way, not only will you not get the ransom, you’ll have to pay with your lives.” On the other side, the handsome man who called himself Zhao Jun was already sitting in an executive chair his subordinates had brought for him, fingers interlaced, watching the scene with amusement.

The players had no clue how to respond and simply looked at Yin Luo.

Yin Luo looked at the man who bore a fifty-percent resemblance to Luo Xian, feeling a sense of disorientation.

His memories were already fragmented. The past few years of illness had been a blur, and he could barely remember anything before his sickness at all.

Impressions of the word “uncle” mostly lingered on the name “Zhao Jun” and some vague, blurry images. He never imagined the person would have this kind of personality.

Other than that face, he shared absolutely no resemblance with Luo Xian whatsoever.

Yin Luo frowned. “Why are you here? Where’s Mom?”

The handsome man crossed his legs and leaned back comfortably in his executive chair. “What, my dear nephew? We haven’t seen each other for so long. I rush over to see you, and that’s not enough? You also have to call your mother here so she can scold us both?”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “My sister is probably asleep at this hour. As long as we settle everything before eight o’clock, we can pretend nothing ever happened.”

Yin Luo: ?

Yin Luo pressed his lips together.

Yin Luo had to admit that made a lot of sense.

“Then…”

“The doctor is already prepared. The ‘kidnapper’ brothers can be left for me to handle. Right now, you just need to go and get your body checked out. You might still make it back in time for breakfast at eight.” Light cast shadows across his deep-set, sculpted features. He seemed entirely self-assured and considerate.

“I…” Yin Luo opened his mouth. Something felt off, but his head was still pounding, making it hard to concentrate.

The moment he returned to the Real World, his body became a burden. The exhaustion from a sleepless night nearly drowning him.

He yawned and asked with difficulty, “Then why did you bring so many people, and with guns?”

“Isn’t this all for your safety, my dear nephew?” The handsome man glanced at his watch. “It’s been eight hours and seventeen minutes since Wang Shen told me you’d disappeared. You know our family is big and wealthy. If you really were kidnapped, it’s just me bringing some men as a precaution, isn’t it?”

“And these are just toys, BB guns. No bullets. They’re incredibly useful for scaring people.” Zhao Jun reached out a hand, and the subordinate beside him immediately handed over the intimidating handgun.

He held the gun and playfully went “biu biu” at Yin Luo several times, like a child. His index finger pulled the trigger, and indeed, no bullets were fired.

“…”

Yin Luo couldn’t hold back any longer. “You look like an idiot.”

The watching players burst out laughing.

Even the corners of Ying Zixin’s eyes crinkled with amusement.

???

Zhao Jun rolled his eyes and threw the gun behind him in a huff. “Right now, you better start thinking about how you’re going to explain to my dear sister what her beloved nephew went through to have his hair turn white overnight.”

” Tch, little white-hair.”

Even though the Real World exerted a suppressive effect and he had consciously pulled back his power, the overuse of Corpse Frost Power had caused the Aberration to manifest on his body. Yin Luo’s hair remained, irreversibly, a frosty white.

Thankfully, his eyes seemed to have returned to their black color. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know how to explain that at all.

He thought for a moment, then looked at the handsome man, whose behavior was incomprehensible to him. “I’ll tell Mom I made a bet with you and lost, so you made me dye it.”

Zhao Jun’s deeply contemplative pose nearly cracked. “What the hell does it have to do with me? When did I ever make a bet with you? Do you think my sister would believe that?”

“That’s not important. As long as it drags you down with me.” Yin Luo said softly.

Zhao Jun’s expression shifted, his gaze turning cold. After a long time, he finally said, “Execute Plan B.”

“Yes, Boss.” The burliest man in black bowed and handed him several cards.

Zhao Jun flicked these room keycards towards the opposite group, and Zhang Hengheng easily caught them.

“Rooms are already booked in the hotel across the street. If there are any issues, just use my name. The doctor will take you there later. As long as you come back before 5 PM and don’t show any external injuries, I can cover for you with my sister.”

“Tch, in your current physical state, you still dare to run around everywhere? I’m afraid you’ll end up dead somewhere and no one would even know.”

He didn’t give Yin Luo a chance to respond. He tilted his head up and ordered, “Alright! Holster your weapons! Retreat!”

The tallest bodyguard behind him immediately turned the executive chair by its backrest. Zhao Jun, still seated and not getting up, just left like that, his whole group sweeping away in a grandiose manner.

“What the…” Lin Rudong stared, dumbfounded.

She felt like she’d just watched an absurdist film. She was cold but wanted to laugh.

Players in the game world, enduring life-and-death Instances over long periods, having psychological issues to varying degrees was understandable. She never expected to meet someone with such a bizarre personality in real life, too.

And he even seemed to be in a high position. How many people must he mentally torture every single day?

Judging by the practiced, unflinching professionalism of those men in black, they clearly had specialized training.

“Then how did he know we would appear here?” Ying Zixin suddenly asked. “He was even waiting here in advance.”

“Right, this mall is huge. Why was Zhao Jun so certain we’d show up right here?”

And even though he’d verbally labeled them “kidnappers” and “hostage,” he seemed surprisingly at ease leaving his nephew with them, a bunch of strangers who’d kept him out all night?

“A player?” Lin Rudong could only come up with that answer.

“Not clear. We’ll figure it out after Yin Luo’s recovered. For now, let’s just go with the flow.” Zhang Hengheng looked at the keycards for the five-star hotel room, and his eyes lit up.

Jackpot! The cost of his train ticket was now recouped!

The night’s intense exertions had exhausted everyone, and they decided to rest first.

The white-haired youth had passed out again. Only this time, he was clutching the white rabbit doll tightly in his arms, seeming somewhat restless and uneasy.