"This is too hard. I finally figured out a few things after much difficulty. I’m really just making trouble for myself, insisting on creating such a difficult plot... I actually regret it now."
Chapter 432 "Can’t stand this garbage life for another second?"
"Don’t call BOSS. Keep calling pretty boy if you like," Chen Nuo said with a wry smile.
Okay, this scene wasn’t like the return of the Dragon King after an eight-year absence. Nor was it remotely possible for a cringeworthy scene where three girls would co running, crying and stumbling, to kneel before Chen Nuo and shout "My Lord!"
The three girls—Firefly, Hummingbird, and Little Blueberry—all stood dumbstruck. They stared at Chen Nuo with wide eyes, scrutinizing him from head to toe and back again, their gazes so intense they seed ready to devour him.
Chen Nuo, unfazed by their stares, slowly began his explanation.
"This is the year 2002.
"To be precise, I died on December 23, 2021.
"After I died, for a reason I still don’t understand, I returned to December 23, 2000.
"It’s a different tiline—an alternate universe, similar to ti travel.
"The difference is, in this world, in the year 2000 of this tiline, I didn’t exist.
"Instead, it was as if my soul had been placed into the body of an ordinary person who happened to share my na.
"I’ve been living in this world for over two years now. During this ti, in this world, I’ve reacquainted myself with the three of you, and yes, others too.
"But because I didn’t exist in this tiline, and ti here began in 2000, none of you initially knew . Using mories from my previous life, I found all of you again.
"Li Yingwan, I t you at...
"Hummingbird, I went to Mount Everest and found you while you were still in a state of ntal breakdown...
"And Xicheng Xun, I went to Tokyo and found you attempting to hunt down the leader of the Truth Society..."
Chen Nuo spoke quickly for a few minutes before continuing.
"Afterward, in this tiline, we got to know each other again and re-established our connections.
"But for the three of you in this world, you have no mories of my past life. That is to say, in this lifeti, your existence has largely been confined to the ordinary world.
"Then, I provoked a very powerful opponent.
"What happened tonight... or rather, right now, we aren’t in the real world. We’re in a mory world inside my mind. However, our opponent outside possesses a powerful ability; they can replicate a part of the material world based on my mories—that’s what Jinling City is.
"They brought into this space. They want to capture and question about so very specific things.
"What I don’t understand is why you three were also brought here.
"What’s even more incomprehensible to is this:
"Why, in this place, have you... beco *yourselves* again! You understand what I an, right?
"Your appearances are those of 2002, yet you possess the mories of the three individuals from my past life—and you call BOSS!
"It’s a paradox I haven’t figured out yet.
"So... That’s roughly the situation."
Chen Nuo finished, exhaling. "Now, tell about your situations."
By the ti Chen Nuo finished speaking, about fifteen minutes had passed.
During these fifteen minutes, the three girls said nothing. They listened quietly to Chen Nuo’s account without interrupting or impatiently asking questions.
This confird Chen Nuo’s assessnt.
The three girls before him were not simply Li Yingwan, Niveer, and Xicheng Xun! They were not the Li Yingwan, Niveer, and Xicheng Xun of 2002.
Instead, they were Firefly, Hummingbird, and Little Blueberry from their past lives!
Because, in a crisis, their ability to remain calm, suppress their questions and urge to speak, exhibit outstanding self-control, and listen first rather than hastily questioning or panicking—these were qualities forged in the Yama Team of their past lives.
The problem was, Chen Nuo couldn’t understand why they were here!
Then, after more than ten minutes of silence, the three girls exchanged glances. Li Yingwan was the first to speak.
"I rember... I died."
Chen Nuo’s brow furrowed deeply.
"I was on a mission in London. It was successful. After I evacuated, I received a ssage from Fox, ordering all mbers into a silent period. Fox then told this was your final order, given before you died..."
When Li Yingwan spoke these words, her tone was perfectly calm, as if she were discussing soone else’s suicide, not her own.
That complete disregard for her own life was the quintessential style of Firefly from his previous life, a style Chen Nuo knew all too well.
"...And then I died. But after dying, I suddenly woke up and found myself here," Li Yingwan finished, then closed her mouth, her eyes still fixed on Chen Nuo.
Chen Nuo’s heart sank! This woman actually killed herself for ?
He then looked at the other two.
Niveer said softly, "My situation was similar to Firefly’s. The timing was probably about the sa. I was on an arrest mission, then I received the ssage from Fox, and I..."
"You died too?" Chen Nuo sighed.
"With you gone, everyone probably felt life was aningless," Niveer said, her tone remarkably flat.
"And you?!" Chen Nuo gritted his teeth, looking at Xicheng Xun.
Xicheng Xun didn’t speak, but glared at Chen Nuo with a complex expression. After a mont, this Neon Terror whispered, "You pulled us out of hell, only to let go and walk away yourself—that’s not fair to us!"
Chen Nuo understood—this Ice Child had also killed herself.
"Damn it, I didn’t want to die either!" Chen Nuo couldn’t stop himself from shouting.
He leaped up from the floor, first fiercely pulled Niveer up, then with a flick of his wrist, tossed her onto the bed to lie beside the other two, who were wrapped in blankets. He then pointed at the three of them and started yelling:
"Do you bastards really think I wanted to die? I fought myself for eight years at sea! Not a single day, hour, minute, or second less!
"The tumor cells in my brain were desperately trying to kill , and I struggled against them every single day! Every second, I endured excruciating headaches and debilitating weakness! Painkillers were useless. The pain, conducted through my central nervous system, tornted relentlessly, not giving a mont’s peace.
"I even tried to fragnt my personality, to create different consciousnesses, hoping to escape the agony, even for a fleeting mont.
"Do you think I gave up the fight? That I abandoned you?
"DAMN IT!!!"
The three girls remained silent, just staring at Chen Nuo.
"I... I couldn’t fight anymore," Chen Nuo’s voice softened. "Towards the end, I could feel my body dying, bit by bit. My life force was being devoured by that inscrutable cell, slowly taking over my body, my brain, my consciousness.
"I exhausted every thod I could conceive! I tried to achieve a breakthrough in my abilities, thinking a higher realm might change my fate.
"But I couldn’t find the way!
"In that final year, the thought of suicide crossed my mind at least three tis a day. And each ti, I forced myself to grind that thought down, to kill it, bit by bit!"
Speaking to this point, Chen Nuo’s face was pale. He whispered, "...What about the others?"
The three girls didn’t speak.
Chen Nuo’s face grew even paler.
Li Yingwan suddenly lowered her head. A sharp sliver of a blade appeared from under her tongue. She held it between her lips, dipped her head slightly, and sliced through the curtain cord binding the blanket.
Xicheng Xun, anwhile, simply tore the blanket open with her fingers. Ignoring the cotton wadding that spilled out, she tossed the tattered sheet aside.
The three girls jumped off the bed together and walked over to Chen Nuo.
"I know what you were thinking during those eight years," Xicheng Xun said softly. "You thought we were dosticated animals, tad by you. You cut us loose, then hid on your ship, a self-imposed prison.
"You thought this was a form of release, hoping that we, like captive-bred lions and tigers, would revert to our wild nature if you threw us back into the wilderness and abandoned us.
"You thought that by doing this, we, these tad creatures, could regain our wildness...
"If it weren’t for us... you would have wanted to die long ago, wouldn’t you?
"If it weren’t for us... you probably wouldn’t have waited eight long years. You would have chosen to end your life much sooner.
"Wouldn’t you?"
As she spoke, Xicheng Xun slowly knelt before Chen Nuo. She reached out, gently embraced him, and whispered, "I know your struggle was incredibly hard and painful... the agony you endured for those eight years was, in truth, for our sake."
"...But we are not your tad beasts," Li Yingwan also said softly. She grasped Chen Nuo’s hand, took a deep breath, and said, "BOSS, you are not our master who tas us. We don’t need you to ta or release us.
"Actually, I feel like I died a long, long ti ago.
"The only reason I remain in this world is because you are in this world.
"You think you were waiting for us, using your perseverance against illness to buy us ti to regain our wildness.
"But don’t you know? For ...
"My only purpose in remaining in this world is, and always has been, to wait for you."
"Yes, BOSS. You think you’re accompanying us. But actually, it’s we who are accompanying you," Niveer also sighed. She walked behind Chen Nuo, gently cradled his head, and whispered in his ear,
"To , it felt like you saved , gave life.
"But in truth, deep in my heart, I feel that every minute, every second in this world is agony, a colossal tornt!
"I can’t bear to stay in this torturous world for one second longer!
"The only reason I’m still alive is because I want to be with you.
"Because you wanted to live, I couldn’t die.
"Because you were still alive in this world, I had to stay in this world to accompany you.
"Oh, BOSS...
"Do you really not understand?
"Every one of us stopped wanting to live long ago. We have no attachnt to this world whatsoever.
"In my heart, this life ended long ago.
"I just thought, whatever ti I have left in this life—be it one more minute, one more day, month, year... or ten, or several decades more...
"It doesn’t matter.
"I’m just lingering in this world, waiting for you.
"Whenever you die, I can leave with you.
"It’s like a train I’ve long wanted to get off.
"But because you had to continue the journey, I couldn’t get off the train. I had to stay with you, waiting for the mont you would alight."
Li Yingwan heard this and gave a cold laugh. "HA! Though I’ve always found you insufferable, Niveer, that particular thought resonates with .
"To be frank, BOSS, sotis I even grow impatient waiting for you.
"Sotis I think: When will BOSS finally die? I’m really getting tired of waiting in this world..."
Chen Nuo’s expression was priceless.
What in the world... what are they saying? What kind of icy monsters have I raised?!! What is this? They can’t stand this crappy life for another second?
And also...
"Actually, BOSS, if you truly hoped I would continue living after you died, you made one fundantal mistake.
"You shouldn’t have pushed away so harshly every ti I tried to climb into your bed.
"If you had accepted much earlier, let have your child, then perhaps after you died, I would have had a reason to go on living."
Those words ca from Li Yingwan.
Alright, Chen Nuo knew that among his subordinates, Li Yingwan was one of the most obsessive, extre, and unhinged...
But when Li Yingwan said this, Niveer and Xicheng Xun actually nodded in earnest agreent.
Chen Nuo: "..."
Then, Xicheng Xun suddenly asked, "Where exactly is this place? This couldn’t be BOSS’s old ho in Jinling, Huaxia, could it?"
"It obviously is," Li Yingwan also said, turning to look around.
Niveer was even more brazen. She walked right over and began rummaging through the bookshelves built into the wall cabinets, examining the cassette tapes and the celebrity posters on the walls.
"It doesn’t look any different from a typical teenage boy’s bedroom."
"BOSS must have spent his adolescence here, right? Maybe there are condoms hidden in a drawer? Go check under the bed for a box of adult magazines."
Chen Nuo waved his hand helplessly. "Stop talking nonsense. This is Huaxia. The lives of young people in Huaxia are... different from what you might imagine."
Seeing the three girls looking curious and ready to ransack the place, Chen Nuo quickly snapped, "Alright, that’s enough! Co here so we can properly discuss our current predicant!"
"It doesn’t matter anymore. Since you’re here, what we do next and how we do it is entirely up to you. If we succeed, we all get out of here.
"If we fail, well, we’ve all died once before. Dying here again doesn’t change much."
These words ca from Li Yingwan, whose "condition" was most severe.
However, it seed Niveer and Xicheng Xun didn’t object either.
"Okay, from now on, we plan our actions." Chen Nuo had to adopt his "Yama" persona. He took a deep breath, his voice deepening. "All of you, co here and sit down!"
Only then did the three girls abandon their eager attempts to thoroughly search the room.
"There’s still one thing we haven’t figured out: you three!" Chen Nuo said slowly. "I definitely didn’t bring you here... If it was our opponent—then if he brought anyone, it should have been three *other* people.
"Do you understand what I an?
"You... shouldn’t be *you*!"
The tiline didn’t add up! I died in my previous life on December 23, 2021. When I awoke, I was back in the year 2000—that was two years ago!
And Li Yingwan and the other two, in their previous lives, had committed suicide on the sa day as ! Yet when they woke up, it was now!
Why was this?
If this were a "Group Transmigration," everyone should have appeared two years ago together. It shouldn’t be that their souls only belatedly arrived in this godforsaken place two years after I ca to this world.
Xicheng Xun was the sharpest and most level-headed of the three.
Little Blueberry thought carefully. "Logically, either you did it, BOSS, or that opponent outside did.
"If neither of you did it...
"Then the problem can only lie with the nature of this world’s space!"
"The space of this world is a replica—a kind of mirror world."
"A purely material world, devoid of life. Everything here, including us, is an intruder."
"Moreover, besides the difference in tilines, are there any other discrepancies?
"Our souls—from the mont of our deaths in our past lives to our sudden transmigration now—arrived later than your resurrection, BOSS. That’s a temporal difference.
"If the peculiarities of this spatial world caused the three of us to be revived here...
"Then what is so special about this world’s space?
"In other words, what exists in this world’s space that is unique to this place and doesn’t exist in the real world outside?
"That difference might be the reason why the three of us were revived here.
"Logically, that’s the only deduction I can make."
The final deduction, once again, ca from Xicheng Xun.
Then, she sighed softly. "This kind of analysis isn’t my strong suit. It would be great if Ox-Head or Fox were here. Yes, Ox-Head is the best at using his brain."
At this, Li Yingwan’s eyes suddenly lit up. "BOSS, you ntioned the year 2002 in the real world outside, and you’ve told us our current situation... what about the others?"
"Right, Ox-Head should only be ten years old now, shouldn’t he?" Niveer’s eyes also lit up.
Chen Nuo thought for a mont, then replied, "I’ve found all our mbers.
"I’ve already told you about the three of you.
"Then...
"Iris is still at ho with her Qingyun Sect. From my observations, she’s unlikely to face any tragedy.
"As for Fox... hmm, her situation is unique, but there shouldn’t be any issues for now.
"And Ox-Head..."
"She... she’s not still with that detestable woman, is she?!" Li Yingwan frowned.
Niveer also seed to recall this. Her brow furrowed as she looked at Chen Nuo. "Even though that woman has so ties to my family, I despise her too!
"In this current tiline, she should still be alive, right?"
Uh...
She is alive. Not only is she alive, she and I have a daughter.
Chen Nuo inwardly gave a wry smile.
He knew very well how much these people under him detested Lu Xixi.
They had never bothered to hide this aversion.
The only exception was Yu Naitang. After Chen Nuo brought her back, the others simply refrained from ntioning Lu Xixi in her presence.
This had also led to a peculiar, long-standing situation within the Yama Organization.
In terms of intelligence, planning ability, and sheer brainpower, Yu Naitang was actually the most exceptional.
After all, the white-haired loli was a genius.
But in practice, within the Yama Organization, the roles of planning all operations, commanding from behind the scenes, and coordinating communications during missions had always fallen to Fox.
And everyone knew Fox’s intellect couldn’t compare to Yu Naitang’s.
However, despite all being mbers of the Yama Organization, everyone else intentionally or unintentionally kept Yu Naitang at a distance.
There was really only one reason: Yu Naitang had once followed "that woman."
Of course, one shouldn’t imagine that everyone ganged up to isolate Yu Naitang.
In reality, within the Yama Organization, there was no such thing as these psychologically damaged individuals forming cliques or sharing deep sisterly bonds—such sentintal scenes were impossible.
A group of individuals who didn’t even want to live—how could they possibly harbor feelings for others?
They were all simply accompanying Chen Nuo in his existence.
Among themselves, their relationship was rely that of comrades in a group; personal feelings were entirely absent.
They would trust each other absolutely—but this absolute trust was built on the logic: "Because Chen Nuo absolutely trusts you, I therefore absolutely trust you."
There were no personal feelings to speak of between them.
Their sole emotional anchor was Chen Nuo, and Chen Nuo alone.
As for their views of others within the group, it boiled down to this: if you’re capable, I acknowledge and accept it. And since Chen Nuo absolutely trusts you, so do I.
Even during joint operations, if necessary, one might sacrifice themselves to save another—not out of genuine affection, but to ensure the mission’s success.
This was a group of psychologically damaged individuals, devoid of emotional bonds with each other, brought together solely by Chen Nuo.
This was also evident from the fact that, upon suddenly awakening in this replicated world, despite the three of them being in the sa room, they hadn’t imdiately revealed their identities to each other.
There was little warmth or sentintality between them.
The absolute trust and seamless cooperation from their past lives remained, yet upon waking here, without Chen Nuo’s presence, they wouldn’t instinctively trust each other.
"Yu Naitang is still with her teacher," Chen Nuo answered vaguely.
Then, he began to carefully consider Xicheng Xun’s line of reasoning.
If the issue wasn’t the people, then there had to be a problem with this replicated spatial world.
What exactly existed in this space that didn’t exist in the real world outside?
Then the answer was right before his eyes!
This "ho" of his!
If this world was entirely replicated by The Fourth Seed from the real world outside—copied based on my mories.
Then this "ho" shouldn’t exist.
Because in the real world of 2002, this place didn’t exist.
This place only existed in his previous life.
Chen Nuo voiced his thoughts.
Niveer imdiately added another detail. "Earlier, before that opponent destroyed the building outside, he was floating by the stairwell, searching. He definitely passed our window and looked in.
"But it was as if he didn’t see us at all."
"So... he can’t see us?" Li Yingwan asked.
"No!" Xicheng Xun’s eyes lit up. "Perhaps it’s not that he can’t see us! It’s that when he looks in from the window, what he sees isn’t this room at all!!"
A thought struck Chen Nuo!
He didn’t see this room, didn’t see my ho!
He saw... the world replicated from the 2002 tiline of my rebirth... In that case, this place wouldn’t be my ho, but soone else’s ho in that world.
So... it’s still a layered space!
"My ho only exists in my mory; it shouldn’t exist in the world of this tiline.
"I ca here after I was reborn, and it was no longer my ho.
"But if it’s here..."
Chen Nuo sighed.
He clearly rembered that this replicated space was copied by The Fourth Seed based on his mories.
So... during the replication, did it accidentally copy mories from my past life as well?!
Then these three...
Could it be they aren’t real people, just souls simulated from my past-life mories?
No... that’s not right...
The Fourth Seed said life cannot be replicated.
Wait a minute!!!
Only in places that existed in my past-life mories!!!
In Jinling City, there’s this ho of mine.
Then... what about outside Jinling City?!
If it’s a layered space caused by two different tilines...
"BOSS, what are you thinking about?"
"I’m thinking..." Chen Nuo said in a low voice, "this so-called ’replicated space’—is its scope really limited to Jinling City?
"What do the places outside Jinling City look like?!"
「anwhile」
"You really shouldn’t be doing this."
Under the large tree, just behind Kamisou Ichiro, Seed stepped out from a tear in space.
He was still wearing an apron, a soup spoon in his hand.
Stepping forward, Seed looked at Kamisou Ichiro, who turned and smiled at him. Seed shook his head and said, "So, have you allied with him?"
"Of course not," Kamisou Ichiro said indifferently, "Just limited cooperation, an isolated incident. Moreover, according to the rules, I haven’t attacked your Chosen One or caused him fatal harm."
"But you blocked *it* here," Seed said, pointing to the Gray Cat lying under the tree.
The Gray Cat was curled up, its head tucked in.
"Is it Chen Nuo’s protector? If one contestant provides protection to another contestant’s Chosen One, am I to understand that you’ve allied with this cat-fancying fellow?" Kamisou Ichiro asked in a very serious tone.
"Don’t drag into this! I’m not allied with anyone! I’ve abstained! OW!!!" The Gray Cat imdiately shot up its paws.
"See? It stated itself that it won’t provide protection to Chen Nuo. So, the logic that ’I blocked it’ doesn’t hold," Kamisou Ichiro sighed.
Seed’s expression was calm. "Alright, I accept your explanation. You can go now. However... he has broken the rules, hasn’t he? Attacking my Chosen One is tantamount to challenging to a decisive battle. Do you intend to stay and watch?"
"Of course not." Kamisou Ichiro gestured expansively. "If you believe he has challenged you, then by all ans, attack him. However, he isn’t actually here at the mont."
Seed stared at Kamisou Ichiro for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.
Then, in a very strange tone, he said, "Sotis, I’m actually quite curious about sothing.
"Are you more intelligent than I imagined, or more foolish?
"Extracting and isolating a space... that idea might be ingenious.
"But... are you truly unaware of the fatal flaws and dangers inherent in such a thod?"
Kamisou Ichiro frowned.
Seed suddenly chuckled. "I see... so you still don’t grasp it."
"Grasp what?"
"If, using Chen Nuo as the coordinate, you extracted the world from his cognition to create a prison...
"That’s feasible. But *he* shouldn’t have entered it.
"Once inside... Chen Nuo could potentially kill him with ease!
"Don’t you understand that?"
Kamisou Ichiro’s expression turned grave.
The Gray Cat, still lying there, suddenly had its eyes light up!
It shot a surprised glance at Seed, then quickly ducked its head, covering its eyes with its paws as if to prevent Seed from noticing its expression.
Seed, however, actually sat down right beside the Gray Cat.
He casually stroked the Gray Cat’s back a few tis, then fished a cookie from his pocket. He took a small bite, and while chewing, said with a faint smile, "Why don’t we just wait here and see... see if *he* can make it out of there alive."
Kamisou Ichiro pondered this seriously. "It’s rely a space based on Chen Nuo’s mories and cognition. He isn’t a god of space; he didn’t create it.
"If you’re trying to intimidate with tropes from so third-rate novel, like ’in Chen Nuo’s world, Chen Nuo can set the rules’... that won’t work on ."
"Of course, even if it’s a space torn from Chen Nuo’s mory, he couldn’t control that space. The world wasn’t created by him; he’s rely a part of it.
"In terms of absolute power comparison, Chen Nuo is no match.
"But... you’ve all overlooked one problem.
"If the world is scaled by individual life coordinates...
"That space you carved out based on Chen Nuo’s mory...
"The anchor for that space is singular: Chen Nuo himself!"
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