The Forsaken-Grade Cultivator
Chapter 42: You are me

Chapter 42: You are me

’Finally, I was wondering if you’d eventually catch on... But I must say, I’m somewhat offended. Is that any way to express your gratitude?’ The strange entity chimed from within, it’s tone insufferably haughty, and cheery... Ying hated it. He was enraged!

He’d been tricked!

He’d been used!

It was game, yes, but that didn’t make the situation any less disgusting. For a span of time, his virtual body had belonged to another who was not himself, it felt like he’d been violated!

’Bastard! Who are you... What are you...and why are you in my head?!’ Ying hissed in a rage. His head lowered – such that his dark hair could cast a shadow on his face – his fists clenched as he bit his lip. The annoyance flowed like an uncontrollable flood.

So much so that he didn’t even seem to care about his initial reservations.

Who cared if he was disrespecting an ancient creature of horrors?

Who cares if his action seemed impudent to a being that embodied the precepts of chaos themselves?

Who gave a fuck...? Not Ying, that’s for sure. And although he had SOME theory of his own, but...

’...!’

The strange entity didn’t respond.

’Who are you?!’ Ying yelled once more, a strange emotion boiling within him. That one feeling drowned all others whilst his clenched fists turned white.

But still, there was no answer.

Ying yelled again, again, and again. Trying to garner some sort of answer, all to no avail. It was so... frustrating!

He could tell that the strange being still lurked. He could feel its dark presence looming over him from behind. He could feel its shadowy coldness, wrapping around him like a dark mantle... Or a depraved shackle.

The devil was there. There was there no doubt about it.

So then... why wasn’t it saying anything?

After turning him to a puppet, using his body as he pleased, then threatening to kill him, and he just... Ghosted?

Was that even, like, allowed?

Well, maybe it was... or maybe it wasn’t. That didn’t matter here. What mattered was that such was the reality of his situation, and as the strange entity’s embrace coiled around him, he temporarily forgot that he was in a game.

Now, there were only two choices. He could only either adapt or...

’...Refuse.’

Crack!

’I refuse to become your become your puppet goddamn it!’ Ying objected, annoyance and intensity flowing through his body until –

"WHO ARE YOU?!" His thoughts bled into reality.

The shout was sudden and unexpected, so much so that the black cloud of wrongness dispelled for a split second... before weaving itself back around Ying’s frame. Jiang Chu and Zhang Gue Lang froze, directing confused gazes at Ying, whose shadow hid his expression.

They couldn’t hear the voice of the strange entity, remaining completely oblivious to its existence. So they could only assume their own different meanings...

The Strange entity chuckled. It’s voice deep, and filled with the unholy malevolence of a real demon. Then it stopped.

’How brazen of you, are you trying to blot my ears out?’

’... Answer the question, bastard. Who are you, what are you doing in my head? How did you even get in my head? How do you know about... him? In fact, how dare you try to impersonate him?!’

A short silence. Soon after, the strange entity would respond.

’Hmm, that’s tad more than ’A’ question, don’t you think? And besides, what’s the point? A measly pawn doesn’t need to know the identity OR aspiration of their master. All they need to do is follow their orders.

And that’s what you are. A pawn. A mere servant of mine, my host, you are nothing but MY plaything.... Make no mistake, the fear you felt earlier was not a dream, and like me they are real. Like me, they are inevitable. Understand your situation now, Mortal...?’

’Y-you...’

’To answer your question – I am me, have always been me, and will always be me, but you... you are now me too!’ The Strange entity harrumphed, the tenebrous mist of darkness growing even thicker, more ghoulish, and more... clingy.

’Ugh!’ Ying groaned, as the pressure grew exponentially, straining both his mind and body. But with no one else to complain to, he could only endure silently.

The strange entity chuckled gleefully, its sombre chortling filling the backdrop of Ying’s suffering.

He fell to his knees.

The psychic shroud was like a rope tied around the neck – it choked his mind, and squeezed his body. Ying could see flashes of experiences blur by his head. They were like dreams, wistful and convoluted, but always lingering on the tip of the tongue. For a moment, he lost all control over his five senses.

Ying saw an ancient abomination.

With countless empty eyes, transfixed to his own unwavering gaze, it’s atrocious size filling up the primordial slate. He saw a surrounding structure, vague and indescribably strange as it was, he could make out words. Phrases, if you will, which blurred due to the cascade of immolating flame spires, which rained down from ’above’. The two phrases were as follows:

’...Mirthless King... Fate... laughed...’

’... Darkness... End of... Gods...’

Ying felt a cool breeze.

A calm flow of wind licked his body as he raced across a world dyed in red, on his trusty steed. His heart pumped in short lived exhilaration as he jumped over a cliff barred by thorny roses, and plummeted to his own oblivion.

Ying heard wails, his own wails, filled with pain and anguish as he held the lifeless hand of his own brother. He tasted the metallic nuance of his enemies’ blood, and smelt the sumptuous aroma of a banquet prepared by a deity.

The memories were incoherent, and far too far-fetched for Ying to infer any sort of sense from it, but at least knew one thing – they weren’t his.

The strange entity was trying to choke him out using the surreal weight of its experiences. It was trying to possess him, by shattering his fragile mind with the incomprehensible emotions of its own, unknowable life...

Unfortunately for him, Ying was not about to go quietly.

Ding!

[An Unknown force attacks your mind!]

[Your title, <Blessed by ’???’>, has taken effect!]

’Ugh... What... this power is... There is no way!’ Cried the unknowable entity as its influence began dwindling rapidly. It wailed from within Ying’s consciousness, its moans filled with dread and pain. Ying chuckled ominously and rose from his knee.

’I thought you went through my memories, did you seriously forget already...? I am the greatest bane to beings like you, who can only amount mental attacks. I suspect that the only reason you were even able to possess me in the first place was because I lost consciousness....’ Ying dusted his robes, and fixed his hair, ignoring the resentful shadow that waned more and more behind him.

’...And now that I know off this, you can expect to live a miserable life. You are MY plaything, know your places you accursed bastard!’ He roared and pushed, growing the effects of his title, and banishing the dark shadow, finally.

Ding!

[The Unknown force has been banished!]

Confirming that his figure was no longer being weighted down by some strange force, Ying heaved a sigh of relief, harbouring triumphant thoughts as he did so.... But his celebration was rather short lived.

BAM!

Jiang Chu’s fist crashed into Ying’s face. The force behind it befitting an enraged superhuman, as it sent an unsuspecting Ying staggering backwards. And although it wasn’t enough to bring him down, it was more than enough to crack his lips and shatter his nose... again.

’Curses!’ Ying yelled as the familiar sting assaulted him. He raised his head to see the one whose lover ’he’ had killed, his face squirming with rage, and his expression contorted by spite.

"I have a question." Jiang Chu said shakily, his body trembling as much as the rest of him.

Ying didn’t respond, subtly caressing his nose as he locked gazes with Jiang Chu in silence.

A gentle breeze blew in from the open door, causing their robes to flutter. Then, Jiang spoke.

"You know... It’s hasn’t even been a day since you and I met, and even then, for how long did we talk? Maybe two, three hours? Not long, not nearly long enough... And yet..." Jiang Chu uttered, his voice tinged with unrestrained anguish.

"I can’t remember, after our quick spar, it all went by like a blur. All I could see was black, and I wake up, only to find myself tied up her *hic* room... Thankfully, master had a bad premonition and came to rescue me...

You know, I had a chance to kill you. Right then, when you were distracted, when you refused to even look me in the face after I called your name... I could have killed you. All it would have taken was one stab. One stab, and poof! Just like that, she would have been avenged..."

Jiang Chu paused, looking to the side with his teeth clenched. It seemed like he was arranging his next words, then –

Whoosh!

Thud!

He charged at Ying, tackling him to the ground with a fierce noise. Jiang Chu rolled on top of the two, then pinning both of Ying’s hands, he stared directly into his melancholic black eyes.

As Jiang Chu looked at Ying, teeth clenched in internal frustration, a tear fell down his eyes. And then another, and another, until he broke down. His words came out as sobs, losing their already poor structural integrity.

"Ever since we met, it’s been this way. Ever since we first spoke, I’ve always felt like your voice was familiar, like you were familiar... I hate you, Ying. I hate you so very much, and I want to kill you, so very much too. But I just... can’t do it. I can’t... Why can’t I just kill you?!"

"Young master..." The last person – a maid, uttered from a distance.

BAM!

Following the young man’s rant was a fist, right to Ying’s face. And then another, and then another, all backed with the superhuman strength of a Cultivator. Jiang Chu’s words shook Ying.

Of course, while they might not have been the complete truth, they weren’t outright lies either.

Firstly, Jiang Chu’s ’Relationship’ level.

Ying didn’t know the different levels, but he could infer that it was too high. Even if he did save his life, he ever exactly called him. The young cultivator was cheery, but also a little bit proud, so shouldn’t he have felt shame.... Or worse, anger, at Ying’s actions?

The one, who truly should have been grateful, was Xian Shan.

Then, there was the challenge. It simply made no sense. How could someone bet something so valuable in a mere spar? Pride, it could have been simple hubris. Perhaps he just wanted to prove his strength... but what was the need to prove one’s strength to a complete stranger?

Moreover, there was his reaction after he lost. No sane person would have handed such a treasure after losing like THAT. No one at all, not even Jiang Chu. He was stupid, yes, but he was also very intuitive and true to himself.

Ying’s head hurt – What could this mean? Ying had no memory of Jiang Chu, so had their characters met before, in the past?

Of course, Ying pondered all this while suffering the endless pelting of Jiang Chu’s fist. He was even counting them, but he wasn’t reacting in the slightest.

BAM!

"You asked who I was right? Well, that’s wrong! Wrong I tell you!" Jiang Chu brought his palms together, the streams of tears not relenting. "The real question, Ying, is who are you? WHAT are you? And why can’t I kill yo – thwack!"

Thud!

Jiang Chu collapsed to Ying’s side, eyes white as he seemed to have been knocked out. It was one of the many things which Ying had learnt from his old mentor Andersen. He got up, and dusted his robes for a second time.

Then, he looked towards Zhang Gue Yue, who had been totally silent all this while, and the maid beside him, who trembled visibly.

He glanced at Jiang Chu once more, then sighed and outstretching his hands in an attempt to summon his blade. He wasn’t sure how he would fare against an expert, but he had to–!

"Don’t bother. I won’t be fighting you.... "

’Huh?’

"Why? Well, it’s simple. If you tried to fight me, I’m afraid that I wouldn’t even know when I killed you. And I cannot do that too my disciple, he would be devastated if he found out." Zhang Gue Yue waved his hand in dismissal.

Ying was a bit shocked by this development, but he eventually heaved a sigh of relief. Then, with a cautious gait, he walked towards and past the two individuals.

"Ying, was it? I have a question, why didn’t you kill the girl...? The mercenary, I mean. You spared her... Why?" Zhang Gue Yue asked, eyes trained curiously

To this, Ying paused.

Then turned.

"What?"

He was confused. Shocked, even, ’That girl... She should have died.... That poison, it should have spread far enough... That mix shouldn’t have been able to save her.’

"..."

Ying was silent.

Seeing this, the elder simply waved his hand. Deeming it as a matter of no consequence, not at this point....

At least.

"You see, Jiang Chu.... Jiang Chu is a special boy." He stroked his beard, "Blazing determination, unwavering spirit, and his will.... his will is even more stalwart. So, believe me when I say this, he will find you, and when he does, not even that Demonic Qi of yours will save you." Zhang Gue Yue uttered.

Ying didn’t respond, simply holding a short gaze.... looking into Zhang Gue Yue’s uncaring eyes.

He seemed to be searching for something....

But whether or not he found it, in the end, would remain a mystery, as he turned away. He made his way to the exit of the underground bunker, and then the library’s building, and then beyond the residential area, following a route which he’d mapped beforehand.