Wu Jiu’s words may not have been gems of wisdom, but that’s just the kind of person he is. It’s hard for him to become confused or lost.

Bai Wu suddenly understood. If destiny intended for the captain and him to explore this most dangerous place together... maybe the captain’s role was to prevent him from being bound by destiny itself.

That page seemed to be scripting their fate. If the captain knew of the page’s existence...

Would the captain still be as resolute?

His steps slowed for a moment as he contemplated, and finally, he came to a conclusion...

Facing setbacks, the captain probably lived by the very words written—listen not to the sound of wind and rain, but sing and walk at a measured pace.

The yellowed page above his head was like the troubling sound of wind and rain.

A person like the captain, for the most part, probably wouldn’t care about such things.

And it is hugely important to have such resolve in the face of the current adversity.

Bai Wu took several deep breaths to calm his mind.

[He again felt up to the task. The small-statured friend beside him seemed to harbor a gigantic soul. But has he ever considered that this small friend could die?

Maybe around the next corner, he would encounter a monster that suddenly killed his dear friend?]

Bai Wu saw these words written on the yellowed page, but he did not panic.

He could feel that at this moment, the words on the paper were not his own psychological activity.

The World Will, hiding in the shadows, was trying to make him anxious and destroy his will.

Though Wu Jiu could not see, after reverting to his human form, he could use the power of the Sequence again. The Sequence’s Heart Net made his perceptions even more acute than a normal person’s.

On his way back to the elevator entrance, Bai Wu noticed that the cage with the number 11-11 had opened.

A child covered in pustules, crowded together like caviar, stared at Bai Wu with wide eyes:

"Will you play with me?"

His appearance was truly horrifying. The densely packed pustules that resembled caviar caused an instinctive disgust and revulsion in those who saw them.

Especially since he was enveloped in a malicious aura, it gave his entire being a layer of malevolence.

Luckily, Wu Jiu could not see. Wu Jiu only sensed that aggressive "malevolence."

Wu Jiu did not draw his sword, remembering the words of Bai Wu.

Bai Wu, however, became tense for a moment.

Because the page had just mentioned that he and the captain might face a crisis, that the captain could be killed, and here appeared a monstrous creature conversing with him, its visage frightful.

But quickly, Bai Wu’s rationality prevailed.

"I’d love to play with you, but I’m looking for a little girl in a red dress who used to live in Building Four. Have you seen her?"

The ’caviar’ tilted its head, appearing to contemplate something very challenging, causing the pustules in its head to burst open, turning the top of its head into a gooey mess.

There was a murderous look in his eyes. Wu Jiu’s fingers lightly pushed the sword sheath open, a sharper killing intent emerging.

But Bai Wu still spoke calmly:

"She’s my sister, and I’m very worried about her. If you’ve seen her, please tell me. I believe... she’d be willing to play with you."

"I haven’t seen her. Won’t you play with me?" the ’caviar’ child surprisingly retracted back into the cage.

"Sorry, I really don’t have the time right now."

Bai Wu turned to leave.

Wu Jiu’s thumb slowly retracted, the sword sheath closing once again.

As Bai Wu prepared to leave, the child spoke again:

"She has no brother."

Bai Wu paused momentarily but ultimately offered no response and moved forward.

The two soon entered the elevator, ready to head to the top floor and then to Building Four.

The elevator slowly ascended.

With each floor they passed, they could hear the sounds made by the Evil Fallen.

Perhaps it was the chaotic rhythm of footsteps, or perhaps it was the strange noises emanating from their throats.

Wu Jiu felt something odd:

"I thought the Evil Fallen here would attack us."

Bai Wu shook his head:

"They indeed plan to attack us. Maybe they’re trying hard to restrain themselves."

"Restrain?"

Actually, as the elevator rose past each floor, Bai Wu could sense the presence of those Evil Fallen.

They were all enveloped in resentment, yet starkly different.

These Evil Fallen seemed to bear hostility towards themselves and their captain, but ultimately, they did not become assassins.

Perhaps it was because they were on their way to an even more dangerous place?

"Speaking of which, that Evil Fallen we met earlier, his words reminded me of the first time we explored outside the tower."

The elevator stopped, and in the top-floor building, there had originally been six security guards turned into Evil Fallen.

But this level was desolate.

"Back then, we all heard ’Do you come to play with me? Come, play with me,’ and similar phrases. It was the voice of a young girl," Wu Jiu said.

Bai Wu nodded:

"Yes, Hong Yin was very lonely. At that time, she suppressed her own resentment. When we arrived, due to emotional fluctuations, she sensed us. With powerful resentment, she played a game with us."

"A game?" Wu Jiu didn’t see it that way.

Of course, to him, it indeed was a game. But for Lin Wurou, Wang Shi, Yin Shuang, Xiaoyi, and the others at that time, it was potentially lethal.

Bai Wu, however, had managed to avoid everything at that moment.

"She was very lonely. Being tormented into that state alone, and having absorbed so much pain and grudge from others, she had already lost the human form. She turned into something like a balloon... a conglomeration of evil thoughts."

"But deep inside, Hong Yin wasn’t completely eroded. Very often, she would return to her kinder self."

"Actually, back then, my main concern was survival. I don’t feel fear, I don’t feel sadness or anger; I can only pretend to empathize, to sympathize with her plight."

On the bridge connecting to the second building, there were only the torn remnants of the security guards’ uniforms.

As Bai Wu and Wu Jiu walked slowly forward, Wu Jiu always felt there was another meaning in Bai Wu’s words.

"Later, I still encountered Hong Yin face-to-face in a grudge-filled spiritual barrier, but at that time, you and the others didn’t know."

Wu Jiu hadn’t heard Bai Wu mention it before. Had it not been for the fight against Zhong Xu, and the battle to defend Baichuan City, he wouldn’t have even known about the kind of relationship that existed between Hong Yin and Bai Wu:

"It seems she didn’t harm you?"

"She didn’t. Because I told her I wasn’t afraid of her and was willing to take her away, she missed her grandmother a lot, and wanted to know what the outside world was like."

Wu Jiu fell silent for a while before saying:

"She’s a good girl. Have you ever thought that, one day... when the world becomes normal again, and all Evil Fallen turn back into humans... you and her, them..."

The word "them" following "her" made Bai Wu’s index finger tremble.

"Captain, what’s wrong with you?"

"I just feel that there really will be such a day. Speaking of which, you and the Yan Family’s young lady..."

"Stop right there. You and the boss lady haven’t sealed the deal either, have you? Yet you two are acknowledged by everyone as a couple."

Wu Jiu stopped.

Both exchanged bitter smiles.

In such a world, who dares to make promises to their other half?

As for that untwisted, ideal world...

It was better to wait until the ideal truly became reality before considering it.

"The greatest respect for the future is to dedicate everything to the present," Wu Jiu concluded.

Bai Wu couldn’t help saying, the boss lady was such a tall and stunning beauty, her affection for a guy a head shorter than her, Dwarf, was certainly not without reason.

From beneath the second building came the sounds of numerous Evil Fallen violently battling each other.

With their exceptional hearing, Bai Wu and Wu Jiu could make out some strange conversations:

"Still not happy, huh... Well then, go for it. I’ve been letting you win."

"I must defeat you! I must defeat you!"

"Alright, alright, I’m trying to let you win, aren’t I? Come on, tear me apart, devour me... Try hard to turn my power into yours."

"Why don’t you come? You really are a little brat. I’ve already apologized to you, haven’t I? And I’m compensating you, right?"

The conversation sounded incredibly sarcastic no matter how one heard it.

Bai Wu didn’t recognize either of the two voices, but something in his heart stirred.

[Wu Jiu planned to go down and check it out.]

The pages of a yellowed book read so.

"Shall we go have a look?" Wu Jiu suggested.

Bai Wu shook his head:

"There’s nothing worth seeing. The entire second building has no valuable clues. Let’s head straight to the fourth building."

"Are you sure we shouldn’t take a look?"

[Wu Jiu insisted on checking it out.]

Bai Wu looked at Wu Jiu calmly, and although Wu Jiu could not see, he felt as if he could discern Bai Wu’s gaze.

"Good, don’t look, you just need to make the decisions."

Wu Jiu was a bit puzzled, knowing that he shouldn’t question Bai Wu.

Bai Wu breathed a sigh of relief internally, guessing who was below but not wanting any complications.

But just when he thought they should head to the third building, a change occurred.

[Wu Jiu ignored Bai Wu’s thoughts and still decided to go down.]

Seeing this, Bai Wu felt a sense of despair within him. Was the World Will forcefully controlling the team leader?

But why hadn’t the team leader moved?

[He swore, right now, he really, resolutely, especially wanted to go down... okay, he won, he decided to listen to Bai Wu.]

From dismay to relief, Bai Wu was thoroughly confused.

"Team leader, you..."

"Is there a problem?"

"No... There’s no problem. Let’s keep going."

Bai Wu was extremely shocked.

He had seen how his own words had been twisted, with Wu Jiu still hearing the content from the yellowed pages.

He had witnessed the World Will changing the rules, blinding Wu Jiu on a whim, as if it could erase them without a trace.

He had even seen the team leader’s actions being directly altered, their knife suddenly dropping to the ground.

Up until now, Bai Wu felt a profound dread of the page hanging above them.

He feared what torturous text might be written upon it.

But just now, he had a sudden realization...

The yellowed page could not change some of the most fundamental settings.

There’s a saying:

When a creator gives enough experiences to his characters, letting them form a certain persona and character —

They have, to a certain extent, broken free from the shackles of the creator.

The creator can only arrange various contradictions and conflicts, but the characters’ reactions under those circumstances are beyond the creator’s control.

That is the case right now.

The yellowed page can decide many things, can determine what kind of monsters the team leader encounters, what negative states —

But it can’t decide how the team leader will judge those situations after encountering them.

Bai Wu suddenly felt that bringing the team leader along was truly the right decision.

This Dwarf is unbelievably strong.

[But what’s the use? In this world, their will is the only thing that belongs to them, but can will change the upcoming predicaments?]

Can will change the upcoming predicaments?

Bai Wu didn’t know.

All he knew was that just now, the team leader had displayed a powerful ability to defy fate.

He could always trust this person.

...

The third building, the archive room.

It was here that Bai Wu first encountered Hong Yin, and by looking through the archives, was pulled into a world constructed of spiritual power by Hong Yin.

Now, with Wu Jiu standing guard outside, Bai Wu prepared inside to try and contact Hong Yin just as he had done back then.

He found that same archive.

The moment he opened it, a strong wave of resentment swept over him, enveloping Bai Wu.

The intense resentment was like a barrier, and by the time Wu Jiu noticed, a phantom had appeared before him.

A phantom that looked exactly like him.

"You have come to a place you should not have. I do not like you, for you are as tall as me."

The voice was also Wu Jiu’s.

"But I do not dislike you."

Wu Jiu surmised that Bai Wu had already made contact with Hong Yin, and the phantom currently facing him was Hong Yin’s signature ability, "Grudge Manifestation."

This meant that Hong Yin had become aware of Bai Wu and himself.

Another consciousness of Hong Yin was perhaps conversing with Bai Wu at this moment, while Wu Jiu was facing a different consciousness.

The Grudge Manifestation of Wu Jiu unsheathed his sword in an instant, moving like thunder, and streaked a black trail of resentment.

Wu Jiu then directly employed Instant Shadow, appearing not far behind the resentment avatar.

"I won’t lay a hand on you," he said.

"You will! All of you are the same! You’ve wanted to draw your sword several times before, haven’t you? Come on, don’t hold back! Kill me!"

Is this Hong Yin?

Wu Jiu was somewhat puzzled.

He had seen Hong Yin a few times and always felt she was a quiet girl who only had eyes for Bai Wu, not for anyone else.

But the current Hong Yin seemed a bit deranged.

Throughout the process of Wu Jiu’s strong influence on Bai Wu, Bai Wu’s various habits had also influenced Wu Jiu.

If it were before, Wu Jiu would indeed have taken direct action.

But since entering this hospital, Wu Jiu noticed that Bai Wu had not made a move.

Even emphasizing several times not to act rashly.

Wu Jiu wasn’t stupid; he knew Bai Wu was a person of decisive action.

If Bai Wu refrained from taking action, there must be a reason.

When Wu Jiu tried to think like Bai Wu, the world often presented itself differently to him.

As the two figures chased and flashed, Wu Jiu’s thoughts raced even faster than their movement.

"Since seeing Ding Jiu, Bai Wu had discovered something..."

"All the patients in this hospital are actually Grudge Manifestations."

"In the Ninth Hospital, there were only two people, one was Elijah, who Bai Wu verbally coerced into suicide, and the other was Hong Yin."

"And Hong Yin was saying to us at the time, ’Did you come to play with me?’"

"It was with this conviction that Bai Wu deduced that all these patients were actually Hong Yin."

"The kid with a head full of pustules was also an incarnation of Hong Yin."

"Bai Wu insisted on not taking any action to leave a good impression on Hong Yin..."

"Ah, in that case, the reason Bai Wu didn’t go down to the second building was also to avoid conflict with Elijah."

Wu Jiu was fast, although the Grudge Manifestation of Wu Jiu was just as swift. However, in this high-speed battle, Hong Yin was clearly not as skilled as Wu Jiu.

Wu Jiu had gradually arrived at the correct answer.

In the second building, there was only Elijah.

Elijah was a disciple of Cain, regarding Cain as a god.

To fulfill Cain’s wish and become the most powerful monster in the hospital, Elijah had a fight with Hong Yin that resulted in Elijah becoming withdrawn.

This was the story of the previous version of the Ninth Psychiatric Hospital.

But in this Well World version, Hong Yin, out of boredom, seemed to also be intentionally nurturing Elijah.

Hence the above conversation.

Hong Yin said she was trying to make it up to Elijah.

And Elijah, having absorbed too much resentment, had become even more like a monster.

When Hong Yin performed Grudge Manifestation, her voice would also change to that of the target of the manifestation.

"So the voices Bai Wu heard were actually the conversation between Elijah and Hong Yin in the second building."

"Bai Wu had already deduced all this and, through these events, surmised that Hong Yin actually... still had her humanity."

A smile appeared on Wu Jiu’s face. Although Bai Wu had several emotional fluctuations along the way, Bai Wu was still Bai Wu.

The Grudge Manifestation of Wu Jiu looked venomously at the real Wu Jiu:

"What are you smiling about?"

I’m smiling because whether it’s the real-world you or the Well World you, Bai Wu seems to have a way of winning you over.

Wu Jiu did not voice this thought, just thought it to himself.

Bai Wu didn’t act from the very beginning... the purpose was to repeat the old trick, to elicit Hong Yin’s favor. By now, Bai Wu must have accomplished quite a few things in the archives room.

But this time it was different from before.

Before, Bai Wu acted in order to survive, with a bit of bluffing involved.

But now, in Bai Wu’s heart, Hong Yin was a very important person, someone worth Bai Wu’s redemption.

And Hong Yin might bring some crucial information for Bai Wu.

"I’m smiling because, although the world has become more distorted, you are still you, Hong Yin."