Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Mengmeng’s Dumbfounded Parents: These Are the Bodyguards You Hired?

It was incomprehensible.

Yun Zhenyue really couldn’t figure it out.

Gu Yuan had a pile of skill cards, yet he looked upon them with utter disdain. It was easy to imagine that he must possess even more powerful abilities of his own. However, as an Evil Star, he should only have a single Original Ghost Skill.

As for what that was exactly...

Yun Zhenyue had a faint inkling.

’Maybe Gu Yuan’s Ghost Skill has something to do with forced control?’

’Does everyone who hears his words have to obey?’

Or perhaps...

’Can he completely control the actions of the Nightmare Hunter members?’

"Forget it. What’s the point of thinking so much?"

"I’m exhausted..."

Yun Zhenyue took a deep breath.

She stopped dwelling on it.

Fatigue showed at the corners of her eyes, but her heart felt much more at ease.

’He’s my husband, anyway. The more mysterious, the better.’

Besides, as they spent more time together, she would eventually learn the truth bit by bit.

Right now, she had to find Mengmeng’s parents first.

Once they were found, this mission could be considered a complete success.

Even though she had only been in the mall for two or three days, the series of events she’d experienced made it feel like a whole year had passed. It had been so long; she desperately wanted to go home.

...

At that moment, although the Meng Ghost was dead, the dreamscape he had constructed had not collapsed.

In fact, because the Meng Ghost’s Dream Catcher—the source that twisted everything into nightmares—had dissipated, the Dream World was gradually transforming into an ordinary dream.

The crayon sun hanging high in the sky slowly revealed a smiling face.

Paper copper coins transformed into delicious candies, and with every few steps forward, honey-sweet treats would appear.

The giant baby shrank and returned to the embrace of the mother tree, drifting sweetly into slumber.

Only the flock of clueless crows remained, still staring wide-eyed at the group.

Mengmeng’s pupils constricted. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling her eyes. Her delicate eyelashes trembled, and her heart pounded as she stared at the flip phone in Yun Zhenyue’s hand.

She had thought that after the Meng Ghost used its Ghost Skill,

they would be plunged into a situation of extreme danger!

Who would have thought that Yue would solve everything with just a phone call?

So...

the person on the other end of the line was the Venerable Lord of the Nightmare Hunters?

Although she was already shocked by Yun Zhenyue’s identity,

for her to so casually resolve what Mengmeng had considered a hopeless situation... this was too...

too absurd!

Even if all the ghosts of the Fierce Ghost Mall gathered together, they would likely have fallen in this bizarre nightmare-scape!

But had they encountered even a hint of danger along the way?

’It’s all over, just like that, with a bit of talking and laughing?’

That phone is amazing, too. It can even make calls inside a dream.

’If only I had one.’

Mengmeng’s lips parted, but no sound came out.

Only her dazed eyes could convey her shock.

Beside them, Yu Honghui’s expression was calm.

His silver-white eyebrows didn’t even twitch.

It was as if everything he had just witnessed was perfectly natural.

The rest of the Nightmare Hunter members, however, were dumbfounded!

This was the first time they had seen Gu Yuan take action!

No, wait!

More like, the first time they’d heard him take action with his mouth!

Yu was right after all. This really was the simpler way!

It’s just that...

wasn’t it a little too simple?

What was the difference between this and using a warp pipe in Super Mario to skip levels?

But on second thought, it felt perfectly right!

A mere Evil Star!

It wasn’t a Great Evil!

If the Venerable Lord had to personally intervene, it would be beneath his station!

Condemning a high-level Evil Star to death with a single sentence—that was how it should be!

...

「Meanwhile.」

The Dragon Country audience was completely bewildered.

’It’s over just like that?’

’The Meng Ghost, who seemed so badass before!’

’All that talk of three thousand nightmares and Paradise!’

’He was a classic, behind-the-scenes, final boss!’

’What happened?’

’How did he really get killed by a phone call?!’

’That’s so lame!’

[Uh, I just went to get a glass of water. Where did the Meng Ghost go?]

At this moment, a bewildered comment suddenly appeared on the bullet-screen.

Immediately, a large group of bored-out-of-their-minds netizens started making things up.

[Ayy, bro, you missed the best part! I’m not kidding, Gu Yuan just made his move!]

[Yeah, Gu Yuan just flashed in and cleaved the Meng Ghost in two with one sword strike!]

[He had dozens of Great Evil-level ghosts from the Nightmare Hunters with him! They entered the dream, and the whole world trembled!]

[Then, with a wave of his hand, he reversed time, threw causality into chaos, and erased the Meng Ghost’s very existence with a single thought!]

[Too bad you missed it. Man, it was beyond epic!]

Seeing these comments, the netizen who went to get water was kicking himself!

[Holy crap, for real? Don’t mess with me, guys. I’ll regret not seeing it with my own eyes for the rest of my life!]

...

At that very moment.

[Ding! It has been detected that Yun Zhenyue has become the owner of the mall. The Fierce Ghost Mall has become a Dragon Country-friendly instance!]

[All Dragon Country players may now safely enter the Fierce Ghost Mall to purchase goods!]

[Those who own a shop in the Fierce Ghost Mall may now choose to enter the Fierce Ghost Mall directly in the future!]

Just as Yun Zhenyue and the Nightmare Hunter members were searching for Mengmeng’s parents,

the system notifications popped up out of nowhere.

"I’m the owner now?"

Yun Zhenyue murmured in confusion.

’I don’t even know how to manage subordinates. This is just ridiculous!’

’Maybe I should give this position to someone else?’

But just then,

a cry of alarm interrupted her troubled thoughts.

"Dad, Mom!" Mengmeng yelled anxiously.

’She found them?’

Yun Zhenyue’s gaze shifted toward the source of the voice.

Sure enough!

On a lounge chair in a corner of the park, she spotted Mengmeng’s parents.

But Yun Zhenyue quickly realized something was wrong!

She hurried over.

Mengmeng’s parents had their eyes tightly shut.

Their bodies were covered in extensive burn marks, their skin charred black. This must have been their original condition.

But having been trapped in the dream for so long, their consciousness was on the verge of dissipating.

They were on the brink of death!

Even with Mengmeng shouting frantically in front of them, they couldn’t be woken.

Mengmeng was sweating with anxiety, on the verge of tears.

Just then, Yu Honghui took a blood-red pill from his pocket and said in a low voice, "Use this. It’s a Soul Reviving Elixir. It can heal injuries. I exchanged for it a while ago and have been saving it."

"HISS~"

One of the Nightmare Hunter members sucked in a sharp breath.

"Yu, that Soul Reviving Elixir costs a ton of contribution points! It can instantly heal any injury, bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on bones. For you to..."

He didn’t dare say the next few words.

’Using it on Fierce Ghosts is such a waste!’

Besides, there was only one!

The Soul Reviving Elixir couldn’t be broken in half, or its potency would instantly diminish.

"It’s fine. This is just the lowest-tier reward you can exchange for in the organization. I no longer have a need for it."

"However, I only have one. You’ll have to think carefully about who to give it to."

Yu Honghui shook his head and handed the Soul Reviving Elixir to a distraught Mengmeng.

"I..."

Mengmeng’s hand trembled as she clutched the pill.

Her mind was in utter turmoil.

’Her parents... she could only save one of them?’

How could she possibly make such a choice?

She couldn’t bear to lose either of them.

Just as Mengmeng was at a complete loss,

BUZZ!

Yun Zhenyue secretly used her Purifying Hand.

She placed her palms on their heads, and a warm, healing white light appeared!

In just a few breaths!

The corrosive damage to Mengmeng’s parents was healed.

Even the charred, burned marks on their bodies completely vanished!

’A piece of cake!’

’Nothing to it~’

Feeling a little proud of herself, Yun Zhenyue turned, patted the side of Mengmeng’s shoulder, and said casually,

"What are you standing there in a daze for?"

"They’re both awake now. You don’t need that elixir."

The Nightmare Hunter members stared at Yun Zhenyue in shock.

’The Soul Reviving Elixir could barely heal them!’

’And all she had to do was touch their heads?’

’As expected!’

’Truly worthy of being the Venerable Lord’s wife!’

’Her methods are beyond our imagination!’

Mengmeng: "?"

She was bewildered.

’Didn’t they say I could only save one?’

Mengmeng immediately turned her head and saw her parents, now awake. They seemed a little afraid of the Nightmare Hunter members, looking at her with complicated expressions.

That’s when she suddenly remembered!

It seemed that every time Yue patted her head, she would feel very comfortable!

And her previous injuries would heal too!

Could it be—

that Yue had done all this?

"Meng... Mengmeng?"

"You guys are—"

The two ghosts shrank back, asking timidly.

"Mom! Dad!!"

Seeing them, Mengmeng ran over and hugged them tightly. All the fear and grievances that had been weighing on her heart instantly melted away, and she burst into tears, "SOB SOB SOB."

The Nightmare Hunter members to the side turned their heads away,

giving the family of three some time.

Once the three of them had calmed down, Yun Zhenyue finally answered the parents’ question.

She chuckled and made a joke.

"We’re the bodyguards your daughter hired."

Hearing this, Mengmeng’s parents were stunned!

’You can hire bodyguards in the Ghost World?’

From the looks of it, they had clearly slaughtered that terrifying Meng Ghost!

They were obviously a group of Evil Stars!

’You call these bodyguards?’

’They’re way too competent!!’

But then, a terrifying thought occurred to Mengmeng’s parents.

’Wait a minute!’

’This is a group of Evil Stars!’

’How much would it cost to hire them?!’

’We probably couldn’t afford it even if we sold our shop!’