Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 305 - 284 Dong Che Evil3

Chapter 305: 284 Dong Che Evil3

At this moment, Dong Che was in a state where he could neither stay silent nor lie.

Once he forcibly chose to remain silent or lie, his heart would explode. Considering that he might not be human, even if the biological weakness of the heart region were damaged, he might not die; some demon hunters seem to have a similar kind of undying nature, so it’s hard to judge whether the real Dong Che belongs to that type. However, whether he lives or dies next, as long as there are signs of his heart bursting, I would be able to judge whether he is the real Dong Che.

Originally, I probably should have asked him to lead the way to Ancient Moon Village first, and then settle the suspicion issue with him, but I thought it was even more important to confirm this matter first.

Dong Che seemed to realize his predicament and might even sense the murderous intent I harbored without acting. He did not resist Mazao’s heart-grasp and declared with absolute certainty, "I am Dong Che, a human being.

"I have not been substituted by anyone, or any bizarre creature, nor have I ever substituted for anyone else. I am myself."

Upon receiving this reply, I first looked at Mazao.

And she seemed to feel the heart she held carefully, then nodded at me and said, "He’s not lying."

This answer almost seemed to suggest that all my previous suspicions were merely my own illusions and misunderstandings.

Could it be that this Dong Che somehow withstood the lie detection of the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring by some means? The possibility is extremely low. Not that Dong Che definitely doesn’t have a way to counter the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring, but to pull it off right under Mazao’s and my noses without us capturing any hint of abnormality would be nearly an impossible task.

If it were Yinyue herself, claiming she could achieve this would be quite persuasive; however, my suspicion as to "whether Dong Che is disguised by Yinyue" increasingly seems unlikely.

I do not doubt my own intuition; the non-human aura from Dong Che is genuine. At the same time, I also tentatively believe in Dong Che’s testimony as true. Thus, the problem likely lies in some of the preliminary conditions. Some seemingly logical conclusions that serve as the foundation for reasoning are likely mistaken.

Reasoning... Just thinking of the word, I can’t help but feel a bit humorous. Many mystery stories strictly prohibit the appearance of magic and superpowers because that disrupts the fairness of the detective game. And yet the abnormal event I’m facing involves Yinyue, a being that can whimsically alter time, space, and established facts.

Faced with such an exceptional monster, how much can human wisdom actually accomplish?

We temporarily concluded the questioning, and Mazao, standing behind Dong Che, withdrew her hand. The Black Rope Heart-locking Ring on her left middle finger once again reverted to its appearance marked by scorch damage.

Mazao is unable to fully repair the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring.

She had explained this to me during a leisure moment. While she can fully repair the Fake Water Moon, she encountered a minor setback with the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring. Perhaps it was because my power had not truly awakened when I destroyed the Fake Water Moon, contrary to when the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring was damaged.

At present, I have actually moved half a step beyond the Great Success Rank. Hence, Mazao, at her prime being at most Great Success Rank, cannot use the Power of Return to completely reverse the fact that "the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring was destroyed by me." Even if she manages a forced reversal, the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring will revert back to its scorched state after her Mana recedes.

Fortunately, as the Black Rope Heart-locking Ring serves as an "active skill item," it’s sufficient that it can revert to its original form when necessary. Its current appearance isn’t really a problem, though it looks a bit unsightly. And Mazao seems to attach great importance to this ring, constantly wearing it on her left middle finger and refusing to take it off.

Dong Che touched his heart area, then asked me, "Elder Zhuang Cheng... I might already be dead, right?

"The reason you suspect me of being an abnormal creature might not be because I am truly not human, but because I might be a corpse that has been walking unaware that it has been dead for a long time... At least, I might not be a ’living person,’ and so you directly judged me as not human... Is that it?"

He analyzed his own situation as if discussing someone else’s, and to my surprise, I said, "You seem quite calm. Aren’t you afraid that you’re really dead?"

"Cases similar to this are not rare in the documentation of Luo Mountain," he said. "Victims who died in bizarre incidents reappear by accident, forgetting that they have died. They seem to be alive, interacting with people at the site of the incident, but unknowingly they become a servant ghost at the heart of the event..."

"Although I have no recollection of encountering specific enemies and dangers in the fog, nor do I feel that I died... But, Elder Zhuang Cheng, I will not take your judgment lightly. Since you insist that I am not human, then there must be corresponding evidence. And the only explanation for the current situation is the conjecture that I have already died."

He actually believed in my outsider’s conclusion to this extent, making me feel somewhat unexpectedly flattered.

From his perspective, it seemed as if he was sentenced to death without any mental preparation—a description that’s still far too generous. It’s as though his death sentence had already been executed, and he no longer had any chance to dodge the bullet. Such unpredictability of life and death.

However, if what he said was true, such absurdities are not uncommon in the abnormal world; perhaps "being forever ready for the absurd" is a quality that a qualified demon hunter must possess.

For the first time, I deeply realized that Dong Che was indeed a Luo Mountain "Evil" of achieved level.

"If that’s the case, what do you plan to do going forward?" I asked curiously.

"Take it one step at a time," replied Dong Che. "After all, I can still think right now. In other words, whether I am alive or dead, at least my soul remains on this land.

"Of course, you might also think that my so-called thinking is false, that a puppet master behind the scenes is manipulating my mouth, creating this dialogue... But I hope you’ll believe me for now."

"Okay, I’ll believe you for the time being."

His indifference to life and death had touched me, and I looked at this seemingly naive young man with new respect.

"Let’s then answer the question you just asked about whether you might already be dead," I said. "I can’t tell if you are dead or not. Although I’ve seen your obituary, it disappeared immediately. Perhaps you’re in some kind of ’undetermined’ state.

"At the very least, the impression of the monster I feel from you is closer to that of a demon like Yinyue, rather than a ’walking corpse’."

I consciously spoke with optimism. When I talked with him at night at the Fufeng Base, I really saw the look of death on his face, which faded when I verbally dismissed it. If my words really have a mystical power, then perhaps now just by speaking some auspicious words to him, the situation may take a turn for the better.

"Is that so... Perhaps the situation hasn’t gotten to its worst yet?" Dong Che also showed a hint of optimism.

"Then please continue to guide us," I said.

"I understand." He nodded.

We moved further into the dense fog. With his guidance, and the reinforcement of Mazao’s Power of Return, the white fog around us seemed to become even denser. This might be evidence that we were indeed delving deeper into the fog.

After about fifteen minutes, vague shadows loomed ahead, looking like low buildings.

We drew closer for inspection. The shadows indeed belonged to buildings—low houses constructed of mud bricks, wood, and thatch. Judging by the number of houses within sight and the faint shadows in the distance, there were dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of these thatched cottages, densely and haphazardly built on the open ground of the forest.

Could this place be Ancient Moon Village? However, the shopkeeper and regulars of the Moon Concealing Mountain City mentioned that there should only be a few households left in Ancient Moon Village now... But on second thought, it made sense. Ancient Moon Village had only a few households left after the collective relocation of the villagers; there must still be numerous houses left from when there were many villagers in the mountains in the past.

I glanced at Dong Che, who nodded and affirmatively said, "This is Hu Family Village."

As he spoke, an old crone emerged from one of the nearby thatched houses. She saw us, took a closer look at Dong Che, and then turned to shout loudly into the village, "They’re back, they’re back!"

As her voice rang out, more figures emerged from the surrounding thatched houses. About a dozen villagers appeared, all elderly. Even the youngest looked middle-aged—at least that’s what I thought until a much younger person soon appeared.

Only this individual didn’t dress like a villager, but more like a mountaineer. A young man in his twenties wearing a black and green jacket, his face bearing the torment of anxiety and fear. Upon seeing Dong Che, he cried out excitedly and rushed our way, then hesitated as he noticed Mazao and me.

Dong Che saw him too and moved closer. Reflexively, I extended my arm and stopped Dong Che first.

These villagers, including the young man, all gave me the same impression as Dong Che.

None of them were human.

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