I Want to Live a Happy Life
The doll dealer is an immoral but very polite person with a poker face.
After being rejected, the businessman said nothing, gave Yu Xing the hotel room number for that night as agreed, and did not press the matter further, continuing to wait where he was.
His cart already had several Yu Xing brand dolls on it. Yu Xing counted them and realized that the deadline was approaching, but two people still hadn't submitted their dolls.
It seems some people won't be able to finish today's Yugi and will have to sleep on the streets.
His eyes flashed, and he silently glanced at Hua Subai, who seemed to know nothing.
Yu Xing couldn't be sure for a moment whether the other party had collected more than eighty dolls because of some kind of mental illness or collecting obsession, or whether it was to trick people into sleeping on the streets and test the consequences of being picked up by residents as offerings for tomorrow.
"What are you looking at me for? Let's go." Hua Subai smiled, his sleeves tucked in. Looking at that incredibly deceptive face, no one would guess what kind of heart lay beneath that exterior.
The four returned to the inn.
The journey was very smooth, without any unexpected incidents.
Pushing open the inn door again, with the inn's mission from the previous night as a foundation, the group was filled with regret when they saw the old innkeeper sitting gloomily in the lobby.
The shop owner showed kindness when he was young, but is now so lonely in his old age.
The hotel was still dimly lit, but it was no longer frightening to them.
Zhang Yu stepped forward and knocked on the counter. Once the old shopkeeper's gaze shifted from the storybook, his voice softened considerably. "Sir, would you like to stay here?"
The old man's cloudy eyes stared at them for a moment, as if he recognized them. "It's you guys again."
Practice makes perfect. The old man took their slips of paper, examined them closely by candlelight for a while, and then tossed them several room keys.
They walked down the back corridor, and as they turned the corner, they suddenly felt that there were many people around today.
The strategists who had obtained their rooms gathered in twos and threes, most of them with the doors open, discussing the hotel's safety.
Yu Xing arrived at her newly assigned room, opened the door with her key, and discovered that the layout inside was completely different from last night.
According to his recollection, this room should have been the room of the "two pharmacist brothers" last night. At that time, the room felt very divided, with the most comfortable living conditions in a difficult environment on one side and the bed with the lingering smell of medicine and a sense of despair on the other.
But now, the room is just like the original room, the one no one has ever lived in. Everything has been reset, leaving only the simplest furnishings such as the bed and desk.
In the empty room, the papers on the bed stood out conspicuously.
Yu Xing picked up the paper that hadn't appeared last night and glanced at it.
[Hotel Check-in Rules]
[1. You must wear red clothes to sleep at night.]
[2. You must be in bed by 10 PM, and do not open your eyes no matter what noises you hear.]
[3. If you hear someone talking at night, whatever they are saying, don't believe them; just go to sleep.]
[4. Do not visit other people's homes after 9 PM.]
[5. When the bell tolls seven times, open your eyes to welcome the arrival of the Snow Festival! Celebrate!]
There are five rules in total. Except for the fifth one, the first four are like commands that cannot be questioned.
Yu Xing chuckled softly.
If this is a dungeon of a supernatural tale based on rules, or if the power of the [book] is extremely strong, then you might as well listen to the contents of the paper.
But he already understood the worldview and had analyzed the contents of the curse of the divine tree in advance. When he looked at these rules, he felt that the intention was too easy to understand.
The first rule is to have the strategists sleep in ceremonial robes they made themselves. If they are unsure of the dangers of doing so and want to avoid the trap, they can only dye the robes red with blood, regardless of whose blood it is, as this will help create chaos.
Articles two, three, and four aim to divide and separate the diviners, block their communication channels, and create opportunities for the curse of the divine tree.
If someone unaware of the curse of the sacred tree were to follow these rules, they would likely believe that any attempt by their teammates to wake them from their distorted dream was a trick by a ghost.
Yu Xing to the advance warning, probably no one has fallen victim to the virus.
Yu Xing casually folded the paper and tossed it onto the table. Nine o'clock arrived quickly, and the deducers who had been discussing the rules in other people's rooms returned to their own rooms at the last minute, closed the doors, and made their preparations.
Yu Xing closed the door and then took a good look at the bloodstains on the back of her hand.
This is Zhang Yu's blood.
The curse in the blood grew increasingly agitated, displaying an excitement of impending doom.
A chilling sensation enveloped that area of skin, a temperature that would make an ordinary person shiver.
Yu Xing simply moved his fingers, and the meridians bulged and then subsided. He sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and felt the presence of the wooden plaque.
Since the curse of Zhang Yu was transferred, the connection with the wooden plaque naturally shifted to him as well. He immediately understood the wish that Zhang Yu had written on the wooden plaque and had a certain prediction about the false memories that the divine tree might create.
Come soon, sacred tree.
The sooner he arrives, the sooner he can resolve the issue, go to sleep earlier, and then face the final outcome tomorrow.
With that in mind, Yu Xing decisively changed into his festival attire—the only rule he intended to follow, because it was related to tomorrow's festival and might involve other strange and unusual regulations.
After changing his clothes, he lay down, closed his eyes, and fell asleep in one smooth motion, achieving the feat of going to bed an hour earlier than the rules.
In the middle of the night, Yu Xing was awakened by the cold sensation on the back of her hand.
He didn't open his eyes for a moment, knowing the curse had come.
Were any of his wishes fulfilled?
He must immediately find the false parts in his memory, otherwise the divine tree will come to collect the "price".
Of course, as he himself said, he didn't need to fight the cognitive distortion to the death. He could simply use his own curse power to directly suppress the pirated curse of the divine tree, and everything would be solved.
But Yu Xing just wanted to find some fun for the boring night.
Moreover, Qianjie's cognitive abilities will have to be faced eventually once she enters Yin Yang City, so let's just consider it a training exercise.
Fragments of memories were quickly filtered through Yu Xing's mind, with a focus on the emotional aspects.
Hmm... He does have feelings for certain people, but his memories of each interaction match up, so they shouldn't be distorted.
He is single.
He is not married.
He has no children or mothers he is obligated to take responsibility for.
Um...
So, in my memory, his life was still as happy as ever. His teammates were all his friends, his scripts were bought and made into movies, his paintings were priceless, his sculptures were full of life, and his life was as free as a bird in flight.
Etc.
So what about his hatred?
Yu Xing's temple throbbed, and in less than five seconds, she found the point of contention.
Wrong.
He was not a happy person.
He can only avoid harming his teammates by controlling himself; his script is designed to get closer to the investigation target; his paintings are dark and grotesque; his sculptures shatter in every dangerous and sorrowful memory.
His life is blessed with "eternal life".
Struggling like a prisoner.
The false memories were full of flaws, and Yu Xing opened her eyes in the darkness.
From the shadows, it seemed as if a snake's shadow suddenly darted out and disappeared.
It turns out that cognitive distortions prefer to completely change a person, and once the target is on guard, they will find another tricky angle to avoid the target's brain defenses.
I understand.
Yu Xing has learned something new.
The goal had been achieved, and the "price" hadn't even been collected from him before it became ineffective due to the shattering of his "wish".
The hidden shadow was about to leave; its silent blackness resembled both a snake and a twisted braid.
Yu Xing casually rolled his eyes, and black lines suddenly appeared.
A voice, tinged with amusement, drifted out. "Now that you're here, don't leave, little braided girl."