You Died Again

What the hell?

I hadn't even looked at what the mission was yet.

And I was already dead?

Looking at the two options before me: [Start Over] [Exit Secret History].

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth.

"Again!"

The world plunged into darkness once more.

But this time, there was no cutscene.

While waiting for the load, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but ponder exactly where things had gone wrong.

Why did Yang Lian suddenly want to kill him?

He clearly hadn't done anything yet.

No! That wasn't it!

Staring into the darkness, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized.

"It was the cutscene!"

Through the cutscene, he had known Yang Lian's identity in advance! The man who had stolen the skull of Emperor Lizong of Song!

That was precisely why he had chosen to kill him without a moment's hesitation.

Because his reaction hadn't been that of someone meeting the man for the first time.

"Dog shit... what kind of world is this!"

"Can he just kill people at will based on mere suspicion?"

"In this world, the lives of the common people... are truly worth less than pigs or dogs!"

Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes again; this time, it was still the familiar mountain path.

However, unlike the willow trees on both sides of the path in his memory, these were planted with locust trees, said to have the power to summon spirits and ghosts.

Thus, the atmosphere felt eerie and sinister.

"This humble monk, Yang Lian, has come to pay a visit to the mountain under the orders of Master Guangfa of Wuxiang Zunneng Temple."

The Western Regions monk before him still wore that same insincere, mocking expression.

This time, Zhu Yuanzhang kept his face taut.

Without a word, he nodded at Yang Lian, turned around, and led the monk through the mountain gate toward the Mahavira Hall, following the memory of his previous life.

Success.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt the monk's sticky, almost tangible gaze fixed on his back, and thought to himself.

I survived!

No... this is only the beginning.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the black system prompt appearing before him and thought.

[Secret History: Yinglong Temple (Imperial Awakening Temple)]

[Prophecy: The horse treads the northern gate, the dog howls in the west. When the numbers eight and nine reach their end, the sun and moon lose their light.]

[Act I: The Remains of the Song Emperor]

[Mission Objective: Survive the night]

[Reward: Permanently fix one skill]

"Hm?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped in his tracks.

Behind him, Yang Lianzhenjia stopped at the same time.

Zhu Yuanzhang could feel the man's scrutinizing gaze upon him.

However, knowing that he could start over, Zhu Yuanzhang felt little fear of death.

Skills? Does that mean I have a character panel?

Zhu Yuanzhang focused his mind.

[Name: Zhu Yuanzhang (Minghe Monk)]

[Profession: Investigator, Imperial Awakening Temple Monk (Fake)]

[Status: Ill-fated, a man on the verge of death]

[Skill: Great Wisdom Zen Technique (Fake)]

[Equipment: None]

[Note: Today's tribulation! There is no escape!]

"6"

Looking at the system that seemed desperate to tell Zhu Yuanzhang: You are fucking dead today.

Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth twitched slightly.

"Why do you not enter the hall, little monk?"

Behind him, the voice of Yang Lian came again.

He had grown suspicious.

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes and pressed his palms together, standing before the gate of the Mahavira Hall as if he had heard nothing at all.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt the eyes watching him from behind shift from doubt and confusion to growing impatience.

Yet, compared to outside the mountain, he was clearly taking more time to consider before killing Zhu Yuanzhang this time.

From the corner of his eye, Zhu Yuanzhang could see countless blood-red insects crawling past his feet.

Behind him came the sound of rustling, like things falling in clusters.

It was as if these insects were dropping off Yang Lian's own body.

These insects swarmed around Zhu Yuanzhang, crawling onto his trousers and sliding across his skin.

The cold, slimy sensation made Zhu Yuanzhang nearly vomit.

"Minghe, why have you not yet invited Master Yang Lianzhenjia to enter?"

Just as the insects were preparing to bite through Zhu Yuanzhang's skin and burrow into his flesh for a feast.

A voice drifted out from the pitch-black Mahavira Hall, illuminated only by dim candlelight.

"This disciple obeys."

Zhu Yuanzhang pressed his palms together and replied calmly.

The blood-red insects receded like a retreating tide, sliding off his body and returning to the Hu monk Yang Lian.

Zhu Yuanzhang could see that every place on his legs where the red insects had crawled was now marked with streaks of blood.

As Zhu Yuanzhang stepped aside to clear the path.

The Tibetan Hu monk known as Yang Lianzhenjia narrowed his eyes slightly, twirled the chicken-blood red prayer beads in his hand, and spoke loudly toward the dim Mahavira Hall.

"By the order of Imperial Preceptor Phagpa, I have come to request the monks of Yinglong Temple to cast a horoscope for the Imperial Heir of the Great Yuan."

Silence reigned.

Beads of cold sweat seeped from Zhu Yuanzhang's forehead.

He looked at the mission objective on his panel: Survive the night.

Damn it, looking at this posture, are they going to have a bloody showdown?

I don't even know how to play this game yet!

However, seeing Yang Lianzhenjia's calm and composed expression, it didn't seem like it.

If Imperial Awakening Temple truly intended to clash with Yang Lianzhenjia, given the suspicious and ruthless nature this Hu monk had displayed, it was impossible for them to have no reaction at all.

A full minute passed.

Only then did a response come from within the Mahavira Hall.

"This humble temple has been awaiting the envoy for a long time."

The voice was thick and deep, like a vast, endless black ocean.

In an instant, Zhu Yuanzhang felt as if he saw surging, monstrous waves crashing against the reefs.

No! It's not an illusion!

Feeling the briny, bitter scent of seawater hitting his face.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression shifted slightly.

"What kind of place is this, really?"

A candle lamp moved from far to near, emerging from the depths of the Mahavira Hall.

This is True Fire.

A sudden realization dawned in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

The temple had been hung with dim lights everywhere, yet not a single one could illuminate the faces of the Buddha statues.

Only this beam of candlelight could pierce through the "false light," allowing the Three Jewels to be blessed with radiance... wait, where was the person holding the lamp?

The light of the lamp was so dazzling that it actually obscured the mortal flesh and blood.

"Envoy, please enter the precious lamp to converse."

The monk walked to within three steps of Zhu Yuanzhang, and only then did Zhu Yuanzhang see the face of the old monk reflected beneath the candlelight.

He wore a patchwork robe made of various scraps of cloth, and his beard was pure white.

Yet his skin was delicate and smooth, as flawless as an infant's.

However, he possessed a pair of deep, profound eyes that seemed capable of piercing through all the affairs of the mortal world.

At this moment, he was using a gaze of absolute calmness to look Zhu Yuanzhang up and down.

As Zhu Yuanzhang cast his gaze upon this monk, the words [Yinglong Temple (Imperial Awakening Temple) High Master Mingguang] appeared prominently above his head.

Hm?

This system actually has this function?

Because he had died too quickly during his first encounter with Yang Lianzhenjia, Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't waited for the identity bar to expand before he had to restart.

Moreover, thinking back on it now, Zhu Yuanzhang realized that staying silent was truly the only way to survive that first meeting.

For Yang Lianzhenjia was not a Han name, but that of the Tibetan monk Yang Lianzhenjia.

Even that so-called High Master Guangfa was likely a fake!

Damn it! That Tibetan demon monk!

Not a single word out of his mouth was the truth!

"I have come under the orders of the State Preceptor, Lord Phagpa."

For some reason, the moment Yang Lianzhenjia saw the monk, his right arm hung unnaturally at his side, shedding countless blood-worms as he grew faintly guarded.

"It is all just a matter of fate..."

High Master Mingguang spoke leisurely, his gaze shifting from Yang Lianzhenjia to Zhu Yuanzhang.

In the pupils of Mingguang, Zhu Yuanzhang saw himself.

He was surrounded by boundless, precious light.

In an instant, it felt as if he were being stared at by some kind of wild beast.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

However, before he could lower his head to avoid looking at the lamp in Mingguang's hand, blood-red text rose before his eyes once more.

[You have died]

"Damn! This trash simulator!"