Chapter 328: Seeing Yan Zhichun

"What is this 'Hui Xiang'…?"

Chen Jun Nan tried to pull his right hand away from his neck, but it felt like it had become someone else's hand, completely out of his control.

"Guniang…" Chen Jun Nan gritted his teeth and said, "What do I have to do to make you believe I want to kill Di She?"

"What does it matter to me whether you kill Di She or not?" The girl in white smiled slightly. "Do you even know who I am?"

Chen Jun Nan thought this girl was being difficult. He hadn't been active in the Zhong Yan Zhi Di for many years, so how was he supposed to know which temple's bodhisattva she was?

"You should let go of me first…" Chen Jun Nan said, "I didn't want to kill you originally, but you're just inviting trouble for yourself."

"But killing you wouldn't cost me anything," the girl in white continued. "Anyway, you don't know who I am."

"Hold on… let me guess…" Chen Jun Nan felt his breathing getting difficult. "Let me guess who you are… okay?"

"Hah? Go ahead then."

"I've never heard of anyone's 'Hui Xiang' being able to directly control others, but I have heard of another situation."

"Oh?"

Chen Jun Nan forced a smile and chuckled, "Heh heh, if I'm not mistaken… you're probably using your own right hand to choke your neck right now, aren't you? You're just putting on an act—if you choke me to death, you won't fare any better yourself."

In the room, the girl in white, who was indeed choking her own neck with her right hand, froze for a moment.

"You force others to mimic your actions…" Chen Jun Nan felt his breathing easing up a bit, so he went on, "And the way you control it… I remember it has something to do with hearing your 'voice', right?"

The girl in white sensed something was off. She had always been cautious during her years in the Zhong Yan Zhi Di, making sure anyone who knew about her 'Hui Xiang' had to die. She also pretended to be an "unfortunate one" in front of all the 'Hui Xiang' users, which was the only way to hide her identity perfectly here.

But today, things didn't seem right.

This man appeared to know her ability.

Chen Jun Nan gradually regained control of his right hand, sensing that the girl's resolve was wavering.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Chen Jun Nan."

The girl pondered carefully. She always asked for her victims' names before killing them, but she had never heard of "Chen Jun Nan." Could she have overlooked someone?

Seeing the girl in white remain silent, Chen Jun Nan asked, "So, what should I call you, Dajie?"

The girl in white paused for a moment and said, "Yan Zhi Chun."

"Yan… Zhi… Chun…?"

Silence.

An eerily strange silence hung between the two of them.

"What's wrong…?" Yan Zhi Chun reached up and knocked on the ceiling. "Why aren't you saying anything? Do you know me?"

"Ah, I don't…" Chen Jun Nan furrowed his brow. "I don't think I know you… but it feels a bit odd…"

Chen Jun Nan was certain he had never seen this girl's face before, yet the name "Yan Zhi Chun" definitely rang a bell from somewhere.

But it had been so long ago that he couldn't recall.

"I'm curious too." Yan Zhi Chun said, "Chen Jun Nan, before today, you were the first person in the entire Zhong Yan Zhi Di to figure out my 'Hui Xiang'. Why didn't I kill you back then? And how did you know about my 'Hui Xiang'?"

Chen Jun Nan snapped back to attention and noticed the implication in Yan Zhi Chun's words, so he replied, "I think now's not the time to dwell on that, Chun Jie. Look, since you didn't kill me back then, that means I wasn't your target. Maybe a long time ago, we were even on the same team."

Yan Zhi Chun furrowed her brow, deep in thought. She wasn't just any ordinary person in the Zhong Yan Zhi Di and wouldn't easily believe Chen Jun Nan.

But…

"Chen Jun Nan, you're able to climb onto the ceiling, so you must have found the 'Bu Si Zhi Fa' in this game, right?"

"Of course, Chun Jie." Chen Jun Nan nodded. "It's not as advanced as yours, but I'm pretty clever myself."

"I've found that 'Bu Si Zhi Fa' too." Yan Zhi Chun said, "Even if you dropped an iron ball on my head, I wouldn't die."

"It's no surprise you found me." Chen Jun Nan replied, "I know you're smart, but this time, my target isn't you—it's Di She. After all, I've bet my life against that old thief, and I really want to take him down."

Yan Zhi Chun lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying, "In that case… I could help you out."

"Oh?" Chen Jun Nan instantly smiled. "You're like a living Lei Feng in the Zhong Yan Zhi Di. Do you need me to repay you in some way?"

Yan Zhi Chun smiled and nodded. "Of course… I need you to repay me for 'life after life'."

"What…?" Chen Jun Nan was slightly taken aback. "That's a heavy thing to say—life after life?"

"I want you to become a 'Ji Dao Zhe'." Yan Zhi Chun said, "From now on, swear to protect the Zhong Yan Zhi Di. 'Ji Dao Wan Sui' will be your entire creed, and for as long as you have memory, you must never allow anyone to collect three thousand six hundred 'Dao'."

"Hmm?" Chen Jun Nan felt his mind going blank. "'Ji Dao Zhe'… I think I heard that term somewhere the other day. Is that some new organization that's trending? Are you the 'Ji Dao Wang'?"

"I wouldn't dare claim to be the 'Ji Dao Wang'." Yan Zhi Chun replied, "I'm just one of many 'Ji Dao Zhe'. Our existence is to protect the Zhong Yan Zhi Di from being destroyed."

"Oh, I see."

"You don't sound surprised at all." Yan Zhi Chun said, "I thought you'd ask some meaningful questions. Aren't you curious why we want to protect this place?"

"I'm not curious about that." Chen Jun Nan suddenly flashed an sly grin. "I was never going to let anyone collect three thousand six hundred 'Dao' in the first place, not even someone I trust the most… I'd never allow it."

"Oh…?" Now it was Yan Zhi Chun's turn to be stunned. "You, you're…"

"It seems you 'Ji Dao Zhe' are quite interesting…" Chen Jun Nan relaxed and lay back on the ceiling. "Now I've remembered… that girl named Lin Geng, she's a 'Ji Dao Zhe' too."

"Lin Geng?" Yan Zhi Chun chuckled, as if she understood something. "So, you're one of Lin Geng's people?"

"I'd love to be hers, but I don't know if she'd want to be mine." Chen Jun Nan laughed. "I'm not anyone's person—I'm just one of the few who've figured out the true 'rules' of this godforsaken place. But I never imagined you 'Ji Dao Zhe' had the same goal as me."

"Did you also stumble upon the true 'rules' of this place by chance…?" Yan Zhi Chun paused before saying, "Then you're practically a natural-born 'Ji Dao Zhe'."