Chapter 539: Second Personality

Within the small world of the White Cave, a figure traveling at the speed of light was nearly breaking the sound barrier. Even as it streaked past numerous white skeletons, the figure vanished before the White Cave creatures below could react.

He had been running for a good half-day. Only after feeling he had completely escaped the red-clad ghost beast did Xu Xiaoshou finally calm down a bit, slowing his pace and finding a hidden spot to conceal himself.

“Xu Xiaoshou, what happened? Are you scared?” Mu Zixi, her face flushed, hopped out of her senior brother's arms. If she could, she actually wished her senior brother's panic would last for a few… more days.

“Scared?” Xu Xiaoshou scoffed, breathing heavily: “Do I, Xu Xiaoshou, look like someone who gets scared?”

Mu Zixi was speechless. The way you’re acting, it’s like you’ve seen a ghost, even more so than encountering Master himself. And you say you’re not scared?

“Heh heh.”“Passive value increased by 1 for being questioned.”“Passive value increased by 1 for being mocked.”

Xu Xiaoshou glared fiercely at his junior sister and said no more. Even after flying such a long distance, he still couldn't truly stabilize his emotions. The impact of this red-clad ghost beast was simply too overwhelming.

But if it were just that, even if he didn't believe it, Xu Xiaoshou could still rationalize it as a one-in-ten-thousand chance occurrence. In short, a coincidence. However, Yu Zhiwen's reaction and behavior…

“It can’t be a coincidence anymore. There must be some unspeakable secret hidden within this. Perhaps, the Holy Divine Palace, the continent's foremost organization…”

Xu Xiaoshou’s thoughts paused, and he dared not think further. Despite his suspicions, it was undeniable that the Holy Divine Palace had truly reduced a great deal of trouble and suffering on this continent. This continent's leading power truly had no need to secretly engage in such unjust acts under the guise of “justice.” If they really wanted to… it seemed unnecessary. They were already the continent’s top power; what formidable existence would require them to do these things in secret?

But if that wasn't the case, then what was the meaning of a ghost beast being harbored within the red attire?

Xu Xiaoshou paused for another brief moment before his thoughts returned.

“Perhaps it's just a few rotten apples spoiling the whole batch?” He couldn't be sure. But for now, this was the only plausible theory. Generalizing from isolated incidents was not advisable. Given the lack of information, the only thing he could believe was that something had gone wrong within the Holy Divine Palace, and someone was trying to secretly cause trouble.

“But, this hasn’t been discovered? Such an obvious matter…” Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment, then stopped his conjectures. It seemed these matters were genuinely beyond his level to speculate about. Elder Sang was right. Before gaining strength, diligently being a pawn was already enough.

“Junior sister.” Turning around, Xu Xiaoshou dared not be careless. He asked with a solemn expression, “Ghost beasts, do you know about them?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Mu Zixi, tugging on her pigtails, tilted her head slightly: “Isn’t Senior Sister Mo one?”

“Yes, she is.” Xu Xiaoshou nodded, saying, “But I’ve realized that things seem to be going wrong. Too many ghost beasts have appeared around me.”

“So?” Mu Zixi’s big eyes darted around.

“I’m very worried.”“Passive value increased by 1 for being cursed.”

“Is that all?”

“More than that.” Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, then sighed: “Do you know, I only have you left now.”

“Uh.” Mu Zixi’s face flushed, and she instinctively folded her arms across her chest. She glanced around, realizing that although there were no major hiding spots, it was indeed a deserted area. So, her arms slowly lowered.

“Mmm.” Replying in a voice barely audible, the junior sister meekly asked: “So, what do you want to do…”

With a soft thud, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly placed his hands excitedly on his junior sister’s shoulders.

“Hm?”“Passive value increased by 1 for being resisted.”“Passive value increased by 1 for being disliked.”“Passive value increased by 1 for being encouraged.”

Mu Zixi raised her head, shy and timid, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes, but mostly nervousness.

“Mmm?” a nasal sound.

“I have a very serious question to ask you!” Xu Xiaoshou's body trembled.

“Mmm, you, you ask…” Mu Zixi tried hard not to give up this precious opportunity. Yu Zhiwen was gone. Xu Xiaoshou was hurt. Now was the perfect chance to take advantage… no, to comfort him.

“You…” Xu Xiaoshou swallowed, his gaze intense, and he asked gravely: “Are you, or are you not, a ghost beast?!”

“I wi… huh?” Mu Zixi replied at lightning speed, but halfway through, her mind suddenly went blank.

“You, what did you say?” Xu Xiaoshou’s expression was solemn as he articulated each word: “I’m asking you, are you or are you not a ghost beast?!”

“Ghost your head!” Mu Zixi suddenly sprang up in anger and delivered a sharp flick to Xu Xiaoshou’s forehead. The next second, she cried out “Ugh!” and curled up, clutching her finger as she knelt aside, hissing in pain.

“Passive value increased by 1, 1, 1, 1… for being cursed.”

“What the heck?” Xu Xiaoshou was dazed from the blow. “What are you doing? I just asked a question. If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. Why are you hurting yourself?”

“I!” Mu Zixi was momentarily choked.“Passive value increased by 1, 1, 1, 1… for being cursed.”

“Answer me.” Xu Xiaoshou also knelt down and asked seriously: “About your previous situations, as your senior brother, I wanted to show concern, but you are almost an adult, after all, so having your little secrets is understandable. But now, things are not right. I must ask clearly, otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” Mu Zixi glared back with wide eyes. “What can you do to me if I just don’t tell you, Xu Xiaoshou?!”

Xu Xiaoshou was silent for a moment, then stood up and said, “Then we can only go our separate ways.” With that, he turned his back and walked directly away.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Mu Zixi immediately panicked. She felt this scene was eerily familiar. This, wasn't this why Xu Xiaoshou had just left Yu Zhiwen? Could it be that he truly thought she was also a ghost beast, just like Lu Ke?

“I’m not a ghost beast!” Mu Zixi shouted loudly.

Xu Xiaoshou stopped and turned back: “I also think you’re not, but if you don’t explain clearly, I’m afraid…” He dared not say more.

Mu Zixi’s growth rate was very fast. It even completely matched his own. No, it completely surpassed his own! He had repeatedly faced life-and-death situations, and with the passive system's bonus, he had only just reached the peak of the Dwelling Void realm. Mu Zixi… A dunderhead who spent all day doing nothing, with who-knows-what boring fantasies in her head, was actually a High Spirit realm expert! High Spirit realm, can you believe it? Under normal circumstances, when others break through, they might, at most, go from the Yuan Court realm to the Yuan Court realm, like Zhou Tianshen. High Spirit…

Xu Xiaoshou simply didn't believe his junior sister was a simple person. Or rather, he felt that everything around him at this moment, except for himself, who was still relatively normal, everyone else was a hidden cheat! Either they had extraordinary origins or astonishing backgrounds. As for the rest, what else could explain it besides being a ghost beast host?

“I…” Mu Zixi’s face was twisted in distress. She twirled her fingers, hesitated for a moment, and then finally uttered: “I’m really not a ghost beast.”

With a snap, Xu Xiaoshou turned and walked away. Now he couldn’t even trust his junior sister. Indeed, good fortune never falls from the sky. This life, cheaply acquired, was destined to be a lonely journey, with no one to truly connect with along the way, right?

“Xu Xiaoshou, stop right there!” Mu Zixi shouted from behind, a look of determination flashing across her face: “I’ll tell you!”

With a snap, Xu Xiaoshou stopped again. He turned around, just about to speak.

Mu Zixi suddenly snapped: “You shut up!”

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

He glanced at the information bar; being yelled at actually brought no reaction?

“Oh, so you’ve gotten bold, junior sister, daring to speak to me like that?” Xu Xiaoshou also grew angry.

“Uh.” Mu Zixi’s expression stiffened. “I wasn’t talking to you just now.”

“It’s just the two of us here. If you weren’t talking to me, were you talking to a ghost?” Xu Xiaoshou sneered repeatedly.

“Yes.” Mu Zixi actually nodded. “There’s a ghost inside my body. This, this is my secret.”

Xu Xiaoshou froze on the spot.

“A ghost beast? Damn it… you were lying to me all along, weren’t you?!” He instinctively took a step back, ready to turn and run at any moment.

“Oh, no, it’s not a ghost beast…” Mu Zixi became agitated. She was about to explain something when she suddenly seemed to split into two personalities again, snapping: “Shut up! I didn’t tell you to speak!”

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

This… He looked at his junior sister, realizing that perhaps he had truly ignored her existence in the past due to his cultivation. This is quite a serious illness!

“I’ll tell you my secret, and you must tell me yours,” Mu Zixi said, cradling her head. There seemed to be pain in her eyes, as if she was enduring some peculiar pressure.

Xu Xiaoshou frowned. Something was wrong. His junior sister was far too strange.

“Can you speak?” He moved closer and could see fine beads of sweat already appearing on Mu Zixi’s delicate face. “What’s going on?” Xu Xiaoshou felt a little panicked. This casual question wouldn't actually reveal a shocking secret, would it?

He dabbed some honey onto the girl’s lips. Seeing no reaction, he hesitated, then gently breathed out. “Hah.” A rich life essence instantly permeated Mu Zixi’s mouth and nose. The young girl immediately clamped her legs together, her body tensed, and even her cheeks turned red.

“No, don’t give me…”“Passive value increased by 1 for being resisted.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s face darkened. “What on earth is wrong with you?” Mu Zixi trembled for a long time before fully digesting the sweet life essence. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, then closed and opened her eyes.

“Buzz!” An ethereal current rippled outwards.

Xu Xiaoshou’s pupils contracted. His junior sister's previously ordinary large eyes were now filled with a black and white mist. Because he was close, Xu Xiaoshou could even see the strange patterns swirling within these heterochromatic eyes. One eye was as gloomy as a prison, brimming with demonic energy. Even the extreme Yin power of a ghost beast might not be as chilling as this demonic eye. The other was completely opposite: bright and righteous, filled with enduring noble spirit. With just one glance, Xu Xiaoshou felt his soul cleansed and purified, so ethereal that he almost ascended on the spot.

“This is… what?” Xu Xiaoshou forcibly pulled back his soaring soul.

“God-Devil Eyes!” Mu Zixi, with her “God-Devil Eyes” open, had a completely transformed aura. Her sweet, innocent, girl-next-door demeanor had vanished entirely. Instead, with this aura that was both righteous and evil, if someone said she was a saint who had emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, Xu Xiaoshou would almost believe it!

“My secret is this pair of ‘God-Devil Eyes’.” Perhaps because she had activated her “God-Devil Eyes,” Mu Zixi’s tone had changed, becoming somewhat indifferent and ethereal. “I don’t know why, but ever since I saw that blind man in the Spiritual Palace last time, some special power seems to have been awakening in my mind. And then, another ‘me’ began to be born.”

“Another ‘you’?” Xu Xiaoshou’s eye twitched.

“Mmm.” Mu Zixi nodded. “Saying ‘me’ might not be entirely accurate. Or, to put it another way, another consciousness?”

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. He was silent for a while, then suddenly asked: “Do you remember things from before?”

“Huh?” A look of surprise, something she usually only had, abruptly appeared in Mu Zixi’s God-Devil Eyes. “How did you know I don’t remember things from before?”

“This…” Xu Xiaoshou froze for a moment. No way? She really doesn't know?

He continued to ask: “Do you mean you truly don’t remember childhood memories, and then, by chance, you were stimulated and began to awaken another consciousness?”

“Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.” With such a pair of miraculous “God-Devil Eyes,” Mu Zixi’s vigorous nodding, like a chick pecking at rice, was indescribably eerie.

“That consciousness can talk to you?” Xu Xiaoshou continued to ask in disbelief.

“Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.”

“Then… has she told you that she is actually you, and you are just a consciousness that emerged after she experienced self-seclusion due to a childhood trauma?” Xu Xiaoshou’s voice gradually faded.

“Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.”

“How did you know that?” Mu Zixi’s eyes lit up. She felt that Xu Xiaoshou was like a god, knowing everything; he was amazing! “Xu Xiaoshou, can you even foresee the future?” In her mind, her senior brother had somehow been molded into a mysterious being unmatched by anyone in the world. Now, with the ability to foresee the future, it was simply the most normal thing to happen. After all, this was Xu Xiaoshou’s usual state.

“I’m not a physician, either…” Xu Xiaoshou couldn't continue speaking. While he wasn't a physician, looking at this matter from a medical perspective beyond the current world’s understanding… “This is clearly dissociative identity disorder. What’s the need for foresight?”

He took a deep breath. Xu Xiaoshou genuinely felt his previous conjectures were not mistaken. There wasn't a single normal person around him!

“Eyes, God-Devil Eyes…” He gazed at Mu Zixi’s eyes and murmured distractedly: “So, that little monk chasing you was also because he sensed the demonic energy in this eye of yours and wanted to purify it?” He pointed at his junior sister's demonic eye.

“Probably?” Mu Zixi’s expression returned to indifference.

“I’m really not used to this little girl!” Xu Xiaoshou felt a headache coming on. What kind of situation was this? Dissociative identity disorder? Second personality? Xu Xiaoshou didn't know much about such conditions. The only thing he could be thankful for was that his junior sister's condition didn't seem too severe, and she didn't unconsciously switch personalities. But… having a second personality seemed like a very difficult thing to deal with, right?

“Stimulus?” Xu Xiaoshou fell silent, muttering distractedly. He vaguely felt that he had seen this pair of eyes somewhere before; they weren't unfamiliar. Scenes viewed through “Perception” were hard to forget. But too much time had passed, and Xu Xiaoshou couldn't recall it for a moment. Until he recalled the “blind man” from his junior sister’s earlier words…

“Tears of Two Rows?” Startled, Xu Xiaoshou blurted out: “You mean, you only awakened your second… uh, another consciousness after seeing that blind man?”

“Seems so?” Mu Zixi herself wasn't sure.

“That’s it!” Xu Xiaoshou’s pupils suddenly constricted. He remembered! At that time, when Ye Xiaotian faced Tears of Two Rows alone, the latter seemed to have used a strange spiritual technique to directly control the Dean, surpassing their realm. And when the Dean was controlled, didn’t the eyes that appeared look exactly like Mu Zixi’s at this moment?

“Holy crap!” Thinking of this, Xu Xiaoshou was instantly terrified. “Mu Zixi, you’re not a ghost beast, but you’re actually a ‘Saint Slave’?!” He scrambled backward, his panic far exceeding what he felt upon seeing Lu Ke transform into a ghost beast host.

“Saint Slave?” Mu Zixi blinked, and her God-Devil Eyes vanished. She rubbed her somewhat sore eyes and asked in confusion: “Xu Xiaoshou, what nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly be a ‘Saint Slave’?”

“You…” Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. Mu Zixi certainly wouldn’t be a “Saint Slave.” But what identity did her second consciousness possess, and what was her existence in the lost segment of her memory? This, perhaps, was an even more astonishing secret.

Tears of Two Rows… A pair of eyes identical to those of the “Saint Slave,” Tears of Two Rows—wasn't that enough to indicate something?

“Wait!” Xu Xiaoshou suddenly came to a realization. If Tears of Two Rows was blind, yet Mu Zixi had identical eyes to him. “No way, your eyes, they weren’t dug out, were they? So you’re the real Danzō?”

Mu Zixi: ???

It took her a good while to recover and realize Xu Xiaoshou was talking about Tears of Two Rows.

“Xu Xiaoshou, are you sick?!” “How could I possibly dig out someone else’s eyes? Besides, even if I did, could I even attach them… ugh, do I have the power to dig them out in the first place?” Mu Zixi retorted indignantly.

“Passive value increased by 1 for being insulted.”“Passive value increased by 1 for being scorned.”

Xu Xiaoshou was filled with trepidation. My dear girl, you may not have that power, but who knows what kind of existence your so-called second personality might be? You wouldn’t dig them out, but someone else might!

“Can you communicate with ‘her’?” Xu Xiaoshou tentatively asked.

“No.” Mu Zixi shook her head decisively. “She only pops into my mind and jumps around when she’s in a good mood; I can’t find her.”

“Try cursing at her a couple of times?” Xu Xiaoshou suggested.

Mu Zixi: “…” Her eyes went blank for a moment, then she suddenly clutched her head and cried out, “Ouch!”

“Xu Xiaoshou, you tricked me!”

Xu Xiaoshou: “…” Now, he didn't know what else to ask. It was clear that this second personality was also a tsundere existence. Even when Mu Zixi tried to tell him the truth, she was warned by harming her own body. However, compared to this second personality, the junior sister was clearly more affectionate towards her senior brother. Therefore, she chose to tell him without hesitation.

But Xu Xiaoshou, having learned all this, had no idea what to do. It would have been better not to ask at all! If he hadn't asked, all the strangeness could have been attributed to ghost beast possession. But this inquiry uncovered a much bigger problem. His junior sister, could she actually be connected to the ‘Saint Slave’? This… Xu Xiaoshou immediately had the following thought. No solution! How to break this? Should he pull away in time and leave, letting this young girl bear all of it? It seemed like a good option…

Xu Xiaoshou silently slapped himself in the heart. She was his junior sister, with whom he had spent so much time. Although she occasionally contributed a wave of curses to him, humans were not plants; who could be heartless?

“Or, maybe I should just run. Talking about money is fine, but talking about feelings can be fatal…” He wavered again.

“Xu Xiaoshou, it’s my turn to ask you!” While he was still lost in thought, Mu Zixi, feeling she had revealed everything, enthusiastically stood on tiptoe and patted her senior brother’s shoulder.

“Ask away!” Xu Xiaoshou replied numbly, still immersed in the idea of changing his place of residence and escaping Elder Sang’s control.

“Hmm, what should I ask?” Though she said she was wondering what to ask, Mu Zixi’s face was red, as if she was pondering an unutterable question. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to ask, only saying: “Tell me your biggest secret!”

“Biggest?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Looking at his junior sister, whose expression was normal, Xu Xiaoshou also snapped back to reality. Regardless of the future, living well in the present was enough. He began to ponder seriously. “The biggest secret…” The Passive System? No, that won’t do, absolutely not. He absolutely couldn’t say that.

After a long pause, as if having made up his mind, Xu Xiaoshou looked around, confirmed no one was present, and then mysteriously leaned close to her ear.

“What? What?” Mu Zixi was full of anticipation.

Xu Xiaoshou cupped his junior sister's ear and whispered: “Actually, I’m not from this world.”

Mu Zixi: ???

She was stunned for a good while before she finally reacted. Then, she suddenly sprang away, a large wooden mallet materializing in her hand, which she swung directly at her senior brother’s head.

“Thwack!” The wooden mallet shattered.

Xu Xiaoshou reeled slightly. “What are you doing?!” he roared.

“Xu Xiaoshou, you big liar! I just shared my secret, and that’s all you have to say?!” Mu Zixi was furious, and two even larger wooden mallets flew from her hands as she chased Xu Xiaoshou, ready to strike him.

“Passive value increased by 1, 1, 1, 1… for being cursed.”

“I’m telling the truth…”

“If you’re not human, then are you a ghost?” Mu Zixi’s eyes widened. She wouldn't listen and lunged forward again.

“Thwack, thwack!”“Passive value increased by 2 for being hit.”

“Damn it, your focus is really weird! Is my emphasis on the word ‘human’? Are you crazy?!” Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded.

“Thwack, thwack!”“Passive value increased by 2 for being hit.”

“Stop.”

“Thwack, thwack!”“Passive value increased by 2 for being hit.”

“Wait, there seems to be something up ahead?” Xu Xiaoshou suddenly stopped.

“Xu Xiaoshou, are you tricking me again?” Mu Zixi didn't fall for it at all, creating two more harmless hollow wooden mallets and striking out instantly.

Just then, a sweetly laughing female voice drifted down from the void.

“Oh, Xu Xiaoshou? I finally found you. So you have time to flirt and bicker in the White Cave, do you?”

P.S.: Please.