Chapter 876: Harder Than Death

Truth be told, Bai Yang's request was simple; he already had a clear image of that person in his mind, just missing a face.

But how on earth could they find that face?

After all, Bai Yang had specified "no faces from the real world," so where were they supposed to create one?

"That... could a cartoon character work?" Jiang Ruoxue asked.

It seemed she and I were on the same wavelength; if real-world faces were off-limits, cartoons might be the only option.

"I don't watch many cartoons either," Bai Yang said. "Can you even find one?"

I understood what Bai Yang meant; even if it was a made-up cartoon character, he still needed to see the face.

"The two of us can help you look," I said. "But this path you're on is really unusual, and no one can guarantee success."

"I get that," Bai Yang said. "Whether it works out or not, I'll always remember this favor."

We said goodbye to Bai Yang and set off on our quest to find a "face."

Jiang Ruoxue had come to see me, and it would be several days before she respawned back in her own room, so we had some time.

But searching for a face in this vast city was incredibly tough...

Especially one that didn't exist in the real world—a completely fictional cartoon face.

We checked out a bunch of buildings that looked like regular homes, focusing on posters on the walls and bookshelves inside.

Yet, every room seemed to have been ransacked. The walls were full of cracks and scorch marks, and any paper items were badly damaged, barely recognizable. The few intact ones we found had simple cartoon sketches, just basic lines outlining features, and when I tried to imagine them on a real person's face, they didn't match at all.

Just as we were at a loss, I suddenly thought of that strange snake.

Although I hadn't gone through every book in detail, it occurred to me that a bookstore would probably have comic books, or at least sketch or drawing tutorials. Those should have fully made-up human faces that might help Bai Yang.

"Ruoxue, come with me," I said.

I led her to Di She's gaming area, where we happened to see several people sobbing as they filed out, followed closely by Bai She, who also had tears in his eyes.

Jiang Ruoxue was baffled by this eerie scene.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Why are so many people crying?"

"Uh... I'm not sure," I said. "I haven't been here in a while."

Seeing Bai She reluctantly shaking hands and saying goodbye to them, I found the whole thing odd. Had the "mutual aid group" actually formed? But why did everyone look so heartbroken?

Wasn't this place supposed to help people overcome their sadness?

Di She turned around and spotted me. He wiped away his tears and shook his head. "I was going to say hi, but I'm in a bad mood right now, so I won't bother."

"Wait... hold on..." I quickly stepped forward. "Di She... I need a favor from you. It won't take long..."

"Not now," Di She said, frustrated. "I didn't expect to hear so many sad stories in one day. I'm in a terrible state, but... I have to thank you for that idea, kid. Renaming it to 'Mutual Aid Group' has definitely brought in more people..."

"Sadness Mutual Aid Group...?" Jiang Ruoxue seemed to be holding back a laugh, mumbling through her teeth. "Like a misery contest?"

"You..." Di She glanced at Jiang Ruoxue, then sighed deeply. "What do you know, kid...? Listening to other people's sad stories is easy to get caught up in... I need to go cry for a bit. Leave me alone."

"Don't!" Jiang Ruoxue rushed forward. "Bai She, is this a bookstore? Do you have books?"

"Yes," Bai She nodded.

"Can we borrow one?"

"No," Bai She said.

"Huh...?" Jiang Ruoxue was stunned.

"That won't work," I chimed in. "I've dealt with him before—he won't lend out his books."

"What about just one page?" Jiang Ruoxue asked.

"Kid, no means no. Not even a corner," Bai She said. "If you want me to lend you a book, you'll have to join my 'Mutual Aid Group' and share sad stories with me every day. Otherwise, just go. I'm in a awful mood and don't want to argue."

Although this was our first time seeing the fully formed "Mutual Aid Group," watching those people cry as they left made it clear this wasn't the place for us.

"Hold on..." Jiang Ruoxue scratched her head. "Di She, how about this... We can't join your 'Mutual Aid Group,' but I can offer you some other kind of help."

"Other help...?"

Jiang Ruoxue nodded lightly. "You've managed to build such a weird organization on your own, which shows you're a kind person, right?"

"Not exactly kind, but the group is important to me," Di She said.

"Either way, you're willing to listen to other people's sad stories, and that's impressive to me," Jiang Ruoxue said. "So, I thought of a way to help you end your sadness."

"End... sadness?"

"Yeah!" Jiang Ruoxue nodded. "I wouldn't tell this to just anyone—it's kind of my secret technique. If you want to hear it, you need to give us a sketch book. Deal?"

The chapter isn't over yet—please turn to the next page to continue reading!

I have to say, I've mentioned this before... I really admire Jiang Ruoxue.

Di She thought for a moment, then asked with a hint of doubt, "Can you really help me end my sadness?"

Jiang Ruoxue didn't answer. She just reached out and gestured. "The book."

Bai She paused for a second, then nodded. "Wait here."

He went into the bookstore to search, while Jiang Ruoxue and I waited outside. It wasn't long before Di She's voice came from inside: "No sketch books left... Will a comic book do?"

"Yes!" Jiang Ruoxue called back from outside.

After a while, Di She emerged from the store, holding a palm-sized comic book. It looked quite old, titled "Er Shi Shi Ji Shao Nian."

"This is it. Okay?" He handed the book to Jiang Ruoxue.

"Fine," Jiang Ruoxue said, taking it and passing it to me.

I flipped through it quickly and noticed the characters were a bit different from typical comics—slightly more realistic. I hoped it would help Bai Yang.

"Now, tell me how to end the sadness," Di She said, still looking mournful.

"Silly..." Jiang Ruoxue smirked. "Listen up—if you're feeling sad... you could always try dying."

I was startled by that—I thought Bai She might lash out and kill us on the spot. But he just froze for a second, then slowly nodded.

"That makes sense..." His mouth curved into a smile. "If I'm upset, I can just die! You're absolutely right!"