Chapter 539: Second Personality

In the Bai Ku small world, a figure sped along at the speed of light, on the verge of breaking the sound barrier.

As it flashed over the heads of a crowd of Bai Ku, the shadow vanished before the Bai Ku creatures below could react.

It ran for a good half day.

Only after feeling completely safe from the presence of that Hong Yi ghost beast did Xu Xiaoshou finally calm down a bit. He slowed his pace and hid in a secluded spot.

"Xu Xiaoshou, what happened? Are you scared?"

Mu Zixi blushed as she jumped down from her senior brother's arms.

If possible, she actually hoped his panic would last a few more... days.

"Scared?"

Xu Xiaoshou panted heavily, sneering in disdain. "Do I, Xu Xiaoshou, look like someone who gets scared?"

Mu Zixi: ...

You look even more spooked than if you'd run into our master himself—don't tell me you're not afraid?

"Heh."

"Received doubt, passive value +1."

"Received mockery, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou glared fiercely at his junior sister and said no more.

Even after flying such a long distance, he still couldn't steady his emotions.

The impact from that Hong Yi ghost beast this time was just too overwhelming.

But if it were only that much...

No matter what, Xu Xiaoshou could convince himself it was just that one-in-a-million coincidence.

Yet, Yu Zhi Wen's reaction and behavior...

"It can't be a coincidence."

"There must be some hidden secret here."

"Maybe even Sheng Shen Dian Tang, the top organization on the continent..."

Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts halted abruptly—he didn't dare think further.

Though he harbored suspicions, there was no denying that Sheng Shen Dian Tang had truly reduced a lot of trouble and suffering on this continent.

As the number one force, they didn't need to fly the banner of "justice" while secretly doing unjust things.

If they wanted to do it...

Well, they probably didn't even need to.

They were already the top power on the continent—who else was there to fear that would make them sneak around like that?

But if it wasn't like that, then what about the ghost beast hidden in the Hong Yi?

Xu Xiaoshou paused for a moment longer before his thoughts returned.

"Maybe it's just a few bad apples in an otherwise good pot of porridge?"

He wasn't sure.

But for now, that was the only conclusion he could draw.

It was wrong to generalize from a few cases.

With the information he had, the only thing he could believe was that something had gone wrong inside Sheng Shen Dian Tang—someone was trying to pull strings in secret.

"But how could this not have been discovered? Something so obvious..."

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a while, then gave up on the speculation.

These matters were clearly beyond someone of his level.

Sang Lao was right.

Before gaining real strength, being a good pawn was enough.

"Junior sister."

Turning back, Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare take it lightly. With a serious expression, he asked, "Do you know about ghost beasts?"

"Hmm."

Mu Zixi twirled her twin tails, tilting her head slightly. "Isn't Mo Shijie one?"

"Yes, she is."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded. "But I've noticed things are starting to go wrong. There are way too many ghost beasts around me."

"So?" Mu Zixi's big eyes darted around.

"I'm worried."

"Received curse, passive value +1."

"Just that?"

"No, not just that."

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, then sighed. "You know, now you're the only one I have left."

"Uh."

Mu Zixi's face turned red as she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.

She glanced around and saw that, although there wasn't much cover, it was indeed a deserted area, so she slowly lowered her hands.

"Hmm."

In a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, Mu Zixi said weakly, "So, what do you want to do..."

With a slap, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly placed his hands excitedly on his junior sister's shoulders.

"Hmm."

"Received resistance, passive value +1."

"Received dislike, passive value +1."

"Received encouragement, passive value +1."

Mu Zixi lifted her head, her expression a mix of shyness and anticipation, though mostly nervousness.

"Hmm?" She made a soft sound.

"I have a very serious question to ask you!"

"Hmm, you... you ask..."

Mu Zixi tried her best not to miss this precious opportunity.

Yu Zhi Wen was gone.

Xu Xiaoshou was hurt.

Now was her chance to... ahem, comfort him.

"You..."

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed hard, his gaze intense as he said firmly, "Are you actually a ghost beast?!"

"I wish... huh?"

Mu Zixi answered reflexively, but halfway through, her mind went blank.

"You... what did you say?"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression was grave, enunciating each word: "I'm asking if you're a ghost beast!"

"Ghost my foot!"

Mu Zixi suddenly jumped up in anger and gave him a firm flick on the forehead.

The next second, she yelped "Ouch," curled up, and squatted down, nursing her sore finger.

"Received curse, passive value +1, +1, +1, +1..."

"What the heck?"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned by the hit. "What's gotten into you? I just asked a question. If you don't want to answer, fine—why hurt yourself?"

"I..." Mu Zixi was at a loss for words.

"Received curse, passive value +1, +1, +1, +1..."

"Answer me."

Xu Xiaoshou squatted down too, asking seriously, "I know you've had some situations before, and as your senior brother, I wanted to care, but you're almost an adult—you can have your little secrets, that's fine."

"But now, things are off. I have to get to the bottom of this, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Mu Zixi glared at him with wide eyes. "I'm not saying, Xu Xiaoshou—what are you going to do about it?"

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent for a moment, then stood up. "Then we'll have to go our separate ways."

With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Mu Zixi panicked immediately.

This scene felt all too familiar.

Wasn't this exactly why Xu Xiaoshou had left Yu Zhi Wen earlier?

Did he really think she was a ghost beast, like that Lu Ke?

"I'm not a ghost beast!"

Mu Zixi shouted loudly.

Xu Xiaoshou stopped and turned back. "I don't think you are, but if you don't explain, I'm afraid..."

He didn't say more.

Mu Zixi's growth had been incredibly fast.

In fact, it had completely surpassed his own.

He had gone through life-and-death struggles, plus the boost from his passive system, and only just reached the peak of Ju Wu realm.

As for Mu Zixi...

A scatterbrain who spent her days daydreaming about nonsense had actually reached the Upper Spirit realm!

Upper Spirit realm—could you believe it?

Under normal circumstances, someone like Zhou Tian Can might go from Yuan Court realm to Yuan Court realm at most.

Upper Spirit...

Xu Xiaoshou refused to believe his junior sister was just an ordinary person.

Or rather, he felt that everyone around him was hiding some cheat code!

Either they had an extraordinary background or an astonishing secret.

And besides that, what other explanation could there be except being a ghost beast host?

"I..."

Mu Zixi frowned, twisting her fingers as she hesitated, then finally said, "I'm really not a ghost beast."

With a snap, Xu Xiaoshou turned and kept walking.

Now even his junior sister couldn't be trusted.

It seemed the free life he'd gotten was destined to be a lonely one, with no real friends along the way, right?

"Xu Xiaoshou, stop right there!"

Mu Zixi yelled from behind, a look of determination on her face. "I'll tell you!"

With another snap, Xu Xiaoshou stopped again.

He turned, about to speak.

But Mu Zixi suddenly snapped, "Shut up!"

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

Glancing at his info panel, getting scolded like that didn't trigger anything?

"Oh, so you've got guts now, huh, junior sister? Daring to talk to me like that?"

"Uh."

Mu Zixi looked awkward. "I wasn't talking to you."

"We're the only two here—who else are you talking to? A ghost?"

"Yes."

Mu Zixi nodded. "There's a ghost inside my body. That's my secret."

Xu Xiaoshou froze on the spot.

"Ghost beast?"

"Damn... so you were lying after all!"

He instinctively stepped back, ready to bolt at any moment.

"Oh, come on, it's not a ghost beast..."

Mu Zixi was getting frustrated.

She started to explain, but suddenly, as if splitting personalities again, she snapped, "Shut up—I didn't say you could talk!"

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

He looked at his junior sister and realized he might have completely overlooked her existence because of his cultivation.

This was serious!

"I'll share my secret with you, but you have to share yours with me," Mu Zixi said, holding her head, her eyes showing pain, as if under some special pressure.

Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

Something was wrong.

His junior sister was way off.

"Can I say no?"

He moved closer and saw fine beads of sweat on Mu Zixi's delicate face.

"What's going on?"

Xu Xiaoshou was getting panicked.

This casual question wouldn't uncover some massive scandal, would it?

He dabbed a bit of honey on her lips.

Seeing no reaction, he hesitated, then gently blew a breath.

"Hah."

A rich life energy instantly seeped into Mu Zixi through her mouth and nose.

The young girl clamped her legs together, her body tensed, and her face flushed red.

"Don't... don't give me that..."

"Received resistance, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou was baffled. "What's wrong with you?"

Mu Zixi trembled for a while before fully absorbing the sweet life energy.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, closed her eyes, then opened them again.

Buzz!

The air rippled outward.

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils shrank.

He saw that Mu Zixi's once ordinary eyes were now filled with one black and one white mist.

Up close, he could even see the strange patterns swirling in those heterochromatic pupils.

One was dark and infernal, with demonic energy surging—probably more terrifying than the yin energy from any ghost beast.

The other was completely opposite, radiant and just, with an aura of righteousness that lingered.

Just one glance made Xu Xiaoshou feel as if his soul was being cleansed, leaving him so ethereal he almost ascended on the spot.

"What... is this?" Xu Xiaoshou forced his drifting soul back.

"Shen Mo Tong!"

With these "Shen Mo Tong" eyes open, Mu Zixi's entire demeanor changed.

The innocent girl-next-door vibe vanished completely.

Instead, with this mix of righteous and evil energy, she could pass as a saint emerging from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and Xu Xiaoshou might actually believe it!

"My secret is this pair of 'Shen Mo Tong'."

Perhaps because of activating the "Shen Mo Tong," Mu Zixi's tone became indifferent and ethereal.

"I don't know why, but ever since I saw that blind man in the Ling Palace last time, something in my mind started awakening."

"Then, another 'me' was born."

"'You'?" Xu Xiaoshou's eye twitched.

"Yes."

Mu Zixi nodded. "Saying 'me' isn't quite accurate. Maybe it's another consciousness?"

Xu Xiaoshou: ...

He was silent for a while before asking, "Do you remember things from before?"

"Huh?"

A flash of surprise appeared in Mu Zixi's Shen Mo Tong, the kind she usually showed. "How did you know I don't remember things from before?"

"This..."

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned.

Wait, really?

He continued, "So, you really don't remember, like your childhood memories, and then something triggered you, awakening another consciousness?"

"Yes, yes."

With those extraordinary "Shen Mo Tong" eyes, Mu Zixi's vigorous nodding looked strangely eerie.

"Can that consciousness talk to you?" Xu Xiaoshou asked in disbelief.

"Yes, yes."

"Then... has she told you that she's the real you, and you're just the consciousness that formed after she sealed herself off as a child due to some trauma?" Xu Xiaoshou's voice grew weaker.

"Yes, yes."

"How did you know?"

Mu Zixi's eyes lit up.

She thought Xu Xiaoshou was some kind of prophet—how did he know everything? He was amazing!

"Xu Xiaoshou, can you tell the future?"

In her mind, her senior brother was already this mysterious being beyond compare.

Adding fortune-telling was just par for the course.

"I'm not really a doctor..."

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't go on.

He wasn't a doctor, but looking at this from a medical perspective that transcended the current world...

"This is straight-up dissociative identity disorder—do I need to predict the future?"

He took a deep breath.

Xu Xiaoshou truly felt his earlier suspicions were correct.

No one around him was normal!

"Eyes, Shen Mo Tong..."

He stared at Mu Zixi's eyes, lost in thought. "So, that little monk was chasing you because he sensed the demonic energy in your eye and wanted to purify it?"

He pointed at her demonic pupil.

"Probably?"

Mu Zixi's expression turned indifferent again.

"This is so weird—it's like a different girl!"

Xu Xiaoshou grimaced. What on earth was going on?

Dissociative identity disorder?

A second personality?

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know much about conditions like this, but he could only be thankful that his junior sister's case didn't seem severe—no unconscious switches.

But...

Having a second personality was already a huge issue, right?

"Trigger?"

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent, murmuring absentmindedly.

He vaguely felt that this pair of eyes seemed familiar, like he'd seen them somewhere before.

Memories from "perception" were hard to forget, but too much time had passed, and he couldn't recall right away.

Until he remembered the "blind man" from Mu Zixi's words...

"Lai Shuang Xing?"

Xu Xiaoshou jolted. "Wait, you're saying you awakened that second... uh, other consciousness after seeing that blind man?"

"Maybe?"

Mu Zixi wasn't sure.

"That's it!"

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted sharply.

He remembered!

Back when Ye Xiao Tian faced Lai Shuang Xing alone, the latter had used some strange spirit technique to control the dean, who was a higher realm.

And in that moment of control, the dean's eyes had shown exactly the same as Mu Zixi's now!

"Holy crap!"

Realizing this, Xu Xiaoshou was terrified.

"Mu Zixi, you're not a ghost beast, but you're a 'Sheng Nu'?!"

He stepped back quickly, his panic even greater than when he'd seen Lu Ke turn into a ghost beast host.

"Sheng Nu?"

Mu Zixi blinked, and her Shen Mo Tong vanished.

She rubbed her somewhat irritated eyes, confused. "Xu Xiaoshou, what nonsense are you spouting? How could I be a 'Sheng Nu'?"

"You..."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

Mu Zixi obviously wasn't a "Sheng Nu."

But what about her second consciousness and the missing memories? What kind of existence was that?

This was probably an even bigger secret.

Lai Shuang Xing...

A pair of eyes identical to those of the "Sheng Nu" Lai Shuang Xing—wasn't that proof enough?

"No!"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly snapped to attention.

If Lai Shuang Xing was blind, and Mu Zixi had eyes just like his...

"Hold on, your eyes—did you get them from somewhere else?"

"Wait, are you the real Tuan Zang?"

Mu Zixi: ???

It took her a while to process that Xu Xiaoshou was referring to Lai Shuang Xing.

"Xu Xiaoshou, are you crazy?"

"There's no way I'd dig out someone's eyes, and even if I did, could I attach them... wait, ew, do I even have the power to dig them out?"

Mu Zixi huffed in annoyance.

"Received insult, passive value +1."

"Received contempt, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou was trembling with fear.

Girl, you might not have the power, but who knows what your so-called second personality is like.

You wouldn't dig them out, but maybe someone else did!

"Can you communicate with 'her'?"

Xu Xiaoshou tried asking.

"No."

Mu Zixi shook her head firmly. "She only shows up in my mind when she's in a good mood and bounces around a bit. I can't find her otherwise."

"Why don't you try insulting her?" Xu Xiaoshou suggested.

Mu Zixi: ...

Her eyes went blank for a second, then she clutched her head and yelled, "Ouch!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, you tricked me!"

Xu Xiaoshou: ...

Now he didn't know what to ask.

Clearly, this second personality was a total tsundere.

And even when Mu Zixi wanted to reveal the truth, it was warning her by hurting her body.

But compared to that, Mu Zixi obviously trusted her senior brother more.

So, she chose to tell him anyway.

Yet, now that Xu Xiaoshou knew, he was completely lost on what to do.

This was worse than not knowing!

If he hadn't asked, he could have just blamed it all on ghost beast hosts.

But now, he'd uncovered a bigger mess.

His junior sister might be connected to the "Sheng Nu"?

This...

Xu Xiaoshou's immediate thought was:

No way out!

How was he supposed to handle this?

Should he cut ties and leave, letting her deal with it?

It seemed like a solid option...

Xu Xiaoshou mentally slapped himself.

She was his junior sister, after all—they'd been through so much together. Even if she kept cursing him, people aren't heartless.

"But maybe I should just run. Talking about money is fine, but emotions can kill..."

He was wavering again.

"Xu Xiaoshou, now it's my turn to ask you!"

While he was lost in thought, Mu Zixi, having shared everything, excitedly tiptoed and patted her senior brother's shoulder.

"Ask away!"

Xu Xiaoshou responded numbly, still pondering whether to start a new life somewhere and escape Sang Lao's control.

"Hmm, what should I ask?"

Though she said that, Mu Zixi's face was flushed, as if pondering something hard to say.

In the end, she couldn't bring herself to ask and just said, "Tell me your biggest secret!"

"The biggest one?"

"Yes."

Looking at his composed junior sister, Xu Xiaoshou snapped back to reality.

No matter what the future held, he'd deal with the present.

He thought carefully.

"The biggest secret..."

The passive system?

No, absolutely not.

He couldn't say that.

After a long while, as if deciding, Xu Xiaoshou glanced around to make sure no one was there, then leaned in mysteriously.

"What, what is it?" Mu Zixi was eager.

Xu Xiaoshou cupped her ear and whispered, "Actually, I'm not from this world."

Mu Zixi: ???

She stood there stunned for a good while before reacting.

Then, she jumped back, summoning a large wooden mallet and swinging it straight at her senior brother's head.

Smack!

The mallet shattered.

Xu Xiaoshou blinked in a daze.

"What are you doing?"

"You're such a liar, Xu Xiaoshou! I shared my secret, and that's all you give me?"

Mu Zixi was furious, conjuring two even larger wooden mallets and chasing him to strike.

"Received curse, passive value +1, +1, +1, +1..."

"I told the truth..."

"You're not human, so you're a ghost?"

Mu Zixi's eyes widened, not listening at all, as she charged again.

Smack, smack!

"Received beating, passive value +2."

"Damn, your focus is so weird! Was that the point? Are you nuts?"

Xu Xiaoshou was baffled.

Smack, smack!

"Received beating, passive value +2."

"Stop!"

Smack, smack!

"Received beating, passive value +2."

"Hold on, there's something up ahead?"

Xu Xiaoshou hit the brakes.

"Xu Xiaoshou, you're lying again?"

Mu Zixi wasn't falling for it, swinging two more harmless hollow mallets.

Just then, a giggling female voice echoed from the void.

"Oh, Xu Xiaoshou?"

"Finally found you. Still got time to flirt and fight in Bai Ku, huh?"

PS: Beg.