Doomsday Wonderland

Chapter 1232: Otherwise, Incompatible

No wonder Gong Daoyi left. Lin Sanjiu understood now.

Regardless of who was stronger between him and Puppeteer, if it really came to a fight, it would just be a higher-level physical confrontation. For Gong Daoyi, who wins or loses, who lives or dies in the end, probably seemed both straightforward and uninteresting.

But now it was different.

She could even feel a piece of charcoal burning in her throat, so hot that she couldn't spit it out or swallow it. Every time the thought of "should I tell him" came up, she felt like she was sinking deeper into an abyss. Conflicting thoughts and ideas were pulling at her like undercurrents, almost tearing her apart. With her limited understanding of Gong Daoyi, he would definitely appreciate this struggle of the human heart more.

"What is this place?" Puppeteer asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

Lin Sanjiu was startled and hurriedly looked up again—there was a moment when she thought she had heard a drowsy Ah Yun. Due to the backlight, a dark shadow that seemed to be formed by several strokes of thick ink entwined together stood tall on a path that seemed to lead all the way to the sky, making it impossible for her to see the other person's face clearly.

"Don't make me ask again."

This time, the dryness in the voice, long untouched by moisture, was very clear, and she could even hear the sound of his lips and teeth lightly touching.

Great, all he cared about now was where he was. Lin Sanjiu sighed in relief inwardly. Puppeteer had been unconscious for too long, he didn't even know about the existence of the hospital. Even if she left a pass and a simple note by the bed in advance, when he came out, he wouldn't think that Gong Daoyi, whom he had been eagerly waiting for, was right under his feet at that time.

"It's a long story, let's go inside and talk slowly," she said, her voice a bit unsteady. She hurriedly turned her back to block Puppeteer's gaze, bent down, and picked up Ya Jiang.

This embrace surprised her; she couldn't understand why she hadn't noticed sooner that a different consciousness had taken over Ya Jiang's body. Once Gong Daoyi left, Ya Jiang felt different; she couldn't quite put her finger on it, it was like... like something cold and hard thawing gradually in the warm waters of a summer lake.

Gong Daoyi really hadn't lied to her.

Puppeteer stood still, watching Lin Sanjiu approach while carrying the person. Lin Sanjiu, with secrets in her heart, dared not look at him more and pretended not to notice the weight of his gaze, walking past him with her head down. Although the temperature hadn't actually changed, it felt as if she was wading barefoot and bare-legged through a bone-chilling river with floating ice. The thick fragrance that always lingered around him was now but a faint whiff swirling in the air, suffocating her like a hand covering her mouth and nose.

"You're hiding something from me," he said calmly as they brushed past each other.

Lin Sanjiu shivered. "Gong Daoyi came," slipped out of her lips before she could react, dissipating all her previous struggles in that moment, and the following words naturally followed—"But he left again."

Bohemia had already stood far away by this time, and at these words, the shadow visibly stiffened, like a piece of air-dried modeling clay.

Lin Sanjiu dared not turn her head to look.

Holding Ya Jiang, she stopped and her gaze wandered only over the texture of the wall at her feet. Puppeteer stood to her right, and she felt all her consciousness concentrated on the right side of her body.

Puppeteer remained silent for a long time.

"When did he leave?" he asked, his voice soft, indiscernible whether he was angry or pondering.

Lin Sanjiu thought for a moment and replied, "He's been gone for quite a while, almost half a day."

Fortunately, Hu Changzai hadn't followed Puppeteer.

"He remembers you and has also realized you want revenge, so he wanted to avoid you." She wasn't sure why Gong Daoyi didn't want to be found for revenge, but she didn't think he was afraid. "Moreover, from what he said, it seems he's quite confident... that you'll never find him again."

At the last sentence, Puppeteer suddenly lifted his chin, a low chuckle rolling up from his throat.

Lin Sanjiu felt it might be better not to mention Ya Jiang at this time, to avoid Puppeteer venting his anger on Ya Jiang as a substitute target, so she just mustered the courage to say, "I tried. I wanted to keep him here... but I'm sorry, I couldn't do it."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt her feet leave the wall. She had focused all her attention on the right, but still failed to see the strike coming; in the midst of falling straight down, Lin Sanjiu managed only to twist her body, throwing Ya Jiang in front of her, before feeling her back hit the ground hard.

Fortunately, as a Growth type, her physical strength was far superior to Ya Jiang's, and the fall resulted in nothing more than pain and a bit of dizziness, with no broken bones. Ya Jiang, unconscious, rolled out and stopped a few steps away. Lin Sanjiu was about to get up when she sat up and froze.

Puppeteer was standing right beside her, his black boots tightly wrapping his legs, extending upwards into the shadow he cast.

"Who do you think I am?"

His sinister tone, heavy and oppressive like thick clouds, weighed down on her nerves. "Do I need someone else to keep my target for me? You believe he's confident he won't be found, so you believed it too, thinking I really couldn't find him? You think I really need your help? ...Who do you think I am?"

Puppeteer laughed before Lin Sanjiu could respond, his voice gentle. "As long as I want to find him, unless he's dead, I can find him."

Lin Sanjiu bit her lip tightly, unsure what to say.

Indeed, from a certain perspective, her subconscious belief in Gong Daoyi's words that "he will never be able to get this close to me again" did imply that she didn't believe Puppeteer had the ability to find Gong Daoyi, so it was not unjust for her to take this hit... but the thought that Puppeteer was so close to Gong Daoyi and was about to miss him had made her feel unavoidably compelled to intervene.

Perhaps sensing something from her expression, Puppeteer suddenly sneered.

"You seem to have a delusion," he said, slowly bending down towards Lin Sanjiu. The black leather creaked softly with the movement. "You have no part in this matter."

As his black hair fell and brushed his lips, Lin Sanjiu felt as if she could hear the crackling of electrical sparks.

At this moment, Puppeteer truly seemed like an unstable force field about to explode at any moment, seemingly brewing some kind of subtle, astonishing storm. She could almost see some force tightly gripping him from within, forcing him to maintain a relatively calm exterior. She knew she shouldn't speak, yet she found herself saying, "That's not true. When you were unconscious, Gong Daoyi helped me."

Puppeteer suddenly calmed down, straightening up.

"Oh?"

"No, I don't mean what you think," Lin Sanjiu said with panic, realizing her words might be misconstrued as if she was indebted to Gong Daoyi. "I mean, I noticed a pattern in Gong Daoyi's actions, a behavioral characteristic... and he didn't deny it either. He always appears at people's lowest moments, offering help and hope, while also creating a... negative event for that person."

She deliberately chose emotionally neutral words.

Puppeteer remained silent, probably aware she hadn't finished speaking.

"I originally thought him leaving before you woke was the negative event he created for me, because I would..." Lin Sanjiu thought about it and decided it was better not to express her feelings given her understanding of Puppeteer. "But you're right. Him avoiding you just this once doesn't prove anything. The fact that he has to avoid you means you can find him. I shouldn't... no, I never doubted that."

She had simply been too caught up in the moment to think about it.

"So, I'm saying there's another negative event waiting for me," she said. Fortunately, Puppeteer didn't react, giving her a chance to continue. She didn't bring up the events in Minstral 9 but shared her experiences in the Garden of Eden as evidence, explaining, "He's not a god. If he orchestrates this event, he must appear somewhere near me or leave some trace. I think this is your best chance to find him again."

But this meant... Puppeteer couldn't leave her side for now.

Having said her piece, Lin Sanjiu couldn't help but feel anxious and stole a glance at his expression. She wasn't worried about her own life; her survival to this day was proof enough that Puppeteer kept his word. However, she was concerned about Bohemia and Ya Jiang—but Puppeteer suddenly turned his head, his black hair sliding like water behind his ear, revealing nothing but a fleeting glimpse of his pale skin.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do."

After a while, his voice finally carried the usual annoyance he had when speaking to her. "Now, bring your scraps and keep up. You have a lot to answer for."

Lin Sanjiu hesitated for half a second before realizing that "scraps" referred to Ya Jiang. She could hardly believe she had managed to handle the matter of Gong Daoyi. She hurriedly scrambled to her feet, hoisting Ya Jiang back onto her shoulder and running up the wall. Bohemia had retreated into the ward at some point, leaving only her head poking out of the door. As Lin Sanjiu climbed the vertical wall, she looked like a meerkat stretching its neck to look into the distance—upon seeing the two approaching, Bohemia quickly retracted her head and vanished behind the wall.

Normally, Puppeteer would have made some remark like "fools are always surrounded by fools," but this time he remained silent. Lin Sanjiu felt a bit worried by the lack of reprimand and hastened her steps to catch up, asking, "How... how are you feeling now?"

She half-expected to be thrown down again, which wouldn't have been surprising—but Puppeteer, still recovering from his illness, seemed too lethargic to act, merely glancing over his shoulder at her with a cold snort. "Your mouth is like an open latrine. Don't you know to cover it?"

That was fairly normal for him.

By the time they entered the patient room, Bohemia had already cleaned up the best spots, almost ready to bow at the door like a perfect receptionist. Lin Sanjiu glanced around and noticed the former guard was also present. Interestingly, the moment the former guard's eyes landed on Puppeteer, Lin Sanjiu could tell—even though the former guard had always been obedient, it was only now that his true attitude of complete submission became evident, as if he were physically prostrating on the ground. It wasn't about currying favor for some benefits anymore but a full realization that some abysses are not to be trifled with.

How many people in the world secretly wished Puppeteer had just died?

However, as Lin Sanjiu watched him slowly sit down on the hospital bed, she felt an overwhelming urge to take out all the delicious items from her card inventory and let Bohemia eat as much as she wanted. She even felt like dashing to the payment counter to spin the prize wheel, as if she would surely draw an especially easy mission right now.

"Turn your face away," Puppeteer said, not even wanting to look at her. "Don't you know what you look like?"

She didn't.

Lin Sanjiu happily opened her card inventory, feeling like there were a thousand things to prepare. Just then, the former guard approached her, saying hesitantly, "There's... there's something I need to be honest about with you."

"What is it?"

"Before... Ya Jiang gave me a Special Item to pass on to you, saying both you and... this gentleman could use it. He said that the help he offered you before wasn't a big deal, and he needed to add a bit more to make it... worthy. Ah, don't ask me what 'worthy' means; he didn't say, and I don't know." The former guard pulled something out of his pocket, looking somewhat reluctant to part with it. "I... I had forgotten about it, but seeing this gentleman reminded me."