Chapter 250: I Can Help You

"You mean to say... you are an elder of mine?"

"And, I really am the Heir of the Jiang Family, and those things in the Eastern Wasteland are all true?"

Looking at Chu Yiping with suspicion, Jiang Mingzhi's expression could not be called particularly pleasantly surprised.

"That's right, that's right!"

"That's great, I thought you didn't remember anything at all."

Having finally managed to get Jiang Mingzhi to settle down, Chu Yiping let out a slight sigh of relief.

Whew...

It was fortunate that he had regained most of his clarity, otherwise he really wouldn't have known how to proceed.

It must be done as soon as possible; the Beigan side has also begun to exert force, and the number of people who have awakened has increased by two in a very short time.

Although anxious inside, this Eastern Wasteland team leader still tried his best to squeeze out a smile and kindly encouraged Jiang Mingzhi:

In this facility where the Heaven is never seen, Jiang Mingzhi learned a principle.

Is it liberation?

"At the age of ten, during an assassination by an external enemy, you were the one who was supposed to block the assassin's sneak attack, but your older brother pushed you away."

"I have to say, your father really understood his own family; his contingency plan actually came in handy."

"You are the younger brother, he is the older brother; although you two were born to different mothers, from your appearance, you look like twin brothers born to the same mother."

"Could it be that you really thought you hadn't been exposed?"

If outsiders were to find out, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Kill him.

The tone became soft and eerie, like a seductive sound brushing past the ear.

With that controller gone, it had turned into a plant-dragon with only its most primitive instincts remaining.

The power of the red dragon exceeded the imagination of most creatures.

"And you, you must also provide me with a little bit of help."

"Since you are able to recall these things, it means you are only one step away from being clear-headed; try a little harder!"

"You hope that one day, everyone will know your name, and let yourself truly become yourself, instead of a substitute wearing your older brother's mask."

"Your father understood one principle: eggs cannot be placed in the same basket."

"You want to become the true Patriarch of the Chu Family, bring the mastermind who killed your older brother back then to justice, and make them pay a blood price."

He said:

"Hi~"

"First, I know that you have actually been pretending all along."

"I am here to help you."

"But rather your older brother, who should have been radiant."

Never trust anyone.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!!!

"Believe me, really."

He had a smile on his lips, not at all as shocked as he said, smiling as he sized up the scarred giant dragon.

He gently patted the scales beneath his bottom, just as if he were stroking a dog's head.

"You feel very regretful and want to atone for your thoughts at that time... so, you obediently put on a new mask."

He said:

After a bout of crazy venting, the red dragon... no, Chu Hairen had completely calmed himself down.

"In order to make you believe in my value, let's try a simple attempt first."

A faint humming sound arose, and the void before them peeled open like a piece of paper being cut.

Those secrets were the greatest secrets he had hidden deep in his heart, never revealed to anyone.

"But that's fine too; you are no longer remaining silent and are willing to communicate."

"It's just that, in that accident, the one who was consumed was not you, the substitute."

Not surprised by this reaction, Ren Yidao chuckled.

"The legitimate son who died is not the legitimate son; only the one who survives is qualified to be the legitimate son."

"ROAR!!!"

"Your dream, I can help you realize it."

It remained quietly prone on this land like a rock.

He did not trust the other party, even quietly taking two steps back to maintain a subtle distance from Chu Yiping, his eyes full of wariness.

But the content within was colder and more biting than the frost of the deepest winter.

"Your venting was a bit crazier than I imagined, and the speed at which you calmed down was also faster."

Chu Hairen narrowed his eyes, carefully observing this enemy who had forced him into a desperate situation.

"Secondly, I want to tell you... I know what you want."

This time was just to initially establish trust; Ren Yidao could be considered to be perfunctorily respecting his teacher and the Dao for once.

The youth smiled with narrowed eyes, appreciating it for a moment, then sat cross-legged on the tip of the giant dragon's nose.

Scorched Wasteland.

"Hide your own dark personality and pretend to be his optimism and cheerfulness."

"That year, you were both born, with less than three days between you."

"Of course, I didn't expect you to show your hand over these few words, given how well you can endure."

"Or rather, not a single legitimate son was harmed in that assassination attempt."

His eyes narrowed slightly; Ren Yidao's expression revealed no true intent.

Even if one were to truly destroy this part of the other's soul, the secrets he had obtained could not be cleared from his mind.

This time, the destruction caused by the flesh-and-blood cannonball was not as great as the last, but it was still terrifying enough to leave another deep crater in the ground.

Chu Hairen frowned, but in the end, he still nodded slowly:

"Deal."

Only the heartbeat within the giant dragon was constantly accelerating.

Because now, it was no longer a question of whether the fish had taken the bait or not.

"A deal?"

"Although you possess similar appearances, your fates are diametrically opposed."

"Therefore, you became a substitute, a consumable that could be sacrificed at a critical moment."

"And you, after returning to the Eastern Wasteland, must help me find someone there: my master who has been missing for many years, Luoyue Shangren."

No, there is still a chance of survival.

And the youth was clearly aware of this point; this sentence was not a greeting, but a faint mockery.

"Mm, good, right, ah, mm."

"What do I want? Oh my, you say that, but haven't I already told you?"

"I'm back! Have you felt lonely this past half-day?"

Sss—

Roaring in the sky, bellowing under the sun, emitting a cry that no one could understand.

"You want..."

Thump.

*Patting dog head. JPG*

A cold glint flashed in his smiling eyes, and Ren Yidao's voice was full of playfulness and unruliness.

A cold wind blew across the wasteland, causing Ren Yidao's hair to float gently.

"You want your mother, who is still unknown to outsiders, to be proud of you, to be able to truly walk out in front of people."

From the outside, the giant dragon remained calm, but Ren Yidao could feel the vibrations coming from beneath him, slightly accelerating by two beats.

"Since then, your father has publicly declared that you are that legitimate son who died in infancy."

"From then on, the light dissipated, and the shadow stepped onto the stage, cloaked in the skin of light."

Speaking to this point, Ren Yidao's voice began to grow low, as if he felt sorrow for the child in the story.

"Rest assured~ I am not trying to trick you."

Heh heh.

The red dragon's eyes opened, and within its vertical pupils lay a fervent rage capable of melting everything in the world.

Chu Hairen had not yet been completely driven to a dead end.

That meant he had designs on himself.

He said:

Since the other party did not hide this news from others and even chose to come looking for him alone.

"Roar—"

Gently patting the giant dragon's scales, Ren Yidao suddenly laughed and asked curiously:

Ren Yidao did not mind the stiffness of his tone and said with familiar ease:

"Because I have actually already seen this answer."

It was clearly putting on new shackles.

"But he was your elder brother after all, and he died for you; you soon understood how dark your own thoughts were."

"Even your very existence is unknown to outsiders."

"I saw it."

"From the moment you first disguised yourself as a giant dragon to attack Chu Yiping, to later faking being swallowed by me, you had long since sobered up with the help of that Jade Pendant."

"Finally free."

Is my old illness recurring now?

It is because after Yang Jiaoshou died, the restless thoughts in my heart have begun to stir again.

"In that instant, when the fresh blood splashed onto your face, you had only one thought in your heart."

The words did not stop, and the story continued:

"But no one expected that the story of light and shadow would have such a dramatic twist."

There was no darkness in the youth's voice; it was as warm as the sunlight spilling in on an early spring morning.

Those who talk to you might actually be hallucinations naturally produced in his mind.

But... only the physical body remains alive.

His peripheral vision was searching for the traces of the monster he had consumed earlier.

Seeming both moved and admiring, Ren Yidao sighed:

"Any news is fine, but do not let anyone notice, and even if you discover her, do not make contact."

"You are a venomous snake walking into the light, disguising yourself in the radiance, waiting for the right moment to strike."

"What a cruel set of rules for competition, it's just like cultivation~"

It's done!

Thump-thump!

The anger vanished, and within those vertical pupils, nothing remained but a coldness that was cold to the extreme.

Even if Ren Yidao did not ask, he had no right to refuse at all.

"And I can help you."

"I saw the first half of your life."

"Then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation~"

Seeing Chu Hairen being so cooperative, Ren Yidao nodded with satisfaction:

"Very good, then without further ado, let us begin our actions immediately!"

Chu Hairen no longer wore the mask of kindness and optimism he showed others on a daily basis, but instead revealed his original cold and sinister personality.

"Of course, this is not free."

It was merely a victor holding the initiative, ruthlessly mocking his defeated opponent and enjoying this pleasure.

The behemoth draped in dark red scales lay quietly upon the earth, like a sleeping solitary mountain.

The sound of the wind ceased, and the thunderous breathing also disappeared.

Knowing clearly that this was an abyss where one wrong step would lead to eternal damnation, he still had to step onto it.

"Well, this is also a matter of course; after all, your mothers were twin sisters, so it is normal for you to look alike."

Ren Yidao's smile was brilliant, simply like a kind-hearted person who was happy to help others and took helping others as his life's value.

"Having said so much, I have no other meaning, I just want to prove two things."

His slender fingers gently stroked the scales beneath him, emitting a faint sound.

After its brain was more than half devoured and even the soul contained within it was gnawed away, it was still alive.

It also could not answer.

Compared to selfless help born of a kind heart, Chu Hairen could accept this explanation better, and nodded:

"……What do you want me to do?"

"And beyond that, buried in the depths of your heart is a dream, the deepest and greatest, that you have never revealed to anyone."

Waving his palm in front of him, Ren Yidao dispersed the smoke and dust before him, arrived in front of Chu Hairen, and sighed:

"Although you hid it quickly, I still saw a part of your memories."

He was very happy.

However, in order not to scare the other party, Ren Yidao decided to compromise a little and give him an explanation he could accept:

Naturally, the giant dragon did not open its mouth.

Before the smoke and dust had dissipated, the figure of the red dragon crawled out from the pit.

After asking such heart-piercing words, Ren Yidao laughed out loud directly and waved his hand:

"Hahaha, just kidding, you actually don't have to answer."

"Although you were still young at that time, you already understood that that was your fate."

Hum—

Ren Yidao stood up and walked step by step to the top of the giant dragon's head.

"He dies, you live."

"What do you want?"

"Not answering?"

Thump-thump.

"Speaking of which, I want to ask you a question."

"How about this, I will help you stand out in this competition this time and let you obtain a higher status in the Chu Family."

"Too shocking~"

A scorching high-temperature heat wave gushed out from the giant dragon's nasal cavity, and lava-like breath flowed from the gaps in its mouth, melting the earth.

Its eyes closed, and only its slightly heaving chest and the roaring sound emitted from its nasal cavity proved that it was still alive.

It flapped the wings on its back, soared into the air, left the earth, and rushed toward the high sky.

"Become the true King of the Eastern Wasteland."

In this illusion, he simply could not do it.

All was silent.

Although that Professor Yang was an indisputable beast, he did indeed help him solve the problem of hallucinations.

Ren Yidao smiled confidently:

"At that time, were you sad? Or rather, were you happy?"

It roared, destroying the terrain before it with its claws, melting the situation with its breath, and shattering the ground with its dragon tail.

"Born as a son of a concubine, you were not favored by your father and relatives since childhood, and could only watch your brother, who was the legitimate son, enjoy being surrounded by everyone."

Then, at the highest point, it suddenly folded its wings and let its body fall, plummeting toward the earth.

"Let's do this, I'll give you a small hint."

"From the very beginning, you were destined to become his shadow, living only for him for your entire life."

Chu Yiping was amiable here, but Jiang Mingzhi did not appreciate it.

The youth in the black robe strolled out from within, standing still on the tip of the giant dragon's nose with his hands tucked in his sleeves.

"Were you feeling sorrow for your elder brother's sacrifice? Or were you excited for his premature death?"

This is the safest approach, but at this moment, it is the most unrealistic one.

Under the self-torturous, frantic tossing and turning, most of the scales on the body were shattered, and in some places, blood even seeped out.

But the most bizarre thing of all was its eyes.

This is what Chu Hairen needs most right now to achieve his goal, and he will not refuse it.

Instead, now that the fish have all fallen into the fish basket, he still wants to continue squeezing out more profit.

He thought this to himself, while perfunctorily humoring Chu Yiping with his words.

"When he pushed you away and blocked that arrow for you, what were you thinking in your Heart Star?"

Swish—Boom!!!

"You want Father's eyes to truly look at you, instead of looking at a reflection that has long since passed away and is clinging to you."

"Believe me, the help I can provide you will surely exceed your imagination."

His true form has already been seen through, so continuing to disguise himself is meaningless.

"Feeling better now?"

Once these words were spoken, the giant dragon's breathing, heartbeat, and everything else remained completely unchanged.

Perhaps it will just stay this way, maintaining this sorrowful appearance until death arrives.

"You leave here first, and leave the rest to me."

He said:

"I will definitely give you an unexpected surprise!"