The game becomes reality: Black Myth invades the real world.

Chapter 53 The Thief of the Future

"You used literature to convey the Tao, reciting the Tao Te Ching, without affecting Huang Mei."

"You wielded the willow-leaf blade, cutting through Yellow Eyebrow's skin and causing him some damage."

"You took out a frying pan to hit Yellow Eyebrows on the head, but had to give up because you weren't tall enough."

"You used the white thread in the Soul-Binding Silk to briefly control Huang Mei's movements."

"You took out a hair from the Great Sage..."

Ever since he emerged from the human race bag, Chen Fu has been attacking Huang Mei according to the options provided.

He had only thought of the first few lines of the Tao Te Ching on the spur of the moment, so it was understandable that it didn't have any effect. Willow Blade continued to perform steadily, and he was a little frustrated that the frying pan had no effect, but he knew it was because of the large height difference between them.

What surprised Chen Fu the most was the Soul-Binding Silk.

When I used the red thread before, it became ineffective after Huang Mei glared at me. Luckily, I didn't tie a knot, otherwise it would have broken after only one use. I didn't expect the white thread to work, which means Huang Mei is a malevolent entity.

This series of actions, while not killing Huang Mei, did put him under some control.

Chen Fu thought to himself that the fat old man was really hard to kill. With his current skill level, he could wipe out most of the ghosts and demons in Sidu Lake in one go, but he couldn't exert the expected effect in front of this person.

But it's okay, the Great Sage is still waiting behind us.

"When Huang Mei saw the monkey, his expression finally changed. He shouted in surprise, 'Weren't you dead? Why are you here? Did someone resurrect you?'"

"The Great Sage sneered and swung his staff. After several rounds, Huang Mei was forced to retreat and showed signs of defeat."

"You took the opportunity to close in and repeatedly attacked the same spot with the willow-leaf blade, causing Huang Mei to bleed profusely."

"The wind chimes sway gently, playing the tune of 'Twin Lotus Blossoms,' and your next actions will bring good fortune."

"You finally found your chance when Huang Mei was defeated by the Great Sage, and smashed Huang Mei's head with a frying pan."

"Huang Mei, having suffered a heavy blow, became dazed and powerless to retaliate. The Great Sage seized the opportunity and unleashed his final strike."

"Yellow Eyebrows was beaten to death by the Great Sage. After doing all this, the Great Sage did not speak to you as usual, but silently turned into a hair and left."

"You've succeeded, Old Ancestor Yellow Eyebrows."

"Coroner's Walker Ability, triggered."

"You've encountered a paranormal event."

"Huang Mei's soul floated out of his body and transformed into a golden Buddha, which appeared before you in a lotus position."

Huh? There's more to it than meets the eye.

Chen Fu's eyes narrowed.

He originally thought that after killing Huang Mei, he would face the Future Buddha. As long as he eliminated him, he could clear the dungeon and successfully change his class.

Now it seems that things have turned out a little differently than expected.

But it doesn't matter, what's coming will come eventually. Let's see what kind of trouble Huang Mei's soul will cause.

"When the Buddha appears in the world, he does not dwell on the past or the future, but only looks at the present. When the golden body collapses and the Buddha's light fades, you will discover the true form of Huang Mei, which is the corpse of a child."

"Yellow Eyebrows told you that you only wore a large leather coat in life, and your true form can only be revealed after death. I knew of your abilities the moment you stepped into Little Western Paradise. Dissect me, and with your knife, tell the Three Realms that my master... is a thief."

It was quite unexpected that Huang Mei was actually a virgin, but the fact that the Future Buddha was a thief matched what Chen Fu had found out.

But why did Huang Mei say that before he died? Wasn't he an accomplice of Maitreya, the future Buddha?

Chen Fu had considered Huang Mei and Maitreya to be allies from the beginning, but now it seems that's not quite right.

However, since we've mentioned anatomy, it involves his area of ​​expertise, and we'll find out the whole truth soon.

He began operating according to the game text, dissecting the remains of the child left behind by Huang Mei.

"You find the corpse as if it were carved from white jade, with a lifelike face, round like a child, but with two empty eyes."

"Looking down, there is a deep, dark gold ligature mark on the neck of the corpse, embedded in the flesh and bone. The texture of the ligature mark matches perfectly with the brocade rope on the human race bag."

"There was a circular scar on the chest of the corpse, with smooth edges and a black interior, as if the heart had been ripped out alive."

"You used the willow-leaf blade to cut open the corpse's chest and found that it was empty inside. There were no internal organs or bones, only scarlet willpower filling it and maintaining the body's normal function."

"And at his heart, a roll of paper was slowly forming."

"Chosen One, you've realized this is the meaning behind Huang Mei's order for you to dissect his corpse. What do you plan to do? Will you open the papers and examine them, or will you take what you can and leave this place with the unclaimed human bag?"

Oh, now you know to let me leave? Why didn't you say so when we were fighting?

Chen Fu sneered. He was waiting to uncover the cruelest truth about Little Western Paradise, so how could he give up now?

"You opened the paper, and this is what it said."

"Those who come after me, please take heed: I am the bell-ringing boy before Maitreya, named Huangmei. My master's title is Future Buddha, but his path is not cultivated, but stolen."

I have seen them use the promise of future bliss as bait to spread the threads of faith throughout the world. Every time a believer prays for blessings in the next life, these threads steal a wisp of the believer's future fortune, gathering it in the human's pocket and condensing it into future golden essence.

The golden essence nourishes their future physical form, which takes the form of a golden infant. As this physical form grows longer, the future of the believers diminishes. They may die a violent death or fall into poverty, forever unable to reach the future they pray for. The so-called future Buddha-land is, in reality, a den of thieves built upon the future of all beings!

I questioned the Lord, who laughed and said: "All beings are foolish. Leaving their future empty is a waste. It is better to offer it to me. I will grant them an imagined future, which is also an act of compassion."

I was terrified and wanted to run away, but the Lord tied the rope of the bag with a brocade rope and strangled me with his own hands, saying: Since you know the future, you have no future.

As my soul was about to dissipate, I stole a wisp of golden Buddhist power from the bag and attached it to my corpse, thus carrying out this rebellious act. I trapped the Great Sage not to kill him, but because the Great Sage is an anomaly of heaven and earth, having transcended reincarnation and possessing an infinite future, a coveted treasure of my lord!

I impersonated Buddha and set up this inescapable trap, just to make this case rise to the heavens and force my master to appear!

I do not seek to live, but only for the truth to come to light. Those who come after me, whether human or demon, please take my corpse and my testimony and declare it to the Three Realms.

Maitreya is a thief who steals the future!

Chen Fu's heart pounded as he watched.

Ah, so this is the real truth about Little Western Paradise.

The future Buddha Maitreya could not bear to wait and wanted to replace the Tathagata in the present, ascend to the Buddha's position, and build a Buddha-land based on the prayers of all sentient beings.

Huang Mei saw through the conspiracy and was strangled and placed in a human seed bag, but was resurrected by the power of the Golden Essence Buddha and built the Little Thunder Temple here to break Maitreya's scheme.

So... what Huang Mei said after seeing the Great Sage was actually an act; his real intention was to be killed by the Great Sage.

Only in this way can the body be dissected, using oneself as "evidence," to expose the immeasurable sins of the future Buddha Maitreya.

This is different from the Kang Jinlong seen in the human sac. At this moment, Chen Fu has obtained crucial witness and physical evidence.

If he wanted to, he could have made the "truth about Xiaoxitian" public.

The game text also allowed him to make that choice.

"Chosen One, you have uncovered the cruelest truth about Little Western Paradise. What do you plan to do?"

"You can present the crucial evidence to the Lingxiao Palace, Mount Ling, or the Underworld, expose the despicable acts of the future Buddha Maitreya, cause his credibility to collapse, and subject him to condemnation and abuse from all spirits."

"Doing this will cause an uproar in the Three Realms, split the Buddhist community, and you will immediately be hunted down by Maitreya and his remaining forces."

"Alternatively, you could choose to take away the crucial evidence, not actively expose it, but secretly reveal this secret to a force that can check and balance Maitreya, thereby gaining their protection."

"If you choose to do this, the truth will be temporarily suppressed, but it will sow the seeds of future troubles in the undercurrents of the Three Realms. You will become one of the few who possess the core secrets. It will be dangerous, but you will have the initiative."

Two options: expose or not expose.

In fact, Chen Fu had already met the mission requirements by this point in the Little Western Paradise dungeon.

But based on his understanding of the game "Black Myth: The Book of Past Events", he had a feeling that there was still a pitfall waiting for him.

Don't be fooled by the fact that you might face a deadly pursuit immediately after being exposed; it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Similarly, what's the use of possessing core secrets if you don't expose them?

The text mentions a force that can counterbalance Maitreya. Based on the original "Journey to the West," Chen Fu speculates that it could be Ksitigarbha, Zhenyuan Daxian, or Zhenwu Dadi, but it doesn't specify who it is.

Rather than keeping a secret and letting it rot inside, it's better to tell it out; who knows, you might have a wonderful surprise.

Besides, if I don't say anything, won't the mission not be fully completed, thus losing the opportunity to change jobs?

Chen Fu dared not gamble.

He wanted to expose them, but that would put him in complete opposition to Maitreya.

If the chase were to break out immediately, it would definitely be a major supernatural event.

Chen Fu's presence in the dormitory might have a negative impact on the entire school.

How should I choose? It's such a dilemma.

Chen Fu scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then made a decision.

……

The Bureau of Investigation Jiangcheng Wujiang District Headquarters.

Zhou Jianbang habitually works overtime until very late.

He has no wife or children, and all his energy is focused on his career. Going back would just mean being alone anyway, so he might as well stay in the office.

The phone rang abruptly. Zhou Jianbang looked at the caller ID and answered.

"Old Zhao, why are you calling so late? Has something serious happened?"

Zhou Jianbang asked, his tone relaxed.

"There are two things I need to tell you." Zhao Dekuan's voice was devoid of emotion: "First, the headquarters in Yanjing has decided to appoint you as the head of Jiangcheng. This is an affirmation of your previous work."

The Bureau of Spirits Investigation will not mistreat any of its employees.

During his tenure, Zhou Jianbang was always at the forefront of resolving paranormal incidents. He cared for his subordinates and led by example, serving as a role model for all employees of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau.

The position of Jiangcheng's head has been vacant for a long time. Promoting him would set a benchmark and make him a role model for players of the National Bureau of Investigation across the country.

Yanjing had already discussed this matter in detail, and only after it was finalized was Zhao Dekuan asked to make a phone call to inform them.

The appointment documents will be sent to each Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIT) office simultaneously and will be posted on the forum. All procedures will be carried out in accordance with government standards.

"It's all for the people."

Zhou Jianbang replied calmly that if it were for power, he would not have chosen to join the Spirit Investigation Bureau in the first place.

"You'll be responsible for a lot more people from now on, so don't shirk your duties."

Zhao Dekuan joked, then quickly changed the subject:

"The second thing is about Chen Fu."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jianbang frowned suddenly, and immediately thought of a possibility.

"Based on the items sold at the stalls near the Imperial City in Yanjing, we have conducted some analysis and had professionals verify that the player whose name starts with 'Wu' is indeed Chen Fu."

Zhao Dekuan's voice didn't reveal any anger, but it did contain a hint of questioning.

"Leaving aside the first time he put the skill book on the shelves, Chen Fu hadn't joined the Spirit Investigation Bureau yet. But the second time was different. The people in Yanjing believed that his actions were detrimental to the overall development of the Spirit Investigation Bureau and that he was using public resources to seek personal gain."

"Old Zhou, we've known each other for decades. Tell me the truth, do you know what he's been doing?"

Zhou Jianbang fell silent.

He not only knew, but also condoned it.

If exposed, the lightest punishment would be imprisonment, and in more serious cases, even execution.

Although Black Myth: The Book of Past Events is currently in closed beta, and the number of players aware of this matter is not large, they are scattered across various locations, and some have even joined conglomerates, thus falling outside the control of the Spirit Investigation Bureau.

However, as a member of the Spirit Investigation Bureau, one is subject to the organization's management. Currently, the game is still in its early stages, which is when resources are most scarce. Such an incident will definitely be dealt with in the strictest way.

Consequently, those who know about the incident will also be punished accordingly, as a warning to others and to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Zhou Jianbang's silence was largely not due to concern about what kind of punishment the organization would take against him, but rather because he believed that Chen Fu's actions were not problematic.

He didn't care about taking the position of the head of Jiangcheng. Fame and power were meaningless to him. He would rather spend that time taking care of the people who followed him.

But the truth will eventually come out. Now that Yanjing knows about it, someone has to take responsibility.

"I know, I'm the one who made him do it."

Zhou Jianbang gave his reply.

He wouldn't let Chen Fu be affected in any way; in his eyes, this boy was a very special person. Not only was he ahead of all other players at the same stage in the game, but he was also fully committed to solving paranormal events happening in real life.

The future definitely belongs to Chen Fu.

The impact of "Black Myth: The Book of Past Events" on reality will inevitably be resolved by Chen Fu.

What he had to do was to pave a path for Chen Fu as much as possible.

"After I learned that Chen Fu had the skill book, I had wicked thoughts and wanted to use it to make money for myself. So I ordered him to sell the book without revealing his identity, and then I got a huge amount of cash from him."

Zhou Jianbang took all the responsibility upon himself.

"I did do this with a bit of wishful thinking, believing the organization wouldn't find out. Now it seems I was too naive. I'm willing to accept whatever punishment the organization gives me, and I will never complain."

Zhou Jianbang readily agreed.

He was all alone, so it didn't matter whether he spent the rest of his life in prison or faced the death penalty.

Even if he had to choose again, he would still choose to conceal Chen Fu's actions.

"Old Zhou, I already said it," Zhao Dekuan sighed, "I've known you for decades, do you think I don't know your personality?"

The fact that he was able to call Zhou Jianbang so late at night means that he had already finalized all the details of the matter. How could he not know what the situation was like?

But what Zhao Dekuan couldn't understand was why Zhou Jianbang would do this.

He asked the question with a tone of disappointment and frustration.

"Why are you so protective of Chen Fu? Even willing to risk your future and your life to help him?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jianbang knew that Zhao Dekuan had seen through his little scheme.

He simply stated his most honest opinion: "I think his future is brighter than mine."

"You..." Zhao Dekuan sighed again and told him about the organization's decision to deal with Chen Fu.

……