met free Chapter 310 The Bookmaker Takes All
Chapter 310 The Bookmaker Takes All
Chapter 310 The Bookmaker Takes All
What does it feel like to be in the most evil den in the world?
Shi was extremely nervous and anxious. She even felt a little short of breath, but for a moment she couldn't tell whether it was due to the influence of the surrounding environment or her own psychological state.
Everything around them looked so natural. The sofa was ordinary, but you could tell just by looking at it that it would be very comfortable to sit on. Opposite the sofa was a huge TV screen, which was how they had come in.
Below the wall-mounted TV was a table against the wall, on which was a row of picture frames, most of which contained photos of young girls.
The disabled person recognized the girl as Tang Cao. There were several photos of the two siblings together, and a few more of Tang Cao with another girl.
She must be Tangcao's classmate; I don't remember her meeting her once.
This ordinary, unremarkable decoration gave Shi a sense of unreality.
She secretly mobilized the surrounding shadow energy, and soon, every corner of the room began to liven up.
The living room lights began to dim, and shadow energy gathered from all directions. Under the sofa and behind the television, shadows began to slowly stir, and one by one, shadow figures began to be summoned.
In just a few seconds, the place was filled with shadow energy. However, Shi was not happy at all. On the contrary, she was even more surprised.
Having fought against the Greedy Ones, she knew their abilities very well. Each Greedy One had their own mirror space, and she initially thought that the Greedy Ones had pulled her into a similar space.
Furniture and decorations are nothing more than external products used to deceive oneself; one should already be under the control of the other party.
But to her surprise, she was able to summon the Shadows, and judging from their response, she was still in the real world. She could even faintly hear the ancient costume drama being watched next door.
She didn't know how to describe her current state of mind. She did breathe a sigh of relief when she learned that she was still in the real world, but this environment did not bring her any sense of security.
If the other party isn't worried about you running away from the beginning, doesn't that mean all your actions will be under their surveillance?
Yes.
The other party has already usurped the key to the Shadow World. Although I don't know how he did it, he does have the same ability as me to freely enter and exit the Shadow Corridor.
Thinking about this, Shi felt even more nervous, not knowing what she would experience next.
The wait was always long, and listening to the sound of the faucet coming from the bathroom, Shi felt a mix of emotions.
About a minute later, the sound of running water stopped, and Tang Zijun appeared in the hallway between the living room and the foyer.
"Don't be shy, make yourself at home, have a seat." Tang Zijun said casually, seeing Jiali standing still, looking rather uneasy.
He then filled a pot with boiling water and began to brew tea on his own.
From the moment Tang Zijun appeared, Shi's gaze remained fixed on him. After hesitating for a moment, she adjusted her skirt slightly and carefully sat down.
Carrying the tray to the coffee table, Tang Zijun placed the cup in front of Shi and poured her a cup of tea.
"Try it. I didn't like drinking tea before, and if I did, it was milk tea. But now that I'm older, I've started learning to brew tea in order to reduce my sugar intake. And you know what? It's actually quite interesting to drink."
Shi looked at the teacup in front of him, unsure whether to reach for it or not.
Her head was already a little muddled—this was too ordinary, it was simply too ordinary! What was with this casual, old-friend-chat-about-home attitude? Shouldn't they be mortal enemies?!
Despite the turmoil in his heart, Shi calmly picked up the cup.
Just as she hesitated whether to drink it, the aroma of matcha wafted into her nostrils, and then, somewhat bewildered, she blurted out, "The aroma of malt?"
"You're an expert," Tang Zijun replied instinctively.
Then, the atmosphere in the living room suddenly froze.
Another day that reveals my age. Luckily, that brat Qin Nan isn't here, otherwise she would have teased me a bit more.
Shi's expression was also a bit strange. She remained silent for a moment before speaking. "...I mean, is this Xin'er's tea?"
"Yes." Tang Zijun nodded slightly.
Malt combined with Yuanjiang jasmine from Yunnan Province—this is indeed the type of tea Tan Zhi has always used. This tea was a gift from someone before.
Malt infusion can aid digestion, strengthen the spleen, and regulate blood lipids, while jasmine flowers have a high fragrance and an unforgettable aftertaste. Both were personally cultivated by Tan Zhixin, and their flavors are rich and harmonious.
At first, it might be hard to accept, but after drinking it for a while, it has a unique flavor, just like coffee, where the initial bitterness is unacceptable to many people.
However, this type of tea was only cultivated by Tan Zhixin in recent years, and it is impossible to determine its origin solely by its aroma, which also explains...
"In the years since your resurrection, you must have secretly helped Tan Zhixin quite often, right?" Tang Zijun said with a smile in a low voice.
"What do you mean?" Shi's expression changed.
"I haven't known Tan Zhixin for very long, no more than four months at most. I didn't know anything about her past at first, but as we got to know each other better, I started to get a little curious."
Tang Zijun took a sip of tea and continued, "Although Tan Zhixin, who has lost her transformation ability, still retains some magic power, with the defenses of her flower shop, she probably wouldn't be able to withstand the retaliation from those heretics without someone helping her hide."
As she spoke, Tang Zijun raised her head.
"You secretly shielded her from some threats, didn't I?"
Although it was a rhetorical question, Tang Zijun's tone was very certain.
She averted her gaze and said calmly, "I'm just doing this to complete my plan. Tan Zhixin is a crucial link, one that cannot be lost, so I must..."
"Yes, yes, with the abilities of your Shadow Clan, apart from Tan Zhixin, a magical girl who has lost her transformation ability, there is probably no other Blue-level magical girl who can be corrupted by you."
Tang Zijun interrupted her insincere words and immediately shook her head. "Actually, there's no point in you explaining these things to me. You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me."
"What exactly do you want to do?" Shi asked, her face tense, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"I've asked my questions, and now you need to answer them," Tang Zijun said calmly. "What exactly is this scam you're talking about? And what is the relationship between magical girls and nature?"
Her eyes flickered slightly. This was the second time she had heard Tang Zijun ask this question. If she had some doubts about Tang Zijun at first, now she was truly certain that the other party cared a lot about Tang Cao.
Regardless of any past motives the other party might have harbored, the fact that they've remembered something I said so deeply proves their genuine concern for this younger sister.
After a long pause, Shi took a sip of tea and then put the cup down. "How much do you know about magical girls?"
"It's limited to occasional casual chats with fellow anime and manga enthusiasts," Tang Zijun said without hesitation.
After a pause, Shi Yu said, "If you think magical girls are just as innocent and naive as they are in anime, or extremely dark and cruel, you are very wrong. This power itself is a curse, and those girls who keep talking about fighting for justice are nothing more than disposable items."
Hearing this, Tang Zijun's expression became more serious. "Continue."
"Whether it's heresy or greed, you should know very well that these creatures were born from the evil thoughts of humans. Humans are the instigators of all this. As long as humans exist, magical girls will never be able to defeat evil."
"So stop spouting this 'for justice' nonsense. This whole thing is utterly ridiculous. Xin'er, your sister, and all the other magical girls..."
They're all just consumables, consumables used to suppress human evil thoughts.
She stated in a cold, detached tone, "Whenever human evil thoughts give rise to monsters, magical girls appear. They risk their lives to pursue an impossible responsibility, but their fate is always the same: to die at the hands of monsters, leaving nothing behind."
As Tang Zijun listened to Shi's words, he observed her expression. He could tell that she wasn't lying.
Or rather, these were indeed her actual observations and experiences, without any embellishment.
A serious look flashed in Tang Zijun's eyes, and after a moment of thought, she asked, "Then, what role does nature, which grants magical powers to girls, play in all of this? Why do you say that magical girls are a sacrifice?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Shi retorted, then said coldly, "If humans are the instigators of all evil creatures..."
So nature is the dealer in this game.
"What power of miracles, what power of belief? If nature truly possessed miracles, it wouldn't have stood by and watched so many young girls die tragically in the gutter."
"Why do magical girls fight so desperately? It's to eliminate evil and prevent monsters born from negative energy from invading this world. They gain nothing from it and even have to endure pain that ordinary people can hardly bear."
"And what happens after the magical girl dies? The power of the Rainbow Crystal Flower will dilute and decompose, nourishing the world anew, and then it can naturally find the next target and continue the game."
"Slay monsters, let death nourish you. In this game where all living things in the world are the players, you will never lose, because from beginning to end, it is all a conspiracy."
—The house wins all.