Chapter 484: Beyond Our Expectations

The Three Yin Sect was divided into the Snake Lord, Meng Po, and Ghost Infant lineages. Their power had peaked five years ago. The Snake Lord Lineage had the most members, controlling Jiangcheng from the shadows and managing the sect's underworld affairs. The Ghost Infant Lineage alone dared to challenge the Maoshan Upper Thirty-Six Grottos, competing against them in ghost arts and dark methods with a strength that surpassed even the Snake Lord Lineage. Truth be told, however, the most dominant and bizarre faction within the Three Yin Sect five years ago was the Meng Po Lineage. Back then, it consisted of only a single person—the Previous Generation Meng Po.

She was a living legend who represented the former glory of the Three Yin Sect. It was her sudden disappearance that triggered the cascade of events that followed. The Ghost Infant Lineage was crippled by the Maoshan Upper Thirty-Six Grottos, allowing the originally weakest Snake Lord Lineage to quietly rise to prominence and become the pillar of the Three Yin Sect.

"Previous Generation Meng Po," She Qian muttered over and over, blood congealing on his face.

"Didn't she go missing? Why is she here? There doesn't seem to be anything special about this alley."

"Mad and mindless—this is the Meng Po from the sect's records? Covered in grime and dressed in rags... this is the former number one expert of our Three Yin Sect?"

"What happened to her before she lost her mind? Is there anyone in Jiangcheng capable of harming Meng Po?"

The surviving cultivators of the Three Yin Sect found it all incredible; the Current Meng Po's vision went dark, and she almost fainted.

The Previous Generation Meng Po had simply shown her face, yet it caused massive shockwaves among the surviving evil cultivators of the Three Yin Sect. Even She Qian, who had been about to charge into the alley, stopped in his tracks. He was afraid and apprehensive. If someone as strong as Meng Po had met with disaster in this alley, a mere sect disciple like him stood no chance.

I watched the pathetic display of the Three Yin Sect disciples with a cold sneer, then walked away without looking back.

"You acted on behalf of heaven's will and nearly forced me to my death. We'll settle this grudge in due time." I had never considered myself a saint. An eye for an eye was my only code of conduct.

Stepping onto No-Lights Road, the evil cultivators of the Three Yin Sect watched as my last silhouette was swallowed by the darkness. Not a single one of them dared to pursue me.

Supporting myself against the wall, I walked very slowly. The Old Granny walked ahead of me, cradling a tattered rag doll and looking back at me every so often. Her eyes were cloudy and dull, as if fractured memories were drifting within them.

She seemed to recall something, only to forget it a moment later. Humming a nursery rhyme, she left me behind and wandered off alone.

"I really can't tell if this Old Granny is genuinely mad or just faking it." The first time I entered No-Lights Road, I had lent her a black umbrella and received an acrostic poem in return—a very tactful warning for me to leave.

The second time I visited No-Lights Road with Balding Uncle, she shifted through several stages of life right in front of me—childhood, youth, middle age, and old age. It seemed as though she was sneaking me a hint behind the Underworld Live Show's back. Even now, however, I still hadn't figured out what she was trying to tell me.

'Judging from the tone of the Three Yin Sect disciples, the Old Granny must be the missing Previous Generation Meng Po. She's appeared here on No-Lights Road, completely out of her mind and unable to leave. Could this have something to do with the Underworld Live Show?' I thought of many possibilities. The most logical conclusion was that the Three Yin Sect had discovered something ominous hidden on No-Lights Road, prompting Meng Po to investigate in person—only to provoke the Underworld Live Show into taking action. From that day on, the world lost the all-powerful Meng Po, replacing her with a mad old woman clutching a rag doll.

"In that case, I'll have to reevaluate the strength of the Underworld Live Show." The Three Yin Sect was a top-tier power in Jiangcheng, yet they were helpless against the Underworld Live Show. This realization brought me a mix of surprise and lingering unease.

My relationship with the Underworld Live Show was purely transactional, bound only by mutual benefit. With every broadcast, the tasks grew increasingly difficult. The Underworld Live Show was constantly squeezing the potential and value out of me. Once I could no longer provide any benefit to the Live Show, I would likely be ruthlessly discarded.

The only three methods I could think of right now to avoid this situation were: first, drastically strengthen myself to increase my value; second, find Xia Chi and the other Streamer behind him to collaborate from the inside and out, thereby breaking free from the Underworld Live Show's control; third, save up ten thousand points and leave the Live Show.

"Hard. Every single one of them is hard." I walked another dozen meters down the alley, my vision starting to blur. My injuries were too severe this time, and the Yellow Springs Token had drained my vital essence. My legs felt like they were filled with lead, refusing to move.

Just as I was about to collapse, I suddenly caught sight of the doorplate for No. 44. This building always seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"44 Lightless Road, Basement Level 4, Room 444. If I had a choice, I would rather never come here for the rest of my life."

Standing at the door, I hesitated. In truth, I had already succeeded in usurping fate, escaping my destined death date of October 30th. I could simply wait here until dawn and leave on my own; there was no need to seek the Underworld Live Show's help anymore.

Frankly, even after surviving so many broadcasts, I still felt a trace of instinctual fear whenever I faced the Paper Doll Interviewer. He never made any unnecessary movements or deliberately tried to invoke terror. He simply sat there, speaking in a very ordinary tone, yet he brought an undeniable pressure. I despised that feeling.

'Since I'm already here, I might as well take a look. I'm technically their employee, after all. Even if I haven't made major contributions, I've put in the hard work. They shouldn't do anything too extreme to me.' The Dream Wing Gu was resting within my Liver Aperture, absorbing the wood spirit essence of the Thousand-Year Locust Tree Flower. I figured the Underworld Live Show wouldn't forcefully take it from me.

'The Dream Wing Gu is sluggish, and the Three-Eyed Ghost Infant formed by the Fate Ghost's rebirth has fallen back into a deep slumber. Aside from Wang Shi, who has no combat power, all the ghosts on me have been severely injured. This battle was truly devastating.' I pondered for a moment and made up my mind.

A dilapidated awning hung half-askew over the entrance. I pushed the wooden door open, and the stench of decay assaulted my senses.

Stepping on the creaking floorboards, I headed all the way down to Basement Level 4.

The long corridor seemed endless. The doors on both sides were shut tight. I was in no mood to investigate further and headed straight for Room 444.

The door was unlocked, as if it had been left open specifically for me.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, greeted by a layout that looked like an abandoned warehouse. Broken tables and chairs were piled together, with bugs faintly visible crawling among them. The carpet was damp and reeked of rot, and the four characters for Underworld Live Show were scrawled crookedly on the wall.

Taking a deep breath, I entered the same partition where I had undergone my initial interview.

A black offering table sat in the middle of the room. The examiner wearing the Paper Doll Mask was seated perfectly upright beside the table.

"You knew I'd come?" I narrowed my eyes, wanting my gaze to pierce through that Paper Doll Mask.

The interviewer shook his head. "I have always been here, waiting for the next person to push open the door. Whether it is you or not makes no difference to me."

"Oh?" I carefully mulled over the interviewer's words, feeling he had a hidden meaning. My eyes swept across the room, and I involuntarily activated the Judging Eye. Soon, I discovered a promotional card for the Underworld Live Show placed on the other side of the offering table.

Unlike Xia Chi's previous card, this one was well-preserved, with only a single number written in the upper-left corner—"9".

'Is there another newcomer here for an interview?' My mind came up with an answer close to the truth in the shortest time possible.

"He pushed open another door." The interviewer did not answer directly, casually pocketing the card. "Mr. Gao, your performance this time exceeded our expectations. Congratulations on surviving."

I let out a bitter laugh. "That is indeed worth congratulating."

It was the Underworld Live Show that had assigned me to board the Death Train, enter the Yin-Yang Boundary, and sabotage the Double-Faced Buddha Plan. You could say the root cause of my becoming an enemy of heaven's will lay with the Underworld Live Show. I had originally intended to demand an explanation, but now that I was truly face-to-face with the Paper Doll Interviewer, I realized my so-called courage was just a joke.

"During your last broadcast, we issued an optional task requiring you to capture the Dream Wing Gu. That Gu insect should currently be on you. Are you willing to hand it over?" The interviewer considered for a moment before saying, "Given your special circumstances, as long as the transaction is successful, we will give you one extra Live Broadcast Immunity."

"A very tempting proposal." I looked at the interviewer, falling into deep thought.