Something Feels Off

Feng Yaozu felt a genuine surge of irritation the moment he heard this argument.

"Stop comparing me to your dead son!" he scolded impatiently, pinching Aunt a couple of times as if to vent his anger.

Aunt's face withered, and her tone carried a hint of humiliation.

"You promised me—"

"Enough!"

Feng Yaozu impatiently interrupted her again.

"Never mind killing that kid from Anwu City."

"Once I find a way to steal other people's abilities, when the world descends into further chaos, won't everything under the sun be mine?"

Zhu Yan chuckled upon hearing this.

Still thinking about the future, bro.

He genuinely showed a laughing expression, which, paired with the emotionless eyes of a doppelganger, looked incredibly eerie.

"Good son."

Zhu Yan raised a finger, pointing at the elevator, and started making things up the moment he opened his mouth.

"Let me tell you a secret. That player's ability is very likely related to stealth."

He let out a sinister chuckle.

"When he arrived, he probably used his ability. Because, you see, I didn't spot him at first."

"It wasn't until the elevator doors opened that I caught the scent of a human and saw a faint silhouette."

Feng Yaozu sneered; this time, the muscles on his face genuinely relaxed with amusement.

"Oh, stealth?" He acted as if he had heard something hilarious. "Can't I just go upstairs and call him 'Daddy' a few times, and that'll be that?"

That was exactly the effect he wanted!

Zhu Yan pushed the room card for 506 over. "Good son, you go into the room first. Don't forget, your task has to be completed inside the room."

Mainly, it was Zhu Yan's task that needed to be completed in the room.

If he didn't trick Feng Yaozu into going inside, how was he supposed to kill him later?

"As for this lady..."

Zhu Yan looked at Aunt.

"I would suggest she stay here."

Kill her first.

After killing her, he would disguise himself as Aunt and enter the room to fish for information.

Wouldn't that count as exposing their true relationship inside the room?

Feng Yaozu narrowed his eyes. "Why? This is my blood bag, Dad—"

"Quiet!"

Zhu Yan hastily raised a hand, stopping him from calling him 'Dad' again.

"I'm not allowed to participate in the instance's conflicts. Good son, I'm helping you in secret, so don't go shouting about it."

This point had been made clear in the female voice's broadcast, so Feng Yaozu had no objections whatsoever.

He and Aunt exchanged a glance. Zhu Yan maintained the doppelganger's strange tone and let out a cold laugh.

"Because you can't let the other party expose your relationship inside the room, nor can you let them kill you."

"Otherwise, your task will fail."

As soon as the word "kill" was spoken, Feng Yaozu's expression suddenly filled with a hint of murderous intent.

"The other player's task is to kill us?"

"Damn it. Isn't that just meat delivering itself to our door?"

Aunt raised a hand to comfortingly rub his back.

She still kept her lips tightly pressed together, looking humiliated yet helpless.

There was no other way. Feng Yaozu was the only person she could rely on right now.

Her own life, her son's revenge—she had to count on this younger brother of hers for everything.

Besides, Feng Yaozu had truly never failed in an instance!

Thinking of this, Aunt twitched the corners of her mouth, smiling submissively.

"Exactly. He just knows a little stealth, does he think he's so special?"

She said in a soft tone.

"Running into our Yaozu, isn't it his bad luck?"

Zhu Yan agreed in a cold, stiff tone, "Son, even if it's meat delivered to your door, instances have their rules."

He continued to brainwash Feng Yaozu.

"If you leave this woman here, you'll be the only one left in the room."

"No matter what, he won't be able to expose your relationship inside the room."

Fuck.

Feng Yaozu sized up the doppelganger in front of him. It wore a faint, icy smile, the muscles around its eyes subtly contracting to form a hungry expression.

Damn it, calling him "Daddy" those few times was totally worth it.

This kind of horror creature NPC that didn't directly participate in the instance knew far more than he had imagined!

Feng Yaozu burst into laughter and raised a hand to pat Zhu Yan heavily on the shoulder.

"As expected of a doppelganger that can absorb human memories. You're doing a great job as an old man, truly thinking of your son with all your heart!"

The sandalwood bracelet on Zhu Yan's wrist grew faintly warm.

A surging clear stream once again fought against the urge to confess everything, maintaining the balance of Zhu Yan's sanity.

Ah, yes, yes, yes.

How could he not be wholehearted? Zhu Yan was terrified that he wouldn't die.

Bringing Honor to Ancestors—this ability might be sleazy, but it was just too damn useful.

At a critical moment, it might even save a life.

The corners of Zhu Yan's mouth curled up a bit more.

"Just sit inside the room and wait for him to walk right into the trap."

"As for this woman—"

Zhu Yan imitated the doppelganger, turning his head somewhat stiffly to look at Aunt's sagging face.

"Leave her to me. I'll watch her for you and guarantee she won't die."

He pushed the room card numbered 506 over, doing his best to simulate a loving and gentle tone.

"Son, you absolutely must not make any mistakes."

You absolutely must pass away smoothly!

Feng Yaozu took the room card and examined it carefully in his palm.

He licked his lips and waved a hand at Aunt.

"Then you just wait here."

He looked at the doppelganger. "My ability has never failed me. Once they're hit, they're hit. Even if they know it's an ability, these things won't be able to control themselves."

"Once I handle the one upstairs," Feng Yaozu cast a sinister glance at the elevator, "I'll come back for you."

Aunt looked at Zhu Yan with some fear, still half-doubting.

But thinking of Feng Yaozu's overbearing ability, she gritted her teeth and stayed where she was.

"Little Yao, you... go quickly and come back soon."

Zhu Yan immediately translated that sentence in his mind.

Go quickly to the Western Paradise, and come back soon to the Underworld.

Feng Yaozu strode toward the elevator, sneering at the floor display.

"The floor is still on the first floor. Heh, this kid isn't stupid; he called the elevator down himself."

Zhu Yan smiled.

Sure enough, when you fake it to a certain level, people will naturally invent logical excuses for you.

The elevator doors opened. Feng Yaozu stepped inside and instructed Zhu Yan again.

"Daddy, you must protect this woman well. Don't let her die!"

Zhu Yan's head spun slightly.

The bracelet quickly took effect.

By the time the elevator doors closed, Zhu Yan was fully lucid again.

With a slight shift of his will, he was already holding the Level 5 dining knife in his hand.

Aunt stood in front of the counter, struggling to force a smile at him.

"Heh... hehe. You promised your daddy that you would absolutely protect me."

Zhu Yan walked around the counter in two steps, a movement that startled Aunt.

She hastily stepped back, her sagging eyelids struggling to stay open as she took a defensive stance.

"What are you doing?!"

Zhu Yan smiled. "Getting closer to you, of course. It makes protecting you easier."

Aunt let out a breath, her mind at ease.

"That's what I thought... Little Yao's ability is quite reliable after all."

Zhu Yan nodded in agreement. "Yes. He really is strong."

It was time to strike.

He had to let Aunt die knowing the truth, but he couldn't let her scream.

Zhu Yan carefully observed Aunt's expression, thinking coldly.

Aunt looked at him a bit strangely, a flash of fear passing through her eyes.

Is this right...?

Yaozu had said that even if the doppelgangers knew this was an ability, they would still be completely powerless to resist.

But...

Aunt sized Zhu Yan up and down.

For some reason, she just felt that something was incredibly off!