Chapter 164: A Contradictory Existence
Seeing Xue Zhengying regain his senses, Xue Lingling spoke first, “Second Brother? Is that you, Second Brother?”
Xue Zhengying showed a dazed state, blankly looking around at everyone present, his numb face gradually revealing bewildered and joyful expressions.
“Big Brother, Third Uncle, and all the clan uncles, Uncle…” Xue Zhengying was both surprised and delighted, his gaze shifting to land on Xue Lingling, the mischievous young girl in his memory gradually merging with the young lady before his eyes, “Little Lingling?”
This reaction made the Xue Family members weep with joy, all coming forward to reunite.
Xue Lingling even directly threw herself into Xue Zhengying’s arms.
The scene was warm and touching.
Wu Xian watched all this, feeling a bit melancholic and emotional in his heart.
Where were the relatives from this life of his, besides Grandfather?
“This young man…” Xue Zhengying looked at Wu Xian with a strange expression, “Could it be brother-in-law?”
“…”
Wu Xian, who had been feeling sentimental alone, froze on the spot.
Xue Lingling, who was still wiping her tears, couldn’t help but get a forehead vein, “What are you thinking, Second Brother? Wu Xian is my good disciple, a very excellent little guy.”
“Oh,” Xue Zhengying looked slightly embarrassed, “I thought Little Sister had already gotten married.”
Seeing this, the Xue Family members couldn’t help but chuckle.
Wu Xian then smiled at Xue Zhengying in an embarrassed yet polite manner, showing respect.
“Second Brother, you might not know yet,” Patriarch Xue Zhengheng said enthusiastically: “Little Sister is now the hope of our Old Xue Family. She just returned this year from further studies at the Undead Dojo.”
“Undead Dojo?” Xue Zhengying exclaimed in surprise, staring at Xue Lingling and sizing her up, “Little Sister became a Scroll Painter? Haha, as expected of our Xue Family children, making us proud!
In that case, doesn’t that mean our Xue Family is about to rise? The efforts of generation after generation of our Xue Family weren’t in vain?”
As he spoke, Xue Zhengying couldn’t help but have tears welling up in his eyes.
Looking at Xue Zhengying, who seemed just like a normal person, Wu Xian and the Xue Family members still felt some worry.
“Speaking of which, Second Brother, now you…” Xue Zhengheng trailed off hesitantly.
“This matter is a long story,” Xue Zhengying’s eyes were complex, turning into a bitter light sigh amid his conflicted hesitation, “As I am now, I’m afraid I can no longer be considered human.”
But for him, being able to see the momentum of the Xue Family’s rise now meant he had no regrets even in death.
“What exactly happened?” Third Master Xue asked seriously, “Were you assimilated by the power of the Insectoid Otherworld? Or controlled by some powerful monster from the Insectoid Otherworld?”
“Both, in a way.” Xue Zhengying sighed complexly, “Speaking of which, I survived back then thanks to that young lady… um… let’s just call her a young lady for now.”
“Young lady?” Everyone looked at each other in shock.
Xue Zhengying nodded dryly with a laugh, falling silent.
Little did they know, Wu Xian had already realized everything at this moment, imagining a melodramatic plot.
In this way, all of Xue Zhengying’s bizarre circumstances could be explained.
The Xue Family members exchanged glances, roughly guessing what had happened.
However, from the state of Xue Zhengying’s suppressed self-awareness, it seemed he hadn’t “given in” yet, or was in a state between giving in and not.
Commonly known as Schrödinger’s giving in.
“Then what about you now…?” Xue Zhengheng spoke again.
Xue Zhengying was silent for a moment, then looked at Wu Xian with an anomalous expression, “Young man, perhaps you can put away this Scroll of yours. I can feel that she has given up obstructing me, after all, I’ve come back.”
“Ah?” Wu Xian hesitated slightly before putting away the Sun Star Lord. Seeing no change in Xue Zhengying, he relaxed a bit, “By the way, Second Brother Xue, can you still use Scrolls now? How about I give you a copy for self-defense?”
“This… I’m really not sure.” Xue Zhengying shook his head bewilderedly, “The Scrolls from back then are all shattered long ago.”
Hearing this, Xue Lingling decisively pulled out a Soul Devouring Ghost King Instance beside him, “Second Brother, try your little sister’s work.”
Xue Zhengying took the Soul Devouring Ghost King Instance with a complex expression.
After a careful feeling, he injected the spiritual power filled with Insectoid Race aura into it.
Buzz~!
The Scroll bloomed with a eerie glow, entering a restless state.
Soon after, the restlessness calmed, and the Scroll slowly unfolded amid Xue Zhengying’s anomalous expression, transforming into a Soul Devouring Ghost King.
However, the Soul Devouring Ghost King before them seemed different from a normal one.
It showed features of an undead + Insectoid fusion monster, with an overall aura carrying the scent unique to Insectoid Monsters, and various parts of its body deformed with some Insectoid Monster traits.
At this sight, Wu Xian and the Xue Family members were all dumbfounded.
Even Xue Zhengying himself was stunned.
“This…” Xue Zhengying’s face was strange, his eyes showing some bewilderment and complexity, “But compared to controlling and using it, I now seem to want to eat it more.”
With that, he gave a bitter smile and handed the Soul Devouring Ghost King Instance back to Xue Lingling.
Wu Xian secretly clicked his tongue.
Well then, he really had become an Otherworld Monster.
“If you want to eat it, just eat it. It’s not like we can’t afford to feed you.” Xue Lingling wiped her tears and immediately pulled out a pile of Scroll inventory on the spot, including instances and rubbings, afraid her Second Brother would go hungry.
Xue Zhengying resolutely waved his hand in refusal, clearly suppressing the instinct in his body with great effort.
Seeing this, the crowd felt complex emotions, with a faint ache in their hearts.
Xue Zhengying’s current situation was like a complex contradictory entity, caught between humans and the Insectoid Race.
His heart and soul belonged to humans, but his body had long become an Insectoid body.
In Wu Xian’s view, the current Xue Zhengying was even more tragic than Hero Xiao from back then.
The Human World definitely couldn’t accept Xue Zhengying’s existence. Even if the Xue Family could, others in the Human World wouldn’t.
“Second Brother Xue doesn’t need to be so conflicted and conflicted,” Wu Xian said thoughtfully, “Since you could turn from human to Insectoid, logically, you can turn back from Insectoid as well.”
“Perhaps?” Xue Zhengying sighed with a light smile.
And all of this, he could only explore himself, depending on what his heart chose.
…
The moment he left the Xue Family, Wu Xian’s mood was extremely complex.
It also gave him a deeper cognition of this world.
Just as mentioned in the Zhou Family’s ancient records, not all Otherworld creatures are bad.
The human side might not all be good people either.
Xue Zhengying obviously wasn’t suitable for showing his face publicly. He would live secretly in the Xue Family afterward. To prevent Xue Zhengying from losing control, Wu Xian specially left a 【Sun Star Lord】 Silver Scroll Instance at the Xue Family, as well as several Guardian Chicken King Instances.
In his view, the best method was undoubtedly to go to the Insectoid Otherworld and take down that “form transformation” level Insectoid young lady.
Although with their current power, they might not be able to beat her.
The key was that Xue Zhengying clearly couldn’t do something ungrateful like that, and from beginning to end, he never revealed specific information about that Insectoid young lady.
All the way back to the Ghost King Club.
Although Master Sister had never been able to settle down for closed-door cultivation, now that Second Brother was back, family reunion was inevitable, so he, as Acting President, would probably have to serve for a while longer.
The club in the evening was still bustling, with club members immersed in 【Laurel Tree】 cultivation pods while actively building the club’s contribution system, tirelessly exchanging contribution points.
After all, contribution points were like stocks; as the Ghost King Club developed and grew, the contribution points would definitely appreciate in value.
“What happened at the Xue Family?” Zhou Qi curiously came up to inquire.
“Nothing much, just went to the Insectoid Dimension side to rescue a trapped Xue Family Disciple.” Wu Xian half-truly half-falsely brushed it off, then suddenly realized something.
Zhou Qi’s Scroll might be quite suitable for Xue Zhengying.
