From the end of the world

Chapter 688 Alternative Solutions
Many of the researchers who served the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau in the past were either kidnapped or coerced by the Bureau, while others joined voluntarily. After hearing that secular society was very likely to be ruled by Luoshan in the future, some researchers were indeed ignited with a sense of crisis and mission, and genuinely wanted to dedicate their blood and sweat to the ideals of the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau.

However, the corruption within the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau's upper echelons poured cold water on the fervor of these idealists. Among this disillusioned crowd, perhaps also lay the female researcher Ai Ye. Unable to escape the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau, they could only continue to serve it with a passive attitude, and in their eyes, Ying Lingyun was undoubtedly the epitome of the Bureau's darkness.

For Ying Lingyun, who wanted to concentrate the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau's power for his own selfish purposes, the Bureau's corruption was likely something he would welcome, and he might have even contributed to it. Countless idealists within the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau hated Ying Lingyun.

Ai Ye was overjoyed and danced with excitement. Then she looked at Xu Gou and said expectantly, "Xu Gou, you must have been there too, right? Can you tell me more about how Ying Lingyun died?"

“Uh, this…” Xu Gou was very embarrassed. “I wasn’t there at the time. It was Number Three… Zhuang Cheng who killed him.”

Ai Ye looked at me, "Really? It's you..."

If we're talking about hatred, the Dog (戌狗) hates Ying Lingyun far more than any idealist. To have their enemy killed by someone other than themselves, and to be completely absent from the scene—this is likely a deep and indelible pain in the Dog's heart.

Ai Ye felt both regret and relief about this. "In the end, he died at the hands of Luo Shan, that mentally ill widower... It was a natural ending, I suppose."

"Thank you, Great Impermanence of Luoshan... Thank you for killing Ying Lingyun, and thank you for summoning me so that I can meet Xu Gou again."

Her expression was very complicated. In terms of stance, the original ideology of the Humanitarian Division was to rebel against the gods of Mount Luo, but now she had been temporarily summoned by us from the abyss of death.

Even the life of the Dog is in my hands, and no matter what perspective you take, she cannot show us any disrespect.

The dog said painfully, "I... I not only failed to kill Ying Lingyun, but I also caused the deaths of so many people... Indeed, the one who should have survived was not me, but you."

"You mean the people who died in this city? What does that have to do with you!" Ai Ye said nonchalantly. "Whether you're here or not, this city will be destroyed by Peach Blossom Village. You weren't even directly involved, and your hands aren't stained with the blood of the victims. So, it's none of your business."

As she spoke, a shadow fell over her face. "It wasn't me... I really did participate in inhumane human experiments, and countless innocent people were killed by my own hands... How could you possibly be more deserving of death than me?"

Perhaps, part of the reason she developed extra feelings for the dog when it was still an experimental subject was because of her growing sense of guilt and her desire to atone for it.

"Besides, what's done is done. I've already given my life, and there's no going back on this choice. The reality is that it's either you live or I die, so there's no point in dwelling on it anymore." Ai Ye seemed to be trying to cheer herself up. "A perfectly normal man... uh, you're using my body, so I don't know if you're still in your own appearance or mine, or even if you're still considered a man... Anyway, you're the boyfriend I've chosen, so don't be so sentimental!"

"No... Ai Ye, I have an idea! I've found a way to resurrect you!" Xu Gou exclaimed excitedly. "As long as I offer myself as a living sacrifice... I can resurrect you! I can definitely do it!"

Ai Ye was stunned. She glanced at us again and then said to Xu Gou, "Although I don't know where you got this idea from... well, I admit it has some merit, but I still advise you not to do it. You will definitely not get what you want."

"Why? Do you think I can't find a concrete solution to implement this idea? As long as I make a deal with the Lord of the Divine Seal..." Dog Xu became more and more excited.

“It has nothing to do with all that nonsense,” Ai Ye interrupted him. “I believe that as long as you take action, you will eventually find a detailed and feasible solution. But the essence of what you’re doing is simply to take back what I did to you in the past.”

"Your current existence will collapse from within due to the loss of my dedication as a cornerstone... But given your qualities as a Great Impermanent-level cyborg, it is impossible for you to crumble in an instant. I just need to repeat what I have done before before before."

Xuanming, who is not known for his regenerative abilities, would undergo a lengthy "death process" even if I killed him. Xugou's vitality, however, is far more tenacious than Xuanming's; even if he wanted to commit suicide, it wouldn't be so easy for him. While he wouldn't become completely incapable of suicide like a wandering ghost with a false name and uncontrollable immortality, there would definitely be a period between losing his mobility and his complete dissipation that Ai Ye could intervene in.

This creates a vicious cycle.

The Dog (戌狗) kills itself to revive the Ai Ye (艾叶), and the Ai Ye will also kill itself to revive the Dog (戌狗).

Ultimately, it will be Ai Ye who gets what she wants. Because Ai Ye is far less powerful than Xu Gou and cannot withstand so many death experiences. If it were only a few thousand or tens of thousands of death experiences, someone like Xu Gou, a man-made master of death, would likely treat it as a gentle breeze; but for Ai Ye, an ordinary person, even a few deaths would likely leave her in a state of no return due to the negative effects of the death experiences. Even if there were a way to forcibly revive her soul, it would disintegrate the moment it awoke.

The dog still didn't seem to fully understand until Xiaowan explained it to him. Then he seemed to suddenly realize something and showed a look of despair.

If you were to ask what the most helpless situation is when you want to save someone, it might not be the various difficulties and obstacles encountered on the road to saving them, but rather that the person you want to save doesn't want to live anymore.

Xiao Wan was not surprised by Ai Ye's statement; she seemed to have foreseen this from the beginning.

“Mr. Xu Gou, please don’t be so discouraged.” She said gently, “Ms. Ai Ye, you don’t need to think that there can only be one of you and Mr. Xu Gou… There is a way to have the best of both worlds.”

"What?" Ai Ye was taken aback.

"You have a way?" Xu Gou asked incredulously. "A way to keep Ai Ye and me alive... You can do it? But how is that possible if I don't die..."

“Let’s look at the current situation first,” Xiao Wan gestured. “Mr. Xu Gou is alive now, and Ms. Ai Ye is here too. You are having a smooth conversation... Isn’t this the ideal situation? We just need to maintain it.”

Ai Ye suddenly realized, "You mean... you want to keep communicating with me and maintain my current existence?"

“I remember now! When I was fighting Zhuang Cheng, you said that it might be difficult to revive Ai Ye, but you had an alternative that was ‘equivalent to reviving her’… Could this be what you meant?” Xu Gou asked excitedly. “Because Ai Ye’s soul isn’t strong, it’s possible to maintain this psychic state indefinitely… Is that what you mean?”

“Not entirely,” Xiaowan said. “Firstly, the power of the divine seal fragments I can output is not high in terms of efficiency. If I use some of it to maintain Ms. Aiye’s spiritual state, the strength of the blessing from Brother Zhuangcheng and the others will decrease, which is something I must avoid.”
"Secondly, while Ms. Ai Ye's soul is at the level of an ordinary person, she is not entirely an ordinary person either. After Mr. Xu Gou was reborn through self-sacrifice, the nature of her existence has also changed, and the burden of communicating with her spirit is not to be underestimated."

"This psychic communication is only temporary, and even with Mr. Xu Gou's body as the medium, it will not be possible to communicate with him an unlimited number of times in the future."

"but……"

As the conversation progressed, Xiao Wan changed the subject, and the increasingly frustrated Xu Gou was also intrigued, showing anticipation once again.

Seeing this, Ai Ye seemed somewhat speechless.

I feel like Xiaowan is acting a bit like a fortune teller right now. Could it be that both she and fortune tellers are clever people who like to deliberately use these unexpected twists in their conversations? Or is it just that she and fortune tellers happen to share the same cunning and wicked tastes? I can already imagine Ma Zao being repeatedly tricked by similar tactics when he went on adventures with Xiaowan.

Maybe I've been tricked like this by Xiaowan before without even realizing it... I suddenly feel like checking my memories.

“Thanks to Mr. Xu Gou’s special nature, Ms. Ai Ye has a foothold to exist in the world in a spiritual state.” Xiao Wan continued to explain, “If it is difficult to lift heavy objects, then you just need to find a platform to put them on. Mr. Xu Gou is the most suitable platform.”

Ai Ye pondered for a moment, then her eyes lit up, and she said, "I see... I never thought that the most difficult obstacle would become the most useful help. There's even this trick up my sleeve!"

I was still confused, but after Ai Ye's reminder, I almost understood. "Should we turn around and make use of Ai Ye's 'foundation' attribute?"

Only the Dog (戌狗) remained completely bewildered, staring blankly at us before finally asking, "What are you all talking about?"

“It’s very simple, Mr. Dog,” Xiaowan said. “Just make Ms. Aiye your ‘second personality’.”

(End of this chapter)