Young Song: The Hidden Sword God, Han Yi and Her Child Arrive at the Door.

"Would you like to become a living expression of artistic conception in the future?"

After Su Changqing finished speaking, the area in front of the Taiji Hall truly fell silent.

It wasn't the kind of silence that makes you hold your breath briefly after hearing a major secret.

It wasn't because Mr. Su said something outrageous again that everyone was momentarily stunned into silence.

Rather, it is a kind of—

When asked about the root of the matter, Jing.

Because everyone could tell that although the question was directed at Bai Heng, it was never just directed at Bai Heng alone.

It was like an extremely fine and sharp needle, bypassing Bai Heng, the guide, bypassing the gatekeeper, bypassing the old records and the holders of the records, and even following the deepest thread of the entire system behind the gate, directly piercing the most uncomfortable problem.

You bunch of people standing behind the door, flipping through books, putting pen to paper, recording people, changing fates, reaping the harvest, and sealing the garden—

In the end, does he still count as a "human being"?

If you can't even be considered a "human being," then where does your so-called superiority lie?

This is a very serious problem.

It was so heavy that even Sikong Changfeng didn't interrupt immediately.

Even Lei Wujie, who is usually quick-witted, just stared wide-eyed at Bai Heng in the cage.

Wushuang slightly raised her eyes, her expression more composed than ever before.

He vaguely sensed that tonight's trial, peeling back the layers from "the old book behind the door," "the holder of the book," and "the alterer of the book," had finally revealed something deeper than any secret.

It is the heart.

Or rather, whether those behind the door still have a "heart".

Li Hanyi sat beside Su Changqing, her white clothes reflecting the lamplight, her eyes cold and clear, yet at this moment they also narrowed almost imperceptibly.

She understood the sharpness of those words.

He knows more than many people.

When martial arts practitioners ask about swordsmanship, in the end, they are never asking about techniques, realms of skill, or who is superior.

The question is—

Is this road even a human road?

If, in the end, a path leads to nothing but a fragment of "penmanship" that turns pages, writes, and erases lives, then no matter how high that path may be, it becomes nauseatingly high.

Su Xiaonuo, who had been trying to stay awake, her eyes opening and closing intermittently, heard Su Changqing ask this question. Her head, still half-asleep, leaned against Li Hanyi's shoulder, and she unconsciously muttered something under her breath:

"The pen is no good..."

Li Hanyi glanced down at her.

"Why is it bad?"

Little Nuonuo's voice was so soft and weak from sleepiness.

"Because... you can't hug a pen..."

"..."

This sentence is very light.

It's also very milky.

But ironically, in this suddenly somber atmosphere, it was like a small pebble falling into a deep well, making a crisp sound.

Many people felt a chill run down their spines.

Yes.

You can't hug a pen.

A pen doesn't care for people, nor does it protect them. It won't take children to buy candied hawthorns, it won't eat with anyone, and it won't tuck its daughter in at night.

It can only write.

All it can do is draw.

They only circle, cross out, change a stroke, or erase a page.

If those things behind the door eventually come to life as "pens," then they will truly bear no resemblance to the human world.

Su Changqing smiled slightly when he heard his daughter's words.

"Nuonuo is right."

"The pen is not good."

"People are still better."

As Bai Heng sat in the cage, listening to the two sentences spoken by the elder and the younger, the silvery-white layer in his eyes, which had been flickering intermittently, finally trembled slightly again.

He did not answer immediately.

He had never really thought about this question before.

Or rather—

He dared not think.

In the system behind the door, many questions are not "nobody asks," but rather "it's best not to ask."

As long as you follow that order—receiving orders, accepting boundaries, recording results, observing lines, and dismissing people—you'll always have a place to stand, something to do, and a perspective and power far superior to those of beings in the lower realms.

If you ask too many questions, you're more likely to see things that make you uncomfortable.

For example, why do you become less and less like yourself?

For example, do those who actually live on the old records still look like "living things"?

For example, if we continue forward, will the end of the path led by Bai Heng, the guide, also just be a "living hand gesture" that turns pages and writes?

These were things that he used to only have a vague thought of occasionally, which he would then immediately suppress.

But now, Su Changqing has completely ripped off that facade.

And it happened in front of a whole room of people.

He had nowhere to hide.

Bai Heng slowly raised his head and looked at Su Changqing through the cage bars.

The cold arrogance that had been present at the beginning was gone from his eyes, as was the intense shock, anger, and humiliation he had felt when his bones were being dissected.

Instead, it was a rare, almost naked exhaustion and emptiness.

It's like someone suddenly realizing that they have no idea what they've become along the way.

a long time.

He then spoke.

The voice was low and hoarse.

"In no mood."

The moment those two words were uttered, the entire room fell silent again.

Many people didn't expect Bai Heng to answer so quickly.

To my surprise, he answered so readily.

In no mood.

It is not ambiguous.

It's not the kind of thing behind a door that can be explained in several layers over time.

It's very simple—

In no mood.

Lei Wujie paused for a moment, then whispered:

"This time he actually spoke like a human being."

Wushuang glanced at him and said calmly:

"Because these are my true feelings."

Lei Wujie opened his mouth, but surprisingly did not refute it.

Yes.

This phrase "I don't want to" is different from Bai Heng's earlier half-truths and half-lies, which carried the tone of someone behind the gate, when he explained the purpose of the book, the crowd behind the gate, and the person who changed the book.

This statement was clearly made sincerely.

Sikong Changfeng, who had just come to his senses, immediately started making hand gestures to the record-keeping assistant.

"remember!"

"Bai Heng answers with his heart!"

"The guide himself admitted—he didn't want it to become mere calligraphy!"

"This sentence is listed separately!"

"When copying the top headings from the master book tonight, you can add this line!"

The man was sweating profusely as he wrote, but he had to admit that this sentence was indeed important.

Because for the first time, it transformed "the things behind the door" from an abstract horror into a more concrete and uncomfortable horror.

They are not just evil.

They are still "the kind of people even their own people might not want to become".

Unlike Sikong Changfeng, Xiao Se did not immediately grasp the commercial value.

He simply looked at Bai Heng, his eyes holding a deeper, unspoken meaning.

"Then why did you come to this point?"

This question wasn't asked by Su Changqing.

It is desolate.

Moreover, this is not a question that is part of the night interrogation process.

He added it suddenly after hearing Bai Heng say "I don't want to".

All eyes immediately fell on Bai Heng.

Bai Heng looked at Xiao Se.

The sixth prince of Beili, who was once regarded as a "candidate for the main fruit" by the gatekeeper, still wears a dark robe, with a cold expression, an imperial air between his brows and eyes, and a sharpness that has been tempered by many storms.

Bai Heng knew who he was.

I also know what path he was originally going to take.

Now, that road has been completely overturned by Su Changqing.

Thinking of this, Bai Heng's lips twitched slightly, revealing an indescribable bitterness.

"Because many times."

"It wasn't that you wanted to become that way from the beginning."

"Instead... as you walk along, you realize that only that one path leads upwards."

"Once you actually stand on it and look down, it's very difficult to get down."

These words caused many people in the room to change their expressions slightly.

Because this statement sounds too much like "human language".

It didn't even sound like something a guide should say.

It sounds more like someone who's in the wrong place looking back at the path they've taken.

Upon hearing this, Li Hanyi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Bai Heng's statement is true.

At least for this moment, it's real.

It's not because he's so pitiful.

Rather, it's because the system behind the door is best suited for doing this kind of thing—

It gives you power at the beginning, gives you a high perspective, and gives you the feeling that "you are different from those below".

Then you climb up step by step.

The higher I climb, the colder it gets; the more I walk, the more I resemble them.

Until one day, someone asks you:

"Would you like to become a pen?"

You suddenly realize that you are almost no longer yourself.

Su Changqing was not particularly moved after hearing this, and simply nodded slightly.

"So, the greatest skill of your group isn't actually that strong."

"He is a liar."

Bai Heng did not refute.

Even his gaze lowered.

Because that statement is still correct.

Su Changqing continued:

"First, we'll trick you into moving up."

"If I keep lying to you, this is what I should do."

"The most effective method is when you've fooled yourself to the point of forgetting it."

"I'll use you to keep accounts, I'll use you to reap the rewards, I'll use you to delete people, and then I'll use you to teach the next batch of people how to become like you."

"It's quite convenient."

These few sentences, though seemingly casual, completely strip away the logic behind the door.

Bai Heng felt a tightness in his chest, but still couldn't utter a rebuttal.

The more the demolition has been going on, the more he knows that none of this is "Su Changqing deliberately saying something unpleasant."

but facts.

It's just that he was in that system before, so he couldn't see clearly.

Now that it's been lifted up, we can see it.

The atmosphere in front of the Taiji Hall suddenly became somber.

Even the most powerful and wealthy people, who love watching the excitement, grabbing seats, and calculating whether the tickets are worth it, have become much quieter at this moment.

Because these words didn't sound like a lively celebration.

It's more like looking in a mirror.

It revealed a whole system that was far greater and more evil than the feuds of the martial arts world or the rise and fall of dynasties, and how it grew layer by layer.

Su Changqing was clearly not prepared to dwell on this issue for too long.

He asked Bai Heng this not out of empathy, nor to offer comfort.

He simply peeled back a layer of the heart's shell to confirm that there was indeed some "human language" to be found inside this guide.

Once you've finished digging, you should move on to asking truly useful questions.

So he raised his hand and gently tapped the armrest of the chair.

"continue."

"Besides the register holders, register revisers, guides, and gatekeepers, are there any other people specifically responsible for 'cleaning up' behind the door?"

Bai Heng paused slightly.

"have."

"What's your name?"

"...the person who issued the title."

The moment those three words were uttered, the room fell silent once more.

The person who sealed the book.

You can tell from the name that it's not a good thing.

Sikong Changfeng immediately lowered his head to write it down, and quickly added a small note beside it:

[A cleanup unit suspected to be of a higher level than the Mancer]

The waiter was sweating profusely, but he still took notes quickly.

Su Changqing asked:

"What do you do?"

Bai Heng whispered:

"When the harvest of a harvest is completed, or when the situation gets out of control and the entire process must be leveled, the person who seals the title will take action."

"They are not responsible for watching or making changes."

"They're in charge—"

"hinge."

Xiao Se's gaze sharpened.

"hinge?"

"Hmm," Bai Heng said, "Put all the causes and effects, the results, the embers, the remaining lives, the value of the soil, and the residual fluctuations of this incident into one page of the book and seal it."

"That page will not be turned so easily again."

"From the outside, it looks like nothing happened."

"From an internal perspective, that realm has already settled its accounts."

These words sent a chill down the spines of many.

Check out.

That word again.

But coming from Bai Heng, it sounded even colder than "picking fruit" or "closing the garden."

Because it means that once that stage is reached, all the joys and sorrows, struggles and rises, loves and hates of everyone in this world will be nothing more than a page of a book that has been flattened.

After pressing, flip it over.

That's it.

Lei Wujie gritted his teeth and cursed:

"That's fucking inhuman."

Sikong Changfeng didn't respond this time.

Because he also felt cold.

No matter how good he is at accounting, he can't really take this "hinged account sealing" logic as a business transaction.

This is beyond just being unscrupulous.

This is a complete method for compressing "human nature" into "paper".

But Su Changqing, after listening, simply said:

"In other words..."

"The one who holds the register reads it, the one who amends it writes it down, the guide runs around, the gatekeeper cleans it up, and the one who seals the register finishes it up."

"almost."

"OK."

Su Changqing nodded.

"The system is quite comprehensive."

Bai Heng looked up and couldn't help but ask:

"After listening, you only felt it was complete?"

Su Changqing looked at him.

"Then what else should I think?"

Bai Heng was speechless for a moment.

Yes.

What else could he possibly think?

Shock? Anger? Disgust? Lingering fear?

Su Changqing didn't seem to lack any of these things.

The more intact the back of the door, the easier it is for him to dismantle it.

Thinking about this, Bai Heng's sense of absurdity resurfaced once again.

The more he talked, the more the system behind the door seemed like a large machine waiting to be dismantled in Su Changqing's eyes.

The clearer you explain, the better he knows which plank to lift first, which pin to pull out first, and which beam to cut first.

This made Bai Heng regret descending to the mortal realm for the first time.

It's not because I was locked up.

It wasn't because it was demolished.

Rather, it's because—

He himself explained the whole story behind the door, layer by layer, to someone who was best at following clues.

This feeling is almost like handing someone a rope and letting them climb up.

Bai Heng closed his eyes.

Exhaustion finally overwhelmed all my emotions little by little.

He even began to think that if someone were to be sent from behind the door again, it would be better to send someone who was more capable than himself.

Because Su Changqing is such a pain in the neck.

It's not about honing combat capabilities.

It is a grinding system.

To erode one's dignity.

The meaning of grinding.

In the end, you'll be so worn out that you won't even know which side you're on anymore.

……

The night trial is still ongoing.

Just then, inside the cage of Tianmen Town, a grayish-white paper talisman suddenly trembled slightly.

Bai Heng suddenly looked up.

That paper talisman was one of the three that Su Changqing had pressed into shape after the gatekeeper entered his dream last night.

Originally, Sikong Changfeng was afraid that people would touch them, so he specially had them hung in a small jade box outside the cage, preparing to officially launch the "Dream Protection Talisman Auction" in the afternoon.

But at that moment, one of them actually trembled on its own.

His eyes narrowed.

"It moved."

Lei Wujie immediately placed his hand on the hilt of the sword.

"Is the gatekeeper still alive?"

Sikong Changfeng's eyes lit up and then tightened.

The reason it's so appealing is because new changes are new selling points.

The tension arises because new changes also imply potential new risks.

He quickly turned to look at Su Changqing.

"Mr. Su, this..."

Su Changqing glanced at the paper talisman and said calmly:

"It's not alive."

"Someone is flipping through it through old books."

Bai Heng's expression changed instantly.

"Registration holder?"

"It wasn't the real thing," Su Changqing said. "It looked like he just casually flicked it."

"What do you mean?"

Xiao Se asked.

Su Changqing reached out and beckoned, and the slightly trembling paper talisman flew into his palm.

He flicked his fingertip, and a speck of ink on the paper talisman immediately rose to the surface, like oil on water, reflecting a line of extremely faint, fleeting characters:

[Discussions are possible outside the door]

The entire room fell silent.

Bai Heng's expression changed drastically.

Can we talk outside the door?

What does this mean?

Behind the door... were they inviting Su Changqing to talk?

Holding the account books, Sikong Changfeng's first reaction was:

"Will you discuss charging admission fees beforehand?"

Xiao Se: "..."

Bai Heng: "..."

Even Li Hanyi turned her head to look at him.

This third son is truly terminally ill.

But Su Changqing didn't seem surprised at all after hearing this; instead, he laughed.

"Okay."

"Finally, they've decided to open the door a crack and speak like human beings."

He rubbed his fingers together, and the words scattered.

Then, he looked at Bai Heng.

"It seems that things aren't as secure behind your door as you make them out to be."

Bai Heng remained silent.

Because it is indeed unstable.

We can talk outside the door.

This means that the holders of the registrants have begun to take the initiative to make a gesture of "talking".

This is extremely rare in the system behind the gate.

They are accustomed to recording, revising, erasing, and sealing.

They rarely "talk" about it.

unless--

I really feel that this person in front of me can no longer be dealt with in the same way as before.

Thinking of this, Bai Heng's regret grew deeper and deeper.

He really shouldn't have come down.

At the very least, I shouldn't have done it myself.

From the moment he stepped out of the Heavenly Gate, Su Changqing had been leading him step by step behind the gate.

Please write down the names first.

Sugar was left again.

Then it was pressed against the pen by a bamboo stick.

They were captured again as door slaves.

Now, they've even been forced to the point where they can only talk from the outside.

This is no longer just losing a Nether quest.

This is the rhythm behind the door; it's starting to collapse.

At this moment, Sikong Changfeng had quickly regained his professional acumen after blurting out the initial question, "Do you charge an entrance fee?"

His eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice, tentatively asking:

"Mr. Su, this 'talks can be done outside the door'—"

"Could this be considered a preview of an additional show tomorrow?"

Xiao Se sighed and rubbed his forehead.

He wasn't surprised at all.

Su Changqing thought about it seriously.

"Can."

"But don't write too much."

"Let's start with half a sentence."

Sikong Changfeng immediately understood.

"clear!"

"Just write—"

"A Speaker Finally Opens from Behind the Door: Is Talk Possible?"

"Three question marks follow, leaving it hanging!"

Su Changqing nodded.

"Yes, that's fine."

Bai Heng sat in the cage, his mind a jumble of emotions, almost blank.

He really wanted to ask:

Do you guys even care about what's behind the door?

But upon further reflection, the answer is already quite obvious.

No.

They do care about what's behind the door.

But the way they care is not in awe.

It's being demolished.

That's the question.

It's for sale.

It's a preview.

It's a price increase.

It's time to start the next game.

If someone were to actually step through that door, they would eventually be led astray by that logic.

Thinking of this, Bai Heng suddenly felt a sense of absurdity that was extremely out of place.

Perhaps what should truly be feared behind the door is not how strong Su Changqing is.

Rather, he's too good at dragging things down from a high place.

After you pull it down, put a tag on it.

……

The night trial, amidst round after round of questions and revelations, gradually drew to a close.

But everyone knows that what truly falls tonight is not just the curtain falling on the first night of Bai Heng's special performance.

There was also a crack in another door.

Behind the door, old books were turned over by the scent of sugar.

The holder of the book made a second annotation, which was tilted by the bamboo stick.

The gatekeeper entered the dream and was pressed into a paper talisman.

Now, they've actually thrown out a sentence—

We can talk outside the door.

This event is enough to usher in a new phase for Apocalypse, Evergreen Pavilion, and even the entire human world.

At this moment, Su Changqing had already gotten up.

He looked down at Su Xiaonuo, who was starting to doze off again in his arms. The little girl's eyes were almost closed, but she was still trying to stay awake and asked:

"Father, have you finished talking about the bad guys today?"

"That's about it."

"Shall we go home?"

"Yes, let's go home."

"Will that bookkeeper behind the door come back tomorrow?"

Su Changqing smiled.

"It will come."

"Then let him buy the ticket as soon as possible."

"OK."

As Li Hanyi listened to the father and daughter's question-and-answer session, a gentle light appeared in her eyes.

She stood up, adjusted Su Xiaonuo's cloak, and then looked at Su Changqing.

"go back?"

"go back."

Su Changqing responded and then looked at Sikong Changfeng.

"Keep Bai Heng locked up for now."

"You and Wushuang keep a close eye on the gatekeeper paper talisman, make sure no one breaks it."

"By tomorrow afternoon, put up the sign that says 'Talks are welcome outside'."

Sikong Changfeng nodded immediately.

"Don't worry, Mr. Su!"

"I'll have three copies made tonight, different sizes, and displayed according to foot traffic!"

"In addition, I will screen the intentions of the anti-dream talismans first to prevent too many people from taking advantage of the situation."

"Um."

Su Changqing nodded.

"If you're unsure, ask Xiao Se."

Just as Xiao Se was about to say something, Su Changqing had already glanced at him.

"You're just idling around anyway."

Xiao Se: "..."

Fine.

He has now completely given up arguing with the Changqinglou system.

At least while Bai Heng was still sitting in the cage, and behind the door, he was still turning the pages of the old book, he did need to stay in the Taiji Hall and keep an eye on the wind direction behind him.

After Su Changqing finished speaking, he raised his hand and made a gesture, and the Azure Gate of Changqing Realm reopened.

The moonlight was gentle behind the door, and the peach grove remained unchanged.

Bai Heng sat in the cage, gazing at the door, feeling the complex emotions in his heart sink even further.

He wanted to talk to Su Changqing behind the door.

But Su Changqing went back to Changqing Realm to sleep first.

The contrast is so stark that it leaves one speechless.

What made Bai Heng even more powerless was—

He actually thought it made perfect sense.

Yes, that makes perfect sense.

Because it's not Su Changqing who's in a hurry now.

It's behind the door.

They wanted to add a label, but the label was misaligned.

They tried to smooth the lines, but their attempts were blocked.

They wanted to send gatekeepers, but the gatekeepers became paper talismans.

Now they want to "talk".

Su Changqing, on the other hand, has no need to rush.

You want to talk behind the scenes?

Let's put them in line then.

We'll see how he feels after he wakes up, after he finishes breakfast with his daughter, and after the extra show at Changqinglou tomorrow afternoon is arranged.

Thinking of this, Bai Heng closed his eyes.

At this moment, for the first time, he actually felt a faint... headache for the person behind the door.