Chapter 154: Control

Back then, Lü Yang’s listless and defeated appearance confused her. When she saw that scene, her heart hurt for no clear reason…

Because, she realized she no longer saw Lü Yang just as an opponent…

Her feelings had brought chaos. If her heart hadn’t genuinely softened toward Lü Yang, she knew she wouldn’t have fallen into his trap.

In the end, she didn’t lose in a battle of wits. She didn’t lose in fighting skills against others. She didn’t lose due to the quantity or use of Eerie Points or Mysterious Tools. Instead, she lost over what she yearned for most…

That pure and sincere love in the world, the kind she had always wanted but never truly owned.

She had always wished for a man willing to sacrifice his life for her. But she ended up with nothing, dying by the hands of two out of the three men she had once loved.

“When I created this Mysterious Domain, I actually did nothing. I simply placed all the people from your memory—those you loved, hated, harmed, or even just met at the Jinda Hotel—inside this Mysterious Domain. Then, I quietly stayed in the fifth-floor surveillance room. I waited for them to judge you. I waited for you to reveal your twisted journey. I waited as things unfolded step by step…”

“Everything happening in this hall was your own making. Or in other words, it was your dream. You lost yourself in that dream, fighting against the people from your own memory… You controlled the entire dream. In that dream of yours, you won that fight. But sadly, for you, that victory was only just a dream…”

“Only you, me, and Liu Yin are real here. I forced him in because of his arrogant initial attitude, the disaster he brought to Xiao Ya, and the bond between you two. I wanted to judge him and you together in this place! But I didn’t expect that this man you love most—and who loves you most in the world—would desert you in the end. He saved Xiao Ya and helped me kill you! All hatred between him and me is now ended!”

“The others are all illusions I crafted using your Memory Remolding ability. It’s truly as you said… Originally, I couldn’t have invaded your memory. But you used a Soul Attach Card to attach your main soul to Liu Hui’s body, leaving only a trace of Soul Essence guarding your True Body. That made your original body very weak and easy to invade… I must say, your attempt to control everything and toy with your opponent backfired because you outsmarted yourself!”

“You’re very sly and very smart. I thank you for your deductions. I thank you for saying all your deductions aloud. If it weren’t for them, I couldn’t have stayed quietly alone in the fifth-floor surveillance room. I couldn’t have understood this Mysterious Domain I created so clearly. You were right—the hardest person to see clearly is oneself. Once more, thank you. You used your life to help me know myself better! A whole new self!”

At this moment, Lü Yang’s eyes became incredibly deep, truly like the sun, moon, and stars shining in the universe. From his first encounter with the Death Killer, enduring all kinds of humiliation and surviving desperate situations, to setting traps and countering hers bit by bit, then on to his careful scheming, patient baiting, and finally a counterattack that killed his enemy for good. The dangers and hardships on this journey were beyond words. It felt like his life had gone through a complete transformation, as if a caterpillar had turned into a butterfly.

Strong words and a strong body don’t make a true champion. Strength from within does! Lü Yang knew the path to rescuing Yi Yi was still long. But he had never felt as confident as now.

This was the confidence of a champion. It was the confidence of justice facing evil—never giving in, never backing down, no matter what!

He firmly believed that with effort, persistence, and no giving up, there was no enemy he couldn’t defeat. No Mysterious Domain he couldn’t crack. No goal he couldn’t achieve!

“So this Lü Yang talking to me all along, the one I trapped in the Interstitial Space, is only a Memory Remolding illusion? You are truly ruthless!” Zhou Ling shook her head. With her intelligence and experience, she shouldn’t have made such a foolish mistake.

“By your logic, even with full self-awareness like mine, he’s not from the real world—just an illusion from your Memory Remolding. I never expected I’d matter so much to you. You made him so complete and real. Or maybe, to lure you into the trap, I helped perfect him in some way. The deeper reasons, though, you know better than I do…” Lü Yang sighed again.

He knew he won by luck this time. But a win was still a win. In a life-or-death fight to the end, the strong prevail and the weak gain no pity. If he had lost, he’d have had to do as Zhou Ling said—selflessly deliver Yi Ya to another man’s bed.

Survival of the fittest—the strong dominate. That was how human society worked, and so did the Mysterious Domain.

“I didn’t expect… I… slipped up… and lost to you!” Blood gushed from Zhou Ling’s mouth. She glared hatefully at Lü Yang… Unable to turn, she could only stare at that Lü Yang in the cube.

“This is my Mysterious Domain! This is my world! I control everything! I merely gave you a dream and shattered it! You’re guilty beyond measure! Twisted and cruel! A killer of innocents! Everyone despises you! Most importantly, you shouldn’t have hurt Yi Ya! I’ve said it—anyone who dares harm Yi Ya in this world will pay dearly!”

“Of course, today I kill you not just for Yi Ya, but to serve justice! To defend human righteousness! To grieve for all living beings! If you live, the dead won’t rest! If you live, this world will know no peace! If I don’t kill you, heaven itself will rebel!” Lü Yang shouted several times. The anger pent up in his chest for days finally exploded.

Time after time, he’d nearly died by this Woman’s hand. A small mistake meant he might fall for her tricks again. That Woman was too cunning and heartless. Lü Yang couldn’t show her any mercy. Otherwise, next time, it would be his true self stuck in that Interstitial Space electric pit.

Yi Ya sat on the floor, staring blankly at all this. She didn’t grasp what was happening, but the corpses scattered about proved the danger here.

And all this seemed to stem from her.

Though she didn’t know the details, she understood that without her, Lü Yang wouldn’t be so enraged and wild, even willing to leave blood and bodies everywhere.

“Haha… Justice!? Living beings!? Nonsense! Justice is just an excuse for the winners to steal! Living beings are nothing but cowardly ants! How can they compare to people like us? I didn’t lose to you! I lost to myself—to the true love I always wanted but never had… Hahaha…” Zhou Ling let out a bitter laugh. Her face paled further, and more blood spurted from her mouth.

“Someone like you doesn’t understand or deserve to speak of justice or true love! Even at death’s door, you cling to your delusions! How pitiful and pathetic!” Lü Yang shook his head.

“Don’t understand? If I didn’t understand love… I wouldn’t have stayed by your side, crying in your arms! I wouldn’t have shown you the Path of Survival again and again! I wouldn’t have shared passionate kisses with you in the BMW! Most of all, I wouldn’t have freed you from the Eerie Domain of Lutou Mountain! You’re the only man I’ve ever truly loved! This time, if I hadn’t fallen for you, how could you have had a chance to kill me!?” Blood trickled from Zhou Ling’s eyes. She screamed hoarsely at Lü Yang, her voice tearing.

She hated deeply. She hated herself. She hated Lü Yang. She hated Yi Ya. She hated heaven, earth, and everything else.

From the moment she entered the Mysterious Domain, she knew death would come. But she’d imagined countless ways to die, and none were like this ending. This loss was total—she’d been fooled from the start, yet thought she was in control. Like an idiot, she bragged to her enemy… Worst of all, when she tried to love someone wholeheartedly, she was slapped back. Teeth broken, and then trampled underfoot, spat upon.

Disgusting.

She found her current self utterly revolting. What a humiliating way to die!

Sitting on the ground, Yi Ya heard Zhou Ling’s words about “crying in your arms,” “passionate kisses,” and “truly loved.” She looked at Lü Yang in confusion, puzzling over what happened between these two… Lü Yang shot her an annoyed glare in return.

“This is what you earned! Does the proud, cold Death Killer feel pain? Did you think only you could control everything? You lost! You lost completely! The world doesn’t want you! I, Lü Yang, declare this to all now: you, Zhou Ling, this disgusting, twisted, cruel, loathsome, unforgivable Woman, will be erased from existence! Utterly! Not even ashes left!” Lü Yang wanted to jab his stick and end Zhou Ling right there, but he held back.

He’d endured so much humiliation for so long. He deserved to stomp on her physically and mentally a few more times first. Otherwise, it felt too unfair! Plus, her wild lies about “passionate kisses” pissed him off, but he couldn’t deny them. Killing her instantly might seem like he was hiding the truth.

Heaping on words like “disgusting,” “twisted,” and “loathsome” was also to prove his innocence to others.

What an annoying Woman. On the brink of death, she tried to drag him down. Thankfully, Yi Ya wouldn’t remember this after leaving the Mysterious Domain. Otherwise, explaining would be a hassle…

Yi Ya rolled her eyes at Lü Yang, likely catching the hidden message in his last words.