Chapter 119: A Living Death

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Indeed, conspiracies are everywhere! Chu Ning silently cursed inwardly. His opponent had taken advantage of his blank period during the personality exchange, feeding him misleading information that led him blindly into a carefully laid trap. This realization sent a chill down Chu Ning’s spine as he finally understood the danger he had narrowly escaped.

Although confident in his own strength, Chu Ning knew that historically, those with profound power often fell victim to schemes devised by the weak in moments of carelessness.

Once he confirmed his state had temporarily stabilized, Chu Ning’s approach became more consistent, allowing him to view matters with greater rationality. Previously, his actions had been the result of two starkly different personalities clashing over the same issue, each making decisions that combined into one confusing whole.

Both sides blamed each other for leaving a mess, a realization that left Chu Ning utterly speechless, unsure how to proceed.

“I am who I am!” Chu Ning muttered, uncertain of his true identity. He guessed he might be the product of two merged personalities. Although the fusion process was still ongoing, he believed it was not an unattainable goal.

He had expected the merging of two personalities to be a terrible experience, but instead, Chu Ning quietly admitted, “It’s actually quite pleasant.” He found himself enjoying his current state.

“Hey, you can’t just zone out so openly!” Tanya poked the dazed Chu Ning, hoping to snap him back to reality. Under Wang Jinkai’s furious glare, Tanya felt like she was sitting on needles.

Chu Ning was the one daydreaming, so why was Wang Jinkai angry at her? Tanya immediately suspected something was wrong with him, worsening her already poor impression of Wang Jinkai. After all, he had betrayed her before, and she clearly remembered who had led her astray.

In the past, Tanya had been tempted to seek revenge—though only mild retribution—and stubbornly adhered to old moral codes. Who would have thought that the news she would hear here about Wang Jinkai was of his death?

Death is the greatest truth.

Upon learning of Wang Jinkai’s demise, her thoughts of revenge extinguished completely. Tanya felt no need to quibble with a corpse; she saw herself as a magnanimous person.

Now, standing before the imposing figure of Wang Jinkai, Tanya had no desire to seek vengeance. Instead, she could only bitterly reflect on the immense gap between them. Talent, that intangible quality, stood like an impassable chasm.

Reluctantly, Tanya admitted that Wang Jinkai’s strength had increased at an impossibly rapid pace after his death, giving her an unreal feeling—after all, she had died first!

“What's wrong?” Chu Ning, still groggy, looked at the one tugging at his clothes. He appeared just awakened from sleep, still confused about his surroundings.

“Why don’t you look at the person in front of you first?” Tanya snapped silently, as if delivering a final jab—if the figure before them could still be called human.

“Hmph, you’re still as arrogant as ever!” Wang Jinkai snorted. If one didn’t focus on his body, the sound might evoke endless fantasies and desires.

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But seeing his body instantly extinguished all desire.

A chill ran through Chu Ning’s body, and he curled up awkwardly. “Please, we’re not close. Don’t say such ambiguous things, especially in a female voice—it easily causes misunderstandings for those unaware of the situation.”

He dared only to think this inwardly, unwilling to voice his true feelings. If he did, he would have to explain the possibility of body swapping—a complex, scientific topic far beyond his current knowledge.

With his limited understanding, he could not elucidate such a profound matter. Faced with incessant questioning, he could only act like someone strictly abiding by a confidentiality agreement, replying with a blank “I don’t know.”

“Phew, you didn’t come here empty-handed, did you? You can’t just be here to chat with us. Tell me, what’s this all about?”

Chu Ning asked bluntly, genuinely daring to face the moment. He did not want further entanglement with Wang Jinkai, as he could no longer suppress his desire to kill. Only he knew the truth, preserving the secret was paramount.

Sharing such secrets to vent psychological pressure was foolish. Even if the listener promised secrecy, trust was never guaranteed; the secret might one day be public knowledge.

“You really are heartless, showing no regard for old ties! Honestly, you’re more suited to be a businessman—only chasing profit, free from foolish things like emotions.”

Wang Jinkai laughed bitterly, his expression mournful as he gazed at the distant swarm of insects, lost in thought. Finally, he cast a pitiful glance at Tanya.

Tanya felt pitied, frowning as she wondered what had gone wrong to deserve such a look. She was most sensitive to malicious gazes, suspecting it might relate to her talent—her ability to detect danger wasn’t entirely useless.

She consoled herself this way, lest jealousy consume her entirely.

Chu Ning remained unmoved by Wang Jinkai’s words, watching him expressionlessly, waiting for him to reveal the purpose of his visit. He did not believe Wang Jinkai would waste time here, especially in such a perilous place.

Beneath their feet lay explosives capable of erasing the entire chemical plant from the map.

“If you have business, say it. I don’t have time to waste with you,” Chu Ning said sharply, glancing at his watch. There was still time to pursue his target.

Wang Jinkai shifted unnaturally, something clattering to the ground from his body—in this silent space, the noise echoed clearly. He nervously tightened his bandages, fumbling to maintain his image.

When Tanya saw the crawling creature on the floor, her pupils constricted sharply. She covered her mouth in disbelief. How could X-07 appear here? And she clearly saw it emerge from Wang Jinkai’s body.

What on earth was happening?

Tanya stepped back involuntarily. The shadow cast by X-07 still haunted her. Fear never truly fades with time; it only needs a trigger to resurface relentlessly.

“Why, why, why—ahhh!” Wang Jinkai hysterically tried to fix his so-called mistake, trembling as he wrapped the bandages again and again. His movements were clumsy, utterly devoid of his former confidence.

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Wang Jinkai’s movements grew more frantic, loosening the white bandages until parts of his body were exposed. Seeing the situation irreparable, he finally gave up, tearing the bandages off completely.

“Come out! All of you, come out! Haha, come out!” Wang Jinkai screamed madly, uttering meaningless words. His best choice now was to flee. If he wished to keep his true form hidden or kill all who had seen him, escape was imperative.

Though shameful, escape was undeniably effective.

Tanya turned her eyes away after seeing Wang Jinkai’s body. The scene before her defied all prior understanding, far more terrifying than the countless swarms of insects.

She nearly screamed, but restrained herself for the sake of composure; otherwise, she would have found any excuse to leave.

Though her mind told her not to look, her eyes involuntarily glanced at Wang Jinkai from time to time. Anyone witnessing this would be deeply shaken.

With the bandages removed, Wang Jinkai’s skin was riddled with holes gnawed by the insects. Occasionally, X-07 would crawl out of his body, then crawl back in.

His flesh was a bloody ruin, and just watching it pained Tanya. The thought of those insects burrowing into her own body sent chills down her spine.

The stench of decay in the air was not overpowering, lacking the nauseating stench one might expect. From the state of Wang Jinkai’s ravaged body, Chu Ning deduced the corpse had been dead for quite some time.

However, the preservation had been well done, likely through special embalming techniques that maintained a lifelike freshness.

Chu Ning also noticed that when the swarm consumed the body, they secreted a special fluid that repaired the gnawed areas, allowing wounds to slowly regenerate.

“Your sense of pain must have disappeared by now, right?” Chu Ning asked weakly, asking out of concern for a former friend. Wang Jinkai’s current state—neither living nor dead—was partly his responsibility.

He asked to ease his own conscience, though he knew it was a futile gesture.

“How could it disappear? You’re supposed to feel everything a normal person does. Why ask such a question knowing the answer? Hypocrite, pfft!” Wang Jinkai retorted, bloodshot eyes full of contempt for Chu Ning’s feigned concern.

It was all Chu Ning’s fault that he had become like this—everything was Chu Ning’s mistake, leaving him trapped in a miserable existence worse than death.

Chu Ning remained silent for a long while, then sighed deeply. What had happened today was not his wish. But since he had taken over another’s body, he must bear the consequences left behind.