Bizarre Honkai, a Wife-Chasing Crematorium

The white rice was made of filthy teeth.

The green vegetables were unclean muscle tissue.

The succulent meat slices were decaying, severed limbs.

The clear sake in the wine cups was foul-smelling black blood.

The magnificent table was constructed from twisted human bones.

…

…

The hall was dark and dilapidated. Rats and cockroaches scurried across the rafters, their beady eyes watching the feasting martial artists.

Li Mo and Changle's group hadn't eaten anything, despite the martial artists' repeated invitations to join them for dinner.

The atmosphere grew increasingly bizarre. Holding Changle, Li Mo could feel his intense craving—Changle desperately wanted to eat.

Glancing around, the black-clad guards behind Changle also looked eager to join the feast.

Li Mo didn't know what delicacies they saw in front of them, but if even the high-born Changle could barely restrain himself, let alone these ancient people who had rarely tasted such fine food.

To them, the table before them was a veritable imperial banquet…

In a way, it truly was a "Han" banquet, a feast of human flesh. [A pun on the word "Han," which can refer to the Han Chinese or, in this context, human flesh.]

The Seven Swords of Taixu sat at the table, quietly enjoying their meal, paying no attention to Li Mo and Changle whispering to each other in the corner.

Yet, Li Mo still felt countless gazes converging on him, an invisible pressure urging him to do something.

A blurry figure appeared in his mind, fleeting, its very existence quickly erased.

"..."

After about half an hour, the grotesque banquet finally ended.

The martial artists, clutching their full bellies, walked out of the hall with satisfied expressions, then approached Li Mo.

"Haha, Young Master Changle, Brother Mingyue, did you miss out on such a delicious meal because you were too engrossed in each other? Such a pity, such a pity."

As soon as he finished speaking, the martial artist's skin peeled off, revealing the gruesome flesh beneath.

It was crawling with all sorts of wriggling, deformed worms.

Li Mo's sanity plummeted.

A man whose face was nothing but a skull with flesh, crawling with disgusting worms, was talking and laughing with him.

Li Mo admitted, he felt nauseous.

Changle's expression remained calm. She couldn't see these grotesque images.

But having been hungry all day, she turned to look at the frozen Li Mo, her words directed at him, a hint of complaint in her voice. "We missed such a delicious banquet. I'm afraid we won't have another opportunity like this. And we even spoiled the Elders' mood."

Li Mo replied calmly, "Meeting the Immortal is more important."

They were now outside the main hall. Li Mo wasn't sure if it was safe to talk to the martial artist, but since Changle had said it was fine, he hadn't spoken to him directly.

However, Changle didn't seem to be talking to the martial artist either, since she was looking at him while she spoke.

Did the instant-death rules of the main hall apply outside, or in the rooms? Or did some apply, and others not?

Like eating and drinking, those could only be done in the hall, clearly not applicable elsewhere.

But talking to those who are eating… did the martial artist who had just consumed human flesh count as someone who was eating?

Avoid eye contact with Him. Who was He?

One of the Seven Swords of Taixu, who was leading them to their rooms, smiled faintly, saying politely, "It's alright. As elders, understanding and respecting the habits of our juniors is also a form of cultivation."

"If you wish, you can enjoy a banquet of this scale every day. This is a reward for reaching the summit."

Su Mei smiled, then suddenly stopped.

"Alright, we're here. From now on, this is where you will rest at night. We've prepared everything for you inside."

"It's best if each room is occupied by only one person, so please arrange yourselves accordingly. Don't make things difficult for us."

"By the way, please stay in your rooms at night. Do not go outside."

Changle asked curiously, "Why, Elder? Why can't we go outside at night?"

Su Mei: "Because unclean things appear on Taixu Mountain at night. If you leave the protection of your rooms, you might be in danger."

Changle was even more puzzled. "There are demons on the mountain? Doesn't the Immortal eliminate them?"

Su Mei: "Demons? Hehe, yes, these demons are rather special. Our master can't kill them so easily."

A look of fear appeared on Changle's face. It was hard to imagine that even the Jingwei the Immortal, the strongest in the world, couldn't kill these demons…

Changle: "If even the Immortal can't deal with them, what if the demons destroy our rooms?"

Su Mei: "Don't worry, the demons won't destroy the rooms."

"Stay for three days, and we will take you to meet the Immortal."

Hearing this, the group's interest was piqued. They didn't ask any more questions, afraid of angering the Seven Swords of Taixu and being sent back down the mountain after all the effort they had put into reaching the summit.

Staying on the scenic Taixu Mountain for three days wasn't a difficult task. Such a paradise was the ultimate destination for many who sought tranquility and were indifferent to fame and fortune.

As for the rule of only one person per room, the others didn't care.

Were they kidding? Could anything happen in the Immortal's residence?

All the demons and monsters on the Heavenly Path were just tests set by the Immortal.

As long as they were obedient and endured for three days, what did the demons on the mountain matter? Even the Seven Swords of Taixu didn't seem concerned; it must be just a minor issue.

Perhaps the Immortal was in seclusion, too busy to attend to them!

Or perhaps this was a test of their strength and determination.

They were all elites of the martial world, with their own pride. They had accomplished what countless predecessors had failed to do.

In recent centuries, they were the only ones in the martial world to reach the summit!

After returning in triumph, they could imagine reaching new heights of fame and enjoying the admiration of all.

While everyone's attention was on the rooms being assigned by the Seven Swords of Taixu, Li Mo discreetly took out his notebook and asked two questions.

The first question was: What's wrong with the rooms?

The notebook didn't respond, not even the second page.

This was within Li Mo's expectations. The second page had already revealed many instant-death rules, so there was no reason for it to reveal the nature of the rooms.

That was how the notebook worked; it stated the surface, not the essence.

But when facing Bizzare Entities, not knowing the essence meant being killed by ever-changing, unknown rules.

The second question was: Did the Seven Swords of Taixu lie?

The notebook answered.

The answer was: [They didn't lie.]

"They… not She, not Her," Li Mo murmured, confirming his suspicions.

The rooms weren't safe…

Unsafe inside, Bizzare Entities roaming outside…

No matter what he chose, it was a dead end.

Changle gave Li Mo a look, clutching her growling stomach, and chose a room next to the one offered to Li Mo before entering with her luggage.

The black-clad guards exchanged glances and chose rooms near Changle.

The Seven Swords of Taixu left.

Only Li Mo remained outside in the quiet night, the cold wind whipping against his skin.

Night was when the Bizzare aura intensified. Many Bizzare Entities' rules would be partially restored under the cover of darkness.

Even incomplete, they were far more terrifying than during the day.

When the time came for this world's Bizzare surge, all horrors would undergo unpredictable changes.

Therefore, it was extremely dangerous for Li Mo to be outside at this time… One wrong step, and he would be found and targeted by a wandering Bizzare Entity.

If he waited until the Bizzare surge, the tragedy of St. Freya's funeral would repeat itself.

The temperature on the thermometer was slowly dropping. Although it was currently at 17 degrees Celsius, a safe level, if he stayed put, he would inevitably encounter a Bizzare Entity.

"Can't stay in the room for long. This means I can't spend the night here."

"The notebook confirmed that the Seven Swords of Taixu weren't lying, but they only said that Bizzare Entities wouldn't destroy the rooms. They never said it was safe inside the rooms."

"Could the room itself be a…"

Holding the thermometer, Li Mo took a deep breath and slowly approached the room.

The room looked relatively well-maintained, one of the few decent-looking structures on this eerie mountain.

At least from Li Mo's perspective, it was just an ordinary room.

But after experiencing so much from the foot of the mountain to the summit, Li Mo knew he couldn't trust his own perception.

Yes, his fragmented memories could get him killed.

His subsequent choices had to be made with extreme caution, not based on common sense or memory, but on careful deduction from all available evidence and clues.

In his current state, common sense and memory would be his downfall.

Li Mo steeled his resolve, his attention focused on the thermometer.

The moment he reached the doorway, the temperature on the thermometer plummeted, like a stretched spring snapping back—

Zero degrees Celsius.

And that was just standing at the entrance, without even stepping inside.

"No wonder the Seven Swords of Taixu said Bizzare Entities wouldn't destroy the rooms. The rooms themselves are even bigger Bizzare Entities."

"Let's go inside and take a look."

Li Mo left his backpack containing the Head Ghost outside, as the notebook had warned him not to let ghosts into the room.

Li Mo wasn't sure how this rule was defined. Did the Head Ghost, in its pseudo-dead state, count as a ghost? Or was the notebook referring to ghosts with human consciousness, like the Seven Swords of Taixu?

He couldn't spend the night or stay long, but he could stay briefly.

As for the so-called one-person-per-room rule, Li Mo didn't think that was the case. The Seven Swords of Taixu were ghosts. He just had to do the opposite of what they said.

If he blindly followed their instructions, he would eventually become food on the table, eaten by the next group to reach the summit.

Moreover, the Seven Swords of Taixu hadn't said only one person could stay in a room, but rather that it was "best."

In Shenzhou rhetoric, "best" had another hidden meaning: "it's also okay not to do this."

Li Mo entered the small room. The door creaked slightly. Inside was a simple but cozy dwelling.

A faint scent of wood filled the air. A simple painting hung on the wall.

A wooden bed was placed against the wall, covered with a soft quilt and a thin silk pillowcase.

Beside the bed was a small table with a pot of tea and several teacups.

In the corner was a small stove with a brazier on top, emitting a faint glow and a fresh, smoky scent.

The window was open, moonlight filtering through the screen.

The first thing Li Mo did after entering was to close the window, preventing himself from being bathed in moonlight.

Then he extinguished the flame in the brazier. He remembered the rule about not lighting lamps in the room.

If the room offered protection, preventing Bizzare Entities from entering, then the notebook's warning about lighting lamps implied another danger.

For example… the room itself. The flame was its eye.

If his guess was correct…

Extinguishing the flame, eliminating the light, preventing the room from seeing his every move, was crucial. If he did something detrimental to the room and was seen by its Bizzare "eye," he might trigger a rule.

After doing this, Li Mo paced around the room, continuing to observe anything that seemed out of place.

In his once-dead state, Li Mo could vaguely see in the darkness, but as a trade-off, his eyes were less sensitive to light.

"A wooden bed against the wall? The notebook said I can't lean against the walls, or I'll die."

"There's also a painting in the room. In an ordinary room on Taixu Mountain? A landscape painting?"

Li Mo approached the painting. He had expected a typical landscape painting with a couple of elegant lines of poetry, as was the custom of cultured individuals in ancient times, according to historical records.

Considering Taixu Mountain's remote location and its beautiful scenery, having a landscape painting in the room was perfectly normal.

Green mountains, flowing water, clouds, pine trees…

Rolling mountains, clear streams flowing through the valleys. Clouds drifting across the sky, imbued with profound meaning and contemplation.

That was what Li Mo had expected.

But the painting in the room wasn't a landscape painting. It was a portrait.

Li Mo frowned. A portrait in the room? This was definitely not a good sign.

The person in the painting wore simple clothes and had a calm expression, like a long-deceased corpse.

But, to make matters worse, it was hanging on the wall, its eyes open, staring intently at the wooden bed below with a strange gaze.

It didn't look like a normal portrait.

There was no inscription, no poetry.

Li Mo couldn't think of a reason for such a portrait to be in the room. Even a few lines of poetry praising ordinary people would have been better. There was nothing, just a person, plain and simple.

The background was also a room, almost identical in layout to the one Li Mo was in.

Li Mo wasn't sure if all ancient rooms had similar layouts, but he never believed coincidences in Bizzare incidents were truly coincidences. Coincidences were inevitable.

"This painting is also a Bizzare Entity… There are more Bizzare Entities on this mountain than I imagined."

Li Mo recalled that, aside from Granny Cat-Face they encountered during the ascent, the number of Bizzare Entities had increased, not decreased, after reaching the summit.

The Seven Swords of Taixu, Elysia, the food in the hall, the room, the painting in the room, the walls… including the entire Taixu Mountain with its two faces.

Bizarre Entities everywhere, endless.

Li Mo quickly calmed down. He couldn't stop thinking.

The food in the hall was made from previous climbers, but where did that ray come from? He didn't remember, but he could deduce that the Seven Swords of Taixu used the dead to prepare meals for the newly arrived climbers.

"Eating that food marks you. You'll probably be made into food on the table tonight. If you don't die tonight, you'll likely die within three days. Same ending, no escape."

If he still saw those two martial artists tomorrow, it would mean the Seven Swords of Taixu were playing the long game, trying to lower their guard.

This would indicate that the Seven Swords of Taixu possessed a relatively complete human consciousness. He was probably already exposed but hadn't been attacked yet because he hadn't triggered any assimilation or killing rules.

"This portrait is most likely of someone from the previous group of climbers who died after triggering an instant-death rule by leaning against the wall, staying too long, or spending the night in the room, becoming this portrait."

"If I trigger any of those rules, the person in the painting will probably be me."

Li Mo analyzed calmly.

The person in the painting shifted their gaze slightly upwards, staring at Li Mo with hatred.

"Even in death, you still want to harm the living. I'll send you to hell later."

Li Mo already had a plan for dealing with the night.

Bizarre Entities couldn't be killed. This was a fundamental rule.

Countless experiences and encounters had proved this point. No matter how they were annihilated, they would revive, restarting endlessly.

The absolute time-lock of the Honkai side would cause them to perceive their own death the moment they were locked, triggering a restart.

The Herrscher of Sentience's time lock was special, possessing Bizzare-corrupting properties, which was why it was effective against Bizzare Entities.

Only a Bizzare Entity could defeat another Bizzare Entity.

Unable to act + unable to think + unable to restart = death.

Li Mo didn't need to truly kill them, just make them indistinguishable from dead.

Although doing so might lose most of the room's protective abilities, it was still better than spending the night inside and becoming a portrait, or staying outside and being surrounded by countless unknown Bizzare Entities.

Before that, he needed to gather as much information as possible, making sure not to miss anything.

However, after searching the room, he couldn't find anything else unusual. The liquid poured from the teapot seemed normal, both in smell and appearance.

Li Mo didn't taste it, even though his stomach growled in protest.

"I'm a bit hungry…"

Li Mo pressed his hand against his stomach. Being once-dead didn't mean he was no longer human.

He hadn't eaten properly for several days. His only meal had been the dry rations Changle had given him yesterday morning.

Not only were they bland and unappetizing, but the portion was also small.

During the first half of the month, Li Mo had climbed alone, consuming all the food he had prepared in advance.

He hadn't anticipated such high energy expenditure. Taixu Mountain was incredibly difficult to climb, and he had been further delayed by the Bizzare dreams, wasting precious time.

He had originally planned to reach the summit in two or three days, find Hua, and bring her home. But he had ended up taking much longer, eventually encountering Changle's group.

At first, Li Mo hadn't trusted Changle, so he hadn't asked for food. Only after repeatedly confirming his identity had he accepted the food Changle offered.

That was the only thing he had eaten in days. If it weren't for his Bizzare-tainted body mitigating the effects of hunger, he would be lying on the ground right now.

"This is a major disadvantage. Ancient times didn't keep track of specific dates. I can't determine when the Bizzare surge will arrive…"