Chapter 101 Star Chasing Journey (Twenty-One)
The old woodcutter recalled the situation at the time with lingering fear. Several people had died resisting that woman on the way. He thought he would also die like that, so he could only respond cautiously, not daring to say an extra word.
Another petite young lady slowly raised her hand and said, "This elder and I are together. I originally planned to return to Changxing Town to visit relatives in December, but the snow was too heavy and I lost my way. After that, we both entered Cosmic Village."
"The elder advised me to go to the Science Popularization Museum, but I was really scared, so I hid in the house and dared not go out. As a result, I was still captured."
Afterward, everyone started talking about their own experiences.
Upon hearing this, everyone discovered several unexpected things.
Firstly, they mostly entered the Weird Domain between the end of Jinghe Eighth Year and May of Jinghe Ninth Year.
Secondly, they all participated in the "Star Chasing Journey."
This was also why Wen Weilan was familiar with the name "Wang TieZhu"; she had seen the roster of participants for the "Star Chasing Journey" in the Universe Exploration Travel Agency's office.
Fortunately, Miss Wen had an excellent memory.
As expected, upon asking, the names of the others were also ones she had seen on the roster.
Of course, the others only participated in the "Star Chasing Journey" on foot, unlike Liu Sheng and her group who even brought their own "travel bus."
As for the period of being captured, their memories of being in prison were relatively vague. They only remembered being repeatedly asked if they admitted to rebelling against the Federal Government with Professor Tang.
However, because most of them had not even dared to enter the Science Popularization Museum, only the old woodcutter and another young embroiderer had entered. But they both had a premonition and did not seriously look at the murals. It was fortunate, for if they were not cultivators, once they entered the painting, they would surely not survive.
Precisely because of this, they couldn't answer anything and naturally couldn't admit or deny anything. They could only endure, slowly becoming confused due to the erosion of Guai Qi, often experiencing hallucinations and nightmares, so their memories became muddled. They even lost track of how long they had survived there.
Listening to this, Chen Shanyuan and the others began to realize that something was amiss.
"What's clearer now is that essentially everyone who first enters the Weird Domain will participate in the 'Star Chasing Journey' and then experience being imprisoned," Kuang Bowen summarized.
Yu Jinling asked, "Then where did the villagers of Cosmic Village come from? Their state is completely different from these people. They have completely forgotten their outside lives, and their minds are entirely filled with that village chief, acting crazily."
This was also what Liu Sheng initially noticed was problematic. If they were villagers of Cosmic Village, they certainly wouldn't still be talking about the Supreme God after being freed.
Their faith had changed; they only wanted to follow the village chief to find aliens.
"Jinling, when that prison guard weird objects questioned you, you didn't make a choice, right?" Liu Sheng asked.
"I definitely wouldn't make a choice. I found it very strange. If this is Professor Tang's Weird Domain, how could there be a Federal Prison?"
Yu Jinling was not a foolish person and quickly understood where she felt the incongruity.
"Song Ru, what about you?" Liu Sheng then asked Song Ru.
Song Ru hummed noncommittally twice, unwilling to say more.
"Yes, this question actually has three options," Liu Sheng said.
"Three?" Chen Shanyuan was a bit bewildered.
Kuang Bowen clapped his hands lightly: "That's right. Option one is indeed related to Professor Tang, loyal to Professor Tang; option two is to deny Professor Tang and follow the Federal Government to combat Professor Tang; option three is to choose nothing."
"Precisely," Liu Sheng nodded in agreement, "Each option leads to a different outcome."
"If this prison weird objects is not a real Federal Prison at all, but a Weird Domain constructed to look like a Federal Prison to test loyalty to Professor Tang, then it makes sense."
That's why the analysis said: 【This is the imagination of a person who has been imprisoned, regarding the Federal Prison】.
Because it's not a real Federal Prison at all.
As for what "been imprisoned" means, Liu Sheng still didn't know. Perhaps Professor Tang had once been a prisoner, confined somewhere unknown?
"In this environment, a person's will is weakened under the erosion of Guai Qi, and it's easy to confuse reality," Liu Sheng continued to analyze.
"What if, before entering prison, the beautiful concepts of Cosmic Village and Professor Tang's great achievements were already implanted? Is it then possible that in their confusion, they chose option one, and then were successfully brainwashed to become Cosmic Village villagers?"
"Choosing option two, supporting the Federal Government, indicates they are not moldable talent, equivalent to confessing guilt and betraying Professor Tang, leading to being devoured."
"Option three, you can only endure until the day you meet the rules. You are all very impressive." Liu Sheng looked around at the remaining eight people who had endured bitterly, expressing her admiration.
"As a result, we directly released them this time, completely breaking the rules, leading to a batch of chaotic 'Star Chasing Journey' tour groups."
She didn't know what would happen with such a problem, and there were still many things she couldn't figure out.
Liu Sheng still frowned deeply.
Where did that pervasive sense of strange dislocation come from?
She seemed to be standing on a huge chessboard, with a pile of black and white pieces beside her.
But she had a feeling that her true chessboard was above or below this chessboard; in short, the squares above were staggered, and she was standing on the wrong square.
"So, what did you think of?" Wen Weilan asked with concern.
Liu Sheng looked at Wen Weilan, pondering and remaining silent.
Cosmic Village was almost here; they would soon land at the village entrance.
After all this trouble, it was now midnight, and in two more hours, the second leg of the "Star Chasing Journey" would begin.
But Liu Sheng felt that some things she could no longer ignore.
"Lu Junan, do you still remember what souvenir you received?" Liu Sheng suddenly asked.
Lu Junan was suddenly asked and paused for a moment: "Uh, it was, it was an umbrella, but I found it very strange, different from ordinary umbrellas."
Liu Sheng turned her head to Wen Weilan.
"I don't know what that was, but you said it was a hat," Wen Weilan said, seeing Liu Sheng's gaze becoming increasingly complex and feeling a surge of panic in her heart.
Liu Sheng pulled out a cold, metallic cylindrical object from her Storage Pouch, on which was written "Tenth Anniversary of Universe Exploration Travel Agency."
It was a thermos cup.
Looking down at the thermos cup in her hand and then up at Wen Weilan's worried eyes, Liu Sheng felt at a loss for the first time.
...
After the flying car landed, since everyone was a "Star Chasing Journey" tour member, regardless of new or old, they all stayed in the Starry Sky House.
Although only two hours remained, everyone was tired and quickly found a place to sleep.
Liu Sheng did not sleep. She sat in a corner and opened "world 2.0"; the light from the screen illuminated her face, making it pale and wan.
"So you've already discovered it, but you don't want to admit it."
"world 2.0" was sharp-tongued, piercing through all the illusions she had built in her heart.
"You don't want to admit that they are no longer themselves, Wen Weilan is no longer Wen Weilan, and the Doll Tree is no longer the Doll Tree."
"This is not the world you are in."
"Look at the book you were reading before, was this its title?"
Liu Sheng took out the book she had been holding, its cover displaying the playful words "Elementary School Students Learn Quantum Mechanics."
That's right, what she had been reading before was clearly "Elementary School Students Read Quantum Mechanics."