TDU Chapter 64: The One Who Atones

Chapter 64 The One Who Atones

"When all is said and done, you are no {goat}," Qi Xia remarked to Mortal Pig. "We endured plenty when we first faced a Mortal Goat. You believed that by adding a deception mechanism to your game, you’d improve your chances of winning. Yet, ironically, that very choice sealed your downfall."

Mortal Pig remained silent for a moment, then slowly reached up and removed the mask from his head.

Beneath the grimy, foul-smelling mask was a man with sharp, regular features. He appeared to be around forty years old, his face marked with wisdom and foresight.

"It’s a shame," Mortal Pig said quietly. "I came so close. I could have departed from here justly, and with honor."

Qi Xia’s eyes flickered at Mortal Pig’s words. He then asked, "Mortal Pig, what exactly do you mean by {justly, and with honor}?"

Mortal Pig faltered, momentarily lost for words. He studied the young man before him, noticing with a pang that Qi Xia bore an uncanny resemblance to himself in his youth.

"Qi Xia, have you ever committed a transgression?"

"A transgression?" Qi Xia paused, contemplating the question carefully. The notion of {committing a transgression} was complicated. In some ways, his very profession could be seen as a transgression. Yet, in another sense, circumstances left him with little choice.

"It has nothing to do with the {law}," Mortal Pig clarified. "It’s the kind of {transgression} that alters the course of your entire life, filling you with endless remorse, deep regret—an error so profound that you spend the rest of your life paying for it."

Qi Xia’s brow furrowed deeply at these words, as something in the recesses of his mind began to stir violently.

"What are you getting at?" Qi Xia asked, his voice suddenly cold and distant.

"We are the ones who have sinned…" Mortal Pig said with a bitter smile. "Sure enough—those who have sinned cannot attain {Dào}. In the end, my life is destined to end here."

Those who have sinned cannot attain {Dào}?

The phrase tugged at Qi Xia’s memory, as though he had encountered it somewhere before.

"Qi Xia, did you know? The world of business is no different from a casino," Mortal Pig murmured as he slowly stood, moving toward a drawer in search of something. "Once, I gambled all the liquid assets of my conglomerate on a {hope}. Now, looking back, it’s no different from a {life stake}."

After rummaging for some time, Mortal Pig finally retrieved an old revolver from the drawer. He blew away the dust, opened the cylinder, and gazed at the single bullet left inside. He continued, "Back then, the odds were stacked against us—less than a 50% chance of success. The other shareholders on the board vehemently opposed my decision. But I believed that the gamble was only on liquid assets, which wouldn’t bankrupt the conglomerate. Instead, I saw it as a spark of hope for future growth. No one foresaw the global pandemic that followed, nor the devastating blow it would deliver to our revenue."

He paused, staring at the revolver as if weighing his next words. "With the sudden collapse of income, and the dwindling liquid funds, we couldn’t meet operational demands. It led to an unrelenting spiral of financial losses."

Mortal Pig lifted his desperate gaze to Qi Xia. "I thought I was betting on a ticket to heaven, but instead, I’ve ended up in hell."

He continued to meticulously clean the gun barrel, each motion deliberate.

Qi Xia felt that Mortal Pig’s words had clarified some of the lingering doubts he had. "So you believe this is hell?"

"Who can say?" Mortal Pig shook his head. "I founded the conglomerate myself, but in the end, I was ousted by the board. As chairman, I lost my authority. To pay off the debts, I sold my shares at a loss. My wife, who stood by me through thick and thin, could not be afforded the treatment she needed. My daughter, studying abroad, ran out of funds and ended up becoming a well-known prostitute at her school. Compared to the world I once knew, this place feels like paradise. Here, I’m free from those burdens. All I need to focus on is finding a way to make you all perish."

Mortal Pig’s composure wavered, his voice trembling with raw emotion. "I often wondered, what if I hadn’t gambled on that 50% chance?"

Qi Xia remained silent for a long while before finally responding with a measured tone, "In any gamble, there must be a loser."

"Ha, ha ha..." Mortal Pig’s laughter was bitter and hollow, his spirit seemingly drained. "Indeed, in any gamble, there must be a loser."

"But there’s one thing I don’t understand…" Qi Xia continued.

Mortal Pig, his gaze deep and reflective, met Qi Xia’s eyes. "I answered too many of your questions," he said slowly, "which is unfair to the other participants."

"What?" Qi Xia asked, perplexed. "You can’t share this information with us?"

In response, Mortal Pig opened the revolver’s cylinder, gave it a quick spin, and then snapped it back into place with a practiced flick of his wrist. He then slowly raised the gun, pressing it against his temple.

"Leave everything to {luck}," Mortal Pig said calmly. "Each time you ask me a question, I will pull the trigger once. As long as the gun doesn’t fire, I will answer."

Qi Xia watched this with a sigh of resignation and asked, "As a former chairman of the conglomerate, don’t you wish to leave with a bit more dignity?"

"Dignity?" Mortal Pig’s smile was one of bitter resignation. "I’ve been wearing this filthy, stinking pig mask for so long. What dignity is there to speak of?"

"In that case…" Qi Xia nodded thoughtfully, "I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. Sir, why did you volunteer to become {Mortal Pig}?"

{Click}!

Without hesitation, Mortal Pig pulled the trigger, his eyes unwavering.

The gun remained silent.

"Because I seek to {atone}," Mortal Pig responded. "I was told that by wearing this mask and orchestrating the deaths of participants in the form of games, I might one day atone for my sins."

"What do you mean by {atone}?" Qi Xia inquired.

{Click}!

The gun remained silent.

Mortal Pig sighed heavily. "Atonement is about altering the past and making amends for previous transgressions. After all, every one of the {Earthly Branches} are {sinners}."

Qi Xia pieced together the fragmented clues in his mind and found the situation increasingly surreal. He gathered his thoughts and asked, "So you once had the chance to leave, but instead, you chose to remain here to {atone}?"

{Click}!

Mortal Pig frowned. As he had noted, Qi Xia seemed to possess extraordinary luck; three consecutive shots had failed to discharge.

"I’m uncertain if I could have left," Mortal Pig said, "but I chose to stay. I hope none of you have made any grave transgressions. Otherwise, you might end up choosing to remain here voluntarily, as I did. After all, staying offers a sliver of invisible hope."

Qi Xia moved closer, his expression serious. "So, what is the fastest way to get out of here?"

{Click}!

Mortal Pig closed his eyes, his body trembling, but the gun continued to remain silent.

"I’m not sure," Mortal Pig admitted. "Collecting three thousand six hundred {Dào} is obviously the slowest method. Even after donning this mask, there are many things I still don’t understand. After all, I am merely a {Mortal}. To uncover the truth of this place, you must find a way to defeat the {Celestial} and the {Terrestrial}."

He paused, then corrected, "No, don’t even dream of defeating the {Celestial}. If you can defeat the {Terrestrial}, that’s already a significant achievement. The {Earthly Branches} of the {Three Spheres of Origin: Celestial, Terrestrial, and Mortal} are ranked from top to bottom, all under the command of {Dragon}. To survive here, first, avoid provoking the {Celestial}, and second, never go against {Dragon}."

Mortal Pig’s insights clarified Qi Xia’s thoughts. It seemed that escaping this place might not be as insurmountable as he had initially imagined.

Having exhausted his questions, Qi Xia observed that Mortal Pig still held the revolver aloft, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions.

Qi Xia was aware that the probability of death with the fifth shot was 50%, and with the sixth, it was certain. The scene felt oddly familiar, reminiscent of the moment when he had faced a 50% chance with his own life at stake.

He rose from his seat and turned towards the exit. Lin Qin and Ole Lu followed him slowly, puzzled by his intentions.

As Qi Xia was about to leave, he paused and turned back, asking his fifth question, "Sir, do you feel regretful?"

Without waiting for a response, Qi Xia continued his departure with Lin Qin and Ole Lu in tow.

The expansive Go Association Club now felt eerily vacant, with only Mortal Pig seated solitary in the center. He contemplated deeply, and after a long silence, he softly uttered two words:

"Thank you."

A deafening gunshot rang out, and Mortal Pig collapsed.