《Psychic》Ch64 - An Incomprehensible Existence
Advertisement
Fan Jialuo had been sitting quietly in the dark since the very beginning of the show. Not once had he cast his gaze towards the black curtain, nor had he made any attempts to communicate with anyone else.
It was this very Fan Jialuo who handed over a sketch just as the time plate counted down to the last second-a sketch that looked exactly like the photo hidden behind the thick curtain.
When the technical producer displayed his sketch on the same big screen as the photo selected by the team, Song Wennuan could only look at the display monitor in astonishment and horror, her mouth falling wide open from shock.
Song Rui covered his face with his palm and sighed. This sigh of his seemed to express contentment, but there was also a trace of regret in it.
Witnessing this 'miracle' being performed by Fan Jialuo with his own eyes made him finally understand just how the death sketch that Sun Ying had previously handed in to the police could stir up one's soul and whisk it away.
However, this scene that revealed the truth of this mystery failed to satisfy his inner thirst for knowledge, instead plunging him deeper into a spiral of confusion.
He felt a vague premonition that, even if he spent the rest of his life on trying to demystify this, even if he exhausted all of his erudite and scholarly knowledge, his understanding of this man would forever remain at a superficial layer; he might never be able to understand the kind of existence the other man truly was.
"Why are there such people in the world?" Song Rui wondered as he shook his head and sighed again.
He couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of environment that would produce this sort of unique person. He really wanted to know, and deeply longed to know.
The other three judges were already wearing stupefied expressions on their faces as they pointed at the biggest screen with trembling fingertips.
"He, he, he, he drew the photo exactly as it is!"
Upon hearing the exclamations around her, and seeing the evidence before her, Song Wennuan's cheeks gradually changed from a pale white to a bloody red.
It looked as if they had been slapped hard by invisible palms. It was the first time in her life that Song Wennuan had felt such shame and embarrassment.
The scene being displayed on the screen reminded her of her previous words, which she had used to deliberately oppose and belittle Fan Jialuo.
But now, upon seeing the sketch, she realized that his 'psychic' ability was stronger and more terrifying than that of the other contestants.
She opened her mouth, but couldn't find the words to express her tangled thoughts and feelings. After struggling for a long time, she said hoarsely, "Cousin, that death sketch..."
She even forgot to hide the fact that she was cousins with Song Rui in front of the camera.
Song Rui nodded, his voice was a little brisk as he said, "Ah, I forgot to tell you. The police had already verified the origins of the death sketch provided by Sun Ying. It's true that Fan Jialuo drew it himself, and that he drew it even before Gao Yize fell from the building. The surveillance cameras happened to capture the scene of him drawing it at that time."
And that was also the main reason why he had become the police investigation team's primary suspect in that case.
Of course, such digressions were not worth mentioning in the current situation.
Song Wennuan's cheeks flushed with shame.
Advertisement
She widened her eyes and asked in disbelief, "Cousin, you knew that the death sketch was real. Why didn't you tell me about it before? Did you want me to look like a fool?"
If her cousin had clearly explained the circumstances surrounding the death sketch earlier on when they had been discussing the contestants, she would never have spoken in such a way in front of the camera!
She had originally wanted to slap Fan Jialuo's face which had been full of arrogance when joining the show, but right after the first testing round of the audition, all the slaps that she had wanted to deal to him were delivered right back onto her own face.
It's way too shameful!
She knew better than anyone just how difficult it would be to sense the contents of the photo through the black curtain. Because prior to pressing the pause button, even she didn't know which one among the millions of possible photos would be chosen.
She could already imagine the irritating comments that would be left by the audience after the show was broadcast, mocking her previous arrogance and ignorance.
Thinking of this, Song Wennuan could only wail on the inside. It would definitely become awkward when meeting people in the future.
Song Rui knocked against the table with his knuckles and said slowly, "I remember that you said that your program is 100% authentic. You will faithfully broadcast the captured footage of everyone's performance, and you won't edit scenes out to cover up someone's ugliness? Do those words still count?"
Song Wenyuan knew just how black-bellied her cousin was.
He was clearly reminding her that she should not delete the scene related to when she was slapped back hard by Fan Jialuo, just so she could save her own face.
How could he go and defend a person whom he had only met twice before?!
Song Wennuan pulled out a forced smile and promised from between gritted teeth, "Of course, I always mean what I say. In our show, yes is yes, and no is no. I will broadcast every single wonderful shot."
If this piece of content was published on the Internet, what would the netizens' response be like? Even more so from the ones who so righteously hated Fan Jialuo for using his psychic identity to create hype?
This reality show would undoubtedly grab the headlines and become an instant hit!
The better Fan Jialuo performed, the more popular her show would become. Why wouldn't she broadcast it?
Song Wennuan turned around and sent another message to the technical producer, this time asking him to arrange and take some more shots of Fan Jialuo.
This man was definitely the most prominent dark horse of this show!
The time plate was once again reset to 30:00 again, and the second testing round was about to begin.
Song Wennuan pushed the box containing the red pause button over to Dr. Lin and suggested with a smile, "Let each one of us choose a photo, so as to display the impartiality of the show."
"That's a good idea, I'll press it now!"
Dr. Lin watched the big screen in the middle as pictures dazzlingly rolled across it.
Two or three pictures would sweep by almost every second, making it difficult for anyone to even distinguish any patterns in the afterimages.
After waiting for a moment, Dr. Lin hit the button. The rapidly scrolling pictures came to an abrupt stop.
A colorful poisonous snake had its mouth opened wide, as it bared its sharp fangs, and it was almost as if it was lunging forward for a ferocious attack, targeting the people right in front of the screen.
Advertisement
The whole photo contained a great sense of momentum.
"It's a good choice. I like reptiles," Dr. Qian said as he smiled happily, though the other two doctors looked slightly uncomfortable.
At the same time, this photo was projected onto the screen behind the curtain.
The off-site host heard the confirmation of the picture change through the headset and thus notified the contestants, "Alright, the second test has started. Please show us your miraculous abilities."
The energy fluctuation given off by this picture was much weaker than the previous one, to the extent that the beautiful woman and the pale girl had to leave their seats and head closer to the stage.
The young Taoist remained standing in his spot under the stage, and glared contemptuously at those who were trying their best to get as close as possible to the curtain.
After taking a look at every potential rival to him, the young Taoist then looked back at the last row of seats, which was furthest from the stage, looking at Fan Jialuo who had never moved from the beginning till now. Seeing the other still sitting there, his smile turned even more contemptuous.
He was under the impression that Fan Jialuo had not submitted any answer for the first test, but in fact, the cameraman who was in charge of taking the close-up shots for Fan Jialuo was holding the notebook with his answer in shock.
It was the very notebook that contained the sketch of the struggling black child, and this detailed sketch left him secretly stunned and horrified.
Was this the right answer? Was this the photo behind the curtain? Was it truly? It must be!
In fact, none of the staff at the scene knew what was hidden behind the curtain. But, after witnessing how the sketch had come into being, the cameraman was firmly convinced that there must be something mysterious in Fan Jialuo's body.
His aura was completely different compared to everyone else's!
The technical producer fiddled around with the camera footage and selected seven close-up shots, after which seven distinctive faces appeared on the monitors in the observation room.
Once again, the black-robed uncle with the face full of life's vicissitudes shook his copper bell. The crisp sound reverberated in the open hall.
Ding ling, ding ling, ding ling...
The girl with the pale face stood in front of the curtain, but soon after, she stepped back and covered her head with her hands as if she was defending herself from an invisible attack. Her mother hugged her in her arms and whispered soothing words in comfort.
The beautiful woman stood directly in front of the curtain with her hands around her chest and her back taut. Her eyes constantly flickered with light, as if peering at something.
A Huo stuck very close to sniff at the curtain and murmured something to himself in a low voice.
Ding Puhang didn't pay attention to what might lie behind the curtain, but instead observed the beautiful looking woman with bright eyes. He was far more interested in her.
The young Taoist remained standing in his dimly lit spot, where he curled his lips and flaunted a triumphant smile.
On the last screen, Fan Jialuo's drooping eyebrows and his calm expression showed no change. He did not move forward even a single step.
Song Wennuan gazed at Fan Jialuo's placid face for a long time, as if wanting to discern the other person's thoughts through the screen.
It was at that moment that Fan Jialuo suddenly raised his eyes to pinpoint onto one of the dozens of cameras that were hanging overhead, and lightly directed his gaze into its lens.
At the same time, the monitor placed in the center, which was currently right in front of Song Wennuan, displayed a very familiar sharp and penetrating gaze.
Song Wennuan felt as if she had been fiercely stabbed by this sharp-edged gaze, and couldn't help but wonder to herself: What a ghost! With so many cameras, so many screens and so many random close-up shots being taken on-site, how can Fan Jialuo know which monitor and which display screen the person spying on him will use to observe him? Did he see it with his own eyes?
Seeing her gaffe, Song Rui reminded her in a low voice, "Fan Jialuo's intuition is very keen."
"I know now." Song Wennuan managed to calm down after a short pause, then opened a stack that contained the contestants' information and introduced the seven people onscreen one by one, following the order of the screens.
"This black-robed contestant is called Yuan Zhongzhou, 46 years old. He is a practitioner who does not practice Buddhism or Taoism, but instead cultivates the heart.
"The Taoist priest, who is called Chongming, is from Yundou Temple, which is where he also grew up. He is 20 years old.
"This first-rate beauty is Zhu Xiya, 25 years old, from the Miao ethnic group, and she practices witchcraft.
"The more frail girl is He Jinglian. She just turned 18 this year. She appears to be in poor health. She has dropped out of school and can only compete with her mother aiding her by her side. However, it is said that she is very capable, and people all over the country seek her out for her psychic ability. She's quite popular.
"This handsome man is Ding Puhang, 27 years old. He has founded several companies, and now has assets worth over 100 million yuan, in short, he is a successful person. He came to our show just for recreational purposes, but at present, his ability seems to be very good.
"This is A Huo, from the deep valley of the Himalayas, hailing from the Hunza Tribe, 19 years old. He has a very good sense of smell.
"Last is Fan Jialuo, and I think everyone already knows him."
Looking at the seven people, Song Wennuan asserted, "At present, I am most optimistic about these seven contestants. Our show will not allow for any fakers. Within the first three rounds, everyone will show their true colors. Well, let's wait to see their performances."
From the contestants' expressions, it seemed that this second testing round was more difficult than the first one.
Yuan Zhongzhou was still ringing his bell, and every wrinkle on his face showed that he was quite perplexed.
Zhu Xiya and A Huo stood in front of the curtain, but it seemed that they still had been unable to deduce any clues.
He Jinglian and Chongming seemed to have understood something and had both retreated to a quiet corner to organize their thoughts.
Ding Puhang, who was standing at the edge of the stage and observing the contestants, caught a glimpse of He Jinglian and Chongming, and then revealed a sly smile.
At this time, Fan Jialuo raised his pen and began to sketch fluently. The slim pen looped across the paper, the strokes twisted and pleated, and finally a strong, sturdy, and entangled limb was sculpted out onto the paper.
Then appeared a triangular head embedded with a pair of cold eyes. The large mouth was open, fangs drawn and dripping with venom, and thin and dense scales covered the page.
Finally, he shaded in deep and shallow patches to even out the sketch. There were only three colors, black, white and gray, but the sketch appeared vibrant and colorful.
"Quick, quick, close up!" The technical producer's excited voice sounded from the headset of the cameraman who was in charge of filming Fan Jialuo.
The cameraman immediately cut a close-up.
The technical producer was still not satisfied with the result, and harshly yelled, "Closer!"
The cameraman adjusted the focus again and again, but the producer's scolding never stopped.
"Closer, closer, closer! Alright, good, well done! That's good, stay still!"
At this moment, the cameraman seemed to understand something. He looked at Fan Jialuo with both shock and awe.
If this sketch had been different from the photo behind the curtain, why would the boss become so excited?
Fan Jialuo's ability must be truly terrifying!
After being enlarged by the camera lens, the sketch and photo were displayed side by side on the big screen in the middle of the observation room.
The attention of all the judges was drawn to the two pictures, one in black and one in color, but which perfectly overlapped in all aspects.
It was simply too unbelievable.
Meanwhile, the six other contestants who were said to be very powerful, were writing down their answers.
Yuan Zhongzhou-【Animal, cold and dangerous.】
Chongming-【Snake.】
He Jinglian-【Attack!】
Zhu Xiya-【Some kind of dangerous animal.】
A Huo-【Reptile.】
Ding Puhang-【Viper preparing to launch an attack.】
They all had sensed the content of the photo, with some of them giving a partially correct response, while the others provided a full response. Still, each one of them could be regarded as displaying a performance which proved that they possessed some sort of supernatural ability.
However, in front of Fan Jialuo's black and white sketch, their answers became pale and dull.
"What is this?" Song Wennuan's eyes twinkled with strange light as she sighed and asked, "What is all this? When others are suffering from having to even sensel the content properly, has he already seen through it all?"
Song Rui glanced at her and said, "I don't know if you have heard, but there exists a certain kind of person in this world, who, even without any substantial contact, and with just a flash of thought, can discern a lot. Such a person's eyes have the ability to penetrate through to the past, to clarify the present and to break the veil of the future.
"They can see what you see through your eyes, smell what you smell through your nose, taste what you taste through your tongue, and can even perceive what you think through your heart.
"As long as he wishes for it, your perception is his perception, your thoughts are his thoughts, your past is his past, your present is his present, and your future can also be his future.
"You can only mobilize the body to understand the world, but he can mobilize all the divine consciousness to explore the unknown. Everything in the world is his medium."
Seeing his cousin's puzzled eyes, Song Rui added, "This is the self-introduction he gave of himself when we first met. How is it? Can you understand such an existence?"
Song Wennuan slowly turned her head, slowly opened her eyes to see the youth on the screen, and then slowly shook her head.
Her voice was extremely dry as she replied, "I can't, even if I see it happening right in front of my own eyes, I can't understand it! This is really beyond my understanding!"
Song Rui sighed. "Me too, but I am eager to understand it."
...
Advertisement
No More Respawns
Synopsis: The first time Allen died, he was forced back into a living hell where death is temporary, and power is all that matters. With evil and depravity as the rule, tragedy becomes comedy and life becomes an act. Only a deal with a shady god can get him back to his old life, but what happens if there’s nothing left to save? Maybe hell isn’t so bad if you have infinite lives… until you don’t. Needless to say, it’s all fun and games until there’s no more respawns. Foreword: This story is meant primarily as an action adventure and secondarily as a dark and nihilistic comedy. It may not be readily apparent in the beginning, but that's what I have planned (I feel the need to emphasize the dark; don’t rage at me if it gets too ‘traumatizing’ or something). I’m going to take my time with this, so it won’t immediately inundate you with doom and gloom. This is also a comedy, remember? On that note, if for some cursed reason you just can't handle either the references or the jokes, I am willing to battle in the comments. Anyway, I still put a significant amount of effort into the system, so I hope you enjoy that part. It is a little bulky, I'll admit to that, but I wanted to try something new and its more fun when there's more depth to it. Regardless, I still have a lot of fun doing math in the middle of writing a fictional story (/s). I also want to see if I can keep from messing up the pacing. Many times, I end up going too fast because I'm afraid of the story getting boring, which tends to ironically have the opposite effect. I'm still learning I suppose; we'll see how things go. Lastly, please leave reviews and comments, they really mean a lot to me and (usually) help me improve considerably. I'll be asking for feedback in the polls and I do still check the old ones from time to time. Notes: The story takes a bit of time to develop; give it time if you're here for drama, grimdark, or antihero. The system is all blue boxes and I'm not half-assing the numbers. Chapters will be between 1k and 2k words usually. I always use the oxford coma, fight me. Might drop if rating falls below 4 stars, idk. It depends on how my life is going. Cover drawn by yours truly in MS paint. (I have skill, I know)
8 183The Demon Queen (On Hiatus)
This is a strange predicament I got myself into. Before me was the king of a human kingdom. "Welcome heroes from another world! Humanity needs your help in defeating the [Demon King]! His plans to destroy humanity must be stopped, and you are the destined heroes to defeat him!" Or so he says. No matter what, isn't this a really weird situation? I'm a demon you know? A demon! And not just any demon either, I'm the [Demon Queen] you know?! Why was I summoned as a hero?! Release Schedule:Every Wednesday and Saturday. On permanent hiatus until I find motivation to write this again. Currently writing a quest on fiction.live in the meantime under blazingseraph. The quest name is Elder Dragon Quest if you want to check it out.
8 203The Pink Dungeon
Joseph Collins was your average private in the army. But that all changed with his death. As a perk of serving in the army any fatalities in the field have their consciousness uploaded to a massive array of servers where they may choose to become a manbot, a human conscious inside a robot, or be uploaded to one of the various virtual realities that offer a second chance at life. Joseph has a problem though. When his consciousness was being uploaded the computer, was overloaded with high doses of radiation. Contamination to his upload has resulted in him being reborn as a dungeon. Can he survive in this adventurer filled world? Will he have to find out if he’s lucky enough to come back to life a second time? Reborn as the pink dungeon will he make a name for himself or just be the biggest joke of all? Follow the adventures of a very odd dungeon, a captain of the guard, a very mischievous little girl, and Richard a traveler looking to find something more in what he thought was just a game.
8 188Yuusha Isekai! Youjo Suki!
When Elijah, thirty year old civil servant, open lolicon, and anime otaku finds himself in a new world rather than snuggled up to his Flan-chan Dakimakura, whatever will he do? Will his genre savvy and surprisingly unspectacular cheat be able to save the kingdom, and its cute (if dumb) juvenile princess? Or will he go down in a blaze of foolish glory like the ikemen before him?>> This novel is now dead. It will no longer receive updates. [This is a crazy parody novel, by the way. The goal is a good isekai harem story minus the beta JP MC, but adding unique girls that outgrow their stereotypes, whilst making fun of the genre and popular anime and game culture at large.]
8 829Demon King 101
Airumel. A world scarred by constant wars. With peace being nothing but a mere dream for weaklings with no standing in this harsh world. For thousands of years, conflicts arise between the forces of the Heaven Realm, which is an alliance of humans and their allied races, against the numerous demons of the Demon Realm. All in the name of superiority to decide who is the true owner of this world.In the midst of the conflicts come our main character, a Japanese high school student who was summoned as a familiar for a powerful mage from the Demon Realm. An unextraordinary teenager, armed with his will and guts as the strongest weapon he has in disposal. Can he survive this unexpected ordeal and prove himself among the ranks of the demons ?
8 58Careless God
A basic careless god. Playing with high school students in japan for fun. Despite the boring character that god plays, god makes things funnier by tormenting the students for fun. Giving powers to random students from other schools and telling them about the club of the students who he gave the power to fight each other.
8 143