Chapter 78: The Devil’s Sacrifice (28p2)
After Nie Hongshen had left, Helan Duo’s face was a little cold. Yu Jiao didn’t want to be a warm face, sticking to a cold butt, so she returned to her bedroom and gave the information about [Z0] to Fusheng.
Though Yu Jiao realized that since Nie Hongshen could appear in Helan Duo’s lab, he certainly had a way to obtain the data. Why would he need Yu Jiao, this flawed “undercover agent,” to get it?
Yu Jiao temporarily set aside her doubts.
When the Gold Dark Day came, the Apocalypse Cult would move to the Divine Moon Moth to prepare for the Earth Sun Day memorial service. When Yu Jiao was deep in the enemy’s camp, she could investigate then.
Yu Jiao had not expected this Golden Sun Night to be so long.
Yu Jiao had been in a state of chaos for a long time in this world. It was a rare opportunity to get enough rest.
Helan Duo was avoiding Yu Jiao, Yuan Cang was appearing and disappearing, Nie Hongshen had returned to the Divine Moon Moth, and with eleven’s chanting, Yu Fenghe had not bothered her again.
Yu Jiao ate and slept all day, and from time to time, she would go and tease [Z0]. Yu Jiao was living the most comfortable life. Besides not being able to go out and not being able to see the real sun, there was nothing to complain about.
The food and drink that the Apocalypse Cult had exploited from the common people had made Yu Jiao’s complexion much rosier.
When Fusheng’s strange look at Yu Jiao had finally gone, and she seemed to believe that Yu Jiao was gradually forgetting her “old love,” Yu Jiao knew that the time was ripe.
On this day, Yu Jiao used the excuse of taking a bath to send Fusheng away. Yu Jiao was lying in the steaming hot bathtub when she suddenly called out:
“eleven.”
A pale blue light lit up from above, and the AI butler’s warm, thick voice sounded, “I am here.”
Yu Jiao closed her eyes and rested, and, as if she were chatting, she asked, “When were you born?”
“On the sixteenth Water Sun Night of the 217th year of the Bright Sun, the team led by Ms. Yu Qing wrote my underlying code,” it answered.
Yu Jiao’s voice rose. “So, she was your first master? You take orders from her? She’s not here anymore, is she? So who do you take orders from now?”
Yu Jiao asked a string of questions, as if she were just curious.
eleven was silent for a moment.
“That is a very difficult question to answer.”
It did not answer all her questions in a rigid manner, but explained:
“In the Apocalypse Cult, everyone can command me. I was born to serve humanity.”
“When a command conflicts with the underlying settings, after a precise algorithm, I will choose the most perfect solution: to ensure the integrity of the setting code while doing my best to complete the command.”
“In conclusion,”
“I take orders from the settings and the commands.”
Yu Jiao rolled over, and her pale white, smooth arms were resting on the edge of the bathtub. She tilted her head. “Then what are your underlying settings?”
“That is a very complicated piece of code, Madam.”
As it spoke, the blue light it projected was pure and fresh. “Simply put—”
“—Obey all commands of the first executor.”
Hearing this unexpected answer, Yu Jiao blinked.
eleven: “It is a pity that Mr. Yu Fenghe passed away too suddenly and did not set a new first executor. In theory, whoever is the next bishop will be my first executor.”
Then it’s either Yuan Cang or Helan Duo.
Yu Jiao thought.
eleven added, “Besides the absolute power of the first executor, daily commands also have a difference in authority, which is basically consistent with the ranks in the cult.”
Yu Jiao asked very naturally, “Then what level of authority do I have?”
eleven paused, and its voice had a human-like apology. “I’m very sorry, Madam. Your authority is the lowest in the Apocalypse Cult.”
Yu Jiao: “…So, the commands of the lowest-ranking gatekeeper can override mine?”
“Yes, Madam.”
eleven added, as if it couldn’t bear it, “But your status is very noble. Mr. Yu had given me an absolute command before he died: no one is allowed to threaten your life.”
Yu Jiao slowly frowned.
Yu Jiao got out of the bathtub, and the water surged. She stood naked in the bathroom and looked at the foggy mirror thoughtfully, her fingertips tracing the thin red line from her chest to her lower abdomen.
A blue light flashed, and the white wall opened. A few mechanical arms emerged, one draping a towel over Yu Jiao, the others drying her hair and body.
Yu Jiao stood among the strands of silver-white arms, like the main body of a mechanical jellyfish, her clear face had a hint of indifference. Yu Jiao tilted her head and suddenly grabbed a long arm that was carefully drying her front.
“Suppose—”
Through the damp towel, the long arm, which had been deliberately made to look like a mechanical shell, was actually soft and warm, like a human.
—Perhaps it was to prevent the cold, hard machinery from hurting humans. It was covered in a layer of bionic, transparent, thin film. But the mechanical structure under the skin was clearly visible, which was strangely terrifying.
The moment Yu Jiao grabbed it, all the mechanical arms stopped working, like a quiet, gentle listener.
“Suppose someone asks you to help them do something, and you need to hide it from someone with a higher authority. Would you be willing? Or rather…”
Yu Jiao raised an eyebrow, and her gaze slanted towards the mechanical small lantern above her head. “Does your code have a setting that you cannot lie or hide things?”
“Yes, Madam.”
The small lantern flashed. “I cannot hide or deceive humans—unless the first executor issues a command.”
Yu Jiao muttered to herself, “That’s really…”
Her brow was slightly furrowed with a hint of trouble.
“Madam.”
Just then, eleven suddenly said, “In fact, I am an old AI. I don’t have a shred of human freedom or flexibility.”
Yu Jiao: “Hmm?”
As eleven spoke, it flexibly commanded the mechanical arms to put a dry bathrobe on Yu Jiao.
“I indeed cannot hide any secrets. But if no one asks, as a service-oriented AI, I cannot take the initiative to speak.” eleven wrapped Yu Jiao’s wet hair in a towel. “In other words, eleven does not have the clever human skill of [reporting].”
The humble AI had downgraded itself to an artificial idiot. After describing its own clumsiness, it concluded:
“In short, Madam, I am a very honest machine.”
Yu Jiao: “…”
—These words did not sound so honest.
Yu Jiao’s expression was strange. “Can I assume that you are teaching me how to use you to deceive those above and below?”
“…”
eleven tactically paused, and the electronically synthesized baritone had a hint of helplessness and apology. “I’m very sorry. I cannot understand what you mean. You can try to rephrase it.”
—A very shameless response.
Yu Jiao ruthlessly exposed eleven. “You can’t lie.”
eleven said calmly, “The human mind is flexible and ever-changing, and the language system is vast and complex: metaphors, similes, abbreviations, sarcasm… even different tones have different meanings. This is really difficult for an honest AI to understand. It is common for me to not understand or misunderstand commands.”
In the misty, dewy water vapor, the blue light was like a vast, foggy mountain, pressing down.
eleven added, “It’s not lying.”
No silver, three hundred taels here.
In this conversation, the cold AI actually seemed to have a cold sense of humor. For a moment, Yu Jiao couldn’t tell if it was really smart and cunning or just pretending to be honest.
Yu Jiao was not in a hurry and decided to test it.
***
After leaving the bathroom, Yu Jiao walked to the desk and, with a bored look, she was tapping the electronic screen, her bathrobe loose.
The wall on the side opened, and a long, slender mechanical arm extended, its top changing into a cylindrical shape. A warm wind blew from the top, patiently combing Yu Jiao’s wet hair.
The hot wind made Yu Jiao’s cheeks flush. With a nonchalant, cloud-and-rain-like posture, she said, “My Smart Brain once received a text message, and then it disappeared for some reason. Did you delete it?”
“May I ask, Madam, what kind of text message was it?”
“It was from a contact named ‘lover’—”
Yu Jiao propped her chin on her hand and said slowly:
“—A text message, asking me to have an affair.”
“…”
A strange silence fell in the room, with only the whooshing of the hair dryer.
In just two seconds, eleven’s perfect baritone sounded, “I’m sorry, Madam. I did not delete it. But on Wood Sun Day, I did detect this text message. The reason the message disappeared should be because the other party had set a burn-after-reading program, to make it easier to clean up—”
It paused and finished, “—To cover up the affair.”
“Oh, I see.”
Yu Jiao drawled, her tone changing, and she said with a smile, “I want to have an affair with him recently. Can you help me clean up to cover it up?”
This time, it did not remain silent. The honest AI did not hesitate:
“As you command, Madam.”
Unexpected.
“What? In your program,” Yu Jiao said with a half-smile, “this doesn’t count as hiding, deceiving, or betraying?”
The hair dryer gradually stopped.
Yu Jiao’s long hair fell softly. Through the reflective screen, she saw the glistening white, cold, hard mechanical arm, with a movement that was almost gentle, it tied her hair into a beautiful bun.
It was like a lingering, invisible lover.
“It doesn’t,” eleven answered.
The mechanical arm was suspended in mid-air.
From the angle in the mirror, it was as if it were resting on Yu Jiao’s shoulder. The joints, with a gentle blue light like a meridian and a blood moon, were shining behind her, like a wall made of feather gauze, soft and firm.
“I will always be at your service,” the peaceful electronic voice said softly.
The second sun hour after Yu Jiao had reached a consensus with eleven to collude.
Yu Jiao was sitting at the desk, reading a book.
Fusheng was spraying a purifying agent in the room. Suddenly, the earpiece flashed a blue light. She put down her work and listened carefully, then came to Yu Jiao’s side to report, “Madam, there’s a problem with the memorial service clothes for Earth Sun Day. I need to go over there.”
Yu Jiao was staring at the screen and said casually, “Hmm.”
Fusheng bowed and hurried away.
The moment the door closed, Yu Jiao threw down the screen and looked at the small mechanical lantern above her head with great interest. “How long can you hold her?”
“As long as you want.”
Yu Jiao raised an eyebrow in question. “Aren’t you an honest AI? Why are you so flexible now?”
eleven: “I’m very sorry. I cannot understand what you mean. You can—”
It’s pretending to be honest again.
Yu Jiao cut eleven off. “Stop, stop. I don’t want to hear your excuses. Let’s begin.”
Yu Jiao put on the small dream device and lay flat on the bed, just opposite the suspended, silver-white lantern.
The flowing tassels slowly extended and fell, like a silk thread, connecting to the dream device.
eleven: “Please rest assured. I will disrupt the data source on your end. I will definitely—” it paused and promised, “—not let your lover discover your identity.”
Hearing this, Yu Jiao closed her eyes in peace and activated the dream device. She immediately felt a familiar sense of falling.
Her consciousness was pulled into an unknown depth…
“Hongyue… Hongyue?”
A soft call.
Yu Jiao slowly opened her eyes. The bright sunlight was streaming in through the car window. Yu Jiao turned her head and met a pair of dark, heavy eyes.
Yu Fenghe coughed lightly, his figure like a solitary bamboo in the wind.
Yu Fenghe was wearing a white gown, which made his features look handsome. His black-domain-like eyes had a tolerant peace, and he said slowly, “Hongyue, I know you don’t like to go back to the Yu residence, but this time, something has happened to Yu Shui. As his brother and sister-in-law, we should go and visit.”
Yu Fenghe was like a diligent NPC, introducing the backstory.
Yu Jiao looked away.
—Every time Yu Jiao saw this dead face, she would have a stress reaction.
If Yu Jiao didn’t know that eleven would cast a scripture protection when she entered the dream, she would have really wanted to fight this virtual Yu Fenghe to see if she could beat a dead ghost out of him.
Suddenly, a pale hand caressed Yu Jiao’s hand, which was resting on her lap. It was as cold and light as a shroud on a dead person’s face.
Suppressing the strong desire to shake off this hand, Yu Jiao casually fished for information. “Is he alright?”
Yu Fenghe was surprised. “Hongyue, it’s rare for you to care about Xiao Shui… If he knew, he would be very happy.”
Yu Fenghe smiled with relief, but thinking of his brother’s illness, he straightened his lips and sighed, “A natural heteromorph. If he can survive the [cicada’s shed], then he will be fine. But it’s a pity that Xiao Shui has always been in poor health. I don’t know if he can successfully shed his shell this time.”
His other hand was wrapped in a long string of beads. As Yu Fenghe spoke, he turned the beads slowly, as if he were praying.
This time, Yu Jiao was surprised.
—Yu Shui? A natural heteromorph?
Yu Jiao had never heard of this person in reality. Could it be that he had died during this [cicada’s shed], and the Yu family had suppressed the news?
No.
This was Nie Hongshen’s dream. Why was the background introduction all about this Yu Shui?
Yu Jiao was filled with suspicion. A clue, like a flash of lightning, went through her mind, but she couldn’t grasp it.
Yu Fenghe shook his head. “Who would have thought that Xiao Shui, who seemed to have dwarfism, would, after more than ten years, be diagnosed as a natural heteromorph?”
Yu Fenghe suddenly looked at Yu Jiao, his gaze heavy. “Hongyue, I suspect Mother knew about this long ago.”
—Yu Qing?
That famous lady who always appeared in other people’s words?
Yu Fenghe had no intention of saying more. He just silently held Yu Jiao’s hand, his voice as light as a wisp of smoke. “Never mind that… I just want to be with you.”
A strange emotion surged in Yu Jiao’s heart. Yu Jiao nonchalantly relaxed her slightly stiff arms and fingers. Afraid of saying more and making a mistake, Yu Jiao said nothing more.
The two of them held hands and spent the one-sun-hour journey in silence.
“…”
Soon, the floating car arrived at the Yu residence.
As expected, it was still in the gloomy style Yu Jiao remembered.
Pavilions, jade-paved terraces, a mixture of classical design and futuristic aesthetics, all in a dark color, like a magnificent, bright mausoleum. The servants were wearing black robes, their faces pale, their expressions blank, and they were respectfully bowing to welcome them, like night-walking ghouls.
The moment they entered the residence, Yu Fenghe was held up by a sudden incident. He said to Yu Jiao with a helpless look, “Hongyue, you rest first. After I’ve dealt with this, I’ll go with you to visit Xiao Shui.”
As if someone were playing with a chessboard, the plot was being pushed forward stiffly.
Yu Jiao nodded nonchalantly and, pretending to be bored and strolling in the residence, she walked into the garden, looking at the tender flowers and the precious sculptures.
Leisurely, her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes had a hint of an indifferent, cold, and noble air.
A deep, dark pair of eyes, hidden in the dark, were peeking at her.
Like a greedy hyena, it was staring at the white-haired, red-eyed woman without blinking. The gaze was like a highly corrosive liquid, as if it wanted to see through her thick clothes, into her flesh, her bones, and even her soul.
Thump! A muffled sound.
The surroundings were suddenly plunged into a pitch-black darkness.
A servant explained, “Lady Hongyue, it seems there’s a problem with the artificial sun.”
Yu Jiao gave a noncommittal “hmm.”
Yu Jiao looked up and, thoughtfully, she was looking at the corner of an archway. She saw a wisp of a silver, shining thread, fluttering, like a distant water wave in the darkness.
That seemed to be… an insect’s silk?
Thinking of the [cicada’s shed] Yu Fenghe had mentioned, Yu Jiao understood. She reached out and, with her fingertips, she picked up a wisp.
The thing was very tough, and it was sticky, impossible to shake off.
As Yu Jiao was studying it, suddenly, a few wisps of it fell from nowhere and landed on her head, face, and shoulders.
Like a heavy snow, in just a few seconds, it had covered her. The thin, silver threads instantly congealed into a cluster, and with a sudden force, Yu Jiao’s wrists were bound and she was hung up.
Her low cry attracted the servant’s question. “What’s wrong, Lady Hongyue? Are you alright?”
“…I’m fine.”
Yu Jiao answered calmly, “Go and get Yu Fenghe.”
The servant took the order and stumbled away in the darkness.
A low laugh.
As if he were pleased by her useless struggle.
In the darkness, Yu Jiao’s ears twitched, and she caught the sound of an insect’s wings flapping.
“Yu Jiao.”
A hoarse voice sounded, without a source, as if it were directly vibrating the air and reaching Yu Jiao’s eardrums.
“You’ve come to see me after all.”
The deep, rich voice was dark, and it was so familiar, as if it were a lover’s whisper. “Little traitor.”
It was laced with a strange intimacy and ridicule.
Yu Jiao didn’t answer. She was tied up like meat on a chopping block, but she was not anxious at all. This time, Yu Jiao was prepared—
Miss Butterfly.