The Abomination Monster was silent for a moment, then turned its venomous gaze towards Wen Wen. "Just kill me," it hissed. "Even in death, those people will remain trapped in this illusion forever. I was merely a blade for revenge; the hand that wielded it..."
Wen Wen didn't let it finish. He dragged it into the containment facility, deeming further interrogation pointless.
The Abomination Monster was the personification of 'Tian Shi's' hatred. Underneath such intense animosity, it would never reveal a way to free the townsfolk. Any more questions would be futile. Dragging it into the containment facility resolved half of the incident.
According to Wen Wen and Mo Yadi's speculation, Tian Shi itself was incapable of retaliating against the townsfolk, which was why it needed the Abomination Monster as its instrument. Although the illusion had not yet been dispelled, the townsfolk were temporarily safe. Wen Wen could now focus on resolving the root cause, and he already had an idea of how to do so.
In the images provided by the surveillance point, besides the Abomination Monster, there was another individual of disaster-level or higher in the town. This should be the 'it' the Abomination Monster mentioned, the true Tian Shi. Sudan Novel Network.
...
After instructing Tao Qingqing to look after the unconscious townsfolk, Wen Wen made his way to the exterior of the church where the Endless Staircase was located.
The old demon hunter sat on the ground at the entrance, his expression peaceful, as if contemplating something beautiful. Perhaps he was still happy about earning two thousand demon hunter coins from Wen Wen. But he no longer breathed.
Wen Wen sighed. He had anticipated the old demon hunter's unfortunate demise before arriving, but seeing it still caused him a pang of regret.
The old demon hunter was also a resident of Tian Shi Town and was closest to the church. When the Abomination Monster began its revenge, he was likely the first target. A regular demon hunter was simply too weak for the Abomination Monster.
On the original chair sat another person, a young man emitting a faint white glow. This was the target Wen Wen sought, the second disaster-level entity within the Illusionary Town.
"I thought you would play hide-and-seek with me first, getting caught and beaten before agreeing to talk properly. I didn't expect you to just sit here in front of me," Wen Wen said in a deep voice as he approached.
The young man chuckled in response. "Since that Abomination fellow has been killed, there's no point in me hiding any longer. Please, have a seat."
He extended a hand and made a slight gesture, and a chair materialized in front of him. The chair was constructed from illusions, but to Wen Wen, who wore the Illusionary Heaven Robe, it was indistinguishable from a real one.
"How do I know this chair isn't a trap?" Wen Wen asked, his eyes narrowed.
The young man shook his head. "If I wanted to attack you, I wouldn't use such means. Your ability to re-enter this place relies on that robe, which implies that all illusions now inflict real damage on you. I am the controller of this illusion; dealing with you is very simple, unless you are willing to take off that robe and leave."
Wen Wen found his reasoning sound and sat down on the chair, ready to hear what the man had to say.
To enter this illusion, Wen Wen's price was the addition of 'Illusion' as a weakness. His resistance to illusions had plummeted to negative numbers. The young man before him could be considered a master of illusions and held a significant advantage over Wen Wen. Therefore, if a peaceful conversation were possible, Wen Wen did not wish to provoke him.
The young man smiled and asked Wen Wen, "What shall I call you?"
"Wen Li," Wen Wen replied without hesitation.
"You are not an honest person. Your name is clearly Wen Wen," the young man said, shaking his head. The Abomination Monster had impersonated Wen Wen, so it was normal for this young man to know Wen Wen's name.
Wen Wen replied with slight annoyance, "Then why ask? Are you looking for trouble?"
The young man chuckled again. "However, the name Wen Li suits you quite well. From your battle with 'Abomination,' it's clear you are quite ferocious. If you don't mind, you can call me 'Tian Shi Gong.' That's what people here used to call me."
"I am not interested in what you are called," Wen Wen said coldly.
Tian Shi Gong didn't mind Wen Wen's attitude and continued, "I'm sure you're curious about my existence and that of Abomination. I'll tell you a story, and you'll understand everything."
Wen Wen stared with dead eyes. "I'm not curious. Hurry up and dispel the illusion."
Tian Shi Gong paused, then said after a moment of silence, "Once I finish speaking, I will resolve this illusion and release everyone."
Wen Wen nodded. "Alright, then. Make it brief."
Tian Shi Gong shifted his posture. "Actually, I'm not entirely sure of my origins. I vaguely recall being part of something. The first time I possessed independent consciousness, I saw those simple people worshipping me, hoping I would provide them with shelter."
"At that time, I was very grateful to them, because without them, I might not have awakened. So, I decided to shelter them. From then on, all the power within me transformed to ensure this town's better survival."
"Under my protection, this town always had good weather and bumper harvests, becoming the most prosperous in the vicinity. They often had various requests for me, some of which I couldn't fulfill, but I tried my best."
As he spoke, a smile involuntarily appeared on Tian Shi Gong's face, clearly indicating that he had felt genuine happiness during that period.
"Until one day, disaster struck. I used all my strength to ensure this town survived the calamity. In doing so, I exhausted all my power and collapsed during the final aftershock of the disaster."
Tian Shi Gong's face contorted, and he began emitting an aura similar to the Abomination Monster. He glared at Wen Wen and said angrily:
"By the time I woke up, my body was shattered!"
"The townsfolk who once worshipped and sacrificed to me now saw me as the source of their calamity."
"They buried my body in countless corners of this town, ensuring I could never be whole again!"
"They slandered me without restraint; no one remembered my good deeds. They even used my body to build a church to worship something else!"
Watching Tian Shi Gong's accusations, Wen Wen couldn't help but pick up his chair and move it back, preventing himself from being spattered by his saliva.
"From that moment on, I experienced hatred for the first time. But all my power existed to protect them, and I couldn't harm them. So, I spent two hundred years stripping away all my hatred, and simultaneously absorbing the resentment of nearby humans, cultivating the Abomination Monster into this twisted creature, intending for it to carry out my revenge."
Tian Shi Gong sighed, looking wistfully at the sky and laughing at himself, "Ironically, after stripping away all my hatred, I no longer wanted revenge..."