"Who are you? Why can you tell I'm dying? For the first time, the old man's withered hand left the doorknob, and her eyes were still slightly closed, "That's what you're thinking at the moment, right?" Before Mr. Z could answer, she turned around, as if she didn't care how Mr. Z would respond to the question.

"Come in." The old man silently walked over to the long table and sat down.

The wind howled outside the house, the snow and ice that were lifted up blurred the world in an instant, and the soul lamp swayed as vigorously as if it were tied to the tail of a running horse.

Mr. Z stabilized his emotions and then resolutely walked into the hut.

With a "bang", the door behind him closed automatically. Immediately after, a red candle lit a flame in the center of the long table.

In the flickering firelight, Mr. Z was surprised to find that he could only see the old man's face across the table, as if the candle flame on the table had given all the light to this face, and everything that remained in the room was still hidden in the darkness.

The old man did not speak, nor did she open her eyes, she sat motionless behind the candlelight, even the black shadow cast by the candle on the wall. But Mr. Z knew that the old man was staring at him, so he used those slightly closed eyes.

Mr. Z felt as if he were transparent in these eyes, which was not pleasant, and he wanted to say something.

"Excuse me," Mr. Z finally spoke, "where are the others?" ”

Mr. Z is sure that this is the place for the semi-finals, and there should be three more talents. But as soon as the words came out, Mr. Z thought of another possibility: Could this old man be a contestant?

If that's the case, there's no need for anyone else. Maybe this round is not a group competition, but a catch-and-match.

By the light of the fire, Mr. Z also looked at this possible "competitor".

Is she really a living person? This is Mr. Z's intuitive impression. The old man on the other side of the table was no different from the dead wood standing on the snow outside the house, as if he had lost all the essence of life.

"Am I pretty?" The old man spoke suddenly.

But Mr. Z didn't even see the old man's mouth moving, and the sound seemed to pop out of the other party's body! 
"This ......"

"It's not the little girl next to you." The old man said.

My little girl? It's not like Meiguo, she shouldn't be referring to Qing'er, right? 
"Yes, it's that little girl. The old man sighed, "She is so smart, and no one has been able to compare with her for thousands of years." It wasn't until this moment that Mr. Z understood why the other party didn't care what he said, because he didn't have to say anything in this bizarre conversation. Because the other party has the ability to see through their own thoughts!

After seeing through this, Mr. Z simply stopped talking, and he also wanted to observe this ability carefully.

It turns out that you are talking about Qing'er. Water spirits? Nature. Haven't anyone been able to compare with it for thousands of years? It's also natural!

"It seems that you have a lot of confidence in this little girl." The old man said lightly, "Although she is very smart, thousands of years are long after all, and the people who have been born are like carp crossing the river, and there are still people who can compare." ”

Who?

Mr. Z immediately searched in his mind from ancient times to the present. Is it Xia Zhiyuxi, or Shang Zhidaji? Is it Zhou Zhibaoji, or Jin Zhili Ji? Thinking of this, Mr. Z couldn't help but be happy. What's wrong with me? Thinking about such characters, how can these people be compared to Qing'er? 
"Why can't these people be compared to the little girl next to you? The old man asked, seemingly dissatisfied with the thoughts in Mr. Z's mind.

"They are beautiful, but ......" This time, Mr. Z couldn't help but speak.

"But they've all ruined the country," the old man quickly picked up Mr. Z's voice, "right?" ”
“…… No. Mr. Z shook his head, "The fall of the dynasty has nothing to do with them, I just think they have a little more fireworks." "How is that possible. The old man categorically denied this, "The temperament exuded by these people you think is no different from the little girl next to you!" ”

How can it be? Now it's Mr. Z's turn to think so. How could the legendary "Four Enchantresses" exude the same temperament as Qing'er? You must know that Qing'er is likely to have everything she has today after going through "thousands of tempers".

"Tempered by a thousand times?" The old man was silent for a long time and then said, "It's really appropriate." This sentence cannot but bring infinite reverie to Mr. Z. At this moment, Mr. Z can be sure that the old man sitting in front of him is not simple, and she is by no means a semi-finalist.

"You said that the fall of the dynasty had nothing to do with them," the old man continued, after a pause, "it seems that there is still an indirect relationship in your mind, right?" "They were just the straw that broke the camel's back, or rather, they hastened the fall of the dynasty, but sooner or later the dynasty will fall. Mr. Z said.

"Hmph." The old man sneered twice, and the next words left Mr. Z dumbfounded.

"In a sense, the little girl next to you is no different from these four demon queens, and she also buried a dynasty with her own hands!" After saying that, the old man added softly, "Although unconsciously. "You ......" At this moment, Mr. Z couldn't sit still anymore, and he shouted loudly, "Who the hell are you?" "It looks like you can't think of anything. The old man said slowly, "This is really a sad thing. "You, you're not a contestant? "Huh. The old man laughed, and the laughter was so pleasant that it did not at all look like the sound of a dead wood.

"There are no more contestants." The old man said lightly, "I have already sent them somewhere else." "You, you're the one who claims to be God? "Correct your two mistakes. The old man gradually opened his eyes.

In an instant, the strange feeling returned, the flames dancing on the long table were watching him, the pervasive darkness in the hut was watching him, even the howling wind and the snow outside the house were looking at him, only the stagnant eyes did not look at him, but at the infinite distance.

"First, I don't claim to be. It's the people, the elites of the earth, every single one of them who sees me as a god. The old man said in a very flat tone, "Second, I am omnipotent in this world, and I am God!" ”

The flames flickered violently, for the red candle had reached its end. But at this moment, Mr. Z saw the old man's dry fingers move slightly, and then, as if going back in time, the wax oil that had been dried on the table was rejuvenated, and they jumped up from the table and climbed onto the candle head that was about to burn out, and re-condensed into a complete candle. The flame rushed to the top of the candle like an elevator and began to burn again.

Mr. Z was speechless about the scene in front of her, and everything was just like what she said: she could do anything in this world.

"You seem to have a misunderstanding." The old man spoke, "I don't just mean this virtual space. Not just this virtual space? What else could that be? Could it be, is it the real world? 
"Yes. "It's the real world." "Can you do the same thing in the real world? Mr. Z couldn't help but ask.

"What's so hard about that?" The old man asked rhetorically.

"You, can you turn back the clock?" Mr. Z can't believe this anyway.

"It's not about stepping back in time." The old man said lightly, "It's just a re-arrangement of the most basic quanta that make up this candle." She said it with ease, as if it were a few messy clothes that were being rearranged instead of the quantum standing at the end of the microcosm.

Just when Mr. Z was stunned, the old man said something that made Mr. Z even more shocked.

"Of course, I can do it when I go back in time, but it takes more energy." 
Energy? What is this energy? 
"This energy, of course, refers to the vitality of life. The old man said lightly.

The vitality of life?

These words sent chills down Mr. Z's spine, and he once again asked the words he had asked a long time ago: "Who are you?" ”

"God." 
"How can there be a god in the world? Mr. Z asked aloud.

"Why not?" The old man said as she placed the old man's hand on the long table, and when she removed her palm, Mr. Z saw an emerald green seed.

Under Mr. Z's gaze, the seed germinated and grew at a speed visible to the naked eye, soon blooming into a delicate flower.

"With the power that is unique in this world, why can't you become a god?" The old man asked.

As she spoke, the delicate flower lowered her head.

She's dead.

Died just a few seconds after it bloomed.

Still under Mr. Z's gaze, the dead flower slowly blurred in the field of vision, and then disappeared little by little.

"I don't believe it." "I don't believe anyone in the real world has that ability. It's a virtual world after all, and it's up to the program to decide. And it's not surprising that you, as the original author of the game, have the ability to do anything in this world, which can't fool me. "Alas~" the old man let out a long sigh, "It seems that you have really forgotten everything." But it's okay that it saves me a lot of trouble. "What the hell are you talking about? Mr. Z asked with burning eyes.

"You just know you're going to die, but do you know why you're dying?" The old man suddenly asked a strange question.

Mr. Z shook his head, he didn't know why he was dying, but he could clearly feel that his time was running out. Why there is such a hunch, Mr. Z is also unclear.

The firelight flickered, and the old man behind the candlelight slowly closed his eyes.

At this moment, the world was clean again, because all the sight that had been placed on him was gone, except for these slightly closed eyes.