The city’s residents dispersed after watching Lu Yun’s feat of high spirits. Some went to bed, others returned to staring off into space. They busied themselves with whatever their usual business was.

Only Yuan Yi remained staring raptly at Lu Yun.

“Didn’t they… just see hope?” He scratched his head with bemusement.

“When one scrabbles in the dark for too long, one does not think that the darkness is over when a pinprick of light appears,” Yuan Yi shook her head. “What you’ve accomplished doesn’t even count as a pinprick.”

“Then you…” Lu Yun looked at Yuan Yi with surprise. “Are you not the same as them?”

“Of course not. Although I am also accustomed to the dark and scrabble in it, they...