Chapter 1064: Everything
Three minutes after Qilin's death, his fabricated dreams released their prisoners. The living puppets broke free of his control, the brands on their foreheads fading as they slipped into brief unconsciousness.
Nine Frost reached out through Telepathy to each unit leader. Across the battlefield, Adept Horse, Dead Pig, and One Stone spread out with the newly awakened Lovely Lamb, tending to their fallen companions.
Chen Ying woke from her sweet dream just as Muzitu's theft of Sensory expired. The Talent flooded back to her, and she immediately cast her awareness wide, searching for companions.
Nainai, just waking up, rode Gale over to pick her up. They flew above the Green Lotus Park, looking for living awakeners.
When they flew past a small grove, Chen Ying called out. “There are people below us! Land!”
Nainai descended. There was a clearing in the heart of the grove, where a small castle was. The space inside was perfect for children to play hide-and-seek. That was where the wheelchaired Vermilion Bird and Wang Weiyan had been hiding; both were unconscious now.
“Hurry!”
Chen Ying and Nainai rushed into the little castle to check on them, only relaxing after making sure they weren’t in any danger.
Nainai tried to wake Wang Weiyan, while Chen Ying continued her sweep with Sensory. Another hit.
She turned around to see another wheelchaired figure amid the trees ahead. She started and ran over, having guessed who it could be.
Surnamed Li sat slumped in her wheelchair.
Two minutes ago, she woke up from the dream Qilin tailor-made for her. In the dream, Gao Yang had turned into the Malediction and killed all humans, destroying the Mist World.
Realization crashed into her the moment she woke up; Surnamed Li had seen the ten-second future the moment Qilin used All Will Be One, only she didn’t have the power to stop him.
Ah, so Gao Yang turning into the Malediction happened in the dream Qilin fabricated for her.
So Qilin had stopped her from using Fate Slides on him because he didn’t want her to discover his plan beforehand.
So Qilin had used her Prophet in order to take down Gao Yang.
But it didn’t make sense to her. Why had she been unable to differentiate between reality and an induced dream? It shouldn’t have happened with Prophet. It had never happened. It was because her predictions had always become reality that she believed in her Talent so much, never doubting it for a second.
“No…impossible…it can’t be real…”
Her eyes widened, brimming with tears of despair.
She couldn’t accept that Gao Yang wasn’t the Malediction—it was grand news! Humanity wouldn’t go extinct because of him. It was all a dream created by Qilin.
She realized that what she couldn’t accept was her foolishness, hubris, and the blood she had gotten on her hands from the sins she had committed.
“What have I…done…”
“Why did fate…fool me like this…”
“All I’ve done, I did for humanity…”
“Why…why did this to me…”
Her lips suddenly curled into a smile. Her sorrow faded and morphed into hysteria.
“No, no. Fate won’t lie to me…fate has never lied to me.”
“Gao Yang’s the Malediction! He’ll kill everyone! I…I’m dreaming now! What happened earlier was real…”
“Yes, that’s right… Humanity’s doomed. The world’s doomed.”
“Haha, it’s over, all over.”
“Gao Yang’s the Malediction. I’ve done all I can. I failed to change fate. I’ve done my best.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve done my best. Hahahaha…”
She laughed hysterically while drawing the handgun she always carried with her, hands trembling.
“Haha, I’ve given up everything…”
She put in the two Black Gold bullets that had been melted and reforged, which she always had on her also. Lock, load. She had to try a few times before she succeeded.
“Hahaha…everything, everything…”
She raised the gun and aimed at her temple.
“No!”
The second before she pulled the trigger, she heard a voice. It was oh so familiar.
Her mad smile stilled for a second, and a tear dropped in her last moment of sanity.
Bang!
The shot rang amid the trees, startling countless birds into taking flight.
…
Remote forest, Xijing District. Two days later, late at night.
Deep in the forest in the back of the Spectres’ Mansion, one additional grave was added to the previous fourteen. There was no tombstone, only a black octagonal hat placed on the burial mound.
It was the hat Rain River usually wore, something that left a deep impression.
Citrus said that Rain River didn’t actually like wearing hats; she was just too lazy to wash her hair every day.
One Stone said that she had given Rain River a hint before she fled from the Union, asking the girl if she wanted to go on a mission outside the Third Hospital. Rain River had heard the unspoken words, but she simply waved a hand lazily and said, “I’ll stay in. I’m too lazy to wash my hair.”
It was most likely that Rain River had turned One Stone down because she was already under Qilin’s close monitoring; she didn’t want to drag One Stone down.
Strange. Many didn’t stand out when they were alive, but when they died, it seemed like everyone could say something about their memories of the deceased.
Now, a young man with messy black hair, sunken cheeks, and solemn eyes sat cross-legged before a grave in a light coat, staring into nothing.
Rustles accompanied footsteps. A middle-aged man with curls falling over his glum face emerged, a Black Gold greatsword on his back.
War Tiger drove his sword into the ground and placed two small white flowers down; one on the new grave, and the other on an old one.
He sat down beside Gao Yang, curling one knee. Fishing a new pack of cigarettes from his pocket, he tore it open and shook a cigarette out, putting it between his lips.
“Lend me a light?” he asked, glancing sideways at Gao Yang.
Gao Yang’s gaze remained fixed in front, like he hadn’t heard the question.
“Hmph, whatever. I have a lighter.” War Tiger proudly brandished an old-fashioned gas lighter, popping the lid open with a clack and lighting his cigarette with dramatic flair.
Then he shook the lid close before shoving the lighter back into his pocket. He tipped his head up and closed his eyes with what seemed like devotion on his face, taking a deep drag and exhaling a puff of white smoke.
“Whew—that feels nice!”
His expression radiated content, like he could die happy now.
With the cigarette dangling in his mouth, he looked down at White Rabbit’s grave. “I’ve avenged you, Rabbit. Not gonna quit smoking. I don’t care even if I get lung cancer now.”
No one responded.
Yet War Tiger grinned as if he had heard White Rabbit’s sarcastic comeback.
Silence followed. War Tiger quietly smoked three cigarettes before turning to Gao Yang and breaking the stillness.
“I’ve reported everything to Dragon. He doesn’t seem like he’s waking up. I don’t even know what he’s thinking.”
Gao Yang didn’t say anything.
“Based on what I know about him, though, I don’t think he’d just buy what Qilin said. There must be a Gates of Closure, only it’s not the doorway we imagine it to be.”
He scoffed. “You know what I mean. There must be an exit or a truth to this damn world. Dragon believes that more than anyone.”
“Anyhow, Dragon will surely wake up before the doomsday arrives. Just wait.”
Gao Yang blinked in lieu of a response.
“Alright, I’ll leave you to it.” War Tiger propped himself up on his knees and stretched, moving his elbows around before drawing his greatsword and resting it on his shoulder.
Soft rustles marked his departure. Gao Yang remained where he was, looking beyond the grave into the darkness ahead, his thoughts unreadable.
Then another set of footsteps approached, lighter and faster.
Qing Ling came up to him.
Little Qing Ling “died”, but Qing Ling seemed composed with no sadness in her eyes; she didn’t buy that her sister was gone. She believed her sister was only asleep, that she would return one day.
That was why there was only one additional grave for Rain River, none for Little Qing Ling.
Everyone knew that Little Qing Ling was never coming back, but they all respected Qing Ling’s decision to deceive herself.
“Here.”
She didn’t sit down, only passing something to Gao Yang.
He slowly looked up. He hadn’t seen her for two days. During that time, Qing Ling had cut her hair short to neck length, giving her a sharp, spirited appearance.
Some of her hair had been charred during the fight with Qilin, and her back was badly burned, which had since recovered with treatment. The injury didn’t scar, but her hair wouldn’t just grow back. It looked messy.
Qing Ling had always found long hair a hassle to take care of; she only kept it long because Little Qing Ling preferred it. Now that Little Qing Ling was “slumbering” and couldn’t protest, she cut it.
Gao Yang slowly raised his hand to take the pencil box printed with cartoonish patterns of food.
“She’s always had feelings for you,” Qing Ling said. “Do you know that?”
Gao Yang paused before nodding.
“Alright.”
She turned to leave. She was only here to pass the message for her little sister; she didn’t care about Gao Yang’s response.
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