By the dead of night, the inventory was finally tallied. The Grand Wagon Freight Crew was nearly wiped out, the corpses on the ground slowly gathering clusters of black crystals.
–Lost Thought Moxel.–
Yang Zicang took the over two hundred tokens belonging to the Grand Wagon Freight Crew, while Song Penglord was tasked with handling the Lost Thought Moxel of the sixty-plus dead men.
After brief rest of half a day, Song Penglord and his entourage helped haul the supplies back to Ning Yang’s Peng Zone.
–We barely escaped with our lives this time.–
A day and a half later, laying eyes on the familiar buildings, Ning Yang felt as if he had been reborn.
Far more people than expected came out to greet them, a mix of men and women.
–Wasn’t it said they all bolted?– Ning Yang asked Jia Dui, who came running out.
–Well, word got out you wiped out the Grand Wagon Freight Crew, so they’ve slunk back—except for those bastards who looted your house.–
Ning Yang was seething with rage.
–Spread the info on those pieces of trash far and wide. Let every Peng Zone around here keep an eye on them. I want to see how long those bastards survive!–
–Good, I was waiting for you to say that,– Jia Dui replied.
His eyes glinted with greed as he stared at the cartloads of goods. But then he spotted a familiar figure on the cart and shuddered.
–What are you standing there for? Go apologize.–
Ning Yang looked coldly at the man who had been his good buddy back on Earth and spoke.
–Hey, what about Aya? Did he get hurt or anything?–
–No, not at all.–
With that, Jia Duo shuffled toward Yang Zicang and the others like a shy little girl, followed by a number of people.
Song Penglord watched all this with a smile, having fully understood what had transpired here a few days prior. He found the spectacle both comical and exasperating, grateful that Jiazi Term was not someone who treat life lightly; otherwise, this small settlement’s destruction would have been sealed.
That night, Peng Zone was livelier than ever. Ning Yang brought out all the remaining food and the provisions that had been returned to entertain the guests, and words fell short of describing how repeatedly they thanked Yang Zicang’s group for their help during the feast.
Such a clamorous bustle even caused a tiny ball of light to appear in the sky.
{Hmph.}
Upon seeing Yang Zicang look up intently, the little spirit inside the ball of light snorted and flew off into the sky.
The young man smiled, poured fresh juice into clean glasses, and, while the crowd—who hadn’t tasted wine in ages—was getting dead drunk with Robin Lo, he stepped aside and whispered toward the sky.
–Care to try some of our good stuff?–
–Are you trying to bribe me? Little Lili Tooth won’t fall for that—hmm, but she could take just a tiny sip.–
The little ball of light fluttered down and morphed into a finger-sized fairy in a small dress, placing both tiny hands at the rim of the cup and lowering her head to take a delicate sip.
–Bleh bleh bleh, way too strong.–
It shot straight up into the sky.
–Heh heh, that’ll drive you crazy, you big meanie.–
Yang Zicang bared his teeth in a grin, shook his head, and walked toward the table.
–Hey, stingy, not talking anymore? Fine, I admit it was still pretty tasty. Goodbye, you famous schemer with bad intentions.–
The sphere of light drifted slowly upward and gradually faded away.
Yang Zicang gazed at where it disappeared, then took a small taste of the juice from his cup.
That evening, Yang Zicang, who hadn’t rested well in two or three days, decided not to proceed further but to sleep soundly and recharge. At least this stone dwelling was more comfortable than a tent.
After exchanging a few words with Xiaoyu and Liang Xi, Yang Zicang climbed into the soft, big bed.
Thanks to the supplies donated by the Desert Truck Cargo Crew, Ning Yang and the others had prepared a rest area for him that rivaled Earth.
He was fast asleep under the thick woolen blanket when suddenly Yang Zicang found himself wide awake.
This feeling was all too familiar; he was in a dream now.
Yet the room remained the same, with Zuo Feixian sitting silently at the open door, his expression bleak as he gazed outward.
Yang Zicang sat up and said, –Hello.–
–Hmm, how have you been feeling lately?–
–What do you mean?–
Zuo Feixian turned his head—his face still the same—yet now it bore a distant, inscrutable and aloof demeanor, as if dwelling on some lofty height.
–The overall feeling, since you left your world.–
Yang Zicang thought for a moment and replied, –Terrible, but… there’s an indescribable quality to it.–
Zuo Feixian smiled, but it was a smile filled with restraint.
–Indeed, humanity’s pursuit of power and immortality is etched into its very essence, regardless of time or place.–
Yang Zicang didn’t quite agree with that; his own quest for power was driven by external pressure.
But Zuo Feixian said, –You don’t want to admit it because you still see yourself as a normal… Earthman. That word is a real mouthful to say.–
Hearing this, Yang Zicang realized that Zuo Feixian was speaking his language, and the pronunciation of –Earthman– seemed like a recent twist for him.
–You still hope to go back, but…–
This person turned to stare at him: –If you woke up one day and found yourself lying on the bed in your former home, with all of this being nothing but a dream, would you ever miss the power you once possessed?–
–I…–
Yang Zicang thought it over carefully, imagining himself returning to Earth, to his own home—going to school every day, doing homework, playing basketball, finding a job after graduation, commuting to and from work, handling business or organizing work documents.
He suddenly felt a faint resistance to continuing that train of thought.
–Have you been able to speak my language all along?– Yang Zicang shifted the subject.
–Learned it a long time ago.–
–How long ago?–
Zuo Feixian thought for a moment: –I’ve forgotten. That belongs to the memories of my other half.–
Yang Zicang said, –If I gather ten thousand Chronos, do you know where I’ll be sent?–
–To a place where new fates are woven.–
Zuo Feixian looked at Yang Zicang, who had drawn closer: –For there to be new, there must be old. I belong to the old.–
Yang Zicang composed himself; whether he could go back or not, he had truly arrived in this world now.
What he should deal with at the moment was the disaster that was actually happening to him.
–Earlier, I ran into a Moon Shadow monster. He seemed to know a lot, but you told me not to let him speak. Why was that?–
He seized this rare opportunity to ask.
–Haven’t you already guessed? Don’t ask me this question, because any answer I give belongs to the ‘old,’ not the ‘new.’ Certain information that adults can understand is poison to a child as blank as a sheet of paper, understood?–
A tingle of numbness ran down Yang Zicang’s spine.
–If you expect to get answers to more questions from me, of course I can, and I’m happy to tell you—but unfortunately, the audience isn’t just one.–
Zuo Feixian clasped his hands together, rested them behind his head, and lay back. As he moved, the room vanished, transforming into a platform.
Yang Zicang looked up at the sky. The eternal twilight-like midnight had disappeared, replaced by true stars. They were clearer and more beautiful than ever before, unlike anything that could exist in reality.
–What did you want to see me about?–
After gazing at the starry sky for a few seconds, Yang Zicang set aside a pile of questions and turned to look at the person beside him.
–Watching the stars.–
–Watching the stars?–
–In my memories, a long, long time ago, I lay on the ground like this, watching the stars with someone just like you. I miss those times.–
–This starry sky is one of my rare, cherished memories.–
Yang Zicang watched the stars like that as well. He lay down, feeling the hardness of the platform beneath him.
–Back then, I was foolish and understood nothing.–
–Of course, he wasn’t much better off than me—barely knew any characters. Sigh, who could have imagined that such a pairing would eventually make it this far?–
There were subtle hints of time acceleration as, after an unknown span, the sky grew chaotic.
–Could you tell me your real name, then?–
–It’s Xing Miao.–
Yang Zicang felt the dream rapidly receding, himself on the verge of falling into a dazed slumber, yet one phrase remained etched in his mind: this pairing—had made it this far.
{Prepare to head to another Penguin Zone and retrieve the remaining parts of my body.}
Hauntingly, a voice reminiscent of Zuo Feixian echoed within his heart.
Why? In the midst of sleep, Yang Zicang subconsciously pondered.
{What I’ve been waiting for may be close at hand.}
Both sight and sound faded slowly, and after an unknown length of time, Yang Zicang opened his eyes.
A small male spirit, which had been lying by his pillow, shot into the air. It took a look at Yang Zicang’s face, stuck out its tongue with a teasing nyeh sound, and then vanished light through the ceiling.
–Damned journalist…–
Yang Zicang chuckled at the little creature’s remark, still a bit startled from the moment.
After all, who wouldn’t be scared by something suddenly shooting up beside their face just as they woke up?
Then, a contemplative look settled upon his face.
After breakfast, everyone almost treated Zuo Feixian like a deity, begging him to stay here, but Zuo Feixian shook his head, unmoved by any temptation.
–There is no future here.–
The disheveled man, now in a new set of clothes, said bluntly.
In the past, Ning Yang would have been fuming with rage, but now he dared not utter a single word of dissent.
Just yesterday, he clearly saw this Master Zuo and Shiu Siuchuan both glowing with red light, shielding Professor Chen and the others behind them like two towering deities.
This made him sigh with regret, realizing he had almost become a great Lord of Penglai—what a pity, what a lament!
Seizing the opportunity with a large batch of cargo materials, Yang Zicang did not return to his own station today; instead, he took advantage of the crowd to begin crafting daily-life Shin Engines, working until nightfall.
–Brother Jiazi, come visit us often!–
Ning Yang waved his hand sincerely and said.
–I will.–
The train vanished into the wind, taking with it piles of cargo.
In the blink of an eye, Ning Yang found himself penniless once again, his stored food completely exhausted.
……
At dawn, Kuang Yuming sat in the small courtyard.
On the cement round table before him were several small dishes, all made from fresh vegetables gathered from the overlapping zones. Since accepting Li Mi’s arrangements, these days he appeared to live quite comfortably.
–I wonder if food can give birth to Nightmares.– Kuang Yuming thought after taking a sip of wine.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked up at the sparsely starry sky.
It seemed as though a new star was being born there.
–That kid’s move wasn’t bad—he actually made Lyu Bu take notice of me.–
A storm of emotions surged within the weather-beaten man.
Kuang Yuming smiled and shook his head, let out a sigh, and looked at his wine glass before pouring himself the last cup.
It was as though an invisible heavenly gate in the cosmos had cracked open.
A sliver of light fell vertically, flashing and vanishing.
Leave a Reply