Chapter 504: The People Beside You

Like a bubble slowly floating to the surface.

Its crystal-clear surface gradually thinned under the air's erosion until it finally burst.

In the dense forest, Yan Jing opened his eyes.

Beside him, Fei Yu held a towel, cradling him in her arms as she gently wiped his face.

Seeing Yan Jing wake up, Fei Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you have a dream again, Young Master?"

Fei Yu had been right beside Yan Jing when he entered the dream in the Heavenly Kingdom, so she knew the dangers involved.

Seeing Yan Jing nod tiredly, she felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of anger. She poked his forehead with a slender finger. "You value everything else of yours so highly, yet you always treat your own life with the least importance."

"What are you talking about?"

Yan Jing smiled.

"Your young master cherishes his life more than anyone."

Fei Yu rolled her eyes at that.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Normally, this would just be the everyday bickering between a maid and her young master, but today Yan Jing suddenly raised his head. He looked earnestly into Fei Yu's eyes and said softly, "It's true."

Meeting Yan Jing's gaze, Fei Yu's eyes softened. She gently pulled his head against her chest.

"I don't believe you."

"I know far more than you do, Young Master. I don't believe it."

"Did you dream about something?"

Failing to catch Fei Yu's underlying meaning, Yan Jing nodded, his expression a bit dazed.

"I dreamed about some things from the past."

Seeing that Yan Jing had no intention of continuing, Fei Yu didn't press the matter.

Yan Jing lay there resting for a moment before sitting up from Fei Yu's embrace.

Just as Fei Yu reached out to brush the grass clippings off his clothes, Yan Jing suddenly spoke up.

"Xiao Yu, if one day you were going to be burned to death, and I could have saved you but didn't... would you hate me?"

Fei Yu's heart stirred, as if she understood something. She shook her head.

"No."

"Really?" Yan Jing lowered his head, looking at her.

"But we aren't strangers, or even just ordinary acquaintances. We're closer than close..."

Yan Jing was uncharacteristically incoherent. Finally, he sighed.

"Do you understand what I mean, Xiao Yu?"

Fei Yu nodded.

"I understand."

"And that's why I know you would never fail to come."

Smiling, she touched Yan Jing's face, then disappeared directly into his body without giving him a chance to speak again.

Looking at the empty space before him, Yan Jing left his outstretched hand hanging in the air and sighed with a bitter smile.

The more Fei Yu said things like that, the more agonizing that memory became in his mind.

Because back then, he truly hadn't stepped into that sea of fire.

"I get it!"

In an unknown place, the Fear Bird put away its melon seeds with an inscrutably deep expression.

"I understand everything!!!"

"No wonder he's been acting strange. No wonder he acts like he has a split personality. He's..."

Halfway through, the Fear Bird noticed Fei Yu's glare and quickly clamped a hand over its mouth.

It fell silent.

It wasn't until several minutes later, when Fei Yu started humming a tune, that it leaned close to her ear and said:

"So, this isn't the first time you two have met."

Fei Yu said nothing.

But she didn't stop the Fear Bird from speaking, either.

The Fear Bird continued, "So, did he save you back then or not?"

Fei Yu still didn't answer. Just as the Fear Bird lost interest and pulled its head back, she finally spoke.

"I told you, the Young Master would never fail to come."

"A resolute soul like his remains the same, no matter how long it drifts in the River of Time. Because the Young Master is the Young Master."

[Your True Soul is gradually returning]

Yan Jing, who had intended to suppress the matter in his heart just like before, saw the system prompt appear before him, and his gaze darkened.

He always felt a pent-up breath caught in his chest.

Whenever he thought of that sea of fire, of that figure standing amid the flames, and how he hadn't run in to save her, his heart cramped with pain. That was why, during the illusion in the Crystal Ball, he had still grabbed a brick to hunt down that little punk, even knowing it was fake. If he didn't vent this frustration, his mind wouldn't find peace.

And without a peaceful mind, let alone forming the heart of reaching the summit, he found it difficult to even think calmly right now.

"This won't do. I need to find someone else to ask. This is also part of reaching the Summit..."

Yan Jing switched his consciousness.

Heavenly Kingdom.

"The Heavenly Kingdom has entered a stable period. All of your businesses, Mr. Luo, are seeing steady growth. The Anthill shutdown operation is also proceeding smoothly. It's been a pleasure cooperating with you."

"Additionally, I brought over a few documents on behalf of Crocodile for you to look over."

Boss Rat stepped forward and handed the documents to Luo Sheng across from him.

When Luo Sheng suddenly sought him out to talk, he had assumed it would be about the future of the Heavenly Kingdom, just like before.

But unexpectedly, Luo Sheng hadn't called for Crocodile.

This made him sense that something was off, but he still pretended nothing was wrong, discussing the topics they usually talked about.

He was waiting. Waiting for the other party to speak first.

Of course, he knew this could be a lengthy process.

Every conversation with Luo Sheng was like a needle against a wheat awn—a battle without blades, where both sides used everything in their arsenal to pull and tug, guessing at the good and evil hidden within the other's words.

But clearly, he had judged wrong today.

Or rather, Luo Sheng was obviously not in his usual state today.

"Mhm, alright."

Luo Sheng picked up the documents and scribbled his signature without even looking at them.

However, he wasn't holding a pen at all, but rather a presentation remote, so nothing was actually signed.

Boss Rat blinked his large eyes.

What kind of trick was this?

A tactical retreat to advance later?

Frankly, he had a bad premonition.

But Luo Sheng acted as if he hadn't noticed. He tossed the documents aside, pulled a letter from his chest pocket, and handed it to Boss Rat.

"Your letter."

Boss Rat froze.

It was a letter in a yellow envelope. Just like before, it should have been sent by Mao Si.

This was mostly par for the course. Whenever Mao Si sent a letter, he never used the normal prison channels; instead, Luo Sheng delivered it.

Clearly, the two must have had some special method of communication.

Boss Rat looked at the letter in his hand, then cast a wary glance at Luo Sheng across the table. To his surprise, he found Luo Sheng staring at him with an unprecedented gaze.

It was a look hard to describe in words, but it immediately gave him goosebumps.

Rarely did he do something so extremely impolite—

He turned his back.

Yet even so, as he read the letter, he felt waves of chill radiating from behind him.

Luo Sheng's gaze hadn't wavered for a single second.

He looked back cautiously, meeting Luo Sheng's eyes perfectly.

"How is it?"

Luo Sheng asked.

"How is what?" Boss Rat blinked.

"How is the letter?"

"You peeked at the letter!" Boss Rat's thoughts spun out like a racecar taking a triple hairpin turn as he stared incredulously at Luo Sheng.

"..." Luo Sheng nodded.

"I didn't expect you to find out."

You didn't even try to hide it!

Boss Rat was left utterly speechless.

"This is between me and my son. I don't think I need to discuss it with you, do I?"

Yan Jing raised his hand.

"Of course, be my guest."

Soon, Boss Rat finished writing a reply and handed it back to Yan Jing.

Yan Jing stared at the letter intently and reached out to take it, only to find the other half firmly gripped in Boss Rat's small hand.

"When it's time to let go, you have to learn to let go."

Yan Jing smiled, exerting force with his hand.

"You aren't going to peek, are you?" Boss Rat asked, eyes wide, no longer caring if he was being offensive.

"You think too little of my character."

Yan Jing continued pulling.

Boss Rat refused to yield an inch, his tiny paws gripping it tight.

"You already peeked at the one my son sent over."

"Mao Si and I are sworn brothers; I'm not that close with you."

Yan Jing suddenly relaxed his grip, then instantly yanked with maximum force.

Pop! The letter flew out of Boss Rat's grasp.

"Alright, that's all for today." Yan Jing smiled at Boss Rat and waved his hand.

A humanoid creature made of cement suddenly sprouted from the nearby wall. It scooped Boss Rat into its hands and, without a word of explanation, carried him out the door.

With a click, the door shut.

Wasting no time whatsoever, Yan Jing tore the envelope open.

"My dear Pops, if your son doesn't read it, who will?"

He muttered to himself, his eyes falling on the stationery.

"If Xiao Xin were here, I wouldn't even need to trick you."

Soon, his gaze sharpened.

[To Mao Si]

[I don't know what kind of romantic debts you've stirred up this time, but reaching the Summit is exactly as you thought: the more things you care about in your heart, the more thoughts you have to resolve.]

[Your old man was stuck at this hurdle for many years as well. My state of mind has only recently begun to loosen, precisely because the matters in the Heavenly Kingdom have been settled.]

[But sometimes, things are just like that. As I told you before, some problems can't be solved just by taking initiative. Often, your only choice is to wait—to carry the problem on your back and wait until the day it simply falls away on its own.]

[If that girl is still alive, go find her and have a chat.]

[If she's already dead, find a way to forget her.]

[If you can't do either, then remember her well.]

[People always make mistakes, but some will spend their entire lives tormenting themselves over past errors.]

[This isn't a flaw in you; it is merely a choice born from your kindness.]

[Eat well. If you can't take another step forward, at least take good care of your health.]

[Big Rat]

Yan Jing put the letter away. Leaning back in his chair, he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Pops, oh Pops, how did I get such a wise father?"

Bianliu County.

"Mo Lian."

Yi Ji spoke.

"Right here, my Lord!"

Mo Lian, who had been sweeping the street in front of the door, hurried over and offered a salute.

"What are your orders, my Lord?"

"Today, we leave the city."

"Leave the city?" Mo Lian paused in surprise.

Ever since she entered Bianliu County to run Dungeons, Yi Ji had rarely left the city.

But before she could puzzle out the reasoning behind this, Yi Ji pushed open the gates of the Lin Estate, walked out, and beckoned with his hand.

A massive, furry, blue-gray Ancestor Hand rose from the backyard, landing obediently in front of him.

Yan Jing stepped onto the Ancestor Hand and looked back at Mo Lian.

"Not coming?"

"I'm coming, why wouldn't I?"

Mo Lian tossed aside her broom and practically bounded onto the Ancestor Hand.

"Where are you going?"

"To find a friend and ask a few things."

The Ancestor Hand slowly lifted into the air before blasting off into the distance at terrifying speed.

Wind and clouds whipped past their sleeves. Mo Lian's short hair blew wildly around her face. Gripping the Ancestor Hand's fur tightly, she could only squint down at the rapidly shrinking world below.

"Who said the world is vast..."

"Quite cultured of you."

Yan Jing laughed.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he spoke to Mo Lian.

"Let me ask you a question. There's no right or wrong answer, only sincerity. If you answer honestly, I'll reward you with an item you can use."

"Sure, ask away, my Lord."

Mo Lian readily agreed.

Wasn't this exactly why she tagged along with Yi Ji? She knew by heart that clinging to a rich backer was the only way to strike it rich. With one foot in the Surface World and one in the Inner World, Sister Mo was currently walking on exceedingly stable ground.

"If..."

Yan Jing paused.

"If there was someone incredibly important to you—arguably the most important person to you at the time—and she was about to die right in front of you. You could have saved her, but in the end, you didn't. Would you remember it for the rest of your life?"

"If you could save her, why didn't you?"

Mo Lian thought for a moment before asking.

"...Because saving her might have meant dying yourself."

Yan Jing's expression remained calm.

"Then if I died, would that person still die?"

Mo Lian's words were like a single drop of water falling into a tranquil lake.

"...Not necessarily."

Yan Jing tried his best to keep his voice steady.

"But regardless, she wasn't saved in the end."

Surprisingly, after Yan Jing spoke, Mo Lian fell silent.

"You've asked the right person, Lord Yi!"

Mo Lian suddenly smiled.

"Do you know what kind of person I am?"

"A street sweeper."

"..." Mo Lian was speechless.

"Your words are as cold as the Suona music from the funeral home on South Street."

"I mean on the outside. Do you know who I am on the outside?"

"No." Yan Jing shook his head.

Mo Lian let go of the fur with one hand, jerked a thumb at herself, and grinned proudly.

"A prisoner!"

"A renowned prisoner in my neck of the woods, at that!"

"To be honest, I'm not even as free out there as I am in here. Otherwise, why would you think I'd be happy sweeping streets, running over here the second I have free time?"

Yan Jing didn't laugh at Mo Lian's joke. He knew that if she was bringing this up, there was a high probability a story would follow.

Sure enough, Mo Lian continued, "I come from a small place. If Central Lake Prefecture is a metropolis, then I'm from a county below a stream, that's below a small river, that's below a large river."

"Yeah, just like Bianliu County, or maybe even smaller. I'm from a village."

Mo Lian smiled.

"There were four kids in my family. Three girls and one boy."

"I was the second oldest."

"We were poor. My family could only afford to support two of us, so the other two had to wait and take turns."

"As for me, I didn't have much talent for studying. I didn't want to compete with my sisters and brother, so I went out to work early on."

"Back then, I figured that was just how life was going to be. Just muddling through. You couldn't think too deeply about certain things, or else you'd lose the will to keep living."

"My favorite thing to do after work was squat outside the factory and smoke."

"Eight bucks a pack. I'd make one last the whole day."

"Life was just passing by day after day. But then, one day, I was suddenly selected for the Dungeons. Yeah, right here in your territory."

"How did I feel when I heard the news? Very calm."

"I wasn't too afraid of dying. I was just really peaceful, maybe even a little excited. Would you be worried if a boring game finally ended? I wouldn't."

"I took out all my savings, sent half back home, and took the other half out to have fun."

"On the very first day, I got dead drunk."

"Then I ran over to a utility pole and puked."

"Just as I was violently throwing my guts up, a boy ran over and patted my back."

"I still remember the first thing I said to him after I finished throwing up."

"I said..."

Mo Lian let out a laugh.

"I said, 'Are you trying to sleep with me?'"

"He was stunned and said no."

"I told him he was lying."

"He said he really wasn't, that he just wanted to see if I had been selected for the Dungeons too."

"I asked him how he knew."

"He laughed and said it was because he acted the exact same way when he got picked the day before."

"He asked if I wanted to team up."

"I agreed."

"I didn't care if he was trying to scam me or use me as a meat shield. To me, being dead or alive was pretty much the same."

"But in the end... neither of us died. Thanks to some luck, we both eventually promoted to the First Tier."

"Having survived the first hurdle, it suddenly felt like the life I thought was over had hope again."

"We joined a small local organization."

"We were able to get some money every month, even save a bit of it. We agreed that we'd buy a house together, buy a car together. These were things I hadn't even dared to dream about before."

"At the time, I felt like the happiest person in the world..."

Mo Lian spoke, then suddenly stopped.

Through her narrowed eyes, it was as if she was peering through layers of fog, returning to that period of time.

"And then?"

It wasn't until a few minutes later, when Mo Lian's gaze gradually cleared, that Yan Jing finally asked.

"And then..."

Mo Lian lowered her head and suddenly let out a laugh.

"And then a group of geniuses passed through our area, and our organization's boss offended one of them."

"Everyone in the organization who was on duty that day got swatted to death."

"He... just happened to be on duty."

Yan Jing looked ahead in silence.

People always described the beautiful parts of a story in exquisite detail, even embellishing them with heavy, colorful strokes to make that rare beauty feel more dramatic, like polishing a gemstone.

But when it came to the painful parts.

It was actually just like this. Two sentences were enough to sum it all up.

Mo Lian looked up with a smile, meeting Yan Jing's eyes.

"Someone like you might find it hard to understand, my Lord, and even when I try to look at it from their perspective, I sometimes struggle to grasp it. For them, a conflict arose, so they eliminated the conflict. It was as simple as that."

"But for me... my entire world was destroyed, just like that."

"When I showed up at the organization carrying his lunchbox, nearly all the bones in his body were broken."

"When he saw me, he kept shaking his head, telling me to run. With every shake of his head, blood poured from his mouth."

"I dropped the lunchbox and kneeled in front of those people, begging them to save him."

"I said everything I could think of. I bared my soul, telling them how fragile I was and that I wouldn't be able to survive without him."

"In the end, the one among them with arguably the kindest heart gave me a chance."

"She slapped shackles on me, then used a bottle of medicine to barely keep him alive. But he was crippled. He couldn't do anything else anymore. All he could do was deliver takeout, just like he did before entering the Dungeons."

"After that, we never saw each other again."

"I only found out later that that bottle of medicine was only worth about five hundred thousand in Surface World Currency."

"Even now, when I can't even compare to how powerful they were back then, I could still pull out a dozen bottles myself."

Mo Lian raised her head, her short black hair flying wildly in the wind. Her dark eyes were crystal clear in that moment.

"Later on, I wondered... what if I hadn't begged that woman back then?"

"We never saw each other again anyway."

"And it wasn't even a guarantee he'd survive after taking that medicine."

"Besides, I figured he definitely wouldn't blame me."

"We were so close back then."

"How could he possibly blame me?"

"If our roles were reversed, how could I ever bear to blame him?"

"Of course, that was just my own thought."

"Until this time..."

"My name appeared in front of everyone back where we're from."

"I was brilliant. You weren't there, so you wouldn't know, but even as a sidekick, I shone brightly."

"But in the weeks following that, my old address stopped receiving the letters he used to send every week."

Mo Lian laughed, her tears swept away by the wind.

"He's still as kind as he used to be."

"I know my guess was right."

"My Lord, if she had a good relationship with you, why would she ever blame you?"

"If she saw that you were safe, she'd definitely be thrilled."

"The fact that you can never see each other again... it isn't anyone's fault."

"It's just that the fate tying the two of you together simply ran its course."

[Your True Soul is returning]