In the jungle near the shrine.

Two figures were running at high speed, with the shorter one occasionally turning back to check something.

Thankfully, this is a dense forest, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to shake off Leo and his group.

"Brother Qin, you should leave quickly." Uesugi Sakura stopped and said, "They're here for me, you shouldn't be taken back."

Qin Sheng shook his head and sighed, "I am actually their target as well."

He took off his mask with a hint of helplessness: "I only have this one mask on, and I guess the area around the shrine is already surrounded."

Sakura Uesugi's face stiffened, and she was somewhat flustered: "Then, what should we do? I shouldn't have come. Now I've dragged others into this mess."

Self-reproach welled up in her heart at this moment. She shouldn't have been so captivated by that fleeting firework; she should have told Qin Sheng sooner.

Now everyone is stuck...

"It's fine."

Qin Sheng patted her head and comforted her, "Don't be so nervous, it's not like we're at our wits' end."

Sakura Uesugi was taken aback, then exclaimed with delight, "Brother Qin Sheng, you have a way!"

"certainly."

Uesugi Sakura was waiting for him to come up with a solution, but she found that Qin Sheng's gaze was fixed on her and had not left her.

Pointing uncertainly at herself, Uesugi Sakura asked blankly, "Brother Qin Sheng, do you mean me?"

"That's right."

Sakura Uesugi quickly waved her hand: "I can't do it, I'm no match for Leo-sensei and the others."

Qin Sheng didn't answer, but instead squatted down and stared into those pale blue eyes, saying, "Have you tried it?"

"No."

"Then why not?"

Qin Sheng said quietly, "I just checked their strength. They are two Grandmasters, while your strength is definitely enough to kill them."

"No, no, no." Uesugi Sakura shook her head like a rattle-drum.

“I never beat my teachers in daily training, and it was very difficult for me to keep up with them.”

"That's because they won't let you use the domain."

"Huh?" Uesugi Sakura paused.

Qin Sheng continued, "Do you still remember that cage with the blood coagulated?"

"Remember."

"That's my strength; I am a grandmaster."

Qin Sheng looked intently at Uesugi Sakura: "And even at my full strength, I can't last half a minute within your domain, you understand?"

Me?

Ignoring her doubts, Qin Sheng said calmly, "That's right, your strength is much better than you think. No grandmaster can be your opponent when you go all out."

"And the only people chasing us are two grandmasters, one is Leo, and the other is that old man."

Qin Sheng squinted: "If you go all out, the predicament we are facing will no longer exist."

He stood up, and the moonlight above him shone through the gaps in the leaves.

"You're very strong, you don't need to be so careful, understand?"

The calm voice struck Sakura Uesugi's soul, causing a seed of rebellion to sprout within her.

“But…but I’m afraid I’ll kill the teacher if I do that,” Uesugi Sakura said with difficulty.

"I see."

Qin Sheng sighed, "If I'm not mistaken, I'll be captured and my true identity will be discovered, and I'll probably die too."

"don't want!"

Sakura Uesugi blurted it out unconsciously.

"But there are no other solutions now."

Qin Sheng glanced around and said calmly, "This mountain is not large. At the speed of a Grandmaster, they should be able to search here very quickly. At that time, we will have no choice."

She looked at Qin Sheng, then at her surroundings.

Sakura Uesugi clenched her fists, her face full of difficulty and struggle.

If she doesn't take action, the teachers will take Qin Sheng away, and she will never see this brother who took care of her again.

But when it comes to actually doing it, those are the teachers.

Although they often beat themselves until they were covered in wounds, making themselves fight with strange beasts until they were exhausted, sometimes they would even use their own dolls to threaten themselves into cooperating.

cocoa……

The scales in his heart began to tip, and Qin Sheng added fuel to the fire at this moment.

Taking out a firework, Qin Sheng smiled and said, "Ying Li, was the firework beautiful?"

Sakura paused, then subconsciously replied, "It looks good."

"But do you know why fireworks are so beautiful?"

Sakura Uesugi shook her head.

"Because the beautiful moment of blooming is brought about by the fireworks shattering into pieces."

Qin Sheng lit the firework in his hand and threw it into the air under the gaze of Uesugi Sakura.

Bang!

Up close, at the moment of the explosion, the entire firework was torn into pieces by the flames, turning into scattered brilliance.

Staring blankly at this scene, Uesugi Sakura didn't quite understand what Qin Sheng meant.

"Do you know why fireworks still go up and explode even when you know that you'll be smashed to pieces ahead?"

"Aren't fireworks made to be lit?" Uesugi Sakura asked, puzzled.

“That’s right.” Qin Sheng looked relieved: “Fireworks were created by humans with a purpose, and even if they are about to be shattered into pieces in the next second, they have no choice.”

After a pause, Qin Sheng said quietly, "And what about you?"

"I?"

"Like fireworks, you were shaped into what you are today by the experimental base for a certain purpose. If nothing unexpected happens, you will also become a part of fireworks in the future, ignited at some point and shattered to pieces."

Qin Sheng said coldly, "At that time, all your cherished dolls, favorite things, and friends will be disposed of by them."

"From beginning to end, you were like a firework, never having the chance to decide your own fate!"

Sakura Uesugi's body stiffened as the truth was laid bare before her.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!