Chapter 411: Protecting the Love of All Living Beings (Part 2)
Judging from the records left by past kings, the countdown time is always changing. Generally speaking, at every critical point in Earth's history, the countdown will shorten rapidly, which means an imminent threat.
If we allow thoughts to radicalize, civilization will come to an end.
If we lose the world war, civilization will come to an end.
If the Cold War is allowed to escalate further, civilization will come to an end.
The kings regard it as a kind of "doomsday prophecy", and the mission of the Blood Alliance is to do everything possible to delay the realization of the prophecy.
Hundreds of years ago, shortening the countdown was rare, as civilization in the feudal era was not developing so rapidly. However, in the past 200 years, the countdown has been shortening more and more frequently, as China has experienced several industrial revolutions, global wars, the arms race during the Cold War, the popularization and explosion of technology after the Cold War, and the current information age.
It took humans less than 200 years to surpass the accumulation of the past thousands of years, so it is natural that the end of civilization has also accelerated.
The countdown last changed at the turn of the century and has remained static since then. Even if there are no more global dangers, the invasion is inevitable.
The source was most likely the Empire of Truth, which had grown closer with technological advancement, or the ubiquitous Sea of Illusions. But the king didn't care much. The source was no longer important. Regardless of which outsider sect arrived, humanity had no hope.
Earth is a vast island of dust, its population approaching seven billion far surpassing even giants like the Jingsha city-state. Even though Earth's power is weak, its "status" itself is crucial. The Blood Alliance, armed with only fragmented information, believed most of the Outer Daos were simply enhanced versions of the current "abnormals." But Wang Quan knew that the ever-increasing number of Abnormals was merely a direct manifestation of the Outer Dao's influence; the true Outer Dao was far from being so weak.
To better prepare for the future, she utilized the unactivated experimental subjects and developed a simple biocomputer using the resonance between the fallen. Based on the existing intelligence, even if only one true outsider arrived, the Earth would be reduced to hell.
For a full year, Wang Quan used every possible means to simulate the future. But she was met with one hopeless obstacle after another. The existence of the commandments prevented her from informing others of the doomsday. This method, originally intended to protect all beings from the tide of fate, now became a fatal obstacle.
Even if she could break free from the commandments, she couldn't see where she would go next. How much power could she gather in 13 years? How many families could she control with her abilities? Even if she controlled the Blood Alliance with her power, what would that do?
Even if humans can really work together to fight against heretics, what can they achieve in just 13 years?
Perhaps they could develop powerful weapons? Some ingenious technology 50 years ahead of its time? Soldiers armed to the teeth?
What meaning do those things have in front of outsiders?
One glowing corpse is enough to create a zombie craze that sweeps the world.
A soul container can paralyze all existing technologies.
The lowest level of lust demon, the "Hunting Claw", can devour the lives of an entire state in just one month.
The few remaining hopes lie in the funeral procession and the demonic illusions. Low-level monks and demons currently lack the ability to wreak havoc on a large scale. However, that is only temporary. The monks will bring about the spread of death, and the unconquerable illusions will cling to the human will and grow stronger. When higher-level outsiders arrive, the outcome will remain unchanged.
And the fallen...
The Fallen are the worst choice, as Earth already bears too many traces of the Black Moon. The Fallen who descend upon Earth are likely at least of the Chosen Order. That monster, as massive as a mountain, will transform the entire Earth into its paradise. Not only will humanity perish, but it will also suffer immense pain and torment before its death.
The more she deduced, the more desperate she became. The more she simulated, the more powerless she felt. Wang Quan simply admired the old man. How did he hide these secrets and act like an ordinary person? How did he manage to calm down and have fun with her? This kind of pressure could even bring the fallen to collapse, and generation after generation of kings spent their lives watching the countdown.
She sought help from the sages, looking at the absurd and insane plans left by past kings. The most feasible plan was still the old man's, who believed that at the last moment, they could try to launch a nuclear war, causing the decline of civilization at the cost of the annihilation of a large number of people, thus isolating themselves from information pollution.
However, Wang Quan knew that this plan was not feasible because she understood the human race too well. There was no need for outsiders to intervene, as humans would perish in a nuclear war.
She was desperate.
Time cannot be reversed, civilization cannot regress. A mere 13 years is not enough to prevent the advent of the heretic.
So what else can she do?
Under the premise that the heretic is bound to come, what can the dark kingship change? How can she realize the old man's pursuit?
——You must remember that a happy life is meaningful.
When she was about to have a mental breakdown, she thought of the words the old man had entrusted to her.
happiness.
The core mission of the Blood Alliance is to protect the happiness of mankind.
As long as human beings can continue to live happily in the future, that will be enough.
She looked at the worst possible scenario and thought of the only solution.
The coming of the higher fallen ones will cause all humans to die in pain.
But regardless of their rank, the Fallen all love their own kind and are always willing to give their love without reward.
Then, let humans join the Black Moon family.
——Let humans become the lost ones.
·
The old man's decision was correct. The Fallen were the only outsiders who possessed "love." Even though it was a false emotion, Black Moon was willing to give love without reward.
It is willing to love all life, as long as they agree with its principles. If the Black Moon can descend upon Earth, then humans will become its subjects, enjoying eternal happiness on the Moon of Flesh and Blood.
So, she summons the Cradle of Oblivion.
She wants to fulfill the prophecy with her own hands as a means to complete salvation.
The royal power felt no burden when making this decision, because this was the only feasible way at the moment to carry forward the practices of the Blood Alliance.
To kill some people, to save more people.
She gathered her emotions and sprang into action as quickly as possible. She literally possessed the power of a king, and began to manage this ancient, decaying organization. This wasn't much more difficult than managing a school, as she still understood everyone's thoughts. By appearing in front of different people with different appearances, she could easily guide their actions.
She began to get used to being him. Eventually, it became it. It directed the tortured patriarch's death towards the dark wizard, and from there, she quickly gained more information about the Black Moon ritual.
But a single mistake always leaves more questions unanswered, not to mention she had already spent a full year of precious time on future predictions. Soon after, it faced a new test: the head of the Velus family suspected someone within the Blood Alliance.
By human standards, that man's abilities were truly remarkable; he had even located one of the royal power's strongholds. If Velus were allowed to investigate further, he would soon find the king.
But Velus's ideas differed from the old man's. He was a hard-nosed man with a retro style. He would never agree to collude with the enemy, and he advocated fighting to the last moment. There was no possibility of cooperation between the two sides, so the king arranged his end.
It personally killed the twin snakes of Velus's time, leaving a hint to the cowardly Lucas. In this way, Velus was naturally destroyed and there were no more hidden dangers.
Now thinking about it, that was its second mistake. It should have buried the bloodline of Velus with its own hands, leaving no possibility. But it was too busy, too busy. It had countless things to deal with, and it didn't even have time to deal with itself.
Therefore, when it discovered that the Velus family had a new patriarch, the other party had already basically controlled the family power. It had no reason to be an enemy of the new Velus, not to mention that there was something new that attracted its interest.
A young human of immense ability, perhaps a rare individual influenced by the memes of a martial artist. His rise to prominence was so rapid that the king took a rare interest.
It was in dire need of help, and perhaps this was someone it could use.
It gave the Velus family a special mission.
·
"Does it feel like sitting in an office? Comfortable, peaceful, day after day."
He was a very nihilistic person, because spiritually fulfilled people didn't often talk to suitcases. He openly violated social rules, speeding down the highway without even a driver's license, showing little respect for his boss or his blood alliance, and seemingly not caring much about the life in front of him.
"ひとりぼっちのクリスマスイブ~热えそうなサイレントナイト~"
(On a lonely Christmas Eve, a quiet night that seems to be frozen)
"ここからどこへ行こう, もう何も见えない, 空の下~"
(Where should I go now? I can’t see the front under the starry sky~)
He suddenly started singing loudly, speaking in very broken Japanese, and simply using Chinese to get by when he couldn't pronounce the words. He was singing the climax of an old Japanese song, but the song hadn't started yet.
He seemed to have just remembered it halfway through the song, and spent a long time adjusting the car CD. He then passed the large truck in front of him, childishly staying in front of it. In the rearview mirror, he could see the truck driver sticking his head out and cursing loudly. He smiled and lit a cigarette, the ash drifting onto the driver's forehead.
Wang Quan was a little confused, because this person was so incomprehensible. It had no idea what he was thinking. He seemed to just... not care about anything, so he did whatever he wanted.
He took a puff of his cigarette before pulling out of the lane, tossing a pack of cigarettes to the annoyed driver. The truck driver, bewildered, laughed and sped off. As he pulled off the highway, he glanced at the box, and Wang Quan, who was inside, caught his eye.
There was a hint of anticipation in his eyes. It was the first time Wang Quan understood this man's thoughts. He really hoped that there would be something rare in this box to break up his boring life.
The moment I opened the box, that anticipation turned into surprise.
·
The kingship was burdened with a monumental mission, and the countdown was shortening with each passing moment. But it could still spare a day, and it intended to use it to formally communicate with the Sacrificial Serpent, perhaps hoping to use him as a pawn.
"So you've really seen it? Is it powerful?"
"You can't catch up with me!" Chu Hengkong said confidently.
He was truly confident. He knew nothing, yet deep down he had an unshakable faith, like a self-assured primitive man. This inexplicable confidence amused Wang Quan so much that he fabricated a lie about an "observation mission," and the other party actually believed it.
In fact, if you think about it carefully, you will know that this is impossible. Wang Quan has too many things to deal with. How can he waste time on a killer? But he seems to really think that he is so valuable. In his eyes, he seems to be the center of the world, and everyone in the world should revolve around him.
Wang Quan gave himself two extra days off. After all, it had been too long since he'd rested, and teasing this barbarian was more entertaining than killing him. He had intended to use a disguise to tease Chu Hengkong, but the latter quickly learned to see through it. The barbarian's learning ability was unexpectedly strong.
It decided to spend some time studying this human, including his preferences, thoughts, and life principles. Imitating Chu Hengkong's personality should be very effective in relieving stress.
But the kingship failed. Just as it hadn't understood the other when they first met, it couldn't imitate the other now. Humans always have desires and aspirations, but the barbarian seems to have nothing. No pursuits, no desires, no weaknesses, just a powerful existence, savoring the emptiness of life.
"To be honest, sometimes I feel like you are a balloon." Wang Quan said to him.
He glanced at his abdomen and said, "I think I'm in pretty good shape."
"It's about what's inside! A balloon always needs to be tied up, because it's filled with nothing but air. Once the rope is untied, it will fly high into the sky, flying and flying until it reaches a place where no one can see it. When it reaches the highest point, it will explode with a bang, leaving nothing behind." Wang Quan used an analogy, "You are now tied to the rope of Velus, aren't you? If you hadn't met Velus, you would have disappeared from human society one day, and before disappearing, you would have made a bang to let everyone know that you once existed."
He didn't even bother thinking: "Most people are like this, just go with the flow."
"Most people aren't as 'empty' as you. They always want something." Wang Quan poked his chest, "and you're simply a black hole."
Chu Hengkong said lazily: "I am a free man. It doesn't matter if I am a balloon or a black hole. Civil servants like you who eat the emperor's salary are miserable. You are so heavy that you can't fly for a moment."
Wang Quan was really angry: "What do you mean by 'shen'? Open your eyes and look at my figure!"
That day, it disguised itself as a young and beautiful high school girl, wearing a sailor suit and black stockings. If it were in any high school, there would be a lot of boys chasing after it and giving it love letters.
Chu Hengkong laughed to death: "Even though you're pretending, you still care about your figure... I'm talking about lifestyle. You have a lot of tasks on your shoulders, don't you? It's so heavy that it's suffocating you, so you come to me again and again to kill time."
Wang Quan was stunned for a moment: "You have a very rich imagination."
"I see stress-prone people working every day, so I understand why you guys think so. You're always so self-righteous, carrying a lot of things on your shoulders, as if there's no other way but to solve them yourself." Chu Hengkong put a cigarette in his mouth. "But many things are actually not that complicated. If you really treat me as a friend, talk to me and I'll ask the boss to help you find a solution."
"So your amazing wisdom is to ask your boss for help... Such embarrassing wisdom!"
"Isn't finding smart people the most efficient way?" Chu Hengkong disagreed. "Do you think you're the best in the world?"
"Today is truly a memorable day in my life. I was taught by an arrogant person not to be so arrogant."
Chu Hengkong reached out to pat it, but it smiled and dodged, leaving without saying goodbye. It wanted to take two more days off, maybe two weeks, to talk to this person as much as possible, maybe even live with him. But Wang Quan restrained himself. It had to leave after the next meeting and have as little to do with him as possible.
Because Chu Hengkong is different from others.
It is different from humans who must love.
He understood it.
He was its equal. They stood on equal footing. It didn't need to feign human emotions when communicating with him; it could respond naturally. Its cold heart was beating warmly. For a moment, it truly wanted to speak of its responsibility, to come up with a solution together.
But that's impossible, absolutely impossible.
There was no point in speaking it out, no one would understand. Furthermore, he was the sacrificial snake of Velus, and Velus had a patricide. Everything had been shaped before they met, as if it were destined by some unknown fate.
·
Before bidding farewell to Chu Hengkong, it briefly discussed its "motives." As expected, the barbarian had no understanding of love and casually spoke of principles he had heard from others.
"Children will eventually grow up."
The older it gets, the more hardships it faces. The end of its development is the end of the heretic. It had a lot to say in rebuttal, but it couldn't utter a single word. Its mission was to protect humanity, so it naturally needed to protect Chu Hengkong as well.
Many times, the king wondered privately, what would happen if he told them the secret? Would they put aside their hatred for the greater good and join the plan? Would they come up with a more difficult way to fight back?
No, neither would. Chu Hengkong and Velus were together because they always put themselves first. They never claimed to be saviors, and personal vengeance came before justice. They would prioritize revenge, and only consider the greater and more distant meanings after learning the truth.
Although by that time, it will be too late.
But just as its research progressed, so too did Velus's investigation, meticulously and gradually. It used every possible means to interfere, hinder, and delay the arrival of that moment. However, the king knew best that unless Velvet was killed, no one could stop her actions.
It thought there might be other people like Chu Hengkong in the world, and it could find other friends to serve as replacements, so it devoted itself to compiling a list, but the result was only disappointment again. They were still human, no matter how strong they were, they were still human, perhaps with specialties in their respective fields, but in its eyes, they were all the same.
It finally contacted Chu Hengkong again and issued a formal warning.
"Don't keep investigating. She won't find anything, but the old folks don't like to see anyone investigating me."
The solution to the problem was simple: kill her, then kill him, and then no one on the planet would be able to stop its plan. But Wang Quan was a selfish, fallen being. He had only one friend, and he didn't want to lose any more.
It could only pray that Velus's speed would not be too fast, at least before Dark Moon's summons were successful. If everyone could remain ignorant, at least they could live in peace until the last moment.
"Keep your girl under control and don't let her go any deeper. We can be at peace in the quagmire of ignorance, but if she insists on going deeper, even I can't change the outcome."
Once again, a warning. Even if it's pointless.
So they sent assassins to harass him, hoping that Velus would give up after a protracted battle.
Time flew by in the helpless stalemate. Its plan was finally on the verge of success. It had locked onto the crucial catalyst left by Black Moon. It hadn't anticipated Chu Hengkong's sudden change of heart and destroyed it, but the imperfect catalyst was already operational. It could use the blood of the Fallen to control all the clan leaders, which meant controlling the entire Blood Alliance.
So it's just a matter of one more month and everything will be over.
But Velus found out about the mission that happened that year.
“——”
So, what to do now?
Beg for forgiveness? Ask for compromise? Temporary cooperation? Come up with another brilliant lie?
“——”
Why is it always like this? Why does it only meet someone who understands it after it has made a decision?
If it had been earlier, everything would have been different. She could have saved the king, she could not have killed Velus, she could have come up with a better way, a perfect plan, at least to deceive them until the last moment.
But why doesn't this damn world give it a chance?
“——”
You couldn't really solve the problem, so you just ignored it. Now the problem is about to explode, but you are powerless to do anything about it.
The old man thought it was an ideal life, one that could correct mistakes. But he was dead wrong. Every decision was a mistake. Mistakes cannot be corrected; they only accumulate, one leading to another, and yet more mistakes pile up into a mountain of failure. Before you know it, you're standing on the edge of a cliff, forced to make the choice you've been putting off for so long.
What is most important.
What is the most important thing for the Dark King?
"I will love humanity."
He reminded himself softly.
"I will protect this planet."
It's love.
Love is the highest point.
Nothing is above love.
·
I don’t remember clearly what happened after that.
All he remembered was that he calmly arranged his plan and fought with Velus on the chessboard of life. He played chess from the Blood Alliance headquarters to New York, and changed into the family uniform he had prepared long ago as the building burned.
It stood in front of the car, lowering its head to hide its gaze. It hurriedly opened the door for Velus and stabbed a knife into her chest.
What was Chu Hengkong's look like at that time? It couldn't even remember that. It only remembered that it pulled back the knife and spoke to him with a smile.
"Dark Kingship greets you."
·
And just like that, the monster's life came to an end.
He was unable to do anything and was unable to save anything. After destroying everything with his own hands, he was killed by his best friend on the road on a rainy night.
The last image seared into its mind was the receding car. It knew the woman in the passenger seat was about to die, that the man behind the wheel was probably in tears. Yet, it had already failed, and a loser needn't dwell on anything else.
It closed its eyes and sank into darkness.
·
Then, it heard laughter from deep space.
Beyond the endless depths of space, the flesh-and-blood moon sang for its return. A kind old man emerged from the song and extended his hand lovingly to it.
"Come home with me and let us help you fulfill your wish."
The old man said to it.
"I know you hate the Cradle, but that doesn't matter."
“Even if you don’t love the moon, the moon still loves you.”
Thus, it fell into an endless abyss.
(End of this chapter)
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