Chapter 30
The moment they stepped into the golden light, the surrounding light and shadow instantly distorted. When they regained their footing, they were already in the core area of the tower. The once slowly rotating golden core now flickered, its surface covered with tiny cracks, and several dark black auras seeped out from the cracks - the turbid breath condensed from excessive obsession.
The tower spirit floated over to them, its voice trembling slightly. "It's a girl named A Tao, trapped in the illusion of the 'Mirage Market' for three days. She's determined to find her brother, who was swept away by the flood. She refuses to accept reality, and her obsession has triggered a core disorder."
"Mirage Market?" Yun Shuo frowned. He remembered that it was the place most prone to falling into illusions. "Let's go and get her out."
The two followed the fluctuations of the core and walked towards the Mirage Market. The scenes along the way were no longer neat and tidy as before. The stalls that originally displayed illusions were crooked, and fragments of memories floated in the air: children's laughter, the roar of floods, and the crying of girls.
Deep in the market, I saw a girl in a coarse skirt kneeling on an illusory riverbank, desperately reaching for the child in the water, but her fingertips only passed through the air. "Brother! Don't run! Come home with me!" Her voice was hoarse, and tears, mixed with the water droplets of obsession, fell to the ground and turned into black air.
"Stop being so obsessed!" Yu Heng quickly stepped forward and tried to hold her back, but was bounced back by an invisible force - that was the barrier formed by the girl's obsession.
Yun Shuo recalled how, back in the Quiet Tide Abyss, he too had been obsessed with finding his past. It was Yu Heng who had awakened him. He spoke softly, "We know you're sad, but this is just an illusion. If your brother were still alive, he certainly wouldn't want to see you trapped like this."
Ah Tao turned around suddenly, her eyes distracted yet stubborn: "You don't understand! I didn't keep an eye on him, it's my fault! I just want him to come back!" Her roar caused the surrounding illusion to shake violently, and more black air emerged from the ground.
The vibrations of the core could be heard through several floors of the tower. The tower spirit's voice rang out urgently: "If this continues, the core will collapse!"
Yuheng suddenly pulled something out of his pocket—half of a jade pendant, the one his sister had given him. "I used to be just like you, obsessed with finding my sister, trapped in that obsession." He held the jade pendant in front of Tao. "But then I realized it's more important to hold on to who you are now than to hold on to what's already lost. Would your brother be relieved to see you like this?"
Ah Tao stared at the half jade pendant and froze. The riverbank in the illusion began to dissipate, and the child's silhouette also became blurred. She squatted down, covering her face, and her crying gradually turned from roaring to sobbing: "I... I just don't want to be alone..."
"You're not alone." Yun Shuo handed over a piece of dry food. "Live a good life after you get out, and take your brother's share with you. That's what he wants to see."
The barrier of obsession gradually dissipated. Tao stood up and wiped her tears. The dark energy around her began to dissipate, and the vibrations in the core subsided. "Thank you." She took the rations and followed the two people towards the core.
Back in the core area, the tower spirit was doing its best to stabilize the golden core. Ah Tao looked at the massive core and suddenly pulled out a cloth bag from her bosom. Inside was her brother's favorite clay figurine. "Can I leave this here?" she asked softly. "I want to keep it as a reminder, but I'm no longer obsessed with finding him."
She placed the clay figurine next to the core. The moment it came into contact with the golden light, it transformed into a soft white light and merged into the core. Several of the originally tiny cracks healed, and the core's rotation returned to a stable state.
"Let go of obsessions, but keep thoughts. This is what a tower should be like." The tower spirit breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Yun Shuo and Yu Heng. "Thanks to you, the new rules are truly stable."
Ah Tao thanked them both and turned to walk through the light gate leading to the outside. Yun Shuo looked at her from behind and said to Yu Heng with a smile, "It seems that this time, we not only protected the tower, but also helped a girl."
Yu Heng looked at the steadily rotating core, his fingertips stroking the jade pendant on his sleeve: "Perhaps, this is the path we should take."
The tower spirit suddenly spoke: "After the core stabilized, I could sense the entrances to the 'Bridge of Time' in various time and space. If you want to find the way back, or see the situation at other entrances, I can guide you."
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng exchanged a glance, each seeing the anticipation in the other's eyes. "Let's go check out the next entrance," Yun Shuo said. "Maybe we can help even more people."
The two followed the tower spirit toward another portal of light. Beyond the portal, instead of the familiar trial scene, they revealed a strange street scene adorned with cherry blossoms. This time, they entered with a resolute step. The road ahead still held uncertainties, but each step was steady—for they knew they were guarding not only a tower, but also the hope and homecoming of countless people.
Passing through the gate of light, where cherry blossoms fluttered in the wind, I found myself on a bluestone-paved street. Faded wooden signs hung on the low buildings on either side, and the signs of "taverns" and "cloth shops" swayed gently in the wind. The air was a blend of the fragrance of cherry blossoms and the sweet aroma of rice wine, a touch more earthy than the aroma of mountain vegetation.
"This place looks like an ancient town." Yun Shuo reached out and caught a falling cherry blossom. The petals felt soft and more real than any illusion in the tower.
The two walked along the street and just as they turned an alley, they saw a group of people gathered in front of a tavern, the sound of discussion rising and falling. They squeezed in and saw a young man in a short brown coat sitting on the threshold, holding an old wooden box in his arms, his eyes red and refusing to move. A nearby shopkeeper with a goatee stamped his foot anxiously, "Hey, kid, did you bring that wooden box out of the Light Gate? The moment it got close to the tavern, all my wine jars cracked!"
The boy clutched the wooden box tightly and choked up, "This is my father's stuff. Why should I throw it away? I just want to show my father that I can earn my own money now."
Yun Shuo remembered Ah Tao's obsession and stepped forward to ask softly, "Did you come out of the 'Bridge of Time'?"
The young man nodded and wiped away his tears. "My father passed away last year. I heard that I could see Nianxiang through the Light Gate, so I went in. I really saw my father inside. He also told me to live a good life, but I..." He opened the wooden box, and inside was half a worn woodworking plane. "This is the only thing he left me. I can't bear to throw it away."
Yu Heng looked at the wooden box in the boy's hand, then glanced at the broken wine jars on the floor of the tavern. He suddenly said, "It's not the wooden box that's the problem. It's that you didn't really understand what your father said. He wanted you to live a good life, not to trap yourself in old things."
As he spoke, a faint light suddenly lit up at the entrance of the alley, and the figure of the tower spirit faintly appeared. "It is the residual energy of obsession that has caused chaos in the surroundings. This child's thoughts have not been transformed into motivation, but instead have become a burden."
The boy paused, looking down at the plane. He suddenly remembered the dream in which his father had touched his head and told him, "You'll have to earn your living with your own hands." He was silent for a moment, then placed the wooden box on the ground and gently pushed it toward the shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so willful. I'll leave this plane with you for now. I'll come back and get it when I'm done with the carpentry work."
As soon as he finished speaking, the faint black mist lingering on the wooden box instantly dissipated, and the shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise: "Hey? My wine jar is not shaking anymore!"
The young man smiled, wiped away his tears, and bowed to Yun Shuo and Yu Heng: "Thank you, I know what to do." After that, he turned and walked deeper into the alley, his steps much lighter than when he came.
After the crowd dispersed, the tower spirit's figure gradually became clear. "Once the core is stabilized, the remaining obsession will only cause minor disturbances, but if it accumulates, it will still cause problems. I sensed another light gate in the west of the city, and the fluctuations there are not right."
The two followed Ta Ling toward the west of the city. Along the way, they saw many people emerging from the light gate with relieved expressions—women hugging their families, smiling scholars clutching books, and farmers carrying farm tools along their way. Yun Shuo couldn't help but smile. "This is what the 'Bridge of Time' should look like."
Arriving at the west side of the city, I saw a middle-aged man in official uniform standing by the Guangmen Gate, muttering to himself as he faced the inside. The cherry blossoms around the gate had mostly wilted, and the ground was even cracked. "I'll just stay in office for another six months, return the money I embezzled, and I'll never embezzle again!" He looked anxious, reaching out to force his way through the Guangmen Gate.
"Don't go in!" Yu Heng quickly grabbed him. "You're obsessed with 'making amends,' but the Light Gate isn't meant to offset guilt. What you should do now is turn yourself in to the authorities, not hide in a fantasy world for comfort."
The man broke free from his hand, his eyes frantic: "What's wrong with me going in to correct my past? What will happen to my family if I fall?"
Yun Shuo frowned and pointed at the crack at his feet. "Look, your obsession is already destroying the peace here. Even if you correct your past in the illusion, the sin in reality remains. Instead of running away, it's better to face it calmly. That's the true atonement."
The man looked at the cracks under his feet, and then recalled the panic he felt when he was corrupt and abused his power. He suddenly collapsed to the ground. He pulled out the account book from his pocket, covered his face with his hands, and sighed, "I... I know."
At this moment, a faint white light drifted out of the light gate and fell on the account book, making the ink on the account book clearer. The tower spirit said, "The obsession has dissipated. Although the mistakes remain, the sincerity has been conveyed. If you truly repent, it is not too late."
The man stood up, clutching the account book, bowed to the two men, and turned to walk towards the government office. As he left, the cracks in the ground gradually healed, and the wilted cherry blossoms bloomed again.
The tower spirit looked at the light gate that had returned to calm and said to Yun Shuo and Yu Heng, "Thanks to you, the chaos here has been resolved. Now the entrances to various time and space are stable. If you want to find your way back, I can locate your original time and space."
Yun Shuo looked at Yu Heng, who smiled and nodded: "Let's go back and take a look first. Maybe... we can find some clues about my sister."
Ta Ling waved his hand, and a warm golden light spread out before them. Behind the door, they could vaguely see the familiar outline of the city. Yun Shuo caught a drifting cherry blossom and tucked it into his arms. "No matter what happens when we get back, at least our efforts weren't in vain."
Side by side, the two stepped into the golden light, cherry blossoms falling behind them. This time, they were no longer adventurers ascending the tower for a trial, nor were they guardians turning back for the last moment. Instead, they walked with unwavering confidence on their own journey home. And in the distance, the "Bridge of Time" still shone brightly, quietly guarding those who cherished their longings but were not trapped by the past.
When the golden light faded, the familiar hustle and bustle came over them - the asphalt road was bustling with traffic, the shops on the street were playing familiar music, and the tall buildings in the distance pierced the sky. It was the city in their memories.
"I'm really back." Yun Shuo took a deep breath. The air was filled with the smell of car exhaust and milk tea, which was more comforting than any illusion. He felt in his pocket and found the phone he had used before climbing the tower. He turned it on and the screen lit up, showing the date three months after their ascent.
Yuheng's fingertips subconsciously pressed against his sleeve. The half jade pendant was still there. He turned on his phone, and the number for "sister" in his address book was still stuck on the last missed call. "I'm going to check out my old place first." He looked at Yunshuo. "What about you?"
"I'll go home to find my parents. They must be worried sick." Yun Shuo smiled. The two agreed to meet at the snack stand at the alley entrance that they used to go to in the evening, and then they went their separate ways.
Yun Shuo's home is in the old city. When he pushed open the familiar wooden door, his mother was cooking in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, she turned back and saw the spatula in her hand clang to the ground. "Xiao Shuo?!" His mother rushed over and hugged him, tears streaming down her face. "Where have you been? We've been looking for you everywhere for three months!"
His father rushed out of the study, his eyes red, and patted his shoulder. "I'm glad you're back, I'm glad you're back." Yun Shuo looked at the new gray hair on his parents' temples, his heart aching. He said he had strayed into a remote place, his phone had no signal, and he couldn't contact them. At dinner, his parents chattered about what had happened since he disappeared. He listened quietly, and suddenly realized that "returning home" was never about coinciding with the same location, but about the presence of the people he cared about.
Elsewhere, Yu Heng stood in front of his familiar apartment building. Several of the voice-activated lights in the hallway were broken, just as they had been before he climbed the tower. He reached his door and knocked when it opened. A young girl with pigtails came out carrying a garbage bag. She was startled when she saw him, then her eyes lit up. "Brother? You're back!"
It's his sister, Yuyao.
Yu Heng's throat tightened instantly, and he reached out and ruffled her hair: "You...are not missing?"
"What are you missing?" Yuyao threw the garbage bag into the bucket and pulled him inside. "You went out three months ago, saying you were looking for something, and you never came back. My parents and I have been waiting for you every day. Oh, by the way, my parents are out buying groceries and will be back soon!"
It turns out his "sister's disappearance" during the tower ascent was actually a fantasy, amplified by his worry about her academic success and her failure to return home on time from a sketching trip. Yuheng's eyes warmed as he watched his sister chattering, a weight finally lifting from his chest.
In the evening, the food stalls at the alley entrance were still bustling with activity. Yun Shuo and Yu Heng sat on familiar little stools and ordered two bowls of their usual fried noodles. "My parents tidied my room exactly like this, even leaving my unfinished books on the table," Yun Shuo sighed contentedly as he took a bite of the noodles.
"My sister is fine and preparing for the college entrance exam." Yu Heng smiled, stroking the jade pendant with his fingertips. "I used to be obsessed with 'finding her back', but in fact, she has always been there."
The two smiled at each other, both understanding that this tower climbing experience was not to let them regain what they had lost, but to let them learn to cherish what they had.
At this moment, Yun Shuo's phone suddenly vibrated, and an unfamiliar text message popped up on the screen with only one line of words: "There is an unusual movement of the light gate next to the old warehouse in the west of the city." The sender's note was "Tower Spirit".
Yuheng also received the same message. They looked at each other and saw a tacit understanding in each other's eyes.
"It seems that the guardian's work will not be completed for a while." Yun Shuo smiled and finished the last bite of fried noodles, then stood up.
"That's good," Yu Heng followed his footsteps, "It's not a bad thing to help others avoid taking a detour."
The setting sun stretched their shadows long as they walked towards the west of the city, their steps brisk but determined. The city lights gradually brightened, and the distant light gate shone softly. They knew that whether the road ahead was to protect the "Bridge of Time" or to live the present day well, as long as they stood side by side, no obstacle was insurmountable.
Their story is no longer the end of the trial, but the starting point of a new life.
The old warehouse in the west of the city had long been abandoned, its broken walls overgrown with weeds. From afar, a pale purple light portal flickered in the corner, and the air around it trembled slightly. As they approached, they discovered a little girl in a school uniform huddled beside the portal, clutching a portfolio tightly in her arms, tears streaking her face.
"Why are you here?" Yun Shuo asked softly, afraid to scare her.
The little girl raised her head, her eyes red. "I... I saw the light here, so I came over out of curiosity. But now I don't dare to get close, and I don't dare to leave." She pointed to the light door. "Just now, an aunt came out from inside, crying and saying she saw her deceased child. I'm a little scared, but I also want to go in and see my grandfather."
Yu Heng squatted down and said in a gentle tone: "What happened to your grandfather?"
"Grandpa passed away last month," the little girl sniffed, flipping through a portfolio filled with portraits of her grandfather. "Before he left, he said he'd teach me how to paint sunsets, but he hadn't finished yet... I want him to finish the rest."
As he spoke, the light portal suddenly shook violently, the purple light dimming, and the surrounding weeds began to wither. From within the light portal, the tower spirit's voice rang out with a hint of urgency: "This child's obsession has caused chaos behind the portal. She's mistaken her 'desire' for 'unfinished'. If this continues, the light portal will collapse!"
Yun Shuo looked at the sketchbook in the little girl's hand and suddenly remembered that he, too, had been obsessed with making up for a failed competition in the reverse corridor. He smiled and said, "I used to want to make up for what I didn't do well, but later I realized that I could actually continue to do what I didn't finish."
Yuheng added, "What your grandfather taught you wasn't just the technique for painting sunsets; it was also his sincere desire for you to paint well. If you paint the sunset well with this sincerity, you will have fulfilled his wish."
The little girl was stunned for a moment, looking down at the grandfather's smile in the painting, and suddenly stood up. She hugged the sketchbook in her arms and bowed to the light gate: "Grandpa, I will learn to paint well and paint many sunsets for you in the future."
As soon as he finished speaking, the shaking of the light gate gradually subsided, the dark purple color softened again, and the withered weeds sprouted new shoots. The tower spirit's figure appeared in the light gate: "Alright, the disorder is resolved. This child's thoughts have become motivation, and the light gate is stable."
The little girl thanked the two men and ran towards the residential area in the distance, the sketchpad in her hand glowing faintly in the setting sun.
"It seems that as a 'guardian', I have to be available at any time." Yun Shuo smiled and rubbed his shoulders.
Yu Heng looked at the steady light gate and suddenly said, "It's not that troublesome actually. You see, we can help others figure it out with just a few words. It's much easier than going through trials in the tower."
The tower spirit then spoke: "Now the light gates in all time and space have the ability to self-regulate. Disorder will only occur when encountering people with strong obsessions. You don't need to keep an eye on them all the time. I will contact you if there is any unusual movement."
"That's good," Yun Shuo breathed a sigh of relief. "I still have to go back and help my mom fix the washing machine. She's been nagging about it for days."
Yu Heng also laughed: "My sister asked me to help her change her college entrance examination application, I have to go back and take a look."
After bidding farewell to Ta Ling, the two turned and headed back toward the city. The setting sun cast their shadows together, and the streetlights gradually lit up, casting a warm yellow light on the asphalt.
"If you receive a text message from Ta Ling again, will you come again?" Yun Shuo asked.
"Come on," Yu Heng nodded. "After all, we built this 'Bridge of Time'. We can't just leave it alone. Besides..." He paused, looking at the lights of thousands of homes in the distance. "It's good to be able to help others keep their dreams alive."
Yun Shuo smiled and nodded, and the two of them walked side by side into the crowd. Their phones remained quietly tucked away in their pockets, no longer ringing with unusual activity alerts. But they all knew that as long as the light gate remained lit, as long as someone cared about them, they would appear when needed.
For now, I will just live the present day well - have a meal with my parents, help my sister change her major, and make up for every warmth I missed during the three months of disappearance.
This ordinary daily life is the most precious answer they get after going through trials.
Life gradually returned to normal. Yunshuo found a job in mechanical maintenance, where he worked alongside his master, disassembling and assembling parts. After work, he helped his parents tend to the flowers and plants on the balcony. Occasionally, his mother would drag him to the market to bargain for prices. His life was both routine and fulfilling. Yuheng accompanied his younger sister as she prepared for exams. In his spare time, he returned to his old design major, taking on small online commissions. He and Yunshuo would often call in the evenings to catch up on each other's progress.
Ta Ling's texts weren't frequent, mostly minor disturbances that the two of them could always find time to address. Then, late one night, two weeks later, his phone suddenly vibrated continuously. The message on the screen was urgent: "In the city center clock tower, core energy is reversing, and the light gate is about to lose control!"
The two grabbed their coats and hurried to the clock tower. The streets were exceptionally quiet at night, with only the bells echoing through the empty streets. From afar, a dark mist lingered around the top of the clock tower. Within the mist, a light portal flickered, but it was no longer the usual soft hue, but a piercing scarlet.
"What's going on?" Yun Shuo frowned. He could feel the energy in the air rushing wildly, and even the ground beneath his feet was shaking slightly.
Ta Ling's figure emerged from the mist with difficulty, his figure much fainter than before. "It's that corrupt official from before! After turning himself in and being sentenced, he secretly found a hidden light gate and tried to forcibly rewrite his past 'imprisonment'. His obsession was so strong that it triggered a core countercurrent!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a disheveled figure rushed out of the fog. It was the middle-aged official. His eyes were crazy and he roared, "I don't want to go to jail! I want to go back! Change everything back!" He stretched out his hand to pounce on the scarlet light door, but a black air wrapped around his ankle and dragged him into the fog.
"We can't let him touch the light gate!" Yu Heng rushed forward quickly, stretched out his hand to grab the official's arm, but was counterattacked by the black energy, and a black mark instantly appeared on the back of his hand.
Yun Shuo immediately picked up a metal rod from the roadside and smashed it hard at the black energy. The black energy shrank back in pain, but quickly surged back up. "That's no use! We have to make him give up his obsession first!" Yun Shuo shouted, gazing at the official. "Do you think you can escape by rewriting the past? Even if you go back, the corruption will still happen, and the consequences will only be worse! Serve your sentence diligently now, and be with your family when you're released. That's the only real remedy!"
The official was stunned for a moment, the madness in his eyes gradually faded a little, but he was still unwilling: "I have served my sentence, what will happen to my family?"
"Your family wants a down-to-earth you, not a deserter hiding in a fantasy world!" Yu Heng endured the pain in his hand and emphasized his tone, "I used to want to avoid problems, but in the end I realized that facing them head-on is the only way to truly solve them."
At this moment, shouts came from below the bell tower, and the official's wife and children ran over holding lanterns: "Boss! We're waiting for you to come out! Don't be stupid anymore!"
The moment he saw his family, the official's psychological defenses completely collapsed. He collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly. The black energy wrapped around him instantly dissipated, and the crimson light gate gradually lost its hostility. The dark mist began to be dispelled by the golden light.
The tower spirit breathed a sigh of relief, and his figure gradually became clearer: "Fortunately, we made it in time. If we were a step later, the core would have been contaminated by the black air, and all the light gates would have been out of control."
The official was taken away by the prison guards who arrived shortly afterwards. Before leaving, he bowed deeply to Yun Shuo and Yu Heng and said, "Thank you."
The golden light from the top of the bell tower gradually faded, and everything returned to calm. Yu Heng looked at the fading black mark on the back of his hand and smiled, "This time is much more dangerous than before."
"That's right," Yun Shuo patted his shoulder. "But it's good that it's resolved. By the way, your sister has a mock exam tomorrow, you should go back and help her review."
The two walked side by side on the streets late at night. The bells of the clock tower rang out again, this time with an exceptionally clear tone. A text message from the tower spirit arrived on their phone: "The core is now stable. From now on, the Light Gate will be more cautious in screening those who enter. You can live your lives in peace."
Yun Shuo put his phone back into his pocket and looked up at the waning moon in the sky: "Can I finally have some free time?"
"Yeah," Yuheng nodded, the light from the street lamp reflected in his eyes. "I can accompany my sister to study for the college entrance examination, and I can also concentrate on design. What about you? Do you plan to continue working in maintenance?"
"What else?" Yun Shuo smiled. "I think it's quite interesting. It's close to home, so I can take care of my parents. By the way, after your sister finishes her exams, shall we go to the beach where we used to go?"
"OK."
Their laughter drifted through the night sky, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights, gradually overlapping. Once, driven by a single obsession, they climbed the tower, enduring life-or-death trials; now, letting go of that obsession, they lived a peaceful and stable life.
The "Bridge of Time" still shines softly across time and space, guarding every clear thought. Yun Shuo and Yu Heng can finally put down the burden of being guardians and embrace their own ordinary lives and warmth.
The breeze at the beach, the laughter of family members, and the expectations for the future are all the most perfect gifts after this long trial.
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